April 12, 2012 edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

Gays go to egg roll

A touch of Zen in the Castro

Whit Stillman on 'Damsels'

The

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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971

Vol. 42 • No. 15 • April 12-18, 2012

Eatery below sober space to sell booze

Clients leave TL Health N by Seth Hemmelgarn

early a week after it was set to close, officials are working to ensure smooth transitions for Tenderloin Health clients. In March, officials announced that the financially troubled Jane Philomen Cleland San Francisco nonLance Toma profit would shut down Friday, April 6. The news came with a list of other agencies that Tenderloin Health’s clients would be sent to. The nonprofit served about 3,000 unduplicated clients. Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center is taking over administration of the Tenderloin Area Center of Excellence, which involves the city’s efforts to provide care and support to people living with HIV in the neighborhood. Tom Waddell Health Center has also been a partner in that work along with Tenderloin Health and API Wellness. Lance Toma, API Wellness’s executive director, said last week that his agency’s working with about 150 former Tenderloin Health clients. His organization’s been told it will see about 300 former Tenderloin Health clients over the course of a year, he said. Toma met with several clients in late March, and he said there were “a lot of questions and anxiety.” “They were concerned about service continuity,” he said. “They didn’t know who their case managers were going to be.” Clients were also worried “about what were the hours, and when they could access services,” he said, “so we’ve been trying to keep them engaged as we’ve had to make decisions very quickly.” API Wellness has done its best to maintain similar hours and days of operation, said Toma. API Wellness is getting about $540,000 annually from the health department that had been going to Tenderloin Health. The agency’s also secured some additional money that Tenderloin Health had received from the federal government. Those funds are being channeled through the health department and bring the total to about $565,000. Toma said the federal portion is about $25,000 and is only to cover a three- to fourmonth period. API Wellness has hired eight former Tenderloin Health staff, including a behavioral health specialist and three medical case managers. He said people have been “working See page 12 >>

by Matthew S. Bajko

A Rick Gerharter

It’s ‘Funky Jesus’ S

ean Lavelle, who wowed the crowd as “Funky Jesus,” won the Hunky Jesus contest at the annual Easter celebration in Dolores Park hosted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Sunday, April 8. Lavelle crafted a functioning guitar onto a wooden cross, and played a few

riffs in his winning bid. The day also included children’s games, music and burlesque performances, and an Easter bonnet contest. In addition photographer Dan Nicoletta and community activist Kelly Rivera Hart were sainted by the Sisters.

new restaurant proposed to be housed in the same building as a Castro sobriety center plans to sell beer and wine. Local businessman George “Jorge” Maumer is seeking city and state approval to open a sausage grill in the garage space below the Castro Country Club. As part of the plan, Maumer intends to seek a liquor license for the new eatery. Maumer, who also owns Superstar Video on Castro Street, bought the property at 4058 18th Street in January for a reported $1 million. At the time he pledged to maintain as a tenant the Castro Country Club, which describes itself as “a safe haven for LGBT people in recovery from drugs and alcohol” on its website. The club has been housed in the 1901 Edwardian See page 3 >>

ACT UP tosses ashes at SF church by David Duran

dead gay man’s ashes were thrown over barricades at a Catholic Church in San Francisco on Good Friday, as activists staged a 25th anniversary march commemorating ACT UP. The protest went from the Mission to the Castro and touched on issues such as gentrification and the lack of affordable housing as well as the Catholic Church’s anti-gay teachings. Organizers estimated that 200-250 people participated in the April 6 march. The group began its protest outside a Mission district Wells Fargo branch. The bank was a target of Occupy activists last fall. The march then continued to the steps of Mission Dolores Basilica. ACT UP, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, began in New York in 1987, and has regularly targeted the Catholic Church. In December 1989, thousands of ACT UP protesters disrupted Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York over the archdiocese’s position against the distribution of condoms and its opposition to abortion – themes echoed during the anniversary protest. Active ACT UP chapters are still present in New York and a few other cities; the San Francisco chapters dissolved several years ago. ACT UP is credited with speeding up the time it takes for the government to approve new drugs and its direct actions called out the slow pace of the federal government in the early years of the epidemic.

Rick Gerharter

AIDS activists throw the ashes of ACT UP/San Francisco member Stephen Fish, who died in 1991 and wished his ashes to be used for a political purpose, onto the steps of Mission Dolores Basilica on Good Friday in a demonstration to mark the 25th anniversary of ACT UP, the direct action AIDS group.

Protesters had said they planned to arrive at the church at 5:30 p.m. But by 5 o’clock there were already at least 15 San Francisco police officers standing in front of Mission Dolores Basilica and the Old Mission, which is immediately adjacent to the south. Police had put up

{ FIRST OF TWO SECTIONS }

crowd control barriers in the gutters and the barricades prevented the demonstrators from their stated aim: to place the ashes of a man who died from AIDS on the church stairs. “The Catholic Church [has a] continued See page 12 >>

<< Community News

2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

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Rick Gerharter

Happy birthday, Harry! H

ost Joey Cain cuts into the cake celebrating the 100th birthday of the late Harry Hay during a small party for Hay’s friends, admirers, and former care givers Saturday, April 7. It was the informal kick-off for an ex-

hibit and a series of events throughout May and June at the San Francisco Public Library celebrating the life and work of the gay rights pioneer. Hay died October 24, 2002 at the age of 90.

LGBT vets memorial proposed for Castro by Matthew S. Bajko

gay veteran is proposing to turn a forgotten patch of Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro into the nation’s first grove dedicated to LGBT veterans. John Caldera, who was elected president of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Commission in January, has been lining up support from local veterans’ groups and community organizations for his proposal. It would be the country’s fourth known memorial to out U.S. service members and the second located in California. The landscaped area Caldera is eying for the project is located at the corner of Collingwood and Market streets above the Castro Muni station. On the left side of the walkway leading toward the transit station is an enclosed planter space that contains several boulders, plants, and five palm trees. The Palmae would represent the five branches of the U.S. military, including the Coast Guard, noted Caldera, who was honorably discharged as an U.S. Navy hospital corpsman. Five metal rounds that are part of the design of the fencing in the area could be adorned with the seals for each branch of the military, with a sixth round used to display the grove’s logo.

Jane Philomen Cleland

San Francisco Veterans Commissioner John Caldera stands near the area he has proposed for an LGBT veterans memorial grove at Harvey Milk Plaza.

“It is in the shadow of the rainbow flag and across the street from Pink Triangle Park,” Caldera pointed out to a Bay Area Reporter reporter during a recent visit to the site. The medium-sized stones currently placed there could be dedicated to LGBT vets who committed suicide or died while homeless, suggested Caldera, who is the commander of the LGBT-focused Bob Basker Post 315 of the American Legion and executive

director the San Francisco chapter of Veterans For Peace. “What better place to do it than at Harvey Milk Plaza? He was a vet,” noted Caldera. Milk, who became the city’s first out politician, served aboard the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake as a diving officer during the Korean War. Following Milk’s assassination in 1978, the plaza surrounding the See page 5 >>

Street brawl probed as hate crime by Seth Hemmelgarn

gay San Francisco man said he got into a fight last weekend after being called “faggot” and other slurs. The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the case as a hate crime. Terry Dyer, 31, said the incident started at about 10:45 p.m., Saturday, April 7 as he and a friend were walking near the bar Rebel, 1760 Market Street. Dyer said three men walked by and one of them yelled “faggot.” He responded by saying, “Excuse me, did someone say something?” he said. The anti-gay slurs continued, Dyer said, and after he told them to come over and talked to him, one of the men ran over and “threw a couple punches” at Dyer. He said he

Courtesy Terry Dyer

Terry Dyer, in a photo taken before he was attacked last weekend.

punched back. Eventually, Dyer got his hands around the man’s throat and had him up against a building. One of the man’s friends hit Dyer, and he let go

of the man, but the fighting and slurs continued. After another person approached, the three men ran away and continued yelling, “fag,” said Dyer. Dyer said his injuries included swelling to his face. He refused medical attention. Dyer said one of the men hit his friend, but his friend was.n’t injured. Dyer’s friend didn’t respond to an interview request. San Francisco Police Sergeant Peter Shields said there are two people of interest, and he said he’s “very adamant and passionate” about finding them. Anyone with information related to the case can call the hate crimes anonymous tip line at (415) 5539140, the non-emergency line at (415) 553-0123, or text a tip to 847411 and type SFPD. The case number is 120 278 351.▼

National News >>

▼ Egg roll a hit for kids, parents by Michael K. Lavers

iena Rose Garcia-Rizzo was all smiles Monday when she met Clifford, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and her other favorite cartoon characters on the South Lawn of the White House. The 4-year-old was even able to get a wooden Easter egg as a souvenir once she left the Executive Mansion. “She had a great time,” said her father, Daryl Rizzo. Rizzo, his partner Jaime Garcia and their daughter from suburban Chicago were among the roughly 50 same-sex couples who attended the 134th annual White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington, D.C. April 9. Neither President Barack Obama, nor first lady Michelle Obama referenced LGBT families in the brief remarks they delivered from the South Portico before they and their daughters greeted children and their parents on the South Lawn. The majority of gay and lesbian couples who participated in the annual event appeared to simply enjoy the festivities and the beautiful spring weather. “We’re very excited to show our children the White House and to see it ourselves,” Kelly Lawrence of Brookline, Massachusetts, told the Bay Area Reporter before she, her wife Eloise and their two sons, Silas and Theo, traveled to the nation’s capital. “We’re excited to participate in what looks like a fun event focused on families of all kinds. Easter is a big celebration for us, so we’re excited to participate in this kind of celebration of Easter.” New Jersey residents Howie Babushkin and Cal Urso brought their 8-year-old twins Holden and Paige to the White House after they received tickets from the Family Equality Council. The Executive Mansion itself proved equally as exciting to the couple’s children as the egg roll itself. “We just feel like it’s a really special thing for them and for us,” said Babushkin. An estimated 30,000 people attended the Easter Egg Roll, but at least one couple sought to send a message to the president. Jarrod Scarborough and Les

Courtesy Heather Cronk/GetEqual

Jarrod Scarborough, left, and Les Sewell of Las Lunas, New Mexico, attended the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday with their 8-year-old daughter, Alegra.

Sewell and their 8-year-old daughter Alegra traveled to Washington, D.C., from their Las Lunas, New Mexico home to attend the egg roll. With the backing of GetEqual and Freedom to Work, the men wore white T-shirts that read “We can’t wait!” that they hoped would spur Obama to issue an executive order to ban federal contractors from discriminating against their LGBT employees. Scarborough and Sewell arrived at the White House after the president had spoken, but they expressed confidence that his administration heard their message. “Given our economy, this is an absolute wonderful change to get a little bit of information out about this executive order and hopefully get some education and a little push to get it signed,” said Scarborough. White House press secretary Jay Carney did not answer a reporter’s question later in the day about whether the president would issue the executive order. Lawrence said she and her family remain grateful for the repeal of the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian service members and the administration’s decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. She stressed that their mere presence at the White House sent a

Sober space

From page 1

since April 1983, but after the death of the longtime property owner in 2010, club leaders feared the new owners would evict them. They had launched a fundraising campaign with the hope of being able to purchase the building outright. The sale of the property turned contentious last year after housing activists tangled with one potential buyer in front of the club, and the club’s general manager voiced concerns about being evicted from the thirdfloor apartment he shares with other tenants. With the backing of District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, Maumer emerged as the buyer shortly after the new year. Club officials have since turned their attention to securing a long-term lease from Maumer as they plan to part ways with their longtime fiscal sponsor Baker Places in July. It had been known that Maumer planned to turn the building’s unused garage space into a retail location. But it was not until he and his architects presented their plans last week at the April 5 meeting of the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro that it became public Maumer was seeking permission to open a restaurant with on-site alcohol sales. At first Ahmad Mohazab, a principal at the San Francisco-based firm Tecta Associates, was incredulous when asked by the Bay Area Reporter during the MUMC meeting if the res-

Courtesy Tecta Associates

An architect’s rendering of the building housing the Castro Country Club shows the exterior of the proposed ground floor restaurant.

taurant would sell liquor. After saying it was “incredibly inappropriate” to ask such a question, Mohazab then said, “alcohol was not part of the permit application at this time.” The response prompted Maumer, who remained seated in the audience during the presentation, to speak up and say that he planned to seek permission to sell “perhaps beer and

powerful message. “The very existence of our family is a political act,” said Lawrence. “We feel that just being there is a statement and our acceptance of being there is a statement by the president as well.” Babushkin did not have what he described as a specific agenda in mind when he and his family attended the Easter Egg Roll. He is pleased, however, that the annual event provides another opportunity to raise visibility for his and other LGBT families. “I’m just looking at it as a great opportunity for my kids to participate in the event and just to be seen as a family just as any other family is a family,” said Babushkin. “Families like ours deserve the same rights as any other family has.” Rizzo agreed. “We wanted to make a statement just by being who we were at this event, but being respectful of what the event is,” he said. “It’s not, it seemed, about politics as much as about the celebration of the country and the diversity of the country and open arms of a White House that allows all of us to kind of participate in these events. It seems the event is about that and not about other kinds of issues.”▼ wine at the most.” The incongruity of having liquor sold on the same premises as an agency dedicated to helping gay men, in particular, remain sober prompted newly elected MUMC President Terry Asten Bennett to ask if that was “in conflict with the mission of the building?” Terry Beswick, the country club’s manager, said that was a question best left to the country club management and board to answer. He did note that a number of gay bars and restaurants that serve alcohol already border the club. In terms of having an eatery selling booze one floor below the country club, Beswick added that its “just being downstairs is not going to make anyone relapse.” Wiener told the B.A.R. this week that he has yet to receive any negative feedback about the planned restaurant. While he stopped short of giving it his full endorsement, as the matter may come before the board, he indicated that he wants to see whatever business moves in be successful. “I think that we all want the business to succeed because the success of that business will help stabilize the property and keep the Castro Country Club there as a long-term tenant. This is all linked together,” said Wiener. “Obviously, you have to be sensitive introducing any alcohol close to the club. On the other hand, you want to make sure the club has a long-term stable space. Those two are linked, as See page 4 >>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

<< Business News

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

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Dollars from scents by Raymond Flournoy

laude Gratianne and Tani Kampakum are bringing a touch of Zen to the Castro, along with what they hope is the sweet smell of success. On March 30 the duo opened the doors of their candle and home fragrance store ZGO at 600 Castro Street. According to Gratianne, ZGO stands for “Zen garden oasis.” “Each of those words represents to us a meaning of what the feeling is to be in our store: ‘Zen’ for the Buddhist philosophical practice of introspection in the attainment of enlightenment; ‘garden’ for the bounty of nature around us; ‘oasis’ for a place of sustenance in a desert,” said Gratianne. The co-owners and life partners ran ZGO out of its previous Gough Street location for over a year before moving the operation over to the Castro. The new storefront has approximately the same retail floor space as the previous location, but with greatly expanded room for stock, offices, and shipping. That additional square-footage is crucial as ZGO continues to expand its online sales via the website http:// www.zgostore.com. Gratianne and Kampakum are hosting an open house celebration on Saturday, April 21, from 6 to 9 p.m. “A lot of neighbors have already come by to see the space,” said Kampakum, “and we are looking forward to meeting more of the community at the open house.”

New leadership at MUMC The Merchants of Upper Market and Castro elected new leadership at its April meeting. Taking over as president of the organization is Terry Asten Bennett of Cliff’s Variety (479 Castro Street). Joining her are Vice President Petyr Kane of Citizen (489 Castro Street) and Body (450 Castro Street), Secretary Alice Charap, DC (254 Church Street), and Treasurer Herb Cohn, CPA (4077 17th Street). Steve Adams, who has led the merchants group for the last five years, assumes the title of immediate past president. During the April meeting, Adams was recognized by Joaquin Torres, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services. Torres presented Adams with a proclamation declaring April 5 “Stephen H. Adams Day” in San Francisco. Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose district includes the Castro neighborhood, also presented Adams with a certificate of thanks, signed by members of the Board of Supervisors. “I want to stress how key it is to have strong leaders on the ground,

Sober space

From page 3

ironic as that may seem.” There is nothing in the state codes pertaining to alcohol sales that would outright prevent Maumer from acquiring a liquor license at that location, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. As the property is in the heart of a residential neighborhood in addition to the Castro business district, the ABC website does state that the agency “will not license a new retail location within 100 feet of a residence unless the applicant can establish that the operation of the proposed premises will not interfere with the quiet enjoyment of the property by residents.” “As is the case with all applications, ABC will conduct a thorough

Steven Kasapi

Claude Gratianne is one of the owners of ZGO, a new candle and home fragrance store in the Castro.

and Steve is one of a small handful of people in the neighborhoods where I know I have a partner to get things done,” said Wiener. In addition to the four officers, the MUMC board for 2012 includes the following: Britney Beck (Beck’s Motor Lodge); Courtney Chalupa (Starbucks Coffee); Jerry Cooper (Swirl); Dan Glazer (Hot Cookie); Miguel Lopez (Sui Generis); Stefanie Pavis Medious (Recology); Nicholas Mills (440 Castro); Catherine O’Shea (Bank of America); Scott Wazlowski (Bay Area Reporter); and Sharon Woo (Walgreens)

Calling all artists P.O. Plus (584 Castro Street) is observing its 30th anniversary in the Castro, and is inviting local artists to be part of the celebration. The packing and shipping business is looking for original artwork to be featured on a new line of San Francisco-themed postcards to be carried in the shop. Bay Area artists are invited to submit artwork in any medium, and the only requirement is that the art must be relevant to San Francisco, the Castro, or P.O. Plus itself. The original artwork will be auctioned at the 30th anniversary celebration with proceeds going to a local AIDS organization to be named.

investigation to ensure that consideration is given to any hospital, treatment center, residence, school, church or other public facility that might be affected by a location that serves alcohol to the public,” stated ABC spokesman John Carr in an emailed response to questions from the B.A.R. Maumer’s plans likely will face opposition from some nearby residents opposed to seeing any new liquor licenses granted and some country club members who are against seeing alcohol served on site, said one person with close ties to the club who did not want to be quoted by name as the facility is still in negotiations over its lease. MUMC voted last week to support the planned Castro Sausage Grill, whose name has yet to be finalized. The plans call for digging out the garage area to construct the

Submissions are due by May 7. For more information, stop by P.O. Plus to talk with owner Paul Moffett, or email customers@poplus.com.

