February 12, 2015 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 45 • No. 7 • February 12-18, 2015

Jane Warner Plaza to close for redesign Rick Gerharter

Kaiser has changed some of its prescription coverage for HIV medications.

Kaiser changes HIV drug coverage by Seth Hemmelgarn

eople living with HIV/AIDS and advocates are concerned about increased costs for medications since Kaiser Permanente and other insurers have begun requiring people to pay a percentage of the cost of their drugs, rather than a copay amount. Larry Hickey, chief financial officer for Steamworks, pointed to what’s happening at his company as an example of the concerns caused by the change. Hickey filed a complaint with Kaiser earlier this month after learning of the practice. In an interview, Hickey said an employee came to him after being “hit with a $900 bill for one month’s supply” of HIV drugs. Steamworks has one policy with Kaiser for its bathhouse in Berkeley and another for its office in San Francisco. In the Bay Area, the company has 36 employees, with 28 on the Kaiser policies. Kaiser is one of the Bay Area’s largest health insurers. In 2014, there was a $35 copay for generic drugs and a $50 copay for brand name drugs for both policies. The company renewed the plans for 2015, effective January 1. The copays remain, but “Kaiser created a new category called ‘specialty drugs,’ and instead of a copay, they have a 20 percent co–insurance [rate], which means each time someone fills a prescription of a specialty drug, they must pay 20 percent of the cost of that drug,” said Hickey. He calculated that 80 percent of brand name HIV drugs have been moved to the new tier. “This is huge for these guys that are HIV-positive,” Hickey, who doesn’t know how many employees are living with HIV, said of the workers. “Most of our employees at our Berkeley club are hourly employees,” he said. “There’s no way they can afford those kind of coinsurance” rates. “We put them on a gold plan so this kind of thing would not happen,” said Hickey See page 16 >>

by David-Elijah Nahmod

ane Warner Plaza at Castro and Market streets, which just underwent renovation as part of a $6 million sidewalk-widening project, will close in late February so that it can be redesigned following what officials and residents say is “really bad behavior” that has been occurring since the beginning of the year. At a sometimes tense meeting last week, residents said they were fed up with the

anti-social behavior and that the plaza was not honoring the memory of the woman for whom it was named, lesbian San Francisco Patrol Special Police Officer Jane Warner, who died of cancer in 2010. While several attendees at the February 2 meeting called for a permanent closure of the space, gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener said he opposed that idea. See page 16 >>

Two young people horsed around in the planter boxes in Jane Warner Plaza January 31 as they allowed their dog into the box. Rick Gerharter

Trans stabbing victim mourned at rally by Seth Hemmelgarn

pected of killing DeJesus, but she said police know who the suspect is, and ozens took part in a “die-in” he “is not a threat to public safety.” outside San Francisco City The investigation remains “open Hall Tuesday at a rally atand active,” said Gatpandan. The tended by more than 200 people as case is not being investigated as a police continue their investigation hate crime. into the stabbing death of a Latina Danielle Castro, 39, a transgentransgender woman in the Bayview der woman who knew DeJesus for neighborhood. over a decade, said, “She was just The mourners at Trans Liberation very light-hearted, funny, and just a Tuesday used the rally to call attenbeautiful, gentle soul.” tion to violence against transgender DeJesus was also religious, said women of color in San Francisco Castro. and other cities. “She would always say, ‘God bless Meanwhile, friends said that Taja you,’” she said. “It was like her faith DeJesus, 36, who was found dead was central to her.” February 1, was a “beautiful,” deeply Rick Gerharter Jen Arens, a social worker at the religious person, but she also suffered Participants at the Trans Liberation Tuesday rally outside San Salvation Army near where DeJesus harassment and housing problems Francisco City Hall lay down in a “die-in” to remember stabbing was killed, said she’d known DeJesimilar to what many trans people face. victim Taja DeJesus and other trans people lost to violence. sus for almost three years. A police summary said officers “She just showed up one day” and responding to the scene found DeJetold people at a Bible study, “I want sus in a stairway in the 1400 block of Days later, citing unnamed police sources, SF to tell you my favorite scripture McKinnon Avenue. Weekly reported that the suspect had hanged verse,” said Arens. The passage involved women A Bayview police station newsletter said, “ofhimself in the 4000 block of Third Street Mon- saving the world and the other women in the ficers were provided with the unit number and day, February 2. group “just loved her after that.” were informed that the suspect was still inside.” According to the medical examiner’s office, DeJesus “was definitely one of those people They found DeJesus inside the unit “with multhe man has been identified as James Hayes, 49, who would always put others first, always,” said tiple stab wounds.” Paramedics pronounced her a “Bay Area resident with no confirmed address Arens, who fought back tears as she spoke. dead at the scene. at this time.” “She was brilliant, and I’m not just saying “The suspect had fled prior to the officers’ Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswomthat,” she said. arrival, but is believed to have been identified,” an, said Tuesday afternoon, February 10 that she See page 13 >> police said. couldn’t confirm whether Hayes was the man sus-

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<< Community News

2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Plan calls for leather-themed plaza in SOMA by Matthew S. Bajko

leather-themed public plaza would be built on the roadway outside the Eagle bar in San Francis-

co’s South of Market neighborhood under a proposal backed by the developer of a new mixed-use housing and retail development. The plan would turn a block of

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12th Street, between Harunit residential project at 650 rison and Bernice, fronting Indiana. A majority of that the gay-owned bar into a plaza’s $1.2 million budget parklet with design eleis coming from $850,000 in ments celebrating SOMA’s impact fees Build is required ties to both the LGBT and to pay to the city. leather communities. Since Build is now proposing to the 1950s the neighborhood construct what it calls “cohas been home to a number living” housing on a vacant of gay bars and nightclubs, lot at 1532 Harrison across many catering to the leather the street from the Eagle scene. bar. The company is seekToday, most of the remaining approval to erect three ing LGBT nightlife establishbuildings on the parcel that ments are centered on or near would be organized into 28 11th Street between Folsom co-living houses. Each house and Harrison streets, with the would contain between five Courtesy Gehl Studio Eagle a block away. The city to 11 “suites” that would share has designated that section A preliminary drawing for Eagle Plaza on 12th common areas like a kitchen, of western SOMA as part of Street shows trees, seating, and other amenities. for a total of 235 suites. an LGBTQ cultural heritage Should planning officials district. reject that concept then Even though the parklet would Backers of what is being Build’s second option is to result in the loss of about 15 parking called the Eagle Plaza contend it construct three buildings of convenspaces, the owners of the Eagle have could serve as a focal point and tional housing, comprised of a mix been early backers of the proposed main gathering spot for the LGBTQ of 119 residential units that would be plaza plan. district. studios, and one and two bedroom “There is a lack of public space “I am super excited about it. I units. Both housing proposals would like this in this area. It is very much think it is beautiful,” said District 6 include ground floor retail spaces needed,” said Alex Montiel, a coSupervisor Jane Kim, whose office along Harrison Street. owner of the bar. “Something like has been involved in the initial talks Under either proposal Build this is very much needed for anyabout the proposed plaza. would be required to pay an estibody who lives around here. There Design ideas for the parklet run mated $1.7 million in impact fees to are no parks nearby.” the gamut from using the colors of be used for public amenities in the Plaza proponents have been the leather flag, which are blue, black, immediate vicinity. The backers of meeting since September to hamwhite, and red, for decorative pavers the Eagle Plaza could therefore seek mer out their ideas and prepare an and the color scheme of a mini-deck to secure at least $850,000 to cover initial concept rendering that will area near the bar’s entrance on 12th the cost of the parklet. be unveiled to the public during a Street to relocating onto the plaza “Having open space by residenbeer bust at the Eagle this Sunday the large flag pole the Eagle owners tial space is a huge amenity. Everyand at a public meeting next week. erected in the bar’s outdoor area durbody wants to live by a park,” said Based on community feedback to ing Leather Week in 2013 in order Build senior development manager the drawings, the designers will then to fly the leather flag after Castro Joe Peters. refine and retool the plaza plans as business leaders that year ended the The draft concept design plans they work toward gaining city apannual tradition of raising the flag at for the Eagle Plaza will be debuted proval to build the parklet. Harvey Milk Plaza. to the public during a special beer “This would provide an active Preliminary designs show that a bust event at the Eagle bar from 3 hub for the LGBTQ community and traffic lane could be maintained on to 6 p.m. Sunday, February 15 at added green space for the immedi12th Street, for use either by nearby 398 12th Street. The drawings will ate neighborhood,” said Hannah residents or emergency vehicles. be displayed both inside the bar and Smith, a project manager with UP Modular units like benches and outside on the sidewalk. Urban Design who has been worktree planters could be used to close A second meeting to gather pubing on the plaza project. off the lane on weekends or during lic feedback will be held from 6 to 8 Smith’s firm was hired by Build community events in the plaza. p.m. Tuesday, February 17 at MexiInc., which it shares office space Drawings posted on a website can restaurant Don Ramon’s, 225 with, to explore the idea for the Eagle for the Eagle Plaza feature spots 11th Street. Plaza. The two firms worked together for food trucks, tables and chairs, Additional information about the on the recently approved Dogpatch and seating units modeled after bar proposed plaza can be found online Arts Plaza adjacent to Build’s 111benches and jungle gyms. at http://www.eagleplazasf.com/.t

Swiss gay pioneers visit SF by Heather Cassell

eople crowded into the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library this week to get a living history lesson from Swiss gay rights pioneers Ernst Ostertag and Robi Rapp. On Tuesday, February 10 the two men told their story to some 30 attendees. A movie based on their activities, The Circle (Der Kreis), was shown the following evening. The men, both 85, were in San Francisco to promote the movie, which is about their work participating in Europe’s first successful gay magazine, the Circle, from which the movie took its name. The Circle was the only gay magazine that survived the Nazi reign and was supported by a smuggling ring that distributed the publication throughout Europe from 1932 through 1967. Published in English, French, and German, the Circle was also a secret society hosting balls and other events for gay men. The film was named best gay documentary at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival and selected by Switzerland as its entry for the Academy Awards for best foreign-language film. The men want to tell their story because they don’t want gay history to be lost.

Jane Philomen Cleland

Swiss gay rights pioneers Robi Rapp, left, and Ernst Ostertag are interviewed by historian Gerard Koskovich, right, at the James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the main library.

“We don’t want Der Kreis to be forgotten because it was such an important organization worldwide,” said Robb. Ostertag added that when the Nazis took over they destroyed everything and sent 15,000 LGBT people to the concentration camps. “It was all smashed down by the Nazis,” said Ostertag about important research that had been done on homosexuality in Germany. After the war, the members of the LGBT community began to seek each other out and rebuild. The magazine was instrumental in giving the gay community an identity by highlighting the work of prominent gay men in the community. It

depicted gay men as being normal rather than deviant and covered gay news around Europe, Ostertag said. In the middle of Nazi occupation of Europe, Switzerland, which remained neutral, was one of the first countries to decriminalize homosexuality in 1942. Yet, the Circle was much more than a magazine and it was more than the extravagant parties it hosted. The organization was a political and support network. Its members raised money to help fight against homophobia, whether aiding a court battle or funding researchers and writers working on LGBT subjects. It was at one of the famous balls hosted by the Circle that the two men found each other. Rapp recalled how the police officers would jockey to provide security for the Circle balls. See page 14 >>

Community News>>

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

Tradition and innovation combine at powwow by Yael Chanoff

hen participants in the Bay Area American Indian TwoSpirit Powwow danced, sang, and drummed recently they were following ancient traditions. They were also making history. The powwow was the first to include non-gendered dances and a third gender head dancer. Most powwows have a program of dances in men’s and women’s categories and two head dancers, a man and a woman. But BAAITS worked with community leaders to develop a program for the February 7 event that followed strict powwow protocol while doing away with gender binaries in the dances. “They’ve been very correct in their protocol,” said L. Frank Manriquez, co-emcee at the powwow. “BAAITS is trying very, very hard to really give the two-spirit community something very real, something their own.” Now in its fourth year, the BAAITS powwow remains the only public powwow in the world organized by and devoted to people who identify as two-spirit, an umbrella term that represents the honored roles of people of diverse genders and sexualities present in the traditions of almost every Native American culture. “Removing the categories of this is for men, this is for women – we’ve been doing that all our lives,” said Michelle Zamora, lead singer with the BAAITS Drum. “We’re making new traditions. It’s hard sometimes. It’s frightening. It’s judged. But we can’t be anything but ourselves.” The BAAITS Drum meets twice a month, and is the most frequent program BAAITS holds. The drag troupe Brush Arbor Gurlz grew from

Alana Perino

Spirit Wildcat, Miss Montana Two-Spirit, left, and Landa Lakes, also known as Miko Thomas, greeted each other at the Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirit Powwow February 7 at the Cow Palace.

BAAITS, and the group also holds potlucks and other social gatherings. The annual powwow is its largest event. This year, the event filled the 48,000 square foot South Hall of the Cow Palace, with more than 2,000 in attendance. “How do you explain people getting in their cars and driving down from British Columbia to our event? Trying to hitch a ride from Saskatoon?” said Aidan Dunn, powwow co-chair. His answer: “It fills a need.” Indigenous cultures everywhere have traditions that acknowledge and embrace diverse genders and sexualities. The term two-spirit refers specifically to queer Native

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<< Business News

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Venues learn same-sex wedding do’s and don’ts by Matthew S. Bajko

ith same-sex marriage now legal in more than three-dozen states and counting, this Valentine’s Day could see a record number of wedding proposals among Light Housekeeping • Companionship • Mobility Support same-sex couples. Dementia/Alzheimer’s Care • Medication Reminders Yet many in the wedding industry Fall Prevention • Shopping • Personal Appointments are ill prepared to meet the needs of an onslaught of gays and lesbians Eating Assistance • Menu Planning and Preparation looking to say “I do.” Even in liberal areas of the country, such as CaliforKevin Pete & Kenneth Boozer, Owners nia, wedding professionals are still trying to master the do’s and don’ts We invite you to contact us directly to discuss your needs when it comes to planning that special or a FREE initial in-home assessment. day for two grooms or two brides. “The wedding industry is very traditional and very bridal,” said Bernadette Smith, 38, a lesbian and www.GPinHomeCare.com founder of 14 Stories/Gay Wedding Institute. “Our certification program was developed to help wedding professionals to understand it is not just all about the bride.” BESPOKE Smith, the author of The BusiMATCHMAKING ness of Gay Weddings: A Guide for EXECUTIVE GAY MATCHMAKING FIRM Wedding Professionals (Goodnow Flow Publishing, 2014), has helped NEW YORK same-sex couples plan TORONTO their weddings since 2001 when she started her LOS ANGELES business in MassachuSAN FRANCISCO setts. Now based in New York, Smith began teaching webinars and conducting daylong seminars for other wedding planners in 2011. “I think people have started to realize that marriage equality has been in effect for two years now and their phone isn’t ringing,” she said. “They are asking, ‘What am I doing wrong CONTACT US TODAY TO SCHEDULE S A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION here?’ The answer is a lot of people are doing things wrong.” More than 700 people from 14 BespokeMatchmaking.com different countries have signed up for her tutorials on gay nuptials. Last year was her most successful to date. “When working with same-sex couples lots of nuances come up, 3.75 inch wide x 4.indd 30 11/11/2014 4:44:57 PM not only in terms of language and family dynamics but the lack of tradition,” said Smith, who noted that “weddings are so steeped in gender and gender roles” that often don’t apply to same-sex couples. “It really allows us a lot of freedom for how we plan our weddings and reinvent traditions,” said Smith. “It can be really mind blowing for students who take my course to realize that.” Unintentional errors can be offputting to same-sex couples, she

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Rachel Lawton, foreground, and her spouse, Monica Ball, held their wedding last August on the grounds of Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds.

noted, and result in lost business for wedding planners. “Simply understanding that it can be a very expensive mistake if a form or wedding contract says bride and groom or a website says bride’s fairytale dream wedding,” Smith said. It was a lesson not lost on Cristina Thomas, the event coordinator at Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. The state park, operated by the private company Aramark, is famous for its beachside setting and collection of nearly 100 buildings designed by the celebrated architect Julia Morgan. After completing one of Smith’s webinars last year, Thomas updated the forms she uses, switching to “contact” for “bride” and “groom.” For her homework, she contacted outside vendors for cakes and flowers that she recommends to ensure they would work with same-sex couples. “We wanted to get a better grasp of that market in the most appropriate way,” said Thomas on why she sought out Smith’s guidance. Last summer Rachel Lawton, 36, who is working on earning a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, and Monica Ball, 33, a physician assistant, worked with Thomas to plan their sunset wedding and reception for 75 people at Asilomar. The couple, who live nearby in Sand City, said they appreciated knowing that Thomas had sought to learn more about working with same-sex couples.

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“I was tickled when she told me she had taken that training. I am happy she went that extra mile to be affirming,” said Lawton. “She didn’t need that training because she was already welcoming and open. But it is nice to see people make that extra effort. That says something about her commitment to making that space open and welcoming for everybody.” Asilomar usually hosts between 30 to 40 weddings a year and is looking to double its wedding business to host up to 80 ceremonies per year. While it has worked with just a handful of same-sex couples to date, the venue hopes more will consider it as a preferred location for their wedding. The lessons Thomas learned through the Gay Wedding Institute certification course are being shared among Asilomar’s staff so they can provide all couples with a “special day” free of stress. “For us to do it successfully, we had to know all the nuances and make sure we do it correctly,” said Tim McGill, director of sales and marketing at Asilomar, about targeting the gay wedding market. For more information about Asilomar, go to http://www.VisitAsilomar.com. To enroll in a Gay Wedding Institute course, visit http://www.gayweddinginstitute.com/.

Travel agency celebrates move

To celebrate the launch of its new location, Castro-based travel agency Now, Voyager is hosting an open house on Valentine’s Day. The business was thrown into turmoil by the apparent suicide of founder Jonathan Klein in 2013. A year later it was evicted from its longtime home on 18th Street, and co-founder Peter Greene questioned how long he could keep it afloat. Then landlord Joe Chavez stepped forward to rent Greene office space at a below market rate at 4115 19th Street next door to Spike’s Coffee and Teas. Greene plans to have the doors open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and for several hours on Saturdays. “It is heaven-sent, really,” said Greene. “We are going to try to make the best of it. It is a lovely little space.” The grand opening party with wine, food, and a giveaway, sponsored by Seadream Yacht Club, takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, February 14.

