Her Animal Crossing show was a turning point for Sarria, and she’s since pursued a myriad of innovative presentation models. Her spring 2025 collection, for example, which is now available at Dover Street Market globally, can be discovered through a series of wheatpaste posters she’s designed that come to life with augmented reality once scanned. The animated models wearing Sarria’s clothes were designed and enlivened by herself, too. Carolina Sarria demonstrates how her collection comes to life with AR posters. Mixed media artwork by Carolina Sarria with the Andy Warhol Foundation exhibited at Fotografiska in 2021. Work in progress image of one of Sarria’s upcoming sculptures. Myriad issues can emerge or become exacerbated in a family after a baby is born, including maternal postpartum depression, sleep problems, attachment issues between caregivers and children, early signs of behavioral challenges, domestic conflict between parents, and housing insecurity that often worsens as a family grows. If a child also experiences a medical issue, including an extended hospital stay, a serious birth defect or a developmental delay, these problems can be compounded. A $25-million gift from the Tikun Olam Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles will allow the hospital to expand mental health screening and services to as many as 30,000 children ages 3 and under who seek care at Children’s Hospital each year, making it one of the first hospitals in the country to provide universal infant-family mental health services. Currently, the hospital provides these services to about 1,800 children each year. The idea behind the program is to provide attention and care that can strengthen the bond between parents and children during the baby’s crucial early years — and help prevent problems from spiraling in the longer term. Engage with our community-funded journalism as we delve into child care health and other issues affecting children from birth through age 5 These bonds are essential to a baby’s healthy brain development in a period of rapid neuron formation and great sensitivity a pediatric psychologist at the hospital and co-director of the Stein Tikun Olam Early Connections Program Medical issues and family stressors — also called adverse childhood experiences — can disturb this process, but often aren’t identified until preschool or later, when behavioral or other problems have spiraled. 1. Several of Vicente Giron Sarria’s medications fill up a cabinet at his home. 2. Evy Soto replaces the cap on Vicente Giron Sarria’s feeding tube. 3. Stephanie Blanco shuffles through a cabinet of her son’s medical records. 4. Evy Soto gives Vicente Giron Sarria, 6, formula through a feeding tube before he wakes up for the day. (Juliana Yamada / Los Angeles Times) 5. Stephanie Blanco gets her son Vicente Giron Sarria dressed for the day. “Just a little support at a critical moment can really prevent the need for much more intensive service later,” said pediatric psychologist Marian Williams, the program’s co-director. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has been offering mental health screening and services to the sickest young children who pass through its neonatal intensive care unit for about 10 year. That program was also funded by Mindy and Gene Stein, whose Tikun Olam Foundation focuses on early childhood. California The L.A. County fires have taken a traumatic toll on kids. The distress is coming out in their art and play, and it is leading to some developmental regressions. The demand became evident when the hospital found that many families that were offered mental health support in the neonatal intensive care unit stuck with the services after leaving the hospital. Soon, other departments, such as the cardiac unit, were requesting similar services for their patients as well. “I hope this becomes something that everybody understands and looks at as a crucial part of a child’s development,” Mindy Stein said. A ‘window’ of opportunity in early childhood The hospital will also use the funds to train providers in infant and family mental health care and research the effectiveness of the program in the hopes that the model will spread to other hospitals. Psychologist Marian Williams at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We have this kind of window when you have a new baby. And there’s also a window when you have a medical need,” Williams said. “There’s probably a lot of parents who will say, ‘I don’t really need you. I’m here because of a cut finger, and we’re fine.’ But I imagine there’s going to be a lot more who say, ‘Oh, wow. Since you asked ... .’” Many families probably could benefit from a handout or video about a common early childhood problem such as sleep issues, picky eating or excessive crying. Some might want to join a parent group with others facing similar challenges, or benefit from a few home visits from a therapist who can help them adjust to life with a new baby. But other families may need more intensive assistance, such as longer-term therapy. The hospital will also screen them for needed social supports such as housing, food, transportation and internet access, — the lack of which can contribute to a family’s stress and a child’s long-term mental health challenges. Keeping an unvaccinated child as a patient could give pediatricians the chance to educate families on vaccines but may also expose more kids to preventable diseases The term “infant mental health” can be confusing. After all, it’s difficult to believe that a baby could already be experiencing emotional difficulties. But mental health care in the early years is laser-focused on supporting the developing relationship between the caregiver and child which can set the trajectory of a child’s life a therapist might work with the parent to help them notice their baby’s cues find activities to help the baby explore their environment and work on their own emotional regulation the therapist also uses play to help develop the bond and begin to treat the child more directly For families in the midst of a medical crisis these early days and months can be particularly fraught a psychologist at the hospital who works with families of children who have been treated in the intensive care unit parents are not only dealing with the day-to-day medical reality but they’re also “grieving the imagined baby — the baby you thought you were going to have,” Lakatos said Her work is to visit the family regularly during their stay to help the parent work through their grief and understand how their baby communicates Stressful experiences can also affect the baby’s well-being may panic every time an adult tries to touch them Psychologist Patricia Lakatos Lakatos said she can read the signs of a struggling newborn in their eyes I’m curious and want to engage with the world.’” But babies who experience distress often have a “dull and they’re really not engaging with you.” They’re easily startled and may arch their back and splay their hands supportive relationship with a caregiver helps buffer that stress Supporting this bond includes helping the parent notice the signs that the baby is ready to engage — even momentarily — or whether the baby’s cues are telling them they need to “soften my voice or just hold them and not try to look at them because that’s too much stimulation.” The ultimate goal is to help the caregiver find the joy and delight in the baby they have Stephanie Blanco of Mission Hills first learned she would be having a baby with major medical complications during an ultrasound early in her pregnancy “I didn’t think I was going to be able to handle it A photo of Stephanie Blanco and her son Vicente Giron Sarria as an infant hangs on the fridge at their home Stephanie Blanco’s ultrasounds of her son she was referred to Children’s Hospital’s Fetal-Maternal Center which specializes in pregnancies with complex medical conditions had been diagnosed with facial deformities and Lakatos began joining Blanco and her partner at every meeting with the craniofacial team but you would go through so many emotions in that moment I’m here,’” and ask her how she was feeling It was a moment of great tension and stress with her son’s father as they navigated what their new life would look like She wasn’t sure they would make it as a couple But Lakatos helped them process their feelings together and learn to communicate about the their son’s health Vinny was born with numerous complications even beyond the predicted facial abnormalities including the need to eat through a feeding tube and spent about two months in the intensive care unit where Lakatos visited the family every other day Stephanie Blanco and Vicente dance to one of Vicente’s favorite YouTube videos Lakatos taught her breathing exercises helped her connect with her son and encouraged her to take some time for herself on walks around the hospital campus The challenges didn’t end when Blanco and Vinny finally went home and Blanco had to learn how to feed him six times a day — including the middle of the night — through a gastronomy tube continued their visits with Lakatos for several more years Vinny was eventually diagnosed with nonverbal autism and a seizure disorder and Blanco joined a support group for parents that Lakatos was leading Blanco said she is still processing life with a medically complex child who requires constant care at home But she credits Lakatos and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with saving her life — and her relationship This article is part of The Times’ early childhood education initiative, focusing on the learning and development of California children from birth to age 5. For more information about the initiative and its philanthropic funders, go to latimes.com/earlyed. The Stein Early Childhood Development Fund at the California Community Foundation is among the funders. Jenny Gold covers early childhood development and education for the Los Angeles Times. Before joining The Times in 2023, she spent nearly 14 years covering healthcare for radio and print as a senior correspondent at Kaiser Health News. Her stories have appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic, NPR, Reveal and Marketplace, among others. A Berkeley native, she is a graduate of Brown University and was previously a Kroc fellow at NPR. Juliana Yamada is a photography fellow at the Los Angeles Times. She grew up in Torrance and earned her bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from San Francisco State University. She has held photo internships at the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED and the San Francisco Standard and has worked with the Associated Press, CalMatters and more. In 2024, she received grant support from Women Photograph for a yearlong photo essay. World & Nation Lifestyle Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Victor Valley College will celebrate the grand opening of the first LGBTQ+ student resource despite a few setbacks regarding upcoming events at the school The grand opening is scheduled from 12 to 5 p.m The new Pride Center will be christened The Jose Sarria Pride Center after the first openly gay candidate for public office in the U.S who was "a trailblazing advocate" for the LGBTQ+ community "This center represents a commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ students at Victor Valley College," said Jane Montgomery a faculty member in chemistry who supports the Pride Center grand opening "We are proud to be making history and providing a dedicated space where students can find support In 2021-22, Assembly Bill 132 (the Postsecondary Education Trailer Bill) appropriated $10 million in one-time funding for allocation by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office “to community college districts to provide additional funds to support LGBTQ+ students.” $10 million in one-time funding was approved and allocated to continue supporting LGBTQ+ students across the state VVC is able to open its first-ever