Making disaster preparedness their business The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management is partnering with local businesses to encourage San Franciscans to stock up on supplies for disaster preparedness. April 18 is the 106th anniversary of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and to commemorate the occasion SF DEM is sponsoring the Emergency Supply Initiative. Between April 16-30 the SF DEM will be distributing shopping lists of emergency supplies to local hardware stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and related businesses. The local businesses will post the lists and distribute them to shoppers in order to encourage San Franciscans to prepare their homes for natural disasters and other emergencies. SF DEM hopes to encourage disaster preparedness while also boosting business for local stores. As of press time, two Castro businesses have signed up to participate: Cliff’s Variety and Walgreens. For more information on disaster preparedness and the emergency supply initiative visit www.sfdem.org.▼ A longer version of this story is online at ebar.com.

new restaurant space, with 24 indoor seats. There is also the potential for a small retail space at the site. Another 12 outdoor seats are proposed on what is now the driveway. The plan calls for removing the curb cut to create a new parking space on 18th Street. Toward the back of the building a new office or meeting room space would be built. Access would be by a new hallway that would run to the left of the eatery or from doors off the rear yard patio. “There is very little impact on the building itself. Instead of garage doors you would see storefront glass,” said Mohazab. The architects expect to go before the Planning Commission this summer, and once approved, the build out would last up to eight months. The earliest the restaurant could open would be in early 2013.▼

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Politics>>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

Gay presidential candidate runs on socialist ticket by Matthew S. Bajko

headquarters at 747 Polk Street. For more information, visit Durham’s campaign site at www.votesocialism.com.

gay man running to be the Peace and Freedom Party’s presidential candidate in California will be stumping throughout the state this month as he tries to drum up support. Stephen Durham, 64, who graduated from UC Berkeley in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in history, is one of three candidates on the June 5 primary ballot vying for the socialist party’s nomination. His name was added to the ballot only after Durham threatened to sue Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who initially refused to include him as a contender. In June only those voters registered as members of the Peace and Freedom Party will be allowed to vote in the primary race. But come November any California voter will be able to vote for the socialist candidate. Should it be Durham, who is running write-in campaigns in other states, he believes his political message will ring a bit louder due to the Occupy protest movement. “Socialism, first of all, is an economy based upon abundance, not scarcity. The class that creates all the wealth – the working class – deserves to receive the benefits of all that wealth,” said Durham in a phone interview this week with the Bay Area Reporter ahead of his West Coast barnstorming trip. “Socialism would be a society where that wealth would be delivered to the people who created it.” Due to a lack of media attention and his name off many states’ ballots, Durham has little chance of being elected president come November. Nonetheless, the presidential race every four years presents an opportunity for him to spread his socialist message. “In the electoral arena, regardless of the lack of attention, we get more attention during the presidential electoral process than at any other time,” said Durham, adding that his fight to be on the Golden State’s ballot was a goldmine in terms of public exposure. “The secretary of state in California for five weeks refused to recognize my candidacy as legitimate. We launched a national write-in campaign and got a lawyer and she relented, that is a huge success.” The Manhattan resident is running a national “un-millionaire campaign” with Seattle Radical Women organizer Christina Lopez, a feminist immigrant rights advocate, as his vice

LGBT vets

From page 2

Castro Muni station was named in his honor after it opened in 1980. The public outdoor space, however, is less than hospitable. There is little reason for the many commuters and Castro visitors who walk through the area to stop where the veterans grove would be. Caldera thinks his proposal would enliven that section of the plaza. LGBT vets and other volunteers could care for the area and clean it up, said Caldera, pointing out that cigarette butts now litter the ground. He envisions the local LGBT American Legion post conducting at the site a post everlasting ceremony honoring deceased members. “When did the Castro become an ashtray? We deserve better,” said Caldera. “By reclaiming this space and making it sacred, we could prevent this from happening.” District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener

Olague makes supe bid official

Courtesy Durham for president campaign

Peace and Freedom Party presidential candidate Stephen Durham

president candidate. While he does not have a male partner, Durham is married to a female friend, Susan Williams, for health benefits and legal purposes. He supports seeing same-sex marriage legalized. “Marriage isn’t just about sex and is not just for heterosexuals,” said Durham, who declined to speculate what would happen if he ever did meet a man he wanted to marry. “What I receive from my marriage everyone should receive. Being married you get a sense of the power of the institution of marriage.” Raised in Los Angeles, Durham came out as gay and was radicalized while attending UC Berkeley. Post graduation he worked as a waiter in southern California before moving to New York in 1984. He now works as an organizer for the Freedom Socialist Party and believes he offers a true choice compared to President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, the expected Republican nominee. His campaign slogan is “Vote for the Greater Good, Instead of the Lesser Evil.” “Obama has slashed the social service net and that has affected gay people profoundly,” said Durham, adding that “Romney is not good news” either. Durham’s schedule will have him campaigning in California starting today (Thursday, April 12) to May 2. He has candidate forums, union picket lines, May Day immigrant right marches and other public events lined up in Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, and Santa Cruz. He has an Oakland fundraiser April 15 and is hosting a San Francisco reception April 19 at his campaign said he supports the proposal and believes it could help address some of the loitering issues occurring at the plaza. “From what I have seen so far, I think it sounds like a great idea,” he said. “One of the challenges we have at Harvey Milk Plaza is a significant portion of the plaza is underutilized and doesn’t have enough activity. So activating that space by having this project there and by having volunteers there will improve the overall use and vitality of the plaza.” In recent weeks both the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club and the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro have endorsed the grove idea. The Castro Community Benefit District is expected to support the proposal at its meeting tonight (Thursday, April 12) and could later serve as the grove’s fiscal agent. “It really makes a lot of sense,” said Andrea Aiello, the CBD’s executive director. “If another group of people See page 13 >>

District 5 Supervisor Christina Olague kicks off her re-election campaign Thursday, April 12. The board’s first out bisexual member, Olague was appointed to the seat by Mayor Ed Lee in January due to Ross Mirkarimi’s election as San Francisco sheriff. (Mirkarimi was later suspended by the mayor after he pleaded guilty to false imprisonment.) Lee is backing the Latina lawmaker’s bid, as are gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), Public Defender Jeff Adachi, and three of her board colleagues – David Campos (D9), Eric Mar (D1), and Jane Kim (D6) – in addition to other local leaders, according to her campaign site www.ChristinaOlague.com. She is already facing several challengers this fall, including Fire Commissioner London Breed and City College trustee John Rizzo. Olague’s event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Urban School, 1563 Page Street at Masonic.

LA candidates stump in SF Two gay men running for Assembly seats in Los Angeles will be stumping in San Francisco this month. This Sunday, April 15, mayoral aide Bevan Dufty is hosting at his home a fundraiser for gay Latino Democratic activist Luis Lopez, who is running in Assembly District 51. For details email melahat@progressiveconsultant.net. Wednesday, April 25 gay Republican leader Brad Torgan, running in Assembly District 50, hits the Castro. For info visit bit.ly/IksSuy.▼

ebar.com

<< Open Forum

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

Volume 42, Number 15 April 12-18, 2012 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Thomas E. Horn Bob Ross (Founder, 1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko Seth Hemmelgarn Jim Provenzano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Aiello • Tavo Amador • Erin Blackwell Roger Brigham • Scott Brogan Victoria A. Brownworth • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Chuck Colbert Richard Dodds • David Duran Raymond Flournoy • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell John F. Karr • Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy David Lamble • Michael K. Lavers Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Paul Parish • Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff Jim Piechota • Bob Roehr • Donna Sachet Adam Sandel • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Ed Walsh • Sura Wood

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ED should share the pain K

evin Winge, the new executive director at Project Open Hand, deserves kudos for the forthright way in which he explained the agency’s budget deficit. Last week, his office called and Winge came down to this newspaper to meet with the editorial staff. He reviewed the situation and the decision to address it that was agreed upon by him and the board. In order to reduce a $728,000 deficit, Open Hand immediately eliminated four staff positions (two at the director level). Also, starting July 1, most of the agency’s clients living with HIV will have to choose between receiving home delivered meals or picking up groceries and preparing the food themselves. Currently, people living with HIV can choose both services. Other clients that Open Hand serves – those living with breast cancer, the homebound critically ill, and seniors – have always had to make this choice. Winge told us that meetings are planned with clients, volunteers, and donors and that letters to the clients were sent last week. Compared to the way other HIV/AIDS nonprofits have broken bad news (by circling the wagons, not informing clients, and not talking to the press) Winge’s approach was refreshing and, we believe, much appreciated by the agency’s clients. It’s a relief, for example, that Open Hand isn’t shutting down its Alameda County facility, as those clients are sorely in need of its food and nutrition programs. But upon further consideration of Open Hand’s plight, and being aware of its long history, we are disappointed that Winge himself isn’t sharing in the pain by taking a salary reduction. We discussed the issue with Winge when he came to see us, and as we reported in last week’s story, Winge said he had considered it. But in the end, he said, he needed to do something “bigger and deeper.” Yet when the cuts Open Hand announced are added up, the deficit is nearly closed. The personnel cuts add up to approximately $350,000, while the changes to the food program save an estimated $300,000. Open Hand will see another $40,000 in savings by scrapping its peanut butter program. That leaves about $38,000 to trim from

the agency or the executive director’s salary. At $200,000, Winge’s salary is near the top end for leaders of local HIV/AIDS service organizations. For example, the CEO of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation makes $249,000, but that agency’s budget, at $24 million, is more than twice that of Open Hand, which has a budget of $9.8 million. In other words, SFAF’s CEO salary represents 1.03 percent of that agency’s budget, while Winge’s represents about 2.04 percent of Open Hand’s. One could argue that both agencies pay their leaders too much, and we have opined on nonprofit executive salaries over the years as being too high at the expense of client services. When an agency actually has to cut client services, as Open Hand announced, it seems to us that it’s fair to examine the issue of executive compensation. Open Hand, unlike many local HIV/AIDS nonprofits, also has a history of trimming executive salaries. Back in the late 1990s, Open Hand’s board voted to cap the agency’s top six salaries. Back then, the agency’s budget was $6.8 million

and then-Executive Director Tom Nolan’s salary was $84,684. More recently, when Nolan departed from Open Hand in January, he declined a $20,000 bonus and asked the board to rescind it. Given that the agency was looking at a deficit, and Nolan’s own feeling that the sum might seem “exorbitant,” as he told us, that was the right call. We know that Winge just started at the agency, after moving from Minnesota. We also understand that he accepted the position at the salary offered by the board, and yet not even six months in, the agency is facing a deep deficit, which he was aware of. Taking a salary cut would help to level the playing field for Open Hand’s staff and clients. Such action would also give Winge instant credibility as he starts hosting the meetings. He can look clients, volunteers, and donors squarely in the eye and be able to say, “I’m in this with you” or “I, too, am making a sacrifice.” Serving clients should be the top priority of any nonprofit, but especially those dealing with health issues. Taking a salary cut would go a long way to ensuring that clients at Open Hand face minimal changes in service.▼

Ending violence: Beyond schoolyard bullies by Martha Knutzen and Reese Aaron Isbell

ecent events, whether it is against a gay man in a dorm at a public university, or a young African American man walking at night in a gated community in Florida, or a woman in San Francisco who was the victim of false imprisonment by her husband in her home, call upon our leaders to raise their voices against the vast undercurrent of violence that works to frighten and intimidate members of all marginalized groups in society. The public response to these acts of violence literally makes the difference between frightening all of us, whether we are LGBT, women, or people of color; or freeing us to live in a safe and tolerant society where we are all respected and treated fairly. Our LGBT community has come out strongly and publicly on the issue of bullies in the schoolyard. After a series of high-profile deaths, we were able to speak through YouTube and other means to our young people directly and offer them hope and support. The It Gets Better videos have reached millions through everyday people joining in, as well as celebrities and politicians, to speak out against violence against LGBT youth. While it does get better, it is also true that bullying doesn’t always end after the school years. Bullying schoolyard youth are but one tactic of an oppressive society. When adult members of our culture perpetuate a violent, demeaning, hurtful, bullying environment for anyone, it does so to reinforce its oppressive, misogynist, racist, anti-LGBT framework. This is true whether it’s via our businesses and corporations, an outdated legal system, hateful legislators or intimidating power-brokers, shock jocks and faux-news commentators, or even the very likes of Rush Limbaugh. The Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club supports all the public leaders who have called

out to support the people who are the recent victims of the cowardly bullies in our society. We applaud President Barack Obama for calling and supporting a young woman who spoke for her reproductive rights, and for saying the tragic death of a young African American man could have been his own son. We join with the millions of people who stood up to Limbaugh and his tactics attacking a female law student, and the millions who wear hoodies in solidarity for Trayvon Martin. We stand with San Francisco’s advocates against domestic violence, when they protect the witnesses to violence against women and speak out, regardless of the political environment, for homes without violence. And, we are proud of a mayor and a district attorney who state clearly that there should be a consequence for falsely imprisoning your wife. The personal is political. In San Francisco, many of us moved here to build a better world and we are proud of innovative public policy that leads the nation’s response to our social problems. Our LGBT community responded over 30 years ago to stop the deaths of our brothers and sisters from AIDS. Our Commission on the Status of Women has worked for as many years to build a public system that responds to the victims of domestic violence, whether it is against women or men, whether it is in same-sex or opposite-sex households. We ensure our public agencies protect against attacks against people of color and immigrants. We all work and support these public responses because it makes everyone’s world safer. And, when we speak out against violence against anyone who is bullied because of their race, gender, immigration status or sexual orientation, we are also protecting ourselves from political forces that would make it acceptable to deny rights to marginal groups in our society.

In our recent monthly newsletter, the Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club encouraged anyone who is being harmed by domestic violence to seek help from the public agencies we have here in San Francisco. In that spirit of public support against violence everywhere, we reprint them below. Bullying occurs at all levels of our society. But so does support. Know that there are people and community organizations and resources all around you, in this city and nation, who will help you. Know that you are not alone. Know that there is something better than letting yourself be bullied constantly in your own home, at your job, on the street, on the radio, anywhere. Know that It Gets Better. For more information, or to talk to someone, check out the following resources (just a few of many out ther if you need help): Community United Against Violence (www. cuav.org). SF Hotline: (415) 333-HELP (4357). National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (www.avp.org/ncavp.htm): (212) 714-1141. Gay Men’s Domestic Violence Project (www. gmdvp.org) national hotline: 1-800-832-1901▼ Martha Knutzen and Reese Aaron Isbell are co-chairs of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. Celebrating more than 40 years of public service, Alice is the first registered LGBT Democratic Club in the nation, forming shortly after the Stonewall riots. Alice trains LGBT activists to become political professionals and elected leaders, analyzes campaigns and candidates before every election to help our community be fully informed, and supports those that have fought for the issues that are important to the LGBT community. More information on Alice can be found at www.alicebtoklas.org.

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Letters >>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Suspended sheriff should resign Myself, as well as my friends with whom I’ve had a chance to discuss the Ross Mirkarimi situation, have reached a consensus that this individual needs to resign for the greater good of San Francisco, its sheriff’s department, and its reputation outside of our beloved 49 square miles. I could not agree more with the letter to the editor by Ryan Clary in your April 5 issue. The “pro-Mirkarimi,” postscandal forces are heavily treading upon a whole lot of LGBT history to obfuscate the true issues at stake here. Curiously, however, none of them even discuss the allegations of witness tampering and evidence suppression that went on by agents for and with the full knowledge of an individual man named Mirkarimi (for whom I voted as did most of my friends) who says he can still conduct with integrity the duties and obligations of the office of sheriff. How, by continuing to intimidate witnesses and trying to suppress evidence? As to the LGBT spokespeople for Mirkarimi at this point, how dare you compare the domestic violence claims of this case to the centuries-long history of scurrilous and untrue defamation that millions of LGBT people suffered, many of whom to their deaths? Do you doubt that this “sheriff” abused his wife in front of his 2-year-old son? And, to say that because Mirkarimi once championed,

for his political gain, the noble rights of LGBT folks here in San Francisco, that we should let him slide on this one “bite-of-the-apple?” Well folks, that is the most cynical of political reasoning imaginable and unparalleled since the great and gay architect Philip Johnson’s later-regretted endorsement of Nazism before he became aware of the then nascent regime’s plans to extinguish gays as well as Jews, Africans, and all the other so-called inferiors about which Johnson once knew nothing. Certainly, Mr. Mirkarimi is nowhere near as evil as Nazism and Hitler, but when his post-scandal supporters throw about the term “lynching” so cavalierly, what other hyperbole will be misused to devalue the real and numerous victims of such real barbarities, as opposed to the process of justice which was so hyper-inflated in this case, not because of some conspiratorial vendetta, but because Mr. Mirkarimi’s own admitted arrogance employed a cadre of attorneys to attempt to make his offenses disappear? That legally talented cadre was only partially successful in a plea bargain; but the supervisors, who have been elected by the people of our great city, will be watched closely as they review the undeniable evidence, and this great city’s people will not be fooled this time. Tom Cardellino San Francisco

Harvey Milk plaque to return compiled by Cynthia Laird

bronze plaque depicting the life of former gay Supervisor Harvey Milk is set to return to the Castro Muni station next month. The large signage dedicated to Milk, the city’s first out politician who was assassinated within a year of his taking office in 1978, went missing last October. It is believed someone stole it to sell for scrap metal. The memorial was originally installed sometime in the 1980s after the transit station, whose outdoor plaza is named after Milk, opened in the gayborhood. It had been affixed to a concrete pillar at the entrance to the underground station at the corner of Castro and Market streets. Castro and city leaders plan to unveil an exact replica of the plaque Tuesday, May 22, which is Milk’s birthday and officially recognized as Harvey Milk Day by the state of California. PG&E awarded a $3,500 grant to the Castro Community Benefit District to help pay for the new signage. District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener phoned the CBD’s executive director, Andrea Aiello, Halloween night to say a grant application had to be submitted by 11 p.m. to the electric company in order to secure the funding. The CBD later kicked in $490 to cover the remaining costs. The city’s Department of Public Works has offered to install the plaque at no cost in time for the state holiday observance. “DPW has assured us they can put it in much more securely,” said Aiello.

Feinstein to accept EQCA award Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) will accept Equality California’s leadership award at its annual dinner and gala Saturday, April 14 at the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason Street. Feinstein is the sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act that would repeal the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. She came out in support of marriage equality during the Proposition 8 campaign and cut one of the No on 8 campaign’s better television ads. EQCA will also honor openly gay physician Royce C. Lin, who works at the Tom Waddell Health Center and Ward 86 at San Francisco General Hospital. He will be presented with EQCA’s first-ever State Farm Good Neighbor Award. Lin was chosen from a pool of outstanding people nominated by members of the public and selected by an EQCA committee, according to a press statement. “Each day, Dr. Royce Lin provides

a lifeline for marginalized gay and transgender people who often lack access to basic health care or for whom a trip to the doctor can be a traumatic experience because of a lack of culturally competent health care providers who understand and empathize with the unique health care needs of LGBT people,” EQCA board president Clarissa Filgioun said in a statement. At the gala, the JC Penney Company will receive EQCA’s Corporate Responsibility Award. The retailer withstood pressure from anti-gay activists earlier this year when it announced that out daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres would be its new spokeswoman. Out actor Wilson Cruz will serve as emcee, with entertainment provided by Grammy Award-winning artist Thelma Houston and DJ Olga. The evening begins with a cocktail reception at 6, dinner and the awards program at 7, and an after-party at 9. Tickets are $350 or $75 for the afterparty only, and are available at www. eqcaawards.org. EQCA spokeswoman Rebekah Orr said that people should plan to arrive early, Feinstein’s award acceptance is scheduled to start the program at 7.

‘War on Drugs’ examined tonight Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the “War on Drugs,” the San Francisco Human Rights Commission will join a national conversation on drug enforcement policies and practices in the U.S. by hosting a public hearing today (Thursday, April 12) at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, room 250. Titled “The Human Rights Impact of the War on Drugs,” the hearing will focus on the impact the War on Drugs has had in San Francisco and document testimony from criminal justice experts, direct service providers, and community-based organizations. Speakers have been invited from the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups. Additionally, the HRC is actively seeking community members to share their stories and recommendations in public comment.

