Community leaders, professionals, experts, and women of all ages and ethnicities, convened last Thursday in San Jose for the first hearing of the California State Assembly’s Select Committee on the Status of Girls and Women of Color in California.
The Ashby Flea Market had been a prime target for graffiti, often to the expense of the property owners. In an effort to curb the vandalism and property damage, Pastelles and organizers from the Meadowbrook Water Company decided the area would be a suitable location for a mural project. This serves the dual purpose of bringing art into the community while creating an atmosphere that would discourage additional unsanctioned graffiti.
Why do I game? Growing up in a city where it feels like violence could be around every corner makes me hesitant about going outside, or even talking to neighbors. It also gets boring at home, and there aren’t many things to do around the neighborhood.
I know I don't write very often, sometimes it's hard for me to come up with the words to say. I don't like asking how you've been or what you've been doing because those questions run up against the harsh reality that you've been in and out of prison most of our lives. I hope you know with certainty that I miss you all the time and you are so loved by our family.
I have the body of a man, but the persona, mind, and attitude of a woman. Like me, many other trans women don’t identify with their bodies and might dress like women in private in order to fulfill a need without being criticized by strangers. Many, like myself, may want to be called by a different name, or called by the opposite gender pronouns.
When people find out that I don’t live with my parents they ask all kinds of questions: “Why are your parents in Mexico?” and “Why do you live with your uncle?”
About 15 or 20 years ago, I participated in a Affordable Housing Task Force with the city of Merced. There were people there with real estate interests, with construction interests, and a couple of us were from the perspective of community involvement. It was sad that it was dissolved.
Now that I’m back in Merced, I have been challenging myself to leave my comfort zone and I feel that I have matured a lot over these past couple of years. Being at home with the moral support of family and friends has made this easier for me.
Echoing statements by the Pope, Medrano pointed to the unbridled capitalism eroding our planet’s health and leaving millions of poor vulnerable to the effects of climate change. “Unless we change our economic system, we cannot care for the most vulnerable people in our communities. They are the ones who are being the most affected by climate change.”
When sports network ESPN announced its decision to award the coveted Arthur Ashe Courage Award to Caitlyn Jenner, social media was quick to respond. Many argued that Jenner, who won gold in the 1976 decathlon as Bruce Jenner, did not deserve the honor. Below, We’Ced youth reporters share their thoughts on the award and on Jenner’s decision to embrace her gender in public.
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