December 11, 2014 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

Teas the season

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I S S U E III

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

Vol. 44 • No. 50 • December 11-17, 2014

Chiu seeks SF couple set for annual holiday display LGBT caucus E membership by David-Elijah Nahmod

by Matthew S. Bajko

pholding a campaign promise, Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), who is straight, is seeking to join a legislative group for LGBT lawmakers in the Statehouse. Jane Philomen Cleland But it remains unclear if the California Assemblyman Legislative LGBT Cau- David Chiu cus will revise its rules, which currently restrict membership to only those members of the state Assembly and Senate who identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Thus, freshman gay Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), who represents the 28th Assembly District, automatically became a member of the LGBT caucus when he took his oath of office December 1. Shortly thereafter the LGBT caucus sent out a tweet in which it welcomed “our newest member” in reference to Low. After he was sworn-in to his 17th Assembly District seat last week, Chiu approached the LGBT caucus’ chair, gay Assemblyman Rich Gordon (D-Menlo Park), to formally request that he be allowed to join the group. “I have said if that is something the LGBT caucus members feel is helpful and appropriate, I am happy to do that. But I will leave that up to the caucus to decide,” Chiu told the Bay Area Reporter this week when asked if he still wanted to join the group. “I am sure there are a number of ways I can be supportive of the caucus. I want to be as supportive as I can.” The Legislature is now adjourned until Monday, January 5. The LGBT caucus, which meets for breakfast the first Wednesday of the month, is scheduled to take up Chiu’s request the morning of January 7. “I will have that on the agenda. I don’t know what the group will do,” Gordon told the B.A.R. this week when asked about Chiu’s membership request. A year ago when the B.A.R. first reported that Chiu had announced he wanted to join the LGBT caucus during a fundraiser his campaign held with LGBT donors, Gordon at first was emphatic that Chiu could not become a member due to the caucus’ rules about membership. Pressed on if the rules could be changed, Gordon replied it would be up to the caucus “to make that decision.” He noted that all five of the Legislature’s minority caucuses – there are also ones for women, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian and Pacific Islanders – restrict their See page 21 >>

very year, the San Francisco hillside home of Dr. Jerome Goldstein and Tom Taylor lights up the neighborhood for the holidays and this year’s display is now up for visitors to admire. The couple, married in 2013 but together since 1972, turns the front yard of their 21st Street home – located on a steep hillside in Dolores Heights, a microhood between Noe Valley and the Castro – into a winter wonderland with wrapped boxes, stuffed animals, and glittering lights, while a 65 foot tall lighted Norfolk Island pine tree is the centerpiece. Few Bay Area homes are decorated more grandly, and for many, visiting Tom and Jerry’s Christmas Tree, as it’s become known, is a holiday tradition. It’s estimated that thousands of adults and children come to view the holiday display each year, according to a news release. The men consider it their gift to the city. Goldstein said that the tree is not a religious symbol. “We don’t include anything that is a reverential reference to a specific religion or belief,” he said. “The display offers a significant appeal to the emotions, the senses, and the joy of the holidays.” Taylor, 71, and Goldstein, 73, both long-term HIV survivors, are known for their sense of civic pride. For their October 2013 wedding, the couple closed off the street and had a block party. Goldstein said that all the ornaments were personally delivered to their home by Santa Claus from the North Pole, who, contrary to popular opinion, is actually located right here in the city. As always, Santa will be at Taylor and Goldstein’s house until it’s time to take his sleigh into flight to deliver this year’s toys. “We have a live Santa Claus for 10 days until Christmas,” See page 21 >>

Tom Taylor sits under the nearly-completed holiday decorations at the home on 21st Street in Dolores Heights that he shares with his husband, Jerry Goldstein. Rick Gerharter

Book captures legislative effort of marriage fight

by Cynthia Laird

“The story had never been told,” Solomon explained, adding third major book on the that interest picked up after the marriage equality fight successful legislative effort in New has hit bookstores this York state in 2011. year, but unlike the previous two, “Initially it was Massachusetts which focused on California’s and New York, then stuff kept efforts to undo Proposition 8, happening,” Solomon said, exthis one looks at the behind the plaining that he ended his book scenes efforts of political leaders with last year’s U.S. Supreme and grassroots activists to pass Court decision in the Defense same-sex marriage laws in state of Marriage Act, in which a key Legislatures and the ballot fights provision was ruled unconstituin Maine, Minnesota, and Washtional. That decision opened the ington state. floodgates to numerous court deWinning Marriage, by Freecisions striking down state mardom to Marry national campaign riage bans in the last year and a Rick Gerharter director Marc Solomon, offers half, bringing same-sex marriage few surprises for those who have A sign amidst the crowd at the June 2011 LGBT Pride festival in to 35 states, plus Washington, closely followed marriage equal- Civic Center congratulated New York on its marriage equality victory. D.C., and St. Louis, Missouri, acity efforts across the country. But cording to Freedom to Marry. it does contain plenty of insight political household in Kansas City, Missouri, Solomon may be familiar to and lots of strategies that activists and others he turned to the right in part because of the readers as he worked for Equality California can use in future equality battles. recognition that he was gay and “desperately from 2009-2010 after the passage of Prop 8, Solomon will be in San Francisco Friday, didn’t want to be.” the state’s same-sex marriage ban. He left the December 12, at a book launch party hosted He tried therapy and dating women before job after the federal lawsuit challenging Prop by dot429, an LGBT professional group. accepting and embracing his sexuality. 8 went to trial and was ruled unconstitutional, Solomon is also not your usual activist. In “I’ve been gay for awhile,” Solomon, 48, setting up its path to the U.S. Supreme Court, fact, one of the first things readers learn is that quipped in a recent phone interview when which ruled in June 2013 on a technicality he used to be a Republican and didn’t come talking about his background. that Prop 8 was invalid; same-sex marriages out as gay until he was 30. Solomon said that he’s been working on the resumed in the Golden State a few days later. “My path to becoming an activist for the book for years – ever since marriage equality “I had come out to California to get ready freedom to marry was anything but a direct became legal in Massachusetts in 2004 – but at to bring back [a ballot measure] to undo one,” he writes. that time publishers didn’t have a lot of interest See page 20 >> He noted that while he was raised in a liberal in the story about a single state.

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COMPLERA is a prescription medicine for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood. COMPLERA can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. COMPLERA combines 3 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. COMPLERA should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

Just the

one

for me

COMPLERA is a complete HIV-1 treatment in only 1 pill a day. Ask your healthcare provider if COMPLERA may be the one for you.

Pill shown is not actual size.

COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them. It is not known if COMPLERA is safe and effective in children under 18 years old.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?

COMPLERA can cause serious side effects: Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking COMPLERA, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV. •

•

• •

The most common side effects of COMPLERA include trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, and depression. Other common side effects include vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles), and pain. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA? •

•

Who should not take COMPLERA?

Do not take COMPLERA if you: Take a medicine that contains: adefovir (Hepsera), lamivudine (Epivir-HBV), carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol), oxcarbazepine (Trileptal), phenobarbital (Luminal), phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek), rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin), rifapentine (Priftin), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid), pantoprazole sodium (Protonix), rabeprazole (Aciphex), more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate, or the herbal supplement St. John’s wort. Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, unless recommended by your healthcare provider.

•

What are the other possible side effects of COMPLERA?

Serious side effects of COMPLERA may also include: New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check your kidneys before starting treatment with COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems, or take other medicines that may cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may also check your kidneys during treatment with COMPLERA. Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless, feeling anxious or restless, have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself. •

•

Changes in liver enzymes: People who have had hepatitis B or C, or who have had changes in their liver function tests in the past may have an increased risk for liver problems while taking COMPLERA. Some people without prior liver disease may also be at risk. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA. Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines. Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking COMPLERA.

•

All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, mental health, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider. If you take rifabutin (Mycobutin). Talk to your healthcare provider about the right amount of rilpivirine (Edurant) you should take. If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. If you take stomach acid blockers. Take acid blockers at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. Ask your healthcare provider if your acid blocker is okay to take, as some acid blockers should never be taken with COMPLERA. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking COMPLERA. If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in COMPLERA can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information COMPLERA® (kom-PLEH-rah) (emtricitabine 200 mg, rilpivirine 25 mg, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information. What is COMPLERA? • COMPLERA is a prescription medicine used as a complete HIV-1 treatment in one pill a day. COMPLERA is for adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before and who have no more than 100,000 copies/mL of virus in their blood (this is called ‘viral load’). Complera can also replace current HIV-1 medicines for some adults who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. • COMPLERA is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. When used properly, COMPLERA may reduce the amount of HIV-1 virus in your blood and increase the amount of CD4 T-cells, which may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak. • COMPLERA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. • Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA? COMPLERA can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take COMPLERA or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: –feel very weak or tired –have unusual (not normal) muscle pain –have trouble breathing –having stomach pain with nausea or vomiting –feel cold, especially in your arms and legs –feel dizzy or lightheaded –have a fast or irregular heartbeat • Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take COMPLERA. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: –your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) –dark “tea-colored” urine –light-colored bowel movements (stools) –loss of appetite for several days or longer –nausea –stomach pain

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• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking COMPLERA for a long time. • Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take COMPLERA, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking COMPLERA. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. COMPLERA is not approved for the treatment of HBV, so you must discuss your HBV with your healthcare provider. –Do not run out of COMPLERA. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your COMPLERA is all gone. –Do not stop taking COMPLERA without first talking to your healthcare provider. –If you stop taking COMPLERA, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking COMPLERA. Who should not take COMPLERA? Do not take COMPLERA if you also take any of the following medicines: • Medicines used for seizures: carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Equetro, Tegretol, Tegretol-XR, Teril, Epitol); oxcarbazepine (Trileptal); phenobarbital (Luminal); phenytoin (Dilantin, Dilantin-125, Phenytek) • Medicines used for tuberculosis: rifampin (Rifater, Rifamate, Rimactane, Rifadin); rifapentine (Priftin) • Certain medicines used to block stomach acid called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs): dexlansoprazole (Dexilant); esomeprazole (Nexium, Vimovo); lansoprazole (Prevacid); omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid); pantoprazole sodium (Protonix); rabeprazole (Aciphex) • Certain steroid medicines: More than 1 dose of dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate • Certain herbal supplements: St. John’s wort • Certain hepatitis medicines: adefovir (Hepsera), lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) Do not take COMPLERA if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (ATRIPLA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine or lamivudine (ATRIPLA, Combivir, EMTRIVA, Epivir, Epzicom, STRIBILD, Trizivir, TRUVADA) • rilpivirine (Edurant), unless you are taking rifabutin (Mycobutin) COMPLERA is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old. What are the possible side effects of COMPLERA? COMPLERA may cause the following serious side effects: • See “What is the most important information I should know about COMPLERA?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking COMPLERA. If you have had kidney problems in the past or need to take another medicine that can cause kidney problems, your healthcare provider may need to do blood tests to check your kidneys during your treatment with COMPLERA. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms: –feeling sad or hopeless –feeling anxious or restless –have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself • Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C

PALIO Date: 12.03.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 24057_pgitvd_Master_J_Bay_Area_Reporter_fi.indd Trim: 9.75” x 16.0”

Bay Area Reporter

virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with COMPLERA. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with COMPLERA in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with COMPLERA. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take COMPLERA. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the main part of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The cause and long term health effect of these conditions are not known. • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine. The most common side effects of COMPLERA include: • Trouble sleeping (insomnia), abnormal dreams, headache, dizziness, diarrhea, nausea, rash, tiredness, depression Additional common side effects include: • Vomiting, stomach pain or discomfort, skin discoloration (small spots or freckles), pain Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. • These are not all the possible side effects of COMPLERA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider. • Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

may become resistant to COMPLERA or other HIV-1 medicines that are like it. • Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: –Rifabutin (Mycobutin), a medicine to treat some bacterial infections. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right amount of rilpivirine (Edurant) you should take. –Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. –Certain medicines to block the acid in your stomach, including cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine hydrochloride (Zantac). Take the acid blocker at least 12 hours before or at least 4 hours after you take COMPLERA. Some acid blocking medicines should never be taken with COMPLERA (see “Who should not take COMPLERA?” for a list of these medicines). –Medicines that can affect how your kidneys work, including acyclovir (Zovirax), cidofovir (Vistide), ganciclovir (Cytovene IV, Vitrasert), valacyclovir (Valtrex), and valganciclovir (Valcyte). –clarithromycin (Biaxin) –erythromycin (E-Mycin, Eryc, Ery-Tab, PCE, Pediazole, Ilosone) –fluconazole (Diflucan) –itraconazole (Sporanox) –ketoconazole (Nizoral) –methadone (Dolophine) –posaconazole (Noxafil) –telithromycin (Ketek) –voriconazole (Vfend) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking COMPLERA without first talking with your healthcare provider.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking COMPLERA?

• Stay under the care of your healthcare provider during treatment with COMPLERA. • Take COMPLERA exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. • Always take COMPLERA with food. Taking COMPLERA with food is important to help get the right amount of medicine in your body. A protein drink is not a substitute for food. If your healthcare provider decides to stop COMPLERA and you are switched to new medicines to treat HIV-1 that includes rilpivirine tablets, the rilpivirine tablets should be taken only with a meal. Keep COMPLERA and all medicines out of reach of children. This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about COMPLERA. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about COMPLERA that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.COMPLERA.com.

Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, mental health, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if COMPLERA can harm your unborn child. –There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take COMPLERA. –You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. –Two of the medicines in COMPLERA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if this could harm your baby. –Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • COMPLERA may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how COMPLERA works. • If you take certain medicines with COMPLERA, the amount of COMPLERA in your body may be too low and it may not work to help control your HIV-1 infection. The HIV-1 virus in your body

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How should I take COMPLERA?

Issued: September 2014

COMPLERA, the COMPLERA Logo, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, TRUVADA, VIREAD, and VISTIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. ©2014 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. CPAC0137 10/14

PALIO Date: 12.03.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Complera • File Name: 24057_pgitvd_Master_J_Bay_Area_Reporter_fi.indd Trim: 9.75” x 16.0”

Bay Area Reporter

a fab place to stay! A• fun place to play… 6 BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014 a fab place to stay!

Make Castro your Make the home sweet home! Castro

your home Make Castro your Rachel sweetSwann home! home sweet home! Make Castro your REALTOR®,Top Producer Top 10% Citywide 415.225.7743 rachel@theswanngroupsf.com BRE License # 01860456 TheSwannGroupSF.com

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<< Community News

New syringe boxes proposed for TL by Seth Hemmelgarn

an Francisco’s health department and some nonprofits are looking to make more boxes available for Rachel Swann intravenous drug users to dispose of REALTOR®,Top Producer their used syringes. REALTOR®,Top Producer Top 10% Citywide Top 10% Citywide For years, the city has funded sy415.225.7743 415.225.7743 ringe exchange programs that have rachel@theswanngroupsf.com rachel@theswanngroupsf.com BRE License # 01860456 BRE License # 01860456 gotten clean needles to people who TheSwannGroupSF.com TheSwannGroupSF.com inject heroin and other drugs to help prevent new HIV and hepatitis C infections. REV 2014 Rachel Castro Festival Guide ad.indd 1 9/14/14 5:12 PM Eileen Loughran, health programs coordinator and community 14 Rachel Castro Festival Guide ad.indd 1 9/14/14 5:12 PM liaison for the Department of Public Health, said the new boxes would be in the Tenderloin, home to many of the city’s poorest residents, homeless people, and drug users. REV 2014 Rachel Castro Festival Guide ad.indd 1 9/14/14 5:12 PM The Golden Gate Safety Group, Smallpox Vaccine Study which includes nonprofits based in the Tenderloin, recommended three locations for a pilot project. What The proposed sites include spaces A study to develop a vaccine against occupied by the St. Anthony’s FounRachel Swann smallpox for people who are HIV positive dation at 45 Jones Street; Lutheran REALTOR®,Top Producer Social Services of Northern CaliforTop 10% Citywide Who nia on Leavenworth Street between 415.225.7743 McAllister Street and Golden Gate HIV positive adults,rachel@theswanngroupsf.com 18 to 45 years of age, Avenue; and the parking lot at Turk BRE License # 01860456 with t-cells below 500 TheSwannGroupSF.com and Jones streets. “If everything continues to move Pay forward, we can hope for the pilot Participants will receive 2-3 vaccinations boxes to be placed early 2015,” said and up to $1350 Loughran, who is gathering input from people in the community. Details Karl Robillard, a spokesman for St. Anthony’s, which provides meals For more information, please call Erika and other services, estimated the at Quest Clinical Research – (415) 353-0800 number of discarded syringes near or email erika@questclinical.com his nonprofit’s space “has doubled REV 2014 Rachel Castro Festival Guide ad.indd 1 9/14/14 5:12 PM in the last year.” Lydia Bransten, the client safety service manager for St. Anthony’s, said one factor is “detritus” from REALTOR®,Top Producer Top 10% Citywide 415.225.7743 rachel@theswanngroupsf.com BRE License # 01860456 Rachel Swann TheSwannGroupSF.com

A Paid Study for People WhoCastro Are HIV+your Make

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www.questclinical.com

ebar.com

Courtesy SFDPH

A proposed pilot program would see three syringe boxes installed in the Tenderloin.

the nightly routines of the increased numbers of people sleeping on the street. Bransten has offered people syringe containers, and said, “If they have an option where they can dispose of the needle safely they will, nine times out of 10.” Nancy Nielsen, deputy director for Lutheran Social Services, which helps with housing and other needs, said her agency and others in the neighborhood “sweep up needles every day.” “We would rather have them go into the boxes than be on the sidewalk and in front of our building,” she said. The boxes would be put up for

three months, and it would be assessed whether fewer syringes are being improperly discarded. If they’re seen to be “making a positive impact on the community,” the containers will stay, Loughran said. She indicated it’s uncertain whether all three boxes would be piloted. The containers cost about $216 apiece, she said. Liner inserts are around $300 a year. The city funds the San Francisco AIDS Foundation as the syringe access and disposal provider. The AIDS foundation, which subcontracts with other nonprofits to distribute clean needles, would replace the liners on a weekly basis and check on the boxes throughout the week, as the group does with current containers. The boxes have been known to hold about 200 syringes apiece. “That’s successful, because there are 200 less syringes on the street,” Loughran said. She said containers in current locations have helped reduce the number of improperly discarded needles. Two boxes have been near the Tom Waddell Health Center space at 50 Dr. Tom Waddell Place (formerly Ivy), since March 2013. In July 2014, containers went up at St. Anthony’s Foundation at 150 Golden Gate, and the San Francisco Drug Users Union at 149 Turk. About two weeks ago, boxes were installed near the parking lots across from the Fitness SF gym in the South of Market area. The sites are popular with homeless people See page 18 >>

Kaiser PrEP users see no new HIV infections by Liz Highleyman

o new HIV infections have occurred among more than 500 Kaiser Permanente members using pre-exposure prophylaxis – better known as PrEP – but condom use appears to be declining among a subset of gay men, according to a small survey presented at a forum commemorating World AIDS Day. “PrEP is provided for the purpose of preventing HIV infections, and we’re seeing that hold true,” Bradley Hare, Kaiser’s director of HIV care and prevention, told the Bay Area Reporter. Hare described preliminary findings from a survey of Kaiser members who started taking Gilead Sciences’ Truvada (tenofovir and emtricitabine) combination pill to prevent HIV. The Food and Drug Administration approved Truvada for PrEP in July 2012, based in part on data from the iPrEx trial of mostly gay and bisexual men. This trial showed that once-daily Truvada reduced the risk of HIV infection by 42 percent overall, rising to 92 percent among participants with blood drug levels indicating regular use. In an openlabel extension of iPrEx, none of the men who took Truvada at least four times per week became infected. In May the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that people at substantial risk for HIV infection should consider PrEP. The Kaiser survey was only recently initiated and so far has received responses from approximately 90 members – less than 20 percent of PrEP recipients – mostly men

Susan Merrell

Kaiser researcher Bradley Hare

who have sex with men. The survey is intended to help Kaiser providers learn more about their patients taking PrEP in an effort to provide better clinical care, Hare said. Such preliminary results presented at an informal forum normally would not be major news. But the AIDS Healthcare Foundation – which has waged a media campaign against PrEP – issued a news release December 8 calling attention to an article in the San Francisco Business Times highlighting one number from Hare’s presentation: 45 percent of survey respondents reported using condoms less often since they started PrEP. “This Kaiser study confirms the fears of organizations like AHF that have expressed caution and skepticism about the wisdom of the community’s wholesale embrace – as well as the CDC’s recommen-

dation – of the widespread scale up of PrEP,” stated AHF President Michael Weinstein. “This study should serve as a warning and may one day be seen as the canary in the coal mine of unintended – but predictable – consequences of a poorly thought out public health strategy.” Explaining the survey findings in more detail, Hare told the B.A.R. that among the 90 people who chose to answer the survey – a group that may not be representative of Kaiser’s PrEP users overall – half said their condom use had remained the same, 45 percent said it had decreased, and 5 percent said it had increased since they went on PrEP. Hare emphasized that they do not have baseline data about how often respondents used condoms before starting PrEP, and there is no control group of men not using PrEP for comparison. However, the fact that the men chose to go on PrEP suggests they likely were already having sex without condoms at least some of the time. “We don’t know if we took [condom use] from 100 percent to zero, or from 50 percent to 40 percent,” Hare said. “With the extra protection provided by PrEP, some may have decided to forego condoms” – including people in monogamous relationships with HIV-positive partners, he suggested. The survey did ask about changes in the number of sex partners, and found that this did not increase. “It’s not the case that people are having a lot of unprotected sex with a lot of new partners” after starting PrEP, Hare said. See page 18 >>

Community News>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Retreat brings queer Jewish faith leaders to SF

savored

Budapest,

Paris,

Prague,

by Heather Cassell

ore than 60 LGBT Jewish theological leaders descended upon Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood this week to explore queering the Jewish faith during the firstever Nehirim LGBTQ Jewish Clergy Retreat. A majority of the religious leaders came from around North America while a handful traveled from Germany and Israel. This was the first queer religious Jewish retreat since the 1980s – as far as anyone can recall – according to Rabbi Debra Kolodny, executive director of Nehirim, which produced the four-day spiritual event that ended Wednesday. Nehirim is a national community of LGBT Jews, families, and allies advocating equality and diversity based on Jewish tradition for a more just and inclusive world, according to its website. Bringing Jewish clergy and students together to discuss queer Jewish theology was a dream that Kolodny, a 54-year-old bisexual woman who resides in Portland, Oregon, had talked about with colleagues for a dozen years. “I would have these conversations in the hallways with my friends or breakfast or in between the workshops about, ‘Oh my gosh! I downloaded this unbelievable text and look how it applies to bisexual consciousness or how it affirms a queer identity,’” said Kolodny.

Bringing like minds together

Opportunity struck to fulfill that dream when she took the helm of Nehirim in 2013. Immediately, Kolodny set out to develop the re-

home

and coming to The

Sequoias.

Jane Philomen Cleland

Rabbi Julia Watts Belser, Maggid Andrew Ramer, Rabbi Jacob J. Staub, and Rabbi Fern Feldman discussed queer theology during a panel on December 8, the second day of the Nehirim LGBTQ Jewish Clergy Retreat in San Francisco.

treat that grew from simply bringing Jewish religious leaders and students together to creating a clearinghouse for rituals. “I was inspired to help move the Jewish world forward to a higher level where every queer Jew felt empowered, where every queer Jew felt that their experiences could be found in Torah, could be reflected in Torah, could be affirmed and supported and celebrated,” said Kolodny. When they go home “whatever broke open for them will then be magnified many times over when they go back into their teaching or into their congregations,” she added. Breaking wide open is what this retreat set out to do. On Monday, December 8 panelists presented

thought-provoking perceptions of Jewish theology. “There is no normative Jewish theology and that in itself is the first queering move,” said Rabbi Jacob J. Straub. “We should consider ourselves free ... in the multitude of envisionings to envision and to experience. “All of our human imperfections give rise to needs and to yearnings that our images of God ought to address in a very satisfying, inspiring, centering [way] leading to a very self-accepting and connected way of being,” Straub added. The retreat covered a history of queer Jewish theology; interpretaT:9.75” congregational tions of scripture; See page 21 >>

Wouldn’t it be comforting to travel to exotic places knowing that someone’s taking care of your home? Morris Bol and Lewis Crickard do this all the time. They live at The Sequoias, where they enjoy the people, the gardens and the food, which is so good, they rarely cook. They also love the location, which is close to everything San Francisco has to offer. Does this sound like your kind of place? Call Candiece at (415) 351-7900 to learn more. A Life Care Community 415.922.9700 | sequoias-sf.org 1400 Geary Boulevard

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

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<< Open Forum

t Torture report debunks CIA denials

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Volume 44, Number 50 December 11-17, 2014 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 Chuck Colbert • 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 Elliot Owen • Paul Parish • Sean Piverger Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr • Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel Khaled Sayed • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • 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 Rich Stadtmiller • Steven Underhil Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.861.5019 ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Lance Roberts 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. Advertising rates available upon request. Our list of subscribers and advertisers is conﬁdential and is not sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers published herein is neither inferred nor implied. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

he detailed release this week of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s executive summary of its yearslong investigation into the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation program is worse than many expected. It portrays horrendous torture techniques that are disgusting: from waterboarding to sleep deprivation, from rectal feedings to playing Russian roulette with a detainee. Even some Senate committee members were aghast at the information they discovered. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) said that the CIA misled Congress, the public, and even former President George W. Bush, who authorized the program in the wake of 9/11. Media outlets reported Tuesday that the interrogation techniques “were far more brutal than publicly revealed” and “went far beyond the scope of Justice Department approvals.” When our own government agencies can’t follow guidelines issued by the lawyers, you know there’s a problem. Key officials like former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell were kept out of the loop. Even Bush wasn’t told about some of the techniques used until four years later. The report does not call the tactics torture, but Feinstein did. “The CIA’s actions a decade ago are a stain on our history and our values,” Feinstein said in a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday. “Releasing this report is an important step to restore our values and show the world we are in fact a just and lawful society. This program was morally, legally and administratively misguided. “The CIA program was far more brutal than people were led to believe,” she added. Feinstein, who’s not a progressive Democrat by any stretch, did a great service to the country insisting that the report be released – over the ob-

jections of the intelligence community and some Republicans (although the bipartisan committee voted 11-3 some time ago to release it). Another 6,500 pages of the committee’s investigation remain classified, but the unclassified summary contains more than enough information to paint a CIA that was out of control. Feinstein had to act now or never, because she will lose her chairmanship when the Republicans take control of the Senate next month. Had the report not been released now, it’s likely it never would. Not surprisingly CIA Director John Brennan conceded missteps but disagreed with the report’s findings. The CIA also claims that its methods produced significant useful intelligence. But the report finds, to the contrary, that almost never turned out to be true. Marc Ambinder, who covers intelligence issues for the Atlantic, noted in a series of tweets that the pattern that emerges was as follows: “Field sites tell HQ prisoner is compliant. HQ insists prisoner must be holding back, so: ‘enhance’ him. Field complies. No new info.” These tactics went on for years with more than 100 detainees.

