February 6, 2020 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter

11

Bias suit revived

Pelosi rips up speech

ARTS

08

17

23

Berlin & Beyond

Adam Roberts

The

www.ebar.com

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

Vol. 50 • No. 6 • February 6-12, 2020

B.A.R. Exclusive:

Gay bathhouses could one day return to San Francisco

by Matthew S. Bajko Keri Vaca

Gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin

Newsom pardons Bayard Rustin

by Cynthia Laird

G

overnor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he has granted a posthumous pardon to gay, black civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, whose 1953 arrest in Pasadena, California on vagrancy charges led to jail time and inclusion on the sex offender registry.

According to the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the story, Newsom said that the pardon for Rustin, who died in 1987 at age 75, was part of a broader clemency initiative that will also look at past convictions of other LGBTs who were prosecuted under discriminatory laws.

See page 8 >>

Keri Vaca

New SF Pride Executive Director Fred Lopez

Lopez hired as SF Pride’s new ED

by John Ferrannini

T

he board that oversees San Francisco Pride hired its permanent executive director three weeks ago but didn’t announce it until more than two weeks later.

The news wasn’t a surprise, as the board named Fred Lopez, previously its interim executive director, as its new permanent leader, according to a news release.

Lopez, a gay man who began working with the organization as a contractor in 2016 and became a staff member in 2017, takes the helm of the organization as the parade prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary this June.

He started in the role January 15, but the board of San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, Inc., as it’s formally known, only announced the news January 31.

See page 14 >>

N

early four decades after they shuttered amid a court fight at the height of the AIDS epidemic, gay bathhouses could return to San Francisco under a policy change being sought by gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.

In an exclusive interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Mandelman said he intends to introduce legislation at the February 11 board meeting that would lay the groundwork for how operators of gay bathhouses could reopen such establishments in the city. It would jettison the long-standing prohibition against having locked doors for private rooms rented by bathhouse patrons and rescind the requirement that such venues hire people to monitor the sexual activities of their customers.

“I think it is about putting a bookend on a pretty terrible chapter in the history of the queer community in San Francisco,” said Mandelman. “The restrictions went into place in 1984 as gay men were dying and the public health community was desperate to find ways to slow the spread of the epidemic. And I think since that time many folks in the queer community, many people who were around then,

Jane Philomen Cleland

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman will propose legislation that would allow the city to have gay bathhouses, like the Steamworks, above, in Berkeley.

felt something had been lost and lamented that now in the era of PrEP these restrictions no longer make great sense.”

PrEP, the once-a-day pill that prevents the transmission of HIV, is just one of several effective strategies health officials have in their arsenal nowadays that has led to a dramatic

decline in new HIV infections in San Francisco.

For years local health officials have also worked to see that people living with HIV are receiving care and on treatment, as those with undetectable HIV viral loads don’t transmit the virus to their sexual partners.

See page 10 >>

Lawyers battle for the gavel in SF, Alameda County judicial races

by John Ferrannini

S

ix female attorneys – all straight allies – are competing for the three open judicial seats on the San Francisco Superior Court that are on the March 3 primary ballot. Retiring judges are vacating the seats up for election.

In the East Bay, three attorneys – two of whom are LGBT – are also on the March ballot. They are vying for one seat on the Alameda County Superior Court being vacated by Judge Carol Brosnahan, 84, who is retiring after 40 years and who runs the county’s behavioral health court.

All of the candidates except one completed questionnaires that the Bay Area Reporter sent them as part of the newspaper’s election coverage.

SF Seat 1

Courtesy Maria Evangelista

Maria Evangelista, a deputy public defender, is running for Superior Court judge seat No. 1 against Pang Ly, a commissioner pro tem for the court.

This isn’t Evangelista’s first time running for a seat on the bench. As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Evangelista was one of four public defenders who challenged sitting judges on the Superior Court two years ago.

The quartet charged that the judges should be voted out of office because they were “Republican appointees.” While Republican governors

CA LIC# 10-0000663 SF LIC# P0001 SR

Judicial candidate Maria Evangelista

appointed them, all four of the judges were registered Democrats. All of the judges won their reelection races.

David Campos, a gay man who serves as the chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party, said in a phone interview that the local party endorsed Evangelista this time, although it did not in 2018 when she was challenging Judge Curtis Karnow.

Courtesy Pang Ly

Judicial candidate Pang Ly

“When I did consider her last time, I thought this was a very impressive person. But for the fact that she was running against a sitting judge, I would’ve voted to endorse,” Campos, a former San Francisco supervisor, said. “For me this time there was no question we’d give her serious consideration.”

{ FIRST OF THREE SECTIONS }

See page 14 >>

This Valentine’ s Day, give fine cannabis goods to your sweetheart.

3989 17th Street at Market (by the Muni F Market turnaround)

<< Community News

2 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

‘Hearts in SF’ sculptures now on display

Escape

to Palm Springs

compiled by Cynthia Laird

Nestled between the San Jacinto and Andreas Mountains in S. Palm Springs this custom contemporary home boasts 3,556 sq ft of complete luxury. Custom build in 2015 with 3 bdrms, 3 ½ baths, media room, office w/closet + pocket doors. The attached casita consists of 2 rms, separate entrance & private patio. The exquisite combined dining/living room features a dramatic 9’ chandelier with custom lighting throughout. The entire home is built with imported Italian Tile. The chefs kitchen is outfitted with Professional Thermador appliances, Cambria slab countertops surrounded by Siematic kitchen cabinets. The extensive backyard consists of amazing mountain views and a large logia with misting system. Fee Land in gated community with low dues and fully funded HOA. The home is equipped with energy efficient HVAC systems, water heaters and a 10.33kw solar system with a 2 car garage and separate additional car garage.

Directions: From South Palm Canyon, East on Acanto.

Estancias South Canyon is the gated community on the left.

Call to schedule showings.

Michael Erives

Realtor

michael@darceydeetz.com CalDRE#01954960

by John Ferrannini

T

11/11/19 5:07 PM

Work with a Top Producer & the Animal Lover’s Realtor® I will donate $500 from every transaction to a pet rescue of your choice.

Representing buyers, sellers and investors from residential to commercial. Give me a call today on 415.279.5127

The tabletop heart “California Street,” by Matthew Priest, is one of many that will be on display at Wilkes Bashford in Union Square.

SF Summer Resource Fair

The San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Families will hold its Summer Resource Fair Saturday, February 8, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the County Fair Building, 1199 Ninth Avenue in Golden Gate Park.

Along with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, DCYF, and Livable City is holding the resource fairs to let people know about summer programs, camps, classes, and other services. The resource fairs are free.

After the citywide event – which will feature over 125 exhibitors – pop-up resource fairs will be held throughout the city until May. This year the goal of the resource fairs is to ensure children and youth – particularly from working families – will have enriching, safe, and fun activities to participate in during the months that school is not in session.

For a complete list of summer resource fairs, visit https://www.dcyf. org/.

ConnectSF, a multi-agency collaborative process to build an effective, equitable, and sustainable transportation system for San Francisco’s future, will hold a public workshop on the city’s Eastside Thursday, February 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mission Cultural Center, 2868 Mission Street.

A similar session is planned for the Westside Saturday, February 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Park Branch Library, 1833 Page Street.

Organizers explained in a news release that workshops were held last November – one for youth and one with people who live, work, or spend time in the city’s southeastern neighborhoods. Both workshops had great turnout and robust discussions on connections that were working and not working, as well as future projects.

The upcoming sessions, which are free, will engage attendees in a discussion about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to local and citywide connections.

People will also learn about what it would take to get people to travel by more sustainable modes and get ideas for project concepts and policies to help the city reach its community-generated transportation vision for the future.

To RSVP for the February 13 workshop, go to http://connectsf. org/rsvp-feb13. To sign up for the February 8 session, go to http:// connectsf.org/rsvp-feb8.

For those who can’t attend, a brief digital survey has been created that closely mirrors the workshop discussions. People can take the survey at https://connectsf.org/ survey/.

See page 15 >>

Elder abuse case concludes in SF courtroom

Call 760 409-1903 Michael Erives 2x10.indd 1

ConnectSF workshop

S

an Francisco General Hospital Foundation has announced that all of the tabletop and mini heart sculptures from its 2020 “Hearts in San Francisco” public art project are now on display at Macy’s Union Square and Wilkes Bashford, leading up to the Hearts in SF event Thursday, February 13.

Select hearts from this year’s series will be available for purchase through a charity auction on eBay. Bidding started this week and closes at 11:59 p.m. February 14. The online auction is open to the public and will provide necessary funding for initiatives at Pricilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, according to a news release.

“Hearts in San Francisco” artworks, combined with Hearts events proceeds (2004-2019), have raised more than $27 million, as well as worldwide awareness, the release stated.

The eight tabletop hearts from the series will be on display in the storefront windows of Wilkes Bashford, 375 Sutter Street. The 15 mini hearts will be on the third floor of Macy’s, 170 O’Farrell Street. The displays will be up through February 9.

The release noted that the hospital foundation received a record-breaking number of artist applications for this year. All 33 of the selected heart sculptures will be transported to Oracle Park for the big February 13 evening event. Following the fundraising celebration, three large heart sculptures will join the Tony Bennett “America’s Greatest City By the Bay” heart at Union Square from February 14-November 1.

To check out the eBay auction, visit https://www.ebay.com/b/Hearts-inSan-Francisco/bn_7116478158.

Tickets for the February 13 event at Oracle Park are $250 and available at https://sfghf.org/events/hearts-insf-2020/#tickets. The party starts at 7 p.m. Cocktail attire is suggested.

t

he man who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of vandal-

ism and false imprisonment stemming from an elder abuse case has completed his sentence.

As the Bay Area Reporter reported January 8, Natthakarn Laohacharoensombat, 34, who goes by “Ray,” had four of six charges against him dismissed at a July 8 hearing when he was ordered to complete 24 anger management classes, according to trial records reviewed by the Bay Area Reporter.

The charges stemmed from incidents involving a 63-year-old man he was allegedly caring for.

As the B.A.R. reported online, at a court hearing January 31, Deputy Public Defender Nikita Saini said Laohacharoensombat had abided by the terms of the agreement and moved that his arrest record be sealed.

“Mr. Laohacharoensombat has

completed 50 anger management classes,” Saini said. “So today, this matter should be dismissed.”

Assistant District Attorney Matt Donahue said that his office had seen proof the classes were completed.

Laohacharoensombat has been in his native Thailand since December 2019, according to posts on his Facebook page.

Claiming that he was “counting down my last 24 hrs. in San Francisco” on December 9, he flew to China the next day and went from there to Thailand, according to posts on his Facebook page.

At a January 8 court hearing, Assistant District Attorney Anthony Lombardo asserted that Laohacharoensombat had not showed up for all See page 15 >>

Correction

Duncan Wheeler Realtor® Top-Producer 2005–2018, MBA Top Agent 1% San Francisco — 415.279.5127 duncan.wheeler@compass.com DRE 01385168

In the January 30 article, “Leatherdyke to oversee SF’s famous kink fairs,” it should have stated that Kathleen Connell was a co-founder of the Folsom Street Fair, not Folsom Street Events. Also, the contract language involved in last year’s dispute between FSE and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence has been clarified. According to FSE board President Jennifer Schuster, the original contract language, as well as all past contract agreements, stipulated that the Sisters recruit a volunteer coordinator, which would earn an additional $500 donation. If the volunteer coordinator was not supplied, a $500 deduction would be applied. This deduction was limited to only the volunteer coordinator and never applied to the many regular Sister volunteer shifts.

The online version has been updated. t

ONE OF SEVERAL VALUABLE PRIZES JUST FOR VOTING FOR YOUR FAVORITE PLACES, PEOPLE AND THINGS TO DO IN SAN FRANCISCO AND THE BAY AREA. GRAND PRIZE:

SECOND PLACE:

THIRD PLACE:

4th-10TH PLACE:

LA PRIDE 2020 (VIP Weekend Passes) JUNE 12-14

Pair of tickets to see MIKA at the Masonic on April 13

Pair of Tickets to see Opera Paralelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HARVEY MILK (May 15-17 at Blue Shield of California theatre at YBCA)

I GOT YOU BABE: The Best of Sonny & Cher 5-CD SET OF THE SONNY & CHER COMEDY HOUR (Never released before)

VOTE TO WIN

www.surveymonkey.com/r/besties2020

<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

Volume 50, Number 06 February 6-12, 2020 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 • John Ferrannini CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Roger Brigham • Brian Bromberger Victoria A. Brownworth • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani • Dan Renzi Michael Flanagan • Jim Gladstone David Guarino • Liz Highleyman Brandon Judell • John F. Karr • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger David-Elijah Nahmod • Paul Parish Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr • Gregg Shapiro • Gwendolyn Smith Sari Staver • Tony Taylor • Charlie Wagner Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd • Jo-Lynn Otto Rich Stadtmiller • Kelly Sullivan • Fred Rowe Steven Underhil • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

LEGAL COUNSEL Paul H. Melbostad, Esq.

Bay Area Reporter 44 Gough Street, Suite 204 San Francisco, CA 94103 415.861.5019 • www.ebar.com A division of BAR Media, Inc. © 2020 President: Michael M. Yamashita Director: Scott Wazlowski

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

Advertising rates available upon request.

Our list of subscribers and advertisers is confidential and is not sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers published herein is neither inferred nor implied. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

t

SF Pride leaders need to be honest W

e were lied to. There’s no other way to describe it. Our reporter, John Ferrannini, had been in contact with SF Pride for weeks, inquiring about when the organization would announce its permanent executive director. Then he was told by SF Pride board President Carolyn Wysinger on January 29 that we would get the news “when everyone else did.” He made repeated requests to interim Executive Director Fred Lopez last month for the rollout information early so we might break the news first. We work with people and organizations regularly – often under embargoes that we honor – to bring news to you, our readers, as soon as we can, like many other news outlets do. Lopez wrote in a January 10 email that the executive director announcement was expected within the next two weeks, so we kept following up.

It turned out the joke was on us. We received the news release January 31 and it turns out that 1) SF Pride had already hired Lopez as permanent executive director after a national search of over 100 candidates, and 2) He’d been in that role since January 15. That means Lopez had been on the job as permanent executive director while we were communicating with him about when SF Pride was going to announce the new executive director. He was quoted in some of our news stories as the interim executive director and never bothered to correct us. On Monday, Lopez told us that a lot of “work” precluded the organization from making the announcement earlier, like before January 15 when he had started.

Employing a deliberate misinformation campaign is not how a nonprofit organization that receives public funding and support should operate – especially one with the stature and responsibility of SF Pride. When SF Pride leadership misleads us, it is misleading you, too. Our readers are very engaged with SF Pride and we keep tabs on it throughout the year, not just during Pride Month in June.

Incredibly, SF Pride isn’t the only nonprofit to hire a new leader, have them start in the position, and then announce it. Folsom Street Events did the same last week. The board announced leatherdyke Sarah Patterson as its new executive direc-

San Francisco Pride board President Carolyn Wysinger and Executive Director Fred Lopez

tor on January 28; we were told that she started the job on January 14. If this is some new trend among nonprofits, count us confused. Typically, an organization announces a new hire before they start the job.

We’re deeply disappointed with the SF Pride shenanigans, and that senior officials – the executive director and board president – were untruthful. We hope this does not foreshadow standard procedure as Lopez oversees this year’s golden 50th anniversary of the San Francisco Pride parade. As SF’s leading LGBTQ publication, we will be covering all the angles. It will also be a huge national and international story, bringing media inquiries from all over the world. It’s an excellent opportunity to spotlight the city and the Bay Area’s large, diverse queer community. Yet SF Pride and its board seem utterly unprepared; they can’t even announce news about their new leader in a timely fashion, or be honest about it when asked many times – a professional, more robust communications team is needed immediately.

A larger, immediate issue for SF Pride is a recent members’ vote to ban Google, its YouTube affiliate, and the Alameda County Sheriffs’ Office from this year’s parade. We now know that the members took their vote the very day Lopez was hired as executive director. Due to misleading headlines in other publications, some people thought the ban was a done deal. But the SF LGBT Pride Celebration Committee Inc.’s board of directors has

the final say in matters like this, according to the organization’s attorneys. The matter is to be discussed after this week’s print edition of the B.A.R. goes to press and we’ll post an article about it on ebar.com after the meeting. But here again, Wysinger and Lopez (in his capacities as interim executive and permanent executive director) initially did not return requests for comment, except for a single statement and a single follow-up question from Lopez. Finally, Wysinger had to post to the organization’s Facebook page to inform the public how the process works. It would have been much better if accurate information had been communicated at the outset before rumors and false conclusions were spread. If not handled adeptly and transparently with open communication, this issue has the potential to grow into a full-blown controversy that splits the community over the meaning of and who can participate in the parade.

In 2019, San Francisco Pride distributed a record-breaking $203,000 in grants to 40 nonprofit community partners during their annual grant making party, Lopez told us. Since the community partners program launched in 1997, SF Pride has given back a total of $3.4 million to Bay Area nonprofits. It’s important that SF Pride explain how those donations might be affected if it starts banning corporations, and what role if any corporations can play in the parade.

Burying one’s head in the sand and circling the wagons is not a good sign for any nonprofit organization – and we’ve seen it done over the years by various groups. Challenges need to be confronted as soon as possible. Positive news, such as the hiring of Lopez, should be done in a timely manner, not two weeks later. We know from our own experience that the best way to address mistakes or shortcomings is to take full responsibility and make improvements immediately.

Going forward, we hope that SF Pride officials can see the benefits in working with local LGBT outlets, which community members rely on for information, good and bad. We saw hopeful signs this week when Lopez did provide some comments for our updated story on his new position. A lack of transparency or candor does not indicate robust leadership and in time can only engender problems. It’s too bad that SF Pride leaders were not more cognizant of that in their clumsy announcement of the new executive director, but it’s not too late to do better. t

2020 goals in Eureka Valley

by Alex Lemberg

I

am honored and privileged to have been elected as president for the next two years of the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association, San Francisco’s oldest neighborhood organization, dating back to 1881. While much of the world (myself included) is centered on national elections and politics, I want to encourage residents of the Castro to take time to focus locally, too.

The Castro is one of the most engaged, active neighborhoods in the vibrant city of San Francisco. It has great restaurants, nightlife, delightful locally-owned stores, original Victorians, and its very own Muni underground station. Even so, the realities of day-to-day life in our neighborhood sometimes catch up with us.

The Castro has an unusually high number of commercial vacancies – one of the highest rates of any neighborhood in the city. We have far too many unhoused neighbors, many with co-occurring mental health issues and addiction issues, who do not have anywhere to go either during the day or at night, nor sufficient localized health care, affordable housing, or other resources. We have no cohesive green space in the neighborhood at all; Dolores Park and Kite Hill are both on the outskirts of the Castro while the Eureka Valley Recreation Center complex provides almost no greenery or usable park space. Commuters who go through the Castro Muni station have frequent and significant delays nearly every day. There are so many things we can improve on and this list is only the beginning.

I am extraordinarily lucky to have a committed and passionate group of neighbors and compatriots serving on the EVNA board of directors this year. We are lucky to have our District 8 supervisor, Rafael Mandelman, who cares deeply about our neighborhood. We are fortunate to have an active and effective Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, the engaged Castro Merchants, fantastic Castro-based nonprofit organizations such as the GLBT Historical Society & Museum, Lavender Youth Recreation

Courtesy Alex Lemberg

Alex Lemberg

and Information Center, the Castro Street Fair, the Castro Country Club, Castro Cares, Castro Community on Patrol, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Our Town SF, and so many more.

But even with all these incredible people, groups, and resources, the Castro deserves more. The only way to achieve these goals, for a neighborhood that is safe and affordable, clean and green, is to band together. The Castro generally has a wellto-do, highly educated, and very talented population. We have a high rate of homeownership.

We all have busy and hectic lives, and in a year with an extremely important presidential election, it is difficult to focus locally.

On January 23, the EVNA held our first public meeting of the year and the decade. Over 30 neighbors came out and spoke with Mandelman about myriad issues facing the neighborhood – everything from dirty streets to new speed bumps to the ever-elusive S Castro Shuttle. We then spent nearly an hour creating a vision for

the Castro. Dreaming big, without placing judgments or constraints on people’s ideas. And I was amazed at what people came up with. The energy is great and continuing to build.

My vision for what the EVNA can achieve in the years ahead is limited only by the willingness of Castro residents to participate in making our neighborhood better. People advocating at City Hall for what our neighborhood needs and deserves. People volunteering for neighborhood cleanups, park restorations, outreach projects, and beautification efforts. I’m proud to be in a position to help lead this effort, but I ask each Castro resident reading this column to think of something they would like to see change and commit themselves to volunteering some amount of time to making that proposal a reality. I promise that dozens or hundreds of other neighbors want to see the same changes – they tell me so every day.

Some of the proposals from our January 23 meeting include: a revamp of the Eureka Valley Playground/Rikki Streicher Field; centralized dispatch for Muni underground trains; an architectural integrity initiative; creation of a “hummingbird” center for drop-in mental health services; taking a new survey of commercial vacancies and engaging with the landlords; and many more.

In order to make any of these ideas into a reality, we need Castro residents to step up to the challenge and make a commitment to making these feasible, inspired ideas a part of their dayto-day life. I am proud to lead these efforts to make the Castro a better neighborhood for all.

If you have another idea or simply want to join this movement, email me at alex.lemberg@evna.org. A happy and successful 2020 to you all! t Alex Lemberg is a gay man and the new president of the Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association. For more information, visit http://www.evna.org.

t

Politics >>

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

Gay SF D7 supe candidate posts strong fundraising report

by Matthew S. Bajko

A

s he seeks to double LGBT representation on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, gay former journalist Joel Engardio has already raised more money for his campaign for the open District 7 seat than during his 2016 bid to represent the neighborhoods west of Twin Peaks.