Pride Center "We knew a resource center would be an excellent way for VVC to connect with and provide a space for our LGBTQ+ community on campus," Montgomery said The college partnered with the Jose Sarria Foundation, the Imperial Court, WOW Clinic, St. John's Wellness Center, the High Desert Pride Center, and Film Bliss Studios to provide essential resources for LGBTQ+ students and allies through the Pride Center was a mentor of the city’s fledgling gay community and worked as a server and performer in gay bars under the drag name “The Nightengale of Montgomery Street” and then later as "Widow Norton" during a time when individuals could be arrested for dancing The students of the VVC Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) decided to honor Sarria in the new Pride Center The grand opening ceremony will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the leaders of Victor Valley College There will also be a resource fair featuring local and national LGBTQ+ organizations students will have the opportunity to connect with key LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations that attend the Pride Center grand opening The establishment of the new Pride Center comes one month after the Victorville City Council voted to reject the support of a city-supported Pride parade and a Pride prom hosted at VVC Pride in the High DesertVictorville Councilwoman Leslie Irving introduced sponsorship package in March wherein the city of Victorville would support the High Desert Pride Center and the city's LGBTQ+ community with monetary support for both a Pride festival/parade and a Pride prom hosted at VVC "This governing body should be accountable to all residents," Councilwoman Irving said in support of the item "The LGBTQ+ presence is a part of our community." Six community members spoke in support of the city sponsorship in the public comments portion of the March 4 council meeting urging the council that the events will provide a safe space for the Victor Valley LGBTQ+ youth Councilwoman Debra Jones argued in opposition of the support due to "funding issues" and that LGBTQ+ support was not a "priority of the council." Councilwoman Jones told the Daily Press that she stands by her business decision "relying on prior input from all community stakeholders regarding the city's strategic plan" and reiterated that her decision "has nothing to do with an absence of love or care" as she stated in the council meeting only Irving and Mayor Elizabeth Becerra voted in support of the LGBTQ+ event sponsorship a minority vote that would reject the motion The support from city government would have been a step in the right direction of validating the Victor Valley queer community as expressed by countless LGBTQ+ residents and allies at the Victorville City Council meetings on March 4 and March 18 "Local policies will absolutely impact our local communities and that includes students at Victor Valley College," Montgomery told the Daily Press both as an academic institution and as a caring campus community will continue to stand with and uphold LGBTQ+ individuals on our campus and everywhere." California became the first state in the U.S to legalize domestic partnerships between same-sex couples in 1999 Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2008 for five months before voters successfully banned it until 2013 when it was reinstated by the Supreme Court Pride parades date back to the New York Stonewall Riots on June 28 cities around the nation have commemorated the strength of the LGBTQ+ community with parades "People of the LGBTQIA2S+ community face barriers in many ways all the time," Montgomery told the Daily Press in regard to the city council's decision Read More: Here is the legacy of beloved Granite Hills HS teacher and LGBTQ+ advocate The Pride Center will do everything in its power to make the Multi-Generational Prom planned for this May a free event for students and hopefully everyone in the local LGBTQ+ community High Desert Pride Festival agreed that LGBTQ+ communities are going to "fight on" even though they "did not win this battle." "We may have to charge a nominal entry fee The group is trying to raise as much money as it can to move forward with the Pride prom and a Pride Festival in June According to the High Desert Pride Festival, 111 Hope Foundation and HD Pride Center will be hosting many fundraisers to raise funding for LGBTQ+ events The next fundraiser will be from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 29 at Panera Bread on Amargosa Road in Victorville A portion of the sales will go toward making Pride prom a reality for the High Desert's LGBTQ+ community St. Hilary's Episcopal Church is also taking donations for Victor Valley residents who can't attend the fundraiser events. Visit PayPal to donate West Hollywood to Honor LGBTQ+ Icons at Pride Kickoff Event The City of West Hollywood will kick off its WeHo Pride season with a celebration of LGBTQ+ history and culture It will begin with its annual Harvey Milk Day event on Thursday followed by the WeHo Pride Arts Festival and WeHo Pride Weekend This year’s Harvey Milk Day celebration will take place from 6 p.m on the South Lawn of West Hollywood Park at the base of the Aquatic and Recreation Center Grand Staircase The event will feature the third annual José Sarria Drag Pageant a pioneering drag performer and political figure who laid the groundwork for Harvey Milk’s historic political career The pageant will be hosted by West Hollywood Drag Laureate Pickle Judges will include Queen Mother Karina Samala and Emperor Eugene Maysky of the Imperial Court attendees can participate in voter registration and pose for a Harvey Milk/José Sarria photo opportunity Harvey Milk Day honors the life and legacy of Harvey Milk the first openly gay elected official in California who was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 but his legacy lives on in the LGBTQ+ rights movement President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Milk the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the California Legislature officially declared May 22 West Hollywood became the first city in the U.S to formally observe it as a city holiday in 2015 The celebration will lead into the WeHo Pride Arts Festival, which will take place May 23–25, 2025, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza in Hollywood. The three-day festival will feature a diverse lineup of theater, poetry, literary readings, dance, film, and interactive workshops. All events are free, and RSVP links will be available at www.wehopride.com/artsfestival The festivities culminate in WeHo Pride Weekend in and around West Hollywood Park and Santa Monica Boulevard The weekend will include the OUTLOUD Music Festival For more information on Harvey Milk Day, the WeHo Pride Arts Festival, or WeHo Pride Weekend, visit www.wehopride.com California Relay Service is available at 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) / 1-800-735-2922 (voice) Caught on Camera: Intoxicated Suspects Punch Restaurant’s Property The front window at the Queen Violet restaurant was shattered late last.. and Now a Pool  A sleek new addition to West Hollywood’s fitness.. Political Theater Meets Brunch Crowd in Weekend WeHo Showdown Brandon Straka’s “American Restoration Tour” protest and rally was held in.. Eight-Lot Mulholland Estate Includes a 1950s Ranch Home 31 Acres A sprawling canyon estate in the Beverly Hills Post Office.. Displaced Families Are Reshaping Los Angeles’ Housing Market on the Westside Home sales and prices across Los Angeles surged in.. the Couple Parts Ways and Prepares to Sell Their Family Estate Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba and.. IBEW Teams Up with LADWP to Advance Gender Equity in Public Utilities The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.. The Oscar-Winning Actor Says His Love for His Children Remains Unwavering Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro has publicly voiced.. and Go: WeHo Adds Mobile Meter Payment Feature The City of West Hollywood has introduced a new “Text.. A Whimsical Adventure for Families and Fantasy Fans This Weekend Families and fantasy fans alike are invited to embrace.. Man Accused of Driving 104 MPH in Fatal Malibu Crash  Fraser Michael Bohm Investigation of Burglary Attempt at Pico-Robertson Bakery Underway Authorities are searching for four suspects who attempted to burglarize a West.. Students Mark Somber Anniversary With a Film UCPD Responds in Force On the first anniversary of the attack on the.. and Tlayudas Await It’s almost time for the holiday that isn’t celebrated in.. DIY Pizza and Craft Beer Collab Coming to Santa Monica Place Food lovers are invited to roll up their sleeves.. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest news and events in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas Made with ❤️ by ENKI Tech Production company IMPOSTER has appointed Mercedes Allen Sarria as executive producer Mercedes—who placed second in The One Show’s ranking of design EPs last year—brings with her over 20 years of experience in commercial production as well as an eye for identifying and nurturing talent Mercedes joins the IMPOSTER team from Tool where she was an executive producer of live action she honed her skills at Unicorns and Unicorns focusing on both live action and experiential; HELO where she executive produced the Cannes Lion-winning Coors Light ‘Chillboards’ for DDB; and Biscuit Filmworks where she helped to create an immersive exhibition from the set of the DGA-winning commercial The exhibit was inducted into the Smithsonian Museum and attended by Barack Obama Mercedes will oversee both live action and immersive projects She will apply her extensive background to drive cutting-edge work strengthen the production company’s partnerships with agencies and clients alike and leverage her LA base to aid in the expansion of its West Coast footprint “I am thrilled to welcome Mercedes to the IMPOSTER team She embodies our commitment to evolving alongside the rapidly changing industry landscape fostering trust as a genuine partner to both agencies and clients and I can confidently say she embodies the spirit of collaboration and innovation we cherish “I LOVE HER!” This speaks volumes about her ability to connect with others.” “Avtar and I first met in the early 2000s when we were both breaking into the industry we’ve cheered each other on from the sidelines we stand together in an industry transformed by technology advancing at a rapid pace The expectations are higher than ever: staying ahead of trends and supporting our directors and clients to ensure their visions are achieved at the highest level is leading a company that is redefining creativity in ways we could only dream of back when we were young PAs waiting in line for our first iPhones “I’m thrilled to be side by side with Avtar once again leading a team that champions inclusivity and values diverse voices This commitment is not just vital for the industry’s future; it resonates deeply with me.