April 6, 2017 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

The

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Since 1971, the newspaper of record for the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community

beofsthte bay17

Vol. 47 • No. 14 • April 6-12, 2017

Historical society is favorite nonprofit

nity

u Comm

Darlene/PhotoGraphics

Gilbert Baker rode in the Palm Springs Pride Parade in 2011.

Gilbert Baker, rainbow flag creator, dies

by Seth Hemmelgarn

G Some of the Bay Area Reporter’s Bestie winners crowded around an exhibit at the GLBT History Museum, which won best LGBT nonprofit. In front, from left, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s (best HIV/AIDS nonprofit) LifeCycle riders (best LGBT fundraiser) Parker Trewin and Art Desuyo. Behind them are best drag king Alex U. Inn; best DJ Michael Chu/MC2; best choral group winner San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus members Gary Mendelson, Peter Zimmerman, Frank Marx and Ryan Nunez (who died at a performance March 31); and in between (in glasses), best male cabaret singer Jason Brock.

ilbert Baker, the creator of the iconic rainbow flag that’s become an international symbol for LGBT rights, died March 31 at his home in New York. He was 65. Mr. Baker, often called the gay Betsy Ross for his role in coming up with the first flag almost 40 years ago, is being mourned by friends and admirers in San Francisco, where he once lived, and around the country. According to Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman

compiled by Seth Hemmelgarn

an Francisco’s GLBT Historical Society was founded in 1985 and is recognized internationally as a leader in the field of LGBT public history. The historical society’s extensive archives are housed at its offices on Market Street, while the newer GLBT

See page 24 >> History Museum in the Castro draws visitors from around the world. The historical society celebrated its 32nd anniversary last month, which also marked the museum’s sixth year in operation. This year the historical society is a new winner in the best nonprofit category in the

Nonprofit execs say results weigh more than pay by Seth Hemmelgarn

See page 12 >> Gooch

At $90,000, Basinger’s annual compensation is still among the lowest in or years after he foundthe region, where many executive ed San Francisco’s directors take in well over $100,000, AIDS Housing Alliaccording to an analysis of Bay Area ance in 2004, Brian Basinger LGBT and HIV/AIDS nonprofits by was paid only what would fit the Bay Area Reporter. But he indiwithin the limits that Social cated it could still be helpful for his Security Disability Insurance organization, which with a budget of would allow. $2.5 million provides housing emerBut Basinger, a gay man gency financial assistance, tenants who’s living with AIDS himrights counseling, and other services Erin Lefevre self and remains executive dito hundreds of people a year. rector of what’s now known “Funders thought that my salary as Q Foundation AIDS was an indication of the quality of Housing Alliance, recently the outcomes of the organization,” had to make a change. Basinger said. Erin Lefevre His low wages “left the Roger Doughty is president of organization in a vulnerable Q Foundation Executive Director Brian Basinger, right, discusses the San Francisco-based Horizons place as far as sustainabil- job performance statistics with peer navigator Nicole Dunn, left, at Foundation, which distributes grants ity planning is concerned,” the Q Foundation office March 30. to other nonprofits in San Francisco Basinger said in an email. “If and surrounding cities and works to something were to happen to support the LGBTQ community. long argued is a simple fact: In order to draw me, the organization would be hard pressed to “It’s important to remember that LGBT and retain talent to lead Bay Area’s nonprofits, find another person with the required skill set nonprofits have to compete for talent, and we people need to be paid an attractive salary. Doto work for $700 per month. After much soulhave to compete for talent with much larger nors should also look at factors such as agensearching, I decided to let go of disability so and much better-resourced nonprofits such cies’ outcomes and transparency rather than that we could grow the compensation for my as universities that can often pay considerably simply focusing on executive directors’ composition to market-rate.” pensation, experts say. See page 24 >> Basinger’s decision reflects what many have

Besties 2017 results are in compiled by Cynthia Laird

he results of the 2017 Bay Area Reporter’s readers’ poll are in. For this seventh annual LGBTQ Best of the Bay, also known as the Besties, readers voted for their favorites in several categories. Throughout this issue, you’ll find results in Community, Services and Shopping, Weddings and Destinations, Arts and Culture, Spaces, People, Food, and, of course, Sex. We’d like to thank all the winners, who inspire, contribute to, and support the Bay Area’s LGBTQ community. Readers, winners, and everyone else are invited to a free Besties celebration party Thursday (April 6) from 6 to 9 p.m. at Oasis, 298 11th Street. There will be hosted cocktails and light refreshments. Emceed by veteran Bestie winner Marga Gomez, entertainment will include Jason Brock, Alex U. Inn and Kingdom, and DJ MC2. Veronica Klaus, with accompanist

{ FIRST OF THREE SECTIONS }

Limit 8 tickets per person. All dates, acts and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. All tickets are subject to applicable service charges. *Advance tickets will still be available with NO SERVICE CHARGE on Sunday 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Fillmore box office only. Charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Buy tickets at livenation.com.

See page 13 >>

<< Community News

2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

SF Gay Men’s Chorus singer dies on stage by Seth Hemmelgarn

riends are recalling a singer with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus who died on stage Friday night as a loving man who cherished his work with the group. Ryan Nunez, 39, “collapsed on the risers during intermission” of the chorus’s March 31 “Paradise Found” performance at the Herbst Theatre, according to a Facebook post by Tim Seelig, the chorus’ artistic director. “After an hour of CPR, administered mostly by chorus brothers, [he] was pronounced dead by paramedics. ... He died on the spot where he had sung the first half,” Seelig said, adding, “I have Ryan Nunez not experienced such shock or soul-shattering grief as Nunez’s, said in a Facebook post, that. Ever.” “He viewed his music and particiAccording to people present Fripation in the chorus as a supreme day, the rest of that night’s show healing power. ... Ryan loved the was canceled. In addition to singing chorus and they loved him deeply.” with the chorus, Mr. Nunez was also Nelson recalled that when Mr. the organization’s administrative Nunez found out that he’d been accoordinator. cepted to the chorus, “he wept and “He was our voice to the world,” told me he ‘had gone from 3 friends Seelig said. “Filled with humor and to 300.’” huge hugs for all – he just took care Addressing his departed friend, of everyone – first. ... No one loved Nelson said, “Ryan, you would also SFGMC more than Ryan. The chooften say to us when it looked like we rus literally changed his life – as were going off the deep end, ‘I’ll give knowing him changed all of ours.” you a minute Giiiirrrrlll!’ ... “How I Seelig didn’t respond to an interwish and will for the rest of my days view request. for just one more minute with you.” Larry Nelson, a friend of Mr.

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In a phone interview, Nelson referred to the number of people who have expressed grief over Mr. Nunez’s death. He choked up as he recalled that Mr. Nunez “once told me he was afraid that he wouldn’t make an impact. ... He was afraid that people would not remember him. Now look.” Photos taken Friday night show Mr. Nunez happily singing in the back row of the chorus. Mr. Nunez also appears this week in photos taken a couple of weeks ago for the Bay Area Reporter’s 2017 Besties readers’ poll winners. The chorus was named best choral group. A spokesman for the medical examiner’s office didn’t respond to a request for information about the cause of Mr. Nunez’s death. A Gofundme campaign to help with Mr. Nunez’s funeral expenses had raised more than $22,000 by Tuesday, exceeding its $20,000 goal. Funds that remain after expenses are covered will go to the chorus’ financial assistance network, which provides scholarships to singers. “Ryan loved his work with the chorus and most specifically as administrator of FAN,” the campaign summary says. The campaign is at https:// www.gofundme.com/phnwggryan-nunez-funeral-expenses. t

Man accused of being fake nurse in SF by Seth Hemmelgarn

man is being accused of practicing medicine without a license and identity theft in San Francisco after authorities discovered that he had volunteered as a nurse practitioner at a local medical clinic with “no apparent medical training or experience,” according to prosecutors. Chad Brian Litz, 39, who pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday, March 30, is in custody on $65,000 bail. Citing court records, prosecutors said that Litz started volunteering at City Impact Clinic, located at 232 Jones Street, after he provided “a forged certificate from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, as well as other fraudulent materials.” For four months, he pretended to be a nurse practitioner, “which allowed him to treat patients with little supervision, including prescribing privileges that enabled him to dispense controlled substances to patients,” a news release from the district attorney’s office said. “Litz treated at least 28 different patients, including two for whom he prescribed controlled substances,” the release said. The Department of Consumer Affairs was alerted after other volunteers at the clinic discovered Litz’s alleged deception, prosecutors said. Litz was arrested March 10 as he got off a cruise ship in Tampa, Florida. The arrest warrant alleged four felony counts for practicing medicine without a license and a felony count for identity theft. A preliminary hearing, when

Courtesy Facebook

Chad Brian Litz

a judge will determine whether there’s sufficient evidence to hold Litz for trial, is set for Tuesday, April 11. “We trust our medical professionals with our health and wellbeing,” District Attorney George Gascón stated. “Those illegally practicing medicine can cause serious harm and undermine the trust patients put in these professionals.” Deputy Public Defender Andrea Lindsay hadn’t received any discovery in the case as of Thursday and wouldn’t be able to comment yet, Tamara Aparton, a spokeswoman for the public defender’s office, said in response to an email from the Bay Area Reporter Thursday. Litz declined an interview request. Christian Huang, City Impact’s executive director, told the San Francisco Chronicle that Litz was at the clinic from December 2013

to April 2014. Staff at the clinic, which provides medical services to some of San Francisco’s poorest residents in the Tenderloin district, didn’t return a voicemail from the B.A.R. According to ABC 7, Litz is a Daly City resident and “was sentenced to four years in prison for identity theft in 2011. He was released in March of 2013.” The news station say that, in 2015, California’s Board of Registered Nursing cited him “for unlawful practice and being a nurse imposter.” It’s not clear whether Litz is LGBT, but he’s listed as a host for a 2015 event organized by San Francisco’s Grand Ducal Council, an LGBT fundraising group, at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, a longtime gay bar in the Tenderloin. In an interview, the council’s Colette LeGrande said Litz used to frequently attend events organized by the Ducal Court and the Imperial Council of San Francisco, another LGBT fundraising group, but “I only knew him through seeing him with other people.” LeGrande believes Litz dated a man involved with the court, but that man declined to comment for this story. According to civil court records, Litz was once the CEO and president of the Pergamino Cafe near Fisherman’s Wharf. A supplier for the cafe sued Litz in 2014, claiming he owed almost $7,000. The suit was soon dismissed without prejudice. Authorities ask anyone who was treated by Litz at City Impact Clinic to contact investigator Andrea Todd at the Department of Consumer Affairs (510) 888-7072. t

<< Open Forum

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Volume 47, Number 14 April 6-12, 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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Calling foul on the NCAA

s soon as North Carolina lawmakers repealed House Bill 2, the anti-trans bathroom law, we knew it would only be a matter of time until athletic organizations started calling it a victory and went back to business as usual. Basketball is huge in the Tar Heel State, which had already lost millions of dollars and prestige when the NCAA and other collegiate groups moved championship games to other states over the last year. Sure enough, on Tuesday the NCAA announced that North Carolina could again be in the running to host championship college games. The Atlantic Coast Conference announced last week that North Carolina was no longer on its boycott list. The problem is that the repeal of HB 2 isn’t a repeal at all. The new law sets a three-year limit for cities in the state prohibiting them from enacting their own LGBT non-discrimination ordinances. While the original bathroom law was ended, the new one, House Bill 142, left policing bathroom use up to the state Legislature, meaning lawmakers could pass discriminatory laws in the future. The NCAA even acknowledged that the compromise wasn’t ideal, saying its decision to lift its boycott was done “reluctantly,” and that North Carolina had “minimally achieved a situation where we believe NCAA championships may be conducted in a non-discriminatory environment,” the New York Times reported. As San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said, “The partial repeal of North Carolina’s HB 2 law does little to address the discriminatory nature of the bill and offers no solutions to the state’s unfair attacks on its transgender residents and the overall LGBT community.” The American Civil Liberties Union was even more blunt: “North Carolina’s new law does nothing to guarantee that LGBT people will be protected from discrimination,” said James Esseks, director of the organization’s LGBT and HIV Project. Not surprisingly, the ACLU warns that anti-LGBT legislators have already signaled their intent to build on the

passage of HB 142 to pass more explicit laws targeting transgender people for using restrooms consistent with their gender identity. The LGBT community lost this one as soon as Republican lawmakers – and Democratic Governor Roy Cooper – called HB 142 a “repeal” of HB 2. Most people now think the law was repealed, and while that may be true technically, there’s still a lot of room for discrimination because the state is not allowing municipalities and local school districts to adopt their own anti-bias laws and leaves bathroom use up to a bunch of conservatives. North Carolina lawmakers only acted – and took the bare minimum necessary to appease powerful groups like the NCAA – because the economic impact was harmful to the state. HB 2 even cost former Governor Pat McCrory his re-election bid last year. Cooper may be a Democrat, but he’s no pro-LGBT maverick. If anything, it’s even worse that he signed HB 142 because LGBT groups and others held out hope that he would stand firm in the face of such blatant discrimination. He caved quicker than the NCAA did. HB 142 serves only to prey on unfounded fears and to stigmatize trans people. LGBT students and others who attend collegiate sporting events will not be safer under this new law, and universities should do what they can to mitigate this problem. The NCAA must take action, too.

If it wants college championship games played in North Carolina, then it must ensure that studentathletes, staff, and fans are not ostracized or discriminated against.

RIP Gilbert Baker

Longtime gay activist and rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker died unexpectedly last week, and the world lost an artist who used his gift to promote equality for all. Baker, who was 65, conceived of the rainbow flag decades ago, and it has become a lasting international symbol for LGBT rights. Baker taught himself to sew after being honorably discharged from the Army and initially applied his skills to making banners for gay and anti-war protest marches, at the behest of his friend, the late Harvey Milk. He created the first rainbow flag, which was raised for San Francisco Pride, in 1978. His original design incorporated eight colors, the more recognizable flag that we usually see today has six (the hot pink and turquoise were dropped). Baker reflected on his creation in 2015 when the Museum of Modern Art in New York City acquired one for its collection. “And I thought, a flag is different than any other form of art,” Baker said in a MoMA interview. “It’s not a painting, it’s not just cloth, it is not just logo – it functions in so many different ways.” Baker saw his creation used in parades and protests. Rainbow flag designs are used for bumper stickers, decals, and adorn all types of clothing. Some supportive members of Congress have small rainbow flags outside their offices. They are seen everywhere. So recognizable as a universal symbol of LGBT pride and celebration, its presence in certain countries and cultures could even put its owners’ life and safety at risk. “We need a flag,” Baker told the Bay Area Reporter two years ago. “It’s about our struggle and our defiance. Just because we get a measure of civil rights doesn’t end our struggle.” Indeed. These days, the LGBTQ community’s struggle is ongoing, and while Baker won’t be here to see what lies ahead for the people he loved, we will always remember and cherish the contributions he made – and fly the flag he designed – with pride. t

Big win for LGBTQ health, but our work continues by Amanda Wallner

Everyday Americans spoke out about how the Affords someone who works able Care Act had helped in LGBTQ health them – even saved their policy, November 8 left me lives – and how the new with a feeling of dread in proposal would jeopardize the pit of my stomach. And their health. If you are one over the next few weeks, of the people who called as colleagues and I looked your member of Congress at what the new adminor attended a town hall istration wanted to do to meeting, this win is yours. unravel health reform and We are not out of the the progress we’ve made in woods yet. I have no doubt LGBTQ health, the feeling this administration will set in deeper. continue to challenge us. The nominations of Recent headlines Tom Price for Health and confirm this, Human Services secretary, Amanda Wallner telling us that Seema Verma for Centers the adminfor Medicare and Medicaid istration has Services director, and Neil Gorsuch for Suappointed a longtime antipreme Court justice did nothing to quell this LGBT advocate to head the sense of doom. These are people whose beCivil Rights Division of HHS liefs are not only hostile to LGBTQ people, and that it is rolling back data but to the missions of the very institutions collection on LGBTQ older they are charged with overseeing. adults. These actions are disThe first sigh of relief came two weeks ago heartening and a step in the when House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconwrong direction. But we go into these and sin) pulled the American Health Care Act future battles with a win under our belt and from its scheduled floor vote. This was a a fresh reminder that our activism can and tremendous turn of events after the rushed already has made a difference. committee votes and reported deal-making Here in California, we won’t only be between various factions of the Republican fighting the rollbacks, but also defining and Party that put amendments on the table to pursuing a progressive LGBTQ health equity repeal essential health benefits. agenda. There have been myriad think pieces over At a time when the federal government the last few weeks about what ultimately is making news for making LGBTQ people doomed AHCA, but in my opinion it’s pretty invisible in the 2020 census, thanks to Asobvious. Throughout the country, activists sembly Bill 959, the state of California will made thousands of calls, flooded town hall soon begin collecting sexual orientation and meetings, hosted their own events, and gengender identity data on its own forms. This erated news headlines in their communities. data will help us to better understand and

address health disparities. While the administration’s proposed budget cuts funding from HIV research, the California Office of AIDS is investing in programs to help people living with HIV pay for health insurance and expand access to PrEP. President Donald Trump’s tough talk about reigning in health care prices turned out to be all bluster and he backed off of campaign promises to reign in pharmaceutical companies. But here in California, the Legislature is considering Senate Bill 17, a bill that will improve drug price transparency and help level the playing field for consumers. In the years since ACA was passed, the uninsurance rate in the country has dropped to its lowest point in our nation’s history. Many people have access to health care for the first time – including cancer screenings and other preventative care. This increase in access has been especially important for LGBTQ people, who have even higher unisurance rates than the general population and also experience higher rates of cancer mortality, HIV, tobacco use, and many other health disparities. This is the progress that the current administration is threatening, and that I am committed to preserving and building upon.t Amanda Wallner is the director of the California LGBT Health and Human Services Network, a statewide coalition of nonprofit providers, community centers, and researchers working collectively to advocate for state level policies and resources that will advance LGBT health.

Politics>>

t D1 Supervisor Fewer emerges as vocal Trump critic by Matthew S. Bajko

ransitioning from the city’s elected school board to her District 1 seat on the Board of Supervisors has presented Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer quite the learning curve, the Richmond District resident readily admits. “It’s an odd job; it’s a crazy job. I know nothing and all these people know more than me. There is a false sense of power you have,” Fewer, 60, told the Bay Area Reporter during a recent editorial board meeting. “I am trying to get up to speed as quickly as possible.” Fewer emerged the winner in the November election after 10 rounds under the city’s instant runoff voting system. With nearly 53 percent of the vote, she had bested her more moderate opponent, Marjan Philhour, to succeed Eric Mar, who was termed out of office and had endorsed Fewer in the race. A fourth-generation ChineseAmerican San Franciscan, Fewer and her husband, John Fewer, a retired police officer, raised their three children, one of whom is gay, in the Richmond. In 2008, she first won her seat on the board that oversees the city’s public school system and served until being elected to the supervisor seat covering the Richmond district. The freshman board member has proved to be a quick study, using her position to tackle a wide array of controversial issues in her first three months at City Hall. Considered part of the five-member progressive minority on the board, Fewer has emerged as one of the more vocal opponents of President Donald Trump and his administration. After she referred to Trump as “a psycho person” in late January following his order to strip funding from sanctuary cities, Fewer landed on Fox News and received scores of hate mail, though no death threats, she said. Trump then rescinded protections for transgender students, which, said Fewer, was “just a step backwards. I can’t believe such ignorance; it is horrible.” She supported the ordinance that bars city staffers and agencies from assisting with any national Muslim registry that Trump moves to create. Mayor Ed Lee signed the

Rick Gerharter

Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer spoke at a news conference in February.

first-of-its-kind measure into law late last month, and individuals or nonprofits now have the right to sue if a city agency or employee violates it. “It is heartbreaking when we have heard from the community the level of fear and Islamophobia already happening,” said Fewer. “As an American, I just felt ... you feel so deeply embarrassed and ashamed that we would have to do this in our country, a country of immigrants.” With the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, Fewer fought hard to fund a new immigrant legal defense unit in the public defender’s office in order to provide representation for immigrants detained through the San Francisco Immigration Court. While she fell short of her original staffing goal, her championing of the proposal led to a compromise between the board and mayor that funds the hiring this month of three new staff attorneys and one paralegal. “With the new attorney general, it is very frightening,” said Fewer, referring to Jeff Sessions, formerly a U.S. senator from Alabama, whom Trump tapped to be the nation’s top law enforcement official. She has also denounced efforts in Washington, D.C. to repeal the Affordable Care Act and has spoken out in favor of creating a single-payer health care system in California. Last month, Fewer received unanimous support from her 10

board colleagues for a resolution calling on the city to divest its assets from any company helping to build the Dakota Access Pipeline, which has been fiercely opposed by a number of Native American tribes, environmentalists, and others. The Trump administration reversed the actions former President Barack Obama took to block construction of the oil pipeline. In terms of her district’s most pressing needs, Fewer said it is affordable housing of all kinds. She would like to see housing for public school teachers be built in the Richmond and pointed out housing that is both affordable and accessible to seniors is also a growing concern. Fewer has called for a hearing before the board on the city’s program to acquire smaller sites for housing and is pushing to see a community land trust established in the Richmond that could purchase multi-unit apartment buildings and other housing so it is affordable in perpetuity. She expects it to soon close escrow on the first acquisition. “We aren’t a dense district,” noted Fewer, referring to the modest-sized housing in the Richmond where few affordable housing developments have been built in recent years. She has pledged that being supervisor will be her last foray in elected politics. Under the city’s term limit rules, should she win re-election to another four-year term in 2020, Fewer will be termed out of office in early January 2025. So far there has been little of the acrimony at City Hall seen in past years, except for a few heated policy fights. Fewer reasoned it is due to there being a common enemy for the board’s moderates and progressives to focus on. “We are all fighting Trump,” she said. “We know there is a bigger evil out there. Let’s lock arms and protect the city.” t

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

PennbrookIns_2x3_2211

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 Equality California’s 2016 scorecard of state legislators. 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.

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Gooch

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<< Community News

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Conference takes serious look at queer comics by Matthew S. Bajko

opics will range from creating queer comics for children and how to redefine masculinity in one’s work to tackling various health topics and illustrating sex between characters. Other sessions will delve into the business side of the art form, from how to self-publish to tips on promotion. What attendees at the second Queers and Comics Conference, taking place in San Francisco next week, won’t find are people dressed up as their favorite comics character, as is the case at San Diego’s Comic Con. Nor should they expect to engage in debates on which superhero is hotter, which is often a topic of discussion at larger comics gatherings. “Because of the nature of those conventions, there will always be a guy at the end of a panel who asks who is hotter, Thor or Iron Man? After you hear that question a number of times, it gets tiresome,” said Justin Hall, 46, a gay San Francisco resident and the creator of several comic book series, such as “True Travel Tales” and “Glamazonia.” Hall, an assistant professor of comics at the California College of the Arts, attended the inaugural Queers and Comics gathering held in New York City in 2015. Unsure of what to expect, Hall was impressed by the level of discourse at the conference. “We had in-depth conversations about the industry and queer themes in comics,” recalled Hall. Because there was no hall show, where comics creators have to man tables and promote their work to fans, it allowed for the cartoonists to engage in the discussions about their craft, said Hall. “The focus was not on selling but this kind of more academic and straight up conversation,” he said. The first conference paid tribute to the “pioneers of queer comics” and the history of the genre, noted Hall. This year’s event is themed around the future of queer comics. “It is more about web comics and looking at science fiction genre stuff, things more interesting to young cartoonists,” explained Hall. “There has been a massive, massive broadening out of queer comics on the web and with independent publishing. We wanted to focus more on that.” Hall teamed up with Jennifer Camper, the creator of the biennial conference, to organize the

Kelly Sullivan

Tyler Cohen stands in front of two Primazons characters from her book.

second gathering. Camper, 59, a dyke and freelance cartoonist who lives in Brooklyn, New York, has edited several comics anthologies and published a collection of her own cartoons in the book “Rude Girls and Dangerous Women” and created the graphic novella “subGURLZ.” She told the Bay Area Reporter that she expected the first conference to be a one-time affair. But due to its success, and the positive buzz it generated, she realized there was interest in having it be an ongoing endeavor. The plan is for the conferences to rotate between New York and San Francisco every other year. “I think, for many of us, we didn’t realize how powerfully emotional it would be for all of us to be together,” said Camper. While people can dress up as their favorite queer comics character if they like, Camper said her goal for the program is to take a more serious look at the profession. “I compare this to a writer’s conference, except it is for queer cartoonists,” she explained, “to get together to discuss the craft and document our history.” With San Francisco being a gateway to Asia, in particular to Japan and its anime style of cartoon storytelling, this year’s Queers and Comics Conference is highlighting Japanese LGBT cartoonists and queer manga at panels and with the two keynote speakers. One is award-winning queer Canadian

born artist and writer Mariko Tamaki, who now lives in the Bay Area. The author of the young adult novel “(You) Set Me on Fire,” Tamaki is writing a new “Hulk” series for Marvel Comics and the mini-series “Supergirl: Being Super” for DC Comics. The other is Gengoroh Tagame, a creator of hyper-masculine erotic manga who has been called “the most influential creator of gay manga in Japan to date.” This year’s conference will also highlight the work of numerous Bay Area-based queer cartoonists. One panel, noted Camper, will examine how the underground comic scene in San Francisco affected and influenced queer cartoonists. Taking part in the panel with local cartoonists, and debuting her new graphic novel at a special opening party for the conference hosted by the Center for Sex and Culture, will be Tyler Cohen, 48, a San Francisco resident who has been drawing comics “on and off ” since the late 1990s. “I did go to the New York conference. It was fantastic to meet all these godmothers and godfathers of queer comics,” said Cohen. Her latest work, “Primahood: Magenta,” is based on her experiences raising her daughter, who is now 11 and goes by the pseudonym Nene in the book, with her partner of 19 years, Raleigh Freeman. Cohen, who identifies as queer and bisexual, based the

Gengoroh Tagame’s erotic art

Mamapants character on herself. It explores issues of gender identity and gender roles that she has faced as a parent as well as how her daughter navigates the world being of mixed race and Jewish. “I observed all this gender stuff, even here in San Francisco, mainly subtle things around people’s behavior,” said Cohen of her time volunteering at her daughter’s co-op school. “There was so much I wanted to say and talk about and not in a judgmental way. To have that conversation, I came back to comics because it is my first love.” Hosting the comics conference is a public coming out, of sorts, for the California College of the Arts’ MFA Program in Comics, which launched in 2013. The conference is bringing 150 panelists and more than 300 attendees to the CCA campus over its two days. “This will really shine a spotlight on what we do,” said Matt Silady, who is straight and chairs the comics program at CCA, where he has taught at since 2008. “It is both an honor to host the event and a real great opportunity for really letting people know what we are about.” CCA’s comics MFA is the first accredited graduate comics program in the country, said Silady, and roughly half of its faculty identify as queer. “Because we were getting to build a comics program from the ground up in 2013, inclusion of LGBT students and faculty was

part of the mandate on day one,” said Silady. “Embedded in our curriculum, from day one, is the study of the cultural impact of LGBTQ comics.” The conference runs Friday, April 14 through Saturday, April 15 at the California College of the Arts’ San Francisco campus in Timken Hall, 1111 Eighth Street. General admission tickets to attend both days of the conference cost $75. To purchase tickets online, as well as to see more information about the schedule of panels and featured speakers, visit http://www. queersandcomics.cca.edu/. There are also two opening parties being held the evening of Thursday, April 13 that are both free and open to the public. The Center for Sex and Culture, at 1349 Mission Street between Ninth and 10th streets, is hosting a happy hour from 5 to 7:30 p.m. as it opens its exhibition “Primahood: Drawings and Comics by Tyler Cohen.” Then, from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the gay and bi men’s health center Strut, at 470 Castro Street, will be the Drink and Draw party where comics creators and their fans can mingle and draw models of all varieties with provided art supplies. Also on display is the Kumalicious show, which features illustrations of bigger men of color curated by Salvador Hernandez. The party is open at anyone 18 years of age or older. t

1985

Help Reduce Isolation in Your Community Give back as a one-on-one Shanti volunteer for our newest program!

2015

Shanti’s LGBT Aging & Abilities Support Network(LAASN) Supporting LGBT Seniors and Adults with Disabilities

1995

2001

Since 1974, Shanti has trained 20,000 Bay Area volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to some of our most vulnerable neighbors, including those with HIV/AIDS, women’s cancers, and other life-threatening diseases. We are now excited to announce that our services are being offered to LGBT aging adults and adults with disabilities who face isolation and need greater social support and connection.

Shanti LAASN peer support volunteers: 2009

1. Go through the internationally-recognized training on the Shanti Model of Peer Support TM 2. Make a commitment of 2-4 hours a week for a minimum of 6 months

1987

3. Get matched with one client, for whom they serve as a non-judgmental source of emotional support and reliable practical help 4. Have one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences of their lives!

