Yuba-Sutter region gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, asexual, and heterosexual allies can socialize with fellow LGBTQIAs and allies at events organized by Tri-County Diversity. Tri-County Diversity Youth is an extension of the nonprofit organization. Outside of this social group Yuba-Sutter LGBTQIA adults are likely to find fellow LGBTQIAs in Sacramento area groups and Sacramento area nightclub gay bars or online on smartphone apps such as Grindr. According to Urban Dictionary, LGBTQIA is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer, intersex, asexual and "LGBTQIA is a more inclusive term than LGBT for people with non-mainstream sexual orientation or gender identity."
Active In-Person Organizations In Yuba-Sutter
- Tri-County Diversity Website 2011-present
- Tri-County Diversity Facebook Page
- Tri-County Diversity Youth Facebook Page
- Yuba College Gay-Straight Alliance Facebook Page 2012-present
Gay-Straight Student Alliance Organizations In Yuba-Sutter
- Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts Website unable to determine founding date - present
- Marysville High School Gay-Straight-Alliance (G.S.A.) Website unable to determine founding date - present
- Wheatland Union High School Gay-Straight Student Alliance (GSA) Website unable to determine founding date - present
- there are or have previously reportedly been Gay-Straight Student Alliance (GSA) groups at Lindhurst High School, River Valley High School, and Yuba City High School yet there is nothing on those school's websites to confirm.
Former Yuba-Sutter In-Person Organizations
- Yuba-Sutter Unity (formerly Yuba-Sutter Pride). 2003-2007.
- Diversity R Us. Began 2005, ended likely around 2009 or 2010.
- Courage Campaign Yuba-Sutter Equality Team LocalWiki Entry 2010, ended likely around 2010.
- Harmony Health Resource Center's LGBT Support Group. 2010, ended likely around 2010.
Online Groups & Email Lists In Yuba-Sutter
- Yuba-Sutter LGBT News Yahoo Group 2003-2015
- Queer Sutter Yahoo Group began 2003, ended likely around 2008.
- Yuba-Sutter LGBT News & History Facebook page began 2015, posting is presently sporadic
Apps / Websites
Gay/bi men over 18 years of age can use smart phone apps Grindr,Scruff, and Adam 4 Adam and other similar apps to meet locals. Gay/bi women over 18 years of age can use smart phone appHer. Gay men and lesbians over 18 years of age looking for traditional dates can use free site OkCupid and other dating websites that welcome LGBTs. Most of these apps/websites seem to be welcoming to the intersex, transgender, and cross-dressers. Many LGBTs also used Craigslist but in 2018 the website stopped allowing users to post personal ads.
Places Of Worship In Yuba-Sutter
Pastor Helen Jackson of St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Yuba City was given a certificate at Yuba-Sutter Unity's 2007 Heroes and Helpers event. A 2011 newsletter from the church shows they hosted Monday night LGBT groups but it's unclear if they continue to do so. The Yuba-Sutter Church of Religious Science in Marysville is a queer-friendly church.
To the contrary, Church of Glad Tidings in Live Oak, CA has hosted speakers who opposed LGBT marriage equality. Crossroads Community Church in Yuba City allowed the distribution of anti-LGBT petitions in 2011.
Famous LGBTs From Yuba-Sutter
- Carl Linkhart, painter. Reportedly attended "Yuba City collage."
- D.A. Powell, poet. Reportedly "grew up in Linda, near Yuba City."
- Guy Branum, comedian. Known for TV shows "Chelsea Lately" and "Talk Show the Game Show." His Wikipedia page indicates he's from Yuba-Sutter yet his IMBD page indicates he was born elsewhere.
- Reggie Snowden, athlete. Reportedly "ran for a former Olympic Coach in the mid-80s in Northern Cali Yuba College."
- Roadside Resident, vlogger, Posts include videos made in Yuba City.
History
In July 2003, community organizer Jeff G. founded the first publicly known, visible group to serve lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBT). The group was titled Yuba-Sutter Pride and later changed their name to Yuba-Sutter Unity in January 2007. Yuba-Sutter Unity organized potlucks and occasional dance nights, bar nights, trips to neighboring city LGBT groups' events, and other various events including the first and only Yuba-Sutter Pride Day in 2004. The group also promoted the local county health departments’ HIV testing and services. The group’s last event was a potluck in December 2007. A 2011 documentary Rainbow Above The Buttes featured interviews with Yuba-Sutter, Sacramento, Davis, Oroville, and Chico residents who were involved with the LGBT Yuba-Sutter community during the Yuba-Sutter Unity era. The documentary has since been removed. Jeff G. also led the NO on 8 phone banks in Yuba City in 2018. Local activist Steve Shoup appeared on Comcast's local TV program "Take 5" to advocate for marriage equality and voting no on proposition 8.