“ The 2024 World Junior Championships ended with super-heavyweight victories for Cuba in the women and Korea in the men and a first world record for Canada since the 1950s Marifelix Sarria became Cuba’s first ever junior world champion when she made all six lifts for a wide-margin success improved her best total by 20kg in making 115-155-270 Cuba became the 14th team to win a title United States topped the final medals table which once more included a wide spread of nations Spain – 60 nations plus the Individual Neutral Athletes from Belarus and the Weightlifting Refugee Team – 34 won at least one medal on the extended table featuring snatch The latest additions on the final day were Cuba That means medals have been won by more than half of the competing teams at all four Youth and Junior World Championships in the past two years “I can’t think of any other Olympic sport that can match that spread of medals,” said Craig Walker president of the Canadian Federation who was among the medal presenters today Canada was on the podium for a second time this week when Etta Love finished second to Sarria claimed the clean and jerk youth world record from the Olympic medallist Park Hyejeong when she made her final attempt on 146kg Love was close to taking all three youth world records That was up 11kg on her winning Youths total in May and was 1kg short of the youth record on total “I’ll try again for the other two at the senior Worlds in Bahrain in December,” said Love who had a lot of support in the audience from her parents grandparents and a cousin who lives in Spain Love has improved her best total by 44kg since her debut two and a half years ago and is aware that she will have to add another 50kg to be competitive in the seniors I feel a deep connection with it,” she said but they’re scary and doable at the same time “I’m confident I will continue to improve but I don’t know what my limit is or how long I’ll have that connection with the bar I want to go to the (2028) Olympics and continue for as long as that connection remains.” Canada’s last world record holder was Doug Hepburn in the old clean and press discipline in the early 1950s Brazil had its second medallist in two days when Taiane Justino finished third on 110-141-241 Yairan Tysforod from Colombia won bronze in snatch on 110kg In the men’s contest Jiyong Nam moved from fourth at halfway to top of the podium The 19-year-old Korean came out after everybody else had finished in clean and jerk the Individual Neutral Athlete from Belarus and Ashot Movsisyan from Armenia was third on 158-208-366 Szymon Ziolkowski from Poland and Numi Tepololo took silver and bronze in snatch on 170kg and 161kg his country’s first male medallist at a World Championships in any age group celebrated by performing the haka on the platform after the medal ceremony as his team-mates joined in from the spectator area passed the 200kg mark for the first time in competition Ali Ammar Yusur will have been watching with interest in Iraq who has snatched 200kg and totalled 427kg at the IWF World Cup in April was hoping to be in Spain to win gold but instead he has stayed at home to train and put on weight in preparation for Bahrain Congress Executive Board Committees Commissions Member Federations Technical Officials Secretariat Photo Gallery Video Gallery Download center Privacy Policy Cookies Policy Copyright 2020 - International Weightlifting Federation Carolina Sarria Fall Winter 2025 collection reinterpreting the resilience of those caught in the crossfire reshaping power structures while devastating the common people but ordinary individuals fighting to preserve what little remained of their homes and dignity Their defiance is woven into the fabric of this collection where rebellion is no longer just survival but a form of self-expression The collection reflects the chaos of wartime survival through its materials Distressed fabrics carry the marks of destruction with charred textiles evoking scorched villages and battlefields Silver and gold thread mimic the glint of armor recalling the fleeting moments before swords met in combat The use of mismatched tartans nods to fractured Scottish clans once divided yet momentarily united in resistance Raw-edge tailoring reinforces the idea of garments hastily assembled as if pulled from the remnants of a battlefield The attitude of the Clubmen informs the collection’s structure Shapes pull from both historical references and modern streetwear fusing elements of armor with contemporary rebellion There is an undeniable punk energy in these designs Graphic prints stamped with 1637 act as both a historical marker and a prophecy reminders of past struggles and warnings of those still to come the collection takes what is overlooked and transforms it into something forceful The War of the Three Kingdoms speaks to battles still being fought today This is not armor for muskets and swords but for the fight for self-definition for autonomy in a world that tries to erase or reshape identities The rawness of the collection is intentional Rebellion is no longer about the crown or the empire it is about who gets to exist without being erased Sarria’s vision channels the defiance of those who stood their ground reworking their struggle into something that lives beyond history DSCENE is curated as a daily art, design, fashion & lifestyle destination. DSCENE is non-for-profit fashion and culture basis organization which aims at further development of research on DSCENE values, as well as on providing educational services. Home of magazine editions DSCENE and MMSCENE – Click for more about DSCENE and for our Terms of Service Please enter your username or email address to reset your password Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks The loquat harvest has already started in the Spanish municipality of Callosa d'en Sarriá which was introduced to Spain by merchant sailors more than 2,000 years ago and found a perfect habitat in the Callosa d'en Sarrià area this year we have high hopes for a campaign in which we are expecting larger fruit than in previous years thanks to the rains in March when the fruit was in the growing phase prior to harvesting," says Andrés Llorca Fornés Managing Director of Cooperativa Agrícola de Callosa d'en Sarrià "We are facing a completely different scenario to that of the last two years The total production fell by between 20% and 25% and the fruit arriving in the warehouses was too small This year we are starting with much more positive expectations "What this season has in common with previous ones is that the costs of the necessary inputs are still very high and this rise has to be passed on to the fruit's final price," says Andrés we have made a very strong commitment to large-scale retail"Loquat is a fruit of growing interest in European markets and thanks to the strategy of producers such as the Cooperativa Agrícola de Callosa d'en Sarrià it is reaching more and more markets and clients we have made a very strong commitment to large-scale retail to the point that loquat is now available in practically all large and small supermarket chains in Spain "Loquat also has the advantage of being a very new fruit at this time of year it is the first spring fruit to arrive on the shelves It's a very different fruit compared to winter products Thanks to its sweet taste with a touch of sourness and their numbers are growing every season Those who are passionate about this fruit are already looking forward to its arrival on the shelves in just a few days," says Andrés For more information:Cooperativa Agrícola de Callosa d'en Sarrià Partida Armaig s/n - 03510 - Callosa d'en Sarrià, Alicante, SpainTel.: +34 965 880 100[email protected]www.ruchey.com FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain and this is never more accurate than when you establish yourself as a foreign resident in a new country Being able to quickly familiarise yourself with the culture and customs can help ease the transition during a challenging time This is why Euro Weekly News makes it our mission to provide you with a free news resource in English that covers both regional and national Spanish news – anything that we feel you will benefit from knowing as you integrate into your new community and live your best life in Spain you can forget about translating articles from Spanish into awkward English that probably don’t make much sense Let us be your convenient and essential guide to all things that will likely affect you as a foreign resident living in Spain The Placa del Llaurador Park in Callosa d’en Sarria has introduced a new safe and enclosed play area The area costs €48,000 and was funded entirely with municipal funds as part of its Investment Plan. This covered the complete renovation of the playground, which is accessible to children under the age of 12 are made of wooden structures to ensure maximum safety the floor of the play area is made of continuous double-reinforced rubber flooring to protect the younger ones from hurting themselves if they fall while playing The new play area is completely fenced off and is only open between the hours of 8am and 10pm This is to minimise the likelihood of acts of vandalism Plans are also in place to introduce a trampoline later this year which is sure to add to the park’s popularity Wishing to test the park with its biggest critics  children from the Escola Infantil Municipal and CEIP Bernat de Sarria were invited to try it out they were presented with three traditional XXL-size crocodile-shaped Easter Monas made by a local Callosa bakery Further entertainment was provided by members of the Colla El Pinyol Find more local news, activities and profile interviews for Costa Blanca North. Prefer to read all your local news in one place? Check out our online newspapers for your local weekly news fix. Subscribe to our Euro Weekly News alerts to get the latest stories into your inbox Euro Weekly News is the leading English language newspaper in Spain by delivering news with a social conscience we are proud to be the voice for the expat communities who now call Spain home With around half a million print readers a week and over 1.5 million web views per month EWN has the biggest readership of any English language newspaper in Spain The paper prints over 150 news stories a week with many hundreds more on the web – no one else even comes close Our publication has won numerous awards over the last 25 years including Best Free Newspaper of the Year (Premios AEEPP) Company of the Year (Costa del Sol Business Awards) and Collaboration with Foreigners honours (Mijas Town Hall) All of this comes at ZERO cost to our readers All our print and online content always has been and always will be FREE OF CHARGE Download our media pack in either English or Spanish (ANS - Montréal) - Miquel Llull past student of the Salesian University of Sarrià (EUSS) works at the "Cirque du Soleil" in Montréal He talks of the link between the circus and engineering and the path that he has traveled to find work at "Cirque du Soleil." How did you get this job and how does it relate to your studies This is a very large international company that operates all over the world I did not know anyone involved here in any way who could give me some clue as to how to enter so I simply put my resume online and after a while they contacted me I had to go through several job interviews to become responsible for maintenance Having studied engineering makes me eligible to access higher positions where I can fully take advantage of my knowledge Did the Cirque du Soleil highlight skills related to your academic training knowledge and professional skills that university gave me it would not have been so easy to get into this world and it would have been impossible to reach the position of designer or technical director Here you really need to learn quickly and the skills acquired during university years become What is the relationship between engineering and the circus world The technological needs that arise when a world such as the Cirque du Soleil wants to push itself to the limits of what can be done on a stage involve technologies of all kinds which are usually not related to the circus or show business engineering plays a key role in the fact that ideas are put into practice and require specific projects that need to last for about 12 years during which the structures are assembled and taken apart countless times Which specific aspects of the circus are related to engineering There is a very direct and easily identifiable relationship in the field of automation Large engines are used to move stage props and of course the athletes who carry out the acrobatic stunts; and all this must be checked to ensure it is easy to use by the technicians and ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007 This site also uses third-party cookies to improve user experience and for statistical purposes By scrolling through this page or by clicking on any of its elements By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Renowned for its meticulously curated selection of both luxury and emerging designers, Dover Street Market‘s stores are artfully tailored to reflect their unique locations Each floor is thoughtfully arranged to showcase specific designers’ works creating a distinct atmosphere for those with IYKYK fashion taste we compile three must-see Dover Street Market releases launching this week A significant change to federal labor law is set to take effect on July 1 potentially affecting thousands of workers and businesses in Northwest Florida.  