2009

To learn more about how you can be a Shanti volunteer, please contact Volunteer Services Coordinator, Kayla Smyth at 415-674-4708 or email: ksmyth@shanti.org. If you think you or someone you know could benefit by being a Shanti client, or to learn more about the services, please contact Joanne Kipnis at 415-625-5214 or email: jkipnis@shanti.org

1988

2010

The LGBT Aging & Abilities Support Network is made possible by funding from the City and County of San Francisco’s Department of Aging and Adults Services.

2006

2001

Embracing Compassion. Care, and Community Since 1974

<< Community News

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Getting to Zero effort on track in 2017 by Liz Highleyman

Affordable Care Act, which he said would have “effectively wiped out Medicaid,” which covers more than 40 percent of people with HIV. On March 24 House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) announced that the Republicans’ proposed replacement, the American Health Care Act, did not have enough votes to pass. “You can tell everything is a nightmare – the only good news is they can’t seem to get anything through the House,” Van Gorder concluded. But one possible positive point is President Donald Trump’s stated desire to bring down drug prices.

an Francisco’s Getting to Zero effort is making good progress toward ending the city’s HIV epidemic, consortium members reported at a recent quarterly update. But the new Republican administration in Washington threatens to reverse gains, and more work is needed to reach underserved groups such as people who use drugs. The Getting to Zero initiative aims to make San Francisco the first city to eliminate new HIV infections, deaths due to HIV/AIDS, and stigma against people living with HIV. It relies on a three-prong strategy of expanded access to PrEP, rapid initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART), and engaging and retaining HIV-positive people in care.

Federal policy changes

Dana van Gorder, executive director of Project Inform, opened the March 23 meeting with an update on national policy relevant to people with HIV/AIDS and its potential implications for San Francisco and California. While some federal agencies involved in HIV/AIDS policy and funding have seen a change of

Rick Gerharter

Project Inform Executive Director Dana van Gorder

leadership, others still have the same heads in place, Van Gorder said. The White House Office of National AIDS Policy is currently unstaffed and its future is unknown. The Ryan White Treatment Modernization Act, which funds many services for people with HIV, appears to be protected for now, but could be affected by overall Health and Human Services cuts. Van Gorder outlined the Republican effort to repeal and replace the

Thank you, Bay Area Reporter readers, for again choosing Kaiser Permanente as the Best Healthcare Provider.

San Francisco progress

Reporting for the Getting to Zero PrEP committee, Dr. Albert Liu from the Department of Public Health said that four PrEP programs have now been funded at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Mission Neighborhood Health Center/ Instituto Familiar de La Raza, Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Project, and the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center. A new program at Mission Wellness Pharmacy will have pharmacists play a larger role in providing PrEP, and a PrEP emergency fund for youth has been established.

DPH has provided PrEP trainings to more than 80 clinical providers and 190 front-line staff since last December, Liu said. The Getting to Zero RAPID committee has developed a protocol for accelerated antiretroviral treatment, ideally starting the day someone is diagnosed with HIV. Studies have shown that people who start treatment early have better health outcomes and those with undetectable viral load do not transmit HIV to others. Dr. Oliver Bacon from UCSF reported that 27 office practices and health care organizations in the city are now using RAPID, in addition to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, where it was initially piloted. The median time from HIV diagnosis to starting care fell from eight days in 2013 to five by mid-2016. The time from care to treatment initiation dropped from 27 to zero days (that is, ART starts at the first care visit), and the time from diagnosis to reaching undetectable viral load decreased dramatically from 133 to 51 days. But the news is not all good. About 15 percent of people with HIV in the city are not on antiretroviral treatment, Bacon said. And Dr. Andy Scheer from San Francisco City

Clinic, reporting from the retention and re-engagement committee, said that among homeless and marginally housed individuals, only 33 percent have achieved viral suppression.

Substance use and HIV

The consortium meeting also featured a panel discussion on substance use, HIV, and stigma. Kyriell Noon from Glide Harm Reduction Services described his organization’s work in the Tenderloin, including clean syringe distribution, safe disposal, rapid HIV and hepatitis C testing and linkage to care, and referral to drug addiction treatment if desired. “We provide naloxone training for roughly 50 people a month and there have been something like 827 citywide overdoses that have been reversed as a result of this program [in 2016], which is pretty amazing,” Noon said, referring to the city’s collaborative Drug Overdose Prevention and Education (DOPE) Project. For crack users, Isaac Jackson from the Urban Survivors Union described his group’s harm reduction work, which includes providing new pipes, as old glass pipes can cause burns and cuts on the lips that raise the risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission. Dr. Edwin Charlebois from UCSF described PACE – the Pacing Alcohol Consumption Experiment – a harm reduction study for gay bar patrons. Alcohol is considered a driver of HIV infection in San Francisco because while its effect may be small compared to, for example, methamphetamine or injection drug use, heavy drinking is much more common, Charlebois said. Of the 357 liquor licenses in San Francisco, 57 are for gay- or queer-identified bars – matching the 58 total liquor licenses for all of Oakland – and gay and bi men are estimated to consume 2.7 million alcoholic drinks per month. The PACE intervention involved a bar media campaign about pacing the amount of alcohol consumed by alternating alcoholic drinks with water, providing free filtered water, and on-the-spot blood alcohol content testing using an iPad app attached to a breathalyzer. Researchers compared two bars in the Castro that implemented the intervention and two that did not. They found that the intervention reduced both blood alcohol levels and the likelihood of hazardous drinking. Finally, Laura Thomas from the Drug Policy Alliance gave an overview of state and city drug policy. At the state level there have been some recent legislative and ballot victories, including expanded access to clean syringes and naloxone, and propositions in November that changed drug possession to a misdemeanor and legalized adult use of marijuana. Advocates are currently supporting Assembly Bill 186, which would allow supervised drug consumption facilities. At the city level there has been a drop in drug-related arrests and prosecutions and strong support for alternatives to incarceration, but there are still major racial disparities in arrests and in the jail population. “Overall, California is going in the right direction when it comes to drug policy and harm reduction,” Thomas said. “San Francisco is also going in the right direction, but when you look at some of the most basic measures we’re failing horribly. The African-American population in the city is 3-6 percent, and yet over half the people in jail are African-American, and that’s driven significantly by drug charges.”t

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<< Besties 2017

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Ocean Beach is tops

Cynthia Laird

Assisted Reproduction • Surrogacy • Prenups Divorce • Custody • Parentage Disputes

Corgis and their humans enjoyed Northern California Corgi Con last June at Ocean Beach.

The area has a plethora of housing options to choose from, from gay-owned inns and resorts to house rentals, and is centrally located near the region’s internationally renowned wineries. An especially popular time to visit is during Sonoma County Pride, which will be held in Guerneville over the June 2-4 weekend. guerneville-online.com, sonomacountypride.org.

www.waldlaw.net

Weddings&

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Destinations

compiled by Matthew S. Bajko

Best Beach

Ocean Beach

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cean Beach retained its winning spot in this category, which debuted last year. The 3.5-mile sandy promenade hugs San Francisco’s western edge along the Pacific Ocean. Overseen by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the often fogged in, windswept open space is beloved not only by Bay Area Reporter readers but also by local surfers, dog owners, sand castle builders, and tourists. It engenders passionate policy battles over everything from the allowance of fire pits to restrictions on canine access in certain stretches, which are currently the subject of a legal dispute and an internal investigation into how park officials crafted the proposal. Plans are currently in the works to reroute the highway on the beach’s southern end and turn the roadway into a path for bicycles and pedestrians. Also in the works is a plan to reconfigure the parking lots at the north end of Ocean Beach and make that area more pedestrian friendly. To learn more about Ocean Beach, visit http://bit. ly/2nG2nc0

Courtesy YouTube

Pride is held in November in the desert oasis of Palm Springs.

Best Domestic Getaway

Palm Springs

The desert oasis that is Palm Springs has long had a strong pull on gay men in particular, so it is no surprise it remained the favorite in this category with B.A.R. readers for a second year. Its men’s resorts, with their clothing-optional pool patios, and the peaks of the nearby San Jacinto Mountains both provide ways to escape the daytime heat. Numerous restaurants, bars, and nightclubs offer an array of nightlife options to mingle with the locals, many of whom have ditched the Bay Area to retire in the Coachella Valley city famed for its mid-century modern architecture. A perfect time to visit is during the annual Pride parade in early November. visitpalmsprings.com/. Runner-up New York City

Runner-up Marshall’s Beach

Best Caterer

Taste Catering Taste Catering continues to rate high with B.A.R. readers, nabbing top honors in this category for a third year. The company not only handles corporate and private affairs, from weddings to banquets, it also oversees the menu at the Press Club and the cafe at the Walt Disney Family Museum. Earlier this year the company welcomed as its new executive chef Steven Tevere, who had been working at the Carneros Inn in Napa. Taste Catering, 201 Adrian Road, Millbrae, (415) 550-6464. http://www.tastecatering.com. Runner-up J Jardine

Runner-up Carmel-Monterey

Courtesy Russian River Travel

The Russian River is a favorite weekend getaway.

Best Local Getaway

Russian River

Luckily, this winter’s flooding on the Russian River largely missed the main business corridor of Guerneville in western Sonoma County, home to many gay-owned eateries, shops, and hotels. As the rains subside and summer approaches, it could be a banner vacation season along the replenished waterway, as B.A.R. readers for the second year in a row named the North Bay region their favorite local getaway for a day trip or weekend stay.

Ed Walsh

A trail winds through a rainforest to Manoa Falls on Oahu.

Best Honeymoon Destination

Hawaii

After exchanging their “I dos,” B.A.R. readers continue to flock to the Hawaiian Islands to celebrate their wedded bliss, again naming it their top choice among honeymoon destinations. The Aloha State offers a variety of options for honeymooners, from a more urban experience on Oahu in the bustling Waikiki district, home to several gay bars, to more hidden away vacation rentals on the north side of Kauai where the rest of the world becomes a distant memory. The country’s 50th state has long been welcoming to LGBT tourists, and its wedding-related businesses for years have opened their doors to samesex couples. The Pacific Island state, after all, is where the modern marriage rights movement was launched when three same-sex couples sued in 1991 after being denied marriage licenses. Today, due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark marriage equality ruling in 2015, those discriminatory practices are a thing of the past. gayhawaiiwedding.com; waii.com

gogayha-

Runner-up Puerto Vallarta See page 11 >>

t <<

Besties 2017>>

Weddings

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

Best Wedding Photographer

Steven Underhill

From page 10

Readers like the elegance of Tiffany & Co. jewelry.

Best Place to Buy Rings

Tiffany & Company This grand dame of San Francisco’s Union Square continues to receive plaudits from B.A.R. readers, who again named it the winner in this category. The 180-year-old high-end jeweler in February unveiled a total makeover of its Post Street flagship, which sits directly across from the public plaza that gives the shopping district its name. Its main West Coast home for 25 years, the building received a total makeover inside and out. The lighter, brighter interior is influenced by Tiffany & Co.’s New York stores and better shows off its pricey baubles. Tiffany & Company, 350 Post Street, San Francisco, (415) 7817000. tiffany.com/jewelry-stores/ san-francisco. Runner-up D&H Sustainable Jewelers

B.A.R. readers continue to advise couples wishing to ensure every moment of their special day is captured for posterity hire Steven Underhill as their wedding photographer. The repeat winner in this category has been a fixture in San Francisco since 1990. Specializing in event and wedding photography, Underhill is often hired by LGBT nonprofits to shoot their annual fundraising galas and other events. The B.A.R. has also long used him as a freelance photographer, and his work appears in the weekly Shining Stars feature in BARtab, the paper’s nightlife section. Steven Underhill Photography, stevenunderhill.com. Runner-up Gareth Gooch

Curtesy City Club of SF

The City Club of San Francisco is a great place to hold a wedding reception.

Best Wedding Reception Venue

City Club of San Francisco Joaquin Ramos

Steven Underhill

B.A.R. readers this year reversed the results in this category from 2016, naming last year’s runner-up as this year’s winner. The City Club of San Francisco opened in 1987 as a private, See page 12 >>

Mike Ackerman voted

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<< Besties 2017

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Best Wedding Venue

Weddings

From page 11

members-only club for the city’s downtown elites and powerbrokers. It is housed in the Stock Exchange Tower, designed by the noted San Francisco architectural firm Miller & Pflueger. The 11-story building opened just one year after the stock market crash of 1929 and housed the offices of brokers who worked on the trading floor of the former San Francisco Stock Exchange across the street. The club now occupies the building’s 10th and 11th floors, connected by a beautiful grand staircase. Couples are welcome to book their wedding reception in its art deco interior spaces and utilize the on-site catering services to plan their affair with ease. City Club of San Francisco, 155 Sansome Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco, (415) 362-2480. http://cityclubsf.com/.

Runner-up W Hotel

Community

From page 1

Bay Area Reporter’s annual readers’ poll, the Besties: The LGBTQ Best of the Bay. Executive Director Terry Beswick said it’s an “amazing honor.” “People also seem to be inspired by our vision for a new, much larger museum for LGBTQ history and culture in San Francisco, and I think this vote is a reflection of that enthusiasm,” Beswick said, adding that the award “validates that our commitment to preserving and sharing our diverse stories matters.”

San Francisco City Hall

In the eyes of B.A.R. readers, the most romantic spot in all of San Francisco to host their wedding continues to be the city’s historic City Hall. The Beaux Arts building’s Rotunda offers a stunning setting that echoes with significance to the LGBT community. It is where Harvey Milk, the city’s first gay supervisor, ascended the grand staircase every day he held office in 1978, and decades later where countless same-sex couples from around the globe flocked to marry during the Winter of Love in 2004. On most days couples of all stripes can be found exchanging their marital vows inside the structure’s granite walls. City Hall event planners have created a special wedding package ($5,000 for two hours) for Saturdays before 2 p.m. and can The historical society is expected to launch a capital campaign for the larger museum, although it is not known when that will commence. In the meantime, the historical society is in the midst a crowdfunding campaign to raise $50,000 for a makeover of the current museum space; the lease expires in about three and a half years. The historical society features numerous public programs, lectures, and other events throughout the year. Admission to the museum is free on the first Wednesday of the month, thanks to a grant from the Bob Ross Foundation. Last year the foundation also provided a $50,000 donation for the society to create an online, text-based, searchable archive of the B.A.R.’s first 34 years, before it launched its website. Beswick said recently that the equipment has been purchased and a parttime archivist has been hired “who is busy at work on the project.” GLBT History Museum: 4127 18th Street, San Francisco, (415) 621-1107. GLBT Historical Society archives and research center, 989 Market Street, SF. (415) 777-5455. glbthistory.org.

WINNER Best Wedding Photographer

Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

WALLBEDS

AND

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

Bill Wilson

Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, center, one of the plaintiff couples in the federal Proposition 8 case, held a news conference at San Francisco City Hall after they were married June 28, 2013 by then-California Attorney General Kamala Harris, second from right.

accommodate up to 200 people. Packages for weekday weddings include areas other than the Rotunda and are less expensive, about $1,000. San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr.

Runner-up Castro Country Club

Brenda Storey

Best Health-Related Nonprofit

Mission Neighborhood Health Center Mission Neighborhood Health Center was selected as best healthrelated nonprofit. Executive Director Brenda Storey said MNHC, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year, is “very happy and honored” to hear the news. “Our focus has been on serving those who may not have other health insurance options, and we will continue that mission,” said Storey, who is a lesbian. MNHC has long provided HIV prevention services, and it’s also started a PrEP clinic. Storey said the nonprofit’s multidisciplinary services for HIV care are recognized nationally for their effectiveness in viral suppression. Mission Neighborhood Health Service, 240 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, (415) 552-1013, http:// www.mnhc.org.

Runner-up Positive Resource Center

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Carlton B. Goodlett Place, (415) 5546079. http://sfgov.org/cityhallevents/ wedding-package.

Runner-up Legion of Honor t

L.A. LGBT Center, has been chosen as best LGBT fundraiser. “We’re so thankful and excited,” said Melissa Lewis, the ride’s northern California director. Participants have raised more than $220 million since 1993, Lewis said. “Last year alone, we raised $16.1 million to support” the nonprofits, “enabling them to provide crucial HIV/AIDS services to thousands of clients,” she said. Lewis added, “I am constantly blown away by the passion, dedication, and altruism exhibited by the cyclists, roadies and volunteers. Without their support, we would not be able to care for those living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.” This year’s ride is June 4-10. AIDS/LifeCycle, (415) 581-7077. aidslifecycle.org.

Best HIV/AIDS Nonprofit

Readers voted the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which provides HIV testing and counseling, syringe access, and numerous other services to thousands of people every year, as best HIV/AIDS nonprofit. CEO Joe Hollendoner said the organization is “incredibly honored” to receive the recognition. “Looking back at the last year, I’m proud that we have been able to expand our services with the opening of Strut in the Castro and our 6th Street Harm Reduction Center in the SOMA/Tenderloin neighborhoods,” Hollendoner said. “... We look forward to the future as we work toward our goal of getting to zero new HIV infections, zero HIV stigma, and zero AIDS-related deaths.” The AIDS foundation is part of the city’s Getting to Zero coalition. San Francisco AIDS Foundation, 1035 Market Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, (415) 487-3000. sfaf.org, strutsf.org/.

Victor Ruiz-Cornejo, left, from state Senator Scott Wiener’s (D-San Francisco) office presented a proclamation to SFAF CEO Joe Hollendoner at Strut’s first anniversary party in March.

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Best LGBT Fundraiser

AIDS/LifeCycle

AIDS/LifeCycle, the annual 545mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles that benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the

San Francisco Pride The mammoth San Francisco LGBT Pride celebration and parade was again selected as the best LGBT event. This year’s festivities, themed “A Celebration of Diversity,” are set for June 24-25. George Ridgely, executive director of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, which oversees the activities, didn’t respond to requests for comment. This year, given the political climate and the Trump administration’s anti-LGBT actions in several policy areas, including rescinding guidance for trans public school students, some activists are talking with SF Pride officials about making the event more of a protest than a party. Stay tuned. Runner-up Folsom Street Fair

San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Liz Highleyman

Open Saturday Noon-5pm and by appointment

Best LGBT Event

http://www.sfpride.org.

Runner-up AIDS Walk SF

Runner-up Shanti

415.822.0184

Rick Gerharter

Matching flaggers joined the parade at last year’s San Francisco Pride.

Jane Philomen Cleland

In 2012 members of the San Francisco Gay Softball League played their 40th anniversary game against the SFPD.

Best LGBT Sports League

San Francisco Gay Softball League

This is a repeat winner, as the San Francisco Gay Softball League, which welcomes LGBT players, continues to be popular with readers. “It shows that we are doing our part by making sure that we set up an environment where everyone feels welcome and is able to be themselves,” sand league Commissioner Vincent Fuqua. “... If you are someone who never played softball join our league, if you are someone of any level of experience join our league, if you are someone with advance skills set join our league. We are set up so that everyone can play softball no matter what their skill level is.” The league offers play at all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Registration for spring 2017 is still open for new players, according to the league’s website. San Francisco Gay Softball League, http://www.sfgsl.org.

Runner-up San Francisco Fog Rugby Club t

t <<

Besties 2017>>

Besties

From page 1

Tammy L. Hall, will be performing for the last time before she moves to New York. With that, on to the winners.

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Vanciel also said the shop welcomes everyone. “We’re open and welcome to any customer,” he said, adding that the shop is a drama-free zone.

Daddy’s Barbershop, 4102 19th Street, San Francisco, (415) 552-5101. www.daddysbarbershop.com.

Runner-up Joe’s Barbershop

Best Bicycle Shop

Services & Shopping

Daddy’s Barbershop in the Castro is a reader favorite.

Valencia Cyclery Valencia Cyclery has been a favorite of B.A.R. readers for years. The store has been doing business at its Mission district location under the same ownership since 1985. With the popularity of biking to work, the store also provides full maintenance services. According to its website, the store can repair just about any make or model of bicycle, from kids’ bikes to carbon fiber models. New this year is the arrival of electric bikes, the store’s site noted. Valencia Cyclery, 1065 and 1077 Valencia Street, San Francisco, (415) 550-6600 (sales) or (415) 550-6601 (repairs). http:// www.valenciacyclery.com. Runner-up Mission Bicycle Company

Best Barbershop

Daddy’s Barbershop Located in the heart of the Castro, Daddy’s is proud to be part of the community, said co-owner Jessie Vanciel. “A lot of us do outside volunteer work for nonprofits,” Vanciel said, adding that many of the shop’s 11 barbers also have a presence in the leather community. In fact, this year’s Daddy’s Barbershop Leather 2017 candidate, Geoff Millard, was recently named Mr. San Francisco Leather. Vanciel himself was Mr. San Francisco Leather 2012.

Gooch

Drag king Alex U. Inn holds a copy of his favorite book at Dog Eared Books.

Best Bookstore

Dog Eared Books Dog Eared Books is a new winner in this category, just as the store gets ready to celebrate its first anniversary in its Castro location. Longtime lesbian bookseller Kate Rosenberger opened the shop in the former A Different Light Bookstore space and said she has been pleased with the community’s support. “People are grateful we’re there, that a bookstore is back, so to speak,” she told the B.A.R. in a phone interview. “I’m really trying to keep us there.” Rosenberger said the store has seen a lot of activity since the presidential election, with people wanting to buy books about social justice issues, and to “read their history,” she said. It also has a table for people to send postcards to their elected officials. Store manager Alvin Orloff said that often people will meet their neighbors while writing postcards and start talking about current events. Orloff, who has been manager since the store opened last year, said he was thrilled with the readers’ poll honor and credited the neighborhood for enthusiastically welcoming the shop. “Every neighborhood deserves a bookstore,” he said, “but maybe the Castro more so because of its history. Bookstores are the soul of a neighborhood and we’re thrilled to provide that.” Dog Eared Books regularly holds book readings, book club meetings, and other events. “It’s become a gathering place for ideas, where people can take comfort in each other,” Rosenberger said. There’s also a Dog Eared Books 900 Valencia Street. Dog Eared Books, 489 Castro Street, San Francisco, (415) 6587920. www. http://www.dogearedbooks.com/castro.html. Runner-up Green Apple Books

UOP School of Dentistry

Best Dentist

University of the Pacific This is a new winner this year. The University of the Pacific is a private school with its main campus in Stockton. But for many people living with HIV, UOP’s Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, located in San Francisco, is a lifeline to maintaining good oral health. Its CARE (HIV) Dental Services, is funded by the city of San Francisco through the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act. According to its website, dental services include preventive treatment, same-day emergency dental care, fillings, root canals, dentures, and oral surgery for people with HIV who qualify for this special program. Oral health care is provided by student dentists partnering with dental school faculty members. There is no cost for qualified patients. UOP also offers other dental services at about 30 to 40 percent less than a typical Bay Area private dentist. For information, visit http://www.dental.pacific.edu/ dental-services UOP Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, 155 Fifth Street, San Francisco, Second Floor Specialty Clinic, (415) 929-6448. http://www. dental.pacific.edu/dental-services.

Runner-up Michael Perona, DDS

Jane Philomen Cleland

Whaler plays with his ball at Duboce Park.

Best Dog Park

Duboce Park Duboce Park in the city’s Duboce Triangle neighborhood remains a favorite of B.A.R. readers, and presumably their canine buddies. The dog play area has grassy fields that are perfect for Fido to get his exercise and check out other pooches. Duboce Park, Duboce and Scott streets. http://sfrecpark. org/destination/duboce-park/ duboce-park-dog-play-area/. Runner-up Bernal Heights Dog Park

Best Grocery Store (Chain)

Readers love Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s Readers overwhelmingly picked Trader Joe’s for the second year in a row. The store has great prices and a wide variety of food, pre-made items for lunch or dinner, snack See page 17 >>

WHAT IS GENVOYA®? GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older and weigh at least 77 lbs. It can either be used in people who are starting HIV-1 treatment and have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. These include having an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) for 6 months or more on their current HIV-1 treatment. GENVOYA combines 4 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day with food. GENVOYA is a complete HIV-1 treatment and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking GENVOYA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body ﬂuids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body ﬂuids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA? GENVOYA may cause serious side effects: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness in the right side of your stomach area. • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking GENVOYA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking GENVOYA without ﬁrst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. • The herbal supplement St. John’s wort. • Any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection. What are the other possible side effects of GENVOYA? Serious side effects of GENVOYA may also include: • Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines. • Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to ﬁght infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking GENVOYA. • Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking GENVOYA. The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and overthe-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take GENVOYA with all of your other medicines. • If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Important Facts about GENVOYA including Important Warnings on the following page.

Who should not take GENVOYA? Do not take GENVOYA if you take: • Certain prescription medicines for other conditions. It is important to ask your healthcare provider or

Ask your healthcare provider if GENVOYA is right for you, and visit GENVOYA.com to learn more.

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GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

SHOW YOUR

POWER

Take care of what matters mostâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you. GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day complete HIV-1 treatment for people who are either new to treatment or people whose healthcare provider determines they can replace their current HIV-1 medicines with GENVOYA.

3/28/17 8:36 AM

IMPORTANT FACTS This is only a brief summary of important information about GENVOYA and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(jen-VOY-uh) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GENVOYA

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF GENVOYA

GENVOYA® may cause serious side effects, including:

GENVOYA can cause serious side effects, including:

•

Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness in the right side of your stomach area. Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking GENVOYA. Do not stop taking GENVOYA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking GENVOYA for a long time.

ABOUT GENVOYA •

•

GENVOYA is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older and weigh at least 77 lbs who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. GENVOYA can also be used to replace current HIV-1 medicines for some people who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL of virus in their blood), and have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months and have never failed HIV-1 treatment, and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

Do NOT take GENVOYA if you: •

Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin (Uroxatral®), carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®), cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®), lurasidone (Latuda®), methylergonovine (Ergotrate®, Methergine®), midazolam (when taken by mouth), phenobarbital (Luminal®®), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®), pimozide (Orap®), rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®), sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®), or triazolam (Halcion®).

•

Take the herbal supplement St. John’s wort.

•

Take any other HIV-1 medicines at the same time.

•

Those in the “Most Important Information About GENVOYA” section.

•

Changes in body fat.

•

Changes in your immune system.

•

New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. These are not all the possible side effects of GENVOYA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking GENVOYA. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with GENVOYA.

BEFORE TAKING GENVOYA Tell your healthcare provider if you: •

Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

•

Have any other medical condition.

•

Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

•

Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: •

Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

•

Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA.

HOW TO TAKE GENVOYA •

GENVOYA is a complete one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine.

•

Take GENVOYA with food.

GET MORE INFORMATION •

This is only a brief summary of important information about GENVOYA. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

•

Go to GENVOYA.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5

•

If you need help paying for your medicine, visit GENVOYA.com for program information.

GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, SHOW YOUR POWER, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: December 2016 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0123 02/17

GENC0123_D_9-75x16_BayAreaReporter_Skylar_p2.indd 3

3/28/17 8:36 AM

t <<

Besties 2017>>

Shopping

From page 13

items, wine, and more. With CVS Pharmacy set to depart the MarketNoe Center, city planning officials should allow Trader Joe’s to move into the space as it continues to get rave reviews from the LGBTQ community. If Trader Joe’s can open a store at Market and Fourth streets in the heart of downtown, surely planners can find a way to make it happen in the Castro. www.traderjoes.com.

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 17

daycare, grooming, and various special events. Wag is strict about making sure all animals are current on their vaccinations. Wag Hotels, 25 14th Street, San Francisco, (415) 876-0700. https://www.waghotels.com/.

Realtor Michael Ackerman

Best Realtor

Michael Ackerman

Best Grocery Store (Independent)

Rainbow Grocery Once again, readers voted for this worker-owned co-op that is so supportive of the LGBTQ community that it closes on Pride Sunday every year. Rainbow has an excellent selection of dried spices and other goods that you can’t find anywhere else. The store has served San Francisco and the Bay Area since 1975 and last year won an AdPop award from the National Gay Media Association – of which the B.A.R. is a member – for its advertising campaign (design by Goodman Marketing Partners). The store strives to offer the widest selection of organic and locally sourced products at the most affordable price and also works to be a community resource for exchanging information about the health and sustainability of food. Rainbow Grocery, 1745 Folsom Street, San Francisco, (415) 8630620. https://www.rainbow.coop/.

Courtesy Fitness SF-Castro

Courtesy Apothecarium

The Apothecarium offers many types of medical cannabis products.

Best Medical Marijuana Dispensary

The Apothecarium Even though state voters approved the adult use of recreational marijuana, regulations for its sale have not yet been implemented. Many patients continue to rely on medical cannabis and, once again, readers have voted the Apothecarium as their top choice. According to its website, the Apothecarium provides its members access to a wide variety of appropriately priced medication in a safe, well appointed setting. It offers a broad spectrum of medicinal options for members, including flowers, edibles, topicals, and concentrates. The Apothecarium gives back to the community through its philanthropic efforts and has a dedicated advisory board to help direct funds back into the community. The Apothecarium, 2029 Market Street, San Francisco, (415) 500-2620. http://www. apothecariumsf.com/.

