Public health safety net offering walk-in testing, PrEP consultations Oct. 25 – 30
PHOENIX (October 22, 2020) – Advancements in medications to treat and prevent the transmission of HIV have come a long way since the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980’s and 90’s. But with more than 11,000 Maricopa County residents living with HIV today, awareness of HIV, and more importantly the medications available to stop transmission continue to be a focus of Valleywise Health. In recognition of National Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness Week (Oct. 25 – 30), Valleywise Community Health Center – McDowell is offering walk-in HIV testing and PrEP prescription consultation all week from 8 am to 5 pm, no appointment necessary.
PrEP is a once a day pill that prevents HIV transmission. It boasts a greater than 99% rate of effectiveness if taken regularly and studies have shown PrEP is safe and has a low rate of minor side effects. PrEP is for individuals who are HIV negative, so the first step is to get an HIV test. There is a medication option available for anyone regardless of sex or sexual orientation.
Dr. Ann Khalsa, the medical director at Valleywise Community Health Center – McDowell, is a passionate proponent of HIV prevention and PrEP. She notes that “HIV infection is preventable. But we are still nowhere near providing PrEP to the estimated 25,000 Arizonans who could benefit from HIV prevention. PrEP is so effective that it is a top-level recommendation from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force and is a key component, along with testing and treatment, of the U.S. national goal to prevent new cases of HIV and end this decades long epidemic.”
PrEP does not protect users from Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) like syphilis or chlamydia. Using PrEP and condoms together provides protection from HIV and most STIs.
In 2011, Valleywise Health Medical Center became the first hospital in Arizona to provide routine HIV screening in its emergency department and is now expanding testing throughout their entire network of emergency departments and 12 community health centers across the Valley. By the end of the year, voluntary HIV screening will be a routine part of medical care for its patients and all Valleywise Health sites will be able to provide PrEP and Rapid HIV treatment to all newly tested persons. PrEP prescriptions are now covered under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and Valleywise Health can also assist patients in obtaining coverage for HIV testing and PrEP therapy.
Valleywise Community Health Center – McDowell is the largest provider of primary HIV care and treatment in Arizona, serving more than 4,000 patients living with HIV. The center treats and educates a high volume of LGBTQ patients, both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals, including provision of gender-affirming hormonal therapy. For this work at McDowell and system-wide, Valleywise Health was recognized by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as an LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader in 2020.
To learn more about Valleywise Community Health Center – McDowell and the HIV services provided, please visit www.valleywisehealth.org/locations.
About Valleywise Health
Located in Phoenix, Arizona and named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation by IBM Watson Health in 2020, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System) has a proud tradition of being the community safety net health care system with a mission and commitment to serving the underserved. Valleywise Health consists of Valleywise Health Medical Center, Arizona’s only public teaching hospital, the only trauma center in Maricopa County verified by the American College of Surgeons to treat adults and children. and Arizona’s only nationally verified Burn Center serving the entire Southwestern United States. Other services include the McDowell Healthcare Center, the largest provider of HIV primary care in Arizona, the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic, three behavioral health centers, and 11 neighborhood health centers. To learn more, please visit www.ValleywiseHealth.org
Festival now moved to April 10-11, 2021 at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix;
Parade moves to Sunday, April 11, 2021
PHOENIX — Phoenix Pride has announced newly rescheduled dates for the 40th Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade, with the Festival now set to run Saturday and Sunday, April 10-11, 2021, with the Parade moving to Sunday, April 11, 2021.
The Festival will remain at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, and Festival hours will be unchanged, at noon-9 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The Parade will begin on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at Third St. and Thomas Rd., running northbound up Third St. to Indian School Rd.
The presenting sponsor for the 40th Phoenix Pride Festival is Bud Light Seltzer, with Bank of America presenting the 40th Phoenix Pride Parade.
In addition to the new dates, Pride has confirmed that the headlining performers previously announced for the Circle K Festival Main Stage and the Latin Stage Presented by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Club Papí will remain unchanged, and all have reconfirmed for the new dates.
