April 27th, 2017 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 47 • No. 17 • April 27-May 3, 2017

Bill would reform CA sex offender registry by Seth Hemmelgarn

BART stations eyed for syringe boxes

A safe needle disposal box was stationed in the Mission last December as part of the Pit Stop program.

by Seth Hemmelgarn

an Francisco officials are looking at some BART train stations as sites for syringe disposal boxes. Making clean syringes available to intravenous drug users has long been credited with helping decrease the number of HIV transmissions in San Francisco, but the city

has struggled with syringes being scattered on sidewalks and in the streets. There are already boxes in other locations where people can deposit their used syringes. Eileen Loughran, a health program coordinator with the city’s public health department, said that three BART stations initially identified as hot spots were Powell, Civic Center, and 16th and Mission.

Loughran, who isn’t aware of any opposition to the proposal, hopes the syringe boxes will be installed at the Mission and Powell stations “within a few months.” The Powell station, which mostly serves commuters and tourists, would likely be first. Two sites near the outdoor steps at the station are being considered. See page 14 >> Rick Gerharter

Lesbian/gay chorus director stepping down by Michael Nugent

illy Sauerland, the artistic director of the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco, is stepping down after the group’s spring concert next weekend. Founded in 1980, LGCSF is the oldest LGBT mixed choir in the country. Sauerland, 35, is a gay man who has been conducting the choir since January 2011. His departure marks a major transition for one of San Francisco’s key LGBT music ensembles. “Billy Sauerland brought passion for musical excellence, a frightening work ethic, and a wicked sense of humor to LGCSF,” said Rachel Pokorny, the LGCSF board president. “His six years with the chorus were marked by many successful collaborations with artists and organizations throughout the Bay Area and innovative concerts honoring and celebrating the LGBTQ community. Billy will be missed by the singers, his co-workers, and the board of LGCSF.” Sauerland broke new ground as artistic director of the choir, which has 30 members and a budget of nearly $60,000. “We worked really hard to make partnerships and created a lot of collaborative projects that we feel good about, with schools, other LGBT choirs, and performances in new venues,” he said in an interview. “It’s gotten us around the Bay Area. It’s a good thing to be nimble and be mobile where you can be – and it’s artistically fulfilling.”

Michael Nugent

Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco artistic director Billy Sauerland is stepping down next month.

While retaining its historic name, the chorus has worked to expand its inclusivity. “LGCSF is an organization with social justice and community at its heart,” Sauerland said. “We have ensured the group is fully inclusive with bi, trans, and straight voices too. It is something to be proud of that we attract a wide variety of members – it’s a hallmark of the ensemble.” Sauerland is leaving to focus on his education doctorate program in music at Columbia University, which he attends remotely, and to

write his dissertation on the voices and experiences of trans singers. He lives in Hayward with his husband, Tom Nelson, and is also the artistic director of the Chabot College Choir and the Oakland East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus. Sauerland said the couple would continue to live there and that he would continue to direct those groups. LGCSF is known for its untraditional concert formats; the choir’s May concert “Here I Am: Living Authentically” will incorporate stories of LGBT people into the program. “In a choir we give up our individual voice to create a bigger than life voice: we are the sum of the parts. In preparing for this concert, I was reading trans theory; one of the critiques of feminist and trans theory is that they are more holistic, rather than individually focused. So we decided to highlight individual experiences and voices,” he said. Sauerland asked for stories about LGBT identity on the chorus’ email list, selecting nine submissions, which were each paired with a song. One poignant song in the concert is “Would You Harbor Me?” by Ysaye Barnwell. Made famous by Sweet Honey in the Rock, it asks the listener to harbor diverse people including Muslims and someone living with HIV, then asks “would you harbor me, would I harbor you?” The question also echoes the current creation See page 12 >>

ay state Senator Scott Wiener has introduced a bill that would create a tiered registry for California sex offenders, meaning some could leave the state’s lifetime registry earlier than State Senator planned. Under state law, Scott Wiener all sex offenders currently have to register for life, regardless of how serious their offense was. That means the database includes gay men who were arrested decades ago for having sex in public parks, alongside other people who are on the list for serious offenses such as violent crimes against children. The registry already includes more than 100,000 people, so law enforcement officials have had to waste time handling paperwork related to low-risk offenders, and it hasn’t effectively kept people from committing future crimes, according to Wiener’s office. Wiener’s legislation – Senate Bill 421 – would create a tiered system based on the severity of the crime, the risk of sexual reoffending, and the person’s criminal history. The Senate Public Safety Committee, on which Wiener sits, passed SB 421 by a vote of 6-1 Tuesday. Senator Jeff Stone (R-Riverside) was the opponent. Under the bill, people convicted of misdemeanors or non-violent felonies could be eligible for 10 years on the registry, and people convicted of serious or violent sex offenses could be eligible for 20 years. High-risk offenders, including sexually violent predators, repeat violent offenders, and people convicted of sex offenses that require a life term would still have lifetime registration. Wiener (D-San Francisco) said at Tuesday’s committee hearing that the registry’s had a “damaging impact on the LGBT community.” The list includes gay men in their 60s, 70s, and 80s who had “sex in a park 40 or 50 years ago,” he said. “To this day, they are still on the registry.” He added that “after decades of research, we now have a much better sense of who is high risk and who isn’t,” but the current registration system doesn’t even attempt “to account for this distinction.” Most of the people on the registry are at “low risk” of reoffending, Wiener said, and being listed currently presents “lifetime barriers to stable housing” and other problems. See page 15 >>

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<< Community News

2 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

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Bias and bright spots for women at work, Hill says by Sari Staver

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quarter of a century after Anita Hill’s accusations about workplace sexual harassment fell on deaf ears in a Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, the Brandeis University law professor said that the climate for women in the workplace has improved but still has a long way to go. Thanks in part to women feeling increasingly comfortable to share their stories, people are now seeing more “open public discussions” of sexual harassment, said Hill. While many of the same problems of discrimination still exist, she pointed to a number of “bright spots,” since then, including the appointment of three women to the U.S. Supreme Court as well as the establishment of new organizations, such as Black Lives Matter, fighting for the rights of minorities. Speaking to a sold-out audience at San Francisco’s Nourse Theater April 20, Hill recounted her ordeal when she came forward to describe the repeated instances of sexual harassment by Thomas, who was her supervisor when Hill was a government attorney. Sponsored by the Oakland-based Kapor Center for Social Impact, Hill’s talk came on the heels of UC Berkeley settling a sexual harassment suit against former law school dean Sujit Choudhry and Fox News’ firing of star Bill O’Reilly, after the company settled complaints with five women for millions of dollars, although it did not admit any wrongdoing. Hill spoke during a 90-minute conversation with Ellen Pao, the former Silicon Valley investment partner, who in 2012 filed a gender discrimination suit against the venture

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Employment Opportunity Commission jumped from 3,349 to 5,607, said Kapor Klein. Pao’s charges against an influential partner at her Silicon Valley firm “ignited the conversation [about bias in technology] that was way too silent and dormant,” said Kapor Klein. “Still,” said Kapor Klein, “too little has changed.” Hill spoke passionately about her decision to come forward to testify about Thomas during the Senate hearings to fill the seat vacated by Thurgood Marshall. When Senate staffers called Hill, having heard that she’d had some harassment problems with Thomas, “I could’ve stayed silent,” she said. At the time, however, Hill was teaching law at the University of Oklahoma, and felt she had “a special obligation” to stand up for the values in respecting the law that she

by Seth Hemmelgarn

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capital firm Kleiner Perkins that was decided in favor of the company after a 2015 trial. Pao is now the chief diversity and inclusion officer at the Kapor Center. NPR’s Michele Norris moderated the discussion. Introducing Hill and Pao, Freada Kapor Klein, Ph.D., a longtime workplace advocate and partner at the nonprofit, said, “We owe a debt of gratitude” to these women, who each took a “risky” step in speaking out about workplace harassment. While both technically lost their legal battles, said Kapor Klein, “they won in the court of public opinion.” Following Hill’s 1991 televised testimony about Thomas’ inappropriate workplace behavior, “a wave of women” ran for office the following year, electing four to the Senate and raising the count of women in the House of Representatives from 28 to 47. In addition, the number of complaints filed with the Equal

Trans man sues Dignity Health

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Sari Staver

Anita Hill spoke about harassment and discrimination last week in San Francisco.

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northern California transgender man is suing Dignity Health, claiming that the San Francisco-based health care nonprofit canceled his hysterectomy. Evan Minton, 35, who lives in the Sacramento suburb of Orangevale, said in a lawsuit filed April 19 in San Francisco Superior Court that the hysterectomy, in which his uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries would be removed, was the first step toward phalloplasty, the surgical creation of a penis. “For many other transgender people who find themselves in this situation, they have no one to turn to, and that’s why I want to come forward,” Minton, who eventually had the procedure done at another hospital, said in an interview. Minton, who co-chairs the California Democratic Party’s LGBT Caucus, served as a legislative aide for Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco). He transitioned from female to male in 2012 while working as a legislative staffer to thenAssemblyman Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens), a gay man who’s now a state senator. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Northern and Southern California offices, as well as the group’s LGBT & HIV Project and the law firm Covington and Burling LLP filed the lawsuit on Minton’s behalf, arguing that Dignity withheld care from Minton because of his gender identity, a violation of

Courtesy ACLU

Evan Minton

California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. Minton had been scheduled to get a hysterectomy at Dignity’s Mercy San Juan Medical Center August 30. Two days before his appointment, a nurse called Minton to talk about the surgery, and he mentioned that he’s transgender, his lawsuit says. The following day, the hospital canceled the operation. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Lindsey Dawson, Minton’s primary care physician, had a phone call and meeting with Mercy San Juan President Brian Ivie, in which Ivie “stated that Dr. Dawson would never be allowed to perform a hysterectomy” on Minton at the hospital, and that the hospital “would not allow the hysterectomy to proceed because it was scheduled See page 14 >>

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<< Community News

t Groundswell aims to train activists at boot camp 4 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

by Charlie Wagner

n an effort to help LGBTQ’s involved in social activism, the Groundswell Institute is holding a boot camp next month. Named in honor of a gay man who was a leading strategist during the civil rights era and worked with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Bayard Rustin Community Organizing Bootcamp will be held from Friday, May 12 to Sunday, May 14 at the institute’s facility in the Anderson Valley (Mendocino County). Groundswell Institute Executive Director Kyle DeVries said the primary goal is to teach “practical, grassroots strategies.” The Groundswell website (http:// www.groundswell.institute) defines the boot camp as “a training intensive for community organizers, activists and leaders.” Participants who are both already engaged and newly motivated to social activism and community engagement are welcome. Organizers reached out to the LGBTQ community through contacts established during many past Groundswell conferences, such as the “Muse: Queer Creatives Retreat” held every March and “Lavender: LGBTQ Leadership Conference” held last November. Each of those conferences attracted between 70 and 100 participants in 2016. The boot camp is open to all LGBTQ people. Fees for the weekend start at $175, which covers housing and all meals, with options for vegetarians, vegans, and others with special dietary needs. Groundswell is also offering full and partial scholarships because, as DeVries stated, “We are aiming for a very diverse group of attendees and it’s important to us that money not be an issue in attending the program.” The boot camp incorporates

Charlie Wagner

Groundswell’s Paul Gross, left, Prince Desire, Spring (uses only one name), Kyle DeVries, Sprite (uses only one name), and Snowflake Towers are preparing for next month’s activist boot camp.

three main components: anti-racism education, training on effective political engagement; and community organizing. “We are not trying to tell people exactly what social change will be like,” explained DeVries, who identifies as queer, “we just want to make social activists more effective. And we are building anti-racism into every program we will offer.” The Groundswell website elaborates further, “In order for our collective power to conquer the sources of our fear, we need an intersectional movement that works nonviolently toward justice for all.” DeVries, 30, emphasized, “Engaging homophobia is vitally important, but it is only one battle in the work to make sure all queers can enjoy freedom and dignity.”

Groundswell is bringing in a variety of experienced trainers and speakers. Natalie J. Thoreson, a queer person of color and specialist in cultural diversity education from inVision Consulting (http://www.invisionconsulting. org), will head the anti-racism sessions. Leading the community organizing sessions will be Blue Buddha and Drew Bourn, activists in the Oakland-based group Radical Faeries for Racial Justice (http://www.radfaeracejustice. com). Bourn is also an LGBTQ archivist and historian for Stanford University. Buddha and Bourn will also organize what DeVries called “mini-caucuses” throughout the weekend. DeVries said that the choice to

name the boot camp after Rustin was very carefully considered by him and his staff. The young, 20-something Rustin moved to New York in the 1930s and at first earned his living as a nightclub and stage singer. By the 1950s, Rustin was one of the few politically active people living openly as a gay man. Though he was a leading civil rights strategist, Rustin rarely appeared as a public spokesman because of his pre-1941 Communist Party affiliation and arrest in 1953 for homosexual activity. But he was the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and in the 1980s became a public advocate for gay and lesbian causes. Rustin died in 1987. President Barack Obama

acknowledged Rustin’s continuing impact on the equal rights movement by posthumously awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. The setting for the boot camp is a scenic 140 acres in southern Anderson Valley, accessible by state Highway 128. Groundswell acquired the land about three years ago and calls the property a retreat center and ecovillage. DeVries described the two aspects of the Groundswell project: the nonprofit Groundswell Institute, which produces many events and conferences including the boot camp; and a “queer intentional community” with 10 current residents and a goal of 20 to 30. Most of the land is redwood forest and either inaccessible or undeveloped and Groundswell plans to keep it that way. Yearround Rancheria Creek is on the property and there is a spring-fed pond for swimming. DeVries is confident the property can easily handle up to 150 people for educational conferences. To support its many programs, the Groundswell Institute presents a monthly fundraiser called “Revel” at the SF-Eagle bar, 398 12th Street, on every fourth Sunday right after the beer bust. A larger fundraiser is being planned later this summer at Club Verdi in San Francisco, to be called “Mid-summer Night’s Revel.” The evening will include live music, a fashion show, and contest, and DeVries said, “We invite people to show up in high drag.” DeVries and his staff think they are acting on what Rustin himself believed and said, “The real radical is the person who has a vision of equality and is willing to bring reality closer to that vision.” t

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<< Open Forum

6 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Volume 47, Number 17 April 27-May 3, 2017 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Seth Hemmelgarn CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Brent Calderwood • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani Richard Dodds • Michael Flanagan Jim Gladstone • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell • John F. Karr Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Michael Nugent • Paul Parish • Sean Piverger Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr •Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel Khaled Sayed • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Sari Staver • Jim Stewart Sean Timberlake • Andre Torrez • Ronn Vigh Charlie Wagner • Ed Walsh Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd • Jo-Lynn Otto Rich Stadtmiller • Steven Underhil Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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Hang on: 100 days of Trump P

resident Donald Trump will reach his 100th day in office Saturday, April 29. The symbolic 100-day marker is used to assess a new president and what it might indicate for the future. So far, Trump as president has been as uncontrolled and undisciplined as he was a campaigner, but without any of the major legislative accomplishment he had promised. In 100 days, several frightening things have been made clear.

No friend of LGBTs

Trump can hold a rainbow flag all he wants, and Log Cabin Republicans (which did not endorse him) can opine about how great he is to the community, but Trump is not a friend of ours. After appointing mostly anti-LGBT people to Cabinet posts, the administration has rescinded legal protections for trans students and did not reverse a decision to omit questions about LGBT seniors in government surveys. (The Census Bureau will not be asking people to identify as LGBT in the 2020 census, although it’s important to note that decision was made many months ago before Trump assumed office, but could have changed it.)

Stacking the court

Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch, an extreme conservative, to the U.S. Supreme Court. While it doesn’t change the 5-4 conservative leaning that the court had before the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, Gorsuch, 45, will be on the bench for decades. Another death or retirement can dramatically alter the court by allowing the president to tip the balance in favor of a conservative majority for years after he’s gone.

Immigrants scrambling

Immigrants have been living in fear since Trump took office in January, and no wonder.

One of his first acts was the ill-advised – and illegal – executive order that sought to ban people from seven Muslim-majority countries, Syrian refugees, and even people with green cards. A federal judge quickly stopped the order, but not before a chaos-filled weekend erupted at airports across the country and the world. Trump last month signed a second executive order, this time banning immigrants from six mostly Muslim countries. A judge stopped that one, too, because it smacked of religious discrimination. But deportations are occurring – including people who have built successful lives here – and there are reports that immigrants in southern California and elsewhere are now more reluctant to report crimes that happen to them, out of fear of being deported themselves. That, of course, does nothing to help police fight crime, notably domestic violence, and has a chilling effect on society.

Health care showdown

During the campaign, Trump promised to repeal Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) on Day 1. That didn’t happen, and neither did the president’s sorry attempt to replace the ACA with a health care policy that served fewer people and offered fewer benefits. Even some conservative Republicans balked, after they heard from angry constituents at town halls that the Republican replacement would cut off their health care. In the end, House Speaker Paul Ryan (Wisconsin) pulled the bill because the votes weren’t there, and Trump realized that passing complex legislation that affects millions of Americans wasn’t easy. Now, Trump is promoting another health care vote, because the White House feels under pressure to do something for this 100-day milestone. We predict there won’t be a vote this week – or next – and that the ACA will continue to be law.

But San Francisco officials are taking no chances. This week gay Supervisor Jeff Sheehy introduced a resolution urging the Department of Public Health’s Healthy San Francisco program “to continue offering gender dysphoria benefits and coverage if the Affordable Care Act is repealed and replaced.”

Trump looks out for Trump

Trump has only one interest in mind: himself. Whether it be conflicts of interest involving his properties and other business interests, or shoring up his daughter’s brand, the president could care less about ethical violations, flip-flopping, or anything that would normally trip up an elected official. Discussing the launch of Tomahawk missiles while eating chocolate cake with China’s ruler? Check. Donating his salary to the National Park Service while proposing millions of dollars in cuts to the agency? Check. Withholding his tax returns even as he demands a huge tax cut for the wealthy, likely including himself? Check. Just this week, the State Department promoted Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club on its official website. The ethical violators know no bounds in this administration. Media outlets have devoted thousands of hours documenting Trump’s many lapses, lies, and inconsistencies. But his core supporters are still behind him, bigly, as he would say. We used to think they’d eventually see the emptiness of his proposals, or turn on him when his policies adversely affected them. Now, we’re not so sure. Those same Trump voters will probably support him until he’s kicked out of office, one way or another. Many of them are aggrieved that Trump’s opponents belittle them, and we suppose that empathy is probably more effective. It’s hard to believe that Saturday will be only 100 days when it feels more like 1,000. Well, believe it, because it’s only the beginning of the long nightmare we feared if we can’t sustain effective and consistent resistance to this president for 1,500 days. t

Let my people go: Fighting for LGBT Russians by Joe Goldman

participated last week in a vigil of solidarity with the millions around the world expressing horror and dismay that concentration camptype facilities are being constructed in Chechnya to imprison and torture gay men. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has called for the elimination of the entire gay community by the start of Ramadan, initiating an anti-gay extermination not seen since the Holocaust. To stand against such atrocity, I was proud to join the group of elected officials and community leaders outside the Russian Consulate in San Francisco. Just over 30 years ago my predecessors at the Jewish Community Relations Council stood before this very same building on Green Street, located in an incongruously lovely part of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights, to demand the release of Soviet Jewry from oppression and persecution. The fight took place during the generation after the Holocaust. Baby boomers, especially Jews, who were still struggling with their parents’ inability to prevent the Nazi genocide, pushed hard to secure freedom for Soviet Jews trapped behind the Iron Curtain. There were mass demonstrations and interfaith Passover Seders organized in protest, as well as an alternative cultural event hosted outside of the Bolshoi Ballet performance in San Francisco. It was a battle that was ultimately won. Millions of Soviet Jews were eventually allowed to emigrate and San Francisco is now home to the fourth largest former Soviet Jewish community in the United States. This is the kind of work that gives JCRC its raison d’etre. We believe the Jewish community has a special interest in defending democratic institutions that provide security for all and work to repair the world (tikkun olam) through social justice. As the advocate for over 60 Bay Area Jewish organizations, we were active in the decades-long fight for freedom of Soviet Jewry and also spoke out when Putin’s regime ratcheted up its attacks against Russia’s LGBT community. In 2013, JCRC sprang into action and convened the leadership of the LGBT and Jewish communities in San Francisco to share about our experience fighting for fellow members of our community from afar.

Rick Gerharter

Cleve Jones spoke at the April 18 rally outside the Russian Consulate in San Francisco denouncing the imprisonment and murder of gays in Chechnya.