Fitness SF-Castro

Best Health Care Provider

Kaiser Permanente

For health care, readers have once again selected Kaiser Permanente, which has hospitals and medical offices throughout the Bay Area. Kaiser continues to be a leader in LGBT health care, and has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign. http://www.kp.org.

Best Pet Hotel

Wag (San Francisco) Wag Hotels is a repeat winner in this category. It has locations in San Francisco, Oakland, and Redwood City, and recently opened its Santa Clara facility. Wag offers pet boarding that’s like a hotel stay for your dog (or cat). Suite sizes and amenities vary. Wag also offers doggie

Runner-up George Langford (Zephyr Real Estate)

Best Retirement Community

San Francisco Towers San Francisco Towers is again the favorite of B.A.R. readers. The retirement community is very LGBTfriendly. According to its website, SF See page 24 >>

LOVE is LOVE

April 9 Palm Sunday 11:00 AM April 13 Maundy (Holy) Thursday 7:00 PM April 14 Good Friday 7:00 PM Tenebrae Service with the Tactus Vocal Group Easter Sunday Service 11:00 AM St. Francis Lutheran Church 152 Church Street • SF

s�cs��or�� on �aceboo� �s�ranciss� or call (415) 621‐2635

Play .

Walk. Sit.

Stay.

Living here we can have it all.

Best Gym

Runner-up 24-Hour Fitness

307-5850. http://www.buildingtrust4life.com/.

Runner-up Green Door

Fitness SF-Castro

This is a new category and Fitness SF in the Castro was the winner. Its website notes that for 16 years, the gym “has been and still is the epicenter of the vibrant, dynamic community called the Castro.” Over 16,000 square feet offers two floors of tools and equipment, ensuring that patrons’ workouts stay fresh and challenging. The gym also offers nationally certified personal trainers. Fitness SF-Castro, 2301 Market Street, San Francisco, (415) 348-6377. http://fitnesssf.com/ location/castro.

Real estate agent Michael Ackerman with Zephyr Real Estate is the choice of readers this year. Working out of the firm’s Noe Valley office, Ackerman has built his business on referrals from past clients and friends. Ackerman grew up in the Bay Area and started his career in downtown San Francisco in the late 1970s, creating a niche for himself through his passion of managing projects, business systems, and events at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. After 15 years, Ackerman retreated to his ranch in Sonoma

County to care for his terminally ill life partner. He later moved back to San Francisco. He took his lifelong passion for real estate and turned it into a career. His familiarity with the city and the Bay Area, his own investments and personal contacts, coupled with his organizational and caregiving skills, melded together to provide exceptionally diligent service for his clients. Ackerman and his business partner, Oliver Burgelman, provide full service for buyers and sellers, under the tagline “Building Trust for Life.” Michael Ackerman, (415)

Courtesy Facebook

Best in Show has toys for your cat or dog.

Jim Smith doesn’t like to sit still for long, and neither does his best friend MacDuff.

Best Place to Pamper Your Pets

Best in Show

Since the Besties readers’ poll started, two companies have taken turns winning this category. This year, it’s Best in Show’s return to the top spot. This Castro pet store opened in 2002 and pioneered the pet boutique concept that has become so popular. Best in Show carries many products for dogs and cats, and also manufactures its own house brands, including dog toys, and ball caps and Tshirts for humans. Through its sister company, Barkly + Kitty, it provides cat sitting and dog walking services. Best in Show, 545 Castro Street, San Francisco, (415-8647387. http://www.bestinshowsf. com/. Runner-up Mudpuppy’s Tub and Scrub

Good thing they live at The Sequoias. Jim loves the central location, city views and delicious menu choices. MacDuff loves the Pet Club Dog Park and the walkable neighborhood. When it comes to The Sequoias, one thing is certain. No one has to tell them to stay. Call Alison at (415) 351-7901 to learn more.

A Life Care Community 415.922.9700 | sequoias-sf.org 1400 Geary Boulevard

This not-for-profit community is part of Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services. License# 380500593 COA# 097

<< Travel

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

From city to surf, Oahu says aloha to LGBTs by Ed Walsh

you can still get a partial view of it from the surrounding hillside and fence.

ast month I was in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and in less than an hour’s bicycle ride later, hiking through a tropical rainforest. While the Waikiki section of the island of Oahu – a few minutes south of downtown Honolulu – is very much an urban beach tourist destination, it doesn’t take long to get away to a more rural Hawaiian experience. About 70 percent of Hawaii’s 1.4 million people live on Oahu. As the population center of the state, Oahu supports a vibrant gay nightlife and a variety of LGBT organizations. If you haven’t visited before, the most popular part of Hawaii for tourists is Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood, about a 30-minute ride south of the Honolulu airport. That is where you will find the iconic high-rise hotels that line the beach with spectacular views of the long extinct Diamond Head volcano. Waikiki is also where almost all the island’s LGBT nightlife is situated, all within about a 10-minute walking radius. Waikiki is also a good home base to explore the island. Various tour companies offer a wide variety of excursions from full day, circle island bus tours to bicycle and Segway tours that focus on sights closer to Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. If you are staying in Waikiki, you are better off without a car. Hotels charge $30 or more per day to park. If you want to take a daytrip outside the area, you could rent a car in Waikiki and return it the same day for about what it would cost to park. You can get just about anywhere on the city’s bus service, The Bus. Check out its website for directions, scheduling, and real time information about when the next bus is coming (www.thebus.org). Like San

Beyond the beach

Ed Walsh

Sunset on Waikiki Beach, with Diamond Head in the background.

Francisco’s Muni, the cash fare is $2.50. Be sure to ask for a transfer if you need to connect with another bus so you don’t have to pay another fare. Each transfer is good for two bus connections.

Beaches

Queen’s Surf Beach in Waikiki is still the most gay-popular beach on Oahu, but it is not as popular as it was years ago before gays felt more comfortable and accepted on the main beaches. The beach is next to the Diamond Head section of Waikiki Beach, near lifeguard station 2F, in front of the concession stand and next to Kapiolani Park and the Honolulu Zoo. The beach itself has gotten narrower and rockier over the years as the surf washed away much of the sand. Many people who use the beach hang out on the grassy and shady area of the park close to the concession stand. If you keep walking toward Diamond Head from Queen’s Surf Beach, you will run into Sans Souci Beach, which is just past the War Memorial. It is also gay-popular but

with a lot more sand. If you want to enjoy a quiet and isolated beach but still in walking distance to Waikiki, check out Makalei Beach Park, along Diamond Head Road. It is a small beach, but fewer people know about it so it is seldom crowded. If you keep walking along Diamond Head Road, take Beach Road, to the right, which will take you down to Diamond Head Beach Park. The expansive park includes the gay-popular Lighthouse Beach. It was once considered a nude beach even though it was never legal but few people swim without a bathing suit there now. It is also very popular with people who are homeless, who have set up tents on the hillside over the beach just below the lighthouse. A walking trail from the Lighthouse Beach goes up to Diamond Head Road, where you will get a good view of the Diamond Head Lighthouse. Unfortunately, the lighthouse itself and its picturesque grounds are closed to the public but

Besides the beach, the city’s main drag, Kalakaua Avenue, is known for its high-end shopping catering to foreign tourists. Its newest shopping mall is the International Market Place (http://www.shopinternationalmarketplace.com/), which opened just before Labor Day last year and is drawing rave reviews. The mall is in place of the old International Market Place. It kept the name but the open air mall is now very modern and upscale, but with some of its old charm, including the Market Place’s landmark banyan tree, complete with a selfie spot for visitors to take the perfect shot to annoy their non-vacationing friends back home. Waikiki’s gentrification is showing no signs of slowing down. The trendy, upscale shopping along Kalakaua Avenue has spread a block inland to Kuhio Street, which was once a place that some feared to walk at night. One of the best examples of Waikiki’s makeover can be found on the side of the Prada store on Kalakaua Avenue. You can buy a $300 shirt in the shop and walk down the narrow alley on the left side of the store and feel like you have just stepped into the Tenderloin in the 1980s, complete with a sex shop with private video booths upstairs from the tiny, but well-loved gay bar, In Between. Just outside of Waikiki, the hike to the summit of Diamond Head is a must-do attraction for any visitor to Oahu. You can drive or take a bus through a tunnel into the center of the old volcano crater. From the crater floor there is a great hike to the

Escape the Ordinary Whether you’re seeking a romantic getaway or beachside escape, Sheraton Waikiki offers the perfect destination for any occasion. We invite you to experience our luxurious amenities, international cuisine, endless activities and electric nightlife. Waikiki’s hottest nightspot, RumFire, presents renowned entertainer Matt Yee for limited showings in April. Book your stay today at sheraton-waikiki.com or call 1 866 716 8109.

summit. The trail meanders through the tunnels and gun stations built by the military shortly after the U.S. government bought the property in 1905. The summit offers a spectacular view of Honolulu. Bring a flashlight or plan on using the flashlight app on your phone to make it a little easier navigate the dark tunnels. Also, to bring water. The hike will be a lot easier early in the morning before it gets too warm. If you want to experience being out in the Hawaiian countryside without having to go too far outside of Waikiki, check out Manoa Falls. It takes about 25 minutes to drive to the base of the Manoa Falls trail from Waikiki, a little less than an hour to bicycle there, or about an hour and 20 minutes on The Bus. A number of organized tours also include a hike to the falls. The hike takes about 25 minutes from the start of the trail. The scenic walk goes through a rainforest jungle to the spectacular falls. While the sign at the base of the falls warns visitors not to venture close to the wading pool under the falls because of falling rocks, most hikers do anyway and take their chances and take a dip in the pool or stand under the falls. Before the hike, be sure to spray yourself with mosquito repellant. If you drive there, it costs $5 to park in the lot next to the Treetop Restaurant. Parking is not allowed along the road close to the falls. Hanauma Bay State Park (https:// hanaumabaystatepark.com/) showcases a sheltered ocean inlet created by a volcano crater. The bay features some spectacular snorkeling views of the colorful tropical fish attracted to the bay that is a natural barrier against the bigger predatory fish. It is closed on Tuesdays and the park’s parking lot fills up very early in the morning, so if you go, The Bus or an See page 19 >>

t <<

Travel >>

Jump from

From page 18

organized tour is a good idea. Admission is $7.50 and you have to wait in line to view an educational film that cautions visitors to not touch or stand on the coral, which damages the environment and can cause injury. You can bring snorkeling gear or rent it at the concession on the beach for $20. The park offers information on shuttles that leave Waikiki daily and include snorkel gear rental for $25, which is a reasonable deal considering that it is what it would cost if you took The Bus and rented your snorkels and fins there. The shuttle includes an instructional narration along the way. The rugged North Shore of Oahu is the place to explore the wild coast of the island, that feels like a world apart from Waikiki. Organized island tours usually make a stop on the North Shore or you could take The Bus’s island circle route there. Lanikai Beach in the town of Kailua is about a 45-minute drive outside of Waikiki, or about an hour and 20 minutes on The Bus. The beach is known for its very white, wind-whipped sand and turquoise

Ed Walsh

Sheldon Ortego is a bartender at Tapas Restaurant and Lanai Bar.

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

water. The beach and the surrounding town have become increasingly popular with tourists, prompting some locals to fear that it might become a second Waikiki and lose some of its old Hawaiian charm. The USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument (http:// www.nps.gov/valr) in Pearl Harbor, is a somber sight but well-worth taking in. Visitors are shuttled by ferry to the floating white memorial over the sunken battleship. Tiny drops of oil still rise to the surface 75 years after the day that lives in infamy. Pearl Harbor is just north of Honolulu International, about a half hour drive from Waikiki or about an hour and 15 minutes on The Bus. There are also organized tours.

Nightlife

All of Oahu’s LGBT nightlife is in Waikiki with the exception of Scarlet, which is in Chinatown. While mostly gay male, all the LGBT nightspots are lesbian- and trans-friendly. The legendary Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand is one of the most beautiful gay bars in the world, if nothing else because of its openair view over Kapiolani Park next to Queen’s Surf Beach. Hula’s first opened in 1974 along Kuhio Avenue, nearly 1.5 miles from its current location. It traded in its trademark banyan tree for an ocean view in 1998. You can sit by the windows and enjoy a drink or meal in the bar’s cafe, while socializing and listening to music. The bar has a dance floor and features countless special events and weekly themes. Its Saturday catamaran cruise is not to be missed. You can buy tickets online and show up at Hula’s to be escorted to the boat. The bar is on the second floor of the Waikiki Grand Hotel. The entrance is through the hotel’s lobby and up the stairs to the left. (www. hulas.com). Hula’s closes at 2 a.m. and the

people who want to make the night last a little longer head down Kuhio Avenue to Fusion, a dance club that stays open until 4 a.m. Fusion also includes drag shows and is popular with Oahu’s transgender community (fusionwaikiki.co/index.html). Tapas Restaurant and Lanai Bar is a great gay bar and restaurant just behind Fusion. It is famous for its karaoke and friendly staff and customers. It opens every Sunday at 9 a.m. during football season for NFL Sundays (http:// tapaswaikiki.com/). Bacchus Waikiki is the sister bar to San Francisco’s 440 Castro bar. It is a friendly second floor pub on Lewers Street, just a block from Fusion and Tapas. The bar draws a crowd even during the slower weekday nights. A small outdoor balcony is a great place for smokers or anyone who wants to watch the world go by on Lewers Street (http://www. bacchus-waikiki.com/). The aforementioned In Between is Hawaii’s smallest gay bar but is well worth checking out. It is in a tiny alleyway next to the Prada store along Kalakaua Avenue near Lewers Street. It is amazing this very unpretentious bar exists just a few steps behind one of the most exclusive stores in the country. So far, In Between – and the 24-hour sex shop upstairs – has avoided the gentrification that is epitomized just steps away (http://www.inbetweenwaikiki.com/). Wang Chung’s is a hip, modern bar and restaurant in the Stay Hotel. Like Tapas and In Between, it is known for karaoke. Wang Chung’s is very straight-friendly and is known for its colorful cocktails (http://wangchungs.com/). Scarlet Honolulu is Oahu’s newest and largest gay nightclub and the island’s only LGBT space outside of Waikiki. It opened in July 2015 in the city’s Chinatown neighborhood, adjacent to downtown. From Waikiki it’s about 15

Cynthia Laird

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is a somber sight and worth the visit.

minutes to drive or about 25 minutes on The Bus. Scarlet is open weekends and features live entertainment, drag shows, and dancing (scarlethonolulu.com/).

Accommodations

Since the mainstreaming of Cabanas Waikiki several years ago and Hotel Honolulu years before that, there are no longer any exclusively gay hotels in Oahu, but you would be hard-pressed to find any that are not gay-friendly. The boutique Shoreline Hotel in the heart of Waikiki is one of the sponsors of Honolulu Pride (http:// hawaiilgbtlegacyfoundation.com/ pride/), held in October. It offers Pride attendees a discount and donates $10 from each guest night to the organization that runs Pride. The hotel is a great option any time of year. Rates start at a very reasonable $135 during the slowest times of year, which are generally the months of April, May, and from Labor Day through early November. Shoreline doesn’t charge a resort fee if you book directly through its website. To get the cheapest rates, you would need to book in advance and stay six nights. Included are free Wi-Fi,

beach towels, and use of the rooftop pool. A car rental company is just behind the hotel, making a day rental a snap. The hotel’s restaurant, Heavenly Island Lifestyle, is one of Waikiki’s most popular breakfast spots and does a good business until it closes every night at midnight (http://shorelinehotelwaikiki.com/). Surfjack is another great boutique hotel operated by the Aqua-Aston chain, which has long supported the LGBT community. The slogan written on the bottom of the pool says it all: “Wish you were here.” Surfjack is a sponsor of the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival. One of the hotel’s great unique amenities is free bicycle rentals. The hotel is just a couple of blocks from the beach and conveniently located next door to Bacchus Waikiki, so you won’t have to go far to hang out with your peeps. The Aqua-Aston hotel group offers an “Out and Proud” 10 percent discount if you book through its LGBT site and a free Mai Tai at Hulas (http://www.aquaresorts.com/ special-offers/lgbt-travel/). t For more information, visit Oahu’s official tourism website at https://www.gohawaii.com/oahu/.

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20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Trans people celebrate visibility at SF event by Sari Staver

ith a line over a block long to enter, this year’s Trans Day of Visibility celebration drew a standing-room-only crowd of more than 500 people at SOMArts Friday, March 31. An international day celebrated around the world, TDOV in San Francisco was organized by the community and more than a dozen local organizations, including the Trans Employment Program at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. Emceed by Nya, a San Francisco trans woman who starred in the reality show “Transcendent,” and Shawn Demmons, a research coordinator at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, the evening featured the premier of a short video based on this year’s theme, “Love and Resistance,”

Sari Staver

Fresh White received the Transformative Leader Award at San Francisco’s Transgender Day of Visibility event.

produced by Clair Farley, a trans woman who’s director of economic development at the LGBT center, and Sam Cooper, a center volunteer and a photo and video researcher at Instagram.

In an email to the Bay Area Reporter, Farley said the poem and photos in the video tell the story that love of one’s self as a trans person and love for a trans person as an ally are forms of resistance. “This is more important now than ever as trans people’s rights are being battled all over the country,” she wrote. “The photos were all crowd-sourced online; we received hundreds of photos of families and couples sharing love.” Farley said that the LGBT center is “planning to use the film to continue a campaign where cis people and allies can be open about their love for trans people.” “We believe that when we stop shaming the love and support of trans people, trans women of color will stop being murdered in our cities. We hope people will be inspired to join the movement,” Farley wrote.

Awards were also distributed. Honorees were selected from hundreds of nominees, and included videographer Gwen Park; Aria Sa’id, program director at St. James Infirmary, a peer-based occupational health and safety clinic for sex workers and their families; Fresh White, a member of the employment services team at the LGBT center and an independent life and career coach; Transgender, Gender Variant, and Intersex Justice Project, a group that works with trans people inside and outside of prisons, jails, and detention centers; and the Tom Waddell Transgender Clinic, part of the city’s health department. Farley pointed out that TDOV is the only day celebrating trans people who are still living. The Transgender Day of Remembrance in November honors those who have been lost to violence, she noted.

This year’s event was difficult, because “our community does not feel like celebrating,” said Farley. “Just in the first few months of 2017, we have lost at least eight trans women of color who have been brutally murdered,” Farley said. “Trans rights and human rights are being striped away across the country, due to our current administration and the backlash against visibility and progress of equal rights. “We opted to continue the event despite these recent events because as an LGBT movement we have always perceived through our inherent resiliency and by coming together as a community to gain strength for the work ahead,” Farley added. “Plus our movement is about love, we wanted to remind people that love always wins.” t

Trans ex-prisoner advocates for inmate rights by David-Elijah Nahmod

fter spending over two decades in prison in California where she dealt with sexual assault, as well as other forms of violence, and fought for the right to transition, Michelle-Lael Norsworthy knows a great deal about how transgender inmates are treated. Norsworthy, 53, is a transsexual woman who was convicted of seconddegree murder after she shot a man in self-defense outside of a bar in 1985. “They went outside and surrounded my car,” Norsworthy recalled in a recent interview. “What was I supposed to do? Many people did not understand why I was incarcerated at all.” The man she shot actually died in the hospital six weeks later after a nurse forgot to administer a dose of

anti-clotting medication, declined to provide genNorsworthy said. That der reassignment surgery. error cost a man his life Norsworthy filed suit, and and cost Norsworthy her eventually settled her case freedom, she said. against the California De“I’m a lifetime parolee,” partment of Corrections Norsworthy told Bay Area and Rehabilitation. MediReporter. “I cannot get my care has since provided her life back.” surgery. Last month, she spoke She was released from Kelly Sullivan to a sociology class at Michelle-Lael prison in August 2015. the University of San Norsworthy spoke “I fought for gender to students at the Francisco. change, name change, In the interview, Nor- University of San gender marker change, sworthy said that she tran- Francisco March 21. and for the law to change,” sitioned while incarcerated she said. at Mule Creek State Prison, a male While Norsworthy retains some prison facility near Sacramento. She bitterness over the decades of life received gender counseling, hormone spent in prison, she is proving hertreatments, and women’s clothing self to be a formidable force for other while at Mule Creek, though the state transgender prison inmates. To that

Lambert Bridge 2012 Crane Creek Cuvée

end she’s focused on starting a nonprofit, Joan’s House, which she hopes will soon provide transitional housing and support to transgender people, regardless of their transition status. She speaks eloquently of the rights of prisoners, which include health care and safety from violence. “I’ve had nearly 30 years of watching men kill each other over card games,” she said. “Trans people are targeted daily. Trans prisoners get the extremes – those who hate you and target you for violence, or those who ‘love’ you – then there’s danger of sexual assault.” Norsworthy refers to the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution regarding health care rights for transgender inmates. The Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail or fines,

as well as a ban on “cruel and unusual punishment.” “Trans health care must be taken seriously by the Department of Corrections,” she said. “It also concerns me that trans prisoners are put on display while strip-searched. We should be isolated when stripped – I don’t know if that’s changed.” Norsworthy encouraged other transgender people to take the initiative and advocate for themselves regarding their rights. “It’s great that people want to march,” she said. “But the only way to make change is to haul your ass to court.” t For more info on Joan’s House: https://joanshouseshelter.wordpress.com/.

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April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

New SF schools superintendent named by Seth Hemmelgarn

an Francisco’s Board of Education has announced that it’s selected Vincent Matthews, who’s worked in education for 30 years, to serve as the school district’s next superintendent. The board approved Matthews’ selection at its meeting Tuesday, April 4. “We wanted to make sure that we picked the best leader for the district, focused on student equity, social justice, and improving the climate for our educators and school personnel. We chose someone with a wealth of instructional experience, leadership experience and personal

Kelly Sullivan

Vincent Matthews has been appointed to lead the San Francisco Unified School District.

knowledge of SFUSD,” school board President Shamann Walton said in a March 29 news release announcing

Matthews’ selection. Matthews, who’s worked as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, stated that his selection leading the San Francisco Unified School District is “an honor and a privilege.” “Having been a student in the district I believe I owe so much to the staff members, educators, and caring adults who delivered a high quality rigorous education to me,” he said. “I look forward to working with our current staff to provide each and every student the quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive in the 21st century.” Myong Leigh, a gay man, had

been serving as interim superintendent and had applied to hold the job permanently. Former Superintendent Richard A. Carranza left the post last summer to lead the Houston Independent School District Board of Education. Walton said, “We searched for a superintendent that would be dedicated to SFUSD and its students for the long haul. [Matthews] was born in San Francisco, went to preschool, elementary, junior high, high school, and university right here in San Francisco. He started his teaching and administrative career right here in SF. We are all proud.” Matthews currently serves the

SF LGBT center reopens Sunday compiled by Cynthia Laird

received national attention several years ago when she was interviewed by Barbara Walters. She stars in the TLC reality program, “I am Jazz.” California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom will be the evening’s special guest speaker. Individual tickets are $400. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit http://www.eqca.org/ equality-awards/san-francisco/.

he San Francisco LGBT Community Center will celebrate its grand reopening and 15th anniversary Sunday, April 9 with a ribboncutting ceremony at 1 p.m., followed by an open house. The center has completed a $10.3 million renovation that includes new offices for nonprofits as well as refurbished community spaces. It will also house the offices of Theresa Sparks, Mayor Ed Lee’s senior adviser for transgender initiatives. As previously reported, the renovations were done to provide financial sustainability for the center. According to a news release, the ribbon-cutting will be attended by civic leaders, elected officials, nonprofit partners, and the LGBT community. The open house will include entertainment by local LGBTQ artists and musicians. The event is free and open to all ages. On Saturday, April 8, the center will hold its 15th anniversary Soiree benefit at Terra Gallery, 511 Harrison Street. The dinner portion of the evening is sold out. Tickets are still available for the party that starts at 8:30 p.m., which includes a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres. Drag queen Juanita More returns as entertainment director for an evening of dancing and fun. A live auction will be called by CBS-TV and KCBS personality Liam Mayclem. All proceeds will directly benefit the center as it expands its youth services, arts and culture, and anti-violence programs. Tickets are $95 for the party. To purchase tickets, visit https://www. eventbrite.com/e/sf-lgbt-centers15th-anniversar y-soiree-tickets-30342464127.

Pacific Center expands services for Seniors

The Pacific Center for Human Growth has expanded its services for older adults. According to a news release, Alameda County Behavioral Health Services is funding an expansion of the center’s services and it is launching a program to provide topical therapeutic peer support groups for isolated LGBTQ older adults in the north, east, and central regions of the county. The “Older and Out” groups are meeting Fridays at 3:15 p.m. at the North Berkeley Senior Center, 1901 Hearst Avenue, and Mondays at 1:15 p.m. at the Hayward Area Senior Center, 22325 N. Third Street. Meetings are also planned at the Livermore Area Recreation and Park District Senior Services, although a start date and time has

Rick Gerharter

Bright colors adorn the rear exterior of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, which reopens Sunday.

not yet been determined. Pacific Center officials said the groups are free and new members can join at any time. Refreshments will be provided. Groups will be run on a rotating eight-week cycle for up to a year and will be facilitated by a team of Pacific Center clinicians with trained peer specialists assisting. Participants will decide what topics to cover, which could include dating, loss of friends, and loneliness. For more information, contact the Pacific Center at (510) 548-8283, ext. 126 or anne@pacificcenter.org.

gay Washington Post opinion writer Jonathan Capehart and trans teenager Jazz Jennings at its San Francisco Equality Awards Saturday, May 6 from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Westin St. Francis, 335 Powell Street. Capehart, also an MSNBC contributor, has written on various LGBT, racial, and other social justice issues. Jennings is a TV personality who

Alice Austen House gets NEH grant

The Alice Austen House on Staten Island, New York, was recently awarded a $250,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support updating the display of early American photographer Alice Austen’s photographs and the historic museum that was once her home. Austen (1866-1952) was the topic of a Bay Area Reporter story last fall during LGBT History Month. Austen lived in the house, called

California Department of Education as the state-appointed superintendent of Inglewood Unified School District. Before that, San Francisco district officials said, he worked for more than five years as superintendent of the San Jose Unified School District, “where he is credited with raising academic achievement, narrowing the achievement gap between Latino and white students, and passing landmark agreements with the San Jose teacher’s union.” District spokespeople didn’t respond to a request to interview Matthews. t

Clear Comfort and now formally known as the Alice Austen House, with her mother when she was growing up, and later, with her longtime partner, Gertrude Tate. That the women didn’t consider themselves lesbians is not lost on historians, who are now working to reinterpret Austen’s story to more fully include Tate. A team of scholars has been selected to provide expertise from a variety of perspectives to guide the museum’s interpretation. These include lesbian Lillian Faderman, a scholar of lesbian history and professor emerita at Fresno State University. The two-year NEH grant is a Public Humanities grant for Historic Places and is part of $21.7 million for more than 200 humanities projects nationwide. The Alice Austen House is on the National Register of Historic Places. To read last year’s B.A.R. story, see http://ebar.com/news/article. php?sec=news&article=71956. t

Library teen center now open everyday

The Mix at SFPL, an innovative, youth-designed, 21st century teen learning space located in the main San Francisco Public Library, has announced new expanded hours. Previously closed on Sundays and Mondays, the Mix is now open seven days a week. Teens can drop by for coding classes, cooking demonstrations, open mics, songwriting sessions, poetry slams, drum lessons, and more. The Mix provides 4,700 square feet of space and equipment for youth from the city and the Bay Area. Outfitted with state-of-the-art digital media, video and sound recording, and computer and creative maker equipment, teens are able to expand their imaginations as well as their technology and literacy skills and engage in individual and team projects that promote critical thinking, inventiveness, and skill building. All activities and services are free. The main library is located at 100 Larkin Street. The Mix’s hours are as follows: Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; Monday, 1 to 6 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 1 to 8 p.m.; Friday, 1 to 6 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. For a complete list of programs and activities, visit http://www.themixatsfpl.org/events.

EQCA to honor Capehart, Jennings

Equality California will honor

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22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

SF’s 4/20 holiday goes mainstream by Sari Staver

ith the unofficial pot holiday, 4/20, just a couple of weeks away, the parties and events this year promise to be better than ever. 4/20, of course, refers to the consumption of cannabis around the time of day, and also on April 20, when it is celebrated in various cities, including San Francisco and Santa Cruz in northern California. The gigantic bash on Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park, which typically attracts more than 10,000 people, will be more organized this year, as some Haight Street merchants got a city permit enabling them to have sponsored booths (although no cannabis will be sold), portable toilets, and trashcans. There will also be 40 security guards and an emergency medical plan in place, including an ambulance onsite. New rules will disallow certain items at the event, including alcohol, barbecues, glass, seats, tables and chairs, large coolers, and tents, according to San Francisco Recreation and Park Department spokesman Joey Kahn.

