2007 marks the launch of St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro’s “Artist of the Month Program.”

The Hillcrest and Encinitas locations will host a local San Diego artist and their works each month, with 10 percent of the proceeds from art sales going to Photocharity to benefit San Diego Youth and Community Services’ Storefront, a shelter for homeless teenagers in the Hillcrest area.

January will see husband-and-wife team Lawrence Parker and Trudi Crockett presenting their paintings at the Hillcrest location and Rosemary Valente’s landscapes on display at the Encinitas location.

For additional information, call David Mirisch Enterprises at (760) 632-7770 or visit www.sttropezbistro.com.

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego will kick off its 15th anniversary season with an information night on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at 7:00 p.m.

Open chorus rehearsals will then be conducted on Jan. 10 and Jan. 17 for those who are unable to attend the info night. Interested singers as well as non-singers who want to join the Gay Men’s Chorus are welcome to attend.

Info nights are dedicated to welcoming potential new members and take place at GMCSD’s regular rehearsal space inside the University Christian Church, located at 3900 Cleveland Ave. across the street from the Hillcrest Post Office. Those who attend will have the opportunity to learn more about the Gay Men’s Chorus, meet current members and hear samples of GMCSD’s sound. The evening also features food, prizes and more.

“The men who can wear tights and sell out a show are back, better than ever, and are looking for new members to join in the fun,” GMCSD director of membership Michael McKibben said. “With upcoming shows such as ‘Watch Me Fly!’ and ‘Diva by Diva,’ 2007 is going to be the biggest and best year the chorus has ever seen.”

The Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego recently presented a pair of sold-out holiday concerts titled “Nutcracker: Men in Tights!” to 1,000 audience members.

The 15th anniversary season concerts include “Watch Me Fly!” April 14-15, “Diva by Diva” July 28-29 and “Bells & Brass” Dec.15-16. GMCSD will also present its second annual “Trolley Follies” cabaret event in conjunction with Diversionary Theatre on March 3.

For more information about the Gay Men’s Chorus of San Diego, call (619) 57-GMCSD or log on to www.gmcsd.com.

Log Cabin Republicans’ national board of directors named Patrick Sammon as the organization’s new president on Dec. 20.

Sammon also will serve as president of the Liberty Education Forum, a nonpartisan educational foundation that is associated with Log Cabin, a political organization that advocates for GLBT inclusion in the Republican Party. Sammon has been leading these organizations on an interim basis since Sept. 1.

“Log Cabin is fortunate to have someone with Patrick’s skills and experience leading this organization,” said Log Cabin national board chair Tim Schoeffler. “We conducted an expansive nationwide search. We interviewed many highly qualified people, but at the end of the day, it became clear that Patrick was the best person for this job. Over the past three years, we’ve come to know and appreciate his work for this organization. We know Patrick will do an excellent job.”

As Log Cabin’s interim leader, Sammon provided the leading conservative voice defending gays and lesbians in the Republican Party in the wake of the scandal involving disgraced former Congressmember Mark Foley. In appearances on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer” and on MSNBC and “ABC World News,” Sammon defended gay and lesbian Republicans and blasted those who used the Foley scandal to advance their anti-gay agenda.

“Patrick’s background in media and politics gives Log Cabin a powerful conservative voice for traditional Republican principles,” Schoeffler said.

Sammon joined the Liberty Education Forum in January 2004. As executive vice president, he developed and implemented many LEF initiatives, including the organization’s Reaching the Heartland Program. This program is gaining new allies for equality among conservatives and people of faith, especially in red states.

Sammon was an award-winning television news reporter for six years. From 1999 to 2002, he was a television news reporter at WJHL News Channel 11, a CBS affiliate in Tennessee. In 2002, the Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association gave him an award for Best News Writing in the state. Sammon also spent three years as a television news reporter at WWNY-TV, the CBS affiliate in New York. He received awards from the New York Associated Press Broadcasters Association for best feature reporting and the Syracuse Press Club for best investigative reporting.

Sammon, a 32 year-old Roman Catholic, is a native of Seattle, Wash. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1997.

Activists are needed to form a residential neighborhood group in Hillcrest. Make Hillcrest better by having a voice in community plans and developments, ensuring the safety of our village and working on other issues of importance. Show up to speak up on Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Joyce Beers Community Center, on Vermont St. near Trader Joe’s. For more information, contact Nancy at (619) 260-1929 or visit www.hillquest.com.

California’s GLBT community will ring in the new year with more legal protections and rights.

On Jan. 1, eight new laws affecting LGBT Californians will go into effect, including a law that requires companies contracting with the state to provide employees with domestic partners the same benefits they give to employees with spouses.

During the 2003-04 legislative session, Equality California (EQCA) sponsored AB 17, requiring equal benefits in state contracts entered into after Jan. 1, 2007. Authored by former Assemblymember and current state Senator Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego, the legislation was modeled after a 1996 equal benefits ordinance enacted in San Francisco.

In addition to the equal benefits law, domestic partners in 2007 have the right to prepare their California income tax returns together. Couples can file jointly in 2008, covering the 2007 tax year. Other new laws that go into effect on Jan. 1 reduce anti-GLBT bias in the courtroom, expand the state’s nondiscrimination protections and ensure dignity and stability for GLBT seniors.

The following pieces of legislation that affect the LGBT community will be enacted on Jan. 1:

Equal Benefits in State Contracting

AB 17: Assemblymember Christine Kehoe, D-San Diego

Prohibits the state from contracting with businesses that do not offer equal benefits to employees with domestic partners on the same terms that benefits are offered to employees with spouses.

State Income Tax Equity Act

SB 1827: Senator Carole Migden, D-San Francisco

Enables registered domestic partners to file joint state income tax returns and have their earned income treated as community property.

Civil Rights Housing Act of 2006

AB 2800: Assemblymember John Laird, D-Santa Cruz

Prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability and sex (including gender identity), marital status, sexual orientation, familial status and source of income.

Older Californians Equality and Protection Act

AB 2920: Assemblymember Mark Leno, D-San Francisco

Ensures that LGBT seniors are adequately served by government services available to older Californians.

Nondiscrimination in State Programs and Activities Act

SB 1441: Senator Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica

Prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in state-operated programs.

Equality in Prevention and Services for Domestic Abuse Act

AB 2051: Assemblymember Rebecca Cohn, D-Saratoga

Creates a fund to develop and support education and services for GLBT victims of domestic violence.

Gwen Araujo Justice for Victims Act

AB 1160: Assemblymember Sally Lieber, D-San Jose

Creates jury instructions and prosecutor training to limit the use of so-called “panic strategies” to influence criminal trial proceedings.

Code of Fair Campaign Practices

AB 1207: Speaker pro tem Leland Yee, D-San Francisco

Prohibits the use of negative appeals based on prejudice against GLBT people by candidates who sign the voluntary pledge in the Code of Fair Campaign Practices. (Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar bill in 2005.)