Lily Tomlin and Friends Gather In Beverly Hills To Help Billy The Elephant
By Songirl Sez, Special for Diversity News
Legendary comedienne Lily Tomlin appeared with some of today’s hottest leading comedy acts on Saturday, August 7, 2010 in Beverly Hills, CA at the Lavinthal estate for a fundraiser held by Voice For The Animals to raise funds for Billy the elephant, who has been in solitary confinement at the L.A. zoo for over 20 years.
Held on the sprawling estate grounds, the event went from 5-9pm and was emce’d by Bruce Vilanch, who introduced an all star line consisting of fellow comedians Orny Adams, Elayne Boosler and Rick Overton. A special speech of support by Los Angeles City councilman Tony Cardenas, before Lily graced the stage at the mansion. Tax deductible tickets ranged from $100-$350 and included cocktails and fine vegan food. An auction continued after the show while desert was served.
Celebrity supporters for the evening (although some unable to attend) included James Cromwell, Kevin Nealon, Bernie Williams, Georja Umano, Mariana Tosca, Fawn and Ashley Bell. There were a host of well known animal advocates present including Patty Shanker, Ed Boks, Bill Dyer, Robin Torme’, Bryan Monell, Daphne Dimitriadi, Linda Grey Heitz, Marjorie Hirsch Loeb, Sandra Mohr and Kat Kramer.
“Lily and all of our guests understand the significance of the lawsuit, not only to save Billy from what inevitably will be an early death, but to send an even louder message,” said Melya Kaplan, founder and executive director of VFTA. She added “These magnificent, sensitive and loving creatures belong in the wild and if they’ve already been brought here, then they belong in wide-open sanctuaries designed to meet their physical and emotional needs.”
VFTA’s lawsuit originated in 2007 and was filed on behalf of two plaintiffs including the late actor Robert Culp. The suit charges the Los Angeles zoo with cruel and unusual punishment of elephants (there have been 14 elephant deaths in the zoo’s history, two in the past four years) and seeks to shut down the $42 million planned elephant exhibit the city council approved in January of 2009. It was the second time the council voted in approval of the exhibit in light of sufficient evidence that proves the care captive elephants receive constitutes civil and criminal abuse under California law. After a series of motions and appeals, the Court of Appeals finally ruled the case could go to trial.
”It would be a much nicer educational process for children to visit animals in sanctuaries and see how animals thrive in their wild habitat, rather than living in a zoo where animals don’t live, the actually die.” said Tracy and Robin Torme party guests.
Kaplan concluded “Lily has been instrumental from the start in helping us bring this issue to light. She loves elephants and wants Billy to go to a place where he can roam free on many acres with other elephants-our lawsuit against the Los Angeles zoo is scheduled to go to trial November 2nd.”
About Billy the elephant and why so many people gathered to help him:
Billy was born in 1985 and has been in solitary confinement since 1989 at the L.A. zoo. He was caught in the wild and forcibly taken from his native home of Malaysia, as part of a trade between the L.A. Zoo and the Malaysian Game Department. Billy lives on approximately one-quarter acre at L.A. Zoo. In the wild, elephants can walk 30 miles in a day. There are roughly 640 acres in one mile.
With no other elephants near him, Billy lives an unnatural, solitary life at the Zoo. While male elephants are often kept separate from other elephants in zoos, in the wild males can display social connections, residing in bachelor herds or frequenting areas with female elephants, sometimes moving from family to family. In India, younger bulls join with older bulls to crop raid.
For many years Billy has displayed stereotypic behavior in the form of repetitive head bobbing that goes on for extended periods of time. Stereotypic behavior is often viewed as an indicator of poor welfare, caused by factors such as restriction of movement, size of enclosure, social isolation, and lack of complexity in the physical environment. Billy has experienced all of these factors at the L.A. Zoo. In fact, Billy was routinely chained each night, likely from the time of his arrival at L.A. Zoo in 1989 until 1994, for approximately 12 to 14 hours each night. It was during this period that a keeper reportedly physically abused Billy by using electric shock on him.
Experts state that stereotypic behavior can lead to foot problems such as nail cracks (which Billy already has), and abscesses and abrasions to the sole of the foot. Foot-related problems are one of the leading causes of euthanasia in captive elephants in the United States.