Politico posted a list of 13 shocking moments that included a description about how Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was treated. On the waterboarding used against him, the report states that “According to the attending medical officer, the technique became a ‘series of near drownings.’” “CIA records indicate that KSM was subjected to the waterboard interrogation technique at least 183 times,” Politico stated, adding that the report maintains that several CIA personnel, including members on Mohammed’s interrogation team, thought the “technique was ineffective.” Sometimes the detainees would make up information after being roughed up. Overall, the Senate report shows that the U.S. government and its agents treated detainees as horribly as terrorist groups like al Qaeda and the Islamic State treat their hostages. U.S. officials’ constant complaint about how prisoners and others are treated by these terror groups, now seem hypocritical and rings hollow for many nations. President Barack Obama said, “These techniques did significant damage to America’s standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners.” These CIA operatives and senior Bush administration officials should be prosecuted, but they won’t be. Anthony Romero, the gay executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, proposed an intriguing idea in a New York Times op-ed. He suggested pardoning Bush and the rest, stating that by issuing pardons, there would be accountability for officials’ conduct that violated fundamental laws. Oh, and George Tenet, the former CIA director who oversaw so much of this – he should be forced to return his Presidential Medal of Freedom that Bush presented him before leaving office. There is no one less deserving of the nation’s highest civilian honor.t

Building on SF’s LGBT legacy in Sacramento by David Chiu

fter being sworn in last week as the new representative for California’s 17th Assembly District, I was invited by the Bay Area Reporter to share thoughts about my upcoming freshman session in the Assembly. I want to thank the B.A.R. for the opportunity, and hope this is the first of many chances to speak about our work in Sacramento. It is deeply humbling to serve in the Assembly seat with an illustrious history of LGBT representation that has included Carole Migden, Mark Leno, and Tom Ammiano. I Courtesy Assemblyman David Chiu also appreciate the strong advocacy of SuperAssemblyman David Chiu introduced his visor David Campos, and hope to work tofirst bill December 1 at the close of his first gether with him in the future. As a straight ally Assembly session. who has worked on LGBT civil rights issues throughout my career, I recognize the responpaign to transition to an advisory council so sibility of representing a district that includes we can appropriately address the needs of our historic LGBT neighborhoods such as the Casdiverse LGBT communities. tro, Polk Gulch and Bernal Heights. I take that As I pledged during my campaign, affordresponsibility very seriously, and will make able housing in San Francisco and throughout sure our shared San Francisco values continue California is my top priority as a state legislato have a strong champion in Sacramento. tor. Our affordability challenges disproporOn my first day of Assembly orientation, tionately impact our LGBT residents I found myself in a conversation with a col– as many as 40 percent of homeleague from a conservative district. He was less youth are LGBT, and LGBT very cordial, and then mentioned that his conseniors are more than twice as stituents strongly opposed the anti-bullying likely to live in poverty. I have protections for transgender students estabspoken with Assembly Speaker lished by Ammiano, my predecessor. As I told Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) him that I’d defend those protections to the about our shared commitment hilt and fight for new ones, like Dorothy, I reto addressing this issue, and alized that I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. introduced my first bill as an AsWhile California has seen wonderful victosemblymember in this area. ries on some of the major LGBT civil rights AB 35 would authorize a $40 fights of our day, we still have a long way to million annual state tax credit to rehabilitate go to achieving full equality for all. In my first and preserve rental housing for our state’s week, I have had conversations with staff from lowest-income residents who live in singlethe California Legislative LGBT Caucus and room occupancy (SRO) units and other simiEquality California about important LGBT lar housing. Too many SROs in San Francisco issues being considered for the 2015-16 legishave fallen into disrepair and have no source lative session, and I look forward to working of rehabilitation financing. These units house with community stakeholders to champion our most vulnerable residents, including them. I am also asking the LGBTs for Chiu LGBT youth and seniors, and our state must Committee that advised me during our cam-

do more to ensure they are safe and accessible. In addition to housing affordability, I am eager to support the broad range of LGBT policy issues being discussed in Sacramento. These include strengthening enforcement of hate crime statutes to guarantee safety for all diverse communities, ensuring greater access to veterans benefits for service members discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and addressing the needs of LGBT seniors. I will also vigorously advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS, to sustain programs such as the California AIDS Drug Assistance Program, Medi-Cal, and the California HIV/AIDS Research Program, and to work with the advocacy community in creating a statewide Getting to Zero plan, following our city’s progress in this area. We must also address the need for more inclusive data collection practices that take into account sexual orientation and gender identity. At this time, there are real gaps in vital services, negatively impacting LGBT individuals across the state – for example, with regards to health care, social services and housing – but we lack the information necessary to address these disparities. In recent sessions, the Legislature has tried to take on this important issue, but efforts thus far have been unsuccessful. I’m in discussions with advocates about how we can finally get this done in 2015. For years, San Francisco’s representatives in Sacramento have led the way on issues of importance for our state’s LGBT communities. I am committed to making sure these matters remain front and center in our agenda during the coming legislative session. Our Assembly District includes some of our state’s most diverse and progressive neighborhoods, and I plan to follow in the footsteps of my predecessors in ensuring that all of our communities have a voice in the Capitol. I look forward to hearing from all of you as we get to work on the issues that matter most to San Franciscans.t

Letters >>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

No relationship between SFAF, tanning salon

and are grateful to have the support of so many of you.

A recent letter to the editor published by Bay Area Reporter on December 4, 2014, calls attention to a flier posted at Fitness SF, displaying logos of both San Francisco AIDS Foundation and a Castro-based tanning salon. San Francisco AIDS Foundation does not have a relationship with Tan Bella, and we did not authorize use of our logo on these fliers. We have reached out to Tan Bella and their cooperative staff about their good faith effort to raise awareness and muchneeded funding for the fight against HIV/ AIDS. These fliers have been removed. We are grateful for the support of local businesses through independently-organized fundraising events. Collaboration between community members, government officials, other nonprofit organizations, and business owners is critical to our initiative to make San Francisco the first U.S. city to end HIV transmission. Since the day we first opened our doors more than 30 years ago, we have been deeply committed to building a vibrant, healthy, and empowered community. That legacy continues strong today, as we approach the opening of our new health and wellness center in the Castro. Should you have questions about this work, please do not hesitate to contact us at feedback@sfaf.org. We are excited about the future of our work in the community,

James Loduca Vice President of Philanthropy and Public Affairs San Francisco AIDS Foundation

SF’s affordability issues

Tommi Avicolli Mecca hits the issue on the head [“SF’s perfect HRC score overlooks affordability issues,” December 4]. It seems that the Human Rights Campaign completely ignores the issue of housing and homelessness in regards to the queer community. When I came to the city over 20 years ago I came because I wanted to live in an environment where I was accepted and respected for me. It is still the same here, where in other parts of the country we have homophobia. I have young people I work with who came to the city to escape homophobia and be open and free. They are homeless. We need to face the reality in the city of the housing situation and fight to change it. The queer community as a whole tends to ignore the problem and we need to get out there as we did over the years and fight for fair housing for all. Tommi hits it on the head, let us follow in making the needs known. Father River Damien Sims San Francisco

Tessie seeks help for Christmas dinner compiled by Cynthia Laird

enderloin Tessie is seeking volunteers to help with its annual Christmas dinner for those in need. The nonprofit also needs donations of new or gently used coats, socks, blankets, and similar items for distributing to dinner guests. The dinner takes place Thursday, December 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin Street (at Geary), in San Francisco. Entertainment will be provided by Vanessa Bousay and pianist Marc Sanders. Michael Gagne, president of the Tenderloin Tessie board of directors, said that volunteer shifts are available as follows: December 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to help load and unload the truck and pick up groceries (some heavy lifting required); December 25, shifts are available from 9 a.m. to

noon (set up and decorate), Noon to 4 p.m. (help with dinner and the mandatory training meeting around noon), 3 to 6 p.m. (helping with the last hour of the dinner and tear down). During dinner, volunteers can help in several areas, including security, desserts, table setting, garbage, coffee, punch, bread, salad, gift bags, clothes, or hosting. On Saturday, December 27, volunteers are needed to unload the truck at the storage unit. Gagne said that dinner volunteers can now sign up online at www. tenderlointessie.com under the “Contact Us” tab on the left side of the page. Then scroll down to the volunteer section. People should provide their full names and a phone number. Those making clothing donations should contact Claire Brees at brees.c@gmail.com.

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

Art show for LGBT seniors

400 Montgomery Street, Ste. 505, San Francisco, CA

The annual Openhouse art show, Vantage Points, will open Saturday, December 13 at 2 p.m. at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. The opening will include a kickoff holiday art party in the center’s Rainbow Room, featuring over 30 LGBT senior artists, craft booths, refreshments, and music. The show, now in its fourth year, is an opportunity for LGBT artists 60 and over to showcase their work and to strengthen their place in the LGBT and arts communities, organizers said. The art adorns the walls on the center’s second and third floors. The party is free and open to the public. The art show itself runs through January 26. In addition to Openhouse, an LGBT senior agency, the art show is co-sponsored by the LGBT center and the Queer Cultural Center. For more information, contact suzi@ openhouse-sf.org or (415) 296-8995. See page 22 >>

SF nonprofits apply for financial assistance by Seth Hemmelgarn

ozens of San Francisco nonprofits have applied for city funding to help them with moving or other expenses as the costs of being based in the city have increased. The Nonprofit Displacement Mitigation Program supports nonprofits facing displacement with assistance in financial planning, identifying potential sites, paying relocation costs, covering rent increases, and other areas. A committee comprised of arts and social service leaders will review and make final decisions on applicants. Grant recipients will be announced in February. The San Francisco Examiner, which first reported on the funding last week, noted 42 nonprofits have applied. AIDS Legal Referral Panel, which provides free and low-cost legal services to people living with HIV/ AIDS, is one of a handful of LGBT/ AIDS-related nonprofits that have applied for financial assistance, as has Larkin Street Youth Services. Positive Resource Center, which helps people living with HIV/AIDS

Jane Philomen Cleland

ALRP’s Bill Hirsh

access benefits and employment, has applied for technical assistance. Bill Hirsh, ALRP’s executive director, said the agency, located near Mission Street and South Van Ness Avenue since 2002, is asking for about $25,000 to help with its rent. In March, he said, “Our rent more than doubled,” from about $13 to $29 per square foot, making the total annual rent approximately

$91,000. The group’s budget is around $1.1 million. Hirsh, who referred to the fact that some some agencies have left the city for the East Bay, said the nonprofit has looked for another space, but “We need to stay in San Francisco. The vast majority of our clients live here.” ALRP also needs to stay close to the Market Street corridor because of clients’ transportation needs, he said. “It’s very expensive to move, and I was not interested in moving if we could avoid it,” Hirsh said. “It became clear to us, if you do any search for space, there is no cheaper space for us.” He said at first, the program’s guidelines didn’t allow money to go toward paying the rent, “which I found somewhat unusual.” Joanne Lee is the director of consulting services and program development for the Northern California Community Loan Fund, which is the lead organization for the mitigation program. “Organizations who have renewed their leases at a significantly higher rate may apply for up to six See page 22 >>

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<< Business News

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

ESCAPE TO PALM SPRINGS

Gay vendors set up shop at SF holiday bazaar

TERRY MURPHY 760-832-3758

Rick Gerharter

Christopher Coccagna, left, and Keir Lee in their tea shop, T-We Tea, in the Crocker Galleria.

by Matthew S. Bajko

CA BRE# 01346949

ebar.com PLEASE JOIN US IN THANKING OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS, MAJOR DONORS & VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE ALRP FROM THE HEART 31ST ANNUAL RECEPTION & AUCTION { our leadership sponsors }

or two local gay-owned businesses, the San Francisco Bazaar Holiday Show has become an annual tradition. This year will mark the fourth appearance at the holiday fair for T-We Tea, launched in 2010 by Christopher Coccagna. When he went to the 2011 bazaar, it was the company’s first time selling its handcrafted tea blends at a major market for local artisans after having a booth at smaller events. “Before we opened a store we wanted to have a presence. Craft fairs got us to where we are today,” said Coccagna, 31, whose company is now based out of a storefront in the Crocker Galleria shopping mall in San Francisco’s Financial District. “We couldn’t open a teashop without that critical mass.” Jacob Fisher, 42, and Jamye Ford, 36, have attended three of the bazaar’s holiday craft fairs since launching their company retool five years ago. With the tagline “cool vegan stuff,” the company uses repurposed non-animal materials, such as seat belts, to make men’s wallets, belts, and laptop cases. Participating in the bazaar not only provides the business partners an opportunity to meet their customers in person, but also to gather ideas on how to extend their line of products. “One of the things is interacting with our customers. We get a lot of good feedback that way,” Fisher said. “We get to see how our wallets are holding up. It is a lot of fun for us and also informative.” Added Ford, “Through that interaction with customers and potential customers, we come away with ideas for products that are either variations on something we offer or applications for our products we might not have thought of. It is really good to have outside input.” This weekend the San Francisco Bazaar Holiday Show returns to the Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason Center with more than 150 local makers showcasing their original goods. Free to attend, it takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, December 13, and Sunday, December 14. Fort Mason Center is located at 2 Marina Boulevard. For more information visit http://sanfranciscobazaar.org/shows/holidayshow/.

A passion seeped in tea

AIDS Legal Referral Panel 1 6 6 3 Mi s s i on Street, Su i te 50 0 S a n Fra nc i s c o, CA 9410 3 (415) 701-1100 www.alrp.org

A tea drinker his whole life, Coccagna’s passion for the beverage bloomed in his childhood. At night he would pick fresh peppermint from his mom’s garden and use it to seep cups of tea for the two of them. But it wasn’t until he moved to New Zealand after graduating from

the University of San Diego with a bachelor’s degree in business administration that Coccagna truly discovered tea culture. “New Zealanders are so creative. My thinking is it is because they drink tea,” he said. “I always want the tea we make to inspire creativity.” After moving to the Bay Area five years ago, Coccagna graduated from the Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center, a small business incubator, and launched his tea company. Two years ago he had raised enough money to open a stand in the food court area of the Crocker Galleria. This January he relocated to the mall’s ground floor area into a larger space where he not only serves his teas ($3 per cup) but also blends the nearly 40 different varieties of teas he offers. “Because we are San Francisco made, I wanted customers to come and see us make the tea,” said Coccagna, who is certified by the U.S. Tea Board as a tea specialist or sommelier. “It is all small batches.” The blends have whimsical names that readily identify the company as being gay-owned. One of the best sellers is dubbed Lesbi Friends. It is a blend of Taiwanese Bao Zhong oolong tea, California apple, and jasmine blossoms. Its tin reads, “Here kitty, kitty ... loose leaf fancy pants tea.” Another blend is Bicurious George with the tagline, “For the curious little coffee drinker.” It features Tanzanian CTC black tea, Chinese Keemun, India Nilgiri, crushed coffee bean, and Hawaiian coffee cherry. The 1.5-ounce tea tins retail for either $10 for classic kinds or $15 for the “fancy pants” blends. The majority of the company’s customers are straight women. “This is our art,” said Coccagna. “We are just putting ourselves out there for inclusive tea drinking.” The business has steadily grown since launching. His first Christmas season Coccagna sold 20 pounds of tea; this year he expects to sell 600 pounds. “This is our strongest year ever. We have expanded the business 300 percent over last year,” he said. In the coming year T-We Tea plans to open kiosks around the Bay Area to sell its cups of tea. And Coccagna is eying Austin, Texas to open his second retail store due to the popularity of his teas at that city’s renegade craft fairs. Coccagna now employs four people, including his boyfriend, Keir Lee, whose title is director of wonder. A writer, Lee pens personal notes, often sarcastic and witty, that are included in every order T-We Tea ships. Until he met Coccagna two years ago, Lee said he wasn’t much of a tea drinker. “Before I had to have tea with sugar and honey. This tea you do not have to put anything in it, that was the turnaround,” said Lee. To learn more about the company, or to order its teas online, visit http://www.t-wetea.com/.

Vegan accessories

The idea for retool grew out of a desire by its founders, who are roommates and work out of their home, to find clothing accessories they would be comfortable wearing. Fisher and Ford are themselves vegans and do not consume any animal products. See page 19 >>

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

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14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

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Politics>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 17

Wiener seeks extension for upper Market zoning rule by Matthew S. Bajko

nterim controls making it harder for banks, real estate firms, and other financial institutions to open in ground floor retail spaces along upper Market Street that were to expire in early 2015 are likely to be extended and become permanent. Gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the business corridor at City Hall, introduced legislation at the Board of Supervisors meeting this week seeking a six-month extension for the rule. It requires businesses considered a limited financial service or a professional service use to seek conditional use permits from the city’s planning commission in order to open in a ground floor storefront on Market between Castro and Octavia. With neighborhood residents and merchants concerned at seeing insurance firms, title companies, and other non-retail businesses sign leases for the new storefronts included in the in-fill housing developments being constructed along upper Market Street, Wiener pushed through the interim permitting rule in July 2013 with an 18month sunset clause built into the legislation. Signed into law by Mayor Ed Lee on July 25, 2013, the legislation had also instructed planning staff to study the issue and propose a more permanent zoning solution for the business corridor. With the rule set to expire in January, the Bay Area Reporter contacted Wiener this month about its status. While his office initially had said that the board voted to extend it earlier this fall, that turned out to be incorrect, prompting Wiener to file the extension request Tuesday. At the board’s first meeting in January, Wiener is expected to introduce legislation to permanently codify the zoning rule into the city’s planning code covering what is officially called the Upper Market Neighborhood Commercial Transit District. “It is good policy,” Wiener said when asked if he felt the interim controls had been successful. In order for the business corridor to thrive, said Wiener, there needs to be active uses in the ground floor spaces. “Having a conditional use requirement for office use on the ground floor makes a lot of sense,” he said. “While every neighborhood needs real estate, title company, and office uses, too much of that on the ground floor undermines dramatically the vibrancy of the commercial corridor.” In support of seeing the zoning be made permanent is Pat Tura, who is stepping down as president of the Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association, which worked with Wiener on the interim rule. “Having financial institutions coming through the same process as a grocery store has to go through makes a lot of sense for us,” said Tura. “It equals the playing field.” Andrea Aiello, executive director of the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, also spoke in favor of seeing the rule be maintained. “Financial institutions generally don’t bring in a lot of foot traffic,” said Aiello. “If our goal is to generate interest in a lot of foot traffic, we need to think about what kinds of shops and institutions do that. We need to examine ways to encourage a thriving neighborhood.” Daniel Bergerac, president of the Castro Merchants business group, said he would “leave it to the

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Catarra, a real estate firm with an office at Market and Sanchez, is seeking a conditional use permit to bring the business into compliance with planning codes.

professionals” on whether the rule should be permanent. Nonetheless, he spoke favorably of the desire to have a balance between office-type uses and more traditional retailers and restaurants in the area. “The problem with financial services is they are dead spaces at night,” said Bergerac, a co-owner of Mudpuppy’s Tub and Scrub on Castro Street. “We need a good mix of activated services during the day and night to keep our neighborhood viable.” Since being implemented, the zoning control has prodded owners of the new buildings to seek out more traditional retailers as tenants. For instance, Leticia Luna at first had planned to seek a bank to open in the ground floor space of her new building at 2200 Market Street. Instead, she invited Jesse Woodward and Dana Gleim, of the nearby gay sports bar Hi-Tops, to open a sit-down Mexican restaurant in the corner space and the owners of the bar Blackbird to take over the adjacent storefront, where they have opened the arcade game-themed bar Brewcade. On the opposite side of the intersection developer Forest City has teamed up with local bar owner Jordan Langer to create a food hall-type market in the ground floor space at its new apartment complex at 2175 Market Street. Langer is recruiting local vendors to open in the space. In two instances, there seems to have been some miscommunication between city officials and owners of two real estate offices on what permits they needed before opening along upper Market Street. In February the real estate firm Catarra opened a new San Francisco office at 2201 Market Street at Sanchez across the street from Luna’s building. The firm’s CEO, Bryan Robertson, told the B.A.R. this week that his firm had sought a business license with the city treasurer’s office prior to opening but was not informed it needed a conditional use permit as well. It was not until last month, after a complaint had been filed with the planning department about the business operating without the required permit, that he learned about the oversight. “We are complying with the city’s request to seek a conditional use permit,” said Robertson. In October DTNA filed a similar complaint with the planning department due to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices preparing to open at 2324 Market Street without having first sought approval for a conditional use permit. Planning staff notified the company and the building’s owner of the complaint in

a letter dated November 4. A spokesman for the company did not respond to a request for comment this week. Planning department spokeswoman Gina Simi told the B.A.R. that Berkshire Hathaway “is currently moving forward with applying for a conditional use permit to bring their property in compliance.”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 study showing a spike in revenues for LGBT groups.

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Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes. Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 8298836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

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<< Commentary

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

No one’s ‘Mister Sister’ by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

ate Pierson, a lesbian and long a member of the seminal new wave group the B-52s, is releasing a new album called Guitars and Microphones in early 2015 – and the first single came out this month. The song – a catchy tune with a great beat and memorable hook – is what one might expect from an artist known for hits dating back to the late 1970s.

While I am a longtime audiophile with hundreds of vinyl records and compact discs to my name – not to mention MP3s and other digital releases – this column is not a music review. While it is as solid a track as one might expect for a musician with Pierson’s pedigree, it’s the lyrics of this tune that raise an eyebrow. The song in question is named “Mister Sister,” a title that should already raise some red flags for trans-

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gender people. Pierson herself has high hopes for the track, telling the Huffington Post, “I hope it becomes a trans anthem, but it’s really meant to empower anyone who feels ‘betrayed by the mirror.’” Much like reducing transgender people to those “betrayed by the mirror,” the lyrics read like a virtual smorgasbord of transgender cliches and tropes. For example, lines about “They make you play with toy soldiers,” or “You raid her closet for fishnets.” The whole song reads as a simple story of someone who escapes the tribulations of their life to blossom into “Debbie Delicious,” ending up on “everyone’s party wish list.” Then there’s the chorus: “You hear the words, ‘you make a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl.’ Nothing hurts when you’re a beautiful girl, a beautiful girl.” It’s hard to take this seriously given that a whole lot of things can hurt for transwomen, “beautiful” or otherwise – and to make such a light message of this all feels hollow at best. Now I’m not expecting something deep out of a pop song, and there’s decades of vapid, cliched tunes out there. Honestly, it would be silly to expect great depth on such a song. I do, however, expect that when someone claims her tune is a trans anthem that it is not so problematic. For one, this trans anthem seems blind to anything but male-tofemale identities. You’ll find no equally cliched lyrics about young transmen getting stuck with Barbie dolls or trying on their dad’s ties. There’s nothing beyond a fairly simple notion of transforming into that “beautiful girl.” At the same time, I can hardly say that the tune treats male-to-female gender identities in a very affirming fashion – and that starts from the very title of the song. “Mister Sister” sounds like “She-Male” or “He-She,” both of which are considered offensive by many in the transgender community. Likewise, lines about

Syringe boxes

From page 6

and have been frequently littered with used syringes. Since around the time the boxes went up, though, the needles have been harder to find. Along with the containers, Loughran also credits syringe providers doing “regular sweeps” for used needles and distributing fliers to encourage safe disposal. Late in November, Loughran and others attended a regular community meeting at Tenderloin police station. In an interview last week, Tenderloin station Captain Jason Cherniss said he “regularly” sees discarded needles in the neighborhood. Cherniss said he’s been “pretty neutral,” on the boxes, but “4,000 children live in the Tenderloin,” and “anything we can do to help reduce the amount of needles in the

Kaiser

From page 6

PrEP clinical trials generally have not seen evidence of so-called risk compensation – engaging in more risky behavior or reducing use of other prevention methods. But anecdotal reports suggest that many men find dispensing with condoms to be one of the major benefits of PrEP. “Is anyone actually surprised that once PrEP starts settling in as a safer sex strategy, some guys who use it are going to use condoms less?”