Plan C membership meeting Plan C, a moderate San Francisco political club, will hold its annual meeting Monday, April 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Swedish-American Music Hall, 2174 Market Street. The featured speaker will be District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell, who represents the Marina and is a former Plan C board member. Farrell

is expected to discuss City Hall news and how moderates can influence city policy. Other topics to be discussed at the meeting include Plan C’s strategy to achieve condo reform within the next two years; a panel of experts will discuss issues of interest to tenancy in common owners; best practices in TIC management; and TIC valuation. The meeting is open to the public. For more information, email info@ planc.org.

Last call for NCLR photos Want to be in a promo for the National Center for Lesbian Rights? The agency is still seeking photos for its “I am NCLR ...” campaign, launched to reflect and showcase the LGBT community that it fights for each day. Through April 27, NCLR is soliciting photos – portraits, snapshots, and special moments – featuring you and a homemade poster or sign in which you fill in the sentence, “I am NCLR, and I am ...,” saying how you reflect the organization’s groundbreaking work. The best images will be showcased at NCLR’s upcoming 35th anniversary celebration on May 5. While the dinner is sold out, tickets are available for the celebration party that runs from 8 p.m. to midnight at City View at Metreon. For tickets, visit tinyurl. com/6u8yggl. Photos should be sent to media@ nclrights.org.

Same-sex ballroom dance championship coming up Fans of ballroom dancing can see some of the best dancers later this month when same-sex dance partners from the U.S. and other countries will compete in the 2012 April Follies at Just Dance Ballroom in Oakland. Celebrating its 10th year, April Follies has become the largest and longest running same-sex dancesport competition in North America. All levels will compete in this event, sanctioned by the North American Same-Sex Partner Dance Association. Following the performances and final competition, there will be an open social dance for all. Tickets for the daylong competition are as follows: $15 (daytime events only), $25 (evening events only), or $35 for the entire day (competition starts at 10 a.m. and runs until about 5:30 p.m., with the lessons and showcase of champions scheduled for the evening). Just Dance is located at 2500 Embarcadero in Oakland. For more information, visit www. aprilfollies.com or go to Facebook (April Follies 2012).▼ Matthew S. Bajko contributed to this report.

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

<< Community News

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

ACT UP

From page 1

role of condemning people to die of AIDS globally and repression of sexual freedom and health here at home by blocking access to condoms, and restricting access to reproductive health and abortion,” said a statement about the anniversary march on Pride at Work’s website. Waiyde Palmer, who helped organize the march, said the church’s regulations on sexuality, contraception, and a woman’s right to choose “are mirror images of its attitude and policies toward HIV/AIDS.” “If you oppose contraception on every level beyond the rhythm method, as they do, then HIV is going to spread and unwanted and unplanned pregnancies will occur,” Palmer wrote in an email. “Both can be avoided if one has adequate access to health care that isn’t shrouded in shame or religious doctrine.” The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence led the anniversary protest. The Sisters, who have drawn the ire of Catholic leaders throughout their long and colorful history, offered their standard list of grievances against the church: opposition to abortion and contraception, opposition to same-sex marriage and adoption, and the child abuse scandal. The Sisters present at the protest declined to speak with the Bay Area

TL Health

From page 1

tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition.” He said in partnership with Tom Waddell, all services would now be provided out of 187 Golden Gate Avenue, one of the sites where Tenderloin Health had worked with clients. (The shuttered nonprofit had also seen clients at 255 Golden Gate.) A call to the Tom Waddell center wasn’t returned. Toma said API Wellness would also do what it could to continue arts and breakfast programs that Tenderloin Health had provided.

Housing Tenderloin Health had offered emergency, or “stabilization,” and permanent housing units at the Kinney Hotel. Lutheran Social Services of Northern California, which already was working with many Kinney residents, has taken over those programs. In March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it was awarding a renewal grant of almost $1.3 million to Tenderloin Health. The funding, part of the federal agency’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program, is meant to continue providing

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Reporter. But other marchers offered their views. “I’m disgusted by the [Catholic] church and their beliefs about our community,” said Patrick Dissek. “I’m tired of having them try to impose their beliefs.” George Wesolek, director of public policy for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, was there to observe the event. He said that it was interesting that the activists should have chosen the Mission Basilica for this particular action. Wesolek said that during the trip of Blessed John Paul II to San Francisco in 1987 he had visited the Mission Basilica. “It was the Mission Basilica where the Holy Father gave his special blessing to 62 people suffering from AIDS,” said Wesolek. In a statement, Wesolek said, “At that time many people treated AIDS patients like lepers. People thought it was something you could catch easily ... John Paul’s show of compassion opened up the arms of compassion of the world.” When asked to respond to Wesolek’s statement, protester Mark Riley said, “Just because one person did one nice thing many years ago, doesn’t take away from the fact that they have been completely off target since then.” Mission Dolores was founded on June 29, 1776, and is the oldest Catholic Church in the archdiocese, and the oldest building in San Francisco. In addition, the mission is “the oldest

original intact mission in California,” according to the church’s website. The demonstrators had planned to spread the ashes of ACT UP/San Francisco member Stephen Fish on the steps of the church, but their ultimate plans were derailed. Fish, who died in 1991, had wished that his ashes be used for a political purpose. Instead, the ACT UP anniversary marchers threw the ashes over the police barriers, toward the stairs of the Mission Basilica; San Francisco’s typical wind immediately dispersed them in all directions. Marcher Amanda Ream said that she took part to honor the way that “our community fought and changed the way health care is delivered in this country.” “The legacy is that a community of really committed people can fight the government, homophobia, and the church and win.” Ream said that the anniversary march “was very powerful.” “We scattered the ashes of Stephen Fish ... on the steps of Mission Dolores,” Ream wrote in an email. “Many people were in tears as a cloud of ash mixed with glitter filled the air to shouts of ‘we will never be silent again. Act up.’” The march then continued to Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro where the group gathered in a commemoration of ACT UP and the many lives lost to HIV/AIDS. There was a reading of the names of local activists who died during the epidemic in the Bay Area.▼

tenant-based rental assistance to 30 households. It’s designed to provide permanent housing and supportive services to post-incarcerated people living with HIV/AIDS. In response to emailed questions, HUD spokeswoman April Brown said that $494,068 remains on her agency’s existing grant with Tenderloin Health, which expires January 31, 2013. That money is to be directed to Lutheran Social Services. After that, the California-based agency is to receive the $1.3 million award over a threeyear period. In addition to permanent housing, Lutheran Social Services will also oversee the stabilization program, which includes 21 units where HIVpositive San Francisco residents can stay for 28 days. According to Don Soto, Lutheran Social Services’ program manager, an annual amount of about $270,000 is provided through the city’s health department for the stabilization program, which could see 210 clients per year. He put the average of clients in the HOPWA-funded program at 70 per year. Soto called Tenderloin Health’s closure “a big loss,” but he indicated there wouldn’t be any changes in services. “We really have tried to make this as

seamless as possible,” he said. According to Brown, the HUD spokeswoman, the HOPWA funding also pays for two apartment units that are used for emergency housing. Lutheran Social Services hired three former Tenderloin Health staff that worked directly in its housing programs. As happens with other nonprofits receiving similar grant funding, Soto said that it’s not as if HUD writes a check for the entire contract amount and gives it to the nonprofit. The agency submits monthly invoices and gets reimbursed for the services provided during the contract period. Tenderloin Health also offered housing services at the Aranda and Allen hotels. The nonprofit Conard House is taking over that work. There are 110 clients at the Aranda and 64 at the Allen. Conard House Executive Director Richard Heasley said his agency would be operating the buildings and providing support service staff at both sites. He said the nonprofit has hired six former Tenderloin Health staff. The agency has a contract of about $1,036,000 with the city’s Human Services Agency for the Aranda, and a total of approximately $960,000 See page 13 >>

Overlook. For those wishing to honor his memory, please kindly make a donation to your local SPCA. Don will be missed by many but his beautiful legacy lives on in our hearts and minds forever.

bus, he was among the first generation of gay men to move into the Castro, and was a well-known gay rights activist, educator, partier, and gorgeous guy. No gay Pride Parade was complete without Robert, wearing cut-off shorts and little else. The party suddenly came to an end when his dear friend Gary Merle became ill and died from the so-called gay cancer, later to be known as AIDS. During his 24-year relationship with partner Chris Jacobson, and with the loving support of Carol Wegener, Joan Mills, and many other Bay Area friends, Robert dealt with his own HIV-positive condition with strength and courage. He donated much of his time and energy to the AIDS Emergency Fund, volunteered in the National AIDS Memorial Grove, joined in the candlelight march to honor the life of Harvey Milk, protested at City Hall over the Dan White verdict, and in general was a part of the early struggle for gay rights and HIV funding. A memorial gathering will be held this spring. For further information contact: Chris Jacobson at chris@ chrisjacobson.com or Carol Wegener at cwegener@earthlink.net.

Obituaries >> John (“Don”) George January 3, 1952 – March 25, 2012

On Sunday evening March 25, Don George peacefully slipped away at home surrounded by his loving husband, John Tennant, and close family friends. He was 60. He made significant contributions for over three decades to the San Francisco bowling community and won numerous awards, most notably a team gold medal at the 1998 Gay Games V in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Don and John celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2011 and were joyfully able to marry on July 23, 2008. Two of Don’s greatest passions were his gardening and spending quality time at home with John and Dreyfuss, their lovable border collie. He leaves behind a wide circle of close friends and family, to include his sole surviving sister, Mrs. Diane Bland of Stockbridge, Georgia. A celebration of his life will take place on Sunday, April 22 at 2 p.m. on the Muir Beach

Robert Michael Schatz March 3, 1946 – March 29, 2012

A well-known kitchen designer to the elite of San Francisco during the 1980s and 1990s, Robert died on March 29 of a massive heart attack. His last few years were spent in the loving presence of his East Coast family, sister Frances, brothers Paul and David, and beloved mother Lillian. Before moving to San Francisco from Rochester, New York, Robert had been a teacher and political idealist, and some of his happiest memories were of living with dear friends Carol and Gary at “The Farm,” an early hippy commune. In 1974, after relocating to San Francisco by battered Volkswagen

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International News>>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Brazil and U.S. recommit to joint LGBT rights effort by Heather Cassell

residents Barak Obama and Dilma Rousseff of Brazil this week reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S.-Brazilian Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality, including LGBT communities, amid reports of an upsurge in antigay attacks. The news comes as the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association hosts its global conference in the southern part of Brazil April 12-14. Brazil also boasts of hosting one of the world’s largest LGBT Pride events and is one of the few countries to legalize same-sex marriage, but attacks against LGBT individuals have “climbed steadily” during the past decade, reported the Daily Beast. Last year there were 272 murders, according to Grupo Gay da Bahia, a Brazilian LGBT rights group that tracks anti-gay violence. This year is off to a bad start with 75 murders within the first 10 weeks, according to the organization, reported the news outlet. Government officials are taking action to reverse the violence. A socalled anti-homophobia law that legislators have been working on for the past five years is scheduled for a public hearing in May, reported the news outlet. Obama and Rousseff are also working with the U.N. Human Rights Council – Brazil is a member of the Geneva LGBT core group – and the Organization of American States to bring in an OAS special rapporteur on LGBT rights to in-

LGBT vets

From page 5

can bring love and care to Harvey Milk Plaza, that is always welcome.” One of the first memorials ever created to honor LGBT service members is the gravesite in Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. for Leonard Matlovich, an Air Force sergeant who was discharged after coming out publicly and died in 1988. A onetime San Francisco resident – a plaque adorns the 18th Street apartment building where he once lived – Matlovich intended for his tombstone to honor not merely himself but all LGBT people who served in the military. On Veterans Day in 2000 a memorial for LGBT veterans was dedicated at the National Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona. The following year an LGBT

TL Health

From page 12

through the city agency for the Allen over the course of a year. Heasley indicated the figures haven’t yet been finalized. “We’re delighted to have been chosen to do this,” Heasley said, adding that his agency’s working to ensure the transition is “seamless.” Other agencies are also stepping up to fill in after Tenderloin Health’s closure. The nonprofit had offered HIV tests at 501 Castro Street, and UCSF Alliance Health Project now provides free, rapid HIV testing at the site on Saturdays from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. It is not receiving additional funding for the services. Barbara Adler, HIV/STD testing manager for AHP, estimated they

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America

U.S. and Brazil Presidents Barack Obama and Dilma Rousseff met at the Oval office April 8.

vestigate the situation, according to a State Department announcement April 9. The action is a reversal on Rousseff ’s part, according to the Daily Beast. The news outlet reported that Rousseff recently has appeared to be “reluctant to take a definite stance” on LGBT issues in Brazil, including vetoing a bill for an LGBT sensitivity educational packet for schoolchildren that was “widely hailed.”

Chile’s anti-discrimination bill still not perfect Chile’s legislature approved an anti-discrimination bill last week following the March 27 death of openly gay Daniel Zamudio by alleged neo-Nazis. The Chamber of Deputies approved the bill 58-56 on April 4 but

the debate isn’t over. The bill is rife with potential pitfalls after years of legislative changes, according to Chilean LGBT activists and human rights experts. Andres Chadwick, spokesman for the Chilean government, said the vote on the bill was a “significant step,” reported the BBC. “We’re on the way to having a law that fosters respect and tolerance for every human being in our country,” he told the news organization. Zamudio, 24, was brutally attacked March 3 on the streets of Santiago and left with burn marks and Swastika symbols carved on his body. He was in the hospital in a coma for three weeks before dying. Police arrested four suspects who have been charged with beating Zamudio. Prosecutors are seeking murder charges for the four suspects. The suspects deny attacking him and being neo-Nazis, according to media reports. The incident sparked international outrage and a national debate on hate crimes, resuscitating the country’s anti-discrimination bill and prompting conservative President Sebastian Pinera to urge lawmakers to approve the bill the same day it passed. Pinera’s administration announced that it would propose significant amendments to the bill to address LGBT rights organizations’ concerns. “Since Daniel’s aggressive murder happened, we’ve been learning how we are going to construct effective protected society with more love, where no one, no one is discriminated against for any reason. Because all Chileans have the same rights,” said Chile’s vice president Rodrigo Hinzpeter, reported On Top magazine.▼ A longer version is online at ebar.com.

veterans monument was dedicated at Desert Memorial Park cemetery in Cathedral City next to Palm Springs. A legislative attempt in 2003 by then-Assemblywoman Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego), now a state senator, to create a commission charged with creating an official California LGBT Veterans’ Memorial, funded by private donors, failed to gain traction in Sacramento when first proposed in 2003. The Legislature did pass such a bill in 2004 but then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it. It is believed that BART, which oversees the Castro Muni station’s public plaza area, would have to sign off on the proposal for the LGBT veterans memorial grove. Caldera plans to seek the agency’s approval in the coming months. Asked for comment by press time

Wednesday, a BART spokesman was still trying to determine if the transit agency did in fact control the plot of ground Caldera is pursuing for the grove idea. Constructing the veterans grove elements will cost be between $30,000 and $50,000, Caldera estimates. He intends to seek donations to pay for it and would like to have a soft dedication during this year’s annual Milk Moscone Candlelight March, which commemorates the November 27, 1978 deaths of Milk and former Mayor George Moscone. He is shooting to hold a larger groundbreaking ceremony on May 22, Harvey Milk Day, in 2013. Anyone interested in more information about the grove proposal can email Caldera at sfcommishcaldera@ aol.com.▼

would see at least an average of 60 people a month at the site. The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is also seeing some former Tenderloin Health clients. Bob Rybicki, the AIDS foundation’s vice president of programs, said his agency anticipates an estimated 280 people a month who had gone to Tenderloin Health for syringe exchange will come to the AIDS foundation and its partner agencies for that service. Rybicki said one referral has come into the AIDS foundation’s prevention with positives program, and there are three to four at the nonprofit’s Stonewall Project. He indicated SFAF is still discussing the possibility of more clients with the health department. It is not receiving additional funds. In March, the health department

stated that clients would also be sent to other agencies including Asociacion Gay Unida Impactando Latinos/Latinas A Superarse (AGUILAS), and Instituto Familiar de la Raza. Instituto’s Armando Hernandez said his agency hadn’t received any of the clients. A call to AGUILAS wasn’t returned. Tenderloin Health Executive Director David Fernandez and officials with the health department, including director Barbara Garcia, didn’t respond to interview requests for this story.▼

On the web Online content this week includes the Bay Area Reporter’s online column, Political Notes; and an article on Rick Santorum dropping out of the GOP race. www.ebar.com.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

14 • Bay Area Reporter • April 12-18, 2012

Classifieds

Legal Notices>>

The

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034223200

Legal Notices>> state of california in and for the county of san francisco file# CNC12-548511 In the matter of the application of: JI YUNG YANG for change of name. The application of JI YUNG YANG for change of name having been filed in Court, and it appearing from said application that JI YUNG YANG filed an application proposing that ELLIYH YEOM be changed to ELLIYH YANG and ELLIANAH YEOM be changed to ELLIANAH YANG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Room 514 on the 22nd of May, 2012 at 9:00 am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MaR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 state of california in and for the county of san francisco file# CNC12-548474 In the matter of the application of: JOSEPH PAUL BAQUERA for change of name. The application of JOSEPH PAUL BAQUERA for change of name having been filed in Court, and it appearing from said application that JOSEPH PAUL BAQUERA filed an application proposing that his/her name be changed to JOSEPH MICHAEL PAUL. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Room 514 on the 3rd of May 2012 at 9:00 am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MaR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 state of california in and for the county of san francisco file# CNC12-548496 In the matter of the application of: DAREL OCTAVIUS AYAP for change of name and gender. The application of DAREL OCTAVIUS AYAP for change of name and gender having been filed in Court, and it appearing from said application that DAREL OCTAVIUS AYAP filed an application proposing that his/her name be changed to DEE AYAP. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Room 514 on the 15th of May 2012 at 9:00 am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MaR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A-034211100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: UB TRANSPORT, 5035 Geary Blvd. #B, SF, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Baatar Sandag. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/19/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/19/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034209200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE FAIRY DOGFATHER, 64 Caselli Ave., SF, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Eric Burford. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/06/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/16/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034192500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NIFNAKS, 1420 Alabama St., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Nifer Kilakila. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/09/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034199000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOPE ARCHITECTS, 328 Rutledge St., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Ari Hope. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/11. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/13/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034194300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VALUEAPP DEVELOPMENT, 472 Euclid Ave., SF, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Anthony C. Stagliano. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/12/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/12/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034203400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JJMS GROUP, 201 Spear St. #1100, SF, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed James M. Fazackerley. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/15/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012

statement file A- 034201500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DE FRISCO REGALIA, 491-A Guerrero St., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a husband and wife, and is signed Greene. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/12.

statement file A- 034158700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OZIMO, 1116 Shotwell St., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Richard Freitas. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/16/11. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/27/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034176100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEW MONTGOMERY ASSOCIATES, 5 Freelon St., SF, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a husband and wife, and is signed Chi Pin Wong. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/03/96. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/05/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034195000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ANDOVER STREET ARCHIVES, 508 Andover St., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed Elizabeth Benford. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/12/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/12/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 statement file A- 034157200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MEGAPIX IMAGING, 190 8th St., SF, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Leonard Githere. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/24/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/24/12.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 Statement of abandonment of use of fictitious business name FILE# A-033937200 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: GOLDEN GATE SPEED DATE, 2206 Bryant St., SF, CA 94110. This business was conducted by a general partnership, signed Joanne Gunderson. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/08/11.