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Hip Chick Farms, the lesbianowned purveyor of artisanal and organic frozen food items profiled in the September 2014 Business Briefs column, recently received $25,000 from Pipeline Fellowship, an angel investing bootcamp just for women that launched last year. Pipeline Fellow Kelly Keenan Trumpbour, part of the inaugural class, will join Hip Chick Farms as a board member. Spouses Serafina Palandech, who runs the business, and Jennifer Johnson, a trained chef, live on a farm in Sebastopol and launched their company two years ago. “We were impressed by the business Serafina and her team have built in such a short time,” stated Keenan Trumpbour. “Their collaborations with companies such as Whole Foods speak to Hip Chick Farm’s long term scalability.”t Got a tip on LGBT business news? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ ebar.com.

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<< Open Forum

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Volume 45, Number 7 February 12-18, 2015 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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Nothing new in archbishiop’s handbook

eachers and students at four grams, and facilities that match Catholic high schools that their gender identity. Staff at reare administered by the Archdioligiously affiliated schools should cese of San Francisco shouldn’t not be surprised that churches be surprised by the details in can set guidelines mandating the revised handbook released their beliefs as terms of employlast week requiring teachers and ment. On the flip side, such other employees to follow the schools do not receive public Catholic Church’s doctrines – funding, so taxpayers aren’t footor else. The real surprise is that ing the bill for discrimination. anti-gay Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone’s release of the reCordileone didn’t issue it sooner, vised handbook seems timed to say immediately upon his arrival contract negotiations with the in the city in 2012. The part of the Catholic high school staff and handbook that has upset many its union. The most problematic centers on the so-called morality part of the handbook requires clause that calls gay sexual relateachers to be designated as Rick Gerharter tions “gravely evil,” along with sex “ministers,” which might affect outside of heterosexual marriage, High school students, parents, and supporters held a vigil at St. their right to bargain collectively, viewing pornography, and mas- Mary’s Cathedral February 6 in support of faculty, staff, and as union representatives pointed turbation. The morality clause administrators who oppose Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone’s out. Defining teachers as minisrequires school staff to “affirm proposed contract changes and a revised handbook. ters, which we disagree with, imand believe” the controversial plies that they are controlled by statements as well as marriage and support church doctrine and or not. He just might be more pleasant between one man and one woman, could, as the San Francisco Chronicle reported, about it. despite California law that allows have legal implications in terms of future job Religiously-affiliated schools are same-sex marriage. security. allowed wide latitude in how they You could hear the howls of Mostly, Cordileone’s handbook will hurt operate; they do not fall under the protest as soon as news broke of students who want to come out, as teachers same non-discrimination statutes as the revised handbook, but, as Corwill be severely limited in what they can do to public schools, nor do they need to dileone said, none of the material is help them. It will encourage students to stay adhere to state laws like AB 1266, new. Nor, for that matter, does it closeted longer – never a good thing – and which ensures that transgender appear that any of the content conmake teachers jittery about being supportive students can fully participate in all tradicts Pope Francis, who despite and discussing LGBT subjects. The archbishschool activities, sports teams, proa significantly gentler tone than op’s actions come at the expense of an honest San Francisco’s archbishop, and tolerant atmosphere. has not moved to change any If Cordileone thinks that his of the church’s policies regardhandbook will instill anti-gay ing gays and marriage or gays attitudes in students, we think in general. In short, the Cathohe’ll be disappointed. They lic Church doesn’t like us, and likely have gay friends and certainly won’t be revising its don’t see same-sex marriage as tenets anytime soon. So while “evil” or wrong. Last year when to us Cordileone’s position is a lesbian San Francisco Cathocompletely wrong, it’s entirely lic school student’s yearbook consistent with the Vatican, photo initially was omitted beand in the archbishop’s view, cause she wore a tux, her friends that’s all that matters. The rallied around her, wearing ties pope must have heard of the in solidarity. We see more demdust-up over the handbook, onstrations of support like that and the calls for him to reoccurring, not fewer. move Cordileone and replace And, parents can always him with someone more like opt to send their children to himself. But even if that were other schools, thereby deto happen, a new archbishop priving Catholic schools of would have to believe in the what they need most – paying church’s teachings, handbook students.t

Tabloid frenzy engulfs Bruce Jenner by Cass A. Leung

ne of the hot button celebrity stories these days appears to be the alleged transition of one Bruce Jenner, former famous Olympic athlete-turned celebrity stepdad-turned tabloid darling. Whether it’s coverage on TV, online news sites, mainstream news outlets, or friends’ posts on social networking sites, it seems that everybody has an opinion on this, and it seems that everyone thinks they know what’s going on. And frankly, that’s what I have a big problem with. Now, right off the bat I’ll be the first to admit that I barely follow this story. I know who Jenner is because I’ve always been a sports fan so I recognize Jenner as a decorated former athlete. I also know of Jenner through their association with the Kardashian clan because, well, I watch TV. Admittedly, that’s where the bulk of my knowledge of Jenner originates. Everything else is basically hearsay. And it is for that reason that even though I support any transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, intersex, and genderquestioning person’s right (and unfortunately, often, fight) to be who they are, that I currently refuse to put a label on who Jenner is, how Jenner identifies, or even the journey that Jenner may or may not be embarking on. As far as sexual orientation and gender stuff goes, I personally have come out three times in my life: when I was 16 I came out as being gay. When I was 21 I came out first as being trans, and then as being kinky. I was fortunate that at every step of my coming out I found supportive people who readily accepted me and the road I felt I needed to take to figure out who I am. At the same time,

Bruce Jenner seen arriving at an Elton John concert at Staples Center in Los Angeles last fall.

I also encountered folks who were quick to assign labels to orientations and identities I was still just getting to know and accept, as well as to offer advice and opinions I don’t think I ever asked for. At some point, it felt like my decision to attempt to live authentically and to seek support for that decision was no longer mine, but instead up for grabs to whoever felt they knew better. As someone who has at quite a few points in my life felt control of my life was being

taken away from me, this somehow felt familiar. Reading the coverage of this Jenner thing, it seemed like pro or con, many people have already decided that they know who Jenner really is; they know the steps Jenner is taking; and they know what Jenner should do. But unless Jenner actually said something about this recently and I missed it, what I see is that no one really does know, and that everyone is just offering their unsolicited opinions. I don’t have any inside information about anything, and I don’t know how Jenner identifies. But I do remember the countless times in my road of self discovery when people have told me how I needed to look, how I needed to dress, and even how I needed to walk and talk in order to be taken seriously as the identity I wasn’t even sure was right for me. It seems to me that a lot of this stripping away of control of one’s autonomy may be happening to Jenner, and if that’s the case, everyone: STOP IT! Figuring out who one is is hard. Once that’s been achieved, figuring out how one wants to express that can be even harder. I believe this is true whether one is famous or not because often when making that decision one has to weigh expressing one’s truth versus enduring the outside world and how cruel, cold, and opinionated it can often be. I’m lucky that throughout my coming out quest I not only had people around me who were supportive and who showed me unconditional love, I also had people who constantly reminded me regardless of who I am and how I choose to represent that, when and how I choose to reveal and explore that is up to me and that no one else knows better than I do. I sincerely hope and pray that Jenner has someone telling this to them.t Cass A. Leung lives in San Francisco.

Letters >>

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Empress candidate’s name obscures history I have always been supportive of and enjoyed the Imperial Court. I admired Jose Sarria, the Widow Norton, hosted her to lunch with friends years ago, grieved at her passing, and was moved by her deservedly lavish requiem at Grace Cathedral. On Saturday, February 7, as I walked the Castro, however, the new Imperial Court candidates were rallying support and lobbying for votes. I was stunned by the Castro cheerleaders chanting, “Khmera Rouge! Khmera Rouge!” and I stopped cold, thinking perhaps I’d misheard. I had not: “Vote for Khmera Rouge!” Those participating were not even born yet when Cambodia was torn apart under Pol Pot’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime. The grotesque images of stacked skulls still overwhelms me. I voiced my concerns twice to different Khmera Rouge supporters. They looked abashed, said they understood, but that Khmera Rouge is herself Cambodian and hoped through this campaign to turn that history into something positive. This is an example of what AA’s Big Book calls “stinking thinking.” This campaign is a stark abuse of history.

Animal welfare and public health

The deadline for the introduction of new state legislation is February 27. I currently have three unbacked bills in need of an author: (1) to require on-site veterinary care at all rodeos, not merely “on call”; (2) to ban the rodeo’s brutal “steer tailing” event; and (3) to ban the importation of live frogs and turtles for human consumption. All are diseased and/or parasitized, posing major threats to the environment and the public health. Likely authors would be members of the Capitol’s Animal Protection Caucus: state Senators Jim Beall (D-San Jose), Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), Loni Hancock (D-Oakland), Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), and Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). Assembly members include Luis Alejo (DSalinas), Speaker Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), Richard Bloom (D-Santa Barbara), Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake), Brian Maienschein (R-San Diego), Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco), Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood), and Das Williams (D-Santa Barbara). All legislators may be written c/o the State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Let them hear from you. As the Lorax says, “Unless somebody like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Ron Schmidt San Francisco

Eric Mills, Coordinator Action for Animals Oakland, California

Covered California seeks to gather LGBT data by Matthew S. Bajko

overed California, the staterun health insurance exchange, is seeking permission from federal regulators to collect LGBT data from people who sign up for coverage through it. In an editorial board meeting with the Bay Area Reporter, Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee disclosed that his agency had submitted a request with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to add questions about a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity on forms used by the state agency. Lee, who is gay, said the questions would be asked of people after they enroll in an insurance plan through Covered California. The agency, which has made the LGBT community a focus of its marketing campaigns, worked with a number of stakeholders to help it draft the questions, added Lee. “We are seeing if they can be added by the next time for enrollment,” said Lee. The current enrollment period ends this Sunday, February 15, and the next period will run from October 1 through December 15 to sign up for health insurance that begins in 2016. It is unclear if other states that have also set up their own health insurance exchanges are also looking to collect LGBT data. Spokespeople for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not respond to the B.A.R.’s interview request by press time. Kellan Baker, an analyst with the Center for American Progress involved in the national Out2Enroll effort focused on uninsured LGBT people, told the B.A.R. during an interview last month that he was unaware of any entity involved in signing people up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act asking about sexual orientation or gender identity. “We do not have data collection by federal or state exchanges on how many LGBT people got covered. Neither has questions asking about LGBT people,” said Baker. “That has to change. By knowing those numbers we can build optimally effective mechanisms for getting the LGBT community the coverage it needs.” Despite pledges to share with the B.A.R. the exact wording of the sexual orientation and gender identity questions they submitted to the

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

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Starting February 21, 2015 Jane Philomen Cleland

Debi Shargek, left, talks about health coverage with Lissa Lin and San Francisco Assemblyman Phil Ting at last weekend’s health insurance enrollment fair at the LGBT Community Center.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, officials with Covered California have yet to do so. Should federal officials grant permission for Covered California to move forward with the LGBT questions, Lee said the next step would be for the agency to receive sign off from Governor Jerry Brown’s administration and the state Department of Health Services. “Covered California and the administration has to do it together,” said Lee. Although California lawmakers passed a bill two years ago that would have authorized various state agencies, including Covered California, to include voluntary questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on applications and forms, Brown vetoed it. One factor was the cost of changing computer systems and updating paperwork. Equality California, the statewide LGBT advocacy group, has made the issue one of its top legislative priorities this year, and state legislators are expected to reintroduce the LGBT data collection bill this month. State Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), who in 2003 helped defeat a state ballot measure that would have restricted the collection of race-based health data in California, told the B.A.R. this week that he believes having Covered California collect LGBT-based data “is a great idea.” Having such information “is very critical” for knowing what specific health measures and public outreach campaigns targeting LGBT people are needed, said Ting, who joined with San Francisco Democrats Assemblyman David Chiu and gay state Senator Mark Leno to host a health insurance enrollment

fair last weekend at the city’s LGBT Community Center during which 35 people signed up for coverage. “If you think about the cost of adding another box or question to a form, it is a very efficient way to get it done,” said Ting in regard to Covered California’s proposal to revise the form it currently uses. “I was surprised the governor would veto it. He is very fiscally conservative and this is a very cheap way to get it done.” During a press call in late 2013 with gay media outlets to talk about Covered California’s outreach to uninsured LGBT people in the state, Lee promised that the agency would “continue to look at how we collect data.” In the coming weeks Covered California will be fielding a survey of several thousand Californians to gauge their experience so far with the health exchange. The agency will be asking people who take part in the study to self identify as either gay, straight, bisexual, or transgender, said Lee. “The reason why it is important to do is because if we don’t, we can’t understand how well enrollment is working and if we are getting people the care they need,” said Lee. “There will be a lot more work on this in the years to come.”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 an LGBT faith-based group’s merger with Equality California. 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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What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. It combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

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

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• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking STRIBILD, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. STRIBILD is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), triazolam, oral midazolam, rifampin or the herb St. John’s wort. • For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages. • Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, or the medicine adefovir (Hepsera®).

What are the other possible side effects of STRIBILD? Serious side effects of STRIBILD may also include: • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with STRIBILD. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD. • 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 STRIBILD. The most common side effects of STRIBILD include nausea and diarrhea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD 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 STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. • If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc). • If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. • 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 STRIBILD 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.

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STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

I started my personal revolution Talk to your healthcare provider about starting treatment. STRIBILD is a complete HIV-1 treatment in 1 pill, once a day. Ask if it’s right for you.

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Patient Information STRIBILD (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 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 STRIBILD? • STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. • STRIBILD 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 STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take STRIBILD 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

• Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider • If you stop taking STRIBILD, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking STRIBILD Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: • adefovir (Hepsera®) • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • oral midazolam • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort Do not take STRIBILD if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla®, Complera®, Viread®, Truvada®) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine, lamivudine, or ritonavir (Atripla®, Combivir®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Kaletra®, Norvir®, Trizivir®, Truvada®)

• have trouble breathing

STRIBILD is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old.

• have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting

What are the possible side effects of STRIBILD?

• feel cold, especially in your arms and legs • feel dizzy or lightheaded

STRIBILD may cause the following serious side effects:

• have a fast or irregular heartbeat

• See “What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?”

2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take STRIBILD. 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 You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. 3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take STRIBILD, your HBV may get worse (flareup) if you stop taking STRIBILD. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. • Do not run out of STRIBILD. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your STRIBILD is all gone

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• 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 STRIBILD. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take STRIBILD. 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 who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects 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 right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

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The most common side effects of STRIBILD include: • Nausea • Diarrhea 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 STRIBILD. 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. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B infection • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. - 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 with 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 STRIBILD. - 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 STRIBILD can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in STRIBILD can pass into your breast milk. - Talk with 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: • STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. • Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: - Hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc) - Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD

- disopyramide (Norpace®) - estazolam - ethosuximide (Zarontin®) - flecainide (Tambocor®) - flurazepam - fluticasone (Flovent®, Flonase®, Flovent® Diskus®, Flovent® HFA, Veramyst®) - itraconazole (Sporanox®) - ketoconazole (Nizoral®) - lidocaine (Xylocaine®) - mexiletine - oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) - perphenazine - phenobarbital (Luminal®) - phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) - propafenone (Rythmol®) - quinidine (Neudexta®) - rifabutin (Mycobutin®) - rifapentine (Priftin®) - risperidone (Risperdal®, Risperdal Consta®) - salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol when taken in combination with fluticasone (Advair Diskus®, Advair HFA®) - sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or vardenafil (Levitra®, Staxyn®), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). If you get dizzy or faint (low blood pressure), have vision changes or have an erection that last longer than 4 hours, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away. - tadalafil (Adcirca®), for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension - telithromycin (Ketek®) - thioridazine - voriconazole (Vfend®) - warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) - zolpidem (Ambien®, Edlular®, Intermezzo®, Zolpimist®) 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 STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. Keep STRIBILD and all medicines out of reach of children.

- atorvastatin (Lipitor®, Caduet®)

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about STRIBILD. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about STRIBILD that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.STRIBILD.com.

- bepridil hydrochloride (Vascor®, Bepadin®)

Issued: October 2013

- Medicines to treat depression, organ transplant rejection, or high blood pressure - amiodarone (Cordarone®, Pacerone®)

- bosentan (Tracleer®) - buspirone - carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®) - clarithromycin (Biaxin®, Prevpac®) - clonazepam (Klonopin®) - clorazepate (Gen-xene®, Tranxene®) - colchicine (Colcrys®) - medicines that contain dexamethasone - diazepam (Valium®) - digoxin (Lanoxin®)

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<< Community News

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Accused fake cop convicted in sex case by Seth Hemmelgarn

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MCC San Francisco, a home for queer spirituality, has moved!

1300 Polk Street @ Bush (home of First Congregational Church of San Francisco) Sundays

SF to honor Sylvester compiled by Cynthia Laird

Please join us for worship services at our new home:

Noon — Traditional worship 6 p.m. — Worship & Praise (high energy gospel)

San Francisco jury has convicted a man accused of being a fake cop of most of the dozens of counts against him, including unlawful sodomy, unlawful oral copulation, and oral copulation by use of an intoxicating substance. Jurors also agreed that Jeffrey Bugai, 36, of San Francisco, had attempted to orally copulate one victim “by threat of the use of official authority,” but found him not guilty of impersonating a public officer in at least one other count. The jury hung on a charge that Bugai had kidnapped one of his victims. In a news release shortly after jurors announced their verdicts Wednesday, February 4, Max Szabo, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said all of Bugai’s victims had been undocumented immigrants. “The facts of this case highlight why we desperately need immigration reform,” stated District Attorney George Gascón. “When victims are afraid to come forward

Wednesdays

7 p.m. — Candelight Taizé service

Thanks and a fond farewell to Eureka Street in the Castro! MCCSF has been serving the spiritual needs of the Bay Area LGBT community for 45 years.

and cooperate with auBugai would be testifying, thorities because of their “We were all very excited immigration status the to hear from him.” whole community sufHowever, said Cunfers. Had some of the ningham, who’s gay, Bugai undocumented victims “did not help himself” come forward earlier, with his testimony, “and he authorities could have basically solidified some of intervened and prevented our thinking about him.” Courtesy SFPD others from being victimHe said the defendant’s ized by this predator.” “tone and demeanor” on Jeffrey Bugai Bugai, who faces life in the stand “was reflective prison and is set to be senof what we had heard tenced March 6, victimized five men about in terms of [him] having a between January 2008 and the end of very short fuse.” March 2014, Szabo said. There had Jurors who spoke with the Bay been six alleged victims, including one Area Reporter also pointed to the man Bugai was accused of extorting. credibility of most of the witnesses, As the verdicts were read Wednesincluding the victims. day in superior court before retired Kathy Spangler, 64, said one Judge Jerome Benson, Bugai showed man’s testimony “haunted me for a no obvious emotion. weekend. It was that compelling.” In a highly unusual move last week, Assistant District Attorney ShaBugai took the stand – days after atron Reardon prosecuted the case. torneys had given their closing arguDeputy Public Defender Phoenix ments and jurors started deliberating. Streets represented Bugai. Jay Cunningham, 54, who served According to court records, Bugai as the jury foreman, said in a recent changed his name to Jeffrey Thomas interview that when jurors found out in 2011.t

he late gay disco sensation Sylvester James will be honored by the city of San Francisco and the Board of Supervisors Friday, February 13 at 2 p.m. at the star’s plaque on the Rainbow Honor Walk in the Castro. Friday will be proclaimed “Mighty Real Day: Honoring Sylvester and his Music,” according to a news release. The event coincides with a new musical, Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical” that plays through March 1 at Brava Theater.

