April 28, 2016 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter

More Pride honorees named

ARTS

10

17

29

'Kinky Boots'

Prince

The

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

Wallace describes hit-andrun crash

Vol. 46 • No. 17 • April 28-May 4, 2016

Vexing year for lesbian GGNRA superintendent

by Seth Hemmelgarn

T

he man accused of killing a gay San Francisco man in a hit-and-run crash says he didn’t realize he’d hit someone until days later, and he didn’t turn himself Courtesy SFPD in because of his son.

Brendan Wallace, Brendan Wallace 33, of Daly City, was arrested earlier this month for the November death of Dennis Nix, 60. He’s pleaded not guilty to charges including felony hit and run and vehicular manslaughter.

Nix, a well-known financial planner, had been riding his scooter around 2 a.m. November 22 near his Ingleside district home when he was hit.

In an interview Friday, April 22 in San Francisco County Jail #5, where he’s being held on $400,000 bail, Wallace expressed remorse for what happened to Nix. “He lost his life, and I’m fighting for mine,” Wallace said.

The incident started when he and another man were going home after visiting a friend in the city.

“All of a sudden, there was an accident,” said Wallace, who was calm for much of the interview but gestured wildly when recounting what happened. “We hit something. I didn’t know what it was at first,” he said, but he recalled thinking, “Crap, my wife is going to kill me.” He and his wife had just bought the car, a used Mercedes.

“The airbag popped out” immediately, and with it came smoke and dust, Wallace said.

“I didn’t see Mr. Nix at all the whole time,” and he didn’t see Nix’s scooter, he said.

Eventually, he said, “My car stopped running.” Asked what he saw when he got out, he said, “I didn’t even look at the car. I was just panicking, and I thought, ‘I’ve got to get home,’” adding, “I was scared. ... I knew my wife was going to kill me.”

He said he didn’t stop right away because he’d panicked.

“I didn’t know what to do,” he said. He now sees, “I should have handled it a little bit differently, but you can’t go back in time.”

Heinz Raimol “Rymo” Cortado, 34, who allegedly came to pick up Wallace after the crash, has pleaded not guilty to charges of being an accessory after the fact and giving police false information.

Wallace said it was his passenger who called Cortado.

See page 8 >>

by Matthew S. Bajko

O

f the 410 National Park Service units throughout the U.S., Christine Lehnertz has visited 75 to date. The list includes Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor, Maine and Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in Saint Augustine, Florida to North Cascades National Park in Washington State and the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.

See page 2 >>

Christine Lehnertz, the superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, stands in a community garden outside her office at Fort Mason.

Lyft sued over gay man’s death

by Seth Hemmelgarn

T

he boyfriend of a man killed in a crash involving Lyft and the dead man’s mother are suing the ride-hailing company, saying Lyft’s negligence caused the man’s death.

Shane Holland, 24, and Brady Lawrence, now 29, were heading back to their West Sacramento home November 1, 2014 after a Halloween party when they requested a Lyft car driven by Shanti Adhikari, 31.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Adhikari was speeding on Interstate 80 in Sacramento and lost control of his Toyota Camry, hitting two trees. Holland was killed, while Lawrence suffered a concussion and other injuries. The CHP found Adhikari at fault, but prosecutors declined to file criminal charges.

Lyft is based in San Francisco. In wrongful death complaints filed in July in San Francisco Superior Court, Lawrence and Donna Dinapoli, 55, Holland’s mother, say Lyft “negligently and carelessly” hired Adhikari, and the company had “created the impression” that Adhikari was Lyft’s employee. They “were harmed because they reasonably relied” on their belief, court documents say, and Lyft was responsible for Adhikari’s conduct.

The San Francisco Examiner has reported that according to Dinapoli, Adhikari “had a speeding violation the year before, and drove without proper insurance.”

In its response to the complaints filed in court, Lyft denied all allegations. Specifically,

Jane Philomen Cleland

Donna Dinapoli, left, and Brady Lawrence are suing Lyft after an accident killed Shane Holland, who was Dinapoli’s son and Lawrence’s boyfriend.

the company says, Holland’s own “negligence, recklessness, or intentional conduct” caused his injuries, and that he’d “failed to exercise ordinary care under the circumstances present prior to the alleged subject incident.”

Additionally, the company says in its response that it’s “a technology company, not a transportation company or common carrier, thus any common carrier causes of action should therefore be barred in accordance with the law.”

Among other claims, Lyft also says that “one or more of the named defendant,” presumably Adhikari, “was not an employee of Lyft Inc. at

Rick Gerharter

the time of the accident.”

A news release from Jones Clifford, the law firm representing Lawrence and Dinapoli, says the case raises “fundamental questions about core underpinnings of the company’s business and profit model – that is, Lyft’s ability to minimize personnel and insurance costs by insisting it is not a transportation provider and that its drivers are not employees.”

J. Kevin Morrison, the attorney representing Dinapoli and Lawrence, said they’re hoping Lyft will institute stricter background checks, among other changes.

The firm provided emails that Lyft sent to Lawrence. In one email, sent the day of the crash, a Lyft representative indicated the company was lacking critical details about what happened.

“Your driver Shanti let us know about the accident,” the email says. The company had “erased the cost” of the ride “and added one free ride of up to $25 to your account.”

The next day, however, another email said, “We are now aware of the severity of the accident and would like to send our deepest condolences to you and Shane’s loved ones for this terrible loss.”

Another email said, “If you have sustained any potential injuries as a result of this accident, we encourage you to seek medical attention right away. Please rest assured that Lyft has insurance which will cover the cost of your medical care.”

See page 13 >>

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<< Community News

t Survey looks at transgender people living with HIV 2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

by Liz Highleyman

T

he Oakland-based Transgender Law Center recently released the first report of findings from its Positively Trans survey, which aims to learn more about the lives and experiences of transgender people living with HIV. “Through our research, we are making it clear that transgender people, and particularly transgender women of color, face unique challenges in living with HIV, and we must be at the table when policy and funding decisions are made,” said Transgender Law Center senior strategist Cecilia Chung, who is HIVpositive and developed the survey.

Working with a national advisory board of trans community leaders, TLC, with support from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, launched the survey in response to the structural inequities that drive the high rate of HIV/AIDS and poor health outcomes among trans people. The first report was released last month.

Transgender women are known to have among the highest rates of HIV infection worldwide. One meta-anal-

ysis found that 22 percent of trans women in the U.S. are HIV-positive, while a global meta-analysis found that 19 percent of trans women were living with HIV. Very little is known about HIV rates among trans men.

To learn more about health and legal priorities and barriers for transgender people living with HIV, a needs-assessment survey was conducted online in both English and Spanish in the summer of 2015.

Transgender participants – defined as people whose sex assigned at birth was different from their current gender identity – were recruited through existing networks and clinics serving trans people living with HIV. A total of 157 respondents completed the survey, coming from 35 states and Puerto Rico. Most (84 percent) were trans women or on the trans feminine spectrum, while 12 percent were trans masculine.

Most were in the 26 to 55 age range, but 9 percent were age 25 or younger and 11 percent were older than 56. They had identified as transgender or gender non-conforming for a median of five years longer

Transgender Law Center senior strategist Cecilia Chung

than they had been living with HIV (17 versus 12 years), indicating that they generally became HIV-infected while identifying as trans.

Approximately a third each were African-American, Latina, and white, and one in five did the survey in Spanish. About 40 percent lived in the South, followed by the west (29 percent), northeast (14 percent), and Midwest (13 percent); 70 percent said they lived in urban areas.

The first survey report shows that trans people living with HIV face numerous challenges. Although nearly two-thirds percent of survey respondents had at least some college education, a majority were low-income, with 65 percent earning less than $23,000 annually. More than 40 per-

cent had a history of incarceration.

Asked about their most pressing health concerns, respondents prioritized gender-affirming and non-discriminatory health care, hormone therapy and its side effects, and mental health care – all considered more urgent than HIV treatment. In particular, many respondents were concerned about how hormone therapy might interact with antiretroviral drugs.

Two out of five respondents reported going six months or more without medical care, often due to cost or fear of mistreatment by providers. A fifth said they did not have health insurance coverage and a third thought they had been denied care due to being transgender or gender non-conforming.

Survey respondents said that HIV-related discrimination was their top legal priority (69 percent), with discrimination around employment, public accommodations, identification documents, and housing coming close behind (ranging from 54 to 65 percent).

In the face of systemic threats and barriers, “the impact of HIV on the transgender community cannot simply be addressed by programs that work to affect individual behaviors,” according to the report. “[W]e must address the systemic barriers our community members face – and the complex interactions of these systems

– to reduce HIV risk and increase access to care and other resources for trans people living with HIV.” Going beyond facts and figures, the report offers recommendations for initiatives to promote transgender health and legal rights, including rights-based advocacy training, development of support systems for those who face discrimination, economic initiatives to help overcome barriers to care, and provider education about gender-affirming care, and the mental health needs of transgender people with HIV. As a companion project to the survey, TLC has started offering digital storytelling workshops for transgender people affected by or living with HIV. The full report and videos are available online at http:// www.transgenderlawcenter.org/ programs/positively-trans. Future reports from the survey will cover stigma, interaction with law enforcement, and substance use.

“Through the survey, the collective voice of trans people living HIV assert their priorities in health care and their policy priorities,” Chung told the Bay Area Reporter. “It is a perfect opportunity to invite them to the table to offer their response to the epidemic. The data will hopefully change minds while the digital stories will help change hearts. I hope our providers and funders are paying attention.”t

Ex-AHF workers sue over pay

by Seth Hemmelgarn

ebar.com

FEROCITY

was disciplined” at one point for attending a court hearing wo former employees in a different case. of the AIDS Healthcare The men say they had to quit Foundation have filed a law“after many months of being suit claiming they weren’t misled and lied to” by AHF. paid fairly when they worked “Plaintiffs needed their for the nonprofit in Oakland. jobs,” the complaint says.

In the their complaint, “They resigned because no filed in late March in Alamreasonable persons in their eda County Superior Court, work and life situations David P. Cope and Patrick J. could continue to endure Tiongson say they didn’t get false promises amounting to commissions or raises that fraudulent inducement. had been promised to them, Two former HIV testing counselors at the AIDS Among other impacts, among other claims.

“Tiongson was forced to sell Healthcare Foundation’s Oakland thrift store Cope, of Oakland, worked have sued the agency, claiming they are owed his belongings and move back as an HIV testing counselor in back pay. to the Philippines.” an office at the Los AngelesThrough their lawsuit, he based nonprofit’s Out of the and Cope are seeking lost pay, ly [promising] that raises would be Closet thrift shop in Oakland punitive damages, and attorforthcoming,” the complaint says. from October 2013 to May 2015. ney fees, among other costs.

The two men “worked hard” for Tiongson, who now lives in the Online court records don’t inthe nonprofit “because they enjoyed Philippines, worked as an HIV testclude a response from AHF, and a fulfilling the mission of AHF. They ing counselor at the shop from April spokesman for the nonprofit didn’t often worked overtime, but de2013 to March 2015. respond to requests for comment. fendants failed to pay plaintiffs for The men say that AHF “disconSpencer Young, Cope and Tiongovertime, the minimum wage for tinued providing commissions after son’s attorney, declined to comment. those overtime hours, or the overpromising them,” and in an effort to Tiongson didn’t reply to a Facebook time or double time pay.” keep them employed, the nonprofit message, and contact information Finally, Cope and Tiongson claim promised them raises. for Cope couldn’t be located. in their lawsuit, they “could not pay “When the raises were not imA case management conference is their bills or maintain their standard plemented,” Cope and Tiongson set for August 15. of living. Both of them suffered “inquired and then objected and AHF’s tax documents for 2013 emotional distress. Matters were complained,” according to court list the nonprofit’s budget as almost made worse [by] what appeared documents. $195 million. In San Francisco, it to be retaliation for ongoing comAHF “shifted positions, made exhas two Out of the Closet thrift plaints and inquiries about unfulcuses, and induced plaintiffs to constores and offers services including filled promises. For example, Cope tinue working for them by repeateda pharmacy.t

T

<<

BEGINS@

479 Castro Street , San Francisco • (415) 431-5365 • www.cliffsvariety.com

GGNRA

From page 1

“I haven’t got a bucket list because I want to see them all,” said Lehnertz, 54, a lesbian and one of the highest-ranking LGBT employees with the National Park Service.

Born in Texas but raised in Colorado, Lehnertz graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and began her career in the Rocky Mountains. She worked for a variety of conservation agencies, including the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency before joining the park service in 2007.

As the deputy superintendent at Yellowstone National Park, Lehnertz’s favorite pastime was to go fly-fishing in the Lamar Valley, where wolves were first re-introduced to park.

Now the superintendent of the sprawling Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Lehnertz is still discovering all of the various sites that fall under her purview. She wants to explore more of the GGNRA properties located in San Mateo County, as “they are among the most wild areas we have. Those trails need my hiking boots on them.”

Lehnertz and her wife, Shari Dagg, live in Sonoma County with Choco, a “courageous cat” they rescued in Yellowstone. The couple often

adopts senior dogs but is currently “between dogs,” said Lehnertz, as a Greyhound they adopted late last year “did not work out.”

The women are avid hikers and tend to visit parks with “the best hiking,” said Lehnertz, when they want to escape to the tranquility of the outdoors.

Controversies

Since being named the GGNRA’s superintendent last May, Lehnertz’s life has been far from tranquil of late. Over the last 12 months she has been at the center of a number of public controversies.

The park service caused a fireSee page 13 >>

Community News>>

t Filmmakers pull documentary from Frameline

by Matthew S. Bajko

T

he filmmakers of a documentary that focused on a little known riot by transgender and gay patrons of a now-closed San Francisco eatery have pulled their film from being shown by Frameline this year.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Gene Compton’s Cafeteria riot, which is believed to have taken place sometime in August 1966, the city’s LGBT international film festival had planned to hold a special rescreening of the 2005 film Screaming Queens: The Riots at Compton’s Cafeteria by Victor Silverman and Susan Stryker.

Several years ago the filmmakers had inquired with Frameline about either doing a 10th anniversary screening of the movie last year or showing it this year to coincide with the semicentennial of the riot. They said the festival had recently approached them after receiving funds from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to do a retrospective screening of documentary films that helped change LGBT life.

But Silverman and Stryker informed Frameline officials earlier this month that not only had they decided to decline the offer to screen their film, they were also ending their distribution relationship with Frameline.

As they explained in an April 6 email sent to Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace, their actions were in response to the film festival’s decision not to end financial ties with the Israeli government.

Since 2007 pro-Palestinian activists have called on Frameline to decline funding from the Consulate General of Israel to the Pacific Northwest, and several dozen filmmakers have pledged not to screen their films at the festival until it does.

As reported in the Bay Area Reporter last week, Frameline officials decided in March to continue seeking fiscal sponsorships from local consulates in order “to support all filmmakers, regardless of their country of origin.” The money is used by Frameline to cover the cost to exhibit films and the travel expenses incurred by having foreign filmmakers attend the screenings of their films at the festival, held annually in June.

In their letter to Frameline, Stryker and Silverman wrote, “We were quite disappointed that the response did not address the substance of the issue at stake – namely, the tactic of ‘pinkwashing’ the injustice of Israeli government actions against Palestinians – and instead couched the issue as one of parity, arising from a desire to treat equally consular support from any and all countries seeking to promote their national film industries.”

They added that their decision was not made easily, as they received “key support” from Frameline’s finishing fund for filmmakers to complete Screaming Queens, which premiered during the 2005 festival.

And they have distributed the film through Frameline, which sells educational DVD copies for $295. (As of this week Frameline’s website said nothing about the film no longer being available.)

Yet Stryker and Silverman have also supported the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. As members of the American Studies Association, they backed the boycott of Israeli academic institutions by that organization.

“I am Jewish and have been involved in activism in support of Palestinian rights in trying to create a real and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” Silverman, a history professor at Pomona College, told the B.A.R. in a recent

Rick Gerharter

A sidewalk plaque in front of the site of Compton’s Cafeteria commemorates the 1966 transgender riot that took place there.

phone interview. “It is really important for Jewish Americans and those connected to Jewish Americans to speak out on this issue. For so long it was assumed we all blindly support the Israeli government and that is not true anymore.”

Added Stryker, whose partner is Jewish, “BDS is a principled way for pressuring the Israeli government.”

With Frameline being the oldest American LGBT film festival, its taking a stand in support of the BDS movement would have ripple effects, contended Stryker, a former Frameline board member who said Wednesday that she’s stepping down as director of the Institute for LGBT Studies at the University of Arizona.

“Because of Frameline’s leadership role and its being the flagship LGBT film festival globally, if we can promote change there perhaps it will have an effect elsewhere as well,” she said.

Wallace could not be reached for comment. The statement issued by Wallace and the board of directors stressed, “Frameline is a media arts and culture organization that supports the promotion of LGBTQ voices from all cultures in the world.

We do not take a stance against any particular country or culture.”

Both Stryker and Silverman stressed their decision is not meant to target Israeli filmmakers, nor do they have a personal disagreement with Frameline staff. Their intent is to put pressure on the Israeli government.

“I don’t feel like I have a lot of pull with the Israeli government. But I can say I don’t want to be part of a film festival that takes money from the Israeli government,” said Stryker.

“They can raise the $2,000 to $4,000 in one night at a fundraiser they get from the Israeli government.”

Added Silverman, “This is part of a larger effort, not just at queer film festivals or at Frameline, but rather a much broader effort to try and push the United States and, in turn, to push Israel to come up with a settlement with the Palestinians.”

They are currently looking for a new distributor for their film and are in talks with PBS about screening it this summer.

Street name could honor riot

A number of special events are expected to take place in San Francisco to mark the anniversary of the riot, which occurred three years prior to the more famous Stonewall Inn riots in New York City. Stryker has described what took place at Compton’s as “the first known instance of collective militant queer resistance to police harassment in U.S. history.”

A memorial plaque can be found at the corner of Taylor and Turk streets, where Compton’s once stood.

It was installed in 2006 to mark the 40th anniversary of the riot.

As the B.A.R. noted at the time, the riot was sparked when “transgender women, hustlers, and queer

youth who frequented the popular all-night hangout finally became fed up with routine harassment from the police, which sometimes included arrests for female impersonation.

After one young woman threw her coffee in an officer’s face, a general melee ensued as drag queens beat cops with their purses, the cafeteria’s plate glass window was smashed, and a corner newsstand was set on fire.”

The fifth annual Howard Grayson LGBT Elder Life Conference will commemorate the Compton’s riot.

It is scheduled to take place Saturday, May 21 in the Tenderloin at the Cadillac Hotel.

This week District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim introduced a resolution to rename the 100 block of Taylor Street “Gene Compton’s Cafeteria Way.” The honorary street name change, first reported Monday by the B.A.R.’s online Political Notes

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

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Who pays for hospice care?

Is there a hospice facility?

Is it time for hospice?

Join us for an informal and informative discussion of what hospice care really is and how it works.

Thursday, May 19, 6−7:30 p.m.

Hospice by the Bay 180 Redwood St., Suite 350 • San Francisco

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(415) 526.5580 or www.hbtb.org

See page 11 >>

peace,

For inner I practice eat

yoga,

healthfully,

love

and where I live.

As a yoga instructor, Marilyn has always embraced a Northern California lifestyle.

So she brought her yoga class on campus, along with her passion for fresh, healthful food to the table. What else adds to her inner peace? The central location, Life Care, and freedom from mundane chores. Looking for some inner peace of your own? To find out how, call Alison at (415) 351-7900.

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This not-for-profit community is part of Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services.

License# 380500593 COA# 097

<< Open Forum

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

Volume 46, Number 17 April 28-May 4, 2016 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 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 Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Jay Cribas PRODUCTION/DESIGN Max Leger PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Lydia Gonzales • 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 VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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News Editor • news@ebar.com Arts Editor • arts@ebar.com Out & About listings • jim@ebar.com Advertising • scott@ebar.com Letters • letters@ebar.com Published weekly. Bay Area Reporter reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement which the publisher believes is in poor taste or which advertises illegal items which might result in legal action against Bay Area Reporter. Ads will not be rejected solely on the basis of politics, philosophy, religion, race, age, or sexual orientation.

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t

Time for city to step up on mental health

A

s San Francisco’s budget process gets underway in the coming months, many competing interests will be vying for funding.

Mental health services are critical, yet often overlooked, particularly regarding suicide prevention. A report last week in the New York Times makes the need clear: suicide in the United States has surged to the highest levels in nearly 30 years, based on a federal data analysis. The paper reported that increases have been found in every age group except older adults and that the numbers have been substantial among middleaged Americans, a group whose suicide rates had been stable or declining since the 1950s.

This news is no surprise to the LGBT community. For years, reports have examined suicide among LGBT Americans and have found that rates are higher than average, particularly among LGBT youth, and the transgender community.

According to a 2014 report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, the prevalence of suicide attempts among respondents to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, conducted by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality, is 41 percent, which vastly exceeds the 4.6 percent of the overall U.S. population who report a lifetime suicide attempt, and is also higher than the 10-20 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults who report ever attempting suicide.

Now, the Times analysis shows that the overall suicide rate rose by 24 percent, from 10.5 to 13 per 100,000 population from 1999-2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, which released its study last week.

The Williams Institute report summarized that the most striking finding of its analysis was “the exceptionally high prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts reported by NTDS respondents across all demographics and experiences.”

“Based on prior research and the findings of this report, we find that mental health factors and experiences of harassment, discrimination, violence, and rejection may interact to produce a marked vulnerability to suicidal behavior in transgender and gender non-conforming individuals,” the report’s executive summary stated, calling for additional research.

The NTDS survey had responses from 6,456 self-identified transgender and gender nonconforming adults over the age of 18. The Williams Institute report stated that the survey had its limitations, but it did provide lots of information about employment status, relationship status, education, and household income. Yet across all areas, there were still high percentages of suicide attempts.

San Francisco offers a range of behavioral

health programs, including those designed for the LGBT community. Some are offered by nonprofits, like the UCSF Alliance Health Project, others operate through the health department’s clinics and other programs. But funding is a constant struggle and the Board of Supervisors and Mayor Ed Lee must provide leadership, even though the mayor has asked all city departments to trim their budgets by 1.5 percent. This week, Lee, in an editorial board meeting with the Bay Area Reporter, discussed how passage of Proposition A, a $350 million bond measure to seismically retrofit Building 5 at San Francisco General Hospital, could increase mental health services because it would preserve access to the 24/7 psychiatric emergency services, with added capacity.

Not everyone with mental health issues is suicidal, of course. But it’s sobering in the context of the increased suicide rate in the U.S. that mental health services often take a back seat to other health issues. Counseling costs money. Therapy costs money. Helping someone get their life on track is not always easy.

External factors like having a job and stable home life are also important. San Francisco is known as a city where people help each other, and that’s harder to do when there are constant budget cuts in social service programs or wait lists because there isn’t enough funding. This is especially true for the LGBT community, which has never really recovered from the closure of its only dedicated mental health agency years ago. Other nonprofits did step in to fill the void left by the closure of New Leaf: Services for Our Community, but nothing can take the place of an agency solely dedicated to mental health for queer people.

We would urge the supervisors and mayor to increase spending for mental health, so that more people can get the treatment they need.t

Wiener deserves your vote for state Senate

by Rebecca Prozan

for transportation policy. Last year, the San Francisco Transit Riders or’m supporting Scott Wiener for ganized a 22-day “Muni Challenge” state Senate. to highlight a 1993 law requiring Wiener inspires, impresses, fruselected officials to ride Muni twice trates, and drives a few crazy. What a week. Wiener took on the chalI like about him is that he makes a lenge, logging over 100 citywide decision, stands by his True North, rides in the 22-day period. He’s and rarely shies away from a fight. even famously ridden Muni with an He’s the kind of person I want to see open door. These experiences have representing us and fighting for us driven Wiener to strongly advocate State Senate in Sacramento. for critical transportation improvecandidate The city is currently experienc- Scott Wiener ments, like creating a subway master ing an incredible economic boom. plan so we’re planning for the long Other cities seethe at what we have, including game. In addition, he’s worked to expand exceptionally low unemployment and many Muni to operate 24/7 so that patrons and embusinesses fighting over commercial space. ployees have an affordable way to travel.

With more than 45,000 San Franciscans who As portions of San Mateo County are inhave moved here since 2010, we are bursting at cluded in the Senate district, our future legisthe seams. These historic times call for a sealator must advocate for a regional agenda. soned leader who understands the challenges Recently, the city considered whether the growth creates and can navigate Sacrato make the tech shuttle program mento’s polarized climate to draft and pass permanent. Currently, this prostate bills to address these needs. A deeper dive gram transports thousands of into Wiener’s record demonstrates his distinct workers from San Francisco to ability to do so.

Menlo Park, Mountain View, Wiener understands how to enable new and San Jose. If these workers housing units without drastically changing used cars, our streets in the city our city’s landscape. Instead of cutting deals, and along the Peninsula would he’s changed city policies to create new housbe in perpetual gridlock. Caling opportunities for all income levels. By train, BART, and Muni are all at exempting all 100 percent affordable houscapacity, and even Caltrain wrote a letter to the ing projects from conditional use planning supervisors asking for a permanent program. requirements, developments for those most Despite being in the minority, Wiener never in need can be fast-tracked. Legalizing in-law wavered in the fight for a permanent shuttle units in the Castro is a common sense soluprogram as he understood the implications of tion that increases affordable housing stock thousands of cars on our streets. without jeopardizing rent-controlled units.

From time to time, Wiener and I disagree on Developing housing also became easier when policy. Homelessness is on everyone’s mind; Wiener authored legislation establishing clear but to remove encampments without ensurdeadlines for the California Environmental ing both space and services to accommodate Quality Act, or CEQA, which unanimously homeless individuals in more supportive surpassed the Board of Supervisors, as everyone roundings seems pointless to me. I’d rather agrees multiple appeals should not be filed on work to find ways to create readily available the same project, nor should appeals be made supportive housing with services that meet during mid-construction. people where they are than drive people out Most people are aware of Wiener’s penchant with nowhere to go.

I

If we do not elect Wiener, San Francisco will not have LGBT representation in our state delegation. At our high point, 50 percent of San Francisco’s state legislators identified as LGBT. With Senator Mark Leno being termed out, the situation has changed. We tend to use the “support LGBT leaders above our straight allies” argument in many contexts, and yet the thought of losing all LGBT state representation from San Francisco this November makes this race unique and something to consider.

During his tenure in Sacramento, Leno has been a fierce and tireless advocate for our communities on so many issues, marriage equality, minimum wage, and criminal justice reform come to mind. Leno’s leadership on marriage equality stands far above the rest as he introduced state legislation annually.

Thankfully, Leno has brought that same determination toward repeal of the Ellis Act. Should Wiener be elected, I hope he continues to fight to repeal the Ellis Act as it has been used to displace so many of our friends and family.

Further, Wiener should follow in Leno’s footsteps and continue to propose and author necessary affordable housing and tenant protection legislation to create opportunities for more people to live here and stay here.