Kate Pierson

digging in closets for fishnets make this sound like artifice, not identity; a disguise one is putting on to end up on those party lists. I cannot talk about the song, however, without discussing the video. It largely features Pierson singing the song against a white background, as well as comedian Fred Armisen and a small number of others including Alyson Palmer. Armisen, known for being on Portlandia and formerly of Saturday Night Live, spends much of the video admiring various items of traditional feminine attire, including some large drop earrings and a slinky, too small red dress. The others mime into mirrors, spread makeup on their faces, or simply dance about. As transgender activist Jamie Cooper Holland noted in an open letter to Pierson on Huffington Post, the inclusion of Palmer is also problematic, given her response a few years ago to transgender activists who called for a boycott of the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. (Palmer is a proponent of excluding trans women from the event.) I doubt Palmer’s inclusion was a deliberate slap in the face at these transwomen and others, however,

more that she is probably a friend of Pierson, and wanted to lend her support and have some fun in front of the camera. This has been a year where great divisions have crept up between the transgender movement and drag culture. The battle over RuPaul’s Drag Race and its use of the term “She-Male” on the show – and RuPaul’s vehement defense of the word “tranny” – still stings for many. Both sides of this particular kerfuffle are not yet willing to give the other much ground. “Mister Sister” may do a lot to reignite this debate, intentional or not. The inclusion of Palmer in the video will also inflame people still angry over the continuing issues with the MWMF. In short, a trans anthem that treats transgender people as those who only want to be called a “beautiful girl” and be on party lists is no anthem at all. This is the problem with the whole track in a nutshell. I feel as if everyone was, in their own way, well-meaning. I suspect that Pierson wrote a catchy song and used what she felt she knew about trans people to fill in the lyrics. I really do feel she did this with good intentions, but lacked even the foresight to think that maybe some of her choices were bad ideas. I’m not going to say that Pierson should have left making a trans anthem to, oh, actual transgender people. You don’t have to be transgender to understand where we’re coming from. Yet you cannot pen an anthem without at least understanding those for whom you are supposedly writing it. The song itself, musically, isn’t bad. At best, she may have made a great tune for the drag community, replacing some very scratchy old recordings of “We Are Family” in the process. Heck, lyrically the song could work well in drag circles. It is not, however, in any way a trans anthem.t Gwen Smith thinks Laura Jane Grace could be an anthem writer. You can find Smith on twitter at @gwenners.

street, I’m all for.” Johnny Lorenz, needle exchange manager and support group facilitator for drug users union, said there has been a “misconception” that boxes will “attract crowds of drug users, but I don’t think that’s really realistic. People aren’t looking to hang around where they dispose of needles.” The drug users union became involved in syringe exchange in June 2013. Lorenz said his group “strongly encourages” proper needle disposal. The organization gives out as many as 31,000 syringes a month and takes in “at least two-thirds” as many, he said. Lorenz and others say one reason people leave used needles in the open is they fear police catching them with syringes. The November passage of California’s Proposition 47, which reduces simple drug possession and petty crimes to misde-

meanors, could help reduce those fears. However, Lorenz said, “The laws have changed, but just the same, people still want to not carry [syringes] if they can help it.” The AIDS foundation distributes 2.5 million syringes each year, according to Katie Bouche, the nonprofit’s syringe access services manager. Bouche said that doesn’t include syringes given out by the nonprofit’s subcontractors, which include the drug users union. The nonprofit gives people individual boxes so they can return used needles. Bouche said her agency doesn’t count how many needles it gets back, but “it goes by weight,” and “the weight has gone up each year.” Loughran encourages people to report improperly discarded syringes to the city’s 311 customer service line, since she uses the data to help identify hot spots.t

asked London-based PrEP advocate Gus Cairns. “The important question is not whether they are using condoms less. It’s are they protected from HIV better or worse than they were before they started PrEP?” As Weinstein noted, PrEP critics fear that a reduction in condom use could lead to a rise in other sexually transmitted diseases. “We are seeing a high number of STDs in people on PrEP,” Hare told the B.A.R., but again he said there is no control group of people not taking PrEP to use for comparison. These STDs include the “usual

suspects” syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, he said, but Kaiser providers have also seen two cases of acute hepatitis C in HIV-negative gay men who were not injection drug users. While concern about STDs is well founded, the goal of PrEP is to prevent HIV, Hare emphasized. “We’ve seen zero cases of HIV among more than 500 guys on PrEP,” he said. “Behavior and STDs are important things to watch to be able to prescribe it responsibly, but PrEP is prescribed to prevent HIV, and it’s working.”t

Community News>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

SF trans woman’s ’09 killing remains unsolved by Seth Hemmelgarn

ive years after the homicide of Mariah Qualls, a transgender woman who was found dead in her North Beach residential hotel room, San Francisco police are still working to bring whoever’s responsible into custody. In a recent interview the day before Qualls would have turned 28, her mother, Christine Qualls, said she thinks about her daughter a lot, and this month brings forth painful memories that have come since Qualls’s body was found December 9, 2009, at the Golden Eagle Hotel, 402 Broadway Street. The medical examiner’s office determined the cause of death was blunt force injury to the head. “Her birthday was the first, then I got that call on the 10th, then I had the funeral on the 19th,” said Qualls, 47, who lives in the Central Valley town of Los Banos. “I hate December. I hate the whole month of December.” An arrest in the case has eluded investigators despite the offer of a $75,000 reward from the mayor’s office for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible. The reward has been available since 2011, and the San Francisco Police Department reiterated the offer in a bulletin issued last week. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, homicide Inspector Daniel Cunningham, who’s been investigating Qualls’s death for years, expressed some confidence that he’s identified a suspect, but he declined to share any details about the person. He said he doesn’t have new information in the case, including leads or witnesses. But there’s at least one person he’s focusing on, and he’s trying to build a stronger case against them so he can make an arrest and take the case to the district attorney. Cun-

ningham said he plans to have made an arrest “by this time next year.” “I’m still looking at the same people I was looking at five years ago,” he said, but “I’m looking at some of the evidence a little bit different.” Cunningham said he has “an idea” of where the person is, but “I don’t want to say where.” He couldn’t comment on the evidence he has. “It’s circumstantial,” he said. There’s nothing on video and, so far, no strong DNA evidence. It’s a case where “you have to get a lot of different pieces and put it together like a jigsaw puzzle.” Christine Qualls said police have been looking at a homeless acquaintance who had been staying with her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend as a possible suspect. She didn’t know the homeless man’s name. “Right now I think my case is going to be stronger if I don’t talk to you about” the potential suspect, Cunningham said. “... I’m kind of reevaluating some parts of this investigation.” Some have suggested Qualls’s former boyfriend killed her, Cunningham has said, but he said that man was in custody at the time Qualls was believed to have been killed. He declined last week to remark on any interest he still had in the boyfriend, whom the B.A.R. hasn’t been able to reach. Cunningham, who’s said he doesn’t think Qualls’s killing was related to her gender identity, said he’s “still looking into” whether just one person was responsible. Christine Qualls is incredulous that there’s still no resolution. “There’s a $75,000 reward out there still, and nobody knows anything? I can’t believe it,” Qualls said. Judy Garcia, 66, Mariah Qualls’s grandmother, said, “It infuriates me that this hasn’t been resolved.” She’s

Courtesy SFPD

Mariah Qualls

disappointed that information from other residents of Qualls’s building hasn’t led to an arrest. “People aren’t in little hotel rooms and not aware of what’s happening next door,” said Garcia, who lives in the South Bay city of Gilroy.

‘She just wanted to start a new life’

Family members have said Qualls had moved to San Francisco from San Jose so she could be herself. “She loved the gay community,” Christine Qualls said in an interview shortly after her daughter’s death. “She loved the gay Pride parades. It just fit. That’s where she thought she would fit. She just wanted to start a new life.” However, Qualls said, “I think she was kind of having a harder time than what she let on. She moved around a lot. She stayed in a lot of different hotels.” The report on Qualls’s death from the medical examiner’s office indicates her final days were extremely troubled. According to the report, which

cited police and the manager of Qualls’s building, at about 1:30 a.m. December 8, the day before her body was found, “the neighbor across the hall heard an altercation in the subject’s room, describing the incident as ‘yelling and someone getting slapped around.’” There’s no indication the neighbor called police. At about 11 a.m. December 9, the report says, “pest control and the building manager responded to the subject’s room for monthly pest extermination and found the door unlocked.” They found Qualls “lying in bed, apparently unresponsive.” Within minutes, emergency responders pronounced her dead. The documents say methamphetamine was present at the scene and “blisters and ulcers” on Qualls’ upper lip were “suggestive of thermal injuries” from a “glass or metallic pipe.” She had methamphetamine in her blood, according to the

Business Briefs

From page 10

“It was really, in part, an outgrowth of our own desire for items we would wear ourselves,” said Ford, who had been working as an Arabic language instructor and assisting with research studies at UCSF. Fisher, who had instructional design and technical training, used his savings to launch the company. They sourced where to find repurposed materials and invested in several industrial sewing machines. “We really wanted to take something already around and turn it into something else,” said Fisher. “We do on occasion use new materials, but we try to go with already produced items.” In addition to selling their goods at craft fairs and through retail stores – such as Local Take in the Castro and Needles and Pens in the

toxicology report. “Drug paraphernalia consisting of multiple small plastic bags (bindles) and previously cut straws” were in a drawer, the documents say. Christine Qualls, who hadn’t seen her daughter since the spring of 2009 but had spoken to her just before the killing, said last week that Mariah Qualls had been “really sick,” but she didn’t know what from. She acknowledged Qualls’s apparent meth use. “She was so thin,” she said. Anyone with information in the case or who had talked to Qualls within the week before her body was found is asked to contact Cunningham at (415) 553-1109 or after hours at (415) 553-1071. People who want to remain anonymous may call (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to 847411 (TIP411). Type “SFPD” and then the tip. The case number is 091 257 989.t Mission – the business partners also set up an online shop on the website Etsy. “For us it’s been really great. It lets us sell to people around the world,” said Fisher. New products they are selling this year include a yoga mat strap, a seat belt pouch, and tote bags. Their best selling item has been their wallets, of which hundreds have been sold. “We are definitely on an upward trend. Every year we are getting bigger,” said Fisher. “We would love to continue to grow and hit the point where we don’t have to consider doing any outside work and can just make our products.” Between October and December, all their attention is given to making their products to meet the needs of both shoppers on their online site and the retailers stocking their items See page 22 >>

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<< Sports

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Timing is everything for out athletes by Roger Brigham

said. “When you’re injured in sports you can’t do your job. Before, I was depressed and isolated.” Now, he’s running in sunshine, celebrating life and its victories with family and friends – a totally new experience for him. A year ago he even started steadily dating writer-director Greg Berlanti (Flash, Arrow), who says he’s madly in love with Rogers. Not bad. I guess timing is everything.

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Dear Chad:

We love you endlessly and you are painfully missed. All of our memories of you are most precious and dear. From all of your family and your sweet Lola.

hen a male athlete comes out in pro sports, timing is everything it would seem. Jason Collins came out late in his NBA career and after waiting to be picked up as a free agent, managed to squeeze in 22 games as a defensive reserve before hanging it up. Michael Sam, after an extraordinary career as a defensive standout at the University of Missouri before the NFL draft, then saw his place in the draft standings plummet, got cut by the team that picked him, got picked up by another team’s practice squad, then got cut again and now is convinced coming out then is the reason he’s not playing. So you can understand why Robbie Rogers, who just two years ago became the first male athlete in any of the five major pro team sports in the U.S. to come out, says he feels “blessed” to have come out at the age of 25 when his best playing years may well be in front of him. Rogers did a book signing in Danville this week of his new autobiography, Coming Out to Play, which was published last month by Penguin Paperbacks. Suddenly a kid who until two years ago knew virtually nothing about the fight for LGBT rights finds himself as a poster boy for those rights in the sports world. “I didn’t want to be a spokesperson,” Rogers told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent interview. “I’d never even been to a gay bar or had a boyfriend. After I came out, I realized what impact I had and that people were struggling and I wanted to help them.” Coming Out to Play provides a fascinating portrait of an athlete’s journey from a self-loathing closeted athlete with a brilliant knack for soccer whose athletic excellence was marred and hemmed in by his own self-doubts and occasional injuries to a rejuvenated adult athlete freed from internalized homophobia, earning his livelihood in the sport of his youth, and chasing his World Cup and Olympic dreams. His quest toward those goals took its latest

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From page 1

Prop 8,” Solomon told the Bay Area Reporter. “But it was very clear from a volunteer perspective and a donor perspective that people wanted to see the lawsuit work out.”

New York

The push for same-sex marriage in New York got off to a disastrous start when the Democratic-controlled state Senate torpedoed a bill 38-24 in 2009, Solomon noted. Gay rights advocates were shocked that some of the Democratic senators that had won office with help from gay donors and promised to get the bill passed did not deliver the votes, Solomon said in his book. (The state Assembly had no trouble passing the law; winning passage came down to the Senate.) Out of that loss, however, came a strategic campaign by gay grassroots activists and others, who founded Fight Back New York, which raised $800,000 and targeted specific lawmakers who had voted against the marriage bill. The group was successful, replacing three anti-equality Senate incumbents – two Democrats and one Republican – with senators who had committed to vote yes on marriage, Solomon writes.

IOC embraces LGB, but not T

Courtesy Robbie Rogers

U.S. soccer star Robbie Rogers

step Sunday, December 7 when he won his second Major League Soccer Cup as his Los Angeles Galaxy beat the New England Revolution 2-1 in overtime. For the first time in his life, Rogers in 2013 felt he was at the end of his career and wondering what was next for him. He’d had a couple of lessthan-enjoyable stints playing overseas, felt isolated from his heterosexual teammates, and had suffered a series of injuries that had curtailed his playing time. He had only recently begun to come out privately to family and friends after years of going to absurd and tragic lengths to obscure his sexual orientation. Then in February 2013, he came out on his blog as gay, without forewarning his family or consulting public relations experts and his story went viral. Suddenly the kid who never wanted to be a spokesperson was a man with a bully pulpit. And, somewhat to his surprise, still very much in demand as an athlete. The Galaxy traded for his playing rights and he went from being an injured has-been to an active player at the top of his profession. Amazing how much better life is when you are free of physical injuries and the psychological injury of internalized homophobia. “I realize I’ve been devaluing myself from a very young age,” Rogers “And if they broke that promise?” Solomon writes. “Well, the buzz in Albany was clear: Democrat or Republican, the gays will not only stick by their friends but also take out vulnerable legislators who vote against equality.” “It was a great tactic,” Solomon told the B.A.R. “When politicians take our support for granted that’s not a good thing.” He added that the New York effort was carefully targeted and that was also a key. In contrast, the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage “walked around for several years and made big threats, but never acted” in terms of targeting lawmakers who favored marriage equality, Solomon said. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was elected in 2010, began to champion a marriage equality bill after talking to Rob Coburn, a gay friend, Solomon writes. By 2011, Solomon was hired by Evan Wolfson at Freedom to Marry. He arrived in New York in early April, just in time to start working on the legislative push to bring same-sex marriage to New York. Solomon credits the governor with helping get the law passed. “Governor Cuomo deserves huge, huge amounts of credit,” Solomon said. “He willed it to be.”

The International Olympic Committee, following months of protest, approved on Monday, December 8 strengthened language in its antidiscrimination Principle 6 of the Olympic charter specifically protecting the rights of gays, lesbians and bisexuals – but remained silent on the rights of transgender athletes and supporters. The Chicago Tribune reported the IOC voted unanimously at a twoday summit in Monaco to include in its Olympic charter these words: “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Olympic Charter shall be secured without discrimination of any kind, such as race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.” Previously the charter made no specific mention of sexual orientation in its non-discrimination language. The newly adopted language will be included in all future contracts for Olympic host cities. “The Olympic movement has now stood up for love and equality by officially recognizing gay, lesbian, and bi athletes and fans,” Andre Banks, executive director and cofounder of LGBT rights group All Out, told Reuters. Activist groups such as All Out and Athlete Ally had asked the IOC to add gender identity and expression but those words were not included in the revised charter. Human Rights First reported that the parliament of 2022 Olympic host contender Kazakhstan has plans to introduce a bill banning public expression related to homosexuality – paralleling Russia’s law banning LGBT “propaganda” – as well as laws to bar gays from public office and military service.t Indeed, Solomon’s book details the rough and tumble world of New York politics, the arm-twisting by Cuomo, and last-minute stalls that almost derailed the bill on the last day of the legislative session. The governor met with the advocates, including Solomon, and demanded that they have a single, united plan for securing a legislative victory, including raising about $1.5 million for television ads, and an aggressive media strategy that saw countless stories about various aspects of marriage equality published in a variety of outlets. Freedom to Marry and others reached out to Republican donors and strategists, including Ken Mehlman, the onetime Republican National Committee chair and campaign manager of the 2004 Bush-Cheney re-election campaign. Solomon said that while the strategy ultimately paid off – New York’s marriage bill passed in June 2011 – there were warning signs at times. “There were red flags for me,” he said. “Elected officials are focused on their own reputations and credibility. If it fell apart, there would be questions.”

Maine

A year later, Solomon was off See page 21 >>

t <<

Community News>>

Holiday display

From page 1

Goldstein said, adding that Santa will be on site from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly (The display will be viewable through New Year’s Day.) In addition to the tree and decorations, the display includes trains, moving stuffed animals, and a mini amusement park. Goldstein offered a little bit about the history of the tree. “We first did it 26 years ago,” he said. “I’m not sure exactly when, it’s hard to tell. We had purchased a Norfolk Island pine, about three feet tall. It got bigger and bigger so Tom put it

Book

From page 20

helping win marriage equality at the ballot box in Maine. In November 2012, Maine was one of four states with marriage initiatives on the ballot. In two of those states – Washington and Maryland – voters were deciding on referendums after legislators passed same-sex marriage bills. In Minnesota, there was an effort to ban marriage (it failed). But in Maine gay rights leaders went to the ballot with an affirmative measure to legalize same-sex marriage, after a narrow defeat in 2009. One of the things that Freedom to Marry had done in the interim was research – lots of it. It wanted to study focus group reports and polling to determine messaging. One of the things that Freedom to Marry discovered was that people were using the wrong messages, like in California during the Prop 8 campaign, when the ads mostly talked about rights and benefits. “Yet for the vast majority of both

Chiu

From page 1

memberships to fit the demographic makeup of the groups. He reiterated that point this week. “None of the caucuses have had someone who is not identified with the membership group. So how we will handle that and talk about that and will do, I don’t know,” said Gordon. “I have some concerns because I don’t think David would be the only one who would want to join our caucus if we allowed” nonLGBT members. Looking at the LGBT legislation introduced the last several years, Gordon noted, “some of the significant ones have not been carried by LGBT caucus members.” And among those bill authors, he added, “a fairly large group would say, ‘I want to join too.’ I don’t know what

Jewish faith

From page 7

life, including transgender and interfaith; and the faith leadership movement. Kolodny recognized that while North American queer Jewish leaders have paved a path to be welcoming, it’s not enough. Many Jewish communities outside of the United States still suffer from the effects of the Holocaust and are only now emerging beyond recreating traditional rituals and theology. “We live in a time in this country where being out as a faith leader isn’t necessarily isolating or scary,” said Kolodny. “It’s different in the rest of the world.” She pointed to Germany, where the Jewish population remains small. “There’s a tiny, tiny Jewish population in Germany because of the Holocaust. Just being a Jew in Germany is so difficult and so isolated, everything is painful,” said Kolodny. “To give those folks the opportunities to be with their peers felt critical.” Jalda Rebling, cantor of Ohel

in front of the house. It got so big we started to fool around with it. It grew to 60 feet, people went crazy over it.” Taylor stuck with a theme: the decorations grew at the same rate so the tree would always look as though it was a scale version of a typical six foot Christmas tree. The house vanishes behind the decorations. The garage serves as a sort of fireplace, above which are hung two eight foot high stockings, brimming with gigantic teddy bears. At the core of the their relationship, the men said, is a freedom to create, think, and envision outside the box of the expected and the norm of the behavior. The Christstraight and gay people, rights and benefits weren’t why they got married,” Solomon writes. “It was out of deep and abiding love and commitment and a desire to profess that love and commitment in front of family and friends and have it respected by their state.” The Maine campaign utilized actual gay and lesbian people in its ads (something the No on 8 campaign did not do) talking with their parents or family members. The Maine campaign, run by Matt McTighe, also realized from previous research that criticizing opponents – calling them homophobic or extremist – was not effective. And the campaign was finally able to aggressively respond to the “harms kids” narrative that marriage equality opponents used to great effect in previous campaigns. This time, the pro-marriage equality side responded with ads featuring parents of older kids talking about how “values are taught at home and that the values they wanted their kids to have are those of the Golden Rule,

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

mas tree is an expression of two men, one a cultural Jew and one with no religious affiliation, to create and grow what was once an indoor plant into a widely acclaimed holiday treat. The hardest part of the event is “getting the energy to face it every year,” Taylor said, adding that work begins around Thanksgiving. The “elves” who assist with the project are all covered by state worker’s compensation insurance, he said, adding that they attach steel beams to the tree to make sure it can hold up decorations through wind and rain. Goldstein said that people from out of town are among their visi-

Courtesy Marc Solomon

Author Marc Solomon

treating others the way they wanted to be treated,” Solomon writes. “This wasn’t a head-on response, but it was what tested as most effective. It reminded parents that they don’t have to worry about the schools because they, the parents, are the ones who impart values to their children.”

tors, as are many from throughout San Francisco. “Around 10,000 to 20,000 people a year come to see it,” he said. “All the cab drivers get an extra tip for taking people up there.” The lighted tree, Goldstein said, stands as a Bay Area option to the iconic tree which stands every year in New York City’s Rockefeller Center. “There’s the tree next to Rockefeller Center, then there’s the Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree,” Goldstein said. “The Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree in San Francisco is dedicated to families, children of all ages, their pets, and anyone who wants to interact in a meaningful

way with the holiday season.” The display can be seen on the sidewalk in the front of the house – the men note that the property is not open to the public. Taylor and Goldstein also ask that visitors respect their neighbors and refrain from honking horns. Caroling, reasonable conversations, and photography are allowed. They also note that their block is very steep and people should park at the bottom or top and walk to the tree.t

And the Maine ballot fight even included a last-minute incident right before voters headed to the polls. For its Diversity Day, a middle school outside of Portland had invited Proud Rainbow Youth of Southern Maine to talk to students about homophobia. During the question and answer session, Solomon writes, one of the presenters asked if, in sex education courses, the kids were being taught about safe gay sex. A parent went to the media to complain, and the Protect Marriage Maine campaign seized on the episode. But while the incident did generate some media coverage, the pro-marriage side pushed back with statements that the classroom discussion wasn’t about marriage, Solomon writes. In the end, Mainers voted for marriage equality 53 to 47 percent.

to Marry group, made up mostly of people under 45, including “veterans of the [John] McCain and [Mitt] Romney campaigns – people who will be leaders in 10-15 years,” he said. In last month’s midterm elections, Solomon noted that Republican governors who were up for re-election “wanted to avoid” the same-sex marriage issue “at all costs.” Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who beat back a challenger, “basically said nothing,” Solomon said, following the resolution of a lawsuit in favor of same-sex marriage that took place in the midst of the campaign. Solomon sees a shift happening in the country, and said that those who consider themselves independents now support marriage equality by more than 60 percent.t

Up next

The Tom and Jerry Christmas Tree is located at 3560 21st Street, between Church and Sanchez.