In attendance at the ceremony will be the show’s creators, Anthony Wayne and Kendrell Bowman, along with the New York cast, Anastacia McClesky, Jacqueline B. Arnold, DeAnne Steward, and Rahmel McDade, along with Brava Executive Director Anastacia Powers Cuellar and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph of the DIVA Foundation. Paul Boneberg, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society is also expected to be on hand. Sylvester, as he was known, was a singersongwriter who had a string of hit singles in the 1970s. He lived in the Castro and died in 1988 at the age of 41 from AIDS-related complications.

CUAV open house

Community United Against Violence will have an open house Thursday, February 19 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at its offices, 427 South Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco. According to a news release, community members are invited to learn about the work CUAV is doing through its wellness services and community organizing. There will be refreshments and music. Oakland artist Adee Roberson, a black feminist, will be the open house artist.

Mick Hicks

Sylvester

For more information, visit www. cuav.org.

Help Tenderloin Tessie’s clean house

Tenderloin Tessie, the nonprofit that holds holiday dinners for those in need, is seeking volunteers to help clean out its storage locker, reorganize it, and take an inventory. Board president Michael Gagne said the clean-up will take place Saturday, February 21 from noon to 4 p.m. To sign up and receive the address information, email tenderlointessie@yahoo.com. See page 14 >>

Obituaries >> Michael K. Baxter March 15, 1954 – February 4, 2015 It is with heavy hearts that hundreds of San Francisco city and community-based organization employees mourn the passing of a tireless advocate and leader in the field of the adolescent health, Michael Baxter, MSW. As the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s director of Primary Care Youth Programs and Family Planning, Michael oversaw and directed the operation of eight youth clinics located throughout the city, with a particular eye to enriching programs for low-income, homeless, incarcerated, and LGBTQ youth, and youth of color. Michael’s incomparable energy and generosity of spirit infected every project he touched. He was honored to serve as the steering committee chair for the San Francisco Adolescent Health Working Group, as the advisory board chair for the 3rd Street Youth Center and Clinic, and as the chair for the Dimensions Clinic Collaborative, as well as serving on numerous other committees and working with a multitude of different city based organizations. Michael will be remembered not only for his passionate, unrelenting dedication to his work, but also for his incredible

ability to see humor and light in even severe situations. He was able to charm people, men and women alike, wherever he went, and used that to further the worthy causes to which he had dedicated his life’s work. Although his aims were serious and he took his work very seriously too, one never left a meeting or phone call with Michael without a laugh and a smile on their face. He was a guiding light not only to the thousands of youth served by his programs, but also to the hundreds of employees that worked under him. Michael nurtured protégés throughout his career, individuals that will continue his legacy of advocating for and promoting adolescent and family planning medicine programs long after he is gone. For 24 years, Michael’s passion to care for others with a distinctly dedicated focus, carried through to his home life. His husband, Alex Martinez, mourns the loss of such a giving, caretaking, and honorable man who exemplified his devotion to less advantaged souls by co-parenting a street youth, Steven Cooper, since birth and then raising him with Alex from 10 to 18. It was because of Michael’s need to help, mentor, and heal the wounds of others, that Steven, now 24, has learned about love and being loved. Michael’s pure heart will be greatly missed by all of those he touched. Memorial details are to be determined, for more information please email owen.morse@sfdph.org.

Community News>>

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Spectrum and Marin AIDS Project join forces by Lois Pearlman

iting the desire to maintain a full range of services in tough economic times, Spectrum LGBT Center and the Marin AIDS Project have joined forces to form a new umbrella organization. “Funding sources are drying up for both organizations, for different reasons,” said Jennifer Malone, the executive director of MAP who will now serve as director of the yetto-be-named organization. “And we want to be sure we will remain strong to continue our work and attract support for our programs.” Following a year of strategizing together the two groups have decided that they can reduce administrative costs and do their individual work more effectively by joining forces. Spectrum has recently moved to an office in the Irwin Street building

Stabbing

From page 1

DeJesus was seen frequently at community events and forums. Nikki Calma, a transgender woman, is the program supervisor for Trans: Thrive, a drop-in center that’s a service of the Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center. Calma said DeJesus was “part of the Trans: Thrive community.” “She’s a very outspoken person,” Calma said, referring to DeJesus in the present tense. “She loves to talk about important issues,” including discrimination against transgender women of color and health disparities. In October 2013, DeJesus spoke briefly with the Bay Area Reporter as she attended the first-ever LGBTQ Connect event, which was designed to help low-income and homeless people find services, at the city’s LGBT Community Center.

that MAP occupies in San Rafael. And, Spectrum Executive Director Paula Pilecki is retiring after 16 years, for reasons unrelated to the merger. Malone will continue as program director for MAP. Spectrum serves approximately 150 people per year, primarily through a drop-in youth group and senior luncheons. Two years ago it had a budget of $350,000, but the funding has dropped substantially since then. MAP has approximately 200 regular clients, and serves another 500 or so people through its needle exchange and HIV testing programs. It currently has an annual budget of $750,000. It has already sent letters to all its supporters and donors advising them of the merger, and is in the process of informing clients. “It makes a lot of sense for both organizations to come together to meet the funding challenge,” said DeJesus said she’d found referrals for food pantries and a volunteer position at a local food bank, and she called the event “excellent.”

Poverty, harassment

While people who knew her praised her outgoing nature, they also said DeJesus had struggled with poverty and harassment. Some who knew DeJesus said she used drugs, and Castro said substance use was a way for her friend to cope with transphobia and a lack of resources. Among the problems DeJesus had faced in recent years was an eviction from a rodent-infested apartment in 2010, San Francisco Superior Court records indicate. Around the same time, she and a neighbor tried to get restraining orders against each other, but neither was successful after they failed to appear in court, the documents suggest.

In fact, the merger will bring Spectrum and MAP full circle, since they both began as part of the Ministry of Light, a Presbyterian-based group founded by the Reverend Jane Spahr in 1982 “as a resource for LGBT youth being ostracized by their churches,” according to Pilecki. In 1984, with the AIDS epidemic in full swing, the Ministry of Light formed the Marin AIDS Support Network, which branched off on its own a year later, and eventually was renamed Marin AIDS Project. Then, in 1992 Spahr left to become a minister at a church in New York state and the Ministry of Light expanded to become the non-church affiliated Spectrum LGBT Center. Spahr has gone on as a nationally recognized advocate for same-sex marriage, fighting off several attempts by the Presbyterian Church to rebuke her for continuing to per-

form them. She is now retired and living in the Bay Area. Malone, a straight ally, said Spectrum would continue to focus on youth and seniors, including a dropin youth group, counseling for youngsters, and quarterly luncheons for seniors. And MAP will still provide services for people with HIV/AIDS. In addition, the new umbrella organization will include a third program, Irwin Street Counseling, which will be available to all LGBT people through Medi-Cal and other forms of Affordable Care Act insurance. According to Malone, the new organization will sustain Spectrum through the end of 2015, and then “aggressively seek funding” for the smaller group’s programs, if necessary. It will also hire a new program director specifically for Spectrum, and Pilecki will continue to be involved as a volunteer consultant.t

“Being a trans woman in already dealing with so a world that is not acceptmuch is awful.” ing and is permeated with DeJesus told Castro “she transphobia” was “just so got harassed” in the neighhard” for DeJesus, said Casborhood “all the time.” tro, who said she deals with “People would yell at her the same struggles. and call her a tranny,” said “For a long time she was Castro. “Guys would conmarginally housed,” said Michelle Cornwell stantly harass her and try to Castro. objectify and sexualize her.” Stabbing victim Eventually, DeJesus Castro indicated DeJeTaja DeJesus moved into the apartment sus didn’t have many at 1440 McKinnon Avhousing options. enue, just blocks away from Third “She was getting supportive housStreet, the heart of the impovering,” said Castro. “She didn’t have ished and crime-plagued Bayview money, so she needed help, and that’s neighborhood. where she ended up.” Castro last saw DeJesus last year. On top of her other troubles, She looked “really anxious,” she said. DeJesus “had a hard time communiShe gave DeJesus a ride home, and cating with people. ... People would the lack of safety in the area came up. keep her at arm’s length,” said Castro. “As soon as I parked, she said, Arens said that before Christmas, ‘We’re going to have to keep an eye DeJesus had had problems with her on your car,’” Castro said. “... To boyfriend, but she hadn’t shared have to live that way when you’re enough information “to give any in-

dication one way or the other” about whether the relationship was violent. April Spears, 38, who owns Auntie April’s, a restaurant just a few blocks from DeJesus’ apartment, said DeJesus was a “sweet person” but she’d sometimes been in “confrontations” with people in the neighborhood and had been “assaulted a couple of times.” DeJesus was well known in her neighborhood, but many people didn’t know much about her. Anna Strickland, 72, who lives in the apartment below DeJesus’, recalled that shortly after DeJesus moved in, the younger woman had come to her asking for food. Strickland, who wasn’t home when the killing occurred, described DeJesus as “a beautiful person” but said she’d taken to “beating against the walls” and causing other trouble, and Strickland had had to call the

MAP program director Jennifer Malone

Pilecki, who will be working from home with her partner’s consulting firm, allowing her to spend more time with their 9-year-old daughter.

See page 14 >>

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Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Powwow

From page 3

identities in North America. But repression of Native religions and language has led to the loss of knowledge about various two-spirit identities in many Native American tribes. “Boarding schools sought to keep Natives from practicing their religion and speaking their language,” said Jenny Davis, head woman dancer at the powwow and an assistant professor in the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Illinois-Champagne Urbana. “Dropping traditional practices goes hand in hand with not being able to speak the language.” Today, “A lot of two-spirit folks are separated from their communities because of prejudice,” said Zamora. “When we come together in the arena in a good way, it’s like coming home.”

News Briefs

From page 12

Educational conference on dementia and LGBTs

A conference aimed at increasing awareness of LGBT older adults with dementia will take place in San Francisco next week, with continuing education units available for registered nurses, certified nurse assistants, and others. The conference, titled “Preparing for the Changing Horizon: Dementia Awareness and Caregiving for LGBT Older Adults from Diverse Communities,” takes place Friday, February 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milton Marks Conference Center in the lower level of the State Building, 455 Golden Gate Av-

Stabbing

From page 13

police. As far as she knew, DeJesus lived alone, and she didn’t know whether she had a boyfriend. Maurice, 30, a neighbor of DeJesus’ who didn’t want his last name published because he doesn’t want people to know where he lives, said he was awakened by screaming for help around the time her body was found. The night before the stabbing, he’d seen DeJesus “talking to herself” on a nearby corner, kneeling and banging her hands on the sidewalk. He didn’t know what she’d been saying. Terry Anders, 70, said DeJesus had lived in the building next door to his for “at least a year.” “Every time I saw her she was alone,” said Anders, and she “didn’t seem to bother anybody.”

Out in the World

From page 2

“Everyone wanted to go to the Der Kreis,” said Rapp, recalling how people dressed in festive costumes and had a wonderful time. “We knew at which table they were sitting so that we didn’t go ask them for dance,” quipped Ostertag. Ostertag wasn’t always so open. When the two men met in 1958 they were worlds apart. Ostertag grew up in an intellectual Christian family that was pretty well off. Rapp was raised by his mother, who worked in the theater, and sister after his father died when he was 7 years old. Ostertag was a teacher living deep in the closet, he said. Rapp, who started acting when he was 8 years old, was in the theater performing women’s roles and his mother helped create his costumes. Rapp was curious about Ostertag’s family. “My family was so open and natural and good,” said Rapp. “I want to see and to know his family, because they were intellectual, quite rich, had [a] house [and] I was very poor.” Rapp’s mother loved Ostertag, he said. “She was very pleased,” he said

Participants praised the powwow’s diversity. “The announcement of nongendered categories is great. Then having the third head dancer, that’s something unique. It’s never happened before. That’s stepping in the right direction,” said Coy McLemore, co-emcee at this year’s powwow and a singer with the drum group Southern Pride, which traveled from Jay, Oklahoma for this year’s event. Last weekend also marked the 40th anniversary of Gay American Indians, whose members celebrated February 6 with a potluck, dances, and an appearance by gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who presented GAI founder Randy Burns with a certificate of recognition. The next day, Burns was at the powwow, along with several other members of GAI. “I’m thankful to BAAITS for carrying on the work for two-spirits here in the Bay Area,” Burns said.t

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about when he introduced her to Ostertag. “Ernst was a member of our family and my mother told me, ‘Be serious and look to not make Ernest go away.’” In 2007, Ostertag and Rapp became Switzerland’s first gay couple to be registered in a civil union. Eventually, the two men ended up caring for Ostertag’s parents because his siblings were busy raising their own families, and they came to accept their relationship, Ostertag said. “Ernst and me, we could go together and help the parents and it changed slowly,” said Rapp. Ostertag noted that full acceptance hasn’t yet been achieved in society. “We miss full acceptance and we miss equal rights, not special rights. Special rights are never equal rights,” said Ostertag, who believes acceptance starts with conversations between the parents about what if their child is gay. The evening was sponsored by the Hormel Center and co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Switzerland, Frameline, and the Goethe-Institut San Francisco. To view the trailer for The Circle, visit www.thecircle-movie.com.t

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enue. It will look at cultural beliefs and practices about dementia, early symptoms, and strategies for accessing and using LGBT-affirming resources in a variety of health care and social service settings. Organizations sponsoring the conference include the UCSF Northern California Geriatric Center/Institute on Aging, Stanford Geriatric Center, Family Caregiver Alliance, Openhouse, the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, and the Alzheimer’s Association. Registration is $20 for the general public (without CEUs), $25 for CNAs (including CEUs), and $65 for RNs (including CEUs). To register, visit http://app.certain.com/profile/for m/index. cfm?PKformID=0x19153538ef8t At her building last Friday, February 6, workers dressed in white protective uniforms brought down numerous bags filled with materials from DeJesus’ apartment. One man, who declined to give his name because he didn’t have permission to speak with a reporter, said they were taking out “anything with blood on it,” including carpet and sheetrock. At Tuesday’s City Hall rally, Castro said that the city needs a commission focused on trans issues “so our voices can be heard, included, and empowered.” Speaking about DeJesus in an interview several days before the event, Castro said, “I don’t know if she knew how much she inspired me to be the trans woman I am. I hope she can hear me.” The B.A.R. wasn’t able to reach DeJesus’ family.t

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FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036256600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OLD SOD TRANSPORT, 1422 16TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MONICA FEELY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/17/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/20/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036254200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BETTER WIRED ELECTRIC, 215 SANTA YNEZ AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOSHUA FROST. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2015. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036255800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WASSAM LABORATORIES, 660 4TH ST #297, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PASCAL WASSAM. 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 01/20/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036252600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAXEBOY MEDIA, 24 BONVIEW ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MAX STEIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/05/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036247600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BASS LEGAL SERVICES, 1847 SCOTT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JUSTIN BASS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/10/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/13/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036241400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: N AND N PROPERTIES, 2227 UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed GEORGE NEWHALL & ELIZABETH WINTER NICHOLS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/09/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036252500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PRIMA CAFE, 215 FREMONT ST # 5B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed HUNG AND HUNG INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2015. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036241500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SOLID BUILD CONSTRUCTION; WEST COAST SOUND SOLUTIONS, 98 12TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103-1242. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WCSS (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 01/09/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036249200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PIVOT COFFEE, 650 TOWNSEND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ZYNGA INC (DE). 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 01/14/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036255900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHIBERUS MOTOR & EXPORT, 71 BERTHA LANE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed LIBERUS JIKA & CHINYERE JIKA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/20/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/20/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036251000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OCTAVIA, 1701 OCTAVIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed KORE RESTAURANT GROUP 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 01/15/15.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035021700

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: THE HAPPY COLLECTIVE, 158A YUKON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by MICHAEL E. REILLY & AARON KLLC. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/13.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035754100

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: BETTER WIRED ELECTRIC, 258 EUREKA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by JOSHUA FROST & JAMES FROST. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/01/14.

JAN 22, 29, FEB 05, 12, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036269500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO KOOKIES, 421 KIRKHAM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAYMOND CHIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/27/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036265500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YONG FA, 5151 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual and is signed CAN QUAN ZHOU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/23/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/23/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036265600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SIAM ORCHID THAI MASSAGE, 39 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MONTAKARN PHUKAB. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/23/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/23/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036265000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TIGER N PEPPER, 424 STAPLES AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHARLESIE YONN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/23/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/23/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036268000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CAMER1, 21 COLUMBIA SQ, #214, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CAMERON MOBERG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/26/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036258000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SILVER COMPUTERS, 6835 GEARY BLVD, #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EUGENE ABEZGAUZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/20/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036233900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GUERRA CONSIGLIERI, 60 RAUSCH ST, #208, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JASMIN BARRAZA-GUERRA. 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 01/07/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036238700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COOKIE LOVE, 1488 PINE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERIKA ANN OLSON. 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 01/08/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036257800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FLOWERS INDEED! 510 LANSDALE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GREGORY CANNON LUM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/20/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/20/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 15

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036263800

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036281000

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036290900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ZILK STUDIO, 3833 LAWTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual and is signed ZARISHEILI ORTEGA MELENDEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/22/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/22/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INVENTION STORE, 3 LIBERTY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed INVENT (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/22/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/30/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COZY CASTRO, 129 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CORINNE SUE WICK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/05/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/05/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036261500

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036278400

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036275902

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TYCOON CAFE & RESTAURANT, 620 O’FARRELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ANCHALEE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/21/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/21/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AVENUE, 3361 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BING CONSULTING SERVICES (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/27/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/30/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FAR & AWAY CO; FAR AND AWAY CO, 59 W. VIEW AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ADRIAN M. SYMCOX. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/04/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/29/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036263000

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036274300

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036249900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JWDESIGNCO, 475 CONNECTICUT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed JULIE WERTZ DESIGN CO., LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/22/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EUROPEAN WAX CENTER, 2675 GEARY BLVD., #E-102, SAN FRANCISCO CA, 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability corporation, and is signed TCTSF VENTURES 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 01/29/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALL MY PRETTY ONES MUSIC, 2913 22ND ST #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DEREK SCHMIDT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/14/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/14/15.