If you would like more information on Billy or A Voice For Animals, please visit http://vftafoundation.org/ or http://www.helpbilly.org/
About News Desk
About Diversity News Magazine: Diversity News Magazine is an independent multi-media outlet own by Minority-Owned Business who works with everyone and it is published by Diversity News Publications. Diversity News Magazine executive editor-in-chief is Esteban Escobar aka Steven Escobar an award winning honored and respected Journalist. Diversity News Magazine is a consumer news magazine covering news, entertainment, features, awards, sports, events and much more. DiversityNewsMagazine.com, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by more than two million visitors a month, it is another venue for advertisers to showcase their products, brands or services on the classified and display pages. The purpose of the magazine is to educate and inform the diverse community worldwide. It focuses on local, national and international news, entertainment, features, sports and more importantly, newsworthy items that would be of interest to our diverse cultures. For more information visit Diversity News Magazine at http://www.diversitynewsmagazine.com/
2010 Los Angeles LGBT PRIDE 40th Anniversary Festival & Parade Celebration
June 14, 2010 by Esteban Escobar
Filed under Events, Featured, FEATURES
On Friday, June 11 to Sunday June 13, 2010 Christopher Street West (CSW) held Los Angeles LGBT Pride 40th Anniversary Festival and Parade Celebration in West Hollywood, CA. Per CSW Over half a million of people were expected during the weekend celebration.
CSW 2010 Honorees were Jane Velez-Mitchell – Person of the Year Award, Nadia Sutton – Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award, Best in Drag Show – CSW Special Community Award, HONOR PAC – CSW Special Community Award, Guy Baldwin – Berman/Schaffer Award, Bamby Salcedo – Connie Norman Award, Ari Ruiz – Outstanding Youth Leader Award, Sheryl Lee Ralph – George Moscone Award, Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas – Harvey Milk Award, West Coast Singers – Pat Parker Arts Award, D.I.V.A. – Torie Osborn / Dick Michaels Media Award and M•A•C Cosmetics – The Sheldon Andelson Award.
Last year’s 2009 CSW LA PRIDE honorees were Jeanne Córdova; Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award, Therese Stewart; Woman of the Year Award, John A. Pérez; Man of the Year Award, Claudette Colbert a.k.a. “Claudette Sexy DJ”; CSW Special Community Award, Jim Williams; CSW Special Community Award, Chris Angel Murphy; Outstanding Youth Leader Award, Hollywood United Methodist Church; Berman/Schafer Award, Doug Spearman; Connie Norman Award, Sean Penn; George Moscone Award, Maria Louise Roman; Harvey Milk Award, Tom of Finland Foundation; Pat Parker Arts Award, Regent Media; Sheldon Andelson Award, and Pat Rocco; Torie Osborn/Dick Michaels Media Award.
These year some of the LA PRIDE Main Stage show performances were on Saturday, June 12, 2010 by Kelis, Matisse and En Vogue and on Sunday, June 13, 2010 the line up were Josie Cotton, Martha Davis & The Motels and Kelly Rowland. Also special performance courtesy of DJ Casey Alva was International Dance Diva Pepper Mashay. Both days were hosted by Billy Masters & Momma.
Some of the speakers at the press conference held on Sunday, June 13, 2010 were John A. Perez, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Christopher Street West Board President Rodney Scott, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Sharon & Kelly Osbourne.
About Christopher Street West:
A non-profit organization, Christopher Street West, is a leading partner in the advancement of rights and equality for the LGBT community. Led by professionally-driven, volunteer-based board members, Christopher Street West produces one of the largest Pride Celebrations in the United States with an expanding global presence reaching millions of people every year. For more information about the LA PRIDE Parade and Festival visit http://www.lapride.org/
Editor’s Note: Photos courtesy of Daniela Hubbard, Diversity News and for Examiner.com You can contact Daniela for photos at http://danielahubbard@gmail.com Also Ray Chavez, Diversity News and for Examiner.com You can contact Ray for photos at rayc1588@gmail.com & Fawn, FFD Images. For Photos Licensing please email: diversitynews@hotmail.com Special Thank You to Diversity News and for Examiner.com Celebrity Reporters Fawn & Kris Searle. (C) 2010 Diversity News Publications All Rights Are Reserved.