Our city faces many challenges and we desperately need effective legislators to push a progressive agenda, bring home funding for services, and pass new laws. Wiener has fought for so many issues we care about: HIV/AIDS funding, trees, pedestrian improvements, cycling, paid parental leave, and more. Given his record as a supervisor, I trust Wiener to deliver and I know he’ll be a great addition to the long-standing tradition of sending our best to Sacramento.

Please support Scott Wiener for state Senate.t Rebecca Prozan is a member of the Democratic County Central Committee.

Next week, look for a Guest Opinion in support of Jane Kim for state Senate.

t

Politics>>

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

SF mayor pledges to backfill any AIDS funding cuts

Rick Gerharter

Mayor Ed Lee

by Matthew S. Bajko

S

an Francisco Mayor Ed Lee is once again pledging to backfill any cuts to AIDS services and HIV prevention programs as he prepares to present the city budget to the Board of Supervisors this summer.

During an editorial board meeting with the Bay Area Reporter Tuesday, April 26, Lee said the city will need to backfill “probably several million dollars again” due to decreases in state and federal sources.

No matter the amount, Lee pledged, “We will restore the cuts” using general fund dollars.

The issue of cuts in AIDS funding is a perennial one, with San Francisco City Hall having allocated more than $20 million since 2011 in local taxpayer dollars to cover the reduction in its share of Ryan White HIV/ AIDS Treatment Modernization Act funds.

Under a formulary imposed by federal officials, San Francisco has seen a steady decrease in funding because new HIV infections in the city have been trending downward for years. The city’s Getting to Zero plan has set a goal of reducing all new HIV infections by 90 percent come 2020.

Yet its success in reducing HIV transmission comes at the cost of federal funding, which is targeted in larger amounts to parts of the country where HIV cases continue to spike.

Gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener told the B.A.R. that the city is expecting to see a reduction in the HIV prevention funding it receives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to his office, the shortfall will be $384,000 for FY 2016-17.

Additionally, Wiener’s office told the B.A.R. the city will see a decrease of $372,000 next fiscal year in its Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS grant that City Hall has pledged to cover.

San Francisco officials have yet to learn the exact dollar amount in Ryan White cuts the city will receive, though Wiener’s office said there is already a commitment from the mayor’s office to backfill upwards of $750,000. Should the cut be larger, both Wiener and Lee told the B.A.R. they will find the funds to cover it.

“The mayor is committing and I am committing that we will backfill any cuts,” said Wiener.

The mayor plans to submit his budget plan June 1 to the supervisors, who must pass a two-year balanced budget for fiscal years 20162017 and 2017-2018 by July 29.

In December the Mayor’s Budget Office had projected a $99.8 million shortfall in the general fund for FY 2016-17 and a $240.2 million shortfall for FY 2017-18.

At the time Lee had ordered all city departments to cut their bud-

gets by 1.5 percent for the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, and an additional 1.5 percent for the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2017.

In recent months, however, the city’s fiscal picture has improved. In February the city controller’s office projected that full-year property tax revenue is expected to be $69 million above the budgeted amount.

The driver of the increase, said the controller’s report, is higher than expected property tax income.

“The expected deficit is smaller now than it was before,” said Wiener.

“It happens every year; it shrinks as tax revenue comes in. I suspect as we get into the heat of budget season there will be little, if any, deficit to deal with.”

Last year marked the first time the city passed a “no cuts budget,” according to the mayor’s office.

Businesswoman Lanenna Joiner

Oakland sex shop owner seeks Dem delegate spot

This Sunday, May 1, hundreds of Democrats from across California will be vying for coveted delegate spots at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in late July. Among them will be an Oakland sex shop owner who is a newcomer to party politics.

Lanenna Joiner, who goes by Nenna, is one of 45 women running in the state’s 13th Congressional District for four female delegate slots, plus one alternate, on behalf of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Represented by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), the Alameda County district stretches south from Berkeley to San Leandro.

“I have never done this before,” said Joiner, 41, a lesbian and owner of Feelmore Adult Gallery, the sex and body positive store at 1703 Telegraph Avenue in downtown Oakland.

Her interest in running to become a delegate for Clinton was motivated by her experience trying to attend the California Democratic Party’s state convention held in late February in San Jose. She was unaware attendees had to be registered members of one of the party’s various caucuses or be designated as a proxy by a member of a Democratic County Central Committee in order to participate.

“I thought you could just go,” said Joiner. “They said you have to be vouched for by a delegate. I didn’t know anyone; I was so pissed off.”

She has been working to be better prepared headed into Sunday’s caucus vote. For instance, she has been letting people know that they can register as a Democrat at the caucus and then vote on her behalf.

“My strategy is to use social networking. I have been calling people I know who live in the district,” said Joiner, to ask them to attend the caucus and vote for her. “I have been getting out and talking to people. I

am a business owner, so I naturally go and talk to people.”

Also in the running to be one of Clinton’s female delegates is San Leandro resident Tiffany Woods, a transgender woman who is the director of the transgender services at TriCity Health Center in Fremont. There are also 33 men running for four Clinton male delegate slots from the state’s 13th Congressional District.

The caucus to select delegates from the district on behalf of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) will be held in a separate location. In that contest, 66 women are running for a similar number of delegates.

Which candidates’ delegates head to the convention will be determined by the June 7 presidential primary result in the district.

In total California will be sending 317 district-level delegates, plus 30 alternates, to the national convention. Another 105 at-large delegates, 10 at-large alternates, and 53 PLEO’s (party leaders and elected officials) will be selected by the two campaigns and confirmed Sunday, June 19.

The state party has pledged that 12 percent of its total delegate contingent will be LGBT. The caucus to select Clinton delegates from Lee’s congressional district will take place inside the M Gymnasium at Berkeley High School, which is located at 1980 Allston Way. (It was recently changed from the previously announced location.) The doors open at 2 p.m. and the meeting begins at 3.

“You have to be there before 3 p.m. to caucus,” stressed Joiner.

The votes will be tabulated at the end of the meeting, and if there are any ties, they will be determined by a coin toss.

The locations of the Clinton and Sanders caucuses throughout the state can be found online at http:// www.cadem.org/our-party/national-convention/national-convention-district-level-caucus-home/ dnc2016.

Separate lists for the Clinton and Sanders delegate candidates, broken down by congressional district and gender, can be downloaded at http://www.cadem.org/our-party/ national-convention.

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

family law specialist* • Divorce w/emphasis on Real Estate & Business Divisions • Domestic Partnerships, Support & Custody • Probate and Wills www.SchneiderLawSF.com

415-781-6500 *Certified by the California State Bar 400 Montgomery Street, Ste. 505, San Francisco, CA

Clinton names lesbian to CA team

The Hillary for California campaign announced last Friday, April 22, that it had hired Oakland resident Peggy Moore as its political director.

Moore, a lesbian, served as the deputy field director for Northern California on President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. She went on to be the political director at Organizing for America, which was launched by former Obama campaign staffers to support the president while in office.

Most recently Moore, 52, had served as senior adviser to Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, having run her campaign in 2014. On the June ballot Moore is one of 16 people running for 10 DCCC seats in the state’s 18th Assembly District.

The Clinton campaign will have a party to open its Oakland office Thursday, April 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 408 14th Street. Schaaf is expected to be on hand.t

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 a proposal to rename an SF city block in honor of a transgender historic site.

LGBT PROGRESSIVE CATHOLICS † OUR FAMILIES & FRIENDS

Celebrating our Sexuality and Love as Gifts of God Liturgy & Social: Every Sunday 5pm First Sunday Movie Night Second Sunday Potluck Supper Third Wednesday Faith Sharing Group 1329 Seventh Avenue † info@dignitysanfrancisco.org Follow us on Facebook!

<< Commentary

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

Presidential potty phobia

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

I

suppose it should be of no surprise to anyone that the recent preponderance of anti-transgender bathroom bills is deliberate, planned to bolster the right during an election year. It’s the same tactic conservatives used around the same-sex marriage issue to bolster their base more than a decade ago.

Without that issue, they’ve moved onto both “religious freedom” laws and these anti-trans bills.

For the most part, this attempt is failing. In some of the states where these bills have come up, they’ve ended up being shot down. Most recently, Tennessee has once again shelved its attempt to pass one. Unfortunately, North Carolina, with HB 2, and Mississippi, with HB 1523, have made such discrimination the law of their states.

Both laws, as I have written previously, have resulted in a host of economic blows to those states, with businesses calling off expansions, concerts being canceled by big-name acts, and convention dollars drying up. Both have led to quite a number of cities barring their employees from traveling to the states in question, and even the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office has put out a travel advisory for people traveling to the United States over these laws.

Now, it is unlikely that these laws would stand up to a serious court challenge. We’ve already seen some of this start, with a ruling in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in

favor of Gavin Grimm, a transgender high school student who challenged the restroom policies of Gloucester High School in Virginia. The 4th Circuit covers North Carolina, where the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund have already filed a lawsuit in federal court over HB 2.

Regardless of the future legality of these laws, what matters is how they play out in the 2016 elections, particularly for the Republicans in the presidential primaries.

GOP frontrunner Donald Trump initially came out against HB 2, using language in a way only he seems to know how.

“North Carolina did something that was very strong and they’re paying a big price. There’s a lot of problems,” said Trump. “You leave it the way it is. There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go, they use the bathroom they feel is appropriate, there has been so little trouble, and the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife, and the economic punishment that they’re taking.”

His opponent, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, immediately criticized Trump and opponents of the law.

“That’s not a reasonable position, it is simply crazy and the idea that grown men would be allowed alone in a bathroom with little girls – you don’t need to be a behavioral psychologist to realize bad things can happen, and any prudent person wouldn’t allow that,” he said.

Christine Smith

I feel the need to step in here for a moment. First off, Trump – as much as it pains me to say this – is right here. There have not been issues with predators trying to disguise themselves as trans people to attack others in restrooms. It’s a madeup problem. Transgender people are a far cry from Cruz’s statement about “grown men” being “allowed alone in a bathroom with little girls.” That’s a paper tiger designed to frighten people into supporting anti-transgender laws.

After Cruz’s attacks, Trump has, of course, tempered his stance, stating that he believes North Carolina had the right to pass such a law, while not seemingly changing his personal belief on the issue.

“I love North Carolina, and they have a law, and it’s a law that, you know, unfortunately is causing them some problems,” Trump said during an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News. “And I fully understand

that they want to go through, but they are losing business, and they are having people come out against.

“I think that local communities and states should make the decision,” he continued. “And I feel very strongly about that. The federal government should not be involved.”

In both of Trump’s statements, it is clear that his prime motivations are more about how HB 2 has affected the economic well-being of the state, not the well-being of transgender people themselves.

Cruz has continued on the attack, even launching an anti-Trump television advertisement. The ad, featuring plain, bold text over a black and white screen, states, “Should a grown man pretending to be a woman be allowed to use the women’s restroom? The same restroom used by your daughter? Your wife?”

I should note, of course, that these never include statements about men’s rooms.

t

The ad then continues, attempting to paint Trump as someone unwilling to malign the “PC Police,” as if Trump has not built his base on attacking minorities at nearly every turn.

Meanwhile, while these presidential candidates attempt to frame this issue in the best way to smear their opponent, what is lost is the plight that transgender people themselves are facing. They’ve been maligned on the national political stage, demonized by the right, and outlawed by two of the 50 states from safely performing basic bodily functions.

Cruz’s attack ad in particular paints a picture that transgender people themselves are “pretending to be” women, with a tinge of fear for the safety of the viewer’s family members. It is beliefs like this that are causing others to declare that they’ll attack transgender people in restrooms, including now-fired ESPN commentator and sports celebrity Curt Schilling; Denton County, Texas Sheriff candidate Tracy Murphree; and SyFy’s Ghost Hunters star Jason Hawes, all of whom have discussed their proviolence stance on Twitter and Facebook.

So once again, in an attempt to gin up a “marketable controversy” to rally their base, the GOP is fostering a climate of hatred, even violence.

When the transgender community sees even more people hurt or possibly killed as a result, will the GOP or its candidates care? Not likely.t Gwen Smith wonders what Cruz pretends to be to get into restrooms. You’ll find her at http:// www.gwensmith.com.

4th Circuit ruling in bathroom case could loom large in NC analysis by Lisa Keen

I

t’s an important legal victory, but the federal appeals panel ruling last week in favor of a transgender teen has not yet knocked down the hostility or hurdles blocking transgender people’s access to public restrooms. And even though LGBT legal advocates express a great deal of optimism that the case will eventually make gains for transgender people, opponents have already filed an appeal to the full federal appeals court.

The transgender court victory comes as national attention – even international attention – has reached an important juncture.

North Carolina and Mississippi have passed laws to specifically bar transgender people from using public restrooms that correspond to their gender identity and presentation. That has triggered a flood of public and corporate protest, become an issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, and even prompted a question for President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron at a joint press conference in London last Friday.

The following is a quick primer on why the appeals panel decision has garnered so much attention and why it may reach far beyond one transgender student in Virginia.

What are the basics?

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 April 19 that Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 – which prohibits discrimination based on sex by federally funded educational institutions – also prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. The majority’s ruling in Grimm v. Gloucester came on preliminary motion in a lawsuit filed by a transgender student, Gavin Grimm. The preliminary motion requested that he be able

to use his public high school’s boys’ restrooms until his overall lawsuit can be resolved. An 87-year-old Reagan-appointed federal district court judge had denied the preliminary injunction, declaring Grimm to be a female and ruling that “sex” in Title IX does not include gender identity or sexual orientation. The appeals panel reversed that decision, noting that the U.S. Department of Education had issued an opinion letter last year, saying Title IX requires “a school generally must treat transgender students consistent with their gender identity.”

The panel sent the case back to the district court with instructions to reconsider the preliminary injunction based on the panel majority’s decision. The Gloucester County School Board immediately appealed the panel’s decision to the full 4th Circuit.

Why is this a big deal?

This lawsuit is still in the preliminary stages, and the decision addresses only sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX in federally funded educational facilities.

But the April 19 decision was the first time a federal appeals court anywhere in the nation has ruled that discrimination based on sex included discrimination based on gender identity. Next, the full 4th Circuit – which covers the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and West Virginia – will have an opportunity to weigh in or let the panel decision stand. But LGBT activists note that most of the rest of the 4th Circuit judges are fairly progressive and are likely to uphold the panel’s decision.

Also, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory – who signed the law in that state to ban transgender people from using public restrooms consistent with their gender identity – said he would “respect” the 4th Circuit panel decision as it applies to feder-

determinations of the Department of Education.”

The Supreme Court, really?

Transgender high school student Gavin Grimm

ally funded educational facilities. An editorial in the News and Observer newspaper in Raleigh said the ruling should prompt lawmakers there to repeal the anti-gay law.

How big could this get?

This could go to the U.S. Supreme Court and a decision there could affect every state, not just the 4th Circuit states. But there’s another important potential impact, too: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits most public and private employers from discriminating based on sex. Like the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has determined that the prohibition on sex discrimination includes a prohibition on gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination. As Jon Davidson, legal director for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, explained: “I believe there is at least as strong a case that courts are required to give the EEOC’s determinations that Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and that excluding transgender employees from restrooms matching their gender identity violates Title VII [as] there was for the 4th Circuit to be obligated to defer to the similar

It’s possible, but LGBT legal activists think it’s not likely at this time.

The Supreme Court rarely gets involved in a case at a preliminary stage.

One of the big reasons it does take a case is to resolve a conflict among the various federal appeals circuits.

Right now, only the 4th Circuit has ruled on Title IX, so there is no conflict, noted Jennifer Levi of GLAD, an LGBT legal organization. “So, even if the school eventually appealed to the Supremes, I would think it very unlikely that they would weigh in,” said Levi. Plus, she noted, there are only eight justices on the Supreme Court right now. A tie vote at the Supreme Court would leave the appeals decision intact, so it seems unlikely the Gloucester County School Board would appeal to the Supreme Court under these circumstances. More likely: If the full 4th Circuit upholds the panel decision, Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights predicted the school district will simply settle the lawsuit rather than go through the expense of a full trial when the 4th Circuit’s position is “so clear.”

Who’s Gavin Grimm?

Grimm is a junior at Gloucester High School in the rural Virginia county of Gloucester. He’s 16 years old and has felt, since age 6, that he’s a male. A psychologist diagnosed Grimm with gender dysphoria, a condition in which a person strongly identifies as a gender different from his or her physical gender attributes. His parents helped him change his name, secure treatment to transition to a male identity, and inform and seek help from school officials. Grimm does not participate in physical education classes and did not seek use of the boys’ locker room, but he did seek use of

the boys’ restroom. He explained that, in girls’ restrooms, girls reacted negatively to his presence because they perceive him to be a boy.

How did this land in court?

School officials initially cooperated and allowed Grimm to use the boys’ restroom. Things went well for seven weeks then, according to court documents, some parents of other students complained, and school board officials held hearings.

At those hearings, some parents expressed hostility toward Grimm, calling him a “young lady” and a “freak.” Some warned that allowing him to use the boys’ restroom would lead to sexual assaults and prompt boys to dress as girls in order to enter the girls’ restrooms. In response, the school board adopted a policy requiring that transgender students use “an alternative appropriate private facility.” But Grimm said that policy increased his feeling of being stigmatized.

Who was on the student’s side?

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, NCLR, GLAD, the Transgender Law Center, the Transgender Law and Policy Institute, the U.S. Justice Department, and school administrators in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and several other states, as well as the gay Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C.; the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association; and the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network.

Which judges participated?

Judge Henry Floyd (an appointee of President Barack Obama) wrote the decision, which was joined by Senior Circuit Judge Andre Davis (an Obama appointee). Judge Paul Niemeyer (an appointee of President George H.W. Bush) concurred in part and dissented in part.t

t

International News>>

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Gay Bangladeshi USAID staffer hacked to death

by Heather Cassell

B

angladeshi gay rights activists Xulhaz Mannan and a friend, Tanay “Tonoy” Mojumdar, were hacked to death April 25 by five or six unidentified men disguised as couriers delivering a package.

The suspects remain at large.

Mannan’s mother and a maid witnessed the incident. Both survived the attack.

Mohammed Parvez, 18, one of two security guards at Mannan’s building, was injured and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

Mannan, 35, worked for the United States Agency for International Development, Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement about the killings on Monday, and he was formerly a protocol officer at the U.S. Embassy, according to media reports.

“Xulhaz ... was a trusted colleague, a beloved friend, and advocate for human rights and dignity in Bangladesh,” said Kerry. “In many ways, he embodied the spirit of the people of Bangladesh and the pride with which they guard their traditions of tolerance, peace, and diversity.”

Mannan was also the co-founder of Bangladesh’s first LGBT magazine, Roopbaan, and the annual Rainbow Rally held on the Bengali New Year.

The volunteer-run magazine and rally were launched in January 2014.

The magazine was named after a Bengali folk character, Roopbaan, who symbolizes the power of love, and was published only in Bangla, founding editors of the magazine said at its invitation-only launch party.

“The main reason for this publication is to promote love,” said an

unidentified member of the editorial team at the time of the magazine’s launch, reported the Dhaka Tribune. “Promoting love and promoting the right to love. The audience for love is huge and that’s who this is for.”

Mannan and his friend’s death happened on the same day the White House launched its fifth annual “Free the Press” campaign leading up to World Press Freedom Day May 3.

Through May 3, the State Department will highlight journalists and media outlets that have been censored, attacked, threatened, imprisoned, or otherwise oppressed because of their reporting and whose situations have not yet improved, according to Monday’s announcement.

The cases will be profiled on www.HumanRights.gov and they will be tweeted out using the hashtag #FreethePress.

An outpouring of grief has flooded Roopbaan’s Facebook page.

Homosexuality is illegal in Bangladesh under Section 377, a colonial era anti-sodomy law that describes same-sex love as “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman, or animal.” Same-sex relationships are punished, at minimum, with 10 years imprisonment with a fine or with life imprisonment under the law.

However, the Bangladesh government didn’t condemn the magazine or the organization, BBC Bengali service editor Sabir Mustafa told the station. Instead, Roopbaan and the organization received some support by foreign embassies.

This year the rally, held April 14, was banned by police as a part of widespread security measures in the

Come to Sacramento & Stay the Weekend!

within the past several years. However, within the past several months there was an onslaught of murders targeting liberal activists and members of minority Muslim sects and religious communities, according to media reports.

According to media reports, six bloggers and publishers have been hacked to death since February 2015. Since last September, two foreigners were murdered and there have been attacks on Christian priests and mosques.

This month, another blogger, a Bangladeshi law student, and a university professor were hacked to death. Additionally, Bangladesh’s most prominent blogger, Imran Sarker, told the BBC that he received a phone call April 24 warning him that he would be killed “very soon.”

According to media reports, 84 “atheist bloggers,” including those in Europe and North America, are on a hit list created by Islamic groups that has been widely circulated. The bloggers that have been murdered in Bangladesh were on that list.

Individuals claiming association with al-Qaida and the Islamic State have taken responsibility for some of the murders.

Claims that Mannan’s murder was carried out by al-Qaida circulated, but Maruf Hossain Sorder, spokesman of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said that as of Monday no group claimed credit for Mannan and his friend’s death.

Ansar al-Islam, a self-identified al-Qaida affiliate in the Indian subcontinent, reportedly claimed responsibility for the murders Monday, stating that it was due to their LGBT activism.

The White House is not confirming reports of Ansar al-Islam’s claim of responsibility.

Google-Plus

Bangladeshi gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan, founder of the country’s first LGBT magazine, Roopbaan, was hacked to death this week.

country, according to media reports.

Due to safety and security concerns, the editors and contributors took precautions to remain anonymous, according to media reports.

However, earlier this month both murdered men received death threats a few days prior to their killings, a close friend who didn’t want to be identified told the Washington Post.

In spite of the dangers of their work and opportunities to leave Bangladesh, Mannan and his friends refused to abandon the magazine and their LGBT rights work, “a decision that wasn’t surprising,” the friend said.

The magazine became a platform for supporting LGBT rights in Bangladesh, he told the Post.

“Both were extremely gentle, non-violent and aware that being openly gay and active in their work was a personal danger,” an unidentified British photographer told the BBC, who noted that until a year ago, coming out only meant shame upon one’s family, not endangerment of one’s life.

Increase in hacking deaths

The suspects dressed in blue Tshirts and claimed they were delivering packages when they entered Mannan’s building in the capital, Dhaka, around 5 p.m., security guards told the Tribune.

They then entered his first floor flat. About a half hour later the security guards heard shouting and “shooting sounds,” said Parvez.

“The assailants then attacked me with knives,” he said.

Witnesses said the killers ran out of the building chanting, “Allahu Akbar (Allah is great),” before they disappeared, according to media reports.

The other security guard, who was only identified by the Tribune as Sumon, told the newspaper that one of the killers had a pistol in his hand.

Police found a box in the apartment, but didn’t divulge its contents, reported the Guardian.

There has been a rash of murders of academics, foreigners, religious minorities, and secular bloggers

See page 13 >>

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<< Election 2016

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

t

Clinton, Trump surge in Tuesday primaries

by Lisa Keen

H

illary Clinton and Donald Trump each notched substantial victories in Tuesday’s Democratic and Republican primary states, while the remaining candidates in both parties have an increasingly narrow path to their respective nominations.

On the GOP side, North Carolina’s new law barring transgender people from using public restrooms that correspond with their gender identity became a recurring theme in the campaign.

Republican presidential hopeful Senator Ted Cruz was the only one of the five remaining candidates to state support for the so-called bathroom laws.

Trump said he thought people should be able to “use the bathroom they feel is appropriate” but after criticism from Cruz later said he thought it was a matter for each state to decide.

Ohio Governor John Kasich said he “wouldn’t have signed the law.”

Clinton, the former secretary of

Hillary Clinton mentioned LGBT rights in her victory speech Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

state, and her Democratic opponent, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, called the laws discriminatory.

But Cruz went before reporters and rallies repeatedly to express his support for the laws and to mock Trump for opposing them.

“If Donald Trump dresses up as Hillary Clinton,” Cruz said to a rally of supporters in Indiana April 24, “he

Donald Trump won in all five states that voted Tuesday.

still can’t go to the girls’ bathroom.”

The audience laughed and applauded.

But his joke went over about as well as former presidential hopeful Marco Rubio’s joke did about the size of Trump’s hands. Out of 111 delegates up for grabs in the five states Tuesday, Cruz won one. Kasich won five. Trump won 105.

WELCOME TO

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Trump swept the five Republican primaries Tuesday, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Delaware. He now has 77 percent of the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the Republican presidential nomination.

On the Democratic side, Clinton won four out of five states. (Sanders took Rhode Island.) She now has 90 percent of the 2,383 delegates needs PUB: she Bay Area Reporterto secure the Democratic nomination. SandIssue:presidential March 31, 2016 Client:ers Astonissued a statement late Tuesday AD: Hotel Renewsaying his campaign would night, Size: 5.75” x 11” non-bleed continue but suggesting it was more Colors:focused Full now on the “fight for a proDUE: gressive 3/25 party platform ...”

On Wednesday, Cruz announced that former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina would be his vice presidential pick if he wins the nomination. Fiorina was herself a presidential candidate before dropping out of the race in February.

Most evidence indicated the LGBT community’s support in Tuesday’s primary states was behind Clinton, as it has been in most previous primaries. In Pennsylvania, for instance, Clinton carried the endorsement of the 60,000-member Equality Pennsylvania group, as well as that of the Philadelphia Gay News, and gay state Representative Brian Sims.

“Among all the candidates, Secretary Clinton has the most comprehensive and compelling plan to achieve full equality for LGBT people in Pennsylvania and across the country,” said Equality PA Executive Director Ted Martin. “She has called for a comprehensive ban on discrimination against LGBT people at the federal level, a ban on the terrible practice of ‘reparative therapy’ for LGBT minors, and a fully-fledged plan to combat HIV/AIDS, including a plan for an AIDS-free generation. She’s fighting for us, so we are proud to be fighting for her to become the next president of the United States.”

Also endorsing Clinton was the Liberty City LGBT Democratic

<<

Hit-and-run crash

From page 1

“I didn’t have a phone,” he said.

Wallace declined to talk about Cortado or what he told him after the accident, and he became agitated as a reporter continued to ask him questions about that night.

“I don’t want to keep talking about every last detail,” Wallace said.

Cortado, who bailed out of custody shortly after his arrest, hasn’t responded to interview requests.

At a hearing last week, Deputy Public Defender Abigail Rivamonte indicated Wallace’s passenger had seen Nix on the scooter a moment before the accident.

Wallace didn’t find out he’d killed somebody until police came and searched his home two days later, he said.

‘How my dad did me’

H OT ELRE N E W.CO M | 844-HTL-RNEW (485-7639)

Asked why he hadn’t come forward before his arrest, Wallace said, “I really can’t answer that.” However, he asked the reporter whether he has children.

Club. Club Co-Chair Tony Campisi said Clinton “has been a lifelong advocate for equality for all.”

In Delaware, lesbian state Senator Karen Peterson supported Clinton and was a member of her campaign’s Delaware steering committee.

In Maryland, Clinton won the endorsement of lesbian state Delegate Maggie McIntosh and gay state Senator Rich Madaleno. But former gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur, a lesbian who is also a super delegate in Maryland and who supported Clinton initially, announced April 14 that she was endorsing Sanders.