MAR 22, 29, APR 5, 12, 2012 state of california in and for the county of san francisco file# CNC12-548520 In the matter of the application of: SARAH QUEEN BROWNING for change of name, having been filed in Court, and it appearing from said application that SARAH QUEEN BROWNING filed an application proposing that his/her name be changed to SARAH COOK QUEEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept 514 on the 22nd of May 2012 at 9:00 am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MaR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 statement file A- 034209400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GRAMLY SYSTEMS, 1499 Sutter St. #303, SF, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Lawrence Berkowitz. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/16/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/16/12.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 statement file A- 034221700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EDEN CAFE, 47 Franklin St., SF, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Angela Chang. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 statement file A- 034199200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: R.J.P. ASSOCIATES, 1288 Columbus Ave. #254, SF, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed Peter Maguire. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/12.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 statement file A- 034197400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FLORIST BY GRACE, 298 Market St., SF, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed Jie Su. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/12/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/13/12.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012

statement file A- 034217300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHROMIUM, 440 Brannan St., SF, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed Anthony D. Wessling. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/15/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/21/12.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 statement file A- 034210800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EAT IT UP, BUTTERCUP!, 245 Marietta, SF, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Autumn Long. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/19/12.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 Statement of abandonment of use of fictitious business name FILE# A-33162600 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: SHINY STONE, 1501 Broderick St. #143, SF, CA 94115. This business was conducted by an individual, signed Jose R. Cruz. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/22/10.

MAR 29, APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 notice of application TO SELL alcoholic beverageS Dated 03/26/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: IZA ROVNER. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 2208, Oakland, CA 94612 to sell alcoholic beverages at 418 Beach St., SF, CA 94133-1102. Type of license applied for

47 - On-sale GENERAL Eating place APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 notice of application TO SELL alcoholic beverageS Dated 04/02/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: SF HENRY VIII, LCC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 2208, Oakland, CA 94612 to sell alcoholic beverages at 422 Geary St., SF, CA 94102-1223. Type of license applied for

41 - On-sale beer & WINE EATing place APR 5, 12, 19, 2012 statement file A- 034240900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DOROTHY AND RUTH, 1885 Golden Gate Ave. #5, SF, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Miranda Jones. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/02/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034189900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROYALTY PIZZA CAFE, 829 Geary St., SF, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Mousa JM Abdel Jabbar. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/08/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/08/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034190400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WAI KUEN WONG HERBALIST CONSULTING CENTER, 2822 San Bruno Ave., SF, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Stanley Wai Kuen Yang. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/07/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/09/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034217400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WOODLEAF EATING DISORDER CENTER, 45 Franklin St. #205, SF, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed April A. Vancelette. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/21/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/21/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034233500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROSAMUNDE SAUSAGE GRILL, 545 Haight St., SF, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed Jennifer Tucci. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/07/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/28/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRUNCH; CRUNCH FITNESS, 2330 Polk St., SF, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Keith Worts. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034223800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRUNCH; CRUNCH FITNESS, 1725 Union St., SF, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Keith Worts. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034223600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRUNCH; CRUNCH FITNESS, 61 New Montgomery, SF, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Keith Worts. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- A-034223500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRUNCH; CRUNCH FITNESS, 345 Spear St., SF, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Keith Worts. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A- 034223400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRUNCH; CRUNCH FITNESS, 2324 Chestnut St., SF, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Keith Worts. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 statement file A-034221400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SPARKLING JANITORIAL SERVICES, 2 Castillo St., SF, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Ines Hernandez. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/12.

APR 12, 19, 26, MAY 3, 2012

Statement of abandonment of use of fictitious business name FILE# A-030632700 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: WOODLEAF EATING DISORDER CENTER, 45 Franklin St., SF, CA 94102. This business was conducted by an individual, signed Neil Miller. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/28/2007.

APR 5, 12, 19, 26, 2012 notice of application FOR CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP OF alcoholic beverage LICENSE Dated 04/03/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: HOB PUNCH LINE S.F. CORP. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 2208, Oakland, CA 94612 to sell alcoholic beverages at 444 Battery St., SF, CA 94111-3228. Type of license applied for

47 - On-sale GENERAL Eating place APR 12, 2012 notice of application TO SELL alcoholic beverageS Dated 04/03/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: QUISQUEYA FAM LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 1515 Clay Street, Suite 2208, Oakland, CA 94612 to sell alcoholic beverages at 780 Valencia St., SF, CA 94110-1735. Type of license applied for

41 - On-sale BEER & WINE Eating place APR 12, 2012 statement file A-034240400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TRET SERVICES, 652 Funston Ave., SF, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Tari Trethewy. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/02/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/02/12.

APR 12, 19, 26, MAY 3, 2012 statement file A-034254500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ACCORDION APOCALYPSE REPAIR SHOP, 255 10th St., SF, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Rebecca Fell. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/28/06. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/12.

APR 12, 19, 26, MAY 3, 2012 statement file A-034246100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOLDEN GATE COUNSELING CENTER, 870 Market St. #463, SF, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Randy Weled. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/03/12.

APR 12, 19, 26, MAY 3, 2012

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Vol. 42 • No. 15 • April 12-18, 2012

www.ebar.com/arts

Greta Gerwig as Violet and Adam Brody as Fred/ Charlie in Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress. Sabrina Lantos, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

uppose you were given a Woody Allenstyle Midnight in Paris time machine and were allowed to pick a famous wit from the past for a one-on-one gab-fest about some shockingly retro topic, let’s say “The Decline in Decadence,” as illustrated by modes of expression in contemporary homosexuality. Whit Stillman enjoys the unique privilege of being a celebrated writer/director wit whose three-film body of work (Metropolitan, Barcelona, The Last Days of Disco) is unrivaled

in showcasing a slice of the population: debutants, preppies and young people to the manor born who face a drastic decline in their social status without abandoning their ideals. Back in the turbulent 90s, when he was turning out a polished social film comedy every four years, it seemed impossible to imagine that it would all suddenly grind to a halt; that, like one of his fabled predecessors, Preston Sturges, or equally august contemporaries, Woody Allen, Whit Stillman would be forced into exile. Yes, it

has been 12 years since The Last Days of Disco provided an elegant farewell to a musical/dance genre that just never seemed to get any respect, and here he is, sitting down with me in a fancy-schmancy downtown hotel, celebrating his fourth and possibly best social misfit comedy, Damsels in Distress. Remember our tease about the decline of decadence as illustrated by contemporary homosexuality? Well, a high point in Damsels comes when one of Stillman’s most appeal-

ing lost souls, Violet (the incomparably spirited Greta Gerwig), has an amazing chat with a boy she may or may not be pursuing, Charles Walker, or his alter ego, the Sturges-like Fred Packenstacker (The O.C.’s Adam Brody, in what will hopefully be a breakout film comedy turn). Violet, who is leading a trio of young ladies in a drive to rescue their small East Coast college Seven Oaks from the stench of boorish male styles like grunge, frat-boy drunken orgy See page 29 >>

It’s Buckminster Fuller’s world ‘The Utopian Impulse: Buckminster Fuller and the Bay Area’ at SFMOMA by Sura Wood

O Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller, courtesy SFMOMA

Dymaxion Air-Ocean World Map (1981) by Buckminster Fuller; screen print.

ne thing you have to say about futurist, engineer, theorist, author and visionary Buckminster Fuller is that he was a bigpicture guy; he was a man with a plan, actually an abundance of plans. Few people in the 20th century, let alone history, could compete with the number of inventive ideas the prolific Fuller came up with to solve the problems of a planet

{ SECOND OF TWO SECTIONS }

with limited natural resources and a burgeoning population, or have been as confident about the soundness of the utopian systems he devised to address sustainability, from optimizing human dwellings to fuel-efficient transportation. Sounds prescient, doesn’t it? Ahead of his time, Fuller, who died in 1983, called himself a “comSee page 29 >>

<< Out There

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

▼

That sinking feeling by Roberto Friedman

his weekend, the 100th anniversary of the fate of that little toy boat called the Titanic is set to sweep American media culture. On movie screens, bloviating director James Cameron’s Titanic returns in 3D. On TV screens, writer Julian Fellowes moves his Downton Abbey to Titanic, the highend, four-part ABC miniseries. This Sunday, April 15, also marks the publication of Titanic: The Untold Tale of Gay Passengers and Crew, 100th Anniversary Collectors’ Edition (Palm Drive Publishing, paperback & ebook), literary erotica by author and editor Jack Fritscher. “For a number of years, I have been planning on this 100th Anniversary to publish my short novel which reclaims and transforms Titanic history because, in all the Titanic stories told as far as I know, that history has always been straight,” said Fritscher. “Although nothing in the text makes the con-

nection, I was personally impelled to write the novel years ago, in 1986, as a subtle parable of us gay people struggling to save ourselves during the onslaught of HIV. “In movie-newsreel footage shot three days later on the deck of the rescue ship Carpathia immediately after it docked in New York, a dozen of the surviving Titanic crew, mostly sailor lads in tight white pants hiding little, showing lots, can be seen in very intimate horseplay, camping around, and posing in life jackets, pretending to faint. Of the 885 male crew on Titanic, 693 (or 78%) died. Altogether, 1,352 men perished. If, according to Kinsey, one out of six ordinary men is gay, then 225 gay men died. If two out of six in the travel industry are gay, 450 gay men died, making the Titanic an overlooked but essential chapter in gay history.” Here’s more, from publisher Mark Hemry’s preface to the book. “Breaking the straight trance of received

h h Titanic history, San Francisco author Jack Fritscher reclaims gay history by writing a pitch-perfect sex epic of gay survival. Titanic outs the forbidden gay love story of the world’s most famous cruise, featuring the Unsinkable Molly Brown, the posh lovers Michael Whitney and Edward Wedding, and the working crew including the rugged Balkan Stoker, the redheaded Royal Purser Felix Jones, and the ship’s second carpenter Michael Brice and Third Officer Sam Maxwell. “Titanic was first published in Honcho magazine (1988), where it was reader-tested as a serial novel nine years before James Cameron’s Titanic (1997), and 24 years before Julian Fellowes of Downton Abbey filmed his own Titanic (2012). It’s available in trade paperback ($9.95), Kindle or Nook edition ($2.99). The e-book has active links to YouTube footage of Titanic survivors and crew ‘camping about’ on the rescue ship Carpathia immediately after docking at Chelsea Piers in New York.” Fritscher designed the book’s cover, seen here, as an homage to the huge rainbow scarf trailing from the roof of the bus in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. We’d say it does Titanic lore proud. Meantime, if you’re the type who loves to do artsy-craftsy things, then Taschen has just the book for

ld Your Own Titanic, a doyou: Build it-yourself model kit in the form of a softcover book ($14.99). “Calling all Titanic buffs, hobbyists, and ship-lovers,” says the ad copy: “You’re invited to build a cardboard model of the formidable and notorious vessel! “Vast sums of money have been spent and enormous efforts have been made in order to explore the wreck, now lying 12,000 feet under the sea. However, if you are a Titanic enthusiast and enjoy making things with your hands, then there is a far less troublesome alternative that will allow you to explore the ship in detail: a 1:200 cardboard model measuring 135 cm/53 inches (don’t worry, it has precut components and comes with detailed instructions).” We’ve heard that before. Still, the toy ship does look tres formidable. You could say she’s this year’s model.

hanger fashion, the key to the stories’ through-line is not revealed until the book’s final pages. It’s a satisfying spellbinder that speaks truths about the 20th-century immigrant experience – even the gay one.

Cinderella story This week San Francisco Ballet announced the repertory for a 2013 season, its 80th, that seems full of excitement. Highlights will include the U.S. premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length Cinderella;

Irish eyes Gone to Amerikay (Vertigo), a new graphic novel written by Derek McCulloch and illustrated by Colleen Doran with coloring by Jose Villarubia, tells three interlocking stories of the Irish and their voyages to the U.S. We didn’t know until we reached a key plot-point in the story that it has a “gangle” (gay angle), and none of the press materials or book-cover blurbs make any mention of it. Perhaps they didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Vertigo is an imprint of DC Comics, which is a division of the Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. In any case, so that we don’t give anything away, we’ll just say that there’s more than one gay character in the book – even a steamy gay sex scene, although it transpires off-stage. No-one in the tale would so identify. In 1870, immigrants Clara O’Dwyer and her daughter Maire arrive in New York harbor and go to find their cousin in the sketchy Five Points neighborhood. In 1960, young musician Johnny McCormack also docks in NYC, hoping to find work on Broadway, and finding himself in the Greenwich Village folk-singing scene. And in 2010, Dublin billionaire Lewis Healy jets into town, hoping to find the back-story to some music, composed there, that inspired him. Their paths all do intertwine, in tales of love, death, treachery and ghostly apparitions. The illustrations are colorful and historically informed; the characters appealing – all those high Irish cheekbones! – and the degradations and abuses of grinding poverty are never downplayed. In true cliff-

the Northern California premiere of Nijinsky by Hamburg Ballet Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer John Neumeier, performed by the renowned Hamburg Ballet; the SF Ballet premiere of Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc; plus world premieres by Wayne McGregor, SF Ballet Choreographer in Residence Yuri Possokhov, and Alexei Ratmansky. The season will also feature works by acclaimed choreographers such as George Balanchine, John Cranko, Edwaard Liang, Mark Morris, Rudolf Nureyev, Ashley Page, Jerome Robbins, and San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director & Principal Choreographer Helgi Tomasson. Find the schedule at www.sfballet.org. P.S. We note a fabulous answer to a clue in the April 4 New York Times crossword puzzle. The clue was, “Ricky Martin and Neil Patrick Harris.” The answer was, “Star Gays.” Well the Old Grey Lady sure has been getting more “with it” for a while now – and we welcome her to the 20th century, a dozen years into the 21st! P.P.S. Funny how none of the obits for CBS Newsman Mike Wallace mentioned his ground-breaking report, The Homosexuals, a classic work of homophobia. P.P.S.S. We’ll be away for a week, but back before you’ve had time to miss us.▼

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Theatre>>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

Kevin Berne

Julia Coffey (right) is a role-model neighbor who welcomes a new recruit (Emily Donahoe) to a community where it is always 1955 in ACT’s Maple and Vine.

Party like it’s 1955 by Richard Dodds

hen a vandal spraypaints graffiti on a building in Maple and Vine, he uses the g-word: Google. The town’s residents don’t want to hear it, see it, or think it. Nor do they allow themselves to taste humus, chipotle, falafels, portabella mushrooms, or any other foods that Ike and Mamie would have been unlikely to serve. “What you get is salt,” says the happy homemaking cheerleader for a manufactured community populated with refugees fleeing their wireless lives streaming with unfulfilling options. In Jordan Harrison’s darkening comedy, now at ACT, at first it seems these couples and families are trading digital madness for the simpler, more wholesome life depicted in Leave It to Beaver, Father Knows Best, and most exemplarily, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. The Nelson family played themselves, thereby walking the walk and talking the talk. The comic possibilities are obvious enough as Katha and Ryu, married Manhattanites with pressure-packed careers, give it all up to make like Ward and June Cleaver in a gated community run by the Society of Dynamic Obsolescence. But as much as the community provides a well-traveled roadmap to life, the map also becomes something of a Rorschach test that can bring up emotions and ideas that the characters have hidden from each other, and even from themselves, in the socially evolved lives they left behind. As Harrison sets up various encounters, complications, and intrigues that life according to SDO can generate, he takes us down a number of rabbit holes, but only partway, exploring the detours human nature and convoluted psyches can take. He starts the digging, and if you want to let your mind spin further down these openings, you know where to look. These can include encounters with racism, sexism, and homophobia, but perpetrators and victims are not as easily defined as they were in the world outside this retropolis. The playwright is only willing to cloud the skies so much when worlds collide. The friction is there for laughs, too. Mark Rucker has directed the

play with a sharp eye for the comic opportunities without letting the characters or situations fly into burlesque or patent absurdity. There needs to be that modulation so the more sobering aspects of this lifestyle adventure can get a proper hearing. Harrison hasn’t quite sealed all the gaps in the society he creates, but the production and the writing are bright enough to carry us over those patches when you have moments of reality checking. “Fine and dandy” may be a good way to describe the performances, given the language restrictions the SDO imposes. In the first act, we mostly see Katha and Ryu in their New York apartment bemoaning what has become of their lives together. Emily Donahoe and Nelson Lee play this couple with a fretting malaise before moving to their new community for a six-month trial. Once there, Donahoe and Lee project a sunny bemusement as they learn the ropes, as well as the trapdoors. If this community had royalty, Dean and Ellen would be on the thrones. This couple strives to project the perfect personalities as recruiters, rule-makers, and role models. Jamison Jones and Julia Coffey deliver up their characters with a sweet glaze that you know will have to crack, and when it does Jones and Coffey unleash a complicated fierceness. Coffey, along with Danny Bernardy, also play Katha’s former officemates whose snarkiness helped open her mind to Dean’s SDO recruiting spiel. This is likely a fun production for the design team, who get to work contemporary before heading to a make-believe 1955 that doesn’t require pointed authenticity. Scenery by Ralph Funicello, costumes by Alex Jaeger, lighting by Russell H. Champs, and sound by Jake Rodriguez all contribute a skewed sense of a familiar place. “You can live in color,” Dean and Ellen tell a group of new recruits who mainly know the era through black-and-white TV shows. “People actually did have red sneakers.”▼ Maple and Vine will run at ACT through April 22. Tickets are $10$95. Call 749-2228 or go to www. act-sf.org.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

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Film >>

True stories from the beaten down by David Lamble

irector Lee Hirsch (with Cynthia Lowen) created the powerful new documentary film Bully as a way of refuting the conventional wisdom that “kids will be kids,” that a seeming epidemic of kid-on-kid teasing, harassment and physical violence spreading across the heartland of America is just another media-inflated pop storm, that, as one school administrator sighs, “Boys will be boys, they’re just cruel at that age.” “What happened at the lunch table, Cody?” “He called me a faggot.” “How does that make you feel?” “It breaks my heart.” Employing a high-definition camera (Canon 5D Mark II) so small that it appears not to have inhibited the behavior in school hallways, lunchrooms and most crucially on a packed Iowa schoolbus, Hirsch demonstrates the emotional crucifixion of Sioux City, Iowa 7th grader Alex Libby. A slightly stoop-shouldered blonde kid with prominent lips, granny glasses and a desire to just get through an es-

pecially unpleasant patch in life, Alex is trapped in the middle of the bus as a scrum of pubescent boys hitting their hormonal fury starts to pound him from several directions. As Alex is punched, students in the background can be heard muttering profane oaths, but the words that really sting form the cry, “Give it to him hard!” Bully’s strength is in the filmmakers’ ability to provide emotional texture and complexity to harsh, unaccountably cruel events, the moral guidance we usually seek from great fiction, like the incendiary dispatches from the boyhood Kansas of Scott Heim (Mysterious Skin). At home with a loving if exasperated family, Alex reflects on the target he seems to wear at school. “People call me fish face. I don’t mind much. I’m starting to think that I don’t feel anything anymore.” Later Alex fences with his dad and sister about his pariah status. “A high school kid called me the ‘b’ word, he said I was his ‘b.’” “Pretty soon people just see you as a punching bag. No one respects a punching bag.” “I’ll get picked on, especially be-

Sioux City, Iowa 7th grader Alex Libby in director Lee Hirsch’s Bully.