Another social LGBT group Diversity R Us formed existing from 2005 until around 2009 or 2010 yet no online record of that group is found. Courage Campaign Yuba-Sutter Equality Team was created in 2010 and ended likely around 2010. Harmony Health Resource Center reportedly formed a LGBT support group in 2010 and ended likely around that same year. No online record of that Harmony Health LGBT support group is found. Local activist Steve Shoup appears to have led an informal untitled LGBT group meetup at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Yuba City and then relocated to the Starbucks in the plaza nearest Franklin Road and Highway 99 in Yuba City from around 2010 and ended likely around 2012. No online record of that informal group is found. It is rumored that since 2007 and the years that followed, Gay-Straight Alliance groups were started at Lindhurst High School, River Valley High School, Wheatland Union High School and Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts.
Jeff G. formed GOTBLISS in 2011 and handed over the group to Tim Speek in 2012 after forming a board. Speek and the board attained nonprofit status by 2013. The name then changed to Tri-County Diversity in 2014, according to the group's Facebook page. For a period of time, GOTBLISS operated out of 419 D Street in downtown Marysville. It is unclear when that stopped. Tri-County Diversity and Tri-County Diversity continue to organize events in 2019. Founded in 2012, theYuba College Gay-Straight Alliance is also presently active.
At the Yuba-Sutter LGBT News & HistoryFacebook page there are 31 videos of Yuba-Sutter LGBT events from around 2003-2011. The Yuba-Sutter LGBT News Yahoo Group also has a record of events and news from 2003-2015.
Juan Corona (February 7, 1934 – March 4, 2019) was a Mexican serial killer who was convicted of the murders of 25 migrant farm workers found buried in shallow graves in peach orchards along the Feather River in Sutter County, in 1971. Corona is described as having "anger issues with homosexual men." A 2010 Appeal-Democrat report titled "Juan Corona: Burden of proof" states "Corona's brother, who was openly gay" and another 2010 Appeal-Democrat report titled "Juan Corona: Crime of the century" states "The seedy bar on First Street in Marysville was owned by one of Corona's brothers, Natividad Corona. Natividad Corona, who was known to be a homosexual, was linked to the crime."
Elected Officials
Yuba-Sutter region statewide elected officials typically vote against LGBT equality. In October 2011, State Sen. Doug LaMalfa and Sutter County Supervisor James Gallagher collected signatures to repeal SB 48, the FAIR Education Act which amended the Education Code to include social sciences instruction on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The effort to qualify the repeal for a ballot initiative before the end of 2011 failed. In 2011, California Communities United Institute rated Yuba-Sutter’s statewide elected officials poorly regarding LGBT equality and HIV/AIDS issues: California Communities United Institute 2011 LGBT Score Card State Senator Doug LaMalfa 10% State Assemblyman Jim Nielsen 38% State Assemblyman Dan Logue 8%. California Communities United Institute 2011 HIV/AIDS Score Card State Senator Doug LaMalfa 40% State Assemblyman Jim Nielsen 38% State Assemblyman Dan Logue 35%.
In the 2012 November general election, Yuba-Sutter area voters elected Democrat John Garamendi for California's 3rd then newly redrawn congressional district. He is on the record of supporting marriage equality. Garamendi is likely the first elected congressional representative of the region to support equality for LGBT people. Prior to that the Yuba-Sutter region was part of California's 2nd district and from January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2013 Wally Herger served as congressman. In 2004 Herger co-sponsored an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage. Herger typically voted against LGBT equality.
Ballot Measures
In May 2008 the California Supreme Court ruled to allow same-gender couples the right to marry. On June 16, 2008 the ruling went into effect creating a small time-frame of a few months in which marriage equality was then legal in California. In the summer of 2008, anti-equality activists got Proposition 8 on the ballot for the November general election. In November 2008, the majority of Yuba-Sutter voters (along with the majority of overall California voters) passed Proposition 8 which eliminated the short-lived freedom to marry for same-gender couples in California. Many local businesses, places of worship, and elected officials helped pass Prop. 8. Similarly in 2000 the majority of Yuba-Sutter voters (along with the majority of overall California voters) passed Proposition 22 to define marriage as only between one man and one woman. See Timeline: Proposition 8" for more details on the history of the anti-equality ballot measure. A historic 2015 ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States finally allowed all same-gender the equal right to marry nationwide.
Demographics
Live Oak Gay and Lesbian Index on ePodunk Yuba City Gay and Lesbian Index on ePodunk
Notable Media Coverage & Commentaries
2018 Tri-County Diversity to host sixth annual Halloween Ball, Appeal-Democrat
2017 Beale has an LGBT Pride run, Appeal-Democrat
2016 Team Beale hosts LGBT color run, United States Air Force
2015 Gay marriage, Appeal-Democrat
2013 Students support LGBT rights, Appeal-Democrat
2012 Gay Olivehurst Teen Named High School Homecoming Princess, CBS Sacramento 13
2012 College is a good time for coming out, The Prospector, Yuba College
2012 Kids and families celebrate during LGBT party, Appeal-Democrat
2008 Just married, Appeal-Democrat
2007 Pride looks for Unity in Y-S, Appeal-Democrat
2004 Pride Day comes alive in Y-S, Appeal-Democrat
Nearby Areas
Notes
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