January 18, 2024 by Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 54 • No. 3 • January 18-24, 2024

Gay SF educator’s life upended by false sexual misconduct claim by John Ferrannini

Arnold Niemanis

The all-female rock band the Go-Go’s were named to the California Hall of Fame.

Go-Go’s, Brown named to CA Hall of Fame by Cynthia Laird

he iconic all-female rock band the Go-Go’s, including bi guitarist Jane Wiedlin, were named as members of the 17th class of the California Hall of Fame, Governor Gavin Newsom announced January 11. Former San Francisco mayor Willie L. Brown Jr., a longtime ally who authored the bill decriminalizing consensual same-sex relations when he was in the state Assembly, was also named to the class. Former governor Jerry Brown signed that bill in 1975. The Go-Go’s emerged from the sunsoaked landscapes of Southern California, shaping the sound of an era and breaking down gender barriers in the music business, a news release from Newsom’s office stated. Formed out of the Los Angeles punk scene by lead singer Belinda Carlisle and guitarist Wiedlin, the Hollywood punkettes quickly recruited lead guitarist Charlotte Caffey. Solidifying their lineup with the rhythm section of drummer Gina Schock and bassist Kathy Valentine, the band’s energetic club shows and catchy songs propelled them to the forefront of the city’s vibrant music scene. Despite their popularity, the male-dominated record industry refused to see the young women’s potential, the release stated. Signed to legendary IRS Records in 1981, the Go-Go’s proved their doubters wrong with their debut album, “Beauty and the Beat.” Fueled by the hits “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “We Got the Beat,” a fledgling MTV and nonstop touring, the band and their music were embraced by audiences around the world. The Go-Go’s became the first – and still, to date, only – all-female band to top the Billboard charts, according to the release. “Writing their own songs, playing their instruments and persistently believing in their right to be heard, these young women not only captured the hearts of music lovers; they represented possibility and selfdetermination,” the release stated. With follow-up albums “Vacation” (1982) and See page 8 >>

t’s the concern that gays in the education profession fear the most. And it’s an ugly stereotype: A false allegation of sexual misconduct with a student that can derail careers and lead to tragic consequences. In San Francisco, one gay educator is speaking out after enduring a lengthy investigation that, while ultimately clearing him, has left a lasting impact. David Hemminger, 58, who went through the sexual misconduct investigation in 2022, also alleges mistreatment by the San Francisco Unified School District. The district, he claims, dragged its feet on what was supposed to be a 90-day inquiry and, after he was exonerated, forced him to transfer to another school. To top it all off, a second male educator, who is bisexual, alleges that he was falsely accused of sexual misconduct by the same student and her parents about a year after Hemminger’s investigation. In his case, however, the girl’s family declined to move forward with the complaint, which they said allegedly occurred off-campus in a city the educator had never been to.

Rick Gerharter

McKinley Elementary School in San Francisco’s Castro district was the focus of two false sexual misconduct complaints by the same family against a gay educator and a bisexual educator.

Started in 2022

Back in March 2022, Hemminger, a resource specialist with the district, had been working at McKinley Elementary School at 1025 14th Street in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood when he received a notice he’d been placed on paid administrative leave. He’d been working for the district for a dozen years.

“I talked to my union rep, who said it was sexual misconduct I was accused of,” Hemminger told the Bay Area Reporter. “I wasn’t made aware of who this student was. I met with two attorneys – a labor attorney and a criminal defense attorney.” See page 8 >>

Harvey Milk Plaza ‘buzz-raiser’ meeting coming to Castro by John Ferrannini

he Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza is holding an event next week to drum up support for the long-planned new memorial to be constructed at the public parklet above the Castro Muni station. It’s been nearly seven years since the friends’ group began working on a plan to re-imagine the plaza, which was named in honor of Milk, the city’s first gay elected supervisor, back in 1985. Milk was elected to the board in November 1977, took office in January 1978, and was assassinated, along with then-mayor George Moscone, that November. Milk was a vocal transit advocate. The friends group’s most recent design, by SWA Group, includes a canopy above the Castro Street entrance to the subway, among other features. Friends’ officials said the January 25 meeting is to sort of jump-start the project, which needs to raise more than $30 million and began a “quiet” capital campaign last year. But the upcoming session is not to solicit funds, organizers said. “I guess you’d call it not a fundraiser but a buzz-raiser,” Brian Springfield, a gay man who is the friends’ executive director, told the Bay Area Reporter on January 10. “It is not unusual for a nonprofit in a capital campaign to have the quiet phase – where they’re working behind the scenes to get significant gifts, then reach out to the public