“Phoenix Pride is looking forward to bringing our community back together when we return to our usual spring schedule in 2021,” Phoenix Pride Executive Director Mike Fornelli said. “We continue to use our additional time to plus the plans for our 40th Festival, and we are equally excited about celebrating the milestone of our 40th Parade, which directly celebrates the earliest marches in which Phoenix Pride has its roots.”
“We know that this continues to be a challenging time for our community and our allies, and we will continue to explore the best available avenues, virtually and otherwise, to stay connected and engaged as we look forward to gathering together in April,” President of the Phoenix Pride Board of Directors Mark Leeper added. “Our staff and board continue to work for our community on a daily basis, and we will continue to be both a voice and a touchpoint for our community, without exception.”
Existing Festival ticket holders will be receiving an email message this week from Phoenix Pride’s ticketing partner, See Tickets, to the email address associated with their order, explaining the policies and procedures regarding ticket conversions for the new dates.
Tickets for the new Festival dates are ON SALE NOW at PhoenixPride.org.
Additional detailed information regarding the 40th Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade is available online at http://www.phoenixpride.org.
PHOENIX (September 1, 2020) – Valleywise Health today announced that the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) has designated the health care system with their “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” for the second year in a row. Valleywise Health is the first hospital in Arizona to achieve the designation, awarded in the 12th edition of HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).
Every year, HRC recognizes the health care facilities that participate in the HEI for their dedication and commitment to LGBTQ inclusion. A record 765 health care facilities actively participated in the HEI 2020 survey. Of those included in the HEI, 495 earned an “LGBTQ Health Care Equality Leader” designation.
“This designation goes to support our on-going mission to provide exceptional care to all who come through our doors, regardless of race, religion, socioeconomic standing and in this case, sexual orientation,” says Steve Purves, President and CEO of Valleywise Health. “We have built a strong relationship with our LGBTQ community and to be considered a leader in advancing care equality to our LGBTQ community is truly a source of pride.”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. Valleywise Health joins HRC in striving to ensure the healthcare and emotional needs of this community is met with empathy and understanding.
“From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to the horrific incidents of racial violence targeting the Black community, the events of the past year have brought about so much pain and uncertainty. Yet, even during this moment of profound unrest, we are seeing more of our humanity and resilience come to life. For me, nowhere is that more true than through the tireless dedication of our health care providers and the intrepid support and administrative staff members by their sides that show up every day to ensure this life-saving work continues,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “The health care facilities participating in the HRC Foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) are not only on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are also making it clear from their participation in the HEI that they stand on the side of fairness and are committed to providing inclusive care to their LGBTQ patients. In addition, many have made strong statements on racial justice and equity and are engaging in efforts to address racial inequities in their institutions and their communities. We commend all of the HEI participants for their commitment to providing inclusive care for all.”
One of the primary drivers of receiving the recognition is the health systems work at their Valleywise Community Health Center – McDowell, a specialty clinic providing primary care services for HIV positive patients, HIV prevention through PrEP and transgender hormonal therapy. The health center sees about 4,000 patients per year, with roughly 65% self-identifying as LGBTQ and provides care to all who need it thanks to its partnership with the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
For more information on Valleywise Health, please visit www.valleywisehealth.org.
About Valleywise Health
Located in Phoenix, Arizona, Valleywise Health (formerly Maricopa Integrated Health System) has a proud tradition of being both the community safety net health care system, with a mission and commitment to serving the underserved and Arizona’s only public teaching hospital. Valleywise Health consists of Valleywise Health Medical Center, Maryvale hospital, the only Level I Trauma Center in Maricopa County verified by the American College of Surgeons to care for both adults and children, Arizona’s only nationally verified Burn Center serving the entire Southwestern United States, the McDowell Healthcare Center, the largest provider of HIV primary care in Arizona, the Refugee Women’s Health Clinic, the Arizona Children’s Center, three behavioral health centers, and 11 neighborhood health centers. To learn more, please visit www.ValleywiseHealth.org
About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the education arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
BREAKING NEWS:
NGLCC Endorses Joe Biden for President
The Business Voice of the LGBT Community Announces Endorsement
Citing Biden’s Record on Small Business and LGBT Progress
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The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, has publicly announced its endorsement of Joseph R. Biden for President of the United States. NGLCC has only endorsed for president once previously in its nearly twenty-year history and the vote was unanimous by the organization’s Board of Directors.