will raise the minimum salary for most exempt employees in two stages the threshold will increase from the current $35,568 to $43,888 annually A further increase to $58,656 is scheduled for Jan Erin Sarria, Director of HR and Client Engagement at SimpleHR in Destin if you are currently a salaried exempt employee you must get paid a minimum of $43,888 per year to remain exempt under the new exempt threshold If you are not making at least that amount per year or $844 per week then the DOL is saying this employee is no longer exempt and needs to be paid overtime for all hours worked over 40 in a work week.” This change means that most exempt salaried employees making less than the new threshold must be reclassified as non-exempt workers and paid overtime for hours worked beyond 40 per week The rule aims to restore and extend overtime protections ensuring that lower-paid salaried workers receive fair compensation for long hours and retail industries in Northwest Florida will be most affected by the new rule “Middle management positions typically require overtime work and businesses that operate on thin margins will likely feel the impact most acutely,” she noted The concerns of local businesses are primarily financial “Their main worries are consistently having to pay overtime or keeping employees on call,” Sarria explained “The financial burden of either increasing wages or paying overtime is their biggest concern.” local businesses may need to consider various strategies: “It could be where they’re not hiring as much and maybe they’re shifting responsibilities to other staff members or they are going to try and control the overtime and hire more employees,” Sarria said “But we know the challenges of even finding staff as it is So that’s the double-edged sword.” Small businesses in Northwest Florida may face unique challenges in adapting to the new rules Sarria outlined several potential hurdles: While the changes present challenges for employers they could lead to benefits for some workers in the area If the employers can change employees to hourly and decide not to work them overtime to control costs it could be less burnout for the employee.” The rule change could also lead to more specialized job roles “They could raise the salary wages to meet the new salary threshold and that could potentially lead to more experience or specialized skills You could expand what that position’s requirement is,” Sarria explained Given Northwest Florida’s reliance on tourism the new rule could affect seasonal employment patterns “Seasonal employment would increase as management tries to hire more temporary staff during the peak season.” However she noted that seasonal employees are typically hourly workers already Sarria advises local businesses to take several steps: “You want to continuously monitor the impact and make adjustments if necessary,” Sarria emphasized She also cautioned that while businesses should prepare for both the July 1 and January 1 changes they might want to wait before implementing wage increases for the latter date “That second increase is pretty aggressive and so it may have some challenges in court Employers seeking to educate themselves about these changes have several options Sarria recommends that employees speak directly with their managers for the most accurate information about how the changes will affect them personally.  SimpleHR offers assistance to local businesses navigating these changes. “We provide hands-on guidance to all our clients to help them stay in compliance when there are these types of changes,” Sarria explained. The company conducts full salary audits for its clients, identifying impacted employees and works directly with client businesses to decide on the best path forward. As Northwest Florida businesses prepare for this significant change to federal labor law, the full impact on the local economy remains to be seen. However, with proper preparation and guidance, employers can navigate these changes while ensuring fair compensation for their workforce. Join the best local newsletter read by thousands of locals each weekday morning. Best of all, it’s free! Mr. Sarria also is recognized for his unique experience helping companies identify and mitigate their exposure to civil and tort liability. He has helped clients secure liability protection and indemnification from the government under the Price Anderson Act (PAA), Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act, Public Law 85-804, the Defense Base Act (DBA), and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.228-7 (Insurance-Liability to Third Persons). Barça got the job done at Sarrià de Ter and are into the final of the Supercopa de Catalunya ITEGRA. The first game of the season saw Carlos Ortega give chances to a host of new faces, while Juan Palomino was back from his loan to Logroño and Antonio Bazán played his first game since transferring to the city to exercise as a doctor. Carlos Pueyo, Roger Giner, Anselmo Collado and Jan Blas were the youth players being used but despite all those rotations, the 8-17 lead at half-time was already enough to show where this game was heading. Goalkeeper Pol Quiroga also got to play the second half in his hometown as his team earned a slot against the winners of Q-H Molins and Fraikin Granollers in the other semi-final on Friday. The final is on Wednesday 28 August at 8.30pm CEST in Esplugues de Llobregat. Mr. Sarria joined MCC as a Procurement Director in 2010. He is a graduate of Florida International University, where he majored in Business Administration. Mr. Sarria went on to earn a Master's Degree in Education from Framingham State University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker. hello from macro related_country_programs in func-embed-list-related-items.njk hello from macro related_content_sections 1 in func-embed-list-related-items.njk hello from macro related_content_entries 1 in func-embed-list-related-items.njk Wednesday's traditional Santa Eulàlia visit of the Barcelona mayor and city councilors to the Poor Clares nuns in the Pedralbes monastery had a very different atmosphere following January's news that the Sisters would have to end their residence at the temple after almost 700 years. Every February 12, coinciding with the day of the patron saint of Barcelona, Santa Eulàlia, mayor Jaume Collboni and councilors visit the nuns and offer them a dozen eggs in exchange for good weather and the order of Saint Claire's secret and traditional Catalan mató fresh cheese dessert.  Collboni committed to maintaining the tradition in future years, even though the nuns will no longer be living in the monastery, instead inviting them back to the city for the annual feast day from their new residence.  The nuns have to be transferred to a site near the northern Catalan city of Girona as they are elderly–aged 90, 73, and 66–and there are only three of them, important as the order states that there should be at least five nuns per monastery. As such, the nuns are leaving against their will, and against the will of the roughly 50 locals from the Sarrià neighborhood who came to demonstrate outside the event.  In his speech following a choir performance in the monastery, Collboni added that he hoped "that monastic life will return" to the Pedralbes site, that it doesn't have to be a permanent situation, and pointed out that in the 698 years of nuns living in the temple, they have moved out on 25 other occasions.  After the speeches, all members of the council delegation, along with the nuns and even the demonstrating locals, enjoyed cups of the traditional sweet mató creamy cheese dessert.  Sister Sor Isaura, one of the three nuns still living in the religious facility, expressed to Catalan News her dismay at having to leave the site.  She said that she and the other Sisters are feeling "a lot of pain to be leaving the monastery, but also a lot of support" from friends as well as the people of Sarrià, many of whom turned out at the monastery on Wednesday morning to voice their support for the nuns to remain in the neighborhood.  "They’ve done everything possible, letters to the Pope, to the mayor, to the cardinal," Isaura said.  She is also confident that she will be able to return to Barcelona when the time is right. She explained that her order has received news that two convents of cloistered nuns in Nicaragua have been thrown out of their monasteries, and are now without a home. As there should be at least five nuns to maintain a monastery, there is a possibility that the Sisters from Nicaragua could be moved to Barcelona. "I’m being transferred to Vilobí but I’m thinking about it as though it were holidays, to see some countryside life," she said, adding that "hope is never lost. They told us they’re fighting to reverse the situation. But I think it might take some time." Jordi Bosch, president of the Sarrià neighbors association, told Catalan News that the locals feel bad for the nuns: "We’re at a loss about this outcome." "The locals think this monastery can’t be lost, it has 700 years of history. Its patrimony and tradition are very important," Bosch explained.  "As neighbors of Sarrià, we want this space to once again be a monastery for Poor Clares, and for the space to be somewhere the city can enjoy, where there is also monastic life," he added. Saint Clare is the patron saint of good weather, which is why many people used to offer eggs to the nuns ahead of special occasions, including their wedding day. During the last city council visit, authorities asked nuns to pray for rain as Catalonia was in the midst of one of the worst droughts ever recorded. The Poor Clares nuns will leave the Pedralbes monastery on February 15 after the feast of Santa Eulàlia and the last mass, which took place on February 9. Poor Clares nuns are organized so that their financial sustainability comes from their work and subsistence, which was difficult to achieve in Barcelona's Monastery of Pedralbes. 