March, 2001 Newsletter

THLA ANNOUNCES ANNUAL AWARDS RECIPIENTS

The THLA Board of Directors has announced this year's annual awards recipients, who will be honored at the THLA Annual Dinner on May 10, 2001. The Honorees include Co-President's Award: Council member Toni Atkins - San Diego City Council District 3, and Robert Gerber, Esq. - Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP. Friend of the Community: American Civil Liberties Union, and Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Outstanding Service Awards: Sherry Wright, Program Coordinator of the Public Policy Department at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center; Kurt Hermansen, Esq. - Federal Defenders; and Paula Rosenstein, Esq. - Rosenstein Wilson & Dean. Watch the April and May editions of the Newsletter for features on this year's honorees.

Invitations for the dinner we be mailed during the first week of April. Tickets are $85 per person and discounts are available for tables of 6 or more. For more information about the dinner or to RSVP, contact Co-President J. William Hargreaves, Esq. at THLA c/o Hargreaves & Taylor, 501 West Broadway, Suite 1720, San Diego, CA 92101 or by telephone (619) 238-5501.

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO IS A 'PEACEMAKER'

Former THLA Board Member Steve Hartwell reports that the San Diego Mediation Center has awarded the University of San Diego a "Peacemaker" award for a year-long colloquium the University held that examined the relationship between the University and its sexually diverse (GLBT) members in light of the University's mission as a Roman Catholic institution. The colloquium brought together ten members, representing voices from the administration, staff, faculty, alumni and student body who met for dinner and two hours of frank discussion. The University will receive the award at the Center's annual Peacemaker banquet at the Marriot Mission Valley on Friday evening, March 23. Anyone interested in attending the banquet should contact Chris Salvacion at (619) 238 2400, ext. 21.

GENERAL MEETINGS

General Meetings are held bi-monthly. The next general meeting will beheld on Wednesday, March 28, 2001 at the SDCBA on Seventh Avenue and A Street in downtown San Diego. See home page for program details.

SUBMISSIONS TO THLA NEWSLETTER

The THLA newsletter is published monthly by the Tom Homann Law Association, a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation. All THLA members are welcome and encouraged to submit articles or announcements for publica'tion. Inclusion and editing are at the Editor's discretion.

THLA BOARD MEETINGS - CHANGE

The THLA board of directors now meets on the first Thursday of each month to discuss the organization's goals, accomplishments and finances. Members are welcome to attend or to seek to have an issue addressed by the board.

To attend, come to the second floor board room at the California Western School of Law administration building, 225 Cedar Street, at 5:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The March meeting of the board will be held on Thursday, April 5, 2001.

FROM THE EDITOR - Ted Roberts

One of the most difficult tasks for the THLA board is to decide on the Annual Awards recipients. Truly, there are many outstanding individuals and organizations that have made substantial contributions to THLA, our community and our profession, and narrowing the field to seven should in now way cause us to forget about those in our community and our friends who give generously of themselves day in and day out. This year's honorees are a diverse group that have given of their time and talent to the cause of justice for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the areas of marriage and domestic partnership, immigration rights, leadership in education, civil rights, and service to the gay and lesbian community at large. Their recognition is well deserved, and I hope that you will join with us in honoring these outstanding leaders, along with Arizona State Representative Steve May, at the Annual Dinner on May 10th.

LAMBDA LETTERS UPDATE

The Lambda Letters Project has announced the introduction of legislation to: ban employment and housing discrimination against transgender people in California (AB 1649), increase the rights of unmarried persons under California's domestic partnership law (AB 26), allow California Indian reservations to employ pharmacists licensed in states other than California (AB 108) and fund increased health services and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse in low income communities (AB 48). For further information about these bills or the Lambda Letters Project and how you can help influence state legislators to support our communities' issues, visit the Project's web page at www.lambdaletters.org, send a request to LambdaLP@aol.com, or call (916) 965-6851.