Austin Lesbian / Gay Political Caucus
The mission of the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus shall be to unite and organize Austin area lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered citizens and our friends and supporters in political action against all forms of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender expression. ALGPC shall also work in coalition to combat other forms of discrimination, including but not limited to gender, race or ethnicity, age, religion, disability or economic condition.
Candidate Forum and Endorsement Meeting
for May 2008 Austin City Council Elections
6:30 p.m., March 19, 2008
Travis County Commissioners Court Room
314 W. 11th St.
Austin, Texas 78701
On Wednesday, March 19, members of the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus will gather to hear presentations from candidates seeking the endorsement of the Caucus for the May City Council
election. In seeking an endorsement, candidates are required to answer a questionnaire on subjects of interest to our community. Copies of the candidates’ answers will be available the evening of
the Forum.
During the Forum portion of the meeting, each candidate will be allowed time for remarks, followed by questions from ALGPC members. At the conclusion of the Forum, the membership will
vote on endorsements in each race in which a candidate has sought an endorsement.
In order to vote, you must be a current, dues-paid member of ALGPC and must have been so at least thirty days before the meeting. If you are a previous ALGPC member and your membership has expired, you may make your membership current on the evening of the Endorsement Meeting.
The Candidate Forum and Endorsement Meeting will begin at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, March 19 in the County Commissioner Court Room, located in the Granger Bldg. at 314 W. 11th Street. The Granger Bldg.
is at the northeast corner of 11th and Guadalupe St., across from the County Courthouse.
STAND UP FOR THOSE WHO STAND UP FOR US
It is vitally important for us to support the candidates who support us. In addition to voting, there are other ways we can help out and, at the same time, politically strengthen our community.
VOLUNTEER!
Sign up as a campaign volunteer for endorsed candidates. Block walk, put out signs, help with phone-banking and with election-day “get out the vote” efforts. Simply follow the links to the above campaigns to contact that campaign and volunteer.
A bit of consumer awareness for you – those diamonds on those sterling silver or gold rings may not be what you think. There are some synthetic crystals called cubic zirconia (cz for short) that are actually more brilliant than diamonds and can fool the casual observer into thinking they are the real deal. Now while some unscrupulous dealers may be out there to scam you, there is actually a legit market for these stones. Cz rings or cubic zirconia rings are gorgeous adornments for a dressy event – and the cost is not prohibitive. There are number of online stylish jewelry stores that have awesome displays of cz rings and other jewelry that are exquisite in their own right. But also be aware when someone tries to sell you a diamond ring that there are elegant stones that might pass for diamonds but may actually be cubic zirconia crystals – and you just might enjoy them for what they are.
There is another bit of information of I would like to share. Recently I found a great site that offers discreet online kit to test for stds which you can use in the privacy of your home. There is no need to go to a clinic or your doctor’s office for an STD kit if you suspect you might contracted one. The tests are between 95%-99% accurate, so my attitude is that if you either test positive or symptoms appear and persist, get yourself some medical help ASAP. For those time you were careless or chose to ignored safe sex practices and are now concerned, these STD kits can bring peace of mind. We all know that the best ways to avoid getting an STD is to maintain a monogamous relationship with someone who has been tested and is infection and disease free, or to abstain from sex, including oral sex. But hey, we’re human. Knowing that most std’s are treatable, don’t be foolish by just hoping everything is ok. Get tested and get medical treatment immediately if you test positive.
Without the support of our community this issue will be left in the limelight forever. We feel it is high time that we spend some time trying to eradicate it before any further damage can be done to anyone.