Engardio reported January 31 that he had raised $66,360 through December 31 last year and had $63,262 in cash on hand. Of his 310 donors, he noted that 80% live in San Francisco and 40% reside in District 7.

He also announced this week that newly sworn-in San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto had endorsed his candidacy. Already backing Engardio in the race are Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu and former supervisors Scott Wiener, a gay man who now serves in the state Senate, and Katy Tang, who now lives in District 7.

“I feel great and I feel confident about the campaign with our strong early start,” Engardio, a copywriter and senior manager for content marketing at Firebrand Communications, told the Bay Area Reporter. “We are already doing our field campaign and passing out our first flier on residents’ doors with volunteers. We are as busy now as you would expect to be in late summer.”

Engardio, who owns a home near Lake Merced with his husband, Lionel Hsu, is the first candidate running in District 7 to report on their fundraising to date. He purposefully launched his campaign last fall in order to build momentum and kickoff 2020 with an impressive fundraising report as the race for the seat is expected to be a crowded field.

District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee, currently president of the board, is barred from running again due to term limits. It means, for the first time in eight years, there isn’t an incumbent candidate in the race, which is expected to see many candidates.

“It is important to come out of the gate strong and let people know we

Courtesy Joel Engardio

Joel Engardio is running for District 7 supervisor.

are here to win,” said Engardio.

He twice lost to Yee and is now hoping the seeds he planted during those past campaigns will give him an edge in the November 3 election.

Should he win, he would be the first LGBT person to represent District 7 at City Hall.

Currently, the lone LGBT member of the board is gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman. Also seeking to join the board this year is gay startup executive Spencer Simonsen, who is mounting an underdog campaign against District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who has long represented North Beach, Chinatown, Polk Gulch, and other neighborhoods in the northern section of the city.

It remains to be seen if any of the other odd-numbered supervisor district contests on the November ballot will draw LGBT candidates. The filing deadline for supervisor candidates is June 9.

As for the District 7 race, Myrna Melgar last Friday resigned from her seat on the city’s planning commission after officially filing to run for the seat that day and in June plans to step down as executive director of the Jamestown Community Center in order to focus on her campaign.

When she was a teenager Melgar

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

family law specialist*

emigrated from El Salvador in the 1980s with her family to San Francisco. She and her husband have lived in the District 7 neighborhood of Ingleside Terrace since 2011.

They have three daughters, one of whom is at college and came out as a lesbian last year. Their oldest works for the Public Utilities Commission and their youngest is in elementary school.

Melgar noted that she would be the first woman elected to the District 7 supervisor seat and the first Latina to serve on the board since lesbian former supervisor Susan Leal, who was first appointed in 1993 and later won election to a four-year term when the supervisors ran citywide. Asked what her pitch to her LGBT neighbors would be as for why she should be their supervisor, Melgar replied, “I am a bridge builder.”

She added, “I am so happy Joel is running. I think representation and diversity is very important. Whichever one of us makes it, it will be a plus for San Francisco to have that kind of diversity represented on the Board of Supervisors.”

Melgar told the B.A.R. Tuesday that Yee has endorsed her, as have Supervisors Peskin, Mandelman, Sandra Lee Fewer, and Gordon Mar. His twin brother and former supervisor, Eric Mar, is also supporting Melgar, who had worked for him as a legislative aide at City Hall.

Mandelman told the B.A.R., “Myrna is a good friend and an accomplished public servant. She will be a great supervisor.”

In late March or early April Melgar plans to officially kickoff her campaign. So too does tech investor Ben Matranga, who is running for a second time, having fallen short in 2016. Matranga, a managing partner at Connectivity Capital, and his wife live in West Portal and have an infant See page 15 >>

Letters >> Disagrees with Wiener endorsement

Your Scott Wiener endorsement is not unexpected, but annoying and dispiriting, nonetheless [“Reelect Wiener to CA Senate,” Editorial, January 23].

Yes, Wiener has done good work on transgender and justice reform issues, and he should be commended for taking a lead on those issues. He is also one of the most high-profile gay politicians in California.

But we would argue these popular, progressive positions (at least in most of this state) are fig leaves, and secondary to his relentless flogging of some variation of his more housing (of a certain sort) SB 50 bill every legislative session. But why would he give up, richly rewarded and underwritten by contributions by builders and developers, his ambitions will likely be fueled well beyond the state Senate. Transgender and criminal justice victims don’t pay the bills.

Yes, affordable housing in the Bay Area is scarce, where we have huge disparities in income, reflected in villas for the superrich and the squalor of destitute, sick, and pathetic people living on sidewalks, under freeways, and wherever they can pitch a tent, if they even have one. It’s telling that the press rollout of the latest version SB 50 in Oakland attended by Wiener and Mayor Libby Schaaf was an embarrassment for them – they were shouted down by low-income renters who fear loosing existing affordable units.

If anyone for a moment thinks the working poor or the even less fortunate, the homeless, are really benefiting from this unprecedented building boom of market rate housing transforming swaths of San Francisco, Oakland, or Berkeley, then they are simply wanting to be deceived.

Who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?

Even the YIMBY-friendly East Bay Express in its recent article (January 22-28, 2020) on plans for new housing at two Berkeley stations made explicit: “... California YIMBY, a statewide organization funded mainly by hightech and real estate businesses, which argues that building as much housing as possible will lower costs by increasing the supply to match the demand.”

This is a totally unproved theory, undercut by realistic estimates of what the real costs of providing ample, truly affordable low-income housing would be. But Wiener isn’t part of that solution with his developer-friendly, build anywhere, zoning-be-damned approach. We need progressives who advocate for redistributing some of the incredible wealth of this area to helping provide basic needs.

Your endorsement editorial also gets the shade reference wrong. The article from the December 1, 2019 New York Times, not the Los Angeles Times, describes how low income communities are further shortchanged by the absence of shade-providing trees, not high-rises as you suggest. Los Angeles is undertaking an ambitious plan to plant 90,000 trees and appoint a city forester.

Existing mature trees are often sacrificed in the race to build lot-line-to-lot-line, high profit market-rate developments.

Stepping back a bit and analyzing the Bay Area Reporter’s history of political endorsements, your venerable paper routinely picks the more establishment, safe, status quo candidate, of whom Wiener is a prime example. Or, for that matter, London Breed and Suzy Loftus. The history of the gay movement, which has brought us to where we are today, has been one of struggle and resistance, with visionary participants, many unknown or lost to history. Of the well-known, we owe so much to Roger Casement, Oscar Wilde, Harvey Milk, or Bayard Rustin, who is eulogized ironically enough in your Wiener endorsement issue. If they were lucky they were just ostracized or humiliated, Milk and Casement were killed. To think their sacrifices and courage have brought us to the Scott Wiener moment.

Robert Brokl and Alfred Crofts Oakland, California

[The online version of the editorial has been corrected referring to the NYT article, though there has been at least one op-ed in the LAT on this topic.]

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

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

DISPLAY OBITUARIES & IN MEMORIAMS

The Bay Area Reporter can help members of the community reach more than 120,000 LGBT area residents each week with their display of Obituary* & In Memoriam messages.

RATES:

$21.20 per column inch (black & white) $29.15 per column inch (full color)

DEADLINES:

Friday 12noon for space reservations Monday 12noon for copy & images

TO PLACE:

Call 415-829-8937 or email advertising@ebar.com

* Non-display Obituaries of 200-words or less are FREE to place.

Please email obituary@ebar.com for more information.

44 Gough Street, Suite 204, San Francisco, CA 94103

THIS IS THE

san francisco

Columbariu M Funeral Home and

formerly the Neptune Society

We’ve expanded our services and kept the spirit and tradition.

Call (415) 771-0717 One Loraine Court between Stanyan & Arguello

FD 1306

SF_Columbarium_2x7.625_033017.indd 1

COA 660

8/11/17 12:30 PM

<< Community News

6 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

t

SF supes call for return of deported gay man

by John Ferrannini

T

he San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution February 4 asking that the city’s federal representatives and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security ensure the safe return of a gay man who a federal judge ruled had been erroneously deported.

At the same time, California Senator Dianne Feinstein (D) has called on the agency to comply with the judge’s order.

As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, Oumar Yaide, 32, was deported to Chad – a country where homosexuality is illegal – on December 1, 2019. That same month Judge Charles Breyer of the U.S. District Court for Northern California ordered that Yaide (known in court documents as Abderman Yaide) had to be brought back so that his asylum claim on the grounds of his sexual orientation could be adjudicated.

Breyer has since ruled that DHS is not in compliance with his order, and has asked that the agency appear in federal court again Friday to detail how it will return Yaide, according to Edwin Carmona-Cruz, a spokesman for Yaide’s attorney, Sean McMahon.

The resolution was introduced

by District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission district – which Yaide called home – on the board.

John Ferrannini

Supervisor Hillary Ronen speaks at a City Hall news conference Tuesday to discuss her resolution urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to return a gay man it deported.

“Oumar is my constituent,” Ronen said at a City Hall news conference prior to the board meeting Tuesday afternoon. “He was a resident of the district, where he contributed to the community with volunteer work for various organizations.

“The stakes here are extremely high because every additional day Oumar spends in Chad, he faces jail, violence, or even worse,” Ronen added.

Also speaking at the news conference were friends of Yaide, including Haley Kay, an Oakland woman who has known Yaide for about five years.

Kay said that the fundraiser she helped organize for Yaide January 31 at the LGBT bar El Rio in the Mission district went “really well,” though she and friends are still trying to put to-

gether how much money was made.

“Just under 100 people were there,” she said. “It was a great turnout. The bands were great. I think we’ll have another before Oumar comes home to scrape funds together. We need an additional $5,000 for a cushion for him.

So far we’ve raised $2,000 of that.”

Kay said that the $14,000 that had previously been raised for Yaide had not all been spent, and much of it was going to pay his rent.

Barrett Edmonds, another friend of Yaide’s, was also at the news conference. They worked together at the Wooden Nickel, a Mission district bar.

“He was taken in the dead of night,” Edmonds said. “They deported his ass in the middle of the night.

He’s a good person.”

Chehrzad Shadman, another friend of Yaide’s, added that Yaide was an “asset to the community.”

“At the end of the day if we are not going to show up and help our friend, what are we doing?” she asked. “It’s important to make a stand.”

The resolution urges Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris (D-California), and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) to help ensure that DHS returns Yaide to the U.S., according to a copy of the resolution provided to the B.A.R.

by Ronen’s office.

During the board meeting, Feinstein’s office released a letter that she sent to acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf calling for the agency to comply with the court order.

“Further delay exposes Mr. Yaide to serious risk. Any action taken by DHS to force Mr. Yaide to contact the government of Chad to facilitate his travel puts his life in danger,” Feinstein’s letter states. “Simply put, DHS must comply with the court order and return Mr. Yaide to the United States as soon as possible. I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.”

As the B.A.R. previously reported, friends of Yaide delivered a petition with almost 30,000 signatures asking for Yaide’s return to Feinstein’s office January 21.

The resolution also urges Cali-

fornia Governor Gavin Newsom to make a statement on the case, Ronen said.

The news conference replaced a proposed rally outside City Hall that was being considered by Kay. Yaide had been seeking asylum in the U.S., where he had been residing without legal permission since 2009, according to court documents.

At the time of his arrest by ICE, Yaide was working at a restaurant and lived in the Mission, Kay said.

He was held in Yuba County Jail (outside Sacramento), which contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hold people in the U.S. without legal permission.

In November – before a motion to reopen Yaide’s asylum case on the grounds of his being gay could be heard – he was flown by ICE to Chad. A habeas corpus petition was filed, but by the time the court enjoined ICE, Yaide had already left U.S. airspace, according to court documents.

Carmona-Cruz urged DHS to comply with the ruling as soon as possible.

“Neither DHS or this president of the United States is above the law,” he said at the news conference. “This is why it’s extremely important that the Board of Supervisors vote unanimously on this resolution.”t

Wiener introduces bill providing for rapid STI testing

by John Ferrannini

S

tate Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill February 5 authorizing HIV counselors to perform rapid sexually transmitted infection testing, he told the Bay Area Reporter.

Under current law, HIV counselors can perform rapid tests for HIV, hepatitis C, or a combined HIV/ HCV test.

Wiener formally introduced the bill Wednesday; a draft summary he provided to the B.A.R. does not yet contain a bill number.

In 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a rapid test for syphilis, a bacterial STI, instances of which have been rising in recent years. The test produces a result in approximately 10 minutes.

“Syphilis is a major public health

Rick Gerharter

State Senator Scott Wiener

threat, and we have the tools to confront that threat. We just need to use those tools,” Wiener, a gay man, told the B.A.R. February 5. “Expanding

access to rapid syphilis testing is a key part of allowing people to know their status and get quick treatment.

It makes all the sense in the world to allow HIV counselors – who already perform rapid HIV tests – to also perform rapid syphilis tests at the same time.”

Wiener is confident there will someday be rapid tests for other bacterial STIs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.

“The bill is framed such that once those tests are created, they’ll automatically be subject to the bill,” he said.

As the B.A.R. reported January 16, syphilis cases increased in 2019 in San Francisco. The most recent monthly San Francisco Department of Public Health report available, released in December 2019, shows that there were 1,749 cases in the

first 11 months of 2019 compared to 1,552 in the first 11 months of 2018.

The same report shows that in women, syphilis cases went from 106 in the first 11 months in 2018 to 152 in the first 11 months of 2019.

Syphilis is also increasing in California and nationwide. In 2018, there were 25,344 cases in California – an increase of 265% in the previous 10 years, according to statistics from the California Department of Public Health.

In 2000, syphilis cases nationally had been at their lowest rate since 1941, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2018 there were 115,045 cases, compared to 101,584 cases the previous year. This was the highest number recorded since 1991.

Syphilis begins with a sore at the point-of-infection, which even-

tually goes away. If not treated, it could lead to organ and brain damage. It has been curable since the advent of antibiotics.

As previously reported, Wiener introduced legislation January 16 to direct the secretary of the state Department of Health and Human Services and the chief of the State Office of AIDS to implement a statewide, integrated response to the HIV, hep C, and STI epidemics, which health professionals call a “syndemic,” because each makes the others worse and they have interrelated causes.

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation declined a request to comment for this story. According to a fact sheet from Wiener’s office, SFAF is a co-sponsor of the bill, along with AIDS Project Los Angeles. t

CREATE. UPGRADE. REPLACE. Whether you are creating a new fireplace, upgrading an existing fireplace, or replacing an old fireplace, we can help bring a beautiful reality to your vision.

OKELL’S 415-626-1110

FIREPLACE

130 Russ Street, San Francisco

With style and warmth, create two rooms out of one with the Valor LX1 3-sided fireplace

okellsfireplace.com

SALE

OPEN SUNDAYS 'TILL 9PM - GET IT TODAY, NO CREDIT NEEDED! HURRY IN! SALE ENDS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH AT 9PM!

up to

†

up to

On purchases with your Ashley Advantage™ credit card from 2/4/2020 to 2/17/2020. Equal monthly payments required for 60 months. Ashley Furniture does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase. *See below for details.

COLMA - NOW OPEN! SAN JOSE - NOW OPEN!

81 Colma Blvd., Colma, CA 94014 650-761-7015 1082 Blossom Hill Road San Jose, CA 95123 408.878.4235

DOORBUSTERS! HERMISTON Walnut Rocker Recliner Reg. Price $799.99

NOW ONLY

39999 50% $

YOU SAVE

NOW HIRING! Sales Associates

Get it Today!

No Credit Needed!

DUBLIN

7885 Dublin Blvd., Dublin, CA 94568 925-660-0480 facebook.com/AshleyHSDublin

COLMA

81 Colma Blvd., Colma, CA 94014 650-761-7015 facebook.com/AshleyHSColma

CONCORD

Exit at Concord, next to Trader Joe’s 2201 John Glenn Dr Concord, CA 94520 925-521-1977 facebook.com/AshleyHSConcord

Follow us at @AshleyHomeStoreWest

EMERYVILLE

In the East Baybridge Shopping Center 3839 Emery St., Ste. 300 Emeryville, CA 94608 510-292-4339

facebook.com/AshleyHSEmeryville

FAIRFIELD

Exit Green Valley 4865 Auto Plaza Ct Fairfield, CA 94534 707-864-3537

facebook.com/AshleyHSFairfield

FOLSOM

Located in the Broadstone Plaza 2799 E Bidwell St Folsom, CA 95630 916-986-9200

facebook.com/AshleyHSFolsom

KANOSH Steel Sofa and Loveseat Reg. Price $1349.99

NOW ONLY

YOU SAVE

59999 56%

$

ROSEVILLE

FRESNO

MODESTO

facebook.com/AshleyHSFresno

facebook.com/AshleyHSModesto

Highland Reserve Marketplace 10349 Fairway Dr Roseville, CA 95678 916-953-5757

REDDING

SACRAMENTO

7502 N. Blackstone Ave Fresno, CA 93720 559-283-8251

LATHROP

18290 Harlan Rd. Lathrop, CA 95330 209-707-2177 facebook.com/AshleyHSLathrop

1405 Dana Drive Redding, CA 96003 530-222-7707 facebook.com/AshleyHSRedding

ROHNERT PARK

MILPITAS

In McCarthy Ranch 128 Ranch Dr Milpitas, CA 95035 408-262-6860 facebook.com/AshleyHSMilpitas

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Monday - Sunday 10am - 9pm

3900 Sisk Rd., Ste B Modesto, CA 95356 209-248-6152

Exit Rohnert Park Expwy, across from Costco 6001 Redwood Dr Rohnert Park, CA 94928 707-586-1649

facebook.com/AshleyHSRohnertPark

“Se Habla Español”

facebook.com/AshleyHSRoseville

Located at the Promenade in Natomas 3667 N Freeway Blvd Sacramento, CA 95834 916-419-8906 facebook.com/AshleyHSSacramento

SAN JOSE

1082 Blossom Hill Road San Jose, CA 95123 408-878-4235 facebook.com/AshleyHSSanJose

STOCKTON

In the Park West Place Shopping Center 10904 Trinity Parkway, Stockton, CA 95219 209-313-2187 facebook.com/AshleyHSStockton

SAN FRANCISCO

VISALIA

facebook.com/AshleyHSSanFrancisco

facebook.com/AshleyHSVisalia

707 Bayshore Blvd.

San Francisco, CA 94124 415-467-4414

3850 S. Mooney Blvd Visalia, CA 93277 559-697-6399

www.AshleyHomeStore.com

*Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage™ Credit Card.

No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered.

Subject to credit approval. ‡Monthly payment shown is equal to the purchase price, excluding taxes and delivery, divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded to the next highest whole dollar, and only applies to the selected financing option shown. If you make your payments by the due date each month, the monthly payment shown should allow you to pay off this purchase within the promo period if this balance is the only balance on your account during the promo period. If you have other balances on your account, this monthly payment will be added to the minimum payment applicable to those balances. ††Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage™ Credit Card. Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases.

No interest will be charged on the promo purchase if you pay the promo purchase amount in full within 12 Months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo purchase from the purchase date. Depending on purchase amount, promotion length and payment allocation, the required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off purchase by end of promotional period. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases and, after promotion ends, to promotional balance. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval. §Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See store for details. ‡‡Previous purchases excluded. Cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount. Discount offers exclude Tempur-Pedic®, Stearns & Foster® and Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid™ mattress sets, Hot Buys, floor models, clearance items, sales tax, furniture protection plans, warranty, delivery fee, Manager’s Special pricing, Advertised Special pricing, and 14 Piece Packages and cannot be combined with financing specials. Effective 1/1/2018, all mattress and box springs are subject to a $10.50 per unit CA recycling fee. †Subject to availability. Order must be entered by 4 PM. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. Stoneledge Furniture LLC., many times has multiple offers, promotions, discounts and financing specials occurring at the same time; these are allowed to only be used either/or and not both or combined with each other. Although every precaution is taken, errors in price and/or specification may occur in print. We reserve the right to correct any such errors. Picture may not represent item exactly as shown, advertised items may not be on display at all locations. Some restrictions may apply. Available only at participating locations. Ashley HomeStores are independently owned and operated. ©2020 Ashley HomeStores, Ltd. Promotional Start Date: February 4, 2020. Expires: February 17, 2020.

<< Community News

t Gay man suing CHP for discrimination wins appeal 8 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

by John Ferrannini

Brome has met the elements for equitable tollgay man has won an ing,” the ruling states. “It appeal in a discrimiwill be the jury’s job to recnation lawsuit against the oncile the evidence at trial.”

California Highway Patrol, Brome’s attorney, Lisa effectively reopening the Ells, said that 285 days case. were added to the period The California Court to which the statute of of Appeal for the First limitations applies – which Courtesy the Advocate District reversed a lower was one year – because Former CHP ofcourt’s dismissal of Jay ficer Jay Brome Brome’s workers’ compenBrome’s case in a unanisation case was pending mous opinion January 28. for that amount of time.

The lower court had “You move it back in time and it dismissed the case, with a judge ruling pulls in all the incidents of harassthat it was not filed within the statute ment,” Ells said. of limitations.

As the Bay Area Reporter reported However, the appellate court found December 18, 2018, Brome said that that the doctrine of equitable tolling he experienced decades of harassment can be applied to “suspend or extend in the CHP, starting in the academy a statute of limitations as necessary to and continuing through his work in ensure fundamental practicality and the San Francisco, Solano and Contra fairness,” according to a copy of the Costa county offices. appellate decision.

“I picked the San Francisco office “We therefore conclude that a reabecause I thought it would be unsonable trier of fact may find that derstanding,” Brome said in a phone

A

<<

Rustin

From page 1

As the Bay Area Reporter previously reported, three weeks ago, gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), wrote a letter to Newsom requesting the posthumous pardon for Rustin, who was part of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inner circle during the civil rights movement.