Sari Staver

Marijuana will be celebrated in San Francisco on April 20, known as the unofficial holiday, 4/20.

City officials recently met in the office of Board of Supervisors President London Breed, who said in a statement, “Love it or hate it, the 4/20 festival is not going away, and it has a significant impact on our city, on our district, and on the park system. We don’t want to sanction the event, but it’s also irresponsible for the city to ignore it.”

Last year, the city collected 11 tons (that’s 22,000 pounds) of trash in Golden Gate Park alone, not including the impact on adjacent neighborhoods, according to officials. Tentatively, said Kahn, event organizers will be fencing the area around Sharon Meadow. The event is set to open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. “Moderate” amplified sound will be allowed from noon to 5. The event is limited to people 18 and over, officials said. While it is likely that the overwhelming majority of the city’s medical marijuana dispensaries will offer some sort of special for the holiday, most had not yet announced specifics by press time. One that did was Magnolia Wellness, 161 Adeline Street in Oakland, (near Jack London Square), which is having an outdoor farmers market, according to Executive Director Debby Goldsberry. Previous farmers markets, held in the dispensary’s adjacent parking lot, have included the usual flowers, edibles, and concentrates

as well as the latest in cannabis technology, such as disposable vape pens with a guaranteed 200 doses and a recycling program that offers discounts on future purchases. A medicated ice cream was also for sale, produced by a former Magnolia employee who went on to start her own edibles firm. For specifics on this year’s 4/20 event, check the dispensary’s website, http://www. magnoliawellness.com. In San Francisco, the Castro’s Apothecarium at 2029 Market Street (across from Safeway) will have a variety of specials and gifts on the upcoming holiday. The first 100 patients to arrive (it opens at 9 a.m.) will receive free gift bags, said spokesman Eliot Dobris. Everyone making a purchase will be entered to win a gift basket and purchases over $85 will receive two free promotional items. There will be other “freebies and discounts” from visiting vendors, he said. Several drag queens will be at the dispensary chatting with customers and two Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence members will be blessing the

store at exactly 4:20 pm, said Dobris. Customers who want to shop at Magnolia or the Apothecarium must be members of the respective dispensaries, which requires a free registration for anyone with a physician’s approval. Although Proposition 64 legalized the use of recreational marijuana by adults when it passed last November, the law does not go into effect until 2018. And lastly, an evening event, at Oasis, 298 11th Street, Tuesday, April 18 will celebrate 4/20 with one of Joshua Grannell’s monthly storytelling shows. The event, which begins at 7:30 p.m. and costs $10, is part of his ongoing Storytelling series and is entitled “Up in Smoke.” Grannell, who’s also known as drag queen Peaches Christ, and a handful of other locals will each talk about a weird, wacky, or wild experience with pot. For more information, visit http://www.sfoasis.com. t Bay Area Cannasseur runs the first Thursday of the month. To send column ideas or tips, email Sari Staver at sari@bayareacannasseur.com.

Inforum panel talks Trump and LGBT rights by Sari Staver

n imminent shake up in President Donald Trump’s inner circle was among the predictions by a panel of San Francisco LGBT leaders and others, who appeared at a recent Commonwealth Club Inforum event. Rick Welts, a gay man who’s president of the Golden State Warriors, said he “would not be surprised to see a real shake up,” among the president’s top staff, noting that he has friends who know Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, who just took an unpaid position in her father’s administration. Welts said that his friends “feel Ivanka has a moderating influence” on the president. “I hope she has a voice in her father’s ear,” Welts said at the March 29 event, held in downtown San Francisco. But panelist Mia Satya, a transgender activist and delegate to last year’s Democratic convention, responded, “I’m not holding my breath,” though she acknowledged that Welts’ friends may know Ivanka Trump “better than I do.” Welts and Satya were responding to a question from moderator LaDoris Cordell, a lesbian who’s a retired Santa Clara County Superior Court judge, who asked panel members their opinions on “who is running the show” at the White House and whether there is anyone who can “put the brakes” on the administration’s streak of anti-LGBT actions.

In the weeks since Trump became president, the administration has rescinded on protections for trans students. The Department of Health and Human Services quietly omitted questions about LGBT senior services. Trump also nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch, who is very conservative, to the U.S. Supreme Court, and many of his Cabinet secretaries have anti-LGBT views. “If you turn on the news,” said Matt Haney, an ally who’s president of the San Francisco Board of Education, “you wonder if anyone is in charge.” “The president appears to enjoy playing golf ” more than working, he said. The administration’s recent move to eliminate LGBT people from the census is “absolutely shameful,” added Haney. While some LGBT groups reported that the 2020 census will not count LGBT citizens, gay longtime demographer Gary Gates, Ph.D., told the Bay Area Reporter last week that the government was never going to include that information – either in the 2020 census or the next American Community Survey. Gates said that the content for the 2020 census has been “fixed” for more than a year already. Not including LGBTs in the census and the American Community Survey could have “devastating effects” on the ability to meet the needs of LGBT citizens, Haney said. “Transgender people are used to being second- or third-class” citizens and “being erased” from social media, added Satya.

Sari Staver

Panelists Mia Satya, left, Matt Haney, and Rick Welts listen to remarks by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell at a March 29 Inforum event.

Welts contrasted the current blitz of anti-LGBT actions with the “joyous time” he experienced when he and his partner were invited to the Obama White House for a gay Pride celebration. At that event, then-President Barack Obama recounted the eight years of progress in advancing LGBT rights but cautioned the attendees that it “could be reversed” quickly and urged the group to continue to be vigilant. Apparently, said Welts, “the rights we won will need to be won again.” Cordell, calling Vice President Mike Pence the “most anti-LGBT and anti-female person to ever work in the White House,” said she suspects the president may defer to the vice president about LGBT issues.

Panel members also discussed their concerns about the anti-trans bathroom bills, which affect access to sex-segregated public facilities based on an individual’s gender as listed on their birth certificate. Satya, who was raised in Texas, got used to not using the restroom for as long as 10 hours while she was in school, to avoid harassment. Eventually, she developed serious medical problems and had to have surgery, she said. “We know it wasn’t about bathrooms but about our right to exist,” she said, referring to House Bill 2 in North Carolina that prohibited trans people from using restrooms that correspond to their gender identity. North Carolina lawmakers

repealed HB 2 last week and Democratic Governor Roy Cooper signed it, but LGBT advocates said the new law is not a full repeal. Mainly, many are upset that there is a three-year ban on local non-discrimination ordinances, continuing a climate of hostility toward LGBTs. Cordell asked the panelists for their 60-second message that could change the world. Welts suggested people “Live up to our Pledge of Allegiance.” Haney said he’d like “teachers to be paid like NBA players” are. Satya called for universal health care. And Cordell suggested the phrase, MNT, which stands for “make necessary trouble.” t

Imperial Court exhibit opens at Oakland museum

by Michael Nugent

amiliar symbols – queered and reoriented through playful, political, and subversive creative practices – are featured in the Oakland Museum of California’s new exhibition “Over the Top: Math Bass and the Imperial Court SF.” The exhibition features new paintings and sculpture by perceptionbending trans artist Bass and regalia from the Imperial Court. “What an amazing exhibit, we never thought it would happen.

There have been many attempts to create an exhibit, but it never worked out. Then the Oakland Museum approached us out of the blue to create this,” said Donna Sachet, Bay Area Reporter society columnist and a former Imperial Court empress. Christina Linden, the exhibition curator, said, “We’re honored to present the first-ever exhibit about the Imperial Court. The court took symbols of imperialism and queered them, making them their own. We were moved by the legacy and family they created, how they defined

their own title and family in order to survive.” Founded in 1965 by the late activist and drag performer Jose Sarria, who was known as Empress I the Widow Norton, the Imperial Court is a charitable organization that hosts coronation balls and many other live events to raise money for causes, including hunger and HIV/AIDS. “Over the Top” features various Imperial Court artifacts, including robes, crowns, pins, scepters, and portraits of the court’s past emperors and empresses. The court has

re-oriented familiar symbols and given them new meanings; in this empire, items that traditionally signified monarchy and subjugation are now used to convey gay liberation, nonconformity, and personal freedom, according to a news release. “Our goal with this exhibition is to show how symbols can be recontextualized to create new shared meaning within LGBTQ communities,” explained Linden. “And this feels like a timely moment to feature this show, given the peril faced at this moment by LGBTQ people in this

country, especially trans and gendernonconforming people. Their right to self-determination is at serious risk. As a museum, we strive to bring together people from different worlds and spark conversations, and ‘Over the Top’ is all about creating a welcoming space for sharing ideas.” Linden’s bold vision was to pair Bass’ work – most of which was created just for this exhibition – with regalia from the Imperial Court of San Francisco. See page 25 >>

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t Workers can’t be fired for being gay, court rules

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

by Lisa Keen

or the first time ever, a federal appeals court Tuesday ruled that a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in employment also prohibits sexual orientation discrimination. In an 8-3 decision by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, the court reversed a district court’s dismissal of a lawsuit in which an employee alleged her employer discriminated against her because she is a lesbian. The appeals court remanded the case back to district court. “We hold only that a person who alleges that she experienced employment discrimination on the basis of her sexual orientation has put forth a case of sex discrimination for Title VII purposes,” concluded the court. But that was a big “only.” Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on sex in employment. Though some district courts have, no other federal appeals court has made a similar ruling, according to Jon Davidson of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, which represented the employee in this case. And Davidson has speculated that, if the question goes to the Supreme Court, its ultimate resolution “will control other federal laws barring sex discrimination, including Title IX (which governs discrimination in federally-funded educational programs), the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Pay Act, section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (which bars discrimination in health care and health care insurance), and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.” Writing for the majority, the 7th

Courtesy Lambda Legal

Math teacher Kimberly Hively

Circuit’s Chief Judge Diane Wood (a Clinton appointee) acknowledged that the decision in Hively v. Ivy Tech required taking a “fresh look” at previous rulings by federal appeals courts “in light of developments at the Supreme Court extending over two decades.” The case was brought by Kimberly Hively, a part-time math teacher for a small community college in Indiana. Over the course of her 13 years at Ivy Tech Community College, she applied for a full-time position six times and was rejected each time. In 2014, the college declined to renew her part-time contract. Hively said she believed she was being discriminated against because she is a lesbian. The district court judge, a Reagan appointee, dismissed the lawsuit, saying that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act – which prohibits sex discrimination – does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. The lower court judge

noted that the 7th Circuit, acting in previous cases, had ruled “Congress intended the term ‘sex’ to mean ‘biological male or biological female,’ and not one’s sexuality or sexual orientation.” A 7th Circuit panel upheld that decision, saying it was “presumptively bound” by that same precedent. The majority’s decision acknowledged that the lower courts were bound by precedent and made clear it did not have the authority to add “sexual orientation” to the list of protected categories in Title VII. But the majority opinion said it “must decide what it means to discriminate on the basis of sex. ...” In looking to Supreme Court decisions for guidance, the 7th Circuit relied heavily on Oncale v. Sundowner, a case in which the high court said that Title VII’s prohibition of sex discrimination (and sexual harassment) includes same-sex sexual harassment. It also relied heavily on Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins, in which the high court ruled that Title VII’s prohibition of discrimination because of “sex” included discrimination against an employee based on expectations for an employee’s appearance and behavior based on their biological sex. “Any discomfort, disapproval, or job decision based on the fact that the complainant – woman or man – dresses differently, speaks differently, or dates or marries a same-sex partner, is a reaction purely and simply based on sex,” wrote the majority. The majority said it also considered strongly the Supreme Court’s rulings in several landmark LGBTrelated cases: Romer v. Evans, which struck down a state ban on local

Ireland’s emerging trans movement by Heather Cassell

n the surface, it appears that Ireland is undergoing rapid change when it comes to LGBT rights, but as the Bay Area Reporter learned last summer while visiting Dublin, passage of the Gender Recognition Bill and same-sex marriage is just the beginning. The B.A.R. met with leaders of Ireland’s leading transgender organization, Transgender Equality Network Ireland – Sara Phillips, chair of the board of directors; Broden Giambrone, outgoing chief executive; and Gordon Grehan, office manager – at its office in Dublin in July. Giambrone led TENI through tremendous accomplishments and growth, raising its profile as a leading organization for Ireland’s transgender community. After six years at the helm, he will officially step down April 26 to pursue other professional pursuits, according to an announcement. A new chief executive of TENI hasn’t been named. TENI officials talked about Ireland’s landmark year for LGBT rights and the current state of transgender rights. “The trans community in Ireland is very young,” said Phillips, a 55-year-old transgender woman. But it has become increasingly more visible during the past decade, she said. The top three issues at the front of the leaders’ mind are employment, trans youth, and to turn nonbinding policies addressing transgender rights into laws. The Gender Recognition Bill that passed in 2015 was groundbreaking, but it wasn’t necessarily complete or

Geena Dabadghav

Broden Giambrone, outgoing chief executive of Transgender Equality Network Ireland.

clear. The bill only protects transgender individuals over the age of 18. It also doesn’t include intersex, nonbinary gender, or gender expression under its protections, the activists told the B.A.R. The bill will come under review sometime this year, they said.

Trans at work

“Legislation doesn’t change things overnight,” said Giambrone, a 33-year-old trans man. “What legislation can do is it sets a kind of benchmark. It sets, I suppose, a tone about how we talk about things.” Changes with societal attitudes “happen at a much slower pace,” said Giambrone. In spite of the law’s passage, trans people continue to face the same barriers obtaining and maintaining employment when they come out, he said.

The flip side is that transgender individuals themselves are so used to being harassed and rejected that apathy limits their vision of what is possible for them when it comes to applying for jobs and advancing in the workplace, TENI leaders said. TENI has started to address that with the publication in 2012 of “Speaking from the Margins: Trans Mental Health and Wellbeing in Ireland,” the organization’s first-ever trans mental health study. While the study didn’t focus on employment issues, a few questions were included, said Giambrone. What TENI found was that status of employment definitely played a role in a transgender person’s mental health and well-being, both negative and positive. “People did talk a lot about feeling like there were barriers to access to employment and fearing that they were being discriminated against,” said Giambrone. The other obstacle – whether someone is trans or not – is that finding a job is hard. The unemployment rate in the country this year dipped below 7 percent for the first time since 2008, the worldwide economic slowdown. To mitigate the situation, TENI’s leadership launched a program to train and support companies’ leaders and employees on transgender sensitivity in the workplace and the value of transgender employees. The organization also launched an employment training program to “up-skill” transgender individuals by identifying skills and strengths, build resumes and teach them how to dress for success, and boost confidence during employment searches and workplace advancement, Giambrone said. t Read the complete story online at www.ebar.com

ordinances prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination; Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down state laws banning consensual sexual relations between same-sex adults; U.S. v. Windsor, which struck down the federal law which prohibited any recognition of marriage between same-sex couples for federal purposes; and Obergefell v. Hodges, which struck down state laws banning marriage between same-sex partners. “The logic of the Supreme Court’s decisions, as well as the commonsense reality that it is actually impossible to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation without discriminating on the basis of sex, persuade us,” wrote the majority, “that the time has come to overrule our previous cases that have endeavored to find and observe that line.”

Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said the decision “opens the door to a new era for LGBTQ plaintiffs under federal sex discrimination law.” “With this historic decision, the 7th Circuit is the first federal appellate court to acknowledge that discrimination because a person is gay, lesbian, or bisexual can only reasonably be understood as discrimination based on sex,” Minter said. “The court deserves credit for rejecting the tortured rationales of older decisions and undertaking a principled analysis, based on the Supreme Court’s affirmation in Price Waterhouse and other cases, that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 must be broadly construed to prohibit the full range of sex-based discrimination.” t

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<< Besties 2017

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Besties

From page 17

Towers provides world-class living where like-minded residents are part of your life and your lifestyle. Operated by Episcopal Senior Communities, SF Towers offers residents scheduled outings and in-house programs such as lectures and special interest groups. Amenities include a pool, rooftop lounge, and activity rooms. It also has assisted living, rehabilitation, and 24-hour nursing service on site. Interested people can call to schedule a tour. San Francisco Towers, 1661 Pine Street, San Francisco, (415) 776-0500. http://www.jtm-esc. org/san-francisco-towers/.

Best Thrift Store

Out of the Closet Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation operates Out of the

Nonprofit

From page 1

better,” said Doughty, who is gay and has led Horizons for 14 years. “We also have to compete with a thriving and very attractive corporate sector, especially the tech sector.”

Rick Gerharter

Horizons Foundation President Roger Doughty

There’s also the high cost of living in the Bay Area. Doughty said that among the factors donors should look at when determining which agencies to support is whether they’re “getting results.” Donors might also want to look at executive compensation, Doughty said, but he suggested that should be in the context of the “caliber of the people who are working there,” since that’s “perhaps the most critical factor” in the organization’s impact. Doughty also pointed to the Overhead Myth campaign, a joint effort launched in 2013 by three organizations that study nonprofit finances: BBB Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, and GuideStar. “We believe that for a donor to correctly assess a charity, the organization must be viewed on three dimensions: its financial health (not just overhead), its governance practices, and the

Gilbert Baker

From page 1

for the New York City medical examiner’s office, Baker’s death was reported to the agency Friday, March 31. “The cause of death is hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” Bolcer said in an email. Cleve Jones, a longtime gay activist and friend of Mr. Baker’s, said in a phone interview that Mr. Baker “suffered a massive stroke six and half years ago and was able

Closet, a chain of thrift stores that raises money for the organization. There are several Bay Area locations that offer clothing, books, DVDs, and other items. At the Oakland location, people can get a free HIV test from a certified counselor. The stores accept donations of clothing, household items, and more. Out of the Closet, 1295 Folsom Street and 1498 Polk Street in San Francisco, (415) 558-7176 or (415) 771-1503. In Oakland, 238 E. 18th Street, (510) 251-8671. http://www.outofthecloset.org. Runner-up Community Thrift

Its website includes information to help pet guardians get information on common medical issues and provides tips for home health care. Mission Pet Hospital, 720 Valencia Street, San Francisco, (415) 552-1969. https://www.missionpet.com/. Runner-up SF Veterinary House Calls

Courtesy Google

accessories for cash or trade credit on the spot. Its stores are located in vibrant neighborhoods, each filled with the clothes you want at prices you can’t resist. Right now, shop for spring at one of several Bay Area locations. Its website features tutorials on how to best market merchandise you’re trying to sell. Crossroads Trading Company, 2123 Market Street, San Francisco, (415) 552-8740. https:// crossroadstrading.com/. Runner-up Buffalo Exchange

Crossroads Trading Company

Best Veterinarian

Mission Pet Hospital Mission Pet Hospital continues to be a favorite with readers, who trust the hospital when their pet is having health issues. It has been in business for over 30 years and is able to coordinate specialists for pet care.

Consignment / Best Vintage Clothing

Crossroads Trading Company

A new winner this year, at Crossroads, customers sell their in-style, on-trend clothing and

Brett Andrews is a local nonprofit leader who’s seen a big increase in his responsibilities recently. For 14 years, Andrews, a gay man,

has led Positive Resource Center which provides comprehensive benefits counseling and employment services to people who are living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS. Last year the agency merged with AIDS Emergency Fund, which offers financial assistance to people disabled by HIV/AIDS, and Baker Places, which provides residential substance abuse treatment and other services. The combined agency is still known as Positive Resource Center. Andrews’ base salary has gone from $161,000 before the mergers to $205,000. He indicated he’d be taking on his Baker Places leadership duties completely in April, and he said he and PRC’s board are working out what his new salary would be. PRC has a budget of $7 million and Baker Places, which has 109 licensed beds across San Francisco, has a budget of $14 million. PRC’s board has a CEO evaluation and compensation committee that uses a northern California nonprofit survey, which has 400 to 500 respondents, according to Andrews, who said donors don’t ask him about his compensation. When donors are “writing very significant and meaningful checks to an organization, they’re pleased to know there’s a level of expertise and sophistication in terms of financial management and agency oversight and program delivery that is making the best use of their donation,” Andrews said. One of the primary funders of many of San Francisco’s health-related nonprofits is the city’s Department of Public Health. Asked in an email how much weight the agency gives to compensation when considering which nonprofits to support, and how much support to give them, DPH spokeswoman Rachael Kagan responded, “Executive compensation is not a criteria that is considered in our contracting process.” Although only a few local LGBTrelated nonprofit leaders have annual salaries that are higher than Andrews’, his earnings are relatively low compared with what he and many others could make in the private

to teach himself how to sew again, but it affected his day-to-day life from then on, and I was quite concerned the last time I saw him. ... He complained about being in a fair amount of discomfort.” Mr. Baker himself recalled the stroke in a 2012 interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “It really fucked me up,” he said. “For three months I couldn’t see or walk. I’m a strong guy and I recovered, but it changed me. It made me think about dying, it gave me pause to think that every life is finite. It made me appreciate the ones who came before me who did so much

great work.” Jones said that he first met Mr. Baker around 1974. “He was such a diva,” Jones said. “He was so outrageous and sometimes quite ridiculous. ... We had a lot of wonderful times just dreaming up crazy stuff to do” to shock, amaze, or even outrage people. Jones recalled the year that Mr. Baker famously marched in the city’s Pride parade as “Pink Jesus.” Mr. Baker, with his body covered in hot pink and little else, donned high heels and carried a cross down Market Street. “He was quite crazy, and he had

results of its work,” said Charity Navigator CEO Ken Berger in a news release at the time. Doughty readily disclosed his own annual compensation – $170,000 – but declined to discuss it, referring questions about the figure to Horizons board Chair Dr. Audrey Koh. “Roger is one of the most conscientious, hard-working, highintegrity leaders that the LGBTQ nonprofit community has,” Koh, a lesbian, said in an email. “He also has substantial recognition in working with and problemsolving with LGBTQ nonprofit leaders across the country, and we applaud that leadership and activism.” She pointed to the “rapid and successful growth in its funds raised” as an example of the work Doughty has overseen at the organization, which has a budget of $5.1 million. (Doughty said the foundation’s total assets “exceed $25 million.”) “All of these growth areas allow Horizons Foundation to be able to give in amounts and to increasing numbers of the many nonprofit organizations and causes in the six Bay Area counties we concentrate on,” Koh said.

Rick Gerharter

Positive Resource Center CEO Brett Andrews

Added responsibilities

Best Bank

San Francisco Federal Credit Union

The credit union offers a full range of banking and lending services, as well as online banking and account management. San Francisco Federal Credit Union, 770 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, (415) 775-5377. https://www.sanfranciscofcu.com/. Runner-up Bank of America

Best Automaker

Toyota

Toyota is a new winner in this category. The company is known for dependable vehicles and has taken a lead in lower-emission cars with its popular Prius hybrid models. www. toyota.com t

Readers are apparently not inclined to support traditional banks and this year selected San Francisco Federal Credit Union as their favorite. sector. “If money was a motivator, I suspect I would have long since left” the

Rick Gerharter

St. James Infirmary Executive Director Stephany Ashley

nonprofit world, he said. Stephany Ashley, executive director of St. James Infirmary, which provides free medical services, HIV testing, food, and other assistance to sex workers, is one of the lowestpaid LGBT- and health-related nonprofit heads in San Francisco. But in response to emailed questions, Ashley, who identifies as queer, said that her $70,000 base salary “is set at what I believe is a livable and generous wage.” She said she’s even declined raises, “because I have other fiscal priorities for the organization that are far more important.” When it’s time to look for a new executive director, Ashley said, “It’s possible that the salary may be renegotiated in order to secure the best candidate.” However, it doesn’t sound like she’s leaving any time soon. “I plan to stay at St. James as long as I am an effective and appropriate person to lead the organization or until the next round of leadership is ready to take the helm,” Ashley said, adding, “My goal is not to overstay my term.” She said that funders have “never shared” with her that they’re concerned her salary is “too low.” “In fact, I think many funders, and certainly our grassroots epic fights with his other Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,” Jones said, noting that Mr. Baker belonged to the charitable group of drag nuns as Sister Chanel until 2001. There was more to Mr. Baker than just antics, however, Jones said. “What many people might not know about Gilbert was how extremely intelligent he was,” he said. “He’d read a lot, and he knew a lot about history.” Asked about what motivated Baker, who was also an Army veteran, Jones said his friend “grew up in a very conservative family and a very conservative part of Kansas.”

community donors (who make up the majority of our donors) appreciate that we spend most of our money on direct service provision as opposed to inflated administrative, development, or management salaries,” Ashley said. The nonprofit, which has about 20 paid staff and a projected budget this year of $850,000, is still “largely volunteer-run,” and is “one of the most cost effective models of community health care possible,” Ashley said. “We provide a tremendous amount of services, advocacy and education on a very small budget, and as our budget grows, our resources continue to reach those who it is our mission to serve,” she said. “I am very proud of that fact.”

Q Foundation’s help

David Bogachik, a 41-year-old transgender man, said he turned to Q Foundation “at a crucial moment in my new life” after he moved to San Francisco from Ukraine 18 months ago. “I knew that SF is going through hard times but couldn’t imagine all the challenges local community faces here,” Bogachik said. One of the city’s biggest problems – the lack of affordable housing – Bogachik confronted himself. “Our landlord raised the rent by 50 percent, and all the members of our queer co-op had to move out,” he said. At the same time, someone that he’d signed the lease with “disappeared” with two months of rent money and the deposit. Bogachik was able to find a new home, “but my account was empty, and it took some time to fix it.” Friends directed him to the Q Foundation, and the agency helped him with the security deposit and one month’s rent, plus “smart money coaching.” Asked how much Basinger’s salary matters to him, Bogachik said, “I hope his salary is commensurate with his professional experience, and reflective of the expected value and long-term impact he will create for the community over time. It should also be reflective of the exorbitant cost of living in San Francisco.” t

The problems that Mr. Baker experienced growing up “drove his desire to change the world and the way gay people are treated,” Jones said. “… Beneath the bravado and the bitchiness was a deep compassion, and when AIDS came and so many of our friends died so horribly, he was a part of caring for an awful lot of people.”

Need for a symbol

Jones wrote about Mr. Baker and the creation of the rainbow flag in the late 1970s in his memoir, “When See page 25 >>

t <<

Community News>>

Imperial Court

From page 22

“Math Bass’ art also flips symbols and creates their own meaning,” said Linden. Bass, who identifies as a queer, transgender woman, is artistically fascinated with ambiguity. “It isn’t the mission of the work, but this queerness is coming through. I am queer, and I have resisted a lot of costumes and posturing that I was supposed to do in my life,” Bass said during a media preview event March 31. “It doesn’t come naturally to me to fit inside any predetermined box.” This union allows for a teasing out of re-contextualized meanings. “What do the paintings mean in a unique context? Questions of identity are explored,” said Linden.

John Carrillo, a gay man and the current chair of the Imperial Council of San Francisco, explained the process of electing the yearly court. “The emperor and empress are elected by a public vote, open to anyone from San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties,” he said. “We have polling stations in the Castro, Project Openhand’s building on Polk, and in South of Market.” “Each year it’s a new emperor and empress. They have a shotgun marriage that night,” he quipped. A separate court exists in Alameda County and there are 59 total across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Sarria would personally grant each new court until his death in 2013 at the age of 90. By combining the work of an LGBT artist with the court, the

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

museum is seeking to engage broader communities, incorporating both people interested in contemporary art and the court to be part of art in a new way. This exhibit also represents a new focus on LGBT art at the Oakland Museum. “While we have a rich legacy of LGBT artists in the collection, this is probably the first LGBT exhibit at the Oakland Museum,” said Linden. The museum is planning a larger LGBT exhibit for 2019, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. t “Over the Top: Math Bass and the Imperial Court SF” will be on view at the Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, through July 23.

Michael Nugent

John Carrillo, left, chairman of the Imperial Council of San Francisco, and former Empress Donna Sachet stand in front of paintings of past emperors and empresses that are part of the new exhibit, “Over the Top: Math Bass and the Imperial Court SF” now at the Oakland Museum of California.

Gilbert Baker

From page 24

We Rise.” The book was partially the inspiration for the recently aired TV miniseries of the same name created by Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black. “There was truly a conversation going on at the time about a need for a symbol,” Jones said of the period when the flag was created. The Greek Lambda symbol was one option, but “people would say, ‘What does that mean?’ Nobody really knew,” Jones said, adding, “... I still don’t even really know the answer to that.” The pink triangle, which the Nazis had used to label homosexuals in concentration camps, was another possibility. “A decade later, it would be transformed by ACT UP into a powerful symbol of resistance, but at the time we’re talking about, it was a symbol from the death camps,” Jones said, recalling that people like gay rights icon Harvey Milk, the city supervisor who was a friend of Jones’ and Mr. Baker’s before his assassination in 1978, were also part of the conversation. Finally, Mr. Baker thought of the flag idea, and Jones said in the summer of 1978, he helped Baker dye the fabric for it at 330 Grove Street, the site of San Francisco’s old LGBT community center. “We made quite a mess, and Gilbert created the first two flags,” Jones said. One flag had eight colored bars, and the other had eight bars with tie-dyed starbursts, somewhat resembling an American flag. The flags were “raised on two enormous flagpoles in United Nations Plaza. I remember that quite vividly,” Jones said. As the flags were raised, “the wind kicked up, and they unfurled” as marchers, in what was then known as the Gay Freedom

Steven Underhill

Gilbert Baker stands in San Francisco City Hall in June 2015, while a giant rainbow flag with stars hangs behind him.

