Lesbian Exclusive Exchange

We wanted to repost this article from Examiner.com as we were thrilled when we heard this news last week!  Go Janet!

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano announced that DHS will henceforth take into consideration LGBT relationships when making deportation decisions. This means that same-sex couples will no longer necessarily be split apart if one is undocumented. The decision comes as a clarification to the Obama administration’s ongoing policy of prosecutorial discretion in regards to the deportation of undocumented immigrants. This policy empowers prosecutors to consider an individual’s ties to his or her community, including relationships, in making decisions about who to deport from the country. Napolitano’s announcement enables prosecutors to now consider same-sex relationships as equal to heterosexual relationships in making these decisions.

Napolitanos’s announcement represents a victory for many in both the immigrant and queer rights communities who have long fought to have same-sex relationships validated under U.S. immigration law. Up until now, many long term same sex couples have been forcefully separated by current deportation policy, while married heterosexual couples have the ability to apply to remain in this country legally.

In part because of this shared goal, the queer and immigrant rights movements have recently grown together in their support of one another in this country, with many activists calling for an even greater alliance of the two movements. In 2010, after the passage of SB 1070 in Arizona, for example, more than 20 LGBT groups combined forces to condemn the law. Earlier this month, immigrant rights group OneAmerica made headlines when its board made the somewhat contentious decision to officially support gay marriage. Positioning the issue as one of civil rights, OneAmerica’s board unanimously agreed that the organization’s own civil rights struggles place it in a position to stand in solidarity with the LGBT rights movement.

Although Napolitano’s statement represents a step forward for those fighting for the civil rights of queer individuals and immigrants in this country, it is not necessarily a game changer. First, it has been part of the policy of prosecutorial discretion since its beginning that same sex couples are not targeted for deportation. Napolitano’s announcement merely made the policy official. Second, by its very definition, prosecutorial discretion merely gives prosecutors the option of taking same-sex relationships into consideration. It does not necessarily provide same-sex couples the legal right to petition for legal residency. That is, the policy is certainly a positive move toward equal rights for LGBT immigrants, but it falls short of true comprehensive reform to U.S. immigration law and deportation policy that would ensure the legal rights of these individuals.

Taste of Brews in Long Beach

My girlfriend and I recently attended the Taste of Brews Long Beach which was held at beautiful Lighthouse Park in Long Beach on Sat., August 25th, 2012.  The Taste of Brews is a summer festival that literally featured 50 different breweries who were each sampling multiple choices of their seasonal, craft and micro-brews. It was our first time attending this annual event so we weren't sure what to expect, but I am a huge lover of beer so insisted it was a must do for us this year!  And I am so glad we did because it was an insanely good time!

The admission was a bit pricey at $35-50/person, however included your 5 oz complimentary Taste of Brews sample mug, unlimited craft beer tastes which everyone there obviously took advantage of, snacks (until they ran out), water and live music.  There were a couple vendors sampling their food for free however it honestly looked like standard pub food, nothing to write home about so my girl and I decided to eat at the Lobster Truck which always rocks!  They had 4-5 food trucks at the event to choose from, so if you were hungry you had the option to buy a lunch that was a bit more appetizing than the free samples.  Honestly though it seemed like most of the attendees were avoiding the food all together and focusing on the brews! 

We probably tried about 25-30 brews total which at 5 oz each was about 5-6 beers each over the course of about 4 hours.  Out of the approximately 50 breweries that were sampling their beer, about 10 were main stream ones like Shocktop, NewCastle and Blue Moon, and about 10-15 were some of the more local brands that we are familiar with but are not ones you will find in any store like Belmont, Stone and Rock Bottom Brewing Company.  The rest I was pleasantly surprised to say were new breweries for me thatI had never tasted like Beachwood, Lagunitas, Left Coast, Shipyard, Noble and Goose Island (which if I remember correctly had my favorite taste of the day).  

There were lines at times but never did we have to wait more than 5 minutes for a drink and at no time were our glasses empty.  The location is ideal as the Lighthouse Park is huge so if you didn't want to be in the center of everything you didn't need to.  At times we laid out on the grass under the beautiful blue sky and enjoyed the warm sun, or sat on the tables and listened to the live music.  The event is essentially surrounded by the harbor so we decided to eat our lunch on the breakwater rocks just outside the vendor tents.  It was the perfect day. 