The bathroom law focus got a surge of attention April 21 when a question from the audience of NBC’s Today show asked Trump to “speak about the North Carolina bathroom law.”

Trump said one of the best answers he heard about the issue was a commentator saying, “Leave it the way it is. ... There have been very few problems.

Leave it the way it is.” Trump noted the “strife” over the new law, including businesses threatening to move or curtail operations in the state.

“People go – they use the bathroom they feel is appropriate. There has been so little trouble and the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife and the economic punishment that they’re taking,” he said.

Today co-host Matt Lauer asked Trump if he has any transgender people working for him. Trump said, “I don’t know. Probably do. I don’t know.”

“So if Caitlin Jenner were to walk into Trump Tower and wanted to use the bathroom, you’d be fine with her using any bathroom that she chooses?” asked Lauer, referring to the former Olympic athlete who transitioned last year.

“That is correct,” said Trump.

In an odd choice of words, given the focus on the bathroom laws this week, Trump claimed in his Tuesday night victory speech that “If Hillary were a man, I don’t think she’d get 5 percent of the vote.”

“The only thing she’s got going is the woman’s card,” said Trump, who held a news conference from the stage after his speech. “And the beautiful thing is women don’t like her.”

In fact, a CNN poll in midMarch found that 73 percent of women voters had a negative view of Trump. Asked how they would vote in a general election contest between Trump and Clinton, two out of three women said they would vote for Clinton. And exit polls from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut Tuesday, according to CNN, showed “Hillary Clinton won handily among women.”t “If you had kids and you were a father, you would understand that,” he said, explaining he’d wanted to remain with his 2-year-old son. He didn’t want to “do my son how my dad did me,” he said.

Wallace described his life as “rough.”

“Nothing has been easy for me, ever,” he said. “I never had anything handed to me.”

His parents were both crack addicts, and his mother lost custody of him and his two sisters when he was 3. They lived with his grandparents until he was 9, and then he lived in foster homes for the next 10 years.

Despite a lack of support, he worked to stay away from drugs and gangs. He first went to school to be a barber but then switched career paths, and at the time of his arrest he was working as a line cook at Google in Mountain View.

Wallace and his wife have been married since 2008, and he said he’s been “an actual father,” frequently taking his son to the park so they could bond.

See page 14 >>

t

Travel>>

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

Summer at the lake inspires outdoor fun Sleeping on the lake

Courtesy Hyatt Regency North Lake Tahoe

Sailboats dock at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s private beach.

by Heather Cassell

L

ate spring and summertime is for getting outdoors and what better place to do that than Lake Tahoe?

My girlfriend and I love escaping to the lake for a little bit of nature.

So, it was a no brainer for us to take advantage of the recent warm weather for a drive up through the Sierra to Lake Tahoe.

We weren’t sure what the lake would look like as we turned the bend on Highway 50, when it suddenly appeared before us in a stunning view.

How badly did the four-year drought affect the lake? We hadn’t been back for more than a year.

Even from above, the lake looked low. However, the snow-capped mountains in the early spring looked promising for the possibilities of summertime fun at the lake. According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune, meteorologists are predicting a near average spring runoff for the region, thanks to the March storms.

We found that much like the drought, the great recession has also begun to recede since our last visit.

The popular vacation destination is getting a $200 million makeover at various resorts, and new restaurants, bars, and recreation hot spots have opened.

The makeover started with the opening of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which took over the Horizons Hotel in January 2015, but the final touches to South Lake Tahoe’s revitalization won’t be completed until the summer of 2017, according to a news release from the South Lake Tahoe Visitors Association.

The south side of the lake had a slightly different feel about it, but for the most part it was the same lake resort town it has been since

it became a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts in 1905.

Soon after my girlfriend and I checked into the Hard Rock we went for a walk up to Harrah’s Lake Tahoe to stretch our legs after our four-hour drive from San Jose. We immediately noticed that there were a lot more people in town than in years past, mostly due to the snow, which was a welcome sight for winter sports enthusiasts and the much anticipated spring runoff for summertime lake revelers.

As we walked along the sidewalk dodging the groups of people, I thought about warmer days strolling along the lake and the trails, seeing the salmon running up stream, and chatting while making s’mores around the fire pit with a good glass of wine. My girlfriend was focused on the present, talking about dinner and evening entertainment options.

Lakeside eating

There are some new places to eat in South Lake Tahoe, Cold Water Brewery and SLT Brewing Company being two of them. SLT Brewing Company is the only place in Tahoe that serves up sour beers as well as barrel-aged beers to go with its pub bites. Visitors can also grab a burger at the new California Burger Co. at Heavenly Village. To satiate a more worldly hunger, visitors can satisfy their taste buds at the newly opened Agave Azul Mexican Grill in Stateline or Harumi Sushi at the Round Hill Village in Zephyr Cove.

In spite of these new options at our fingertips, we couldn’t help ourselves; when it came to dinner we headed to Ciera Steak and Chophouse, the seven-time AAA four diamond award-winning restaurant at Montbleu Resort Casino and Spa. It has become one of our go-to nights out on the town in South Lake

Tahoe during recent years, much like the Lone Eagle Grille is one of our favorites in North Lake Tahoe.

Ciera was only one of our nights out on the town. We discovered a new gem, well new to us, at Mirabelle at Lake Tahoe. Located in an out of the way nook in South Lake Tahoe, Mirabelle is a little corner of the French countryside. For some reason, during all of our trips to Lake Tahoe, we hadn’t discovered it. It is a gem, serving French cuisine with the authenticity and the service that would make the French proud in a perfect romantic setting in the mountains.

During the day it was American all the way with burgers and beers, dining at the Hard Rock Cafe at the hotel and the Cold Water Brewery.

Fun in the sun

In the summertime, vacationers to the lake can work off the calories with activities from mountain biking to hiking to paddle boarding to golfing to dancing to the live music at the free summer concert series on the beach at the lake.

For the non-outdoorsy person who loves being in the outdoors, the lake will also be alive with the arts, including the 10th annual Tahoe Art League’s Artist Studio Tour. Foodies will appreciate the fifth annual Taste of Gold Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting event.

The lake also offers familyfriendly fun with Magic Fusion, a magic show six nights a week at the Loft. Teenagers looking to escape their parents can check out the Teen Scene at Kahle Community Center every Friday night starting May 27.

Vacation is about getting away from it all and the shores will beckon for visitors to escape the crowd and bask in the sun around the lake.

Gay men looking for private sunning options can check out the East Shore’s Secret Cove, which is home to Lake Tahoe’s unofficial gay and nudist beach.

Chris Bartowski

A mountain biker takes on the boulders on the trails in Lake Tahoe.

We stayed at the aforementioned Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Lake Tahoe, and the hotel chain reportedly spent $60 million converting it into the brand’s rock style, but it was hard for us to tell. Unfortunately, the hotel didn’t live up to expectations of what we’ve come to know as the Hard Rock experience. It simply looked as if the hoteliers threw a layer of paint over the old hotel, threw in a few rock memorabilia pieces, and slapped their name on it.

It barely looked renovated, bursting our bubble from all of the anticipation of the buzz about the hotel’s opening in Lake Tahoe.

The Hard Rock is located off of the lake behind the Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course, across the street from the cheaper Montbleu, which recently underwent a $24 million remodeling effort, on the edge of the Nevada side of South Lake Tahoe.

Return to the mountains in style at Basecamp Hotels. In true boutique hotel fashion Chris Strobel, who founded Basecamp, transforms buildings that have long been ignored and neglected and turns them into stylish places to stay with the help of designer Elaine Cotter, according to the hotel’s website. The

two new Basecamp hotels located in South Lake Tahoe, with 74 rooms, near Heavenly Ski Resort, and Tahoe City in North Lake Tahoe, capture the essence of local mountain life without giving up modern luxuries. Reservations for the Tahoe City hotel’s 24 rooms start May 24.

Of course, you can still get country living and luxury in South Lake Tahoe at gay-owned Black Bear Inn and lesbian-owned Holly’s Place.

Harrah’s Lake Tahoe also stepped up its game, investing $12 million in renovations at its South Lake Tahoe resort and it opened a new watering hole, Highland Bar.

Getting to Lake Tahoe

Travelers coming from the San Francisco Bay Area should take Interstate 80 to Highway 50 to reach South Lake Tahoe and I-80 to Truckee for North Lake Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is also accessible by plane, via Reno-Tahoe International Airport, or train, courtesy of Amtrak, from Emeryville to Truckee to a bus into South Lake Tahoe.t For more about upcoming events and resources, see the travel guide that accompanies this article online at www.ebar.com.

EXPLORE THE GAY WORLD

<< Pride 2016

t SF Pride names more marshals, parade honorees 10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

by David-Elijah Nahmod

A

pioneering lesbian activist who worked with Harvey Milk and a trans mindfulness coach are among the people recently named to serve as grand marshals and other honorees in the 2016 San Francisco LGBT Pride parade.

The board of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee selected two additional community grand marshals earlier this month – Mia “Tu Mutch” Satya and Fresh White – along with a handful of Heritage of Pride awardees.

Satya, 25, a rural Texas native, is a trans woman who has survived homelessness and violence to become a leader in mentoring transgender youth. Her achievements include securing free Muni for 40,000 low-income youth and serving on the San Francisco Youth Commission. She is the director of Transitional Age Youth San Francisco.

“As a transsexual teen coming out in a Christian, conservative family in Farmville, America, I never thought I would survive high school and certainly never dreamed I would be able to create a career as a community advocate,” Satya said.

“What moves me to tears isn’t the honor of riding in the parade as a grand marshal, it’s that my LGBTQ family recognizes my perseverance in fighting for racial and economic justice for all.”

White, a transgender man, was recognized for his work as a healer.

He founded the Bay Area’s first mindfulness and meditation group explicitly for trans and genderqueer communities. He is an employment specialist at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, where he supports trans and gender variant people in entering the job market. White has volunteered with the SF Dyke and Trans Marches, the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and the Transgender Day of Visibility. He’s also a one-on-one life coach who encourages self-love and self-compassion.

White, who declined to state his age, emailed the Bay Area Reporter from out of town, where he was on a retreat.

“As a cross-sectional community member who practices acknowledging and embracing our likes and differences, I’m honored to be seen as someone who helps to make San Francisco a place where everyone can have a voice and be seen,” White wrote. “This year I hope to raise awareness to the immensely high rates of suicide in the trans community, especially among our youth and particularly regarding transmen or trans masculine people of color.”

White added that he was looking forward to celebrating Pride with his grand marshal peers, as well as with

Courtesy SF Pride

SF Pride grand marshal Mia “Tu Mutch” Satya

Rick Gerharter

St. James Infirmary Executive Director Stephany Ashley

Courtesy SF Pride

SF Pride honoree Deana Dawn

“As an old timer who was present at our very first gay march I am especially astounded by how far we’ve come.”

– Sally Gearhart

Courtesy SF Pride

SF Pride grand marshal Fresh White

community partners and friends.

Satya and White join previously announced grand marshals Larry Yang and Janetta Johnson and organizational grand marshal Black Lives Matter.

The Pride board also announced that the stars of Fuse’s TV series Transcendent will serve as celebrity grand marshals. The show revolves around a group of trans women, including Bambiana, Bionka, LA, Nya, and Xristina, who perform at AsiaSF, one of San Francisco’s most popular restaurants and cabarets.

Other honorees

The Pride board also announced the selection of recipients of various Heritage of Pride and other awards.

The Heritage of Pride, Pride Community Award has been given to St. James Infirmary, a medical clinic that is run by and for sex workers. It offers free medical care, mental health care, HIV services, transgender health care, and other programs.

Stephany Ashley, executive director of St. James Infirmary, said that the clinic was honored by the recognition.

“Over 70 percent of people in the sex industry in the U.S. are LGBTIQ,”

she said. “Yet the mainstream GLB movement often chooses to ignore this reality, sweeping sex worker rights, and the queer and trans people who need them, under the rug.”

Ashley added that she was pleased with this year’s Pride theme, “For Racial and Economic Justice.”

“We were thrilled to hear that SF Pride chose to focus on racial and economic justice as this year’s theme,” she said. “Sex worker rights mean rights for trans people, poor people, people of color, people with HIV, incarcerated people, undocumented people, and gay and lesbian people. We are grateful to Pride for recognizing this fight, and for awarding us in this special moment in our organization’s history.”

Longtime HIV activist Joanie Juster, a straight ally, has received the Heritage of Pride 10 Years of Service Award. Juster’s HIV work dates back to the 1980s and includes alliances with the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, the AIDS and Breast Cancer Emergency Funds, Shanti Project, and the San Francisco AIDS

Walk. She has also worked with Marriage Equality USA. Juster, 62, told the B.A.R. that she was grateful and humbled by the recognition.

“This honor has made me reflect more deeply upon the nature of volunteerism, and how working together toward common goals lifts us all up,” she said. “Like many volunteers, the majority of my work has been behind the scenes, so it is a bit disconcerting to suddenly find myself in the spotlight. It has also brought up a flood of memories, of nearly 30 years of volunteering within this community, and being part of historic movements.”

The Audrey Joseph LGBTQ Entertainment Award was given to queer ally Deana Dawn, 45, who is an accomplished hair and makeup artist and served as Miss Golden Gate 2005, under her legal name, Deana Hemrich. Dawn’s performances have raised more than $200,000 for a variety of HIV/AIDS charities, as well as for Transgender Law Center and the San Francisco

Courtesy SF Pride

SF Pride honoree Joanie Juster

Courtesy SF Pride

SF Pride honoree Mike Shriver

Courtesy SF Pride Courtesy Fuse

Celebrity grand marshals include the cast of Transcendent.

Melanie Nathan

SF Pride honoree Sally Gearhart

SF Pride honoree Mercedez Munro

Night Ministry.

“I’m proud to receive this award named after such an iconic force in the LGBTQ entertainment industry,” Dawn told the B.A.R., referring to Joseph, a lesbian who served as Pride’s longtime main stage producer and now sits on the San Francisco Entertainment Commission. “The light of the stage offers me a creative platform to mentor others and support many causes.”

Dawn also said that she was pleased by this year’s Pride theme.

“As a member of SF Pride I love this year’s theme that raises awareness of the broken systems that drive inequality and injustice for minorities in this country,” she said.

“It’s especially important as the November election nears with so much at stake up and down the ballot.”

Sally Miller Gearhart is the recipient of the Heritage of Pride, Pride Freedom Award for outstanding contributions to advancing the lives of LGBT people. Now 85 years old, Gearhart was the first out lesbian to receive a tenure-track position at San Francisco State University in 1973. She established one of the first women’s and gender studies programs in the country while at SF State, and was a leading LGBT activist throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

She was featured in the Oscarwinning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk (1984), having been a friend and colleague of Milk, the late San Francisco supervisor. Gearhart worked with Milk on the 1978 defeat of Proposition 6, a California ballot initiative that sought to exclude gay men and lesbians from teaching in public schools. Gearhart is also an acclaimed author of feminist science fiction.

“As an old timer who was present at our very first gay march I am especially astounded by how far we’ve come,” Gearhart told the B.A.R. via email from her home in Oregon.

“And by what we have gone through to get here.”

Due to a prior commitment, Gearhart will be unable to attend this year’s parade. Parade manager Marsha Levine explained that as a Heritage of Pride recipient, Gearhart is not required to attend the parade.

“We were aware of Sally’s situation, and the board wanted to recognize her for her tremendous work in the community,” Levine said.

“This award is a great way to honor that.”

This year’s Lifetime Achievement recipient is Mike Shriver, a gay man who brings a resume of 30 years worth of AIDS advocacy to the table.

Shriver, 52, served as a San Francisco health commissioner in the 1990s and was been a special adviser to the mayor on HIV/AIDS policy.

Shriver currently chairs the board of directors of the National AIDS Memorial Grove and co-chaired the grove’s World AIDS Day observances in 2009, 2010, and 2011.

“To be honest, I am still in shock over the award,” Shriver said. “For the past 30 years I have had the privilege of being in the company of many, many dedicated, brilliant activists. All of them are as deserving of this award as I. I’m deeply touched by being chosen.”

At press time, Heritage of Pride, Creativity Award recipient Mercedes Munro had not responded to the B.A.R.’s request for comment.

According SF Pride’s news release, Munro, also known as Lonnie Haley, considers herself to be “an old school” female impersonator.

The Michigan native is a former Miss Gay San Francisco, Miss Gay California and Miss Gay United States.

The Pride parade takes place Sunday, June 26. For more information, visit http://www.sfpride.org.t

t

Community News>>

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

Gay rector to be formally installed at San Leandro church compiled by Cynthia Laird

T

he Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, will be in San Leandro Saturday, April 30 for a celebration and institution of the Reverend Justin Cannon as the seventh rector of All Saints Episcopal Church.

Cannon, 31, known to his parishioners as Father Justin, is a gay man who was called to the East Bay church earlier this year. He was ordained as a priest in 2011 by Andrus at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and previously served as the priest-incharge of Saint Giles Episcopal Church in Moraga.

Cannon is a published author and editor, an advocate for LGBT equality within the church, and an eco-theologian with a deep love of nature. In 2010 Cannon founded Holy Hikes (http:// www.holyhikes.org), which now has chapters across the country.

All Saints is a diverse and dynamic congregation nestled in the heart of San Leandro with active ministries including a large pastoral care team, a food pantry that serves 350 people monthly, and a neighborhood center used by community organizations such as 12-step programs, music and dance classes, and other civic groups. The church seeks to be a spiritual home for anyone who desires to be a part of a vibrant and welcoming community.

The celebration is open to all and starts at 11 a.m. at the church, 911 Dowling Boulevard. Andrus will

Mission Bay Conference Center, 1675 Owens Street in San Francisco.

The event will feature free massage by students at the San Francisco School of Massage and a sitdown gourmet dinner, beer, wine, and cocktails. Entertainment will include Oakland jazz singer Branice McKenzie, accompanied by Tammy Hall; comedian Leslie Jordan; and the Man Dance Ballet Company.

There will also be an auction.

Tickets are $225 and available online at https://maitrisf.ejoinme.org/Bliss.

preach and preside at the service, which will be followed by a potluck.

Sunday worship services are at 8 and 10:15 a.m. For more information, visit http://www.saintsalive.net.

AIDS grove receives Parks Alliance grant

The National AIDS Memorial Grove is one of several recipients of a grant from the San Francisco Parks Alliance and will be recognized at the group’s Love Your Parks Day Thursday, April 28 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Brick and Mortar Music Hall, 1710 Mission Street.

The Parks Alliance is holding the event to honor “the projects and people who make our parks thrive,” according to a news release.

The AIDS grove is receiving a $15,000 grant for its community volunteer workdays, in which people help tidy up the memorial in Golden Gate Park.

Other grantees include B Magic, for movie night at Youngblood Coleman Park; Climate Action Now for the garden at James Lick Middle School; Urban Sprouts for its Garden to Community Program; Garden for the Environment for its Get Up urban agriculture training program; SCRAP-SF for the Newcomb Garden; the Friends of Penny Lane for the Penny Lane Improvement Project; Playland at 43rd Avenue for the phase two activation; and the Chinatown Community Development Center for its Adopt an Alleyway Youth Program.

May Day film Wesley D. Capps

Father Justin Cannon

The Parks Alliance will also recognize several projects. The Lincoln Park Steps will receive Community Project of the Year. Other winners include Tunnel Top Park, Innovative Project of the Year; Joe DiMaggio Playground, Playground of the Year; Supervisor Mark Farrell, Park Advocate of the Year; and Bonnie Bergeron, Volunteer of the Year.

The event will feature music

by John and Joe, appetizers, and no-host bar. To RSVP, visit http://sfpa.convio.net/site/ Calendar?view=Detail&id=100483.

Gay author to hold book release party

Oliver Austria, a gay man who’s involved with local community organizations, will celebrate the release of his book, Odo, with a party Saturday, April 30 from 4 to 6 p.m.

at the Producer’s Loft Studio, 2773 Folsom, Unit 101 in San Francisco.

The party will feature storytelling, hors d’oeuvres, and a few bottles of wine, organizers said.

The children’s book is about an owl named Odo who goes to camp for the first time, hoping to make friends. He then finds that he does not fit in.

Austria is a board member of the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center, and is also known by his drag persona, Jezebel Patel.

As Miss GAPA 2012, he helped raise funds for the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance. In 2014 he was crowned Miss Gay San Francisco and is active with the Imperial Court of San Francisco.

Maitri ‘Bliss’ gala is Sunday

Maitri hospice will hold its annual “Bliss” fundraiser and gala Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. at the UCSF

The Freedom Socialist Party will screen Ida B. Wells, A Passion for Justice Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk Street (at Ellis) in San Francisco. Organizers said the film is full of lessons for today’s movements against police violence.

The award-winning documentary is about the ardent anti-lynching campaigner and black suffragette and is being shown in celebration of International Workers Day. A door donation of a subscription to the Freedom Socialist newspaper ($7) is requested. Popcorn and snacks will be available. For more information, visit http://www. socalism.com or contact (415) 8641278 or bafsp@earthlink.net.

GAPA Foundation offers scholarships, grants

The Gay Asian Pacific Alliance Foundation has announced that applications are being accepted for its 2016 scholarships and grants.

See page 14 >>

Cops’ anti-gay texts released

by Seth Hemmelgarn

S

an Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi this week released homophobic and racist text messages that a former police officer allegedly exchanged with other officers.

The texts “may affect at least 207 criminal cases, including three murder cases,” Adachi’s office said in a news release Tuesday.

In one message from 2015, former officer Jason Lai allegedly discussed a “tranny” who “stole from Safeway.”

Another message, sent June 27, refers to the city’s LGBT Pride celebration.

“It gets pretty crazy during gay weekend,” the message said.

Lai also allegedly sent a message in 2014 that said, “Fag. Lol,” and included a link to a website extolling the qualities of redheaded men.

Other texts include use of the N-word and disparaging remarks about Indians and others.

Adachi’s office said it got the messages Friday “in discovery for a robbery case Lai helped investigate.”

Messages from two other officers involved in the scandal haven’t been provided to Adachi.

“It would be naive to believe these officers’ bigotry was reserved solely

<<

Filmmakers

From page 3

column, would not impact the mailing addresses for businesses and residences on that block.

The street signs would include Taylor Street in larger letters either above or below the honorary name.

The resolution is co-sponsored by gay Supervisors Scott Wiener (District 8) and David Campos (District 9).

The resolution partly reads, “the Compton’s Cafeteria Riots symbolize the contributions of transgender women and the gay community to human rights in 1960s and reminds of time(s) where ignorance meant transgender and gay people were beaten, raped, killed, harassed,

for text messages,” he statof being a police officer. ed. “It is a window into We will not allow officers the biases they harbored. capable of such conduct It likely influenced who to sully the good name of they stopped, who they the San Francisco Police searched, who they arDepartment and what we rested, and how they tesstand for.” tified in criminal trials.”

The department proThe texts, which follow vides implicit bias trainCourtesy SFPD allegations that several ing, among other efforts, other officers exchanged Former police spokespeople said. similar messages years officer Jason Lai District Attorney ago, emerged as the result George Gascón has also of allegations last year spoken out against the that Lai had sexually assaulted a apparent bias, and his office has woman. been combing through records reLai hasn’t been charged with lated to Lai and other officers. sexual assault, but he is facing six In an interview earlier this month, misdemeanor counts of unlawfully Gascón said, “We’ve only scratched accessing or using criminal and the surface” of the documents his DMV data. office has received from police. On Police Chief Greg Suhr said in a top of the approximate 5,000 pages news release Tuesday, “As has been prosecutors initially got, about clearly stated but cannot be over20,000 more came in more recently. stated enough, there is no room in He said prosecutors “anticipate this department for anyone who there may be many more” than the holds these types of hateful and dis200-plus cases the latest messages criminatory views. Any officer who could potentially impact that his ofengages in such reprehensible racist fice was sending to Adachi’s office. and homophobic remarks will be Martin Halloran, president of the held accountable and swiftly dealt San Francisco Police Officers Associawith. These views are clearly incomtion, said in an interview that the police patible with the character required officials’ alleged behavior was “comjailed, and disowned by society.”

The supervisors’ government oversight and accountability committee will hold a hearing on it within the next 30 days, after which the full board would vote on it.

Kim would like to see the new street signage be unveiled the night of the annual Trans March, which takes place the Friday night of Pride weekend. Her office has been working with organizers of the event on having the route end at the corner of Taylor and Turk this year.

Transgender activists Felicia Elizondo and Jasmine Gee, who approached Kim earlier this year for support in marking the 50th anniversary, would also like to see a celebration be held at City Hall this

summer to commemorate the riot.

“I have been fighting all these years to keep our transgender history alive.

We as young kids put our lives on the line to be who we were,” said Elizondo, 69, who frequented Compton’s and believes she was there the night of the riot, whose actual date she has never been able to recall. “Now people have that freedom we didn’t have. For the girls and the boys from the 1960s that is what I am fighting for. They put their lives on the line for all of us.”

They have launched a crowdfunding campaign – https://www. gofundme.com/d6z5uu5g – to raise at least $25,000 to pay for a civic celebration of Compton’s. But as of Wednesday morning, it had yet to raise any money.t

pletely inappropriate” and “appalling.”

Among other problems, the police department has also been embroiled in controversy after officers fatally shot Mario Woods, an African-American man, in December.

Several hunger strikers have called on Mayor Ed Lee to either fire Suhr or resign himself.

In a meeting Tuesday with the Bay Area Reporter’s editorial board, Lee said he fully supports Suhr, calling him “without a doubt one of the best chiefs in the country.” The chief has been honest about “what is working and what needs to be changed,” he said, including looking for ways for officers to use less lethal force in confrontations with people.

He said he was concerned about the protesters’ health, but while “people have a right to protest,” he won’t talk to them.

“I’m not so sure they’re interested in talking,” Lee said, since such discussions usually entail people talking “at” him rather than “with” him.

Lee expressed confidence in investigations of the police department that are underway, including an audit being conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services branch. The agency has told officials “they haven’t seen a city like” San Francisco “be so cooperative,” he said.

“Will we do better and can we do better? I say ‘Yes,’” Lee said.t

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<< Sports

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

Schilling mouths off

by Roger Brigham

A

s the nation muddles its way through primaries and caucuses leading up to the big party conventions, I believe it is becoming increasingly clear who the person is Ted Cruz will choose to be his running mate should he win the Republican Party presidential nomination.

Curt Schilling.

The former pitcher has just about everything Cruz could dream of in a vice president.

Caucasian male? Check.

Outspoken conservative who es-

pouses “traditional” family values?

Check.

Believer in the Constitution except in those instances when it runs contrary to his personal interpretation of the Bible? Check.

Willing to yammer irrationally about the day’s social issues with fictional, alarmist factoids to galvanize society’s prejudices? Check.

Add it all up and there hasn’t been a political marriage this magical since Richard Nixon met Spiro Agnew.