Day Parade, approached on Market Street. As people gathered under the flags, “their faces lit up,” Jones said. “Everyone knew immediately that this was our flag.” Dan Nicoletta, who’s spent decades photographing LGBT history and first met Mr. Baker around 1977, also remembered seeing the flags that day, calling them “breathtaking.” Nicoletta pointed out that Mr. Baker didn’t create the flag on his own. “He had a core group of people that were his collaborators. ... In a sense, he was always considered this symbolic point person for all that, but we worked very communally back then,” Nicoletta said. “I think he would want that record to be set straight.” A flag collaborator who Nicoletta shared contact information for didn’t respond to an interview request.

sunlight; green, nature; turquoise, magic/art; blue, serenity/harmony; and violet, spirit. The common rainbow flag seen today has six colors – the hot pink and turquoise were left off. His explanation for why he chose a rainbow design is simple. “It fits us,” he explained in 2012. “We’re all the colors, all the sexes, all the genders. Infinite people. Infinite colors.” In an interview Friday, gay former San Francisco Supervisor and state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano said Mr. Baker “made an impact, and it’s very artistic and visual.” Numerous rainbow flags and banners adorn the Castro neighborhood, and Ammiano noted that the flags line Market Street every June for Pride Month. “We always think of him, so that’s going to be his legacy every time we look at the rainbow flag,” Ammiano said.

Another aspect of Mr. Baker’s life “that gets lost” is that besides flags, Mr. Baker also made “outrageous costumes and gowns and dresses,” Jones said. “He dressed hundreds of drag queens over the decades. ... He was constantly turning out massive, beautiful banners march after march after march.” Jones said, “I have in my possession what I think is the last banner he made. He brought it out here for ‘When We Rise.’ It’s a giant rainbow with ‘Rise and Resist’ on it.” The banner was unfurled at a gathering for Mr. Baker at Harvey Milk Plaza Friday night, beneath the large rainbow flag that’s looked over the Castro for decades and was lowered to half-mast for a time. Recalling his friend’s work, Jones teared up as he explained that he was holding the bag that Mr. Baker had brought the banner in.

“When we pulled that out, there was popcorn in the bag,” from when he and Baker had sat in the back of the Castro Theatre watching the “When We Rise” premier. “I’m just grateful that he got to see that, and he knew then that his legacy would be known, that a younger generation would know about this,” said Jones, who said he’s received thousands of messages about Mr. Baker from young people who are “glad to know this part of their history.” He said that when people see the flag, it often “doesn’t occur to them to wonder where does that come from. ... It matters to know that there was this generation of people who said to themselves, like Gilbert did, ‘We need a symbol. We need a flag.’” According to Mr. Baker’s biography, the rainbow flag is in the public domain, as are all flags, and he did not profit from its usage as a commercial product. Mr. Baker is survived by his mother, Patricia Baker, and a sister, Ardonna Baker Cook. “Our family is extremely grateful for all of the condolences and support we have received on behalf of Gilbert’s passing,” the women said in a statement. “He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, the art world, as well as the entire LGBTQ community. He led a bold and inspiring life by bringing the rainbow flag to the world and teaching others about the beauty in diversity.” Plans for a public memorial are pending. City Hall was lit up with rainbow lighting Tuesday in honor of the SF Symphony Pride concert and to honor Mr. Baker. Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) adjourned the Senate session Monday in memory of Mr. Baker. To view Wiener’s presentation, see https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=CVunenXDTc&feature=youtu.be. t

Arrival in San Francisco

Erin Lefevre

The rainbow flag at Harvey Milk Plaza was at half-mast for a time Friday in memory of Gilbert Baker.

According to Mr. Baker’s biography, he was born in Chanute, Kansas, on June 2, 1951. He served in the U.S. Army from 1970-1972, and he was stationed in San Francisco just as the gay liberation movement was getting underway in the city. In 1994, Mr. Baker moved to New York City, where he made a mile-long rainbow flag to mark the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The flag broke the record for the world’s largest flag. He surpassed that record in 2003, the 25th anniversary of the rainbow flag, by creating one that stretched “from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean in Key West,” according to his biography. Mr. Baker recently completed a nine-color rainbow flag that added the color lavender, for diversity, to go along with the original colors: hot pink represented sexuality; red, life; orange, healing; yellow,

Erin Lefevre

Mourners gathered at Harvey Milk Plaza Friday, March 31, amd took photos of the flag just hours after learning of the death of rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker.

<< Legals

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-552848 M

In the matter of the application of: KELLY ANN ELEK, 965 TERESITA BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner KELLY ANN ELEK, is requesting that the name KELLY ANN ELEK, be changed to JAZMIN KELLY ELEK. 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 4th of MAY 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-552856 In the matter of the application of: MARINA MCCORD GELMAN, 646 CLARENDON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MARINA MCCORD GELMAN, is requesting that the name MARINA MCCORD GELMAN, be changed to MARINA GELMAN-MCCORD. 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 9th of May 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-552851

In the matter of the application of: BRYAN BERNARD FINLEY, 130 CAINE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner BRYAN BERNARD FINLEY, is requesting that the name BRYAN BERNARD FINLEY AKA BRYAN FINLEY, be changed to BRYAN BERNARD VILLASEÑOR. 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 4th of May 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-552843

In the matter of the application of: ANTHONY STEPHEN WILEY-GREEN, 1147 HOLLISTER AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ANTHONY STEPHEN WILEY-GREEN, is requesting that the name ANTHONY STEPHEN WILEY-GREEN AKA ANTHONY WILEY-GREEN AKA ANTHONY STEPHEN GREEN-WILEY, be changed to ANTHONY STEPHEN GREEN-WILEY. 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 2nd of May 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037502400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SFWOOFPACK, 219 LEAVENWORTH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NATHAN E.GUIDAS. 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 03/06/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037483100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JIFFY DOG, 300 DEHARO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALEX TAO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 02/23/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/23/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037483200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JIFFY DOG, 2175 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALEX TAO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 02/23/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/23/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037501700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TYE’S BARBER SHOP, 570 MONTEREY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TYRONE D. POWELL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/06/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/06/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30 APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037502900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SWEET SURRENDER STUDIOS, 1801 TURK ST #22, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICHARD DOUGLAS SHARON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/07/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/07/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037503800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VIDEO/PHOTO EFFECTS FROM THE HOOD, 1883 PALOU AVE #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIEL EDWARD FARR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/07/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/07/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037508700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DENIS ENGLANDER PHOTOGRAPHY, 687 2ND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DENIS ENGLANDER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 01/01/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037509100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DIG IT EVENTS, 77 SHOTWELL ST #3, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LUKE WEBSTER JOHNSTONE. 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 03/10/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037508900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAY AREA EFFICIENT MOVERS, 1238 NORTHPOINT DR UNIT D, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94130. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed DZIANIS VASILEUSKI & GULZHAN BEISENOVA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 02/02/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037504000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AGUILA DEFENSE TRAINING, 588 SUTTER ST #750, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed LYU LOPEZ & SEAN D. O’CONNOR. 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 03/08/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037490600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TENDER ROSE DEMENTIA CARE SPECIALISTS, 120 GREEN ST #200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TENDER ROSE HOME CARE, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 01/12/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/27/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037501100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INTERIM CMO; OXGN, 463 MISSISSIPPI ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed OXGN, 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 03/06/17.

MAR 16, 23, 30, APR 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037519700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EYEBROW STAR, 2649A MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PRABHA THAPALIYA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 11/01/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/20/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037510100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GLIIM, 5214F DIAMOND HGTS BLVD #352, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANDREW STOCKETT CAVALIER. 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 03/13/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037519000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OFFICIAL BIZNESS STUDIO, 2200 CESAR CHAVEZ ST #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIEL MORGAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 07/14/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/20/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037517600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CREATIVE LICENSE CONSULTING SERVICES; INNOVATION STATION; CLCS, 183 STATES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed STEVEN A. KOWALSKI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/17/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/17/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017

Before the Tel Aviv-Yaffo Magistrate Court

C.C.

In the matter of:

1. Karina Abitisian I.D. 311915615 2. Arthur Abitisian I.D. 311915680 Both by their rep. adv. Zeev Braz and\or Yiftach Ibn Ezra Of 3 Nirim St. TLV 67060 Phone: 03-6886565 fax: 03-6886566 The “Plaintiffs”-Vs. -Yelena Fisherman I.D. 304233372 Whose address is: 418 25th Ave. San Francisco, California 94121, United States of America The “Defendant” Remedy essence: winding-up of a real estate partnership; receiver appointment; declaratory And in the matter of: Winding-up of a Real Estate Partnership Claim The honorable court is hereby requested to use its authority and provide an order for the winding-up of the partnership in the residential apartment on 59 Jabotinsky St. Bnei Brak known as parcel 82/15 in plot 7361, by way of its sale to a third party. Also, the honorable court is requested to declare that the Plaintiffs are entitled to receive full consideration of the land sale. In so doing, the honorable court is requested to appoint Plaintiffs rep. as receivers of the rights of the Defendant in the referenced land and authorize them to sign in her name and on her behalf any document and\or statement necessary for the transfer of her rights in the apartment to a third party. Factual Background 1. The Plaintiffs are spouses, Israeli citizens and residents, who in 1994 or thereabouts immigrated to Israel from the former Soviet Union. 2. The Defendant too was a new immigrant who immigrated to Israel on those dates, yet she has ceased to be an Israeli resident many years ago, since she left Israel in favor of the Ukraine and then the U.S. 3. Immediately following their arrival in Israel, the Plaintiffs and the Defendant purchased the capitalized lease rights in the referenced residential apartment, so that the Plaintiffs purchased 2/3 of the rights and the Defendant purchased the remaining 1/3. A copy of the apartment’s registration extract is attached herewith and marked “A”. 4. Transaction amount was 316,890 NIS. 5. In favor of purchasing the apartment and in order to fund it, the parties realized their right as new immigrants and took a mortgage guaranteed loan from the Bank of Jerusalem Mortgages Ltd. in the sum of 300,000 NIS, i.e. funding of more than 90 percent of transaction amount. A copy of the deed of mortgage is attached herewith and marked “B”. 6. Immediately following the purchase of the abovementioned apartment and since she did not manage to settle in Israel, the Defendant decided to leave the country and moved to the Ukraine. 7. Before leaving the country and in light of her rights in the apartment, the Defendant took several steps aimed at waiving all of her rights in the apartment in favor of the Plaintiffs: 7.1. On October 19th 1994, the Defendant signed a power of attorney, authorizing Plaintiff 1 to take any action in the apartment, including its sale. A copy of the power of attorney is attached herewith and marked “C”. 7.2. On December 4th 1994, the Defendant signed a waiver instrument, in which she renounced all of her rights in the apartment in favor of Plaintiff 1, provided that Plaintiff 1 bore all of the mortgage payment she owed, according to her relative share. A copy of the waiver instrument, translated into Hebrew and notarized, is attached herewith and marked “D”. 7.3. On December 18th 1994, the Defendant signed an evidenced will, according to which she bequeathed that following her demise all of her rights in the apartment will be transferred to the Plaintiffs, in equal shares. A copy of the will is attached herewith and marked “E”. 8. It is further noted that prior to leaving the country, the Defendant borrowed from the Plaintiffs the sum of US$7,000, which she has never repaid them. 9. On February 21st 1995, the Defendant left Israel. 10. Indeed, as of the apartment’s purchase by the parties, for approximately 20 years, the Plaintiffs paid the mortgage on the apartment, out of their joint account, when the Defendant did not pay a single penny. 11. In total, throughout loan years, the Plaintiffs paid the lending bank a sum amounting to approximately 600,000 NIS. 12. On October 21st 2014, the Plaintiffs repaid the remainder of the loan and retired the mortgage on the property. A copy of the mortgage repayment certificate is attached herewith and marked “F”. 13. The Plaintiffs’ attempts over the years to locate the Defendant in the Ukraine have failed, and despite their investment of great efforts and funds they came up empty handed. 14. Several months ago, the Plaintiffs managed to locate and contact the Defendant, through social media, and learned that she currently resides in San Francisco, California, U.S.A. 15. As part of the contact with the Defendant, the Plaintiffs asked her to sign a new power of attorney for them before the Israeli Consul in California, in lieu of appendix “C” [which expired] so they could realize their right, as they agreed, sell the apartment to a third party and move to a larger apartment, yet she refused to do so. Plaintiffs Arguments 16. The Plaintiffs argue that the Defendant waived in their favor all of her rights in the referenced apartment, prior to leaving the country and against the Plaintiff ’s undertaking to bear full payment of the loan taken by the parties to purchase the property. 17. That waiver is undisputed and was accompanied by the Defendant’s signature of several documents, unequivocally attesting to that waiver, mainly a special power of attorney in favor of the Plaintiffs, authorizing them to sell her share in the apartment in her name and on her behalf. 18. However, the Defendant remained the owner of rights registered with the Land Registration Bureau, and in the absence of a valid power of attorney the apartment could not be sold to a third party. 19. In this state of affairs, the Plaintiffs are held captive by the Defendant and cannot sell their rights in the apartment and improve their quality of life, as they have been wishing to do for several years, when in reality she has no right to enjoy sale fruits. 20. Therefore, the honorable court is requested to order the winding-up of the partnership in the referenced land, by way of the sale of the rights in it to a third part. The honorable court is also requested to declare that the Plaintiffs are entitled to receive the full consideration. To do so, the honorable court is requested to appoint Plaintiffs’ rep. as receiver of the rights in the apartment, to put it up for sale and sell it. 21. The honorable court has material and local jurisdiction to debate the claim, in light of its requested remedy and the location of the referenced property. Yiftach Ibn Ezra, adv. Representing the Plaintiffs The Tel Aviv-Yaffo Magistrate Court Motion number: 1 Before the honorable judge Avi Shalev Applicants

1. 2.

Respondent

Karina Abitisian Arthur Abitisian Vs. Yelena Fisherman

Decision Based on motion reasoning and according to my authority under Ordinance 500 of the Civil Procedure Ordinances of 5744-1984, a permit is hereby given for process out of jurisdiction according to the Respondent’s address in the statement of claim. Delivery will be made via registered, verified air mail or personal verified delivery via an international courier. Delivery will include the statement of claim with its appendixes, the subpoena, the motion for a permit for process out of jurisdiction with all it entails, and this decision. All documents will be sent in their original form, as well as in a notarized translation into Russian. The Respondent will file a statement of defense within 90 days of receiving the documents and is authorized to appeal for motion annulment within 45 days. Secretariat will process the decision to Applicants rep. Given today, Kislev 3rd 5775, November 25th 2014, without parties presence. Avi Shalev, judge

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037511200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037508200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037517200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LIPSHTICK PICTURES, 34 6TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SERENA SCHULER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/13/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEW FORMALISM, 1501 LEAVENWORTH ST #7, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed WEI-PEI CHERNG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/09/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/2017.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLUE WATER TOWING & AUTO SERVICE, 7490 MISSION ST, COLMA, CA 94014. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BLUE WATER TOWING & AUTO SERVICE INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/16/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/16/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037514300

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037506900

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037518100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BOOZEPHREAKS, 865 SAN JOSE AVE #5, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BLAKE TUCKER. 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 03/14/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OCEAN VIEW SPA, 1632 NORIEGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed RU HAI LIANG & ZHU MING LIANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/07/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/09/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PARTSMARKET; PARTSMARKET PRIME, 350 TOWNSEND ST #405, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed INTERNET 404 TECHNOLOGIES INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/17/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/17/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017

Classified>>

t Legal Notices

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037513900

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037527800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FLORE, 2298 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed FOCUS 415 CAPITAL INVESTMENTS GROUP 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 03/14/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NOVA LOCKSMITH, 1045 MISSION ST #487, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed AVIAD BRACHA. 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.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037511800

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037523700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LIN’S ORIENTAL IMPORTS, 1520 TENNESSEE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LINS IMPORT CORP (CA). 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 03/13/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SMALL BUSINESS ACTION NETWORK, 3547 MISSION ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed STEPHANIE HIBBERT. 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.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037500800

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037521100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CONSULERIS LLC, 101 CALIFORNIA ST #2710, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CONSULERIS LLC (DC). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/11/14. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/06/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037512600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOOK FISH CO., 4542 IRVING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HOOK FISH COMPANY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/15/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037519100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POTRERO NUEVO VENTURES LLC, 1032 IRVING ST #973, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed POTRERO NUEVO VENTURES LLC (CA). 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 03/20/17.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036221400 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: OCEAN VIEW SPA, 1632 NORIEGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by ZHU MING LIANG. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/30/14.

MAR 23, 30, APR 06, 13, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037529400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE UPPER HAND NAIL SPA, 3836 24TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NGUYET NGUYEN. 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.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037529200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EBERHART, 1575 TURK ST #308, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NYZEINA EBERHART. 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.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MOGADOR MOROCCAN CAFE & CUISINE, 105 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ABDELKADER CHENBOD. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/21/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/21/17.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037521200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TEDDY’S MARKET, 298 TEDDY AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed TAUFIK NAGI MOHSEN & ALI MOSA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 01/09/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/21/17.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037517400

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 WANIGASEKARA-MOHOTTI. 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: SLAPADAY, 946 GEARY ST #6, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed DEVON JONES & MICHAEL LANGE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/12/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/17/17.

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.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037528000

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

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AJC AUTOBODY, INC, 250 NAPOLEON ST #P, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AJC AUTOBODY, INC. 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 03/24/17.

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.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037499500

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

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROBIN, 620 GOUGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed VERDE LAGO LLC (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 03/03/17.

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.

MAR 30, APR 06, 13, 20, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037524500

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

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ARDIANA, 1781 CHURCH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ARDIANA LLC (CA). 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.

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.

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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 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

City and County of San Francisco Outreach Advertising April 2017 The Airport Commission has commenced the following Request for Proposals (RFP) / Request for Bids (RFB) process: International Terminal Boarding Areas A and G Newsstand and Specialty Retail Concession Leases. The RFP includes 3 Newsstand and 2 Specialty Retail Leases. The proposed minimum annual financial offers range from $210,000.00 to $1,200,000.00. Rent shall be the higher of the Minimum Annual Guarantee (“MAG”) or the sum of the percentage rent structured as follows: 12% of Gross Revenues achieved up to and including $500,000.00; plus 14% of Gross Revenues achieved from $500,000.01 up to and including $1,000,000.00; plus16% of Gross Revenues achieved over $1,000,000.00. The proposed terms are all seven years.

International Terminal “A” Historic Restaurant Concession Lease The MAG for the first year of the lease would be $330,000.00. The base rent would be the higher of the MAG or the sum of the percentage rent structured as follows: 8% of Gross Revenues achieved up to and including $1,000,000.00; plus 10% of Gross Revenues achieved from $1,000,000.01 up to and including $1,500,000.00; plus 12% of Gross Revenues achieved over $1,500,000.00. The proposed term is ten years with two one-year options.

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APR 06, 13, 20, 27, 2017

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.

International Terminal “A” Food Hall and Café Concession Lease The MAG for the first year of the lease would be $495,000.00. The base rent would be the higher of the MAG or the sum of the percentage rent structured as follows: 6% of Gross Revenues achieved up to and including $2,500,000.00; plus 8% of Gross Revenues achieved from $2,500,000.01 up to and including $3,000,000.00; plus 10% of Gross Revenues achieved over $3,000,000.00. The proposed term is ten years with two one-year options.

Rick 415 . 8 2 1 . 1 7 92

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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, quasicommunity 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.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037528400

International Terminal Duty Free and Luxury Stores The RFP is for 10 Duty Free and Luxury Stores locations in the International Terminal, and one location in Terminal 1. The concepts sought are duty free core category shops and highend luxury boutiques. The proposed MAG is $42,000,000.00, and the Minimum Acceptable Percentage Rent Offer is Thirty Percent (30%) of Gross Revenues. The proposed term is fourteen years.

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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

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International Terminal “A” Coffee Kiosk Concession Lease The MAG for the first year of the lease would be $165,000.00. The base rent would be the higher of the MAG or the sum of the percentage rent structured as follows: 6% of Gross Revenues achieved up to and including $1,000,000.00; plus 8% of Gross Revenues achieved from $1,000,000.01 up to and including $1,500,000.00; plus 10% of Gross Revenues achieved over $1,500,000.00. The proposed term is seven years with two one-year options. Please visit our website at www.flysfo.com/business-at-sfo/current-opportunities The Board of Supervisors are accepting applications for a vacancy on the Police Commission. Interested applicants may apply at http://www.sfbos.org/vacancy_application or from the Rules Committee Clerk, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 244, San Francisco, CA 94102-4689 or call 415-554-5184. Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development Notice of Public Hearing and Availability of Draft 2017-2018 Action Plan, Including Preliminary Funding Recommendations The Draft 2017-2018 Action Plan, which includes preliminary funding recommendations for the CDBG, ESG, HOME and HOPWA programs, will be available for public review and comment from March 23, 2017 through April 21, 2017. A public hearing to receive comments on the Draft 2017-2018 Action Plan is scheduled for Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at 5:00 PM at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 2nd Floor Atrium Conference Room. Please visit www.sfmohcd.org or call 415-701-5500.

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Cultural best!

Arts &

Besties announced in Arts & Culture by Roberto Friedman

Culture

ehold the 2017 Besties, the B.A.R.’s LGBTQ Best of the Bay awards. Here are the results in nine Arts & Culture categories. Congratulations to all the winners and also-rans! See page 30

Estate of Stuart Davis, courtesy FAMSF

Gareth Gooch

A few Bestie winners at Best Bookstore Dog Eared Books include (front row) Best DJ Michael Chu/MC2, Best Drag King Alex U Inn; (back row) Best Choral Group winner San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus members Gary Mendelson, Frank Marx, Peter Zimmerman and the late Ryan Nunez; Best Male Cabaret Singer Jason Brock; and Best HIV/AIDS Nonprofit, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s LifeCycle riders (Best LGBT Fundraiser) Parker Trewin and Art Desuyo.

All that jazz! by Sura Wood

magine Duke Ellington with a paintbrush instead of tinkling piano keys, and you have the verve and on-the-move vibe of American artist Stuart Davis. From the late teens and early 1920s until his death in 1964, he suffused European Modernism with a brash, distinctly American brand of simultaneity, cacophony, optimism and turbo-charged 20th-century life, combined with the sights and sounds of burgeoning cities, high and low culture, and the vocabulary of advertising. See page 42 >>

Stuart Davis, “The Paris Bit” (1959), oil on canvas. Whitney Museum of American Art.

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

t ! h g i n o t s u n i o J

our FREE annual Readers Choice party hosted by Marga Gomez Learn details and RSVP at www.ebar.com/besties2017

298 11th Street, San Francisco

<< Out There

30 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Out There

From page 29

Best Art Museum

SFMOMA

WINNER Best Wedding Photographer

Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

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About SFMOMA, which reopened triumphantly last year after a three-year hiatus, arts writer Sura Wood wrote in the B.A.R. in December, “The annual ‘hats off ’ goes to Senior Curator of Painting and Sculpture Gary Garrels, an accessible, erudite curator whose Herculean efforts and superior instincts lent panache to SFMOMA’s beautifully executed, post-renovation installations.” Runners-up, in alphabetical order, were the Asian Art Museum, Contemporary Jewish Museum, de Young Museum, GLBT History Museum, Legion of Honor, Museum of Craft & Design, Museum of the African Diaspora, Oakland Museum of California, San Jose Museum of Art, and Walt Disney Family Museum.

Best Ballet Company

San Francisco Ballet About the San Francisco Ballet’s Frankenstein (a co-production with London’s Royal Ballet), dance writer Paul Parish wrote in the B.A.R. in February, “I kept hearing the lines of Blake’s poem, ‘I’ll be like him, and he will then love me.’ The whole audience, 3,000 people, rose to their feet and cheered like mad. The best thing is that the dancers have given themselves to the project completely. The dancers made the show, as so often they do. What a great ensemblerepertory company they are.” “What an honor to be chosen best ballet company in this year’s B.A.R. Readers’ Survey! We appreciate the support of the LGBTQ community and the B.A.R., and look forward to sharing many more exciting performances.” – SFB executive director Glenn McCoy. Runners-up were Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Ballet San Jose, Diablo Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Post: ballet, and Smuin Ballet.

Best Classical Venue

Davies Symphony Hall C

CMY

About the San Francisco Symphony, music writer Philip Campbell wrote in the B.A.R. in February, “The best part of the program was the transcendent performance of the Brahms Symphony No. 3 that concluded [Conductor Laureate Herbert Blomstedt’s] visit. Dividing the richly textured strings paid off, and watching the conductor energetically shaping them from a chair on the podium added exceptional beauty and tangible emotion to the experience.” “I am delighted that Davies Symphony Hall is chosen by readers of the B.A.R. as the Best Classical Venue for 2017! We love this city and our community, and it’s a tremendous honor to serve and share our love of music with the people of San Francisco in this wonderful venue.” – SFS executive director Brent Assink. Runners-up were Herbst Theatre, Veterans Building, War Memorial Opera House, Old First Church, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Best Large Live Music Venue

The Fillmore

About The Fillmore, music editor Jessie Schiewe wrote for SF Weekly this month that when impresario Bill Graham rented it in the mid-1960s, he changed its programming from R&B to rockn-roll. “During that period, many of the biggest musicians from the 60s made tour stops at the Fillmore,

including the Velvet Underground, Nico, The Doors, Santana, Led Zeppelin, The Byrds, Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane.” Runners-up were The Chapel, Great American Music Hall, Masonic Hall, Regency Center, The Warfield, and Slim’s.

Best Modern Dance Company

ODC/Dance

About ODC/Dance Company¸ dance correspondent Allan Ulrich wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle last week, “What elevates ‘Blink of an Eye’ is [coartistic director KT] Nelson’s facility for altering stage space before you’re even aware of it. Then, she really knows her dancers’ styles and temperaments.” Runners-up were AXIS Dance Company, Jess Curtis/Gravity, Joe Goode Performance Group, Katie Faulkner/little seismic, Keith Hennessy/Circo Zero and Sean Dorsey Dance.

Best Nature or Science Museum

California Academy of Sciences About the California Academy of Sciences, Fodor’s travel guide wrote, “Dramatically designed by Renzo Piano, it’s an eco-friendly, energy-efficient adventure in biodiversity and green architecture. The roof ’s large mounds and hills mirror the local topography, and Piano’s audacious design completes the dramatic transformation of the park’s Music Concourse.” “The Academy is thrilled to accept this Bestie, a win that represents the inclusive spirit we’re so proud to foster. We’re truly at our best when we reflect the vibrant Bay Area community we serve. Three cheers for our amazing staff, members, NightLife regulars, and science-loving community partners who help make this a safe, fun place for everybody. To our LGBTQ staff and community supporters: we’ll never stop working to make inclusivity the norm.” – CAS executive director Dr. Jon Foley. Runners-ups were the Exploratorium, San Francisco Botanical Gardens, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers.

Best Small Live Music Venue

Martuni’s

About Martuni’s, journalist Joe Eskenazi wrote for the SF Weekly in 2012, “Nowhere else in this city can customers breathe the same air as incognito Broadway actors, local theater folk, and the glorified shower singers of San Francisco, all accompanied by a professional pianist, and all for the price of a beverage.” Runners-up were The New Parish, Thee Parkside, Rickshaw Stop, El Rio, and San Francisco Eagle.

Best Theatre Company

American Conservatory Theater About A.C.T.’s production of The Unfortunates at the Strand Theater, theatre writer Richard Dodds wrote in the B.A.R. last March, “It takes us on a unique journey into one man’s private hell that, in a most unexpected fashion, can also find ways to joyous manifestation.” “It’s a great honor for A.C.T. to be recognized by the LBGTQ com-

munity! It means a great deal to all of us to have close and ongoing ties with one of the most creative and compassionate communities in the Bay Area. From everyone at A.C.T., our deepest gratitude!” – A.C.T. artistic director Carey Perloff. Runners-up were Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Ray of Light Theatre, Theatre Rhinoceros, SHN, and Curran Theater.