JAN 29, FEB 05, 12, 19, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036282100

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036245400

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036288100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SOULWORKS, 2920 WEBSTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARISAN FUNK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/29/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/30/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036229800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MREMBO KINGDOM MK, 5532 FULTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOHN TREMEROLI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/05/2015. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/05/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036281200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VRIHEAS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT; MVELECTRIC, 467 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NICHOLAS M. VRIHEAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/91. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/30/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036270700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JSERVICES99, 1336 SHAFTER AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JONATHAN MENDOZA ESTRADA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/27/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036267600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALI STAR IMPORTS, 565 GEARY ST, #512, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JALIL MAHDI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/26/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/26/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036276800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PALOMETA, 1139 DIVISADERO ST, #3, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GAGAN KANWAR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/20/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/29/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036246500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BASS & REINER, 3265 17TH ST, #402, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed MARIEL BAYONA; CHRIS GRUNDER; CLEA MASSIANI; EMILY REYNOLDS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/02/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/13/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036261600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PESBAS QUICK FOOD, 393 EDDY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed KHALED OMER; MOHAMMED A. ALMORAISSI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/21/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/21/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: I LUV MY BODY FITNESS LLC, 901 MINNESOTA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed I LUV MY BODY FITNESS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/07/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/13/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036273600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SCRATCH N SNIFF, 372 WEST PORTAL AVE #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRIAN A. JAMES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/25/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/04/15.

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036291100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BE FIT, 420 SEVERN LANE, HILLSBOROUGH, CA 94010. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BE FIT SF LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/27/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/28/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MICHAEL’S CHOCOLATES; AL3 ENTERPRISES, 595 14TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed MICHAEL ERIC BENNER & RAYMOND CURTIS WALLIS. 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 02/05/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036271100

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036287100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHEESEPUD, 2154 IRVING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed NXT GROUP 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 01/27/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TAGCK-3, 799 BATTERY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PROJECT GRILLED CHEESE 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 02/04/15.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-032656300

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036290000

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: PACIFIC VIEW CLEANERS, 6907 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by SUPPAKIT MANEEROJ. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/23/10.

FEB 05, 12, 19, 26, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036291000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CBPOTTER PRODUCTIONS, 1049 MARKET ST #101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHAD BENJAMIN POTTER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/05/15.

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036299300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LA TERRA LLC, 511 HARRISON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed LA TERRA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/25/03. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/05/15.

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035041400

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: EL SERVICES, 1284 GREEN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by EDMOND LEE. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/13.

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STUDIO MAVEN, 730 CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed AUDREY BAUER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/10/15.

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036266400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VIEWPOINT LAW GROUP, 100 PINE ST #1250, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PAUL J. NEIBERGS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/15/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/26/15.

FEB 12, 19, 26, MAR 05, 2015 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-036291800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PLACHUTIN CONSULTING; YERBA BUENA DARTS, 879 42ND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOANNE PLACHUTIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/05/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/06/15.

FEB 12, 19, 26 MAR 05, 2015

ebar.com

<< From the Cover

16 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Jane Warner Plaza

From page 1

Andrea Aiello, the executive director of the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, anticipates the plaza being closed until April, she said at a meeting of the Castro Merchants group last week. Among the items expected to be redone are a bulb out around the planter by the Chevron station. Aiello said that the bulb out effectively raised the “floor” around the planter, thus lowering the height of the planter. “Now it is totally being abused,” she said in an email. “People are sleeping in the planter, having their dogs and cats sleep, pee, and poop in the planter.” She added, “There is really bad behavior from the people who sit there all day long, calling people ‘faggot,’ fighting with each other. They do not clean up after themselves.” At the community meeting at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center, tempers flared as complaints were made about the plaza, which is meant to serve as a pleasant open space for area residents and visitors to relax, and to honor Warner’s memory. Some of the approximately 75 people in attendance at the meeting felt that the current state of the plaza is disrespectful to Warner’s memory and to the neighborhood as a whole. “The plaza is a special place,” said one attendee who declined to give his name. “It should be treated in a

special way. It’s our front door.” One young man was greeted with jeers when he entered the meeting room with his dog, which he said was a service animal. “Bullshit!” shouted several attendees, as Aiello called for civil discussion. The man identified himself as Justin, but declined to give a last name. He said that he and his girlfriend were homeless, but that they both had jobs and didn’t cause trouble. Wiener pointed out that homelessness was often equated with the types of concerns raised but that there are distinctions. “This meeting isn’t about homelessness, it’s about bad behavior,” he said, pointing out that some of the perpetrators were not homeless people. “Homeless people have said they don’t want to be there.” Among the issues cited were aggressive panhandling, fights, threats, and weapons. Several people mentioned a man who had stood in the plaza brandishing a crossbow. “We went through the penal code and charged him with whatever we could,” said San Francisco Police Captain Daniel Perea, who oversees Mission Station and was at the meeting. “The city is under assault by people who are out of control,” said area resident Mark McHale. Aiello acknowledged that people were uncomfortable in the plaza, which they felt had become dangerous. But others took a different stand.

Kenneth Bunch, a former member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, felt that attendees were attacking and scapegoating the homeless. “I don’t think there are any conditions at the meeting under which those at the meeting would accept the presence of homeless in the plaza,” Bunch said after the meeting. “The atmosphere was extremely venomous toward the homeless.” Bunch felt that the meeting was all about ridding the plaza of homeless people so local businesses can make more money. Trey Allen said that more compassion and understanding is needed regarding some of the behavior in the plaza. “Imagine being sleep deprived, with a toothache, bad health, and mental illness,” he said at the meeting. “You’re asking them to behave like us. It’s like putting a square peg in a round hole.” Allen elaborated on his thoughts afterwards. “Only when we address nutrition, shelter, physical health, and mental health will we see improvements,” he said. “We must address the root cause of the problem or else we are just spinning our wheels.” But the vast majority of attendees were supportive of Wiener and Aiello’s plans to clamp down on the current behavior in the plaza. “It’s about bad street behavior,” Wiener said. “The bad street behavior

has gone over the top the past several weeks. People fighting, screaming, yelling, threatening people with a crossbow, sleeping all day long across three chairs so others have no place to sit, piling bags and backpacks into the landscaping, crushing the plants.” A visit to the plaza before the community meeting to talk to people there elicited “no comment” from four couples seated at tables. The supervisor said that he supported increased funding for services to the homeless and mentally ill, and that his office was working toward that goal. He also said that Laura’s Law, a state law that provides for requiring severely mentally ill patients to undergo treatment against their wishes, might be a tool to be used in the future. The Board of Supervisors last year passed legislation to implement the law. Adam Schindler, an outreach case manager for the San Francisco Fully Integrated Recovery and Service Teams, a branch of the San Francisco Department of Health, urged attendees to call his office’s “HOT teams” if they saw someone who was in severe need of help. Longtime activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca was not at the meeting but told the Bay Area Reporter that it was important not to have the homeless or mentally ill cited by the police. “Bench warrants can actually prevent someone from getting housing,” he said, pointing out that

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many of those cited did not have the money to pay their fines. Aiello asked the community for input on events that could be held at the plaza once it reopens that would make it active and welcoming. Outdoor movie screenings and exercise/ Tai Chi classes were among the suggestions, along with pet events such as dog adoptions. In a follow-up email, Aiello said another idea sent to her was to paint some of the chairs blue to reserve them for people with disabilities. “I was very impressed with the turnout at the meeting,” Aiello told the B.A.R. the following day. “It shows a real commitment to improving the neighborhood.” She said that Wiener would work on the legislative angle of making improvements, while the Department of Public Works would make the physical alterations. “For the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, one of the key elements will be to keep the space activated with positive energy,” Aiello said. “The CBD is very interested in working with the community on these ideas.” She invited interested people to contact her office at (415) 500-1181, or info@castrocbd.org HOT teams can be reached at (415) 734-4233.t

Kaiser

From page 1

referring to a copay plan with no deductible. In an email exchange with the Bay Area Reporter, John Nelson, a spokesman for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, said Kaiser’s coverage includes “a specialty tier drug benefit design” that became effective January 1. Kaiser notified employer groups and members of individual plans of the change “in early December, during open enrollment,” said Nelson. Every other health plan in the state “moved to this benefit design last year,” with coverage that started in 2014, he said. Kaiser made the change “in order to align more closely with the standard plan designs offered in California. He said this means that outpatient specialty drugs will be subject to a coinsurance payment,” which is “a percentage of the total cost” paid after deductibles. “Coinsurance amounts range from 10 percent to 40 percent of specialty drug costs, depending on a member’s plan,” said Nelson. Courtney Mulhern-Pearson, director of state and local affairs for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, said she and other advocates started hearing from Kaiser patients about the changes in the last month, particularly as it relates to people who are interested in using Truvada for pre-exposure prophylaxis, commonly referred to as PrEP. The treatment involves taking Truvada, which is manufactured by Gilead and costs thousands of dollars, once a day. The regimen has been shown to be effective at reducing HIV infection rates if used as prescribed. Mulhern-Pearson said it’s an “increasingly common practice” for companies to move drugs, including HIV and hepatitis C medications, to the specialty tier. Asked whether Steamworks would switch from Kaiser, Hickey said, “We certainly would evaluate that. We’re going to have to do something for our guys.” He added that it had only been a couple days since he’d learned of the change. “My hope is that they will fix this problem and we won’t have to,” he added In response to a question about the chances of the change being dropped, so that HIV drugs and other medications are more affordable for patients, Nelson said, “It’s a very good question, and one which many are looking into.” Covered California, the state health care exchange, “has convened a working group to look into the issue, with a report due to their board later this spring,” he said.t

British glamor

Barber music

om eo ? R

Out &About

Castro beefcake

O&A

Vol. 45 • No. 7 • February 12-18, 2015

www.ebar.com/arts

Wherefore art thou, Valentine’s Day with Leonard Whiting at the Castro Theatre

by David-Elijah Nahmod

M Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey in a publicity still from Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet.

any hearts fluttered in 1968 when Franco Zeffirelli’s now-legendary production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet first appeared in cinemas. The film marked the first time the Bard’s starstruck but doomed teen lovers were played by age-appropriate actors. The stunning beauty of the two leads was underscored by the director’s decision to shoot the film in the ancient Italian city of Verona, the story’s actual setting – this was another first. Verona has streets and castles that have remained unchanged for centuries. By the time Zeffirelli dressed his cast in a series of colorful and authentic period costumes, then added Nino Rota’s lush score to the soundtrack, one of cinema’s most beautiful and romantic classics had been produced. See page 24 >>

tenor Lyric gives back by Tim Pfaff

hen it comes to building a career, Nicholas Phan is not shy about rolling up his sleeves. The sweet-voiced lyric tenor could have pursued a prefab path and had a mostly opera career, and he still has some lofty operatic goals. But early on he knew he wouldn’t find fulfillment trying to fit songs, chamber music, and the orchestral concert repertoire into the margins of an opera calendar. Aware that the songbird is on the endangered species list of contemporary concert life, Phan has dedicated himself to building a larger performing platform, for everyone. A co-founder of the not-for-profit Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, with co-directors Shannon McGinnis and Nicholas Hutchinson, “I’m proud of what we’ve done,” he says. “In four years we’ve created three fall festivals and salon-style recitals with top people like David Daniels and Michelle DeYoung. See page 25 >>

Lyric tenor Nicholas Phan.

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

Courtesy the artist

T HE T HR I LL OF DISCOVERY PA C I F I C O R C H I D E X P O S I T I O N

FEBRUARY 20 - 22

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<< Out There

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Short films, long rewards

by Roberto Friedman

very year, Landmark Theatres screens programs of Oscarnominated live action, animated and documentary shorts. Last week, Out There caught the first two compilations. Watching them is a good reminder that the medium of film does not, in itself, limit itself to comic-book superheroes, romantic comedies and movie biographies. There’s a whole world of feeling, insight and culture to be found in these short works. The program of animated shorts will get you in and out of the theater in a trim 77 minutes (five nominated entries, plus four also-rans). In Me and My Moulton (by Torill Kove), a daughter of Norwegian modern architects illustrates what her childhood was like. The Disney entry Feast (Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed) is a pup’s-eye view of life, and simply adorable. The Bigger Picture (Daisy Jacobs and Christopher Hees) is a sophisticated stop-motion recounting of how two brothers deal with their mother’s end-of-life challenges. A Single Life (Marieke Blaauw, Joris Oprins, Job Roggeveen) is another contemplation of mortality, a big theme deftly and wittily explored in just two minutes. The Dam Keeper (Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi) is an ambitious fable about childhood cruelty and environmental destruction, as embodied by the unlikely characters of anthropomorphized animals. The additional animated shorts that fill out the program (Sweet Cocoon, Footprints, Duet and Bus Story) are a mixed bag of delights. They all tell stories, whether of a couple’s courtship or of a caterpillar’s meta-

Shorts HD

Still from filmmaker Torill Kove’s Me and My Moulton, part of the program of Oscar-nominated short animated films.

morphosis. It made us wonder, why does film always seem to compel narrative? Other art-forms (painting, sculpture, music) don’t always tell stories. Is it because film unfolds in time, therefore taking time, naturally, as its subject? The live action shorts range all over the globe. In Parvaneh (Talkhon Hamzavi and Stefan Eichenberger), a young Afghani woman overcomes hardships as an immigrant worker in Switzerland. Aya (Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis) is an interesting two-hander that examines an encounter between a Danish musicologist and an Israeli woman. Butter Lamp (Hu Wei and Julien Feret) is an unusual and humorous look at Tibetan native culture clashing with modern values. In The Phone Call (Mat Kirkby and James Lucas), acclaimed English actress Sally Hawkins is a phone crisis-line worker who has a suicidal man (the equally acclaimed Jim Broadbent)

on the line. And finally, for comic relief, it’s hard to beat Boogaloo and Graham (Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney), in which two young brothers bond with their pet chickens big-time in Belfast, Northern Ireland. As you can tell from the thumbnail descriptions, each omnibus of film is quite a diverse assortment of subject matter and approach. That’s one of the virtues of shorts programs: if one offering is not your cup of tea, another will be along shortly. We didn’t screen the nomi-

Shorts HD

Still from filmmakers Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney’s Boogaloo and Graham, part of the program of Oscar-nominated live action films.

nated documentary shorts, which this year are being offered in two separate programs. But we’re sure the same observation holds true for them.

Beyond the tube

B.A.R. readers who know Lavender Tube columnist Victoria A. Brownworth only from her TV coverage should get to know her as a true woman of letters. An author, editor and journalist, Brownworth has been nominated for the Pulitzer

Prize and has won the Lambda Literary Award and Moonbeam Award. Her latest novel, Ordinary Mayhem, is just out from Bold Strokes Books. From the cover blurb: “Faye Blakemore is a photojournalist for a major New York newspaper, specializing in ‘blood-and-guts journalism.’ Faye convinces her editor to send her to Afghanistan and the Congo to report on the acid burnings, the machete attacks, and the women survivors.” Sounds like strong stuff. Congrats, VAB! ~ RIF.t

February at the Castro Theatre

All-stud cast of director Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike.

by David Lamble

f February is a month for lovers, the Castro Theatre celebrates all manner of romance, beginning with a Valentine Weekend extravaganza from Marc Huestis commemorating the 20th anniversary of his big Castro stage-and-screen shows. From there, the Castro’s February slate ranges from Blade Runner (2/16-17) to the return of its popular Sing-Along format featuring Disney’s The Little Mermaid (2/2024). Pacific Heights With today’s skyrocketing rents, controversial evictions and escalating confrontations between Silicon Valley tech moguls and rent-control survivors, openly gay British director John Schlesinger’s spooky 1990 thriller is an entertaining reminder that none of this is all that new. A yuppie couple’s (Matthew Modine & Melanie Griffith) decision to sublet a piece of their hilltop Victorian comes back to haunt them when the new tenant (Michael Keaton) turns psycho. (2/12, 7 p.m.) Beetlejuice (1988) Tim Burton employs Keaton’s uniquely unsettling screen persona to fuel a mixedgenre (slapstick & horror) battle between a nasty spirit and the new owners of a country estate. With Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and a

bust-out turn from a young Wynona Ryder. (2/12, 8:55 p.m.) Batman (1989) Burton and Keaton push the dark side of this venerable comic-book franchise with the help of an over-the-top Jack Nicholson as a darkly funny Joker. With co-star Kim Basinger acting up a storm, Burton notched an Oscar for film design. (2/13, 7 p.m.) Night Shift (1982) Newbie director Ron Howard uses a light touch in this melodrama about morgue attendants (Keaton and Henry Winkler) becoming pimps on the side. With a mischievous Shelly Long and music by Burt Bacharach. (2/13, 9:20 p.m.) West Side Story Huestis offers this 10 Oscar-winning musical spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (including 1961 Best Picture) as a Valentine Day’s warm-up. With Natalie Wood (her singing dubbed by Marni Nixon) and Richard Beymer as the doomed lovers, and the Jets and Sharks gangs headed up by George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. Shot in a Manhattan hood that would become the Lincoln Center site, this vibrantly entertaining American classic combined the talents of Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins and Leonard Bernstein. (2/14, 1 p.m.) See page 19 >>

Theatre>>

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

Psychological warfare, family style by Richard Dodds

ometimes redemption can come in the form of a Salisbury steak. If that sounds too simple, arriving there is no easy matter. It is, however, a laughing matter in Nicky Silver’s The Lyons, which recently opened at Aurora Theatre. Silver is a playwright who has made a career out of putting the fun in dysfunction, and The Lyons, his most recent play, shows us another family from hell – but this time around there is actually an escape hatch through which the characters approach with varying forms of thrill, fear, and in one case, metastasized cancer. Not so funny, you may think of that last escape clause, but with Rita Lyons at your bedside, her running commentary might make you eager to reach whatever hatch is at hand. When the profanity-spewing Ben, spending his final days in a hospital bed, confides to his wife that he fears hell may be his afterlife destination, she accuses him of grandiosity. “Who are you to get into hell?” she asks, saying that his life was so small-time that his trespasses don’t amount to a hill of beans. But mostly her bedside manner consists of flipping through decorating magazines for ideas for a living-room

David Allen

Ellen Ratner and Jessica Bates play the wife and daughter of a dying man (Will Marchetti) in Nicky Silver’s dark comedy The Lyons at Aurora Theatre.

makeover. “You won’t be there to enjoy it,” she says, “but I hope you’d like it.” That’s Rita being nice. Rita has summoned their two grown children, who long ago fled parental proximity, for the terminal news. Curtis is a gay man who has nearly convinced himself that his

imaginary boyfriends are real. “How’s your weight?” his mother asks the self-conscious Curtis as soon as he walks into the hospital room. Lisa is a divorced alcoholic with two children. One of Rita’s first questions for her is whether she has had her youngest child tested yet to rule out retardation.