One of the most important aspects of our activism in support of Soviet Jews and LGBT Russians has been humanizing the movement and listening directly to the leaders on the ground. It is the individual’s stories, their needs, and their freedom that sustains the movement for liberation. Prominent Refuseniks (a term given to Soviet Jews who were denied permission to emigrate) became the face of a human rights movement. The desire to follow the lead of those on the ground harkens to my empowering experience of working with LGBT activists abroad in Israel, as well. While many hear about the success of Tel Aviv Pride, few realize the fact that Israel’s own indigenous LGBT community, at the helm of organizations like The Aguda, Jerusalem Open House, Israel Gay Youth and many other non-governmental organizations, has thrived in a country where there is far less of a barrier between religion and state. I’m proud of the partnerships these organizations have had here in the U.S. with groups like A Wider Bridge, which fosters relationship building between Israeli and North American LGBT communities, as well as various philanthropies. The friendships that I’ve made with the activists over

the years have taught me how to confront the new reality we face here in America, and I am inspired by the interest and support for Israeli civil society that they have spurred in American Jewish and LGBT communities at a time when humanizing the other remains a global challenge. I yearn for the day that we can see the same level of awareness and partnerships with LGBT Russians. Of course there are differences between the Jewish and LGBT communities in this new attack on our right to exist. Jews are a religious, cultural, ethnic and national community. Meanwhile, LGBT people are indigenous to every single division of humanity, just like all genders. The desire to seek justice for a marginalized group of people may be the same, but the demands are often different. That’s why today when I say, “let my people go,” I am not hoping that LGBT Russians are forced to flee of their home country, as my Jewish ancestors were for generations, but rather that they be allowed to live in peace in Russia in ways that my ancestors were denied. Let my people go be free in their own home. That’s the only way we can assure a future for the generations of LGBT individuals that will one day be born. Even as we work to assure a future for the LGBT people born every day in Chechnya and elsewhere, we have to do whatever we can to assure security for the LGBT people currently being persecuted. We have to get them away from the threat of genocide before we can even think about building strong LGBT communal structures. This is why I support the efforts of All Out, which is coordinating directly with the Russian LGBT Network to raise money abroad to help get as many LGBT Chechens to safety as possible. This is the best and only way to resolve the situation and also lift up the victims. t Joe Goldman is the public affairs and civic engagement manager for San Francisco at the Jewish Community Relations Council. Recently appointed by Mayor Ed Lee to serve on the Airport Facilities Naming Committee to determine how to best honor the late Harvey Milk’s legacy at San Francisco International Airport, Goldman is a longtime advocate for LGBT equality, social justice, and a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Politics>>

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

D11 Supe Safai focuses on middle-income housing by Matthew S. Bajko

his week brought the news that a family of four with an income of $105,350 per year is considered “low income” in San Francisco, according to the 2017 income limits determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The median income in the city is $115,300. As the San Jose Mercury News pointed out, the agency’s income level threshold determines who can qualify for affordable and subsidized housing programs such as Section 8 vouchers. In the city a $65,800 annual income is now considered “very low” for a family of four, while $39,500 is “extremely low,” noted the paper. The news highlights why middleincome families are struggling to afford San Francisco’s sky-high housing prices. The average home price in March was nearly $1.2 million and the median rent price was $4,350, according to real estate market and research firm Zillow. During a recent editorial board meeting with the Bay Area Reporter, freshman District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai said the city’s population is being shaped by the cost of housing. “Fifteen years post the recession, there is really a polarization of our city,” said Safai. “Those able to find housing are the wealthy and low-income, while people in the middle – teachers, laborers, fire, and police personnel – those folks are being squeezed out of the city.” Safai, a former housing authority commissioner, had three main issues he campaigned on last year: middle-income housing, affordable child care, and reviving the city’s commercial corridors. “I campaigned on an agenda to help working families,” said Safai, “and this was a big agenda item for me.” He argued that there are “billions of dollars in the pipeline” for lowincome housing in San Francisco but nothing for middle-income families. “If you make over $55,000 it doesn’t take care of you and there is no affordable housing being built for that segment of the workforce,” said Safai, who had been the political director for San Francisco Janitors Union Local 87. Considered a part of the Board of Supervisor’s six-person moderate majority, Safai is a co-sponsor of legislation with board President London Breed, who represents District 5, and District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang that would change the income eligibility levels for affordable housing. It calls for 18 percent of on-site units to be affordable, split

Supervisor Ahsha Safai

in thirds between low, low-moderate and moderate income levels. It differs from a proposal sponsored by District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin and District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim that calls for the inclusionary units to adhere closer to the 25 percent called for by Proposition C, which voters passed last year. It breaks the requirement into 15 percent for low and moderate-income and 10 percent for middleincome earners. The planning commission is set to take up the matter at its meeting Thursday, with staff recommending it support the proposal from the moderate supervisors. The proposals will then head to the supervisors for a vote. “The market used to take care of the middle. But now homes in the Excelsior are going for $1 million and approaching that in the Bayview,” said Safai. “The market will never again take care of middleincome households.” A first generation American of Iranian descent, Safai was born in Iran and, at the age of 5, moved with his mother to Cambridge, Massachusetts. After graduating from Northeastern University in 2000, he and his wife, Yadira, who was born in San Francisco, moved to the city. They live in the Excelsior with their two children. Safai worked for former mayors Willie Brown and Gavin Newsom. In 2008 he lost to former Supervisor John Avalos for the District 11 seat, which includes the city’s southern neighborhoods of the Excelsior, Ingleside, Oceanview, Outer Mission, and Crocker-Amazon. With Avalos termed out of office last year, Safai ran again and defeated Kimberly Alvarenga, a lesbian and the political director of Service Employees International Union Local 1021. Now a co-chair of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic

Club, Alvarenga would have been the first lesbian elected to a supervisor seat in nearly two decades. Nonetheless, Safai received support from within the LGBT community – he received a first choice endorsement from the B.A.R. – and pledged to support LGBT issues as supervisor. He is a co-sponsor of the resolution introduced by Kim that calls for the creation of the Compton’s Cultural District, which would create the country’s first transgender historic district in a portion of the Tenderloin. In recent weeks progressives have criticized Safai, who chairs the board’s rules committee, for an apparent effort to replace police Commissioner Petra DeJesus, a lesbian and lawyer whose term expires April 30, with Olga Miranda, the president of the janitors union. Last week the online news site 48 Hills questioned if Miranda, who until this month was registered to vote in Albany where she owns a home, meets the rule that only San Francisco residents can serve on the oversight body having so recently moved and registered to vote in the city. What is likely at play with the appointment is the long-running policy debate over arming the police with Tasers. New Police Chief William Scott favors doing so, while DeJesus has for years questioned their effectiveness and has voted against equipping officers with stun guns. Safai, who supports the chief’s call for Tasers, told the B.A.R. the way the supervisors can support Scott’s request is by being “thoughtful on whom we put on the police commission. That is the main way the board can have influence on Tasers.” t

Correction

Last week’s column incorrectly reported how much in pro bono work the law firm Latham and Watkins LLP has provided to Equality California to help it create a scorecard on LGBT policies at public schools. The firm has provided the statewide LGBT advocacy group more than $250,000 in free services to date.

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings at noon for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column reported on the retirement of San Diego’s lesbian district attorney. Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes. Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 8298836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

CA agency reports ADAP data breach by Seth Hemmelgarn

fficials with California’s public health department have said that data on dozens of people who rely on the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program was breached. The agency’s Office of AIDS said in its monthly report for April that it’s “identified 93 ADAP clients whose information in the AJ Boggs portal was likely inappropriately accessed by an unknown individual (or individuals) who were not authorized to access the information between July and November 2016.” Although the number of affected clients is relatively small – ADAP, which helps people get access to the

State health officials have reported an ADAP data breach.

medications they need to stay alive, has 29,000 clients in California – the revelation comes as the health department continues trying to fix other problems with the system. Boggs had been awarded the contract to oversee ADAP eligibility enrollment beginning in July 2016,

and trouble started soon after that. The state terminated its contract with Boggs effective March 31. Concerns had included clients wrongfully being dropped from the system and losing access to medications. The health department’s report says that it became aware of the breach “on February 7, 2017, mailed breach notification letters to these clients on April 6, 2017, and is providing one year of credit monitoring to these individuals.” As the agency’s addressed the breach, it’s also been focusing on other parts of the ADAP program. Magellan, another contractor that’s been working with the health See page 15 >>

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<< Pride 2017

8 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

DC march co-chairs named by Sari Staver

dozen LGBT leaders have been named national co-chairs of the June 11 march in Washington, D.C. Now officially called the Equality March for Unity and Pride, updates on the event can be found on its Facebook page, https://www.facebook. com/events/1949652305264195/. A website is “forthcoming,” according to a statement sent to the Bay Area Reporter by Sue Doster, co-president of the International Association of Pride Organizations and a co-chair of the march. The march will not be limited to a one-day event in Washington, D.C., the statement said, as it has planned for solidarity events across the world throughout June, typically recognized as Pride Month. The D.C. march coincides with the district’s Pride festivities. “Together we will continue to propel beyond a march but a movement for years to come, resisting and fighting for our communities’ rights, dignity, and safety,” the statement said. The co-chairs “will help shape the mission and vision of the march by elevating the voices of those most underserved, ensuring that in these trying times our communities can come together, march in solidarity, and demand equity, representation, protection of our most vulnerable, and safeguarding the many triumphs our communities have gained in the previous years while working towards championing many more,” according to the statement. The statement alludes to the dissatisfaction of many activists about the commercialization of LGBT Pride.

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Rick Gerharter

People marched on the National Mall at the Millennium March on Washington, D.C. April 30, 2000.

“We come into this work critical of our movement and with the need to heal from the historic neglect and erasure of our underserved communities’ realities and contributions,” the statement read. “We acknowledge that to find strength from diversity and to foster unity requires centering transgender and gender expansive communities, as well as people of color and immigrants from all sexualities and genders.” In addition to Doster, the national co-chairs are: Anika Simpson, Ph.D., founder, Beyond Policy LLC; Ashley Smith, Capital Pride Alliance; Catalina Velasquez, consultant; David Bruinooge, founder, the Equality March for Unity and Pride; Elle Hearns, executive director, Marsha P. Johnson Institute; Jose L. Plaza, president, Latino GLBT History Project; Lydia X.Z. Brown, See page 15 >>

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April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 9

Not much for LGBTs in Trump’s first 100 days analysis by Lisa Keen

he idea of reflecting upon a president’s first 100 days in office started with President Franklin Roosevelt. According to the Washington Post, Roosevelt touted his own accomplishments in trying to pull the country out of the economic Great Depression. Today’s Great Depression is more of a political one. It erupted out of a presidential election that was won by a candidate who had neither the majority of votes from the general electorate nor the full support of his adopted political party. And his legitimate victory through the Electoral College is still shrouded by the widely accepted belief that his campaign was aided and abetted by the nation’s long-standing nemesis, Russia. Nonetheless, April 29 marks President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office. Perhaps in anticipation that the intense media scrutiny at this first mile-marker won’t flatter him, Trump posted a Twitter message April 21, saying it’s a “ridiculous standard” by which to judge him. And given that 100 days represents less than 6 percent of his elected 1,461-day term of office, he may be entitled to some sympathy. But it does seem reasonable to compare what Trump has done concerning LGBT people to what his predecessors did in any period of time, whether it be their first 100 days or their last year. Like his Republican predecessors, Trump came into the White House showing at least some semblance of personal respect for gays and lesbians. Ronald Reagan had put his name on an op-ed piece opposing an antigay initiative in California that would have barred gay teachers. George W. Bush held a meeting with gays, said it made him a “better person,” and welcomed their support in his campaign. And Trump, on several occasions during his campaign, urged the nation to “stand together in solidarity with” the LGBT community. But like Reagan, Trump’s public comments in support of LGBT people have virtually disappeared since entering the White House. (The one exception was suggesting that his proposed ban on immigrants from some Muslim countries was, in part, to protect LGBT Americans – a suggestion that most LGBT Americans themselves did not embrace.) Like Bush, Trump chose a U.S. attorney general who is hostile to the rights of LGBT people. And like Reagan and Bush, Trump’s choices for the U.S. Supreme Court and other high positions have completely altered the political landscape nationally. Where once that landscape was vibrant with the reality and potential for LGBT civil rights gains, it is now more like an inhospitable faraway moon. Trump’s newly installed Supreme Court justice, Neil Gorsuch, has voiced reasoning that appears ready to map a path for overturning landmark LGBT Supreme Court victories for same-sex marriage and against hate-based laws. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has withdrawn the federal government’s efforts to defeat an anti-LGBT law in North Carolina and rescinded the Obama administration’s guidance urging protection of transgender students under Title IX. The Department of Health and Human Services has removed from at least two federal health surveys questions that would identify data specific to LGBT people. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has canceled a survey to understand the prevalence of homelessness among LGBT people. The Census Bureau has removed from a report appendix on the upcoming 2020 census any mention that

President Donald Trump

it has been in discussion about the possibility of someday asking a question to determine how many LGBT people there are in the United States. And in March, Trump himself revoked an executive order issued by Obama that had required federal contractors to demonstrate they were in compliance with 14 federal laws, some of which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. “Make no mistake about it: The Trump administration is systematically dismantling the progress that we made over the last eight years,” said Sharon McGowan, director of strategy in Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund’s Washington, D.C. office. “Some of these actions have been more direct and obvious, such as the withdrawal of the Department of Education’s guidance regarding transgender students. But there have been a series of other actions that may not have made as big of a splash, but which, taken as a whole, will cause lasting harm to our community. At every turn, we are being ignored, erased, and marginalized. On top of this, the Trump administration continues to fill its ranks with the most virulent anti-LGBT people this country has ever known. It is going to be a very long four years.”

‘Mixed’ record

Even Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory Angelo assesses Trump’s record thus far on LGBT matters as “mixed.” “Trump’s first 100 days in office have been something of a mixed bag in regard to LGBT issues,” said Angelo, “but that was to be expected considering his concurrent outreach to evangelicals and the LGBT voters during his campaign.” Angelo said there has been too much attention paid to “non-troversies” during these first 100 days. For instance, Angelo said the claim by some LGBT activists that the Census Bureau edit was an attempt to “erase” gays from the census amounted to “fake news.” To him, these reports “were nothing more than fundraising ploys to rile up dejected LGBT liberals still reeling from Hillary Clinton’s loss.” And former Log Cabin national President Rich Tafel said the community and media have overlooked some positive LGBT developments in the Trump administration. Example? Trump’s notoriously anti-gay vice president, Mike Pence, told ABC News February 5 that, with Trump, “there’s no room for prejudice.” “I think throughout the campaign, President Trump made it clear that discrimination would have no place in our administration,” said Pence. “He was the very first Republican nominee to mention the LGBTQ community at our Republican National Convention and was applauded for it. And I was there applauding with him.” Tafel said these “gay-supportive comments by Vice President Mike Pence were historic and pretty amazing.”

“I realize it doesn’t fit the narrative, but it marked a remarkable milestone for the gay community,” said Tafel. Pence was responding to a question about how unhappy evangelical supporters were with Trump’s announcement January 31 that he would not revoke an Obama executive order that prohibited discrimination by federal contractors against LGBT employees. Many LGBT activists were uneasy with that announcement, too. They expressed concern that Trump’s reassuring words weren’t matching up with his troubling actions of nominating people who are hostile to LGBT people to key federal positions in health care, civil rights, and education. And most continued to fear Trump would act on his campaign promise that religious liberty will be “cherished, protected, defended, like you have never seen before.” Two months later, Trump signed another executive order that said federal contractors were no longer required to demonstrate that they comply with 14 federal laws, several of which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender stereotyping, or gender identity. Trump did not revoke Obama’s executive order; he gutted it.

come up with a policy. Congress then proceeded to codify a ban, though its name, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” implied gays could serve as long as no one found out they were gay. Even Obama, the most pro-LGBT president in U.S. history, had a rough start on LGBT issues. There was considerable grousing within the community about his performance on LGBT matters during his first year in office. According to many, he didn’t move fast enough to take actions that would end longstanding discrimination against LGBT citizens. But despite that early worry, Obama was able to boast that he was “the first president to appoint

The start is only the beginning

History will judge Trump’s LGBT-related actions based on another measure: How he stacks up to his Democratic predecessors. In his first 100 days in office, President Jimmy Carter’s staff held a meeting with LGBT national leaders in the White House to discuss their needs and concerns. Some downplay the significance of the meeting because it’s not entirely clear how much Carter supported it, but he didn’t stop it and it was a historic first for any presidential administration. President Bill Clinton, who eventually ushered in some gains for LGBT people during his two terms, notoriously caved during those first days of his first term. He reneged on a campaign promise to end the military’s policy of banning gays. He said he believed that gays should be allowed to serve but said he would work with leaders in Congress to

gay candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration.” In March 2009, he nominated John Berry to head the Office of Personnel Management. And in April 2009, he nominated Fred Hochberg to serve as president of the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Obama’s administration signed onto a United Nations statement calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality in his first 100 days. And all three Democratic predecessors had openly gay people advising the administration on LGBTrelated matters. “If there are LGBTQ people See page 14 >>

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<< Sports

10 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Athletes speak up on Outgames by Roger Brigham

hen I wrote a week ago about the cancellation of several sports at the upcoming 2017 Miami World Outgames and noted that thus far Outgames had avoided the kind of fiery outcry on social media that the disorganized 2015 EuroGames endured, apparently I spoke too soon. Someone dropped a lit match. As of the start of this week, 10 voices had spoken up on one person’s sharing of last week’s JockTalk column on Facebook and another 89 had recommended the column to their friends directly from the Bay Area Reporter website. Their disparate voices, articulated through roughly 6,000 words in a passionate exchange of advocacy, frustration, anger, and hope, show just how little is understood even within the global LGBT community of the goals, missions, and inner workings of its highest profile sports events – or of the way different organizations tackle those nuances impact LGBT athletes. Faced with this barrage of viewpoints, I will now jump in to provide context and comments. Mind you, I am not an “insider” privy to the internal discussions and reasoning of the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association, which sanctions the event; and I have left all of my volunteer and board positions with the Federation of Gay Games and its supporting organizations, but I have been involved with many discussions and efforts in the LGBT sports inclusive movement through the years. So here goes:

Rift or no rift?

Good question. Some deny any rift exists between the FGG and GLISA and others think it is a dark stain that died in the past. There is no denying that the original organizers who bolted negotiations in 2003 to host

Courtesy YouTube

The Swinging Sisters showdance team competed at the 2013 Outgames in Antwerp, Belgium.

the Gay Games and instead establish the rival Outgames had a serious rift with the FGG, whose business model they attacked as amateur, inefficient, imperious and over-controlling. Those organizers are no longer around. A decade ago the FGG did much to overhaul its business operations and improve host support. And in the interim, GLISA discovered just how hard it is to meet the needs of thousands of athletes in multidisciplinary festival – while focusing on parties, culture, ceremonies, and human rights conferences to boot. That evolution has resulted in two radically different events with different emphases that barely have any resemblance to each other. That’s not a rift: that’s different planetary orbits.

Mission focus

The Gay Games takes inclusive sports seriously. Its members devote hours devising regulations and policies for hosts, who generally have less

institutional knowledge and experience in inclusive sports issues, that will make the sports experience as real, as inclusive, as representative, as competitive, as possible. Its board is studded with swimming, soccer, squash and tennis players. A participant survey done after the 2002 Sydney Gay Games called for sports as the overwhelming focus of the event, with almost no attention paid to parties or conferences. FGG has pretty much stayed with that focus. If your sport disappoints at a Gay Games, it is likely a failure of your sport organization to assist in planning. But overwhelmingly surveys indicate sports participants go away happy. In the Gay Games, that opportunity to participate and compete is its human rights mission. It knows its athletes have trained to participate at the highest level they can and take their training and competition seriously. Sports is not an afterthought: it is a physical and emotional expression of life at its fullest. At the crux of the frustration of the athletes voting concerns about the Outgames is that it treats sports as an afterthought rather than as a primary focus. Several GLISA and Outgames officers have expressed to me through the years that human rights cannot be adequately advanced through sports; from World Outgames 2009 onward the conferences have been held up as an equal component even if that comes at the expense of sports. When a critic expressed this thought in the Facebook exchange, he was

challenged by Duy Q. Ngo, a director of GLISA International living in Southern California and vice president of GLISA North America.

Paying the bills

“Where do you get the information that sports pay for human rights?” Ngo asked a swimmer. “Human rights and sports are two separate business units. One does not pay for the other.” But that does not address how much of the money generated directly through sports registrations or through sponsorship anticipation of the presence of those athletes goes directly to staging the sports events. And when athletes find themselves paying top notch dollars for a sports event with disappointing registrations or technical support or advance information – well, they tend to get heated. The base registration fee for Miami is $250, plus whatever individual sports fee is tacked on. In the case of swimming, one of the events that is expected to be a success because of the presence of Gay and Lesbian International Aquatics, that fee is $35. “If I am going to spend $300 just to compete in the event, I expect to arrive feeling like my investment was worth it, high quality, well organized competition,” a Denver-area swimmer wrote. “It’s not easy to organize such an event but it’s hard to justify making the investment if the value is simply not there. Athletes are simply not going to take the event seriously and thus, less likely to invest in the event and promoting it to their teams and communities. There are a lot of different

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LGBT sporting events to choose from, so what sets Outgames apart? You might say the (conferences), but that’s not going to attract athletes who expect to take part in a serious sporting event. Athletes are there to compete in sport, if the sporting competition isn’t emphasized, organized and marketed to a high quality and expectation to the athletes, they will find other events to list on their schedule instead.”