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-35747-Hollywood-Events-Examiner~y2010m6d16-2010-Los-Angeles-LGBT-PRIDE-40th-Anniversary-Festival–Parade-Celebration?cid=exrss-Hollywood-Events-Examiner
About Esteban "Steven" Escobar
Executive Editor In Chief, Director of Public/Media Relations & Community Affairs, Sales, Reporter, Webmaster & Graphic Designer Specialist. About Esteban “Steven” Escobar: Esteban A. Escobar (born in El Salvador, Central America on September 6th) is an Award Winning American (Journalist, reporter, editor, columnist, writer, producer, director, publicist, radio personality, accounts receivable specialist, humanitarian and philanthropist). Esteban is known as Steven Escobar. He is the Executive Editor-In-Chief of Diversity News Magazine, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by close to two million visitors a month while growing each day. Esteban “Steven” Escobar is also Producer, Director of Diversity News TV, the host of Diversity News Radio, on Air with Steven Escobar and the President of Diversity News Publications, a news/entertainment multimedia firm in Hollywood, CA. Steven Escobar owns E.E.Enterprises and an affiliate of The Diversity News Publications Family of Companies. Steven Escobar is also the official Hollywood and Los Angeles County Events Examiner for Examiner.com and contributor for Yahoo.com distributed via Yahoo Voices. Steven Escobar also gives back to the community by helping charities, and since 2003 to the present, he has been raising money and awareness for AIDS Walk LA benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles. Also in 2011 Steven Escobar raised money and awareness for The Life Group LA and volunteered for Exotifit For Humanity and The Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Steering Committee. Steven was nominated for The Shorty Awards 2011 and the People’s Choice Fan Award 2012. In 2012 Steven Escobar receives the Humanitarian Award at the 2012 International Noble Awards. Also on June 2, 2012 Steven Escobar Received the Community and Humanitarian Services Award at Kayamanan ng Bayan for all his contributions to the Filipino American community in Southern California. On 12-12-12 Steven Escobar received Award for Most Fascinating Person of the Year 2012. On 2-22-2013 Steven Escobar is nominated for a 2013 EOTM Award (Entrepreneurs on the Move) for Outstanding Journalist and on April 25, 2013 receives nomination for 2013 EOTM Award for Outstanding Internet Radio. On April 4, 2013 Steven Escobar receives award for Diversity News TV “Best B-Roll." Yahoo.com names Steven Escobar the Hot 500 contributors during the month of March 2012 of Yahoo! Contributor Network. Steven Escobar currently resides in Los Angeles County in the City of Hollywood, CA. For more information visithttp://www.stevenescobar.diversitynewspublications.com, http://www.stevenescobar.blogspot.com or his IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4164655/
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An Evening of PRIDE with 2010 LA PRIDE Parade Grand Marshals, Sharon & Kelly Osbourne
June 10, 2010 by Esteban Escobar
Filed under Featured, News
On Wednesday, June 9, 2010 Christopher Street West (CSW) held An Evening of PRIDE with 2010 LA PRIDE Parade Grand Marshals, Sharon & Kelly Osbourne.The event was held from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm at at Eleven Night Club & Restaurant in West Hollywood, CA.
Sharon Osbourne walked the red carpet and got interviewed by media outlets (Kelly Osbourne did not make it to the event). Also recording artist Taylor Dayne make an appearance to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of LA PRIDE.
CSW 2010 Honorees are Jane Velez-Mitchell – Person of the Year Award, Nadia Sutton – Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award, Best in Drag Show – CSW Special Community Award, HONOR PAC – CSW Special Community Award, Guy Baldwin – Berman/Schaffer Award, Bamby Salcedo – Connie Norman Award, Ari Ruiz – Outstanding Youth Leader Award, Sheryl Lee Ralph – George Moscone Award, Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas – Harvey Milk Award, West Coast Singers – Pat Parker Arts Award, D.I.V.A. – Torie Osborn / Dick Michaels Media Award and M·A·C Cosmetics – The Sheldon Andelson Award.