Solomon said that he sees more Republicans coming around to support marriage equality. Freedom to Marry has established the Young Conservatives for Freedom

Marc Solomon’s book launch party takes place December 12 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Zinc Details, 1905 Fillmore Street. To RSVP, email events@dot429.com.

that would do to the caucus.” Since its creation in 2002, the LGBT caucus has consistently had two members from San Francisco. Lesbian former state Senator Carole Migden and then-Assemblyman Mark Leno, who is gay and now serving in the Senate, were among its inaugural members. More recently gay former Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) had been a member of the caucus along with Leno. But Chiu’s defeat last month of gay District 9 Supervisor David Campos, whom Ammiano had backed to succeed him, marked the first time since 1996 that an LGBT person did not hold one of the city’s two Assembly seats. With the departure of gay former Assemblyman John A. Perez (DLos Angeles), who was termed out of office like Ammiano this year,

the LGBT caucus saw its ranks be diminished by one to now number seven members. Along with Gordon, Leno and Low, the membership consists of gay Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens); lesbian Senator Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton); and lesbian Assemblywomen Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), who is the Assembly speaker. It is likely that the LGBT caucus members will not reach agreement on what to do when it comes to straight allied lawmakers who want to join them during their meeting next month, predicted Gordon. One suggestion is for the caucus to consider creating a tiered membership structure. “With great allies like David and others, maybe we figure out some way to affiliate, include, or some

other relationship we could have. I don’t know what that would look like,” said Gordon. “I very much appreciate David’s interest and following through on this and look forward to the conversation the caucus will have.” Leno told the B.A.R. this week that creating an honorary status for non-LGBT lawmakers “is appropriate.” But he expressed reservations about allowing them full-fledged membership in the LGBT caucus. “Caucuses exist for a purpose. I am certain all of us appreciate and welcome Assemblyman Chiu’s interest,” said Leno. “We encourage fellow colleagues interested in promoting our civil rights to join us in authoring legislation to that end.” Chiu told the B.A.R. that, in addition to the LGBT caucus, he is looking at several others to join. He already is a member of the API caucus

and the environmental caucus. And as the assistant speaker pro tempore, he also holds a powerful leadership post within the Democratic Caucus in the Assembly. Regardless of whether he will become the LGBT caucus’ eighth member during the 2015-2016 Legislative Session, Chiu said he has been speaking with the caucus’ staff, the statewide LGBT advocacy group Equality California, and his constituents about what pro-gay bills he could introduce when the Legislature reconvenes next year. “I have already started conversations about that,” Chiu said this week, though he was not yet ready to discuss any specific legislation. “Please stay tuned.”t

Hachidusch, of which she was a co-founder, described Berlin, which doesn’t have many rabbis and many, if not all, of the congregations in the city are Orthodox. Rebling believes that Berlin’s following of the traditional Jewish faith is fallout from the Holocaust. Until recent years, people seeking out alternative interpretations of the Torah and the Jewish faith and life, especially expatriate Jewish Americans, haven’t had anywhere to practice, she said. “After Shoah, our parents had to recreate Jewish life,” said Rebling. “There is [little] space for real changes, but there are a lot of people who need a different approach and that is the point where they find me.” Rebling, who didn’t want to be defined by labels, found her “bashert (soul mate) in a female body.” She said that she came to the retreat “to get inspiration, to get connected to my colleagues in the important work that I’m doing.” As a cantor her responsibilities are somewhere between being a rabbi and orchestrating the spiritual music, by caring for her com-

munity, she said, pointing out that cantors traditionally work closely with rabbis. It was her goal, as it was for other Jewish religious leaders who traveled from Germany and Israel, to gather inspiration and find kinship among elders and peers. Efrat Rotem, a 36-year-old butch lesbian who is a rabbinical student in Jerusalem, recognized that she is able to study and practice Jewish theology from a queer perspective because of the work done by American queer Jewish spiritual leaders who paved the path before her. They also provided a blueprint as many of the issues LGBT Jewish clergy faced three decades ago are now challenges being discussed in Israel, said Rotem, who is also a new rabbi at Kehilat Halev, a small inclusive reform community at the Daniel Centers in Tel Aviv. “Some of the things that we are going through in Israel already happened here,” said Rotem. “We can learn from it. We can learn how to better deal with the challenges ahead of being LGBTQI clergy and also how we can benefit as LGBT

people, as congregants not just of course as spiritual people. “We are here to make the world better when we leave it,” added Rotem. It’s a part of creating a different kind of Judaism where it’s not talking about “the chosen people, it’s talking about equality.” Like Rotem, Rebling felt empowered by the retreat and the fact that there is a body of queer theology already available. “That is amazing for me,” said Rebling, stating that meeting other queer Jewish faith leaders gives her strength and empowers her, “to live a joyful life as a Jew, however you are created and whatever your destiny is in this world.” Kolodny agreed, “We are in a different place, but it’s all on the same journey.” In Kolodny’s eyes, the goal of the retreat was for people to feel inspired as out queer Jewish professionals, even for those coming out of the Orthodox community. She wants people to “emerge so much more healed and empowered and joyful in their whole selves that they are released and relieved,” she said. That new heal-

ing will empower them so “they can explore new opportunities for themselves because they are no longer sitting in that place of hurt or pain.” “It would be amazing to me ... that we can just see the beautiful and amazing unique contributions that we made that are not just about being welcomed, but that we are about our holy destiny,” said Kolodny, pointing to other religious faiths, where Native American two spirited or queer people were the healers, the shamans of the culture. The event was supported by a $35,000 grant from the Walter and Elise Haas Fund, according to Stephanie Rapp, senior program officer of Jewish life and special projects.t

For more on Chiu’s legislative plans, see the Guest Opinion on page 8.

On the web Online content this week includes the Bay Area Reporter’s online columns, Political Notes and Wedding Bells Ring; the Out in the World column and more News Briefs. www.ebar.com.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Business Briefs

From page 19

during the holiday shopping season. “While we are vegan and our products are vegan, our products are for everybody,” said Fisher. “We looked around for vegan accessories and were not seeing variety or durability, which is important to us. Something we try for is a variety of colors and styles and we make stuff that is going to last.” To learn more about the company, visit http://retoolsf.webs.com/.

Wreaths of wonder

For the past 15 years friends of mosaic artist Bryan Mosé have clamored to buy the over-the-top wreaths he creates out of the various balls, baubles, and other items he collects from vintage shops and garage sales. This year, at the urging of his friend Zoel Fages, a gay man who owns the store Perch in Glen Park (654 Chenery Street), Mosé has been crafting wreaths the public can now buy at the shop. They range in price from $430 to $495, with each themed to a different motif such as the Liberace, which sports large ostrich feather plumes and crystals. “I like birds, swag and drops – icicles that hang off the bottom,” said Mosé, 52, who is gay and turns out his wreaths from his South of Market apartment. “I collect balls like crazy. I bring them all home, clean them up, and sort them out. Things

not perfect go in a pile to be refurbished, and I make them look great.” Each wreath has over 100 pieces in it and can take up to a week to make. “They are very laborious,” he said. “Nobody in their right mind would want to do this.” Mosé was unsure at first if they would sell at Perch considering their cost. “As soon as the first one sold that was all I needed to know,” said Mosé, who styles men for photo shoots, videos, and some porn movies and is known for doing people’s makeup for their Halloween costumes. His goal is to have his wreaths for sale in even more stores next year. “Gump’s is my dream to be in,” said Mosé. “If you are an artist in San Francisco and have something that sparkles and has feathers on it, you need to be at Gump’s.”

Honor Roll

Shoppers at Cliff’s Variety during the weekend after Thanksgiving donated $3,500 toward the store’s seventh annual fundraising drive for the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy. The money helps pay for needed supplies at the public school adjacent to the Castro’s Collingwood Park; it is named in honor of the city’s first openly gay elected official.t Got a tip on LGBT business news? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-14550742

In the matter of the application of: KATHRYN ELIZABETH BROKER-BULLICK, 2059 FULTON ST., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner KATHRYN ELIZABETH BROKER-BULLICK, is requesting that the name KATHRYN ELIZABETH BROKER-BULLICK, aka KATHRYN E. BULLICK, aka KATHRYN E. BROKER-BULLICK, aka KATY BROKERBULLICK, aka KATHRYN ELIZABETH BROKER BULLICK be changed to KATHRYN ELIZABETH BULLICK. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 3rd of February 2015 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036146500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LIPS AND RHYTHM RECORDS; LIPS & RHYTHM RECORDS; 432 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JESSE L. SZYMANSKI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/10/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/10/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036157600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALISSA MADDEN DESIGN, 1101 OAK ST #9, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117.This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALISSA MADDEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/17/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/17/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036157200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EHLOH, 272 FREDERICK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CELINE MONGET. 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 11/17/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036119800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEWHEADSPACE, 1800 WASHINGTON ST #816, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JHANNA CULVER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/12/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/28/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036154800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LONELY LIGHT, 375 DOUGLASS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIEL RENE EIBA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/14/14. Rick Gerharter

Bryan Mosé shows one of his handcrafted wreath creations for sale at Perch in Glen Park.

SF nonprofits

From page 9

months of a rent stipend to pay the difference between their prior and current rent,” Lee said in an email. “Organizations must provide a financial plan indicating how after receiving the stipend they will have the ability to pay this higher rent into the future.” If ALRP doesn’t get the money, Hirsh said, “We will suck it up and continue to do what we always do, which is try to raise private funds” to cover the gap between government funding and the nonprofit’s actual costs. He said money from city contracts hasn’t kept up with increases in rent, salaries, and other expenses. According to Lee, “A total of $2.8 million of financial assistance

News Briefs

From page 9

Holiday on the Farm in San Ramon

People are invited to visit San Ramon’s only historic site to enjoy an old-fashioned holiday celebration when Holiday on the Farm takes place Saturday, December 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Forest Home Farms Historic Park, 19953 San Ramon Valley Boulevard. Admission to the East Bay event is free. Highlights of the day include a visit with Victorian Santa and

is available for both arts and social service organizations over the next three years.” Applications were due in November. The mitigation program is funded through the San Francisco Arts Commission and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. The Northern California Community Loan Fund is subcontracting with Urban Solutions to help administer social service financial assistance funds, and with the Community Arts Stabilization Trust to administer arts and culture financial assistance funds. Assistance is targeted for groups “most at-risk of displacement in the next 18 months, or have been displaced since September 30, 2012,” the loan fund said in a summary. “Financial assistance grants will be typically up to $75,000.”t his reindeer; “A Time to be Jolly” holiday puppet show; musical entertainment; a tree-trimming party with hot cocoa and cookie decorating; tours of the Glass House (a $5 fee); and tractor rides, sheep dog demonstrations, and old-fashioned games. Food will be available for purchase. The festivities are being produced by the San Ramon Parks and Community Services Department, in partnership with the San Ramon Historic Foundation. For more information, visit www.sanramon. ca.gov or call (925) 973-3284.t

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036155200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JT TRANSPORTATION, 2718 WAWONA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JACKY TRAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/14/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/14/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036149300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NIMBLE VR, 164 TOWNSEND ST #10, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed 3GEAR SYSTEMS, INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/28/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/12/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036133000

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036152000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE BARBARY COAST, 478 GREEN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed OASIS ENTERTAINMENT LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/13/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/13/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALLWOOD RECYCLING LLC, 1801 EVANS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ALLWOOD RECYCLING LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/13/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/13/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-034625500

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036180000

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: TAXI MAVEN, 335 NORIEGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by CRAFTY CANINES LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/04/12.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ESQUIRE REALTY, 1360 JONES ST #101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual and is signed TYLER CASSACIA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/01/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036145300

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036141900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SL THERAPY, 2057 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHEENING LIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/28/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/10/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MUTT MANIA, 647 FELL ST #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JENNA HOOPER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/07/14.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036155500

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036143200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SABO, 1328 27TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SABRINA LIAO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/08/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/14/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CROWN DIAMOND TRADING, 744 CLEMENT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CYNTHIA THAN THANAYE AUNG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/07/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/07/14.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036148900

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036155100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JUNA ALINEA - FLORAL AND BOTANICA ENDEAVORS, 1832 48TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JUNALENE ALINEA DEMAVIVAS. 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 11/12/14.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036120500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GREEN2GO, 211 12TH ST., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GREENTOGO INCORPORATED. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/19/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/28/14.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036158000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GREEN COACH, 1388 HAIGHT ST #103, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PATIENT OUTREACH THERAPIES (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/15/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/17/14.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036169300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BEST WESTERN PLUS THE TUSCAN, 425 NORTH POINT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company and is signed 425 NORTH POINT STREET LLC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/21/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/21/14.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-033359900

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036174200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TOYA STUDIO, 1040 FULTON ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOHN JAMES TOYA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/25/14.

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036173300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MELISSA MAHER COACHING, 427 WEBSTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MELISSA MAHER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/24/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/24/14.

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036179500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PACIFIC BAY PIPING SYSTEMS, 161 UNIVERSITY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JM PACIFIC BAY PLUMBING, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/01/14.

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036174000

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: CLOUDCRANK. COM, 4409 20TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by ERIC WILCOX. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/18/2011.

NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 18, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036183000

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036174400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GENE FACTOR, 610 22ND ST #305, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GENE LEE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/04/2005. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/03/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036150000

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036179200

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036113400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO ART MARKETING, 22 BUCARELI DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PAVEL VASILIK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/20/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/14/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PANDORA KARAOKE; PANDORA KARAOKE AND BAR; 177 EDDY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PANDORA KARAOKE, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/24/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STONE KOREAN KITCHEN: FOUR EMBARCADERO CENTER, STREET LEVEL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed STONE AGE GROUP, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/15/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/04/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE UPS STORE 6609, 1225 4TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JING STORE, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/12/14.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036153300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FORT 1, 2801 LEAVENWORTH ST #J32, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FORT 1 LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/24/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/25/14.

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036157500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OUCH! CPR & 1ST AID TRAINING, 1681 20TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KENNETH J. LOO. 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 12/01/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SPOT ON SF, 325 NEWHALL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company and is signed HOGAN PENROSE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/17/14.

DEC 04, 11,18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036155000

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036178000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE PICKWICK HOTEL; PICKWICK CAFÉ; 85 FIFTH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed YHB SAN FRANCISCO LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/15/04. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/24/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 24TH STREET BAR, 3336 24TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CAROLINE BROWN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/14/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/14/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FRANCESCA EVENTI, 35 CASA WAY #303, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed FRANCESCA ANTONACCI DELECCE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/26/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/26/14.

NOV 20, 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014

DEC 04, 11, 18, 25, 2014

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015

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December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

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NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER THE ESTATE OF WILLIAM S. ROBINSON’S LOST WILL; PETITIONER JEFF ALTMAN C/O PATRICIA A. MAYER #133171, LAW OFFICES OF JULIA P. WALD, 1108 FIFTH AVE #202, SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-14-298188

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of WILLIAM S. ROBINSON. A Petition for Probate, has been filed by JEFF ALTMAN, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that JEFF ALTMAN 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: December 31, 2014, 9:00am, Rm. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. 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 latter 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: Patricia A. Mayer, 1108 Fifth Avenue, Suite 202, San Rafael, CA 94901; Ph. (415) 482-7555.

A PHOTOGRAPHIC COPY OF THE LOST WILL IS ON FILE WITH THE COURT. NOV 27, DEC 04, 11, 2014 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036192200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: APP770, 2655 BALBOA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MENACHEM MENDEL PIL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/09/14.

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036180200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036182000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KELLY MASSAGE THERAPIST, 30 WAVERLY PL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHUN TONG WU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/02/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/02/14.

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DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036183200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COAST TO COAST PATROL DIVISION, 740 LA PLAYA #225, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LLOYD A. FORD SR. 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 12/03/14.

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036168000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MUTTS LOVE, 122 JOOST AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed J. LAYNE RINGGENBERG. 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 11/20/14.

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DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036155900

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The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BONE APPETIT, 2948 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership and is signed MOLLY MCGEE and ANJULI KONAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/14/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/14/14.

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036189700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PET’S CORNER 2, 1232 9TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed LINH DO and JONATHAN TRUONG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/08/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/08/14.

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036183700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FLEETWOOD CONSTRUCTION; NUTRISHOP SAN FRANCISCO; 1118 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed FLEETWOOD INVESTMENTS, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/03/14.

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036175000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PETALS 4 THOUGHTS, 8 10TH ST #2607, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KYLE THEIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/01/14.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SUBWAY SANDWICHES 61241, 1501 B SLOAT BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed NORTHBAY SUBS, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/25/14.

DEC 11, 18, 25, 2014, JAN 01, 2015

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Vol. 44 • No. 50 • December 11-17, 2014

www.ebar.com/arts

Offerings on holiday stages by Richard Dodds

ne expression that has left the building: “Only [pick a number] shopping days left until Christmas.” Every day is now a shopping day, 24/7 if you want to get cyber about it, and the countdown mentality no longer hovers like a holiday time-bomb. Thus there is more time for other Yuletide pleasures, like theatergoing, but take note: There are only 14 theatergoing days until Christmas. Here are some suggestions on how to choose among the gaily-wrapped stage offerings under our tree. See page 35 >>

Cookie Dough, Pollo Del Mar, Heklina, and Matthew Martin play the title characters in The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes at the Victoria Theatre. Jose Guzman Colon

Turning pages for the holidays

by Gregg Shapiro

by Tavo Amador

ncertain what to get for people on your seasonal gift list? A trip to a local bookstore – yes, a few remain – will offer a trove of ideas, some of which follow. The implicit and often explicit homoeroticism of life in the armed forces is captured by Dian Hanson in the lavish My Buddy: World War II Laid Bare (Taschen, $69.99). See page 34 >>

here has never been anyone else like PeeWee Herman, the most animated human ever to grace Saturday morning TV. The ingenious creation of comedian Paul Reubens, man-child Pee-Wee appealed to both kids and adults. Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: The Complete

Series (Shout Factory), which premiered on CBS in 1986 and ran for five years, was like watching kids-show hosts Captain Kangaroo, Soupy Sales or Shari Lewis on an acid trip. Pee-Wee shared his playhouse with puppets as well as live characters, including Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), Captain Carl (the late Phil Hartman), postal employee Reba See page 34 >>

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

Nov 8, 2014–Feb 16, 2015

de Young • Golden Gate Park • deyoungmuseum.org

<< Out There

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

What are you doing NYE? by Roberto Friedman

e don’t know about you, but Out There already has plans to attend Brava Theater Center’s New Year’s Eve Comedy Fiesta. We wouldn’t miss sarcastic sin verguenza Marga Gomez, comedian and improviser extraordinaire Diane Amos, the hilarious Betsy Salkind direct from LA, and local favorite Betty Pazmiño (My Dinner w/ Betty). The show is followed by a Countdown Dance Party with legendary DJ Page Hodel, no-host bar, snacks, party hats and free Midnight champagne (hint: it’s not Moet). Gomez graciously consented to answer a few softball questions by email. Out There: We know that naturalborn performers are always working on New Year’s Eve, but have you ever been able to just party on NYE in your whole adult life? Marga Gomez: I’m too shy for most parties, that’s why I have devised this elaborate New Year’s Eve Comedy Fiesta plan. First I go on stage at Brava, tell hilarious jokes, twerk a little, and get a standing ovation. Next I lead the audience into Brava’s tastefully decorated party lounge. DJ Page Hodel is pumping the sex music, and 400 people compete to buy me a drink. That’s a party!

Are you glad to see the rear end of 2014? Is there any hope for Baby New Year 2015? 2014 sucked, except I did have a long-running hit show in town, and gay marriage won more states. But otherwise, horrible year! Can’t wait to kick 2014 to the curb. I want to beat 2014 like a Google Bus piñata. But 2015 will be better. For one thing, it’s raining again, so we can flush our toilets next year. 2015 will be awesome for Castro Street because construction is over! The sidewalks are doubled in size, which makes me feel so much thinner on my walks. We have the new LGBT sidewalk tribute, which is a dream come true. Now I can literally sit on Gertrude Stein’s face.

and has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Our emcee Betty Pazmiño is a dancer, comedian and unofficial mayor of 24th Street. And our DJ this year Page Hodel is a Bay Area legend who was recently named “San Francisco’s unofficial Pied Piper of Party” by the San Francisco Chronicle.

What can you tell us about your co-performers Diane Amos, Betsy Salkind, DJ Page Hodel and emcee Betty Pazmiño? This is my third New Year’s Eve at Brava, and I have asked two of my favorite comics to headline with me. Diane Amos is known to millions for her “Pine Sol Lady” television commercials. She is also an awardwinning stand-up comedian and improv comic. Betsy Salkind used to write for the Roseanne program

Do you get generous perks with the gig? Or will you be taking “a limo called Muni” to/from the show? I asked for fish tacos in my dressing room. A blonde and a brunette.t

Are you happy to be playing a hometown gig in your hometown hood for the holiday? I’m so happy and fortunate to be doing this benefit at Brava. It’s the coolest, prettiest and most progressive theater, not just in the Mission, but also in San Francisco. I love that it’s near BART, so we can lure some East Bay party animals. I live close to the Mission, so I can walk to work and stagger home.

Showtime is at 9 p.m. Doors and bar open at 8 p.m. Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St., SF. Advance tickets are available online at brava.org. Reserved seating starts at $35. VIP seating is available.

David Wilson

Diane Amos, Betsy Salkind (seated on floor), and Marga Gomez will appear in Brava Theater Center’s New Year’s Eve Comedy Fiesta.

Deep into Maria Callas by Tim Pfaff

y neighbors are over the moon that I have the new 69-disc set of Remastered Maria Callas: The Complete Studio Recordings (Warner). The things they – in Bangkok, just south and west of Madama Butterfly’s Yokohama and Turandot’s Peking – didn’t know! For me, the thrill has less been new knowledge than renewed confirmation of what I had long suspected – for example, that the 1955 Rigoletto was as great as it looked, if previously not ever quite sounded – and falling ever deeper into the Callas trance. If I were to say only one thing about the originals and these remasters, it’s that this set has made me love Puccini again, which is up there in miracles with the loaves and the fishes. The Madama Butterfly

DELIGHTFUL SONGS. NAUGHTY PUPPETS. NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER

“Fresh and delightful”

In Association with Mason Cartmell & Lowell Kimble, Executive Producers Bennet Marks & Kim Harris, Producers Ken Prag & Steve Collins, Producers Gregory Cleaver & Karl Chan, Producers Present

SF EXAMINER

“I have fallen in love with Avenue Q all over again”

talkin’ broadway

Ring in the New Year with Avenue Q! Join the fun on Dec 31, 2014 for a special NYE show!

The Musical

MUSIC & LYRICS BY ROBERT LOPEZ & JEFF MARX

BOOK BY JEFF WHITTY

BASED ON AN ORIGINAL CONCEPT BY ROBERT LOPEZ & JEFF MARX DIRECTED BY DENNIS LICKTEIG

MUSIC DIRECTION BY BEN PRINCE PUPPET DIRECTION BY ALLISON DANIEL ORCHESTRATIONS AND ARRANGEMENTS BY STEPHEN OREMUS

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! STARTS DEC 5, 2014 NOV

BUY TICKETS AT NCTCSF.ORG BOX OFFICE: 415.861.8972 7–DEC 14, 2014 25 VAN NESS AVE AT MARKET ST

AVENUE Q is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Phone: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684. www.MTIShows.com Avenue Q has not been authorized or approved by the Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.

with Karajan, which I’ve now heard a half-dozen times and counting, is more nail-biting, kimono-rending (mine) each time. There have been earlier Callas remasterings, as recently as the Oughts, but this is something else altogether. There’s a fat, immensely readable, mouth-watering book, with fabulous photographs, explaining the engineering, often from improved original sources. It frees me to resume the idolatry. I’ve been an eye-clawing fan of Callas – the only singer between tenors Caruso and Pavarotti whose last name was synonymous with opera around the world – since I stopped hating that sonic skewer of a voice and starting hearing in it beauty of the rarest kind, allied with unmatched penetration of utterance. If you hate the sound of Callas’ voice, these ingeniously remastered versions of all of her studio recordings are only going to make things worse. There’s detail in the singing never heard before, and heightened presence. The tracks that were hard to take – say, the curdling 1963 “Nacqui all’ affanno” from La Cenerentola, perhaps still fresh in SF Opera-goers’ ears – have only gained in excruciosity. On the other hand, the muchcleaned-up, live “Adieu, notre petite table” from Manon, from the EMI “studio” disc Callas a Paris (the Aristotle Onassis-obsessed Callas of 1963) reappears shorn of audi-

ence noise (eruptive applause at the end of singing of the utmost delicacy) and sounding more perfect than ever. I’ve never thought it the best thing Callas recorded, by far, but have always treasured it most – proof, if nothing else, that I can hold my breath for 3’23” then cry full-out. No amount of remastering would transform some of the completeopera studio recordings into more than sketches (admittedly, by a Rembrandt) of what were to become, onstage, her matchless Traviata Violetta, Sonnambula Amina, Lucia, Medea and Norma. Callas has vexed us forever with composite performances – in our minds’ ears – of vocal impersonations that grew in all directions. But while I had laid aside her 1954 Norma in deference to the summits she was later to reach in the role, the “new” 1954 emerges, with a quiet background acoustic, as more than a noble early effort, but rather, a rich, detailed characterization, noble and fiery by turns. For decades I turned my back on it in favor of the more “insightful” 1960, but I’m back, eating a plate of crow. The same for her matchless Amina, which in the studio channels the greatest of her bel canto forebears. The 1953 Tosca has had a range of “pressing” problems on LP and CD. As newly engineered, it’s gone See page 30 >>

Theatre>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

Footloose & fancy free by Richard Dodds

s the world really a little bit brighter six inches off the ground? A drag entertainer named Lola claims it is so, and if you walk a mile in her heels – or more comfortably, spend 2 1/2 hours in a theater seat assessing this claim – you should feel considerably more than six inches of elevation. Kinky Boots is a musical with a message, and it is delivered via airmail. Now running at the Orpheum Theatre in a full-throttle replica of the Broadway hit, Kinky Boots pushes at the characters’ boundaries more than it pushes at musicaltheater conventions. But its creators also know how to push our buttons, in a good way, with savvy craftsmanship that pulls us into the characters’ situations even if their end stories are never much in doubt. When the cast assembles for the irresistibly rousing finale, the good cheer has been earned with equal parts heart, manipulation, and professionalism. Harvey Fierstein based his libretto on the 2005 movie Kinky Boots, which in turn was inspired by an actual story of a failing shoe factory in the English Midlands that finds a highly unconventional approach to salvation. When Charlie,

Martin Murphy

The touring cast of Kinky Boots, headed by Kyle Taylor Parker and Steven Booth (center), celebrate the production of “niche-market” footwear in Kinky Boots.

the reluctant new proprietor of his late father’s business, comes to the rescue of a drag queen under attack, he discovers that the heels on women’s boots don’t have enough support for a man’s heft. He sees a niche market that just might save jobs and preserve his father’s legacy. But the old-school factory workers are ambivalent to hostile, his fiancee is appalled, and even the inspirational Lola can’t see herself working in these hinterlands.