In conclusion

The voting membership of the FGG is built around LGBT sports organizations. Period. GLISA draws a substantial number of members from non-sports groups in the human rights movements. While collecting its licensing revenue, FGG is actively involved through the quadrennial cycle in providing sports expertise for the host city and promoting the event. Past hosts of international and continental Outgames have said they got little to no promotional support after paying their fees and have been left to figure out sports issues for themselves. My advice to athletes and other constituents has remained unchanged since the original split more than a decade ago: go to the websites of the respective hosts, see where their concentrations are, and see what they offer in your event. For the athlete, there’s a big bang for events these days in registering for the Gay Games and Sin City Shootout extravaganzas, or for club tournaments and individual international sports championships. World Outgames – that’s never been the focus and that hasn’t been the reality. This is one event that would be vastly improved by dropping the oversaturated sports events and focusing on conferences. t

PAWS marks 30th year compiled by Cynthia Laird

THIS IS THE

those affiliated with the Apothecarium have been shouted down and intimidated at community meetings. For more information, see h t t p s : / / w w w. f a ce b o o k . co m / events/1148628265259484/.

ets Are Wonderful Support, an agency that provides services for pets of those living with HIV and other illnesses, will mark its 30th anniversary with Petchitecture, its signature fundraiser. Petchitecture, as its name implies, features custom designed pet-friendly structures by architects that are available for bidding. Canine guests are welcome (fully vaccinated and leashed), as people celebrate the human-animal bond. This year’s gala takes place Thursday, May 4 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason Street in San Francisco. Longtime PAWS supporter and local philanthropist Dede Wilsey is the major sponsor. PAWS began as volunteers mobilized in response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the city. Over the years, PAWS has expanded the array of services available for its clients and the community. It now serves over 1,000 companion animals of 800 clients who depend on the agency to provide pet food, vet care, dog walking, transportation, foster care, grooming, education, and case management. The agency became a part of the Shanti Project in 2015. Tickets for Petchitecture are $200 and can be purchased online at http://www. shanti.org.

Sheehy seeks landmarking rainbow flag Gay District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy on Tuesday announced that he has asked the city attorney’s office to begin the process of landmarking the iconic rainbow flag at Castro and Market streets. The flag has been the subject of debate over the years, with some, like gay activists Michael Petrelis and Bill Wilson, seeking to have the flag lowered to half-staff when someone prominent dies. The Castro Merchants, which

Affordable housing rally

Courtesy Shanti Project

A pooch sits in a custom doghouse at last year’s Petchitecture. controls the flag, have declined to do so, maintaining that the flag’s creator, Gilbert Baker, did not ever want it lowered. (Baker died last month.) City officials have maintained the flag is public art. Sheehy made the request at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

Medical cannabis rally in the Sunset Medical cannabis proponents are taking their message of “No Hate” to the Sunset district, where a proposed dispensary operated by the Apothecarium has come under fire from those associated with an antiLGBT group. The Apothecarium and Castro business owner Daniel Bergerac announced a rally for Wednesday, May 3 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. outside the Ortega branch library, 3223 Ortega Street. Organizers said that the Pacific Justice Institute, an anti-gay group, is “spreading the false fear that dispensaries are a danger to children.” And, as recently reported in the Bay Area Reporter

The San Francisco Anti-Displacement Coalition will hold a No Cuts to Housing Rally Thursday (April 27) at noon outside the San Francisco Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue. On a Facebook page created for the event, organizers said they oppose proposed Trump administration cuts to affordable housing programs and city proposals that they said would raise rents and cut the percentage of affordable housing that developers are required to build. For more information, visit h t t p s : / / w w w. f a ce b o o k . co m / events/1278617525568144/.

New guide on SF’s 49-mile scenic drive A new guide on San Francisco’s famous 49-mile scenic drive that was written by three lesbians will be celebrated at an author talk and book signing Wednesday, May 3 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Zephyr Real Estate, 2282 Market Street. Realtor Katharine Holland, who works at Zephyr, wrote a chapter for the book, “Walking San Francisco’s 49-Mile Scenic Drive,” which was co-authored by Kristine Poggioli and Carolyn Eidson. According to the authors, the book turns the historic 49-mile city loop into 17 walks, taking visitors and natives alike on an adventure past San

See page 14 >>

Commentary>>

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

Disclosure and deception by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

aitlyn Jenner’s new memoir was released this week, and she sat down with Diane Sawyer to do an interview about her life as part of the promotional tour. I must admit that I did not watch the interview, because – to be frank – I’m neither that keen nor curious when it comes to Jenner. One thing I have noted, however, is how salacious the details have been in the promotions for the book, titled, “The Secrets of My Life.” Every article seems to heavily push the details of Jenner’s “final surgery,” as well as her sex life and what gender she may consider dating. Now I know that this sort of gossipy talk is what will be needed to sell the story of a celebrity whose star has dimmed in the two years since her public coming out, her reality show, her failed motivational speaker gigs, and her estrangement from the Kardashian family. But it all points to a deeper issue that transgender people face. As I hear all the tawdry details of Jenner’s story, I am also re-reading “How Sex Changed” by Joanne Meyerowitz. It’s a great book, detailing the history of transsexuality in the United States. It’s likely worth more of your book-buying dollar than the Jenner memoir. In it, Meyerowitz discusses the reactions to Christine Jorgensen’s coming out in the 1950s, and how both her tale and many others who came out shortly thereafter, were steeped in the same sort of

Christine Smith

salaciousness as the promotions for Jenner’s autobiography. Upon reflection, I realize, too, that every transgender person – and not just the Jorgensens and Jenners – face this same sort of thing. When you are trans, the standards of privacy are thrown out the window. We are expected to share our most intimate details to anyone we come across. Without exception, any time I was interviewed in any depth, I found myself asked about my name prior to my transition, or for photos of myself from my youth, or for details of any surgeries I may have undertaken. It really didn’t matter if any of that would be relevant to the story: my disclosure was simply expected. The same standard is not expected of non-transgender people. Maiden names and other such things are

considered private enough to be used as security features with banks and other institutions. Non-transgender strangers don’t expect details of another’s hysterectomies or vasectomies unless they happen to be medical professionals. So many things are naturally considered one’s own private business. The minute one divulges one is transgender, however, all bets are off. What’s more, to make an issue about such questions is to risk being panned as deceptive. On a recent episode of “Survivor,” one contestant, Jeff Varner, outed fellow player Zeke Smith as transgender, under the guise of revealing a deception. “There is deception here. Deception on levels these guys don’t understand,” said Varner. After a gentle goading by the show’s host, Jeff Probst, Varner turned to Smith, saying point blank, “Why haven’t you told anyone here you’re transgender?” The inference was clear, in spite of any lastditch attempts by Varner to try and backtrack on or justify his statement: by not opting to disclose his trans status, Smith was not to be trusted to be honest on any other issue. This notion of transgender deception pervades our culture. Many assume that trans women are attempting to “trap” unwitting men into “gay” relationships, or are

Bias against LGBTs could cost Indonesia millions, report says by Heather Cassell

otherwise opting to be deceptive by presenting in their chosen gender. As an extension, this is at the heart of the so-called trans panic defense used to defend the murderers of transgender people. Our supposed deception is considered strong enough to excuse our very deaths. This same thing is at the heart of the transgender bathroom arguments, with people conflating transgender people with sexual predators using trans public accommodation rights as a cover for violent illegal activities. The big irony of it all is that, by living our authentic lives in the genders we have spent so long coming to an understanding of, we are by extension being far more open and honest to the world about who we are. We are shedding an identity that was the true deception, crafted to conceal our deepest secrets. We are literally showing you who we really are, while being brushed off as being deceptive for not remaining in a gender identity that was false. On top of that, by choosing to show you who we truly are, any further expectation of privacy is considered moot. As I said above, we’re

expected to give you every intimate detail of our lives, far above and beyond that of any non-transgender person. Now I’m sure that Jenner and her publicists know that such details will sell books. I am cynical enough to see that they’re opting to play this game. Heck, even annoying me enough to get me to write about her book is considered a “win” when it comes to publicity. Yet I am also saddened and frustrated to consider how, in doing so, they are making life that much harder for other transgender people who cannot and do not wish to share the private details of their genitals with the known universe. We should be allowed an expectation of privacy, no matter if we’re a former Olympian, an ex-GI, a contestant on “Survivor,” or just trying to make it through the day in this crazy world. It’s not that we want to be treated any differently than anyone else. Indeed, we simply with to be treated with the same respect as anyone else. t Gwen Smith thinks some things are only for her lover. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com.

Keep Keep CalM CalM

government, which was widely reported last year. iscrimination against Homosexuality isn’t exLGBT Indonesians in plicitly illegal in Indonesia, workplaces, schools, and but there aren’t any laws social opportunities is perspecifically protecting LGBT vasive and could cost the rights in the Muslim-macountry’s economy from jority country, activists and 900 million to 12 billion U.S. researchers said. dollars, according to a new Acceptance of LGBT peoreport released last month. ple has remained at a low 3 LGBT academics – M.V. percent, except in 2011 when Lee Badgett, Amira Hasenit rose to 11 percent in a Pew bush, and Winston E. Luhur Global Attitudes Survey con– and Indonesian activists ducted by the Pew Research Dede Oetomo and Tunggal Center, the researchers pointJefta Images/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Pawestri came together in a OPEN 2-4 ed out. Indonesian transgender activists held a vigil to webinar Wednesday, April Badgett put the figure into mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance on SAT/SUN 19 to discuss findings in a context. “That makes IndoOPEN 2-4 November 22, 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia. OPEN SUNDAY report about the economic nesia slightly more accepting 2-4PM SAT/SUN effect of excluding LGBT than Pakistan, Tunisia, and effeminate men, called waria, who Indonesians from various aspects of Nigeria, which are also in the single are often targeted within the comsociety. digits, but much less accepting than munity and experience extreme The report, published March 28, Malaysia, China, and Korea other barriers to education, employment, examines the economic effects of countries that are in the Asian rehousing, and health care due to Sophisticated SF Architectural View discrimination and violence against gion,” she said. their gender non-conformity. Many LGBT Indonesians and how that She talked about another report Sophisticated SF Architectural View LGBT Indonesians experience high can hold back the Southeast Asian that the researchers studied, the levels of violence, which adds to their country. World Values Survey 2006, which economic burdens and leads to “There is considerable asked respondents more pointedly high rates of depression, the stigma attached to being if Indonesians would be willing to REIMAGINED researchers found. homosexual in Indonehave, or want to have, an LGBT To overcome discrimiREIMAGINED, REIMAGINED sia,” said Badgett Ph.D., neighbor. nation to obtain and co-author of the report, Two-thirds of Indonesians say that maintain employment entitled “LGBT Excluthey would not want a homosexualThis Edwardian has been newly built from the ground up. The residence many LGBT Indoneblends This soaring ceilings, custom lighting, oak floors and Resident Homeowner Lan sion in Indonesia and Its neighbor, the report stated. Edwardian has been newly builtsolid from the ground up. impeccable The residence sians either go deep into indoor/outdoor, view ceilings, living tocustom orchestrate a unique, living experiblends soaring lighting, solid oakmodern floors and impeccable Economic Effects.” “That is a fairly high percentage the closet or are forced Specialist Chef’s kitchen merges with open-concept living and indoor/outdoor, view living to orchestrate a unique,Off-Market modern livingdining experiThe estimated ecoof people not wanting a homosexualence. Spacious into less formal forms that flows to the deck and to kitchen the sprawling yard.open-concept A second grand ence. Spacious Chef’s merges with living Family and dining nomic effect on Indoneighbor in the global context,” saidRoom and that Guest flows toSuite the deck and tothis thelevel. sprawling yard. A second grand Family of employment, such complete The upper level is comprised Seamlessly representing nesia’s gross domestic Badgett. Room and Guest Suiteofcomplete this level. The level&islaundry. comprised buyers, se of 3 Bedrooms (master en-suite southern deck), 2 baths 360° views thewith Bay & City form thisupper masterfully rebuilt as the arts, salons, and Seamlessly representing buyers, se of 3 Bedrooms (master en-suite with southern deck), 2 baths &Solar, laundry. product due to excluding 360° views of the Bay & City form this masterfully rebuilt Luhur, a research assistant at the Lower level features a large, legal spacious, studio guest home. (2014), luxury masterpiece! 5+ BD|4.5 BA, upscale finishes, survival sex work. Lower level features a large, legal spacious, studio guest home. Solar, investors in the Castro & San Fra (2014), luxury masterpiece! 5+ BD|4.5 BA, upscale finishes, 3-zone heating and 2-car garage. A+ location, flat walk to shuttles, parks, LGBT individuals is 0.1 percent to Williams Institute, noted discrimielevator. Huge yard, decks & investors view roof deck.in Open concept, The researchers examined a varithe Castro heatingshops and 2-car garage. location, flat walk shuttles, parks, & San Fra elevator. Huge yard, decks & view roof deck.toin Open concept, schools,3-zone restaurants, and cafés ofA+ Noe & Eureka Valley view living, dining & kitchen! 2-car pkg. Located Russian Hill, 1.4 percent, or $862 million to $12 nation and violence are often carried ety of antidotal, academic, governschools, restaurants, shops and cafés of Noe & Eureka Valley! Valley & kitchen! 2-car pkg. Located steps toview the living, City’s dining best schools, parks & more!in Russian Hill, billion, said Badgett, a distinguished out not only by family members,www.noeviewHome.com Offered atshops, $4,495,000 ment, non-government, and polling steps to the|City’s parks & more! NOEVIEWHOME.COM |schools, Offered at $4,495,000 www.noeviewHome.com |best Offered atshops, $4,495,000 scholar at the Williams Institute at but also by militant Islamic vigilante data, however, they noted that the UCLA School of Law and a profesgroups and police officers. Ofteninformation was very limited. sor of economics at the University of times, the vigilantes and police colMassachusetts Amherst. lude together, perpetrating crimes Harsh reality The report particularly highagainst LGBT people. The report comes after LGBT lighted the effects of discrimination Indonesians experienced a harsh See page 15 >> against transgender women and Rachel Swann • 415-225-7743 Rachel Swann • 415-225-7743 crackdown by the Indonesian TheSwannGroupSF.com Rachel Swann Anthony DeLaCruz Rachel@TheSwannGroupSF.com Rachel@TheSwannGroupSF.com

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<< Travel

12 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Long Beach offers relaxing urban beach town getaway by Heather Cassell

he streets were smoking the weekend my girlfriend and I visited Long Beach but it wasn’t because Long Beach was hot. It was due to the Formula Drift, a car event that allows competitors to legally spin out in designated areas on the city’s streets for a weekend. That was in advance of the recent Toyota Grand Prix, where cars raced through downtown Long Beach streets. While racecar lovers were burning rubber in Long Beach, my girlfriend and I were burning rubber on the soles of our shoes and with bikes from Long Beach Bike Share to explore the city during our 36-hour jaunt. We flew into Long Beach Airport Friday night and settled into the Hilton Long Beach to rest up for our weekend adventure. Our hotel was located downtown, which allowed us to easily hit all the happening neighborhoods and sites Long Beach has to offer. We walked everywhere from the Aquarium of the Pacific to Rainbow Harbor to Fourth Street and Pine Avenue the first day. We found that Long Beach was very walkable, at least in the downtown and within specific neighborhoods. The following day we rolled through the city’s bike boulevards and bike lanes all the way up to Belmont Heights and back before brunch. Long Beach, with a population of about 510,000, is the seventh largest city in California and the 36th largest in the U.S., according to our host, Bob Maguglin, from the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. A native, he has a deep passion for the city.

Pick your flavor

Long Beach boasts 112 neighborhoods. Restaurateurs have been spicing up the city’s culinary scene and its diversity is how it got its new nickname, the International City. Possibly the best way to get a sample of what Long Beach has to offer is to check out Taste of Downtown and Stroll and Savor. Foodies delight as they stroll along Pine Avenue and Waterfront downtown and along Second Street in the Belmont Shore neighborhood, tasting the best of what the city’s restaurants have to serve up. Taste of Downtown takes place in May and August. Stroll and Savor takes place monthly May through August. We still can’t get the flavors of Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, a popular funky restaurant, out of our minds. The menu features recipes from Guadalajara, Mexico handed down to the restaurant’s namesake from her grandmother, as well as modern

Mexican fare. There’s indoor and outdoor seating; the back patio has a cute, colorful atmosphere featuring Mexican artwork. The restaurant has a second location in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood along Atlantic Avenue. The Queen Mary Champagne Sunday Brunch offered a buffet ranging from standard American breakfast to Chinese, Italian, Mexican, seafood, and, of course, dessert, all washed down with champagne that magically continues to appear in your glass. We also enjoyed breakfast at local favorite, the Breakfast Bar, which serves up a variety of favorites, including American, Southern, and Mexican-American. Our only regret was George’s Greek Cafe. We had to refresh our palate from the overcooked food and bad Greek wine with a visit after dinner to District Wine. Reviewing our list of restaurants, we wished we had gone to Cafe Sevilla for Spanish tapas, but we wouldn’t have explored bustling Second Street and the Belmont Shores neighborhood if we had. However, we are quite sure that there will be more than a handful of new restaurants to add to the list we created that will beckon our taste buds to return to Long Beach soon.

Polishing up

One of the major reasons is that for the past decade Long Beach, which had a reputation for being rough around the edges, has been working on cleaning itself up. The city is alive with creative innovation. Everywhere you go new restaurants and shops are opening. Many of the new boutiques and eateries in downtown Long Beach along Pine Avenue and Broadway sprouted at Made by Millworks, a gift and art gallery that features more than 150 local brands, and was founded in 2014. Some of the businesses – such as the Crepe Crafters, Pie Bar, Romeo Chocolates, Saints and Sinners Bake Shop, and lesbian-owned Wide Eyes Open Palms – started at Made by Millworks and have opened nearby. Then there’s the historic favorite on Pine Avenue, Hamburger Mary’s, where Jamie’s T Girl Saturday and Brunch with the Brunchettes draw the community out to eat and laugh. Taking a break from walking everywhere, my girlfriend and I enjoyed local brews at Beachwood Brewing, right across the street from Harvey Milk Park on the Promenade. Along Ocean Boulevard, the historic Club Ripples that has been a bastion

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and includes the achievements of Princes Harry and William of England. The Queen Mary has called Long Beach home since 1967 when it ended its final voyage at the popular cruise ship port, where it is now a floating hotel and popular event and wedding venue. Today, the port is also home to Carnival Cruises, which is expanding its cruises to Hawaii and Mexico.

Get festive Courtesy Long Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

The Queen Mary, a floating hotel and event and wedding venue, is beautifully lit at night.

in the Belmont Shore neighborhood since 1972, is one of the city’s 13 gay bars and nightclubs. The nightclub also hosts one of the city’s only lesbian nights, Syren’s Ladies Night. We were surprised that Long Beach, which has a reputation for having a large lesbian community, doesn’t offer much for lesbian nightlife. It’s something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by local queer women who spoke with the Bay Area Reporter. Lesbian scene or not, the city is clearly dusting itself off under the direction of its first young gay Latino mayor, Robert Garcia. The founder and publisher of Long Beach Post and an immigrant from Peru, Garcia was elected in 2014. The changes that started in 2007 appear to have been kicked into high gear within the past couple of years since Garcia stepped into the mayor’s office. He’s on a mission to raise Long Beach’s profile, attracting several industries – such as high-tech and brand name stores – to revitalize the beach town. It’s working. Garcia has attracted young people, who are bringing a new vibrant energy to the city, while retaining its laidback beach vibe, diversity, and family-friendly atmosphere. It’s the perfect concoction for a hip city.

Something for everyone

Long Beach offers something for everyone. It’s a very queer city with gayowned businesses new and old residing in many neighborhoods, from Pine Avenue downtown to Fourth Street and Broadway to Retro Row where The Center Long Beach, the LGBT community center, is located. There is more than one gay neighborhood too; Alamitos Beach and Signal Hill and Eastside are generally considered the gayborhoods and lesbihood, respectively. Our new friends, Tara Frazier and Marisol Pathaco, a 30-something lesbian couple we met during brunch at the Queen Mary, told my girlfriend and I that there is “never a dull moment” in Long Beach because “There is always something to do.” Frazier added that Long Beach is a romantic city too, as we continued hanging out on the ship’s deck sipping champagne. Located on the Pacific Ocean with 11 and a half miles of sandy beaches and 345 days of sunshine – that is

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when the fog isn’t around – Long Beach has plenty of things to do. Couples and families enjoy outdoor activities, such as beach volleyball, biking, boating, golf, tennis, and walking along the beach or Rainbow Harbor Esplanade or even a ride aboard Gondola Getaway through the canals of Naples Island. It also has a robust arts and culinary scene. My girlfriend and I enjoyed gliding through the canals of Naples Island at sunset aboard one of the gondolas. As we admired the unique array of architecture and learned about the history behind the buildings by our gondolier, a former teacher, we also saw friends enjoying a dinner set up on the boat, couples getting engaged, and party boats celebrating birthdays float past us. Art aficionados will love the galleries and museums, such as the Museum of Latin American Art, along with the bars and restaurants in the East Village Arts District. Shoppers will enjoy Second Street in Belmont Shores, Pine Avenue, the Pike Outlets, and Retro Row, with antiques and second-hand shops. Another great shopping destination is Fourth Fridays at the Pike. The event showcases more than 80 vendors, food trucks, and local artists and is open to the public every fourth Friday of the month from 5 to 10 p.m.