Silver’s humor doesn’t so much emerge in the form of stand-alone wisecracks as in contextual friction, which the Lyons have in abundance. Director Barbara Damashek’s production keenly mines this vein of comedy as well as its occasional shifts into darker matters. There is a par-

ticular scene in the second act that involves the gay son Curtis and a handsome real estate agent that gets downright disturbing, but intriguingly so, and leads to a place where various redemptions can begin. Ellen Ratner is perfection as the guilt-inducing Rita, always claiming no offence as she cheerily engages in her psychological search-and-destroy missions. Will Marchetti plays husband Ben with forceful irascibility that can give way to nostalgic reveries. As Curtis, Nicholas Pelczar is fussily and even aggressively erudite, while Jessica Bates plays the delicate Lisa with a willowy vulnerability. In the roles of a hospital nurse and the real estate agent, Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe and Joe Estlack make important contributions despite briefer stage time. You probably won’t experience any family envy after spending an evening with the Lyons, which doesn’t mean they aren’t fine company in two-hour doses. In the mighty jungle of life, these Lyons may not know peaceful sleep at night, but they sure know how to put on a show when they are awake.t The Lyons will run through March 1 at Aurora Theatre. Tickets are $32-$50. Call (510) 843-4822 or go to auroratheatre.org.

Feast of British feature films by Erin Blackwell

he English are not as stupid as Americans. Or do I mean simplistic? After centuries of being overrun and overrunning others, the English have made an art of ignoring how nasty they really are, encouraging others also not to notice. This art, with hypocrisy at its heart, takes many forms. Satire, irony, toffee, the class system, racism, cream teas, misogyny, one-upmanship, the snub, the Queen, stiff upper lip, or blatant thuggery, these we associate with the British. To properly relish the many variations of these martial tactics deployed in social combat, get a $100 pass to the Mostly British Film Festival, running February 12-22 at the intimate, historic Vogue Theatre in SF. Americans, being more simpleminded than the British, still experience nostalgic pangs of yearning for the monarchy we gloriously overthrew on July 4, 1776. This paradox is rarely questioned, least of all by those in a tea-fueled stupor, curled up with an Agatha Christie while the world goes to Hell. Yet Christie herself was an unfailing critic of the criminals who used the tatty veil of Empire’s well-worn trappings to cover up their crimes. As we Americans awake to the decline of our own Empire, which we didn’t even know we had until it was past saving, we realize there were warnings aplenty in British films. They’re so damn clever,

Castro Theatre

From page 18

Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet (1968) This grand event features an on-stage Q&A with the screen’s greatest Romeo, Leonard Whiting. (2/14, autograph party, 6:30 p.m.; gala with Whiting, 8 p.m.; film only, 9:10 p.m.) Big Hero 6 (2014) Disney/Pixar’s Best Animated Feature nominee has a tech boy wonder and his robot companion fighting to save San Francisco from high-tech destruction. (2/15, 12:30 & 2:45 p.m.) Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Director Blake Edwards found gold in a Truman Capote novella, allowing Audrey Hepburn her definitive screen-turn as the cat-loving party

Jessie Matthews stars in Evergreen (1934), considered the U.K.’s greatest film musical.

Malcolm McDowell stars as schoolboy Mick Travis in If (1968).

we failed to take them seriously. Our Man in Havana (1959) is such a film. Graham Greene wrote the screenplay, based on his 1958 novel, a send-up of bureaucratic British spycraft doubling as a takedown of the James Bond School of Weaponized Glamor. The fantasy plot, featuring genius Alec Guinness as a vacuum-cleaner salesman paid by the British government to surveil a Cuban missile crisis of his own imagining, is anchored in a wellfelt narrative about regular people trying to cope with a world bent on self- and other- destruction. A thinly disguised primer on the acid rain of geopolitics, this parody can

be enjoyed on several levels at once. Director Carol Reed, whose film of Greene’s The Third Man (1949) serves as a tragic bookend, applies worldly-wise acuity and cinematic flair to a knock-out cast: Noël Coward, Burl Ives, Ernie Kovacs, Maureen O’Hara. Noël is superbly fatuous as the spy-runner unable to distinguish a vacuum cleaner from a nuclear installation. Must see. Must read. (Fri., Feb. 13, at 9 p.m.) The festival’s honoree is none other than Malcolm McDowell, that awful hooligan from A Clockwork Orange. Or should I say that awfully cute hooligan? McDowell’s round face and features were a useful mask

for a performer often called on to incarnate the ambivalence of Evil in a time of social breakdown. The actor appears in person at the Century Club, to chat about his work before a screening of Time After Time (1979), in which H.G. Wells chases Jack the Ripper up and down our own dear San Francisco, courtesy of a malfunctioning Time Machine. (Fri., Feb. 20, at 6 p.m.) Festival tsarina Ruthe Stein has also cannily programmed Lindsay Anderson’s If (1968), a film channeling that revolutionary year’s most anarchistic strivings through the hothouse of a British public school. McDowell’s screen debut won the Palme d’Or at

girl Holly Golightly. With music by Henry Mancini, script by George Axelrod, this Manhattan romance co-stars George Peppard and Patricia Neal, and is only slightly tarnished by a racially insensitive cameo by Mickey Rooney. (2/15, 5 & 9:20 p.m.) Sabrina This mid-career Billy Wilder rom-com provides Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart with a rich stream of one-liners, as Bogart saves Hepburn from his playboy younger brother William Holden. (2/15, 7:10 p.m.) Blade Runner (1982/2007) Strange how time flies at the movies. This Harrison Ford-starring scifi classic is set in a supposedly dystopian 2019 LA. Director Ridley Scott pulls out all techno stops, allowing

us to imagine a future nightmare that’s no longer that far off. (2/16, 2, 4:30, 7 & 9:30 p.m.; 2/17, 7 & 9:30 p.m.) Magic Mike Male strippers take the spotlight in Steven Soderbergh’s 2012 big-screen swan song. With Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey. (2/18, 7 p.m.) Saturday Night Fever (1977) John Badham gives a young, cheeky John Travolta his chance to transcend youthful macho and, with the Bee Gees’ disco-anthem score, create a memorable record of what it was like to be a young outsider, a Brooklyn kid staring hungrily across the river at the towers of Manhattan. (2/18, 9:05 p.m.) Out of the Past (1947) Jacques Tourneur allows a then-wannabe

tough guy (Robert Mitchum) to plead his case for film-noir stardom in a dark drama that has Mitchum’s gas-station jockey going up against a mob boss (Kirk Douglas) at the behest of the big guy’s lying tramp of a girlfriend (Jane Greer). (2/19, 2:30 & 7 p.m.) Against All Odds (1984) Director Taylor Hackford is up to this blistering remake of Out of the Past, with 80s bad boy James Woods replacing Douglas as Jeff Bridges’ gangland foe. (2/19, 4:30 & 8:50 p.m.) The Exorcist It took me a while to wrap my head around William Friedkin’s demonic-child, pea-soup-spewing, head-spinning Catholic horror story, adapted by William Peter Blatty from his own

Cannes. (Sat., Feb. 21, at 11 a.m.) If all you want is to forget your troubles, rather than be forced to reflect on them, the ticket for you is a Jessie Matthews matinee on Valentine’s Day. Matthews was a huge star in the 1930s, starting as Gertrude Lawrence’s understudy onstage before sliding over to the screen for a series of lavish musicals along the lines of early Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell vehicles. We don’t have performers like this anymore, able to sing like a bird, dance like a panther, slither around in dazzling evening gowns, playing comedy with wit and poise. There was no American equivalent, except maybe Josephine Baker. Matthews embodies a bygone form of theatrical art, somewhere between Music Hall and Folies Bergère, at once rarified and accessible, in which erotic magnetism combines with purity of heart in a mind-jiggling display of infectious joie de vivre. She famously dances on the ceiling in Evergreen (1934), considered the U.K.’s greatest film musical. (Sat., Feb. 14, at 11 a.m.) First a Girl (1935), tediously remade for Julie Andrews as Victor, Victoria (1982), was itself based on the superior German original, Viktor und Viktoria (1933). In any language, it’s a travesty! (Sat., Feb. 14, at 1 p.m.)t Vogue Theatre, 3290 Sacramento St., SF. Tickets ($12.50/$10): mostlybritish.org.

bestselling novel. Swedish geniuslevel actor Max Von Sydow lends weight to proceedings that might otherwise have seemed to be channeled from another planet. (2/25, 7 p.m.) (Plays with The Bababook, Jennifer Kent’s 2014 religious-horror update, 9:25 p.m.) Vertigo (1958) Alfred Hitchcock and James Stewart are at the top of their game in a mindbending thriller that feeds off the leading man’s fear of heights and fateful attraction to a duplicitous vixen (Kim Novak). Bet you can’t watch this one just once! (2/283/2: Sat. & Sun. matinees at 2:30 p.m.; all three nights at 5:15 & 8 p.m.)t castrotheatre.com

<< Film

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Choreography of a dance documentary by David Lamble

Turning Point, in which director Herbert Ross and screenwriter Arthur Laurents deftly framed Mikhail Baryshnikov’s film debut with a little hairpulling between actresses Anne Bancroft and Shirley MacLaine. At the time there was some critical tsk-tsking for vulgarizing a moment between two competitive women, and somehow sullying the emerging feminist movement as a result. Years later, I devoured a thin volume about one of my least fa-

vorite presidents, My Father at 100 by former Joffrey Ballet dancer Ron Reagan. That this AIDS-era survivor appreciated a loving but not uncritical portrait of “the Gipper” is no small thing. What the young and politically liberal Reagan kid managed was the rare feat of a loving debunking. While fully grasping what provoked and infuriated his dad’s critics, Ron managed to show us all what an enigmatic creature “Dutch Reagan” was, even to those who knew him best of all. Young Reagan writes that during a raging brush fire, his dad took time out to inform the son’s then-future wife about the history of the family home, “a home, she said with an air of wonderment, he seemed to have forgotten was in danger of burning down around him.” A good filmmaker is ultimately a good storyteller, and what the director of Ballet 422 fails to do, unlike Herbert Ross and Ron Reagan, is find his story amidst the smoke and mirrors of a high-pressured New York City art scene, where the slightest move of a leg or a wrist, or the turn of a head, should speak volumes about the civilization that made it possible. Anyone desiring a richer insight into what a dancer’s mind can offer the rest of us should consult former New York City Ballet dancer Christopher d’Amboise’s captivating memoir Leap Year: A Year in the Life of a Dancer (Doubleday, 1982); Diane Solway’s gripping account of the short, heroic life of a Joffrey dancer dying of AIDS, A Dancer Against Time (Pocket Books, 1994); or Ron Reagan’s memoir My Father at 100 (Viking Penquin, 2011).t

who escaped Germany shortly after the Nazis removed her from the roster of the Hamburg State Opera because she was Jewish, delivers one of the most gorgeous renditions of “Allerseelen” I ever expect to hear. Going back to the acoustic era, when people sang into horns rather than electrical microphones, we discover the great contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink, for whom Brahms wrote his “Sapphische Ode” and “Wiegenlied” (“Lullaby”), and who created the role of Klytaemnestra in the world premiere of Strauss’ fabulous opera Elektra in Dresden in 1909, still singing wonderfully at age 62. And in 1921, one of Toscanini’s favorite Verdi sopranos, Elisabeth Rethberg, who had not yet compromised her voice by performing roles too heavy for its natural lyricism, sings the slowest and most wondrously soft “Freundliche Vision” (“Pleasant Vision”) I have ever heard. Most curious is the fact that Strauss, who accompanied the beloved soprano Elisabeth Schumann on a concert tour of the United States in the fall of 1921, never accompanied her on record. Nor did

he accompany on record one of his other favorite sopranos, Lotte Lehmann, for whom he wrote multiple operatic roles. It’s a shame, because both women are far more distinguished interpreters than Hutt, Konetzni, and Poell, with whom Strauss did record. The Marston set contains five of Schumann’s performances, including a never-before-released acoustic recoding of “Blauer Sommer” (“Blue Summer”) from 1919. Once you hear them, or Lehmann’s sole contribution to the compilation, “Mit deinen blauen Augen” (“With Your Blue Eyes”), you’ll likely find their interpretations so inimitable that you won’t want to hear anyone else sing them. In all honesty, I cannot listen to Kontezni’s “Schlechtes Wetter” (“Bad Weather”), Florence Easton’s “Ich schwebe” (“I Float”), or Hutt’s “Morgen” without hearing Schumann in my head. Her low range may have been extremely shallow, but neither her charm nor the way she emitted golden highs and then negotiated slow, descending passages as if her voice were a feather falling gently to the ground has ever been equaled. Ditto for Lehmann’s undeniable genius and heart-centeredness, which transcend her vocal limitations and eccentricities. Yes, there are other, more recent performances of Strauss song, most notably Beverly Sills’ “Breit über mein Haupt” (“Spread Over My Head Your Black Hair”), Jessye Norman’s unforgettable set of Strauss orchestral lied, and some of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf ’s less arch recordings, that vie in importance with these. But taken as a whole, this set is indispensible.t

he dilemma facing a film critic when contemplating the new dance documentary Ballet 422 (opening Friday in Bay Area Landmark Theatres) is how to avoid “damning with faint praise.” But it’s the only honest way I can approach this sincere but uninspiring work from director Jody Lee Lipes. To his credit, Lipes presents a promising situation, a condensed peek behind the scenes as young choreographer Justin Peck, an up-and-coming talent whose work is in demand from dance companies across the country, prepares and rehearses his latest work for the New York City Ballet. I’d be a far happier critic if my task were to judge an exciting new talent like Peck, with his charisma, smoldering dark good looks, and seemingly boundless professional prospects, but I’m here to evaluate the movie. Lipes is attempting a Frederick Wiseman-style, full-immersion baptism into his subject, and he just hasn’t produced a dramatically arresting film. Sitting close to the screen at a press preview, I kept thinking how much a young dance student would benefit from this exposure to the mountaintop of NYC’s exciting dance world. Myself, I was still soaring from the sensational West Side Story DVD I watched to prepare for the Castro’s one-night revival of perhaps the greatest dance-based movie in American history. Of course, it’s unfair to expect Ballet 422 to be as thrilling as West Side Story, but the point is that every film released in a movie theatre at today’s admission prices has to of-

Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Justin Peck in director Jody Lee Lipes’ Ballet 422.

fer something more than a little special, something that can’t easily be found on our tiny private screens and devices. There are a few moments when Ballet 422 is interrupted by an arresting behind-the-scenes moment. At one point, the Young Turk in Peck inspires him to risk insulting the New York Ballet orchestra conductor by asking to give a pep talk to the orchestra’s musicians, who the young choreographer felt weren’t

giving it their all. We watch the lanky Peck, still a solo performer, slip into tux and tails for a supremely angsty experience, sitting in the audience as his work unfolds on stage, helpless at this point to do anything to help things along. Ballet 422 is so pitched to these blink-and-you-miss-them beats that you feel like you’re on duty and should be getting a check for watching rather than ponying up at the box office. Years ago I enjoyed watching The

Strauss from his own time by Jason Victor Serinus

eleased almost in time for the celebration of the Richard Strauss Sesquicentennial (1864-1949), Marston Records’ new 3-CD set Richard Strauss: Selected Lieder Recordings 1901-1946 gives every reason to continue celebrating. The 57 singers presented on the compilation recorded its 82 tracks during Strauss’ lifetime, and seven of them – tenors Anton Dermota (1942), Robert Hutt (1920), and Julius Patzak (1944); sopranos Hilde Konetzni (1943) and Lea Piltti (1942); and baritones Alfred Poell (1943) and Heinrich Schlusnus (1920) – sang their 13 tracks total with Strauss on piano. For readers unfamiliar with Strauss’ lieder (songs), all of which are in German, they are amongst the most sensual and heart-tugging in the literature. Whether they’re nostalgic, sad, joyful, or ecstatic to

the point of abandon, the melodies of the best of them are irresistible. Strauss knows how to hook you and pull you along, and he does so with such skill that you invariably want to come back for more. There may be five versions of “Morgen” (“Morning”) in the collection, and five more of “Heimliche Aufforderung” (“Secret Invitation”), but the songs are so wonderful, and the performances so different, that each offers a new visit with what fast feels like an old friend. One of the many things we learn from the anthology is how much of Strauss’ tempi and playing changed depending upon his singer. In some of the performances, he plays exactly what he wrote in the score; in others, most notably in some performances of “Heimliche Aufforderung,” he begins the leaping runs far lower than as written, and throws in additional notes with abandon.

Strauss seems to know when he can extemporize and when he must obey a singer’s limitations in order to keep the flow going. We also discover that some singers are far freer with tempo and dynamics than others. Basically, as the 20th century progressed, singers became more slavish to the metronome, slowing down only at the end of songs. Happily, styles are becoming freer in an era when so many artists are reacting to a political climate of conformity and repression. Many of the performances, even to confirmed Strauss lovers, will be revelations. The set opens with soprano Frances Alda’s absolutely lovely rendition of “Morgen” from 1913. Soon comes a gorgeously sung “Ich trage meine Minne” (“I Carry My Love”) from tenor Peter Anders (1938). Recording in a Berlin radio studio in 1944, high soprano Erna Berger sounds positively ecstatic in “Als mir dein Lied erklang” (“When I Heard Your Song”). The voice of the great tenor Jussi Björling may not move fast enough to sing every note of “Cäcilie” (“Cecilia”) with grace, but he makes up for it with an absolutely glorious high finish. Because most Strauss singers in the early part of the 20th century confined their repertoire to Richard’s “Top 10,” many songs receive multiple performances. Dramatic soprano Dusolina Giannini may seem an unlikely Strauss interpreter, but her performance of “Heimliche Aufforderung” not only makes more sense of its middle section than any other I’ve heard, but also does so with a grandeur rarely encountered in the annals of recording. Mezzo-soprano Sabine Kalter,

the vertiginous thrill of exactitude Part of Program 3 Quadruple Bill

TOP: JENNIFER STAHL IN FORSYTHE’S THE VERTIGINOUS THRILL OF EXACTITUDE; INSET: YUAN YUAN TAN AND LUKE INGHAM IN SCARLETT’S HUMMINGBIRD (BOTH © ERIK TOMASSON)

FEB 24-MAR 7 William Forsythe’s exhilarating short ballet plus works by Hans van Manen, Natalia Makarova, and newcomer Myles Thatcher.

hummingbird

Part of Program 4 Double Bill

FEB 26-MAR 8 Featuring the return of Liam Scarlett’s Hummingbird and Jerome Robbins’ iconic Dances at a Gathering.