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Barcelona A real gem in the poshest neighbourhood of Barcelona Beingin Turó Parc feels like stepping out of a storybook – the paths are winding surrounding buildings peak over and through the shrubbery creating a magical backdrop for play dates and meandering There is a generous children’s play area which provides grounds for fun for both younger and older children The sculptures and poetry dotted around the park capture its artistic and cultural history as a former amusement park rounding out this charming park as a place for everyone Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! facebooktwitterspotifytiktokAbout us Contact us Time Out Worldwide 2025 – The Civil Guard has arrested two individuals in the act as they were about to commit a robbery with violence and intimidation in an occupied residence intending to unlawfully detain the occupant The two detainees have been placed in provisional custody without bail after appearing before the court Citizen Cooperation Enabled Immediate Response The operation began when the Civil Guard’s Operational Services Center (COS) received an alert from the emergency number 112 reporting the presence of armed individuals inside a residence in Callosa d’en Sarrià (Alicante) authorities were alerted that two armed individuals were attempting to break into the home Civil Guard patrols from Callosa d’en Sarrià were dispatched to the scene where they found the suspects inside the house Upon noticing the officers’ presence the suspects attempted to flee but were intercepted and arrested Due to the officers’ rapid intervention the victim was prevented from being unlawfully restrained the officers secured the residence and conducted an inspection of the area with assistance from the Support Group of the Calpe Company and the Local Police of Callosa d’en Sarrià who actively participated in gathering evidence authorities discovered a compressed air pistol which the detainees intended to use for their escape a 64-year-old British man and a 56-year-old Portuguese man were brought before the Investigative Court No which ordered their provisional detention without bail They are being charged with attempted robbery with violence and intimidation in an occupied residence The operation was carried out by the Civil Guard of Callosa d’en Sarrià with support from the Judicial Police of Villajoyosa and the Local Police of Callosa d’en Sarrià whose collaboration was crucial in gathering evidence Log in to leave a comment © 2021 The Leader Digital we return to our “Hidden Histories” series with a look at the legacy of Jose Sarria a Latino American political activist and drag performer who left his mark on U.S history by paving the way for gay candidates Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy we return to our series "Hidden Histories." Tonight we look at the legacy of a Latino American political activist and drag performer who left his mark on U.S Latino American Drag Performer And Political Activist: Jose Sarria lived by those words throughout his life as a legendary drag performer a gay rights activist and the nation's first known openly gay candidate for public office the only child of a single mother from Colombia even going with him when he went to dances in women's clothing Sarria's goal of teaching was put on hold with the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor convincing the recruiter to overlook the fact that at five feet he didn't meet the minimum height requirement Openly gay people were barred from serving and he was the only Latinx soldier in an all-white unit But he found respect and status as the orderly for a major who later was a colonel Sarria was promoted to staff sergeant and followed the officer to the European theater and the Battle of the Bulge where he found a revitalized queer scene flourishing free from Nazi persecution When Sarria was honorably discharged from the army in 1947 eager to use his GI Bill benefits to become a teacher but undercover officers arrested him for solicitation only to learn later that it disqualified him from teaching He went to work as a waiter and host at the Black Cat Cafe a longtime bohemian hangout with a growing gay clientele What began as an occasional song with the lounge pianist became regularly singing opera parodies and performing in drag billed is the nightingale of Montgomery Street He infused his performances with biting political commentary San Francisco cracked down on LGBTQ+ establishments sending undercover police to look for reasons to shut them down and arrest patrons and performers The harassment moved Sarria to run for the City Board of Supervisors Neither party would endorse him but after threatening to sue the nation's first known openly gay candidate Sarria lost but his campaign awakened the city's gay community to its political potential paving the way for his friend Harvey Milk 16 years later to become one of the nation's first openly gay elected officials Sarria remained an important figure in San Francisco's queer community regarded as the oldest global LGBTQ+ charitable organization his legacy lives on through the Jose Sarria Foundation dedicated to preserving artifacts of queer history his induction last month into the California Hall of Fame and the thousands of LGBTQ+ candidates who followed in his footsteps John Yang is the anchor of PBS News Weekend and a correspondent for the PBS News Hour He covered the first year of the Trump administration and is currently reporting on major national issues from Washington Satvi Sunkara is an associate producer for PBS News Weekend © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Hispanic Heritage month takes place each year from September 15 to October 15 \u2014 how are you celebrating For a transcript of this story, click here News wrap alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here How did Jose Sarria's historic campaign for the San Francisco City Board of Supervisors impact the LGBTQ+ community Media Literacy: How can the news bring more attention to marginalized communities What story would you want to find out more about What students can do: Discuss with a friend neighbor or classmate — what were some of the challenges Jose Sarria faced during his lifetime How might Sarria's sense of humor have helped him Have you ever used humor to make light of serious situations so that they might be a little less painful Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning Discuss how society chooses to memorialize its history Learn why there's been fewer low-hazard personal care products available for Black women than the market as a whole About 1 in 3 people with disabilities are enrolled in the program which helps them access health care and live independently in their communities Learn more about Canada's federal election and dominant political parties Barcelona City Council will begin a long-awaited project in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi: the construction of a new police station for the Guardia Urbana This initiative seeks to modernize and expand police facilities in the district a necessary step to offer a better service to residents and adapt to the new needs of the city The current building of the Guardia Urbana in this district has been located in the Can Ponsic estate since 1988 has proven to be insufficient for the demands of a constantly growing police force which will be developed on the same avenue The new facilities will occupy 4,828 m² distributed over six floors This represents a significant leap compared to the 1,239 m² of the old headquarters The design of the new building seeks to integrate harmoniously into the urban environment of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi respecting the local architecture and adding a touch of modernity The project involves an investment of 19.9 million euros by the Barcelona City Council This figure reflects not only the magnitude of the work but also the importance that the local administration attaches to improving public services The municipal authorities have emphasized that in addition to providing a more suitable space for the 140 officers currently working in the area the new police station will also accommodate new officers who will be joining the force in the coming years This move not only responds to the needs of citizens but also to the growing demand for security and proximity in the district the aim is to offer a more efficient and closer service to residents the Guardia Urbana of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi has operated from the Can Ponsic estate a place that has an undoubted historical value This building not only houses the police station but also shares space with the Can Ponsic Municipal Music School over the years it has become evident that the infrastructure does not meet current standards Can Ponsic is a building listed as a cultural asset of local interest (BCIL) and is a clear example of the neo-medieval architecture of the city The building stands out for its two square towers its imposing structure and its attached chapel Although the police station will change location the future of this space has yet to be defined The intention is that it will continue to play a relevant cultural role within the district The future Guardia Urbana building in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is designed to improve the operability and efficiency of the police force it is expected to be a more sustainable structure adapted to modern needs With six floors and more than 3,800 m² of usable space the new police station promises to be a nerve center for security in the district but closer to the Dalt ring road and the Can Caralleu traffic circle accessibility will be an important advantage for both agents and citizens who need to carry out procedures or request assistance The residents of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi can expect several improvements thanks to this project the presence of a more modern and larger police station will allow a greater capacity to respond to emergencies the new headquarters will facilitate the rapid arrival and departure of officers in case of incidents in other areas of the district The work on the new police station will also have a positive impact on economic activity in the area as it will generate employment and movement over the next 25 months It is important to note that the investment of almost 20 million euros will not only benefit the police who will be able to enjoy a more efficient and closer service According to the official statement from the City Council October 21 and is expected to take about 25 months This means that the new police station should be ready by November 2026 the result will be a completely new infrastructure that will improve both security and coexistence in the neighborhood the current police station in Can Ponsic will remain in operation ensuring that the service to citizens is not interrupted the definitive transfer to the new facilities will take place The development of the new Territorial Unit of the Guardia Urbana in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is not only a present need The Guardia Urbana of Barcelona continues to grow and adapt to the new challenges posed by the city The incorporation of new agents in the coming years will be key to ensuring that Barcelona remains a safe and well-managed city the creation of this new police station in one of the city’s most emblematic districts is a reminder that security and proximity to citizens remain fundamental pillars for the Barcelona City Council The construction of the new police station in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi marks a milestone in the evolution of the Guardia Urbana service in Barcelona this project responds to both the needs of the present and those of the future The district’s residents can expect significant improvements in security and quality of life while the City Council continues to invest in the modernization of its infrastructure Stock images by Depositphotos La venta de la nuda propiedad Copyright © 2022 Salirporbarcelona , All rights Reserved. Created by JEZZ Media Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article He was known for the slogan “United we stand divided they arrest us one by one.” He encouraged his friends and admirers to fight back against police harassment—to demand a jury trial rather than seem to admit to guilt and pay a fine who was elected to the Board of Supervisors 16 years after Sarria’s bid In 1965 Sarria founded the Imperial Court of San Francisco (now the International Court System) an association of charitable organizations that raises money primarily for gay causes With nearly 70 chapters in the United States it is one of the largest LGBTQ organizations in the world one of the first largely gay neighbourhoods in the United States) as José Sarria Court The city also placed a plaque that notes Sarria’s contributions in the sidewalk in front of the Harvey Milk Memorial Branch of the San Francisco Public Library beloved presenter of RTE’s Nationwide for 15 years and an active presenter on TG4 has become a passionate advocate for well-being since her retirement from the show in 2019 Mary who recently celebrated her 70th birthday used her role on Nationwide to connect with people of all walks of life and her stint on season 4 of