You want to know what kind of celebrity power Schilling has? Con-

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sider that during a week in which the NBA commissioner told the press the league is likely to move next year’s All-Star Game from Charlotte if North Carolina’s recently passed prohibition against ordinances protecting LGBT rights and forbidding transgender individuals from using the restrooms of their choice, and an NHL player was suspended one playoff game for a homophobic rant, and then sincerely apologized for the rant – with all of that going on, has-been pitcher Schilling grabbed national attention away just by spewing transphobic venom on social media and then getting ape-shit defensive when his tirades cost him his broadcasting gig.

Schilling was fired from his baseball commentator job by ESPN Wednesday, April 20 after he posted a transphobic picture and transbashing comments online in apparent support of North Carolina’s new law requiring transgender men to use women’s restrooms and transgender women to use men’s bathrooms. Schilling defended his comments by citing fears of sexual predators (men dressing up as women to prey on girls in restrooms has never been a documented problem, although apparently it is a very common and real thing in Schilling’s fantasy world), and then doubled down by saying the only people to blame for being offended by anything he says (and this is a guy who said Hillary Clinton should be buried and compared Muslim extremists to Nazis) are the offended people themselves.

Schilling, a failed fantasy game producer, then engaged tit-for-tat with former A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy, a longtime supporter of LGBT rights who objected to Schilling’s association of transgender people with child-raping scum.

“Curt, we’re talking about human

Curt Schilling was fired from his broadcasting job at ESPN after posting anti-trans comments on social media.

beings with emotions and a desire to be accepted in normal society,” McCarthy wrote on Twitter. “Lumping them in w/molesters and abusers is offensive to not only [to] them but to a reasonable argument.”

Schilling said he was entitled to his opinion, but did not explain why citizens were not allowed to agree democratically to protect the rights of their fellow citizens in their cities.

While Schilling was going off on social media, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw was mouthing off in front of the cameras while serving a penalty in a playoff game. Video of his homophobic slurs went viral and led to a one-game suspension by the NHL. “It was hard to see,” Shaw said of watching the video of himself calling an official “faggot.” “Emotions got the best of me. I’ll never use that word again, that’s for sure. ... That’s not the type of guy I am. I apologize to many people, including the gay and lesbian community. I know my words were hurtful, and I will learn from my mistake.”

We are left to wonder, which is more offensive? Shaw’s words, which

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he said he did without thinking or intent? Or Schilling’s words, which he delivered with great intent and great intensity? This, my friends, is like asking which is more offensive, Cruz’s promises to overturn samesex marriage and other LGBT rights, or Donald Trump’s characterization of Mexican immigrants as murderous rapists who needed to pay for a wall to keep them out?

In the end, I am happy Shaw expressed contrition and will undergo sensitivity training. As for Schilling, I wish he’d take his bloody sock from his 2004 playoff victory over the Yankees and stuff it in his pie hole.

Schilling, whether he understands it or not, was not fired for his opinions. He was fired for speaking about them in public media at a time when he is a face and a voice representing ESPN, a nonpolitical enterprise that does not wish to be associated with political issues.

But Schilling, who famously endorsed the re-election of George W. Bush during an interview marking Boston’s World Series championship, obviously does want to be associated with political controversy – the stinkier than better.

Gonna make a great VP candidate.

Pride Run registration open

Online registration is available for the 37th annual Pride Run, set for Saturday, June 25 in Golden Gate Park.

This year the 5- and 10-kilometer races benefit Openhouse, which provides housing-related services for LGBT seniors.

Race registration is $30 through June 11; after that, the price of registration increases to $35. In-person registration the day of the race will be $40.

The annual sponsorship party will be held May 5.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.sffr.org/priderun. The event is organized by San Francisco FrontRunners.t

Berkeley adopts ‘hate states’ travel, contract ban

by Matthew S. Bajko

There are now just 6 niches Meet Your Neighbors available in this orginal, landmark You’re invited to mix and minglebuilding. with the people who will one

t

Berkeley City Councilman Kriss Worthington

erkeley officials this week adopted the strongest response yet to so-called hate states that have enacted LGBT discriminatory laws, such as North Carolina and Mississippi.

In addition to joining the growing list of cities and states that have banned taxpayer-funded travel to states with anti-LGBT laws, Berkeley will now prohibit city agencies from entering into contracts with companies in those states.

San Francisco is likely to follow suit, as gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener introduced an ordi-

nance Tuesday, April 26 that would make banning both city-funded travel to those locales that discriminate against LGBT people and contracting with businesses in “hate states” official city policy. It comes after Mayor Ed Lee already issued executive orders banning cityfunded travel to North Carolina and Mississippi.

At its meeting Tuesday evening, the Berkeley City Council unanimously adopted the legislation that was introduced earlier this month by its three out members. At the reSee page 14 >>

Obituaries >> Gaetano Amorosi September 1, 1946 – April 16, 2016 Gaetano was active in a number of organizations in San Francisco since he arrived here in 1983. He volunteered with the Shanti Project during the height of the AIDS epidemic and was proud of over 30 years of sobriety. Gaetano also helped many people rise above their addiction to once again join the world he so loved.

Gaetano died after a battle with heart failure that could not be won. His heart was failing mechanically but was filled with love for his husband, Ken Auletta, and his many friends. Gaetano put energy into his friends, his organizations, and his many travels with his husband.

Gaetano was born in Chicago and after

receiving his drama degree from Knox College he went on to post graduate work at Northwestern. He worked in a number of positions with GE, Bank of America, and with Visa International. He was an artist and loved photography and spent hours on his website.

Gaetano had a big heart full of love and he will be missed.

Jason Alan Bryans September 22, 1984 – April 19, 2016 Jason Alan Bryans, 31, of San Francisco, entered immortality on April 19, 2016, at his home in San Francisco. Jason was born in Mason, Michigan, in 1984. He was a Wi-Fi engineer at Apple in Cupertino. Jason was active with, and

admired by, a large circle of friends who cherished his generosity, thoughtfulness, and biting wit. He enjoyed musical theater, soldering, and scuba diving; loved Halloween and Christmas; and could name a roller coaster manufacturer just by looking at the rails. He leaves behind a hole in the hearts of those who were honored to know him.

Jason is survived by his parents, Robert and Nancy; his brother Danton and Danton’s fiancee, Cara; former partner, Troy; and a loving host of extended family and friends. His funeral mass will be on May 2 in East Lansing, Michigan. A memorial service is being planned in San Francisco (exact date and location TBD). The “Jason Bryans Life Celebration Fund” has been created. Details on contributing and fund beneficiaries can be found at https://sites. google.com/site/dantonbryans/.

“You always said how lucky you were that we were all friends. But it was us, baby, who were the lucky ones.” – Rent

t <<

Community News>>

GGNRA

From page 2

storm last fall when it floated a plan to start a reservation system for bonfires at Ocean Beach on San Francisco’s western edge and begin charging a $35 fee. The proposal was met with vociferous public opposition, and two months ago, it was scrapped.

In January, after resolving months of acrimony over parking congestion and overcrowding at the stand of old growth coastal redwoods at Muir Woods National Monument in Marin, through an agreement that Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) helped broker, the park service found itself again the target of public outcry over a plan to redo a trail into the park that nearby residents contend will only exacerbate congestion at the site.

Dogs

But the most contentious issue Lehnertz has had to grapple with is rules governing dogs at the various beaches, forests, and other open spaces that are under the jurisdiction of the GGNRA. The issue has been fiercely debated for years, and the park service raised more howls of protest when it released its latest proposal in February on where park users will be able to bring their canine companions, whether on-leash or off.

In early April the group Save Our Recreation filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit in federal court against the GGNRA, contending the park service has failed to turn over public documents related to how it came up with the proposed restrictions on dogs.

Last Saturday hundreds of dog owners and their pets descended on Crissy Field, near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, for a “Mighty Mutt March” to oppose the proposed rules. And numerous public officials

<<

Jane Philomen Cleland

Roberto Melani, left, and David Wilson brought their dogs, Elmo and Lily, to the “Mighty Mutt March” at Crissy Field to protest the GGNRA’s proposed rules for dogs.

think they are losing an opportunity to enjoy the parks,” said Lehnertz when asked about the intense public outcry, in particular, over the proposed dog rules. “For the people who live in neighborhoods next to a GGNRA park site, if things changed there it is a personal loss to them.”

However, Lehnertz noted that the park service has also heard from many people who support restricting dog access throughout the GGNRA. And she stressed that the rules will not be finalized until December.

“They think it is locked in, but we are still looking at all six alternatives that have been proposed,” said Lehnertz, who refrained from commenting on the lawsuit. “We have a preferred alternative, but it is not final.”

Both Wiener and Speier told the B.A.R. that they don’t believe Lehnertz is the driving force behind the dog rules, and instead, it is coming from park officials based in Washington, D.C. Nor are they hopeful about seeing the park service adopt more lenient dog access

rules later this year.

“The National Park Service is hostile toward dogs. It bugs them GGNRA is treated differently than national parks in other parts of the country,” said Wiener. “But GGNRA is in an urban area; it is not Yosemite.

It has a long tradition of recreational access, including dog walking.”

The park service officials “are tone deaf,” said Speier. “The only thing they will listen to is a sledge hammer to their budget in D.C.” But rather than slashing park funds, Speier said she would prefer to see a willingness on the park service to listen to the concerns of dog owners.

“We are not asking for the moon.

We are asking for small parcels to be used to exercise dogs,” said Speier, suggesting the current off-leash rules at Rancho Corral de Tierra in Montara on the Peninsula south of San Francisco could be kept in place.

While critical of the park service over the dog access policy, the two lawmakers both praised Lehnertz on a personal level.

“She is extremely competent and

Lyft

From page 1

In response to the Bay Area Reporter’s emailed questions, Lyft spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna said, “Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones involved in this tragedy. Lyft’s $1 million liability policy, which includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, is designed to provide coverage for Lyft drivers to protect passengers and third parties in accidents just like this one. The investigation and litigation arising out of this accident are ongoing and liability has not been determined; however, in the meantime, Lyft’s insurance policy is responding.”

LaManna said Adhikari “was deactivated from using the Lyft platform following the accident.”

Adhikari couldn’t be reached for comment. Anjana Adhikari, the Camry’s owner, is also listed as a defendant.

<<

have also chastised the park service for what they contend is a misguided policy that makes no sense for an urban park like the GGNRA. “In this case, what has been issued by the National Park Service in terms of the new regulations is antithetical to sound public policy,” said Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) in a phone interview this week.

Speier, who held a town hall meeting earlier this year with Lehnertz to discuss the proposed dog rules, is particularly incensed that the policy would result in no off-leash dog areas at any of the GGNRA sites in San Mateo County.

“This is not Yosemite or Yellowstone; this is an urban setting,” said Speier. “The rules have to reflect the GGNRA parks being in an urban setting.”

Added gay San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, who took part in the protest over the weekend, “Those restrictions are going to harm a lot of Bay Area residents and push more dogs into our already overcrowded city parks. ... Hope springs eternal, but I think this is a done deal from what I can tell.”

The park service counters it needs to balance the needs of all park users while protecting the flora and fauna found within the various GGNRA sites. Under its preferred plan, dogs on-lease will be allowed in nearly two-dozen park sites, seven of which would be designated as off-leash.

As for Lehnertz, who had previously served for five years as regional director of the park service’s Pacific West region, she told the B.A.R. that the controversies come with the job and are a signal of how passionate the public is about the protected spaces overseen by the National Park Service, which turns 100 on August 25.

“I don’t take it personally, but I know it is personal for folks who

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Out in the World

From page 7

“We don’t have any reason to believe this was not the case,” said Mark C. Toner, deputy spokesman for the State Department, in response to a reporter’s question during a press briefing April 26. “We don’t, obviously, have any reason to confirm it absolutely at this point.”

The murders have caused concern that religious extremists are gaining a foothold in the traditionally secular and tolerant country, in spite of it being a Muslim-majority nation of 160 million people.

However, the Bangladesh government is denying that al Qaeda groups or the Islamic State has a presence in the country. Government officials claim the attacks are being carried out by homegrown Islamist radicals, according to media reports.

The uptick of attacks has drawn criticism of Bangladesh’s government, with experts claiming that

Courtesy Brady Lawrence Courtesy Jones Clifford

The Toyota Camry that Brady Lawrence and Shane Holland were riding in after the accident.

According to the Examiner, Dinapoli and Lawrence spoke at a California Public Utilities Commission meeting last week where commissioners “approved new regulations for ride-hail services like Uber and Lyft, but delayed discussion on

fingerprinted criminal checks and other safety considerations for the next few years.”

none of the perpetrators of similar attacks in recent years have been brought to justice and its failure to properly address the attacks.

Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s South Asia director, condemned Mannan’s death and was quick to criticize Bangladesh authorities.

“The brutal killing today of an editor of an LGBTI publication and his friend, days after a university professor was hacked to death, underscores the appalling lack of protection being afforded to a range of peaceful activists in the country,” Patel said in a statement. “There have been four deplorable killings so far this month alone. It is shocking that no one has been held to account for these horrific attacks and that almost no protection has been given to threatened members of civil society.”

Bangladeshi authorities have a legal responsibility to protect those who express their opinions bravely without violence, she added.

Protecting U.S. embassy employees

Responsibility

In an interview, Dinapoli, who lives in Folsom, said that by not

Mannan and his friend’s murders raised the question of safety and protection of American diplomats and local U.S. Embassy employees beyond embassy walls.

State Department spokesman John Kirby couldn’t state how many individuals are threatened or under attack. However, he wasn’t aware of anyone else at a U.S. Embassy being involved in violent attacks, he told reporters Monday.

“I can just assure you that all our embassies overseas take security – physical security – very seriously,” he said.

However, when pushed, Kirby confirmed that local embassy staff isn’t protected outside of the embassy. “They don’t provide it,” he said.

Kirby also addressed a reporter’s questions about U.S. embassies protecting individuals who are in danger.

He responded that the White House, State Department and Department of Homeland Security

Shane Holland, left, and Brady Lawrence

drinking and driving, her son “did everything that was right. He was being responsible, and I expect Lyft should do the same thing.”

She said she wants the company to “take responsibility and provide some condolences, and show some remorse for this, and they haven’t.” were discussing considerations to enact “humanitarian parole.”

Homeland security is in charge of these types of situations, he explained, but wouldn’t go into specifics, simply stating, “We think that this is a valuable tool that should be considered. It’s a door that we would like to see stay open.”

“In the cases of a select number of individuals who remain in imminent danger, that is one option under consideration, and we certainly haven’t closed that door,” said Kirby, adding that representatives of the State Department would like to see it used “on a case-by-case basis as needed.”

Condemnation and mourning

U.S. officials condemned the brutal murders and pledged the country’s support to help the Bangladesh government investigate and “to ensure that the cowards who did this are held accountable,” said Kirby.

“We are profoundly saddened by the loss of one of our own in such

smart and easy to talk to,” said Wiener. “I respect her as a person and a professional. She seems to be doing a good job overall.”

Speier noted that during her time in office, “there has been one incident after another” involving the GGNRA, from a park ranger Tasering a dog walker to the dispute over the new park management rules.

Yet, for the most part, she said things have improved under Lehnertz’ leadership. And she credited Lehnertz for agreeing to meet with San Mateo residents at the forum, the majority of whom were dog owners.

“I think she is very engaging and a likeable person. She represents the National Park Service well,” said Speier. “Yet, again, I think it is important to convey to the powers that be in Washington the critical nature of providing this space. They listen but then they don’t seem to want to respond in a manner that is constructive.”

Speaking to the B.A.R. in the community garden outside her office at Fort Mason, Lehnertz said one of her goals this year is to bring in homeless outreach teams to work with the numerous homeless individuals who frequent the GGNRA’s sites, particularly Ocean Beach.

“We want to help with solutions from the federal government,” she said.

Her main focus, said Lehnertz, as superintendent is to protect and care for the more than 80,000 acres of parklands that comprise the GGNRA and provide an array of recreational opportunities to the 15 million annual visitors it receives.

“We want people to pursue their passions and recreational needs,” she said. “We just ask people that they abide by the laws and rules we have as they engage in their recreation pursuits.”t Dinapoli described Holland, who’d been majoring in physics, as “very outgoing, very sweet, very funny, and very empathetic to other people.”

“I’ll never be a whole person again, because part of me is gone,” she said.

Lawrence said Holland, who he met in 2012, helped him overcome his “rough upbringing” in a “really religious family.”

“He had a way of making me see me being gay and me being happy was OK, and I never ever felt that before from anyone,” Lawrence, who now lives in Roseville, said. “... He was the only thing I was ever sure about. I was just really sure about my life with him.”

Dinapoli said that just before the crash she’d urged her son to “be safe” on the road. He told his mother not to worry.

“That was the last conversation I had with Shane,” she said.t a senseless act of violence, and we extend our deepest condolences to Xulhaz’s family and loved ones,” Kerry said.

Diplomats also offered their condolences.

“I am devastated by the brutal murder of Xulhaz Mannan and another young Bangladeshi,” said U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat in a statement Monday.

“Xulhaz was more than a colleague to those of us fortunate to work with him at the U.S. Embassy,” she continued. “He was a dear friend. Our prayers are with Xulhaz, the other victim, and those injured in the attack.”

USAID Administrator Gayle Smith issued a statement responding to Mannan’s murder.

“He was the kind of person willing to fight for what he believed in, someone ready to stand up for his own rights and the rights of others,” said Smith.

See page 14 >>

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

<<

Berkeley

From page 12

quest of lesbian City Councilwoman Lori Droste, the council added the item to its consent calendar for adoption without the need to hold a separate hearing on the proposal.

The members of the council’s agenda committee had initially pulled the item from the consent calendar due to concerns about the contract stipulation. But interim City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley raised no objections to implementing the policy.

“There are no concerns from my office,” she said during the council meeting.

Also at the meeting City Councilman Max Anderson announced he wanted to sign on as a co-sponsor of the legislation along with Droste and gay City Councilmen Kriss Worthington and Darryl Moore.

The legislation instructs the city manager “to refrain from entering into new contracts and consider discontinuing existing contracts with businesses headquartered in North Carolina or Mississippi.”

It also enacts a moratorium on having the city cover the cost of its employees and officials traveling for business purposes to any other state that enacts “legislation that discriminates toward the LGTBQ community.”

As part of the legislation, the Berkeley City Council also officially endorsed Assembly Bill 1887, authored by gay Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), which would ban state-funded travel to states with anti-LGBT laws. The bill is

<<

Hit-and-run crash

From page 8

“I never had that,” he said.

Despite his efforts, he hasn’t always managed to stay out of trouble.

At last week’s hearing, where Rivamonte tried unsuccessfully to get Wallace released, she said he has only one prior conviction, a seconddegree burglary charge from 12 years ago.

Wallace said that case stemmed from receiving stolen merchandise from a friend.

San Mateo County court records show that in May 2014, Wallace’s wife got a temporary restraining order against him, but it dissolved after she and Wallace didn’t show up for a hearing weeks later.

Wallace said of the case, “I don’t want to talk about that. That’s senseless.”

His wife has declined to speak to the Bay Area Reporter.

Court documents filed by Wallace’s defense team say that according to his wife, “Brendan does not have a history or reputation for violence. He is polite and respectful”

<<

Out in the World

From page 13

ORAM launches new website

The Organization for Refuge, Migration and Asylum has announced the launch of a new website, http:// www.oramrefugee.org.

The new website, launched April 20, provides resources for professionals working with refugees, and refugees seeking assistance. It includes things such as training materials and a new first-of-its-kind multilingual

<<

News Briefs

From page 11

The foundation awards several scholarships of up to $3,000 to students who have demonstrated outstanding activism and leadership with the Asian and Pacific Islander LGBTQ community. The deadline to apply is June 30. For more information, visit https://docs.google. com/forms/d/1wf12yTEN5MgFrU k0PdxlftLUNUxHoZml2yNiohbH Tkg/viewform.

currently under review by Assembly members.

Under Berkeley’s government structure, the City Council sets policy and the city manager then enacts it. While the legislation “urge(s)” the city manager to review the city’s contracts to see if there are any with businesses in hate states, the intent is clear, Worthington told the Bay Area Reporter.

“We are genuinely polite and deferential to the city manager. On the other hand, when the City Council votes unanimously to urge the city manager, they in general do what we urge them to do,” said Worthington.

“They have started to review existing contracts.”

In response to a request for comment, city spokesman Matthai Chakko stated in an emailed reply that, “The council sets policy.

The city manager ensures that staff implement their policy direction.

We cannot take action until they decide.”

In meetings with the city manager, Worthington said he has suggested that before the city ends any contract, it first send a letter to the impacted company to explain why it needs to cancel its contract. The hope, said Worthington, is that those business leaders will in turn advocate for the repeal of their state’s anti-LGBT laws, and if rescinded, the contracts can remain in place.

“We want to leverage them. I think businesses from that state are going to get listened to more than us,” he said. “We are trying to be practical and strategic. If we do have any contracts, we want to get those businesses to lobby that state.”t toward her “and her family.”

Speed

Wallace doesn’t remember how fast he was driving the night Nix was killed, but that stretch of road is almost like an interstate, and he asked, “How come Mr. Nix was on a scooter at 2:30 in the morning on the freeway?”

He indicated he hadn’t been using any substances just before the accident. At about 7 or 8 p.m., just hours before the crash, Wallace said, he and others had been at his house watching a boxing match, but he wouldn’t specifically say whether he’d been drinking or doing drugs.

“I don’t want to get into the details,” he said.

Wallace said that based on what he’s read about Nix, he was “a great person,” and “it’s unfortunate this situation has brought us two together.” He wishes he could have met Nix “in a different circumstance,” he said.

“I deeply apologize to his family” and other loved ones, Wallace said, and “It hurts to even think about what happened.”

Wallace’s next court date is May 5.t glossary of LGBT terminology.

The resources are available in English, Arabic, Farsi, French, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

The organization works to protect LGBT and other vulnerable refugees by assisting them with navigating through the refugee system for resettlement in safe countries.t Got international LGBT news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at Skype: heather.cassell, or oitwnews@gmail.com.

The foundation also awards several grants of up to $5,000 to taxexempt 501 (c)3 community organizations that are making a positive impact in the API and/or LGBTQ communities. The deadline to apply is July 15. For more information, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1E g8Qlz6Kq0MKSWKsrZzJSGp4rDT RFjkgaAWhUgF5LXo/viewform.

Last year the GAPA Foundation awarded three scholarships and nine grants totaling $29,500. This is the fifth year for the programs.t

t

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037027300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHITCHAT THERAPY, 1352 BROADWAY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALYSE EBERHARDT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/31/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037027400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOURMONADE, 5027 DIAMOND HGTS BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed VICKTOR STEVENSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/31/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037029300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TOOLS OF OUR TRADE, 1367 SAN BRUNO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERIN SINGER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/16/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037027200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TERRI L. K. FLEMING, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR AND PARENT COACH, 1809 9TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TERRI FLEMING. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/30/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037006900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ONE LOOSE BUTTON, 333 ONEIDA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed REBECCA BRADSHAW. 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 03/22/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037014400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SWITCHED ON AUDIO, 88 RIVERTON DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRANDON BATTAGLIA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/30/06. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/24/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037014900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SCULLERY, 687 GEARY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SCULLERY INC. (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/24/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/24/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037035700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FIELDWIRE, 459 GEARY ST #500, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed FIELDWIRELABS, INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/13. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037028300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 707 SUTTER, 707 SUTTER ST. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JP GROUP INC (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/31/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/31/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037027600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BUBU’S HOT SAUCE, 48 LANGTON ST #3, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed YHC HOLDINGS (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 03/31/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-032424600

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-033486300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: WILDWOOD PASTRY, 709 BUCHANAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by CHARLES J.ANDERSON. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/11.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINSTER ESTATE OF GRACIELA C. CARRENO IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-16-299673

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of GRACIELA C. CARRENO. A Petition for Probate has been filed by AMALIA P. CARRENO in the Superior Court of California County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that AMALIA P. CARRENO be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: May 04, 2016, 9:00 A.M., Rm. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102, Probate Department. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250.

A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: Mr. Robert P. Garcia #047867, 2588 Mission St., #226; Ph. (415) 648-3060.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, 2016 SUMMONS: FAMILY LAW, SAN DIEGO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: SANDRA BJORK RUDOLFSDOTTIR YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: KEVIN ANTHONY NASH CASE NO. D-559231

Notice: You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and petition are served on you to file a response (form FL-120 at this 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 partnership, 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. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association., at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTICE: 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.

The name and address of the court is: SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO, CENTRAL DIVISION, FAMILY COURT, 1555 6TH AVE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101.

The name, address, and telephone number of the petitioner’s attorney, or petitioner without an attorney, is:

KEVIN ANTHONY NASH, 3875 FLORIDA ST #20, SAN DIEGO, CA 92104; (619) 384 - 9130.

Date: 01/27/16; Clerk, by A. THOMPSON, Deputy.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037045700

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037040600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KATHRYN WOODS; KEW GARDENS, 780 27TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KATHRYN ELIZABETH WOODS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/28/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/07/16.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037043600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CUTIE PIES, 1750 MONTGOMERY ST 1ST FLR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARIA DEL PILAR ALVARADO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/16.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037041800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HAPPY MOVING, 81 MINERVA ST., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed XINGCHUAN SU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/08/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/08/16.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037035600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: H. G XU SERVICES, 751 STOCKTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HONG GEN XU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/16.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037030700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ACUTE SALON, 3913 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LINDA M. THOMAS-MAYFIELD. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/01/16.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037043000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: REID’S TAILORING, 2124 UNION ST #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed YALI WU & WEI BIN LI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/16.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036301500

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: PACIFIC HAIR STUDIO, 1538 PACIFIC AVE #115, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by ATIYA OWENS & IOANNA IOSIFELLIS. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/11/2015.

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037056100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GREEN BEAUTY NAILS & SPA, 1300 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NGUYEN HUONG T. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/19/16.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/19/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037034100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO REIKI CENTER, 3150 18TH ST #243, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHRISTOPHER TELLEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/2011. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037053100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CARDINALE RENTALS, 2227 FILBERT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SAL CARDINALE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037054800

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: SUPPORTIVE LEARNING, 2639 MCALLISTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by CHARLES J. ANDERSON. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/09/09.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VAL DE COLE WINES AND SPIRITS, 906 COLE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BEHROOZ PEJOOHESH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/12/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GINA GRAHAME PRESENTS, 50 STANYAN ST 3101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GINA D. GROSS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/18/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/18/16.

APRIL 07, 14, 21, 28, 2016

APRIL 14, 21, 28, MAY 05, 2016

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-552050

In the matter of the application of: SUKI CHANG TSANG, 2928 CLEMENT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner SUKI CHANG TSANG, is requesting that the name SUKI CHANG TSANG, be changed to SUKI AVA TSANG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514 on the 14th of June 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 5, 12, 2016 SUMMONS ALAMEDA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: BERKELEY INVESTMENTS, LLC, A CALIFORNIA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY; PRIME REALTY AND FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC., A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; PRIORITY CAPITOL FUNDING, INC. A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION; QUAN DANG NGUYEN, AN INDIVIDUAL; CHRISTOPHER GREGORY TOY, AN INDIVIDUAL; AND DOES ONE TO TWENTY. INCLUSIVE YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: KERSTIN SCHWARTZ CASE NO. RG15789507

Notice: You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case.