Still, bonds are made, personal connections uncovered, and numerous opportunities for song and dance are provided. Pop artist Cyndi Lauper proves herself eclectic, consistently tuneful, and downright show-stopping in her first Broadway score. While there are occasional suggestions of such Lauper songs as “Time After Time” and “True Colors,” she is more inclined to channel a variety of styles. There are a few weak links, but in the key moments

when emotional heights must be scaled, she delivers big-time. It must also be said of the cast at the Orpheum that it signs, seals, and delivers as passionately as can possibly be conceived. Kyle Taylor Parker, who plays Lola, was an ensemble member of the original Broadway cast, understudied Tony Awardwinner Billy Porter in the role, and emerges as a full-blown star in this touring production. Parker snaps out the character’s banter with ease,

and can convincingly take us to more sorrowful places. And Parker can put over a song like nobody’s business, whether he’s rocking the house or blowing its roof off with a soaring ballad that could have been written for Whitney Houston. Steven Booth is differently delightful as the mostly meek Charlie, who doesn’t want to be in the shoe business and gets tongue-tied when dealing with the “transgentry,” as he calls Lola and her fellow entertainers. As the factory worker with a crush on Charlie, Bonnie Milligan charms us so much with her one song that it seems a shame we don’t get another. Joe Coots is another standout as the factory lout, who has a long way to travel to acceptance of a kinky-booted world. Director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell staged the dances for Hairspray, to which Kinky Boots has a definite kinship in its themes of acceptance and the joyous ways in which they are communicated. Kinky Boots is definitely a kick-upyour-heels kind of show.t Kinky Boots will run through Dec. 28 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets are $75-$300. Call (888) 746-1799 or go to shnsf.com.

Castro Theatre does December by David Lamble

d Wood (1994) The Midnites for Maniacs series returns with Tim Burton’s unmatched tip of the hat to personal filmmaking. Burton and star Johnny Depp dare to embed us with a guy so true to his different drummer that most filmmakers would have given the subject a wide berth or created a mocking portrait. Burton and Wood rock with a film that reeks of a queer spirit without condescension or the wrong brand of black humor. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Back to the Future maestro Robert Zemeckis creates a seamless mix of human and cartoon players in a madcap spoof of noir. Pugnacious Brit Bob Hoskins is the human sap trying to solve a murder committed by a toon. With supporting voicework from Kathleen Turner and Amy Irving. (both Dec. 12) Kinsey Sicks: Oy Vey in a Manger This awesome queer group makes the Castro a queer-comedy capital for a night. (Dec. 13) Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Wes Anderson conjures his version of Roald Dahl’s enchanting novel for kids of all ages with the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray. (Matinee only, 1 p.m.) A View to Kill (1985) The first half of this James Bond twin spin is San

Fran-based with Agent 007 (Roger Moore) sharing screen time with our beloved Golden Gate Bridge, a Duran Duran title theme and an early Silicon Valley plot-twist. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) This early episode marks George Lazenby’s only stint as Bond, with a supporting cast enlivened by Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas, plus the signature themes of John Barry. (all three, Dec. 14) Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982/2007) LA has never felt more enervatingly sad than in Ridley Scott’s genre-defining sci-fi thriller, featuring a solid mid-career Harrison Ford. (Dec. 15-16) O. Henry’s Full House (1952) A great idea for a movie: 20th Century-Fox threw its top stars, including a young Marilyn Monroe and firstrung directors Henry Hathaway and Howard Hawks, into an anthology of the great writer’s best stories, including the Christmas-themed “The Gift of the Magi.” The Curse of the Cat People (1944) Perhaps the most sublime entry in the 40s-era horror repertory, this Val Lewton-produced, Robert Wise-directed classic pits the then-8-year-old Ann Carter opposite “Cat Woman” star Simone Simon. (both Dec. 17) Suspiria (1977) For those for whom the name Dario Argento is merely a horror-film signature

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brand, this 92-minute dance-academy thriller is a great inaugural voyage. Young Jessica Harper is a ballet student who braves this Germanlocale fright-fest. Beyond the Door II (1977) Horror master Mario Bava’s final film stars Daria Nicolodi as a mother recovering from a mental collapse who fears her son has become possessed by evil spirits. (both Dec. 18) The Muppet Christmas Carol

TOVAH FELDSHUH December 13 & 14

(1992) Only the elastic talents of Jim Henson could have pulled off blending genre star Michael Caine with the Muppets for a Xmas classic that has to be seen to be believed. Die Hard (1988) The first, possibly best of five Bruce Willis action capers features German terrorists and an LA skyscraper hostage plot. Scrooged (1988) Director Richard Donner unleashes the Hercu-

lean comic talents of Bill Murray on Dickens’ fabled story. (all three, Dec. 21) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Yes, it’s on TV, but the Castro’s big screen can restore the glitter to almost any overviewed holiday story. One of a handful of movie gems for which Jimmy Stewart will forever be remembered. (Dec. 22) See page 28 >>

SHARON McNIGHT

KATYA SMIRNOFF SKYY December 18 & 27 December 20 & 21

For tickets:www.feinsteinssf.com Feinstein’s | Hotel Nikko San Francisco 222 Mason Street 855-MF-NIKKO | 855-636-4556 Johnny Depp in the title role of director Tim Burton’s Ed Wood. 095049.01_HNSF - Bay Area Reporter_12-1 ROUND #: MECH Trim: 5.75in x 7.625in Bleed: none Live: 5.75in x 7.625in Color Space: CMYK

Fonts: Futura

<< DVD

28 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Golden Gate Men’s Chorus, Joseph Piazza, Music Director, presents

Discs for holiday giving by Tavo Amador

nam War drama Coming Home (1978). Fonda, married to a brutish Marine Corps Captain (Bruce Dern), meets a former high school classmate (Voight) who is recovering from war injuries that left him a paraplegic. They fall in love and have sex – he brings her to her first climax. However, she refuses to leave her husband, a decision that may be noble but is far from believable. Still, the exceptional acting and the issues raised make for fascinating viewing. Fonda, of course, would become celebrated or denigrated, depending on one’s political beliefs, for her vocal opposition to the war. Although not well remembered today, gay playwright Terence Rattigan (1911-77) was, for several decades, one of England’s most successful dramatists. Like many other homosexuals, he was closeted – the Oscar Wilde trial and disgrace was a vivid reminder of the risks associated with coming out. In 1954, his two one-act plays set in a residential hotel in Bournemouth, collectively titled Separate Tables, were a triumph for Margaret Leighton and Eric Portman, each playing two very different roles. Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh wanted to appear

in the 1958 film version, but withdrew after Rattigan and John Gay’s screenplay combined the one acts. Recently released on DVD, it stars Rita Hayworth as an aging society beauty determined to win back her virile, working-class ex-husband (Burt Lancaster), and Deborah Kerr as a mother-dominated, intensely repressed spinster with a crush on a retired Major (David Niven) who isn’t who he seems. Wendy Hiller is the proprietress and Lancaster’s frank, no-nonsense lover. Gladys Cooper is the domineering mother. Niven won the Best Actor Oscar for his atypical performance, and Hiller earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Hayworth, still beautiful, is excellent in one of her best late parts, Kerr is very touching, and Lancaster is compelling as a writer tempted by a woman he knows will destroy him. Cooper is chilling as the mother from hell. Delbert Mann directed. The film was nominated for Best Picture, losing to Gigi, and Kerr lost the Best Actress Award to Susan Hayward in I Want To Live. Ethel Merman’s (1908-84) career as the greatest Broadway musical star in history wasn’t repeated in movies. She rarely played her original parts on the big screen. In 1936, she reprised Reno Sweeney in Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, but it was changed into a Bing Crosby vehicle. In 1953, however, she recreated her legendary performance in Irving Berlin’s Call Me Madam, recently issued in DVD. Loosely based on Washington society leader Perle Mesta’s appointment as ambassador to Luxembourg, it casts Merman as Sally Adams, “The Hostess with the Mostess.” She’s named by President Harry Truman to represent the American government in “Licthenburg.” George Sanders is that country’s reigning Grand Duke and Merman’s love interest. Donald O’Connor and Vera-Ellen are the younger romantic leads. Merman is vibrant, funny, and in excellent voice. She and O’Connor are memorable duetting to the celebrated “You’re Just In Love.” Sanders displays a good baritone. George Chakiris, Julie Newmar, and Barrie Chase, all unbilled, can be spotted dancing to the “Ocarina.” Directed by Walter Lang, who avoided shooting Merman in close-up. Arthur Sheekman adapted the original book by Russell Crouse and Howard Lindsay. Irene Sharaff designed the posh costumes. Merman earned a Golden Globe Award for her characterization.t

he managed an all-female cast in this sterling adaptation of Claire Booth Luce’s Broadway smash. Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer headline. (both Dec. 27) Gone with the Wind (1939) Perhaps the first truly mesmerizing big-screen color epic, this chestnut, biased to the Old Confederacy, is properly matched by an outrageously entertaining bit of Quentin Tarantino at his revisionist best. Django Unchained (2012) Bounty hunter Christoph Waltz rescues slave Django (Jamie Foxx) from a gang of ruthless traders. The gang seeks to remove Django’s German-speaking wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the cruel master of Mississippi’s Candyland plantation. Tarantino’s blood-soaked vehicle sends up America’s original sin, with echoes of Sergio Leone, Richard Wagner and 70s exploitation classic Mandingo. (both Dec. 28) My Fair Lady (1964) I was humming the tunes to this Lerner and Loewe adaptation before the onslaught of puberty. There has probably never been a greater

hands-across-the-ocean bit of Anglo-American musical theatre. With the incomparable Rex Harrison recreating his Broadway magic. I’ve even learned to forgive the moguls for ditching Julie Andrews’ Eliza Doolittle for the fan-friendly Audrey Hepburn. The Music Man (1962) This Meredith Willson smash features Robert Preston as the con man Professor Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as “Marion, madam librarian.” You’ll never regret letting these amazing songs into your head. Once there, they’ll be hard to dislodge. (both Dec. 29) The Thin Man (1934) The original adventure of Nick and Nora Charles is a wry spoof on the detective genre, with William Powell and Myna Loy giving magical turns as fast-talking borderline alcoholics/ private eyes. A Day at the Races (1937) This follow-up to the Marx Brothers’ A Night at the Opera finds Groucho picking on his usual society-maiden chump, the seemingly clueless but remarkably agile second banana Margaret Dumont. And there are horses to boot. (both Dec. 30)t

S a GGMC Christmas

silver and gold GOLD MEDALIST 2014 WORLD CHOIR GAMES RIGA, LATVIA

Thursday, December 11, 2014 Saturday, December 13, 2014 Sunday, December 14, 2014 Sunday, December 14, 2014 Tuesday, December 16, 2014

8pm 3pm 3pm 7pm 8pm

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church 3281 16th Street, San Francisco General $25 / VIP $40 Tickets: www.ggmc.org or at the door. Student discount available at the door.

ebar.com

C HANTICLEER C HRISTMAS December 11-23

DEC 13 & 21

St. Ignatius Church 650 Parker Ave, San Francisco

Also in: Stanford • Oakland • Petaluma Berkeley • Sacramento • Santa Clara Carmel • Livermore

hopping for those on holiday gift lists can be daunting. Fortunately, as the following titles show, DVDs and Blu-rays offer a wide range of affordable options for even the most challenging recipient. Seldom has sexual obsession been as brilliantly portrayed as in Alain Guiraude’s gripping L’Inconnu du Lac (The Stranger by the Lake) (2013). Franck (the handsome Pierre Deladonchamps) cruises at a lake popular with other gay men. He scores periodically and also befriends a lonely, obese straight man. One day, he sees Michel (virile, sexy Christophe Paou) frolicking with his boyfriend. That doesn’t stop him from seducing Franck. Before long, these Apollos are infatuated and having steamy sex. Yet Franck knows little about Michel. When Franck accidentally witnesses Michel committing a terrible act, he’s faced with a horrendous dilemma – continue their increasingly dangerous affair or end it, grateful to have escaped unharmed. The final scenes are almost unbearably suspenseful and frightening. Deladonchamps is extraordinarily sympathetic as Franck. Paou is superb as the man whose magnetism pushes Franck into dangerous denial. Guiraude wrote the strikingly original screenplay, and his direction is smooth and unhurried. The sex scenes are intensely erotic. In French, with English subtitles. Baz Luhrmann’s memorable The Great Gatsby (2013) features a dazzling performance by Leonardo DiCaprio as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s mysterious hero, obsessed with socialite Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). DiCaprio is better than innately patrician Robert Redford was in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 version. Unfortunately, Mulligan is a cypher, although DiCaprio almost convinces the audience that she’s special. (Mia Farrow was superb in the Coppola film.) Tobey Maguire is exceptional as Nick Carraway, Isola Fisher is moving as the doomed Myrtle Wilson, and Joel Edgerton is a sexy Tom Buchanan. Luhrmann and Craig Pearce wrote the screenplay. Catherine Martin’s flawless costumes and Beverley Dunn’s glorious sets splendidly evoke the Roaring 20s. The outstanding color cinematography is by Simon Duggan. The anachronistic score, however, is an unnecessary distraction. Jane Fonda and Jon Voight won Oscars for their performances in Hal Ashby’s powerful, flawed Viet-

Castro Theatre

From page 27

25th Annual Home for the Holidays with the SF Gay Men’s Chorus This Castro Christmas tradition is presented three times, with the 9 p.m. show signed for the hearing impaired. (Dec. 24) Casablanca (1942) A day after Christmas, a Bogey double bill kicks off with his best-loved turn as the go-his-own-way cafe owner with a personal code not even Hollywood Nazis could crack. The African Queen (1951) This rare John Huston-directed adventure in living color pits Bogart against an aging tramp-steamer cocaptained by an obstinate spinster (Katharine Hepburn). Possibly the 1950s’ most electric two-hander. (both Dec. 26) All About Eve (1950) Arguably studio-era Hollywood’s greatest “bitch fest,” as comedy dragonlady Bette Davis slays everyone in sight in Joseph Mankiewicz’s outrageously campy production. The Women (1939) Queer helmer George Cukor was branded for life as a “lady’s director” after

Film>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 29

Equality in arms by David Lamble

n Talya Lavie’s dark comedy Zero Motivation, three female Israeli soldiers are losing their grip on sanity. Stationed in a remote, sandblasted base that is as close to the Arab holy city of Mecca as to Israeli’s bustling secular capital Tel Aviv, the women revert to infantile video games like “Minesweeper” to pass the time, when they’re not trying to inflict serious injuries on one another with the office staple-gun. First-time feature director Lavie gives us three stubborn protagonists who brave ridicule, humiliation and paper cuts to move on with their lives, especially their post-military lives. At one point the ponytailed Zohar (Dana Ivgy) gets some down-and-dirty advice from a disgruntled recruit: “You need a man.” “Oh, that’s your advice.” “You need a cock, ASAP!” “You’re a real romantic poet.” “If you want romance, lose your virginity first. No one will want you like this, a hysterical virgin with cobwebs on her pussy.”

Zohar takes a crack at the Russian woman’s game plan that night while on guard duty inside the base. After a hunky male officer has assigned other soldiers to patrol in pairs, Zohar complains that she’s getting a raw deal. “Alone? Don’t I get a partner? Where will you be?” “Where will I be when?” “While I’m guard here.” “In my dreams.” “In lots of girls’ dreams, I bet. Do you have a girlfriend?” The tall, handsome guy lowers his clipboard and replies, “A boyfriend.” Filmmaker Lavie keeps us offguard as to exactly the identity of “the common enemy” the women have taken an oath to fight. Halfway through the story, Zohar is finally about to surrender her virginity to a handsome male soldier who proceeds to get a little rough in the process of her deflowering. Zohar’s blonde Russian pal rescues her, turning the male soldier’s rifle on him. Thus, an hour and four minutes into the story, we get a fullfrontal male nude shot. In Zero Motivation, the real enemy is frequently boredom; the

Zeitgeist Films

Dana Ivgy as Zohar in Talya Lavie’s dark comedy Zero Motivation, opening Friday.

soldiers discharge theirs through staple-gun shootouts. Lavie’s female soldiers, valiantly protecting the Jewish homeland from implacable regional foes, have also started to

discern that being allowed equalityin-arms with the boys perhaps isn’t all it was cracked up to be. If you come to cherish Lavie’s irreverent, cheeky humor, you may

also delight in the black-comedy perspectives of two male Israeli army lovers snagging intimate moments at the front in Eytan Fox’s 2002 queer classic Yossi & Jagger.t

example. In previous centuries, friendship was prized and spoken about in affectionate terms that today sound sexual to us, but did not necessarily have a physical component. Rolle clarifies when she can, but at times the evidence is ambiguous. I suspect Rolle’s response would be that LGBT couples defy classification. The problem is that she never states what her reasoning is for including certain couples. Fortunately she provides enough information that readers can research and draw their own conclusions.

Ultimately one can only applaud Rolle for her diligence. Despite centuries of history silencing LGBT relationships, a brief perusal of Days of Love should convince any skeptic that there have always been LGBT people seeking love. As we bask in these heady days of social acceptability and legality of same-sex marriage, we are reminded that many people past and present paved the way for our civil rights, not the least of which is the right to love whomever we want.t

Celebrating lovers by Brian Bromberger

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle (self-published, $29.90) id you know that Sir Isaac Newton, who laid the foundation for modern physics, may have had a relationship with a Swiss mathematician, Nicolas Fatio de Duillier? That the famous married theatrical couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were gay and lesbian? That the British author of 2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke had a 23-year partnership with a Sri Lankan teenager, and they are buried together? This is only a fraction of the LGBT trivia one can unearth in Elisa Rolle’s new book Days of Love, a collection of same-sex pairings throughout the world and history, covering all artistic and scientific fields, complete with photos, in particular those created by photographer Robert Giard from his book Particular Voices, recording many in the LGBT literary community. Rolle’s website reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org is a comprehensive online journal dedicated to LGBT literature, art, and film. She has also launched the Rainbow Awards, online annual awards judging hun-

dreds of LGBT titles in dozens of categories. She explains in the preface why she decided to compile this book. “I have always liked love stories, and to me, even if you only spent one day in blissful happiness, then it was a love story. I see the following pages like a family photo album, the enlarged LGBT family sharing their memories: you will read about couples who managed to stay together for more than 70 years, but also those who were able to have only some days of happiness.” What emerges in the book is an alternative cultural history of LGBT people. But I don’t want to leave the impression that the book focuses only on famous couples. In fact, 3/4 of Days of Love features couples most of us have never heard of, which makes reading about them and their accomplishments even more fascinating. By concentrating on (though not restricted to) long-term relationships, Rolle lays to rest the myth that LGBT folk are not capable of sustaining lifelong partnerships. The book is 760 pages, a virtual encyclopedia, and the research that must have accompanied the writing is staggering. Most entries are only a page long. Some of the recent stories are accompanied by testimonies of the couple, which personalize their listing. Some eye-raising portraits are of Edith Wharton & William Moron Fullerton; Sir Alan Bates & John Curry; Sylvia Townsend Warner & Valentine Ackland; Guthrie McClintic & Katharine Cornell; John Maynard Keyes & Sebastian Sprott; John Henry Newman & Ambrose St. John; and George Sand & Marie Dorval. These examples merely scratch the surface, because the unknown romances are also charming, equally apportioned between men and women. You might look up an individual in the index, read his or her story, but then because each entry is brief, notice another entry that can be quickly digested, and before long an hour has passed. While there is much to

ebar.com

praise in this groundbreaking volume, there are many typos and editing faux pas, and it does have a serious flaw. There is no introductory chapter telling us the history of LGBT relationships, how they have been defined, have changed or been viewed through the centuries. In other words, there is no historical or social context for how to interpret them. The book relies heavily on hearsay, such that in some cases we cannot be sure whether or not there was an actual relationship, with the case of Isaac Newton being an

<< Music

30 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Music for the holidays

by Jason Victor Serinus

great Leontyne Price, whose Christmas album with Herbert von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic is a major operatic production, Fleming instead draws on her jazz background and pop inclinations for a compendium that includes tracks with Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Porter, Kelli O’Hara, Chris Botti, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Elling, and yes, Rufus Wainwright. She covers all bases, so to speak, and she stumbles more than once, especially when she’s trying to put on a cutesy accent. But she isn’t really crossing over; she was always there, and on some tracks – certainly the beautiful duet with Wainwright – it comes across very naturally. What, you may ask, is Kristin Chenoweth’s live concert recording Coming Home doing in a holiday compendium? Because the special release, available only at Target, includes “I’ll be Home for Christmas” amongst its three bonus tracks. The glamorous singer/actress from OK is far more than okay on this album. She’s downright fabulous. Every inch the showgirl, the unity of her onstage persona is such that you can’t tell if she’s doing it for the camera, feeling it for the camera, or just being herself. But it matters little, because it’s darn nigh impossible not to love her little-girl voice, operatic range, and star-power energy. If you’re looking for a traditional compilation of Christmas melodies, Sony’s two-disc compendium The Great British Carol Collection is indispensible. Recorded

1988-93, the boy sopranos of the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge were in top form. If, on the other hand, you’re into “Made in America,” you may instead choose ChristSquare mas in Harvard Square. This ultra-reverberant collection, complete with plumbthe-depths organ, brings you the Boys of St. Paul’s Choir School, the only Catholic boyschoir school in the US. To quote: “Having just celebrated our 50th anniversary of founding, the midst of the great renaissance that is taking place at our school, sharing this music allows us to collaborate in the great endeavor that is the New Evangelization.” I pray that includes an end to pedophilia. The sweet high range of French Canadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc is hard to resist on La Veillée de Noël: De la France à l’Acadie. Its repertoire is drawn from a book published in the Paris in the late 1890s filled with songs that the Acadians – French seafaring emigrés who settled in New France, which later became part of Maine and Eastern Canada – brought to the United States. Among them are the eight Noéls Anciens included on this album, along with other festive songs. LeBlanc has a family connection to these songs, and she and her acoustic consort perform them with great energy and love. Once you get over the fact that the six lovely-looking British women who play period and folk instruments and sing on Of Kings & Angels: A Christmas Carol Collection have chosen to dub themselves Mediaeval Baebes, you will perhaps enjoy their simple arrangements of oft-repetitive songs. Certainly children may enjoy the security of sameness, which shot them to the Top 10 on the UK classical charts when the album was first released there a year ago.t

complete operas could make them fully competitive again. Her Mimi, Turandot and Manon Lescaut step right out of the speakers as fleshand-blood women, and the transformation of her Cio-Cio San from child “bride” to abandoned mother is now, wiped clean, a nearly unbearable study of innocence defiled. Mad Scenes remains the best of the recital discs. If you’re going to get just one of the individual releases, this is it. It’s all there, the Callas artistry at its zenith, now with nothing between you and your Calvins. Old Callas hands who already have it all will be getting this set. But they haven’t been overlooked, with

sumptuous new live material just out from Myto. A phenomenal Norma from 1955 restores music cut from the 1954 studio version, presented at the correct pitch. Welcome to the world of historical bootlegs. And a 1951 I Vespri Siciliani, complete and from a newly discovered source, is the only recording of Callas singing the Verdi role she sang more often than any other. As I was finishing this review, a guy from down the hall knocked on my door. “Who’s that woman?” Before I could answer, he railed, “First I hated that voice. Now I can’t get it out of my head.” Welcome back, Maria.t

nce again, the Bay Area Reporter celebrates the season with the holiday CD reviews I’ve penned since the dawn of so-called civilization. This year’s two-part compendium abounds with recordings that are, by and large, beautifully performed and imaginatively produced. The Promise of Ages: A Christmas Collection from Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Consort & Choir is among the best compilations I’ve heard in many a year. Recorded by Sony in 1998 and rereleased by Avie in 2014, this disc brings together vocalists from Soli/ Taverner Consort, Taverner Choir, the New London Chamber Choir, and the Henrietta Barnett School Choir with 11 instrumentalists to perform a diverse succession of Christmas music. The progression from small to large forces, and from 13th-century music to contemporary compositions, is not only artful, but also respectful of the true Christian spirit of the season. With soloists including superb sopranos Tessa Bonner and Emily Van Evera, this disc is essential. After such sublime music-making, one might expect the modern arrangements for two trombones, guitar, bass, piano, kazoos, drums, and percussion on Super Hi-Fi’s Yule Analog, Vol. 1 to sound appallingly profane. Despite protestations from the husband, I found these Reggae-tinged, reverb-drenched arrangements from the Holy Land via Brooklyn inventive, occasionally hilarious, and a definite breath of fresh air. You’ll be surprised at how much fun they can be. Moving over one borough, glam soprano Renée Fleming is also having fun on her first holiday album, Christmas in New York. Initially tempted to follow the lead of the

Maria Callas

From page 26

from definitive to mandatory. Here is the proof of what a scenery-chewing diva Callas was not. Her Floria Tosca is the picture of a vulnerable woman made courageous by love. The 1964-65 remake is now mercilessly exposed, and the warning can be made in an exact analogy: only if you like late Billie Holiday more than early should you take late over early Callas as Tosca. As remastered, the 1954 Puccini Arias disc strikes with an impact comparable to the one it made on LP, and the spruced up new Puccini

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tis the Season for Science Now through January 4 The reindeer are back! Meet our Arctic friends and learn how they adapt to extreme conditions in this one-of-a-kind interactive experience. Plus, enjoy indoor snow flurries, music and other festivities at our annual holiday exhibit. Get tickets at calacademy.org

<< Out&About

32 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

A Christmas Carol @ Geary Theatre

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American Conservatory Theatre’s annual large-scale production of Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic holiday tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge. $20-$110. Evening and matinees thru Dec. 28. 415 Geary St. 439-2309. act-sf.org

The Christmas Revels @ Scottish Rite Center, Oakland The annual performance of winter solstice dance and music blends an Appalachain Depression-era music theme; featured performers Rene Collins, Kevin Carr, Tristan Cunn ingham, the music group Euphonia and others. $10-$60. Dec 12-14, 19021. Fri 8pm. Sat & Sun 1pm & 5pm. 1547 Lakeside Drive, Oakland. (510) 452-9334. www.californiarevels.org

Dave Damiani @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Sat 13 Diego Gomez

Holidays & nights by Jim Provenzano

elebrate how you like, be it Santastic, kosher, Druidy (hey, trees like doing drag) or with some fun arts performances; traditional music, hip new stuff, and exhibits of art from then and now.