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“The NGLCC is proud to endorse a champion for inclusion. We need to elect a president with a commitment to LGBTQ equality, ending racism and racial violence, promoting small businesses and entrepreneurship and ensuring a safe and equitable society for every American. Joe Biden is that candidate,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson.
“Joe Biden proudly affirms an essential core value of the NGLCC: that we all deserve our shot at the American Dream, and that our economy only succeeds when it is available to all LGBT and allied Americans.”
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“The stakes have never been so high for the future of our country and the LGBT business community. Joe Biden is the champion our businesses and our families need to thrive,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell.
“The LGBT community has come too far to lose its seat at the table, and we are certain that a President Biden will continue fighting for the collective economic and social longevity of America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners and the more than $1.7 trillion they add to the U.S. economy despite ongoing discrimination.”
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THIS FRIDAY:
JOIN NGLCC & THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN
Out for LGBTQ+ Business
– A Virtual Town Hall
Join us Friday, Sept. 4 at 1 PM ET!
Join LGBTQ+ for Biden and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce for a virtual event to celebrate the 1.4 million LGBTQ+ business owners across the United States and discuss the path forward.
This week, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket, the most pro-equality ticket in American history. During this virtual event, special guests will talk about Vice President Biden’s plans to build a stronger, more equitable economy, promote entrepreneurship, tackle structural racism, fight systemic injustice and end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people once and for all.
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ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE:
National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Endorses Joe Biden
“We need to elect a president with a commitment to LGBTQ equality, ending racism and racial violence, promoting small businesses and entrepreneurship, and ensuring a safe and equitable society for every American. Joe Biden is that candidate,” NGLCC Co-Founder and
President Justin Nelson wrote in a statement provided to ABC News.
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1331 F Street, Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20004
Phone: 202.234.9181
Fax: 202.234.9185
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BREAKING NEWS:
NGLCC Endorses Joe Biden for President
The Business Voice of the LGBT Community Announces Endorsement
Citing Biden’s Record on Small Business and LGBT Progress
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The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, has publicly announced its endorsement of Joseph R. Biden for President of the United States. NGLCC has only endorsed for president once previously in its nearly twenty-year history and the vote was unanimous by the organization’s Board of Directors.
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“The NGLCC is proud to endorse a champion for inclusion. We need to elect a president with a commitment to LGBTQ equality, ending racism and racial violence, promoting small businesses and entrepreneurship and ensuring a safe and equitable society for every American. Joe Biden is that candidate,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson.
“Joe Biden proudly affirms an essential core value of the NGLCC: that we all deserve our shot at the American Dream, and that our economy only succeeds when it is available to all LGBT and allied Americans.”
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“The stakes have never been so high for the future of our country and the LGBT business community. Joe Biden is the champion our businesses and our families need to thrive,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell.
“The LGBT community has come too far to lose its seat at the table, and we are certain that a President Biden will continue fighting for the collective economic and social longevity of America’s 1.4 million LGBT business owners and the more than $1.7 trillion they add to the U.S. economy despite ongoing discrimination.”
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THIS FRIDAY:
JOIN NGLCC & THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN
Out for LGBTQ+ Business
– A Virtual Town Hall
Join us Friday, Sept. 4 at 1 PM ET!
Join LGBTQ+ for Biden and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce for a virtual event to celebrate the 1.4 million LGBTQ+ business owners across the United States and discuss the path forward.
This week, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce endorsed the Biden-Harris ticket, the most pro-equality ticket in American history. During this virtual event, special guests will talk about Vice President Biden’s plans to build a stronger, more equitable economy, promote entrepreneurship, tackle structural racism, fight systemic injustice and end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people once and for all.