There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp) your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the court is: Alameda County Superior Court, Rene C. Davidson Courthouse, 1225 Fallon St, Oakland, California 94612.

The name, address, and telephone number of the plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: Charles R. Ostertag, Alamere Law, 802 B Street, San Rafael, California 94901: Office (415) 938 - 7823 Date: October 13, 2015: Clerk, by Lynn Wiley, Deputy.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 5, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037049100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CAFE SIS, 402 BALBOA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JI YEON LEE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/14/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/14/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037051600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE CONCEPTS, 140 CRESTA VISTA DR., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed TONY TENG & ANTHONY VENTURI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on04/15/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037052300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROSÉ TODAY, 1420 DE HARO ST #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed ALLEN HABEL & CRAIG PALMER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037048500

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037042200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMADOS, 998 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 998 VALENCIA LLC, (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/08/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016 THE MACARTHUR TRANSIT COMMUNITY PARTNERS, LLC (“MTCP”), IS ADVERTISING FOR BIDS FOR PLAZA IMPROVEMENTS AT MACARTHUR BART STATION GENERAL CONTRACTOR SELECTION, BID OPENING ON APRIL 22ND, 2016. THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE CONTRACT IS $2,600,000 TO $2,800,000.

BIDDERS MAY OBTAIN BID DOCUMENTS & INFORMATION ON THE MTCP WEBSITE: www.macarthurstation.com

APRIL 28, 2016 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-16-552051

In the matter of the application of: ADRIAN ANTHONY ROBERTS, 1390 MARKET ST #2401, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ADRIAN ANTHONY ROBERTS, is requesting that the name ADRIAN ANTHONY ROBERTS, be changed to ADRIAN A. ROBERTS. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Room 514, Dept. 514 on the 14th of June 2016 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

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APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037060200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BOOM CITY BUILDERS, 522 PRECITA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GARRITT BLANZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/14/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/16.

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037054700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INTER ELECTRIC, 1600 LA SALLE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELMER MORAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/18/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/18/16.

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037058900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALLSTAR CONCEPTS, ALLSTAR PHOTOGRAPHY, 3145 GEARY BLVD #133, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHARLIE ARMSTRONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/21/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/21/16.

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037060400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SENATORIAL COURTESY, 248 GOLDEN GATE AVE #304, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHUNG PAU CHOY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/22/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/16.

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037059800

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The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAIANO PIZZERIA HAYES VALLEY, 100 GOUGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed IAN ALMEIDA MATOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/21/16.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/21/16.

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037058800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO SILENT FILM FESTIVAL 145 9TH ST, #230, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SILENT FILM FESTIVAL, THE (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/21/16.

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037051100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE CITY INN, 395 9TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SOMA INVESTMENTS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/21/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/14/16.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: UDC DENTAL GROUP, 3448 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ULLOA DENTAL CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/15/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/16.

APRIL 21, 28, MAY 05, 12, 2016

APRIL 28, MAY 05, 12, 19, 2016

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Vol. 46 • No. 17 • April 28-May 4, 2016

www.ebar.com/arts

His Lola adventure

by Richard Dodds

H

e did not create the role of Lola in Kinky Boots, but it sometimes seems like the role was created for him. Of all the actors who have yet played the drag performer who upturns the provincial world he lands in, J. Harrison Ghee has the most autobiographical connection to the role. “I sometimes say Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper must have had someone tracking my life when they wrote the show,” said Ghee, who is now starring in the touring production that will return the musical to San Francisco beginning May 11. “The cast always says to me, ‘You’re a real-life Lola.’”

See page 27 >>

J. Harrison Ghee, as drag performer Lola, performs with her backup Angels in a scene from Kinky Boots, making a return visit to San Francisco.

International visions Classic African American Matthew Murphy

lesbian film returns Guinevere Turner as Diana, and Cheryl Dunye as Cheryl, in Dunye’s The Watermelon Woman, screening at the SF International Film Festival.

Grab a coffee, coffee take a survey,

Scene from director Svetla Tsotsorkova’s Thirst, part of the 59th San Francisco International Film Festival.

change the world.

Courtesy SFFS

by David Lamble

“mammy” roles. The Watermelon Woman, a hit at the 1996 San Francisco LGBT International Film Festival, marks the first time a black lesbian helmed a feature-length film. (Castro, 5/1) Thirst In Svetla Tsotsorkova’s finely crafted rural drama, a Bulgarian farm family is driven from the land by a pitiless drought that slowly but relentlessly undermines the way of life that has prevailed in this Slavic country since the time of Christ. A baby-faced, ponytailed youth

T

he queer highlight of the San Francisco International Film Festival’s second week is a timely revival of The Watermelon Woman, Cheryl Dunye’s 1996 LGBTQ Cinema classic. The story involves a black lesbian videostore clerk who sets out to dramatize the life of a 1930s African American actress. “The Watermelon Woman” was so named because she specialized in playing stereotypical black

change the world.

S

an Francisco is the next stop on an international tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of Cheryl Dunye’s widely acclaimed film The Watermelon Woman, which has been restored and digitally remastered for the occasion.

The film will be screened at the Castro Theatre on Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m., during the 59th San

by an onstage conversation with Dunye, a Bay Area filmmaker and assistant professor in the school of cinema at San Francisco State University, and Darius Bost, Ph.D, assistant professor of sexuality studies ®at SFSU. The film, the first narrative feature made by an African American lesbian, tells the story of

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Francisco International Film Festival, followed by Sari Stavera Difference Making is Easy.

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<< Out There

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

“gut-wrenching, heart-breaking, and spirit-lifting”

-- Portland Sun Journal

MISSING GENERATION THE

SEAN DORSEY DANCE

May 5-7 | Z Space, SF

A love letter to a forgotten generation, based on Sean Dorsey's oral history interviews with transgender and queer longtime survivors of the early AIDS epidemic across the US.

WWW. SEANDORSEYDANCE. COM

Purple reign

by Roberto Friedman

“D

early beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” The lyric was, of course, from the immortal musical genius Prince, the setting was the opening night of the 59th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) at the Castro Theatre, and the speaker was San Francisco Film Society (SFFS) executive director Noah Cowan, kicking off the fest with Princely flair by flourishing a purple handkerchief.

Opening-night film Love & Friendship writer-director Whit Stillman is known for his indie films set in preppy, Ivy League America (Metropolitan). His new movie is his first period piece, an adaptation of a Jane Austen novella set in the 1790s. In witty stage remarks, Stillman acknowledged that his previous protagonists have been criticized as being obnoxious upper-middle-class twits, whereas L&F’s Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) is an obnoxious upper-upperclass twit. Plus ca change. Light in tone and heavy in glamour, the film was perfect opening-night fare. The Latin funk band playing the afterparty at Public Works tiptoed gently into “Purple Rain.”

Steven Underhill

Love & Friendship writer-director Whit Stillman with his leading lady Kate Beckinsale at the Castro Theatre for opening night of the 59th San Francisco International Film Festival.

British trifle

Also last week, Out There was kindly invited to the San Francisco Opera Guild’s Nod to Mod Ball, a British-inspired celebration to welcome San Francisco Opera General Director Designate Matthew Shilvock in grand style to San Francisco Society. Beefeater guards flanked the entrance to City Hall and welcomed us with stiff upper lips. Later they broke out into a musical tribute to Shilvock with a witty variation on Gilbert & Sullivan’s “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.” “He is the very model of a new director general,” they sang, “he understands the music that’s both modern and traditional.”

Shilvock was gracious and intelligent in his remarks; his coming reign seems promising. The Guild’s event was elegant and not stuffy. But kudos to Lee Gregory of McCalls Catering, as it surely couldn’t have been

NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER PRESENTS

“A BEWITCHING, BEGUILING MUSICAL”

– WORLD-TELEGRAM & SUN

MUSIC BY BURTON LANE

t

Simon Pauly

San Francisco Opera General Director Designate Matthew Shilvock at the War Memorial Opera House.

easy to create a scrumptious menu from the staples of English cuisine, and she did. On a sweltering evening, the green-pea tarragon soup was deliciously cold.

Counter intelligence

Brian Asawa, who died at 49, was a countertenor with a beautiful voice. B.A.R. music writer Tim Pfaff says his all-time favorite moment in the press room at the Opera House was when, in the first intermission of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Asawa was singing Oberon), the distinguished editor of UK’s Opera magazine stumbled back in declaring Asawa’s “the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard,” as though he’d previously thought the biggest San Francisco delight was still its sourdough. All present knowingly grinned our American grins.

Asawa went on to a spectacular international career, which inevitably included roles in Baroque opera, but it’s telling that on the War Memorial main stage (Asawa was one of the Merola Fellows who hit it big early) he debuted in Henze’s Das Verratene Meer, and sang Stravinsky’s Baba the Turk, and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, before finally singing Handel. San Francisco’s Jake

Heggie heads the list of composers who wrote for him.

More of a knockout than Asawa’s voice was a penetrating perma-smile that made him the center of every room. A serious artist, he was also a fun-loving cut-up whom everyone remembers as the inimitable Brian first and the celebrated countertenor second. The photo is from a German production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare, in which Asawa sang Tolomeo. Its perfect floridity is surely among the ways he would prefer we remember him.

Lion tracks

Using an absolute economy of means – guitars, microphones and men’s wear – singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer tells his own true story in The Lion, now playing at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater. It’s an autobiography that involves father issues, unexpected death, serious illness, romantic disappointment and artistic strife – and it’s pure theatrical pleasure at just over an hour’s running time. Through May 1; info & tix at act-sf.org.

Finally, here’s an anecdote to complement Tavo Amador’s review of The Swans of Fifth Avenue in this week’s issue. Everyone knew that Unspoiled Monsters was Truman Capote’s vicious portrait of Tennessee Williams. The story is set in the Plaza Hotel. But Williams drawled, “It couldn’t be me. I have never stayed at the Plaza.”t

LYRICS BY ALAN JAY LERNER

NEW BOOK BY PETER PARNELL BASED ON THE ORIGINAL BOOK BY ALAN JAY LERNER DIRECTED BY ED DECKER MUSICAL DIRECTION BY MATTHEW LEE CANNON

MAY 13 - J U N E 12 BUY TICKETS AT NCTCSF.ORG BOX OFFICE: 415. 861. 8972 25 VAN NESS AVE AT MARKET ST

Countertenor Brian Asawa, R.I.P.: perfect floridity.

Asteroids, Comets, and the Hard-Hitting Stories of Our Cosmic Origins

Explore the past‚ present‚ and future of our Solar System in a new planetarium show‚ now playing.

Narrated by George Takei.

Get tickets at calacademy.org

25716_CAS_BayAreaReporter_Incoming!Meteor_9.75x16.indd 1

4/13/16 10:43 AM

<< Fine Art

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

Talking with Isaac

by Sura Wood

about the films of mainstream Hollywood, they reflect a tiny minority aspect of society – essentially the same stories, the same characters, who are ordinarily white and heterosexual. Everything else gets constructed as marginal. Dare I say there’s something perverse and not terribly healthy about film today?

It’s why I’m in the art world.

T

he gay, black filmmaker/photographer Isaac Julien is softspoken, thoughtful and one natty dresser. Julien, a major figure in British visual art and queer independent cinema who grew up in London’s East End, arrived at the Jessica Silverman Gallery in San Francisco last week fashionably turned out in a summery indigo suit, white shirt, skinny marine blue tie and foiled white sneakers. He was in town for a pair of appearances at the Pacific Film Archive, and for Vintage, a show of his early, mainly black & white photographs.

The gallery exhibition, which draws from three bodies of work – Looking for Langston (1989), Trussed (1996) and The Long Road to Mazatlan (1999-2000), named after the Tennessee Williams play – showcases his stylish, moody, richly subtextual, gorgeously sensual pictures. The images are also cinematic, in part, because they were taken on the sets of his films. Although he has been exhibited at prestigious museums, including MoMA in New York two years ago, Julien is probably best-known for his 1989 movie Looking for Langston, an erotic, poetic meditation on the African American author Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. A first in that it addressed and reconstructed Hughes’ ambivalent sexual identity, the impressionistic film is a story of repressed gay desire that eroticizes black bodies and combines archival 1920s footage with fictional scenes. “I never meant to make a life of Langston Hughes,” reflects Julien in his book Riot, but the film has nonetheless remained a signature piece, informed by Roy DeCarava’s pictures of 1920s Harlem, Robert Mapplethorpe, the homoerotic male nudes of fashion photographer George Platt Lynes, and James Van der Zee’s baroque,

O

penly gay male hip-hop acts were unthinkable just a few years ago. Sure, there were deeply indie underground acts such as Tori Fixx, Tim’m T. West, Johnny Dangerous and Rainbow Flava, but their crossover appeal had limitations. In recent years, Big Freedia, Cazwell and Frank Ocean have kept the floodgates open, allowing for performers such as Le1f to make his full-length debut Riot Boi (Terrible). You have to give Le1f credit for giving the album that title, as if to declare that now that riot grrrls have been sanitized for public consumption, gay rappers can’t be far behind. Le1f incorporates a variety of elements into his sound and style, on standout tracks “Water,” “Taxi” and “Umami.”

Heartache City (cocorosiemusic. com), the new disc by freak folkelectro duo CocoRosie (Casady sisters Sierra and queer Bianca), is as accessible as a CocoRosie disc gets.

The colorful balloons and scary clown costumes on the cover are indicative of what’s inside. “Lucky Clover,” the folk-blues of “Big & Black” and the spoken-word fantasias of “Lost Girls” and “Tim & Tina” should appeal to longtime fans.

Queer Irish duo Zrazy (Maria Walsh and Carole Nelson) could write a book about their experiences in the music world. Come Out Everybody, their 1997 domestic debut, arrived just as the major labels’ interest in 1990s queer music was peaking with Jill Sobule, Melissa Ferrick and others. Sadly, suits and execs have

Has film noir been a powerful influence for you?

In terms of black & white cinema, noir is a genre I’m very interested in, was then and still am. When I was making Langston in particular, it was a suspenseful time. We didn’t know how long we would live – I’m referring to AIDS – and quite a few of the people in it are no longer with us. I think this question of mortality is a subtheme of the work. Precariousness is something we’re all living with. Life is charged if you think it’s not going to last.

Courtesy the artist

Filmmaker/photographer Isaac Julien.

staged portraits of the dead, which Julien discovered during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

Viewing the Langston photographic series is like stumbling onto hushed encounters or overhearing fragments of distant conversation.

“Pas de Deux,” for instance, shows two handsome black men slowdancing in formal attire. They’re in sharp focus on the left side of a large image; the setting is glamorous, the atmosphere smoky, intoxicating and charged with romantic possibility.

The tableaux vivants of “Trussed,” with their backstage, club-scene ambience and S&M vibe, suggest an underworld where forbidden desire lies just across the room, while the color photogravures (some of them blue-tinged) of “Mazatlan” conjure a mid-1970s Tex-Mex landscape of cold bottles of Corona and cowboys not really at home on the range.

Eros and history, and the deconstruction thereof, have figured prominently in Julien’s work, but recently he has expanded on his astute grasp of global politics and art in two new pieces that will be at Fort Mason at the end of the year: Playtime, a

Queer acts

by Gregg Shapiro

t

short attention spans, and soon Walsh and Nelson were back to releasing their work on their own label.

The Art of Happy Accidents (Alfi), Zrazy’s sixth album and first in 11 years, was worth the long wait. “You Make Me Happy,” “Down with Jazz” and “Night Crossing” are proof positive that Zrazy hasn’t lost its touch.

Queer UK trio Mr. Strange, featuring Mr. Stench, Mr. Stirling, and Mr. Strange, cites as influences Lady Gaga and Nine Inch Nails. After listening to Electric Pornography (mrstrangemedia.com), you might want to add Queen and early Ministry to that list.

Mr. Strange makes old-school electro-industrial, and it’s kind of refreshing. Electrifying tracks include “Do It Like Pete Burns,” “Stormtrooper in Drag” and “Deviant Ritual.”

Emily Wells’ Promise (Thesis + Instinct) lives up to the promise of her 2012 album Mama. A multiinstrumentalist known for her violin skills, Wells delivers an album of dreamy chamber pop that should be sipped slowly, like a hot beverage.

Theatrical, bordering on the operatic (“Los Angeles”), the album is at its most accessible on “Pack of Nobodies” and “You Dream of China.”

The theatrical bent of the Random Hubiak Band’s The Bleached Bones of Titans (reverbnation.com) is more 70s show-tuney. Exhibiting a strong Billy Joel influence, prolific frontman Rand Hubiak is a confident enough songwriter to include a three-part song-cycle as the disc’s centerpiece.

Queer Icelandic transplant John Grant’s second album Pale Green Ghosts was one of the best albums of 2013. His 2010 solo debut Queen

As an artist who’s black and gay, is it more difficult to make your way in the art and film worlds?

No, not really. It’s nothing unique or special.

Courtesy the artist and Jessica Silverman Gallery

“Film Noir Staircase” (1989/2016) by Issac Julien. Ilford classic silver gelatin fine art paper, mounted on aluminum and framed.

seven-screen film installation shot in Reykjavik, Dubai and London, with James Franco as an art consultant, and a sister work called Kapital.

I sat down with Julien for a chat at the gallery. The following are edited excerpts from that conversation.

Sura Wood: I was struck by the intimacy of your photographs. In some, one can sense the intense feelings of these black men and the connection between them. Is that what you were striving for?

Isaac Julien: Even now, how many images of this nature do we see? You don’t see too many images like that

of Denmark was no slouch either.

Grant’s new disc Grey Tickles, Black Pressure (Partisan) is something special, but falls short of Pale Green Ghosts’ brilliance. Not as immediately accessible, the first couple of songs may take a few spins to get used to. Don’t be deterred because the rewards of “Global Warming,” “Voodoo Doll” and “Black Blizzard” are plentiful. Grant has a history of working with remarkable female artists: Sinead O’Connor can be heard on Pale Green Ghosts and covered Grant’s song “Queen of Denmark.” On Grey Tickles, Grant is joined by Tracey Thorn on the incredible “Disappointing” and Amanda Palmer on the difficult “You & Him.” On his exceptional debut album

in the museum. We don’t really have them in the space of art. That’s one of the reasons why I made Langston.

Not just around the question of black gay desire, but also the role of black artists in relationship to modernism. Langston was difficult to make because it talked about personal issues to me, and experiences connected to a black queer body politic. It reflected so closely my own sensibilities.

How has queer cinema changed since you made that film?

We now have queer TV series, queer characters, but if you think

Blue Neighbourhood (Capitol), gay multi-hyphenate Troye Sivan (YouTube sensation, actor, singersongwriter) comes off like a cross between Perfume Genius and a queer male Lorde. Sivan touches on serious subjects including faith and coming out, beginning with opener “Wild,” which sounds of the moment with its female choir chanting. The same holds true for the synth beats and snaps on “Bite” and the 80s keyboard play on “Fools.”

Sivan is joined by Broods on the thumpier “Ease.” Fellow YouTube marvel Betty Who can be heard on the divine “Heaven.” Sivan is at his most Lorde-ly on “Youth,” and “Talk Me Down” approaches Sam Smith territory. The deluxe edition, which features six more tracks including

What’s the relationship between your photography and your films?

The exhibition takes Langston as a starting point because that work, though cinematic, was very much grounded in photography. From the beginning of making my films, photography has been quite central. Though recently I’ve shifted my practice into a museum and art context, the language and aesthetics are still very connected to cinema.

Your work has been described

by The New York Times as “at once visually captivating and conceptually tough.” How does that sit with you?

Oh, I like that.t Through June 11. Info: jessicasilvermangallery.com.

the XXYYXX remix of “Wild,” is the way to go.

Language Barrier (Church Key/ SugarQube), by Shirlette Ammons, has the ability to wow listeners. Ammons, a true original, doesn’t sound like anyone else. Whether she’s venturing into hip-hop (with German rapper Sookee on “Language Barrier Segue”), making the kind of punk that would make SleaterKinney jealous (“Earth Intro,” with Indigo Girls) or leaving her mark on dance-funk (with Meshell Ndegeocello on “Dear Nora”), Ammons is resplendent. The outstanding guest performers (Hiss Golden Messenger, Heather McEntire of Mount Moriah, Aurelia Meath of Sylvan Esso) and the sheer variety of the music are amazing.t

t

Music>>

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

Passionate playing

Creating Memories for a Lifetime!

by Philip Campbell

THE CLIFF HOUSE TERRACE ROOM

T

wo recent and very different concerts with the San Francisco Symphony turned out to have more in common than we first expected, both meeting their artistic goals with an easy confidence that charmed listeners. The return visit of dynamic conductor Pablo HerasCasado to Davies Symphony Hall at the start of a two-week stint, and the closing concert of the second season of popular SoundBox, around the corner and down the ramp, might have seemed worlds apart, but they shared a common denominator: a passionate involvement with the music being played.

Heras-Casado is no stranger to DSH, and his latest visit underlines his collegial relationship with the orchestra and regular patrons. His programming for the first week of concerts was a little startling, but we were pleased to see him venturing into the baroque and classical repertoire with such obvious determination.

The more sinewy approach worked very well, especially with the opening Music from Pygmalion (1748) by Rameau. It took a long time for this delightful suite to make an SFS debut, but HerasCasado made sure we didn’t write it off as some mere divertissement for the ghosts of Versailles. The use of modern instruments gave additional weight to the sound, and the musicians scaled their playing down to seem more authentic. It wasn’t hard to imagine real flesh-andblood dancers moving to Rameau’s elegant rhythms.

Argentine pianist Ingrid Fliter made her SFS debut in 2007 and has appeared locally since as she widened her international reputation with expert performances and recordings of Chopin. I’m not sure where that lands her stylistically with Franz Joseph Haydn, but we got a fairly convincing idea when she joined with Heras-Casado to essay his Piano Concerto in D Major (1784). I include the date of composition to show its closeness in age, but very different flavor, to the earlier Rameau. Haydn was the wittiest and surely one of the most inventive composers ever to gift the world, and his wonderful ability to surprise and gently poke the listener remains undimmed.

That probably was what Fliter had in mind when she gave such a sonorous and occasionally overheated rendition of the evergreen concerto.

There was no withholding of emotion, and she certainly got through the cadenzas with pinpoint accuracy, but I couldn’t help wishing for just a little bit more tenderness. It still fit the general tone of the concert, and after intermission, selected members of the orchestra literally stomped their way through Biber’s Battalia à 9. A fairly friendly battle is depicted in the piece, and the results took the audience by pleasant surprise.

Heras-Casado closed with a riveting reading of the still too infrequently performed Beethoven Symphony No. 2. I always think my favorite Beethoven is what I’m currently listening to, and the energetic young conductor made a major case for the Second.

Heras-Casado is back at DSH this week with another intriguing bill that includes some favorite Bartok, Ravel and Shostakovich on a bill that will also showcase the world premiere SFS-commissioned Auditorium by composer du jour Mason Bates. Auditorium intriguingly describes bringing the ghosts of a baroque ensemble to possess the spirit of a modern orchestra via electronica. There will even be a live webcast of the premiere via Facebook.

A UNIQUE SAN FRANCISCO EXPERIENCE Ceremonies • Receptions • Family Celebrations • Parties

Harald Hoffmann/Deutsche Grammophone

Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado returned to Davies Symphony Hall.

This news dovetails rather nicely into the last night of the second season at SoundBox, where tweeting and posting on Instagram is actually encouraged – though discreetly and infrequently done, thank god!

Christopher Rountree, conductor; James Darrah, director; Peabody Southwell, production designer; Adam Larsen, video designer; and Seth Reiser, lighting designer joined to curate with production company CHROMATIC an evening dubbed Obsession & Creation.

Entering the warehouse club space (get there early to ensure a seat), the diverse crowd is there to share an unusual experience of music. Everyone seems to care less about what is on the program than how it will be performed. That’s a fair expectation, and SoundBox has the winning formula to delight both classical and new music devotees. The demographic pitches young, but includes a heartening span of ages. The mood is festive, friendly, and there’s a fullservice bar. What’s not to like?

Obsession & Creation started strong with Ted Hearne’s For the Love of Charles Mingus, co-commissioned by the New World Symphony and the SFS for six amplified violins. Taking the highest frequencies of the strings to yield an almost etheric essence of Mingus proved mesmerizing.

Arguably, the biggest success of the night followed, with another SFS commission, Nathaniel Stookey’s YTTE (Yield to Total Elation) for mixed large ensemble and OOVE (kinetic sound sculpture designed

by Oliver DiCicco). The score lives up to its name, cresting and flowing melodically with thrilling immediacy. The visuals added to the exhilarating effect, but YTTE would probably raise goosebumps even in the dark.

Dancers Christopher Bordenave, Nicholas Korkos, and Sam Shapiro were present throughout the evening’s performance, a little distracting at first, but ultimately a welcome addition, especially after the first intermission when they supported soprano Marnie Breckenridge in a lovely rendition of Stradella’s “Queste Lagrime e Sospire” from San Giovanni Battista. Frederic Rzewski’s far more radical but surprisingly lyrical Attica for instrumental ensemble and solo vocalist followed.

It had most of the enthusiastic audience begging for more.

More is what they got as the evening ended with three selections by the late lamented genius Frank Zappa from Yellow Shark. Be-Bop Tango and Outrage at Valdez were

played by the expanded orchestra with funny, clever and slightly disturbing images flashing on the walls and ceiling. The concluding The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat, with its feverish mixture of Burt Bacharach and Hollywood Golden Age movie composers on Ecstasy, reminds us how influential Zappa himself was. Maybe it’s only rock and roll, but I like it.

It was good to see members of the SFS (hey, violinist Nadya Tichman!) and Heras-Casado drifting in after their gig next door, and it only underlined the easy feeling and excitement of the night. A song by Prince was played as exit music. SoundBox has got its heart in the right place.t

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

<< Out&About

O&A

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

The How and the Why @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley

Eating Pasta Off the Floor @ The Marsh

West Coast premiere of Sarah Treem’s ( House of Cards) drama about two women biologists who clash over evolution and gender theories. $35$45. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru May 22. Harry’s UpStage, 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 8434822. www.auroratheatre.org

Maria Grazia Affinito’s new solo show about her mother, and a trip to Italy. $20-$100. Sat 8:30pm, Sun 5pm. Thru May 15. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Benjamin Scheuer’s award-winning solo musical about coming of age and the redemptive power of music. Thru May 1. $22-$55. Tue-Fri 7:30pm. Sat & Sun 2pm & 7:30pm. 1127 Market St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Shotgun Players’ new innovative production of the classic Shakespeare tragedy includes performers (who’ve learned the entire play) pulling their roles for the night from Yurick’s skull!

Wed-Sun thru May 15. In repertory June 10-Jan, 2017. (510) 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org

The Most Happy Fella @ Eureka Theatre

Hidden Gold @ Asian Art Museum

The Lion @ Strand Theatre

Sat 30 Hamlet @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley

Impactory

by Jim Provenzano

S

trong dramatic theatre, art, and dances fill up this week’s arts agenda.