Lesbian/gay chorus

From page 1

of sanctuary cities across the country. LGCSF’s trans singers have been a major inspiration for Sauerland’s doctoral dissertation, which is the first dissertation on the experience and practices of trans singers in private voice lessons, he said. Sauerland is examining aspects of the transgender voice, how it is affected by hormones and gender transition, as well as the training process. “As teachers we shape singers’ artistry,” he said. “Singing teachers are often conservatory based master teacher and apprentice. This is difficult for many people, and especially for trans singers if the teacher doesn’t

Courtesy Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

People enjoy a day out on the canals of Naples Island with Gondola Getaway.

Families will enjoy the aquarium, especially the behind-the-scenes tour we went on. They will also enjoy the “Diana: Legacy of a Princess” exhibit, haunted and historic tours, and other events aboard the Queen Mary, a luxury passenger ship built in 1936 with a glamorous past. The Diana exhibit is educational and, at moments, sad and uplifting, understand, for example, how testosterone affects the voice, as well as how their voice is deeply tied to a trans person’s identity.” Sauerland is a countertenor, singing music usually performed by female altos. “Part of why I’ve been an advocate for diversity of voices and gender is because I’m singing in a ‘female’ range,” he said. “My voice is a big part of my identity. In college, I was hired for a piece and the director put in the program that I was biologically male and that I wasn’t castrated. Are people really that thrown off by a man singing in the treble clef they needed that? “Why do we associate gender with specific voices?” he asked. “I felt conflicted growing up in Ohio because

There are many reasons to go to Long Beach, but festivals, especially now that spring will soon give way to summer, also transform this city into a destination worth visiting. The season kicks off with Long Beach Pride, which is May 20-21, and ends with QFilms Long Beach, the LGBT film festival, September 7-10. Throughout the summer, Long Beach celebrates the beach and sea with a variety of events by the Long Beach Sea Festival, including the Original Lobster Festival, the largest lobster festival outside of Maine, which wraps up the season in September. Golfers will enjoy the annual Long Beach Golf Festival that features a women’s and men’s city championship among nine tournaments that attracts more than 1,500 golfers from around the United States and the world May 17-19. Craft brew lovers can explore Beer Camp on Tour, America’s largest craft beer festival, which will be in Long Beach at the Queen Mary Events Park June 24. In July, Long Beach will celebrate artists at the annual Pow! Wow! Long Beach. The weeklong festival, July 1117, celebrates art, culture, and music with daily events and a competition with internationally known artists creating large-scale mural installations throughout the city. Music lovers can enjoy the Long Beach Jazz Festival, August 11-13.

Where to sleep

We stayed at the Hilton Long Beach, however, there are plenty of lodging options, such as the Queen Mary. The ship is not only a place to dine, drink, and have a good time at any one of its many events, it also has 320 hotel rooms. Another luxury boat lodging option is the Dockside Boat and Bed, where guests sleep in yacht accommodations in Rainbow Harbor. More moderate and funky boutique options from the Hotel Maya to the historic 1920s Varden Hotel are also located downtown.

Getting there and around

We flew in on JetBlue, for which Long Beach is one of its hubs. The Long Beach Airport is about a 20-minute drive from the city. The downtown is very walkable, as we discovered, but there are shuttles available: the Passport buses, Aquabus, and the Aqualink. Passport buses are free downtown and affordable for longer distances. Fare-based Aquabuswill take you to the aquarium and the Aqualink, will take you to Alamitos Bay and Naples Island. t my voice and gender weren’t accepted as being congruent. This dissertation is part of redefining gender norms and what they mean.” He said that he’s an ally for trans people because of his personal experience. “Trans people should be a voice for themselves,” Sauerland said. “I hope to be a conduit for their voices, like the conductor for a choir.” t “Here I Am: Living Authentically” takes place Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 7 at 3 p.m., at Metropolitan Community Church-San Francisco, 1300 Polk Street (at Bush Street). Tickets are $25 ($20 student/senior) and can be purchased at: http://lgcsf. org/livingauthentically.

Community News>>

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 13

Scientists, allies take stand at marches by Liz Highleyman

ens of thousand of scientists and science supporters turned out across the globe Saturday, April 22, for the March for Science, celebrating scientific advances and asking governments to maintain funding for scientific and medical research. In San Francisco more than 10,000 people marched from Justin Herman Plaza down Market Street, ending at a rally and science fair at Civic Center Plaza. Many participants carried handmade signs with messages such as “There is no Planet B,” “The oceans are rising and so are we,” and “Be like bacteria: Resist!” An estimated 15,000 people came out for the national March for Science in Washington, D.C., despite heavy rain. Large satellite marches also took place in Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, as well as in numerous cities worldwide. Organizers estimated that there were more than 600 marches on six continents. The March for Science was inspired by the large Women’s Marches on the day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, and motivated by Trump’s perceived hostility to scientific evidence and proposed cuts to sciencerelated agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and National Institutes of Health. Dissension from some scientists who did not want to “politicize” science and complained about march organizers’ commitment to progressive causes apparently did not dampen turnout.

Much happening for May Day

The next big day of action will be Monday, May 1, celebrated worldwide as International

Liz Highleyman

Protesters held signs at the March for Science in Amsterdam.

Workers Day. Organizers across the country have called for general strikes, student and faculty walkouts at universities, and actions in support of immigrants. Activists are opposed to Trump’s policies that restrict immigration from several mostly Muslim-majority countries, his stepped up raids and deportations of undocumented immigrants, and his moves to limit visas for workers. In San Francisco activists are planning a morning protest at 8 a.m. at Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters at 630 Sansome Street. This will be followed by a Day Without Immigrants rally and march from Justin Herman Plaza to Civic Center Plaza starting at 11 a.m. Later in the day in Oakland, activists are calling for a march and strike for immigrant and worker rights. The rally will start at 3 p.m. at Fruitvale Plaza, with a march ending at San Antonio Park. The May 1 actions are supported by Bay Resistance, Jobs

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with Justice, and many other local labor, immigrant rights, and social justice organizations.

Upcoming events

On May 16, Equality California, in partnership with several other LGBT and HIV organizations across the state, will host the 2017 LGBT Advocacy Day at the state Capitol in Sacramento. For more information or to register, see eqca. org/advocacyday. On May 22, Project Inform will host a forum to discuss growing threats to people living with, and at risk for, HIV/ AIDS and hepatitis C in the Trump era, including the risk of losing access to medical care and defunding of treatment and prevention services. Moderated by KQED’s Scott Shafer, the panel will feature Dan Bernal from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-San Francisco) office, Ernest Hopkins, director of legislative affairs at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Harm Reduction Coalition Executive Director Monique Tula, and Project Inform staff members. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. t

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<< Community News

14 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Syringe boxes

From page 1

“Sixteenth and Mission is a little bit different,” Loughran said. The area is more residential than Powell, so “we will go through a community process,” to talk about installing a syringe container. Officials are connecting with neighborhood groups, business organizations, community leaders, and other city agencies that deal with the neighborhood to gauge their support, she said. Where to put the box at the Mission station is “up for discussion,” Loughran said. The Mission and Powell stations

Hill

From page 2

was trying to instill in her students. Having personally benefitted from court decisions, such as the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional, Hill said she knew “what the court and the law can do for people with limited opportunities.” “I knew in my heart of hearts (Thomas) did not deserve to be ruling on cases that would impact

Dignity Health

From page 2

as part of a course of treatment for gender dysphoria, as opposed to any other medical diagnosis.” The delay caused Minton “great anxiety and grief,” he said in his complaint. “Mr. Minton had no time to spare, as he needed to undergo his hysterectomy three months before his phalloplasty,” which was set for November 23, the lawsuit stated. Minton said that Dawson finally “was able to secure emergency surgical privileges for later in the week, and

Trump

From page 9

providing guidance [to the Trump administration], there is little evidence of positive results so far,” said David Stacy, government affairs director for the Human Rights Campaign. “Unfortunately, President Trump

News Briefs

From page 10

Francisco’s most popular sights, fascinating neighborhoods, and breathtaking vistas. Holland’s chapter, “Secrets of Victorian Architecture,” grew out of her 15 years of experience as a real estate agent. There is no cost to attend; copies of the book will be available for purchase. For more information and to sign up, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ authors-talk-book-signing-walkingsan-franciscos-49-mile-scenic-drivetickets-33689014750.

SF Suicide Prevention to hold benefit Now in its 55th year, San Francisco Suicide Prevention’s annual gala, Laughs for Life, will take place Thursday, May 4 from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the historic Julia Morgan Ballroom, 465 California Street. Stand-up comedian Torio Van Grol headlines the show, with guests Joey Avery and Dhaya Lakshminarayanana also appearing. The evening features a three-course dinner and auction. Auctioneer Narsai David, Bay Area food critic and KCBS wine and food editor, has donated specially selected wines for the evening. The agency’s 2017 Altruism Award will be presented to Michael Scribner, president and chief executive officer

are currently the ones being prioritized because for the Civic Center area, a kiosk is already being considered nearby. “We always like to place something then assess if it’s working,” Loughran said. “It doesn’t really make a lot of sense” to put multiple boxes at one site without knowing it will work. The idea for disposal boxes at BART stations came up when city staff connected with BART officials at a meeting and discussed “ongoing issues around discarded syringes,” she said. “They were the ones who were really driving the request,” Loughran said of BART officials. Once boxes are installed, health department staff check them

“almost daily,” she said, although “the standard practice is to maintain them on a weekly basis.” The kiosk in the Civic Center area would be about the size of a public mailbox. Loughran said that in February, a kiosk was placed at the offices for Community Behavioral Health Services at 1380 Howard Street, and “after two weeks of being placed, the box was half full. ... That’s a really good sign,” and that many less syringes were left in the street. Gay BART director Bevan Dufty said he supports placing syringe boxes “at stations where there are major issues with syringes.” Sixteenth and Mission, Civic

Center, and Powell have been the most problematic, Dufty said. At Civic Center, there are from 40 to 50 syringes at each entrance every day, he said. “Overwhelmingly, the needles are being tossed into the station areas from the street level,” he said. “Most of it is not from people using in the station, although that certainly does take place.” Dufty said the problems have contributed to escalator and entrance closures at the station, which is just blocks away from City Hall. “The number of needles that have been ground into the works of the escalators have contributed to the need to replace the escalators,” he said. “...

They can no longer be repaired, and it’s going to take a year to fully replace them. It’s a real challenge.” BART’s executive staff would meet this week to make a decision on “the direction they’re going to take,” Dufty said. “I’m very hopeful,” he said. “I feel very positive that this notion is out there in the public domain. People have been overwhelmingly supportive.” Smaller boxes cost less than $300. Loughran couldn’t immediately say what the cost of a kiosk is, but “when you think about a place where people can dispose of syringes, it’s actually cost efficient, because of the syringes people don’t have to clean up off the ground.” t

people’s lives,” she said. “The integrity of the court was at stake.” Thomas, in allegedly repeatedly harassing Hill on the job, “acted as if he was above the law and should not be the final adjudicator” as a Supreme Court justice, she added. During the hearing, Thomas denied the allegations. Pao told the audience she came forward “only after I saw [harassment] happening to other women” in the firm. “When I thought it was just about me, I felt I could just work harder,” she said. When it was obvious the

problem was widespread, she filed suit “with great reluctance.” “I didn’t see any other way to get it to stop,” she added. Hill said that she has been encouraged by the feedback she has gotten from people about her willingness to come forward, including a letter she received from a 12-year-old girl, inspired by Hill, who had testified about sexual abuse she suffered because she “didn’t want anyone else to go through” a similar experience. Hill also described a man who told her that her testimony reminded

him of the child abuse he endured while his family refused to listen. “We may think we can handle” abuse and harassment on our own, said Hill, “but such an approach is not healing,” she said. Because sexual harassment often begins in colleges and universities, prevention programs should start there, said Hill. “We see the patterns of behavior and exclusion” beginning in school, she said. If harassment isn’t halted in school, “the pipeline of problems” will enter the workplace, she said. On Thursday (April 27), the Kapor

Center will release a national study with findings from a survey of a wide cross section of people who have recently left the technology sector. According to the center’s chief communications officer, Eric Wingerter, the survey follows a number of recent high-profile resignations in the tech industry, including Twitter, Uber, and Google. “So we know that in some cases inequality, discrimination and bias in tech jobs leads to turnover, but this is the first time that anyone has attempted to quantify the problem [of] what’s driving people out and why,” Wingerter said. t

she performed Mr. Minton’s hysterectomy at Methodist Hospital on Friday, September 2.” Lindsey said in an ACLU news release, “I routinely perform hysterectomies at Mercy San Juan. This is the first time the hospital has prevented me from doing this surgery. It’s very clear to me that the surgery was canceled because Evan is transgender.” Elizabeth Gill, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Northern California, stated Dignity’s refusal “to allow a doctor to perform this common procedure simply because the patient is transgender is discriminatory. This is a hospital that is open to the general public so it’s illegal for them to turn away someone

based on gender identity.” In an emailed statement, Dignity spokespeople said, “We have not been served with the complaint and cannot speak to the allegations until we have the opportunity to review them. What we can share is that at Dignity Health Mercy San Juan Medical Center, the services we provide are available to all members of the communities we serve without discrimination. We understand how important this surgery is for transgender individuals, and were happy to provide Mr. Minton and his surgeon the use of another Dignity Health hospital for his surgery within a few days. “We do not provide elective

sterilizations at Dignity Health’s Catholic facilities in accordance with the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services (ERDs) and the medical staff bylaws.” Minton told the Bay Area Reporter that Dignity’s refusal came as “a complete shock.” “I’m lucky that my doctor is an advocate, and she scrambled around a lot, and I have friends who have access to powerful people who scrambled on my behalf,” he said. Minton said he had his phalloplasty, but he had to go to the emergency room due to complications. Rather than go to his local emergency room, however, he traveled to San Francisco

“because of the experience I had at Dignity Health.” Through the lawsuit, Minton is asking for $4,000 under the Unruh Act, an order enjoining Dignity from discriminating on the basis of gender identity in the provision of health care, and “any further relief the court deems just and proper,” among other penalties. The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against Dignity in 2016 claiming that the health care provider denied trans employees insurance coverage for medically necessary transition-related care. Irene Rojas-Carroll, with the ACLU, said the case was resolved “without addressing the merits” of the plaintiff’s claim. t

has not surprised us at all,” said Stacy. “We never believed his disingenuous, self-serving claims of being on the side of the LGBTQ community. For an administration that can’t get its act together on the most important challenges facing our country, they’ve managed to steadily roll back LGBTQ protections. From appointing an

anti-LGBTQ Cabinet (with the most anti-LGBTQ secretaries at the agencies most critical to protecting LGBTQ people) to withdrawing the guidance protecting transgender students, from cutting research into the needs of LGBTQ people to proposing huge health care cuts that would severely impact people living with HIV, this administration has

made clear that LGBTQ protections are on the chopping block.” Jimmy LaSalvia, a co-founder of the now defunct GOProud group of LGBT Republicans, said he doesn’t believe Trump is “driven to implement anti-LGBT policy,” even if “many in his administration and political coalition are.” And LaSalvia said he expected “any anti-LGBT

actions by this president would be done as a political payback for support” from the “anti-LGBT segment of his coalition.” “So far, they haven’t been able to accomplish anything that would require a big payback,” said LaSalvia. “It’s only been 100 days. We have a long time before we can really assess this administration.”t

of BCCI Construction. The firm has contributed to SF Suicide Prevention’s grief response team so that people affected by tragedy have the resources and emotional support they need to rebuild their lives. Funds raised at Laughs for Life will be used for the agency’s programs. SF Suicide Prevention answers more than 200 calls every day and provides emotional support, crisis intervention, referral requests, and youth needs. Tickets are $300. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.events.org/laughsforlife2017/cPage.aspx?e=104272. SF Suicide Prevention’s crisis line is (415) 781-0500.

executive officer. The evening will include beverages (cash bar), appetizers, and entertainment as the Parks Alliance honors the winners of its 2017 Action Grants. There is no cost to attend. “We’d love to have as many people as possible,” said Rachel Norton, the Parks Alliance’s director of external affairs. For more information, visit http:// www.sfparksalliance.org/.

connection fair, will be held Sunday, May 14 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Strut, the gay and bi men’s center at 470 Castro Street. Organizers said that Atmosqueer is designed to connect members of the San Francisco and LGBT communities to organizations, groups, and events that will provide them with personal enrichment, fulfillment, and an opportunity to give back. Some of the fields that will be represented include volunteerism, athleticism, lifestyle, health and wellness, and arts and culture. Last year’s event saw participation of 50 groups, and more than 500 people. The event is free. For more information, visit https://www.facebook. com/events/1881778922104729/.

submitted it cannot be withdrawn for any reason. The festival does not provide screening fees. Films must be submitted through FilmFreeway .

Love Your Parks Day coming up The San Francisco Parks Alliance will recognize hard-working volunteers and groups that make the city’s park system thrive at its Love Your Parks Day Thursday, May 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission Street. The Parks Alliance is an independent nonprofit organization that specializes in philanthropy, advocacy, park and open space policy, and community mobilizing for city parks. The event is the first big one under the Parks Alliance’s new leadership. Drew Becher, a gay man, was hired by the agency earlier this year as its chief

OFC’s Night Out to honor Lee Congresswoman Barbara Lee (DOakland) will receive the Notable Ally Award at Our Family Coalition’s annual Night Out benefit Friday, May 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the InterContinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street in San Francisco. Gay attorney Charlie Spiegel will be honored with the Groundbreaker Award. Ken McNeely, a gay man who is president of AT&T California, will receive the Luminary Award. Emcee will be Michelle Meow, KOFY-TV host (and president of the board that oversees San Francisco Pride), while entertainment will be provided by Sang Matiz, an Afro-Cuban funk band. Tickets are $200 and can be purchased online at http://www.ourfamily. org/give-back/night-out.

Atmosqueer at Strut Atmosqueer, the LGBT community

Trans film fest seeks entries The San Francisco Transgender Film Festival is seeking entries for the 2017 event that takes place in November. Organizers said that the festival accepts narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated films and videos. All work should be created by trans or genderqueer artists. The festival prioritizes short films, but accepts all screening lengths. People should submit only one film. The deadline for entries is August 1, with a fee of $15, or August 15, with a fee of $20. Filmmakers will be notified by September 15. Once a film is

SF orgs land NEH grant The Archives and Special Collections Department at UCSF, in collaboration with the San Francisco Public Library, and the GLBT Historical Society, has been awarded a $315,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to digitize about 127,000 pages from 49 archival collections related to the early days of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. The documents will then be widely accessible to the public online. In the process, collections whose components have been placed in different archives for various reasons will be digitally reunited, facilitating access for researchers outside the Bay Area. The 24-month project, “The San Francisco Bay Area’s Response to the AIDS Epidemic: Digitizing, Reuniting and Providing Universal Access to Historical AIDS Records” is expected to begin July 1. The materials will be digitized by UC Merced’s library digital access unit. All items will be carefully examined to address privacy concerns. The digital files generated by the project will be disseminated broadly through the California Digital Library. t

t <<

Community News>>

DC march

From page 8

chairperson, Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council; Lynnette McFadzen, president, BiNet USA; Nicole Murray Ramirez, International Court System U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico; Sean Coleman, executive director, Destination Tomorrow; and Thomas Tonatiuh Lopez, International Indigenous Youth Council. When the June 11 march was announced earlier this year, Doster said that representatives from Pride groups seemed to be supportive of the new event, although some feared it could detract from their local Pride celebrations. George Ridgely, executive director of the San Francisco LGBT Pride

Sex offender registry

From page 1

He also said that California is one of only four states where all sex offender registrants are on the list for life. “Federal law requires states to have a tiered approach,” Wiener said. “California continues to flagrantly violate that federal law.” Removal from the registry wouldn’t be automatic. People in the first two tiers would have to petition a court to be removed from the list at the end of their registration period. The courts would be able to deny petitions under certain circumstances, and the district attorney would be allowed to request hearings to oppose petitions. Local law enforcement agencies could still inform their communities about offenders in any tier under some circumstances. Originally, as previously reported, the bill was known as Senate Bill 695 and was authored by gay state Senator Ricardo Lara (DBell Gardens) and Senator Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles). Tuesday, Lara’s spokesman told the Bay Area Reporter that with Lara’s full portfolio of legislation, including single-payer health care legislation and other important criminal justice reforms, “he is glad that Senator Wiener has introduced SB 421 to champion the effort.”