Thu 11 1964: The Year San Francisco Came Out @ GLBT History Museum Exhibit focusing on San Francisco’s emerging gay culture at the time of the pivotal LIFE magazine feature “Homosexuality in America.” Reg. hours Mon-Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 12pm5pm. ($5/free for members). 4127 18th St. 621-1107. glbthistory.org

Cirque du Soleil @ AT&T Park Lot

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New & Classic Films @ Castro Theatre Dec. 11: Pulp (7pm) and Boyhood (8:50). Dec. 12: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (7:20) and Ed Wood (9:45). Dec. 14: Fantastic Mr. Fox (1pm), A View to a Kill (3:30) and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (8:40). Dec. 15-16: Blade Runner, the Final Cut (7pm, 9:30). Dec. 17: Noir City Xmas’ O. Henry’s Full House and The Curse of the Cat People (7pm). Dec. 18: Suspiria (7:30) and Beyond the Door II (9:15). $11-$16. 429 Castro St. 621-6120. castrotheatre.com Unusual game-playing event hosts a queer night, with structured communication games $10. 7:30pm. 1446 Market St. www.MeetUp.com

Drag Queens on Ice @ Safeway Holiday Ice Rink, Union Square

Avenue Q @ New Conservatory Theatre Center

The seventh annual ice skating party with drag stars Mutha Chucka, Holotta Tymes, BeBe Sweetbriar, several Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, MC Donna Sachet and many other talents; 8pm9:30pm. Other festivities, including special events, continue thru Jan 19. $7$11. Skate rentals $6. Powell St. at Geary. 781-2688. unionsquareicerink.com

The local production of the naughty hit Broadway puppet musical returns! (Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez & Jeff Marx; Book by Jeff Whitty). $22.50$45. Previews; opens Dec. 13. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Jan. 18. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. nctcsf.org

Kelly Cogswell @ Modern Times Bookstore

Michelle Tea hosts a night of readings from subversive and censored books, with Carol Queen, Xandra Ibarra (La Chica Boom), Jiz Lee, Dodie Bellamy, Lil Miss Hot Mess and Aya De Leon. $10. 8pm. 1349 Mission St. www.sexandculture.org

The MeshugaNutcracker! @ Marines’ Memorial Theatre Scott & Shannon Guggenheim’s Chanukah musical comedy celebrates Jewish folklore with Tchaikovsky’s score and a Klezmer/Broadway style. $54-$72. Thu-Sat 7:30pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru Dec. 14 (Dec. 25-28 in San Jose). 609 Sutter St. (408) 404-7711. www.themeshuganutcracker.com

The Jewelry Box @ The Marsh Brian Copeland’s solo show about his family’s eccentric holiday memories, when as a six-year-old trying to get employment to buy his grandma a gift. $30-$100. Thu & Fri 8pm. Sat 5pm. Thru Dec. 27. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Now and at the Hour @ Exit Theater Christian Cagigal and H.P. Mendoza’s ( Colma the Musical, Fruit Fly) unusual documentary performance film about a magician and his Vietnam Vet father’s emotional postwar ordeals. $15-$25. Also Dec 12, 13. 8pm. 156 Eddy St. www.theexit.org

TurnOn @ OneTaste

The Montreal acrobatic circus returns with their new show, Kurious: Cabinet of Curiosities, a steampunk-themed spectacle. $53-$135. Tue-Sat 8pm. Fri & Sat 4:30pm. Sun 1:30pm & 5pm. Thru Jan. 18. Third Street at Terry A. Francis Blvd. (800) 450-1480. www.cirquedusoleil.com

Author of Eating Fire: My Life as a Lesbian Avenger discusses her book and activist life. 7pm. 2919 24th St. 282-9246. www.mtbs.com

The LA-based singer performs with the No Vacancy Orchestra and guests Renee Olstead and Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr at a special Frank Sinatra tribute concert. $25-$40. 8pm. ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Fri 12

Banned Book Club @ Center for Sex & Culture

Breakfast With Mugabe @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley West Coast premiere of Fraser Grace’s provocative drama about the Zimbabwe president’s MacBeth-ish haunts and therapy sessions. $35-$50. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm & 7pm. Extended thru Dec. 20. 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. auroratheatre.org

Smashing Pumpkins @ The Warfield

Chanticleer @ Various Venues

Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder are joined by Mark Stoermer (The Killers’ bassist) and Brak Wilk (Rage Against the Machine drummer) in a concert of the original band’s music, and songs from the new CD, Monuments to an Elegy. $49.50-$60. 8pm. 982 Market St. smashingpumpkinsnexus.com www.thewarfieldtheatre.com

The Grammy Award-winning a capella vocal ensemble performs A Chanticleer Christmas. $35-$69. Dec. 12, 8pm: Cathedral of Christ the Light, Harrison St., Oakland. Dec. 13 & 21, 8pm: St. Ignatius Church, Parker Ave. SF. (Also Dec 14 in Petaluma. Dec 16 in Berkeley, Carmel, and other CA venues thru Dec 23). chanticleer.org

Sat 13 Cinderella

Promises, Promises @ SF Playhouse Burt Bacharach, Hal David and Neil Simon’s lighthearted swingin’ ‘60s Broadway hit gets a local production. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sat 3pm, Sun 2pm. Thru Jan 10. Kensington Park Hotel, 450 Post St., 2nd floor. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus @ Nourse Theatre Home for the Holidays, the chorus’ annual concert, Dancers, Prancers & Vixens, includes guest performers Well Strung, the male string quartet. $25-$65. 8pm. Also Dec. 13, 2:30pm 8pm. 275 Hayes St. (Christmas Eve concerts with Donna Sachet and guests, Dec 24, 5pm, 7pm & 9pm at Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St.) www.sfgmc.org

Something for the Boys @ Eureka Theatre 42nd Street Moon’s new production of Cole Porter’s farcical musical (with book by Dorothy and Herbert Fields) about a trio of wartime characters who renovate a mansion into a boarding house for soldier’s wives. $25-$75. Wed, Thu 7pm. Fri 8pm. Sat 6pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Dec. 14. 215 Jackson St. 255-8207. www.42ndStMoon.org

Out&About>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 33

Shakespeare’s R&J @ New Conservatory Theatre Center Joe Calarco’s hit gay retake on Romeo and Juliet returns, this time set in dangerously antigay modern-day Egypt; staged by Ben Randle. $25$45. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Dec. 14. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Superheroes @ Exit Theatre Sean San Jose wrote and directed this new poetic drama about an investigative journalist’s labyrinth-like journey to discover the connections between the CIA and Nicaraguan drug traffickers. $10-$20. Tue-Thu 7:30pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sat 2pm, Sun 5pm. Thru Dec. 21. Exit on Taylor, 277 Taylor St. 525-1205. www.cuttingball.com

The Totalitarians @ Z Below Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s dark comedy about modern politics and relationships. $20-$50. Wed & Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru Dec. 14. 470 Florida St. (866) 8114111. www.zspace.org

Sat 13 Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi The musical comedy revue celebrates its 40th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $25-$160. Beer/wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 4214222. beachblanketbabylon.com

Cinderella @ Buriel Clay Theatre African-American Shakespeare Company’s soulful twist on the fairy tale classic, with original songs. $15-$34. Sat 3pm & 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Dec. 21. African-American Art & Culture Complex, 762 Fulton St. www.african-americanshakes.org

The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) @ Marin Theatre Company Reduced Shakespeare Company’s production of Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor’s hilarious three-man comedy work about theatre. Tue & Thu Fri & Sat 8pm. Wed 7:30pm. Sun 7pm. Thru Dec. 21. 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. 388-5208. www.marintheatre.org

Dance-Along Nutcracker @ YBCA San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, including numerous guests, performs the annual participatory, offbeat take on Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker (this year with a Hawaiian theme) ; Joe Wicht, Flyn DeMarco, Carolyn Carvajal guest-star. $10-$50. 2:30pm and 7pm. Dec 14: 11am, 3pm. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, 701 Mission St. www.DanceAlongNutcracker.org

Diego Gomez @ Spike’s Coffee Artist’s reception and quickie sale of small works by the fabulous local painter, multimedia artist, actor and drag artist. 6pm-7pm. Show thru Dec. 15. 4117 19th St. at Castro. www.designnurd.blogspot.com www.spikescoffee.com

Great Dickens Christmas Fair @ Cow Palace The 36th annual Victorian-era holiday-themed display of pubs and theatres, dance floors and music halls, tearooms and shops returns; Victorian garb welcome. $15-$90. Fri-Sun 10am-7pm. Thru Dec. 21. 2600 Geneva Ave. (800) 510-1558. www.dickensfair.com

Holiday Open House @ Maitri Compassionate Care Open house for the the care-giving residency; enjoy confestions, coffee, hot chocolate; select donations for the AIDS/HIV hospice space. 2pm-5pm. 401 Duboce Ave. at Church. www.maitrisf.org

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus

The local choreographer’s 50-minute pop update on the holiday ballet is fun for kids and adults. $18.50-$28.50. 11am, 2pm. Also Dec 14, 11am, 2pm.; Dec 20 & 21 at 11am, 2pm, 4pm. Thru Dec. 21. Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd at Buchanan. (800) 838-3006. www.brownpapertickets.com

The Kinsey Sicks @ Castro Theatre Oy Vey in a Manger, the drag-appella quartet’s comic holiday show, returns. $25-$55. 8pm. 429 Castro St. www.kinseysicks.com www.castrotheatre.com

Red Hot Patriot @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre Kathleen Turner stars in the onewoman show, The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, Allison and Margaret Engel’s acclaimed show about the late Texan political columnist. $29-$81. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sun 7pm. Sun 2pm. Extended thru Jan. 11. Roda Theatre, 20171 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. berkeleyrep.org

SF Hiking Club @ Armstrong Redwoods Join GLBT hikers for a 9-mile hike in Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve near Guerneville. This challenging and rewarding hike offers spectacular views. Carpool meets 8:30 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. (707) 8232827. www.sfhiking.com

Tovah Feldshuh @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The acclaimed Broadway, film and television singer-actress performs Tovah: Out of her Mind!, a comic character performance of music ranging from Gershwin to Judy Collins. $45-$60. 7pm. Also Dec 14, 7pm. ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. ticketweb.com

Sun 14 Aquascapes @ Conservatory of Flowers Fascinating new exhibit of underwater plant sculptures that resemble miniature outdoor English, Asian and classic gardens (thru April 12). Permanent floral exhibits as well. Free-$8. Tue-Sun 10am-4pm. Golden Gate Park, 831-2090. www.conservatoryofflowers.org

J. Otto Seibold and Mr. Lunch @ Contemporary Jewish Museum New exhibit of works by the beloved children’s book author. Also, Arnold Newman: Masterclass, an exhibit of prints by the influential photographer. Free (members)-$12. Fri-Tue 11am5pm, Thu 11am-8pm (closed Wed). 736 Mission St. 655-7800. www.thecjm.org

Magic Makers @ Humanist Hall, Oakland Queer art and craftmaking vendors gather at the community event, with art, textiles, healing products and body care products. 12pm-8pm. 390 27th St. at Broadway, Oakland. www.themagicmakers.wordpress.com

Norman Vane @ Martuni’s Holiday music show; Vane returns with special guest star Dyan McBride and Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone) on piano. $9. 7pm. 4 Valencia Street at Market.

The Santaland Diaries @ Eureka Theatre

LGBT night at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate.” Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Combined Artform/Theatre Asylum present David Sinaiko in the solo stage adaptation of David Sedaris’ popular holiday story of working as a Macy’s elf. $15-$25. Thru Dec. 23 8pm. Dec 20, 21, 24 at 2pm. Thu-Tues 8pm. Thru Dec. 24. 214 Jackson St. (800) 8383006. www.combinedartform.com

Jerome Caja @ Gallery Paule Anglim

Fri 12 Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets @ Cowell Theater

Gay Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels

Roads of Arabia @ Asian Art Museum Roads of Arabia : Archeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (thru Jan. 18); Dual Natures in Ceramics : Eight Contemporary Artists from Korea (thru Feb. 22). Other fascinating exhibits as well. Free (members, kids 12 and under)-$15. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 200 Larkin St. www.asianart.org

San Francisco City Chorus @ Lakeside Presbyterian Church Celebrate the holiday season with the chorus in a sing-along to Handel’s Messiah, accompanied by an 18-piece orchestra; hand-made gifts for sale as well (opens 6:30pm). $10. 8pm. 201 Eucalyptus Drive at 19th Ave. www.sfcitychorus.org

Songs and Sorrows @ Oakland Museum Dias de Los Muertos 20th Anniversary, a group exhibit of the Mexican-themed art (thru Jan. 4). Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California (thru April 12). Free/$15. Reg. hours Wed-Sat 11am-5pm (Fri til 9pm). 1000 Oak St., Oakland. (510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

Mon 15 All Aboard @ Walt Disney Museum A Celebration of Walt Disney’s Trains, thru Feb. 9, plus classic art work and ephemera from the park and animated films. Free/$20. Open daily 10am-6pm. 104 Montgomery St., the Presidio. 345-6800. waltdisney.org

Eden Hutchinson @ Glama-Rama The hair salon hosts the artist’s exhibit of works, Bitter Waitresses, Hair-Brained Hairdressers & Whirling Dervishes. Thru Jan. 4. 304 Valencia St. www.glamarama.com

Woods to Wildflowers @ SF Botanical Gardens See blooming floral displays, trees and exhibits. Also, daily walking tours and more, at outdoor exhibits of hundreds of species of native wildflowers in a century-old grove of towering Coast Redwoods. Free-$15. Daily. Golden Gate Park. 661-1316. www.SFBotanicalGarden.org

Tue 16 Alien She @ YBCA The first exhibition to showcase the impact and ephemera of the Riot Grrrl movement and culture. Free-$15. Exhibit Tue-Sun 12pm-6pm. Thru Jan. 25. 701 Mission St. www.ybca.org

New exhibit of tiny artworks by the late local gay/trans artist and nightlife legend; coordinated with the online Jerome Project. 5:30-7:30pm. Reg hours Tue-Fri 10am-5pm (Sat 10:305:30). Thru Dec. 20. 14 Geary St. 4332710. www.gallerypauleanglim.com

Meditation Group @ LGBT Center Weekly non-sectarian meditation group; part of the Let’s Kick ASS AIDS Survivor Syndrome support group. Tuesdays, 5pm, 1800 Market St. www.letskickASS.org www.sfcenter.org

Show Me Dance @ Z Space Choreographers Yayoi Kambara and Sebastian Grubb show new worksin-progress; post-show discussion moderated by KT Nelson, Co-Artistic Director of ODC / Dance. Free. 8pm. 450 Florida St. 626-0453. www.zspace.org

Wed 17 Alaska’s Blue Christmas @ Verdi Club Alaska Thunkderfuck ( RuPaul’s Drag Race ) and Handsome Jeremy perform the music/comedy “saddest Christmas ever.” $22.50-$35. 7pm & 10pm. 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net

At Large: Ai Weiwei @ Alcatraz Island The internationally acclaimed Chinese sculpture’s exhibit of seven sitespecific multimedia installations; the largest art exhibit ever hosted by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. $18-$30. Daily except major holidays thru April 26, 2015. www.AiWeiWeiAlcatraz.org

B.O.O.B.S. @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The Busty, Outrageous, Over-the-Top, Broads, Singin’ trio perform their comic music holiday show Unwrapped for the Holidays. $15. 7pm. ($20 food/ drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Drapetomania @ Museum of the African Diaspora Grupo Antillano and the Art of AfroCuba, a new exhibit of works by the Grupo Antillano, the name given to an outstanding group of artists in the 1970s and 80s, at the re-opened African-Caribbean art and crafts museum. Also Lava Thomas: Beyond is a two-part exhibition. Free/$10. Thru Jan. 4. 685 Mission St. www.moadsf.org

Keith Haring: The Political Line @ de Young Museum New exhibit of 130 large-scale paintings, sculptures and retrieved subway drawings by the late great gay graffiti artist who came to global fame. Free-$26-$41. Tue-Sun 9:30am5:15pm. Thru Feb. 16. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

Carl Linkhart @ Glamarama, Oakland Dreamscape: The Night Vision of Carl Linkhart, a new exhibit of unusual surreal paintings. Thru Jan. 11. 6399 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.carllinkhart.com www.glamarama.com

Fred Lyon @ Harvey Milk Photo Center Exhibit of the local photographer’s evocative images in San Francisco: Portrait of a City (1940-1960); book available for sale. Tue-Thu 4pm8:30pm. Sat 10am-4:30pm. Sun 12pm-5:30pm. Thru Jan. 10. 50 Scott St. www.harveymilkphotocenter.org

Sat 13 Kinsey Sicks

Tom and Jerry’s Home Display @ Church & Sanchez See the annual over-the-top festive holiday house display, with a a Santa in attendance. Daily 6:30pm-9:30pm. Free. Thru Jan. 1. 3560 21st St. at Church. www.tinyurl.com/mhh98vz

Thu 18 Twenty Favorite Photographs @ Robert Tat Gallery Popular photographs selected by the gallery’s collectors, including Imogen Cuningham, James Bidgood, Walker Evans, Aaron Siskind and others. Thru Feb. 28. 49 Geary St. 781-1122. www.roberttat.com

Comedy Returns @ El Rio Comics Michael Meehan, Jabari Davis, Yuri Kagan, MC Lisa Geduldig and a few surprise guests perform stand-up comedy. $7-$20. 8pm. 3158 Mission St. (800) 838-3006. www.ElRioSF.com

Jackie Beat: On Ice @ Verdi Club LA’s ascerbic darkly hilarious drag queen returns for a night of sacreligious holiday camp. $25. 8pm. 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net

Safeway Holiday Ice Rink @ Union Square The seventh annual ice skating festivities, including special events (Macy’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony, Nov. 28, 6pm); continues thru Jan 19. $7-$11. Skate rentals $6. Powell St. at Geary. 781-2688. www.unionsquareicerink.com

Sharon McNight @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The veteran cabaret singer performs her popular music and comedy show, Twisted Xmas: A Druid’s View of the Holidays. $25-$40. 8pm. Also Dec. 27, 8pm. ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. ticketweb.com

Smuin Ballet @ YBCA The Christmas Ballet: Uncorked, the late choreographer/artistic director Michael Smuin’s holiday dances, and a new work by Amy Seiwert (set to music by Chanticleer), is performed. $24-$68. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Sun 7pm. Thru Dec 27. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St. 912-1899. www.smuinballet.org www.ybca.org

Stranger Than Life @ Cartoon Art Museum The Cartoons and Comics of M.K. Brown (thru Feb 15). Other exhibits and events. Free-$8. Tue-Sun 11am5pm. 655 Mission St. 227-8666. www.cartoonart.org To submit event listings, email jim@ebar.com. Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication. For more bar and nightlife events, go to On the Tab in our BARtab section, online at www.ebar.com/bartab

<< Books

34 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Holiday books

Greta Garbo (with whom the gay Beaton became infatuated), and Barbra Streisand (whom he found striking) are especially engrossing. Art and history lovers will be fascinated by Alexander Lee’s The Ugly Renaissance: Sex, Greed, Violence, and Depravity in an Age of Beauty (Doubleday, $30). Magnificent paintings and Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier not withstanding, this was a rough world, one that produced Machiavelli’s The Prince, a ruthless guide for attaining and maintaining power. Lee does a superb job in recreating the era, while focusing on individuals. Michaelangelo, for example, seldom bathed, was notoriously difficult, and was

not easy on those he loved, female or male. One of the most fascinating sections deals with the unofficial tolerance of male homosexuality: Florence was regarded as the capital of sodomy. Same-sex relationships seem to have been consecrated in churches, and leading families accepted “friendships” between their sons as beneficial alliances, not unlike those celebrated and cemented by traditional marriages. Travelers on your list may encounter delays at airports, so fiction may be the right choice for them. Fans of Hercule Poirot will be delighted by Agatha Christie’s The Monogram Murders, written by Sophie Hannah (Morrow, $25.99). The prickly Belgian’s supper in a London café is interrupted by an upset, enigmatic young woman, who says she is going to be killed, but wants him to take no action to prevent her murder. She insists that all will be rectified once she is dead. Later, Poirot learns of murders at a swank hotel. That killer has left behind a single, monogrammed cufflink alongside each victim. Is there a connection between these events? Poirot’s ever-sharp little gray cells will find out. Christie knew how to plot, and she would have approved of Hannah’s impressive puzzle. Historical fiction can be very informative, as Joseph Roth’s The Hundred Days (New Directions, $22.95) proves. Napoleon’s escape from Elba thrilled his many supporters in and out of France and terrified Europe’s monarchies – Louis XVIII fled from his newly occupied French throne. After 100 days, the 1815 Battle of Waterloo permanently ended the Corsican’s ambitions. Roth tells the story of that heady, tragic period from Napoleon’s perspective and from that of Angelica, a lowly palace laundress who loves him. The narrative is set primarily in Paris, which is beautifully recreated.t

True Blood: The Complete Seventh Season (HBO Home Entertainment), the bloody perfect gift for anyone who can’t get enough of the Stackhouse sibs, queer Anna Pacquin as Sookie, and flawless Ryan Kwanten as Jason, as well as the rest of the residents, alive and undead, in their Southern Louisiana hometown. The Mad Men and Jon Hamm fans on your holiday list have time to catch up with the triple-disc DVD/Digital Mad Men: The Final Season Part 1 (Lionsgate) before the second set of final episodes begins airing on AMC in spring 2015. The show has had its share of queer characters over the years (remember Bryan Batt’s Sal Romano?), and now that the swinging 60s are central to the story, perhaps there will be more of a gay presence on the show, with the Stonewall Riot looming. One of the most important cable series of all time, David Chase’s The Sopranos made a huge star of the late James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), gave a massive boost to the

career of Edie Falco (as his long-suffering wife Carmela), and brought the mob into the 21st century. The 26-disc, 86-episode The Sopranos: The Complete Series (HBO) brings all six seasons to Blu-ray/Digital HD for the first time, and includes a new 45-minute bonus feature. Co-created by openly gay Sex and the City mastermind Michael Patrick King, 2 Broke Girls: The Complete Third Season (Warner Bros.) has a reputation as one of the most risque sitcoms on CBS. The story of struggling Brooklyn waitresses and roommates Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs), 2 Broke Girls pushes the limits of sexual innuendo and good taste. Co-star Jennifer Coolidge, as zany neighbor Sophie, steals every scene she appears in. DVD special features include unaired scenes and a gag reel. Long before Golden Globe Award winner Steve Buscemi was the corrupt New Jersey politician Enoch “Nucky” Thompson on Boardwalk Empire, he played Nick, a gay man with AIDS in the late Bill Sherwood’s groundbreaking 1986 film Parting Glances. Currently, BE is wrapping up its final season on HBO, but if you missed anything, Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Fourth Season (HBO) is available in a four-DVD set. The CW network has a long history of featuring exceptionally handsome men in their TV series, including Tom Welling as Clark Kent in Smallville. In Arrow: The Complete Second Season (WB) on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital HD, star Stephen Amell spends a lot of time in and out of clothes that flatter his fit physique. Ian Somerhalder has been starring as Damon in The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fifth Season (WB). As brothers Sam and Dean, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are two of prime time’s sexiest siblings on TV, and on Blu-ray/Digital HD in Supernatural: The Complete Ninth Season (WB).t

From page 25

Many members of the Greatest Generation serving in the military had intense same-sex longings, not all of which were consummated. This book, filled with beautiful photographs of young, nude soldiers, marines, and sailors on beaches in the South Pacific, captures the joy and openness of those natural experiences. Scotty Bowers (Full Service) provides an insightful introduction. Additional contributors include the late, openly gay Gore Vidal (who served), Alan Berube, E. B. Sledge, and James Jones. Bob Hope (1903-2003) entertained troops in the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In Hope: Entertainer of the Century (Simon & Shuster, $35), Richard Zoglin insists that the book’s title is not hyperbole, but doesn’t prove his case. He does, however, succeed in reminding readers how fleeting great fame can be. Hope began in vaudeville, then scored in Broadway musicals including Cole Porter’s Red Hot and Blue (1936) with Ethel Merman and Jimmy Durante, on radio, in movies, and on television. He hosted more Oscar ceremonies than any other performer. His monologues influenced many, including Woody Allen, but his topical humor, though funny once, has not held up. Despite his seemingly happy marriage to minor singer Dolores DeFina, Zoglin reveals what was likely an earlier wife, whom he may not have divorced, his countless affairs, his dislike of long-time costar Bing Crosby (whose popularity and range exceeded his), and his inability to quit performing, even after audiences no longer cared. He also alienated many young people by

supporting the Vietnam War. The professional Hope has an important place in the history of 20th century American show business, but popularity alone is not sufficient to justify the book’s title. Before Charlie Rose, there was Dick Cavett, whose Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks (Henry Holt, $26) is a collection of impressions and recollections. Among the most memorable are a meeting with a breathtakingly beautiful Elizabeth Taylor on the Starlight Roof in Manhattan; seductive phone calls from a nonagenarian Marlene Dietrich; and his friendship with the brilliant, superbly self-educated, and lonely

Groucho Marx, whom Cavett admires above all other comics. Cecil Beaton Portraits & Profiles, edited by Hugo Vickers (Frances Lincoln, Ltd., $45), is a riveting look at the acclaimed photographer and designer’s impressions of some of the most famous persons of the 20th century. His diaries show him to be exacting in assessing the appearances of his subjects, and their character. For example, Jacqueline Kennedy, whom he admired immensely, was not nearly as lovely as her “infinitely more beautiful sister” Lee Radziwell, yet she was remarkably more photogenic. Among the many entries and portraits, those of Princess Margaret, Elizabeth Taylor,