Now typically we do not write articles about events that are not lesbian or LGBT specific so you are probably wondering why we chose to add this article to our site.  We did so as we were pleasantly surprised to see the large number of "family" that attended this event.  At one point we were surrounded by about 4 different groups of lesbians all waiting in a handful of lines at neighboring brew tents.  It was awesome.  The best part is that most of the family I saw were new faces so it was a great place to hang out, enjoy beer and meet new women.  Unfortunately none of our single lesbian friends could make it this year, but we have told everyone that next year it's a must and we think you should come too!  Mark it on your calendars ladies, Taste of Brews Long Beach 2013!  Hopefully it will be in August again as the temperature was perfect for an event like this!

One final note is that there is another Taste of Brews event this year taking place in Dana Point, CA on September 29th.  I have not been to this event so not sure if this will also be as "family" friendly since LB tends to be a bit more open than the OC, but if you just can't wait for next year this may be the next best thing for you!

The 21 openly gay athletes in the 2012 Olympics as per BuzzFeed.com

We absolutely loved this article so had to repost. 

Proud to be an American and Proud to be Gay!

GO USA and GO GAYS! 

1. Matthew Mitcham — Diving — Australia


Age: 24
Bio: Mitcham won gold at the 2008 Olympics. When fellow Australian Olympians Russell and Lauryn Mark of the shooting team complained that they couldn't stay together in the Olympic village, saying it was anti-heterosexual discrimination and that gay couples could stay together, Mitcham spoke out against them on Twitter. "Since there were only 11 out gays across all nations [in 2008], I’d hardly consider that a ton. Known couples are split anyway." He followed it up with, "The last thing I need is a sexually frustrated breeder with a shotgun being cross with me. No comment, thank you very much!!" So he's pretty funny.

Image by Chris Hyde / Getty Images

2. Judith Arndt — Cycling — Germany


Age: 36
Bio: Arndt is a two-time Olympic medalist (Bronze in 2000 and Silver in 2004) and has won multiple international cycling championships as well as national championships in Germany. Her and her partner, fellow cyclist Petra Rossner, have been together for over fifteen years.

Image by KARIM JAAFAR / Getty Images

3. Marilyn Agliotti — Field Hockey — Netherlands


Age: 33
Bio: The field hockey star is a South African native, who began representing the Netherlands after a move to Holland. Agliotti was a member of the 2008 Olympic gold medal team, and is an outspoken advocate for more openness about the homosexuality in her sport.

Image by Eduardo Di Baia / AP

4. Carole Péon — Triathlon — France


Age: 33
Bio: Péon is an accomplished triathlete, who will be competing in her second Olympics in London. She is dating fellow French Olympian Jessica Harrison.

Image by ARNOLD LIM / AP

5. Lisa Raymond — Tennis — USA


Age: 38
Bio: Lisa Raymond is one of the best doubles tennis players in the world. She's won 6 Doubles Grand Slams and 5 Mixed Doubles Grand Slams, and is currently a part of the number one ranked pair in the world. She's been romantically connected to fellow Tennis star and former doubles partner Rennae Stubbs in the past, but the two are no longer together.

Image by Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

6. Imke Duplitzer— Fencing — Germany


(Steffen Andritzke/The Epoch Times)

Age: 37
Bio: Duplitzer was a part of the German Women's Epeé fencing team that won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympics.

7. Edward Gal — Dressage — Netherlands


Age: 42
Bio: Gal and his current horse, Moorlands Totilas, are dominant in the international dressage world. At the 2010 World Championships they won three gold medals and are expected to fare well in London. Gal is in a long term relationship with Hans Peter Minderhoud, another equestrian from the Netherlands.

Image by ROBIN UTRECHT / Getty Images

8. Jessica Harrison — Triathlon — France


Age: 35
Bio: Born and raised in England, Harrison became a naturalized French citizen to help her realize her dream of making the Olympics. In 2008 she did, coming in 12th at the Beijing Olympics. She's dating fellow French Olympian, Carole Péon.

Image by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / Getty Images

9. Maartje Paumen — Field Hockey — Netherlands


Age: 33
Bio: Paumen is among the best field hockey players in the world. Along with Marilyn Agliotti, she was on the 2008 Netherlands team that won gold at the Olympics. Paumen was named the 2011 Player of the Year at the Champions Trophy field hockey tournament in Argentina.