BUY TICKETS TODAY!

sfballet.org 2015 MEDIA SPONSORS

PROGRAM 3 MEDIA SPONSOR

<< Out&About

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Tue 17

Newsies

Mighty realism

Joan Marcus

Out &About

by Jim Provenzano

id you know that San Francisco is ranked as the fourth-healthiest city in America (according to the website BetterDoctor.com)? That is, if you can afford your rent, have a job and can make time to go to a gym, or at least exercise and avoid trendy cronut shops, you’re on the list. Another aspect is mental health, and the arts are there for you; to heal with medicinal melodies, therapeutic theatre, words to wither wounds, dances to raise your heartbeat, and vitalizing visuals.

Best Gay Romance Contributors @ Good Vibrations Editors and contributors read from the new Cleis Press Best Gay Romance 2015 anthology, including Felice Picano, Tom Baker, Dale Chase, Daniel Jaffe, Eric Andrews-Katz, Kevin Killian, Guillermo Luna, and Rob Rosen. 6:30pm. 1620 Polk St. goodvibes.com

Double Duchess @ Rickshaw Stop Enjoy the hi-energy booty-bouncing duo. Also, Blaus (electro techno jazz), Mirrorgloss (dance rock) and Purple Crush (pop vocals). $10. 9pm. 155 Fell St. at Van Ness Ave. 861-2011. www.rickshawstop.com

Radar Reading @ SF Public Library Virgie Tovar hosts the eclectic reading series, this time with Chloe Caldwell, Brent Armendinger, Ryka Aoki and Nia King. 6pm. 100 Larkin St, lower level. www.radarproductions.org www.sfpl.org

Refuge in Refuse @ SOMArts Cultural Center Opening reception for Refuge in Refuse: Homesteading Art & Culture Project, a multimedia exhibit of art works created from dumped materials at Albany Bulb recycling landfill. Reception 6pm-9pm. Special events thru run. Reg. hours Tue-Fri 12pm7pm. Sat 12pm-5pm. Thru Mar. 14. www.somarts.org

James Gavin @ Books Inc. Author of Is That All There Is? The Strange Life of Peggy Lee discusses his biography about the talented singersongwriter. 7:30pm. 2275 Market St. www.booksinc.net

Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical @ Brava Theatre Broadway actor-singer Anthony Wayne stars as Sylvester the gay disco icon in this musical biographical show. $30-$100. Wed-Sun 8pm. Sun 3pm. (Feb 14 special disco after-show party with the cast.) Thru March 1. 2781 24th St. fabuloussylvester.com www.brava.org

New and Classic Films @ Castro Theatre Feb. 12: Pacific Heights (7pm) and Beetlejuice (9pm). Feb. 13: Batman (7pm) and Night Shift (9:20). Feb, 14: West Side Story (12pm) and Romeo & Juliet with actor Leonard Whiting (8pm). Feb 15: Big Hero 6 (12:30, 2:45), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (5pm, 9:20) and Sabrina (7:10). Feb. 16 & 17: Blade Runner (2pm, 4:30, 7pm, 9:30). Feb. 18: Magic Mike (7pm) and Saturday Night Fever (9pm). Feb. 19: Out of the Past (2pm, 7pm) and Against All Odds (4:30, 8:50). Most tickets $11. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Paula West @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The talented jazz vocalist performs a six-week engagement at the upscale intimate nightclub/cabaret, performing an eclectic array of songs, from Bob Dylan, Talking Heads and Harry Nilsson to jazz classics. $35$50. Thu & Fri 8pm. Sat 7pm & 10pm. Sun 7pm. Thru March 22. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 663-1063. www.ticketweb.com

Don Reed’s new solo show, subtitled Rants and Rumblings at the DMV showcases the banal automotive office as a showcase of diverse characters. $20-$100. Fri 8pm, Sat 8:30pm. Theu Mar. 28. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Karen Zacarias’ comedy about a small book club that gets invaded by a foreign film crew. $33-$58. Tue & Wed 7:30pm. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 2:30pm. Thru Feb. 28. 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek. (925) 943-7469. www.CenterRep.org

Dengue Fever @ SF Independent The undefinably fun band (okay, here goes: Cambodian rock-surf-garage) returns for a stop along their Northern American tour, with music from their new CD The Deepest Lake ; Solwave opens. (Free pre-show meet & greet, 7pm-9pm at Mojo Café, 639-A Divisadero St.)$16-$18. 9pm. 628 Divisadero St. 771-1421. www.denguefevermusic.com www.theindependentsf.com

Sat 14 Chey Bell at Hella Gay Comedy

Shit & Champagne @ Oasis D’Arcy Drollinger’s hilarious nightclub hit, a whitesploitation satire-comedy with action-packed models fighting a drug cartel, returns at the new SoMa nightclub; featuring Matthew Martin. $20-$25. Thu-Sat 7pm. Thru Feb. 14. 298 11th St. at Folsom. sfoasis.com

Unusual Movies @ Oddball Films Weekly screenings of strange and obscure short films. Feb 12: Masters of Animation: Tex Avery. Feb. 13: Vintage Valentine’s, Love Sex & VD. $10. 8pm Also Fridays. 275 Capp St. 558-8117. www.oddballfilm.com

Fri 13 Abundance @ Shelton Theatre Pultizer Prize winner Beth Henley’s tenderhearted drama about two 1860s mail order brides in the Old West gets a local production. $38. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru Mar. 14. 533 Sutter St. (800) 8383006. sheltontheater.org

Devi Vaani @ Ebenezer Lutheran Church Benefit concert for SAGE (Standing Against Global Exploitation) with empowerinf feminist folk music; part of a 3-day V-Day empowerment weekend. $10-$25. 7pm. 678 Portola Drive. www.devivaani.org www.herchurch.org

Tree @ SF Playhouse Local production of Julie Hébert’s award-winning drama about race, family and heritage; a Southern white woman arrives at the home of a Black Chicago man, claiming to be his half-sister. $20-$120. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sat 3pm, Sun 2pm. Thru March 7. 450 Post St. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

Tribal & Textile Arts Show @ Festival Pavilion The annual large-scale showcase of works by hundreds of artists creating in traditional forms includes clothing, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry and more. Fri & Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 11am-5pm. Fort Mason Center, Buchanan St. at Marina Blvd. 750-7656. www.fortmason.org

Foodies, the Musical @ Shelton Theater

Harbor @ New Conservatory Theatre Center West Coast premiere of Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin’s gay-themed comedy about an East Coast family’s tumultuous conflicts. $25-$45. Thru March 1. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. 25 Van Ness Ave, lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

I Am My Own Wife @ Cinnabar Theatre, Petaluma Steven Abbott portrays 32 characters in Dough Wright’s Pulitzer and Tony award-winning play about a “deviant” German who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Feb 22. 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma. (707) 7638920. www.cinnabartheater.org American Conservatory Theatre presents a new production of Tom Stoppard’s drama about a 1930s poet, her relationship an Indian artist, and their descendants’ search for truths about her life. $20-$120. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Also Sun 7pm. Thru Feb. 8. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. act-sf.org

Josh Kornbluth @ The Marsh Berkeley Haiku Tunnel, the solo performer’s popular comic show about the foibles of office temping, re-opens at the East Bay venue. $20-$100. Fri 8pm. Sat 5pm. Thru Mar. 28. 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. 282-3055. themarsh.org

Lily & Madeleine @ The Chapel Vocal duo who perform amazing harmonies play at the Mission club. $12-$14. 9pm. 777 Valencia St. lilandmad.com www.thechapelsf.com

Mighty Real Day @ Castro & 19th Sts. Join city officials, historians, and cast members from the new music Mighty Real: The Sylvester Musical for a commemoration of the local-born gay disco icon. 2pm. Castro St. at 19th. www.brava.org

The Purple Ones @ Slim’s The fabulous ten-piece Prince tribute band performs hits and B-sides by His Funkness. $16-$20. $41 with dinner. 9pm. 333 11th St. slimspresents.com

Rirkrit Tiravanija: The Way Things Go @ YBCA A Special Curatorial Project … uncovers narratives, reveals personal stories, and shares vignettes that lead to a larger understanding of the migration of people in the production of material culture. Free/$12-$15. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. Thru June 21. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

The Case Against 8 @ Delancey Street Foundation Screening of the powerful HBO documentary about the fight for and against marriage equality; panel discussion with former Chief U.S. Judge Vaughn R. Walker, attorney Enrique Monagas, and the plaintiffs Paul Katami & Jeff Zarrillo, moderated by San Francisco District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener. Reception afterward. $65-$75. Presented by New Conservatory Theatre Center. 600 Embarcadero. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Fool La La! @ The Marsh, Berkeley Unique Derique’s holiday clowning show’s fun for kids and adults alike. $15-$35. Daily 2pm, extended thru Feb 28. 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Hella Gay Comedy @ Magnet Valentine’s Day-themed comedy night, with Anthony De Guzman Jr., Savannah Stewart, Loren Kraut, Karen Ripley, Chey Bell and host Nasty Ass Bitch. Free. 8pm. 4122 18th St. www.magnetsf.org

Hostel Comedy @ Piano Fight

Morris Bobrow’s musical comedy revue of songs and sketches about food. $32-$34. Fri & Sat 8pm. Open run. 533 Sutter St. (800) 838-3006. www.foodiesthemusical.com

Indian Ink @ Geary Theatre

Keegan Allen @ Books Inc Opera Plaza The Pretty Little Liars actor signs copies of his photo memoir book, Life. Love. Beauty. 7pm. 601 Van Ness Ave. 776-1111. www.booksinc.net

Stereotypo @ The Marsh

The prolific author reads from selections of Best Gay Romance 2015. 7:30pm. 2275 Market St. 864-6777. www.booksinc.net

The Book Club Play @ Center Repertory, Walnut Creek

O&A

Thu 12

Felice Picano @ Books Inc.

Thu 12 Best Gay Romance contributors Thu 12 & with Felice Picano Fri 13

We Are Proud to Present… @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwestafrkia, Between the Years 1884 -1915, Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Obie Award-winning, hilarious, imaginative and incendiary exploration of race, power and narrative in America, where six naïve students present their interpretation of 19th-century genocide. $20-$25. 7pm. Thu 7pm, Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru March 7. 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. (510) 214-3780. www.justtheater.org

Why? Because We Love You @ Modern Times Bookstore Members appreciation party and new member meet & greet, with drinks, snacks, gifts. 18+. 5pm-8pm. 2919 24th St. 282-9246. www.mtbs.com

X’s and O’s (A Football Love Story) @ Berkeley Repertory World premiere of KJ Sanchez’ captivating docudrama about players and rabid fans of football; directed by Tony Taccone. $29-$79. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sun 7pm, Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru March 1. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2918. www.berkeleyrep.org

Yes, Dear – Revisited @ Hotel Rex Society Cabaret presents Lauren Mayer and Scott Grinthal’s concert of relationship and romance songs. $30-$50. Cocktails and small plates available. 8pm. Also Feb. 14. 562 Sutter St. 857-1896. societycabaret.com

Sat 14 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. Reg: $25$160. Beer/wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Andrew Roberts’ weekly comedy show with visiting comics and backpacking tourists telling funny stories. Free. 7pm. Thru April 25. 144 Taylor St. www.pianofight.com

Imogen Cunningham @ Harvey Milk Photo Center Exhibit of the renowned photographers Paris in the Sixties series. Tue.-Thu. 4pm-8:30pm. Sat & Sun 12pm-4pm. Thru Feb. 28. 50 Scott St. www.harveymilkphotocenter.org

James Graham Dance Theatre @ Joe Goode Annex Dance Lovers, the choreographer’s evening of duets between friends, lovers, partners, twin sisters, and other San Francisco couplings. $15$30. 8pm. Also Feb 15, 8pm. 401 Alabama St. at 17th. www.jamesgrahamdancetheatre.com

Leave It To Diva @ La Peña Cultural Center Valentine’s Day concert with the rousing all-women rock/R&B band (formerly Average Dyke Band). $12-$15. 8pm. 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. www.averagedykeband.com www.lapena.org

The Lyons @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Aurora Theatre Company’s production of Nicky Silver’s Broadway hit dramedy about a family forced to gather when one of their own is hospitalized. $35-$60. Tue 7pm. WedSat 8pm. Sun 2pm & 7pm. Thru Mar. 1. 2081 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org

The Pianist of Willesden Lane @ Berkeley Rep Mona Gobalek returns in Hershey Felder’s acclaimed solo music drama (based on Golabek and Lee Cohen’s book) about a young Jewish musician in 1938 Vienna and wartime London. $41-$89. Tue, Thu-Sat 7pm. Wed & Sun 7pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru Feb 22. Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.BerkeleyRep.org

Romeo & Juliet @ Castro Theatre Actor Leonard Whiting is interviewed (8pm) before Marc Huestis’ screening of the Zefferelli classic film adaptation of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy (9pm). Matinee screening of West Side Story (1pm, $8-$12). $11-$45. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

The Waiting Period @ The Marsh Brian Copeland returns with his popular solo show, about the tensions of considering suicide, and waiting for approval to buy a gun. $30-$100. Saturdays 5pm. Extended thru Mar. 14. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Out&About>>

Sun 15 Abrazo, Queer Tango @ Finnish Brotherhood Hall, Berkeley

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

Thu 19 Kyle Abraham

Enjoy weekly same-sex tango dancing and a potluck, with lessons early in the day. $7-$15. 3:30-6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St., Berkeley. (510) 8455352. www.finnishhall.com

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

Fight the Power @ AAACC Photojournalist Jeffrey Blankfort’s exhibit of powerful imagery chronicling African American and Palestinian protests, including iconic images of the Black Panther Party. Thru Feb. 28. African American Art & Culture Complex, 762 Fulton St. www.aaacc.org

Jane Monheit @ SF Jazz The acclaimed singer performs Hello Bluebird: Celebrating the Jazz of Judy Garland, with her three-piece band. $25-$70. 7pm & 9:30pm. 201 Franklin St. (866) 920-5299. www.sfjazz.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. Other exhibits as well. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. Thru Feb. 16. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. 7503600. www.famsf.org

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

SF Hiking Club @ Across SF Join GLBT hikers for a 10-mile hike across SF from the breakers to the bay. Cross Twin Peaks, Noe Valley, and the Mission. Bring lunch, water, layers, good shoes, hat, sunscreen, Muni fare. Meet 9:00 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores, or 9:45 at the ocean end of the N-Judah line. 7942275. www.sfhiking.com

Mon 16 Margaret Keane @ Keane Eyes Gallery Paintings, prints and other items by the creator of the famous kitschy “big eyes” paintings of children and animals; featured in the new Tim Burton film. By appointment. 3040 Larkin St. 922-9309. www.keane-eyes.com

Nederlands Dans Theater 2 @ Palace of Fine Arts The student ensemble of the acclaimed dance company performs four works by Artistic Directors Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, Israeli choreographers Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar, and Johann Inger. $35-$95. 7:30pm. 3301 Lyon St. www.cityboxoffice.com

Queer Past Becomes Present @ GLBT History Museum New and mini-exhibits about Bay Area LGBTQ people and communities. Free (members)-$5. Reg hours: Mon, Wed-Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. 4127 18th St. 621-1107. www.glbthistory.org

Carrie Schneider

Tue 17

Thu 19

Black Lives, Black History, and Gentrification @ Modern Times Bookstore

Comedy Returns @ El Rio

Panel discussion with Bishop Franzo King of the John Coltrane African Orthodox Church, Teresa L. Moore, USF Media Studies Associate Professor, plus a special guest author; moderator Denise Sullivan. 7pm. 2919 24th St. 282-9246. www.mtbs.com

Newsies @ Orpheum Theatre The broadway musical hit based on the film about young paperboys who went on a historic strike. Opening night ticket purchases include a a Newsies bobblehead! $70-$250. Wed-Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat, Sun 2pm. Thru Mar. 15. 1192 Market St. (888) 746-1799. www.shnsf.com

Slinging Satire @ Cartoon Art Museum

The monthly night of mirth this time includes Maureen Langan, Dan St. Paul, Carla Clayy, Bob McIntyre, and Lisa Geduldig. $7-$20. 8pm. 3158 Mission St. at Precita. www.elriosf.com

Full Frontal Comedy @ The Lookout Valerie Branch and Yuri Kagan cohost a new monthly comedy night (3rd Thursdays), with Lydia Popovich, Kelly Anneken and Ginger Snap; proceeds benefit Margaret Cho’s #berobin charity. $5. 8pm. 3600 16th St. at Market. www.lookoutsf.com

Gregory Alan Isakov @ The Fillmore The lyrical South African singersongwriter performs with The Shook Twins. $25. 8pm. 1805 Geary Blvd. www.thefillmore.com

Slinging Satire: Masters of Political Cartoons, a timely exhibit of recent works by Mark Fiore, David Horsey, Matt Wuerker, Mat Bors, Jen Sorensen and Tom Tomorrow, plus many others, in left- and rightwing politics, print, web and multimedia formats. Thru Mar. 9. Other exhibits and events. Free-$8. Tue-Sun 11am-5pm. 655 Mission St. 227-8666. cartoonart.org

Wed 18 At Large: Ai Weiwei @ Alcatraz Island The internationally acclaimed Chinese sculptor’s exhibit of seven site-specific multimedia installations; the largest art exhibit ever hosted by the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. $18-$30. Daily thru April 26. Ferries to and from Pier 33 at Embarcadero. www.AiWeiWeiAlcatraz.org www.alcatrazcruises.com/website/ ai-weiwei.aspx

Drag Me to Bingo @ Jack London Square, Oakland The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host a new Bingo night, with sassy diva entertainers, theatrical drag performances and games galore. $10. 7pm & 10pm. 55 Harrison St. www.jacklondonsquare.com

Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play @ Geary Theatre American Conservatory Theatre and the Guthrie Theater present Anne Washburn’s imaginative hit comedy about a post-apocalptic Northern California family whose vague memories of an episode from The Simpsons has become one of their fireside folk tales. Special nights thru the run (including Out at A.C.T. Mar. 4). $20-$120. Tue 7pm. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru Mar. 15. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Robert Levy @ Books Inc. Award-winning playwright Robert Levy discusses his new work, The Glittering World. 7:30pm. 2275 Market St. 864-6777. booksinc.net

Thu 12 Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical

J. Otto Seibold and Mr. Lunch @ Contemporary Jewish Museum

New exhibit of works by the beloved children’s book author. Also, Arnold MY Newman: Masterclass, an exhibit of CY prints by the influential photographer. Other exhibits, lectures and gallery CMY talks as well. Free (members)-$12. K Fri-Tue 11am-5pm, Thu 11am-8pm (closed Wed). 736 Mission St. 6557800. www.thecjm.org

Kyle Abraham @ YBCA Pavement, the Pittsburgh-based choreographer’s vibrant and powerful dance work about urban culture, gang and police violence, with a hybrid score of Baroque and R&B music. $25. Thru Feb 21. 8pm. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

San Francisco Magic Parlor @ Chancellor Hotel Theatre David Facer’s solo magic show, The World of Paradox, entertains and beguiles. $40. Thu-Sat 8pm. Openended run. 433 Powell St. at Post. www.MagicParlor.blogspot.com

Smack Dab @ Magnet Baruch Porras-Hernandez is the featured reader at the eclectic rather queer open-mic showcase, cohosted by Larry-bob Roberts and Dana Hopkins. 7:30pm sign-up. 8pm show. 4122 18th St. www.magnetsf.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

2pub-BBB_BAR_021215.pdf

1/27/15

11:33 AM

<< Music

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Electronic diva music by Gregg Shapiro

iercely forelocked electro goddess Elly Jackson of La Roux took a risk waiting almost five years to release her second album, the aptly named Trouble in Paradise (Cherry Tree/Interscope). Few second albums have been worth the wait, but the payoff with this one is substantial. “Upright Downtown” is the hottest 1980s Bowie homage ever recorded. “Kiss and Not Tell” is so infectious it may as well be the flu. “Cruel Sexuality” makes being cruel to be kind an inviting option. “Sexotheque” is the soundtrack to horizontal dance instruction, and “The Feeling” feels good all over. The female version of Owl City, electro evangelist Lights (aka Canadian-born Valerie Poxleitner), is about as subtle as Pat Robertson.