Out in the World

From page 11

The researchers noted that Indonesia has a national anti-discrimination law that was enacted in 1999, however, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression aren’t included as protected classes in the law. Also, some LGBT Indonesians might not have their own identification cards because those are usually obtained through their families or don’t match their gender identity. Physical assault leads to problems accessing health care because some doctors and nurses are prejudiced against the gay community, Luther said. If it’s not the threats of the outside world there’s the internal world that leads to health issues, such as the high prevalence of HIV among men who have sex with men, he noted. “There is considerable stigma

ADAP

From page 7

department, “will continue to provide real-time 24/7 access to medications, including a 30-day supply for existing clients who experience access issues at the pharmacy,” the health department report says. Spokespeople for the agency didn’t respond to emailed questions about the data breach and other ADAP issues. Boggs CEO Clarke Anderson didn’t respond to an interview request Wednesday morning. Courtney Mulhern-Pearson,

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

Celebration Committee, said in a statement to the B.A.R. this week, that it’s “unclear whether the D.C. march will have any impact on our attendance. We are seeing a lot of excitement and interest in this year’s SF Pride event and nearly 100 contingents have already signed up for the Parade.” Longtime gay activist Cleve Jones had planned a community meeting for Wednesday, April 26, to discuss a “Resist” contingent for the San Francisco parade, but last week he canceled the room reservation at the Women’s Building and indicated he was no longer involved. While Jones has declined further comment, Facebook messages by community grand marshal Alex U. Inn were critical of him. “Then you just totally side step me

as this is the Grand Marshal’s contingent,” Inn wrote. “A group of us have been meeting and planning with Folkz at Pride for over a month. Some weeks almost daily. Where have you been?” Ridgely and Pride board President Michelle Meow sent an email to Jones April 22 apologizing for the “breakdown” in communication and taking “full responsibility.” Ridgely told the B.A.R. that there are no “significant changes” planned for this year’s Pride celebration June 24-25. Organizers are expecting a large turnout” and “remain focused on producing an engaging and inclusive array of speakers, entertainment, and community gathering spaces, along with the parade and march,” he stated. t

Broad support

to register as sex offenders for life even though their convictions are now decades old and the law and its enforcement have changed, and the basis for many of these arrests was due to anti-LGBT discrimination and police entrapment.” Spokespeople for San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón didn’t provide comment Tuesday on whether he supports the bill. San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi’s office is in favor of Wiener’s legislation. “The proposed bill is a win-win,” Deputy Public Defender Sandy Feinland, who heads the agency’s unit dealing with sex cases, said in response to an email from the B.A.R. “It allows law enforcement to focus its resources on serious offenders who pose a real risk. At the same time, it eliminates the lifetime banishment from society for minor offenders who turn their lives around.” Marc Klaas, whose young daughter, Polly, was kidnapped and murdered more than 20 years ago, was one of the handful of people who spoke against SB 421 at Tuesday’s hearing. “The real victims here seem to have no voice,” Klaas said, and “this whole idea of victimizing sex offenders” who decided to harm others is “offensive in every way.” The bill next goes to the Appropriations Committee. t

SB 421’s sponsors include Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. At Tuesday’s hearing, Brad McCartt, who’s with the Los Angeles DA’s office, said that in its current form, the registry “has become meaningless. ... We need to have the purpose of the list restored” so that authorities can “quickly find suspects” and try to prevent children from being harmed. McCartt added that someone’s shortened registration period wouldn’t begin until after they’re released from custody, so that if someone gets out of prison after serving a 15-year sentence, they would still have to be on the registry for 20 years if they were on the second tier. Equality California is also sponsoring SB 421. In a letter to Wiener, EQCA Executive Director Rick Zbur said the statewide LGBT advocacy group “is co-sponsoring this bill to address in particular the unfair circumstance of LGBT people who were targeted and often entrapped on charges that required registration as a sex offender when their actual actions hurt no one, including for simply engaging in same-sex contact when that action was criminalized in the past. These members of the LGBT community were required attached to being homosexual in Indonesia,” said Badgett. There is even more stigma around HIV-positive people in Indonesia, Hasenbush explained. Hasenbush, an attorney with a master’s degree in public health who is a Jim Kepner Law and Policy Fellow at the Williams Institute, said that it is common practice for new employers to demand a health screening before hiring, and therefore, that limits many LGBT and HIV-positive people from applying for jobs. “That may be preventing people who don’t identify as healthy or who may be perceived as unhealthy because of living with HIV ... that may be something stigmatizing,” said Hasenbush. “And could cause barriers for people to actually go through and obtain that employment.” Those who push forward find that co-workers might be uncomfortable

director of state and local policy at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, said she hasn’t heard of clients still experiencing trouble with enrollment and eligibility. “The office had extended eligibility through the end of June, so any existing clients shouldn’t have any problems anyway,” MulhernPearson said, adding, “I think there are technical issues they’re working out with the system, but it so far appears like the system works better. We won’t really know until” people’s eligibility determinations happen. Mulhern-Pearson said she’d like

working alongside them. If they are discovered, they experience harassment and there’s no protection from being fired for being gay. Furthermore, “LGBT people won’t have any recourse because they are more afraid of their families finding out or getting outed further,” she said.

Empowering

However limited the research findings, Pawestri, an Indonesian women’s rights activist, expressed gratitude at having the report to utilize in her work. “Lee and the team have provided us with a very comprehensive data,” said Pawestri. “This effort to have this analysis on the economic exclusions on the LGBT is very good.”t

Got international LGBT news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at Skype: heather.cassell, or oitwnews@gmail.com.

for the Office of AIDS to put “an ongoing list” of what it’s working on and the status of its work online. She also said that 94 clients’ data had been breached, one more than the office reported. “I have not come across anyone who was among those clients,” she said. The Office of AIDS also announced in its report that Sandra Robinson has been named ADAP branch chief. Robinson, who started April 17, most recently served as the chief of Healthy Aging Programs with the state’s Chronic Disease Control Branch. t

Legal Notices>> SUMMONS (FAMILY LAW) SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF VENTURA NOTICE TO RESPONDENT: JENNIFER IVEY, YOU ARE BEING SUED. PETITIONER’S NAME IS TIMOTHY CENICEROS CASE NO. D369912 You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this Summons and Petition are served on you to file a Response (form FL-120) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner. A letter, phone call, or court appearance will not protect you. If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnerships, your property, and custody of your children. You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs. For legal advice, contact a lawyer immediately. Get help finding a lawyer at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courts. ca.gov/selfhelp), at the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association. NOTICE – RESTRAINING ORDERS ARE ON PAGE 2: These restraining orders are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further orders. They are enforceable anywhere in California by any law enforcement officer who has received or seen a copy of them. FEE WAIVER: If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the clerk for a fee waiver form. The court may order you to pay back all or part of the fees and costs that the court waived for you or the other party. 1. The name and address of the court are: SUPERIOR COURT COUNTY OF VENTURA, 800 S. VICTORIA AVENUE, VENTURA, CA 93009; PREPARED BY MICHAEL D. PLANET 2. The name, address, and telephone number of petitioner’s attorney, or the petitioner without an attorney, is: TIMOTHY CENICEROS, 257 N. LOMITA, OJAI, CA 93023 213-304-0862 Clerk of the Superior Court by J. LUNA, Deputy. STANDARD FAMILY LAW RESTRAINING ORDERS: Starting immediately, you and your spouse or domestic partner are restrained from: 1. Removing the minor child or children of the parties, if any, from the state or applying for a new or replacement passport for those minor children without the prior written consent of the other party or an order of the court; 2. Cashing borrowing against, canceling, transferring, disposing of, or changing the beneficiaries of any insurance or other coverage, including life, health, automobile, and disability, held for the benefit of the parties and their minor children; 3. Transferring, encumbering, hypothecating, concealing, or in any way disposing of any property, real or personal, whether community, quasi-community, or separate, without the written consent of the other party or an order of the court, except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life; and 4. Creating a nonprobate transfer or modifying a nonprobate transfer in the manner that affects the disposition of property subject to the transfer, without the written consent of the other party or an order of the court. Before revocation of a nonprobate transfer can take effect or a right of survivorship to property can be eliminated, notice of the change must be filed and served on the other party. You must notify each other of any proposed extraordinary expenditures at least five business days prior to incurring these extraordinary expenditures and account to the court for all extraordinary expenditures made after these restraining orders are effective. However, you may use community property, quasi-community property, or your own separate property to pay an attorney to help you or to pay court costs. NOTICE - ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE: Do you or someone in your household need affordable health insurance? If so, you should apply for Covered California. Covered California can help reduce the cost you pay towards high quality affordable health care. For more information, visit www.coveredca.com. Or call Covered California at 1-800-300-1506. WARNING – IMPORTANT INFORMATION California law provides that, for purposes of division of property upon dissolution of a marriage or domestic partnership or upon legal separation, property acquired by the parties during marriage or domestic partnership in joint form is presumed to be community property. If either party to this action should die before the jointly held community property is divided, the language in the deed that characterizes how title is held (ie: joint tenancy, tenants in common, or community property) will be controlling and not the community property presumption. You should consult your attorney if you want the community property presumption to be written into the recorded title to the property.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037528700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WILLIAM J TRADING COMPANY, 571 DARIEN WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MATHEW QIU. 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 03/24/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037532500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PEARL PAINTING, 555 CLAYTON ST #28, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRENDAN JOHN MEERE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/07/07. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/29/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037515600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GALAXIA’S JANITORIAL SERVICES, 781 MISSOURI ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GALAXIA ZAMUDIO MOCTEZUMA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/15/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037527500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAKASERU SF, 1501 CORTLAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EVAN CARTER EISEN. 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 03/24/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037526900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DR. TIRTHA MENDAKE DC, LAC, 350 TOWNSEND ST #275, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TIRTHA MENDAKE WANIGASEKARAMOHOTTI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/22/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037530600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ONCA UNDERWEAR, 3864 18TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MELISA JARAMILLO. 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 03/28/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037529600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FIXUP GROUP, 1829 28TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed VIVIANA ANDREA HURTADO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/27/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/27/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037514600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FRESH START CLEANING SERVICES, 107 RUSSIA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LILLIANA BEATRIS FUNES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/15/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/15/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037528400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EXCEL MAINTENANCE, 1180 4TH ST #305, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EDGARDO A. GOMEZ CRUZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/24/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/24/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037517100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JUST THE LITTLE THINGS PHOTOS INC, 601 VAN NESS AVE #E805, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JUST THE LITTLE THINGS PHOTOS INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/02/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/16/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037531700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CAL PACIFIC SYSTEMS, 1591 HOWARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed HYDRA VENTURES, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/28/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/28/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037527400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INDIAN PALACE, 2154 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GHALE FOOD INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/23/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037510400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FRENCH PICNIC PASTRY COMPANY, 2565 3RD ST #308, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BETTER BAKERIES INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/13/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017

<< Section

16 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Legal Notices>> APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037543000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PEDAL, 1770 POST ST #104, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an corporation, and is signed PEDAL CAB AND LIMOUSINE TECHNOLOGY INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/03/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/03/17.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035730200

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: DANCING OCTOPUS HEALTH & MEDIA, 2137 LOMBARD ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94125. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by CASONDRA MARIE SOBIERALSKI. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/20/14.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036517400 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: JUST THE LITTLE THINGS, 601 VAN NESS AVE #E805, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by JUST THE LITTLE THINGS LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/03/15.

APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-552955 In the matter of the application of: BETTINA K. NEUMANN-BALUUSAT, 2082 QUESADA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner BETTINA K. NEUMANNBALUUSAT, is requesting that the name BETTINA K. NEUMANN-BALUUSAT, be changed to BETTINA KIRA NEUMANN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 20th of June 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037523500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: T. PRIOR & COMPANY, 39 WESTGATE DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed THOMAS PRIOR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/22/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/22/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037550600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VISIONAIR RESOURCES, 438 12TH AVE #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SARAH HIGHT MONTAGUE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/06/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/10/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037550900

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037545900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: IRVING STREET PSYCHIC, 2151 IRVING ST #205, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JANET ADAMS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/10/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/10/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 10TH AVE LAUNDRYMAT, 700 10TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed BUD HADDAD & MARIA HADDAD. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/05/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037544800

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037544000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LAW OFFICE OF ASHISH A. BHATT, 29 IRIS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ASHISH ASHOK BHATT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/03/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/04/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037543600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DUSIT THAI HEALING ARTS, 1618 UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KANOKWAN CHEWPANICH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/03/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/03/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037548100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JACK & UGGZ, 355 SERRANO DR. #6J, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOHN E. OLSON III. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/06/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037547400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CJ PACIFIC USA, 1140 REVERE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WELLSPRING INVESTMENT GROUP (CA). 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 04/06/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037542500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SOLTRON, 30 NIANTIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed ROQUE BARON, MANOLO DAVILA, AHKEEL MESTAYER, CHRISTIAN NAVARRO, ADRIANNA MARRERO OCASIO, DANIEL RIERA, RUBEN SANDOVAL, REMI SPIRO, ARTURO BLANCO VILLEGAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/17.

APR 13, 20, 27, MAY 4, 2017

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO NATURAL AESTHETICS, 490 POST ST #1701, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARK IWANICKI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/22/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/04/17.

APR 20, 27, MAY 04, 11, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037547700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YING TRADING, 2226 ULLOA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TIMOTHY GENE YU. 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 04/06/17.

APR 20, 27, MAY 04, 11, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037552100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PRIVEX CONSULTING GROUP, 400 BEALE ST #1409, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed STELLA M. EDRALIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/11/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/17.

APR 20, 27, MAY 04, 11, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037553500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: REPUTOLOGY, 86 IDORA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed DEUMAS HOLDING, INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/17.

APR 20, 27, MAY 04, 11, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037554100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FLOWERSHOP, 753 ALABAMA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110.This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FLOWER SHOP, LLC (CA).The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/17.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/17.

APR 20, 27, MAY 04, 11, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036869600 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: VALENCIA STREET OPTOMETRY, 1000 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by MARTHA KLUFAS. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/07/16.

APR 20, 27, MAY 04, 11, 2017

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-552954 In the matter of the application of: LAP TO CHOI, 670 33RD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner LAP TO CHOI, is requesting that the name LAP TO CHOI, be changed to KEN LAPTO CHOI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, on the 13th of June 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APRIL 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037559000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JV ELECTRIC, 655 ELLIS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JIMMY VEGA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/14/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/14/17.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037559700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AIIM SF; ASCENDING IN INDIVIDUAL MINDS, 41 BEACHMONT DRIVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHELLE JOSEPHINE FONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/17/17.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037564400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STATE SPACE, 1295 ALABAMA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIELLE GRANT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/19/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/19/17.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037562400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FILLMORE BILLIARDS, 1526 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NAE MOON PARK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/18/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/18/17.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11/18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037569000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HUNAN HOME’S RESTAURANT, 622 JACKSON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed NEW HUNAN HOME, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/24/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/24/17.

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APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037563900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JODI RENTALS, 2131 19TH AVE #202, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed IM PROPERTIES INC. (CA). 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 04/19/17.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037563400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PAINTED MARY, 478 UTAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed MARY NATALIE FINLAYSON & MATTHEW JAMES LUCKHURST. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/19/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/19/17.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037143800 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: METIS MENTORING, 1661 GRANT AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by STEVEN HORNER. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/16/16.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-034504900 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: HUNAN HOME’S RESTAURANT, 622 JACKSON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business was conducted by a corporation and signed by YUANS LEGACY CORPORATION. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/03/12.

APR 27, MAY 04, 11, 18, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037271100 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: LE TREND NAIL SALON, 783 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by NGUYET HA. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/20/16.

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ebar.com

Out &About

Terror plot

O&A

Vol. 47 • No. 17 • April 27-May 3, 2017 Graeme Robertson

Victory Tischler-Blue

www.ebar.com/arts

Legendary theater director Peter Brook will be on stage at the Geary Theater for a free moderated discussion on May 1.

Betty Buckley: “I’m grateful that I even have a signature song.”

Betty Buckley, storyteller

Peter Brook, still leading

by David-Elijah Nahmod

by Richard Dodds

T Courtesy Pier 24 Photography, San Francisco

hough best-known for her work in musical theater, Betty Buckley is a performer with a diverse fan-base. She’s fondly remembered as a TV mom in the long-running series Eight Is Enough, and known as a “scream queen,” having starred with Sissy Spacek in the classic horror film Carrie (1976). More recently Buckley has worked with filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan in a pair of chillers, The Happening (2008) and Split (2016). See page 18 >>

eter Brook may be a living legend, but at age 92, he’s a legend whose laurels are secondary to figuring out what his next project will be. With the international tour of Battlefield, his latest work now at ACT’s Geary Theater, local audiences will have the chance to spend time with the man himself. Brook along with longtime collaborator Marie-Helene Estienne will be at the Geary on May 1 for an onstage conversation with ACT dramaturg Michael Paller. Admission is free; advance reservations are at act-sf.org. See page 24 >>

by Sura Wood

Present tense

Eamonn Doyle, selected works from i (2013), installation view, The Grain of the Present, Pier 24 Photography, San Francisco.

ier 24, the quietly spectacular waterfront cathedral for photography, remains the most serene and unique venue for the medium in the city. The space is immense – you’ll need the map provided to navigate the 17 high-ceilinged, expansive galleries – and its shows, which are largely, though not exclusively, designed to showcase the Pilara Foundation’s extensive, ever-growing holdings, usually adopt a broad framework to accommodate an abundance of material substantially greater than that found in an average museum retrospective. This applies to their latest exhibition, The Grain of the Present, which includes works surveying everyday existence by 10 distinctive photographers who form the backbone of the collection: Robert Adams, Diane Arbus, Lewis Baltz, Stephen Shore, Nicholas Nixon, Henry Wessel, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Garry Winogrand and Lee Friedlander. In keeping with the Foundation’s purist philosophy, no titles, attribution or context accompany images within the exhibition, but a printed guide, available on request, offers the information to interested parties. So, with nearly 500 photographs to explore, what’s a visitor – or a critic, for that matter – to do? Most of the galleries are devoted to individual artists, and wandering wherever curiosity leads you is the best course. The following is a recap, by no means comprehensive, of works I gravitated toward during a recent visit. See page 24 >>

<< Out There

18 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Cultural conundrums

by Roberto Friedman

and fog also figured in a glamorous press t’s time to catch you up on lunch we enjoyed on some of the cultural events our day off, courtesy your gay uncle Out There has of the kind folks at been sampling this month. Epic Steak and HanWe’ve been running behind gar 1 Vodka. We enat keeping you abreast of our joyed delicious dishes civil activities. Let’s fill you in. prepared by Epic We caught the Robert executive chef Parke Lepage vehicle Needles and Ulrich expertly paired Opium at ACT’s Geary Thewith cocktails and ater just in time for the Out sipping vodkas dewith ACT performance night. veloped by Hangar 1 This unusually staged piece Vodka master distiller Courtesy SFFILM finds its protagonist, also Caley Shoemaker. named Robert, arriving in Scene from filmmaker Guy Maddin’s The Green Fog, Shoemaker guided Paris while still in emotional which played the 60th SFFILM festival. us through the multipain from the recent breakup course meal with an with his (unnamed, genderarray of pairing vodunspecified) lover. Now, Lepkas. But the lunch’s that accompanied the screening of age is openly gay; the French genius undisputed star was Epic’s famous a film collage by the great auteur Jean Cocteau, who figures in the Fog Point Martini using Hangar 1 Guy Maddin, with co-directors piece, was openly gay; but why the Vodka made with San Francisco fog. Evan and Galen Johnson. Madcharacter Robert is evasive about We also downed spirits from Hangar din used film footage set or filmed his sexuality is not made clear. 1’s new Distiller’s Exclusive vodka in San Francisco to approximate Somewhat mystified, we series, including Pink Peppercorn the narrative arc of Alfred celebrated with our gay and Honeycomb flavors. But here’s Hitchcock’s great SFbrethren anyway, at the this week’s final puzzlement: How set thriller Vertigo. The Out with ACT party do you create a vodka from the fog result was a feast for after the show. rolling in? both the eyes and the We were absolutely Using methods developed to ears, and a special treat enthralled, if a bit becapture water during drought for Vertigo lovers and fuddled, by the 60th SF cycles, the nonprofit FogQuest SF diehards (we qualify FILM Festival’s closcollects Bay Area fog in mesh nets in both categories). ing-night attraction, set up on hills in the Presidio, near We chatted with filmThe Green Fog – A San Sutro Tower and at Half Moon Bay. makers and filmgoers at Francisco Fantasia That’s how fog, condensed, finds the closing-night party with Kronos Quartet. its way into a $43 vodka martini, afterwards at Mezzanine. But why This was an unusual film-fest comwhich has been featured in The was the “closing night” scheduled mission in which the fabulous Bay New York Times, The Wall Street for April 16 when the festival played Area string quartet Kronos perJournal and Jeopardy! Who in the through April 19? The answer is lost formed an original score by comworld pays $43 for one cocktail? in a fog of mystery. poser Jacob Garchik (son of SF Answer in the form of a question, Fog is an appropriate metaphor Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik) please!t for our utter cluelessness this week,