Image by JUAN MABROMATA / Getty Images

10. Seimone Augustus — Basketball — USA


Age: 28
Bio: Augustus is a WNBA Champion, Finals MVP, three-time All Star, and former Rookie of the year. She played her college ball at LSU, where she led the Tigers to three straight Final Fours. She is currently engaged to marry her girlfriend, LaTaya Varner.

Image by Nick Wass / AP

11. Natalie Cook — Beach Volleyball — Australia


Age: 37
Bio: Cook has long been one of the most accomplished beach volleyball players in the world. She won a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics and a gold at the 2000 games. She's married to Canadian beach volleyball player, Sarah Maxwell.

Image by Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

12. Jessica Landström — Soccer — Sweden


Age: 27
Bio: Landström scored a decisive goal in the 2011 Women's World Cup against Columbia, but spent most of the team's run to third place coming off the bench. The London Olympics will be her first.

Image by Friedemann Vogel / Getty Images

13. Alexandra Lacrabére — Handball — France


Age: 25
Bio: London will mark Lecrabére's second Olympics, she was on the French team in China that failed to medal. She came out in Hand Action magazine last November.

Image by RICARDO MORAES / Reuters

14. Megan Rapinoe — Soccer — USA


Age: 27
Bio: A member of the 2011 US Women's Soccer Team that nearly won the World Cup, Rapinoe created one of the team's signature highlights when she set Abby Wambach up with a beautiful desperation cross that led to the US's 122nd minute goal against Brazil to keep the US's World Cup hopes alive. Rapinoe came out of the closet earlier this month and revealed that she's been in a three-year relationship with an Australian soccer player.

Image by Harry How / Getty Images

UPDATED: We missed a few in the initial version of this list. We've since added those that have been brought to our attention If you know of anyone else who is missing, please let us know in the comments.

15. Carl Hester — Dressage — Great Britain


Age: 45
Bio: Hester rode for the British dressage team that won the gold at the 2011 European Dressage Championship. He is one of the top riders in the world.

Image by Clive Mason / Getty Images

16. Mayssa Pessoa — Handball — Brazil


Age: 28
Bio: Pessoa is a top goalkeeper in the world of handball. She plays professionally in France.

17. Hedvig Lindahl — Soccer — Sweden


Age: 29
Bio: Lindahl is a top goalkeeper in Sweden's professional women's soccer league. She's played internationally for almost 10 years. She was on the Swedish team that won Silver at the World Championships in 2003.

Image by JOHANNES EISELE / Getty Images

18. Carlien Dirkse van den Heuvel — Field Hockey — Netherlands


Age: 25
Bio: Dirkse van den Heuvel is an up and coming field hockey star in the Netherlands. London will mark her first Olympics as she teams up with fellow out bringing a second straight gold medal to the Netherlands.

Image by ENRIQUE MARCARIAN / Reuters

19. Rikke Skov — Handball — Denmark


Age: 31
Twitter: N/A
Bio: Rikke Skov was a member of the 2004 Olympic handball team that won gold for Denmark. She's won many awards for her play on both the international and club levels. In 2009 she retired from the sport, before changing her mind, and returning to the national team.

Image by Bela Szandelszky / AP

20. Lisa Dahlkvist — Soccer — Sweden


Age: 25
Bio: Dahlkvist is a young midfielder for Sweden. She played on their 2011 World Cup team. She's been out since 2008.

Image by THOMAS KIENZLE / Getty Images

21. UPDATE: Karen Hultzer — Archery — South Africa


Age: 46
Bio: Hultzer came out publicly during the 2012 London Olympics. She told OutSports:

I am an archer, middle aged and a lesbian. I am also cranky before my first cup of coffee. None of these aspects define who I am, they are simply part of me. I am fortunate that my sexual identity is not an issue, and I don’t suffer the level of discrimination and violence that black lesbians in South Africa do. I look forward to the day when this is a non-issue and as relevant as my eye color or favorite sushi.

Image by Paul Gilham / Getty Images

Bonus: Pia Sundhage — Soccer Coach — USA


Image by Colin E. Braley / AP