2009 has proved a brutal year for non-profits. A study done in April by John Hopkins University found that 83% of participating organizations reported fiscal stress and that 40% reported the stress as “severe” or “very severe.” (See study) With over 12% unemployment in California the need is greater than ever for individuals who don’t [...] [...more]
Much has happened since we met in Fresno on May 27th to protest the California State Supreme Courts decision regarding Prop 8. The burning question of whether or not we should go back to the polls has raged and polarized the community. So much so that far right religious leaders have snickered in glee about [...] [...more]
In San Francisco on the Day of Decision we saw 175 protesters arrested for sitting down and blocking an intersection near the court building. My feelings were mixed about their display of civil disobedience. On one hand I felt emboldened and proud of the courage my community demonstrated and on the other I wondered if such displays were useful, if not harmful. [...more]
It looks as if 2010 is almost a forgone conclusion to get marriage equality back on the ballot. I received two emails yesterday, one from EQCA and Camp Courage, showing their strong support for it. They gave well summarized arguments but the arguments NOT to do it were noticeably downplayed or absent. [...more]
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Long Beach native Ján Montoya has been involved with social justice and activism since 1991 when he began volunteering for the Legal Aid Foundation in one of their yearly fundraisers. Since then his activist work has expanded into the gay rights movement where he volunteered as a phone bank coach and dispatcher for the No On 8 campaign. After Prop 8's passage he helped co-organize the resulting march down Broadway in Long Beach and has since been an organizer in several other prominent actions in the LGBTQI community. A former founding board member of Long Beach Equality, a grassroots LGBTQI civil rights group, he is currently active in OUTWest, a statewide coalition of grassroots organizations where he served on a sub-committee to write its bylaws. He also sits on the board of The Center in Long Beach. An art major in college, Ján studied advertising and event design at the Fachhochshule Wiesbaden in Germany and received his BFA at California State University, Long Beach with an emphasis in Visual Communication and a minor in business. In his 12 years as an Art Director and Graphic Designer Ján has created work for Fortune 500 companies such as Herbalife International, Foxconn Electronics, and Sony. He is currently the principal of his own company. |