Oakland A's Pitcher Offers To Buy Tickets From Fans Who Object To LGBT Night

Oakland A's star pitcher Sean Doolittle and his girlfriend have offered buy the tickets from fans that object to attending the team's upcoming first-ever LGBT Pride Night at the Oakland Coliseum. Doolittle's girlfriend has two moms and she writes:

If attending a baseball game on LGBT Pride Night makes you at all uncomfortable, it is probably a good idea to sell your tickets. And I have the perfect buyer. ME! If you'd like to sell your tickets to June 17th's LGBT Pride Night game, I will buy them from you at face value. As many as I can. No judgments. No questions asked. From there, I will donate any tickets I purchase to the Bay Area Youth Center's Our Space community for LGBTQ youth. That way you don't have to feel uncomfortable, and the seats don't go to waste. It's win-win. Please tweet at me (@EireannDolan) if you'd like to sell me your tickets. I'll purchase as many unwanted tickets as I can out of my own pocket. I also encourage other A's fans to do the same. Let's fill the stands that night! Love, Eireann and my hella gay moms.

The couple has also launched a GoFundMe account to fill the stadium. At this writing the fund has taken in over $16,000. According to an update at GoFundMe, the team has now dedicated three more sections of seating to LGBT Pride Night. Doolittle pitched for the American League in last year's All-Star Game. (Tipped by JMG reader Jim)

RELATED: Eirann writes amusingly about her moms.

My biological mom Kathy and her partner Elise (who grew up in the Bay Area) are both die-hard A’s fans as well as super gay. Like, they’re so gay for each other that they’ve fostered a long-term loving relationship likely no different from any heterosexual loving relationships you’ve seen or been a part of.

My moms are begrudgingly living in San Diego as transplants amongst all of the San Diego Padres fans. The team the Athletics will play (and beat) on Pride Night? The San Diego Padres. This night was made for them. In fact I’m starting to suspect that the Athletics focus-grouped this event idea with just my two moms and nobody else.

It couldn’t be any more perfectly tailored to my moms than if the team announced that NPR’s Terry Gross will also be throwing out the first pitch and there will be a free notepad giveaway on which my moms can write down all of the reasons I should have majored in something more practical in college.

Leather Controversy At Oakland Pride

Oakland's first Pride parade is today, but according to the San Francisco Chronicle, the leather community is not invited.

One thing you probably won't find at Oakland's first LGBT Pride Parade on Sunday: partially clad men in leather chaps. What you will find is the Jolly Trolly from Children's Fairyland, pony rides, antique fire engines and singer/drummer Sheila E. Instead of kicking off with Dykes on Bikes, as is the tradition in San Francisco, Oakland's parade starts with Tykes on Trikes. "We had some leather groups from San Francisco who wanted to come, and we politely declined. We want to keep this G-rated," said Carlos Uribe, one of the organizers. "We don't want to compete with San Francisco Pride, we just want to offer a more family-friendly, diverse celebration. Sort of an end-of-summer bookend to SF Pride." The city has hosted a Pride fest on and off since the 1990s, but the current incarnation started five years ago with the goal of eventually opening an LGBT community center. Last year, organizers polled the festival's 30,000 attendees about what they'd like to see at future fests, and 80 percent said they wanted a parade. "We're going to be the most family-friendly Pride parade anywhere, ever," said Amber Todd, chair of Oakland Pride. "We'll have something for everyone - gay, straight, pansexual, kids. My 75-year-old mother's coming, and she's as straight as the day is long."

Oakland Pride issued an apology on Facebook yesterday, claiming that Uribe was misquoted. From the statement: "Although it is correct that Oakland Pride will not allow nudity or sexually explicit materials at the Parade or Festival, this in no way denies the leather community from participating."

Caption This

Taken in Oakland by JMG reader Blake.

He Didn't See It Coming

Via KAKE-TV:

The radio preacher who predicted "Judgment Day" would come in May 2011 has died in northern California. A statement released late Monday by his Family Radio network says Harold Camping "passed on to glory" at 5:30 p.m. PT Sunday. He was 92. The statement revealed Camping had a fall at his home November 30, but he was in weak health due to a stroke since 2011. Camping became an international laughingstock when he warned "Judgment Day" would occur May 21, 2011 with the second coming of Jesus Christ. He went on to say the world would end October 21, 2011. Camping admitted to reporters he was "flabbergasted" when his prediction proved false. Donations to his ministry dropped noticeably after that, and Family Radio was forced to sell several of its most powerful FM stations to stay afloat financially.