Wiener praised the governor’s quick action.

“Generations of LGBT people – including countless gay men – were branded criminals and sex offenders simply because they had consensual sex,” Wiener said in a February 5 statement. “This was often life-ruining, and many languished on the sex of-

fender registry for decades. The governor’s actions today are a huge step forward in our community’s ongoing quest for full acceptance and justice.”

Wiener and Weber, chairs of the Capitol’s Legislative LGBTQ and Black caucuses, respectively, wrote in their January 21 letter that “Mr. Rustin lived during a period of time in our nation’s history where his identity was under constant assault. Racial tensions were at a heightened state, segregation was in full effect, and Jim Crow laws were being enforced in various states throughout the country. This was also a time when homosexuality was criminalized, and LGBTQ people across the country were under a constant threat of violence and targeting.”

According to the letter, on January 21, 1953, Rustin was visiting Pasadena

interview with the B.A.R. February 3.

Brome, 56, claimed one man who harassed him, Steve Ramos, is now commander of CHP San Francisco.

The B.A.R. contacted CHP San Francisco’s media office February 3 seeking to contact Ramos. It has not received a response, as of press time.

The CHP issued a statement to the B.A.R. February 4.

“The CHP holds its employees to high standards of conduct and strictly enforces its Equal Employment Opportunity policy designed to ensure a work environment free of discrimination and harassment,” CHP public information officer Jaime Coffee said. “As this is a matter that is pending litigation, the CHP has no further comment.”

Brome said that his co-workers demeaned him with homophobic epithets and comments, and that one even held a gun to his head as the result of his sexual orientation.

As his career was drawing to a close, Brome’s health began to dete-

riorate as fellow officers refused to respond to his requests for backup in dangerous situations.

“I’d work my full shift and not see another officer,” Brome said. “This was an office of 30-40 people. It got to be too much. It’s all these things that triggered it.”

Brome went to management but the problems continued.

“The department refused to address the problem,” Brome said. “The response was always ‘protect the department.’”

According to the appellate ruling, Brome “feared for his life during enforcement stops, experienced headaches, muscle pain, stomach issues, anxiety and stress, and became suicidal by early 2015. In January 2015, he went on medical leave and filed a workers’ compensation claim based on work-related stress.”

Brome filed suit in September 2016. It was dismissed in March 2018.

Brome said he is glad he will finally be able to have his day in court.

“It’s good to finally get some good news and I’m excited to finally tell my story and let a jury decide,” Brome said. “I’d tell people in my job about justice and I’d say that justice is the process, not necessarily the outcome.

“I was denied that. I wish I was working. I had to leave early. Everybody who harassed me has been promoted,” he added.

Ells said Brome was excited for the opportunity to have a trial and said that the appellate decision has broader implications.

“We think it’s extremely important and a very strong opportunity that won’t just help Officer Brome, but will show that claims of harassment and discrimination should be tested with trial by jury throughout the state,” she told the B.A.R. Ells said the CHP has a period of time to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court, after which the case will return to Solano County.

She said that will take “at least a few months.” t

as part of a lecture tour on the topics of anti-colonial struggles in West Africa.

Shortly after his speech, Rustin was arrested after being discovered having sex with two men in a parked car. Rustin was cited for vagrancy, which Wiener and Weber pointed out was “a common charge against gay men for engaging in consensual sexual behavior.”

Rustin spent 50 days in Los Angeles County Jail and was ordered to register as a sex offender, Wiener and Weber’s letter stated.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey supported the pardon for Rustin and said last month that she joined in Wiener and Weber’s request to the governor.

Equality California, which supported the pardon request for Rustin, thanked Newsom.

“Civil rights champion Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘The time is always right to do what is right.’ For our friend, Governor Newsom, that time is today,” EQCA Executive Director Rick Zbur stated. “We are grateful to the governor for demonstrating our California values by pardoning civil rights hero Bayard Rustin – a trusted aide to Dr. King – and for creating a system for other LGBTQ+ people to seek pardon from unjust convictions. Today, Governor Newsom, and indeed the entire Golden State, did what is right.”

Under Newsom’s clemency initiative, LGBTQ Californians convicted for vagrancy, loitering, sodomy or other laws used to prosecute people for having consensual adult sex will be eligible to apply for pardons. The Board of Parole Hearings investigates pardon

applications and makes recommendations to the governor, who has sole constitutional authority to grant them.

“In California and across the country, many laws have been used as legal tools of oppression, and to stigmatize and punish LGBTQ people and communities and warn others what harm could await them for living authentically,” Newsom said in a written statement that was posted online. “I thank those who advocated for Bayard Rustin’s pardon, and I want to encourage others in similar situations to seek a pardon to right this egregious wrong.”

Newsom had alluded to a broader clemency program when his office issued a statement last month regarding the request for Rustin. “History is clear.

Same co-pay. (as the big chains)

Any insurance. (yes, any or none)

Delivery. (from our store to your door)

Smart packaging. (sync your medications)

24-7 med pick up. (with one-card loyalty)

CASTRO LOCATION | 2175 MARKET STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114 | (628) 895-9508 | tinrx.com

See page 10 >>

<< Community News

10 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

<<

Gay bathhouses

From page 1

Last year, the city reported for the first time that new HIV diagnoses had dipped below 200 in 2018. And San Francisco is on track to reach its goal this year of achieving a 90% reduction in new HIV cases as part of the city’s Getting to Zero strategy to end the HIV epidemic.

No data for keeping old regs

Thus, unlike in years past, the city’s department of public health no longer believes there is a need to maintain the restrictive rules governing gay bathhouses. Although it is remaining neutral on Mandelman’s legislation, the department for the first time is saying publicly that there isn’t a datadriven reason for why such businesses should be prohibited.

“The evidence doesn’t show that allowing closed doors and no monitoring would drive new HIV infections or result in more STD infections. And there are new tools in our toolbox with PrEP, and treatment as prevention, and undetectable equals untransmittable,” said Tracey Packer, who oversees HIV prevention for the health department as its director of community health equity and promotion.

Packer was speaking on behalf of Dr. Grant Colfax, a gay man who is the city’s health director, as he was unable to talk to the B.A.R. due to the reports Monday of two patients with coronavirus being moved to San Francisco for treatment. In 2008, shortly after being hired as the city’s HIV prevention director, Colfax had said he personally felt it would be “very difficult to justify re-opening the baths.”

Last January, Mayor London Breed hired Colfax to oversee DPH, and within months of his starting the job in February, Colfax was again confronted with the issue about re-opening the gay bathhouses.

District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney, who represents the South of Market neighborhood where most of the gay

Rick Gerharter

Supervisor Rafael Mandelman

bathhouses had operated, sent Colfax a letter April 25 to encourage him to “revisit some of the more arcane and reactionary policies that were adopted at the height of the panic of the HIV/ AIDS crisis and that could potentially stand in the way” of the city’s recent progress in controlling the epidemic.

Citing research that has found monitoring of sex behavior in bathhouses “has little to no effect” and noting the latest advances in preventing HIV and caring for people living with HIV, Haney wrote that his office “would support the revisiting of the policies requiring monitors and banning locked doors within bathhouses and sex establishments” in the city.

Draft legislation

Haney told the B.A.R. this week that he will be co-sponsoring Mandelman’s legislation. It would instruct Colfax to revise by June 1 the health department’s minimum standards governing the operation of adult sex venues so they no longer ban locked doors or require sex monitoring by staff.

“I think it was a discriminatory rule that doesn’t have any backing in public health and so it is overdue that they change it. I am glad they are coming around to it,” said Haney.

The standards could still include prohibiting patrons of the businesses

from engaging in sexual activities deemed “as posing an unreasonable risk of infection” for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, according to a draft of the legislation shared with the B.A.R. The standards likely would continue to require the businesses to provide free condoms, lubricant and other safe sex supplies to their customers, as well as information about the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

The draft legislation also states the adult sex venue operating rules could also include “such other requirements and/or prohibitions as the director determines are necessary to protect and promote the health and safety of patrons.” The supervisors are likely to take up the issue in March at the earliest.

Mandelman had sent Colfax his own letter June 28 calling on him to review the city’s “outdated policies” regulating bathhouses, which he wrote “have the capacity to provide safe, clean, and accessible spaces for those who need them, and provide an opportunity to offer safer-sex education, safer-sex supplies, and on-site testing services for those who would benefit most.”

Requests to revisit rules

And a handful of gay men over the last two years also had beseeched the health department and city leaders to revisit the rules governing bathhouses.

A main driver of the effort has been Blade Bannon, an erotic photographer and author of kink self-help books who has lived in San Francisco for 15 years.

“These places exist in other cities and countries all over the world and guess what, the world hasn’t come to an end,” said Bannon.

Stephan Ferris, a gay man who has lived in the city since 2005, has been advocating on the subject along with Bannon.

“I find bathhouses to be personally enjoyable,” said Ferris, who holds the leather title Mr. Friendly San Francisco 2018. “It just seems the reason they were closed in the 1980s doesn’t

Ultimately, it’s your experience that matters.

To be sure, we’re proud of our more than 30 years of experience in senior living. But, to us, what really matters is your experience at our communities. We do everything with that idea clearly in mind.

So, go ahead, enjoy yourself with great social opportunities and amenities.

Savor fine dining every day. And feel assured that assisted living services are always available if needed.

We invite you to experience it for yourself at a complimentary lunch and tour. Please call your nearest SRG community to schedule.

I n de p e n de n t & A s s i s t e d L i v i n g • M e mor y C a r e

Coventry Place • 1550 Sutter Street • San Francisco • 415.737.6120 Cypress at Golden Gate • 1601 19th Avenue • San Francisco • 415.741.1830 I n de p e n de n t & A s s i s t e d L i v i n g

Peninsula Del Rey • 165 Pierce Street • Daly City • 650.735.3161 RCFE# 385600429 RCFE# 385600430 RCFE# 415600867

SRGseniorliving.com

match up with the science we have now. It is time to change the standards to accommodate that.”

Cleve Jones, a longtime gay activist in San Francisco who tested positive for HIV in 1985 a year after most of the city’s gay bathhouses closed, told the B.A.R. he sees no reason to keep them shuttered.

“I just think it is time and I think we have already learned that the regulations don’t result in a reduction of transmissions,” said Jones.

And Packer told the B.A.R. this week that the health department doesn’t “have any evidence that having locked doors had an effect on transmission of HIV and STDs.”

A policy relic of a fearful time

In 1984, amid an often vitriolic debate within the city’s LGBT community about whether the gay bathhouses and sex clubs should be shuttered as a way to stop the spread of AIDS, the city filed a lawsuit against a number of the businesses claiming they were a public health nuisance.

That October a San Francisco Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order that shuttered nine gay bathhouses and sex clubs.

In late November of that year another judge lifted the restraining order but imposed new rules on how the bathhouses and sex clubs could operate. No longer could they rent private rooms, unless they secured a hotel license, and employees had to monitor the sexual behavior of patrons.

Bathhouse owners, however, refused to open their doors as the court heard challenges to the new rules. The judge hearing the court case at one point toughened his order and banned any sex from occurring in the bathhouses.

The legal case came to an end in 1989 when the city dismissed its lawsuit. By then the city’s gay bathhouses were no more, but over the ensuing years sex clubs opened their doors.

Several, like Eros and Blow Buddies, remain in business, albeit without private rooms patrons can lock shut.

By the 1990s the city’s health officials saw the sex clubs as avenues to reach gay men and educate them about safe sex practices. But they had remained resolute in their opposition to allowing gay bathhouses to open with private rooms.

Minimum standards for sex venues were developed in 1997 that mirrored the earlier court order and remain to this day. They require that all areas of commercial sex clubs be monitored on a regular basis by staff, and prohibit sex clubs and parties from having locking booths, cubicles, or rooms to which patrons have access.

A decade later the city’s HIV epidemic, in effect, had ended as new infections began to decline and HIV was deemed to be an endemic disease.

In 2013, then-health director Barbara Garcia, a lesbian, had assigned staff to look at the issue of allowing traditional gay bathhouses to again operate in the city but nothing came out of that review to alter the policies.

Five years ago the late San Francisco mayor Ed Lee told the B.A.R. he was “open” to allowing gay bathhouses to once again operate in the city as long as public health officials believed doing so would not hinder their plan to eliminate by 2020 nearly all new HIV infections.

Race Bannon, no relation to Blade Bannon, is a longtime HIV activist and writer in San Francisco who pens the B.A.R.’s leather column. He said

<<

Rustin

From page 8

In California and across the country, sodomy laws were used as legal tools of oppression,” he stated at the time.

California repealed laws that criminalized consensual sex between same-sex couples in the 1970s. Newsom noted that in 1997, the state passed a law that for the first time allowed those convicted

t

this week that it is time that the city junk its gay bathhouse prohibitions.

He was part of a group of gay men who had urged local health officials to change the policy back in 1999 and 2000 to no success.

“I think San Francisco, both from a Department of Public Health standpoint and a City Hall standpoint, are led by people who respect facts, data, and real world proven strategies. This legislation respects the facts, data, and real world proven strategies,” he said of Mandelman’s proposal.

His opinion has only hardened over the last two decades due to the advances in HIV prevention. Plus, he sees no reason why men looking for a traditional gay bathhouse should have to travel to Steamworks in Berkeley or the Watergarden in San Jose.

“One of the points I make to people is not having a bathhouse in San Francisco has become a class and economic issue. Having to travel elsewhere costs money and time that often they do not have,” said Bannon. “Even more importantly in San Francisco’s current economic and housing landscape, many guys are living with two, three, and four roommates. They often feel uncomfortable bringing someone home or having sex in their own home.”

A gay bathhouse would provide a safe venue for men to utilize at a cheaper rate than having to rent a hotel room in the city, noted Bannon.

“A young man may take someone home from a bar and in a rare instance may be assaulted or something like that. If they had a place they could go which was semi-public – meaning a bathhouse – they would feel safer because other people are around,” he said.

Unclear if bathhouse would open

It is unclear if a gay bathhouse would actually open in San Francisco, as no one the B.A.R. spoke to for this article said they knew of an operator of such a business proposing to open a location in the city. Thinking of the where a gay bathhouse could open, Jones joked, “I nominate the Pottery Barn,” referring to the home furnishing company’s now vacant store location in the city’s LGBT Castro district at the corner of Market and Castro streets.

Ken Rowe, one of the five gay or queer male identified owners of Eros, told the B.A.R. this week that they are unlikely to install private rooms at their sex club located on upper Market Street.

They don’t have much room to add private rooms, nor did Rowe think there was a strong demand for such an amenity at Eros. He also said no matter what rules the city adopts, Eros would remain a condoms-only club in order to protect its out-of-town customers from contracting an STD or HIV. “We have been here since 1992 and we kind of know what we are doing and our customers know what to expect and our international customers know where to find us and what to expect,” said Rowe. “At the onset we don’t have any plans for private rooms.”

While he agrees the policy in place now has become outdated due to the latest science around HIV prevention and treatment, Rowe said it is other issues that give him pause about adding private rooms at Eros.

“What I am concerned about are the other health ramifications of private rooms and the level of monitoring of them because of IV drug use,” he said. “The fact is that I know traditional bathhouses around the country have a consistent problem with that, with overdosing and with death.”t under such laws to remove their names from lists of registered sex offenders.

Rustin worked closely with King.

He was one of the key organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and he “was integral in various other nonviolent movements, boycotts, and protests to end racial discrimination,” according to the letter from Wiener and Weber. t

National News>>

t Pelosi rips up Trump’s State of the Union speech

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

by Lisa Keen

H

ouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco gave a Democratic response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address unlike any other – she ripped up her copy of the speech at the end.

That may have been payback for Trump declining to shake her hand at the onset of his February 4 appearance in the House chamber, as is custom.

Trump’s lengthy, campaign-style speech was sprinkled with statements that played to his base, some of which were misleading or false.

Bisexual Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona) enthusiastically stood and applauded Trump’s line about “our great Republican tax cuts” as fellow Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), sitting next to Sinema, put her hand to her face and looked away.

Senator Kamala Harris (D-California), who was on the other side of Sinema, sat stone-faced.

At one point Trump said, “I’ve also made an ironclad pledge to American families: We will always protect patients with preexisting conditions.”

That drew a rebuke from gay Congressman Mark Takano (DRiverside).

“In his State of the Union address, President Trump continued to spread lies about his record on health care,” Takano said in a statement. “He claimed to support people with preexisting conditions, yet he’s currently supporting a lawsuit that has reached the Supreme Court and that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act and end protections for people with preexisting conditions.”

Courtesy ABC News

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up her copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech Tuesday.

Trump’s list of special guests for his State of the Union address included the brother of a bisexual high school student who died by suicide last year after he was outed on social media.

The White House news release did not mention that the high school student, Channing Smith of Tennessee, was bisexual or that he was bullied over his sexual orientation. The president did not share his story with the nation or even acknowledge his brother Joshua’s presence at the event.

The president made a general statement: “Every young person should have a safe and secure environment in which to learn and to grow.” And he applauded first lady Melania Trump for having launched her “Be Best” initiative,

aimed at, among other things, discouraging cyberbullying and attacks through social media.

It was a decidedly anti-climactic nod in an evening that was notable for its dramatic reveals –the reunion of a soldier with his family, a scholarship award to a young student, and the presentation of a Presidential Medal of Freedom to right-wing radio talk figure Rush Limbaugh, who is battling Stage 4 lung cancer, in the middle of the formal address to the nation.

In announcing the award to Limbaugh, Trump praised him “for all you have done for our nation and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity.”

Limbaugh is better known to the LGBT community for his anti-LGBT rhetoric, including statements

EARN MONEY FOR TUITION Talk to your recruiter or visit nationalguard.com/ca.

Programs and Benefits Subject to Change

derisive of laws that prohibit discrimination based on HIV infection.

Trump also promised to “eradicate the AIDS epidemic in America by the end of this decade.”

That stood out for Log Cabin Republicans spokesman Charles Moran, who called the speech “upbeat” and “forward thinking.”

“President Trump could have gone low but he went high, and inspired the country to do the same,” said Moran. “I’m heartened that, for the second time in his State of the Union address, he recommitted to the initiative to end the spread of HIV/AIDS in 10 years. We haven’t forgotten, and neither has he.”

Trump also said “everyone is made equal by the hand of almighty God.” But he said his ad-

ministration would continue “defending religious liberty, and that includes the constitutional right to pray in public schools.”

That latter statement stood out for many LGBT activists. Sharon McGowan, national legal director for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, said Trump was “weaponizing religious liberty arguments.”

“This administration has relentlessly attacked not only the LGBT community, but also women, communities of color, and religious minorities,” said McGowan. “And by using tonight’s State of the Union to bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh, President Trump displays his utter disdain for the overwhelming majority of our country who neither look like him nor share his cynical world view.”

Gay San Francisco resident Cleve Jones was Pelosi’s guest for the speech. Speaking to the Bay Area Reporter before the event, he said it was the first time he’d been to a State of the Union address and he “hopes it’s the last one given by Trump.”

“His speech was horrifyingly cynical and cruel,” Jones wrote on Facebook afterward.

Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg appeared on MSNBC for some brief post-speech commentary. Buttigieg, who was in Concord, New Hampshire following his dramatic strong showing in Monday’s Iowa caucuses, said he thought the address was “highly partisan, highly polarizing,” that it appeared to be pandering to Trump’s base of supporters, and that it included “some disturbing efforts ... to further divide the American people.” t

<< Community News

12 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

t

DUGGAN’S FUNERAL SERVICE

DUGGAN WeLCh fAmiLy the

3434 – 17th StREEt SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110

Thomas V. Halloran General Manager A native San Franciscan with 40 years of professional experience assisting families in need.

A longtime resident of the Eureka Valley, Castro and Mission Districts; a member of the Castro Merchants Association and a 25 year member of the Freewheelers Car Club.

Castro cannabis store opens

At Duggan’s Funeral Service, which sits in the heart of the Mission, we offer custom services that fit your personal wishes in honoring and celebrating a life.

E

ureka Sky, a cannabis retail store, held its grand opening Saturday, February 1 in the Castro. Co-owner Romwald (Ray) Connolly, left, was joined by District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Connolly’s husband and co-owner, Desmond Morgan, and co-owner Chris Callaway at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

We are committed to the ever-changing needs of the community and the diverse families we serve.

Connolly, Morgan, and Callaway received the city’s first equity permit #001, late last year. The opening party featured members of Leung’s White Crane Lion Dance Troupe. The store is located at 3989 17th Street at Market and Castro streets.

Lesbian couple launches CBD startup

Please call for information 415-431-4900 or visit us at www.duggansfuneralservice.com FD44

by Sari Staver

A

year after selling Hip Chick Farms, their multimillion-dollar natural foods company, two Bay Area lesbians moved to a 10-acre lavender farm in Oregon to build what they hope will be their next successful startup: a CBD snack business.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a nonpsychoactive component found in the cannabis plant. It’s being researched for many possible medical benefits, and unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, CBD doesn’t get you high. While there are no large scientific studies of its efficacy, people are using it to help manage a number of conditions, including pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia, and seizures.

Jennifer Johnson, 53, previously a chef at Berkeley’s swank Chez Panisse, and her wife and business partner, Serafina Palandech, 47, an experienced fundraiser, last year launched A Boring Life, producing a line of raw, unfiltered local honey infused with CBD hemp oil as well as herb- and CBDinfused almonds and walnuts, and Boring Bones for dogs. The company is named after their new home in Boring, Oregon, a town of some 8,000 a few hours from Portland.

As previously reported in the Bay Area Reporter, the women launched a successful organic chicken company, Hip Chicks Farms, in 2013, which they sold to a competitor last year.