Dancing With The Stars brought her a whole new audience Mary is a Health and Wellness Coach and has published a number of books 3 which focus specifically on the importance of mindfulness being in nature and self-acceptance for mental and physical health Her relatable approach and dedication to fitness and self-care as well as her vocal advocacy for women embracing the changes that come with later life continues to inspire many making her a strong voice for well-being and resilience in Irish life Now Mary is taking on another fun challenge in the form of the Camino De Santiago and she’s taking a group of like-minded walkers with her Teaming up with Ireland’s leading Camino Tour Operator Mary will accompany walkers on the final stage of the French Camino route daily baggage transfers and the backup of expert support along the way Uwalk.ie’s "Travel Solo Not Alone" group Camino departures have been specifically tailored to cater to sociable solo travellers - with guaranteed room share options and group welcome talks where walkers can bond and break the ice They are also proving popular with hiking club groups couples or active friends looking for a unique stress-free adventure on an iconic and rewarding trail through Galicia in Northern Spain Mary Kennedy and Uwalk Representatives will accompany the group however please note that this is a Self Guided Walking Trip on the Camino For reservations or more information visit: See Our “Travel Solo but Not Alone” Groups Here *Price is per person on a room share basis insurance and departure transfers are not included This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Sarria dedicated his life to fight for queer rights and even ran as the country's first known openly gay candidate for public office An international drag charity that he helped found continues his legacy with legendary drag galas to this day Sarria dedicated his life to fight for queer rights and even ran as the country’s first known openly gay candidate for public office - José Julio Sarria was a legend of the San Francisco drag scene Major Support for American Masters provided by © 2025 WNET PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization When waiters at the Black Cat Café in San Francisco began pushing dining tables together at the front of the room The crowd would fall silent as a man stepped onto the makeshift stage This was José Sarria, who in 1961 blazed a rogue path for LGBTQ representation as the first openly gay person to run for public office in the United States. “They were trying to make gay people second-rate citizens,” he said “I’ve never been a second-rate citizen… As little as I may be he sang arias to packed crowds at the spot that Allen Ginsberg called “the greatest gay bar in America.” Sarria knew more than 45 operas and his most famous performance was a rendition of the French opera Carmen Sarria’s version of the titular character lived in modern-day San Francisco This Carmen visited a popular cruising spot and hid in the bushes to evade police capture perhaps in part because the plot was all too familiar The San Francisco of the ’50s and ’60s was a hostile place for the queer community An early 1950s editorial in the San Francisco Examiner called for a force to “drive [gay and trans people] out of the city,” and police regularly arrested gay and trans people on bogus charges at well-known gay hangouts—including Sarria’s beloved Black Cat When he found out that there were five seats open for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors he decided to throw his (plumed) hat in the ring neither the city’s Democrats nor Republicans allowed him to run under their auspices Sarria reflected on his trailblazing run for public office saying he was angry and had done so to prove a point: He had a right to run for office and didn’t have to hide Sarria’s campaign changed politics forever politicians knew they could no longer neglect queer voters his friend Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official in California In the years that followed, Sarria founded the Imperial Court System a charity known for its annual galas that raise money to fight AIDS Sarria declared himself the first Empress of San Francisco The Imperial Court System now boasts more than 70 chapters across the world which collectively raise millions of dollars each year for its many causes “José didn’t set out to be an activist,” says Coco LaChine president of the Imperial Court of New York “He simply refused to be treated like a second-class citizen.” Sarria turned that principle into a life’s philosophy and the difference he made is still being felt by ordinary empresses the world over This post is sponsored by Nissan as part of Rogue Routes, a cross-country winter celebration of the rogue spirit --- of iconoclasts, innovators, and daredevils -- and the release of the 2021 Nissan Rogue through once-in-a-lifetime socially-distanced drive-in and livestream experiences. Discover more and check out the event lineup here We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders One of the LGBTQ’s most legendary iconic trailblazers and heroes was inducted into the prestigious California Hall of Fame during a live-streamed virtual ceremony held on August 22 The six other new inductees are Carrie Fisher in 1961 became the first openly cay candidate to run for public office as a candidate for the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors placing fifth among a field of 29 candidates Sarria’s courageous run for public office put “Gay Power” on the political map and paved the way for over 600 elected LGBTQ officials now in public office Sarria was crowned “Absolute Empress 1 of San Francisco” and established the first Royal Court in North America Now there are over 65 city court chapters in the United States San Diego County/City Commissioner Nicole Murray Ramirez who 11 years ago officially nominated Sarria to be inducted in the California Hall of Fame on behalf of the International Imperial Court System “José Julio Sarria was the Rosa Parks of the LGBTQ Civil Rights Movement,” said Commissioner Ramirez who is Empress Nicole the Great known as “Queen Mother 1 of the Americas.” “It is very symbolic of Governor Newsom to name José into the California Hall of Fame during this time when drag queens/transgender people are under attack by the Radical Right Wing,” added Commissioner Ramirez following his distinguished service in the U.S He soon became the hostess of the infamous Black Cat bar where he became known as the “Nightengale of Montgomery Street” and would end his campy live opera performances with “God Save Us Nelly Queens.” Commissioner Ramirez and then San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty led the campaign that resulted in Sarria being the first openly gay man to have a street named after him by the City of San Francisco He was also inducted into the National LGBTQ Wall of Fame located in the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City as well as being honored as an historic figure on the Rainbow Honor Walk in the Castro “Though we of the international Imperial Courts led this effort it definitely took a village to accomplish this honor and I want to especially thank California State Senate President Toni Atkins former San Francisco Supervisors Mark Leno and Bevan Dufty and former State Assembly Whip and now Mayor Todd Gloria of San Diego the National LGBTQ Task Force and the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund who were major co-sponsors of our campaign,” said Commissioner Ramirez The International Imperial Courts have had major success in their national letter-writing campaigns and lobbying that have resulted in a Harvey Milk U.S the Executive Director of the California Museum for working closely with the International Court Council and the Imperial Court of San Francisco on this historic honor for our beloved José,” added Commissioner Ramirez Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Texas went to be with the Lord on October 18 2022 at Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital in Baytown Texas to Sterling Blackmon and Dorothy Raines Blackmon. Glynn grew up in the Assemblies of God faith and accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior as a young adult Glynn was a 1962 graduate of Kountze High School and later went on to San Jacinto College where he received his certificate in inspection and welding and later retired as a quality control inspector He enjoyed spending time fishing and playing golf Glynn loved all sports but especially baseball and basketball where he excelled When he attended high school in Oregon prior to moving to Texas he attended Henley High School where he held the record for the longest home run hit Glynn enjoyed playing in softball leagues and spent many hours coaching his daughters in their softball leagues as well When his girls began playing sports at Barbers Hill he was very supportive of each of them and some of the best days were spent watching them play both at high school and then on the college level he loved practicing sports with his grandkids as well as fishing in the bay and golfing with his grandsons He also enjoyed playing dominoes with Stephanie and Maddie Glynn was an avid fan of all professional sports in Houston and enjoyed watching the Astros Rockets and Texans along with watching a good game of golf He loved his family and was especially proud of his four daughters He will be missed by all who cared for him Glynn is preceded in death by his parents; his brothers Randy Blackmon Those left to cherish his memories are his loving wife of 60 years Stephanie Martin and husband Scotty; his grandchildren Maddie Martin; 11 great grandchildren; sister-in-laws Suzie Blackmon; and numerous nieces and nephews and other family There will be a private family graveside service held Saturday Services under the direction of Pace Stancil Funeral Home Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors it’s important to know the drag legends who paved their way “Drag Herstory” will focus on iconic drag performers throughout history providing essential knowledge about the world beyond Drag Race and had lived openly as gay before joining the army during World War II Unfit for service at 90 pounds and just under five feet tall he flirted with a military recruiter to join The military did eventually find out he was gay — but because they were dangerously short of troops they sent him to Cooking and Baking School instead of discharging him He was promoted to staff sergeant by the time he left the army then returned to San Francisco after the war in 1947 He had hoped to become a teacher in his hometown but after being arrested on “morals charges” (read: cruising) in the St He instead took up waitering at The Black Cat eventually performing in drag and singing in his signature tenor a voice cultivated having taken singing lessons from a former opera performer as a teenager known as “The Nightingale of Montgomery Street.” Though today San Francisco is considered one of the most liberal cities in the country Anti-sodomy laws prevailed across the U.S. and California was no exception: any bar serving queer folks could be raided Coupled with the fact that The Black Cat’s owner refused to pay off police this meant that the bar was regularly harassed by authorities and threatened with losing its liquor license It wasn’t an easy task for Sarria — collecting enough signatures to secure a place on the ballot proved difficult as many didn’t want to be seen as publicly endorsing a gay politician That’s not to mention the fact that Sarria didn’t own a suit His primary campaign goal was to show that the gay population of San Francisco couldn’t be ignored or treated like second-class citizens — that it was a powerful force in the city’s election process and was to be acknowledged as such they recruited 24 more hopefuls to a ballot of originally nine candidates vying for five positions Sarria came in ninth out of over thirty