(Tipped by JMG reader Benjamin)

CALIFORNIA: Oakland Teen Charged With Hate Crime After Setting Transgender City Bus Passenger On Fire

Via the San Jose Mercury-News:

A 16-year-old who told police homophobia caused him to light a sleeping teen's skirt on fire aboard an AC Transit bus Monday night has been charged as an adult and could go to prison for life if convicted, prosecutors announced Thursday. Richard Thomas, an Oakland High School student, on Thursday was charged with aggravated mayhem and assault with means likely to produce great bodily injury, both felonies that include two hate crime enhancements. Thomas' "violent and senseless criminal conduct resulted in severe and traumatic injuries to a young and entirely innocent victim," Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said. "The intentional and callous nature of the crime is shocking and will not be tolerated in our community," O'Malley said. "Our thoughts remain with the victim and the victim's family in wishing for a full recovery from the extensive burns suffered as a result of this crime."

More about the attack:

Authorities said Thomas boarded the bus near his high school at 5:20 p.m. Monday, saw 18-year-old Luke "Sasha" Fleischman sleeping in a rear seat and lit Fleischman's skirt on fire. He was arrested at Oakland High School on Tuesday afternoon after bus surveillance footage helped police identify him as the alleged attacker. Fleischman, a senior at Maybeck High School in Berkeley, suffered second- to third-degree burns and was in stable condition at St. Francis Memorial Hospital's Bothin Burn Center in San Francisco on Thursday. Friends and family say Fleischman identifies as "nonbinary" gender, meaning the Oakland teen does not identify as male or female.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the victim will need "massive skin-grafting" for second and third-degree burns. Thomas faces a possible life sentence for felony aggravated assault as a hate crime.

UPDATE: Students and staffers and the victim's school wore skirts today in solidarity.

"The students wanted to rally their support for Sasha, so they came up with the idea of wearing skirts because that's what Sasha likes to do and what Sasha was wearing when Sasha was lit on fire," said Cralle, who wore a type of floral sarong known as a "lava-lava" that is worn by both men and woman in the Pacific Islands. Cralle did not have a count of how many of Maybeck High's 110 students were sporting skirts, but he said there was widespread participation. "Everybody, students and staff, male and female, is wearing skirts," he said. The school planned to pose for a group photo at lunch so it could be delivered to Fleischman, who remained in stable condition with second- and third-degree burns on his legs.

Mordor In The East Bay

The Mt. Diablo fire in San Francisco's East Bay has grown to 3700 acres.

A fire dubbed the "Morgan Fire" burning near Mount Diablo State Park in California quadrupled in size from Sunday night, charring a total of 3,700 acres by Monday afternoon and forcing evacuations of about 100 homes. That was more than double the number from early Monday morning, when the blaze had charred 1,500 acres, and four times the size of Sunday's peak – 800 acres – after the brush fire broke out just after 1 p.m. on the eastern side of Mount Diablo. "The fire has grown significantly," Cal Fire Division Chief Dave Shew told NBC Bay Area. He could not estimate when the fire might be contained. That, he said, might become more clear in the next day or two.

The blaze was only 20% contained as of this morning.

SF-Oakland Bay Bridge Time-Lapse

The new span of the Bay Bridge opened this morning.

Traffic began streaming across the graceful new $6.4 billion east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge well before normal Tuesday commuter time, assured by officials that it would not only withstand any future earthquakes but provide a lifeline for emergency supplies and vehicles in the event of disaster. The new span replaces a structure that was damaged during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. It is designed to withstand the strongest earthquake estimated by seismologists to occur at the site over a 1,500-year period.

TRAILER: Fruitvale Station

The trailer has been out all summer, but the film has been getting a lot of renewed attention since the Zimmerman verdict.

Oakland Raiders Sign Chris Kluwe

Just ten days after being released by the Minnesota Vikings, LGBT ally Chris Kluwe has been picked up by the Oakland Raiders. The news was broken by fellow activist Brendon Ayanbadejo.

Kluwe intends to continue the activism that rankled some within the Vikings organization. He told Ayanbadejo he hopes to support the push to repeal Proposition 8, which was passed in 2008 and governs that California only recognizes marriages between a man and a woman. "I'm still going to be myself socially and continue to tweet and interact with my fans," Kluwe told Ayanbadejo, whose own activism while playing for the Baltimore Ravens helped bring Kluwe into the national debate on marriage equality.

OAKLAND: City Leaders To Discipline Cops For Abuses Of Occupy Protesters

Oakland's city leaders have announced punishments for police that abused and violated the civil rights of Occupy Wall Street protesters last fall.