Best Choral Group

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus About San Francisco Gay Men Chorus’ Babes in Joyland: Dreaming of a Pink Christmas at the Nourse Theater, arts writer DavidElijah Nahmod wrote in the B.A.R. in December, “SFGMC spread some much-needed holiday cheer when Babes in Joyland played to a packed house at the Nourse Theater. Much of the evening had a strong gay sensibility. Instead of dreaming of a White Christmas, the Chorus sang of a Pink Christmas. There was a bevy of adorable elves, and a chorus line of can-can-dancing Santas.” “I feel like an Oscar winner with so many people to thank. The play-off music is looming! The Bay Area is one of the premier choral music centers of the United States, and a gay mecca. Put all that together and we have wonderful art being made by many LGBTQ groups. I’ll accept this on their behalf and say a huge thank you to the B.A.R. for having the category, and to all of our patrons, who allow us to continue changing our little corner of the world. It is especially meaningful as we will begin our 40th Anniversary this summer!” – SFGMC artistic director Dr. Timothy Seelig. Runners-up were Chanticleer, East Bay Gay Men’s Chorus, Lesbian/Gay Chorus of SF, and Rainbow Women’s Chorus.

Personal best The Besties are certainly the Besties in all the best ways. Also, Out There’s always felt one’s idea of the “best” in Arts & Culture, i.e., one’s “aesthetics,” is a personal thing. You know, like a personal vintage. When we go around town on our days off, which we consider the Best Days of the Week (footnote #1), we use the Best Means of Urban Locomotion (2). We start off in the city’s Best Neighborhood (3) because, duh, it’s where we live. We might stop in the Best Neighborhood Café (4) for a double espresso; then, when we feel the caffeine really kick in, head out for the Best Waterfront Walk (5). Having worked up an appetite, we drop into our favorite haunts in Little Saigon, including the Best Pho parlor (6) and Best Watch Repair (7) for a new black leather strap. It’s upkeep for our black-dial Best Wristwatch (8). That could only mean it’s high time for cultural activity. We enjoy a concert from the Best Orchestra (9), an opera from the Best Opera Company (10) or ballet from the Best Ballet Company (11); or maybe a screening at the Best ArtFilm House (12). A Best Nightcap (13). Then it’s time to go home for the Best Domestic Activity (14)! Footnotes: 1. W. & Th., 2. Walking, 3. Civic Center/Hayes Valley, 4. Tie: Café La Vie, La Boulange, 5. Aquatic Park pier over the hill to Fort Mason Center, 6. Pho 2000, 7. Quoc Loug Jewelry, 8. Tommy Hilfiger, 9. San Francisco Symphony, 10. San Francisco Opera, 11. San Francisco Ballet, 12. Landmark Embarcadero Cinemas, 13. Tanq 10 gin on the rocks. 14. Sleep.t

On the web

This week, find Victoria A. Brownworth’s Lavender Tube column, “Walking dead & coming out,” online at ebar.com.

2017 Season

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Theatre>>

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 33

Father & daughter musical reunion by Richard Dodds

t’s taken 60 years to reach San Francisco, but 42nd Street Moon is giving a right-proper welcome to New Girl in Town. A somewhat strained amalgam of Broadway talents prodded the show into New York in 1957, where it had a profitable run of more than a year, and then has scant been heard from again. But in the smaller scale at which 42nd Street Moon operates, and allowed to be remolded without the star-vehicle machinations of the original, this production of New Girl proves to be merry entertainment indeed. Now, “merry” is not an adjective often applied to Eugene O’Neill, and New Girl does derive from his 1922 play Anna Christie. O’Neill-ophiles might best stay away, but otherwise that connection can remain a curiosity. True, the skeleton of the story remains, but its gloomy tone has been jettisoned for more traditional musical-comedy conventions. Plus, the production at the Eureka Theatre has been streamlined to an intermissionless 95 minutes, but with

Bob Merrill’s engaging songs all objections. During a rocky accounted for. out-of-town tryout, the show But the character Anna Christie was pushed and pulled, and does stick to O’Neill as she makes Fosse’s briefly notorious her first entrance at a grimy waterbordello dream ballet was front tavern. “Gimme a whiskey jettisoned, to meet as many – ginger ale on the side. And don’t expectations as possible. be stingy, baby,” she growls at the But director Daren A.C. bartender (which also happen to Carollo can pretty much be the first words Greta Garbo work with a clean slate, and ever uttered in a talkie). We’re surwe arrive, for example, with prised by the character’s coarseno expectations that Allison ness because her father, who hasn’t F. Rich will have a dance seen his daughter in 15 years, has showcase or that the tone of been talking her up to dockside the piece reflect a backstage denizens as an innocent Midwestbattleground. The producern farm-girl-turned-nurse, and tion powers confidently Ben Krantz Studio remains blind to all signs of her ahead, with lively dance recent career in “the sportin’ life” Allison F. Rich and Chris Vettel play a steps from Kelly Cooper in as she tries to remake herself in daughter and father reunited after 15 years the minimalist production who have much to learn about each other, in New York. numbers that usually have 42nd Street Moon’s New Girl in Town. The team of writer-director little to do with the basic George Abbott, choreographer story. There is also a cast Bob Fosse, and producer Hal that can both act and sing Abbott and Fosse fought over how to Prince was riding high off the successat a surprisingly high level, from do that, with Abbott favoring a more es of The Pajama Game and Damn the versatile ensemble who move serious approach, and Fosse of course Yankees, and they liked the songs that through multiple roles to Rich’s wanting to showcase his dance steps Broadway neophyte Bob Merrill had authentically layered role as the – especially after his future wife Gwen already written to start the process of cynical, hard-edged Anna, who Verdon, primarily known as a dancer, turning Anna Christie into a musical. struggles to find a new path. was cast as Anna over Abbott’s initial

As Anna’s father, a lovable Swedish souse who operates a coal barge, Chris Vettel captures the warmth and sadness behind this trusting soul. Because Thelma Ritter was cast as his common-law wife, and shared over-the-title billing and the Tony Award with Verdon, the role of Marthy was built up from what O’Neill had offered, and Judith Miller puts her own steely spin on the Tugboat Annie-style role. Anna has to have a love interest, and Joshua Marx solidly fits the bill as the roughhousing sailor who softens before finding out about Anna’s true past. Working away at the piano in the shadows of Mark Mendelson’s atmospheric multiple-purpose set, musical director Dave Dobrusky keeps the show melodically on track. That’s particularly important in this production, for songs are regularly arriving without much interference from dialogue – O’Neill’s or anyone else’s.t New Girl in Town will run at the Eureka Theatre through April 16. Tickets are $28-$75. Call (415) 255-8207 or go to 42ndstreetmoon.org.

Farce time, hold the sardines English provinces with a play titled Nothing On. The playwithin-a-play is a takeoff on the kind of sex farces that were still a West End staple when Noises Off debuted in London in 1982, plays with titles like Run for Your Wife and No Sex Please, We’re British, in which characters are constantly being thwarted in their attempts to have illicit sex. And so it is with Nothing On, a claptrap vehicle for an aging TV personality playing a blowsy housekeeper at a supposedly vacant cottage where two couples arrive for Jessica Palopoli afternoon trysts. All we ever see is the first Patrick Russell and Monique Hafen act of Nothing On, repeated play one of the couples trying to have three times from various an afternoon tryst in a fictional sex vantages. There’s the sloppy farce that playwright Michael Frayn final rehearsal; there’s the play parodies in Noises Off now at SF seen from backstage midway Playhouse. through the tour as rivalries, romances, and jealousies rage by Richard Dodds while the show must – in at least some fashion – go on; and n another city far, far away, and in there’s the last stop on the tour, the previous millennium, a local where the cast has pretty much given theater company was presenting up on presenting a coherent show. Noises Off. Because much of the Nothing On is populated with play’s humor comes from the audistock characters, and Frayn has ofence getting to see the backstage fered his own set of theatrical types chaos that the fictional audience for Noises Off. Because they are at a fictional play doesn’t get to see types and not often filled with surduring a fictional performance, it prises, the actors must bring robust seemed like a good story idea for comedic skills into play. No one is a newspaper writer to actually sit really off the mark in the SF Playbackstage throughout an actual house production, but that extra performance of Michael Frayn’s comic glint can be elusive. Where it comedy of theatrical calamity. It was can be best found in this production not a good story idea. One might as is in the most stereotypical role in well as have been sitting backstage both Nothing On and Noises Off: the at A Long Day’s Journey Into Night dumb sexy blonde. waiting for the hijinks to begin. Monique Hafen generates the Fictional chaos requires profesproduction’s biggest laughs playing sional focus, and the best place to Brooke Ashton, an actress who was receive it – reductio ad absurdum obviously not hired for her skills as – is with the actual audience at a thespian. That wouldn’t be too which that focus is aimed. That is much of a problem because all her currently available at San Francisco character has to do is run around Playhouse, where the ingenuity of looking sexy in a negligee and Frayn’s script and the cast’s seemreact in surprise at key moments. ingly inexhaustible ability to comBut when things begin to go awry municate its physical demands are during a performance of Nothing impressively realized in director On, and the rest of the cast tries to Susi Damilano’s production. Nevimprovise around the problems, ertheless, the production and the Brooke can only respond with how performances are missing some of she was programmed. Perhaps the the needed finesse to elicit more funniest moment is simply the line, of the available laughs and reveal “Bags! Bags! Bags!” that Hafen, as less of the sporadic weaknesses in Brooke, exclaims with unshakeable Frayn’s script. commitment even though the props Noises Off is about a secondin question have failed to appear. tier theatrical troupe touring the Kimberly Richards has a solid

handle on Dotty Otley, the faltering, moody, but still libidinous star of Nothing On, and there is agreeable work from Patrick Russell (who does the best pratfall), Nanci Zoppi, Craig Marker, and Richard Louis James as fellow actors in the beleaguered troupe. Greg Ayers gets some good laughs as the clueless stage manager, but Monica Ho skips over the nuances that would get more humor from the frantic assistant stage manager. As the exasperated director of Nothing On,

Johnny Moreno brings a plummy accent, lots of froth, and only vague hints of a comedic edge. Frayn has tinkered with the script since its original London and New York production of the 1980s, the most beneficial change being the elimination of a second intermission between the second and third acts. Improvements in stage technology have facilitated that since the set has to do a 180-degrees revolve between each act, and George Maxwell’s scenic design makes good use of the

turntable built into SF Playhouse’s stage. Now the high energy of the second act doesn’t have a chance to dissipate during a second interval, and the traditionally anti-climactic third act can now roll solidly to the final curtain. At which point, you’ll probably be grateful not to hear the word “sardines” at least for a while.t Noises Off will run at the San Francisco Playhouse through May 13. Tickets are $20-$125. Call (415) 677-9596 or go to sfplayhouse.org.

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.

<< Dance

34 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Swans a-swanning at the ballet

Erik Tomasson

San Francisco Ballet in Helgi Tomasson’s choreography for Tchaikovsky’s great ballet Swan Lake.

by Paul Parish

t is difficult to work up any enthusiasm for describing San Francisco Ballet’s Swan Lake that opened last Friday night for a two-week run at the Opera House, alternating with a mixed bill that opens tonight. Maria Kochetkova and Joseph Walsh danced the doomed lovers in a performance where the steps were done accurately and with finesse, but the characters and their feelings were just barely sketched in. I felt like I’d had the story explained to me. It is to be hoped that other casts will do better. I’d bet on Sophiane Sylve and Carlo di Lanno, who have chemistry, understand the style, and can project poetic dimensions of

heart and soul; also the partnership Yuan Yuan Tan/Tiit Helimets – they have achieved sublime performances in the past that redeemed all the follies of the costumes and scenery. May they do so again in the course of this run. Because of Tchaikovsky’s music, which is noble, sincere, and emotionally overwhelming, Swan Lake is the greatest ballet in the world in everyone’s mind and heart – though there is hardly a great production of it to be seen anywhere except London. Since the music is so strong, every conceivable liberty has been taken with posterizing it, and the music and the dancers can save it. But there is not a first-rate tragic Swan Lake to be seen in America.

swans are painfully glary to look at, and their reflections in the obsidian-shiny floor make their lines go blurry. Meanwhile the hero’s black boots make his feet disappear (the black floor again). In the first act, the royal mansion’s grillwork, the backdrop for most of the dancing, competes with the movement like snow on a TV screen, while the ladies’ jackets bunch up around their shoulders and shorten their necks. The third act has some fine character dancing: Jennifer Stahl scored brightly in the Spanish divertissement, Rebecca Rhodes as a Hungarian dancer, and Jahna Frantziskonis as the Neapolitan Princess. Best of all were the Russian couples, danced by Sasha de Sola and Dores Andre with Hansuke Yamamoto and the splendid James Sofranko. It’s a fine piece of choreography, as fine a piece as Ashton’s celebrated pas de quatre, and captures the air of doomed brilliance that all the incidental dances in Swan Lake ought to have. The corps de ballet danced well. The four little swans were extremely well-rehearsed and brought off their percussive dance to great éclat: they were Isabella De Vivo, Jahna Frantziskonis, Julia Rowe, and Natasha Sheehan. Daniel DeivisonOliveira as the evil sorcerer brought great panache to his role. Cordula Merks and Eric Sung played the featured violin/cello roles in the second act, and principal oboist Laura Griffiths was glorious in the melody to the prelude of that act. There’s no doubt that the performances will improve as the run continues. Meanwhile, Myles Thatcher’s world premiere on Program 7 is eagerly awaited.t

Helgi Tomasson’s, though it’s sentimental, is certainly less perverse than ABT’s and less dislocated than Peter Martins’ for New York City Ballet. The Russian versions still have happy endings forced on them by the Soviet political bosses. The truest versions to Tchaikovsky’s overwhelmingly tragic music are Frederick Ashton’s for the Royal Ballet (which plays it straight) and the all-male version by Matthew Bourne, which is sincere, beautiful and overwhelmingly cataclysmic in its finale. San Francisco Ballet established themselves as an international company back in 1988 with Helgi Tomasson’s first production, which, though it had some problems, was

superlatively danceable and glowing. They toured it to the world to acclaim. But his second production, designed by Jonathan Fensom, who has awesome credentials in the legitimate theater, does not “push the boundaries” as he had hoped, but rather compounds the problems of the first. Now it’s like a box that the dancers have to dance their way out of if they’re going to save it. Fensom gets the first thing wrong: he puts the men in black boots against a black floor, so their feet in effect disappear, which makes it hard to see the dance. In the second act, the lake is represented by a gigantic block of charcoal under a full moon that glows so bright the

(Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites), Arsamene (Handel’s Serse) and Giovanna Seymour (Donizetti’s Anna Bolena). Her distinctive sound has a strong core and pleasing edge, given personality with a resonant and tightly controlled vibrato. Her best contributions to the recital, the Cinco canciones negros by Xavier Montsalvatge, showed her vocal allure to full advantage, and her Spanish pronunciation was delightfully idiomatic. She is no slouch in the French repertoire, either, and Debussy’s Chansons de Bilitis also stood out, interesting to contrast with Anna Caterina Antonacci’s recent rendition at the same venue. Raven added the lush Romantic and dramatic chromaticism of Erich Korngold’s Unvergänglichkeit (Eternity) to set the seal on her ambitious presentation. Bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum (Ellicott City, MD) exploded with macho nerve in “There’s a Law” from Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti during the Merola Grand Finale at the War Memorial Opera House in 2016. Literally letting his mane of long hair down and shaking it like a lion made quite an impression and a show-stopping moment. More subdued for his Schwabacher Debut Recital, Quattlebaum still displayed reserves of restless energy. Tackling the enormously challenging Vier Lieder, op. 2 (Four Songs) of Alban Berg to open his appearance proved his confidence. A real test of a singer’s pitch and control, the melancholy Berg Songs

also demand a mature interpretive understanding. Quattlebaum aced the assignment, and the rich and glowing depth of his voice added necessary warmth. Jacques Ibert’s Chansons de Don Quichotte (Songs of Don Quixote) was also notably effective. Quattlebaum added vocal characterization, though he hardly looks like a deranged old knight. It was yet another instance of the opportunities for exploration offered to participants in the series. The engaging pair of artists united for the afternoon’s final selection, Marc Blitzstein’s charming Stay in My Arms. Finding “a peaceful, pretty spot where noise is not” is a timely concern for all of us, and it sums up the pleasures to be found in the recitals. An elevator ride up from the rush of Van Ness Avenue, the cozy ambience of the Taube Atrium offers a welcome retreat. The second Debut Recital, featuring baritone Sol Jin, a winner of the 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and pianist Kirill Kuzmin, has passed, but mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier, 2017 Adler Fellow bass Anthony Reed, and pianist John Churchwell will appear on Sunday, April 9, in An American Pastiche, a sort of RomCom narrative created with songs by American composers. On April 30, pianist Warren Jones will be joined by 2017 Adler Both photos: San Francisco Opera Fellows Amina Edris, Above: Mezzo-soprano Taylor Amitai Pati, and AnRaven Below: Bass-baritone drew Manea for a romantic recital Cody Quattlebaum. of songs and duets in Italian and French.t

Recital rewards

by Philip Campbell

an Francisco Opera Center and the Merola Opera Program presented the 34th season opener of the Schwabacher Debut Recitals in the Taube Atrium Theater last month. Mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven and bass-baritone Cody Quattlebaum were the impressive starters, and current SFOC Director of Musical Studies Mark Morash accompanied them at the piano. It was a relaxed and intimate late-afternoon Sunday recital that offered renewed hope for the future of the art song, and faith in the potential of young talent. The Merola Program trains fresh operatic voices and follows through devotedly with plenty of opportunities for public performance. The experience yields remarkable

results for the participants, and gives observers an exciting chance to spot promising new careers. The Schwabacher Debut Recitals are permanently endowed by the late James Schwabacher and sponsored by the Jack H. Lund Charitable Trust. Bay Area singer and teacher James Schwabacher was a co-founder of the Merola Opera Program. The recitals have introduced many important international artists to San Francisco audiences, including Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, and late, lamented countertenor Brian Asawa. Mezzo-soprano Taylor Raven from Fayetteville, NC, has already shown her impressive dramatic range and unique vocalism as a Merola participant. We recall her stunning turns as Mère Marie

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<< Out&About

Out &About

O&A

Ben Krantz Studio

36 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Leni @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Bay Area premiere of Sarah Greenman’s innovative biographical play about the German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl, whose cinematic brilliance promoted the Nazi regime. $36-$65. Tue & Sun 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Also Sun 2pm. thru May 7. 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org

Lynn Hershman Leeson: Civic Radar @ YBCA

Thu 6 Urinetown @ Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley

Sale-ient by Jim Provenzano

hether full-price tickets, lottery bargains for a mega-hit musical, or comps from a performer pal, your nights enjoying the arts are always a worthy investment. And don’t forget our seventh annual Besties party, celebrating the best of the LGBT Bay Area, Thursday, April 6 at Oasis! For more nightlife events, see On the Tab listings.

Thu 6

Fri 7

San Francisco International Film festival premieres unique new feature, short and documentary films; thru April 16. www.sffilm.org/festival 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Paula Vogel’s award-winning satire about a whirlwind European journey in search of romance and a cure. $50-$85. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2:30pm. Thru April 16. Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd, Bldg. D, 3rd floor. 4418822. www.magictheatre.org

Classic & New Films @ Castro Theatre

Daughter of a Garbageman @ The Marsh

The Baltimore Waltz @ Magic Theatre

KGO host and stand-up comic Maureen Langan’s solo show about her family life, and the endurance of working class people. $20-$100. Thu 8pm. Sat 5pm. Thru May 13. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Between Genders @ JCCSF

Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin @ Berkeley Rep

Cheyenne Jackson @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

The acclaimed pianist-actor returns with another in his repertoire of music icons. $35-$97. Thru April 30. 2025 Addison St. www.berkeleyrep.org

John @ Strand Theatre American Conservatory Theatre’s production of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker’s drama about a couple’s increasingly strange stay at a bed and breakfast; co-starring Georgia Engel. $20-$105. Tue-Sat 7:30pm. Wed & Sat 1pm. Thru April 23. 1127 Market St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Needles and Opium @ Geary Theatre American Conservatory Theatre presents Robert Lepage’s innovative staging of his play combining the drugfueled creative visions of jazz legend Miles Davis, and gay French filmmaker Jean Cocteau. $20-$105. Tue-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sat 2pm. Thru April 23. 415 Geary St. www.act-sf.org

Noises Off! @ SF Playhouse Michael Frayn’s hilarious farce, about the on- and offstage shenanigans in a theatre company, gets a local production. $35-$85. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri&Sat 8pm. Sat 3pm, Sun 2pm. Thru May 13. 450 Post St. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

Urinetown @ Julia Morgan Theater, Berkeley The three-Tony-winning musical satire about pee repression and corporate greed is performed by Berkeley Playhouse’s ensemble. $22-$40. ThuSat, 7pm and matinees, thru April 30. 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. www.berkeleyplayhouse.org

Various Authors @ City Lights Bookstore April 6: Chris Felver (Tending the Fire: Native Voices and Portraits). April 11: Lloyd Kahn (Small Homes). April 12: Reece Jones with Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Violent Borders: Refugees and the Right to Move). April 13: Clark Coolidge (Selected Poems). All 7pm. 261 Columbus Ave. www.citylights.com

Hida Viloria discusses intersex identity with The Trans List film producer Sam McConnell. $28. 7pm. Jewish Community Center, 3200 California St. www.jccsf.org

The star of stage, film and TV performs his new cabaret show at the elegant nightclub. $85-$105 ($20 food/drink minimum). 8pm. April 8 at 7pm & 10pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason Street. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Everything That’s Beautiful @ NCTC World premiere of Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder’s play about a gay couple whose child lives as a girl, until an accident disrupts their Midwestern life. $25-$50. Previews; opens Mar. 25. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru April 23. 25 Van Ness Ave, lower level. www.nctcsf.org

Excuse Me, Can I See Your ID? @ Vessel Gallery, Oakland Opening reception for a group exhibit celebrating Asian American artists. 6pm-9pm. Thru May. 471 25th St. www.vessel-gallery.com

Flower & Garden Show @ San Mateo County Center Massive showcase of imaginative gardens, floral displays, lectures and events; VIP party April 7, $75, 7:30pm-10:30pm. General admission $16-$25. April 5-9. 1346 Saratoga Drive, San Mateo. www.sfgardenshow.com

Hamilton @ Orpheum Theatre The mega-hit multiple Tony-winning hip hop musical about President Alexander Hamilton makes its Bay Area premiere. $100-$868. Thru April 23. 1192 Market St. www.hamilton.shnsf.com

Lavender-Tinted Glasses @ GLBT History Museum Opening reception for Lavender-Tinted Glasses: A Groovy Gay Look at the Summer of Love, a new mini-exhibit curated by Joey Cain. $5. 7pm. Also, Beartoonist of San Francisco: Sketching an Emerging Subculture, featuring art work by bear cartoonist Fran Frisch. $5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

New retrospective exhibit of the Bay Area artist known for videos, installations and feminist themes. Free/$15. Thru May 21. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. www.ybca.org

Overnight @ Flight Deck, Oakland Ragged Wing Ensemble presents Anna Shneiderman’s drama about how a neighborhood deals with a highrise building that’s suddenly appeared. $25-$45. Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm thru April 22. www.raggedwing.org

Summer in Sanctuary @ The Marsh Berkeley Al Letson (NPR host) performs his acclaimed solo show about being a creative writing teacher in a poor Florida neighborhood. $20-$100. Fri 8pm, Sat 8:30pm. Thru May 29. 2120 Allston way, Berkeley. themarsh.com

Sat 8

Beowulf @ Aquatic Park, Fort Mason Chapel We Players, the innovative sitespecific theatre company, premieres a work based on the classic story, performed with Inkboat Physical Theatre/Dance and Rova Saxophone Quartet. $30-$80. Various dates and times thru April 16. 1100 Bay St. www.weplayers.org

Carey Leibowitz: Museum Show @ Contemporary Jewish Museum Exhibits about Jewish culture and by Jewish artists, including Carey Leibowitz: Museum Show (witty pop art with a queer edge, thru June 25). Lectures and gallery talks as well (Fridays 12:30pm). Free (members)-$12. Fri-Tue 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-8pm (closed Wed). 736 Mission St. 655-7800. thecjm.org

Cloud Forests @ SF Botanical Gardens See beautiful floral and foliage displays, trees and plants in various beautiful gardens specific to region. Daily walking tours and more. Free$15. Tours, lectures, classes and more. Open daily, 7:30am-sunset. Golden Gate Park. 661-1316. www.sfbotanicalgarden.org

East 14th @ The Marsh Don Reed’s multi-award-winning solo show about his unusual relationship with his father in Oakland. $20-$100. Sat 8:30pm, Sun 5:30pm. Thru April 15. 1062 Valencia St. themarsh.org

Jitney @ Marine’s Memorial Theatre African-American Shakespeare Company’s production of August Wilson’s drama, part of his Pittsburgh Cycle. $32.50. Thru April 16. 609 Sutter St. www.africanamericanshakes.org

Lion Pub Estate Auction @ Michaan’s Auctions, Alameda Bid on many vintage items from the estate of the former owners of the famed Pacific Heights gay bar, The Lion Pub, including prints of the famous racy poster. 10am. 2751 Todd St., Alameda. www.michaans.com

Matisse/Diebenkorn @ SF Museum of Modern Art New exhibit compares the art of Henri Matisse and Richard Diebenkorn. Also, exhibits of Pop, Abstract and classic Modern art. Free-$25. 10am-8pm. 151 Third St. www.sfmoma.org

Over the Top: Math Bass & the Imperial Court SF @ Oakland Museum Paired exhibit of works by the LA artist with archival items from the Bay Area Court royals; thru July 23. Also, Out of the Box: The Rise of Sneaker Culture (thru April 2) includes dazzling shoe designs. Also, Bees: Tiny Insect, Big Impact (thru June). Free/$15. Reg. hours Wed-Sat 11am-5pm (Fri til 9pm). 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

Psychedelic Sex @ Center for Sex & Culture Psychedelic Sex from Buzz Bense’s Gay Stash: A Memorial Exhibition of colorful erotic art works by the late founder of Eros Sex Club. Thru April. 1349 Mission St. www.sexandculture.org

Summer of Love Experience @ de Young Museum Opening day festivities for the new exhibit about San Francisco’s historic 1967 groovy era. 9:30am-5:15pm exhibits. 12pm-5pm performance by Jef Valentine, DJ Jackie Sugarlumps, Jefferson Starship tribute band, films and more. Also, Stuart Davis exhibit and amazing Modern art. Free/$15. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden drive, Golden Gate Park. www.famsf.org

Victor, Victorian @ Everett Middle School Transformation Through Recovery, the Castro Country Club’s annual pageant, with cohosts Clammy Faye and Pollo Del Mar, judges Sister Roma, Ethylina Canne and Mad Dog 20/20; DJ Wasabi Gnuts; nibblies drinks, photo ops and fun $10-$20. 6:30pm-10pm. 450 Church St. www.castrocountryclub.org

Sun 9

A Billion Buddhas @ Asian Art Museum A Billion Buddhas: The Awakened Cosmos of Himalyan Buddhism (thru April 9). Free-$25. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 200 Larkin St. 581-3500. asianart.org

Grand Reopening @ SF LGBT Center Ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at the extensively renovated center, with local dignitaries and live performances. 1pm. 1800 Market St. www.sfcenter.org

LGBTQ Histories from the WWII Home Front @ Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center, Richmond Park indoor exhibit that showcases the lives of historic LGBT people. Open daily 10am-5pm. 1414 Harbour Way South, Suite 3000, Richmond. www.roseitheriveter.org

Unearthed @ California Academy of Sciences Exhibits and planetarium shows with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about animals, plants and the earth; new exhibit, From Stone Age to Space Age, showcases minerals through time. Special events each week, with adult nightlife parties many Thursday nights. $20-$35. Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am-5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Tue 11

Bitter Creek, Sweet Water @ Jules Maeght Gallery Exhibit of subversive post-modern works by Marshall Elliot, Paul Kos, Isabelle Sorrell and Christopher Upham. Thru April 29. 149 Gough St. www.julesmaeghtgallery.com

Curious Contraptions @ Exploratorium New exhibit of 20 mechanical sculptures by 12 artists, along with interactive science displays. $10$30. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green St. www.exploratoratorium.edu

Ten Percent @ Comcast David Perry’s online and cable interviews with notable local and visiting LGBT people, broadcast through the week. Wed 7pm, Thu-Tue 11:30am & 10:30pm. www.ComcastHometown.com

Wed 12

Hippie Modernism: The Struggle for Utopia @ Berkeley Art Museum/ Pacific Film Archive New large-scale multimedia exhibit about 1960s-1970s counterculture. Thru May 21. Free-$12. 2625 Durant Ave., Berkeley. www.bampfa.berkeley.edu

Queerest Library Ever @ SF Public Libraries Hormel at 20: Celebrating Our Past/ Creating Our Future, a dual exhibit of archival materials celebrating two decades of the LGBTQ collections. Also, Council of Elders: Portraits of Older Gay Men (thru May 4). 100 Larkin St., 3rd floor, and at the Eureka Valley Branch, 1 Jose Sarria Court at 16th St. www.sfpl.org

Thu 13

More Than a Roof and Walls @ Tenderloin Museum

The weekly LGBT TV show, with updates on current events. 9:30pm. www.outlookvideo.org

Artists Alice Combs and Susa Cortez of Root Division discuss their installation art work (6pm-8pm) before the exhibit’s April 16 opening. Thru April 29. 398 Eddy St. www. tenderloinmuseum.org

Queer Tango @ Finnish Hall, Berkeley

Primahood @ Center for Sex & Culture

OutLook Video @ Channel 29

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

The Woods: a Rom-Com Recital @ Taube Atrium Theater Mezzo-soprano Renée Rapier, bass Anthony Reed and pianist John Churchwell perform a series of American songs arranged as a romantic story, from Rorem to Sondheim. $30$100. 5:30pm. Wilsey Center for Opera, Veterans Building, 4th Floor, 401 Van Ness Ave. www.sfopera.com

Mon 10

Opening reception for an exhibit of drawings and comics by Tyler Cohen. 5pm-8pm. Exhibit thru May 22. 1349 Mission St. www.sexandculture.org

Queer Comics @ Strut Opening party for the Queers and Comics Conference (April 14 & 15: www.queersandcomics.cca.edu/), with LGBT comic artists, Drink & Draw with male models, displays of Kumalicious art by Salvador Hernandez; 8pm-10pm, 2nd floor. Also, Gay Mens’ Sketch, a group exhibit of works by past and current participants in Mark I. Chester long-running drawing group; see 30 curated years of male nude art. 1st & 3rd floor. Thru April. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Perfectly Queer @ Dog Eared Books

Radar Reading @ SF Public Library

Cameron Awkward-Rich, Denise Benavides, Julian Shendelman, James J. Siegel and guest-curator Natasha Dennerstein read from their latest poetry collections. 7pm. 489 Castro St. www.dogearedbooks.com

Maryam Rostami, Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski, Kevin Simmonds and Kyle Caset Chu read from their works. Free. 6pm. 100 Larkin st., lower level. www.radarproductions.org www.sfpl.org

Books>>

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 37

Deep insight in a brave new memoir by Tim Pfaff

riel Levy is on a first-name basis with Difficulty, with The Uncomfortable. I’m as avid a Levy fan as you can be without breaking the law, and it took me several tries to get purchase on her most recent New Yorker feature (March 3), about the in-your-face cult photographer Catherine Opie. In it Opie calls her 1994 photograph “Self-Portrait/Pervert,” in which “pervert” is self-carved into her still-bleeding chest, “too intense for me now.” Levy’s word for it is “unnerving.” “Thanksgiving in Mongolia,” from 2013, is one of Levy’s most personal pieces, chronicling the premature birth and sudden death of her son on the bathroom floor of a hotel in Ulaanbaatar, where she had dispatched herself, five months pregnant, on assignment. In the penultimate paragraph comes a prototypical Levy sentence: “The truth is the ten or twenty minutes I was somebody’s mother were

black magic.” That piece – reprinted verbatim, as close as I can tell – is the fuel core and the engine for The Rules Do Not Apply, Levy’s brave new memoir (Random House). One of the “rules,” which comes back to haunt the author in her frequent moments of gnawing uncertainty and intermittent remorse, is about flying while pregnant. Why would a woman five months along fly to a country whose very name begs adjectives like “outer” and “fabled,” on an assignment she’s given herself? To think about things, including incipient motherhood, is one of the answers, but the others fill the book’s 200 pages, always circling a landing over “Because.” The rule is don’t fly in your last trimester, something Levy researched with her usual tenacity before taking off and about which she was repeatedly reminded, in a consoling way, by a range of specialists who assured her that her child’s death did not have to do with flying, or Mongolia, and that it was not her fault.