Holiday TV

From page 25

(S. Epatha Merkerson), the most beautiful woman in Puppetland Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart) and the usually shirtless lifeguard Tito (Roland Rodriguez), who brought homoerotic tension to the show. P-WP also made good use of claymation and featured vintage cartoons. The digitally remastered eight-disc Blu-ray set includes brand-new interviews with members of the cast and crew. Newly reissued and expanded in a 50th-anniversary collector’s edition, the 1964 Rankin/Bass stopmotion animation classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Classic Media) includes a “Holly Jolly Sing Along,” a video “Pop-Up Book” and other bonuses. The show features seven songs by Johnny Marks, with narration by Burl Ives. A favorite of outcasts for the misfit triumph of radiant reindeer Rudolph (voice: Billie Mae Richards) and “different” elf Hermey (voice: Paul Soles), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is the kind of gift Santa would like. Cartoon Network: Holiday Collection (CN/WB) is comprised of four holiday-themed cartoons plus two bonus episodes. The two-part “Holly-Jolly Secrets” episode of Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time, featuring Finn the human (voice: Jeremy Shada), Jake the dog (voice: John DiMaggio), Beemo the electronic device (voice: Niki Yang ), and the Ice King (voice: Tom Kenny), explains the history of the holiday season. Revenge-seeking elf Quillgin (voice: Thomas Haden Church) tries to kill Santa Claus (voice: Ed Asner), who put the kibosh on the dark-magic gift he invented, resulting in the end of Christmas in JG Quintel’s Regular Show Christmas special. The DVD also includes the Christmas episode of The Amazing World of Gumball, the “Monkey Broom Wizard” episode of Clar-

ence, and Steven Universe’s “Together Breakfast” episode. Hosted by Richard Pryor, the May 1983 NBC broadcast of Motown 25: Yesterday Today Forever (StarVista/ Time-Life) featured performances by Michael Jackson (the debut of his moonwalk dance moves) solo and with his brothers, Diana Ross (solo and with the Supremes), Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Four Tops and others. Tacky choreography by the Lester Williams Dancers aside, the music-lover on your list will dig the three-DVD Motown 25, including rehearsal and reunion discs. If you only know the late Merv Griffin as a TV talk-show host, then you don’t know Griffin. He had a recording career in addition to hosting and creating game shows. The 12-disc set The Merv Griffin Show: 1962-1986 (Reelin’ in the Years/ MPI) features musical performances by the guests on Griffin’s show, including Dionne Warwick, Lionel Hampton, Isaac Hayes, John Den-

ver, Loretta Lynn, Carole King and Whitney Houston. Griffin, whose sexuality remains a topic of debate, had queer and queer-friendly guests, including Andy Warhol & Edie Sedgwick, Roddy McDowall, Tallulah Bankhead, Moms Mabley, Rex Reed, Clive Davis and Joan Rivers. The six-DVD set The Midnight Special (StarVista/Time-Life) compiles almost 100 live performances by musical superstars, from its 1972 pilot to early 1979. Hosted for years by Helen Reddy and featuring the voice of Wolfman Jack, the program presented many queer performers and several acts with queer appeal such as the Village People, Janis Ian, Blondie, LaBelle, Rufus with Chaka Khan, and Aretha Franklin. The set includes more than an hour’s worth of bonus material, artist interviews, and featurettes. Created by openly gay writer/director Alan Ball, True Blood was one of the queerest shows on TV when it premiered on HBO in 2008. The series came to an end in the Blu-ray

t <<

Theatre>>

December 11-17, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 35

Holiday theatre

From page 25

Golden tradition

The Golden Girls ran for seven seasons. The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes is now in its eighth year of casting four local drag luminaries and letting them run riot in the title roles. At the Victoria Theatre through Dec. 21, this latest edition employs two fresh episodes in the continuing adventures of Dorothy (Heklina), Rose (Pollo del Mar), Blanche (Matthew Martin), and Sophia (Cookie Dough). Tickets at goldengirlssf.eventbrite.com.

Strangers in the halls

Inspired by the TV series Strangers with Candy, Bob McIntyre, Ralph Hoy, and Dani Spinks have built their own script around the character so memorably created by Amy Sedaris. In Strangers with XXXmas Candy, McIntyre plays Jerri Blank, the self-described boozer, user, and loser who is back in school at age 46. As Jerri makes her way through the halls of Flat Point High, she stumbles toward the true meaning of Christmas. The Dreams on the Rocks production is running through Dec. 20 at the Exit Theatre. Tickets at theexit.org.

Patti Meyer

Brian Copeland recalls his adventures as a 6-year-old scrapping together money for a Christmas present in The Jewelry Box at the Marsh.

Katya Smirnoff-Skyy returns to Feinstein’s at the Nikko for a second serving of Katya - A Holiday Spectacular on Dec. 20-21. The creation of J. Conrad Frank, Katya is an exiled Russian countess now working at Macy’s perfume counter. Between occasional sips of vodka, she shares her memories and trills a mix of pop, opera, and holiday songs as the spirit of the season hazily engulfs her. Tickets at hotelnikkosf.com/feinsteins.

step with the opening of PianoFight’s new home where Original Joe’s once was a Tenderloin institution. The venue now includes two black-box performance spaces in addition to a bar and restaurant. The debut theatrical attraction is Daniel Heath’s A Merry FORKING! Christmas, running Dec. 18-Jan. 2, a scripted play that lets audiences vote at crucial plot forks to determine the outcome for a potdealing mall Santa, his cookie-stand accomplice, a wobbly security guard, a bored mortician, and a jilted bride-tobe. Tickets at pianofight.com.

Take my mother, please

Don’t forget your mittens

Come to Katya’s cabaret

Kung Pao Kosher Comedy is back for its 22nd year, which is seven years older than its youngest performer. Simon Cadel, 14, is already a standup veteran with appearances at major comedy clubs. He shares the bill with two performers who can legally purchase the cocktails offered as part of the eat-Chineseand-laugh alternative to Christmas. Headliners Jeremy Holz and Ophira Eisenberg are comedy veterans, both natives of Canada, with numerous club, movie, and TV credits. Producer Lisa Geduldig emcees the Dec. 24-26 shows, which include both dinner and cocktails-only performances at the New Asia Restaurant. Tickets at koshercomedy.com.

Forking it over

The much-touted renaissance of the Mid-Market area takes another

Those who like a circus to be up-close and personal should take note of Mittens & Mistletoe: A Winter Circus Cabaret that is back for its fifth year. A troupe of veteran Bay Area circus artists is featured in the show directed by clown duo Coventry and Kaluza for Sweet Can Productions. Performances are Dec. 19-28 at Dance Mission Theatre. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com.

Marsh madness

On both sides of the bay, the Marsh has offerings for your holiday consideration. At its Mission location, Brian Copeland is performing The Jewelry Box: A Genuine Christmas Story through Dec. 27. This prequel to Copeland’s popular solo show Not a Genuine Black Man recalls his 6-year-old self as he hit the Oakland streets to earn money

to buy his mother a Christmas present. In Berkeley, Unique Derique is offering his blend of physical comedy, skits, and Hambone body percussion in Fool La La, running Dec. 20-Jan. 4. Tickets at themarsh.org.

Gift-wrapped insults

Its lengthy title gives you some idea of what to expect: An Evening with Bianca del Rio: Rolodex of Hate (Christmas Edition). The winner of this year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race will offer a full set of generally insulting comedy at two shows on Dec. 19 at the Castro Theatre. Peaches Christ will emcee the event being presented by Sasha Soprano and Marc Huestis. As Roy Haylock, Bianca started out as a teenage costume designer in New Orleans before becoming a self-proclaimed “clown in a dress” who gets laughs by basically tearing the audience to shreds. Tickets at comedyinthecastro.eventbrite.com.

Here comes NYE

There are theatrical, comedic, and cabaret options for bidding farewell to 2014. At Feinstein’s on Dec. 31, John Lloyd Young, who won a Tony Award as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, transitions his high tenor from the Four Seasons catalog to R&B standards heard on his new album My Turn. Theatre Rhino ends the year with a single performance of Morris Bobrow’s Shopping: The Musical at the Eureka Theatre. (Tickets at therhino.org.) And Brava Theatre Center is presenting a New Year’s Eve Comedy Fiesta starring popular standup comics Marga Gomez, Diane Amos and Betsy Salkind. (Tickets at brava.org.)t

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Steven Underhill Tony winner John Lloyd Young performs the New Year’s Eve show at Feinstein’s at the Nikko.

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December 11-17, 2014, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 39

A Night at the Jewseum Holiday party with art by David Elijah Nahmod

ust in time for Hanukkah, San Francisco’s venerable Contemporary Jewish Museum offers the latest edition of its quarterly party for the after work crowd. A Night At the Jewseum is definitely for grown-ups, a chance to party amid the CJM’s incomparable collection of Jewish history and Jewish-themed art. This month’s event commences on Thursday, December 18, from 6-9PM at the CJM’s historic, atmospheric home on Mission between 3rd and 4th Streets. CJM’s Gravity Goldberg, the museum’s curator for public programs, shared what attendees can expect. “It’s a unique opportunity to laugh, learn, eat, socialize and celebrate Jewish holidays in unexpected and vibrant ways,” Goldberg said. “Each Night at the Jewseum will draw upon Jewish themes and current museum exhibitions to provide re-imagined Jewish experience for 21st-century young adults.” The current Jewseum experience is titled Light. The Festival of Lights is the phrase often used to describe Hanukah, which commences on

Hanukkah cookie crafts.

Happy Fangs headlines the Jewseum event.

December 16. “Light is the core of the Hanukkah tradition,” Goldberg explains. “Lighting one candle per night during the darkest time of year, we gather around those candles to play, eat, and celebrate.” And what might that play entail, we wondered? “We will revere in all the ways we can play with contemporary concepts of light,” Goldberg said. “We will use the playfulness of black light ping pong (“Gather Round the Table”), fun neon crafts and a phenomenal LED light show (“we’ll give you a treat”) a dreidel light table (“little tops to play with”) and a delicious twist on the concept of Latkas by serving samosas (“and fried potatoes to eat”). Goldberg promises there will be an on-site DJ and, as

well as a video exhibition which will serve as an homage to the CJM’s exhibit Arnold Newman: Masterclass. Newman was a legendary photographer who photographed scores of famous people: celebrities, artists and politicians alike, often capturing parts of their personality rarely seen by the public. Several artists will be on hand to engage in the gallery where the Masterclass exhibition is on display. There will be a musical performance by the Bay Area indie rock band Happy Fangs. The band describes itself as “a war-painted and wiry rock trio. They create empowering anthems to make both Bikini Kill and AC/DC proud.”t

Courtesy www.thecjm.org

Above: Patrons at a recent evening event at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Below: Nibbly things served at a recent evening event at the Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Night at the Jewseum: Light, Thursday, December 18, 6-9pm, Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission. Free with museum admission, $5 after 5pm. 21 or older. www.thecjm.org Courtesy www.thecjm.org

He’s so Hawny

From page 37

But the butt! Known by thousands of viewers of his YouTube videos, Hawn’s lip-synching and nearly nude posing in videos online have aroused the interest of many, particularly for fans of a downright perfect posterior, shown off with a tongue-in-cheek smirk. But he’s more than a hunk. The trained zoologist also sings, and he’s got an array of fitness and coffee table photo books. If you want a few inside tips on how to get your physique bedroom –and bar-top– ready, Bryan gives excellent advice on his YouTube channel and in his book The List. I caught up with him, between gogo sets at The Midnight Sun, to try to capture the essence of a man definitely on his way up.

Cornelius Washington: Where are you from? Bryan Hawn: Atlanta, Georgia. What brought you to San Francisco? I moved to San Francisco to experience a new city and start a new chapter and adventure for my life. I had heard it was one the greatest cities in the world and am continuously intrigued by its diverse culture and progressive nature. What are your physical stats? 6 foot, 1 inch; 185 lbs. When and why did you start dancing? I first started dancing to fill in for a friend. I love being on stage and realized very quickly, my current two-week paycheck was made in a single night.

Were you nervous the first time you danced? I was, but I tried to use it to my advantage. The young, shy boy who was innocent and pure... LOL! At least, that was the card I was playing at the time. When you dance, what do you want people to see? Dancing is very liberating. It’s an opportunity to let go of the stress of life and live in the moment. I hope that people see someone who has connected with their own joy and is living it up. Every moment of joy is something that nobody can take away from you. Is dancing a more sensual or sexual experience for you? It depends. I think that’s what’s so great about dancing. When you get on stage, you can be anybody. There are times when I feel more ar-

tistic, and then their are times when I wanna get down and dirty and sex it up. The music can be a huge determining factor to the vibe as well. Do you have a move that makes customers want to tip and/or touch you? I find that people mirror back to you what you are feeling. If I’m having a great time, it creates a stronger draw that people want to be apart of it versus if I’m tired and exhausted, nobody is really being inspired to pull out their wallet. It’s more about connecting with a certain energy, than performing a particular move. What do others tell you is their favorite part of your body? Most people give their vote of confidence on my ass. What is your favorite body part, on yourself? I think I agree with the general public (smiles). What is your favorite part of others’ bodies? My eyes are drawn to a beautifully developed chest and a round tight ass :) What is your favorite music to dance to? I like hip-hop; it has a sexy vibe. The tempo is a little slower, and getting down and dirty seems to come more natural. What have you not worn when dancing, but, are dying to wear? I have worn just about everything, to pretty much nothing. I think I’ve covered everything. (Laughs)

A scene from Bryan Hawn’s latest lip-synch video on YouTube

What is your fitness regime? I have a strong athletic background in gymnastics and track & field. So I incorporate a lot of weight training with exercises from those particular sports. I’m a big fan

of bodyweight exercises, and in the gym I like to lift heavy. Go big or go home. As you’re not one to argue with the masses who love your backside, do you have any fitness tips to create a wonderfully round, luscious, manifest, juicy, fetching, demon-rebuking rock-hard ass? Haha! Yes, absolutely. Most people think about targeting the glutes as one entity, but there are different exercises that develop different parts of the ass muscle, and if you want a well-rounded butt, you have to target all of them. We are not just going for size, we are going for shape. Firming up the bottom part to erase any lines in connection to the thigh as well as creating as much shelf as possible from the lower back. When the top and bottom part of the glute muscle contract, it then forces the center of the muscle outwards creating a bubble butt. The exercises in the book target all of them. Fave celeb bodies, male and or female? Male: Fitness Model Matthew Stone. His proportions are stunning! Female: Instagram’s Jen Sedler the reigning female booty! Your YouTube fitness videos are pretty popular. Have you considered creating a video fitness series, or a blog (with tons of pictures)? I am actually preparing right now to film a fitness regimen for people. It’s gonna target every level from green beginners to advanced world class athletes. I’m excited to give people a road map to create a more athletic version of themselves. In some popular media, CrossFit is considered a cult. What’s your opinion? See page 41 >>

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

40 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

Coming together Leather Alliance and Mr S.F. Leather

by Race Bannon

hat if there was an organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that brought together the various clubs and other leather, kink and biker organizations under a single umbrella group that tried to foster dialogue and growth among them all? What if that organization also had some projects they undertook to benefit the community? Wouldn’t that be cool? Well, guess what, that organization exists. It’s the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance (www.leatheralliance.org). The Leather Alliance has a rich history that dates to the early 1970s, starting with when a group of bikers decided to band together and offer support and financial assistance to each other when needed. They formed the Bent Bike Fund. Over time, two other organizations were formed, the Inter-Club Fund and the Leather Forum, both serving the leather and biker organizations and community. Eventually the Fund and Forum organizations merged in 2008 into what is now known as the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance. Steve Gaynes, who sits on the Alliance Board as an Independent as well as representative for The 15 Association, has a long history of involvement with the local leather scene and he offered this. “When we last had the Leather Leadership Conference in San Francisco, we all decided that it was important for all the leather, kink and motorcycle groups to know each other and communicate with each other,” he said. “When I joined the Inter-Club Fund, it had a few groups and the Leather Forum had a few groups, and a few people went to both meetings. The mission for both groups would be enhanced if they merged and I helped to make that vision happen with great cooperation from both groups.” But the Leather Alliance is fully aware that not everyone is part of a club or organization, so their Board is comprised of both organizational and individual directors. This helps

Top three Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2015 contestants: Dustin Yeager, 2nd Runner Up (left), Christopher Humphreys, Winner (center), James Vargas, 1st Runner Up (right).

keep a balance between the needs and desires of community clubs and organizations and those who choose to remain independent. The current Individual Directors are Angela Di Tenebre, Mark Ingham, Rachele Sullivan and Jessie Vanciel. The current Director Organizations are Bears of San Francisco (www. bosf.org), San Francisco Dykes on Bikes (www.dykesonbikes.org), San Francisco girls of Leather (www. sfgol.org), Leather Quest (www.leatherquest.org), Rubber Men of San Francisco (www.rmsf.org), SF Citadel (www.sfcitadel. org), The Exiles San Francisco (www.theexiles.org), the Golden Gate Guards (www.ggguards. org), The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (www. thesisters.org), Defenders/SF (www.sfdefenders.org), The 15 Association (www.the15association.org), San Francisco Leathermen’s Discussion Group (www.sfldg.org), and Legion of Sin Motorcycle Club (www. legionofsin.com). In addition to the fostering of clubs and organizations, the Alliance also produces the Leather Alliance Weekend that consists of both the Mr. San Francisco Leather Contest and the Leather Community Awards, announced at the annual

Community Awards Dinner, which honors groups and individuals who have contributed significantly to the local community. The Alliance hosts Leather Alley (www.leatheralley.net) at the SF Pride celebration. Leather Alley offers a place within the Pride fair itself for kinksters and curious newcomers to socialize and learn in a welcoming environment. To serve the leather community in yet other ways, the Alliance has a grant program for community members in emergency need of support, educational projects, and suicide prevention resources in partnership with the Stop AIDS Project. The annual Alden Spafford Progressive Dinner is organized by the Alliance as a social event to bring together leather community members in support of our leather businesses and to raise funds to support the Alliance’s annual Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party, a party to thank those dedicated individuals who volunteer to make the various endeavors of the Alliance successful. I asked Angela di Tenebre, one of the Alliance’s Independent Directors, why having an organization like the Alliance is important. “It brings organizations and representatives from different parts of the greater Bay Area leather community together, to work coop-

Leather Events, December 12-26, 2014 Sober Kink Together @ Castro Country Club

Fri 12

Sun 14

Sober Kink Together @ Castro Country Club

The 15 Association Men’s Play Party @ Alchemy

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

A men’s BDSM play party. 1060 Folsom St., 2pm. www.the15sf.org

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

Mon 15

Sat 20

Sat 13

Ride Mondays @ Eros

Kink Salon - Kinky Carols! @ Powerhouse

LDG: Holiday, Anniversary and Volunteer Appreciation Party @ LGBT Community Center San Francisco Leathermen’s Discussion Group party with guest speaker Demetri Moshoyannis, 1800 Market St., 2pm. www.sfldg.org

Daddy! @ Powerhouse Cruise and be cruised by daddies, boys, and sexy men of all kinds, 1347 Folsom St., 9pm. www.powerhousebar.com

Mr. Edge Leather 2015 @ The Edge Contest to pick The Edge’s leather titleholder, 4149 18th St., 9pm. www.edgesf.com

Rich Stadtmiller

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

Wed 17

Erotic open mic and show benefiting local nonprofits. 1347 Folsom St., 6pm. www.powerhousebar.com

Mon 22 Ride Mondays @ Eros

Holiday party for men into fisting. 1347 Folsom St., 8pm. www.hellholesf.com

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

Fri 19

Fri 26

Bay Area boys of Leather: Boy Friday @ SF Eagle

Sober Kink Together @ Castro Country Club

Join the Bay Area boys of Leather for Boy Friday, their monthly cocktail social. 398 12th St., 7pm. www.bayareaboysofleather.org

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

Hell Hole’s 2nd Annual HoleA-Day Party @ Powerhouse

You can tell by the smiles on these faces that everyone had a great time at this year’s Leather Alliance Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party held this past Sunday.

Rich Stadtmiller

Many of the revelers at this year’s Leather Alliance Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party got in the spirit by mixing their leather and gear with more seasonal garb.

eratively on projects of the Leather Alliance itself, as well as a means to support the projects of the member organizations,” said de Tenebre. “In my opinion, this could be used very successfully to create a balance between shared activity and separate space. It’s important that we honor and respect the need for both.” Both Steve Gaynes and Dahn Van Laarz, President of the Alliance and organizational representative for The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, wanted to stress that newly forming clubs and groups should consider consulting with the Alliance. As Gaynes put it, “New leather and kink groups that are starting up should come to the Leather Alliance for help. The object of the Leather Alliance is to foster a vibrant leather, kink and motorcycle community.” Van Laarz offered this final thought. “There has been a lot of discussion over the last few years about our changing scenes, especially around the growth of online kink and fetish sites. I think the vitality of the Bay Area leather (kink/fetish/ gear) community, with a number of thriving clubs and a year-round calendar of activities, shows that online and offline access to information and people can complement each other. The most important piece to growing and keeping a strong SF leather community is the commitment of volunteers for projects, groups, and events. Stepping up and showing up to help with an event or project is a great way to meet others of like minds, to make connections with kinky individuals and groups, and to help create the spaces for those coming next. I am proud to be a part of moving our SF leather community forward, while honoring the traditions started by those willing to step outside their comfort zone all the way back to the 1960s.” Speaking of leather San Francisco

coming together, many leatherfolk came together this past Saturday to attend the Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2015 contest held at the SF Eagle. The SF Eagle is one of the iconic bars in leather history and its titleholder representative is considered a coveted honor. Desmond Perrotto produced this year’s contest and it went quite smoothly. The MCs were local titleholder celebrities Andy Cross and Thib Guicherd-Callin, and they did a great job. A fine lineup of respected locals were charged with judging the contest and they were Gage Fisher, Joan Norry, Lance Holman, Louie Pacheco Saenz and Sean Kline. Five men threw their hats in the ring to compete for this year’s Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2015 title. They were James Vargas, Christopher Humphreys, Justin Sam, Harry Kong and Dustin Yeager. It was a good contest, and as I watched it I felt it was a close race among them all. I don’t think anyone in attendance was entirely sure of who the winner would be, but when the votes were tallied by Tallymasters David Hegarty and Jason Husted, Christopher Humphreys emerged as the new Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2015. Let me offer my congratulations to Christopher. On a closing note, Gage Fisher, the outgoing Mr. SF Leather, had this to say. “As I step aside and think about this last year, I see that I was given an opportunity to join a ‘unique,’ and equally amazing family,” said Fisher. “It will continue to grow, and I’m thankful it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.” I wish the new Mr. SF Eagle Leather much luck and hope that he can also look back on his title year and feel as Gage does.t Race Bannon is a local author, blogger and activist. You can reach him at www.bannon.com

Read more online at www.ebar.com

Steven Underhill

Bryan Hawn dancing at Beaux.

December 11-17, 2014, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 41

He’s so Hawny

From page 39

I think CrossFit is fantastic; a big part of staying healthy and fit and finding something that you enjoy. Crossfit is high energy, it teaches new skills, and gives the athlete an inspiring community to be apart of. A lot of the skills are gymnastics based. In my opinion, gymnast have some of the best bodies in the world. My advice is to find something that creates consistency. What is the best aerobic activity, that has the least amount of wear and tear on the joints? If you are worried about joints, swimming hands down is going to be your number one fitness activity. It is not the most effective for fat loss because the buoyancy of the water counteracts the gravitational resistance of your body weight, but it is excellent for your heart. And if joints are a concern, it’s hands down the safest aerobic activity.