cause you’re my brother, they think you’re a freak.” Alex’s mom confesses that her oldest was born prematurely, and the doctors predicted he wouldn’t survive 24 hours. As to his stoicism she tells his dad, “He wants to be you, and he never sees you cry.” In an unguarded moment, Alex slyly confesses to liking girls. A New York film critic notes, “He’ll be considered cool-looking when he’s older, an American Belmondo,” a star in the making, if only he makes it through this movie. Bully puts the lie to media clichés that victims are invariably gay or geeky. But sometimes they are, and so what? Kelda is a bold, witty, community-minded out lesbian whom one can imagine heading up a nonprofit, starting a company or running for office, if she can survive the near-total ostracism of her small-minded Tuttle, Oklahoma neighbors, one of whom tried to run her over with a minivan. Kelda’s dad, who finally decides to take the family to a larger, hopefully more tolerant community, confides,

“I never understood the meaning of the expression knowing what it’s like to walk in somebody else’s shoes until I realized I had a gay child.” Bully, thanks to a teenage-led Internet petition drive and the stubbornness of its producer Harvey Weinstein, has been released from the movie board’s R-rating woodshed (reportedly for six “fucks”) and will now be seen by a much wider theatrical and possibly even in-school audience. What they’ll see is a film that shows how kids like Alex and Kelda can survive with the backing of determined parents willing to face down timid, blind or politically cowed school administrators, like the female assistant principal who claims that there was nothing amiss on Alex’s bus. “I’ve been on that bus, those kids are as good as gold.” But the harshest truths come from parents who discovered how emotionally beaten down their kids had become only after it was too late. The father of 17-year-old Tyler Long, who hung himself in the closet of his

Murray County, Georgia home after enduring years of escalating torment, ruefully recites learning that his son couldn’t even shower after gym without mortification. “When you’re in the shower and they take your clothes, and you can’t leave without going out naked.” The no-nonsense African American mom of 14-year-old Ja’Meya Jackson pulled her child back from the brink after her daughter finally snapped and waved a gun at tormenting students on a Yazoo City, Mississippi schoolbus. Instead of multiple felony charges, young Jackson got a second-chance waiver from the system despite a stern-faced white sheriff’s opinion that she should do serious time after an incident where no one was physically harmed. An oft-repeated story in my family was how my older cousin Richard was bullied and beaten by classmates in his tiny Upstate New York school until my grandfather intervened. My own torment arrived suddenly and inexplicably in a Long Beach, Long Island junior high shop class. I still feel the sting of yelling out to my tormentors to “Leave me alone!” in a whiny voice that one never wants to own, the inner punk whose shame never entirely disappears. Bully’s true achievement is to articulate the shame of victims and their still-grieving survivors. In a photo of the late Tyler Long, the 17-year-old, in his lone posthumous movie, displays the trademark spunk and grit of a Joseph Gordon-Levitt. In a community meeting organized by his parents in his memory, Tyler’s dad echoed the message of this bold and necessary film. “My voice is not going to fall silent. I will not go to my grave until a difference is made.”▼

Theatre >>

Child’s play by Richard Dodds

he opening scenes of Octopus’s Garden set up a scenario that promises an unpredictably complex resolution, at which point the playwright proceeds to back-peddle to a conclusion that the opening scenes have clearly announced. Numerous moments with a gentle, genuine glow come in-between, but the mostly reverse-chronological storytelling pretty much inhibits surprise for the sake of a theatrical device of no clear benefit. PianoFight is presenting the premiere of Seattle playwright Scott Her-

Andrew-Hanson Strong

Nandi Drayton (center) has two mothers, a lesbian couple (Gabrielle Patacsil and Leah Shesky) whose relationship grows rocky as the child’s biographical father unexpectedly arrives in PianoFight’s Octopus’s Garden.

man’s first full-length play, having just completed a run at the Alcove Theatre before resuming performances at Stage Werx in rotating repertory with a pair of sketch-comedy shows. Octopus’s Garden has its own comic moments, but the dominant moods are sweet and sour. If the information revealed in the play’s first moments occurred any place other than at the start, a spoiler alert would be required. But that info is also part of the production’s promotional blurb, which announces that the play is about a lesbian couple raising an 8-year-old daughter who are caught off-guard when the biological father pays an unexpected visit to meet the child. Lilly and Claire thought they had more time before giving Anna the facts-of-her-life story, a situation made more complicated as the free-spiritedly gay Grant begins to bond with the still-unawares Anna. This modern-family dilemma is further complicated by Claire’s visceral dislike for Grant, who was

Lilly’s best friend and roommate before Claire came into the picture, and then went on to be Lilly’s sperm-ofchoice despite Claire’s unmistakable preference for an anonymous donor to jumpstart a family. With the pieces in place for dramatic revelations in the face of parents protecting a child, pressured relationships buckling, old jealousies reignited, and the force of biological kinship, the playwright skips all that in a backwards march to conception that includes an unapologetic hetero high-five. The flashback scenes offer more intense and detailed variations on what we already know, most specifically on how Lilly’s child is to be fathered. But before the time-traveling begins, Herman provides us with the play’s best scenes. Most notably, these are the exchanges between Grant and the girl who doesn’t know that he is her father. There is a tender naturalism in these moments, enhanced by Nandi See page 22 >>

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Books>>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

When justice arrived by Tim Pfaff

ittle wonder proponents of gay marriage are nearly as worried about how and when the issue will arrive at the U.S. Supreme Court as about what the eventual decision will be. Current high-court jinks over “Obamacare,” shocking and disturbing as they may be, pale before the story of the Court’s 2003 overruling of the nation’s sodomy laws as told in Dale Carpenter’s Flagrant Conduct: The Story of Lawrence v. Texas (Norton). This “story behind the story” – much of which the justices deciding the case did not know, and to this day has been obscured by deep layers of myth – is as flabbergasting, nailbiting, page-turning, and all-around good as tales get. Once past the seeming bump in the first paragraph of the first chapter – when Carpenter, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, refers to the principals in Lawrence v. Texas as the “codefendants” rather than the petitioners in the case – there’s no doubt we’re in the hands of a writer who’s as masterful a storyteller as he is a legal scholar.

As Carpenter reveals, John Lawrence and Tyrone Garner, who were arrested for having sex (the two of the four cops on the scene who “witnessed” the sex did not agree on

whether it was anal or oral) in Lawrence’s apartment on September 17, 1998, not only were not having sex, but also probably were not then or at

Word for word by Jim Piechota

Mad for Meat by Kevin Simmonds; SalmonPoetry Citizen by Aaron Shurin; City Lights Books

wo multi-talented San Francisco writers have taken wordplay to new heights in books that are diminutive but rich in complexity and brimming with dexterous talent. Kevin Simmonds’ Mad for Meat sounds like an erotica story collection, but instead there’s a lot of deeply-felt racial commentary woven throughout. “The Poet, 1955” focuses on murdered African-American teenager Emmett Till; pancake queen Aunt Jemima makes a firm statement about her place on America’s breakfast table in “Uncle Ben know what I’m talking ’bout”; and startlingly authentic vernacular distinguishes verses on renowned diva Eartha Kitt, civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, and dedications to the “New York Stenographer who Disrespected Paul Robeson.” Atmosphere plays a significant role here as well. New Orleans, the author’s birthplace, rises back up in “After Katrina” as Simmonds describes his aunt sifting through the storm’s aftermath in front of her house, and elsewhere he scours the “French Quarter” for “one boy who knows the relevance of his body.” The poet’s “San Francisco” piece hits all of the right notes from Tenderloin life (“at post & larkin, perfumed & bosomed; tranny be thy names, one eyeing me”) to the general (and much downplayed) air of superiority among its residents (“we are septic & dissatisfied with our attention spans.”) Simmonds’ sexuality permeates the collection in both confrontational and passive manners. His “Sermon” dictates that “not every two bodies will create children,” and in “Emis-

sary” his words chide us to “steep in the hot water of everybody else’s say so,” but the smooth sensuality found in works like “Color Me” and “Singapore” nicely balances things out and creates a situation where strife and sex can coexist. This is an impressive debut poetry collection, and it will in-

deed be interesting to see where Simmonds goes from here. Aaron Shurin, on the other hand, is no stranger to poetry, since his former works include Involuntary Lyrics and The Paradise of Forms, both well-received, along with several other books and a more recent book of 20-plus essays called King of Shadows. As a longtime San Francisco resident (he’s been here since 1974!), Shurin places the Bay Area front and center in Citizen, his first collection of prose poetry in 15 years. Lyrical and sketched with lush strokes of purpose and panache, these densely evocative paragraphs demonstrate a wide range of moods and desires. It would be difficult to find a piece in Shurin’s tightly constructed bounty that doesn’t reiterate the beauty of his cerebrally-interpreted text, but there are indeed standouts and, conversely, some pages that

any other time sexual partners. Nor were they obvious candidates to become the petitioners in a case legalrights activists had been avid to bring ever since Bowers. v. Hardwick upheld state sodomy laws a dozen years earlier. At the time, Lawrence, who didn’t know how to answer the question if he was a homosexual when he enlisted in the Navy because he didn’t know what “homosexual” meant, had a history of DUIs that included a murder-by-automobile conviction. Garner, said credibly by many to be “sweet,” had a string of assault charges on his rap sheet, and barely supported himself as a dishwasher and housecleaner. Yet so totemic were these two otherwise undistinguished men – both now dead and as far as can be imagined from being gay heroes – to become that, in the actual arguments before the Supreme Court, their names were not spoken in oral argument. It’s the rare page of Flagrant Conduct that doesn’t have a thigh-slapping revelation. Take, for example, the simple matter that their initial “case” would probably not even have been noticed had it not been for the fact that a clos-

eted clerk for the local judge to whom it was assigned happened to notice the “sodomy” charge, so rarely was it actually brought. He told his equally closeted lover, a sergeant in the county sheriff’s office, about it, and that night, when the two made a routine stop at Pacific Street, a local gay bar, Sgt. Walker mentioned it to the bartender, Lane Lewis, a local gay-rights activist. The rest, as Carpenter deftly shows, was history. Lest there be any doubt that Carpenter himself writes from the position of gay-rights advocate, here’s a characteristic observation: “To any student of gay life and history, the fact that a critical moment in the case took place in a gay bar should not be surprising. Such venues had long been the site of much-needed socializing and information-sharing

could possibly rise above the heads of more inexperienced poetry fanatics. Among the more remarkable are the sensually charged “Throttle Boy” (“chocolate smell – coastal lather – bumping into each other by shoulder and elbow, secret plumage”), the provocative allure of “The Correspondences” (“it was shirt-sleeve

warmth as they walked the urban sea wall, spanning the smiles of passing men, marking their giveaway gestures”), and the title piece set “across the wide rim of the Bay,” where the unnamed subject “will locate himself on a map of monarchs and queens.” Shurin’s three sections – Flare, Gather, and Hive – beautifully il-

Tim Rummelhoff

Author Dale Carpenter.

in an era of repression.” The book’s 300 pages are an exhaustive examination of all the elements of the case, from the background of American (and especially Texan) legal repression of gay sex to the future implications of the case, not the least of them the gay marriage battle. Carpenter brings to it all a novelist’s gift for character and a dramatist’s for scene. In the gripping chapter on the oral arguments at the Court, Paul Smith, the petitioners’ counsel, is depicted as memorably as Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird. Texas DA Chuck Rosenthal leaves an equally indelible impression, as a creature from the out-takes of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Then, the justices themselves demonstrate that real life trumps fiction every time. Carpenter also has the grace to let the ironies inherent in this literally fabulous story surface without, so to speak, waving a flag over them. One of the richest moments in the book recalls the pregnant, disbelieving silence in the courtroom after Justice Antonin Scalia, questioning counsel about the issue of individual rights in a case about alleged anal sex, intoned, “Does that make flagpole-sitting a fundamental right?” Fifty pages later comes the touching story about how, on the morning the Lawrence ruling was announced, San Francisco gay-rights leaders held See page 23 >>

lustrate the wonder of the flashy, the temptation to collect, and an apparent strength in numbers. Not for every taste, the author’s obscure technique and flowery repurposing of phrase and dictum may require numerous readings to get to the heart, soul, and literary carat of each of these gemstones. ▼

<< Fine Art

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

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A two-page spread from 2137 Tanger Socco, Letters from Paul Bowles to Ira Yeager, Paintings by Ira Yeager.

Kindred spirits on the road to Morocco by Michael McDonagh

rt openings are hit-or-miss affairs. People are either zealously guarding their space – is this person important enough for me to approach? – or letting their hair down and having a ball. Bay Area-based painter Ira Yeager’s January opening at his printer Peter Koch’s Berkeley studio fell squarely in the latter camp. The company was charming, the food heaven, the music lively, and Yeager even danced. The occasion? A book launch of his two livres d’artistes. A limited edition (60 copies) of Return to Morocco, 1977 (2012) pairs his graphite-with-watercolor portrait studies of Arab and Berber men and women in “native” dress with his comments and quotes. The very limited edition (just 30 copies) 2137 Tanger Socco (Del Milion Editions, 2011) conjoins his painted portraits of Moroccans with his all-in-caps text, accompanied by 20 letters written to him between 1962 and 1986 by his American novelist friend Paul Bowles (1910-99), whom some see as the expat par excellance and the quintessential Beat. It’s a marriage made in heaven, because Yeager and Bowles went, and in Yeager’s case still continues to go, their own highly individual ways. It’s also succinct. “Dear Ira: I haven’t heard from you in a long time, so I write to see how you are,” Bowles says in a 1963 letter, with Yeager’s equally terse portrait and description of his friend, “Abdullah was a favorite of both the men and the women,” on the facing page. And there are Bowles’ socio-political observations in a letter from the same year. “It appears that anything which gives pleasure must immediately be prohibited by law in the U.S. What did we have the Pilgrim Fathers for unless it was to establish a set of rules. Pleasure is a dangerous and evil thing and can be allowed only under certain conditions, chief among which are that it be paid for heavily.” With the likes of Santorum gunning for the Republican presidential nomination this year, it looks like things haven’t changed one bit. A search for pleasure and a better climate is what drove Yeager and his

Octopus’s Garden

From page 20

Drayton’s charmingly unaffected performance as the 8-year-old girl, and Andrew-Hanson Strong’s low-key engagement with Grant. That guitar-toting Grant is gay is an openly discussed plot point, but no gaydar has yet been invented that could capture any pings in Strong’s

artist friend Stuart Church to decamp from cold, rainy France to dry, sunny Morocco. Yeager called his fellow adventurers there “Danger Queens.” Susan Filter puts it almost as colorfully in her 2137 Tanger Socco intro. Morocco “was an exotic melange of Berbers, French Arabs, Spanish, libertine American heiresses, Gurdjieffians, artists, drunks, kif smokers, Russian spies, famous writers, Beat poets and riff raff of various sorts. The famous writers and Beat poets who came and went included William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and his boyfriend Peter Orlovsky, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and

in this exotic and dangerous climate. And the painter goes the writer one step further, by dedicating Return to Morocco to Mohamed Choukri (1935-2003), who became an artist not by design, but by choice. “I saw that writing would be a way to expose, to protest against those who have stolen my childhood, my teenagehood and a piece of my youthfulness. At that time my writing became committed.” “The Women the Fatimas put ground glass in their husbands’ food. They hated them,” Yeager notes under his portrait of a fierce-looking Fatima. “The Atlantic slams against

composer Aaron Copland” (Bowles’ composition teacher before he turned his attention to writing), amounting to a sort of gay pantheon. Plus there was Bowles’ fellow writer and gay wife Jane Bowles (1917-72), whose girlfriend Cherifa, whom her husband describes in a letter to Yeager as veiled and suspicious-looking, was apparently poisoning her. Being gay was, of course, a lot more dangerous then, before “the love that dare not speak its name” became, as my dear late writer friend Stephanie von Buchau used to say, “the love that won’t shut up.” But Yeager and Bowles blossomed

the house at high tide. At low tide people in assorted turbans gather assorted shellfish among the rocks.” Yeager and Bowles work off each other. Bowles’ words here have the stark atmosphere and surgical clarity of his stories “The Delicate Prey” (1950) and “The Wind at Beni Midar” (1962). Yeager’s deft pictures and deadpan descriptions – “MB was the most beautiful. He went with both men and women. The most expensive. He died in a crash in Germany. A nose like a falcon.” – do similar service. Both were obviously meant for Morocco.▼

otherwise shaggy-likable performance. Gabrielle Patacsil delivers a finely textured performance as Lilly, perhaps the most emotionally nuanced role in the play, while Leah Shesky finds kernels of warmth in the unenviable role of the usually carping Claire. Director Devin McNulty allows the play its casual, sensitive rhythms, although an overall tightened pac-

ing from both writer and director would be helpful. “I’m getting antsy,” says one character as another strings out a story. It’s an understandable comment.▼ Octopus’s Garden will play Saturdays at Stage Werx through May 4 as part of PianoFight’s Triple Threat series. Go to www.pianofight.com.

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Music>>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

Jay Brannan’s makeover by Gregg Shapiro

ob Me Blind (Nettwerk), out singer/songwriter Jay Brannan’s first album of original material in four years, takes him in a new direction. Lushly produced by David Kahne, the disc features the type of orchestration one might not expect to find on a disc by the usually stripped-down singer. But in presenting his songs in this way, Brannan succeeds in not losing himself in the keyboards and drums. I spoke with Jay shortly before the album’s release. Gregg Shapiro: One of the first things that listeners will notice about your new album is the difference in its sound. Rob Me Blind is a more produced album. Why did you go in that direction? Jay Brannan: That was 100% the goal this time. I wanted to take it to a different place and not just make the same album over and over again. I wanted to experiment with additional instrumentation and try to do things that I’ve been terrified of in the past, like maybe use some drums or percussion. On In Living Cover, you perform covers of songs by Joni Mitchell, Ani DiFranco and Dolores O’Riordan. In your song “The State of Music” on Rob Me Blind, you pay tribute to those three women and a few others. Those are musicians that are definitely up there, as singers or songwriters. The Cranberries were my

You have been playing shows across the globe, growing an international audience. Was “Denmark” written while you were in Denmark? No, that’s kind of an inside joke. “Denmark” was actually written about an experience I had in Brazil. I had a little whirlwind love affair when I was visiting Brazil, and it was a really special experience, that sort of youthful magic you can feel when you con-

Flagrant Conduct

From page 21

a rally in Harvey Milk Plaza during which the rainbow flag was lowered and a huge U.S. flag raised in its place “as a way of proclaiming in effect, ‘Finally, we’re Americans.’” Jenny Pizer, a lawyer for Lambda Legal, which brought the case, “told the assembled throng, ‘This is our Declaration of Independence. We now have the right to love and make love. We have the right to be fabulous.’” Lawrence was one of the rare cases in which the Supreme Court reversed

nect with someone. I’ve never even been to Denmark! My writing process is weird. I don’t have any formal guitar training, so I can’t write a song then make up a guitar part for it. Normally I’ll start with guitar, and half the time I don’t know what the song is going to be about until it’s written, because it starts from the lyric idea. I like to take clichés and turn them on their heads, then figure out how to work them into a verse. It happens different ways, but sometimes an idea lilike that will spark an eentire composition. Y You sing in Spanish o on “The Spanglish SSong.” Do you speak SSpanish or did you n need assistance with tthe lyrics? I don’t speak Spaniish, and I did write tthat by myself. I did rrun it by some native sspeakers to make sure I had it grammatically correct. I’m a llittle bit OCD about tthat kind of thing. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to try to do it properly and not sound like an idiot. I would love to speak another language, but I don’t. There is an air of violence on the album: the bullet in “Myth of Happiness,” the gut punch in “Greatest Hits,” the clawed mortar in “Rob Me Blind” and the shrapnel in “The State of Music.” Does that say something about your current mindset? I suppose if I ever get health insurance, maybe I should see a therapist! I feel like I’m known for being the angsty, sad guy who has the soul of a seventh grade goth girl. That’s what inspires me to write: fear, frustration, anxiety, anger, all those things I have a difficult time coping with. Those are the reasons that I write songs, so that I’m able to say it out loud. You look love dead in the eye on the songs “La La La” and “A Love Story.” So is love in the cards for you?

itself, overturning Bowers – signaling that it could reverse itself yet again in a case about gay marriage. Because, as Carpenter frequently points out, Lawrence was not just about the ill-defined term sodomy, but rather about relationships, families (however defined), and lives, its import for the forthcoming ruling on gay marriage could not be clearer, or less certain. To the extent that it’s true that we who do not know our history are condemned to repeat it, Flagrant Conduct is essential reading. Good of Carpenter to make the task an unalloyed pleasure.▼

I sure hope so! But I don’t know if there’s any way of knowing for sure. I’ve not been in a relationship in a very long time. I’m hoping that I’m capable of it, but my track record is not good. It’s been a few years since moviegoers were introduced to you in Shortbus. Do you have any plans to return to film? I would love to do more acting. It’s always in the back of my mind. Every now and then I get the chance to go out and audition for stuff. It’s hard because I’d like to do both music and acting, but they work very differently. Music has to be planned at least six months in advance, and acting, you have to be available at all times for a last-minute thing. It’s hard to coordinate the two. Obviously Shortbus was a really important vehicle for my music. But for me the two really build on each other.▼

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favorite band when I was in eighth grade, when No Need To Argue came out. I listened to that CD on repeat in my room by myself for the next two years. I didn’t discover Joni Mitchell until recently, after I released Goddamned and people made comparisons to her. I think she’s a much better singer and songwriter than I am, but I’m flattered. Ani is one of the best guitar players and songwriters of our time. I also have an immense amount of admiration for Sinead O’Connor.