That’s nothing to tell a woman who had been a mother for 10 or 20 minutes. Perhaps the only constant in her relentless musings about the event is her clarity that she did not have a miscarriage; she had a son. Ever after, she reports, “I saw him under my closed eyelids like an imprint from the sun.” In daylight she endures the horror of seeing pregnant women everywhere, of having to tell a clothes-store clerk, “I don’t know what size I am because I just had a baby. He died, but the good news is, now I’m fat.” To the well-meaners who never tire of asking whether they (the experts, the specialists) know what happened, Levy’s best, sharpest and most truthful answer (when she can remember it) is, “Yeah I had bad luck.” Yet in the very next paragraph a microgram of something like compassion dilutes the gall. “They want to know what they have to eat to keep from becoming me.” That’s the tuning fork for the mordant humor that leavens the black magic in this fiercely honest memoir. Of her bumpy sexual awakening(s) she writes, “I was newly and (not entirely) gay; I had tried to slide casually in a dykeward direction without attracting too

David Klagsbrun

The Rules Do Not Apply author Ariel Levy.

much attention from my skeptical friends.” Her eventual spouse, Lucy, plucked live from a dead marriage to another woman, eventually leads to more black magic: after losing a son, then house, and then an identity, Levy loses Lucy to alcoholism. The writing, which seems willing to consider anything, anything at all, turns out to be, conversely, an art of compression, not elaboration. In that eerie way that art does mirror life, many of Levy’s deepest

insights come in topic sentences, often simple sentences, at the ends of paragraphs. The many threads in this story are delved into so deeply they become trunk lines. Pivotally, there’s gay marriage itself, which, Levy says, she was so determined to get Lucy to see mattered little to her that she failed to see how much it mattered to Lucy. An extramarital affair with a former lover who had, not incidentally, transitioned from female to male since their last meeting, yields some of Levy’s most harrowing writing. Of the emotional climate of an affair, Levy writes, “This world is inside out. Every time it was transcendental. But then I started not wanting to leave after I put my clothes on. And then I was destroyed.” Of intimacy and its discontents, she notes, “You have an affair to get for yourself what you wish would come from the person you love most. And then you have broken her heart and she can never give you any of it ever again.” My whole life I’ve found infuriating (probably because I felt cheated) parents’ tireless assertion that “until you have a child, you can never understand.” Against that rule, The Rules Do Not Apply has nudged unnervingly closer.t

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<< Film

38 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Seriously sexagenarian SFFILM

by Erin Blackwell

of film titles on page 4, were given Xeroxed an index of filmmakfestival guides and he press conference for the 60th ers on page 60, and on herded into a sepulSan Francisco International page 61 a fine-print chral screening room Film Festival took place at Dolby list of film titles by from which food and on Market, an impressively opprescountry. Dismayingly drink were religiously sive environment dedicated to the for a festival calling forbidden. We entered electronic transmission of sound. itself international, the a realm in which the Sound is very important in film, hog’s share come from perfection of sound which is a simulacrum designed to USA (107), followed by and image trumped carry us off into worlds not of our France (26), UK (14), base bodily urges like own imagining. Film is thus inherGermany (8), dribhunger and thirst. We ently social and socializing. The best bling off into places were there to be overway to enjoy it is in a crowd. Now like Burkina Faso and whelmed by the sheer that spring has sprung, there are Sri Lanka at one each. scope of SFFILM. several festival crowds you can lose Bizarrely, nothing from A long table was yourself in, but the mother of them Czech Republic. set with microphones all has recently rebranded itself SFThe hardest part and plastic water botFILM. That’s a bit grandiose, but of SFFILM Festival is tles, just like Cannes so’s the festival, now playing at 11 picking which films without the joie de SFFILM venues through April 19. to see. Eenie, meenie, vivre. Behind the Dolby’s interior is a cross between miney, moe probmerely human-scale Scene from director Darren Thornton’s A Date for Mad Mary, part of the SFFILM festival. an opera set and a bank vault, someably works best. Then table was a vast screen thing both security-conscious and there’s getting off work, on which danced them as if they were celebrities. Very tion that conveyed a sense of tenWagnerian, an interior landscape of and of course, buying tickets. Nothmesmeric images from the festival’s odd, this displacement of glamour sion and unease, as if some member the inner ear, on this occasion liting is simple at this most unwieldy films, although never at the mofrom screen star to bureaucrat. We of each of their families were being tered with fresh pastry and carafes of of cinematic circuses. The general ment they were discussed. When the were no longer journalists but film held captive in an undisclosed ticket coffee. Too bad the hot water for tea public can save $1 off the individual handful of programmers entered, fans, drooling over the tidbits to be booth. They rattled off genres, titles, ran out so fast. Members of the press price of $15 by buying 10 vouchthe members of the press applauded thrown to us, as if we weren’t already events, and categories in a frenzy of ers in what is called a CinePack. inundated with overflow visual culbureaucratic classification. All very Students and seniors save a dollar ture on multiple platforms easier to logistically praiseworthy, but there on individual tickets with a valid navigate than the SFFILM Festival. was something missing, a certain je ID. If you’ve got $1,675 to spare, Executive director Noah Cowan ne sais quoi. by all means get a CineVisa and is a large man of impenetrable The festival guide, at 66 pages, hit every film, program, and party, mien who spoke rigorously and provides hours of befuddlement. “with certain noted exceptions.” The vigorously about abstract things like After pages describing special guide encourages you to “flash your CAFE | RESTAURANT | CATERING diversity without communicating events, films are individually deCineVisa to access Priority Seating,” a sense of pleasure, but perhaps a scribed in alphabetical order, but the a thrill not specific to cinema.t certain passion for control. Each alphabet restarts in each of several programmer picked up his or her sections devoted to mysterious catsffilm.org cue in a tightly scripted presentaegories. Fortunately there’s an index 4-6 PM DAILY

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he 60th San Francisco International Film Festival is filled with cinema gems and buried treasures. Let’s start digging, shall we? A Tribute to James Ivory: Maurice In a 25-film partnership with the late Ismail Merchant, Berkeleyborn James Ivory breathed life into the Edwardian-era fiction of British gay author E.M. Forster. This tribute to their 44 years features a rare screening of their best work, Maurice. A 1914 novel that the closeted Forster had published posthumously in 1970, the film concerns a dull stockbroker (James Wilby) whose homosexuality arrives like a thunderbolt while he lives at Cambridge with the attractive if dodgy Clive Durham (the film debut of Hugh Grant). Maurice’s rejection by Clive casts him literally out into the woods, where he meets boyishly cute servant Alex Scudder (Rupert Graves). Arguably one of the most romantic films in the gay male canon. (SFMOMA, 4/14) The Man with a Movie Camera This exhilarating work by Stalin era (1929) cinema genius Dziga Vertov carries us through the burgeoning Russian urban centers Moscow, Odessa and Kiev, where the imperatives of modern life attempt to defy the despot. Plays the Castro with live music from the Denver band DeVotchKa, responsible for the soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine. (Castro, 4/13) The Green Fog – A San Francisco Fantasia with Kronos Quartet Experimental filmmaker Guy Maddin attempts to recreate the emotional and visual resonances of Alfred Hitchcock’s San Franciscobased classic Vertigo without using any of the fabled romantic thriller’s actual footage. A collage of images will be accompanied by live musicians. (Closing night, Castro, 4/16) Bending the Arc Filmmakers Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos track the efforts of doctors, supported by

the World Bank, to eradicate HIV/ AIDS and TB in Third World communities in Africa, Peru and Haiti. (Castro, 4/14) Half-Life in Fukushima Swiss filmmakers Mark Olexa and Francesca Scalisi depict the valiant efforts of an aging farmer to survive on his land in the wake of a devastating nuclear power-plant meltdown following a powerful tsunami. Screens with the short Valentina, about a goat-tending elderly couple. (Roxie, 4/17, 19) Whose Streets? Sabaah Folayan depicts the aftermath of the police shooting of Ferguson, Missouri African American citizen Michael Brown. The filmmaker argues that the federally supported militarization of that city’s police department has escalated tensions and prevented efforts to bridge an immense class and racial divide. (Proxy, 4/14) Defender The work of San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi is the focus of this doc on the case of Michael Smith, one of the first people arrested as the result of the use of police body cameras. The film by Jim Choi and Adachi him-

self explores the ongoing dilemma of police departments charged with maintaining different standards of justice for white defendants and people of color. Screens with the short The Boombox Collection: Zion 1. (Castro, 4/15) I Love Dick Two Jill Solowaydirected TV episodes screen, about a Marfa, Texas-based artistic couple played with gusto by Kathryn Hahn and Kevin Bacon. (Alamo, 4/15) Bill Nye: Science Guy Climate change-deniers beware: the witty and delightfully eccentric former TV host and freelance public climate tribune Bill Nye is on the job to take on religious crazies and other right-wing fools. The film’s highlight concerns Nye’s ongoing debate with a climate change critic and his skeptical teenage son. (Alamo, 4/18) Two or Three Things That Frighten Me in Vertigo: David Thomson Master Class Britishborn critic/film writer David Thomson attempts to unearth some little-known facts about Hitchcock’s most-discussed Bay Area-set film classic. (SFMOMA, 4/16)t

SFFILM

Scene from A Tribute to James Ivory: Maurice.

Film>>

April 6-12, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 39

April showers by David Lamble

lightly more than half of the Castro Theatre’s April schedule is set aside for the 60th San Francisco International Film Festival (find our second week of coverage in this issue). Here are highlights for the rest of the calendar. We kick off with a film that’s as iconic as it gets.

San Francisco (1936) If you’ve ever wondered where the song “San Francisco,” with its chorus of “Open your Golden Gate, you let no stranger wait outside your door” comes from, wonder no more. Directed by W.S. Van Dyke, script by Anita Loos, this full-blooded treatment of our city’s 1906 quake was a state-of-the-art, early-sound-era marvel, originally including shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, then under construction. Jeanette MacDonald, a robust young Spencer Tracy as the two-fisted priest, and Clark Gable as the Barbary Coast saloon-keeper Blackie Norton never disappoint. Tracy keeps bugging Gable to mend his wicked ways, which Blackie does once the roof falls in. Join the Castro’s organist for an unofficial singalong that’s as much fun as you can get at the movies. (4/18) Ghost World (2001) From the director-writer team of Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes (from his comic book), this tale follows the misadventures of a misanthropic art student (Thora Birch) and her gal pal (Scarlett Johansson). They fix on a self-loathing record collector (Steve Buscemi) who proves hard to house-train. With Brad Renfro and Bob Balaban. High Fidelity (2000) Now for something not entirely different, from director Stephen Frears and actor John Cusack. The duo adapt and set Stateside British novelist/ pop music guru Nick Hornby’s account of a record store owner (Cusack) who’s too pure for this world. Cusack addresses the camera in monologues on how every record in his life is tied to a usually failed romantic affair. Jack Black contributes a disruptive supporting turn as a rude record clerk who insults customers if he doesn’t dig their taste in pop. (both 4/19) Evolution of Organic (2017) The Trump-threatened pesticidefree food movement gets its movie. (Green Film Festival opening night, 4/20) La La Land Sing-Along (2016) The film that had Best Film Oscar honors for about two minutes returns to the Castro for that special niche, the sing-along. Damien Chazelle’s flashy, toe-tapping musical opens on what the filmmaker imagines as a 21st-century version of the Yellow Brick Road. We’re pulled into a nightmarish traffic snarl at an LA freeway intersection, where we see a chorus line of motorists vaulting in and out of their vehicles. (4/21) Raging Bull (1980) Screenwriter Paul Schrader and director Martin Scorsese’s portrait of Jake La Motta, a man whose fists and thick

head win him everything he’s ever dreamed of before macho jealousy destroys the love of everyone who meant anything to him on the way up. Black-and-white photography keeps the ring violence from becoming repellent. At one point Jake destroys the face of a pretty young opponent while a ringside cynic quips, “He ain’t pretty anymore.” It’s a great film that raises questions about masculinity and homophobia. With Robert De Niro (Best Actor Oscar), Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, Frank Vincent and John Turturro. Oscar also to editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Boogie Nights (1997) Paul Thomas Anderson delivers a powerful comedy-drama about the nutty time (late 70s-early 80s) when screen porn was a profitable business and a social phenomenon in the San Fernando Valley. With Mark Wahlberg as a 17-year-old with big dreams and the equipment to make them come true, for at least a night or two. Veteran Burt Reynolds almost steals the picture as a gruff but shrewd porn daddy. With a dream supporting cast: Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Alfred Molina and Philip Baker Hall. (both 4/23) Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman (Green Film Festival closing night, 4/26) Psycho (1960) Alfred Hitchcock pioneered the modern horror feature with this chilly take on a secretary (Janet Leigh) who steals money from her boss, repents, and prepares to head back and face the music. Unfortunately for Marion Crane, her journey takes her to the Bates Motel, where you can check in but not check out. With a sublime ensemble including Anthony Perkins and Martin Balsam. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Anthony Hopkins did too many sequels of “Hannibal the Cannibal” Lecter. This is the one to catch. (both 4/27) Bonnie & Clyde (1967) This Arthur Penn-directed, Warren Beatty-produced and -starring crime drama was an out-of-the-box breakthrough. LGBTQ fans may object to the de-queering of Beatty’s Clyde Barrow at a time when few screen stars would come forth as gay. This is the kind of crime against celluloid that inspired Vito Russo’s The Celluloid Closet. Still, a riveting if bloody crime caper with a jaunty soundtrack and an early screen turn from Gene Hackman as a member of the Barrow gang. Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969) Director George Roy Hill helms this adventure spoof of the title characters (Paul Newman, Robert Redford) holding up banks and trains while a corporate posse stays on their track. Both a swan song for the Hollywood Western and an iconic account of an American Robin Hood-style origin myth. (both 4/29) Beat the Devil (1954) This John Huston-directed, Truman Capotewritten, Bogart-starring adventure is a sly but deliberate sendup of Maltese Falcon-like films. With Jennifer Jones, Gina Lollobrigida, Robert Morley and Peter Lorre. The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston’s directing debut takes an original spin on the private dick. Bogart was never better than as Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, who has to sort through a bevy of shady characters in search of a bird statue that’s solid gold beneath a black paint job. A solid 100 minutes that you rewatch whenever you can. With Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond and Elisha Cook, Jr. One of the best capers filmed in San Francisco. (both 4/30)t

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<< Music

40 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

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udos to Swedish singer-songwriter Jens Lekman. His new album Life Will See You Now (Secretly Canadian) has some of the most irresistible (if zany) dance tracks you are likely to hear this season. “Evening Prayer,” about Babak, his tumor and a 3D printer, may be the most bizarre tea-dance sensation you’ve ever heard. The island rhythms of “What’s That Perfume You Wear?” is sure to activate more than a few senses. The joyful “Wedding on Finistére” goes for an 80s Style Council beat and energy, while the persuasive funk and “Cambrian explosion” of “How We Met, The Long Version” divides its time between your hips and your feet. Lekman also deserves praise for his masterful juxtaposition of a song about one male friend’s love for another (“How Can I Tell Him”) and a song about a Mormon missionary (“To Know Your Mission”). The Tracy Thorne duet on “Hotwire the Ferris Wheel” is the icing on the delicious cake. For some people Conor Oberst and his primary music project Bright Eyes are synonymous. But like many before him, Oberst felt the urge to venture out on his own, and has been doing so since 2008. A raw, stripped-down piano and acoustic guitar affair that conjures Springsteen and Dylan (hear the harmonica), Ruminations (Nonesuch) is a serious and emotional effort, beginning with the gut-wrenching “Tachycardia.” Oberst sings “The modern world is a sight to see/It’s a stimulant, it’s pornography/ It takes all my will not to turn it off” in “Barbary Coast (Later).” “Counting Sheep” is so brutal, it’s almost hard to listen to. “The Rain Follows the Plow” is a devastating love song. “A Little Uncanny,” which name-checks Christopher Hitchens, Oliver Sacks, Robin Williams, Sylvia Plath and Jane Fonda, and berates “Ronnie Reagan,” lives up to its name in the age of Trump. Far from being a mood elevator, Ruminations is a necessary means of expression. Andrew McMahon waited a few years into the 21st century to release music under his own name. Well, sort of. After his time in the pop/ punk band Something Corporate, followed by the music McMahon made as Jack’s Mannequin, we now have Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. Expanding on the electronic vibe of the 2014 album Zombies on Broadway (Vanguard/Crush), the second disc by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness is dance-club ready. Beginning with “Brooklyn, You’re Killing Me,” and continuing through the big and bouncy beats of “So Close” and “Island Radio,”

McMahon expertly navigates the wilderness of the dance floor. Josh Ritter’s Sermon on the Rocks (Pytheas) sounds like a man testifying at a secular tent meeting. Addressing Moses (“Young Moses”), the devil (“Henrietta, Indiana”), Bible college (“Getting Ready To Get Down”), prophecy and ecstasy (“Birds in the Meadow”), Eden (“Homecoming”), a cathedral (“Lighthouse Fire”), surviving heartache (“Seeing Me Round”), and channeling vintage Steve Forbert (“Where the Night Goes”), this sermon rocks! If you didn’t know better, you might think you were listening to Maroon 5 when you hear “She Sets the City on Fire.” You’d be wrong. The song is the opening track on Something Worth Saving (RCA), the new album by Gavin DeGraw. Working with a few different producers and songwriting collaborators, DeGraw manages to stand out, especially on “Harder To Believe” (the strongest track on the album), “Kite Like Girl” and the retro-pop tune “Annalee.”

Illuminate (Island) is the second album by 18-year-old Canadian singer/songwriter Shawn Mendes. He sounds like he’s been at it longer. A more mature and fully-realized set of tunes than Mendes’ 2015 debut Handwritten, Illuminate glows with experience and confidence. Mendes is still aware of the necessity not to drift too far from current trends, as you can hear on “No Promises,” “Lights On” and “Understand.” Passenger (aka Mike Rosenberg) sounds like he could be a distant musical cousin of Ed Sheeran’s, right down to the accent. Young As the Morning Old as the Sea (Nettwerk) is a lovely set of 10 emotive tunes full of romantic insights such as “Nothing’s ever something/ until you give everything” (“Everything”), and, “When I start feeling sick of it all/it helps to remember I’m a brick in the wall” (“Home”). Even when he kicks things up a notch as he does on “Anywhere,” he never loses the focus of his musical intentions. The soaring duet with Birdy on “Beautiful Birds” is not to be missed.t

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<< DVD

42 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Questioning conversion therapy by Brian Bromberger

espite its notoriety and constant presence in the news, exgay conversion therapy, which sees homosexuality as a mental disorder as well as a sin and treats it using Christian principles either to have the person become straight or at the very least not to act on their samesex attractions, has rarely been dealt with in films. The consensus among mental health professionals is that the treatment doesn’t work and causes more harm than good. It is outlawed in California and two other states. Yet it persists, and the personal ramifications, whether the therapy works or not, would seem ideal emotional fodder for a film. Fair Haven, a new DVD just released by Breaking Glass Pictures, has taken up the challenge, and in its quiet tone has succeeded in showing both the adverse effects of this therapy and its ultimate failure. James (Michael Grant) is a 19-year-old classical pianist returning home to Fair Haven, an apple farm in Vermont, after a stay at a Christian gay conversion therapy treatment center headed by Dr. Gallagher (Gregory Harrison). During his time away, his

mother has died. He is picked up at the bus station by his gruff, aloof father Richard (Tom Wopat). As he enters the car he exclaims, “I’m better now. I think it helped.” James is eager to go away to college at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. But Richard informs him that the money in his college fund was used to pay his mother’s medical expenses and his treatment program. Richard wants him to attend a nearby tech school and study business so he can take over and run the farm, which has been in the family for generations. Richard, middle-aged and depressed over losing his wife, is tired of managing the business himself, which is faring poorly by not going organic. But James wants to study music and recommends that Richard take an offer from a couple who want to buy Fair Haven and grow organic apples. Recognizing his choices are limited, James agrees to consider attending tech school and work on the farm for now. On a delivery to the local grocer, he encounters his former boyfriend Charlie (Josh Green), who is still in love with James but recognizes he has changed. James is cool but civil towards Charlie. He flash-

backs to his time with Dr. Gallagher, reminding him that any warmth he had for Charlie was based on lust because “sin makes us feel good while we are committing it, but that doesn’t mean it is good for us.” Trying to repress his feelings for Charlie, James goes to church for inspiration and moral strength, meeting the pastor’s daughter Suzy (Lillian Harrison), whom he starts dating. Richard is thrilled that James is interested in Suzy, saying, “Your Mom would be proud.” Richard doesn’t know how to deal with a gay son. Meanwhile, Charlie is gay-bashed while walking home from work. James insists on driving him home. This reignites their passion for each other, exacerbated by James’ neardisgust when Suzy kisses him. Charlie wants to run away and start a new life together. Where and with whom does James’ future lie? First-time director Kerstin Karl Huber has shepherded the movie well, not allowing it to be-

come preachy, with Jack Bryant’s thoughtful script giving the characters time and space to evolve in their feelings. None of this would work without the right actors, and everyone shines here. Grant, with his matinee looks, is on his way to

Estate of Stuart Davis, courtesy FAMSF

Stuart Davis, “House and Street” (1931), oil on canvas, part of Stuart Davis: In Full Swing, now at the de Young Museum.

Stuart Davis

From page 29

Considered an important innovator of abstraction and a giant of modernism whose work was a forerunner of Pop Art, he’s the subject of Stuart Davis: In Full Swing, a touring show of 75 artworks and studies at the de Young Museum that’s more microcosm than comprehensive retrospective. The son of a pair of Philadelphia artists, Davis was mentored by the Ashcan school, which favored urban grit and was influenced by the sensational avant-garde art show at the 1913 New York Armory, where, at age of 21, he was exposed to Picasso, Duchamp, Gauguin, Leger, whose spirit he would later channel, and crucially, Matisse. The exhibition sealed his conviction to become a modern artist. An amateur pianist who frequented dive bars in Hoboken and Harlem where Earl Hines could be heard vigorously attacking the piano, Davis was a jazz aficionado. Adopting Ellington’s lyric, “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that

swing,” as a mantra, he translated the syncopated rhythms and improvisational riffs of that most American of art-forms into an upbeat visual style that’s simultaneously loose and tight. Being a man of his times, Davis liked his “liquor and his liberty” – pleasure is key to his art – and he was also a heavy smoker, which may or may not explain his affinity for Lucky Strike cigarettes, a masculine, iconic American brand that he deconstructed in small-scale collages that recall George Braque and Picasso. Making good on his ambition to take European cubism out of the bistro and into populist America, he injected a jazzy cohesion into works such as “Lucky Strike (1921), in which he painted an illusion of loose tobacco punctuated by the familiar logo, tobacco stamps and packaging seals. In 1928, Paris beckoned, and Davis settled in Montparnasse surrounded by a community of arty ex-pats like Alexander Calder and Gertrude Stein. He captured the charms and romantic, picture-book

quality of the place in the 1920s, with its little neighborhoods and narrow streets emptying into unexpected alleyways (“Place Pasdeloup,” 1928), and cheery, crayon-colored buildings rising up from plazas (“Place des Vosges No. 2,” 1928). In “Arch Hotel” (1929), a jumbosized wine bottle awaits imbibers in the middle of a street, stationed next to half a lemon. A black archway frames the titular hotel on the right-hand side. These cartoonish paintings are examples of the witty, effective way Estate of Stuart Davis, courtesy FAMSF Davis deployed bold color to define architectural Stuart Davis, “Owh! in San Pao” (1951), compositions. He regarded oil on canvas. the 13 months he spent in Paris as the most excitNevertheless, the following year ing and rewarding of his he decided that New York City was career, and his time there certainly the place to be, and upon returning must have agreed with him, because Stateside, he embraced the hardthe works from this period are driving, unforgiving metropolis. among his most exuberant.

movie stardom, giving a nuanced performance. He also plays Chopin and Brahms piano scores beautifully. His chemistry with Green is electric, and their barn sexual dalliances have a lusty kick. Wopat, forever Luke Duke, shatters his image and becomes laconic perfection as a father who loves his son and wants to accept him, but doesn’t understand his sexuality and doesn’t have the tools to build a bridge. Harrison, almost unrecognizable from his Trapper John days, is convincing as the therapist who has his own rationale for treatment. To Bryant’s credit, the character is not demonized, though his homophobia is present even in his compassionate rhetoric. Cinematographer Jason Beasley deserves credit not just for capturing Vermont’s lush greenery but also for showing pictorially how claustrophobic small-town rural life can be. Fair Haven focuses less on ex-gay treatment and more on its after-effects. This understated but gripping movie deserves not to be lost under the radar.t Created at the invitation of MoMA, “New York Mural” (1932), with its stacks of buildings and skyscrapers, is a view from the street, seen by throngs that crowded the avenues in the city of Gershwin. Adapting the flat style of advertising, Davis incorporated images related to the failed 1928 presidential run of New York governor Alfred Smith, whose trademark derby and bow tie defy gravity, as does that steel mountainpeak presiding over it all, the Empire State Building. “Landscape, Gloucester” (1922, 51, 57), which looks like a dotted gift box cracked opened and broken down into parts on a jewel-blue background, is one of many cubistderived pieces that Davis based on his visits to the Massachusetts town. With their overlapping dockside clapboard buildings, floating barrels and gas pumps, “Red Cart” (1932) and “Landscape with Garage Lights” (1931-32) are kinetic. But Davis’ appeal is primarily cerebral, not emotional. Nowhere is that more apparent than in his penchant for reprising and reworking previous compositions and motifs, a practice he engaged in from 1939 onward that’s his version of jazz’s variations on a theme. For instance, “The Mellow Pad” (1945-51), a reference to a cool jazz man’s abode, adds an allusion to musical notes, while borrowing formal elements from “House and Street” (1931), a bifurcated stage-set depiction of the elevated Third Avenue train in Lower Manhattan converging with a building façade. “American Painting” (1932), a group portrait of the artist with friends Willem de Kooning, Arshile Gorky and John Graham, was revisited on at least three occasions, and so on. Though intellectually interesting, these excursions can feel repetitive over the course of the show. The last piece in the exhibition, “Fin” (1962-64), whose title is taken from the closing word of a French film Davis had been watching on television, is a work-in-progress bordered in black like a frame of celluloid, letters tumbling down the canvas, sections delineated by masking tape he left there. He had added the word to the painting just before going to sleep. It was still on his easel when he died later that night.t Through August 6; deyoungmuseum.org.

