Opinion

Guest Opinion: After 25 years, Matthew Shepard's legacy still lives

Guest Opinion: After 25 years, Matthew Shepard's legacy still lives

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard. On October 6, 1998, Shepard was beaten, tortured and left to die, bound to a fence in a remote Wyoming field, not far from the small town of Laramie.

Editorial: Newsom's health vetoes send wrong message

Editorial: Newsom's health vetoes send wrong message

  • EDITORIAL
  • by BAR Editorial Board
  • Oct 11, 2023

Governor Gavin Newsom's vetoes over the weekend of two health-related bills send the wrong message to LGBTQs and straights alike.

Guest Opinion: Attacks on queer youth ramp up in CA

Guest Opinion: Attacks on queer youth ramp up in CA

There is an attack going on here in California, and the victims are transgender and gender non-conforming youth.

Editorial: Feinstein was a trailblazer

Editorial: Feinstein was a trailblazer

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California), who died last week at the age of 90, will be remembered for a lot of things, but to many older LGBTQ people, she is recalled as the steadfast leader who worked to heal San Francisco following a tragedy.

Editorial: Butler should seek full Senate term

Editorial: Butler should seek full Senate term

Governor Gavin Newsom's selection of Black lesbian Laphonza Butler to replace the late senator Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate fulfilled his promise to pick a Black woman should he need to appoint someone.

Editorial: Newsom exhibits hypocrisy with trans veto

Editorial: Newsom exhibits hypocrisy with trans veto

  • EDITORIAL
  • by BAR Editorial Board
  • Sep 27, 2023

There was no reason for Governor Gavin Newsom to veto a bill that would have urged state judges to take into account parental support for their transgender kids.

Guest Opinion: From gender-affirming care to bathroom use: DeSantis impinges on LGBTQ issues

Guest Opinion: From gender-affirming care to bathroom use: DeSantis impinges on LGBTQ issues

When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis first announced he was taking on Donald Trump in hopes of becoming the Republican nominee for president in 2024, early reports showed he held a steady lead over the former president.

B.A.R.'s Bestie balloting begins

B.A.R.'s Bestie balloting begins

It's time for Bay Area Reporter readers to cast their ballots for the LGBTQ newspaper's annual Best of the Bay contest.

Editorial: Newsom's risky move on guns

Editorial: Newsom's risky move on guns

  • EDITORIAL
  • by BAR Editorial Board
  • Sep 20, 2023

It's too early to tell whether Governor Gavin Newsom's "from the bottom up" call for a constitutional convention on gun safety will actually happen.

Guest Opinion: Pride in the midst of crisis: How giving circles empower LGBTQ+ communities

Guest Opinion: Pride in the midst of crisis: How giving circles empower LGBTQ+ communities

Over the years it's been heartening to see public support for LGBTQ+ rights increase considerably.

Editorial: Oakland NAACP should cut ties with Scott

Editorial: Oakland NAACP should cut ties with Scott

  • EDITORIAL
  • by BAR Editorial Board
  • Sep 13, 2023

The Oakland branch of the NAACP should sever its relationship with Seneca Scott, a failed mayoral candidate whose forays into homophobia and transphobia have only escalated in recent weeks.

Guest Opinion: Let's create more indie bookstores

Guest Opinion: Let's create more indie bookstores

When I worked at A Different Light Bookstore on Castro Street in the 1990s, it was the cultural hub of the LGBTQ neighborhood.

Guest Opinion: Californians should not take the repeal of Prop 8 for granted

Guest Opinion: Californians should not take the repeal of Prop 8 for granted

As a former first-time candidate for public office, I am always looking for the political signage that pops up on yard signs and billboards at the beginning of an election cycle, to gauge the interest of voters in a campaign or candidate.

Editorial: Engaging the public in helping others

Editorial: Engaging the public in helping others

This week San Francisco Mayor London Breed and the city's Department of Emergency Management unveiled a new public education campaign about how to help people in crisis