NYC-based singer/songwriter Jay Brannan.

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<< Out&About

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

Thu 12>> Antique Vibrator Museum @ Good vibrations Opening reception for an unusual exhibit of vintage sexual stimulus devices. 6pm-8pm. 1620 Polk St. at Sacramento. 345-0400. www.goodvibes.com

Life & Death in Black & White

Serious /Silly By Jim Provenzano

film, a photo, a song, a stage; LGBT artists use any medium necessary to convey the emotional impact of real life events. How To Survive a Plague, David France’s striking documentary film about ACT UP’s early days and its later focus on treatment issues, makes its Bay Area premiere after winning audience and critical raves at various film festivals. Meet the crew and some ACT UP pioneers like Peter Staley at the April 19 screening. It’s part of the SF International Film Festival (thru May 3). $13. 9pm. Sundance Kabuki Cinema, 1881 Post St. www.howtosurviveaplague.com How To Survive a Plague www.festival.sffs.orgg Life & Death in Black & White: AIDS Direct Action in San Francisco, 1985–1990 focuses on the work off Jane Philomen Cleland, Patrick Clifton, Marc Geller, Rick Gerharter and Daniel Nicoletta, five gay & lesbian photographers who documented the emergence of militant AIDS activism in San Francisco through the medium of black-and-white film. $5. Wed-Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later continues its run at New Conservatory Theatre Cen-o ter. The sequel to the groundbreaking drama, based on real interviews with Love/Hate people effected by the violent murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming, gets its San Francisco premiere. $25-$40. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru April 29. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org Jack Perla and Rob Bailis’ Love/Hate, a The Laramie Project: dark-hued chamber opera, includes both Ten Years Later serious and comedic rhapsodic themes about passion and life, exemplified by a few perplexing personal lives. $35-$55. August 12 thru 15. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 7pm. ODC Theater, 3153 17th St. 8636606. www.odctheater.org On to the Silly Party! Monty Python’s Spamalot, the hit musical version of the British comedy collective’s film, Monty Py- Monty Python’s Spamalot thon and the Holy Grail, returns. $30-$200. Wed-Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru April 22. Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St. (888) 746-1799. www.shnsf.com Can it get any sillier than Varla Jean Merman? The statuesque drag performer (Jeffery Roberson) invades The Rrazz Room with The Book of Merman, a comic show with hilarious music. $25-$40. 8pm. Wed-Sun thru April 28, 8pm. April 22 & 29 7pm. 2-drink min. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (800) 380-3095. www. varlaonline.com www.TheRrazzRoom.com Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes, an exhibit of Varla Jean Merman original art by the Oakland graphic novel illustrator and Academy Awardnominated screenwriter (Ghost World) deftly straddles the line between comic and creepy. Free-$12. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm Thru Aug. 12. Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak St. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org Modern Cartoonist: The Art of Daniel Clowes

Jane Philoman Cleland

Artitti Quartet @ Herbst Theatre Acclaimed contemporary chamber music ensemble performs works by Berg, Beethoven, Ades and Bartok. $25-$65. 8pm. 401 Van Ness Ave. 392-2545. www.sfperformances.org

Hairspray @ Fox Theatre, Redwood City The national touring company of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical based on the campy John Waters film makes a Bay Area appearance. $20-$48. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru April 22. 2215 Broadway St., Redwood City. (650) 579-5565. www.broadwaybythebay.org

Move(Men)t 5 @ The Garage Fifth anniversary concert of men’s choreography features new works by Tim Rubel’s Human Shakes, April 12 & 13. $10-$20. 8pm. 978 Howard St. 518-1517. www.975howard.com

Fri 13>> Alma Llanera; Spirit of the Plains @ CounterPulse Choregrapher Gema Sandoval’s Danze Floricanto/USA perform a two-hour storydance about a young Mexican boy’s immigration g and coming of age. $15. 8pm. Also April 14. 1310 Mission St. at 9th. www.counterpulse www.counterpulse.org

Anatoll @ Aur Aurora Theatre, Berkeley B Arthur Schn Schnitzler’s play about a Viennese philanderer, in the world premiere of a newly trans translated adaptation by Mar Margret Schaefer. $34-$55. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm & 7pm. 2081 Addison Ad St. Thru T May 13. (510) ( 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org w

Any Given Day An @ Magic M Theatre Linda McLean’s taut drama about b ffamily tensions in a Glasgow Scotland family. $20-$60. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2:30pm. Fort Mason, Bldg. D., 3rd floor. 441-8822. www.magictheatre.org

The Caretaker @ Curran Theatre Jonathan Pryce stars in a new London touring production of the revival of Harold Pinter’s comic yet menacing drama. $25$175. Tue-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm & 7:30pm. Thru April 22. 445 Geary St. (888) 746 1799. www.shnsf.com/shows/thecaretaker

Cobra @ Magnet Exhibit of wooden carvings with a decidedly erotic nature, made by the Santa Cruz artist. Exhibit thru April. 4122 18th St. www.magnetsf.org

The Coast of Utopia: Voyage @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley

Tue-Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru April 22. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Marilyn Pittman @ The Marsh The veteran lesbian comic gets a little more serious in her solo show about her parents’ tragic murder-suicide deaths. $15-$35-$50. Thu 8pm, Sat 8:30pm, Sun 7pm. Extended thru May 27. Studio Theater, 1062 Valencia St. (800) 838-3006. www.themarsh.org

Midnites for Maniacs @ Castro Theatre Friday the 13th trio of odd films: Lost in Translation (7:15), Battle Royale (9:30pm), and the utterly unbelievable Japaense horror flick House (Hausu) at 11:45. $13. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

The Real Americans @ The Marsh Dan Hoyle’s fascinating multiple-character solo show based on his cross-country trek into America’s red states and liberal cities. $25-$50. Fri 8pm. Sat 5pm. Sun 2pm. Thru April 14. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Red @ Berkeley Repertory John Logan’s (screenwriter of The Aviator, Gladiator and Hugo) Broadway hit about abstract painter Mark Rothko, engaged in a battle of wits with his young assistant, makes its West Coast debut. $14-$72. TueSat 8pm. Sun 2pm. & 7pm Extended thru May 12. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org

SF International Women’s Film Festival @ Roxie Theater 8th annual showcase of indie women’s films, including the closing night feature, That’s What She Said, directed by True Blood star Carrie Preston. $12-$130 (full pass). April 13-15. www.sfwff.com www.roxie.com

Sugar @ Eureka Theater 42nd Street Moon’s production of Peter Stone, Bob Merrill and Jule Styne’s 1972 comic drag musical based on the Billy Wilder film Some Like It Hot; starring award-winning drag actor Scott Hayes. $20$50. Wed 7pm. Thu & Fri 8pm. Sat 6pm. Thru April 22. 215 Jackson St. 255-8205. www.42ndstmoon.org

Sat 14>> Audience as Subject @ YBCA Mark Bradford (found material sculptures) and Audience as Subject, Part 2, (big photos of fans at soccer matches and rock concerts), plus other exhibits. Thru May 27. 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi Musical comedy revue, now in its 35th year, with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. Reg: $25-$130. Wed, Thu, Fri at 8pm. Sat 6:30, 9:30pm. Sun 2pm, 5pm. (Beer/wine served; cash only). 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Choose Paint! Choose Abstraction! @ MOAD Exhibit of abstract art by African American artists. Exhibit thru Museum of the African Disapora, 685 Mission St. 358-7200. www.moadsf.org

The Cult of Beauty @ Legion of Honor

Shotgun Players’ staging of Tom Stoppard’s first in a trilogy of works exploring a wealthy family in pre-revolutionary Russia. $7-$32. Wed & Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm Thru April 15. 1901 Ashby Ave. (510) 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org

Subtitled The Victorian Avante-Garde, 18601900, this new exhibit focuses on the British Aesthetic Movement; paintings, architecture and decorative arts. Free-$20. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. Thru June 17. Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave. 750-3620. www.famsf.org

Hot Greeks @ The Hypnodrome

Departing Things @ The Garage

Thrillpeddlers revives the Cockettes’ hilarious college comedy revue that meets ancient Greek bawdy burlesque in a new expanded version, with a new cast, costumes, songs and fabulous camp. $30-$35; $69 for a pair. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru May 5. 575 10th St. at Bryant 10t & Division. (800) 8383006. www.thrill peddlers.com

M Maple & Vine @ American C Conservatory TTheatre West Coast premiere W oof Jordan Harrison’s ddark comedy about a ccouple who give up ccontemporary life and jjoin a group of 1950s rreenactors who want to lilive life like “the good oold days.” $10-$95.

New performance piece by Jorge Rodolfo De Hoyos, with Emily Leap and Kevin O’Connor. $15. 8pm. Also April 15. 975 Howard St. at 6th. www.975howard.com

Heart & Soul @ the Rrazz Room Vocal trio sings the music of Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick and Whitney Houston. $35-$45. 7pm & 9:30pm. 2-drink min. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (800) 380-3095. www.TheRrazzRoom.com

Jean Paul Gaultier @ de Young Museum The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, the first exhibition devoted to the gay French fashion designer (previously shown in Montreal and Dallas), includes film and stage costumes and haute couture, prints, video clips and more. Also, Arthur Tress: San Francisco 1964. The Sculpture of Stephen De Staebler, and The Art of the Anatolian Kilim: High-

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lights from the McCoy Jones Collection. $6-$20. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

John Waters @ Sonoma Veteran’s Memorial Building The gay director of numerous camp classics brings his This Filthy World solo show/lecture to wine country as part of the Sonoma International Film Festival. $25 (show only) - $175 (dinner). 9pm. 126 First St. West. (707) 933-2600. www.sonomafilmfest.org

Miss Castro Country Club @ Most Holy Redeemer Laybelline hosts the third annual drag contest for queen of the sober –yet quite fun– space; judges Clammy Faye, Stephanie R. and Syphilis Diller. $5-$10. 6:30 AA meeting. 8pm show. 100 Diamond St. at 18th. www.castrocountryclub.org

Photography in Mexico @ SF Museum of Modern Art New group exhibit of historic prints documenting Mexican life and culture since 1920. Also, The Utopian Impulse: Buckminster Fuller and the Bay Area, and a new mural by Dutch artist Parra. Thru July 29. Free-$18. Open daily (except Wednesdays) 11am-5:45pm.; open late Thursdays, until 8:45pm. 131 Third St. 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org

Salsa Dancing @ Magnet Queer Ballroom hosts lessons and open dancing for same-sex ballroom styles (2nd Saturdays). 7pm. 4122 18th St. www.magnetsf.org

SF Hiking Club @ Mt. Wittenberg Join GLBT hikers for a 13-mile trek to the top of Mt. Wittenberg (the highest point in Point Reyes National Seashore), then down to the beach with a return through beautiful meadows. Bring lunch, water, sunscreen, hat, layers, sturdy boots. Carpool meets 9:45 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. (510) 910-8734. www.sfhiking.com

Shamanism Class @ LGBT Center Find your spirit guide at the monthly LGBT spiritual workshop. 10am-12pm, Room 308, 1800 Market St. RSVP: lizsanpablo@ aol.com www.sfcenter.org

Wong Kar-Wai Films @ Castro Theatre Rare triple feature of the visually poetic 1960s Hong Kong trilogy, Days of Being Wild (5pm), In the Mood for Love (7pm) and 2046 (2:30, 8:55). $8-$11. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Youth Theatre Project @ Mission Cultural Center San Francisco Mime Troupe students’ collaborative ensemble shows, created in the troupe’s youth playwriting workshops. Free. 2pm. 2868 Mission St. at 24th. 285-1717. www.sfmt.org

Sun 15>> A.C.T. Gala @ Regency Darren Criss, Bill Irwin, Patrick Lane and Betsy Wolfe perform at the elegant fundraiser for American Conservatory Theatre. $500, $1000 and up. 5pm-11pm. 1300 Van Ness Ave. www.act-sf.org

Americana Bands @ Amnesia Late Songbird Presents The Gomorran Social Aid Pleasure Club, The Bodice RIppers, and Vagabondage. $7-$10. 9pm. 853 Valencia St. www.vagabondageband.com

Do Not Destroy @ Contemp. Jewish Museum Trees, Art and Jewish Thought, a group exhibit exploring the tree in Jewish tradition; thru May 28. $5-$12. Thu-Tue 11am-5pm. 736 Mission St. at 3rd. 655-7800. www.thecjm.org

Double Features @ Castro Theatre See two thematically related films for the price of one. April 15, Sutro’s: The Palace at Land’s End (1pm) and Remembering Playland (3pm). Also April 15, two political thrillers, The Manchurian Candidate (6:30) and The Parallax View (8:55). April 18, Michelangelo Antonioni films Red Desert (2:20, 7pm) and Zabriskie Point (4:40, 9:20). $10. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet and Harry Denton host the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.harrydenton.com

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Out&About >>

Thunder From Down Under @ The Rrazz Room Muscled male Aussie dancers perform a tasteful strip show. $35. 7pm. 2-drink min. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (800) 3803095. www.TheRrazzRoom.com

Mon 16>>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Tue 17>>

Broadside Attractions, Vanquished Terrains @ Intersection for the Arts

Dharma Brandon @ Magnet

Group exhibit of paired visual and literary artists’ works exploring the history of print publishing. Tue-Sat 12pm-6pm. 925 Mission St. 626-2787. www.theintersection.org

Discussion about sexual fantasies and obsessions. Free. 6:30pm. RSVP at www. InsightTransformation.com 4122 18th St. www.magnetsf.org

Museums & the Remaking of Holocaust Memory @ Kanbar Hall

The Drag Show @ Various Channels

All Agita, All the Time @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley Shotgun Players’ staged family-style reading fo the script from the first episode of the HBO series The Sopranos. $10. 8pm. 1901 Ashby Ave. (510) 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org

Monday Musicals @ The Edge The renovated bar shows fun musicals each week. 7pm-2am (live show at 9pm). 2 for 1 Stoli cocktails. 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Q Comedy @ Stage Werx Theater It’s another night of gay comedy, with “Bobaloo” Koenig (from L.A.), Qcomedy founder Nick Leonard, Karen Ripley and host Scot Free, with other guests. $8-$20. 8pm. 446 Valencia St. at 16th. www.Qcomedy.com

Ten Percent @ Comcast 104 David Perry’s talk show about LGBT people and issues. April 16-22, David interviews Rob Bailis, librettist for Love/Hate, the world’s first bi-sexual opera; and Jenny McAllister, director of the new dance/ theatre piece, Bloomsbury/It’s Not Real. Mon-Fri 11:30am & 10:30pm. Sat & Sun 10:30pm. www.comcasthometown.com

Elect to Laugh @ The Marsh

Panel discussion with Edward Rothstein, Cultural Critic-at-Large, New York Times with Stephen Smith, Shoah Foundation; moderated by Connie Wolf, Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University. Free. 7pm. Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St. at Presidio. 292-1233. www.jccsf.org/arts

Will Durst welcomes comic commentator pals to a new weekly political humor night. $15-$50. 8pm. Thru Nov 6. 1062 Valencia St. at 21st. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Thu 19>>

Stu Smith’s weekly LGBT variety show features local talents, and not just drag artistes. Channels 29 & 76 on Comcast; 99 on AT&T and 30 on Astound. www.thedragshow.org

Comedy Bodega @ Esta Nocha

In the Heights @ San Jose Center for the Performing Arts

The LGBT and indie comic stand-up night’s hosted by “Mr. Gomez” (retired Telemundo extra and associate of comic Marga Gomez). 8pm-9:30pm. 3079 16th St. at Mission. www.comedybodega.com

The touring company of the Tony Awardwinning Broadway musical about Spanish Harlem residents. $20-$75. Tue-Thu 7:30pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sat 2pm. Sun 1pm & 6pm. Thru April 22. (408) 792-4131. www.InTheHeightsOnTour.com www.broadwaysanjose.com

Fauxgirls @ Infusion Lounge The classy drag revue moves to a new location (3rd Thursdays). Victoria Secret, Alexandria, Chanel, Maria Garza, Mini Minerva, Kipper, Daffney Deluxe and Ruby LeBrowne; dinner seating at 7pm. Show at 8pm. No cover. 124 Ellis St. 421-8700. www.fauxgirls.com

Wed 18>> Americana Bands @ The Stork Club, Oakland

Great Directors @ YBCA

Thee Hobo Gobbelins, Vagabondage, 5 Cent Coffee, and Victoria & the Vaudevillains perform live. $5. 8pm. 21+. 2330 Telegraph Ave. www.vagabondageband.com

Weekly series of documentaries and films about great directors. $6-$8. 7:30pm. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts screening room, 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

The Human Form @ Robert Tat Gallery Exhibit of vintage and contemporary photographic prints, including some stunning male and female nudes by James Bidgood, George Platt Lynes, Wilhelm Von Gloeden and others. Tue-Sat 11am-5:30pm. 49 Geary St. #410. 781-1122. www.roberttat.com

Saints and Sinners @ Visual Aid

Tom McKean

Exhibit of works by David Faulk and Michael Johnstone. Artist talk April 19, 6:15pm, with Elizabeth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle. 57 Post St. #905. www.visualaid.org

Blame Sally

Vocal adrenaline A

diverse array of artists, veterans and youthful, straight, gay and inbetween, speak and sing out this week. Some even do both. The West Coast premiere of The Man That Got Away, a musical revue of Ira Gershwin songs (focusing on the songs he wrote without his brother, including collaborations with major composers) stars film, TV and Broadway actors Gregory Harrison, Linda Purl, Kurt Reichenbach and Rex Reed. $60-$75. 8pm. April 13 & 14, 8pm. April 15 at 2pm. Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St. Gregory Harrison in at Presidio. 292-1233. www.jccsf.org/arts The Man That Got Away

Youth Speaks Poetry Slam, the annual competition and reading festival, features hundreds of local teens performing spoken word at various venues throughout the Bay Area. Preliminaries are April 13 & 14; Semifinals April 20-21 (all free). Grand Slam Finals April 27, 7pm at Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California St. ($6-$300). Thru April 27. www.youthspeaks.org Scott Chernis Blame Sally’s CD release Youth Speak Poetry Slam 2010 party at Great American Music competitor Miles Bridges. Hall includes a concert with the Bay Area women’s music quartet, Saturday, April 14. Lauren O’Connell opens. $31-$36; $55 with dinner. 8:30pm. 859 O’Farrell St. 885-0750. www.gamh.com Singer, songwriter and writer Brent Calderwood is the featured guest at Smack Dab, Magnet’s open mic that’s frequently, but not exclusively, LGBT-themed. Larry-bob Roberts and Kirk Read cohost. Sign-ups 7:30pm. Show 8pm. Wednesday, April 18. 4122 18th St. www.magnetsf.org Brent Calderwood

– J.P.