After the women married and had

Professional headshots / profile pics Weddings / Events

StevenUnderhill 415 370 7152 • StevenUnderhill.com

STEVEN-18104-18105.indd 1

Rick Gerharter

2/3/20 9:36 AM

7 new “Below Market Rate” ownership homes at The Westerly, 2800 Sloat Boulevard

2 one-bedrooms, and 5 two-bedroom homes priced from $346,547 - $399,091 without parking and $387,959 - $446,948 with parking.

Applicants must be first-time homebuyers and cannot exceed the following income levels: 100% of Area Median Income 2019 One person - $86,200; 2 persons - $98,500; 3 persons - $110,850; 4 persons - $123,150 etc.

Applications must be received by 5PM on Thursday, March 5, 2020. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at https://housing.sfgov.org or mail in a paper application with a self-addressed stamped envelope to BMR – The Westerly, PO Box 420847, San Francisco, CA 94142. Postmarks will not be considered. Paper applications can be downloaded from https:// housing.sfgov.org or picked up from 275 5th St. Suite 314, San Francisco, CA 94103. For more information or assistance with your application, please contact HomeownershipSF at info@ homeownershipsf.org and (415) 202-5464.

Units available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions.

Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information.

Courtesy Serafina Palandech

Serafina Palandech, left, and her wife, Jennifer Johnson, launched A Boring Life startup, which includes CBD-infused products.

their first child, they were both ready to leave the Bay Area for a slower pace.

At the time, Johnson was working long hours as the executive chef for the Getty family, while Palandech was juggling the business and family.

Having raised over $8 million for their organic chicken company (whose products were eventually sold in over 250 food stores), the women weren’t daunted by the already-crowded market for CBD products. Because CBD is derived from hemp and does not have psychoactive properties, the regulatory landscape is less complicated than with THC-infused products.

As with their earlier venture, Palandech “handles the business side while Johnson is the chef and is in charge of operations,” she said in a recent telephone interview with the B.A.R. “Jen says I am the brains and she is the brawn,” quipped Palandech.

Based on tasting some samples of their products the women sent me, they are scrumptious. The honey is infused with fruits and nuts and turned my lunch of cottage cheese into what could pass as dessert. (As far as the effects of CBD, I’ll leave that to researchers doing a scientific study.)

The women have been recognized for their talents, being named “Most Innovative Women in Food” by Food & Wine magazine, and invited twice to the White House, where they prepared a meal for former President Barack Obama and his staff of 200.

Their interest in CBD came about after a close friend told them she was able to stop taking Klonopin, an antiseizure medicine, when she began using CBD. Johnson began using it for attention deficit hyperactivity dis-

order, or ADHD, and Palandech for anxiety, she said.

“We were both enamored with its properties, saw opportunity to heal minds, bodies, and the environment” by producing a carefully sourced, high quality line of CBD products,” Palandech said.

The idea for honey-infused products came about by chance, while Johnson was visiting family in Montenegro, a Balkan country, where she tasted some local honey.

She brought home a jar and the women agreed it had “tremendous potential” in the specialty foods market, with or without CBD. Using honey from a neighbor’s farm, the women also added local nuts and fruits, hired a couple of employees to do marketing and distribution, and their startup was off to the races.

With the company just a year old, their products are available on their website as well as from Amazon. They are also sold at some 100 retail stores, mainly natural foods retailers. They plan to soon launch in thousands of other locations around the country.

And as far as the competition goes, “We carefully source our products,” said Palandech. “Many of our competitors are getting their CBD from China. Ours comes from a farmer in Colorado, which we selected” after considering many other growers.

After a recent visit to the fancy food convention in San Francisco, where the women introduced a line of honey-products without CBD, they think they have “a much wider audience opportunity.”

Anticipating a rapid growth spurt this year, the women launched a crowdfunding campaign through the website www.republic.co, hoping to raise $438,000.

“We chose Republic because their platform is focused on LGBT-and other minority-owned businesses,” said Palandech.

“We’re optimistic that we will be able to successfully launch this company. We did it once and we think we can do it again,” she added.

For more information, visit www. aboringlife.com. t Bay Area Cannasseur runs the first Thursday of the month. To send column ideas or tips, email Sari Staver at sfsari@gmail.com.

Sports>>

t Super Bowl lived up to the hype, despite 49ers’ loss

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 13

New “Below Market Rate” ownership home at 6 Mint Plaza!

by Roger Brigham

T

he game itself featured some horrendous officiating and a dramatic comeback against a defense that went from withering to withered. The halftime show – perhaps the most fantastically fabulous in Super Bowl history – featured a Middle Eastern zaghrouta (or tongue ululation)

by Shakira, the best pole dance we’ve seen since “The Sopranos”

by Jennifer Lopez, and costumes that were nothing short of an unintended homage to “Barbarella.”

The president, who not so long ago was ripping the league and its players for lack of patriotism, took to Twitter (of course) to congratulate the state of Kansas for a victory by a team from Missouri. In the end, Super Bowl LIV was, for San Francisco 49ers fans, a disappointing end to what was otherwise an unpredictably, smashingly successful season.

It was, indeed, a dream season for the 49ers, one that lasted just 15 minutes too long.

That the Kansas City Chiefs had made it this far, their fans nosily chanting their racially-offensive chant as Patrick Mahomes repeated his weekly transformation from competence to Joe Montana-esque late-game brilliance, was little surprise, as most NFL pundits thought they should have been in the championship the year before. That veteran coach Andy Reid was finally able to win his first Super Bowl to cap a career of great coaching was wonderful to behold for any fan with half a heart.

But what was inexplicable and incomprehensible was the decision by the Niners, leading by 10 points in the second half, to go away from their advantage in the clock-eating running game around which they had built their identity all year, and rely on a funky, little-tested passing game that gave the Chiefs all the time for their double-digit comeback to win, 31-20. The collapse was so reminiscent of the debacle three years ago that Niners coach Kyle Shanahan, then the offensive coordinator for the Falcons, suffered through when Atlanta blew a 28-3 lead to lose to New England in overtime. In his two Super Bowls, when Shanahan eschewed the run late, his teams were outscored 46-0 after the third quarter.

As dramatic as the game was and

Courtesy Yahoo Sports

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made a spectacular comeback in Super Bowl LIV.

as glam-glam fab as the halftime show was (an evangelist called it sexual exploitation on social media without really explaining how it was exploitive), the commercials, often the best part of the day, were pretty much a collective “meh.”

Oh, there was false hype that for the first time, there would be drag queens featured in an ad. (That actually happened back in 2000 when RuPaul was in an ad for Webex.) “Groundbreaking!” the hype-meisters assured us. And sure enough, there they were – two shots that combined took up less than a second in a commercial for who can remember what. (Sabra Hummus.)

Yawn.

In the wake of it all, Niners fans are left to savor what was (a season so unexpectedly successful after the previous year’s 4-12 implosion) and wonder about what will be. Will the core hold together, the Super Bowl loss providing the mentality and motivation to succeed next time, the coaching staff to decide to stick with what brung ’em to the dance – or will it all blow away as free agency and physical grind extract their heavy toll?

Me? I think it will be Baltimore versus San Francisco in Super Bowl LV. If that’s the matchup, I say they let Colin Kaepernick do the coin flip.

EuroGames registration passes 1,600

As of the end of January, regis-

an Francisco 49ers fans David Herrera, left, Rick Latulippe, and Mike Lowden showed their dismay during a watch party at the Edge bar in the Castro Sunday, February 2, as their team went down to defeat in Super Bowl LIV, losing to the Kansas

space saving f urniture

We’ve got more bikes in stock & ready to ride than any shop in SF! MANY ON SALE!

tration for the 2020 EuroGames, to be held August 5-9 in Düsseldorf, Germany, had reached 1,636, organizers announced on event website http://www.eurogames2020.de/en.

The EuroGames are offering 30-plus sports, ranging from swimming and soccer to dance and wrestling.

Non-Europeans may enter the event but must pay a surcharge of 20 euros ($22.12) tacked on to the general registration fee of 80 euros ($88.50) and sportsspecific fees that vary from 7 euros for most sports to 110 euros of golf. The base registration fee is scheduled to increase 10 euros May 1.

Fitness/Commuter 415.822.0184

We’ve got more www.roomax.com

Kid’s

Open Saturday Noon-5pm and by appointment

Visit our Showroom bikes in stockAve, & ready 1355 Fitzgerald SF

to ride than any• Closet shop in •SF! MANY ON •SALE! Platform Storage Beds Systems Armoires • Home Office Dressers

Denver powerlifting seminar set

Registration is available online for an LGBT Powerlifting-Team USA seminar set for February 29 in Colorado. The event is to help lifters train for the 2020 LGBT Powerlifting Championships in Blackpool, England; and the 2022 Gay Games in Hong Kong.

The seminar will be held at Armbrust Pro Gym in Wheat Ridge, a suburb of Denver. It will offer coaching and a mock competition to help athletes prepare for tournament. Cost is $45. Event and registration information is available through the LGBT Powerlifting Seminar-Team USA event page on Facebook. t

Super Bowl bummer

S

WALLBEDS

AND

1 bedroom priced at $306,862. Industrial style condo in great South of Market location close to downtown. Applicants must be first-time homebuyers and cannot exceed the following income levels: 100% of Area Median Income 2019. One person - $86,200; 2 persons - $98,500; 3 persons - $110,850; 4 persons - $123,150 etc. Applications must be received by 5pm on 3/16/2020. Apply online through DAHLIA, the SF Housing Portal at https://housing.sfgov.org or mail in a paper application with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to BMR 6 Mint Plaza, #302A, P.O. Box 420847, San Francisco, CA 94142. Postmarks will not be considered. Paper applications can be downloaded from https://housing.sfgov.org or pick up from Home Quest Realty at 5517 Geary Blvd #206, San Francisco CA 94121. For more information or assistance with your application, please contact Rob Belli with Home Quest Realty for an application and more information at (415) 317-8540 or rob@hquestrealty.com. Unit available through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information. *Fair Housing Opportunity*

Road We’ve got more bikes in stock & Electric ready to ride than any shop in SF! MANY ON SALE!

Fitness/Commuter Kid’s CLEARANCE SALE We’ve got more bikes in stock & ready to ON NOW! ride than any shop in SF! MANY ON SALE! Fitness/Commuter

Road

Kid’s

Electric

Fitness/Commuter

Kid’s

Road

Electric

Road

Electric

Gooch

1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) • SF SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 • Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5 10651065 & 1077 Valencia 21st& &22nd 22nd & 1077 Valencia (Btwn (Btwn 21st St.)St.) • SF• SF City Chiefs 31-20 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Closed: 4pm New Years415-550-6601 EVE, and• All Day New Years SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS • Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5 SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5 Florida. Bay Area bars were popular venues for fans to gather to cheer on the Niners, though the game’s result made for somber partiers.

valenciacyclery.com valenciacyclery.com valenciacyclery.com

Closed: 4pmNew NewYears Years EVE, EVE, and New Years Closed: 4pm andAllAllDay Day New Years

1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) • SF SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 • Mon-Sat 10-6, Sun 11-5 Closed: 4pm New Years EVE, and All Day New Years

<< From the Cover

14 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

<<

SF Pride

From page 1

In a January 29 phone interview, SF Pride board President Carolyn Wysinger declined to comment when the B.A.R. asked when the appointment of a new executive director would be announced, even as Lopez was apparently already in the permanent position.

In a phone interview Monday, February 3, Lopez said the decision was made to delay the announcement.

“There was plenty of work to be done so we decided to delay the announcement to do the work,” he said. “It was opportune to announce at the end of the month.”

Lopez said he’s thrilled to be leading SF Pride.

“I am honored to have been selected as the executive director of San Francisco Pride,” he said.

“It’s a really big job. San Francisco Pride is an iconic celebration, and it’s an honor to lead it into the next 50 years.”

Lopez discussed his future goals.

“San Francisco Pride right now is really fortunate to be at a level

<<

of financial stability,” he said. “I hope to continue that and build on it. An organization the size of Pride should have reserves in place for a rainy day and we are going to continue that. The LGBTQ+ community wants to continue being a part of Pride and wants to refocus its participation in the parade and the celebration.

There’s a sense of excitement for all of Pride Month and we want to tap into that.”

According to SF Pride’s 2017 IRS Form 990, its budget was about $3.6 million. Lopez declined to state what the organization’s current reserve fund is.

Asked to elaborate on what he meant by “refocus,” Lopez replied, “We are hearing from folks that the LGBTQ+ community wants to be centered in the celebration. How that looks we are not sure right now, but we have ideas we can try.”

As an example of how SF Pride centers the community, Lopez mentioned the programming of the Pride festival’s stages and venues.

“Looking at the parade and how to restructure the parade, we’re grateful to have a livestream

Judicial races

From page 1

Evangelista, 44, told the B.A.R. that she is a native San Franciscan whose mother was deported to Mexico while she was in utero and her dad had to voluntarily depart to bring her back. She said the LGBTQ community has inspired her political activism.

“Upon return they sought refuge from INS (United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, now called U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) in an apartment building in the leather community, only two blocks from the Hall of Justice,” Evangelista wrote in her questionnaire, referring to her parents. “I was born and raised in a studio apartment in a building that was almost exclusively gay men. We were each other’s surrogate families.

I had so many firsts in this community and then I lost so many of them in the 1980s to the AIDS crisis.”

Evangelista is also endorsed by the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, and Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom, an LGBT bar association.

When asked what changes she would make to the court, Evangelista responded that her presence would put the bench “in touch with the community it serves” and she would “bring her unique perspective as a woman, Latina, and daughter of immigrants” to the court.

Ly, 46, is an immigrant herself, having come to the U.S. from Vietnam. She’s been endorsed by numerous current and former Superior Court judges, five Democratic clubs, and by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco).

“I developed and implemented a groundbreaking program to resolve asbestos cases that had overwhelmed our court,” Ly wrote in her questionnaire. “Having proved my effectiveness in the asbestos cases, I now work with the parties and their counsel to settle the full range of civil matters.”

When asked what changes she would make to the court, Ly wrote that she could not answer policy questions due to the California Code of Judicial Ethics, but added “my personal and professional experiences demonstrate my deep commitment to an independent and fair judiciary for all.”

For more information, go to https://www.evangelista4judge. com/ and https://pangly.com/.

Judicial candidates Carolyn Gold, left, and Kulvindar “Rani”

Singh

SF Seat 21

Carolyn Gold, director of litigation and policy for the Eviction Defense Collaborative, is running against Kulvindar “Rani” Singh, an assistant district attorney, for Superior Court judge seat No. 21.

Gold, 63, touted her experience to the B.A.R. “I have tried eight cases and have trained over 500 attorneys in eviction defense law,” she wrote in her questionnaire. “I have worked tirelessly on behalf of tenants in San Francisco for 30 years.”

When asked what changes she would make to the court, Gold said she would try to find ways to better distribute resources to meet the needs of San Franciscans.

For example, the Access Center helps people without lawyers, but it “has reduced hours of operation due to budget cuts,” she wrote.

“The court should be more transparent in its decision making process with regard to how judges are assigned and how resources are allocated,” Gold added.

Gold was endorsed by the San Francisco Democratic Party, BALIF, and the Milk club.

“This was a difficult one and there were two strong candidates on the table,” Campos said. “What tipped it for me was that diversity is important not just in background, but in experience. Landlord/tenant is a very complicated area of law and (Gold) would be the first attorney from that field to be elevated in the city.”

BALIF declined to discuss its specific endorsements, citing the confidentiality of the internal workings of its judicial committee.

But Mandy Chan, the co-chair of the committee, said that the organization endorses candidates who embody “the values BALIF seeks to promote – commitment to diversity and equal justice – and obviously, they have to be qualified and have a good reputation.”

Singh, 46, is a native San Franciscan from the Sunset. She has been an assistant district attorney “for over two decades” and has “created

t

partner in CBS,” he added. “We want to acknowledge ally-ships but keep it centered on the community.”

Lopez, 43, had previously worked as executive director of the Castro Street Fair and served on its board. He has also worked at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center and at Lyon-Martin Health Services, and has “led event management teams for SFMOMA and the Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture,” according to the release.

“He began as a community organizer for the Gay City Health Project in Seattle where he managed an active team of more than 100 volunteers and helped open the first rapid-HIV testing site in King County,” the release stated.

Lopez moved to San Francisco in 2005, according to the release.

Wysinger stated that about 110 candidates were interviewed for the post.

“Our board is happy to have Fred’s interim position as executive director become permanent,” Wysinger said in the release.

“Fred is a truly qualified individual and we are excited about his overseeing the organization

as we prepare for our landmark celebration.”

At press time, Wysinger had not responded to the B.A.R.’s request for comment.

Lopez replaces George F. Ridgely Jr., who had served as executive director for over five years, according to the release. Ridgely, who left SF Pride after the 2019 parade and festival, now works for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

The announcement comes as the Pride board of directors prepares for a February 5 meeting – after the print edition of the B.A.R. goes to press – where it will decide whether to include Google, its affiliates, including YouTube, and the Alameda County Sheriff ’s Office in the parade after a membership vote to exclude them January 15, coincidentally Lopez’s first day as permanent executive director.

As the B.A.R. previously reported,the vote of a small group of members – led by two former Google employees – to ban the organizations is considered nonbinding by Pride’s attorneys, but the board of directors will take up the matter.

“We believe the group that brought these resolutions – mostly former Google employees – don’t speak for the larger community,” Wysinger said. “We received a lot of phone calls with differing opinions.”

In the interview, Lopez said the issue of corporate participation in SF Pride is not new.

“I think that the topic is indicative of a larger question we have been asked by folks in the community about companies who sponsor Pride, and we want to be inclusive, but this is an opportune time to ask companies to consider how they best represent themselves as allies,” he said. “Is it through T-shirts and stickers?

Or is it through changing hiring practices and partnering with smaller, LGBT nonprofits?”

Lopez declined to reveal his salary, other than to say it was in line with previous executive directors.

As the B.A.R. previously reported, Ridgely was compensated $136,153 in salary and benefits, according to the 2017 SF Pride IRS Form 990. t

educational programs, mentored students and lawyers, and participated in nonprofit work and community engagement at every level for decades in this city,” she wrote in her questionnaire.

When asked what changes she would make to the court, Singh wrote that she has “many ideas to improve on access to services, transparency issues, and issues that will support criminal justice reform.”

She added that judges need to be more visible figures in the community.

“Once judges run and successfully win their seat, they are rarely heard from in the community,” she wrote. “I can say from the perspective of a busy working career mom, I thrive on the extra community service that I participate in.

“There are a plethora of options that do not involve political issues,” Singh added. “The bench should not be so separated from the rest of the community.”

Singh has been endorsed by Chiu, gay state Senator Scott Wiener (DSan Francisco), U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California), and several Democratic clubs, including the Alice club.

For more information, go to https://www.carolyngoldforjudge. com/ and https://www.singhforjudge.com/.

– recently abolished by new San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin – is “the most egregious inequity of our justice system.”

She also said that judges need implicit bias training, and that juries need to be more diverse.

“Over policing and the disparate prosecution, conviction, and imprisonment rates of people of color, especially African Americans, are the direct result of explicit and implicit bias which reinforces the systemic racism that pervades the criminal justice system and every other aspect of American society,” she wrote.

Proudfoot, 45, said she has “successfully made the transition from advocacy to neutrality” in her role on the rent board. She served on the Amicus Committee of California Women Lawyers, where she “reviewed amicus briefs on such issues as samesex marriage, Title IX discrimination, transgender protections, and the contraceptive care mandate,” she wrote in her questionnaire.

Proudfoot joined Tong in calling for greater representation of minorities in the justice system.

“I feel a significant responsibility as a woman of color to forge a path for other women of color in the law and in public service,” Proudfoot wrote.

Campos said he is glad that the candidates endorsed by the San Francisco Democratic Party are not who would normally be selected as judges by their fellow attorneys.

“We are very proud of these endorsements,” Campos said. “Lawyers tend to be conservative in terms of who they consider or not to be judges – big firms, prosecutors. The DCCC has opted to select excellent lawyers who in the normal appointment process wouldn’t be considered.”

For more information, go to http://www.tong4judge.com/ and https://www.dorothyproudfoot.com/

is under attack I want the opportunity to take my commitment for equality to the court,” Condes wrote in her questionnaire. “I worked to bring up the next generation of Latinx lawyers and promoted Latinx attorneys to move to the bench.”

When asked what she would change to the court, Condes said she would “work toward implementing restorative justice principles into the system,” such as bail reform and “expanding the collaborative courts.”

Condes has been endorsed by the East Bay Times.

Mark Fickes, 53, is a gay man.

He wrote in his questionnaire that when he started practicing law “I could count on one hand the number of openly LGBTQ+ judges in the Bay Area.”

“While there has been tremendous progress over the past two decades, there is still room for improvement,” he added.

Fickes, a former deputy district attorney in Santa Clara County, is currently a partner at Cannata O’Toole Fickes & Olson, LLP, in San Francisco.

When asked how he would change the court, he said he would improve access to representation.

“Many of our most vulnerable citizens find themselves unrepresented in family law matters and unlawful detainer actions,” he wrote in his questionnaire.

Fickes has been endorsed by the Alameda County Democratic Party.

BALIF endorsed both Fickes and Condes.

The East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, an LGBT-focused organization, did not make an endorsement in the race.

Lilla Julia Szelenyi, a straight ally, is the third candidate in the race.

She declined to return her questionnaire, writing that she was not seeking the paper’s endorsement.

She has been a worker’s compensation administrative law judge since 2005. Born in communist Hungary, her father was a political prisoner, according to her campaign website.

She was endorsed by former Congressman and former state Democratic Party chair John Burton and state Board of Equalization Chair Malia Cohen, a former San Francisco supervisor.

For more information, go to https://www.elenacondesforjudge. com/, https://www.fickesforjudge. com/, and https://www.lilla4judge. com/.t

Judicial candidates Michelle Tong, left, and Dorothy Chou

Proudfoot

SF Seat 18

Michelle Tong, a deputy public defender, is running against Dorothy Chou Proudfoot, an administrative law judge with the San Francisco rent board, for Superior Court judge seat No. 18.