On “Portal,” the opening track of Little Machines (WB), she rhymes “immortal” with “your portal.” Can you guess whose portal she’s singing about? The daughter of missionaries (oy vey), Lights doesn’t hesitate to preach to both the converted and the unconverted on songs such as “Same Sea,” “Don’t Go Home Without Me,” “Slow Down” and “How We Do It.” Queer heathens may also dig “Running with the Boys,” “Speeding” and “Muscle Memory.” Kiesza wails and belts like an old-school house-music diva on her aptly titled full-length debut Sound of a Woman (Island/4th & Broadway). “Hideaway” is the kind of house-music jam that has been missing from DJ booths and airwaves for years, and we have Kiesza to thank for bringing it out of hiding. “No Enemiesz” is another di-

Steven Underhill

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415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

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rect-to-the-dance-club cut that qualifies Kiesza for instant disco-diva status. But instead of maintaining the momentum, Kiesza takes a few detours that lack the same firepower. One that is surprisingly effective, however, is her reinvention of Haddaway’s “What Is Love” as a dramatic ballad. Thankfully, she gets back to the business at hand on “The Love,” “Giant in My Heart” and “Over Myself.” Charli XCX has been perfecting her trademark brat-pop on her own records (her 2013 full-length debut True Romance, for instance) as well as via her collaborations with others, including Iggy Azalea and Icona Pop. Kicking things up while not losing her sneering edge on Sucker (Atlantic), Charli collaborated with Rostam Batmanglij (the gay member of Vampire Weekend) on the solid album-closer “Need Ur Love,” as well as Rivers Cuomo of Weezer on “Hanging Around.” The Charli we’ve come to know and love can be heard loud and clear on slamming dance numbers such as “Break the Rules,” “Sucker,” the bombastic “Boom Clap” and the new wavy “London Queen.” You don’t have to speak French to understand that Yelle wants you to dance to the songs on her new album Complétement fou (Kemosabe). Collaborating with the overextended Dr. Luke (ugh!) of all people on unexpectedly decent cuts such as the title track and “Coco

Sans Bulles,” Yelle (aka Julie Budet) may be making an effort to expand her reach. “Jeune Fille Garnement,” “Moteur Action” and “Un Jour Viendra” are also worth a listen. As Swedish dance divas go, Tove Lo is no Robyn. But those are some big and funky shoes to fill. Nevertheless, Tove Lo holds her own on her full-length debut album Queen of the Clouds (Island). Some of the songs are too repetitive, but “Timebomb,”

“My Gun,” “Got Love,” “Not on Drugs” and the QOTC Edit of “Run on Love” manage to hover over the rest. Paloma Faith takes a more organic approach to her sound and style on A Perfect Contradiction (Epic). Belting in a retro fashion like a sober Amy Winehouse, Faith is as comfortable at the disco “Impossible Heart,” the dazzling Pharrell tune “Can’t Rely on You” and the soulful “Mouth to Mouth” (which she cowrote with Raphael Saadiq) as she is spinning out like a vintage jukebox angel on Diane Warren’s “Only Love Can Hurt Like This” and “Taste of My Own Tears” (co-written with Stuart Matthewman of Sade fame). Faith deserves to be better-known than she is, and this album is a good place to get acquainted. If you had never heard Devotion, Jessie Ware’s strong 2013 debut album, then her second disc, Tough Love (Interscope), is perfectly serviceable. But the trouble with the disappointing Tough Love, aside from the fact that it’s so low energy that it’s virtually comatose, is that Ware not only doesn’t live up to expectations, it’s as if she didn’t even bother trying. Ware was by no means expected to replicate the mastery of her first album, but nothing on Tough Love comes close to the vigor and spirit of songs such as “Wildest Moments,” “Imagine It Was Us,” “Running” or “Still Love Me.” But Ware does make good use of electronic elements on “Keep on Lying,” “Want Your Feeling” and “Cruel.”t

Leonard Whiting

From page 17

Then, as now, gay male viewers swoon at the mere sight of the ethereal-looking Romeo, actor Leonard Whiting, whose beauty in the film remains incomparable. On Valentine’s Day, master showman Marc Huestis brings Whiting to the stage of the Castro Theatre for a Q&A, autograph signing, and of course, a screening of Romeo & Juliet. “I had never been out of England before I did Romeo & Juliet, so filming in Italy was spectacular,” Whiting told the B.A.R. from his home in London. “I was completely seduced by the beauty of the country, food, the buildings, the colors. Italy is still my favorite country to visit.” The actor remains a close friend with Olivia Hussey, his onscreen Juliet. Hussey has also appeared at the Castro in conjunction with the film. “It wasn’t just publicity that Olivia and I were fond of each other,” Whiting recalled. “But now I certainly believe in love at first sight. Before shooting we always found time to be alone, and get to know each other and spend quality time together.” The co-stars realized early on that they were part of a classic in the making. “With the whole hippie thing happening, we became a couple who represented love, even forbidden love,” Whiting explained. “This was a generation with a sense of hope and belief that everything in society could change for the better.” One of the film’s most iconic scenes is a shot of the young lovers lying in bed. Whiting lay on top of the blankets fully nude. This sequence now stands as one of cinema’s most breathtaking depictions of youthful male beauty. “In retrospect, it was a privilege to be part of something that was beautiful, tasteful, passionate and iconic,” the actor said. Forty-five years later, Leonard

Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey in a publicity still from Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo & Juliet.

Whiting can now speak proudly of a resume that includes a great deal of British TV and theater, and films across Europe. He has also directed and painted. His friendship with Hussey remains strong – the pair was recently reunited for a Romeo & Juliet-inspired film which stars Hussey’s daughter India Eisley. “It was great fun, only a small cameo,” he said. “India, I call lightbulb, because she lights up in front of the camera and is as special as her mother. This is one of my greatest joys, our friendship, and supporting each other’s children.” The Valentine’s Day event will include a tribute performance and

film clips. There will also be a 1 p.m. screening of the great Romeo & Juliet-inspired musical West Side Story, although there will be no appearances or live performances at the matinee screening. Separate admission is required. The evening gala with Leonard Whiting begins at 8 p.m., and includes a screening of the film. Gala ticket prices range from $25-$45 (VIP ticket also grants admission to the 6:30 p.m. signing.) Children under 16 are admitted free. Film-only tickets (9:10 p.m. entry) are $11.t Go to ticketfly.com/purchase/ event/730079 or call (415) 863-0611.

Music>>

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Barber & Carrington to play SFJazz by Michael McDonagh

“ was very contrary. I said no to everybody, and I just did what I pleased.” Jazz pianist-composersinger Patricia Barber is talking about her early days in the business, but it could just as easily apply to her attitude today. Reached by phone in her native Chicago, where she lives with her partner Martha – “That’s my neighbor’s snow-blower,” she laughs – Barber has forged a fiercely independent career by doing things her way – not out of vanity, but because she’s in music to give, not take. “You really have to put your heart and soul into it, because people pay for you to express yourself. You have to care to be real and honest.” But she also recalls a moment when she failed to deliver the goods. “I made such a huge mistake at the Green Mill here in Chicago. I was coming up to a perfect ending and I hit a wrong note, a really bad note – it was totally exposed – and I was all by myself,” she says, laughing about the experience. But what about her famous stage fright? “I’m an introvert, so it’s a hard job, and sometimes I think I should have been a writer.” When I mention that my

pianist friend Pedro has suffered terrible bouts of stage fright, she goes several layers deeper. “It’s fear of exposure, fear of making a fool of yourself, fear of failure, fear of success, but there are no centralized meanings to success.” So maybe fear of not being known and fear of being known are the same thing? Even on the phone, Barber’s voice has the distinct, confident, yet oddly private tone of her live performances, and the shadings are never black-and-white. This is strange, perhaps, for a sophisticated but very American artist, whose ironic take in her 1994 song “Post Modern Blues” couldn’t be more timely. We live, after all, in the wake of the late German philosopher Herbert Marcuse’s book One-Dimensional Man, which dealt with the leveling effects of technological and political conformity. If you doubt it, just consider the uniform defense of Western democratic freedom of speech values, which the Charlie Hebdo incident was allegedly about. Barber’s coolly sensual take on our postmodern life – “Illusion is captured, and cubism reigns over France” – couldn’t be more current. Her covers of unjustly neglected songs like “Invitation” by Branislau

dience? “It seems pretty heterogeneous,” and she’s not sure if this is because there are more gays here.

Spotlighting women

Martha Feldman

Jazz pianist-composer-singer Patricia Barber.

Kaper, who scored just about everything, including Auntie Mame; Frank Loesser’s “Inchworm”; and many others in the American Songbook, including Cole Porter, matter because her supposedly cerebral approach marries knowledge with instinct. Her own songs, like “What a Shame” or “Missing” from her Concord Jazz CD Smash – “This winter, I won’t read, I won’t sleep til you call” – lay bare the heart in no

Nicholas Phan

From page 17

“Right now, the driving force behind what I do is to make music be for everybody,” says the 36-year-old Phan (pronounced Pahn), a globetrotting San Francisco resident who’s already a familiar presence at Davies Hall, where he will return in June to sing Jaquino in Fidelio in the SF Symphony’s Beethoven Festival. In another “role,” as a San Francisco Performances Artist-in-Residence, he takes music into the community, occasionally giving concerts but mostly working directly with music-makers of all ages and abilities. “Classical music is where my heart lies. It’s what’s made me who I am today. I believe that it has the power to change people, to make communities and bring people together in fundamental ways. And I think it’s more important now than ever.” His new CD, A Painted Tale, is the work of a born risk-taker. His first two solo CDs, also for Avie, were of songs by the iconic gay composer Benjamin Britten, with whose music he is still most identified, and whose outsider status as a gay man and an artist has guided Phan’s work. Those discs quickly clambered up critics’ “Best of ” lists, and it may have been me who called Phan’s “the most beautiful voice singing Britten today.” Eighteen months ago, the planners at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, where Phan had already sung a debut recital, asked him back in a program of his own devising – and gave this eminently practical musician a budget that called the shots. Phan quickly calculated that he could perform English lute songs and even throw in a viol da gamba. But the thinking led him to the idea of a program that would have “a life beyond Carnegie Hall,” where he will perform the songs from A Painted Tale on March 23. “That’s exactly why I structured the new CD the way I did. I wanted to put these songs in a context that would show how they’re essentially timeless, that there’s something in them we can all relate to, that an artist like Sting would respond to.” With only one alteration in the verse, a name change from Sylvia to Celia in one of the 20 songs, he arranged them not by composer groups but as a cycle that tells a story – a sort of Elizabethan Die schoene Muellerin that tells the story at the

Tracy Love

Composer-drummerbandleader-vocalist Terri Lyne Carrington.

uncertain terms. But how does she feel about coming back to San Francisco? I first saw her at the Red Devil Lounge on Polk St., which has turned into a yuppie bar, even though New York socialite Nan Kempner once asked me, “Haven’t the yuppies all died?” “It’s such a beautiful city, and I love it.” And SFJazz? “They have some pretty substantial donors.” And her line-up here? “It depends on the musicians I have,” she says, which in this case means her two regulars, Larry Kohut, bass, John Deitemyer, drums; plus local sax player Harvey Wainapel, who backed Brazilian singer Claudia Villela when she and her small group performed the Getz/Gilberto Songbook last summer at SFJazz. “Harvey’s experienced and has a singular voice. He changes in unexpected ways, and I love that.” And her au-

The African-American composer-drummer-bandleader-vocalist Terri Lyne Carrington and her group will also play SFJazz, and the musician, who has backed Herbie Hancock and many other American jazz masters, will be offering a completely different show from Barber’s. Her Grammy-winning Mosaic Project, which has travelled widely, spotlights the contributions of women to this unique yet everchanging form. Its incarnation here marshals the gifts of singers as varied as Lizz Wright and Nona Hendryx, and has included the unique gifts of singers Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson. Carrington reimagined Duke Ellington’s 1962 studio LP Money Jungle, which he set for Charles Mingus, bass, Max Roach, drums, and himself on piano, as her CD project Provocative in Blue, and from the parts I’ve heard, it didn’t stray too far from its source. Ellington was a force of nature and a phenomenally powerful yet largely underrated pianist, and if Carrington’s show comes even a sneeze away from Ellington, we’ll be in jazz heaven – on Valentine’s Day, no less.t Patricia Barber plays SFJazz, 201 Franklin St., SF, on Thurs., Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets ($25-$50): sfjazz.org. Terri Lyne Carrington plays SFJazz, 201 Franklin St., SF, on Sat., Feb. 14 at 7 & 9 p.m. Tickets ($35-$75): sfjazz.org.

Courtesy the artist

Lyric tenor Nicholas Phan: called ‘the most beautiful voice.’

heart of Western culture: romantic love and its heartbreaks. There’s always a risk that this niche repertoire, so much of which is slow, sad and similar-sounding, will lose an audience. Having heard the disc, I’d say the greater danger here is how intense these songs sound in their new context, and how personally and immediately Phan sings them. “I’ve been fortunate to work with some great orchestra conductors, and they often ask me what I want to sing. The problem is that most vocal music with orchestra is for sopranos. I’ve sung contemporary music, including the world premieres of Mark Adamo’s Lysistrata and of Elliott Carter’s song cycle Sunbeam Architectures, which I’ll be singing again at Tanglewood this summer. But I want to put more energy into commissioning pieces the tenor repertoire needs.” Having done acclaimed work in operas as varied as Handel’s Ariodante and Verdi’s Falstaff – and in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd and Candide in Bernstein’s opera – next spring, with Boston Baroque, he sings Tamino in The Magic Flute, a role he’s had in the crosshairs since covering it in Houston 12 years ago. “Time to put him on his feet.” He also has eyes on Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte, “and, if I ever get a gray hair or lose my baby face, Tito and Idomeneo.

“If it hadn’t been for classical music – or music in general – I’m not sure I would have survived as a young gay person,” he says. “I came out at 16 at Interlochen Arts Camp, which turned out to be a place I could find myself. That same summer I decided I was going to be a singer and not a violinist. It all happened at once. It was as if I said to myself, OK, just be who you are. Then, my first summer at Marlboro, I came pretty close to packing it in. “There’s a lot of gay people in this industry, so there’s a lot of simpatico and mutual understanding,” he reports. “Still, I do find – less now than when I was starting – that for tenors, particularly lyric tenors, you kind of have to prove your masculinity. I find that funny because so many people who make decisions in this industry are gay men. But it’s not holding me back in any way, and I try to see the glass as half-full and be grateful. “If anything bothered me about my choice of becoming a singer, it was that it seemed kind of selfish. I was a university brat, and we were taught that it was our responsibility, as people of privilege, to give back to the community. I see this being-an-artist calling as a form of service. We’re here to give back this thing that has changed our lives. What’s the point unless we’re here to change people’s lives?”t

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26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Black History Month on TV screens by Victoria A. Brownworth

appy Black History Month, everyone. Enjoy it while you can, since it is the shortest month. There’s a lot on TV this week, from the now-ubiquitous Bruce Jenner to Lance Bass to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills to SNL at 40. There’s a new, terrific sitcom about Asians with an all-Asian cast, ABC’s Fresh off the Boat, which got rave reviews from critics and Asians on social media, with some saying Eddie Huang (the show is based on his best-selling memoir) is “our Richard Pryor.” The sitcom is the first Asian-American TV sitcom since Margaret Cho’s All American Girl, which aired for one season in 1994. Fresh off the Boat follows the flashback reportorial style of comedy series like Everybody Hates Chris and The Goldbergs. Then there’s the measles drama, with the epicenter in California, where anti-vaccine lunacy is bringing back a disease that was eradicated in the U.S. in 2000. The Feb.5 episode of ABC’s Nightline detailed via interviews with parents refusing to vaccinate (all young and white) that TV had driven their fears of vaccination, despite the science. One young mother told Nightline that she had seen noted anti-vaxxer Jenny McCarthy, a former Playboy model and former co-host of ABC’s The View, talking about the issue, and it had “just terrified her.” The measles outbreak has put babies and toddlers at risk because they are too young to get the MMR vaccine, and of course, people with HIV and immuno-suppressive illnesses. Pres. Obama has come out for vaccinations, as has Hillary Clinton, while Chris Christie, Rick Perry and Rand Paul have all made stupid anti-science statements, as is common in the GOP. And there’s NBC anchor Brian Williams “mis-remembering” that he wasn’t in a war, like say, ABC’s Bob Woodruff, who got part of his head blown off in 2006 by an IED while covering a story in Iraq and sustained a traumatic brain injury that required his re-learning how to speak and walk, or CBS’s Kimberly Dozier, who was critically injured in Iraq by a car bomb that killed two members of her crew, as well as an American soldier. Dozier underwent 30 surgeries, plus skin grafts, during her recovery. But back to Black History Month. While we know the object is celebration, it’s also very much about illumining what’s been elided from our collective history as a country. And that, of course, includes entertainment. The fall from grace of Bill Cosby, who was not only the first consistent black face on TV but also an omnipresent one, has been a source of commentary both within and outside of the black community. When prominent black men

Kerry Washington, star of ABC’s Scandal.