Bryan Hawn likes big (exercise) balls.

going to drop, your going to feel tired and hungry and every alarm signal the body can possibly give is going to go off. Welcome to the road of burning fat. Those signals are an active sign that you are doing it right. Secondly, you have to make sure that your body is not going to burn your own muscle for energy. There are actually only two times in the What is your opinion about soup day when the body is capabeing considered the fitness ble of burning fat. The List world’s “new juice”? will tell you exactly when In my opinion, I am not a they are. That would be fan of soup or juice. Soup is horrible to spend another usually very high in sodium, hour on a cardio machine which creates bloating and not targeting any fat, or water retention. It’s better worse burning your own to eat the actual fruit than muscle. drink the juice. This way Tip #3: It’s important the body can experience to eat foods that create an all the benefits of the fiber anabolic environment for and increase the body’s memuscle building and fat tabolism. If you drink juice, loss. There are foods that you’re just giving the body a increase the body’s natural bunch of fruit sugar (frucproduction of testosterone, tose). which makes the fitness process more effortless. New Year’s fitness resoThere are also foods that lutions are just around the increase estrogen, creating corner. Please tantalize my fat storage and lots of water readers with three tips from bloating. One food in paryour brilliant book, The ticular 71% of Americans List (What The Top Fitness eat on a daily basis. It raises Models Don’t Want You To your estrogen for three days Know). and, which basically means, Tip #1: Building a great everything you eat for the body is similar to constructnext three days, your body ing a beautiful house. You is going to try to store as can have the greatest confat. It also shatters your tesstruction workers (worktosterone production for outs), but without the right the same amount of time, supplies (diet), you can’t meaning your body cannot build anything. Most people complete protein synthesis, focus on zero fat, zero caloand you’re not going to reries, zero sugar. That’s wonbuild stronger from any of derful to know that it has your workouts. The List will none of those things, but tell you exactly what this Steven Underhill what does it have? Those food is, so you can avoid it foods are empty calories Bryan Hawn’s perfect butt at Beaux. like the plague and take the similar to giving your workfast track to a phenomenal ers a bunch of sand. Eat with physique. same way. Your cannot eat a banana a purpose. Focus on foods that are and expect the body to burn fat. It’s going to empower a strong foundaWhere can people see you dance? going to burn the banana. tion, and create muscle tissue that My dancing schedule is sporatic You might be asking, “How am you can grow and can build on over and changing, but most of the time, I going to have any energy?” Antime. In my book, there are four I am at Beaux on the weekends. I swer: Locate the unwanted fat on supplements that you must take to also dance at the Midnight Sun a your body, you have now found have a phenomenal physique. Withfew Fridays a month.t your new source of energy. Just as out them, the size and structure of it is extremely stressful to touch your house is limited. Two percent your savings when your checking Bryan Hawn’s website: of supplements actually work. Don’t www.bryanhawn.com runs out, the body responds the spend another $50 dollars on the Bryan Hawn’s YouTube Channel: same way. You are making it touch wrong one. www.youtube.com/user/BryHawn its emergency savings. It’s going to Tip #2: In a money analogy, the Bryan Hawn on Facebook: www. freak out, your serotonin levels are body has a checking account and a facebook.com/OfficialBryanHawn savings account. The checking is the food in your stomach and the glucose/energy stored in your muscles from the food you have previously eaten. The fat (adipose tissue) is your savings account. The body put it there for emergency purposes. When is the only time that we touch our savings account? Answer: When there is nothing in the checking. You must see your body the

<< On the Tab

42 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

eON THE T–AB f December 11 18

★

Russ Lorenson @ Feinstein's at the Nikko The performer's ninth annual Christmas in San Francisco concert includes guest singers Carly Ozard and the 16-piece Kelly Park Big Band. $25-$40 ($20 food/drink min.) 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder are joined by Mark Stoermer (The Killers' bassist) and Brak Wilk (Rage Against the Machine drummer) in a concert of the original band's music, and songs from the new CD, Monuments to an Elegy. $49.50-$60. 8pm. 982 Market St. smashingpumpkinsnexus.com www.thewarfieldtheatre.com

ow you prepare for a holiday can depend on your mood. To cheer you up, get some early ho ho ho’s at any of these spirited nightlife events.

Thu 11

The Monster Show @ The Edge

American Football @ The Fillmore

Cookie Dough's weekly drag show with gogo guys and hilarious fun. Dec. 11: a special Cyndi Lauper tribute night, with cast members from the Broadway touring musical Kinky Boots judging the kinky boots contest. $5. 9pm-2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the weekly gogotastic night of sexy dudes shakin' their bulges and getting wet in their undies for $100 prize (contest at midnight), and dance beats spun by DJ DAMnation. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Club Yass @ City Nights Frisco Robbie presents a new 18+ LGBT weekly night, with live sets by guest performers, DJ TwistMix, with a Latin room up front, gogo guys and gals. $10. 9:30-3am. 546-7938. www.sfclubs.com

Drag Queens on Ice @ Safeway Holiday Ice Rink, Union Square The seventh annual ice skating party with drag stars Mutha Chucka, Holotta Tymes, BeBe Sweetbriar, several Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, MC Donna Sachet and many other talents; 8pm9:30pm. Other festivities, including special events, continue thru Jan 19. $7-$11. Skate rentals $6. Powell St. at Geary. 781-2688. www.unionsquareicerink.com

Fuego @ The Watergarden, San Jose Weekly event, with Latin music, halfoff locker fees and Latin men, at the South Bay private men's bath house. $8-$39. Reg hours 24/7. 18+. 1010 The Alameda. (408) 275-1215. www.thewatergarden.com

Funny Fun @ Club 21, Oakland New weekly LGBT and straight comedy night hosted by Dan Mires. $10. 8pm. 2111 Franklin St. Oakland. (510) 2689425. www.club21oakland.com

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

Ho Ho Homo @ QBar Thursday double drinks thru December (closed Christmas Day). No cover. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Mary Go Round @ Lookout Suppositori Spelling, Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes host the weekly night with DJ Philip Grasso, gogo guys, drink specials, and drag acts. 10pm2am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

My So-Called Night @ Beaux Heklina hosts a new weekly '90s-themed video, dancin', drinkin' night, with VJs Jorge Terez and Becky Knox. Get down with your funky bunch, and enjoy 90-cent drinks! '90s-themed attire and costume contest. No cover. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie's Lounge The intimate groovy retro disco night with tunes spun by DJ Bus Station John. $4. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle The weekly live rock shows feature local and touring bands. 9pm-ish. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

VIP @ Club 21, Oakland Hip Hop, Top 40, and sexy Latin music; gogo dancers, appetizers, and special guest DJs. No cover before 11pm and just $5 after all night. Dancing 9pm-3am. Happy hour 4pm8:30pm 2111 Franklin St. (510) 2689425. www.club21oakland.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. 829-2233. www.virgilssf.com

Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences Themed event nights at the fascinating nature museum, with DJed dancing, cocktails, fish, frogs, food and fun. $10-$12. 6pm-10pm, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Pan Dulce @ The Cafe Amazingly hot Papi gogo guys, cheap drinks and fun DJed dance music. Free before 10pm. $5 til 2am. 2369 Market St. www.clubpapi.com www.cafesf.com

Pussy Party @ Beaux Women's happy hour, with all-women music and live performances, 2 for 1 drinks, and no cover. 5pm-9am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Rock Fag @ Hole in the Wall Enjoy hard rock and punk music from DJ Don Baird at the wonderfully divey SoMa bar. 12pm-2am. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com Radcliffe Photos

Resident DJs Jim Hopkins and Justime welcome guest DJs and play groovy tunes. Weekly, 9pm-2am. 1437 Haight St. 864-4213.

Frolic @ The Stud

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

Jackie Beat: On Ice @ Verdi Club

Beats Reality @ Trax

Sat 13

Thump @ White Horse, Oakland

Thu 18

The alt. pop trio performs their intimate polyrhythmic music. David Bazan opens. $25. 8pm. 1805 Geary Blvd. www.thefillmore.com

T Reveille Rodriguez

Smashing Pumpkins @ The Warfield

Fri 12 David Damiani @ Feinstein’s

Fri 12 Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi The musical comedy revue celebrates its 40th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. Special holiday-themed shows now through the New Year. $25$160. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Dave Damiani @ Feinstein's at the Nikko The LA-based singer performs with the No Vacancy Orchestra and guests Renee Olstead and Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr at a special Frank Sinatra tribute concert. $25-$40. 8pm. ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Fri 12 Planet Booty’s hunky Germick brothers @ Elbo Room

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edgeonethen Friday Night @ de Young Museum Nightlife events at the museum take on different themes. Free/reduced admission. 6pm-8:45pm. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. www.deyoung.famsf.org

La Gente, Planet Booty, Babii Cris @ Elbo Room Three fun soul funk bands perform at the nightclub doomed for demolition. Enjoy it while you can! $12. 9:30pm1:45am. 647 Valencia St. www.PlanetBooty.org www.elbo.com

Happy Friday @ Midnight Sun The popular video bar ends each work week with gogo guys (starting at 9pm) and drink specials. Check out the new expanded front lounge, with a window view. 4067 18th St. 8614186. www.midnightsunsf.com

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

Some Thing @ The Stud Mica Sigourney and pals' weekly offbeat drag performance night. 10pm2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Sat 13 Beer Bust @ Hole in the Wall Saloon Beer only $8 until you bust. 4pm-8pm. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The classic leather bar's most popular Sunday daytime event now also takes place on Saturdays! 3pm-6pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

On the Tab>>

December 11-17, 2014, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 43

Bootie SF @ DNA Lounge

Daddy @ Powerhouse

Pound Puppy @ Eagle Tavern

Celebrate eleven years of the weekly mash-up dance night, with resident DJs Adrian & Mysterious D. No matter the theme, a mixed fun good time's assured. $8-$15. 9pm-3am. 21+. 375 11th St. at Harrison. www.BootieSF. com www.DNAlounge.com

Daddys, boys, leather and gear, Bare Chest Calendar men, Scout the Bootblack shines you up, gogo daddies get down, drink specials, DJ Juan, and adorable host Andy Cross. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

The monthly canine caper-filled fun returns, with hosts Blake and Jorge, DJs Taco Tuesday and Chipmint, trims by hunky barber Tony DiCaro, and droolworthy (or drooling?) gogo pups. $8. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. sf-eagle.com

La Bota Loca @ Club 21, Oakland

Diego Gomez @ Spike's Coffee

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland Get groovin' at the weekly hip hop and R&B night at their new location. $8-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway. www.bench-and-bar.com

Frolic @ The Stud The fun monthly furry night (2nd Saturdays) returns, with resident house-dance DJ NeonBunny, plus guests. Animal fursuits and costumes encouraged, but not required. $3-$7. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.neonbunny.com/frolic

Winter party (blue and white theme) for the free social event for HIV+ guys and their friends, with DJ Sergio Fedasz, iPad mini raffle, 5pm-9pm. 1900 Folsom St. www.trucksf.com Noel Garingan

DJed tunes, gogo hotties, drag shows, drink specials, all at Oakland's premiere Latin nightclub and weekly cowboy night. $10-$15. Dancing 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

Artists reception and quickie sale of small works by the fabulous local painter, multimedia artist, actor and drag artist. 6pm-7pm. Show thru Dec. 15. 4117 19th St. at Castro. www.designnurd.blogspot.com www.spikescoffee.com

Resilient @ Truck

Charles Phoenix @ Empress of China Enjoy Chinese food downstairs (at the soon-to-be closed restaurant) before the LA-based king of kitsch shares slideshow pics of campy cuisine, vintage food, housewares and décor; presented by Peaches Christ. Cocktails available. $30-$35. 6pm & 9pm. 838 Grant Ave. Floor 5. www.charlesphoenix.com www.peacheschrist.com

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

Ho Ho Holiday Comedy @ Pa'ina Lounge/Restaurant Enjoy food and drinks as Charlie Ballard welcomes a slew of hilarious comics: Demar Randy, Anthony Guzman, Pete Munoz, Carrie Avritt, Emily Epstein White and Brad Loekle. Bring new unwrapped toys to donate and get in free. $10. 7pm. 2-item min. 1865 Post St. at Webster. 829-2642. www.painasf.com

Holiday Ball @ Space 550

Sun 14 Sundance Saloon’s Holiday Ball

kage

All Year long!

ish for!

Tovah Feldshuh @ Feinstein's at the Nikko The Acclaimed Broadway, film and television singer-actress performs Tovah: Out of her Mind!, a comic character performance of music ranging from Gershwin to Judy Collins. $45$60. 7pm. Also Dec 14, 7pm. ($20 food/ drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Sun 14 Beer Bust @ Lone Star Saloon The ursine crowd converges for beer and fun. 4pm-8pm. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

net.com

Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The classic leather bar's most popular Sunday daytime event in town draws the menfolk. 3pm-6pm. Now also on Saturdays! 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Beer Bust @ SF Mix The popular Castro bar hosts its weekly softball team beer bust fundraiser. 3pm-7pm. 4086 18th St. 431-8616. www.sfmixbar.com

Big Top @ Beaux Joshua J.'s homo disco circus night returns, now weekly, with guest DJs and performers, hotty gogo guys and drink specials. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.BeauxSF.com

Brunch @ Hi Tops Enjoy crunchy sandwiches and mimosas, among other menu items, at the popular sports bar. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Brunch Sundays @ Balancoire

Sun 14 Feral @ Thee Parkside’s Twang Sundays

Weekly live music shows with various acts, along with brunch, mimosas, champagne and more, at the stylish nightclub and restaurant. 2565 Mission St. at 21st. 920-0577. www.balancoiresf.com

Sundance Saloon's annual toy drive and countrywestern two-stepping party returns; bring a new unwrapped toy to donate and get $3 off admission. $5-$8. 5pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

Jock @ The Lookout The weekly jock-ular fun continues, with special sports team fundraisers. 3pm-7pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Mon 15 Cock and Bull Mondays @ Hole in the Wall Saloon Specials on drinks made with Cock and Bull ginger ale (Jack and Cock, Russian Mule, and more). 8pmclosing. 1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. www.hitws.com

Drag Mondays @ The Cafe Mahlae Balenciaga and DJ Kidd Sysko's weekly drag and dance night. 9pm-1am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

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

Irish Dance Night @ Starry Plough, Berkeley Weekly dance lessons and live music at the pub-restaurant, hosted by John Slaymaker. $5. 7pm. 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. www.thestarryplough.com

Karaoke @ The Lookout Paul K hosts the amateur singing night. 8pm-2am. 3600 16th St. at Market. www.lookoutsf.com

Mahogany Mondays @ Midnight Sun Honey Mahogany's weekly drag and musical talent show starts around 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Monday Musicals @ The Edge The casts of local and visiting musicals often pop in to perform at the popular Castro bar's musical theatre night. Dec. 15, cast members from the touring production of Kinky Boots! 7pm-2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing. 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Name That Beat @ Toad Hall BeBe Sweetbriar hosts a weekly musical trivia challenge and drag show. 8:30-11:30pm. 4146 18th St. at Castro. www.toadhallbar.com

Liquid Brunch @ Beaux No cover, no food, just drinks (Mimosas, Bloody Marys, etc.) and music. 2pm-9pm. 2344 Market St. www. beauxsf.com

Norman Vane @ Martuni's Holiday music and madness as Norman Vane returns with special guest star Dyan McBride and Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone) on piano. $9. 7pm. 4 Valencia Street at Market.

Salsa Sundays @ El Rio Salsa dancing for LGBT folks and friends, with live merengue and cumbia bands; tapas and donations that support local causes. 2nd & 4th Sundays. 3pm-8pm. 3158 Mission St. 282-3325. www.elriosf.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550

Wed 17 Alaska Thunderfuck @ Verdi Club

The popular twice-weekly country-western dance night includes line-dancing, two-stepping and lessons. $5. 6:3010:30pm. Also Thursdays 6:30pm10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. at Industrial. www.sundancesaloon.org

Sunday's a Drag @ Starlight Room

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

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

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni's

Twang Sundays @ Thee Parkside

Underwear Night @ 440

Americana-folk-rockabilly bands Carolyn Mark, Feral and Heartache Sisters perform. No cover. 4pm-7pm. 1600 17th St. www.theeparkside.com

Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone). 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market. www.dragatmartunis.com Strip down to your skivvies at popular men's night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. www.the440.com

See page 45 >>

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

44 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

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Steven Underhill

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et’s finish up the overview of recent TitanMen flicks that was started last week (BAR #49). Fast Paced is the flip side to Morning Wood. Where that one was chill, this one’s slammin’. Yet the three halfhour scenes of Fast Paced don’t feel like three rounds of bumper cars. There’s nothing frantic or hyped here, no over-performing. It’s just some man-heaving, high-energy sport fucks. The cast is top drawer, starting off with Trenton Ducati and Jake Genesis flipping each other. As Jake’s sudden retirement from porn was over a year and a half ago (the poor dear was born again), this must surely be the last Genesis scene that was awaiting release. If so, it’s a swell send-off. I don’t feel a need to hold Jake’s implosion against him, and have remained a fan. Here’s one of the things I like about Jake. Where the majority of porn stars are fairly indistinguishable from each other, Jake brings something special, something of his own to his performances (beside being gorgeous and grizzled, with a stunning body and the heaviest five-o’clock shadow the world has seen, totally eclipsing Jon Hamm). Perhaps you saw that dismal Peter Pan Live on TV last week. There’s more to playing Peter Pan than having a flat chest (along with flat line readings). What Allison William’s Pan sorely lacked that Mary Martin’s classic portrayal had was that Mary believed. Jake’s like that—or at least he was until his mind was clouded by religion. He believed; he was so present, so committed. Trenton in his own way can be special like that, and together, they’re pretty impressive—When Stars Collide. And though I was beginning to feel I’d seen everything Ducati had to offer, his passionate lunging toward Jake showed me again why he’s a star. With Jake, Trenton’s a spittin’ and drooling Master Slurper. Then he sits on a chair so Jake can straddle

TitanMen

Master Slurper Trenton Ducati gets last licks in on Jake Genesis, in Fast Paced.

his widespread legs for some Cinerama sodomy. With Trenton’s piston poked solidly up his butt, Jake’s sit down fuses the two men together, and brings forth the Jakejizz you longed for. Handsome Marcus Ruhl and ever-willing JR Bronson are special, too. Their scene may be basically vanilla, but it sure is revved up. The final scene brings us the broad face and body of George Ce (fat and chewy, uncut dick) with eager stud-boy Nick Prescott (superbly stiff, stand-up cock). Like the rest of the movie, the scene has excellent videography—you’ll almost get your nose caught right where Ce’s cock

2586

In Full View and Fast Paced

TitanMen

Don’t Johnny Parker (left) and Hunter Marx (right) look like they oughta be making out with each other?

plunges into Prescott’s butthole. Paul Wilde’s once again the sure handed director, for In Full View. It relaxes the pace, continuing the smooth, sexy flow of Morning Wood—think of it as Afternoon Wood. It delivers its enjoyable goods in a garden, on the lawn, and in the woods. In Full View launches with the handsome pair of Topher Dimaggio and Trent Davis. Topher’s attractive cock gets attractively sucked, with the camera taking in the star’s flawless skin and princely face. And as Topher sucks Trent’s chubbie, the lad takes the opportunity to lube up his asshole. It gets a good reaming from the (as usual) somewhat detached Dimaggio. Then Trent gives really good RC, and while still so sexily seated, sprays cum all over his torso. Daddy-in-the-making Johnny Parker takes time out while tending a lavish garden to top manly Rogue Status. Johnny’s one furry and husky guy, with thick as a specialty— broad neck, bulging biceps, meaty pecs. And a whopper cock that’s right in tune with the dude’s general thickness. Sweet natured Status is happy to sit atop Parker’s prick, upon which he dances the most suave butt samba. Fans of cockriding will go for this, the movie’s second outstanding RC. Status is so delighted in it that, well, gosh, it makes him cum. In the movie’s last scene, boyish Tony Orion pauses during his hike in the woods to arouse himself, and is observed from afar by Hunter Marx, who looks sharp in his Ranger’s uniform. Marx doesn’t leave Orion alone for long. Marx, a TitanMen Exclusive, looks like a brother to Johnny Parker. Their resemblance is so strong that some smart cookie at Titan should pair them together. They’re similar in body type, hair color, beards and body fur, with just enough age difference between them to support an older brother/ younger brother scenario. In this scene, Orion lavishes some lovin’ on Marx’ stout stalk, before Marx buries it deep within Orion’s welcoming ass. Marx may be kneeling way down south between Orion’s legs, but he shoots his load far north to the kid’s nipples.t www.TitanMen.com

t <<

On the Tab>>

On the Tab

From page 43

Tue 16 Block Party @ Midnight Sun Weekly screenings of music videos, concert footage, interviews and more, of popular pop stars. 9pm-2am. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Bombshell Betty & Her Burlesqueteers @ Elbo Room

December 11-17, 2014, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 45

Wed 17 Alaska's Blue Christmas @ Verdi Club Alaska Thunderfuck ( RuPaul's Drag Race ) and Handsome Jeremy perform the music/comedy "Saddest Christmas ever." $22.50-$35. 7pm & 10pm. 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net

B.O.O.B.S. @ Feinstein's at the Nikko

The weekly burlesque show of women dancers shaking their bonbons includes live music. $10. 9pm. 647 Valencia St. 552-7788. www.elbo.com

The Busty, Outrageous, Over-the-Top, Broads, Singin' trio perform their comic music holiday show Unwrapped for the Holidays. $15. 7pm. ($20 food/ drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey's

Bondage a GoGo @ Cat Club

Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. Dec. 2; Thai Rivera headlines. one-drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

The (mostly straight) kinky weekly dance night, where fetish gear is welcome; DJs Damon and Tomas Diablo play electro, goth, industrial, etc. 9:30pm-2:30am. 1190 Folsom St. www.bondage-a-go-go.com

Gay Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels

Bottoms Up Bingo @ Hi Tops

LGBT night at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the "Godfather of Skate." Actually, every night is gay-friendly, including Saturday's Black Rock night (Burning Man garb encouraged). Also Wed, Thu, 7pm-10pm. Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2:30pm and 3pm5:30pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Ink & Metal @ Powerhouse Show off your tattoos and piercings at the weekly cruisy SoMa bar night. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Play board games and win offbeat prizes at the popular sports bar. 9pm. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Bromance @ Beaux DJ Kidd Sysko spins tunes for the bro-tastic midweek night, with $2 beer pitchers, beer pong, $1 shots served by undie-clad guys. It's like a frat house without the closet cases. 8:30-10pm. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Dare 2 Bare @ Club OMG New weekly underwear night includes free clothes check, no cover, and drink specials. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Sat 13

Pound Puppy @ The Eagle

Red Hots Burlesque @ El Rio Women's burlesque show performs each Wed & Fri. Karaoke follows. $5$10. 7pm. 3158 Mission St. 282-3325. www.elriosf.com

Rookies Night @ Nob Hill Theatre Watch newbies get nude, or compete yourself for a $200 prize. Audience picks the winner. $20. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.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

Trivia Night @ Harvey's BeBe Sweetbriar hosts a weekly night of trivia quizzes and fun and prizes; no cover. 8pm-1pm. 500 Castro St. 4314278. www.harveyssf.com

Way Back @ Midnight Sun Weekly screenings of vintage music videos and retro drink prices. Check out the new expanded front window lounge. 9pm-2am. 4067 18th St. 8614186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Night at the Jewseum @ Contemporary Jewish Museum The band Light performs at this food, cocktails and games event. $5. 21+. 6pm-9pm. 736 Mission St. 655-7881. www.thecjm.org

Pan Dulce @ The Cafe Enjoy amazingly hot Papi gogo guys, cheap drinks and fun DJed dance music. Free before 10pm. $5 til 2am. 2369 Market St. www.clubpapi.com www.cafesf.com

Pussy Party @ Beaux Women's happy hour, with all-women music and live performances, 2 for 1 drinks, and no cover. 5pm-9am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Sharon McNight @ Feinstein's at the Nikko The veteran cabaret singer performs her popular music and comedy show, Twisted Xmas: A Druid's View of the Holidays. $25-$40. 8pm. Also Dec. 27, 8pm. ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The popular twice-weekly country-western dance night includes line-dancing, two-stepping and lessons. $5. 6:30-10:30pm. Also Sundays 5pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. at Industrial. www.sundancesaloon.org

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

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie's Lounge Retro disco tunes and a fun diverse crowd, each Thursday; now in its tenth year! $4. 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.

Wooden Nickel Wednesday @ 440 Buy a drink and get a wooden nickle good for another. 12pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. www.the440.com

Wrangler Wednesday @ Rainbow Cattle Company, Guerneville

San Francisco’s 18+ Sex Club!

The Russian River bar's country music night attracts cowboys and those who like to ride 'em. 8pm-1am. 16220 Main St., Guerneville. (707) 869-0206. www.queersteer.com

Thu 18 Bulge @ Powerhouse Grace Towers hosts the weekly gogotastic night of sexy dudes shakin' their bulges and getting wet in their undies for $100 prize (with a contest at midnight), and dance beats spun by DJ DAMnation. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Full Glitz @ The Stud

FBFE

Mahlae Balenciaga hosts a drag holiday pageant with performances by Raya Light, Sugah Betes, Kegel Kater, Velveeta WhoreMel, Veruca BathSalts and Miss Rahni Nothing More. Proceeds raise funds for Michael Phillis' upcoming bizarre camp pageant show. $10. 9pm-12am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Funny Fun @ Club 21, Oakland Naked Night @ Nob Hill Theatre Strip down at the strip joint while onstage strippers entertain. $20 includes refreshments. 8pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Piano Bar @ Beaux Singer extraordinaire Jason Brock hosts the weekly night, with your talented host –and even you– singing. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Showdown @ Folsom Foundry Weekly game night for board and electronic gamers at the warehouse multi-purpose nightclub. 21+. 6pm12am. 1425 Folsom St. www.showdownesports.com

Switch @ Q Bar Weekly women's night at the stylish intimate bar. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Trivia Night @ Hi Tops Play the trivia game at the popular new sports bar. 9pm. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Good Times @ Bench and Bar, Oakland 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

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

Open Mic/Comedy @ SF Eagle

LGBT comedy night hosted by Dan Mires. $10. 8pm. 2111 Franklin St. Oakland. (510) 268-9425. www.club21oakland.com

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

Ho Ho Homo @ QBar Thursday double drinks thru December (closed Christmas Day). No cover. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Jackie Beat: On Ice @ Verdi Club

Kollin Holts hosts the new weekly comedy and open mic talent night. 6pm-8pm. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

LA's ascerbic darkly hilarious drag queen returns for a night of sacreligious holiday camp. $25. 8pm. 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net

Rainbow Skate @ Redwood Roller Rink

The Monster Show @ The Edge

Weekly LGBT and friends skate night, with groovy disco music and themed events. $9. 8pm-10:30pm. 1303 Main Street, Redwood City. www. rainbowskate.net www.facebook. com/rainbowskating/

Cookie Dough's weekly drag show with gogo guys. Dec. 18: Monster Rock/Seattle Sound tribute night (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc.). $5. 9pm2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

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46 • BAY AREA REPORTER • December 11-17, 2014

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December 11-17, 2014, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 47

photos by Steven Underhill Santa Skivvies Run 6

he sixth annual Santa Skivvies Run saw a big turnout on December 6. Hundreds of participants stripped down to red and holiday-themed undies, Santa hats, longjohns and fuzzy antlers in the chilly damp morning weather. Spirits were warmed as the runners landed outside The Lookout bar, where the Santa’s Village offered drinks and frivolity. www.santaskivviesrun.org 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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