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Betty Buckley

From page 17

“I’m a huge Night fan,” Buckley told the B.A.R., speaking from her home in Texas. “He’s one of our great storytellers, I’ve seen every film he’s made. It’s so much fun to work with Night. It’s a very loving atmosphere.” In Split, just released on DVD and BluRay, Buckley plays Dr. Karen Fletcher, a psychiatrist whose patient (James McAvoy) has 23 distinct personalities. The doctor gradually comes to the realization that one of those personalities has kidnapped three teenaged girls. A 24th personality, called “The Beast,” emerges, displaying terrifying superhuman strength. Buckley was delighted to be told by Shyamalan that he had written Dr. Fletcher especially for her. She’s been honored for her work in Split with a Best Featured Actress nomination at this year’s Saturn Awards, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. “It was awesome,” she said of making the film. “It was a thrill to work with Night again. James McAvoy should be remembered at Oscar time.” Buckley has known the joy of winning awards. In 1982 she starred as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats. For 18 months she brought down the house with her powerful rendition of the showstopping ballad “Memory,” and she won a Tony Award for the role. “I was so relieved when they called my name,” she recalls. “Cats had been nominated for so many Tonys that night, and I was very concerned that I would be the only one not to win and let the team down. It was such a kick, and a really wild experience! I thanked everybody and couldn’t remember my twin brothers’ names [Pat & Mike], so I referred to them as ‘my other brothers.’” Buckley’s many other credits include Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, in which she starred as the faded si-

lent-screen siren Norma Desmond. In 2006 she reprised “Memory” at the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Webber. “Andrew is one of the all-time great theatrical impresarios,” she said. “Besides being an incredible composer, he is a brilliant producer. Everyone who works for him in every job category is an expert at what they do. It is a blessed thing to get to work for him.” “Memory” has since become a standard, and Buckley is delighted to have introduced the song to Broadway audiences. “I am most grateful for the gift of the song ‘Memory’ in my life, which I am honored to say is my signature song,” she said. “I’m grateful that I even have a signature song.” Buckley has performed extensively as a solo act, appearing in concerts across the country. She has recorded many CDs, the most recent of which, Story Songs, is now available. In Story Songs, Buckley performs a wide array of musical genres. From the Great American Songbook (George Gershwin) to musical theater greats (Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Schwartz) to contemporary singersongwriters (Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell), Buckley puts her own emotional stamp on each song. Story Songs opens with two tunes that take on a whole new meaning during the Trump presidency. In the haunting “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” from the musical South Pacific, Buckley sings plaintively about bigotry, often a learned trait that

children pick up from their elders. And in “Cassandra,” a new piece by theatre composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown, Buckley notes how women are often silenced by men. “‘Carefully Taught’ has a tremendous resonance,” she said. “It was written right after WWII. It’s about prejudice. That a song written in the early 1950s is still so resonant today is extremely poignant. ‘Cassandra’ and ‘Carefully Taught’ seem to go together musically.” Stephen Sondheim’s “I’m Still Here,” from the musical Follies, is another standout selection. In “I’m Still Here” an actress looks back on her life while making sharp observations about how the entertainment industry treats female performers. “Incredible lyrics,” Buckley says of the song. “It’s a history of the 20th century through one woman’s story, a great accomplishment. I sing it as an homage to [Broadway legend] Elaine Stritch. I was so honored to be part of Follies in Concert.” She continues to tour and perform regularly, and hopes for a return engagement at Feinstein’s at the Nikko in the near-future. “I love singing at Feinstein’s, it’s a wonderful room,” she said. “And I love being in San Francisco.” Now a show-business legend in her own right, Buckley embraces the many facets of her career, as well as the fan-bases she enjoys from different worlds. “I’m just a working girl,” she said. “I’m happy to continue working with great people.”t

On the web

This week find arts writer Tim Pfaff’s review of a new book about Jean Cocteau, “A biographer’s dream,” and Out & About online at ebar.com.

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<< Theatre

20 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Creating Memories for a Lifetime! THE CLIFF HOUSE TERRACE ROOM A UNIQUE SAN FRANCISCO EXPERIENCE Ceremonies • Receptions • Family Celebrations • Parties

Vahid Zamani

Damien Seperi portrays a fictional version of playwright Said Sayrafiezadeh as an acting troupe tries to present his play Autobiography of a Terrorist in a world premiere at Potrero Stage.

Scripted chaos onstage by Richard Dodds

T www.CliffHouse.com 1090 Point Lobos • San Francisco • 415-386-3330 Private Events Direct • 415-666-4027 • virginia@cliffhouse.com

here is a faux program with made-up casting info for the play within the play. Actors frantically switch roles to avert one crisis or another. The not-always-pretty backstage mechanics of theatermaking is often revealed, while the calm voice of a stage manager making unhelpful announcements over the P.A. system belies the transpiring chaos. If this sounds

We are the future of the LGBT community. “The world still has its challenges but things are getting better. From the way we first met on line to marriage equality to our daughter’s upcoming Quinceañera our life together is more fulfilling every day. We keep up with events and entertainment on EDGE, because that’s where we see our future at its brightest.” The people depicted here are models. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.

familiar, perhaps you’ve had a recent encounter with Noises Off, Michael Frayn’s comic farce about a bedeviled theater troupe putting on a play that isn’t quite ready for primetime. While all of the above situations are also played for laughs in Autobiography of a Terrorist, those laughs aren’t the end goal for Said Sayrafiezadeh’s new play in its world premiere at Potrero Stage under the aegis of Golden Thread Productions. Sayrafiezadeh is an American writer born in New York to an Iranian father and a Jewish mother, who gained notice when his memoir When Skateboards Will Be Free won the Whiting Award in 2010. At heart, Autobiography of a Terrorist is also a memoir, although the vase holding his memories is now smashed and it is the cast’s job to work with the scattered shards. Actually, not the real cast, but the characters they are playing in a play also titled Autobiography of a Terrorist. “This is not a finished play,” one of the characters tells us at the start as the faux cast gathers for a strained pep talk with the audience. It is “a collage of scenes” further explains the make-believe playbill. That much is true, for the play emphasizes its bits-and-pieces nature by announcing scenes in numerical order with a bell rung between, and at least at first, with the cast exchanging congratulatory hugs. Those hugs begin to fade as shadowy censors force changes in the script, and banish the playwright (portrayed by Damien Seperi) from playing himself in the series of episodes about the unwanted political implications of having the name Said Sayrafiezadeh in America – especially with the Iran hostage crisis that began in 1979. Sayrafiezadeh was an oblivious 10-year-old when he found that “my certificate of whiteness was revoked.” The play is at its best when depicting episodes that have their basis in confessional fact. There’s an incident when the young Sayrafiezadeh joins his playmates in tormenting a young Iraqi boy, new to the neighborhood, who wants to make friends. The play can slide off the rails from time to time, such as in a follow-up scene that is described as “a metaphorical vision of what life became like in 1979” as a husband and wife enact

what a narrator acknowledges is unbearably broad melodrama. But in the third scene – “This one is real,” says Sayrafiezadeh – events move ahead 20 years to a casting office where the aspiring actor is auditioning for a commercial. The casting agents want a stereotypical Aladdin-like figure in a ridiculous turban to dance while extoling the virtues of a brand of donuts before declaring, “Get jiggy with it.” There’s the fantasy version of the audition where Sayrafiezadeh rebels against the stereotype, and then the reality where he takes the job. But this “collage of scenes” can’t fully sustain its uneven journey into more surreal territory. There’s the arrival of Kermit Roosevelt, an intelligence officer who helped orchestrate the 1953 coup that installed US-friendly Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who was happy to let foreigners dominate Iran’s oil industry. The production’s actual program, distributed at the end of the play, explains Roosevelt’s role in Iran affairs, and the play offers some context, but this now-distant and obscure figure has no potent resonance for the audience as he tries to rewrite the play. But then again, the brief history lesson helps explain Sayrafiezadeh’s confused reactions to 9/11 as he remembers the parody song “Bomb Iran” set to a Beach Boys melody. Referencing back to Noises Off, in which scripted chaos must be finely tuned, that is an element not fully conquered here due both to the script and this production of it. Cast members Patricia Austin, Alan Coyne, and Jenna Apollonia handle their roles competently, while Cassidy Brown brings added polish to the role of the director. Damien Seperi makes a solid impression as Sayrafiezadeh, although on opening night several line stumbles pulled us out of the play’s reality. The play’s quasi-chaotic structure is a director’s challenge, and while Evren Odcikin has it up and running with reasonable efficiency, there is still tightening to do in a play that requires both a meandering aura and quickchange preciseness to pull if off.t Autobiography of a Terrorist will run at the Potrero Stage through May 7. Tickets are $15-$36, available at goldenthread.org.

2017 Season

APR 28 – MAY 07

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<< Film

22 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Regime change for beginners by Erin Blackwell

s chronic consumers of Hollywood product, we’re used to having the big picture dumbed down to fit the presumed attention span of the average teenage boy. So we turn to independent films and, increasingly, to documentaries to show us more sophisticated takes on reality involving more complex narrative structures. An intelligent, risk-taking filmmaker is obliged to reinvent how stories are conventionally told, in order to follow their particular subject as it unfolds. Mediocre documentarians are not under this obligation to innovate, and so it was that producer-director Ryan Suffern threw his Finding Oscar into the Hollywood mangle with predictable results. See for yourself starting Friday at Opera Plaza. If you’re one of those idiots like me who has been painfully slow to admit the United States is not a nice country, it might come as a shock to you to be told that our government overthrew democratically elected President Jacobo Arbenz of the sovereign state of Guatemala in 1954, at the behest of the United Fruit Com-

pany. After that coup, for nigh on 40 years, the people of Guatemala were in the grips of a very bloody civil war. In 1982 a military coup made Efrain Rios Montt president and his short-lived regime simply massacred citizens at will. That hideous era is over, but the military lives on. Exhumation of mass graves is only the first step in the slow, painstaking process of identifying bodies from skeletal remains in the pursuit of justice and emotional closure. This is the shameful background of Finding Oscar, which is 80% about the compiling of a case against the perpetrators of a single massacre in a small village called Dos Erres in 1982, and 20% about two little boys who escaped being murdered that day. Both boys were crucial pieces of “living evidence” needed to attain conviction of the commandos who carried out this particular mass murder. So the film could’ve been called Oscar and Ramiro’s Incredible Adventure, except that Suffern took his title directly from Sebastian Rotella’s headline on the online news site ProPublica, which, along with This American Life, won a Peabody for the story.

ing to attribute the source of his film creates a vacuum in which Suffern, by default, might be given credit where credit isn’t due. What Suffern did was track down all the players, already identified, and get them to speak into his camera. Kudos for getting the story out there, for bringing Spielberg on as executive producer, for getting distribution. The 94-minute film feels like it’s been stretched from an hour-long TV show to a feature-length film. Not that there isn’t plenty to report on, but Suffern isn’t a reporter, lacks background Courtesy of Oscar Ramírez and FilmRise in this subject, and has trouble synthesizing the Lt. Oscar Ramírez in uniform in story’s several facets. His viGuatemala, from Finding Oscar. suals are literal-minded and a bit hyperactive. Maybe he Rotella appears as a talking head doesn’t trust his material in Finding Oscar, but stunningly, the because it’s not really his. He leans film doesn’t acknowledge his scoop heavily on National Security Aror his Peabody. His co-writer and chive senior analyst Kate Doyle, but fellow awardee Ana Arana similarly doesn’t mention she works not for appears to supply background. Failthe government but at Georgetown

University, as an expert on human rights abuses in Latin America. Spoiler alert: They do find Oscar, who had no idea he’d been kidnapped as a three-year-old by a Guatemalan military commando who raised him as his own son. So after we’ve been taken through Ronald Reagan’s support for the murderous Montt, been shown many skeletons laid out on blankets for forensic purposes, heard the gruesome details of the 3 a.m. raid leading to death by sledgehammer and mass burial in a well, suddenly gears shift and it’s happy time because Oscar’s living the good life in Massachusetts, holding down two jobs and raising a family. As if America weren’t the root of the problem. As if America were the answer. This jarringly gooey ending distracts from Guatemala’s ongoing battle to regain its soul. Since Oscar has been found, so goes conventional Hollywood feelgood logic, why bring the audience down by drawing necessary conclusions about America’s ongoing addiction to regime change? Why indeed.t

Roxie tip-sheet by David Lamble

his spring the Roxie Theater (16th St. at Valencia) presents an ambitious program on its dual screens (Big Roxie, Little Roxie), films mostly devoted to the far edges of human experience. The lineup includes a selection of experimental auteur David Lynch’s best work, and kicks off with Donnie Darko, a leap into the darkest regions of the human mind. Donnie Darko About 12 minutes into this extraordinary fantasynightmare, writer-director Richard Kelly has Donnie (Jake Gyllenhaal), asleep on a golf course, awoken by two gents playing through. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Donnie falls down a kind of rabbit hole, meeting a six-foot-tall rabbit in the process. The film mixes black humor with a unique dystopian vision. It also marks a leap forward for Gyllenhaal as an American icon, with a special talent for playing boyish men with unusual powers, and a knack for

David Lynch: The Art Life Sketching and smoking in his home studio, David Lynch is a lifelong artist whose fixation on the concept of moving, audible paintings begat cinematic masterworks. He credits mysterious sensations and surreal encounters in his childhood with coloring a lifetime of the work we know well, work that explores, challenges, subverts and celebrates the darkness inherent within American normalcy. This is the rare bio-pic that lets the subject, and his eerie, thrilling art, speak for itself. Directed by Jon Nguyen. Eraserhead (1978) Lynch’s feature film debut concerns a zombie-like humanoid and Jake Gyllenhaal as the title character in the half-human creatures he director Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko. dwells with. (both 4/28) Mulholland Drive (2001) snappy dialogue that makes him Naomi Watts headlines this a throwback to an earlier age of eccentric Lynch exploration of American film comedy. (4/27) a fantasy that’s set in the movie

capital but that reaches deep into the dreamscape that underlies all works of the imagination. (4/29) Sister Act 2: Back In the Habit (1993) Whoopi Goldberg headlines this sequel to an off-beat Disney comedy. (5/10) Peyton Place (1957) This 157min. soap opera, hugely popular in its day, still contains themes – adultery, illicit sex, small-town hypocrisy – that resonate. Blue Velvet (1986) Writerdirector Lynch made one of the best films about our messy human nature ever hatched on these shores. This exploration into the Id of young North Carolinian Jeffrey Beaumont (a low-key triumph for Minnesotan Kyle MacLachlan) kicks off when Jeffrey discovers a severed ear in the fields outside Lumberton, his deceptively sleepy hometown. Jeffrey is a Huck Finnlike figure who can, when inspired by his devil mentor Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), morph into a polymorphously perverse being

who can respond to young women and, more shockingly, to Frank, in a disturbing tryst that defies screen taboos. (both 5/11) Run Lola Run (1998) This German film from Tom Tykwer is a fascinating one-trick-pony. A young woman races the clock to raise a large sum of money to save her drug-addicted brother. Franka Potente needs to gather 100,000 marks in 20 minutes, a kind of updated version of High Noon, whose marshal hero has 90 minutes to kill three outlaws coming to town on his wedding day. (5/27) My Dinner With Andre (1981) This singular film experience begins with a nebbishy Wallace Shawn scampering across Manhattan to meet his hyper-articulate mentor, Andre Gregory. The two men converse over a fancy meal. Not for all tastes (pun intended), but a remarkable two hours not soon forgotten. The Shawn-Gregory chat is sublime at combining Eastern philosophy with Western ennui. (5/30)t

Late spring bumper crop by David Lamble

ilmgoers who once wrote off the late-spring/early-summer film season as a wasteland of bigbudget/minimum-attention-span fare should pay heed to a femalefriendly lineup of directors at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Also note the burgeoning role played by Amazon Studios with award-season films. Asked about the abundance of entries from Amazon and Netflix at Cannes this year, a festival spokesperson noted tartly, “The festival is a laboratory.” What follows is an overview of 10 intriguing new films from here and abroad. The Beguiled SF’s own Sofia Coppola puts her spin on an early70s classic that featured the Dirty Harry team of Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel. The original, set in the Civil War South, had a wounded Eastwood brought to an all-girls school to recover. The presence of this handsome stranger stirs up sexual feelings among the female staff and students. Flash-forward, and Coppola’s version features a top-drawer contemporary cast:

Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell, who exclaims, “What have you done to me, you vengeful bitches?” You Were Never Really Here Scottish director Lynne Ramsay returns with an Amazon Studios production headlining Joaquin Phoenix as a war veteran who strives to rescue a young woman from the clutches of a sex-trafficking ring. Ramsey has a well-earned rep as a maverick in a field where women still get far fewer shots at directing than men. YWNRH comes with an excellent pedigree, adapted by Ramsey from a Jonathan Ames novel. Wonderstruck Veteran queer writer-director Todd Haynes (Carol) presents parallel tales: a young Midwestern lad’s story from 50 years back runs alongside a New York girl’s similar quest. Adapted by Brian Selznick from his novel, it’s a NYC production with a huge ensemble: Amy Hargreaves, Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Tom Noonan, Oakes Fegley, Cory Michael Smith and John P. McGinty. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) Veteran comedy di-

rector Noah Baumback uses an allstar cast (Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson) in a Netflix original production about an estranged family celebrating the artistic work of their father. Okja Korea’s Bong Joon-ho (with co-writer Jon Ronson) helms a Western cast (Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Tilda Swinton) in the story of a young girl who gambles her very existence to bar a large corporation from abducting her best friend, a giant animal named Okja. In the Fade German director Fatih Akin tells a tale of revenge in the German-Turkish community starring Diane Kruger. An actionpacked scene of a bomb explosion was shot in the famous red-light district of St Pauli. Happy End Michael Haneke, whose Amour won the Oscar for best foreign film in 2013, directs this family drama set in Calais, with the European refugee crisis as a backdrop. Haneke is famous (or infamous) for films that take a misanthropic view. Radiance Japanese director Naomi Kawase’s film revolves

around Misako, an enthusiastic writer of film voiceovers for the visually impaired. At a screening she encounters an aging photographer who is slowly losing his eyesight. His work provokes memories of her past. As a couple they learn to see the radiant world. The Day After Korean director Hong Sang-soo tells the story of a man who runs into an old friend. He travels to a restaurant, drinks rice wine, and falls in with some film students. Drunk, he heads for his ex-girlfriend’s house. His travels evolve into a Korean version of the Bill Murray/Harold Ramis classic Groundhog Day, its hero living the same day over and Colin Farrell stars in director Sofia over again. Coppola’s The Beguiled. Jupiter’s Moon Hungarian filmmaker Kornel Mundruczo’s work will strike wounded man has the power to some as a metaphor for the world’s levitate. Tossed into a refugee camp, refugee crisis. A young immigrant he is whisked out of the country by is shot while illegally crossing the a doctor intent on taking advantage border. Scared and in shock, the of his secret.t

Music>>

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 23

Big performances at Davies Hall

Werner Kmetitsch

Conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada made his SFS debut.

by Philip Campbell

he Steinways at Davies Symphony Hall have been getting a real workout lately. Spring has brought a virtual festival of great piano music to finish the month of April, featuring brilliant players hosted by the San Francisco Symphony and the Great Performers series. Highlights so far have included the knockout debut of Russian virtuoso Denis Kozhukhin and a rare and intimate visit with poetic master Murray Perahia in a solo recital. Events culminate this week when rising superstar pianist Igor Levit, born in Russia and raised in Germany, returns to DSH after his debut in 2015 as a Shenson Young Artist. An outspoken critic of the current US President, Levit uses his Twitter account to rail against Trump’s politics rather than pro-

moting his own career. It is good to know we are on the same page, but he’s preaching to the choir in Northern California, so his appearances, with Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera Fabio Luisi, should be blessedly free of non-musical rhetoric. The program is filled instead with sweeping examples of German Romanticism; Schumann’s effusive and lyrical Piano Concerto in A minor and R. Strauss’ sunny Aus Italien (From Italy), Symphonic Fantasy, Opus 16. It is about as far from Mar-a-Lago as you can get and still catch a carefree spring break. Last week’s bill at DSH was all-Russian and darker-hued, suitably dramatic and filled with big performances. Colombian conductor Andrés Orozco-Estrada made a splashy SFS debut, leading the Orchestra in thrilling performances of Rachmaninoff’s magnificent Symphony No. 2.

Born in Medellin, Colombia, and trained in Vienna, OrozcoEstrada currently serves as Music Director of the Houston Symphony and Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Before diving into the lengthy Rachmaninoff in the second half, he took the microphone to make a brief introduction. In perfectly understandable and delightfully accented English, he used the opportunity to express his admiration for the orchestra and the warm and generous welcome he received from the organization and the DSH audience on his first San Francisco appearance. Rather than adding prefatory comments, he chose to let the music speak for itself, wisely letting his dynamic leadership score a personal interpretive success. I can’t recall a more beautifully controlled or expressive live performance of the suave and elegant Rach Second Symphony. The orchestra responded with some of the best playing of the season, and the all-important contributions from the horns were wonderfully impressive. No one would accuse Rachmaninoff of going over-the-top after a performance like that. Orozco-Estrada emphasized the lush melodic content, recalling Tchaikovsky, but boldly made the narrative more suggestive of high-gloss Sibelius. The heart-stopping melody of the third movement Adagio, almost unbearably beautiful and intense, was shaped with unashamed sentimentality and loving attention to detail. One would have to be made of wood not to respond. After the joy-ride of the boisterous final movement, Allegro vivace, a patron turned to his seat partner and said, “That’s a lot of Rachmaninoff!” But he wasn’t complaining. It was a lot, but not a moment too much. The first half of the evening was exciting too, but in a different way.