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ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE:
National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Endorses Joe Biden
“We need to elect a president with a commitment to LGBTQ equality, ending racism and racial violence, promoting small businesses and entrepreneurship, and ensuring a safe and equitable society for every American. Joe Biden is that candidate,” NGLCC Co-Founder and
President Justin Nelson wrote in a statement provided to ABC News.
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1331 F Street, Suite 900
Washington, D.C. 20004
Phone: 202.234.9181
Fax: 202.234.9185
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Artsploitation Films and Kino Lorber Release
Benjamin
A Romantic Comedy of a Different Kind by Simon Amstell
Now on DVD and Digital Platforms including Kino Now
Please contact Matt Barry at mbarry@kinolorber.com
to request an online screener for review.
“Simon Amstell’s funny, charming and overpoweringly personal comedy is a nervous romance, in which both parties get to be Annie Hall … a miraculously heartfelt love story, sweet and poignant in all its awkwardness.” – The Guardian
“A laugh-out-loud love story with bite. Sparkles with wit, warmth and weirdness” – Total Film
“A tender, funny and, at times, painful film” – The Daily Mail
“Witty, effervescent and unexpectedly soulful” – The Times (London)
“Funny, bittersweet and affecting” – Empire
New York, NY — August 25, 2020 — Artsploitation Films and Kino Lorber are proud to announce that Benjamin, a quirky, anxiety-fueled gay rom-com directed by Simon (“Nevermind the Buzzcocks”) Amstell and starring Colin Morgan (Merlin, The Happy Prince), is now available on DVD and digital platforms including Kino Now.
Benjamin was an Official Selection of the BFI London Film Festival, and won the Audience Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Award for Best Film at the Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
Synopsis:
Simon Amstell’s offbeat gay romantic comedy centers around Benjamin (Colin Morgan), a nervous, neurotic filmmaker juggling the anxieties of finalizing his upcoming film with the fear and awkwardness of a burgeoning romance. Will Benjamin’s insecurities get in the way of success and happiness? Will his film be a critics-savaging disaster and he, a one-hit wonder? Amstell peppers this entertaining tale with scene-stealing cast of supporting characters including Joel Fry (Game of Thrones), Jessica Raine, Jack Rowan and Anna Chancellor.
Please contact Matt Barry at mbarry@kinolorber.com to request an online screener for review.
Title: Benjamin; Director: Simon Amstell; Country: UK; Year: 2019; Running Time: 85 minutes; Language: English; Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1; Sound: Dolby 5.1
DVD SRP: 19.95
DVD Item #: ART71
DVD UPC: 851597006803
Contact Information:
Matt Barry
mbarry@kinolorber.com
Kino Lorber
333 West 39 St., Suite 503
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-629-6880
www.kinolorber.com
ABOUT ARTSPLOITATION FILMS
Not limited to being just a genre label, Artsploitation Films presents intriguing, unsettling, unpredictable and provocative films to an audience long numbed by filmic predictability.
ABOUT KINO LORBER:
With a library of over 2,800 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for 35 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Repertory and Alive Mind Cinema banners, garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years, including documentary nominees Fire at Sea (2017) and Of Fathers & Sons (2019). In addition, the company brings over 350 titles yearly to the home entertainment and educational markets through physical and digital media releases. With an expanding family of distributed labels, Kino Lorber handles releases in ancillary media for Zeitgeist Films, Carlotta USA, Adopt Films, Greenwich Entertainment, Raro Video, and others, placing physical titles through all wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer channels, as well as direct digital distribution through over 40 OTT services including all major TVOD and SVOD platforms. In 2019, the company launched its new art house digital channel KinoNow.com which features over 1000 titles from the acclaimed Kino Lorber library.
Artsploitation Films and Kino Lorber Release
Benjamin
A Romantic Comedy of a Different Kind by Simon Amstell
Now on DVD and Digital Platforms including Kino Now
Please contact Matt Barry at mbarry@kinolorber.com
to request an online screener for review.