Besties: Dining

On the Town

www.ebar.com ✶ www.bartabsf.com

Besties: Sex Vol. 47 • No. 14 • April 6-12, 2017

Nightlife Besties By Michael Flanagan

Nightlife

s your nightlife doctors, we have good news to report: the health of our bars is robust. Sometimes a little randy and perhaps a little tipsy at times, but that’s to be expected. This year’s array of Bestie winners show that sometimes the new kids on the block (like Oasis and the re-introduced Eagle) can show the long-timers how to have a good time. It’s good to see such a wide selection of options. See page 44 >>

Bestie winners at The Edge: Jason Brock (Best Male Cabaret Singer), Art Desuyo (Best HIV/AIDS Nonprofit, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Best LGBT Fundraiser, LifeCycle Ride), Frank Marx (Best Choral Group winner San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus), Alex U. Inn (Best Drag King), Parker Trewin (LifeCycle), Erick Lopez (Best Bartender) and MC2/Michael Chu (Best Male DJ).

The Besties Bunch Nightlife

People

Nightlife people make the fun go ‘round by Jim Gladstone

ur readers voted for many familiar favorite talents in lipsynching, drink-serving, singing, dancing, and groove-spinning. See page 48 >>

Bestie winners (from left to right) Veronica Klaus, Page Hodel, Honey Mahogany, Jella Gogo, Peaches Christ; and Michael Tempesta.

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

t ! h g i n o t s u n i o J

our FREE annual Readers Choice party hosted by Marga Gomez Learn details and RSVP at www.ebar.com/besties2017

298 11th Street, San Francisco

Veronica Claus and Honey Mahagony by Jose A Guzman-Colon, Michael Tempesta by Uel Renteria

Gareth Gooch

Venues

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

44 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

at the beginning of the microbrew revolution which swept the country; what they learned early on shows in their beer selection. Current beers on tap include Black House Modern Times (an oatmeal stout), Electric Peel Grapefuit IPA, #9 Magic Hat and beers from Goose Island and Fieldwork. If you aren’t in a beer mood, they have Golden State dry cider, and, of course, a full bar. With such a broad selection you’re sure to find something to your liking – and then you can settle into a game of pool at the busy pool table or relax on the outdoor patio.

Best Castro Bar/Nightclub

The Edge

Gareth Gooch

Bestie winner Heklina (left), with Oasis co-owner D’Arcy Drollinger, opens another fun night of Mother at the multi-Bestie winning nightclub.

Nightlife Besties

From page 43

Oasis sweeps! Best Bar/Nightclub to Meet Transgender People Best Cabaret Venue Best Dance Floor Best Drag Show and Best Weekly Nightlife Event: Mother Best SoMa Bar/Nightclub Runners up Best Nightclub to Meet Transgender People: Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Best Cabaret Venue: Martuni’s Best Dance Floor: DNA Lounge Best Weekly Nightlife Event: Beer Bust at SF Eagle Best SoMa Bar/Nightclub: SF Eagle Oasis is still on a roll, and we aren’t talking sushi. Heklina, D’Arcy Drollinger and crew have put together a club that is the go-to place in town, whether it’s for a concert, live theater or just a night on the town. San Francisco doesn’t need a Godfather when it has its drag mothers. Should you have any wonder why it is so popular, just look at the list of categories it has swept in this year’s Besties. The year has seen the wildy frenetic variety that is Oasis, including the success of their second Star Trek adaptation playing to sold out crowds, a return to the Bay Area for Justin Vivian Bond, the humor of Justin Sayre’s The Meeting and benefits like Cirque de L’Arc. Few places brings the excitement like Oasis does. Keep in mind that it’s only been open for three years and the fun seems to keep escalating every year. With its wildly varied (and always entertaining) calendar, Oasis has redefined what a cabaret venue is for San Francisco. After all of that entertainment is over there, dance your ass off on our readers pick for the best dance floor in town. As for Mother; it’s hard to know how Oasis manages to continue on its creative streak -which has been going since before the event had this name- but they do. B.A.R. readers know a class act when they see one – and this class act continues to entertain. Well done, Oasis. www.sfoasis.com

Best Game Night

Gaymer Night at SF Eagle Runner up: Miss Kitty’s Trivia Night at Wild Side West

Best Theme Night

Pound Puppy at SF Eagle

Runner up: Cubcake at The Lone Star Saloon For the third year in a row, the San Francisco Eagle has earned the coveted title of Best Bar/Nightclub to Meet Men and there is no doubt why: they know how to put together nights you remember all year. The sheer variety of events there mean that you are likely to find your tribe meeting there on any given week. Looking to share live music with like minded men? Thursday Night Live is for you. Want to spend the night with men you’ve met gaming online? Gaymer Night is ready to fill your needs with projection screens and big TVs. And we’re not only talking video games for Gaymer Night – they’re the place for board games too. Who doesn’t like a good dog – or for that matter who doesn’t like to punish a bad dog? Take your pick, you’ve got a number of places to bury a bone at Pound Puppy. SF Eagle is a nightly reminder that our community is still here - and loud, proud and fun. With movie nights, open mic comedy on Wednesday, special music nights like Glory Soul that celebrate classic soul and R&B, and events like Frolic for the furry fan and specialty nights for fans of boots and gear like BLUF SF the Eagle is the place to be. Add the weekly bacchanal of the Sunday beer bust and there should be no question. The people have spoken, and this is the best bar in town to meet men. www.sf-eagle.com

Runner up: 440 Castro

El Rio

Runner up Best Bar to Meet Women: The White Horse Bar, Oakland Runner up Best Neighborhood Bar: Twin Peaks

Best Women’s Event

Mango at El Rio

Runner up: Pussy Party at Beaux Is it any wonder that El Rio, a club that has a Ping Pong night for Planned Parenthood, is the best club to meet women in the Bay Area? Fun and engaged are two words that describe this home away from home for so many. El Rio keeps a homey ambiance while it sometimes feels like the whole neighborhood is undergoing construction. Mango is one of the women’s events that happen at the bar – with drink specials, free BBQ and dancehall, hip-hop and latin grooves. It’s every fourth Saturday of the month and New Year’s Eve. With Daytime Realness every third Sunday with Heklina (because she needs something to do in her spare time), free oysters on the halfshell on Fridays, and queer events like Gayface (every Thursday night), is it any wonder they are the Best Neighborhood Bar? Like they’ve said for years; it’s your dive, and a neighborhood bar with a heck of a lot to offer.

Best East Bay Bar

White Horse Bar Runner up: Port Bar The White Horse has been at it since the days of the Beats, and they obviously know what they’re doing. A perennial favorite in the Besties as the Best East Bay Bar, is it any wonder? With hot DJs like Luna, events like Dark Room’s Siouxsie night, and both drag queen events like Showgirl Sundays and drag king events with the Rebel Kings, the White Horse has become that rare kind of institution which is still fun and never boring. Should you want a cozy afternoon, you can sit with friends by the fireplace. The good news this year is that they have a runner up with the new Port Bar. There is a new life and energy in the East Bay.

Hi Tops

Runner up: Lookout Whether you’re trying to recover from your latest cardio workout or your trainer kicking your butt, this is the place to be, and it has been since it opened. If you don’t know a free weight from a cheap date, fun events like their trivia nights will keep you entertained. Whether it be special events like Tito’s Handmade Vodka night, or just sitting down and watching a game on the many screens available, Hi Tops is our readers’ pick for the best sports bar. Cheer for the Giants, or tip a shirtless waiter on Gym Class Thursdays. Why not stop by and enjoy the mixed crowd that patronizes this always busy bar while enjoying a pork chop on a stick?

Best Stray (Straight/Gay) Bar

Blackbird

Runner up: The EndUp Looking for the perfect place to bring a mixed crowd in the Castro? Looking for a charming bar that changes up its cocktails on a seasonal basis so that you don’t get bored? Want a place to play pool with friends while enjoying an artisan cocktail? San Francisco has just such a bar. Blackbird has been the winner of this category for several years now and it’s easy to see why. It’s a place which actually takes the time to craft both its cocktails and its environment.

Best Wine Bar

Blush

Runner up: Swirl In the midst of the Castro, Blush provides a space for you to enjoy wine, food and conversation. They say they’re inspired by the greatest wine bars of Europe, and it shows. With bubbles, whites, reds and blushes from four continents, there’s always a spectacular selection. With a menu that includes small plates, warm sandwiches, salads and desserts, it’s a great place to enjoy a quiet intimate evening with good wine and good food. Top it off with events like gypsy jazz and a happy hour until 6pm, and it’s near perfection.

Pilsner Inn

Runner up: SF Eagle Like an old friend who always has a suggestion for just the right brew, the Pilsner has been there since 1980, and they have only gotten better with age. With 30 beers on tap, how can you not find the right amber ale or stout? Pilsner was there

Georg Lester

Sports fans at Hi Tops.

Best Sports Bar

Best Beer Selection

Dallis Willard

Hard French at El Rio, both Bestie winners.

Best Mixed Drink

Martuni’s

Best Bar/Nightclub to Meet Men:

SF Eagle

Best Bar/Nightclub to Meet Women & Best Neighborhood Bar

Runner up: 440 Castro The competition for best bar in the Castro is fierce and this year The Edge comes out on top over 440 Castro, reversing last year’s line up. With specialty nights like Musical Mondays, Dirty Musical Sundays and Musical Wednesdays (can’t have too many musicals, after all), Throwback Thursdays and The Monster Show, The Edge goes the extra mile to show their patrons a good time. If you’re looking for life in the Castro, look no further than the Edge.

Runners up: Blackbird, Twin Peaks Martuni’s has something of a name for itself as a place where people engage their inner literary and/or performance genius. I’ve sat through many of a cabaret show and reading event there, and the audience is always lively. Do you think it could be because of those mixed drinks? Martuni’s has swept this category for three years running and it’s no surprise. Whether it’s the Lemon Drop or the wide variety of martinis (both classic and flavored) there is sure to be something here which will wet your whistle and loosen your lips. Long may they pour.

Bestie-winning Events Best Comedy Night

Hella Gay Comedy Runner up: Comedy Returns at El Rio It’s always a good sign when you’re reading the description for a comedy event and the description makes you laugh out loud. So when I read, “the San Francisco stand up comedy scene is riddled with straight dude comics and that’s great, if you’re into mediocre cis dudes.” Currently the show finds its home at Club OMG, which hosts Women & Queers Comedy Open Mic on Fridays. See page 46 >>

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

46 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Best Stage Show in a Bar/Nightclub:

Nightlife Besties

From page 44

Red Hots Burlesque at The Stud

Best (non-contest) Leather Event at a Bar

Code at The Edge

Runner up: Lick It at the Powerhouse Created by two-time Bestiewinning bartender Erick Lopez, Code is the popular monthly leather event with clothes check (so you can change into your leather gear), DJ Sean McMahon and some hot furry gogo studs. No wonder it’s popular with our readers. It’s an event with a purpose: to bring leather back to the Castro.

Best Monthly Nightlife Event:

Disco Daddy/SF Eagle Runner up: Polyglamorous (Oasis) DJ Bus Station John is a local treasure with an encyclopedic knowledge of soul, funk and R&B from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. He is the favorite of not only our readers: Time Out (United States) selected both his events at The Eagle and Aunt Charlie’s as being among the top classic disco parties in the country. Come for the amazing music and stay for the amazing crowd. If you like disco, this is where your tribe resides.

Best Nightlife Event (non-weekly/non-monthly)

Hard French at El Rio

Runners up: Bearracuda, Daytime Realness Hard French is in its seventh year as a Sunday tea dance at El Rio, which draws a friendly lively crowd, who enjoy burgers and grooves spun by DJs Brown Amy & Carnita, plus frequent special guests. But make sure to attend one of their events soon – Hard French crew is hosting finale parties through spring.

Tied for runner up: Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls and Star Trek Live, both at Oasis The performers of Red Hots Burlesque have been bumping and grinding for more than ten years, and the popular event has become a favorite of our readers for their Friday night performances at The Stud. The diverse troupe includes drag, comedy, striptease, sideshow and circus performances and includes changing lineup of international performers as well. No matter how many time you see them, the act is always fresh and imaginative. It’s sexy and lively and it’s no wonder it has found a place in our reader’s hearts.

Editor’s Choice: Most Absolutely Glam Event

Mr. David for Juanita More! 24 Years of More Two hundred gowns, one designer, one drag muse, and dozens of nightlife and arts crème de la crème models merged at the de Young Museum last May for the most stunning event of the year. Mr. David the designer, aka Glamamore the performer, selected his best couture creations, inspired and originally worn by Juanita More! A glamorous bevy of performers, artists in drag, design and erotica sashayed in a stunning cascade of fashion fabulousness.

Editor’s Choice: Best Reboot

Best Unusual Event

The Stud

Nightlife at the California Academy of Sciences

Runner up: Nightlife at the de Young When did you last have a cocktail with an albino alligator? With themed nights like the upcoming collectibles night and another celebrating cosmo-pioneer Yuri Gagarin, if you’re looking for something entertaining, intellectually simulating and the place to look for a nerdy gal pal or boyfriend, this is the place. With trivia contests, dive shows and specialty events, the world and its history is yours to explore.t

Gareth Gooch

From Mr. David for Juanita More! 24 Years of More at the de Young Museum.

Shot in the City

The Stud Collective.

Gay bars come and go, as we all know. So when the future of our former neighbors The Stud was on the line, community nightlife folk gathered together to Save Our Stud, and bring new life and interest in what is now the only collective-run tavern. With new events, the veteran venue has a few more years at its current location on 9th Street at Harrison. Get on down for a cocktail or three, a drag show or a poledancing variety night. www.studsf.comt

Celebration JOIN

FO R A F REE LG BTQ

our annual Readers Choice party hosted by Marga Gomez with performances by Veronica Klaus, Jason Brock, Alex U. Inn & Kingdom, and DJ MC2, with accompanist Tammy L. Hall

298 11th Street at Folsom Thursday, April 6 • 6-9pm FREE COMMUNITY EVENT • OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (21+) (Hosted cocktails and light refreshments)

Photo credits: Kent Taylor, Jose A. Guzman-Colon, Gareth Gooch

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48 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Best Faux Queen

cably dressed earnestness to her performances; a welcome salute to the pleasures of femininity amidst the scene’s endless gender upheaval. More at home in the sleek setting of of her own gently cooed Honey Love album than in her campy cameos in other performers’ projects, Mahogany’s best work comes when she doesn’t werq it too hard. The voters have spoken: Honey, in a world of neverending outrage, keep keepin’ it classy.

Best Comic (Female)

Marga Gomez

Gareth Gooch

Bestie-winning bartender Erick Lopez, in gear to celebrate his Bestie-winning Code leather event at The Edge, with Best Male DJ MC2/Michael Chu.

The Besties Bunch

From page 43

Best Bartender

Erick Lopez, The Edge Runner up: Robbie Cheah, Oasis It’s a Greek fisherman’s hat trick for Lopez, an impish Castro fixture and passionate supporter of the local leather community and AIDS Life Cycle, where this year he’ll be serving some fabulosity as cocaptain of Rest Stop #4. During last year’s ride, he dressed in clingy pink and bent over to spread the spandex gospel of community as a “Mighty Morphin Power Bottom.” Bottoms up, indeed!

Best Cabaret Performer (Female or Trans)

Veronica Klaus

Runner up: Connie Champagne This year’s win is surely bittersweet for jazzy chanteuse Klaus, who recently announced her life’s next big transition. After more than three decades in San Francisco, the soignée interpreter of 20th-century jazz and saloon songs is planning to leave her adopted hometown to open a restaurant and music venue in more affordable upstate New York. Her dream project, Café Klaus, is taking root in a little village with a name that sounds like a drag queen –Sharon Springs– and a growing reputation as a weekend gay getaway from Manhattan. Klaus has purchased a former Lutheran church that she’s in the process of converting into the stage for what promises to be her life’s exciting third act. Wish her

The

well, and donate to make her dream come true, at www.gofundme.com/ VeronicasLyricHouse Veronica also won Best Band/ Musician Runner up: Double Duchess

Runner up: Lisa Geduldig Is your jaw dropping in happy astonishment, or is that a yawn? Yes, Marga takes home the Bestie again. Perhaps because there’s a yawning gap between her comedic achievements and those of any other performer (male or female) working the Bay Area today. This year’s crowning accomplishment came early: a New York Times theater Critic’s Pick for her new one-woman show Latin Standards. Watch for a San Francisco run soon.

Cocktails and Dancing with Celebrity DJs and Entertainment

White Horse

Thank you Bay Area Reporter readers for voting us as the Best East Bay Bar!

Check us out online at www.wwhitehorsebar. hitehorsebar. bar.com bar

6551 Telegraph Ave, Oakland 94609 • 510-652-3820

four remarkable decades, Page Hodel has helped the LGBT community lift its spirits in the depths of crises, celebrate the advent of marriage equality, and escape from mundane concerns through the balm and the beat of dance music. But perhaps the most meaningful beat Hodel has created is the regular weekly pulse of heart-shaped art she’s created and distributed via internet every Monday since the passing of her partner Madalene Louise Rodriguez in June, 2006. mondayheartsformadalene.com

Runner up: Hard French Disco sucks, in the best way possible. Fe’late night grooving in classic ‘70s style, San Francisco can’t resist the Go Bang! crew, led by veteran vinylphiles Steve Fabus and Sergio, with recent permanent addition Prince Wolf, making them the Bestie-winning trio, but who’s counting? Catch their regular gig at The Stud on monthly first Saturday nights.

Best Drag King

Alex U. Inn

Best Cabaret Performer (Drag)

DAILY DRINK SPECIALS

Best Faux Queen Fauxnique.

(Sergio Fedasz, Steve Fabus, Prince Wolf)

Runner up: Joe Wicht A local vocal staple with his wide range, wide smile, and sweet, sparkly style, Jason Brock rose to national attention with his powerhouse rendition of “New York State of Mind” on television’s X Factor back in 2012. Since then, he’s sung at pride festivals around the country and booked gigs in Palm Springs and Puerta Vallarta. While he features well-known tunes by Whitney, Patti, and a roster of divas in frequent local gigs at Martuni’s, Brock is also developing his own more personal compositions and guitar playing on the side.

Runner up: Katya Smirnoff-Skyy There’s a certain irony to Honey Mahogany having been the first San Franciscan contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, back in 2013. In a city that has long pushed the boundaries of postmodern, genderqueer, ultraironic drag, Mahogany is a shining reminder of sincere old-school glamor drag. Mahogany –by day Berkeley-educated social worker, Alpha Mulugeta– brings an impec-

(Monique Jenkinson)

Go Bang!

Jason Brock

Honey Mahogany

Fauxnique

Best DJ Duo/Group

Best Cabaret Performer (Male)

Gareth Gooch

Bestie comics Marga Gomez and Nick Leonard

Best Comic (Male)

Nick Leonard

Runner up: Jesus U. Betta Work In addition to performing at Cobb’s, the Punchline, The Purple Onion and other notable local comedy spots over the years, Leonard has been a stalward advocate for fellow LGBT comics via his QComedy Showcase and QComedy.com. A stand-up guy!

Best DJ (Male)

MC2 (Michael Chu) Runner up: Bus Station John L’chaim and happy Bar Monstvah! This summer marks the 13th consecutive year that Michael Chu has produced The Monster Show (Thursday nights at The Edge), one of the city’s longest-running dance nights. A friendly crowd, clever themes and, of course, Chu’s monster beats have kept the corner of 18th and Collingwood thumping long beyond the average lifeexpectancy for a weekly party. While the little Edge-in that could remains home base (Chu also spins there on Fridays and Sundays), DJ MC2 also makes his mark on larger sonic canvases, including Oasis (Mother on Saturday nights), the Folsom Street Fair, and the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Best DJ (Female)

Page Hodel

Runner up: Lady Ryan Spinning in the Bay Area over

Runner up: Leigh Crow The face and founder of the Momma’s Boyz troupe, Alex U. Inn is a human mixtape of artistry and activism, delivering provocative and raucously entertaining hip-hop riffs that simultaneously call gender and racial stereotypes into question. This summer, Alex will be a community grand marshall at SF Pride.

Best Drag Queen

Peaches Christ Runners up: Donna Sachet, D’Arcy Drollinger Peachy Queen as ever, Joshua Grannell continues to be San Francisco’s drag impresario nonpareil, promoting and performing with relentless hilarity and efficiency. After Grease-ing up heartthrob Maxwell Caulfield at the Castro last Saturday, Peaches is prepping for a run of Mommie Queerest at Oasis next month.

She’s Sontag’s Notes on Camp made flesh, a full-body brain in motion. Jenkinson’s perennial genderbending presence in the Besties is well-warranted: She’s the sort of singular artist who gives San Francisco a good name. Fauxnique had a career high with an appearance at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan this past New Year’s Eve and will be creating a follow-up to her recent show, The F Word, as an artistin-residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin this summer.

Best Gogo Guy

Michael Tempesta Runner up: Andrew Slade You’ve seen his chiseled features (facial and otherwise) at the Midnight Sun, QBar, 440, the Lookout, Powerhouse and especially memorably in shoulderpads and a jock at the much-missed Cockfight. You’ve coveted his goods in Mr. S. advertising. And you’ve admired his community volunteering for Pride, AIDS Lifecycle and many more. What a goody-goody gogo!

Best Gogo Gal

Jella Gogo

Runner up: Lucy Dorado While a multi-year Bestie winner, Jella has remained remarkably reclusive when not shaking things up at Beaux, QBar, Oakland’s Club 21, and Burning Man. Inquiring minds want to know: Who the hell is Jella?

Best Host/MC

Heklina

Runner up: Donna Sachet Mother and Den Mother of us all, Heklina helps San Francisco hang onto whatever edge it has left, with her curation of and dedication to maintaining an Oasis for our sense of community. The proud nightclub co-owner and Mistress of drag Ceremonies blends reverence while introducing the likes of Cher and B52s singer Cindy Wilson to her stage, while lovingly dishing drag colleagues and openly lusting for her bevy of hunky backup dancers.

Best Nightlife Photographer

Gareth Gooch

Runners up: Steven Underhill and Georg Lester Sharp of eye, quick of shutter, and a fine judge of male pulchritude, Gooch excels at candids that bring the heat, but never say cheesy. His sheer prolifity is notable, as well as his color-saturated style and witty poses with drag performers.t If you didn’t see your favorite nightlife personality among the winners or runners-up, remember to vote and write-in candidates next year. Or, send your next year’s nominees to events@ebar.com.

Gareth Gooch

The Go Bang! guys (left-right) Prince Wolf, Sergio Fedasz and Steve Fabus at The Stud, with Best Nightlife Photographer Gareth Gooch, who also took the photo!

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

50 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 6-12, 2017

Bestie dining

Your fave places to eat, drink and be, Mary

Best Lunch

Café Flore

(2298 Market St.)

Dining by Jim Gladstone

hat is San Francisco famous for? Ask anywhere in the world and among the answers, you’re sure to hear “queers” and “cuisine.” And yet, here in Bestie Land, it seems that rarely the two shall meet. Perhaps the voting process has been gummed up by gerrymandering. Not a one of our winners falls outside a tiny one-mile Castro radius. There’s no shame in digging into hearty booze-absorbing grub in the Gayborhood, but in addition to our Besties, we’re serving up some “Test”-ies, spots worth trying a little outside your comfort food zone (but still in the modest price range of the winners).

Runner up: Super Duper (2304 Market St. and everywhere else) Over the past few years, Café Flore has gone through ownership shuffles, menu reorgs, and noticeable price hikes. And yet, its ideal location, sunny patio, and townsquare ambience have helped it maintain an irresistible lure. Who knows what’s next though? The new gay owners have floated plans to revamp it as a marijuana-infused tapas joint. Café Weed?

Best Dinner

Chow

(215 Church St.) Runner up: Firewood Café (4248 18th St.) Chow brings consistent, housemade quality to a suprisingly wide range of menu items, making it a reliable place to become a regular. The lamb burger with yogurt, mint, and tzatziki is super satisfying and most salads are offered in three sizes (so you can bring mama bear and baby bear along). Testie: Brenda’s Meat & Three (919 Divisadero) Choose your meat dish from the blackboard specials (fried chicken, barbecued brisket, blackened snapper), then gussy it up with your choice of three phenomenal sides from a huge roster, including cauliflower gratin, gumbo, greens, and cornbread stuffing. You will not leave hungry.

Testie: Shakedown (835 Geary St.) Ridiculously under the radar, this Wonka-worthy ice cream kitchen comes up with genius flavors like pistachio-studded Meyer lemon and Jacker Crack: popcorn flavored ice cream swirled with dulce de leche and peanut brittle bits.

Best Outdoor Patio

Café Flore

Runner up: Zeitgeist Testie: At The Ramp (855 Terry Francois St.), it’s hard not to hum a few bars of “Dock of the Bay” as you sit in the sun with a cold beer and a platter of oysters.

Best Coffee Shop

Philz

(549 Castro St., et. al.) Runner up: Peet’s (2257 Market, ad infinitum) Tenacious Philz has somehow grown stronger in the wake of the green mermaid, opening more locations for its pour-over wake-up calls. Philz a need for local product in a Starbucks world.

Best Late Night Restaurant

Orphan Andy’s (see Breakfast)

Three-to-one over runners-up DNA Pizza and Grubstake Testie: Toyose (3814 Noriega, open until 2AM daily) a cheerful, gabby labyrinth of Korean-speaking college students and in-the-know others. Order wings and kim chee fried rice.

Orphan Andy’s

Best Breakfast

Orphan Andy’s (3991 17th St.)

EXPLORE THE GAY WORLD

Runner up: Stacks Little OA’s deserves a prize this year and every year; not necessarily for serving the best breakfast, but for serving a solid rendition –along with lunch and dinner– around the clock. For a city teeming with nightlife and folks on flexible schedules, San Francisco’s dearth of late night and 24-hour options is flat-out disgraceful. And Orphan Andy’s is a saving grace. Also: Patty melts and people-watching. Testie: Devil’s Teeth Baking Company (3876 Noriega): Two scrambled eggs, pepperjack, bacon, avocado, and lemon-garlic aioli on a home-baked biscuit the size of a toddler’s head, $6.75. Also: Cute surfers.

Best Brunch

Squat & Gobble (3600 16th St.)

Runner up: Dottie’s (28 6th St.) Holy crepe! It’s a filling, functional choice with a name made to sell t-shirts. That said, in a city where making salad often appears to require tweezers, this is one spot where a salad makes an ample meal in itself. Testie: Dragon Beaux (5700 Geary St.) The best dim sum in town, served in snazzy modern dining rooms.

Pastries at Tartine

Best Dessert

Tartine Bakery (600 Guerrero St.)

Runner up, close second: Sweet Inspiration (2239 Market St.) It’s tough to argue with Tartine’s mouth-puckering lemon bars, distinctive chocolate salted rye cookies, and brioche bread pudding. The always epic lines however, can turn their famous morning buns into afternoon ones. Testie: b. patisserie (2821 California St.) Two words: Kouign Amman. One explanation: A sweet, muffinesque butterbomb with origins in Brittany; think crispy, carmelized croissant. Also: Lines here too.

Best Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

Bi-Rite Creamery

Pub grub at Hi Tops

Best Bar Menu

Hi Tops

(2247 Market St.) Close second: Harvey’s (500 Castro St.) Nearby third: The Lookout (3600 16th St.) Pulled pork nachos with the Niners. Pork chop on a stick with the Giants. Warm soft pretzel with the Warriors. Score!

Best Happy Hour Bites

Hi Tops

(See Bar Menu) Two-to-one over runners-up Azucar Lounge and Nopa

(3692 18th St.; 550 Divisadero St.) Runner up: Mitchell’s Ice Cream (688 San Jose Ave.) Yup. We’re good with this one! Double scoop of salted caramel and roasted banana please. What the heck, throw in a side of peanut butter soft serve (generally available Fridays only).

Best Food Delivery App

GrubHub

Runner up: Eat24 Your cubbard is bare and your cooking skills nary worth mentioning? These apps help you get fed, delivery-style.t