For plenty more, go to www.ebar.com.

Thu 28 Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls @ Oasis D’Arcy Drollinger’s restaging of the high camp rock musical about a singer’s rise and fall, with lots of sex, drugs and original live music. $25$35, $250 Super Groupie front row VIP tables. Thu-Sat 7pm. Thru May 14.

298 11th St. at Folsom. www.sfoasis.com

Alonzo King Lines Ballet @ YBCA The local innovative dance company’s spring season includes new and repertory works, including collaborations with jazz musicians Charles Lloyd and Jason Moran. $30-$65. Thru April 30. 700 Howard St. 978-2787. www.linesballet.org www.ybca.org

Anne Boleyn @ Marin Theatre Company Howard Brenton’s new version of the life of Henry VIII’s second wife, based on alleged banned books discovered decades later by King James. $10-$58.

Thru May 8. Tue-Sun 7:30pm. 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. 388-5208. www.marintheatre.org

Art Market @ Fort Mason Large-scale group art exhibition, with food, drinks and more. $30-$400.

Opening party April 28, 6pm-10pm.

Public hours April 29-May 1, 11am7pm (Sun 12pm-6pm). Thru May 1. www.artmarketsf.com

Colette Uncensored @ The Marsh Lori Holt’s new solo show tells the story of the famed French novelist’s pioneering feminist life. $20-$100.

Thu & Fri 8pm. Sat 5pm. Thru May 14.

1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Comedy Night for Immigrant Rights @ Fort Mason Center BATS Improv Theatre presents Marga Gomez, Johan Miranda, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan and Nato Green, who perform at a fundraiser for International Institute of the Bay Area; Rose Aguilar hosts. $45-$100. 5:30 cocktails. 7pm show. Bldg. B, 2 Marina Blvd. www. eventbrite.com/e/comedy-night-forimmigrant-rights-tickets-21792760734

Gayby Baby @ AMC Van Ness 14 Screening of a new Australian documentary about same-sex families, told from the perspective of four children in different families. $14.

5pm. 1000 Van Ness Ave. www.tugg.com/events/94977

Jason Schneiderman @ Books Inc. The award-winning poet reads from and discusses his new collection Primary Source. 7pm. 2275 Market St. 864-6777. www.booksinc.net

Marvin Werlin @ Strut

42nd Street Moon’s production of the Frank Loesser classic musical, a Tony Award winner set in old time Napa Valley. $25-$75. Wed & Thu 7pm.

Fri 8pm. Sat 6pm. Sun 3pm. Thru May 15. 215 Jackson St. 255-8207. www.42ndstmoon.org

QACON @ UC Berkeley

The 86-year-old gay artist’s exhibit of paintings blend contemporary style with mythological symbolism. Thru April. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

9th annual Queer & Asian Conference, with panels, workshops, open mic, parties and presentations. Thru May 1. www.qacon.org

New Frequencies Fest @ YBCA

To Kill a Mockingbird @ Berkeley Playhouse

Three-day interdisciplinary experimental music concerts featuring Pamela Z, Theresa Wong, Edward Schocker and The Crossing Ensemble, and Luciano Chessa. $15-$5. 8pm.

Thru April 30. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

Christopher Sergel’s stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s bestselling novel is performed by the East Bay company. $23-$60. Various dates/times thru May 22. 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. (510) 845-8542. berkeleyplayhouse.org

The Untamed Stage @ Hypnodrome

The Broadway, film and TV star returns with her one-woman show, Tovah: Aging is Optional, with music ranging from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Carole King. $55-$75. 8pm. Also April 30, 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

The new musical by Scrumbly Koldewyn takes us back to Weimarera Berlin, with a Cabaret/Cockettes styled two-act show of songs, dances and bawdy pre-Fascist abandon, with special guest performers each night. $15. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru May 28. 575 10th St. at Bryant. 377-4202. www.hypnodrome.org

Hamlet @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley

Tovah Feldshuh @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Hidden Gold : Mining its Meaning in Asian Art (thru May 8). Also, China at the Center: Rare Ricci and Verbiest World Maps; Extracted: a Trilogy of Ranu Mukherjee (thru Aug. 14); Chinese Laquerware (thru July 31); Elephants Without Number (thru June 26), and more. Free-$25. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 200 Larkin St. 581-3500. www.asianart.org

Live in the Castro @ Jane Warner Plaza The outdoor performance series returns, with varied acts each weekend. www.castrocbd.org

Magnificent Magnolias @ SF Botanical Gardens See beautiful floral and foliage displays, trees and plants in various beautiful gardens specific to region.

Expect amazing new growth and blossoms following the rainy days.

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

Watch or participate in any of 400+ public free dance events, outdoors, in theatres, studios and elsewhere. Thru May 1. www.bayareadance.org

Buyer & Cellar @ New Conservatory Theatre Center

Dancers We Lost: Honoring Performers Lost to HIV/AIDS , a new exhibit of photos and ephemera, curated by Glenne McElhinney, about Bay Area dancers who died of AIDS. Thru Aug. 7.

Also, Feminists to Feministas: Women of Color in Prints and Posters, a new exhibit of illustrations depicting LBT women of color from the 1970s to today. Thru July 4. $5. 4127 18th St. www.dancerswelost.org/exhibit/ www.glbthistory.org

The Heir Apparent @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Bay Area premiere of David Ives’ adaptation of Jean-Francois Regnard’s 1708 comedy about greed, love and lust. $35-$50. Tue & Sun 7pm. WedSat 8pm. Also Sun 2pm. Thru May 15.

2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 8434822. www.auroratheatre.org

Home Improvements @ Fraenkel Lab Filmmaker John Waters’ curated group exhibit of unusual re-imagined domestic objects. Thru May 28. 1632 Market St. www.fraenkelgallery.com/fraenkellab

Celebrity Trash @ 111 Minna Gallery Jason Mecier’s new exhibit of collage portraits of celebrities made out of junk; including Phyllis Diller, Amy Schumer, and Pamela Anderson.

Opening reception May 6, 5pm-11pm.

Thru May 29. Reg hours daily 7:30am5pm. 111 Minna St. www.jasonmecier. com www.111minnagallery.com

San Francisco in Ruins @ Tenderloin Museum Exhibit of paintings by local artist Jacinto Castillo depicting old San Francisco. May 2: lunchtime talk with Supervisor Aaron Peskin. $10. 12pm1pm. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm, $6-$10 ($15 includes walking tour). 398 Eddy St. 351-1912. tenderloinmuseum.org

Tue 3 Bring It Home @ SFAC Gallery Bring It Home: (Re)Locating Cultural Legacy Through the Body, a large group exhibit of works; thru May 7.

Also, Susan O’Malley’s Do More of What You Love, thru May 7; Also, Enter: 126: Coalescence by Annette Jannotta and Olivia Ting; thru Dec. 17. Free. Tue-Fri 11am-6pm. War Memorial Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Ave. sfartscommission.org

Will Durst @ The Marsh The political comic’s updated solo show, Elect to Laugh: 2016, adds topical jokes about the bizarre election season. $15-$100. Tuesdays, 8pm. Thru June 7. 1062 Valencia St. 282- www.themarsh.org

Wed 4 The first-ever museum exhibition to focus on pot, with art, political documents, scientific displays.

Thru Sept. 25. Other exhibits as well. Free/$15. Reg. hours Wed-Sat 11am-5pm (Fri til 9pm). 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

Bay Area Dance Week @ Citywide

Dancers We Lost @ GLBT History Museum

Mon 2

Altered State: Marijuana in California @ Oakland Museum

Fri 29

J. Conrad Frank stars in Jonathan Tolin’s hilarious solo show about an actor working in Barbara Streisand’s underground shopping mall. $20$45. Thursday night pre-show trivia & piano with Joe Wicht thru April.

Extended thru May 8. 25 Van Ness Ave, lower level. 861-8972. nctcsf.org

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Thu 5 Sean Dorsey Dance @ Z Space

Treasure Island @ Berkeley Repertory

Spring Open Studios @ Hunters Point Shipyard

Mary Zimmerman directs the West Coast premiere of the stage adapatation of the Robert Louis Stevenson pirate classic. $57-$97. Tue- Thu-Sat 8pm. Tue 7pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru June 5. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org

Meet and visit the workspaces of 100 artists, and shop for unique works in different media. Free. 11a,-6pm. Also April 24. www.shipyardartists.com

Sat 30 The Boy From Oz @ Great Star Theater Bay Area premiere of Nick Enright’s musical based on the life of gay performer Peter Allen, with his music throughout; costarring Connie Champagne as Judy Garland. $10$65. Thu-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. Thru May 15. 636 Jackson St. 407-9223. www.landmarkmusicals.com

The Grace Jones Project, Dandy Lion @ MOAD Dual exhibitions of video, performance and artwork about the iconic singer and queer identity; and Dandy Lion: (Re)Articulating Black Masculine Identity. Free-$10. Both thru Sept. 18. Wed-Sat 11am-6pm.

Sun 12pm-5pm. 685 Mission St. at 3rd. www.moadsf.org

Sun 1 Abrazo, Queer Tango @ Finnish Brotherhood Hall, Berkeley Enjoy weekly same-sex tango dancing and a potluck, with lessons early in the day. $7-$15. 3:30-6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St., Berkeley. (510) 8455352. www.finnishhall.com

Oscar de la Renta @ de Young Museum Stylish new retrospective exhibit of the world-famous fashion designer’s gowns on display, as well as archival photos and materials; Thru May 30.

Other exhibits of modern art as well.

Free/$25. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. www.famsf.org

SF Hiking Club @ Alamere Falls, Bass Lake Join GLBT hikers for a 10-mile hike at Point Reyes National Seashore; hike the Palomarin Trail to Alamere Falls for lunch. Carpool meets 8:30am at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. 6524496. www.sfhiking.com

Mel Shaw: An Animator on Horseback @ Walt Disney Family Museum New exhibition showcases 120 artworks and designs by the prominent Disney animator, whose own life was full of adventures. Free (members)-$20. Thru Sept. 12. 104 Montgomery St., The Presidio. 3456800. www.waltdisney.org

Thu 5 10 Percent @ Comcast David Perry’s online & cable interviews with notable local and visiting LGBT people, broadcast through the week. www.

ComcastHometown.com

Black Virgins are Not for Hipsters @ The Marsh Berkeley Echo Brown’s hit solo show about desire and doubt moves to the company’s East Bay theatre. $20$100. Thu 8pm Sat 8:30pm. Extended thru June 25. 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Sean Dorsey Dance @ Z Space The Missing Generation, Dorsey’s dramatic dance-theatre work about the early years of the AIDS epidemic, is performed as part of the company’s 20-city tour. $15-$35. 8pm. Thru Saturday (May 7 includes gala reception). 450 Florida St. www.seandorseydance.com

<< Books

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

Ghosts in animated spaces

by Tim Pfaff

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resence and evanescence would seem to lie somewhere near the heart of Ocean Vuong’s poetry.

Things come and go, appear and disappear. Across all the pages of his newly published Night Sky with Exit Wounds (Copper Canyon Press) there’s a sense of spirits moving, in the words, in the shapes of the lines, in the spaces between the lines, among poems, freely, or as freely as ghostly presences can circumscribe their motions.

In what must figure as one of the most extraordinary of the poems, words appear in footnotes annotating two undrawn circles, or constellations, described by footnote numbers on the spaces where you might expect the words to be. A glance at the page reveals a rune, not a gimmick, for Vuong is not shy of words, just properly afraid of them, knowing as only a true poet could when they are subsidiary in the larger spaces of a particular form. That’s the thing about Vuong’s poems: they occupy and animate space.

That poem, “Seventh Circle of Earth,” hangs fire (to comment grimly) off its epigraph, the Dallas Voice’s report: “On April 27, 2011, a gay couple, Michael Humphrey and Clayton Capshaw, was murdered by immolation in their home in Dallas, Texas.” The two men and the poet speak in the footnotes. “It’s funny. I always knew/I’d be warmest beside/ my man./But don’t laugh. Understand me/when I say I burn best/

Peter Bienkowski

Poet Ocean Vuong: the burning desire to communicate.

when crowned/with your scent: that earth-sweat/& Old Spice I seek out each night/Our faces blackening/in the photographs along the wall./Don’t laugh./Each black petal/blasted/with what’s left/of our laughter./Laughter ashed/to air/to honey to baby/darling/ look. Look how happy we are/to be no one /& still American.”

Lest the design of that poem be construed as Vuong playing trickster with the poetics, what’s startling about his work overall is its directness of address to the reader, the lack of confusion about the meanings of the word difficulty, the burning desire to communicate. Other images fall like burnt paper into these poems, sources as varied as Greek mythology, a Rothko painting, a thin slice of

Dickinson, a Vietnamese proverb (in Vietnamese, it means: “There is nothing that can compare to rice and fish. There is nothing that can compare to you [the mother] and me [the child].”)

The second-generation offspring of an American soldier and a Vietnamese farmgirl, the Brooklyn-based Vuong was born into a rice-growing family outside Saigon and moved to Connecticut with them when he was two. He was 11 before he could read English and has called vernacular English his “destination,” in which case he has decidedly arrived.

Wounds of a war he would not himself have seen, the one the Vietnamese have always rightly called “the American war,” still appear. In the brilliantly entitled “Aubade with

Burning City” (how many native English speakers would know this French-borrowed word, naming a poem or piece of music addressing the dawn?), he interleaves the story of a soldier (his grandfather?) taking leave of his Vietnamese girl with the lyrics of “White Christmas,” the song Armed Forces Radio played to signal the evacuation of Americans from Saigon in flames. In the prose poem “Immigrant Haibun,” which also gives an American voice, “When we left it, the city was still smoldering. Otherwise it was a perfect spring morning.”

Already at 27, Vuong has a command of form that makes the excerpting of specific lines akin to

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artistic vandalism. In “Of Thee I Sing,” he throws the voice of the woman in the car at JFK’s assassination who pleads, “I’m not Jackie O yet.” In “Into the Breach,” it’s Jeffery Dahmer. “The body was made soft/to keep us/from loneliness./You said that/as if the car were filling/ with river water./To love another man is to leave no one behind to forgive me.”

To glimpse the complex beauty Vuong finds in sexuality – which sometimes includes lightness, at other times humor, as in the fragment “Note to self: If Orpheus were a woman I wouldn’t be stuck down here,” – requires looking in all directions, including up and down. “Ocean, don’t be afraid. The end of the road is so far ahead it is already behind us,” he begins “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong.” “Ocean – get up. The most beautiful part of your body is where it’s headed. & remember, loneliness is still time spent with the world.”

“My mother said I could be anything I wanted,” he writes in “Thanksgiving 2006,” “but I chose to live.” To purloin the title of one of the finest poems, about the extreme tenuousness and tenderness of gay sex the straight world might judge anonymous, “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.” Doubtless, the most beautiful part of Ocean Vuong is where he’s headed.t

Truman Capote & his swans, plucked

by Tavo Amador

H

istorical fiction is a challenging genre, especially when readers remember the characters and situations portrayed. Happily, author Melanie Benjamin rises to the challenge in her dazzling The Swans of Fifth Avenue (Delacorte Press, $28). Artfully blending fact and fiction, she recreates what happened to openly gay Truman Capote (1924-84) after the publication of In Cold Blood (1965) made him the most celebrated writer in America. She convincingly imagines his slow descent into alcoholism and self-parody, which prevented completion of his long-promised Proustian novel Answered Prayers. She also offers

exceptional insights into his complex relationship with the wealthy society matrons, his beautiful and elegant “swans,” who welcomed him into their rarified world.

Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Town and Country regulars Babe Paley, Slim Keith, Gloria Guinness, Pamela Harriman, Marella Agnelli, and C.Z. Guest offered Capote elegance, beauty, and grace. He made them laugh, taught them about literature, and appreciated them, unlike their rich husbands, who often took them for granted. But, like their husbands, he would betray them.

The novel opens in 1975, with Slim, Gloria, Pamela, and Marella blaming Esquire’s publication of an excerpt from Answered Prayers for a suicide. They also lament a

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vicious revelation of a secret that humiliated one of their circle. Their reactions dismayed Capote, whom they had once called “True Heart.”

Suddenly he was barred from their plush penthouses, private planes, glorious yachts, Long Island estates, and Jamaican beachfront mansions.

No more gossipy luncheons in trendy restaurants. No more intimate dinner parties. Yet they knew he was a writer, he lamented to anyone who would listen. What did they expect? He transformed their life stories into art.

Benjamin sticks to the facts, but like the fine novelist she is, she puts readers inside her characters, about whom so much was known, but who often harbored shocking secrets and deep insecurities. She makes them sympathetic yet flawed, capable of great cruelties and great kindnesses.

Benjamin superbly imagines how Capote, fresh from the triumph of Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958), grew especially close to Babe Paley.

This is the core of the novel. Her fictional rendering of their deep, trusting friendship is convincing and touching. Capote, whose beautiful, social-climbing mother Nina had neglected him – she despised him for being a “sissy” – needed the maternal love Babe offered. She was the leading symbol of the world his mother aspired to live in, a world that intrigued him. With him, Babe could be less than perfect. He, unlike her husband, CBS founder William Paley, knew what she looked like without make-up.

Benjamin ably imagines how, as he worked on In Cold Blood, Capote grew more tortured. He couldn’t complete it until the two killers of the wealthy Kansas family were executed. Yet he had befriended both and promised to help them escape the death penalty. He sacrificed them on the altar of his ambition, an act that haunted him until his death.

Benjamin astutely portrays an era in which many women were

trained to marry rich men and devote themselves to fulfilling their husbands’ every need, overlooking their cheating while hiding their own infidelities. Guest (a Boston Brahmin), Agnelli (nee Countess Caracciolo de Castagneto) and Harriman (daughter of the 11th Baron Digby) were patricians. Yet all were reared to marry wealth. Harriman’s first husband was Lord Randolph Churchill; her second, producer Leland Hayward; her third, the superrich, much older Averill Harriman, former governor of New York.

Babe was the youngest and most beautiful of Boston’s three fabled Cushing sisters, daughters of a successful surgeon and his socialclimbing wife, “Gogs,” who insisted that her girls be “perfect” in every way so as to marry well. Minnie’s first husband was Vincent Astor.

Betsy wed James Roosevelt, then Jock Whitney. Babe first married a Standard Oil heir, but the money was tied up in trust funds. After their divorce, she married Paley, whose extraordinary wealth eventually made Gogs overlook his being Jewish. Babe has been called the first trophy wife, and she offered Paley what he most wanted, entree to the WASP world.

The gorgeous Slim, born Mary Raye Gross in Salinas, hailed as the first “California golden girl,” married Hollywood director Howard Hawks, but had no interest in acting. She showed him a Harper’s Bazaar cover and urged him to test the unknown beauty on it. He did, and Lauren Bacall made film history. She then married Hayward, who left her for Pamela. Her third husband was England’s Lord Keith, but he had little money. She eventually divorced him.

Even more remarkable was the extraordinarily beautiful Gloria Rubio Alatorre, born in Veracruz, Mexico, to a seamstress mother and journalist father. She worked as a dance-hall hostess before marrying the first of four men, each of whom helped her ascend the social ladder. The last was Loel Guinness, ultra-rich heir to the Irish brewing fortune. The great courtier Cristobal Balenciaga praised Guinness as the most elegant woman he ever dressed. Lee Radziwell, another “swan,” makes only a brief appearance, perhaps because she is still alive and living in Paris.

Although he worshiped his “swans,” nothing mattered to Capote as much as writing and acclaim. After years of talking about his “masterpiece” Answered Prayers, an installment, Mojave, appeared in Esquire in 1975. Tennessee Williams, among others, praised it highly. La Cote Basque, 1965, followed, but the praise didn’t. Two more sections, Unspoiled Monsters, a mean, thinly disguised portrait of Williams, and Kate McCloud, based on the life of American socialite and beauty Mona von Bismark, were published in 1976. Capote lived another four years, but nothing more was forthcoming.

Although fiction, The Swans of Fifth Avenue reads like a beautifully composed, insightful biography.

It’s a remarkable achievement, one Capote would have admired and perhaps wished he had written.t

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DVD>>

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Poolside revelations

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here is a tender scene in the new DVD Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party (Wolfe Video) where a mother, in a moment of candor sitting in a parked car with her freshman college daughter, reveals almost to her own astonishment, “The trouble with growing up is you are always becoming yourself. You think you’ve grown up, but you are still becoming.” Becoming yourself is the movie’s fulcrum, and in these small, intimate conversations writer-director Stephen Cone excels, making Henry Gamble one of the standout features at last year’s Frameline.

Cone had another indie hit three years ago, The Wise Kids, featuring a gay film student spending his last summer with his Charleston church youth group before attending a secular college. Cone has mastered this idiosyncratic milieu of evangelical youth/adult culture, having grown up in that background with a Southern Baptist minister father.

Rarely addressed in mainstream Hollywood and even less so in LGBT films, this is an essential mindset we need to understand if religious Christians are ever to accept queer minorities.

The prologue finds Henry (Cole Doman) in bed naked with his best friend, the straight Gabe (Joe Keery), as they compare dick sizes and Henry asks Gabe to describe a fantasy of making out with their school’s hottest girl as they mutually

masturbate into a sock. In this homoerotic yet innocent scene, Henry’s attention is not on his female classmate but on Gabe jerking off.

Henry is starting to come to terms with being gay on the day of his 17th birthday pool party, and with what the ramifications will be within his nuclear family but also his religious family, as his father is the pastor of their suburban megachurch.

There are about 20 characters in this movie: secular school friends, church buddies, and adults from Henry’s church, almost segregated from each other, yet with secrets and desires that will be revealed in both big eruptions and subtle nuances.

The swimming pool becomes a metaphor for freedom and exploration, and the locale for shirtless, nubile torsos, as each character deals with his/her suppressed impulses, sexuality, and comfort with one’s body. Henry’s mom Kat (Elizabeth Laidlaw) and his father Bob (Pat Healy) are having marriage troubles, while his 19-year-old sister Autumn (Nina Ganet) is grappling with her first year at a small Christian college, torn between her faith and for the freedom to think and act on her own. Henry’s semi-closeted friend Logan (Daniel Kyri), who has a yen for Henry, also comes to his party, which is anxiety-provoking for both Henry and his Christian friends, as are Henry’s two lesbian girlfriends.

The lonely, virtually exiled Ricky (Patrick Andrews), who sported an erection in the guy’s shower at last

Dancing Girl Productions

Cheryl Dunye in The Watermelon Woman, screening at the SF International Film Festival.

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Cheryl Dunye

From page 17

a 20-something lesbian filmmaker, played by Dunye herself, struggling to make a documentary about an elusive 1930s black film actress popularly known as “the Watermelon Woman.” Much about the character Dunye plays is autobiographical, but the historical references to the Watermelon Woman are fictional.

“I am super-thrilled to be back at the Castro for the International festival,” said Dunye in a telephone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. Since the film screened there on the opening night of Frameline in 1996, Dunye has gone on to make over 15 films, including Mommy Is Coming, The Owls, HBO’s The Stranger Inside and Miramax’s My Baby’s Daddy. Last month, Dunye was awarded a 2016 John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, an award

given each year to artists, scholars and scientists on the basis of their past achievements and promise for future accomplishment.

“When I began filmmaking in the 1980s,” said Dunye, “there was no body of work by queer African Americans, and I have dedicated myself to filling that void by turning the lens on how I live my life and struggle through it.” As the 20th anniversary of her film approached, “I realized I had better give myself a birthday party.”

Dunye approached Marc Smolowitz, a fulltime independent filmmaker and producer, about working together for the occasion. The two agreed to team up, Smolowitz heading up a fundraising effort for some of the restoration costs while Dunye organized a team of curators to put together other events. The two are also working together on a new feature film based

year’s summer camp, leading to a suicide attempt, also arrives. When he gets accidentally locked and trapped in a bathroom, then starts to mutilate his face with a razor, this wrenching moment is almost unbearable.

Meanwhile some of the repressed

adults start opening up after drinking a secret stash of wine (referred to as “medicine”) in coffee mugs.

Every character must confront uncomfortable truths or hidden erotic urges that can no longer be ignored.

Henry has to come to terms with his true self and his real desires, and can

travel the path of the self-destructive Ricky or the inviting Logan.

Cone’s genius is that he is nonjudgmental and compassionate, loving all his characters as they stumble through the intersection of faith, sexuality, and community with varying degrees of success. They all have good intentions no matter on what side they find themselves in the war between flesh and spirit. His only fault is that there are too many story-lines juggled here. Some of his cast become caricatures, such as the body-hating Bonnie, who prudishly won’t let her daughter Grace go swimming. But even she is given the best line in the film, after delivering a long harangue about the evils of sex-trafficking and prostitution.

Kat replies that some women must resort to selling their bodies because they are poor, to which Bonnie replies in horror, “You’re not becoming Democrat on us, are you?”

Almost all of the performances are flawless, but the openly gay Cole Doman’s charismatic portrayal of Henry, balancing sexual curiosity (one of his gifts is a DVD of Gregg Araki’s Kaboom) with pressure to conform, is a tour de force. You don’t have to be interested in evangelical Christianity to appreciate the movie’s theme that LGBT people need to define who they are rather than let other people name them. For Cone, the only sin is not being who you really are. With Henry Gamble, he becomes a major player in American queer cinema.t

on Dunye’s short Black Is Blue, produced by Smolowitz.

The 2K high-definition digital restoration of The Watermelon Woman “is breathing a whole new life” into worldwide distribution of the film, said Smolowitz, who wouldn’t discuss the cost of the project except to say that it was “more than the $30,000” it initially cost to make the film. The restoration was a project of the Outfest UCLA Legacy Project.

Smolowitz said an independent film seen decades after release often disappoints the audience because it has deteriorated. “We could not have had the 20th anniversary release without the cooperation of so many people who stepped forward to contribute” to support the restoration.

“It was a first-class Hollywood job.”

The current tour began in Berlin in February at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the prestigious Teddy Award for Best Feature in 1996 before going on to become the first African American lesbian feature to be theatrically released in the U.S. The film then screened at the opening night of Outfest Fusion in Los Angeles.

After its stop in San Francisco, the film has six confirmed film festival screenings, with more expected this fall, said Smolowitz. The film is also touring college campuses and is available for community screenings. This fall, it will go into commercial release and be available on demand and on a 20th anniversary DVD “with fun extras,” according to Smolowitz.

Rod Armstrong, now in his 11th year as a programmer with the SFIFF, thought it was a “great idea” to schedule the film as soon as he learned of the availability of the restored film. “It’s a seminal movie in a number of respects.” Armstrong, a gay man who remembers seeing it at Frameline in 1996, said the film was “part of the new queer cinema movement.” But over the years, he said, “there are fewer filmmakers working in that genre, and fewer films from a queer viewpoint and angle.” While the film was heralded as the “first by an out black lesbian, there is still a dearth of films by

women, out lesbians, and African Americans.”

In recent years, there have been queer films about groups such as long-term survivors of the HIV epidemic and transgender people, but despite the many conversations about diversity, there are not as many American-made queer narrative films as you might expect, Armstrong said.