SF International Film Festival @ Various Venues Large film festival with features, shorts and documentaries from around the world. Opening night screens Farewell, My Queen (7pm) at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St. Thru May 3. www.festival.sffs.org www.castrotheatre.com

Seun Kuti, Fela’s Egypt 80 @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley Bringing his own blend of afrobeat music, singer Seun Kuti leads his father’s band, Fela’s Egypt 80, for one night of original music. $20-$58. 8pm. UC Berkeley campus, Bancroft Way at College Ave. (510) 6436714. www.calperformances.org

Spring Awakening @ Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek Duncan Sheik’s award-winning musical about teenage sexuality gets an East Bay production. $17-$35. Thu-Sat 8:15pm. Sun 2:15pm. Thru May 6. Knight Stage 3 Theatre, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. (925) 295-1400. www.centerrep.org

Stephen Durham @ Socialist Hall Gay presidential candidate discusses his anti-capitalism agenda. 6pm. 747 Polk St. Appearances also April 14 in Santa Cruz and April 15 in Oakland. 864-1278. www.VoteSocialism.com

Xavier Castellanos @ Si Pietro Todd Exhibit of quaint colorful paintings by the Mexican-Swiss gay artist. Thru April 21. 2239 Fillmore St. www.xavierart.com

To submit event listings, email jim@ebar.com. Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication.

For more bar and nightlife events, go to www.bartabsf.com

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<< Society

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

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Steven Underhill

Donna Sachet with Steven Brinberg (Simply Barbra) at Melissa Manchester’s show in the Rrazz Room.

Grand celebrations by Donna Sachet

elissa Manchester gave a delightful concert last week at the Rrazz Room, not just singing with her delicate, recognizable voice, but sharing charming stories from her career. After taking a break of some years to raise her two children, Melissa is back on the road and in the studio delivering comforting music with affirming lyrics. One of the best moments of the night was a surprising duet with Barry Manilow, who appeared by pre-recorded video. Once again, the Rrazz Room proved the perfect venue for this gentle performer. We can’t say enough about Thrillpeddlers’ new revival of the Cockettes musical Hot Greeks, playing weekends at the Hypnodrome through May 5. The theatre is a ramshackle warehouse space, littered with taxidermy trophies, black & white photos, and a makeshift snack bar, leading to a large stage. In this setting, you expect something unusual, and Scrumbly Koldewyn (one of the original Cockettes) and

Russell Blackwood and company deliver! The cast keeps a fast pace with crisp dialogue, funny songs, and physical comedy. You’ll be pleased to see stand-out performances by Tom Orr, Rik Lopes, Birdie-Bob Watt, Steven Satyricon, Ste Fishell, Joshua Devore, and Kai Brothers. Seating is limited, so get your tickets now! Hardly content with a single stop on a Friday night, we then headed with our theatre companions Michael Loftis & Erik Nickel to SoMa’s Powerhouse, where tireless volunteer Suzan Revah was hosting Nasty, a naughty benefit for various charities, and her cadre of hot boys was out in force. You’ve got to love a party in a sexy, earthy environment, where patrons are asked to put money in Crisco cans strapped to volunteers, in their words, to “stick it in.” Sometimes it pays to think outside the box and inside the can! Saturday night we joined Jacques Michaels for Blues for an Alabama Sky, the final show in Lorraine Hansberry Theatre’s current season.

Although it did not have the theatrical power of their last play and could use some serious editing to reduce its three-hour length, it was full of wellpaced dialogue supported by convincingly portrayed characters, and scattered with hilarious moments of comic timing. Tobie Windham gave a wonderful performance as a gay costume designer, and Shinelle Azorah had several riveting moments. It left us with much to discuss on the drive home. The Heavens smiled on Easter Sunday, offering sunny if not hot weather for the thousands of celebrants in Dolores Park for Pumps & Circumstances, the annual Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence gathering. Surrounding the brand-new children’s play area were adult celebrations of every kind, including musical entertainment, picnic parties, bonnet competitions, grassy trysts, and the infamous Hunky Jesus Contest. Once the sun was lost, the crowd scattered quickly, filling the nearby Castro bars to capacity. We did a little Castro walk-around on the steady arm of Drew Cutler, checking out The Edge, The Mix, Midnight Sun, 440, Café Flore, and See page 27 >>

Coming up in leather and kink Thu., Apr. 12: Koktail Club Happy Hour at Kok Bar (1225 Folsom). Drink specials and Hamisi doing Hammy Time. 5-10 p.m. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Sun., Apr. 15: Puppy Play Park hosted by the SF K9 Unit at the Mr. S Playspace. Must RSVP to get in: SFPuppyPark@yahoo.com. $20. 1-5 p.m.

Thu., Apr. 12: Bare Chest Calendar Contest at The Powerhouse (1347 Folsom). 8-10 p.m. Go to: www.barechest.org.

Sun., Apr. 15: Truck Bust Sundays at Truck. $1 beer bust. 4-8 p.m. Go to: www.trucksf.com.

Thu., Apr. 12: Underwear Night at The Powerhouse. $5 cover to benefit Project Inform. 10 p.m.-close. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com. Thu., Apr. 12: Weekly Yoga at the SF Citadel (363 6th St.) $20. 7-8 p.m. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org. Fri., Apr. 13: The Desert Fetish Authority presents Rope Bondage 101 at The Barracks (67-625 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City). 7:30-9 p.m. Go to: www.desertfetishauthority.com. Fri., Apr. 13: DJ Gehno Sanchez hosts Cockstar at Kok Bar. Loose men, hot beats, drink specials! Go to: www.kokbarsf.com. Fri., Apr. 13: Truck Wash at Truck (1900 Folsom). 10 p.m.-close. Live shower boys, drink specials! Go to: www.trucksf.com. Sat., Apr. 14: The Golden Dildeaux Awards at The Powerhouse. Find out who wins these coveted awards! 7-10 p.m. Go to: www.ggguards.com. Sat., Apr. 14: Not F***ed Enough Already – GearUp Tax Day Play Party at the Mr. S Play Space (385-A 8th St.), a men’s only party. Doors open 9-11:30 p.m., party continues to 2 a.m. $20 at the door, $15 with military or student I.D. Go to: www.gearupweekend.com. Sat., Apr. 14: All Beef Saturday Nights at The Lone Star (1354 Harrison). 100% SoMa Beef! 9 p.m.-close. Go to: www.facebook.com/lonestarsf. Sat., Apr. 14: Black Saturday at The Powerhouse hosted by Mr. SF Leather 2012 Jesse Vanciel. Dancers, raffles, lubed-up sexiness! 9 p.m.-close. Check it out on Facebook.

Sun., Apr. 15: Jockstrap Beer Bust at Kok Bar. 3-7 p.m. Wear your jock for drink specials! Go to: www.kokbarsf.com. Sun., Apr. 15: Nasty at The Powerhouse. 10 p.m.-close. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com. Mon., Apr. 16: Trivia Night with host Casey Ley at Truck: prizes, insane fun and ridiculous questions! 8-10 p.m. Go to: www.trucksf.com. Tue., Apr. 17: Creative Kinksters at the SF Citadel. Knit? Paint? Sew? This is for you. $5. 7-9 p.m. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org. Tue., Apr. 17: Ink & Metal at The Powerhouse. 9 p.m.-close. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com. Tue., Apr. 17: Holding the Leash presented by Liliane Hunt at the SF Citadel. Bring your pups and dogs and learn how to work together. $20. 8-10 p.m. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org. Tue., Apr. 17: Kok Block at Kok Bar. Happy hour prices all night. Pool tournament 7-10 p.m., winner gets $25. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com. Wed., Apr. 18: Bare Bear: A Night at the Baths at The Water Garden (1010 The Alameda, San Jose). 6-10 p.m. Go to: www.thewatergarden.com. Wed., Apr. 18: Nipple Play at The Powerhouse. Drink specials for the shirtless. 10 p.m.-close. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com. Wed., Apr. 18: Underwear Buddies at Blow Buddies (933 Harrison), a male-only club. Doors open 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Play till late. Go to: www.blowbuddies.com.

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Karrnal >>

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

Clubgoing cubs by John F. Karr

ost mainstream porn companies have been shying away from plotted features in favor of themed collections. So what does Cocky Boys, a popular website producer of stand-alone scenes, do but release their first-ever narrative feature, directed by Jake Jaxson. These loosely linked adventures in New York hookerdom are a narrative? Just barely. As a former Cocky Boys subscriber familiar with their product and content, I can assure you that Name of the Game comes nowhere near their standard. The casting may be firstrank, and the images have crisp clarity. But by most other measurements, Name of the Game is a failure. Rising tattoo artist Phenix Saint picks up fresh-off-the-bus Mason Star, fucks him, and introduces him to struggling artist Tommy Defendi, who needs a model less than a threeway. Tommy gets Mason a job as a go-go boy at a popular club, where he demonstrates his lack of dancing skill, and for consolation makes out backstage with co-dancer Gabriel Clark. Meanwhile, Phenix finagles his way toward a lover and his own shop when he picks up and screws his idol, famed tattooer Kennedy Carter, while starving artist Defendi hustles up some bucks by hiring himself out to art-buyer Turk Mason, who in turn introduces him to gallery owner Marc Dylan, who barters a gallery show and a promised review in the NY Times for a gangbang to be organized by Defendi. In the movie’s final scene, all the players except Clark congregate to fuck Mr. Dylan. My synopsis is decidedly more coherent than the sketchily scripted film, which is weighted with clumsy and repetitious exposition. More grievous is that our potential involvement in the sex scenes is curtailed by abrupt transitions and videography that wanders listlessly around the action, framing it badly and seconding the performers’ apparent restlessness. Here’s the sort of fragmentation that’s typical. Saint’s fuck with Carter is interrupted for no reason I can discern by cutaway shots of the moon and a passing elevated train. On the scene’s behalf, however, I’ll note the exciting moments when Kennedy straddles Saint, bucks upon his cock, and then sits all the way down and zealously grinds glutes against groin. Defendi seems disengaged much of the time he’s having sex. Perhaps his disinterest is the reason he doesn’t care or even seem to notice the potential destruction of his artwork by

On the Town

Cocky Boys

Phenix Saint, Tommy Defendi and Mason Star in Cocky Boys’ Name of the Game: in the art world, they do it their way.

the fuck that’s occurring atop it. And though Saint had left the artist’s lair after setting up the pair, when Star wants more than Defendi’s dishing out and calls for Saint, voilà, he’s right there. What, was he waiting in the hall? While I like Mr. Saint, who has recently upped his masculine gravitas and physical mass, this three-way’s boring. Its one bright spot is that of Star taking Defendi’s load orally. In the dance club scene, in which self-professed dancer Star demonstrates that he’s not in any way a dancer, he’s pulled offstage by fellow dancer Gabriel Clark and told to listen to the applause: “Your fans really loved us!” Huh? Star’s been in town not much longer than it takes to get fucked, and already he’s got fans? The fulfillment of Star’s query to Clark, “Do you want me to cum in your mouth?” is about the only thing that could redeem their unengaging scene. And boy, it does. While fucking Star, Clark leans forward and swirls his tongue around the erupting cockhead, lapping up the cum like it was ice cream on a cone (performing as Gabriel Lenfant, “Clark”

has been much better served in four LucasEntertainment films). And what about that culminating gangbang, so important it’s allotted more than 45 minutes? It was guestdirected without much élan by Ray Dragon, and is mostly a limbo of guys idly pawing themselves and listlessly fucking Dylan. The scene lacks atmosphere, energy, focus. Certainly, Defendi got the better end of the bargain. The best bargain for viewers would be watching some other movie. In the coda of this one, Defendi envisions his official entry into the art world and muses, “I’m glad I did it my way.” As we’ve seen, his way was whoring, not painting. It seems unfair that for one round of consensual sex, innocent young Star was called a bitch and a whore (terms mistaken by Saint for endearments), while in reality, it’s the men hired out to gangbang Marc Dylan who are the whores. A final laugh is provided just after Defendi’s risible declaration, when a scrawl before the credits tells us to watch for Mason Star in the upcoming sequel of sorts, Confessions of a Go-Go Boy. I think that would be a terse, “Yikes! I can’t dance!”▼ www.CockyBoys.com

compete in the pageant on Sat., June 2. Events are set through April and May for Deco, Marlena’s, Diva’s, The Edge, and Aunt LookOut, running into tout San Charlie’s, so watch for those dates. Francisco along the way, includBetter yet, enter the contests! ing Gary Virginia, Lenny BroFinally, for those of you who berg, Julian Marshburn, Cleve can’t get enough drag, two new Jones, Deana Dawn, and recentopportunities exist! Every third ly announced Grand Marshal of Thursday of the month (April the 2012 SF LGBT Pride Parade, 19, this time) at 8 p.m., Infusion Sister Roma! Hope your Easter Lounge, a posh club just off Union was grand! Square, hosts Fauxgirls, formerly Make you choice this Saturday performing at Kimo’s on Polk St., night! At the Powerhouse, it’s the and including Alexandria, VicGolden Dildeaux Awards hosted toria Secret, Chanel, and Mini by the Golden Gate Guards bike Minerva. These gals have been club, giving hilarious recognition entertaining together for 11 years, Steven Underhill to some of the sacred cows of the community. And at the Fairmont Seen at the Hunky Jesus contest on Eas- and promise you the same crowdpleasing drag in a new, elegant setHotel, it’s the EqualityCalifornia ter Sunday in Dolores Park. ting. And at Mist Ultra Lounge on Gala hosted by Wilson Cruz, 11th St., Jacob Alexander & Anya recognizing J.C. Penny with the host Fantazia on the first Thursday Corporate Responsibility Award, In a new twist, this year’s Mr. & of the month at 10 p.m. with a cast of and Dr. Royce C. Lin with the new Miss Gay SF Pageant, a project of talented performers. If there truly is State Farm Good Neighbor Award. the Imperial Court of San Francisco, no such thing as too much of a good DJ Olga and singer Thelma Housis adding a host of preliminary bar thing, then bring on the drag!▼ ton add to the festivities. contests, the winners of which will From page 26

<< TV

28 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 12-18, 2012

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Keeping current by Victoria A. Brownworth

PERSONAL TRAINER

here’s nothing like the small screen to explode a big ego, expose a big scandal or just show us a really good time. This week we got all those things from the tube, and we loved it. Where else could we see The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons (is he or isn’t he?) dress up in a French maid outfit to get an interview with Stephen Hawking? And then there was Stephen Hawking. On a CBS sitcom. Awesome. Check it out at CBS.com. Differently awesome were the contestants on The Biggest Loser getting to meet first lady Michelle Obama. How cool for these people who had lost hundreds of pounds to meet Mrs. Obama, who has made obesity in America one of her major issues. It was a seriously moving moment. But we digress – TV does that to us. Last year we watched in head-shaking wonder/dismay as Charlie Sheen imploded on air. His “winning” soliloquys were as mesmerizing as they were horrifying, at first. After a time we could no longer watch – our voyeurism has its limits (yes, Real Housewives, we’re talking to you. How ghastly does a show have to be for someone as slimy as Camille Grammar to call it sleazy?) – and we wondered who was still watching. So we could avoid those people. Last week Keith Olbermann got fired from Current TV. We’d say it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving guy, but we said that when we thought he had been fired from MSNBC, and that all turned out to be part hoax on Olbermann’s part. This time it’s not. Olbermann considers himself the best and most important pundit on the tube. Which is good, because no one else does. At the height of his popularity he was barely grazing the ratings for a CBS newscast on a Saturday. And that was back when he was a sportscaster on ESPN. Yet for a time he was able to convince network execs that a pattern of being rude to underlings, making endless money and staffing de-

mands, having his coffee ground just right and all the petty 1% things that he criticized in others in his “Worst Person” spots back on MSNBC were acceptable. Current finally thought otherwise after Olbermann refused to do election reporting. A political pundit refusing to do election reporting? And seriously, how badly behaved do you have to be to have Al Gore call you “uncivil?” Think back to November 2000 for a second, and then imagine. Because he never called anyone that during the entire debacle of the stolen election. Olbermann decided to go on Letterman’s Late Night (where he had gone when he was done at MSNBC) to explain that he’d made mistakes at Current. “I really screwed up big,” he told Letterman. But apparently the screw-up was that he wasn’t obnoxious or rude or demanding enough. Now he’s suing Current. And Current is suing him right back. In case you’ve never watched Current TV, which not a lot of you have if ratings are revelatory, its focus is good old-fashioned in-depth investigative reporting of an international as well as national sort. (Lisa Ling’s sister Laura got captured by North Korea doing a story for Current, and Bill Clinton negotiated her release after she and her fellow reporter were sentenced to years of hard labor.) When Olbermann had his hissy fit over at MSNBC, Current offered him a job. It was a mutual mercy screw: Current thought they were doing Olbermann a favor, and Olbermann thought he was doing them a favor. As the details spin out, it looks like Current gave all the favors, and Olbermann is, as he told Letterman, sorry he signed the contract. One of the complaints in Olbermann’s lawsuit is that Current revealed his salary: $50 million. His other main complaint? That the production values were shoddy. As Paula Faris noted on ABC’s World News Now on April 6, maybe if you weren’t taking all their money, production might have been better. When Olbermann and MSNBC

Balance, Flexibility, Endurance and Strength Training ASCEND STUDIOS • SAN FRANCISCO

Christopher Watros 408-710-2670

Voted off the island: Keith Olbermann, late of Current TV.

parted ways, there was a groundswell across the Internet of support for Olbermann. “Dark days” and “chilling effect” were alluded to. But then it turned out that he wasn’t exactly fired, he kinda was leaving anyway because he had been fighting with everyone there, and he had indeed violated his contract by contributing to political campaigns. This time the Internet buzz is a little different, and the tabloid TV shows have had some snarky good times at Olbermann’s expense (which he can clearly afford). We would just say this about the guy we thought should have been fired back in 2008 for his violence-against-women remarks: When four networks fire you in succession and they all assert the same things, maybe the one constant is you. We expect this lawsuit to play out like Nicolette Sheridan’s. Nicolette who? Exactly. We hope not to see Olbermann’s gigantic head or his even larger ego on the tube for a very long time. (How about never?) Meanwhile, HBO’s The Newsroom, from West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, features Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy, who plays an Olbermann-esque character. Watch to see if art imitates life. (Daniels has a big head, but is it that big?) The show is slated to debut in June. Speaking of newsrooms, it was the battle of the guest “gal” anchors on Today and GMA, as ABC and NBC dragged in big names – Katie Couric and Sarah Palin, respectively – for big ratings. Always the alsoran, CBS did what they could to compete by getting co-anchor Gayle King to get her BFF Oprah to grant her first interview talking about how she completely screwed up her new network, OWN. Oprah compared what she did with her network to getting married when you aren’t really ready. Considering she’s never married, it probably wasn’t the best analogy. For an interview that was superhyped, it was underwhelming. Nice as it was to see our Oprah again (and she looks good), she didn’t say anything, you know, Oprah-worthy. Which kind of made us wish she were back on a real network so she could go back to being the real Oprah instead of whatever she is now, which isn’t very interesting and definitely not inspirational. We were actually sorry we’d wasted a morning when we could have been surfing between Couric and Palin. Couric was her usual peripatetic, perky self. Palin was her usual perky, peripatetic self. Co-anchor Matt Lauer had to slam Palin, because he’s not very interesting unless he’s slamming someone. And he wasn’t alone. No one commented on Couric, so it was just like when she was on CBS News.

