Front: Morris Garcia, Executive Director Lynn Sipiora Back: Blue Martinez, Mike Agan

CCGLA held its first Pride Ride & Walk in Plano on Saturday April 14th. Although cool, rainy weather rolled into north Texas that day, participants still turned out for the event that raised cash donations along with canned goods for the Samaritan Inn, Collin County's only homeless shelter. The Executive Director of the Samaritan Inn invited the CCGLA Board to tour the facility on Saturday June 4th.  As a result of that meeting, the Samaritan Inn will update its employee policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity / expression.  CCGLA, through a partnership with the Resource Center of Dallas, will be providing the Samaritan Inn's staff with Diversity training starting in August. This is one of the many ways CCGLA is making a difference in North Texas.  CCGLA would like to thank the support of its members.

(1) Equality Texas Mourns the Death of David Ritcheson; 18-Year Old Victim Had Testified in April for Passage of Matthew Shepard Act 

Equality Texas today mourns the death of David Ritcheson, the 18-year-old Spring, Texas teenager who had survived an April, 2006 brutal hate crime. On April 22, 2006, Ritcheson was beaten nearly to death by self-professed Skinheads, who cut him, burned him, poured bleach over him, sodomized him with an outdoor umbrella pole and yelled anti-Hispanic slurs.

Sadly, while David Ritcheson survived the physical attacks against him, he was not able to survive the emotional scars they left.  On Sunday, July 1, 2007, David Ritcheson apparently jumped to his death from the upper deck of a cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico. The House of Representatives has approved the Matthew Shepard Act.  The bill is now in the U.S. Senate, and the radical right is working 24/7 for its defeat because the bill includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

Texas Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison have argued that existing hate crime laws are adequate.  Please take a stand: for Equality, for all Americans.

Urge Passage of the Matthew Shepard Act.

 

(2) "Enlist for Equality" is a joint project of Equality Texas and Atticus Circle

• House Resolution 1246 hasbeen re-introduced intheU.S.House of Representatives. HR 1246, otherwise known as the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This harmful policy has prohibited gay, lesbian andbisexual troops from serving openly in the military since 1993. Ask your Representative to co-sponsor the measure today.

The first 200 CCGLA and North Texas GLBT Chamber members who RSVP can attend a free screening of Hairspray, starring John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Queen Latifah.

The screening will be on Tuesday, July 10th at Cinemark Legacy. The social mixer will start at 6:30pm with the movie to follow. Details coming soon. 

RSVP is required, so RSVP today! Become a member of CCGLA and join us!

Leadership training offered by numerous local chambers of commerce are essential to our community's growth and development of a core citizenry devoted to active roles in the future of their cities and Collin County in general.

Allen - Leadership Allen will start its 19th year this fall and has graduated over 230 participants in the past 18 years.  The Alumni of Leadership Allen have truly helped bring the shape of Allen's community vision to fruition.  They are currently seeking applications for Class 19 - for more information please visit www.allenchamber.com.  The deadline for applications to Leadership Allen Class 19 is August 1, 2007, with sessions beginning in late September.

McKinney - Our county seat has always had a deep commitment toward the development and education of our future leaders.  Citizenship McKinney is entering its 20th year and has graduated 334 participants. The application deadline is July 20th to join the 07-08 class. For more information and/or an application, please visit the McKinney Chamber of Commerce at www.mckinneytx.org.

Northern Collin County - Begun three years ago, Northern Collin County Leadership includes all cities in Collin County north of highway 380 that wish to participate. In their short history they have graduated 46 participants and are currently accepting applications for the 07-08 class. The application deadline is August 1, 2007 and they will admit 25 students the from Northern Collin County area. Information on NCCLP is also at the McKinney Chamber of Commerce website, www.mckinneytx.org.

Wylie - Leadership Wylie celebrates its 5th year beginning this fall and participation is growing with each new class.  With an Alumni count already close to 60, the dedication to leadership development in Wylie is strong.  The deadline for applications to Leadership Wylie Class V is July 13, 2007.  For more information or to receive an application to this year's program, please contact the Wylie Chamber of Commerce at 972-442-2804 or visit their website at www.wyliechamber.org.

Collin County
Garcia named to 3rd term as president of Collin County Gay, Lesbian Alliance
Morris Garcia has been named president of the Collin County Gay and Lesbian Alliance for a third straight year. The election took place at the group's fourth annual meeting, held June 11, according to a press release. CCGLA also elected Marla Parker as vice president, Dell Mott as secretary and Rosanne Rossetti as treasurer. For more information on the alliance, call 214-521-5342 ext. 1715 or visit www.ccgla.org.

Transportation Commission Selects NTTA for SH 121 Toll Project
By a vote of 4-to-1, the members of the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) voted on June 28 to allow the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA) to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the State Highway (SH) 121 toll project.

Allen
City of Allen Announces $50 Million Event Center
The City of Allen announced Wednesday a joint venture with Global Entertainment Corporation (AMEX:GEE) and The MGHerring Group to build a $50-million event center. The event center will offer a venue for concerts, top touring shows, family entertainment and professional sports upon its opening set for fall 2009.

Frisco
National Night Out
National Night Out is a great way to meet your neighbors and to send a message that crime will not be tolerated.  This is the largest crime prevention event in Frisco.

McKinney
McKinney Second-Fastest Growing City in the Nation
McKinney trails only North Las Vegas in national growth for communities of more than 100,000 people. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 population estimates rank cities by percentage growth between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006. McKinney grew 11.1 percent to 107,530 people.

Plano
Neighborhood Planning: New Beginnings!
In 1998 Plano's Neighborhood Planning Program began its successful partnership with residents from selected neighborhoods to create action plans to address neighborhood concerns and enhance their quality of life. Neighborhood Planning experienced exciting new changes with a recent 2006 transition from the Neighborhood Services Division to the Long Range Planning Division setting new initiatives and innovative planning into motion.

Corporate
Wal-Mart rescinds support of LGBT organizations
Heeding the threat of a boycott by Christian groups and the disapproval of many employees, mega-retailer Wal-Mart has opted to stop supporting LGBT organizations, Fortune magazine's online site reported Friday.

Ex-Gay Ministry
3 former leaders of ex-gay ministry apologize
Three former leaders of Exodus International, often described as the nation's largest ex-gay ministry, publicly apologized Wednesday for the harm they said their efforts had caused many gays and lesbians who believed the group's message that sexual orientation could be changed through prayer.

Diversity Training
Reorganization of award-winning police unit stirs controversy
Within five years all officers in the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department will be trained to sensitively and effectively respond to gay-related calls the way members of the force's Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit do now if the chief of police's plans are successful.

Religion
Church Dissidents Lose Property Appeal
Three congregations that broke away from the Episcopal Church over the appointment of a gay bishop are not entitled to property claimed by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, a California appeals court has ruled.

International
Polish Gay Community Reportedly Fleeing Country
Poland's LGBT community is fleeing the country as government sponsored persecution mounts an LGBT civil rights activist said on Wednesday.

Colombia conservatives derail gay union bill
BOGOTA, Colombia - A landmark gay rights bill was derailed at the last minute by a bloc of conservative senators, but supporters vowed Wednesday to revive the legislation.

Entertainment
Ellen DeGeneres Wins Big at 2007 Daytime Emmys
Ellen DeGeneres was the big winner at the 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, taking home her fourth straight win for Outstanding Talk Show and her third for Outstanding Talk Show Host.

Rosie O'Donnell's View Replacement: A [Gay] Man?
Insiders are buzzing that Rosie O'Donnell's replacement could be male.