Italian adolescent angst by Brian Bromberger

hen Charles Darwin was devising his theory of evolution featuring his concept of survival of the fittest, perhaps he was thinking of life in high school. Viewing the new DVD of the Italian film One Kiss (TLA Releasing) will do nothing to alter this perception of adolescent angst. To quote a character in the film, “I can confirm life as a teenager always sucks.” Apparently secondary school experiences are just as miserable in Italy as they are here in the U.S. A deceptively light movie that ends unexpectedly tragically, One Kiss has some perceptive observations about bullying, sexuality, and date rape, wrapped up in three attractive leads who make it easier to swallow these bitter pills. Lorenzo (Rimau Grillo Ritzberger), a 16-year-old gay foster child from Turin, arrives in a small conservative town, Udine in northeastern Italy, to be adopted by his accepting foster parents. Not afraid to wear bold fashions that set him apart from other students, he arrives at Newton High School using his imagination in campy song-anddance numbers, envisioning his classmates as being thrilled to meet him, when in reality they hate him and call him a faggot. Lorenzo concocts Glee-like sequences to distract himself from the bullies preying on him, but his outrageousness just seems to goad them on. His teacher sits him next to Blu (Valentina

Roman), a subversive girl, and they become fast friends. She has been labeled promiscuous because of an orgy she supposedly had with her Milan boyfriend last summer. She rides her scooter past graffiti calling her a slut, racing each day to the mailbox to grab her writer mother’s rejection letters of her novel before she reads them. Lorenzo tells Blu he has no intention of committing suicide like the other gay teens whose pictures are displayed on his computer. They invite Antonio (Leonardo Pazzagli), a shy, handsome basketball star, derided by his teammates as dumb, into their private clique, mainly because Lorenzo is attracted to him. The three marginalized

friends hang out together, skipping classes and getting into trouble. One scene, where they imagine they are fashion models trying out new stylish clothes, is a hoot. Blu realizes she is attracted to Antonio, but neither she nor Lorenzo has any idea who interests him. Lorenzo concocts a delicious revenge scheme against his mean classmates in the form of a webTV series called Newton’s Dirty Laundry. The other kids plot revenge by writing graffiti all over a classroom and blame Lorenzo, Blu, and Antonio. Meanwhile Blu’s long-distance boyfriend comes for a visit, revealing that the so-called orgy with friends they had the previous summer was in fact a form of date rape. Later, a lakeside swim among the three friends will prove who sexually favors whom, which will have deadly consequences, as it turns out they all have painful secrets they’ve been hiding. At times One Kiss feels like a 1980s high school romp with tinges of Truffaut’s Jules et Jim and hints of a ménage a trois. The perky soundtrack, featuring Blondie’s “Sunday Girl,” New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle” and Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way,” reinforces the nostalgia, as do splashy dream sequences a la Footloose. Director Ivan Cotroneo wants to show the power of friendship that gives outsiders strength to tolerate the mob rule in high school corridors. One Kiss won an Italian Golden Globe award.t

The typically spiky and fiendishly difficult Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 is either a brave or foolhardy choice for a soloist’s debut. From the outset, the work signals a tense moodiness. The uneasy opening tune turns fierce, with a long and demanding cadenza that rises to fever pitch. The atmosphere is sometimes savage, mysterious and frightening, but the composer has a storyline, and the performer must have both technique and insight to make it

clear. Denis Kozhukhin delivered on the challenge with a tour de force performance that had me hoping he wouldn’t hurt himself or the piano before he was done. He triumphed with an interpretation that drove the astonished audience wild. The soloist himself appeared unfazed by the ordeal. His encore was an arrangement of a Bach Prelude from The Well-Tempered Clavier, which proved he also has a gentler side along with reserves of seemingly limitless energy.t

<< Theatre

24 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Peter Brook

From page 17

One topic sure to arise is the decision to return to The Mahabharata, the epic Sanskrit narrative set in ancient India that dates back as far as 900 BC. Brook’s 1985 stage adaptation ran nine hours with a cast of 26 actors and musicians, and it became one of Brook’s signature pieces and toured the world. On the other hand, Battlefield runs about 70 minutes and travels with a cast of four and one musician. Despite the reduced circumstances of the new production, reactions remain outsized. When it debuted in London last year, The Guardian’s Michael Billington called it “a dazzling piece of theater,” and when it traveled to New York last fall, Ben Brantley in The New York Times praised it as “an elegiac play of stark and uncommon beauty.” Brooks said in an interview last year that the notion of returning to The Mahabharata hadn’t even been a thought in the background when suddenly it was in the foreground. “In over 50 years with all our projects, it was hardly ever about what we were going to do next,” Brook said. “It’s more like a forest that you have to go through, and then suddenly something presents itself. The Mahabharata made itself felt to [co-adapter and co-director] Marie-

Pier 24

From page 17

Next to the reception desk is an engrossing family portrait of sorts. Featuring the 10 major photographers, who were a loose-knit community, it consists of images they shot of themselves and each other. There’s Arbus, partially clothed

Hélène Estienne, [playwright] JeanClaude Carrière, and to myself like an answer to all these queries about the present day.” The war in Syria was certainly an impetus, as whoever eventually wears the victor’s crown will rule over a decimated country. It’s a parallel to how The Mahabharata concludes. “One of the lines which was there with us at the very start is when King Yudishtira, this leader who’s won this enormous battle, tearing a family apart, massacring hundreds and hundreds of people on this vast battlefield, asks the question, ‘What now?’ It’s the question we wish all our soldiers, generals, and leaders would ask, and realize that a victory can also be a defeat.” It might seem depressing that history hasn’t proven to be much of a lesson after centuries and even millennia, but Brook thinks rather it should make us feel modest about our moments on the planet. “One of the most stupid questions, I’m afraid, that I’ve been asked was, ‘Do you think your show can change the world?’ But I am happy at the end when people carry something with them. By the time they’re out on the street, maybe that something has vanished, but not completely. We can only say that in our tiny, mini-world of the theater that something can still be positive. And that’s all.”

and very pregnant in a brazen selfportrait, taken in 1945, and Garry Winogrand, sitting on a lounge chair smoking, turning his head in an unguarded moment toward Friedlander’s camera. Friedlander, whose 1965 self-portrait reveals a hairy-chested, somewhat degenerate specimen, also photographed Arbus with her daughter Amy, who smiles

Richard Termine

Mel Solomon

Left: The cast of Battlefield enacts a story adapted from The Mahabharata, the second time director Peter Brook has turned to the ancient Sanskrit narrative tale of war that is now at ACT’s Geary Theater. Right: Nancy Shelby plays a widow whose volunteer service opens surprising doors (including interest from a doctor played by Soren Oliver) in one of the stories from Alan Bennett’s Smut. Word for Word presents.

Smut merchants

There is a genteel veneer to British author Alan Bennett and his writings. At least that’s the impression he often leaves. “People don’t read you too closely,” he said. “I always feel over-appreciated but underestimated.” And so the author of such plays as The History Boys and The Habit of Art in addition to dozens of books and screenplays decided it was time for some Smut. That is the title of his collection of two short stories published in 2011, with one of those stories getting the Word for Word treatment at Z Below. “One reason I wrote these two

stories was to outflank my fans, or those of my readers who expect me to write a certain kind of thing,” Bennett told The Paris Review in 2012. “Sometimes, like Mrs. Donaldson, you just want to break out. You don’t want to shock them, quite, but you do want to surprise them. It’s about not wanting to be thought of as cozy.” Mrs. Donaldson is the title character in the short story that Word for Word will present verbatim, just as it appears on the page. In “The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson,” the character is a respectable widow now expected to decline any vibrancy life still has to offer. Played by Nancy

Shelby, she takes a part-time job at a medical school as a “simulated patient” where her job is to present often-embarrassing conditions for students to practice treating – while she also draws unexpected attention from the doctors. When one of the students and his girlfriend become lodgers, Mrs. Donaldson is willing to forgive overdue rent for the pleasure of watching them have sex. And then she serves post-coital tea and biscuits. Amy Kossow is directing Smut, which Word for Word has subtitled An Unseemly Story. Performances at Z Below run May 10-June 11. Tickets are available at zspace.org.t

widely, while her distracted mother strokes her child’s hair in 1963. She would kill herself eight years later. It was Friedlander, a man not known for effusiveness, who observed that the prolific Winogrand had no equal. All 85 black & white “girl-watching” pictures from Winogrand’s Women Are Beautiful portfolio are on view, stacked one above the other in a three-sided display. They chronicle women on the move, from the 1950s-70s, marching toward feminism whether they knew it or not. We see them chatting, laughing, protesting in the park, toting their babies, attending galas, or crossing the street, their pointy breasts jutting Courtesy Pier 24 Photography, San Francisco forth from clingy tops, etc. Henry Wessel calls his Alec Soth, “Jennifer and Terrell” (2005), from The Grain of the Present, Odd Photos, which were Pier 24 Photography, San Francisco produced over a 30-year period, “a series of one-liners, little gifts from the world, cious, blond-wigged pinup busting of Braddock for one of the most hidden in chaos.” They’re united by out of her scanty leopard-print cosstirring, emotionally complex bodies quirkiness, the artist’s astute compotume; a photograph of his gnarled, of work here. Over a 13-year period sitions and a streak of mischievous swollen feet is shown nearby. In other she documented its decline in telling, humor, especially evident in his pictures, Frazier is seen stalking their poignant detail, sometimes insertpictures of animals: a dynamic dogdeserted house, paint peeling off its ing her self-portrait into the mix. gie duo sitting next to each other, walls, her face blurred like a ghost’s. The façade of the partially demolpanting in unison in front of a metal Working with no preconceived ished “Home on Braddock Avenue” fence (“Pico & Tasha,” 1987); a perplan and without an agenda, Eamonn (2007), a victim of the wrecking ball, turbed bull, poised on the side of Doyle photographed the elderly is in ruins; a once-impressive twodesert road with his quarry squarely pensioners of his Dublin neighborstory brick residence is ensconced in his cross-hairs, pondering his next hood for his series i (2013). Shot at in ivy, the grounds overgrown due move (“Nevada,” 1986); and a potted close range and odd angles, usually to neglect (“Home on Sixth St. & cactus positioned in front of a white from slightly above and behind at a Washington Ave.,” 2009), while in projection screen, ready for its closerespectful distance, some of his subanother image, ivy-covered medieval up (“Valentine’s Day,” 1976). jects, their creaky bodies brittle with arches rise above a mound of tangled But the most exciting feature of age, take a load of their feet, like the vines that have invaded a once-grand this show is its discoveries, and those hunched-over, gray-haired fellow garden that now invites comparisons belong to a field of six younger artgrabbing a smoke, perhaps the greatto a conquered kingdom in Game ists, half of them women, who are est pleasure of his day, while stuffing of Thrones. The deterioration of the certainly well-acquainted with the a pack of cigarettes into the breast built environment is linked, though work of the old guard. Two chose to pocket of his tattered suit. Elsewhere, not overtly, with Frazier’s failing investigate dying Rust Belt cities in a tidy lady in a bright-yellow, belted grandparents. Grandma Ruby’s worn Pennsylvania, Trump country, where coat strolls away in a halo of mornrecliner sits empty, debris strewn on they’re from. Ed Panar went back ing light. “Every life has weight and the floor around it. She appears frail, to Pittsburgh and photographed drama,” Doyle writes. “Even if its vacant and frightened tucked under houses in disrepair and dilapidated meaning is ultimately elusive.”t a blanket; a smaller photograph of buildings like the edifice in rubble on her slender wrists and wrinkled, stilla dead downtown street that, if you elegant hands hangs below. Frazier’s Through Jan. 31, 2018. didn’t know better, you’d think were feisty grandpa on the edge of his bed, Admission is free and by appointment; two-hour located in a war zone. (“June 2005, a walker in easy reach, is presumably windows can be booked online. Swank Building”). LaToya Ruby in a rest home. Think again; on the pier24.org. Frazier returned to her hometown wall is a saucy portrait of a boda-

Paradox Voice Band

Shining Stars Vol. 47 • No. 17 • April 27-May 3, 2017

www.ebar.com V www.bartabsf.com

On the Tab F

April 27May 4

arewells and returns this week; a fab dragster moves on, a sing-along show tune nigh t returns, and monthly favorites fill SoMa saloo ns.

26 >> Listings begin on page

Miguel Blazquez

Wed 3 Katya Smirnoff-Skyy and Joe Wicht cohost Broadway Bingo @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Celebrating Leather Women by Race Bannon

Shilo McCabe

T All past and present winners of International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack who were in attendance at this past weekend’s contest. Patty, IMsL 2014 (front row, second from right), and Dara, IMsBB 2014 (front row, far right), are quoted in this week’s column.

his past weekend the International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack (IMsL/IMsBB) Contest Weekend took place in San Jose. The contest is the centerpiece of the weekend, but the producers and volunteers offer attendees a host of things to do including dozens of educational intensives and workshops, various shows and entertainment, vendor area, play space, communal meals, speeches, silent auction, bootblack lounge, hospitality parties, and more. See page 29 >>

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

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Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

Jose A Guzman Colon

26 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Three’s Company Live @ Oasis

Hella Gay Comedy @ Club OMG

The drag parody performances of two episodes of the campy 70s sitcom returns, with D’Arcy Drollinger, Heklina, Michael Phillis, Matthew Martin, Sara Moore, Marine Layer, Sue Casa & Laurie Bushman. $25-$35 ($225 VIP table). Thu 8pm, Fri & Sat 7pm. Thru April 29. 298 11th St. at Folsom. sfoasis.com

Weekly women & queers comedy night hosted by Debbie Devereaux (aka Charlie Ballard). No cover. Open mic, too. 6pm-8pm. 43 6th St. www.clubOMGsf.com

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle Music night with local and touring bands. $8. 9:30pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night’s 13th anniversary bash! $5. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Fri 28 Ain’t Mama’s Drag @ Balancoire

Fri 28 Honey Mahogany hosts Black Fridays @ The Stud

On the Tab

From page 26

Thu 27 American Conservatory Theatre’s 50th anniversary gala fundraiser includes performances by Annette Bening, Mary Birdsong, Harry Hamlin, Judy Kaye, Alysha Umphress, BD Wong and many more. VIP dinner and show. $1500 and up. 1127 Market St. www.act-sf.org

Big Freedia @ Mezzanine The Queen of Bounce returns for a rousing concert of booty-shaking grooves; Boyfriend and Madam Gandhi open. $22-$25. 9pm. 444 Jessie St. www.mezzaninesf.com

Hairy men and their pals enjoy 2-for-1 drinks and no cover. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Gogo-tastic dance night starts off your weekend. $5. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

The saucy women’s burlesque show hosted by Dottie Lux will titillate and tantalize. $10-$20. 8pm-9:30pm. 399 9th St. Also Sunday brunch shows at PianoFight Theatre.144 Taylor St. www.redhotsburlesque.com www.studsf.com

Rita Rudner @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The veteran comic with a dry wit performs. $40-$60. 8pm. Also April 29, 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race Viewings @ Various Bars

Thu 27 Three’s Company Live @ Oasis

Black Fridays @ The Stud

Sing along and sing out, Louise, with hostess Sister Flora Goodthyme. 8pm2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Marsha Graham Bartenetti @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Thu 27

LA and former Bay Area vocalist’s album release concert. $25-$40. 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Big Freedia @ Mezzanine

Mary Go Round @ Lookout Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes’ weekly drag show. $5. 10:30pm show. DJ Philip Grasso. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Lulu and DJ Marco’s Latin night with sexy gogo guys. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Honey Mahogany hosts a benefit for Compton’s Transgender District, with acts Alotta Boutté, Bionka Simone, Krylon Superstar, Magnoliah Black, and Rahni NothingMORE! DJs Boyfriend and Siobhan Aluvalot. $10. 10pm-4am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Blake Little @ SF Eagle The photographer signs/sells copies of his book of male photos, Work. 7pm9pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Dickslap @ SF Eagle Nark Magazine’s saucy sexy night. $5. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge

Picante @ The Cafe

Steam @ Powerhouse

Manimal @ Beaux

Rita Rudner @ Feinstein’s

Karaoke Night @ The Stud

Stimulating festive and fun parties at the earth sciences museum return, with 21+ music, drinks, demos and exhibits. May 4: How Weird Street Faire DJs and lots of arts/crafts demos and workshops. May 11: DJ Hyfi, Yoga classes and mind/body demos and talks.$12-$15. Weekly 6pm-9pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. www.calacademy.org/nightlife

The Swagger Like Us queer hip hop crew cohosts this music event, with Saturn Rising, Sir JoQ (live) and DJs DavO, Lady Ryan. $7. 10pm-2am. 647 Valencia St. www.elbo.com

Red Hots Burlesque @ The Stud

Queer weekly night out at the popular Mission bar. 9pm-2am. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences

Molly House Records @ Elbo Room

Bear Happy Hour @ Midnight Sun

Gayface @ El Rio

The weekly drag show with DJ MC2, themed nights and hilarious fun. $5. 9pm-2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

The Latin dance night includes drag acts hosted by Lulu and Jacqueline, and gogo studs. April 21 is a special Selena tribute night, with a lookalike contest and cash prize. $10-$20. 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Weekly drag queen and drag king show hosted by Cruzin d’Loo. 8pm10pm. No cover. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

Fri 28

A.C.T. Gala @ Strand Theater

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland

The wet monthly steamy event returns, with towel-clad gogo studs, clothing optional and clothes check and nearbath house fun, with a $100 Wet Towel Contest. $5. 10pm-1am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Gareth Gooch

Poetry & Martinis @ Martuni’s

DTF Fridays @ Port Bar, Oakland

Dan Bellm, Kay Nilson, Julian Shendelman , Amos White, and Arisa White read their own poems, and a few by their favorite authors. Jame J Siegel hosts. No cover. 7pm-8:30pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Various DJs play house music, and a few hotties gogo dance at the new gay bar’s weekly event. 9pm2am. 2023 Broadway. (510) 823-2099. portbaroakland.com

Queer Karaoke @ Club OMG KJ Dana hosts the weekly singing night; unleash your inner American Idol; first Thursdays are Costume Karaoke; 3rd Thu Kinky Karaoke 8pm. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Rock Fag @ Hole in the Wall Enjoy hard rock and punk music from DJ Don Baird at the wonderfully divey SoMa bar. Also Fridays. 7pm-2am. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Hard Fridays @ Qbar

Sat 29 Matthew Francis @ Hotel Rex

DH Haute Toddy’s weekly electro-pop night with hotty gogos. $3. 9pm-2am (happy hour 4pm9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Kick off Season 9 of the popular drag competition show. 8pm at Oasis (cohosted by Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma), Beaux, Toad Hall, Midnight Sun, Port Bar Oakland and other venues. www.logotv.com

Shenanigans @ Oasis The monthly themed dance night this time takes on ‘Forces of Nature.’ $7$10. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Sat 29 Bearracuda @ SF Eagle The ursine party invades the famed leather bar, with DJs Carrie on Disco and Trevor Sigler. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.bearracuda.com www.sf-eagle.com

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland The weekly hip hop and R&B night. $5-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Lips and Lashes Brunch @ Lookout Weekly show with soul, funk and Motown grooves hosted by Carnie Asada, with DJs Becky Knox and Pumpkin Spice. The yummy brunch menu starts at 12pm, with the show at 1:30pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Matthew Francis @ Hotel Rex Cirque de So Gay, the singer-actor’s very fun cabaret show, with multiple characters, the film Beaches in two minutes, and puppets! $30-$50. Cocktails/small plates available. 8pm. 562 Sutter St. www.societycabaret.com

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

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Best Wedding Photographer Best Wedding Photographer as voted by BAR readers as voted by BAR readers

Paradox Voice Band

Voice Band Song stylings Paradox performs at Dada Bar by Jim Gladstone

“T

he most important word in our name is band,” says Fritz Lambandrake, the managing director of San Francisco’s Paradox Voice Band. Celebrating the release of its sleekly produced debut album, Superhero, with a performance and party this Saturday at the DADA Bar and Gallery near Union Square, the vocal ensemble is a far cry from your grandpa’s barbershop quartet. “We’re not what you might think of as acapella. We’re not doo-wop. We’re a band, not a chorus.” says Lambandrake, who founded Paradox in 2013, and prides himself on their ultra-precise arrangements in which each of the group’s seven voices is utilized as an instrument. The band’s unique musical calling card is what would commonly be termed “mash-ups” of pop music. With Paradox they’re more like intricate weavings that merge and divide strands of multiple melodies into fresh, sometimes surprising patterns. Listeners will prick up their ears, attentively trying to identify the familiar –but transformed– tunes that are combined in numbers like “24-Karat Money Girl Magic,” which interpolates the Bruno Mars tune referenced in its title with Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls,” Kool & The Gang’s “Get Down On It” and Nelly’s “Ride Wit’ Me.”