BALIF and the Alice club did not make endorsements in this race, but the Milk club and the DCCC endorsed Tong.

Proudfoot has been endorsed by Wiener, Chiu, and former interim district attorney Suzy Loftus.

Tong, 45, is the daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong and has been a deputy public defender since 2004.

When asked what changes she would make to the court, she discussed how the money bail system

Judicial candidates Elena Condes, left, and Mark Fickes

East Bay race

In Alameda County, two of the three attorneys vying for a seat on the bench are out.

Elena Condes, 57, is a Latina lesbian and a longtime criminal defense attorney.

“In this time when being ‘other’

t <<

Community News>>

News Briefs

From page 2

ElderPride coming up

ElderPride 2020, a conference for LGBTQ seniors and their friends, will take place February 13-16, at Heart and Soul Center of Light, 1001 42nd Street in Oakland.

The Reverend Jack Elliott and Akilah “Kiki” Monifa are co-chairing the conference, which will include two-dozen mini seminars, consciousness in aging workshops, keynote speakers, a panel discussion on transcending ageism, a jazzy mixer Friday, and a Heroes and Sheroes gala.

The mission of ElderPride, a nonprofit centers for spiritual ministry founded by Elliott, is to provide

<<

Political Notebook

From page 5

daughter.

Patrick McGuire, who owns the Java Beach cafe near Ocean Beach, also pulled papers for the race, as did firefighter Stephen Martin-Pinto and Karim Salgado.

Community college board member Ivy Lee, an aide to Yee whom he had urged to run to succeed him, opted against running for the seat, as Mission Local first reported last month.

Deputy Public Defender Vilaska Nguyen, who also performs as a standup comic, is reportedly looking at running for the seat, though he did not respond to a request for comment by the B.A.R.’s press deadline Wednesday.

SF oversight panels elect out chairs

A number of high-profile oversight panels in San Francisco have LGBT chairs or presidents this year. Both of the city’s elected education boards have out leaders, as do a number of commissions whose appointed members keep watch over city departments.

Mark Sanchez, the lone LGBT member of the San Francisco Board of Education, was elected its president

<<

Elder abuse

From page 2

of his required classes.

“He no longer lives in the U.S.,” said Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward.

“It begs the question – how is he supposed to complete his anger management classes?” Judge Linda Colfax asked.

“He completed them already,” Ward responded.

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

vealed to have penned anti-LGBTQ posts on social media. Gary Saperstein, owner of Out in the Vineyard, decided not to cancel the event and later said it was a success.)

This year’s Pink Wine Saturday is an opportunity for attendees to spend an afternoon tasting rose in a setting along the summit of Sonoma Valley.

In addition to the tastings by over two-dozen wineries, there will be a DJ and light bites.

The event benefits Positive Images, which supports LGBTQ youth in Sonoma County.

Tickets are $75 and people can save 15% if they’re purchased by February 14. Go to https://bit.ly/36TS61F and use the code “PINKLOVE” when purchasing.

SF mayor announces free tax help

a one-time credit. But that rule has been eliminated and all eligible families are encouraged to apply again, the release stated.

Free tax preparation assistance will be offered at San Francisco Human Services Agency client service centers and more than 30 other neighborhood locations, in partnership with United Way of the Bay Area.

The HSA service centers offering tax help through April 15 are located at 1235 Mission Street, 170 Otis Street, 3120 Mission Street, and 1800 Oakdale Avenue. Hours are weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To download the WFC applications and find additional tax assistance center locations, go to www. freetaxhelpsf.org or call 211. t

last month and is now confronted with addressing a $31.8 million budget shortfall that took the San Francisco Unified School District by surprise, as the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported. Reelected to the school board in 2016, as he had served on it in the 2000s, including two years as president, Sanchez is up for re-election to another four-year term this November.

In mid-January gay community college board member Alex Randolph handed the president’s gavel over to bisexual board member Shanell Williams. Remaining as vice president of the San Francisco City College Board of Trustees is gay board member Tom Temprano. All three of the out trustees are up for reelection in the fall.

Like the school board, the college board continues to grapple with its own budget issues that had led to class cuts and staff layoffs, as well as a fight at City Hall over an emergency infusion of taxpayer funds to restore several hundred courses that had been cut. The college district is also asking city voters to pass an $845 million bond on the March 3 primary ballot that would go toward modernizing its buildings.

Elected president of the city’s Health Commission this year is Dan

Bernal, a gay man who is House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s local chief of staff. He had served as the oversight panel’s vice chair last year.

Two queer men of color are now overseeing the city’s Human Rights Commission. James Loduca, a senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Twitter, has succeeded Susan Belinda Christian, a lesbian assistant district attorney, as its chair.

Serving as vice chair is Joseph Sweiss, the founder and president of the Arab American Democratic Club who is attending law school at UC Hastings.

In December the War Memorial Board of Trustees elected Thomas E. Horn, a gay man and the B.A.R.’s former publisher, as its president for 2020.

And three gay men are continuing to serve as president of their respective oversight panels this year: Historic Preservation Commissioner Aaron J. Hyman, Arts Commissioner Roberto Ordeñana, and Disability and Aging Services Commissioner Gustavo Seriña.

dardize wayfinding mechanisms, and report real time transit data.

Bauters chairs his commission’s policy committee, which will be taking up Chiu’s bill, known as the Bay Area Seamless Transit Act. He told the B.A.R. it likely would review the legislation sometime in March.

“I support Assemblymember Chiu in his legislative effort to help deliver a seamless, integrated regional transit system. I understand that the bill is currently considering amendments to further refine that vision,” stated Bauters. “As vice chair of the Alameda County Transportation Commission, I look forward to reviewing his proposal closely with my fellow commissioners to provide support and input that ensures we achieve greater access and equity for everyone.”

Gay Emeryville City Councilman John Bauters is now vice chair of the Alameda County Transportation Commission. He will serve alongside

the transit body’s chair, San Leandro Mayor Pauline Cutter.

They were elected to their leadership posts at the countywide transit oversight panel’s meeting last month.

The commission sets priorities for transportation projects throughout the sprawling East Bay county and oversees the spending of transit funding measures approved by voters, such as 2014’s Measure BB that is expected to provide nearly $8 billion over 30 years from a 1% sales tax.

“Thanks to the voter-approved Measure BB, we are able to leverage those local dollars to support multimodal transportation infrastructure in Alameda County, including to improve mobility and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, and enhance and support transit service, while also providing programs to our youth and seniors to make the county more livable and affordable,” stated Bauters.

His election to the VP post comes as Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) seeks better integration between the Bay Area’s 27 independent transit agencies with his Assembly Bill 2057 that he introduced Tuesday. The legislation would require the transit agencies to establish a universal local bus fare, create uniform transfer and discount policies for bus trips, design a single regional transit map, stan-

Lombardo challenged that assertion, and Colfax said that she would find out if Laohacharoensombat had, in fact, completed his classes before the January 31 hearing.

The charges Laohacharoensombat pleaded guilty to involved damaging the victim’s eyeglasses with graffiti, causing damages of less than $400, and falsely imprisoning the elder he was allegedly caring for, according to a copy of the criminal complaint against him.

Laohacharoensombat currently is

the subject of two stay-away orders.

One is from the victim in the false imprisonment case. The second is from a former lover, according to court documents reviewed by the B.A.R. As the B.A.R. previously reported, Laohacharoensombat violated the stay-away order in the false imprisonment case by attempting to enter the elderly man’s home shortly after the indictment. The man called the police and Laohacharoensombat fled.

In June 2016, Laohacharoensombat

filed a lawsuit in which he alleged he was not compensated properly during his time as an employee of Entour Castro, a clothing store at 3600 16th Street, according to court documents.

However, Laohacharoensombat’s attorney moved that the action be dismissed and it was dismissed with prejudice in October 2016, according to court documents.

An individual once acquainted with Laohacharoensombat, who wishes to remain anonymous citing safety con-

cerns, said that he is worried about him.

“He can be the sweetest, nicest, most likeable person and then he turns on a dime and becomes destructive to people and anything in his path,” the person said. “He doesn’t care who or what he’s harming.”

The B.A.R. has been unable to reach Laohacharoensombat for comment.

The San Francisco Public Defender’s office and the elderly victim have not returned requests for comment.t

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038935100

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038941000

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038937700

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038936000

spiritual tools for personal growth, empowerment, and connection for spiritually engaged LGBTQ seniors age 60 and over.

Tickets range from $25 to $149 and are available at https://bit. ly/2uZD7pB. For more information, visit http://www.elderpride4me.org.

Pink Sonoma Saturday returns in new spot

Organizers of last year’s Pink Sonoma Saturday are returning, with this year’s edition taking place Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Out in the Vineyard, which produces the event, noted that there’s a new location, Viansa Sonoma, 25200 Arnold Drive in Sonoma. (Last year, one of the new owners of the venue selected, General’s Daughter, was re-

East Bay gay official elected to transit post

San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced that free tax assistance centers are now open to help city residents maximize their refunds and apply for the San Francisco Working Families Credit, or WFC. The city’s tax season initiative includes $1.55 million in funding for the local credits. The WFC offers lowand moderate-income working families with children up to $250 cash back to help cover day-to-day expenses like utilities, rent, and child care. When combined with federal tax credits, the WFC can help families receive up to $9,600 in tax credits, according to a news release from the mayor’s office.

Prior to this year, the WFC was

Correction

Last week’s column misstated the hometown of Ross LaJeunesse, the gay former San Francisco resident running for a Maine U.S. Senate seat.

It is Biddeford, Maine. The online version has been corrected. t Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555517 In the matter of the application of: MARIO MAYNIGO RABARA, 478 WARREN DR #617, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MARIO MAYNIGO RABARA, is requesting that the name MARIO MAYNIGO RABARA, be changed to MICHAEL MARIO RABARA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 20th of February 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555518

In the matter of the application of: BRITTANY SUZANNE SHOOT, 621 STOCKTON ST #402, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner BRITTANY SUZANNE SHOOT, is requesting that the name BRITTANY SUZANNE SHOOT, be changed to BRITTA BERNICE SHOOT. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103, Rm. 103 on the 20th of February 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038911200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALIFORNIA CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION, 1340 MARKET ST #200, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOSEPH HOUSTON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/31/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/20/19.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038940700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NULA TRANSPORTATION, 1829 EL PARQUE CT #8, SAN MATEO, CA 94403. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LUIS A. IBARRA CANALES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/13/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/13/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AM/PM SECURITY SPECIALIST, 60 29TH ST #657, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROBERT BELL SR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/09/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038940800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PEGGY TSUJIMOTO & ASSOCIATES, 1918 FUNSTON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PEGGY N. TSUJIMOTO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/13/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/13/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038928300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FOUR SEASONS WASH N’ DRY, 700 7TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DUC NIM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038928200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROSALBA’S DAYCARE, 3276 24TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROSALBA MOTINO. 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 01/03/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038926300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MELTING POINT, 1340 BRYANT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TAMMY BICKEL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/02/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RKR INVESTMENTS, 2633 OCEAN AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed ROQUE E. FERNANDES, RAYMOND HO & KEVIN RUSHTON. 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 01/13/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038924400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE PATRIOT HOUSE, 2 EMBARCADERO CENTER, LEVEL 1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed DEBRUN, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/19/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038934400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TRAVELNET, 2492 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ALFA BROS INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/12/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/08/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038935800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GEARY BOULEVARD DENTAL, 5231 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed HUNG HOA TRAN DDS, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WILD CARD, 58 LIBERTY ST #7, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PARR ASSOCIATES INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/14/96. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038928900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: J & W HERBS, 718 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed J & W HERBS INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/06/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038924100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 425 JUDAH STREET APTS, 425 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a trust, and is signed BASEM TOTAH & MAHA TOTAH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/31/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038924200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 416 DUNCAN STREET APTS, 416 DUNCAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131.

This business is conducted by a trust, and is signed BASEM TOTAH & MAHA TOTAH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/31/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038909200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YUBALANCE, 447 IRVING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed YUBALANCE, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/15/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/19/19.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BONITA TAQUERIA Y ROTISSERIE, 3600 16TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SQUAT & GOBBLE CAFE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038925200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HIMALAYAN HANDMADE CRAFT, 2859 A MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HOLLYWOOD BEAUTY THREADING LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038925100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SRR FINANCIAL CONSULTING FIRM, 2859 A MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HOLLYWOOD BEAUTY THREADING, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038277100

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: MELTING POINT, 1340 BRYANT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by TAMMY BICKEL & TYROME TRIPOLI. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/23/18.

JAN 16, 23, 30, FEB 06, 2020

t

Legals>>

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-555462 In the matter of the application of: EREZ ZVI HALPRIN, C/O RYON NIXON #295150, 1550 BRYANT ST #750, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner EREZ ZVI HALPRIN, is requesting that the name EREZ ZVI HALPRIN, be changed to EREZ ZVI HALPERIN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Rm. 103N on the 3rd of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 23, 30 FEB 06, 13, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-555463

In the matter of the application of: NADINE LIAT HALPRIN, C/O RYON NIXON #295150, 1550 BRYANT ST #750, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner NADINE LIAT HALPRIN, is requesting that the name NADINE LIAT HALPRIN, be changed to NADINE LIAT HALPERIN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 3rd of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555537

In the matter of the application of: SAMANTHA LISA JONES, 142 BEAUMONT AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner SAMANTHA LISA JONES, is requesting that the name SAMANTHA LISA JONES, be changed to SAMANTHA GERSHON JONES. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 25th of February 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038937800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JAMIE’S PLACE, 1380 9TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JAMIE’S KITCHEN LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/09/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/20.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038948700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE HAULING, 1325 EVANS AVE #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JULIO E. MENDEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/01/01. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/20.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038948600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MICHAEL LUMOS PHOTOGRAPHY; MICHAEL J. LUMOS, 33 8TH ST #1236, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MICHAEL SUDDES. 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 01/16/20.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038948800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GUMBO SOCIAL, 124 KIRKWOOD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DONTAYE BALL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/16/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/20.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038943200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EL CAPRICHO RESTAURANT, 2022 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed EL CAPRICHO RESTAURANT INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/14/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/14/20.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038924000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SUPER MIRA, 1790 SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SUPER MIRA INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/20.

JAN 23, 30, FEB 06, 13, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555556 In the matter of the application of: JENISEL BALDERAS JORDAN, 1209 GUERRERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner JENISEL BALDERAS JORDAN, is requesting that the name JENISEL BALDERAS JORDAN AKA HEBBEL YENISEL BALDERAS AKA JENNIE HEBBEL MELBER, be changed to JENISEL BALDERAS JORDAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Room 103 on the 10th of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555559 In the matter of the application of: NATALYA SMITOVA, 125 CAMBON DR #4E, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner NATALYA SMITOVA, is requesting that the name NATALYA SMITOVA, be changed to NATALYA PINKHASOVA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, on the 10th of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038959100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AG LANGUAGE SERVICE, 2 GENEVA AVE #11, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANGELICA M. GRISALES GIL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/16/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/24/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038956900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ST. BERNARD PARTNERS, 300 BEALE ST #607, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DAVID GOLD. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/15/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/22/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 16

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038933000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOUGH EXPRESS CLEANER, 648 GOUGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed XIAOTAO SITU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/07/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/07/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038949100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MON AMI BANH MI, 75 HAWTHORNE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JESSE LE. 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 01/17/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038950400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SKIN LOUNGE, 1640 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JENNIFER N. ARANA. 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 01/17/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038930400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAX CLEANING SERVICE, 1459 18TH ST #364, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LIE LIE PONTIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/06/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/06/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038934600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GRR, 908 LAKE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PATRICK MA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/08/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038953400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AVA CLEANING, 2231 16TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ARTUR SENIKI HOVHANNISYAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/21/20 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/21/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038951400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VIVACE CLIQUE, 550 BATTERY ST #313, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PEACE AJAH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/17/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/17/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038948100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MODERN REAL ESTATE GROUP, INC., 117 CORTLAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed MODERN REAL ESTATE GROUP INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/15/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038948000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COMPAAS, 44 MONTGOMERY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CATHY LABS, INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/06/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/16/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038961300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KNAK GROUP, 101 HENRY ADAMS ST #208, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SKAAR FURNITURE ASSOCIATES INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038949700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MARINA DELI & LIQUORS, 2299 CHESTNUT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123.

This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BELLAMARINA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/17/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/17/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038938100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GARDEN OF EDEN, 3251 20TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed EDEN WELLNESS SHOPS, 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 01/10/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038949400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PINE STREET DEVELOPMENT, 1555 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 1525 PINE STREET DEV, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/12/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/17/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038959500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HAYES PIZZA, 2077 HAYES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed JMC FOODS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/04/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/24/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037418000

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: LITTLE KIDS PARADISE, 266 21ST AVE #101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by TATIANA SERGUNINA. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/10/17.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036482200

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038844300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: HAYES PIZZA, 2077 HAYES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by CARLOS ZARATE AMBROCIO. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/28/19.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF ESTHER SOO HOO IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-20-303461

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of ESTHER SOO HOO. A Petition for Probate has been filed by JOHN SOO HOO in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that JOHN SOO HOO be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: March 04, 2020, 9:00 am, Rm. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor.

You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250.

A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney or Party Without Attorney for petitioner: John Soo Hoo, 311 Oak St #811, Oakland, CA 94607; Ph. (510) 332-3120.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555512

In the matter of the application of: MATT SCOTT, 908 CONNECTICUT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MATT SCOTT, is requesting that the name MATT SCOTT, be changed to WAZIR ABDULLAH MUHAMMAD. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103, Room 103 on the 2nd of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE # JD10-3011

In the matter of the application of: RYAN SHEETS # 229823, LAW OFFICE OF RYAN SHEETS, 459 FULTON ST #304, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner CEDRIC JEROME TATUM, is requesting that the name CEDRIC JEROME TATUM, be changed to DOMINIC MORGAN KRASOWSKI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 425, Room 425 on the 9th of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555561

In the matter of the application of: WINNIE JEAN LIU, 2240 BAY ST #207, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner WINNIE JEAN LIU, is requesting that the name WINNIE JEAN LIU AKA WEI WEI LIU, be changed to WEI WEI LIU. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 19th of March 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555571

In the matter of the application of: LOUISE ROBB STIMSON, 150 PINE ST #25, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner LOUISE ROBB STIMSON, is requesting that the name LOUISE ROBB STIMSON, be changed to SOPHIE LOUISE SCHULZ. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 2nd of April 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038965500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AVA HANDYMAN SERVICES, 2231 16TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ARTUR SENIKI HOVHANNISYAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/29/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/29/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038962000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SUSHI SHOUBU, 2 MARINA BLVD. C370, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TAKESHI UCHIDA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/27/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038938900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WAXMAN & ACHERMANN, 340 PINE ST #503, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JAMES ACHERMANN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/10/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038940900

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: GOUGH EXPRESS CLEANER, 648 GOUGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business was conducted by a married couple and signed by JIEHUA LIU & XIAO TAO SITU. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/14/15.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO LANGUAGE SERVICES, 82 B MIRABEL AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed FERNANDA M. MONMANY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/20/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/13/20.

JAN 30, FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038964800

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038966800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RARITY ENTERPRISES, 620 HAMILTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DOMINIQUE CLEOPE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/29/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/29/20.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SPICE, 8 JOOST AVE #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PROJECT SPICE 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 01/29/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038961700

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038961900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NEPENJI JAPAN CENTER BEAUTY CLINIC, 1825 POST ST #160, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed KANADERU (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/15. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/20.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAKURA APARTMENTS, 1890 SUTTER ST #312, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a trust, and is signed JOSEPH XUEREB & GRACE WILSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/01/84. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038962200

FEB 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038966000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALTITUDE LEARNING, 49 STEVENSON ST #1000, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed ALTSCHOOL, INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/27/20.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 23 ART DESIGNS, 1570 SUTTER ST #306, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109.

This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 23 ART DESIGNS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/29/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/29/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038967600

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038967000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WAKE THE WOLVES, INC., 933 VERMONT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WAKE THE WOLVES, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/14/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/30/2020

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TERPSICHORA BALLET SCHOOL, 1700 POST ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115.

This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TERPSICHORA BALLET SCHOOL, 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 01/29/20.

FEB 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020

Classifieds Outreach February 2020 APPLY TO BECOME A CENSUS TAKER! Census Bureau is recruiting now to fill important temporary positions in San Francisco with great pay ($30/hour) and flexible hours for Spring 2020. You do not have to be a US citizen to apply. Be a Census Taker and make a difference in your community!

Apply online NOW at 2020census.gov/jobs.

FIND FREE TO LOW-COST IMMIGRATION LEGAL HELP IN SAN FRANCISCO Find free or low-cost immigration legal services in your own language. San Francisco’s Immigrant Support Hub is a safe referral site that can help you with immigration screenings, citizenship applications, DACA renewal, asylum, green card renewal, TPS, deportation counsel and much more at: immigrants.sfgov.org.

The SFMTA wants to hear from you!

The SFMTA is currently conducting a survey to better understand perceptions of sharing rides in San Francisco. To connect San Franciscans safely, equitably, and sustainably to their communities, we must make more efficient use of our street infrastructure. Increasing vehicle occupancy through shared rides, either in carpools or shared ride-matching apps, is one way to more efficiently utilize our existing street space. We are trying to identify priorities for San Francisco residents and the barriers they face when considering using shared ride options through this survey.

Take the survey at sfmta.com/projects/shared-rides-pilot Child support matters can be complicated, stressful, and confusing. The Department of Child Support Services helps parents understand the process so they know their rights and options for making and receiving support payments. Call us today at (866) 901-3212 or visit our office at 617 Mission Street to learn how we can help you. Information is also available online at www.sfgov.org/dcss.