“Simon Amstell’s funny, charming and overpoweringly personal comedy is a nervous romance, in which both parties get to be Annie Hall … a miraculously heartfelt love story, sweet and poignant in all its awkwardness.” – The Guardian
“A laugh-out-loud love story with bite. Sparkles with wit, warmth and weirdness” – Total Film
“A tender, funny and, at times, painful film” – The Daily Mail
“Witty, effervescent and unexpectedly soulful” – The Times (London)
“Funny, bittersweet and affecting” – Empire
New York, NY — August 25, 2020 — Artsploitation Films and Kino Lorber are proud to announce that Benjamin, a quirky, anxiety-fueled gay rom-com directed by Simon (“Nevermind the Buzzcocks”) Amstell and starring Colin Morgan (Merlin, The Happy Prince), is now available on DVD and digital platforms including Kino Now.
Benjamin was an Official Selection of the BFI London Film Festival, and won the Audience Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Award for Best Film at the Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
Synopsis:
Simon Amstell’s offbeat gay romantic comedy centers around Benjamin (Colin Morgan), a nervous, neurotic filmmaker juggling the anxieties of finalizing his upcoming film with the fear and awkwardness of a burgeoning romance. Will Benjamin’s insecurities get in the way of success and happiness? Will his film be a critics-savaging disaster and he, a one-hit wonder? Amstell peppers this entertaining tale with scene-stealing cast of supporting characters including Joel Fry (Game of Thrones), Jessica Raine, Jack Rowan and Anna Chancellor.
Please contact Matt Barry at mbarry@kinolorber.com to request an online screener for review.
Title: Benjamin; Director: Simon Amstell; Country: UK; Year: 2019; Running Time: 85 minutes; Language: English; Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1; Sound: Dolby 5.1
DVD SRP: 19.95
DVD Item #: ART71
DVD UPC: 851597006803
Contact Information:
Matt Barry
mbarry@kinolorber.com
Kino Lorber
333 West 39 St., Suite 503
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-629-6880
www.kinolorber.com
ABOUT ARTSPLOITATION FILMS
Not limited to being just a genre label, Artsploitation Films presents intriguing, unsettling, unpredictable and provocative films to an audience long numbed by filmic predictability.
ABOUT KINO LORBER:
With a library of over 2,800 titles, Kino Lorber Inc. has been a leader in independent art house distribution for 35 years, releasing 30 films per year theatrically under its Kino Lorber, Kino Repertory and Alive Mind Cinema banners, garnering seven Academy Award® nominations in nine years, including documentary nominees Fire at Sea (2017) and Of Fathers & Sons (2019). In addition, the company brings over 350 titles yearly to the home entertainment and educational markets through physical and digital media releases. With an expanding family of distributed labels, Kino Lorber handles releases in ancillary media for Zeitgeist Films, Carlotta USA, Adopt Films, Greenwich Entertainment, Raro Video, and others, placing physical titles through all wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer channels, as well as direct digital distribution through over 40 OTT services including all major TVOD and SVOD platforms. In 2019, the company launched its new art house digital channel KinoNow.com which features over 1000 titles from the acclaimed Kino Lorber library.
PHOENIX — In solidarity with LGBTQ Black and Indigenous People of Color, Phoenix Pride has announced a series of sweeping changes to its policies regarding the participation of local police agencies in the annual Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade, beginning with this year’s 40th Anniversary events, scheduled for November 7-8, 2020 at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, with the parade taking place on Saturday, November 7, between Thomas Rd. and Indian School Rd. moving north up Third St.
Under the new policies, police and other law enforcement agencies will no longer have participating contingents in the Phoenix Pride Parade or booths/displays at the Phoenix Pride Festival. Individual police or law enforcement officers who wish to participate in the Parade will be invited to do so only as private individuals, without badges, firearms, non-lethal weapons or any other identifying gear or equipment present. In addition, police vehicles will not be included in the parade.
In addition, Phoenix Pride is asking that the Phoenix Police Department use only unarmed, non-uniformed officers to manage required street closures and traffic restrictions around the Phoenix Pride Parade.
Finally, Phoenix Pride is committing to engage only the minimum mandated number of hand-selected off-duty officers to be present at the Phoenix Pride Festival to meet the requirements set forth in the City’s permitting process for the use of Steele Indian School Park.
The Phoenix Pride Board of Directors will continue to review these policies on an annual basis to ensure that they are best reflective of the organization, its mission and our community.