candidates accomplishing his goal: “From that day on,” Sarria told The Atlantic in 2011 “there’s never been a politician in San Francisco — not even a dog-catcher — that did not go and talk to the gay community.” Historian John D’Emilio later wrote that this was the first time queer residents of San Francisco had been asked to think of their sexual identity as a political force Sarria made great strides toward equality for the LGBTQ+ community in San Francisco including his founding of the Tavern Guild of San Francisco in 1962 the United States’s first association of gay businesses and the gay advocacy group Society for Individual Rights in 1963 he founded the Imperial Court of San Francisco which has since grown into the International Court System a global queer charity organization with over 70 chapters that raises money for LGBTQ+ causes it’s one of the largest queer organizations in the world And Sarria did it all while performing in drag at The Black Cat until 1963 and instead of taking on the Queen of the Ball title he proclaimed himself “Empress José I” of San Francisco — because He named himself after the legend of Joshua Abraham Norton a 19th century San Franciscan who declared himself Emperor of the United States and also took on the moniker “The Widow Norton.” Accordingly part of the Imperial Court’s annual tradition became visiting Norton’s grave in drag his contributions to LGBTQ+ politics and representation are still keenly felt It’s because of him that lawmakers and politicians first began giving the community the electoral attention it deserves Sarria was cast as a judge at a drag ball in 1995’s cult classic film To Wong Foo part of San Francisco’s gay Castro neighborhood named in his honor as José Sarria Court in 2006 a career like Harvey Milk’s may not have been possible not to mention all of the LGBTQ+ politicians who came after him Empress José Sarria knelt by his husband’s grave clad in an old-fashioned black petticoat Dark gloves ran the length of his arms; elaborate jewelry hugged his neck and wrists fellow mourners who had come to know Sarria through his performances and his political activism wore a peculiar mix of black and colorful drag clothes a small marching band dressed in bright red The scene was always the same: every year from 1976 until his death in 2013, Sarria led a procession of hundreds of gay and trans San Franciscans to the grave of Joshua Norton after going bankrupt and disappearing from public view returned in 1859 in dramatic fashion—he strut into the offices of a local newspaper wearing a plumed hat and a military coat and declared himself emperor of the entire United States Around the grave of this eccentric San Franciscan A gay and lesbian choral group sang; people sat and watched in chairs Empress José Sarria and Emperor Joshua Norton never actually wed—the timeline makes that impossible Sarria began making his pilgrimages almost a century later The fake marriage was a kind of inside joke part of Sarria’s flavor for the outlandish Sarria perhaps saw a kindred spirit in Norton’s brand of fearless outcast Sarria’s annual pilgrimages to his husband’s cemetery took on a new meaning: more than just an ironic celebration of Emperor Joshua Norton they became a way for gay and trans San Franciscans to mourn their dead and to agitate for socio-political change The journalist Michael R. Gorman recounted a pilgrimage he attended in the early 1990s in his book The Empress Is a Man the AIDS epidemic was reaching new heights and much of the ceremony was spent grieving the fallen a drag queen stepped forward clutching the ashes of one of her friends then began dancing a scene from The Nutcracker her dress sweeping the remains into the air The pilgrimage to Norton’s grave became a necessary catharsis for a community long marginalized led by a man—José Sarria—who had transformed the very foundation on which it rested The bulletin was part of a bold campaign by the newly formed League for Civil Education to consolidate the political power of San Francisco’s LGBT minority gay and trans San Franciscans were subject to constant abuse The legacy of the McCarthy era had intensified public animosity toward the queer community whose members were labeled anti-American “subversives” linked to communism and espionage Public outcry soon demanded that queer people be weeded out—a mandate the San Francisco police embraced Spurred on by editorials like the one in the San Francisco Examiner urging that someone “drive [gays] out of the city,” police in the 1950s launched campaigns of harassment against suspected homosexuals They sent attractive undercover officers into gay bars They charged customers for being “inmates of a disorderly house,” a bogus crime they employed when they wanted to make an arrest then printed the names of those gay arrestees in the local newspaper and called their employers Police also frequented gay cruising spots, confiscated gay and lesbian pulp novels, and—at one point—raided a local theater during a showing of a short movie about a young homosexual arresting the manager and taking away the film and projector 40 to 60 homosexuals per week were charged with some crime relating to their sexuality and over a dozen gay bars had been shut down Because so many residents remained closeted few spoke out against the constant police harassment The queer community also lacked a unified mouthpiece—the only gay organizations that existed were mostly decentralized and non-confrontational which meant the community had few ways of voicing its anger The League for Civil Education aimed to change that By registering gay and trans people to vote they could create a powerful queer voting bloc one that local politicians would have no choice but to listen to They were trying to do something that had never been done before—to galvanize gays into politics in effect scaring city higher-ups into submission those higher-ups would think twice about supporting homophobic harassment campaigns if they knew there was a coalition of voters waiting to punish them for it at the polls a co-founder of the League for Civil Education would soon claim that there were 10,000 voting gays in the city and politicians had better take their needs seriously if they wanted to keep their jobs But he was laughed off. “You are a fool… You will never unify them,” Sarria was told in a meeting with local officials about his plan to organize gay voters He replied: “Watch me.” he had no qualms about speaking out—his performances railed against both institutionalized homophobia and the queer San Franciscans whom he felt settled for second-class citizenship Sarria galvanized queer people to stand up for themselves for instance telling his audience to fight against the bogus charges the police slapped on them the custom had been for arrested gay and trans people to simply plead guilty and pay a fine for fear that dragging out a court case would out them to their families; but Sarria’s invocations created a backlog of cases and local judges forced the police to scale down their arrests Sarria became especially attuned to the city’s harassment campaigns against the gay community because the bar he worked at and dearly loved the Black Cat Café branded itself “the most popular place in Bohemia,” home to a clientele of vaudeville stars and gays and to a waiting staff clad in ridiculous carnival clothes The bar was quickly mythologized in literary circles: it served as a backdrop for Jack Kerouac’s novel On The Road, and its customers included John Steinbeck and Allen Ginsberg Ginsberg proclaimed it “the greatest gay bar in America.” “Everybody went there heterosexual and homosexual… All the gay screaming queens would come All the poets went there.” The Black Cat had cemented its reputation as a gay bar by the mid-1950s in part because of the immense popularity of José Sarria himself Perhaps because of its fame, the Black Cat was subject to constant police scrutiny. First raided in 1949, the bar was added to the Armed Forces’ list of banned businesses. Around this time, the Black Cat’s liquor license was suspended for serving “known homosexuals”; when the California Supreme Court overturned the suspension this time revoking the Black Cat’s license on the grounds that it catered to “sexual perverts.” The Black Cat’s lawyer managed to get a stay on the prosecution but everyone knew it would only last so long paranoia soon became an essential staple of running a gay bar: to stay open bars like the Black Cat couldn’t allow same-sex touching or hand-holding (permitting such acts would make bars “a resort for sexual perverts” and thus result in a loss of their liquor licenses) Those few that permitted dancing hired bouncers; if someone suspicious came by the bouncers would flicker the lights and everyone in the bar would switch partners so they appeared to be part of a heterosexual couple with his campaign to register gay voters underway He was done sitting idly by and watching the police ruin the lives of innocent people whose only crime was being gay He also couldn’t help but notice that in the upcoming election there were five seats open on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors shortly after his disastrous meeting with local officials about his proposed gay voting bloc Sarria took a step no other openly queer person had ever dared to in the history of the United States—he decided to run for public office Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans would let him file to run under their party umbrella; they refused to endorse a homosexual Second: almost everyone Sarria talked to was unwilling to sign his petition to get on the ballot; they feared the ostracism that would result from publicly supporting a gay candidate all he needed was 35 signatures and a party endorsement—he could get neither Third: he didn’t even have a suit to wear All of his clothes were either drag or casual; he had to convince a friend to lend him something more formal But Sarria remained determined—“it is my right [to run], and I am going to take advantage of it,” he said hoping other gay Americans would follow his lead and make their voices heard in local politics He said later: “I ran … because I saw a need The only way that the gay community at that time could become forceful was to become political Soon, he began having small successes. He “blackmail[ed]” (his words) 35 friends into signing his candidacy petition insisting he would spill their secrets if they refused he threatened to sue the party—they eventually relented But party officials so badly did not want Sarria to win that in the final hours before the filing deadline they recruited 24 more people to run against him there were five open seats on the Board of Supervisors and only nine candidates; by the end of the day among them a musician and a garbage collector The election netted a record number of candidates likely because of Sarria’s candidacy Though city officials scoffed at the idea of an organized gay voting bloc in San Francisco they were privately terrified by the prospect—and a victory for Sarria would thus throw their careers into jeopardy According to Sarria, such fears were ultimately productive—“that made politicians and other people realize that there were gay people out there.” From then on they had to think twice before endorsing anti-gay legislation Operating on a meager $500 budget Sarria bet that his local fame would be enough to win him a seat He was known around San Francisco for his flamboyance: when he needed to make a deposit at the bank he would ride in the sidecar of a motorcycle clad in red high heels and bright lipstick for all to see he would declare himself Empress of San Francisco As a proud Latino and native Spanish speaker Sarria was also able to engage with long-neglected Hispanic voters appearing on many Spanish-language radio programs throughout the city in order to promote his candidacy he would become the first Latino ever elected in San Francisco But Sarria’s main campaign