“We just wanted to channel all of that roller rink pop funk of the ‘70s,” says Lambandrake of the piece. In addition to their signature song-weavings, Paradox showcases individual members’ solos in rich settings of individual contemporary songs, including Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” and Adele’s “Hello.” Lambandrake says that given the group’s current semi-professional status (other than himself –a onetime financial services professional with “an incredibly supportive husband”– band members have fulltime jobs), personnel has been in constant evolution. “I’m always in ABC mode: Always Be Casting. “Someone who has trained as an actor-singer is usually not right for us,” he explains. Even with the occasional solo turn, Lambandrake says that members of Paradox (and the personnel has changed significantly over the years) must be fully committed to being an element of a whole, rather than a star player. The group’s current line-up feels particularly coherent, which has led to a fruitful new relationship with Grammy-winning South Bay producer, Bill Hare. Hare, who mixed and mastered their album, Superhero, has also produced for today’s best known all-vocal music group, Pentatonix, which rose to fame after the mass-exposure of winning The Sing Off competition on television.

“Look, Pentatonix is great, and there’s a lot to be said for good timing,” said Lambandrake. “There are scores of groups with their level of talent around the world. It’s hard to get recognized, because acapella tends to be seen as such a specialty. There is no Sing Off anymore, and groups tend to perform in acapella festivals or competitions, so it’s hard to get exposure to the general public. Our goal is to get an agent who can book us corporate events and other gigs. We had an offer from an agent, but he was an acapella band agent. I don’t want us to be a big fish in a tiny pool.” Lambandrake is sufficiently confident in Paradox’s polished professionalism that he’s no longer entering the group in a capella competitions or performing at festivals, as he did during its first few years. “People tend to look at an acapella group and think it’s just a bunch of happy singers. Well, we are happy singers, but we’re worth paying for! We’ve done lots of fundraisers over the last three years, helping out plenty of good causes. But you know what; we’re a good cause too!”t Paradox Voice Band’s debut album (Superhero) release party, with live music by the group, plus vocalist Racquela, includes cocktails, nibbly things, and raffle items. $15-$35. Saturday, April 29, 6:30pm-10pm. Dada Bar and Gallery, 65 Post Street at Montgomery. www.ParadoxVoiceBand.com

Gareth Gooch

Mother @ Oasis Heklina hosts the fun drag show with weekly themes. April 29 is Putanesca’s bon voyage party. MC2 spins dance grooves before and after the show. $10. 10pm3am (11:30pm show). 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Nitty Gritty @ Beaux Weekly dance night with nearly naked gogo guys & gals; DJs Chad Bays, Ms. Jackson, Becky Know and Jorge T. $4. 9pm2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

NoFOMO @ The Stud David Sylvester, Stormy Roxx, Sappho and Jordee DJ cosmic techno grooves at the benefit for the Shanti Project. $10. 10pm-4am. 399 9th st. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Nutz @ Powerhouse Dulce de Leche hosts the gogo contest ($200 prize) and cruise night, with DJ Cheon. $5. 9pm2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

See page 28 >>

Sat 29 Putanesca’s farewell party at Mother @ Oasis

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<< On the Tab Sat 29 Bearracuda @ SF Eagle

Hysteria @ Martuni’s Irene Tu and Jessica Sele cohost the comedy open mic night for women and queers. No cover. 6pm-8:30pm. 4 Valencia St.

Karaoke Night @ The Stud Sing Till It Hurts with hostess Sister Flora; 2 for 1 happy hour, no cover. 8pm-2am. 399 9th St. studsf.com

Naked Night @ Nob Hill Theatre Strip down as the strippers also take it all off. $20. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Stag @ Powerhouse Leave your man at home for the singles cruise night, with $3 Jager shots. No cover. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

On the Tab

From page 27

Paradox Voice Band @ Dada Bar Acappella group’s debut album (Superhero ) release party, with live music by the group, plus vocalist Racquela; cocktails, nibbly things, raffle items. $15-$35. 6:30pm-10pm. 65 Post St. www.ParadoxVoiceBand.com

Queer Hip Hop @ Club OMG Dance night to hip hop grooves. 9pm2am. 43 6th St. www.clubOMGsf.com

Soul Party @ Elbo Room DJs Lucky, Paul, and Phengren Osward spin 60s soul 45s. $5-$10 ($5 off in semi-formal attire). 10pm-2am. 647 Valencia St. 552-7788. www.elbo.com

Sugar @ The Cafe Dance, drink, cruise at the Castro club. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Sunny Sweeney @ The Make Out Room The acclaimed vocalist performs songs from her new album, Trophy. $15. 7:30pm. 3225 22nd St. www.makeoutroom.com

Zepparella @ Slim’s The all-women Led Zeppelin tribute band performs. Daniele Gottardo opens. $19-$22, $44 (with dinner). 9pm. 333 11th st. www.slimspresents.com

Sun 30 Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The classic leather bar’s most popular Sunday daytime event in town draws the menfolk. Beer bust donations benefit local nonprofits. $10. 3pm6pm. Now also on Saturdays. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Fleshdance @ Powerhouse Mutha Chucka spins ‘80s tunes and hosts a 10:30pm drag show; proceeds benefit the GLBT Historical Society’s museum makeover project. $5 and up. 1347 Folsom St. powerhousebar.com

GlamaZone @ The Cafe Pollo del Mar’s weekly drag show takes on different themes with a comic edge. 8:30-11:30pm. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Jock @ The Lookout Enjoy the weekly jock-ular fun, with DJed dance music at sports team fundraisers. 12pm-1am. NY DJ Sharon White from 3pm-6pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Magnetic Fields @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The country-Western line-dancing twostepping dance events celebrates 18 years! Free, including lessons for newbies. 5pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room

Uhaul SF @ Oasis

DJ Bus Station John’s monthly groovy T-dance gets an extra April event, this time a salute to the Soul Men of Disco. $5. 7pm-12am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Domingo De Escandal @ Club OMG Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez and DJ Carlitos. (Comedy Open Mic 5:30pm). 7pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Erasure-esque @ Oasis The erasure cover band performs, with Just Like Heaven (The Cure tribute band). $10. 4pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Sing along at the popular musical theatre night; also Wednesdays. 7pm2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

No No Bingo @ Virgil’s Sea Room Mica Sigourney and Tom Temprano cohost the wacky weekly game night at the cool Mission bar. 8pm. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

The women’s dance party serves an extra T-dance, with a Beyoncé vs. Rhianna mix. $10. 4pm-11pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Mon 1 Epic Karaoke @ White Horse, Oakland

Wed 3 48 Hills Spring Gala @ The Stud Our colleagues at the vibrant news & culture website celebrate four years, with food, drinks, entertainment and special guests. $35, $50 and up. 6pm-9pm. 399 9th st. at Harrison. www.48hills.org www.studsf.com

Alternative Fags @ Powerhouse DJ Steve Fabus spins cruisy grooves as the bar redecorates into a lounge $5. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Name and sing along hit show tunes with Joe Wicht and Katya Smirnoff-Skyy. 7pm. No cover. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Girl Scout @ Port Bar, Oakland

Sun 30 Erasure-esque @ Oasis

The weekly women’s happy hour and dance night with DJ Becky Knox. 6pm-10pm. 2023 Broadway. portbaroakland.com

Kiefer Sutherland @ Great American Music Hall

Weekly dance night, with Jocques, DJs Tori, Twistmix and Andre. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

The accomplished TV and film actor performs Americana/Country songs with his band. $26. $51 with dinner. 8pm. 859 O’Farrell St. www.slimspresents.com

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s

Latin Drag Night @ Club OMG

Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht. 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Opulence @ Beaux

Spanglish @ Club OMG

Miss Kitty’s Trivia Night @ Wild Side West The weekly fun night at the Bernal Heights bar includes prizes, hosted by Kitty Tapata. No cover. 7pm-10pm. 424 Cortland St. 647-3099. www.wildsidewest.com

Pan Dulce @ Beaux The hot Latin dance night with sexy gogo guys, drag divas, and more, returns to the Castro, with Club Papi’s Frisco Robbie and Fabian Torres. $5 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Thu 4 Costume Karaoke @ Club OMG Dana hosts the monhtly costimed sing-along. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Gym Class @ Hi Tops Enjoy whiskey shots from jockstrapped hotties and sexy sports videos at the popular sports bar. 10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Kingdom of Sodom @ Nob Hill Theatre The monthly clothing-optional play party features a sex show with porn studs Kurtis Wolfe and Josh Connors. $20. 9pm-1am. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Mommie Queerest @ Oasis Peaches Christ and Heklina return in this high-camp drag parody of the Joan Crawford biopic. $25, $35 and VIP $225 tables. 7pm. Also May 5, 6, 7. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Nap’s Karaoke @ Virgil’s Sea Room Sing out loud at the weekly least judgmental karaoke in town, hosted by the former owner of the bar. No cover. 9pm. 3152 Mission St. 8292233. www.virgilssf.com

Queer Jitterbugs @ Center for Sex and Culture Swing dancing, same-sex and opposite, and ASL-inclusive. $15. 5pm and 6pm lessons. 7:30-10pm dancing. 18+. 349 Mission St. www.queerjitterbugs.com

Thump @ White Horse, Oakland Weekly electro music night with DJ Matthew Baker and guests. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle Music night with local and touring bands. May 4: Ethel Merman Experience, Not From Jersey, and Kallisto. $8. 9:30pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com Want your nightlife event listed? Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event. Event photos welcome.

Spanish and English drag shows and dance music with DJ Carlitos. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Underwear Night @ 440 Strip down to your skivvies at the popular men’s night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. the440.com

Tue 2 Bandit @ Lone Star Saloon

Mondays and Tuesdays popular weekly sing-along night. No cover. 8:30pm-1am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Weekly queer event with resident DJ Justime; electro, soul, funk, house. No cover. 9pm-1am. 1354 Harrison St. www.facebook.com/BanditPartySF www.lonestarsf.com

Gaymer Meetup @ Brewcade

Game Night @ SF Eagle

The weekly LGBT video game enthusiast night includes big-screen games and signature beers, with a new remodeled layout, including an outdoor patio. No cover. 7pm-11pm. 2200 Market St. www.brewcadesf.com

Weekly underwear night includes free clothes check, and drink specials. $4. 10pm-2am. Preceded by Open Mic Comedy, 7pm, no cover. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Broadway Bingo @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Same-sex partner tango dancing, including lessons for newbies, food and drinks. $5-$10. 3:30pm-6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley. www.finnishhall.org

Blessed @ Port Bar, Oakland

Disco Daddy @ SF Eagle

Musical Mondays @ The Edge

Queer Tango @ Finnish Hall, Berkeley

Enjoy an extra weekend night at the fun Castro nightclub, with Au Jus, plus hot local DJs and sexy gogo guys and gals. $8. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.Beauxsf.com Carnie Asada’s fun drag night with Carnie’s Angels – Mahlae Balenciaga and Au Jus, plus DJ Ion. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race review night, with Honey Mahogany, Dulce de Leche and Carnie Asada. No cover. 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

The pop band performs a ‘50-song Memoir’ over two nights. Also May 1. $39-$49. 8pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland.

Donna Sachet often hosts the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show, now celebrating its tenth anniversary. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.starlightroomsf.com

Big Top @ Beaux

Mister Sister @ Midnight Sun

Underwear Night @ Club OMG

Board games, card games and cheap beer. 4pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Hella Saucy @ Q Bar Queer dance party at the stylish intimate bar. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Tue 2 Stag @ Powerhouse

Rich Stadtmiller

Dusti Cunnigham

28 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

Read more online at www.ebar.com

younger newcomers to the scene. For me, this is a great example of an event focused on a specific kink demographic (leather women) that also embraces the entire gender, age and orientation spectrum. I always try to be respectful of the various segments of our scene having their own spaces, but I’ve always felt welcome at this event. I overhead many compliments from those in attendance on how well the weekend and contest was run. Let me add my congratulations to the producers, production team and volunteers for planning well and being organized, all the while keeping it classy. You did a great job. The contestants in the contest are judged on a specific set of criteria. Rich Stadtmiller IMsL contestants are judged on a Lamalani, International Ms. Leather 2009. personal interview and short teaching presentation (40 Leather From page 25 points), hotwear and pop question (10 points), fantasy performance (20 points), and speech and formal I was only able to attend the event wear (20 points). on Saturday, but I asked dozens IMsBB contestants are judged on of the people there for the entire technical knowledge and skill (30 weekend how they were enjoying points), a personal interview (30 themselves. To the one, everyone points), pop question and bootreported having a great time with black image (10 points), and speech a consistent theme of enjoying the and formal wear (20 points). many connections and re-connecThere are also additional tions with friends, old and new, that aspects to the judging for takes place annually at this this contest that I really iconic event. like and that set it apart No numbers were from many other leather given to me, but from contests. what I could tell by I was told by Sharrin scanning the crowds in Spector, the Executive the common areas and at Producer for the weekend, the contest, attendance that contestants are given appears to have been up a set of prescribed delivthis year. I also noticed erables and corresponding a larger number of men deadlines well ahead of the contest than in past years. Clearly the weekweekend. Judges are given a report end is drawing not only hundreds of on how well the contestants abide women from around the world, but by these requirements. also many supportive men. Also, contestants need to create Event organizers also crunched auction item tables that reflect who the age data on attendees this year they are, their community and those and the average age was down. This who support them. To up the ante a suggests the weekend is appealbit, the contestants can’t set up the ing to a wider age range including

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 29

table themselves, but must instead arrange for two others to do so, thereby demonstrating their planning and delegation skills. I think these unique aspects to the judging help to ensure that judges see many aspects of a contestant’s character, skill set and background. Returning as MCs for the weekend and the contest were Bubblinsugare and Tristan Taormino, who did masterful jobs. Competing for IMsL 2017 this year were Mina Hart, Stela D. Love, Thomas, Alaina, Goddess Moon O’Neal, Janet and Girl Complex. Judging the IMsL contestants were Sarge (Head Judge), Lydia Joie Divine, Mark Frazier, Schon, Tina Horn, and Viviane. Competing for IMsBB 2017 this year were xiaoyi, Elisa, Beau Korvin Black, Bootblack Nona, Micky Rebel and Random. Judging the IMsBB contestants were slave tabitha (Head Judge), Erick Joseph and Tyesha Best. Making sure that all the scores added up properly were Tallymasters Phillip Wolf and Counselor Ochumaré ONYX. After two days of a highly competitive contest, the winners were announced at the end of the Saturday portion of the contest. Atop the IMsL podium were two of the Bay Area’s own. International Ms. Leather 2017 is Girl Complex. First runner up is Stela D. Love. “Winning IMsL has been a super emotional experience,” said Girl Complex. “I am still in complete shock that I am the current IMsL, and I really love the sound of hearing My Bootblack.” The IMsBB 2017 winner is Elisa with the first runner up being Micky Rebel. The My Bootblack to which Girl Complex is referring is of course the winner of IMsBB 2017, Elisa, who offered this after winning. “I’m so honored and excited to serve as your International Ms. Bootblack for 2017,” she said. “The IMsBB title has an immense and strong history and I’m honored to continue that legacy. I’m so excited to accomplish so much this year with my IMsL, Girl Complex. Thank you so much for your support and encouragement throughout this weekend. My heart was filled with your love.” So, that’s a bit about the weekend and the contest, but I wanted to get input about IMsL/IMsBB, the weekend, the contest and the titles from some seasoned insiders. I wanted to get to the heart of why this weekend and contest is so special to so many. Since the weekend is first and foremost meant to serve those who attend, I wanted to know what were considered the event’s best aspects.

Teegan the Bootblack

Left to Right: International Ms. Bootblack 2017 first runner up, Micky Rebel, and winner, Elisa. International Ms. Leather 2017 winner, Girl Complex, and first runner up, Stela D. Love.

Dara, IMsBB 2014, summed up nicely the sentiments I gleaned from many I talked to. “The IMsBB/IMsL weekend offers a wide range of opportunities for sex, play, education and entertainment,” Dara said. “From Seduction on Thursday, till closing down the dungeon at midnight on Sunday night, it’s a non-stop, full-bore three days of sensual delights.” Dara’s title year partner, Patty, IMsL 2014, offered a similar assessment. “For me, what’s exciting is there really is something for everyone – classes, fun contest, parties, dun-

geon space for women, men, and mixed... it’s all there! Not to mention it really is very much one big family reunion.” Lots of discussion takes place within our scene about the pros and cons of contests and titles. Here’s what Lamalani, IMsL 2009, said about why titles are important. “Titles are important because the visibility of leather people, especially leather people of color, can give access for someone new to BDSM to explore their desires,” she said. See page 30 >>

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30 • Bay Area Reporter • April 27-May 3, 2017

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From page 29

“Title visibility creates an opening for someone to ask questions or seek resources from someone who is safe.” Dara offered this reason. “The titleholder, in this case the International Ms. Bootblack and International Ms. Leather titles, become a focus for a full matrix of exchanges in the women’s community, queer spaces, BDSM and leather spaces.” Regarding the overall IMsL/IMsBB weekend itself, Patty highlighted its importance and relevance to our communities. “I think it is vital for there to be a space for women (and I mean all women) and those who support us to gather and celebrate the uniqueness that we bring to the community. I also think the IMsBB part of the weekend and title pair is important because it specifically brings visibil-

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ity to the role of women bootblacks in our community, something which none of the other bootblack titles do in a focused way.” Finally, Lamalani said this on why this event is so important. “IMsL/IMsBB provides a gathering space where leather people of all genders can learn skills, discuss current issues in kink communities, and play. Most importantly, it gives people an opportunity to interact and experience leather community.” That wraps up another IMsL/ IMsBB weekend and contest for another year. If you’ve never attended, I hope this report energizes you to consider making it part of your plans for next year. Visit the weekend’s site for more information: www.imsl.org.t Race Bannon is a local author, blogger and activist. You can reach him on his website, www.bannon.com.

San Francisco:

(415) 692-5774 www.megamates.com 18+

Fri 28

Fri 5

Fri 12

Exiles Program @ Center for Sex and Culture

Sober Kink Together @ Castro Country Club

What Does Leather Mean To You? - LeatherWomen of Yesterday & Today. Join the Exiles following IMSL weekend as they navigate this relevant subject in an intergenerational panel facilitated by Ms. Cat. Panelists include: Beth Downey, Carol Queen, Isabella, Jessie, Madame Estrella, Sarafina Maraschino and Unicorn boy. 1349 Mission St., 7:30-10:15pm. www.theexiles.org

See Fri 28

Gear Party @ 442 Natoma

See Fri 28

Fri 5 – Sun 7

Sat 13

Woof Camp Weekend

Leather Contingent Beer Bust @ SF Eagle

Sober Kink Together @ Castro Country Club

Mon 8

Gear Party @ 442 Natoma Gear play party (leather, rubber, harnesses, etc.) for gay men. 442 Natoma St., $15 (requires $5 membership), 10pm. www.442parties.com

Mon 1 Ride Mondays @ Eros

PaddleDaddy.com was one of the many kink retailers at the IMsL/IMsBB weekend’s vendor area.

Always FREE to listen and reply to ads!

Leather Events, April 28 – May 14, 2017

Officially a CMA meeting, but open to all Anonymous 12-step Fellowship members, 4058 18th St., 9:30pm. www.castrocountryclub.org

Muffin

Playmates or soul mates, you’ll find them on MegaMates

A motorcycle rider and leathermen night at Eros, bring your helmet, AMA card, MC club card or club colors and get $3 off entry or massage. 2051 Market St. www.erossf.com

Event for pups and Handlers. Advance registration required. www.sfk9unit.org

Ride Mondays @ Eros See Mon 1

Single Tail 101 with Bill B. @ Eros This class will cover single-tail whip construction, safety, basic throws, how to develop control and skill, and how to use a whip in kink play. If you have a short (3-4 foot) single tail whip, bring it. A few loaner whips will be available. Safety glasses, long sleeves, gloves and hats are strongly recommended. 2051 Market St., 7:30-9:30pm. www.erossf.com

Wed 10 Golden Shower & Naked Buddies @ Blow Buddies A men’s water sports night, Golden Shower Buddies, $15 with membership, 933 Harrison St., 8pm. www.blowbuddies.com

Proceeds from the beer bust will benefit the Leather Contingent in the Pride parade. 398 12th St., 3-6pm. www.sfleather.org

GearUp Men’s Play Party @ SF Catalyst Friendly erotic space where kinky men can socialize with, learn from and play with other men. 1060 Folsom St., $20, 8pm-12am. www.gearupweekend.com

Sun 14 The Kiki(nk) @ SF Catalyst San Francisco’s newest private play space for men. 1060 Folsom St., 2am-6am. $20 advance tickets. www.raunchafterhours.com

Golden Gate Guards Beer Bust @ SF Eagle Proceeds from the beer bust will benefit Guide Dogs for the Blind and San Francisco Leathermen’s Discussion Group. 398 12th St., 3-6pm. www.ggguards.org

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

Shining Stars Steven Underhill Photos by

Sugar @ The Café P

opular with a diverse younger set, JC Event’s weekly Sugar features DJ Deft’s grooves, gogo guys and gals, and a spacious dance floor each Saturday. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market Street at Castro. www.cafesf.com More photo albums are on BARtab’s Facebook page, www. facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at www.StevenUnderhill.com.

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

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For headshots, portraits or to arrange your wedding photos

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