1 hour a week makes a world of difference. Half of San Francisco’s 3rd and 4th graders are not reading at grade level. By volunteering to tutor through the Library’s award-winning FOG Readers program, you can help students in grades 1-4 increase their confidence and gain half a grade level within the first three months. Currently, there are more than 300 children waiting for a volunteer to help change their lives. For more information, visit sfpl. org/fog. To get started, email readers@sfpl.org.

Plan for your business’s future. Learn about different succession planning models such as Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP), Cooperatives, and Trusts.

The San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Small Business Development Center in partnership with Project Equity have launched a program specifically for businesses that are interested in succession planning. Workshops, oneon-one consultations, and technical assistance will be provided at no cost to interested businesses.

Contact: Susan Ma at susan.ma@sfgov.org or (415)554-6648.

The City and County of San Francisco encourage public outreach. Articles are translated into several languages to provide better public access. The newspaper makes every effort to translate the articles of general interest correctly. No liability is assumed by the City and County of San Francisco or the newspapers for errors and omissions.

CNS-3334884#

Cleaning Services>> FEELING DIRTY? – Housecleaning Richard 415-255-0389

Hauling>>

HAULING 24/7 – (415) 441-1054 Large Truck

Real State >>

LIVE ON THE WATER, COMMUTE ON THE FERRY. –

Tech Support >>

Tech Support

Ralph Doore 415-867-4657

Professional 30+ years exp Virus/Malware GONE! Device setup Mobile Support Network & wireless setup Discreet

 Yelp reviews

View on “YOUTUBE” at 32 Sandy Beach Rd. Contact Betty Kennon, Kennon Realty, 707480-4908. License # 01182269.

s w e n r @eba

20

21

Fly catcher

22

21

Poet's corner

Office temp

Elton reflects

Vol. 50 • No. 6 • February 6-12, 2020

www.ebar.com/arts

Courtesy Berlin & Beyond

World-class, German-language films

by David Lamble

B

See page 18 >>

Michail Tabakakis and Jacob Matschenz in director Florian Gottschick’s queer feature “Rest in Greece.”

MBFF

Aussie actor Ben Mendelsohn stars in Shannon Murphy’s “Babyteeth.”

Modern English

Norma Shearer won Best Actress for “The Divorcee” (1929/30).

Best Actress encores

by Tavo Amador

by Sura Wood

I

MGM

ay Area film buffs welcome the Goethe-Institut’s 24th annual celebration of contemporary German-language films from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Berlin & Beyond Film Festival runs Feb. 7-13 at the Castro and Vogue Theatres in San Francisco, Berkeley’s Shattuck Cinemas, and the Goethe-Institut. It continues a 500+ film tradition of showcasing world-class cinema from a liberal European perspective.

“Rest in Greece” Director Florian Gottschick introduces a young couple, David and Nina, whose vacation on the isle of Tinos is enlivened by the sudden appearance of their landlord’s daughter Margarita. We see how tricky the power dynamics can be when a straight dude is upset by sudden female competition. (Castro, 2/8)

t’s difficult to believe that the Mostly British Film Festival, a relatively new kid on the block, is turning 12. This annual event, dedicated to English-language films made outside the U.S., remains a standout in a local field packed with choices, and has the devoted following to prove it.

See page 22 >>

E

ach era has its own definition of great acting, which often puzzles subsequent generations. Will film historians, critics, and audiences 30 years from now applaud Meryl Streep’s or Daniel Day-Lewis’ work as much as we do? Some portrayals, however, have stood the test of time. The following Best Actress Oscarwinning performances are worth a second viewing.

See page 22 >>

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

18 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

2020 Oscar predictions: winners all!

by Roberto Friedman

B

est picture: Will Win: “1917.”

Should Win: “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.” Director Quentin Tarantino evokes 1969 Hollywood in so many clever ways, even the Manson Family is upstaged.

Best actor: Will Win: Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker.” Should Win: Antonio Banderas, “Pain and Glory.”

Banderas has been director Pedro Almodovar’s dream leading man all these years, and now it’s the actor’s turn to portray the auteur. The gay role is the opposite of Banderas’ bigscreen image in every way imaginable, yet he nails it.

Best actress: Will Win, Should Win: Renee Zellweger, “Judy.” Her singing doesn’t hold a candle to the real thing, but whose could? Ms. Z gets the Garland gestalt, the whole tragic swirl at the end of Judy’s life.

Best director: Will Win: Sam Mendes, “1917.” Should Win: Quentin Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time.”

We’re not even much of a Tarantino fan. But here the violence, while as always gratuitous, is cathartic.

Best supporting actor: Will Win, Should Win: Brad Pitt, “Once Upon a Time.” Mr. Ho’wood 2020 gives props to Ho’wood 1969. Who can resist?

Andrew Cooper/Sony Pictures

Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in a scene from “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood.”

Best supporting actress: Will Win: Laura Dern, “Marriage Story.”

Should Win: Scarlett Johansson, “Jojo Rabbit.” SJ is up for Best Actress as well, but most deserves it for her difficult role in a risk-taking film.

Best adapted screenplay: Will Win: “The Irishman.” Should Win: “Jojo Rabbit.”

Best original screenplay: Will Win, Should Win: “Once Upon a Time.”

Best cinematography: Will Win: “1917.” The entire-film-shot-in-

(almost)-a-single-take thing is impressive, but director Aleksandr Sokurov did it with “Russian Ark” back in 2002, in the Hermitage, with the help of a symphony orchestra.

Should Win: “Once Upon a Time.”

Best documentary feature: Will Win: “American Factory.” This will give the Academy a chance to bring the producing Obamas to the stage.

Should Win: “Honeyland,” from North Macedonia, a portrait of an elderly beekeeper, a brilliant study of resilience

in the face of unrelenting capitalism.

Best international feature film: Will Win, Should Win: “Parasite” (South Korea). The most original film of the year. Director Bong Joon Ho does family drama, social comedy, economic critique and horror film, all at once, flawlessly.

“Far Out” Two gay East Germans, a teen boy and a middleaged man, connect on a cruising circuit in 1987. In director Jan“Too Far Away” In director Peter Horstmann’s beautifully Sarah Winkenstette’s drama, Gerlensed 24-minute short, the night man boy Ben and Syrian refugee prompts a lingering bond two kid Tariq bond after Ben’s village years before the fall of the Wall. is subsumed by coal mining. (Cas(“Look Out” shorts program, Castro, 2/7) tro, 2/7) “All About Me” Director Caro“What Might Have Been” line Link salutes German comic Opening Night film from direcHape Kerkeling, describing the PUBLIC TASTING (Print tor Florian Koerner von Gustorf harrowing moments that Ad) shaped SFCWC-2020-PublicTasting-PrintAd-3.75x7.625in.pdf tracks a weekend sojourn from him. (Castro, 2/7, 9)

Germany to Budapest by middleaged Astrid and her younger boyfriend. Inconveniently, Astrid runs into her first lover. (Castro, 2/7; Shattuck, 2/10) “Hi, A.I.” Docmaker Isa Willinger probes the hot-button topic of artificial intelligence and the life-altering impact it’s likely to have on the very definition of work. (Castro, 2/8) “The Reformer. Zwingli – A Life’s Portrait” Director Stefan Haupt dramatizes the story of the man who drove the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland, changing the religion landscape of Central Europe forever. (Castro, 2/8) “#Female Pleasure” Director Barbara Miller presents the testimony of five brave female pioneers attempting to overturn the grip of patriarchy. (Castro, 2/8) “The Collini Case” Veteran director Marco Kreuzpaintner, responsible for the 2005 queer outdoors adventure “Summer Storm,” gives us a murder case

plus. A court-appointed attorney unearths a legal scandal dating back to the Nazi era. (Castro, 2/8; Shattuck, 2/10) “Berlin Bouncer” Director David Dietl talks to the capital’s hotel doormen to hear some great tales about Berlin, from before the Wall to the present. (Castro, 2/9) “Once Were Rebels” Director Johanna Moder uses two 30-something couples as the lynchpin for the tale of a Russian dissident’s escape to Austria. (Castro, 2/9) “Lara” A mother’s 60th birthday is shadowed when she’s barred from her son’s piano concert debut. Director Jan-Ole Gerster helms this family drama. (Castro, 2/9; Shattuck, 2/10) “Gipsy Queen” Director Huseyin Tabak spins a tale of a hardworking single mom against the backdrop of a struggling boxing club. (Castro, 2/9) “The Audition” A violin teacher has a crisis after a prodigy student is admitted into her school’s program. (Vogue, 2/11)

<<

Berlin & Beyond

From page 17

3.75x7.625in

PUBLIC TASTING

<< Out There

t

Clift bars

The latest in our continuing series of Staycation holidays came when we were invited to the Grand Reopening of The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel last weekend. The Clift was originally built in time for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition back in 1915, and now, 105 years later, it’s been brought back to life with an extensive renovation.

Our main motivation was to assure ourselves that they hadn’t messed with the iconic SF hotel bar the Redwood Room. During a festive party, over copious Moet Chandon champagne, we determined that the redwood paneling, the Art Deco chandeliers and sconces were all still there: a refreshed but respected sacred space.

That night from our room up on the 14th floor, we could see, over the tops of the Curran and Geary Theatres, a sliver of Union Square and the new San Francisco skyline beyond.

Welcome to the 21st century, Clift Hotel! t

“How About Adolf?” What’s in a name? A young couple find out when they decide to name their baby son Adolf in director Sonke Wortmann’s compelling drama.

(Vogue, 2/11) “In the Name of Scheherazade, or the First Beergarden in Tehran” Director Narges Kalhor updates the classic “1,001 Nights.”

(Goethe-Institut, 2/12) “100 Things” In director Florian David Fitz’s comedy, two buddies give up all their possessions for 100 days. (Goethe-Institut, 2/12) “The Most Beautiful Couple” Director Sven Taddicken’s tale of sexual assault and revenge begins on a Mediterranean holiday.

(Goethe-Institut, 2/13) “Cherry Blossoms & Demons” Famed director Doris Dorrie concocts a drama about Karl, whose life is in shambles a decade after the death of his parents. (GoetheInstitut, 2/13) t BerlinBeyond.com

February 15th • 1:00 - 4:30pm Fort Mason, San Francisco PRESENTING SPONSOR

GET TICKETS TODAY

Visit WINEJUDGING.COM

Experience award-winning wine with every sip.

Courtesy Berlin & Beyond

Scene from director Florian David Fitz’s “100 Things,” part of the Berlin & Beyond film festival.

On the web

This week, find Jim Gladstone’s theatre review of ACT’s “Wakey, Wakey” online at www.ebar.com.

Journey through a

rainforest, outer space, and the deep sea â&#x20AC;&#x201D;all in one day

The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only aquarium + planetarium + rainforest + living museum.

Save up to $7 per ticket when you buy in advance at calacademy.org

30178-CAS-Evergreen-2020-Rainforest-Bay Area Reporter-9.75x16-01.07.20-FA.indd 1

1/7/20 5:58 PM

<< Music

20 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

Music as spur to memory

by Philip Campbell

expressed best by their return to performance, made the concert a moving tribute and a triumph. New Century Chamber Orchestra performed musical works by J.S. Bach and Francois Couperin with pianist Simone Dinnerstein. Four excerpts from Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s “Intonations: Songs from the Violins of Hope” formed the central core of the evening.

Mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz; Hannah Tarley, playing the Feivel Wininger violin; and string quartet from the San Francisco Opera Orchestra: Kay Stern, playing the Erich Weiniger violin; Dawn Harms, the Auschwitz violin; Patricia Heller, playing the Zach viola; Emil Miland, playing the Dresden cello; and young violinist Sean Mori, playing the Storch Family Violin, brought a powerful immediacy to the songs.

Avshalom Weinstein gave contemporary focus to the commemoration when he said, “We know where hate starts, but we don’t know where it ends.” 75 years after the liberation, cruelty and bigotry remain. Painful as it may be, humanity must remember the past and victims of evil. Anne Frank maintained her optimism against all odds, and “Violins of Hope” signifies the good in us. The voices of musicians of the Holocaust live on in their instruments.

Grace Cathedral hosts the SF premiere of Heggie and Scheer’s complete “Intonations: Songs from the Violins of Hope” on a program including works by Schubert and Mendelssohn with mezzo-soprano Nikola Printz, violinist Rebecca Jackson, and a string quartet from the SFO Orchestra, Fri., Feb. 21, 7:30

T Since 1977

Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner all day Open 24/7 3991-A 17th Market & Castro, San Francisco St

415-864-9795

wo concerts in San Francisco recently evoked memories and underscored the importance of history, offering new hope for the future. One was a solemn memorial, the other a celebration of musical tradition. Both conveyed the living power of music.

Music at Kohl Mansion’s sponsorship of the traveling collection “Violins of Hope,” in association with the Consulate General of Israel, San Francisco Interfaith Council, and Jewish Family and Children’s Services Holocaust Center, made a resonant contribution to International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27 at Congregation EmanuEl in the city.

Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, “Violins of Hope” co-founders father-and-son luthiers (violinmakers) Amnon and Avshalom Weinstein appeared to talk about their ongoing work. Collecting and restoring string instruments surviving the Holocaust, they have also preserved stories of the original owners, as chronicled in James A. Grymes’ book “Violins of Hope: Violins of the Holocaust: Instruments of Hope and Liberation in Mankind’s Darkest Hour.”

The indescribably poignant provenance of the instruments,

Juergen M. Pietsch

SFS Conductor Laureate Herbert Blomstedt.

p.m. Tickets ($15-$60): (415) 7496300, vohatgrace.eventbrite.com.

Featuring instruments from the “Violins of Hope” collection, San Francisco Symphony Chamber Music Series presents music by Malcolm Arnold, Gideon Klein, Johannes Brahms, and Hans Krasa at Davies Symphony Hall, Sun., Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. Klein and Krasa were both imprisoned in the Terezín concentration camp. They died there, but their music did not perish. Tickets ($40): (415) 864-6000, sfsymphony.org.

Amazing grace

DSH played host to the return of Conductor Laureate Herbert Blomstedt recently in the first week of his annual visit. Beloved for his adherence to a musical tradition

t

that defines an era, and for his vigorous maintenance of classical music-making, the august maestro continues to age with grace. Memories of his decade-long tenure with the SFS are refreshed the moment he comes onstage. The walk may be slower, but the gleaming eyes are still brightly alert, and his gestures remain clear and incisive.

The concert opened with Franz Berwald’s Symphony No. 1 in G minor, “Sinfonie serieuse.” Blomstedt has always championed the composer, once considered “the leading Swedish symphonist of the 19th century.” His advocacy hasn’t brought Berwald to a place of prominence in the repertoire, but it indicates Blomstedt’s valuation of artistic worth.

The Symphony No. 1 is a fine, well-argued and orchestrated piece that readily communicates. It does not linger in memory long, but the buoyant performance, aided by sympathetic orchestral playing and Blomstedt’s steady hand, made a pleasing impression while it lasted.

The second half of the bill offered a weightier example of the conductor’s mastery of big-name composers. Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 – well, any Brahms suits Blomstedt perfectly. The response of the players showed their confidence in his detailing, and despite a few idiosyncratic pauses in the first movement, the results proved definitive.

This week, Blomstedt wraps his fortnight at DSH with his contribution to “Beethoven 250.” The composer’s Second Symphony is performed with the Symphony No. 4

by Brahms. t

Band of brothers

by Jim Gladstone

L

Professional headshots / profile pics Weddings / Events

StevenUnderhill 415 370 7152 • StevenUnderhill.com

STEVEN-18104-18105.indd 1

ast year’s Broadway production of “The Boys in the Band” was filmed for release on Netflix sometime in 2020. My money is on June, which is Gay Cliché Month. Mart Crowley’s black-comic boiling pot of gay self-loathing and bitchery is certainly worth a look, both for its “How far we’ve come!” effect and its cast of handsome Dans, including Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons and Andrew Rannells. But darling, really, it’s the Evil Queen of Time Machines, originally mounted back in 1968 and with scant relevance (other than historical) to younger queer audiences.

For a genuinely up-to-date take on urban gay men’s friendships and failings, you can thank the New Conservatory Theatre Center for cultivating New York playwright Ryan Fogarty’s “You’ll Catch Flies,” now playing in a world premiere production. Fogarty clearly draws on “Boys” as a model, building his plot around a gaggle of pals, old and new, who over the course of a single drunken evening expose personal histories, mysteries and jealousies, culminating in the aftermath of a telephone game.

In “Boys” the game involved calling up first loves and confessing one’s ardor. In “You’ll Catch Flies” (an unfortunate glory hole of a title) Fogarty swaps out rotary dials for today’s far more dangerous devices, capable of video recording, Google searching and social media shaming. As intimate as any gathering may feel these days, there’s really no such thing as a private party.

The assembled gentlemen of “You’ll Catch Flies” include party hosts Dev (Devon Marra) and Smitty (Sal Mattos), who are struggling with the openness of their relationship and differential between their incomes; guest of honor Marcos (Vaho), back for a visit after moving to Spain; and J (Chris Steele),

2/3/20 9:37 AM

Lois Tema

J (Chris Steele) and Marcos (Vaho) have a “complicated” relationship in “You’ll Catch Flies” at NCTC.

who carries a long-burning torch for Marcos. Arriving late is Marty (Robert Kittler), who has recently reconnected with his birth parents who accept his sexuality in a way his adoptive parents never have, along with Cory (Max Seijas), Marty’s newfound gay biological brother.

Misassumptions, flirtations and recriminations ensue.

As Dev, Marra is particularly effective, masking deep insecurity with acidic, petulant wit. This is not an unfamiliar character, but Marra is careful not to overplay the verbal cattiness, and bends into revealingly selfsoothing postures when situations get tense. Seijas, abashed in a roomful of strangers, and Kittler, a model of earnest fraternity, make for believable brothers. The rest of the cast is solid and engaging, but Fogarty hasn’t written quite enough distinctiveness

in their voices to make them stand out as individuals rather than a collective expression of contemporary 30ish gay men.

While Fogarty’s characterizations could be a bit sharper, he’s terrific with a cutting bon mot. “Nice gays finish – quickly” zings one of the boys. “I like the cut of your glib,” retorts another.

Director Tom Bruett does a nice job of modulating the script’s somewhat unbalanced blend of psychological probing and soap opera sheen. In this first production, the play is stronger on structure and storytelling than credibility, but “You’ll Catch Flies” is already solid entertainment and promising in its prospects. t You’ll Catch Flies, through Feb. 23, NCTC, 25 Van Ness, SF. Tickets ($25-$55): (415) 8618972, www.nctcsf.org.

t

Books >>

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 21

Bottoms up: gay poets go there

by Tim Pfaff

A

man I was with in the 1970s, white like me, had a passion for early20th-century American popular music that kicked this opera queen’s butt. I didn’t have to be converted, but it was an incalculable benefit that his preference was to listen to the music on 78s on one of two Victrolas – arguably my first induction into “original-instrument” performance. The songs were more resonant, more lunging at you, played that way.

A favorite was “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” by the polyamorous blues singer of that name, hymning her big black ass. So when I read about Malcolm Tariq’s new poetry collection “Heed the Hollow” (Graywolf Press), with three poems entitled “Malcolm Tariq’s Black Bottom,” I was there. I read about it in an interview with Tariq in The Rumpus. It’s a history-saturated paean to being a proud gay black bottom. No puns or stereotypes intended, it’s as uplifting as sobering.

A Georgia native who began to

explore his sexuality when he went to the University of Michigan in 2013, where he got a Ph.D. in English Literature, Tariq melds offense and outrage with acceptance and celebration in his reckoning with bottoming.

Invoking my own experience one last time before butting out, because there’s as much lint around the back door in 2020 as there was when Ma Rainey issued her anthem on a “race record” in 1927, heeding the hollow is as serious a business as ever.

The killer smile in Tariq’s author pix can’t be faked, and the qualified exuberance in his poems is sounded in the first lines from “Power Bottom,” the first of two same-named poems that frame the set: ”In church, we said Satan get thee behind, and I always laughed.”

“I don’t hate the South,” he writes credibly, “I hate its longing/to forget ruin./I hate its calling of my not name.”

In “Malcolm Tariq’s Black Bottom,” there’s bittersweet wordplay that ends, “You cannot have/cake cake/Although/ you may eat it.”

There’s both invitation and defiance

in “Commander, when I tell you to/fuck me, I don’t mean/for your tree to drop in a spirit-filled/chamber of burning flesh./I mean grow a thicker root.”

The core conundrum is expressed in two poems called “Niggerhead.”

“Slapped into obedience./Is this pleasure? I want to remember/all of it–how/ this hide is prey.” In “Sugar,” a euphemism for cum in generations of blues songs, Tariq incants, “Torture me with beauty – I am the hole history of sweet.”

Tariq actively collects the old stories before they disappear. “If poetry is not testimony, then what is?” he asks. “If poetry is not a record of the impossible, then what is it?/Sometimes narrative is all we have./Sometimes narrative is all we are given.”