arm was the League for Civil Education, which in its first year of existence devoted most of its energy to Sarria. Its publication, the LCE News, dedicated countless pages to coverage of Sarria’s campaign keeping the local gay community apprised of everything that was unfolding and—during Sarria’s widely attended performances at the Black Cat—urged audience members to spread the word about the election Both Sarria and Strait viewed the campaign as an outgrowth of their push to register gay voters and create a unified voting bloc what better way to inspire gays to vote than if one of their own was on the ballot By spreading the word about Sarria’s candidacy and transgender San Franciscans that they were normal that people like them should be represented in all political bodies across the nation to be sure—one that would echo for decades to come and perhaps this is why for him being gay was never a source of shame Sarria didn’t meet the physical requirements to enter the army—to get in Once the military discovered his sexuality, they transferred him to the Cooking and Baking School. Though normally such a discovery would result in an immediate dishonorable discharge, the U.S. during the war was so pressed for bodies that they overlooked it. By the time Sarria left the army in 1945, he’d been promoted to staff sergeant He soon returned to college under the GI Bill he started working part-time as a waiter at the Black Cat donning his signature high heels and singing to customers as he passed out drinks he started belting out a song from the opera Carmen—by the time he finished and customers began asking why he didn’t perform more often cops arrested him for “moral charges” at the St His dream of becoming a teacher thus shattered Sarria plunged himself further into the world of the Black Cat and he was soon putting on four performances a night His most widely attended were his one-man opera parodies which became especially popular among the local gay community Underlying the brash humor and ridiculous costumes was a message of justice and self-love that the gay community still reeling from constant police harassment Even his costumes were sometimes ad-libbed—once he came on stage dressed in window curtains from his house Sarria’s most famous production was his modern-day rendition of the French opera Carmen it featured Sarria as Carmen visiting a popular gay cruising spot; when the police arrived Carmen ducked behind bushes to avoid the cops “It does not appear until about 2 a.m it’s best to stay out of our parks at 2 a.m.” Sarria began calling on his queer audience to take more confrontational approaches to police harassment He railed against the custom of submitting to bogus charges leveled by the police for fear that fighting back would equal being discovered who were at especially high risk for diseases like syphilis and gonorrhea to visit the Health Department even though they feared the judgment of their doctors after the formation of the League for Civil Education he also started calling on his audience to register to vote Sarria reminded queer San Franciscans that they had rights—and if they wanted social equality But Sarria’s most lasting legacy was the sense of hope he instilled in his predominantly queer audience He helped to stitch a disparate social identity into a thriving community one that was just beginning to stand up and fight for itself Sarria asked every customer in the Black Cat to join hands and belt the lyrics to a song he’d written “God Save Us Nelly Queens,” sung to the tune of “God Save the Queen.” but if you lived at that time and had the oppression coming down from the police department and from society there was nowhere to turn … and to be able to put your arms around other gay men and to be able to stand up and sing ‘God Save Us Nelly Queens” … We were really not saying ‘God Save Us Nelly Queens.’ We were saying “God Save Us Nelly Queens” became a kind of anthem it was this sentiment that propelled him forward gay and trans San Franciscans—like their counterparts across the United States—were beginning to come together and demand their rights the first openly gay candidate for public office in U.S had not won any of the five seats on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors But he’d come in ninth in a field of 33 candidates Though shy of Sarria’s claim that there were 10,000 queer San Francisco voters the number shocked the political establishment So many thousands of votes was certainly enough to sway an election in the city—and it could threaten the positions of countless politicians Soon they were drawing the obvious conclusion: if they wanted to keep their jobs Other candidates started taking out ads in gay publications even floating the possibility of introducing anti-discrimination measures His run for office no doubt made a mutual relationship between politicians and queer voters possible for he not only galvanized gay people into politics but he also shocked the San Francisco political establishment into taking LGBT issues seriously His run for office also paved the way for future queer office seekers who would enter the political scene over a decade later The end of Sarria’s campaign for supervisor was not the end of his life of history-making political activism a charity entirely composed of unpaid volunteers that raises funds—largely through elaborate drag shows—for fighting AIDS it remains one of the largest LGBT organizations in the world Sarria realized he needed to include a list of officers—but because labels like “president” sounded too boring to him Volunteers for the Imperial Court therefore bear titles like duke The head of the organization is called the Empress and is elected annually—Her Royal Majesty José Julio Sarria was the first the city of San Francisco honored Sarria for all of his achievements renaming a section of 16th Street “José Sarria Court.” Sarria passed away in 2013. Upon his death, newspapers as high-profile as the New York Times published obituaries. Reflecting on Sarria’s life, Harvey Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, told reporters, “He paved the way for my uncle, Harvey Milk, to run for public office.” That Sarria was Latino should therefore not be forgotten Sarria was buried beside his late husband Emperor Norton, in a plot of land he’d purchased in 1976. Still today the annual pilgrimages to Norton’s grave continue—but now when his admirers come to celebrate the U.S.’s one true emperor its first openly gay politician and a man who changed the LGBT community forever the pianist at The Black Cat in San Francisco’s North Beach one of the waiters began singing along in a strong tenor voice as he brought his customers their drinks singing camp versions of then-popular torch songs and commenting about reports of police harassment of the gay community On such serendipity can the fates of peoples and nations be decided whose 100th birthday we celebrate this December had not planned to be either a performer or an activist but that ambition ended during a visit to the Oak Room of the St possibly the only gay bar in San Francisco history whose manager did not know he was gay instead he became the drag queen who changed the city’s LGBT communities and politics forever An elegant and discrete gathering place “for men only,” the Oak Room was advertised as having “an atmosphere designed for masculine comfort.” It boasted wood-paneled walls but the actual facility for masculine comfort was down the hall then convicted and heavily fined on a morals charge He knew that a teaching career now was impossible He turned to entertaining professionally “because I needed something to do.” Soon known as “the Nightingale of Montgomery Street,” he continued to croon arias from Carmen that evolved into a Sunday afternoon extravaganza they also highlighted some of the serious issues of discrimination and harassment it faced now scrambled through the brambles of Union Square Overcapacity crowds adored these performances even when José had in mind giving them more than a good laugh At a time when the “experts” were telling them—and they believed—that they were mentally ill perverts he wanted them to be proud of who they were and to stand up for their rights He also shared some advice: “If you get tapped on the shoulder by a big blue star,” his Carmen told them ‘I’m not guilty and I want a trial by jury.'” To forge both a sense of pride and a sense of community among the people in his audience he had them stand up at the end of his performances “God save us nelly queens,God save us nelly queens,God save us queens too.From every mountain highLong may we live and thrive,God save us nelly queens,God save us queens.” “I sang the song as a kind of anthem to get them realizing that we had to work together,” he told Gorman “We could change the laws if we weren’t always hiding.” For many including future activist George Mendenhall Sarria’s message to be proud of who you are was “the beginning of my awareness of my rights as a gay person.” José became a candidate for the city’s Board of Supervisors He had no problem raising the $25 filing fee but getting 25 signatures for his nominating petition was difficult “Nobody wanted to sign any paper helping or saying that they were going to back a homosexual,” he remembered He finally found either some “very bold queens” or some “closet queens who [I] had a little dirt on”—the story varied over time—and he was off and running confirming his claim that the LGBT communities would come together for someone willing to fight for them He also showed that there were enough votes in the LGBT community to swing an election to one candidate or cause or another in a close contest He was the first openly gay man to run for public office anywhere and his candidacy changed local politics forever The year José ran for supervisor he also co-founded the League for Civil Education paying the startup costs for the new non-profit himself candidates’ nights and theatrical productions at which José sang everything from arias to Edith Piaf the recently formed Tavern Guild—the first LGBT business association in the United States—named José queen of its annual Beaux Arts Ball he proclaimed himself Empress José Norton the First who declared himself Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico in 1859 His first official appearance was a week later when he officiated at the opening of the Ice Follies now the second largest LGBT organization in the world with more than 65 chapters in the North America alone he remained active in the organization until 2007 then abdicated in favor of his heir apparent more than 1000 mourners attended his imperial drag-themed funeral at Grace Cathedral on Nob Hill and building political visibility and strength were the means to effect change Throughout his life as a performer and an activist he made two truths clear to the LGBT communities “There’s nothing wrong with being gay—the crime is getting caught,” he said consistently until the anti-sex laws finally were repealed divided they catch us one by one,” carved on his tombstone author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006) is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors Faces from Our LGBT PastPublished on December 15 2023The West Hollywood Pride Arts Festival begins on Monday with a drag pageant in honor of Harvey Milk Day.WEST HOLLYWOOD (KABC) -- The West Hollywood Pride Arts Festival begins on Monday Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politician to be elected to public office on California He served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 before being assassinated The annual festival will begin with its first annual José Sarria Drag Pageant named after the first openly gay person to run for public office in California The free event will provide guests with photo opportunities and custom typewriter poetry provided by Pride Poets will run through June 30 at the Respite Deck of the West Hollywood Aquatic and Recreation Center.