Two police officers should be fired and another 42 officers disciplined or reprimanded for misconduct during the Occupy Oakland protests that turned violent late last year and in January, city leaders said Friday. The early findings come from a police internal affairs investigation triggered by more than 1,100 complaints issued against officers following the three major protests, police Chief Howard Jordan said. An internal affairs investigation has found that 44 officers committed some sort of misconduct, ranging from use of excessive force to failing to turn on their tiny video cameras attached to their uniforms, Jordan said. Jordan recommended that the two officers be fired, another one demoted and 15 others suspended. Another 23 officers were given written reprimands and three others were ordered to undergo counseling and training, Jordan said. "I've taken action to hold them accountable," he said at a briefing for several reporters. "Because in the end, I want our officers to exercise good constitutional policing."

Oakland's disproportionate response to Occupy protesters galvanized the movement nationwide.

Trans Woman Murdered In Oakland

In what may have been a hate crime, a Bay Area transgender woman was shot to death in her car last weekend in Oakland. Brandy Martell, 37, had worked for a local transgender services organization.

Another transgender woman and friend of Martell’s—who wants to keep her identity private—was in the back seat of the car. According to this witness, she, Martell and two other transgender women had been socializing in the parked vehicle for several hours. Around 3 am, two men approached the car and chatted with the women briefly, the witness said. Martell and the other women told the men they were transgendered, and after a seemingly cordial conversation, the men walked off, said the witness. Two hours later, the men reappeared, and one of them stuck the barrel of an automatic weapon into the crack of Martell’s window, according to the witness. According to her, the man shot Martell in the side, and the other women fled as Martell tried to drive away. Martell made it only as far as the intersection before her wounds stopped her. The gunman fired multiple shots into the car, two of which struck Martell, the witness said. The shooter and the other man got away on foot.

(Tipped by JMG reader Marcia)

OWS Disrupts Port Of Oakland

Chaos At Occupy Oakland

Tweet Of The Day

Cops Vs OWS: Oakland & Portland

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

Observers note that both ABC and CBS suspended their live video feeds moments before the Oakland police unleashed "flash-bang" grenades on protesters. Obviously, the cops didn't want their actions transmitted to America's living rooms. Pity about that iPhone thing, huh?

Chaos At Occupy Oakland

San Francisco Chronicle:

Police fired tear gas at least five times Tuesday night into a crowd of several hundred protesters backing the Occupy movement who unsuccessfully tried to retake an encampment outside Oakland City Hall that officers had cleared away more than 12 hours earlier. Police gave repeated warnings to protesters to disperse from the entrance to Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway before firing several tear gas canisters into the crowd at about 7:45 p.m. Police had announced over a loudspeaker that those who refused to leave could be targeted by "chemical agents."

Tear gas and flash grenades were eventually used.

Tweet Of The Day - Occupy Oakland

Story developing...

UPDATE: The Mercury-News is live-blogging from the scene.

Hundreds of police in riot gear continue to move into the camp and arrest people. Already dozens have been arrested and the camp destroyed. Most of the arrests seem relatively peaceful. Some have moved out on their own. There is massive amounts of destruction at the camp. Police tore down tents and wooden stalls that had housed medical aid and food. Garbage cans are overturned. Some police have shotguns and all have clubs out. There is a small protest of about 50 people taking shape just off Broadway near 14th Street. People are banging drums and chanting "We are the 99 percent."

O'Reilly: Christian Children Should Be Allowed To Bully Gay Kids

Bill O'Reilly: "If you are a religious person, you don't want someone telling your child it's OK to be gay." O'Reilly and his co-host object to a one-day anti-bullying class being taught in Oakland, California schools. Parents are not allowed to have their children opt-out of the class and even though the class is only conducted once a year, Christians are up in arms. Surprise!

Crack Delays Bay Bridge Reopening

Shortly after the Bay Bridge was closed on Friday for seismic retrofitting, workers noticed that a crack had developed on a beam of the eastern span. Repairs may delay the bridge's reopening today and pose a logistical nightmare for commuters.

The parts needed to make the fix were manufactured overnight by Stinger Welding Inc. in Coolidge, Ariz. Weighing about 18,000 pounds, they landed at Oakland International Airport aboard a chartered plane Sunday afternoon. They were rushed to the bridge aboard a flatbed truck with a California Highway Patrol escort. Caltrans engineer Mike Forner said a 10-person crew will need 18 to 24 hours to attach the saddles, then another four to six hours to properly set the tension on the tie-rods. But the estimate is just that, he cautioned, and the work will bump the project close to the 5 a.m. Tuesday deadline when officials had hoped to reopen the bridge. There are no guarantees, Ney said, that the work will be done in time for the first post-Labor Day commute. As a result, Bay Area transit and highway officials have been told to prepare for at least one more weekday with the Bay Bridge out of commission.

Caltrans says it was lucky that the crack was noticed when the bridge was already closed with hundreds of repair workers at hand.

UPDATE: The bridge has reopened.