If you’re gay and you read, there’s no getting around Garth Greenwell’s big bottom these days, but his legendary generosity toward colleagues has resulted in a powerful essay, “Cruising Devotion: Carl Phillips,” for the new issue of The Sewanee Review. It has appeared simultaneously with Phillips’ latest poetry collection, “Wild Is the

Wind” (FSG). Let’s call it serendipity, not coincidence, that Phillips’ poem “Hymn” (“When I think of desire/it is in the same way Pinesterest Karisma Price that I do/God”), “Heed the Hollow” “Wild Is the Wind” which Greenwell author Malcolm Tariq. author Carl Phillips. often cites, is an epigraph for “Heed the Hollow.” world/more deeply doesn’t have to At 60, Phillips is the more seasoned mean we’re not as lost/as before.” poet, with yet another volume, “Pale In the arresting title poem, Phillips Colors in a Tall Field,” due out in observes, “Though lately it’s less the March. His poems have been explicecho/itself that can still most surprise itly sexual and not denying of gay selfme about memory/it’s more the time hatred. The greater complexity and it takes, going away: a mouth openformal variety, boasting immediate ing/to say I love sex with you too it readability, of the poems in “Wild Is the doesn’t mean I wanna stop/my life Wind” give them substance that resists for it, for example; or just a voice, excerption. There’s less explicitly sexual mouthless,/asking Since when does the material than in earlier poems, but it’s indifference of the body’s/stance when more than compensated by a differwe’re alone, unwatched, in late light, ent sense of the past as carried in the amount/to cruelty?” body. In “What I See Is the Light Fall“Wild Is the Wind” is for getting lost ing Around Us,” he begins, “To have in.t understood some small piece of the

badour club in 1970, complete with an outlandish Tommy Roberts wardrobe.

Frozen with fear but armed with ambition, Elton Hercules John would be introduced by porn goddess Linda Lovelace, carried onstage by Mr. USA bodybuilder Jim Morris (John’s bodyguard for 15 years) and joined onstage by drag icon Divine. Pop culture hasn’t been the same since.

John and Taupin captured the human condition, cinema, sex, nostalgia and Americana wrapped in glitter rock, blurring the lines between stratospheric camp and true style. The tops of the charts were their playground, with anthems that became cornerstones of pop, including “Daniel,” “Candle in the Wind” and “Someone Saved My Life

Tonight.” But deep inside, John was “still Reginald,” insecure sexually, emotionally and psychologically.

He lost his virginity to his soon-to-be manager John Reid, impulsively moved in with him and was introduced to gay rock decadence, complete with lots of cocaine. Addiction plagued John for years while he appeared to be the very definition of joie de vivre, backed by orchestras on intercontinental tours.

The facade cracked when John came out as bisexual in Rolling Stone magazine in 1976, complaining of loneliness.

This book exposes the issues that enslaved him, but the ravages of AIDS on the gay community sharpened his focus.

John began the long road to sobriety as Elizabeth Taylor used her charisma (and jewels) to bring worldwide attention to the disease. His relationship with young hemophiliac Ryan White, the pain and social stigma of White’s HIV status, put an end to Elton’s narcissism. White’s life and death inspired the creation of the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992.

“Me” explores John’s friendships with iconic members of the LGBTQ community, including editor-in-chief of Interview magazine Ingrid Sischy

Rocket Man opens up

by Cornelius Washington

B

orn Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Penner, England, the only child of abusive parents, his only escape was to secretly listen to the forbidden music of rock idols Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, whose flamboyant piano-playing stirred Dwight’s soul into rebellion. A piano prodigy at a young age, he studied classical music at the Royal Academy of Music while performing in pubs and hotels. In the band Bluesology, John backed iconic US R&B artists on their UK tours.

Dwight was introduced to lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1967. In 1968, DJM Records signed the pair and sent them to the US to play LA’s legendary Trou-

and fashion designer Gianni Versace.

His relationship with Diana, Princess of Wales became a worldwide sensation following his performance of a retooled version of “Candle in the Wind” at her 1997 funeral.

Elton describes his work ethic, avid curiosity, titanium constitution and heart of gold. There aren’t enough superlatives for this chronicle of a loving husband and father of two, and it barely scratches the surface. “Me: Elton John” is a must-read for anyone who wants to upgrade their hearts and music collections. The Rocket Man continues to rise, a cross between angel and Energizer Bunny. t Me by Elton John; Henry Holt, $30

Maker.

Small batch hand crafted whiskey with unique one of a kind bitters.

Jason Jorgensen: Owner/distiller, Alley 6 Craft Distillery

Product description here A town built by inspired craftspeople and visionaries. The perfect blend of agricultural heritage and trend-setting experiences. Join us in Healdsburg and dig into our roots, enjoy the fruits of our labor, and discover why we’re the tastemaker of Sonoma wine country.

Plan your stay at healdsburg.com

<< Film

22 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

Office monster

by David Lamble

“T

he Assistant,” opening Friday at Bay Area theatres, is a monster film where you never quite glimpse the monster. Inspired by the scandals surrounding disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, direct from its Sundance Film Festival debut, writerdirector Kitty Green’s film embeds us for 24 hours in the work-life of a young woman. Jane (low-key Julia Garner), a brand-new Northwestern U. grad, has landed what she believes is a plum entry-level job in the fiercely competitive indie-film industry. Later in the film, Jane is

<<

<<

man dressed in black is mildly upset when his sandwich is chicken instead of turkey.

The work consists of people peering at screens: images within

Mostly British

From page 17

Their latest program rolls out next week at the Vogue Theatre with a selection of Aussie films that includes Shannon Murphy’s debut feature “Babyteeth,” a family drama that stars the eminently watchable Ben Mendelsohn.

Mendelsohn, who went from playing a nasty piece of work in “Animal Kingdom” and the bad seed in Netflix’s “Bloodline” to an interstellar heavy in “Rogue One,” can currently be seen in HBO’s “The Outsider,” where he’s a troubled, highly intelligent police detective attempting to solve a crime with supernatural dimensions dished out by Stephen King and Richard Price. In “Babyteeth,” he’s the melancholy psychiatrist father of a teenage daughter suffering from cancer who, to his consternation, falls for a drug dealer in his 20s. Mendelsohn, who cleans up nicely and is more charming and debonair in-person than his onscreen personas might suggest, will be interviewed onstage on Sat., 2/15, by fellow Aussie James Wooley, the newly installed executive director of Frameline.

Would Hamlet have fared better if the women in his life had been running the show? That intriguing question is posed and imaginatively answered by “Ophelia,” Australian director Claire McCarthy’s quasifeminist, revisionist take on the Bard’s play. Adapted from a 2006 young adult

told there were over 400 applications for her gofer position.

Jane arrives for work in what feels like the middle of the night, in a part of Lower Manhattan that in bygone days was devoted to meatpacking and gay sexual assignations.

Now, as Jane enters the building, it merely feels cold enough to keep meat fresh or preserve human corpses. Jane is the only woman in the office, staffed by handsome 20something boys (Noah Robbins, Jon Orsini) who flit about the office as if sharing an inside joke. Everyone treats “the office girl” politely at first. One young

MBFF

Scene from director Oliver Krimpas’ “Around the Sun.”

novel, the script parallels and diverges from its Shakespearean source and gives the female character top billing.

The purposeful Daisy Ridley of “Star Wars” frame, sans saber and sporting long red hair, leads the charge as the film’s namesake and Hamlet’s love interest who, not surprisingly, is strongminded and forthright in this adroit, finely produced interpretation. The all-together stellar cast is rounded out

by George MacKay from the Oscarbound “1917,” playing a substantially less gloomy version of the Danish prince; Naomi Watts as Gertrude, his tough, herb-addicted mother; and Clive Owens chewing the scenery as his devious uncle, a brutish oppor-

tunist who usurps the throne after Hamlet’s father dies.

“The Delinquent Season,” an Irish melodrama about cheating of a different kind, revolves around two attractive, middle-aged Dublin couples whose marriages and friendships with each other are quietly coming undone. Written and directed by veteran Irish playwright Mark O’Rowe, the story of marital infidelity and the guilt, anxiety and deception that follow is not exceptional, but the topflight performers who play the husbands are: namely, Cillian Murphy, so chillingly intense and just plain chilling in “Peaky Blinders” (outside of Daniel Craig, he has the bluest

images. Jane answers the phone, fielding calls from an angry “big boss” and from his wife, demanding to know where the big guy is. Most humiliatingly, Jane, on her knees, finds a lost earring while scrubbing sticky fluids from the office’s white couch.

Midway through the day Jane asks to see the guy at the company’s Human Relations office.

At first this hip 30something dude (Matthew Macfadyen) is sympathetic, but he gradually informs Jane that the way up the company’s slippery ladder is to be deaf, dumb and blind to anything

askew. Jane’s most painful moment comes when she remembers that she’s missed her Dad’s birthday.

In a phone call, Dad congratulates Jane for putting work before him.

“The Assistant” feels like an accurate if emotionally attenuated view of the battle lines in the digital workplace. Set a couple of years before the bubble burst at The Weinstein Company, the filmmakers leave you wondering how the #MeToo movement will replace the dead king.

Hours after leaving the screening, I happened upon a TV news clip with Harvey Weinstein himself pushing his walker across a Manhattan street on the way to his trial. t

eyes in the business); and the openly gay actor Andrew Scott, who’s having quite a run as the sexy, conflicted priest in “Fleabag” and the diabolically unhinged Moriarty in “Sherlock.”

Volatile and a tad short in the loveand-understanding department, Scott becomes one of the wronged parties in the movie’s equation when Murphy’s kinder, gentler character begins an affair with his lonesome, stay-at-home wife.

In Adrian Noble’s sensitively observed, period narrative “Mrs. Lowry and Son,” the extraordinary Mike Leigh ensemble player Timothy Spall, who memorably embodied the irascible 19th-century painter JMW Turner, portrays an equally eccentric though lesser-known mid-20thcentury British artist, L.S. Lowry; a kind, solitary man who never married, he was presumed to be gay. As a former rent collector, Lowry was well-acquainted with the industrial districts of Northwest England, where he spent most of his life and whose landscapes he depicted in his paintings and drawings. The crux of the story is his torturous relationship with his ailing, embittered, hypercritical mother from hell (Vanessa Redgrave; no one plays imperious better), whose approval he desperately craves and doesn’t receive, even when his work is finally recognized. Much of the movie plays out in the mother’s bedchamber, a metaphor for the stultifying emotional confines of an existence

relieved intermittently by the pleasure of making art.

A shout-out for local-boy-makesgood Jonathan Kiefer, an Alamedabased screenwriter-producer and director of award-winning shorts.

The recent recipient of a prestigious FilmHouse residency from SFFILM, he wrote the script for Oliver Krimpas’ “Around the Sun,” a lushly shot indie shown here. It fuses elevated conversation and cosmic sci-fi elements with romantic sparks between a movie location scout and the real estate agent escorting him through an abandoned French chateau. Kiefer will be on hand for the screening.

The festival wraps with “Greed,” Michael Winterbottom’s rollicking frolic about excess, in particular the shenanigans of the vain and ruthless Sir Richard McCreadie, an over-thetop, superrich London fashion magnate. Nicknamed “Greedy,” he’s clearly a man of our times. He throws himself a decadent, “Gladiator”-themed 60th birthday bash on Mykonos (inspired by the Ridley Scott movie), complete with a pre-fab Colosseum and a massive lion waiting in the wings for his close-up – or maybe his dinner. Meanwhile, the silver-maned master of ceremonies (Steve Coogan) has a high old time cavorting in a Roman toga and golden crown. Can the fall of the Empire be far behind?t

Best Actress

From page 17

Once a big star, Norma Shearer was also an admired actress, although her reputation today is at best uneven. She is nonetheless compelling in “The Divorcee” (1929/30) as a liberated woman who rejects the double standard for sexual independence. Marie Dressler was among the first character actresses to become a major box-office attraction. Her raucous, scenery-chewing battling wife in “Min and Bill” (1930/31) remains hugely entertaining. Claudette Colbert was among the screen’s finest comediennes and is marvelous as a runaway heiress in 1934’s “It Happened One Night.” As a rebellious southern belle in “Jezebel” (1938), Bette Davis dazzled, earning a second Oscar. In 1939, Vivien Leigh’s unforgettable Scarlett O’Hara was instrumental to the tremendous success of “Gone With the Wind.”

Ginger Rogers kicked off her dancing shoes to play “Kitty Foyle” (1940), a middle-class working “girl” who falls for a socialite from a snobbish family. In “Gaslight” (1944), Ingrid Bergman superbly plays a woman being driven mad who learns she’s not insane and relishes her revenge. The next year, Joan Crawford’s “Mildred Pierce” faced murder charges while obsessively loving the daughter from hell. In “To Each His Own” (1946), Olivia De Havilland’s unwed mother remains in her son’s life by pretending to be his aunt. In 1949, De Havilland won a second

MGM Silver Screen

Ingrid Bergman won Best Actress for “Gaslight” (1944).

Oscar as plain, unloved, wealthy Catherine Sloper in “The Heiress.”

The terrible cruelties she endures make her a strong realist.

In “Born Yesterday” (1950), Judy Holliday’s Billie Dawn is a corrupt businessman’s mistress. She may be uneducated, but she’s also the smartest, funniest person around. Gay playwright Tennessee Williams said, “She brought everything to the part I had intended, and much I had never dreamed of” about Vivien Leigh’s Blanche du Bois in his “A Streetcar Named Desire” (1951). Broadway legend Shirley Booth repeated her acclaimed stage performance as the wistful, frumpy wife of an alcoholic in gay author William Inge’s “Come Back, Little Sheba” (1952). In 1953, Audrey Hepburn charmed audiences as the touching, dutiful runaway princess enjoying a “Roman Holiday.” Anna Magnani’s explosive Serafina Delle Rose in Williams’ “The Rose Tattoo” is an indelible portrait of a widow who misses her hus-

Cher won Best Actress for “Moonstruck” (1987).

band’s sexual prowess. Ingrid Bergman cemented a memorable comeback by making audiences wonder if she really was “Anastasia” (1956), the Romanov Grand Duchess. Susan Hayward exclaimed “I Want To Live!” (1958) as Barbara Graham, the first woman in California to be executed in the gas chamber. Simone Signoret’s worldly, sexy older woman in “Room at the Top” (1959) was a revelation.

As the mother in “Two Women” (1961), Sophia Loren battled Fascists during WWII and became the first to win for a foreign language film.

In “Hud” (1963), Patricia Neal’s selfrespecting Alma, who resists Paul Newman for the right reasons, still moves viewers. In “Darling” (1965), Julie Christie embodied London’s Swinging 60s. As Martha in gay dramatist Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966), Elizabeth Taylor concealed her beauty but revealed her volcanic talent. Barbra Streisand’s triumphant Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl”(1968) made her an unlikely movie star. Maggie

t

Smith relished “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” (1969) as a Mussoliniadmiring teacher of young “gels.”

In 1971, Jane Fonda graphically essayed the dangers a hooker faces in “Klute.” As “Cabaret”’s (1972) Sally Bowles, Liza Minnelli set new standards for musical drama. Louise Fletcher’s Nurse Ratched in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) became a synonym for sadism. Faye Dunaway’s ruthless TV executive in “Network” (1976) proved women could be tougher than men.

In 1983, Shirley MacLaine broke hearts as a mother facing the death of her daughter in “Terms of Endearment.” Marlee Martin’s speechlessby-choice janitor who falls for a teacher-therapist in “Children of a Lesser God” (1986) was powerful.

Cher confounded doubters as an Italian-American Brooklynite facing a difficult romantic choice in “Moonstruck” (1987).

As a fan every celebrity fears, Kathy Bates was chilling, bringing “Misery” (1990) to her favorite writer. Emma Thompson gave Margaret Schlegel

Feb. 13-20 at the Vogue Theatre. mostlybritish.org.

incandescent life in gay novelist E.M. Forster’s enigmatic “Howard’s End” (1992). Susan Sarandon’s Sister Prejean made audiences care about prisoners on death row in 1995’s “Dead Man Walking.”

As environmental activist “Ellen Brokavitch” (2000), Julia Roberts proved that incandescent beauty and ability weren’t mutually exclusive. In 2001’s “Monster’s Ball,” Haille Berry powerfully showed how racism hurts the racist and his target. Nicole Kidman concealed her loveliness while touchingly resurrecting Virginia Woolf in “The Hours” (2002). Charlize Theron didn’t shy away from making a former prostitute turned serial killer a “Monster” (2003), yet kept her human. Elizabeth II came movingly to life thanks to Helen Mirren in 2006’s “The Queen.”

Marion Cotilliard was riveting and haunting as Edith Piaf in 2007’s “La Vie en Rose.”

It’s too soon to know if recent winners will earn praise years from now, but the following stand a good chance of doing so. As the “Iron Lady,” (2011) Meryl Streep gave audiences a fully dimensional Margaret Thatcher. Cate Blanchette’s reworking of Blanche Du Bois in 2013’s “Blue Jasmine” was heartbreaking. Julianne Moore was “Still Alice” (2014) despite being afflicted with dementia. As England’s Queen Anne, Olivia Coleman in “The Favorite”(2018) memorably brought a conflicted historical figure to life.

With luck, this year’s honoree will someday be added to this list.t

vote now in our annual readers' poll and enter to win some amazing prizes.

or scan these qr code

www.surveymonkey.com/r/besties2020 www.ebar.com

Vol. 50 • No. 6 • February 6-12, 2020

Adam Roberts

Broadway actor shares his love songs

Arts Events

by Jim Provenzano

February 6-13, 2020

W

hat do the cast and crew of touring Broadway shows do on their time off?

If you’re Adam Roberts, currently performing as an ensemble actor in the tour of Miss Saigon, you recruit your colleagues and make a few music

See page 24 >>

Thurs 6 Eidos Imagery

videos.

Roberts made his Broadway debut in the widely publicized musical, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark followed by Tony Award-winning revival of Pippin. He has been seen in the national tour of Dirty Dancing, Off-Broadway in Standard Time and most recently as Cornelius in Ozark Actors Theatre’s production of Hello, Dolly! He just finished associate-directing and choreographing a recent production of Broadway Backwards, the showcase of performers switching roles and performing LGBT interpretations of classic Broadway songs.

Rotimi Agbabiaka’s Manifesto @ Brava Studio

Listings on page 25 >

Sat 8 The Final Mother @ Oasis

Nightlife Events

Vote for your favorites places, people, businesses and nightlife stuff in our annual Besties Readers Survey! surveymonkey.com/r/besties2020

February 6-13, 2020 Like what you see? See what you like?

Along with new nights, we bid a fond fareweel to a popular drag night.

Listings on page 26 > Gooch

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

<< Music

24 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

Playmates and soul mates...

San Francisco:

1-415-692-5774 18+ MegaMates.com

<<

t

Adam Roberts

From page 23

Music was a familiar art form for the actor since childhood.

“My dad plays guitar,” said Roberts, 33. “He comes from Nashville, and his father was Kayton Roberts, a legend in the steel guitar world who toured the world with Hank Snow and other country stars. Growing up, there was never a question of studying music.”

Born in Tennessee, Roberts’ family moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina when he was a toddler, where he later studied at North Carolina University in Musical Theatre with a Business Administration minor.

Now living in New York City for the past twelve years, and residing in Harlem since 2014, Roberts said that he could imagine moving to the West Coast at some point.

“I’m a Southern boy at heart,” he said, but New York is where the main theatre work is. “That’s been my bread and butter for a while.”

Song styles

Roberts’ two new songs and accompanying videos are visually gaythemed, but their lyrics and sound are open to broader interpretation.

Roberts discussed his own trepidation, however, with making art that gay-identified.

“I have a gay brother, but my parents are very conservative, very religious and they still not really accepting of the fact that I’m gay. There is still a little part of me that can’t be honest. But I’ve broken through the chains of that to be completely honest. I’m a late bloomer and I had to do a lot of work to overcome that. Music really got me through a lot of that. I really hope I can serve as a glimmer of hope.”

The videos for “Undercover Romance” and “Glue” were shot in Los Angeles during Miss Saigon’s residency at the Pantages Theatre. With some lovely choreography and a partnering scene with cast member Garrick Macatangay, the videos complement the songs.

Roberts asked the show’s music director James Moore to orchestrate his songs.

“I wrote them on a guitar, but had a vision of a soaring score with strings, and he helped me do that,” said Roberts. “The orchestra in our show even played on it as well.”

Roberts explained how he and his cast members put together an ‘accountability group’ to encourage each of their own individual projects while on tour.

“We try to keep each other on track, with deadlines and support,” said Roberts. Ensemble player AnnaLee Wright expressed an interest in cinematography, bought some equipment and directed videos, with costar Macatangay. “It became a big communal project.”

Having toured in several shows, Roberts set goals.

“I didn’t want to squander my time,” he said. “With so many cities, you can find local watering holes and drink your way through a tour, which I also love to do,” he joked. “I try to strike a balance between going out and having little adventures, but also cracking down and taking action to get some results.”

A glance through the actor’s Instagram profile proves his other results in staying fit.

(top) Adam Roberts with fellow Miss Saigon actors backstage. (bottom) Adam Roberts with Garrick Macatangay in the music video for his song, “Glue.”

“It’s a very fitness-motivated cast,” said Roberts. “There’s no company barre, since the movement is more pedestrian. But our company manager usually gets gym memberships for us, usually in exchange for some comp tickets.”

Spider senses

As one of several webbed wonders in Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Roberts faced a physicality he’d never experienced.

“Nothing could prepared me for that show,” he said. “I hadn’t done aerial work before, with harnesses, flying over the audience. At auditions, the director asked, ‘Are you afraid of heights?’ Of course I am, but I said no.

I wanted the gig.”

After a ‘flight audition’ with technicians keeping the actors safe, “We learned on the job. It was wild. We had martial artists, gymnastics guys, up to nine guys doing the stunt work.”

Like many of today’s Broadway actors, a new social media presence has grown as big a fandom as theatregoers, particularly out gay male actors whose handsome bodies are on display online.

“We all run in the same circles, we know each other personally, and they’re super-talented and nice,” said Roberts. “That’s the thing you find about Broadway; once you’re part of the community, they’re very supportive. Of course it’s competitive, but it’s not catty.”

Roberts also mentioned the numerous benefit shows that his colleagues organize and perform, including the famous Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS show like Broadway Bares, in which Roberts and many other musical theatre actors

perform elaborate strip routines.