Trump trumped

christopher@phoenixtraingandfitness.com www.phoenixtrainingandfitness.com

Meanwhile, Barbara Walters, who was on Today for about 50 years, nailed down Donald Trump on transgender contestants in his Miss

Universe pageants. On the April 6 episode of 20/20, Walters took on the controversy over transgender contestant Jenna Talackova in the Canadian Miss Universe pageant. She interviewed Jenna, Jenna’s mother, Jenna’s attorney, Gloria Allred and Trump. The Donald being the Donald, we were hoping for some kind of fisticuffs, but there were none. Allred tried to create some drama, but there wasn’t any. In fact, it was tame to the point of tedium. Jenna revealed nothing interesting about herself except that her surgery was painful and that no one calls her Walter anymore. Trump just kind of shrugged and said if Jenna were legally female, which she is since her reassignment surgery, then she could compete, and if she won in Canada, then she could go on to the American contest, and any other transgender contestants who were legally female could as well. It was the dullest equality victory in history. The most exciting aspect of this segment was that Jenna looks surprisingly like Ivanka Trump, Trump’s daughter. About which we have no comment. A better discussion of transgender issues occurred on Dr. Oz last week when the new Oprah had several MTFs on, as well as a doctor who does sex reassignment surgery. Dr. Oz took us through the entire surgery and had gigantic diagrams of how the entire process works. It was a serious, compelling hour that was more in-depth than “no one calls me Walter anymore.” Speaking of in-depth, how amazing is it that ABC basically put an entire industry out of business within a few weeks due to their investigation last month into lean textured beef – also known as pink slime – which was, until that expose aired, used to pump up all the ground beef you’ve ever eaten anywhere. And in case you missed the furor, LTB is pretty much everything soft that’s left over from the cow carcass, which is then doused with ammonia and folded into your hamburger. Which is just one of many reasons we are vegetarian. Bravo to ABC for showing us what goes into our food. See what you could have been doing instead of complaining about the poor quality of your blush, Mr. Olbermann? Speaking of the delectable, Smash is now officially the gayest show on the tube not on Logo. We weren’t sure before, but we are so sure now. There is no other show on the tube, not on Logo, with more than one gay male character who is involved with more than one gay male character. It’s so exciting. Tom’s attorney boyfriend, John, turned out to be a Republican. Which, as Tom himself said when he landed at a Republican fundraiser for a gay Republican (still such an oxymoron to us), “It’s too bad, because I really, really liked you.” We were getting so used to seeing them in bed together, too. And kissing.

And not being neutered. Meanwhile, Ellis is sleeping his way to (he hopes) co-producer status with Eileen. In case you are confused, he’s not sleeping with Eileen, he’s sleeping with (male) agents of stars to get one (Uma Thurman is next) to possibly play Marilyn for Eileen. But when he confronted Eileen this week, demanding coproducer status, she gave him a smackdown worthy of the WWF. But that doesn’t mean he won’t keep trying. Ellis makes Eve in All About Eve look like a piker. The good news is that NBC just renewed Smash for a second season. The iffy news is that the show’s creator and show-runner Theresa Rebeck is out in what NBC calls a mutual decision. If you say so. Smash is so gay perfect. And unlike Glee, which is also gay perfect, the characters are not kids, which means we can think gay thoughts about them, too. Speaking of Glee, the hiatus is over, so this week we get to find out if Quinn is still alive or was killed in that terrible crash. And if Rachel makes it to the altar. And if Dave, the gay football player who tried to kill himself, gets to come back to McKinley. And if the musical numbers will stay as stunning as they were the last few episodes before the Fox season break. And let’s not forget that Sue announced she’s pregnant. Speaking of cliffhangers and hiatuses, Revenge returns next week with all new episodes through the end of the season. Prepare to see Nolan being the good/bad queer and helping Emily finish her evil plan to bring down the entire Grayson family. And when it comes to evil plans, Game of Thrones, The Borgias and The Killing have all returned for a new season with evil churning and enticing new viewers. If you aren’t watching these shows, watch. With Game of Thrones and The Borgias, you get stellar acting and just the best historical TV available. Nobody does pope opera like Jeremy Irons as Alexander. And imagine being a little person in the era of Game of Thrones. Peter Dinklage is so extraordinary as Tyrion. Speaking of superb performances, Gillian Anderson, whom we haven’t seen much of since the demise of The X-Files where she played Agent Scully, the heartthrob of every teenage science geek and lesbian in America, is back. She’s on PBS’ Masterpiece Theatre doing Great Expectations as the remarkable Miss Havisham, made more remarkable by Anderson’s deep and heart-breaking performance. Finally, we have to send a slap out to our community for not making an effort at keeping Martina Navratilova on Dancing with the Stars this season. First to be voted off the parquet, Martina, who has never looked better, was sad to go so soon. The consummate athlete, she acknowledged having screwed up one routine, but said she knew she’d get better and that she was having a lot of fun. Alas, she won’t have the opportunity to keep going. Last season, Chaz Bono, who couldn’t dance his way out of a [fill in the insult], was kept on for five weeks by tweets and voting parties and GLAAD. But this season we couldn’t keep the lesbian who is possibly the biggest female sports star in American history on for more than a week? Tsk, tsk. Then again, her mother isn’t Cher. We aren’t sure what’s happening on DWTS this season. The still-sexy Jack Wagner was the second contestant voted off, while people we’ve never heard of are still there. Perhaps the acronym should be WTF instead of DWTS. But to keep Current, you really must stay tuned.▼

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 12-18, 2012 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 29

Kerry Brown, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Carrie MacLemore as Heather and Billy Magnussen as Thor in Whit Stillman’s Damsels in Distress.

Damsels in Distress

From page 17

parties, and all manner of déclassé values, quizzes the slippery Charles/ Fred about his core values. “You think decadence has declined?” “Definitely, big time!” “How?” “Okay, take the flit movement in literature, or homosexuality.” “What?” “Homosexuality – it’s gone completely downhill, right down the tubes. Before, homosexuality was something refined, hidden, sublimated, aspiring to the highest forms of expression and often achieving them. Now it just seems to be a lot of muscle-bound morons running around in T-shirts. It’s pretty disillusioning.” “Are you gay?” “Not especially, but in another era, it would have had more appeal. Now, I just don’t see the point.” Stillman explains that Sony Pictures Classics didn’t want the scene in the Damsels trailer for the sake of copping a commercially more appealing PG-13 rating. Another piece of “Stillmania” that gets short shrift

is the obsession briefly pursued by Hugo Becker’s character Xavier for a very retro form of hetero lovemaking, “Cathar love.” “We’re not allowed to explain it because of PG13, but it’s not from the front, it’s from the other side, the side from which there can’t be procreation.” From its fudging on the time peri-

has all the makings of the season’s first off-beat adult-comedy hit. My “time machine” chat with Stillman – attired in the preppie uniform of striped dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, no tie – is a true conversation. Here’s one celebrity who’s listening to the questions, not merely dispensing prefab replies.

On ‘Cathar love’: “We’re not allowed to explain it because of PG-13, but it’s not from the front, it’s from the other side, the side from which there can’t be procreation.” od (there are veiled allusions to texting and various forms of techno effluvia) and its sprightly soundtrack including Violet’s theme for “The Sambola! International Dance Craze” to its heroines’ passion for rescuing “losers” for their dating pool, Damsels in Distress

David Lamble: Discuss Adam Brody’s obsession with “The Decline in Decadence.” Whit Stillman: I think there was a higher decadence in the past. I don’t know Jersey Shore, but that is like true decadence. Before, the decadents

Buckminster Fuller

From page 17

prehensivist,” and advocated a global approach and an idealistic spirit of cooperation. He may be best known for the geodesic dome, but as SFMOMA’s architecture and design exhibition The Utopian Impulse: Buckminster Fuller and the Bay Area attests, he was more than the sum of his domes, though they get their due. Though he never lived in the Bay Area, Fuller nonetheless had an impact on the region, a magnet for nonconformists, dreamers and inventors who think outside of the box. That penchant for innovation is expressed through drawings, blueprints, photographs, ephemera, architectural models and prints from Fuller’s portfolios. Half of the show focuses on his local inheritors – Governor Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown cites him as an influence – who have direct or indirect links to him, such as Stewart Brand and the Whole Earth Catalog; David de Rothschild’s Plastiki catamaran made of recycled materials and buoyed by 12,500 plastic water bottles; The North Face, which adopted Fuller’s “tensegrity” concept (tension plus integrity) for their forward-thinking tent design; and Thom Mayne of Morphosis, the firm behind San Francisco’s controversial, environmentally-sensitive Federal Building. The history and Fuller’s legacy are interesting, but many of the ma-

The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller director Sam Green.

terials, with the exception of project models like “Convention City” (1976), a proposal for a domed city/ media circus in Texas, presented with a touch of neon and under glass like a dinner entree by Ant Farm, an architecture collective that incorporated performance, animation, installation and film, don’t generate a particularly lively visual experience. Architect Nicholas de Monchaux’s Local Code initiative, for instance, has an intriguing wall-mounted installation with several video screens and wooden shapes that correspond to city lots, but its concept isn’t easy to grasp. It’s frustrating that the explanatory labels for various displays,

an essential component for understanding the exhibits, are placed in such a way that it’s a challenge to figure out which text relates to what object. But judging from the capacity crowd that packed the galleries for a special preview – a convocation of youngish, stylishly dressed architects, designers and high-end, environmentally cool, 21st-century hippie types, including one guy in a turtleneck and groomed ponytail – this event is preaching to the converted and the already well-informed.

Personal archive A highlight are two works by

Kerry Brown, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Writer/director Whit Stillman on the set of Damsels in Distress.

were trying to get by the obstacle course of respectable society, and the tension led to the creation of these artistic personas that were so interesting. I’m not sure what Max Beerbohm’s relationship to that group was, he was very close to the Oscar Wilde group, but when everything became controversial, he exiled himself to Italy and stayed there. It was an interesting dynamic of camouflage and daring, and it led to some really interesting comic creations. You fall right into the tradition of terrific film comedy writer/ directors: Alexander Payne, David O. Russell, and your protégé, Burr Steers. It’s interesting that you mention those names because, in a sense, we all came out of 80s filmmaking, and it’s odd now that the 80s are back. Jim Jarmusch was a big inspiration, making Strangers in Paradise so disciplined and so funny on a tight budget. Greta Gerwig is such a delight. In my chat with her about the Noah Baumbach comedy Greenberg, we compared notes on our favorite leading men. What kind of men does Greta like? documentary filmmaker Sam Green, who made The Weather Underground, an Academy Awardnominated film about a group of 1960s radicals. Green, a San Francisco-based filmmaker with an inquisitive cast of mind, has produced a video titled A Relationship in 12 Fragments. It’s based on Fuller’s personal archive, Dymaxion Chronofile (a name straight out of 1950s sci-fi), and projected on a wall sculpture designed by Obscura Digital. Green has also created The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller, a live documentary-hybrid with slides, moving images, on-stage narration by Green himself and musical accompaniment by Yo La Tengo. Commissioned by SFMOMA, the piece examines Fuller’s proposed projects for the Bay Area, includ-

Oh, the kind of boyish types I like, like Adam Brody. She introduced us to one of her friends, he was very good and boyish. Adam Brody is marvelous as the misfit Charlie/Fred. He had a wonderful scene that I had to cut, talking about his first crush on a girl when he was six. How did you meet Burr Steers, the haughty bouncer from The Last Days of Disco, whose debut film Igby Goes Down feels like a sequel to one of your trilogy? He was very good as the “door Nazi,” he has that wonderful accent. He’s Gore Vidal’s nephew. And Gore Vidal has a cameo as one of Igby’s disgusted headmasters. Burr’s had a terrific career. Is it true that your parents’ traumatic divorce has provided a career’s worth of material from a hard-earned perspective? There are people who tear their hair out about divorce in America, not me. It can be quite liberating to have your parents divorce. For me, the divorce was good, the remarriage was bad.▼

ing an immense floating tetrahedral city on the bay, and the utopian visions he hoped to achieve through a radical design revolution. (The performance, co-presented by the San Francisco International Film Festival, premieres at the museum’s theater, May 1 at 7 & 9 p.m.) In the midst of the crowd, it was hard to shake the specter of an outraged Rick Santorum pontificating at a recent campaign rally that he was “shocked, shocked!” that there were people who put the conservation of the planet above the voracious needs of its inhabitants. The flat-earth society, and count Santorum as a charter member, certainly won’t have an affinity for this exhibition.▼ Through July 29 at SFMOMA.

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f you were Paul McCartney and you had written (or co-written) some of the greatest love songs of the 20th century, what songs, written by others, would you choose to record for an album of cover tunes? Sir Paul answers that question, and even includes a couple of new originals of his own, on the pleasant if not earthshaking Kisses on the Bottom (Hear Music/Concord). Exercising different vocal muscles to perform “some of the old songs” that his “parents’ generation used to sing,” McCartney

is backed up (almost exclusively) by Diana Krall (wife of past McCartney collaborator Elvis Costello) and her band throughout. So of course, this isn’t just McCartney singing songs by Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg and Billy Rose (“It’s Only a Paper Moon”), Arlen and Johnny Mercer (“Ac-CentTchu-Ate the Positive”), Irving Berlin (“Always”), Frank Loesser (“More I Cannot Wish You,” “The Inch Worm”), and others, it’s McCartney singing these songs from a jazz vocal perspective. The Paul with whom we are most familiar can be heard loud and clear on his own “My Valentine” (featuring Eric Claption) and the lush “Only Our Hearts” (on which he is reunited with Stevie Wonder). There’s more love to be found on the Maysles Brothers’ doc The Love We Make (Eagle Vision), about McCartney’s “cathartic journey through New York City in the aftermath of 9/11.” Originally released in 2008, the ironically titled Meet Glen Campbell (Capitol) seemed to be calculated to help Campbell cash in on the rediscovery, by a younger generation, of some artists of his generation, including Loretta Lynn, Bettye LaVette, Johnny Cash and Mavis Staples. The good thing about the album was that it was a strong effort; Campbell, still in good voice, covered songs by Travis (“Sing”), Tom Petty (“Walls”), Foo Fighters (“Times Like These”), Jackson Browne (“These Days”), the Replacements (“Sadly, Beautiful”), U2 (“All I Want Is You”), Green Day (“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”) and others. But Campbell’s recent public announcement of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis has changed everything. He released a final new album in 2011, featuring more covers and some originals, and announced his retirement. The expanded 2012 reissue of Meet Glen Campbell now features five bonus cuts, three of which are AOL Session recordings, and two 2008 remixes of the classics “Gentle on My Mind” and “Galveston.” The CD reissue of 1980’s Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King (Rockingale/ Concord) is an interesting idea for a covers album. On it, Carole King performs the songs that she co-wrote with ex-husband Gerry Goffin that were hits for others. It’s a reclamation project of sorts, and it’s such a pleasure to hear King apply her distinctive performance talents to songs such as “The Loco-Motion,” “One Fine Day,” and “Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet

Roll).” The real highlights here include “Dancin’ with Tears in My Eyes” (written new for the disc), “Goin’ Back,” and especially “Oh No, Not My Baby” and the sensational reading of “Hey Girl.” Albums by many Broadway divas often fall into the schmaltzy cabaret category, due to a combination of well-trodden material selections and the misguided desire to be unnecessarily flashy (are you listening, Miss Chenoweth?). Idina Menzel has managed to avoid that trap, and so does Anastacia Barzee on her debut album Dimming of the Day (Ghostlight). T The first tip-off comes ffrom the album’s title, a Richard Thompson ssong that is given a rrespectful reading (altthough it would have b been better without B Brian D’Arcy James). T The same holds true o of Barzee’s interprettations of songs by R Rufus Wainwright (“Dinner at Eight”), K Kate Bush (“The M Man with the Child iin His Eyes”), Paul SSimon (“American T Tune”), Rickie Lee Jones (“Company”), Jimmy Webb (“All I Know”), Randy Newman (“Feels Like Home”) and April Smith (“Terrible Things”). Voice of Ages (Hear Music) is the right name for the new album by acclaimed Irish folk band The Chieftains, who are celebrating their 50th year together. The album features The Chieftains teaming up with an impressive array of contemporary artists including Carolina Chocolate Drops (“Pretty Little Girl”), Bon Iver (“Down in the Willow Garden”), The Civil Wars (“Lily Love”), The Decemberists (“When the Ship Comes In”), The Low Anthem (“School Days Over”), The Secret Sisters (“Peggy Gordon”), and others. Amnesty International, the awardwinning “grassroots activist organization that investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied,” is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. The various artists compilation Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan (Amnesty International/ Fontana) is spread out over four (!) CDs and includes more than 70 songs performed by a devastating array of musicians. Not only do you get to support a worthy cause by purchasing the set, you also get to hear previously unreleased versions of Dylan songs done by Adele, The Belle Brigade, Carly Simon, Patti Smith, Bryan Ferry, Darren Criss, Ximena Sariña, Sinéad O’Connor, Raphael Saadiq, Joan Baez and many others. On the five-song EP Ólöf Sings (One Little Indian), Icelandic musician Ólöf Arnalds performs light-asair acoustic renditions of songs by five male songwriters. She opens the disc with a haunting version of the late gay songwriter Arthur Russell’s “Close My Eyes.” A medley of Gene Clark’s “With Tomorrow” and Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire” has a similar effect. It also sounds as if Arnalds really connected with Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me.” More examples of recordings by and for cover lovers include The Wee Trio’s Ashes to Ashes: A David Bowie Intraspective (Bionic), Ain’t We Got Fun (LML) by Robert Creighton, You’re Not Alone (Anteater) by Sean McDermott, Consider it Swing (LML) by former Duke of Hazzard turned Broadway actor Tom Wopat, Under a Painted Sky (Jazzed Media) by jazz vocalist Judy Wexler, and One Day (LML) by David Burnham.▼

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