Darius Bost, Ph.D., who will appear with Dunye onstage after the Castro screening, has shown the film to students in classes for the past six years. “It’s as relevant today” as ever, he said in an interview.

Bost, who is working on a project about the histories of black gay men in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, says it is still “very, very necessary” to create work about people who have been marginalized. Although the field of black queer studies is burgeoning in academia, “African American men and women are both still very marginalized in the academy,” he said.

This fall, Bost is organizing a twoday national symposium honoring the anniversary. “I’m a great fan and honored to be a part of this.”

Dorothy Santos, a Bay Area writer,

editor and curator, was “thrilled, honored and humbled” when Dunye asked her to be part of the team creating exhibits that will be part of the anniversary celebration. Santos, who is coordinating an exhibit that will be shown in San Francisco and Oakland this fall, said “as a queer Filipino woman of color, this film continues to inspire me to remember the importance of telling our stories.” Santos, who has seen the film three times, said, “Each time, I get something new” from watching.

Local film buffs anxiously await the upcoming screening. Jennifer Junkyard Morris, who was director of programming at Frameline when the film screened in 1996, recalls the foot-stomping standing ovation it received that night. “I can’t wait” to see it again, said Morris, now the director of programming at DocFest.

Tickets to The Watermelon Woman are available at the SFIFF website, sffs.org. For information about scheduling a community screening of the film, contact marcsmolowitz@gmail.com. More information can be found on the Facebook page, The Watermelon Woman 20th Anniversary.t

STUFF!

by Brian Bromberger

<< Film

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • April 28-May 4, 2016

Into the valley of love & death

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by Erin Blackwell

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sabelle Huppert and Gérard Dépardieu, two of France’s greatest living actors, are the leads in a film by Guillaume Nicloux called Valley of Love. It’s a terrible title, a literal translation from the French, La Vallée de l’Amour, which sounds very much like La Vallée de la Mort (Death Valley), and since this takes place in Death Valley, a better translation would be Love Valley, except that sounds like Love Alley, which is not at all the desired tone. The idea is, “Death is the Valley of Love.” You can contemplate such verities when you go see it, starting this Friday, April 29, at the Roxie Theater.

The film is beautifully shot, on location, in breathtaking scenery with a life of its own, counterpoised against American amenities such as a rustic inn, swimming pool, sprinklers. The concept of Huppert and Dépardieu, two titans, meeting in Furnace Creek for an existential road movie is delicious, but they never become coy, camp, or cliché.

The screenplay is quirky, keeping the audience off-balance, waiting for the next move, constantly surprised by small touches and quick edits out of scenes left unfinished and yet somehow complete. The telling of the tale is masterful and delightful.

The tale itself is a bit odd, a bit metaphysical, spiritualist, and uncanny. These two actors play actors who were married and who lost a son to suicide. Before he died, he

Strand Releasing

Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Dépardieu in director Guillaume Nicloux’s Valley of Love.

wrote them each a letter, asking them to “meet him” in Death Valley on such and such a day. They drop everything and come to the rendezvous. The film focuses on them, moment to moment, as they reconnect and rediscover what they loved about each other and what they didn’t. The performances are intimate, truthful, without veneer.

Dépardieu is particularly impressive in the immediacy of his nononsense, commonsense Everyman responses to a trippy situation.

Somewhere along the line, the film snags on the conventions of genre. Is

it a road trip? Yes. A relationship film?

Yes. A film about the paranormal, or the blurry line between emotional and physical states? Yes. When the end comes, I regret to say I was unprepared, having not followed along where the writer-director wanted to take me. I didn’t reject the ending so much as fail to understand it. The ending is fatalistic, and Huppert has made a career of fatal endings, so I should’ve seen it coming, except I was distracted by Dépardieu’s relative buoyancy.

The death of a child is famously difficult to recover from. The French

Courtesy SFFS

Scene from director Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Journey to the Shore, part of the 59th San Francisco International Film Festival.

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SFIFF59

From page 17

(Alexander Benev) observes the end of his mom’s home laundry business due to the lack of a dependable water supply. Director Tsotsorkova lets the great faces in his cast convey the stark cost when ordinary people can no longer command the source of life itself. (Roxie, 5/1, 5) Home Care This politically incorrect drama from Slavek Horak, the Czech Republic’s official Oscar submission, follows a home-care nurse as she busses across rural Moravia looking after mostly elderly patients. When suddenly she becomes the patient, she decides

to seek out the community of female healers with their alternative therapies. The film leans towards a realistic and sometimes blackhumored approach to end-of-life issues. (PFA, 4/28; Roxie, 5/2) Journey to the Shore This Japanese “ghost story” from Kiyoshi Kurosawa involves a piano teacher and her dead sailor husband, home from the sea. The quirky comedy/ drama will remind some viewers of the Juliet Stevenson/Alan Rickman British drama Truly Madly Deeply.

Warning: this one requires a bit of patience as it takes its sweet time to disclose its treasures. (Victoria, 5/2; PFA, 5/3; Alamo, 5/5) And When I Die, I Won’t Stay

Dead Billy Woodberry honors the late Beat poet Bob Kaufman (192586) with a film that recalls when North Beach was the West Coast Beat capital, from the 1950s into the early 60s. Kaufman was hugely popular in France, where some fans regarded him as the “black American

here pay grief the tribute of not cooking up a maudlin ending for bereaved divorced parents. Their lives have gone on, but they’ve never forgiven themselves, which is why, in desperation, they keep this date with their dead son. Or is the outlandish promise that he will somehow appear to them merely a fabrication by Isabelle, a ruse to lure Gérard into a meeting not designed to heal either of them? That’s the reasonable explanation for what feels like an abrupt and unsatisfactory ending.

The dénouement, startling and quick, lands somewhere between

psychic and psychotic, but I’m not sure the ending is the point of the film. Getting to watch these two inject Frenchified passion into a National Park resort illuminates the familiar tropes of coffee shop and baseball cap. Valley of Love is best seen as an assemblage of charged exchanges between two profound comedians, between them and the death-dealing landscape, and between Death Valley and all the random humans who show up to hike, swim, or more deeply challenge themselves in this game we’re forced to play with life and death, love and loss.t

Rimbaud.” This bio-doc marks one of the few times the Beats have been depicted other than from the point of view of their unofficial PR man, poet Alan Ginsberg. After viewing this one, you may find yourself taking a nostalgic trip through the neighborhood’s remaining bistros, coffeehouses, and of course, City Lights Bookstore. (Alamo, 5/1, 3; PFA, 5/4) Audrie & Daisy San Francisco filmmakers Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen explore a topic in-depth that’s normally relegated to tabloid TV news: the increasing epidemic of sexual assaults in American high schools. (Victoria, 4/28; Alamo, 5/1) Cowboys Director Thomas Bidegain, screenwriter for the powerful European films A Prophet and Rust and Bone, explores a father’s frantic search for his 16-year-old daughter, who vanishes while attending a mid90s French cowboy fair. (Alamo, 4/28) Escapes Michael Almereyda gives us the story of the dude said to be responsible for writing the sci-fi cult film Blade Runner. This doc may reveal why this 1982-penned drama – set in a then-futuristic and damp LA in the early 21st century, in other words about now – has been endlessly re-released in multiple socalled “director’s final cut” versions.

(Roxie, 4/30; Alamo, 5/3)

Frenzy When the movie Midnight Express revealed the rough treatment afforded a young American in a Turkish prison, it became almost a cultural cliché that Turkey was the very last place you wanted to upset the powers-that-be. Now comes an insider’s version from Turkish director Emin Alper, who uncorks a tale of paranoia involving a recently freed prisoner who must snitch as a condition of his release.

(Alamo, 4/30; Roxie, 5/2, 5) The Innocents Director Anne Fontaine dramatizes the WWII-era tale of a Red Cross worker who enters a convent to assist a pregnant nun in labor. (Roxie, 4/29; Alamo, 5/1) The Islands and the Whales Mike Day directs this US/Danish cautionary tale about the impact of virtually every bad environmental conundrum on an isolated Nordic fishing community. (Victoria, 5/3, 4; Alamo, 5/5) Radio Dreams A San Francisco Farsi-language radio station is the jumping-off point for an encounter between the rock group Metallica and the Afghani band Kabul Dreams. (Victoria, 4/28; PFA, 4/29) The Summer of Frozen Fountains Georgian director Vano Burduli focuses on his country’s odd character traits in a low-key romantic format. (PFA, 5/5)t

Courtesy SFFS

Scene from director Babak Jalali’s Radio Dreams, part of the 59th San Francisco International Film Festival.

t <<

Theatre>>

Kinky Boots

From page 17

Ghee grew up in Fayetteville, N.C., the son of a minister who just didn’t get his son. “Me, being the bold child and the creative one, I came up questioning things, and he just didn’t understand the son he was given,” Ghee said from Los Angeles, the tour’s prior stop before hitting SF. “He didn’t disown me or anything like that, but I’ve kind of had to always prove myself to him.”

Ghee’s father knew his son would be playing a drag queen in the musical, but Ghee said, “He didn’t know I had been doing drag for five years even before doing Lola.

Not long before he saw the show, I told him that drag was part of my career, part of my creative expression, and he was very taken aback.” As for his mother, while she was the only family member who knew about his work in drag, she told him that she hoped he didn’t get cast in Kinky Boots, and that if he did, she wouldn’t come to see it. “Then she realized the magnitude of the show, that it was a Tony Award-winning show, and she understood it wasn’t just some play-play drag show.” His parents did come to see the show, twice, in both Durham and Charlotte.

April 28-May 4, 2016 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

In the musical, Lola, known as Simon when out of drag persona, is estranged from a father who can’t accept the path his son has followed.

Efforts at reconciliation come too late, and Lola’s signature song, “Not My Father’s Son,” has particular resonance for Ghee. “Now at every opportunity he tells me that I am my father’s son, that I am his son.”

Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 movie of the same name, and with songs by Lauper and a book by Fierstein, it opened on Broadway in 2013, where the run continues. The story comes from the actual tale of a struggling shoe factory in England, starting with the son who does not want to go into the family business after his father dies. But Charlie finds a way to turn the business around, and even develops affection for it, after he accidentally meets Lola.

Lola and her backup Angels haven’t been able to find high-heel boots to support the weight of a man performing in drag, and with Charlie, they develop a niche line of footwear for a drag clientele that saves the day. But the factory workers aren’t too keen on working with a drag queen, and even Charlie displays prejudices after the partnership has begun that need to be reconciled before the final curtain.

Courtesy Kinky Boots

Courtesy J. Harrison Ghee

J. Harrison Ghee, who stars as Lola in the touring Kinky Boots, has a strong personal connection to the role.

J. Harrison Ghee created his own drag character named Crystal Demure, who continues to have a following in New York.

“We all struggle, wanting to be accepted and loved for who we are, and at least understood if not respected for our differences,” Ghee said.

“Audiences really connect with that through Charlie and Lola, as they find that we all need each other.”

Ghee, who found early work at Disney Tokyo and on cruise ships, was primarily focused on developing showcases for his drag character Crystal Demure in New York when he set out to land a role, any role, in Kinky Boots. At first he was cast as an understudy for Lola in the tour, as well as a swing performer who could fill in for many of the male roles. “There were days when

I was Lola for a matinee and a factory worker for the evening show,” he said. “Being part of this show is something special in any capacity, and it’s being versatile enough to do all of that.”

Ghee, now 26, had his first chance to play Lola in 2014 during the musical’s first run in San Francisco. “It was definitely exciting, but I was well-prepared for the adventure of being Lola,” he said. “I did just get my costumes right before knowing I’d be going on. I’m six-feet-four without heels, so I believe I’m the tallest Lola of them all.”

The role officially became his last November, and he’s open to

renewing his contract when it expires this coming November. Before that, the tour is scheduled to return to his home state of North Carolina in September. While numerous entertainment events have been cancelling engagements there to protest the recently passed anti-LGBT law, Ghee said he has heard nothing about any changes in the tour’s schedule.

“We’ve now been there three times, and we’ve been received so beautifully that it’s hard to believe what’s happening in North Carolina right now,” Ghee said. “We were in Oklahoma when they were having issues with their legislature. It’s amazing that we have these opportunities to take this message across the country and be in such areas at such important times.”

Performing in Kinky Boots, and especially playing the role of Lola, is something of a quasi-religious experience for Ghee. “You have to be a willing vessel to share this message,” the performer said. “It’s not always easy, because you get to be loud and boisterous and over-the-top, but you also have to be quiet and essentially naked in front of everyone in the theater. I don’t mind doing that in order to reach at least one person in every audience who needs this message.”t Kinky Boots will run May 11-22 at the Golden Gate Theatre. Tickets are $45-$212. Call (888) 746-1799 or go to shnsf.com.

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34

36

On the Tab

39

Leather

Shooting Stars

Vol. 46 • No. 17 • April 28-May 4, 2016

www.ebar.com V www.bartabsf.com

Prince The music icon remembered

by Dave Ford

L

Prince performing in 1984 at the height of his Purple Rain era.

Michael Stone

ike all great stars, Prince Rogers Nelson, the artist forever to be known as Prince, who died April 21 at the age of 57, was physically short (he stood five-feet-two) but large where it counted: in talent and in effect.

See page 33 >>

Art Lick Gallery

Sustenance from the little gallery that celebrated art, life and sex

by Michael Flanagan

David Seibold (2nd Right) with friends at an Artlick gallery opening for Michael Stone’s exhibit

O

n the corner of 19th Street and Castro the mural of a laughing gorilla is evidence of another time in the city, when mortality, art and politics collided in atmosphere that was at times serious and other times hilarious. The “Laughing Gorilla” was painted by David Seibold, who with Luiz da Rosa was one of the owners of Art Lick Gallery at 4147 19th Street.

See page 31 >>

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April 28-May 4, 2016 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

Daniel Nicoletta

David Seibold (proprietor) and Jessica Tanzer (artist) at Artlick Gallery (and Ken Woodard behind her), at the opening night of the Eros art exhibit, June 23, 1990.

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Art Lick Gallery

From page 29

Art Lick had an oversized impact in the three years it existed (from 1989 to 1992). Perhaps that was because art seemed so vital in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. Seibold certainly saw art as an essential part of life.

In an article in the Bay Area Reporter from December 21, 1989, Seibold told Wendell Ricketts, “An art lick is similar to the concept of a salt lick – a necessity of life. And a ‘lick’ is a taste of something, which is what we present here. We don’t give just one flavor. The palette is constantly changing.”

It was not the only gallery that had been in the Castro. It was preceded by Wakefield Poole’s Hot Flash of America (at 2351 Market Street) in the 1970s and Chrysalis Gallery (451 Castro) which closed in 1980. But there were two trends which were particularly important during its existence.

The impact of AIDS on the art world was just beginning to be fully appreciated in the late 1980s.

Visual AIDS organized the first “Day Without Art” on Dec. 1, 1989, within months of the gallery’s opening.

There was also a full scale backlash and attempt to censor art under way, particularly art related to gay topics.

Primary among these were the

Rick Gerharter

Jerome Caja outside the Art Lick Gallery where his exhibit Jerome’s Compact was on display, April 1, 1990.

denunciation of Andres Serrano’s “Piss Christ” on the floor of the U.S. Senate in May, 1989 because of National Endowment for the Arts funding for the artist’s work and the subsequent cancellation of the show Robert Mapplethrope: The Perfect Moment in June, 1989 by the Corcoran Gallery.

In part as a reaction to the forces of censorship and funding concerns of galleries, a movement to bring art into the community began. Seibold addressed this in his comments to Ricketts.

“Our goal in opening Art Lick was to provide an alternative to ‘downtown’ gallery spaces – places that sometimes present art work as being so precious and intimidating that it’s really unapproachable.”

I spoke with renowned photographer Daniel Nicoletta, who exhibited at Art Lick as part of the Eros show in 1990. He reflected this notion of moving art out of downtown spaces.

“There was a convergence with club scene happening as well; it was a melting pot with places like Club Uranus,” said Nicoletta.

This certainly was evident in the work at the time. Club Uranus DJ Michael Blue was one of the models for Nicoletta’s photos which were

Rick Gerharter

David Seibold paints the King Kong mural at 19th and Castro streets, in April 1990.

exhibited at the Eros show. Nicoletta also spoke to the use of non-traditional spaces in the creative process.

“Café Flore was our office.”

Another importance aspect of art outside of downtown galleries was the use of agitprop protest and posters as political and social commentary by groups like Boy and Girl With Arms

Akimbo, Electric City and ACT-UP (the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power). The late ‘80s and early ‘90s was also the era of the Akimbo’s “Just Sex” and “Sex Is” posters and the use of the iconic “Silence = Death” and similar visual rhetoric from ACT-UP. See page 32 >>

Rick Gerharter

Jerome Caja (center) greets an attendee at his exhibit Jerome’s Compact at the Art Lick Gallery, April 1, 1990. Other attendees included Ggreg Taylor (left).

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

32 • Bay Area Reporter • April 28-May 4, 2016

Exhibit invites for Eros, Jessica Tanzer’s solo show, and Inferno.

Jessica Tanzer

Jessica Tanzer’s photo “Bear and Aphra” was exhibited at Art Lick Gallery.

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Art Lick Gallery

From page 31

This trend certainly informed the artists and exhibitions at Art Lick as well.

The first major show at the gallery, Christopher Enzi’s Inferno & Other Scenes from November 2 to 17, 1989 challenged sexual repression in an era of backlash regarding AIDS. It was described in art calendar listings in the Bay Times as “Elaborate photos of men as demons cavorting in hell.”

Ricketts B.A.R. article mentions

aspects of the show that incorporate performance and sexuality as well.

“Seibold and da Rosa allowed themselves to be splattered and daubed with fluorescent paint, posed alongside thistles and snake skins and photographed under black light. The result, Enzi’s series of giant color photos, was a startling collection of images, a thoroughly modern exploration of an ancient sort of paganism.”

Michael Johnstone’s Spiritdance

show, which was on exhibit at Art Lick from January through February 1990, included a variety of media which was strongly influenced by the epidemic.

Johnstone told the B.A.R.’s Jay Newquist, “I find myself painting people taking care of other people. I have lost many friends to AIDS, but at the risk of sounding maudlin, my colors are brighter and I don’t share a morbid fascination with death, not as a nihilistic movement.”

I asked Michael to reflect on what it was like to exhibit in the Castro during the midst of the epidemic.

He said, “There were hundreds of fast-forward lifetimes inhabiting our eyes.”

Compact, a show by Jerome Caja, was at the gallery from April 1 to 22, 1990. The April Fool’s Day opening of 120 miniature paintings was captured in the B.A.R. by Dave Ford.

“Gender-unspecific admirers, critics and junket queens sipped marshmallow-spiked grape KoolAid and paid Jerome homage, while s/he munificently dispensed candy rocks from a tray by her throne.”

The art work was taken seriously, however. Steve Abbott reviewed the show in the B.A.R. saying, “Jerome reminds us that the deepest spirituality (and beauty) lies where we might least expect to find it – in our

t

very own daily lives.”

Referring to the audience for this show versus the crowds at the Mapplethorpe show, which was breaking attendance records, San Francisco Examiner art critic David Bonetti told Ford at the opening, “a hundred thousand people should come to see this.”

Writing later that year in The Advocate, Gerard Koskovich noted the success of the exhibition in that a third of the works displayed were sold.

In retrospect it’s important to remember that Jerome was not only a character, he was a successful artist; and that Art Lick was not only the center of the art scene that rejected the downtown gallery world, it was a successful gallery as well.

Eros, a group show, ran from June 20 through July 15, 1990. Described in the Bay Times calendar as an “Exhibit of mostly photography & paintings by male & female east & west coast artists that best & sincerely expresses the erotic that lies within everyone.”

The exhibit included work from Michael Blue, Jim James, Michael Johnstone, Dan Nicoletta, Jessica Tanzer and others, and was an important sex-positive response to the climate at the beginning of the ‘90s.

As Seibold said, the gallery’s palette was constantly changing. They continued to present both group and one- and two-person shows, including shows with both Jerome and Jessica Tanzer through the end of 1992.

Seibold died in Oct. 1992 and da Rosa left the gallery earlier the same year.

After a series of other businesses took residence, the popular Spunk Salon currently occupies the corner space.

To say that Art Lick was groundbreaking is an understatement. The amazing thing is that the curators and artists accomplished this while still remaining a warm community space for art.

Echoes of a small studio on 19th Street still resound around us to this day. I await the day an enterprising curator revisits the essential work done there.t The author would like to thank Jessica Tanzer, Daniel Nicoletta and Michael Johnstone for their assistance. For further information on the gallery, visit “Art Lick Gallery Remembered” on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ groups/556178231213395/

Daniel Nicoletta

The King Kong mural today.

t

Read more online at www.ebar.com

Prince on tour in his recent “Piano and a Microphone” concert series.

<<

Prince

traught and crying softly,” according to a Wikipedia item, and flew home to Minneapolis. Stones singer Mick Jagger and others convinced him to return for the second show. Predictably –the simple-minded are nothing if not predictable– that audience reacted as had the first.

Prince nevertheless finished his set, a victory of sorts. Later, the same Wikipedia item notes, he dismissed the crowd as being “tasteless in music and mentally retarded.” (For “retarded” insert “regressed” to get the gist of what he was attempting to express.)

To the sensitive observer, the Stones audiences’ shocking response to Prince’s otherness, let alone to his

April 28-May 4, 2016 • Bay Area Reporter • 33

Prince in 1981, in the outfit that got him booed when he opened for the Rolling Stones.

across gay communities.

Pop music in the early ‘80s, newly throbbing with synthesizers, revealed itself in performance videos He was a guiding light in the 1980s on the then-recently launched cable to societally disenfranchised young channel MTV. It was this universe people, who saw in him a genderthat Prince would come to own, fluid, sexually free, rules-defying alongside Madonna and Michael fellow traveler. But to those who reJackson. He turned the tables on viled deviations from the Caucasianthe Stones show boors –some of dominant heterosexual norm, he was whom no doubt later hypocritically terrifying and enraging. claimed him as their own– by reThis much was on full-throated leasing a dizzying streak of brilliant display when Prince opened for the hit songs, albums, videos and movRolling Stones on October 9 and 11, ies as the decade advanced. (Except 1981 at the Los Angeles Coliseum, in 1983, he issued an album each shows your correspondent, then 24, year between 1978 and 1992). attended.

His live shows, dazzling spectacles Although Prince was three years of which he was the whirling-dervish and three albums into his career center, married soul-revue (within days of the shtick to rock-dude excess Stones shows he would with wit and a camp wink. release his fourth LP, Gifted musicians comControversy), he was prised his bands, many of largely unknown to the them women in more than Stones crowd. His style decorative roles. of surging, soul- and His local concerts at disco-inflected funkvenues like the Cow Palrock differentiated him accepting the Best Album ace, the Bill Graham Civic from the two middleAuditorium, and the Fox brow blues-rock bands nod at the 1985 American Music Awards Oakland (where he played also opening the shows.

Feb. 16) consistently sold The fans might have out. He delighted in surtolerated that, except obvious talent, seemed ominous: prising fans with after-show jams that Prince appeared onstage in a dare to be different and you will be at such intimate clubs as the DNA see-through plastic raincoat, black killed, figuratively at least.

Lounge. bikini briefs and thigh-high black But then, the 1980s were dawnHe performed as recently as boots. The sozzled and sadly coning a cold, hard decade in America.

March 5 at the Great American Muformist throng expressed displeaAt the time of Prince’s Los Angeles sic Hall after his “Piano and a Misure first by booing and screaming humiliation, President Ronald Reacrophone” show earlier that night at “Faggot!” Then, in the manner of gan and his stick-figure wife, NanOakland’s Oracle Arena. He opened sophisticates the world over, they cy, were but ten months into what the Oracle show, his last formal Bay pelted the stage with beer bottles. would become their eight-year reign Area concert, with “Somewhere Did they object to the third of of horror.

Over the Rainbow,” and departing the four songs in Prince’s aborted The sociopolitical tumult of the fans were given CDs of his latest twenty-minute set, cheerily titled ‘60s (including the 1969 riots at the album, HitnRun Phase Two. “Jack U Off ”? Likely we shan’t ever Such was his musical talent that Stonewall Inn, in New York, presagknow. But Prince that day was a true anything he did could have constiing the Gay Liberation movement) radical: a pint-sized, half-naked, tuted a single career. He was a multiand the grungy derangement of the androgynous black man who sang instrumentalist with a flair for the ‘70s had passed. The ‘80s would beand danced like James Brown and electric guitar. His songwriting was come the decade of re-ascendant played guitar like Jimi Hendrix. such that even seeming toss-offs, materialism, of yuppies and Wall Looking into that mirror, faux-rebel like the 1986 hit “Kiss,” proved perStreet. By the middle ‘80s, homeStones fans evidently regressed into fect pop constructions. He sang in a lessness and crack cocaine would infantile hysteria. falsetto or throaty basso, punctuatplague American cities and AIDS Dispirited by the reaction, Prince ing vocal lines with shrieks, whoops would begin to cut a deadly swath left the stage “emotionally disand grunts. His onstage dancing had a precision that nonetheless hinted at abandon, and as a front man he could hold an audience of thousands with a single teasing leer.

But Prince was more than just a collection of talents: he became an icon. As with all icons, controversy surrounded him. In the 1981 song “Controversy,” he sang, “I can’t believe all the things people say… Am I black or white, am I straight or gay?” It was a good question, and one that put audiences on notice that Prince was ready to toy with binary notions of, well, everything.

At the very least, his early songs offered hints of same-gender love.

In the heart-wrenching “Sometimes it Snows in April,” from the 1986 album Parade, Prince sang of a male friend named Tracy who “died after A fan shot of Prince’s last tour, “Piano and a Microphone” concert series. a long-fought civil war.” The mel

From page 29

“Life is death without adventure, and adventure only comes to those who are willing to be daring and take chances.”

—Prince,

Prince performed at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2007 on a rainy night in Miami.

ancholic six-minute piece, which opens with haunting Joni Mitchellstyle piano (Prince cited Mitchell as a huge influence), can be heard as an elegy for a friend (or lover) lost to AIDS. So it seemed, anyway, to those of us in the ‘80s who spent as much time attending memorial services as dancing to Prince hits in clubs.

Like David Bowie before him, who exploded gender and sexuality norms in the ‘70s, Prince in the ‘80s was an icon to LGBT people who felt rejected by a society that refused to help the (literally) sick among them and to embrace difference.

Like Bowie, Prince peppered his work with spiritual themes: in “Controversy” he sang, “Do I believe in God, or do I believe in me?”

Like Bowie, he later renounced the queerest aspects of his life and

work: in 2001 he converted to the Jehovah’s Witness faith, and thereafter downplayed the carnality of his early work.

And like Bowie before him, Prince took leave of Earth in early 2016: two daring, culture-shifting artists gone in the American year of violent demagoguery and LGBT rights yet again under attack.

Happily, Prince leaves a legacy as an adventurous, playful, witty and brilliant musical and cultural nonconformist. His restless body, which danced across the stages of the world –if not, indeed, seemingly across the heavens themselves– is now at rest; so, too, is his once-restless spirit.