As far as the “hunk factor” goes, Roberts revealed, “I grew up scrawny, and have a bit of body dysmorphia. I don’t see myself as this ‘sex symbol,’ but I have embraced my body and have become body-positive. As far as social media goes, I try to be dimensional. It’s not just selfies. I do original music covers and share volunteering events, otherwise it’s just overkill.”

Music in me

For his two new songs, Roberts chose to make it visually clear that they are about male-male relationships, but include aspects.

“They’re bounded in truth, but sort of elevated or fabricated for the sake of a good song.” Roberts had the serendipitous opportunity to record the songs, including a forthcoming third one, in Nashville.

While attending a performance of Moulin Rouge, he sat next to a music-producing couple, who later met up with him and recorded the songs.

With Miss Saigon finishing its tour in June, Roberts, asked about his future projects, mentioned “a bit of restlessness among his cast and crew. The show’s taught us all a lot, but we do want to know what’s next.

Most of us have agents, so we’re putting feelers out if anything’s coming up.”

In his search for more principal roles, Roberts noted how he’s soon going to focus on more dramatic roles, and fewer dance parts.

“I’m ready to tackle those meaty roles now. You have to say no to certain things, like ‘ensemble boy.’ You have to break the mold to reinvent yourself.”

He also mentioned video preauditions, and how casting directors also check out an actor’s social media presence as well. “That’s a frustrating aspect of it, being so subjective.”

Still, Roberts will return to New York City, where most in-person auditions take place. “When I get back, I’ll just hit the ground running.” t Follow Adam Roberts on instagram.com/adamant9 youtube.com/user/adamanthony9

Adam Roberts with fellow Spider-Men in a 2011 promotional event in Time Square.

The Miss Saigon Tour schedule: www.miss-saigon.com/us-tour

t

Arts Listings>>

Arts Listings For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

THU 6

Classic and New Films @ Castro Theatre

Feb 5 & 6: Knives Out. Feb 7-9: Berlin & Beyond festival. Feb 10-12: Little Women. Feb 13: JoJo Rabbit and A Hidden Life. $8-$16. 429 Castro St. castrotheatre.com

Literary Speakeasy @ Martuni’s

Drinks and cocktails with Lauren Ito, Kevin Dublin, Sarah Kobrinksy, Vincent Chu, Heather Bourbeau and host James J. Siegel. 7pm. 4 Valencia St.

Thanks to Hank @ GLBT History Museum

Jan, 6: panel discussion and screening of the film Thanks to Hank: a Liberation Movement, a Plague and Unsung Hero, with Bob Ostertag an Tom Ammiano.

7pm. Also, Performance, Protest & Politics: Gilbert Baker’s Art, an exhibit of the works and ephemera by and about the creator of the Rainbow Flag. $5.

4127 18th St. glbthistory.org

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 25

Two-Spirit Powwow @ Fort Mason

Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits’ annual celebration of dance, music, crafts and First Nation culture. Free/donations.

11am-6pm. Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Blvd. baaits.org

You’ll Catch Flies @ New Conservatory Theatre The world premiere of Ryan Fogarty’s biting comedy about a group of gay friends and their familial and familiar revelations at a party. Wed. pre-show with cocktails, 6:30pm-7:30pm. $25$55. Wed-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm; thru Feb 23. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. nctcsf.org

SUN 9

Awaken @ Asian Art Museum

Soul of a Nation @ de Young Museum

Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983, thru Mar. 15. Also, exhibits of Modern and historic art, including embroidery, Maori portraits and installations.

Free/$28. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park. famsf.org

MON 10 Book Club @ Strut

The gay men’s health center’s monthly book club discuss local author Alvin Orloff’s new memoir, Disasterama!

Adventures in the Queer Underground 1977-1997. 7:30pm 470 Castro St. strutsf.org

Gallery of Illustrious Queers @ SF Main Library

Exhibit of Tibetan antiquities and modern works. Free-$20.

Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 200 Larkin St. www.asianart.org

Photographer Jordan Reznick’s LGBT portrait photo exhibit; extended thru Feb. 20. Hormel Center, 3rd floor, 100 Larkin St. sfpl.org

Black is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite @ MOAD

TUE 11

Prints by the Harlem Renaissance photographer of the 1950s and ‘60s; Also, multimedia works

by Rashaad Newsome; Don’t Shoot: An Opus of the Opulence of Blackness, and Baye Fall: Roots in Spirituality, Fashion and Resistance All thru Mar. 1. $5$10. 685 Mission St. moadsf.org

Bullhorn Series @ National LGBTQ Center for the Arts

Community panel discussion about the decades since the Harvey Milk era, with Rafael Mandelman, Cat Brooks, Aria Sa’id, and musical performances

by New Voices Bay Area - TIGQ Chorus. $20-$25. 7pm. 170 Valencia St. sfgmc.org/arts-center

Recoding CripTech @ SOMArts

Perfectly Queer Readings @ Dog Eared Books

Thoughts, a multimedia music and film collaboration celebrating composer Terry Riley and the group’s 45th anniversary. $24-$58. 8pm.

UC Berkeley campus. www.calperformances.org

WED 12

Levi Strauss @ Contemporary Jewish Museum

LGBT authors Dale Corvino, Denise Conca, Wayne Goodman, Rob Rosen, and Cass Sellars read. 7pm. 489 Castro St. dogearedbooks.com

Alex Prestia @ Eros Wistful Edificials, the local

artist’s exhibit of SF people and architecture, at the sex club; thru March. 2051 Market St. a1205x.com | erossf.com

Rafiki @ Bayview Opera House

Frameline’s screening of Wanuri Kahiu’s film about two Kenyan lesbians. Free. 7pm. 4705 3rd St. frameline.org

Rashaad Newsome: To Be Real @ Fort Mason

The artist’s stunning exhibit of collage, sculptures and interactive A.I. blends queer diva iconography, robotic and African American imagery to question concepts of identity. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm, thru Feb. 23. Main gallery, Pier 2, 2 Marina Blvd. fortmason.org/event/newsome/ Other multimedia works also on exhibit at Museum of the African Diaspora thru March 1: moadsf.org

THU 13

Kronos Quartet @ Zellerbach Theatre, Berkeley

The award-winning music ensemble performs A Thousand

Group exhibition of multimedia depictions of disabled people reimagined technologies and prosthetic tools; curated by Vanessa Chang and Lindsey D. Felt. Thru Feb 25. 934 Brannan St. somarts.org

Son Jarocho Festival @ Brava Theatre

Eighth annual celebratory concerts of Veracruz, Mexico folkloric music, with multipel performers. $20-$45. Thru Feb 9. 2781 24th St. www.brava.org

FRI 7

Butterfly Effect @ Dance Mission Theater

Dance Brigade’s new performance work takes on the climate crisis. $15-$25. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 6pm. Thru Feb 9. 3316 24th St. dancemissiontheater.org

Lawrence Lindell @ Strut

Opening reception for the comic artist’s exhibit of uplifting gay works. 8pm-10pm. 470 Castro St. awrencelindell.com

Manifesto @ Brava Studio A Call to Arms, a Spectacular Reckoning, Rotimi Agbabiaka’s

new solo show about a gay Black actor’s struggles with success versus integrity. $25. 8pm.

Various dates and times thru Feb 15. 2773 24th St. rotimionline.com | brava.org

Noura @ Marin Theatre Company

Heather Raffo’s intense drama about an Iraqi New York family’s dramatic holiday gathering; extended thru Feb 9. $25-$70.

397 Miller Ave., Mill valley. marintheatre.org

Wakey, Wakey @ Geary Theatre

American Conservatory Theatre’s production of Will Eno’s compelling life-querying intimate solo play stars Emmy-winning actor Tony Hale. $15-$110. Thru Feb 16. 415 Geary St. act-sf.org

SAT 8

Living the Shuffle @ the Marsh Berkeley

Film director Robert Townsend‘s acclaimed solo show shares his story of the odds of making it in Hollywood while Black. $40-$100. Fri 8pm, Sat 8:30pm Sun 5:30pm thru Feb 29.

2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. themarsh.org

The Queer Ancestors Project @ Strut

Opening day events for the exhibit of prints by queer and trans emerging artists includes an artist panel (7pm), reception and print sale (7:30-10pm). Thru May 9. 470 Castro St. strutsf.org

Real Men. Real Hookups.

VISIT WWW.SQUIRT.ORG AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW FEATURES:

Video Push Notifications Search Filters … and more!

Opening day of a new exhibit showcasing the jeans manufacturer’s innovations.

Also, Threads of Jewish Life: Ritual and Other Textiles from the San Francisco Bay Area.

Free-$16. 736 Mission St. www.thecjm.org

Radical @ Spark Arts

John Fisher’s new satirical drama about San Francisco politics. $25-$45. Thu-Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm thru Mar. 1. 4229 18th St. therhino.org

They Called Us Enemy @ Cartoon Art Museum

New exhibit of Harmony Becker’s artwork for the graphic novel written by actor-activist George Takei, about his family’s U.S. internment in a concentration camp during WWII. Free-$10.

Thru May 17 (closed Wed). 781 Beach St. www.cartoonart.org

Who’s Your Mami Comedy @ Brava Studio

Diame Amos, Sampson McCormick, Dominique Gelin, Baruch Porras-Hernandez host Marga Gomez will keep you laughing at the popular monthly comedy series. $10-$15.

8pm. 2773 24th St. brava.org margagomez.com t

<< Nightlife Events

26 • Bay Area Reporter • February 6-12, 2020

FRI 7

Nightlife Events

After Dark @ Exploratorium Enjoy cocktails and science demos at the hands-on museum. Feb 7: The Science of Cocktails; Feb 13: Sexplorations and Aphrodisiacs.

Evening hours Fri & Sat, weekly 6:15 and 7:30pm. $20. Pier 15, Embarcadero at Green St. www.exploratorium.edu

Feb 6-13, 2020

Tue 11

Bear Trap @ Lone Star DJ Munecas spins grooves at the famed bear bar. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Rizo @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Drag Alive @ The Stud Happy hour cabaret and drag show. $20-$30. 7pm. 299 9th St. studsf.com

For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

THU 6 Beso Latinx @ Jolene’s Von Kiss hosts a new night at the queer nightclub. 9pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

Eric Benét @ Yoshi’s Oakland The smooth crooner performs a fournight gig at the elegant restaurantnightclub. $54-$115. 8pm. Two shows nightly Feb 7-9. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

Events @ Steamworks, Berkeley The stylish bathhouse’s DJed events take place Thursdays-Sundays, 10pm late; Sundays 1pm-7pm. $7-$62, plus annual memberships $160. Open 24/7, every day. 2107 4th St., Berkeley. (510) 845-8992. steamworksbaths.com

Friends Live @ Oasis The popular sitcom gets a deserved drag parody. $27.50-$50. 7pm. ThuSat 7pm thru March 14. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Gregory Porter, Ledisi @ Fox Theatre, Oakland The jazz, soul and gospel vocalists share a concert; Xiomara opens. $50-$120. 8pm. 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.apeconcerts.com

Junk @ Powerhouse MrPam and Dulce de Leche cohost the weekly underwear strip night and contest, with sexy prizes. $5. 10pm-2am.

1347 Folsom St. powerhousebar.com

Link Link Circus @ The Chapel Actor-producer Isabella Rossellini presents her whimsical multimedia performance talk about the links between humans and animals, with live animals. $45-$65. 8:30pm. Feb 3-6, 10 & 11. 777 Valencia St. www.thechapelsf.com

The Monster Show @ The Edge The weekly drag show with themed nights and hilarious fun. $5. 9pm2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Paula West @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The popular local singer returns to the elegant nightclub with her band for a multiple-night residency of concerts. $65-$85 ($20 food/drink min.). ThuSat 8pm; Sun 5pm thru Feb 16. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. feinsteinssf.com

Rock Fag @ Hole in the Wall Enjoy hard rock and punk music from DJ Don Baird at the wonderfully divey SoMa bar. Also Fridays. 7pm-2am.

1369 Folsom St. 431-4695. hitws.com

Thurs. Night Live @ SF Eagle Rock bands play at the famed leather bar. Feb 6: Freak Accident, Lolly Gaggers and Middle-Aged Queers. $8.

9pm-12am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Personals Massage>>

I’m a Tall Latin Man. If you’re looking, I’m the right guy for you. My rates are $90/hr & $130/90 min. My work hours are 10 a.m. to midnite everyday. 415515-0594 Patrick call or text.

See pics on ebar.com

Black queer day party with hip hop and R&B throwbacks. 3pm-8pm. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

Shake It Up @ Port Bar, Oakland DJ Lady Char spins dance grooves; gogo studs, and drink specials.

2023 Broadway. (510) 823-2099. www.portbaroakland.com

Stallion @ Midnight Sun

Sugar @ The Café

Rock and drag at the famed leather bar. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Weekly dance night at the renovated nightclub with a view. $10. 9pm-2am.

2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

SF Beer Week @ Pier 35

T4T @ Jolene’s

Opening night gala for a festival of beer dinners, tastings, tap takeovers and educational events. $80-$125.

6pm-10pm. 1454 The Embarcadero. www.drinkbaybeer.com

Trans dance night with host Just Shannon. 10pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

Stank @ Powerhouse

Charles Yu, Meng Jin, Tracy Clark Flory, Aaron Glantz, Juliette Wade and Barbara Tomash read at the lit and liquor night hosted by Charlie Jane Anders. Free-$20. 7:30pm. 3225 22nd St. www.makeoutroom.com

Don’t forget to not shower before the odor-erotic armpit-sniffing kink night, with DJs Trever Pearson and Sindri. $5. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Swagger Like Us @ The Stud Bapari, 8ulentina, and DavOmakesbeats DJ the dance party. $10. 10pm-3am. 299 9th St. www.studsf.com

Uhaul @ Jolene’s The popular women’s dance party returns at the new nightclub, now weekly. 10pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

SAT 8 Beardhaus @ Lone Star DJs Marek, Prince Wolf and Ben Holder spin at the Burner-style night at the famed bear bar. $5. 9pm-2am.

1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Bearracuda @ SF Eagle Beary dance night, with BLUF Leather Lounge, too. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

House Party @ Powerhouse Groovy monthly night with sofas & rugs moved in, plus DJ Sean McMahon. $5. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com Heklina’s popular weekly drag show comes to an end! Enjoy your last chance to see this favorite night, with two shows (11:15 & 12:45), featuring Matthew Martin, Florida Mann, D’Arcy Drollinger, Sue Casa, Tito Soto, Baloney, 1 Erection, Intensive Claire, KaiKai B Michaels, Miss Rahni, Nicki Jizz, Pussy Diet, Qween, Rock M. Sakura, Snaxx, Taco Zamora and WooWoo Monroe. $20. 10pm-2am.

298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

People>> Browse & Reply FREE! SF - 415-692-5774 1-888-MegaMates Free to Listen & Reply, 18+

Reunion @ Jolene’s

Ror:Shok @ SF Eagle

SEXY ASIAN $60 Jim 415-269-5707

PLAYMATES OR SOULMATES

Disco dance party and drag show with DJs Pinche, Kat Wilderness and Static, dragsters Nicki Jizz, Jota Mercury and others. $10-$15. 9pm-2am. 299 9th St. www.studsf.com

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

The Final Mother @ Oasis

MEN TO MEN MASSAGE

Princess @ The Stud

DJ Bill Dupp, intimate dance floor, gogo cuties, all in the heart of the Castro. 8pm-2am. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.com

Manimal @ Beaux

Bruce Dean Lindstrom

t

Sat 8 Bearracuda @ SF Eagle

Writers With Drinks @ The Make Out Room

SUN 9 Academy of Friends @ Commonwealth Club 40th annual gala Oscar Awards viewing party in a new location with terrific views. Enjoy international foods, champagne, wine, entertainment between broadcast segements and a silent auction of lvaish items. $150 (young professionals 21-29), $250 and up.

VIP 4pm. Gen. admission 5pm-10pm.

110 The Embarcadero. www.academyoffriends.org

Americana Bands @ Ivy Room, Albany Thee Old Country, Secret Emchy Society and Beckylin & Her Druthers play. $10. 4pm. 860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. www.ivyroom.com

Bounce @ Lookout Weekly dance and cavorting night with a view. $5. 9pm-2am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Cake @ The Café Qbar-in-Exile presents the official after-party for the Academy of Friends gala, with DJs Parks, Kidd and Cip, gogos and fun. 6pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Drunk Drag Red Carpet Party @ Oasis Enjoy the Academy Awards viewing party with sassy commentary and drag acts Miss Shugana, Madd Dogg 20/20, Roxy-Cotten Candy, Guicho Domingo, Militia SF, Divine Celiane and Christian Mingle. $10-$15. 4pm10pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

The L-Word @ El Rio Weekly screenings of the revived lesbian TV series. 9pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

t

Shining Stars>>

February 6-12, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

Shining Stars Photos by Steven Underhill Super Bowl Viewing @The Detour Photos by Steven Underhill

W

ith City Hall and Salesforce Tower lit up in 49ers red and gold, hopes were high on February 2 with football fans at Super Bowl viewings across the Bay Area, including the game-filled Detour (2200 Market St.), whose patrons included members of SF’s Gay Flag Football League. Sadly, the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, but viewers enjoyed the pyrotechnics and dance-frenzied halftime show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.

See more of Steven’s nightlife photo albums on BARtab’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. For more of Steven Underhill’s photos, visit www.StevenUnderhill.com. t

Glam Sundays @ Valencia Room New weekly house, funk, soul T-dance with guest-DJs and no cover. 3pm9pm. 647 Valencia St. www.glamsundays.com www.thevalenciaroom.com

Sleepless Nights @ The Chapel Tribute concert to the music of Graham Parsons, with Tarnation, Whateverglades, Sweet Chariot, and other bands. $20. 5pm. 777 Valencia St. www.thechapelsf.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The popular two-stepping linedancing, not-just-country music night, with free lessons. 5pm-10:30pm. Also Thursdays 6:30pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

MON 10 KQ League Night @ Detour Game tournament at the renovated former Brewcade bar/restaurant.

7:30pm-11pm. 2200 Market St. www.detoursf.com

Munro’s at Midnight @ Midnight Sun Drag night with Mercedez Munro.

No cover. 10pm. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.com

Tender @ Great American Music Hall British duo performs their moody electro-pop; Xylo opens. $17-$42 (with dinner). 8pm. 859 O’Farrell St. www.slimspresents.com

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

Vamp @ Beaux Women’s weekly night with a sultry vampire theme; goth, red & black, lingerie attire welcome but not

required; bondage and BDSM demos, too. DJs Olga T and Jayne Grey. $5$15. 8pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

TUE 11 Cock Shot @ Beaux The weeknight party gets going with DJ Chad Bays. No cover. 9pm-2am.

2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Karaoke Cocktails @ Ginger’s The new basement tribute to the old Ginger’s Trois hosts weekly singing fun. 8pm-12am. 86 Hardie Place. www.gingers.bar

Retro Night @ 440 Castro Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am.

44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Rizo @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The Grammy-winning comic songstress and cabaret master returns with her eclectic set of pop, rock and standard classics. $45-$60 ($20 food/ drink min.). 7:30pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinssf.com

Truck Tuesdays @ Atlas Super-cruisy night at the new semiprivate club. $10-$20. 9pm-2am. 415 10th St. www.atlas-sf.com

WED 12 Follies & Dollies @ White Horse Bar, Oakland Weekly drag show at the historic gay bar. 9:30pm-11:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave. www.whitehorsebar.com

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

424 Cortland St. wildsidewest.com

NSA @ Club OMG Weekly underwear party at the intimate mid-Market nightclub. $1 well drinks for anyone in underwear from 9pm-10pm. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Veronica Klaus

Pan Dulce @ Beaux Drag divas, gogo studs, DJed Latin grooves and drinks at the Hump Day fiesta, open Christmas night. 9pm2am (free before 10:30pm). 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

THU 13 Homobiles @ Ivy Room, Albany Queer rock, plus Pls Pls Me and LeFemmeBear. $8-$10. 8pm.

860 San Pablo Ave., Albany. www.ivyroom.com

Horrorpops @ Slim’s Danish psychobilly sextet performs; also, The Quakes and Frank & Deans. $30. 8pm. 333 11th St. www.slimspresents.com

Polythene Pam @ El Rio Queer and trans folk, pop and original music; also Shawna Virago, Scorpio Moon and Soft Vowel Sounds perform. No cover. 8pm-10pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Puff @ The Stud The monthly cannabis appreciation night takes on Valentine’s Day, with love in the air; DJ Sergio Fedasz, host DJ Dank and a drag show and stoner raffle. $10. 6pm-9pm. 299 9th St. www.studsf.com

Rebel Girl @ Jolene’s Women’s dance night. 9pm-2am.

2700 16th St. at Harrison. www.jolenessf.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. $5. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. auntcharlieslounge.com t

Veronica Klaus

Celebrated chanteuse returns to Martuni’s

by Jim Provenzano

C

hanteuse Veronica Klaus returns to San Francisco for three concerts February 15 and 16 at the intimate Martuni’s lounge with the Tammy Hall Trio. With her style reminiscent of classic jazz singers like Peggy Lee, the shows have an appreciative local fandom.

Klaus moved to Sharon Springs, New York a few years ago, where she performs locally while renovating a historic church into a cabaret.

We did a little Q&A, which you can read on www.ebar.com Jose A Guzman

MY MOMENT

to savor!

Discover more ways to play and enjoy new luxury accommodations, our world-class spa and salon, award-winning dining, gaming and entertainment! Experience every moment, all in one great destination.

US 101 TO EXIT 484. 288 GOLF COURSE DRIVE WEST, ROHNERT PARK, CA P 707.588.7100 PLAY WITHIN YOUR LIMITS. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM, CALL 1-800-GAMBLER FOR HELP. ROHNERT PARK, CA. © 2020 GRATON RESORT & CASINO

JOB #: GRT-171055

JOB TITLE: MY MOMENT MY SAVOR