About Christopher Street West:
A non-profit organization, Christopher Street West, is a leading partner in the advancement of rights and equality for the LGBT community. Led by professionally-driven, volunteer-based board members, Christopher Street West produces one of the largest Pride Celebrations in the United States with an expanding global presence reaching millions of people every year. For more information about the LA PRIDE Parade and Festival visit http://www.lapride.org
Editor’s Note: Photos courtesy of Daniela Hubbard, Diversity News and for Examiner.com You can contact Daniela at danielahubbard@gmail.com (C) 2010 Diversity News Publications
About Esteban "Steven" Escobar
Executive Editor In Chief, Director of Public/Media Relations & Community Affairs, Sales, Reporter, Webmaster & Graphic Designer Specialist. About Esteban “Steven” Escobar: Esteban A. Escobar (born in El Salvador, Central America on September 6th) is an Award Winning American (Journalist, reporter, editor, columnist, writer, producer, director, publicist, radio personality, accounts receivable specialist, humanitarian and philanthropist). Esteban is known as Steven Escobar. He is the Executive Editor-In-Chief of Diversity News Magazine, an online & special print consumer news magazine that is visited by close to two million visitors a month while growing each day. Esteban “Steven” Escobar is also Producer, Director of Diversity News TV, the host of Diversity News Radio, on Air with Steven Escobar and the President of Diversity News Publications, a news/entertainment multimedia firm in Hollywood, CA. Steven Escobar owns E.E.Enterprises and an affiliate of The Diversity News Publications Family of Companies. Steven Escobar is also the official Hollywood and Los Angeles County Events Examiner for Examiner.com and contributor for Yahoo.com distributed via Yahoo Voices. Steven Escobar also gives back to the community by helping charities, and since 2003 to the present, he has been raising money and awareness for AIDS Walk LA benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles. Also in 2011 Steven Escobar raised money and awareness for The Life Group LA and volunteered for Exotifit For Humanity and The Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Steering Committee. Steven was nominated for The Shorty Awards 2011 and the People’s Choice Fan Award 2012. In 2012 Steven Escobar receives the Humanitarian Award at the 2012 International Noble Awards. Also on June 2, 2012 Steven Escobar Received the Community and Humanitarian Services Award at Kayamanan ng Bayan for all his contributions to the Filipino American community in Southern California. On 12-12-12 Steven Escobar received Award for Most Fascinating Person of the Year 2012. On 2-22-2013 Steven Escobar is nominated for a 2013 EOTM Award (Entrepreneurs on the Move) for Outstanding Journalist and on April 25, 2013 receives nomination for 2013 EOTM Award for Outstanding Internet Radio. On April 4, 2013 Steven Escobar receives award for Diversity News TV “Best B-Roll." Yahoo.com names Steven Escobar the Hot 500 contributors during the month of March 2012 of Yahoo! Contributor Network. Steven Escobar currently resides in Los Angeles County in the City of Hollywood, CA. For more information visithttp://www.stevenescobar.diversitynewspublications.com, http://www.stevenescobar.blogspot.com or his IMDB at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4164655/
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Jane Velez-Mitchell to receive Person of the Year Award at CSW 40th LA PRIDE
May 14, 2010 by News Staff
Filed under Featured, FEATURES
On Thursday, May 13, 2010 Christopher Street West producer of LA PRIDE announced the 2010 Honorees names recipients for the 40th LA Pride celebration.
The honorees for this year pride are Jane Velez-Mitchell – Person of the Year Award, Nadia Sutton – Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award, Best in Drag Show – CSW Special Community Award, HONOR PAC – CSW Special Community Award, Guy Baldwin – Berman/Schaffer Award, Bamby Salcedo – Connie Norman Award, Ari Ruiz – Outstanding Youth Leader Award, Sheryl Lee Ralph – George Moscone Award, Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas – Harvey Milk Award, West Coast Singers – Pat Parker Arts Award, D.I.V.A. – Torie Osborn / Dick Michaels Media Award and M·A·C Cosmetics – The Sheldon Andelson Award.
“I can think of a better person more deserving then Jane to get this award. Congratulations Jane you are a light in this world and you do much to help make the world a better place.” said Fawn, dance hit recording artist.
LA PRIDE will held in the City of West Hollywood on June 11 through June 13, 2010.
About Christopher Street West:
Is a non-profit organization, Christopher Street West, is a leading partner in the advancement of rights and equality of the LGBT community. Led by professionally-driven, volunteer-based board members, Christopher Street West produces one of the largest Pride Celebrations in the United States with an expanding global presence reaching millions of people every year. For more information about the LA PRIDE Parade and Festival visit http://www.lapride.org
Photo Courtesy of FFD Images for Diversity News (C) 2010.