Courtesy SWA Group via Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza

A rendering shows an overview of the Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza.

for the last 15%-20% – but because this is about Harvey Milk, the board decided that wasn’t the right approach, and we’re bringing the community along with us.” The friends’ group has also rebranded the project, now known as the Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza. Springfield said that name came about around five years ago as a way of distinguishing

the old and new plazas. “The challenge is that there already is a Harvey Milk Plaza but it lacks that memorial,” Springfield said. The design from SWA Group, an international landscape, architecture, planning, and urban design firm that is working on the project, was revealed in 2021, as the B.A.R. reported at the time. See page 2 >>

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2 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 18-24, 2024

Bonta issues alert to CA school districts by Cynthia Laird

alifornia Attorney General Rob Bonta on January 10 issued a legal alert addressed to all California county, school district, and charter school boards and superintendents, warning them against forced gender identity disclosure policies detrimental to the privacy, safety, and well-being of transgender and gender-nonconforming students. The move comes as Bonta’s Department of Justice is suing the Chino Valley Unified School District over its forced outing policy. A San Bernardino County Superior Court judge in October granted a preliminary injunction against two major portions of the school district’s policy, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported. Several school districts around the state have adopted similar policies, which require that staff out students to their parents without their consent for identifying as transgender or gender non-conforming, as well as for accessing sex-segregated programs and activities that align with their gender. A news release from Bonta’s office noted, “Such policies also require notification if a student requests to use facilities or participates in programs that do not align with their sex on official records.” In the alert, Bonta reminded all school boards that these forced gender identity disclosure policies violate the California Constitution and state laws safeguarding students’ civil rights. “Unconstitutional school policies that forcibly out and endanger the psychological and emotional well-being of transgender and gender-nonconforming students have no place in our classrooms,” Bonta stated. “Today’s alert serves as a re-

Courtesy CA AG’s office

California Attorney General Rob Bonta

minder to all school officials of their duty to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment, particularly for our most vulnerable student populations susceptible to violence and harassment. At the California Department of Justice, we will continue safeguarding the civil rights of all students.” Equality California, the statewide LGBTQ rights organization, praised Bonta’s action. “As LGBTQ+ students head back to school in the new year, Attorney General Bonta is reassuring them that the California Department of Justice has their backs,” stated EQCA Executive Director Tony Hoang, a gay man. “In 2023, we saw an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric from farright extremists in California that led to direct attacks on our youth in the form of forced outing policies that out transgender students without their consent and attempts to censor or ban books and curriculum that so much as mention LGBTQ+ people. Already vulnerable young people should not be subject to even greater harassment and harm in their learning environments.”

Hoang noted that the alert puts school officials on notice. “These legal alerts put those who seek to violate or roll back the rights of LGBTQ+ youth on notice that doing so violates these students’ constitutional and legal protections and will not be tolerated in California,” he added. “The attorney general has been a steadfast ally in combating these efforts by anti-LGBTQ+ extremists, and we are grateful to him and to our legislative allies in Sacramento who have consistently worked to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ students in California.”

Possible anti-trans initiative

In related news, California voters may face a massive anti-trans ballot measure in November that would mandate forced outing policies by requiring schools to notify parents if a student asks to be treated as a gender that doesn’t match their school records. The initiative, spearheaded by Protect Kids California, would also ban genderaffirming care for minors; prevent trans women and girls from participating in women’s sports; and

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repeal a state law allowing trans students to use bathrooms or locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. Bonta’s office has titled the initiative “Restricts Rights of Transgender Youth.” Protect Kids California is unhappy with the ballot title and has stated it would sue the AG’s office. The secretary of state’s office has cleared the proposal for signature gathering and proponents have until late May to collect over 500,000 valid signatures. So far, EQCA has not announced a decline to sign campaign to dissuade people from signing the petitions. EQCA declined to comment Friday. In his alert, Bonta stressed that forced gender identity disclosure policies infringe on several state protections safeguarding students’ civil and constitutional rights, including: California’s Equal Protection Clause: These policies unlawfully discriminate against and single out students who request to identify with or use names or pronouns different from those on their birth certificates, or who access programs or facilities that, in the view of the board, are not “aligned” with the student’s gender. California’s Education and Government Code: Education is a fundamental right in California, and California Education Code Sections 200 and 220 and Government Code section 11135 also ensure equal rights and opportunities for every student by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. Forced disclosure policies violate these fundamental anti-discrimination protections. California’s constitutional right