Leave us, then, to wish Prince, after his full if sadly foreshortened time here, a long good night. May flights of angels sing him to his repose.t

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<< On the Tab

34 • Bay Area Reporter • April 28-May 4, 2016

M

ay we have fun? Oh yes, we may.

The new month’s here. It’s tim e to play.

Some Prince events will get your groove on.

Life is short, so get a move on.

Wed 4

th May the Fourth Be Wi

On the Tab

Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls @ Oasis D’Arcy Drollinger’s restaging of the high camp rock musical about a singer’s rise and fall, with lots of sex, drugs and original live music. $25$35, $250 Super Groupie front row VIP tables. Thu-Sat 7pm. Thru May 14.

298 11th St. at Folsom. www.sfoasis.com

All-Women Americana @ Slim’s Shelby Ash Presents an all-female Americana band showcase, with The P’s & Q’s, Shiloh & The Sun, Old Belle, The Bluegrass Revolution and Hay Babes. $13 ($38 with dinner). 8pm.

333 11th St. 885-0750. www.slimspresents.com

Art Market @ Fort Mason Large-scale group art exhibition, with food, drinks and more. $30-$400.

Opening party April 28, 6pm-10pm.

Public hours April 29-May 1, 11am7pm (Sun 12pm-6pm). Thru May 1. www.artmarketsf.com

Bulge @ Powerhouse

BATs Improv Theatre presents Marga Gomez, Johan Miranda, Dhaya Lakshminarayanan and Nato Green, who perform at a fundraiser for International Institute of the Bay Area; Rose Aguilar hosts. $45-$100. 5:30 cocktails. 7pm show.

Bldg. B, 2 Marina Blvd. www.eventbrite.com

Prince Funk Get-Down @ Pop’s Bar ZeroOne plays “the most purple, most Minneapolis” Prince songs at the Mission bar. 9pm-1:30am. 2800 24th St. www.popssf.com

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

Enjoy stand-up with queer comics Irene Tu, Ash Fisher, Dominique Gelin, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Audrey Crescenti and J.A.D.E. $7.70 (for women)-$10 (for men). 7:30pm show; dancing 10pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.manhaters.org www.whitehorsebar.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

Prince Dance Night @ 1015 Folsom Celebrate the recently departed musician with an all-Prince dance night. $10. 10pm-2am. 1015 Folsom. www.1015.com

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

Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. April 28, DJ Prince Wolf guestspins. $5. No cell phones on the dance floor, please! 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Fri 29

Ain’t Mama’s Drag @ Balancoire Weekly drag queen and drag king show hosted by Cruzin d’Loo. Mar. 25 features Donna Personna and many other acts. 8pm-10pm. No cover. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

Galilea hosts the weekly “old school drag show” with guest performers and DJ Jack Rojo. $4. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubOMGsf.com

Latin Explosion @ Club 21, Oakland Enjoy Latin, hip hop and electro, plus hot gogos galore, and a big dance floor. $10-$20. 9pm-3am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Storytelling and songs from the veteran cabaret performer, with pianist Dave Austin; cocktails and food available. $25-$50. 8pm. 562 Sutter St. www. societycabaret.com

Friday Nights @ de Young Museum

Thu 28

Season 12 of the fun art parties returns, The P’s & Q’s play at with the Oscar de All-Women Americana @ Slim’s la Renta exhibit, flamenco-jazz pianist Alex Conde, fashion films and mixed Manimal @ Beaux media art-making stations. 5:30pmGogo-tastic dance night starts off 9pm. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, your weekend. $5. 9pm-2am. 2344 www.deyoung.famsf.org Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Friday Nights @ Oakland Museum

Midnight Show @ Divas

The family-friendly night events returns, with exhibit tours, dancing, food, drinks, and live music. $7-$15.

5pm-9pm. 1000 Oak St. www.museumca.org

Gogo Fridays @ Toad Hall Hot dancers grind it at the Castro bar with a dance floor and patio. 4146 18th St. www.toadhallbar.com

Happy Friday @ Midnight Sun The popular video bar ends each work week with gogo guys (starting at 9pm) and drink specials. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Weekly drag shows at the last transgender-friendly bar in the Polk; with hosts Victoria Secret, Alexis Miranda and several performers. Also Saturdays. $10. 11pm. 1081 Polk St. www.divassf.com

Prince Party @ Beatbox The gayest dance night of Prince music, with live and drag performances. Free/RSVP online.

10pm-2am. 314 11th St. www.beatboxsf.com

Red Hots Burlesque @ Beatbox The saucy women’s burlesque show hosted by Dottie Lux. $10. 7pm-10pm.

314 11th St. www.beatboxsf.com

Some Thing @ The Stud Mica Sigourney and pals’ weekly offbeat drag performance night. $7.

10pm-3am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Tovah Feldshuh @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Best Wedding Photographer

Steven Underhill

Ladies of San Francisco @ Club OMG

Danny Creed @ Hotel Rex

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle

Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes’ weekly drag show. $5. 10:30pm show.

DJ Philip Grasso. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Boy Bar @ The Cafe

Valerie Branch’s weekly comedy night, where she embodies her faux queen character Pia Messing for some offbeat wit, along with guest performers. $5. 8pm-10pm. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

Man Haters @ White Horse, Oakland

Mary Go Round @ Lookout

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

Brütparty

Grace Towers hosts the fun sexy night. $100 cash prize for best bulge. $5-$10 benefits local non-profits, the queer retreat camp. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Comedy Night for Immigrant Rights @ Fort Mason Center

Hard Fridays @ Qbar

Louis Lennon, UK DJ, spins, plus the rooftop patio will be open, at the ursine dance night. $10. 9:30pm-2am.

298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Comedy Noir @ Balancoire

Apr. 28May 5

Thu 28

Bearracuda @ Oasis

Gus Presents’ weekly dance night, with DJ Kid Sysko, cute gogos and $2 beer (before 10pm). 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

You @ The Cinch

t

Sat 30

Brüt @ Beatbox

The Broadway, film and TV star returns with her one-woman show, Tovah: Aging is Optional, with music ranging from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Carole King. $55-$75. 8pm. Also April 30, 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Sat 30

La Bota Loca @ Club 21, Oakland Latin, hip hop and Electro music night. $5-$25. 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Beat Salad @ Qbar Spring mix of House tracks spun by DJ Matt Bailer. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.qbarsf.com

Brüt @ Beatbox DJs Brian Maier (SF) and NYC’s Dan Darlington spin at the manly dance night, where skimpy leather, kink, and fetish gear is quite welcome. $15.

10pm-4am. 314 11th St. www.brutparty.com www.beatboxsf.com

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland The weekly hip hop and R&B night.

8-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway.

(510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

April 28-May 4, 2016 • Bay Area Reporter • 35

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle

Sat 30

Dark Room’s Gothpocalypse @ The Stud

Dark Room @ The Stud Thee Gothpocolypse takes drag to the spooky gothy edge, with performances by Jillian Gnarling, Phatima Rude, Noveli, Johnny Rockitt, Voodonna Black, Crème Fatale and Pseuda; DJs Le Perv and Jessy, gogo ghouls, and freaky fun. $3-$8.

9:30pm-2:30am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Denise Perrier @ Hotel Rex The soulful vocalist performs classic soul, R&B and Broadway songs. $25-$50. 8pm. 562 Sutter St. www. societycabaret.com

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s weekly drag show night with different themes, always outrageously hilarious. April 30 is a Beyoncé tribute! $15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. at Folsom. 795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Nitty Gritty @ Beaux Weekly dance night with nearly naked gogo guys & gals; DJs Chad Bays, Ms. Jackson, Becky Know and Jorge T. $4.

9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Notes & Words @ Fox Theater, Oakland Coldplay’s Chris Martin, The Stone Foxes, author Dave Eggers, Kelly Corrigan and BJ Nokak appear at the fundraiser show of musicians and writers talking about art. Proceeds go to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. $100 and up. 8pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave. www.thefoxoakland.com www.notesandwords.org

Saturgay @ Qbar Stanley Frank spins house dance remixes at the intimate Castro dance bar. $3. 9pm-2am (weekly beer bust 2pm-9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down @ The Fillmore Cool SF rock-indie band performs.

Garage rock funk quartet Seratones open. $22.50. 9pm. 1805 Geary Blvd. www.thefillmore.com

Soul Delicious @ Lookout Brunch, booze, sass and grooves, with the Mom DJs, Motown sounds, and soul food. 11am-4pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

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

Sugar @ The Cafe Dance, drink, cruise at the Castro club.

9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

The classic leather bar’s most popular Sunday daytime event in town draws the menfolk. Beer bust donations benefit local nonprofits (Check the website for a list of recipients). 3pm-6pm.

Now also on Saturdays.

398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Big Top @ Beaux The fun Castro nightclub, with hot local DJs and sexy gogo guys and gals. $5. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.Beauxsf.com

Domingo De Escandal @ Club OMG

Sunday Brunch @ Thee Parkside Bottomless Mimosas until 3pm at the fun rock-punk club. 1600 17th St. 2521330. www.theeparkside.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 Weekly two-stepping and line-dancing fun, with lessons and DJed music (not just country). 5pm-10:30pm. Also Thursdays. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

Mon 2

Drag Mondays @ The Cafe Mahlae Balenciaga and DJ Kidd Sysko’s weekly drag and dance night, with 9pm RuPaul’s Drag Race viewings. 9pm-1am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez and DJ Luis. 7pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Femme, Xtravaganza @ Balancoire Weekly live music shows with various acts, along with brunch, Mimosas, champagne and more, at the stylish nightclub and restaurant; shows at 12:30pm, 1:30pm and 2:45pm.

After that, T-Dance drag shows at 7pm, 10pm and 11pm. 2565 Mission St. at 21st. 920-0577. www.balancoiresf.com

GlamaZone @ The Cafe Pollo del Mar’s weekly drag show takes on different themes with a comic edge.

8:30-11:30pm. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Jock @ The Lookout Enjoy the weekly jock-ular fun, with DJed dance music at sports team fundraisers. 12pm1am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Gareth Gooch

Sun 1

Thu 28

Above and Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Showgirls @ Oasis

Epic Karaoke @ White Horse, Oakland Mondays and Tuesdays popular weekly sing-along night. No cover. 8:30pm1am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 6523820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Jon Lewis

t

On the Tab>>

Gaymer Meetup @ Brewcade The weekly LGBT video game enthusiast night includes bigscreen games and signature beers, with a new remodeled layout, including an outdoor patio. No cover. 7pm-11pm.

2200 Market St. www.brewcadesf.com

Karaoke Night @ SF Eagle

Sun 1

Pole$exual @ The Stud

18th St./Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

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

Opulence @ Beaux Weekly dance night, with Jocques, DJs Tori, Twistmix and Andre. 9pm-2am.

2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Underwear Night @ 440

Sing along, with guest host Nick Radford. 8pm-12am.

398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Mahogany Mondays @ Midnight Sun Honey Mahogany’s weekly drag and musical talent show starts around 10pm, with 9pm RuPaul’s Drag Race viewings. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Monday Musicals @ The Edge Sing along at the popular musical theatre night; also Wednesdays. 7pm-2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing. 4149

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

Tue 3

Bandit @ Slate Bar New queer weekly event with inaugural guest DJ Paul Goodyear and resident DJ Justime; electro, soul, funk; cocktails and food available. $3.

2925 16th St. www.facebook.com/ BanditPartySF www.slate-sf.com

Block Party @ Midnight Sun Weekly screenings of music videos, concert footage, interviews etc. of popular pop stars. 9pm-2am. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

See page 37 >>

Pole$exual @ The Stud Enjoy dancing (DJ Sergio Fedasz), drag (Abominatrix, ATK, Bethlayne, Cyanide, Hollow Eve, Magabond and more), pole dancers, burlesque, hula-hooping and lots of other fun stuff as Ma Shugganuttz’ unusual playful night (1st Sundays) celebrates its one-year anniversary; costumes encouraged. $5-$8. 10pm-3am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Red Hots Burlesque @ PianoFight The saucy women’s burlesque show now serves brunch before and after the show, with bottomless Mimosas. $15-$25. 2pm. Weekly thru May 29.

144 Taylor St. www.pianofight.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet hosts the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show, now celebrating its tenth anniversary. $45.

11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.starlightroomsf.com

Sat 30

I am the future of the LGBT community.

I’m 26 and transitioning.

I have a lot going on - I don’t need to be mocked, misgendered, or marginalized, and I don’t have time to hunt out news that matters to me.

That’s why I read EDGE on my Android tablet.

I’m being true to my future - and that’s where it will be.

Thao & the Get Down Stay Down @ The Fillmore

The person depicted here is a model. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

36 • Bay Area Reporter • April 28-May 4, 2016

Leather women rock San Jose

by Race Bannon

W

omen who are into leather, kink and the edgier styles of sexuality only have a handful of large events that are exclusively dedicated to them and their particular aspects of our kink culture. The International Ms. Leather and International Ms. Bootblack contest and weekend (often referred to as IMsL/IMsBB) (www.imsl.org) that took place in San Jose April 14-16 is one such event.

This was the 30th anniversary for the event and the producers, staff and volunteers should be proud of themselves for creating a truly wonderful experience for the attendees.

While the contest might be the focal point for many, the weekend is actually a collection of many things kinky women, both newcomer and experienced alike, can partake in.

Along with the contest the weekend offerings included author readings, bawdy storytelling, bootblack

lounge, hospitality parties, play spaces, pool party, silent auction, photography services, vendor area, an evening of sexy entertainment called Seduction, and much more.

In addition, there were an assortment of more than 40 education intensives and workshops on a diverse set of topics such as Master/ slave and Dominant/submissive relationship development, leadership skills, and spanking and paddling technique. This is likely the largest Bay Area collection of such learning opportunities available at a single event and it offers attendees the option to not just socialize and play, but also to learn in a safe and supportive environment from skilled practitioners from many walks of the leather and kink world.

In the past there have been some challenges with various issues surrounding the weekend. The producers addressed some of them this year head on by providing those in attendance the opportunity to explore finding ways to address the ISMs in their lives, in the IMsL organization, and in the entire leather women’s community.

The organizers added valuable voices to the planning of the event that also helped increase their awareness on racism, sexism and trans misogyny, ageism, and able-bodyism.

They did this in part through some of their education program selections, a scholarship grant program, and a moderated lunchtime panel discussion titled “ISMs in the Women’s Leather Community.”

I applaud the organizers for continuing to strive for excellence and serving their constituency with honor and sensitivity.

A longtime friend of mine, Vi Johnson, keynoted the event with a rousing speech titled “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” In that speech she highlighted that our scene is what it is today, for women in particular, because of the work of so many leatherfolk and kinksters that have come before us.

It was a great reminder that we all need to heed, that each iteration of our scene enjoys the freedoms and community it does because of those who have gone before. Thanks, Vi, for the reminder. (If you search on YouTube for “Vi Johnson Keynote Address IMsL 2016” you can watch Vi’s speech.)

Beloved comedienne Shan Carr provided entertainment during the weekend’s brunch.

So that’s just some of what went on during the IMsL/IMsBB weekend other than the contest. But before I continue, reporting on the contest itself, I’d like to mention something that struck me as I was writing what you’re reading now.

So often the various leather and kink weekend events revolve around or have a contest as a main component of that weekend. However

t

–and this is important– I think we (myself included) often fail to adequately report on and otherwise discuss the non-contest happenings during such weekends. I think that’s a big fail.

Why is it a fail? Because even though a contest might be an important component of such a weekend, not pointing out all the wonderful social, educational, community building, play and other parts of these weekends does a disservice both to all of the people who have put so much time and effort into the full Shilo McCabe breadth of the weekend experience, and to the Lascivious Jane (left), the new International scene itself for elevat- Ms. Leather 2016, and Meghan (right), the ing contests to such a new International Ms. Bootblack 2016. level of importance that other truly important I asked the new IMsL 2016, Laselements are shunned and glossed civiousJane, for her impressions of over in media, such as in this colthis year’s event and about her own umn. I make a commitment to you experience. now that I will try and not do that “Every year that I have attended myself in the future and I encourage IMsL I have had a different experiothers who write about, speak about ence, each one special and unique or otherwise report on our scene to in its own way. Each year I have had try and give every walk of our scene a blast. This year was no exception. their due recognition.

Preparing to run, and the contest itWith that said, and I self, challenged me in ways I didn’t hope with no sense of expect, but ultimately I learned so disrespect to the contest much about myself in the process. organizers, participants One of my favorite takeaways from and winners due to this was the strong bond of sisterwhat I just wrote, let hood that developed amongst all me tell you about the the contestants. We were not IMsL IMsL/IMsBB contest, and IMsBBs, we were one class. We which does admittedly were not running against each othplay a big role during this er, but with each other. I will carry stellar women’s weekend. each of them, their grace, their MCs for the weekend and the strengths, and their friendship with contest were Bubblinsugare and me this year.”

Tristan Taormino.

I asked, Meghan, the new IMsBB Competing for IMsL 2016 were 2016, the same thing.

Aurora Lee, LasciviousJane, Miss “The experiences shared during BEEHave, and slavegirl marion.

IMsBB/IMsL weekend were as exCompeting for IMsBB 2016 were traordinary as they were rewarding.

Angel, Meghan, and Shelly. JudgGetting the chance to compete in this ing the IMsL contestants were Ancontest has most certainly impacted nie Romano, Sarah Humble, Patty, my life on a grand scale. I am deeply Patrick Smith, Paksen Burrell, Metis thankful for the community’s faith Black, and Sky Renfro. Judging the in me to represent not only the KenIMsBB contestants were Dara Brytucky and the Great Lakes region, but ant, Bamm Bamm, and Judy Tallthe Women’s Bootblack community wing McCarthy. Tallymasters were on an International level.”

Phillip Wolf and Tracy Wolf.

Congratulations to the winners.

After two days of intense compeCongratulations to the producers, tition that for IMsL included perstaff and volunteers for year ansonal interview and short teaching other great event. It’s so great to see demonstration, hotwear and pop this important women’s event conquestion, fantasy performance, tinue to grow and thrive each year. I speech and formal wear, and publook forward to IMsL/IMsBB 2017 lic image, and for IMsBB included next year!t technical knowledge and skill, personal interview, pop question and For Leather Events Listing, please bootblack image, speech and formal visit www.ebar.com/bartab wear, and public image, the winners were announced.

Race Bannon is a local author, International Ms. Leather 2016 blogger and activist. Reach him on is LasciviousJane and International his website, www.bannon.com.

Ms. Bootblack 2016 is Meghan.

Shilo McCabe

The entire IMsL/IMsBB Class of 2016 contestants along with den staff and event producers.

April 28-May 4, 2016 • Bay Area Reporter • 37

David DeSilva

t

On the Tab>>

Tue 3 Tiny Bubbles for Big Dreams @ Patrick Stull Studios

<<

On the Tab

From page 35

Cock Shot @ Beaux

Wed 4 Bedlam @ Beaux

Shot specials and adult Bingo games, w/DJs Chad Bays & Riley Patrick, at the new weekly night. No cover. 9pm-2am.

2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

New weekly event with DJs Haute Toddy, Guy Ruben, Mercedez Munro and Abominatrix. Wet T-shirt/jock contest at 11pm. $5-$10. 9pm-2am.

2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Gay Bash @ Punch Line

Bone @ Powerhouse

Ronn Vigh hosts the new irreverent queer comic night (1st Tuesdays), with Marga Gomez, Natasha Muse, Chris Storin, Zach Noe Towers and Karinda Dobbins. $16.50. 8pm. 2-drink min.

444 Battery St. 397-7573. www.Punchlinecomedyclub.com

Gaymer Night @ Eagle Gay gaming fun on the bar’s big screen TVs. Have a nerdgasm and a beer with your pals. 8pm. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

New weekly punk-alternative music night hosted by Uel Renteria and Johnny Rockitt. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Bottoms Up Bingo @ Hi Tops Play board games and win offbeat prizes at the popular sports bar. 9pm.

2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Meow Mix @ The Stud

Tue 3 Paul Goodyear DJs at the debut of Bandit @ Slate Bar

B.P.M. @ Club BnB, Oakland

The weekly themed variety cabaret showcases new and unusual talents; MC Ferosha Titties. $3-$7. Show at 11pm. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Olga T and Shugga Shay’s weekly queer women and men’s R&B hip hop and soul night, at the club’s new location. No cover. 8pm-2am. 2120 Broadway, Oakland. www.bench-and-bar.com

Naked Night @ Nob Hill Theatre

Floor 21 @ Starlight Room

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

Retro Night @ 440 Castro Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am. 44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Tiny Bubbles for Big Dreams @ Patrick Stull Studios

The weekly fun night at the Bernal Heights bar includes prizes, hosted by Kitty Tapata. No cover. 7pm-10pm.

424 Cortland St. 647-3099. www.wildsidewest.com

Open Mic/Comedy @ SF Eagle Kollin Holts hosts the weekly comedy and open mic talent night. 6pm-8pm.

398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Pussy Party @ Beaux Ladies night at the Castro dance club.

9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

So You Think You Can Gogo? @ Toad Hall The weekly dancing competition for gogo wannabes. 9pm. cash prizes, $2 well drinks (2 for 1 happy hour til 9pm). Show at 9pm. 4146 18th St. www.toadhallbar.com

Way Back @ Midnight Sun

Buy a drink and get a wooden nickle good for another. 12pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. www.the440.com

High Fantasy @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

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

Miss Kitty’s Trivia Night @ Wild Side West

Wooden Nickel Wednesday @ 440

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

Hysteria @ Martuni’s

Dress up as your favorite character, play trivia games, pool, enjoy snacks and food, cocktails specials, groove along to cantina music, at the annual unofficial Star Wars holiday. 4pm2am. 1723 Polk St. www.cinchsf.com

Weekly screenings of vintage music videos, and retro drink prices. 9pm2am. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Hella Saucy @ Q Bar

Weekly drag and variety show, with live acts and lip-synching divas, plus DJed grooves. $5. Shows at 10:30pm & 12am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

May the 4th Be With You @ The Cinch

Juanita More! presents a new weekly scenic happy hour event, with host Rudy Valdez, DJs Vin Sol and Rolo.

No cover, and a fantastic panoramic city view. Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St. www.starlightroomsf.com

Thu 5 Red Baraat @ Great American Music Hall

Thu 5

Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the racy night with a $100 wet undies bulge contest at midnight. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Club Papi @ Oasis The hot Latin night returns for a special Cinco de Mayo event, with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Yara Sofia performing, plus a super sexy crew of gogo guys from SF, LA and Puerto Rico. $10-$15.

10pm-3am. 298 11th St. www.clubpapi.com www.sfoasis.com

Gala Under Glass @ Conservatory of Flowers The annual festive fundraiser with cocktails, food, live music and dancing, all in the floral festive Conservatory. $175 and up. 5:30pm (VIPs), 6:30pm (reg. tix) to 12am. 100 John F. Kennedy Drive, Golden Gate Park www. conservatoryofflowers.org/2016Gala

Gym Class @ Hi Tops Enjoy whiskey shots from jockstrapped hotties and sexy sports videos at the popular sports bar.

10pm-2am. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

The festive fundraiser for choreographer Amy Siewert’s Imagery includes music, bubbly, and food, silent auction items, and a world premiere dance performance. Cocktail attire. $75 and up. 6:30-9:30pm. 15 Brush Place. www.asimagery. org/tiny-bubbles

Kingdom of Sodom @ Nob Hill Theatre

Trivia Night @ Hi Tops

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

The very interactive strip and sex party, with a cash bar. $20. Sex show at 10pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 3976758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge

Play the trivia game at the popular new sports bar. 9pm.

2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Una Noche @ Club BnB, Oakland

Latin Drag Night @ Club OMG

Vicky Jimenez’ drag show and contest; Latin music all night. 9pm-2am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez. 9pm-2am.

43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Man Francisco @ Oasis

Underwear Night @ Club OMG

The sexy, funny weekly male burlesque show returns with a few new handsome talents; choreographed by Christopher James Dunn; Mr Pam MCs. $20. 2 Two-drink min. 9:30pm. 298 11th St. at Folsom.

795-3180. www.sfoasis.com

Weekly underwear night includes free clothes check, and drink specials. $4.

10pm-2am. Preceded by Open Mic Comedy, 7pm, no cover. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

My So-Called Night @ Beaux Carnie Asada hosts a new weekly ‘90s-themed video, dancin’, drinkin’ night, with VJs Jorge Terez. Get down with your funky bunch, and enjoy 90cent drinks. ‘90s-themed attire and costume contest. No cover. 9pm-2am.

2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

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

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

Queer Karaoke @ Club OMG Dana hosts the weekly singing night; unleash your inner American Idol.

8pm. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Red Baraat @ Great American Music Hall Amazing Brooklyn-based genre-defying band (Punjabi Klezmer jazz?) performs. $26-$51 (with dinner). 8pm. 859 O’Farrell St. www.redbaraat.com www.slimspresents.com

Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels Groove on wheels at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate.” Also Wed, Thu, 7pm-10pm.

Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2:30pm and 3pm-5:30pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Throwback Thursdays @ Qbar Enjoy retro 80s soul, dance and pop classics with DJ Jorge Terez. No cover.

9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Thump @ White Horse, Oakland Weekly electro music night with DJ Matthew Baker and guests. 9pm-2am.

6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

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

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night; 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com Want your nightlife event listed?

Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event.

Event photos welcome.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

38 • Bay Area Reporter • April 28-May 4, 2016

Personals

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The

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Models>> BLACK MASCULINE & HANDSOME

MEN TO MEN MASSAGE I’m a Tall Latin Man in my late 40’s. If you’re looking, I’m the right guy for you. My rates are $90/hr & $130/90 min.

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To place your Personals ad, Call 415-861-5019 for more info & rates

Bare Chest 2017:

Fundraising hunks revealed

O

n April 24 at DNA Lounge, the finalists for the 2017 Bare Chest Men Calendar took to the stage for the traditional presentations and T-shirt peel-off. Mark Paladini and mr Pam cohosted the annual Bare Chest Men Calendar, produced

by Will Victoria. The annual contests and events raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the AIDS Emergency Fund and Breast Cancer Emergency Fund. For a list of all the finalists, and more info, visit www.barechest.org.

both photos: Rich Stadtmiller

Top: The finalists for the 2017 Bare Chest Men Calendar.

Bottom: Mr Pam and Mark Paladini (far left and right) cohosted the annual Bare Chest Men Calendar finals at DNA Lounge.

t

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 28-May 4, 2016 • Bay Area Reporter • 39

Shooting Stars Steven Underhill photos by

SFIFF 59 @ Castro Theatre

T

he stars shone and film fans enjoyed the opening night screening and celebrations for the 59th annual San Francisco International Film Festival, held at the Castro Theatre, and the after-party held at Public Works on April 21. Kate Beckinsale, who stars in Love & Friendship, based on a Jane Austin novella, walked the red carpet with director Whit Stillman. Other notables attending include David Oyelowo and Mira Nair. Screenings at other theatres, and parties, continue through May 5. www.sffs.org/sfiff59 More event photo albums are on BARtab’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at www.StevenUnderhill.com.

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For headshots, portraits or to arrange your wedding photos

call (415) 370-7152 or visit www.StevenUnderhill.com or email stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

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