Phoenix Pride’s leadership, including its staff and board of directors, continues to proclaim that Black lives matter, and we will continue to work with our community, with our allies, and with communities of color to stand united in seeking the end to oppression of all people and the realization of equality and equity for everyone.
ABOUT PHOENIX PRIDE
Phoenix Pride is the producer of the two largest annual public LGBTQ community events in Arizona: the Phoenix Pride Festival and Parade held each spring in April, and the Rainbows Festival, held every fall in October. Founded in 1981, the organization engages year-round in its mission to unite, educate and engage people and partners to support and empower the LGBTQ community and its current and future allies. Additional information regarding Phoenix Pride is available online at the agency’s web site, http://www.PhoenixPride.org.
 GLENDALE, Ariz. – Join us for a holly and jolly merry-filled day at the 14th Annual Christmas in July in Historic Downtown Glendale on Saturday, July 11, 2020 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Start your holiday journey at the Arizona Information Center located at 5836 W. Palmaire Avenue to pick up the event map.
“Many of the renowned boutique stores, specialty shops and iconic eateries will feature festive treats, holiday gift ideas and merry make-and take-crafts,” said Lorraine Zomok, event co-chairperson and owner of Memory Lane Trinkets and Treasures.
Additional activities include a new Recipe Card Collection. Follow the map to pick up delicious Summer Salad recipe cards at participating businesses. Pick up the beginning pieces to your recipe collection at the Arizona Information Center. You can also enjoy photos with Santa Claus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., (photos are $5 each.) In addition, a cool and comfortable shuttle will be available to transport event attendees throughout the area. The shuttle is free-of-charge to ride.
The holiday spirit continues with a Back-to-School Supply drive to benefit the Glendale Elementary School District. Needed supplies include rulers, crayons, glue sticks, #2 pencils and pencil sharpeners. For a complete list of requested supplies, visit www.VisitDowntownGlendale.com/events. Drop off your donations at the Arizona Information Center.
Admission is free, some-make-and-take crafts have a nominal fee. There is plenty of free parking throughout the downtown.
Christmas in July is presented by the Historic Downtown Glendale Merchants Association in partnership with the downtown business community. For more information, visit www.VisitDowntownGlendale.com or call 623-299-2060.
At a time of national demonstrations in support of Black lives and against systemic racism and during a national health crisis, it is heartening to have good news from the Supreme Court. The decision handed down by the Court today affirms and emphasizes the importance of Americans coming together for the good of the nation and all its people. The Supreme Court has ruled that companies do not have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. This historic decision says that LGBTQ+ people are, and should be, protected from discrimination under federal law. And while this is welcome news, the reality is that we still have much to do.
Changes to Section 1557 of the Health Care Rights Law last Friday rolling back healthcare protections for transgender people, as well as the pervasive racism that continues to exist across our country, demonstrate the long road we still have ahead to end discrimination.
There are still critical gaps in our federal non‐discrimination laws. It is still legal for federally funded entities including hospitals, colleges, and adoption agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people. It is also legal for stores, restaurants, and hotels to discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community in certain situations.
“Comprehensive federal protections for LGBTQ+ people are about basic human needs. They ensure everyday Americans are able to earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, receive medical care, and take care of the ones they love,” said Denise Spivak, CenterLink’s CEO.
CenterLink calls on Congress to pass full federal non‐discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and to continue working toward true equality for ALL people.
At 4pm PT / 7pm ET, CenterLink will join a virtual national rally with other LGBTQ+ leaders from across the country and those who led the fight for these cases. Immediately after the rally, a panel of experts will discuss the court’s opinion and offer analysis of its potential effects. The public is welcome to attend both events. Learn more at www.decisionday.org.
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CenterLink develops strong, sustainable LGBT community centers and builds a thriving center network that creates healthy, vibrant communities. Founded in 1994, CenterLink plays an important role in addressing the challenges centers face by helping them to improve their organizational and service delivery capacity, access public resources, and engage their regional communities in the grassroots social justice movement. www.lgbtcenters.org.
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