Sacramento gay man who led straight life now urges others to confront their sexuality

For much of Jacques Whitfield’s 11-year marriage he maintained a parallel life. He cheated on his wife and, he said, cheated himself.

But that’s over. Whitfield, a veteran Sacramento attorney, quit years of therapy that he once thought would exorcize his homosexuality. Today he is openly gay and has lent his voice in opposition to California’s ban on gay marriage.

While the state Supreme Court weighs the constitutionality of Proposition 8, Whitfield said he believes the court decision alone won’t change public opinion. So he wants to help change some minds.

Exit polls showed a majority of African Americans and Latinos supported the same-sex marriage ban.

Whitfield, who is African American, acknowledged that churches, and long-held notions of right and wrong, held sway. That’s why he believes it’s important for some in his community to stop hiding.

“People like me should have been empowered to have the courageous conversation with people that look like me,” said Whitfield, who recently became board chairman of the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center.

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Sacramento Bee

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Legal Groups, City of West Hollywood to Host Viewing of Oral Arguments in Proposition 8 Challenge

(West Hollywood, March 2, 2008) — Lambda Legal, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the City of West Hollywood will host a viewing of oral arguments in the Proposition 8 legal challenge on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at West Hollywood Auditorium, followed by a press conference…

Attorneys for same-sex couples, civil rights organizations and the state Attorney General’s office will appear before the California Supreme Court on March 5 to urge the court to strike down Proposition 8. At issue in the case is whether the initiative process can be used to strip lesbian and gay couples of equal treatment under the law by taking away their fundamental right to marry. Because the case has serious implications for any minority group, it has generated unprecedented support from many national and state civil rights groups as well as California legislators, local governments, bar associations, business interests, labor unions, and religious groups.

Community leaders and other members of the public, along with attorneys for the groups challenging Proposition 8, will be available for interview at the viewing of the oral arguments, which will be televised live. Following oral arguments, attorneys as well as representatives of friends of the court groups will hold a news conference at the auditorium to give their reaction to the day’s events and put them into perspective.

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NY Gov. Paterson condemns vandalism at Bay Shore gay center

Gov. David A. Paterson has condemned the vandalism at a Bay Shore gay and lesbian center and said the state human rights commissioner would hold a public forum at the center this week.

In a statement Tuesday, Paterson called the vandalism “despicable.” State human rights commissioner Galen Kirkland will hold the forum at the center tomorrow at 3 p.m.

It’s his second visit to Suffolk in three months. He held community discussions after Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero was stabbed to death in Patch- ogue in November. Investigators say he was targeted by teens hunting for Hispanics to harass.

Donors have replaced the smashed windows and slashed tires on the van used by theLong Island Gay and Lesbian Youth Center in Bay Shore, which was attacked by vandals on Monday. See Paterson condemns vandalism at Bay Shore gay center
Newsday, NY

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‘Day Without a Gay’ participation spotty

A daylong work stoppage for which people were encouraged to call in “gay” to express support for same-sex marriage drew spotty participation Wednesday, with some gay rights activists praising the event and others questioning its value.

People who opted to take the day off from their jobs as part of the national “Day Without a Gay” were encouraged to perform community service, and charitable organizations across the country said they had volunteers showing up.

“Visibility is really important for the gay community, so after a lot of thought I decided I would come out and be visible with my colleagues at work and use the time working for the community,” said Carrie Lewis, 36, a University of California health researcher who spent the day working at the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center.

The protest, which a gay couple from West Hollywood organized through the Internet, was designed to demonstrate the economic clout of same-sex marriage supporters following the passage of voter-approved gay marriage bans in California, Arizona and Florida last month.

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