in entertainment like Chris Rock can’t stop talking about the Cos, you know it’s an issue. But Cosby has not been the face of blacks on TV in decades. While everyone remembers The Cosby Show with fondness, it debuted in 1984 and ended in 1992. It’s nearly 25 years since it was on the tube. We can love the show in the past, we can appreciate Cosby’s role in TV history, and we can move on to black actors who haven’t been accused of 30 rapes. One of the reasons Cosby has maintained his lionized status is because no one has ever replaced him. Between The Cosby Show and now, the closest TV has come to having an omnipresent black actor on TV is Kerry Washington, star of ABC’s Scandal. Washington is everywhere. There’s a 20-foot promo pic of her on the wall outside the ABC lot in Burbank, and she’s that big everywhere else. A perennial talk-show guest, Washington is smart, funny, self-deprecating, gorgeous, a fashion icon. She was a movie star before she was a TV star, but she’s only in her mid-30s and looks younger, which in Hollywood is important for actresses. She’s been involved in politics: she campaigned for Obama in 2008, and in 2012 spoke at the Democratic National Convention. She’s campaigned against violence against women, and is vocal in bringing attention to women and cancer. This week she’s on the cover of InStyle magazine, although you might not recognize her, since the cover photo made her many shades lighter, causing a furor on Feb .5 when the magazine went on sale. We don’t have a problem with seeing Washington everywhere. We just want to see more black actors as visible as she is. It’s not that there aren’t

black TV actors out there; we’re seeing a lot of Viola Davis as well. It’s that they are nearly always relegated to secondary roles. The place one sees black actors first and foremost on TV is next to a white star. The black sidekick is a consistent role for black actors, male and female. David Oyelowo was snubbed by the Academy and did not receive an Oscar nomination for his commanding performance as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, arguably one of the most difficult roles of the year, as King is an American icon. While he has not spoke publicly about the snub, he has spoken out about the context of it, and what he said applies to TV as much as it does to film. On Feb.1 Oyelowo was on a Santa Barbara TV talk show saying that America really can only accept black actors in subservient roles. For us, one of the most egregious castings is Oscar winner Olivia Spencer as a nurse on Fox’s Red Band Society. It’s a role not much different from her role in The Help, for which she won the Oscar. Was there nothing else available for an actress of her caliber except a reprise of what she had already done? African-Americans are 13% of the population, but only 5% of actors on TV. Women are dramatically underrepresented on TV: 52% of the population, but only 36% of roles on TV. Black women are underrepresented within that subset: only 2% of TV roles are held by black women, and sometimes it seems as if all of those are on three shows, all produced by black showrunner Shonda Rhimes. In 2013, Washington was the first black actress to get an Emmy nomination in 18 years. It was Washington’s first Emmy nomination, and the first time a black actress was nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama Series since the 1995 season, when Cicely Tyson was nominated for the short-lived NBC drama Sweet Justice. Diahann Carroll was the first nominee in 1963. But no black woman has ever won in the category. Yet Debbie Allen, who now both directs and co-stars on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, was nominated 19 times, and Alfre Woodard, who stars on NBC’s State of Affairs, has been nominated 17 times. (Out gay director Paris Barclay, who has long been the face of black gay men behind the camera, has been nominated eight times.) These are depressing numbers a full 50 years since Bill Cosby became the first black to win an Emmy. The success of Shonda Rhimes, who seems to have single-handedly brought black women into prominence on the TV landscape, has not

created a ripple effect. While Rhimes’ shows are models for diversity casting and include Asians, Latinos, and gays, blacks are still overwhelmingly sidekicks to white characters, with the only exceptions Rhimes’ shows and a few BBC entries, like Luther, for which Idris Elba has been nominated for an Emmy, or Showtime’s hilarious House of Lies, which stars Oscar nominee Don Cheadle, who has also been nominated for an Emmy for each of that show’s three seasons. Fox’s comedy Brooklyn Nine Nine co-stars Andre Braugher, who has been nominated eight times for Emmys and won once for his role in Homicide: Life on the Street. On BNN, Braugher is doing doubleduty as the show’s gay character. Then there’s Red Band Society, which is on its way out, co-starring Spencer. But why does the longestrunning TV drama, NBC’s Law & Order: SVU, have only one black actor in the ensemble cast when the show takes place in NYC, while the second-longest running TV drama, CBS’ CSI, has not even one? ABC debuts its answer to HBO’s True Detective on March 5 with the much-anticipated American Crime, an anthology crime series created by African-American screenwriter John Ridley, who won the 2014 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. Ridley was the first African-American to win that award. Ridley has been writing for TV for more than 20 years, starting out on the sitcoms Martin and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Ridley was also a writer for out black lesbian comedian Wanda Sykes’ show. But the pattern here is obvious: blacks have to already be stars to rise through the TV ranks. On ABC’s Nightline Feb. 6, Viola Davis spoke about the lack of roles for black women and women in her age group (she’s about to turn 50). She also spoke about her role as Dr. Annalise Keating on the Rhimesproduced How to Get Away with Murder, created by out gay showrunner Peter Nowalk. Davis said, “I felt the only way that I could play Annalise is if I played her as a real woman. I feel that that’s part of being a woman that people kind of throw in the trash heap when you see them on TV.” Black faces aren’t any more visible on non-scripted TV. Larry Wilmore, whose The Nightly Show has been in the old Colbert Report spot on Comedy Central for a few weeks, is currently the only black late-night comedy host. Since Oprah left to start her own network, OWN, and Queen Latifah’s short-lived daytime talk show was cancelled last year, the only black faces on daytime talk are Whoopi Goldberg on The View, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood on CBS’ The Talk, and Wendy Williams on her show. There is, of course, BET, which has some superb programming, and OWN, which does as well. There are smatterings of black-driven animated sitcoms. But outside of the handful of shows we have noted here, blacks are still very much in the background of the TV landscape. We hope when we are writing about this next February, that will have changed. But for now Black History Month serves more as a reminder of what isn’t than a celebration of what is when it comes to black visibility on the tube. TV really still is a straight white man’s oeuvre, which considering that more women and people of color and gays watch TV than straight white men, isn’t very smart on the part of the straight white male TV execs. Just saying.

Trans am

It was a high-visibility week for trans people on the tube, in no

small part because of Bruce Jenner’s 88-year-old mother telling the media that Jenner had informed her of Jenner’s intention to transition. Jenner, best-known as an Olympic medalist and head of the Kardashian-Jenner reality-TV series clan, has been the subject of tabloid speculation for months as the former athlete underwent surgery to shave down an Adam’s apple and appeared to have had other feminizing procedures. The Associated Press interviewed Jenner’s widowed mother, Esther Jenner, 88, in Idaho on Feb.4, and she told the AP she had spoken to Jenner about the possible transition. “It was brief, and I said I was proud of him, and that I’ll always love him,” she said. “I never thought I could be more proud of Bruce when he reached his goal in 1976 [at the Olympics, where he won a gold medal in the decathlon], but I’m more proud of him now. It takes a lot of courage to do what he’s doing.” The elderly Mrs. Jenner added, “It was a shock. It’s hard to wrap your mind around it. But I am at peace with what he is and what he’s doing.” Until Jenner’s rumored transition, the most public faces of transition have been Orange Is the New Black guest star Laverne Cox (who will be on Fox’s comedy The Mindy Project, it was revealed Feb. 5), perennial talk-show guest Janet Mock, and reality-TV star Chaz Bono. Meanwhile, the final season of Fox’s Glee is doing a transitioning storyline. Coach Beiste, played by Emmy nominee Dot Marie Jones, who is an out lesbian in real life, is transitioning from female to male. The four-part story arc has Coach sporting a hipster-style beard and wearing a tie. Early releases of the scenes are both convincing and moving. Seeing the beloved Coach embraced by Sue (Jane Lynch) and students is definitely a several-hankie event. Grey’s Anatomy had a moment of lesbian visibility on the Feb. 5 episode, where a woman drug rep has a conversation with surgeon Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez). Callie thinks the rep is interested in her male colleague and tries to hook them up, but the woman says he’s not her type. When Callie presses her, she says, “He has a penis.” Yep, that’s a deal-breaker for lesbians. It was an example of how seamless these Rhimes shows are on lesbian and gay issues. On the Feb. 5 episode of How to Get Away with Murder, there was a moment where Colin said something that touched his boyfriend Oliver. Cue sudden intense kissing. As we said, seamless. Speaking of seamless, we’ve ragged on Sean Hayes a lot in recent months for terrible forays on various TV shows. But we caught him guest hosting CBS’ Late Late Show, and he was terrific. One guest was Dame Edna, who was hilarious and a perfect foil for Hayes. We think Hayes may have found his oeuvre. Someone float his name as a talk show host. He was terrific: funny, engaged, all that. Finally, SNL is having their big 40th birthday celebration on Feb. 15 with many of the show’s most famous alums returning for the special, among them Mike Meyers and Tina Fey. The show’s creator, Lorne Michaels, told the Hollywood Reporter this week that he had few regrets over the four decades: that he had passed on some comics who turned out to be huge, including Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Lisa Kudrow, Jim Carrey and Louis CK. So for elusive sightings of black actors, non-stop speculation about Bruce Jenner, news anchors with memory problems and so much more, you really must stay tuned.t

Fine Art>>

February 12-18, 2015 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

Women photographers from far afield by Sura Wood

hat knowledge Westerners have of women in the Middle East is mostly gleaned from the media, and the stories those sources impart are often troubling. Learning that some women are essentially confined to their homes, concealed, sometimes completely, behind dark veils, unable to move through their societies without permission from male relatives, considered property and barred from a driving a car or acquiring an education, and subjected to violence and harassment if they cross the line, alarms our sensibilities and excites a feeling of injustice. But what do we actually know of the realities of their lives, or how they perceive their circumstances? She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World, a thought-provoking new show at the Cantor Arts Center, which features accomplished work, ranging from fine art to photojournalism, by a dozen leading female artists of the region, offers clues and sheds some light on the subject, but ultimately raises more questions than it answers. The show’s 79, mostly color photographs, many of them presented in series format, and a pair of videos, explore issues of identity and representation, the wages of war and its impact on daily life, while attempting to forge a deeper understanding of both the Middle East and the psyches and personal experiences of the women of diverse cultural backgrounds – from Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Palestine to Egypt and Morocco – who have produced the work on exhibit. Materials for the show allude to the desire to dispel myths of repression and female powerlessness.

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Courtesy of the artist, Azita Bina, and Robert Klein Gallery, Boston

“Untitled #5” from the series Today’s Life and War (2008). Pigment print by Gohar Dashti (Iran).

While the very existence of this exhibition, and several of the artist statements that accompany the images, could be said to refute the perception that these women are second-class citizens in their native countries, their assertions may sound counterintuitive to a Western mind-set. It’s not a leap to imagine that a woman wielding a camera in public in some cultures could be considered an aggressive, even radical act, but how they’ve coped with this problem and/or worked around it is barely discussed. From the outside, these are complicated issues to get the bottom of; however, it’s worth mentioning that quite a few of the artists now reside, at least part-time, in the West. “I hope that the show will shift our perspective and put art before politics and media sensationalism,” exhibition curator Kristen Gresh told me recently. “I hope it will open people to the complexities of the many cultures that make up the Middle East, and perhaps prevent false assump-

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tions or unfounded connections.” Overall, the exhibition leaves one with the impression that, for these creative women, jarring contradictions and absurdity – expressed here through visual juxtapositions and incongruities – rule. Several artists, such as Yemeni photographer Boushra Almutawakel, who currently lives in Paris, critique various symbols of repression, such as the hijab (headscarf) and niqab, a veil that obscures the head, chest and face, except for slits for the eyes. Inspired by Egyptian feminist writer Nawal Elsadawi, who drew parallels between the wearing of headscarves and the application of make-up as methods for providing a feeling of safety in the public realm, Almutawakel examines the “convenience, freedom, empowerment, limitations, irony, religious aspects” and multiple meanings of the coverings in “Mother, Daughter, Doll” (2010). In the series of nine staged portraits, the artist, her daughter and her daughter’s doll, who are posed against the same black background, progressively exchange

MFA, Boston

“Nil, Nil #11” (1998). Gelatin silver print by Shadi Ghadirian (Iran). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

their colorful clothing for drabber garb. With each subsequent photograph, they’re increasingly obscured by dark fabric until their faces and bodies are totally concealed; even the doll is shrouded in fabric, an indictment of the absurdity of the trend toward extreme covering. In the final image, there’s nothing left except an empty black pedestal, the identities of the figures effectively erased. When the series was first shown in Yemen, it was well received, but with the rise of Islamic extremism in that country, one wonders if the reaction would be as positive – or if the show would even be permitted – today. Shadi Ghadirian takes a satiric tack in “Qajar” (1998), a series that juxtaposes 19th-century Persian backdrops with women in headscarves sporting modern accouterments like designer sunglasses, cans of Pepsi, musical instruments or boom boxes, objects forbidden in Iran when the pictures were taken. Born and raised in Morocco, Lalla Essaydi, who currently splits her time between Marrakech and New York,

orchestrates performance-based photographs that challenge Orientalist tropes and the mythologizing of female identity, areas of investigation that converge in “Bullets Revisited #3” (2012), an alluring, old-world triptych. In this striking piece, which reflects Essaydi’s concerns about the onerous restrictions women face in the Middle East and North Africa following the Arab Spring, a voluptuous, barefoot woman with long, dark, luxuriant hair is laid out on a bed for delectation like an exotic odalisque in a harem depicted by the 19th-century painter Jean-AugusteDominique Ingres. Gazing directly into the camera, her face and exposed skin painted in Islamic calligraphy, a sacred, traditionally male art-form, she’s draped in fabric and decorated with gleaming gold-and-silver bullet casings, materials usually associated with violence that in this context also evoke sensuality. It’s a loaded combination that simultaneously seduces the eye and blows the mind.t Through May 4.

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My Bawdy Valentine Saucy storytelling celebrates its eighth by Krissy Eliot

Musician Rachel Lark and Bawdy’s host Dixie De La Tour pull winners for BANG-O raffle.

f you’re tired of the prescriptive nature of Valentine’s Day (the purchasing of teddy bears, the making of Italian reservations, the writing of bad poetry), then forget V-day. Have a me-day. Check out Bawdy Storytelling – the show where people get on stage and tell true stories of sexual adventure – as it celebrates its eighth anniversary at the Verdi Club on February 13. See page 30 >>

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Guests aboard the Big Gay Wine Train in 2014.

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30 • BAY AREA REPORTER • February 12-18, 2015

Bawdy Valentine

From page 29

For those who aren’t familiar with Bawdy, each show has a theme that performers adhere to — like “Talk Nerdy to Me,” “Cheapskate Sex & Cut-Rate Coitus,” or “Uncharted Territory.” Usually, there’s one show a night, but for the eighth anniversary, there’s gonna be back to back shows with different themes. The 7:30 show’s theme is “Easy” and will feature amateur storytellers, while the 10:30 show’s theme will be “All The Way” and have experi-

enced performers. As for who is in the lineup, that won’t be revealed until a couple days before the event. So check out Bawdy’s website and Facebook for details. Bawdy has really taken off in recent years, with shows in Seattle and Los Angeles, and performances by sex icons like Dan Savage of the Savage Lovecast, famous porn star Annie Sprinkle and cuddle party creator Reed Mihalko. And this year, Bawdy was part of SF Sketchfest on January 31. But despite Bawdy’s notable lineups, it’s most famous for putting the

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average Janes and Joes into the limelight to confess their dirty secrets to a crowd. Bawdy’s founder and host, Dixie De La Tour, always makes it a point to include a wide range of sexualities in her show, but she finds herself wishing that more queer people would pitch her stories. Some of the best tales she’s ever heard at Bawdy were from queer storytellers. “There was this one queer guy who told a story about how he was raised very Catholic. And he always knew he was never going to have sex as a young man,” De La Tour said. “He knew that gay sex was a sin against God and he wanted to meet his grandma in Heaven. And he was seduced by a guy named Jesus. Ha!” De La Tour knows how scary it is to tell a story, so she makes sure the crowd roars for every performer. And if the audience doesn’t cheer loud enough, De La Tour will stand there and tell them to scream louder until the whole crowd is hoo-ha-ing. “My job as a host is to make sure everybody appreciates the fact that you’re doing something that’s boundary pushing for you,” De La Tour said. “It’s hard to get up on stage. Public speaking is terrifying for a lot of people. It’s even terrifying or me.” If you’re nervous about attending such a raunchy affair, it may be worth it to face your fears. Word on the street is... Bawdy gets you laid. Singer/songwriter Rachel Lark, who frequently opens for Bawdy shows, wrote a song called “Bawdy Got Me Laid,” which she even included on her 2014 album, Lark After Dark. “There’s a pervert out there for you, if you’re brave enough to share,” Lark sings. “Just ask them for a Bang-O clue, then see if they’d like to get some air.” What’s Bang-O? It’s Bawdy’s dirty version of bingo (played before the show and during intermission),

Benjy Feen

Sister Floozy Flora Goodthyme holds up the applause sign to get the crowd roaring.

where audience members ask each other sex questions, initial the boxes that apply to their sexual experiences or desires, then submit their completed cards for a raffle prize. The point of the game is to get strangers talking – and it works. There’s no better way to break the ice than to ask a hottie if she’ll initial a card admitting she’s into feet. Rusty Blazenhoff, a Bawdy regular, told a story at a 2008 show while on date with someone else. She met a polyamorous guy who shamelessly flirted with her. Even though Blazenhoff isn’t poly, she sent an email to De La Tour asking if she knew who the guy was and if she could get his number. They’ve been dating off

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Cheerleaders assuming the position at Taraphilia themed Bawdy Show.

and on for the last seven years. “Dixie’s played matchmaker many times,” Blazenhoff said. And Bawdy won’t just get singles laid. If you’re actually into the Valentine’s Day romance thing and would rather not do dinner and a movie on the 14th — rumor has it that Bawdy gets couples laid too. One Bawdy attendee said his wife met a beautiful blonde at a party in San Francisco, but they parted ways without exchanging numbers. Soon after, the couple went to Bawdy to celebrate his birthday, and his wife ran into the blonde. “They began a mad flirting affair. I was always wondering when they would get together and if I was going to be lucky enough to eventually be invited to join in,” Alex said. “After the show that evening, I wandered off to talk to people and get birthday greetings, and my wife came to me and asked if I’d mind inviting someone to spend the night in our hotel room.” So if you don’t want to spend your V-Day weekend worrying about what restaurant has the best fondue — then check out Bawdy, listen to stories, and maybe someone will fondue you.t Bawdy Storytelling’s Eighth Anniversary, Feb 13, $25-$59. 7:30pm and 10:30pm at the Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa St. www.verdiclub.net www.bawdystorytelling.com

Mike Woolson

De La Tour and Dan Savage pose for a photo at Bawdy’s Talk Nerdy to Me Show.

t <<