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Milk plaza

From page 1

It’s all meant to coincide with other changes at the site, such as a separate $11.5 million project to construct and install a new four-stop Castro Muni elevator, as the B.A.R. previously reported. San Francisco Public Works previously estimated that project would be completed in 2026. The new elevator had first been proposed in 2016, as the current elevator for the Castro Muni Station is across the street from its main entrance near Pink Triangle Park where 17th Street meets Market Street, which can be hard to access for wheelchair users and others with mobility issues. If out of service, then there is no way to access the station without using stairs or an escalator. As the B.A.R. also reported, the plaza project had raised $3.3 million in public funding and $900,000 in private funding as of February 2023. Springfield told the B.A.R. that the $900,000 figure is now closer to $1 million, but the public funding amount is the same. It includes $2 million in state funding that gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) had helped to secure. Wiener will be among those speaking at the upcoming meeting. “I strongly support the renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza to make it a world class plaza for the neighborhood and worthy of Harvey Milk’s legacy,” he stated to the B.A.R. “We have a huge opportunity to create a wonderful resource for both residents and an educational opportunity for people who come to visit the Castro.” Announced speakers include Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), a straight ally; gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman; and longtime gay activist Cleve Jones; as well as drag performers Sister Roma and Juanita MORE!, San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Honey Mahogany (who also serves as Haney’s dis-

to privacy: California’s constitution expressly protects the right to “privacy,” including both “informational privacy,” and “autonomy privacy,” and policies that mandates outing transgender and gendernonconforming students against their wishes or without their consent violates that right. Bonta’s release also noted that research shows that protecting a transgender student’s ability to make choices about how and when to inform others is critical to their well-being, as transgender students are exposed to high levels of harassment and mistreatment at school and in their communities when those environments are not supportive of their gender identity. One-in-10 respondents in a 2015 national survey said that an immediate family member had been violent toward them because they were transgender, and 15% ran away from home or were kicked out of their home because they were transgender, the AG’s office stated. Fewer than one-in-three transgender and gender nonbinary youth found their home to be genderaffirming. According to Bonta’s office, nearly 46% of transgender students reported missing at least one day of school in the preceding month because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable there and 17% of transgender students reported that they left a K-12 school due to the severity of the harassment they experienced at school. Seventy-seven percent of students known or perceived as transgender reported negative experiences such as harassment and assault, and over half of transgender and nonbinary youth reported seriously considering suicide in the past year, the release added. t trict director), and the city’s drag laureate D’Arcy Drollinger. “Acknowledging and honoring those who have significantly impacted our community and ensuring their contributions are not forgotten is crucial,” MORE! stated. “The Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza is a beautiful project that aims to preserve Harvey’s legacy and remind future generations of the importance of equality and acceptance. I’m thrilled to be supporting this cause.” Jones, who worked closely with Milk, told the B.A.R., “I am very excited about the plans.” “They have done a marvelous job with the way they worked with the community,” he continued. “This was an open, transparent, and inclusive process.” Mandelman, who represents the Castro on the city’s Board of Supervisors, acknowledged the work of the Castro Community Benefit District. “The Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza and Castro CBD have done great work to raise awareness and generate public support for the Milk Plaza redesign – their work sets the foundation for a future gathering space that will be a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Harvey Milk,” he stated. “I’m proud to join the event and help galvanize support for the Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza.” Haney, Roma, Mahogany, and Drollinger did not return requests for comment.

Costs

Springfield said that the total cost of the project is $35 million, including $7 million for the commemorative features, and $27-$28 million for transit and infrastructure improvements. One of those improvements will be moving the stairs 20 feet to the west, closer to Collingwood, which will allow the space closer to Castro Street to be utilized. See page 3 >>

Election 2024>>

January 18-24, 2024 • Bay Area Repor ter • 3

EQCA backs 2 in East Bay races by Cynthia Laird

Two out candidates for offices in the East Bay secured backing from Equality California January 10 in the statewide LGBTQ rights group’s first endorsements of 2024. Emeryville City Councilmember John Bauters, a gay man running for District 5 on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, was endorsed, as was Trustee Angela Normand, a lesbian running for reelection on the Alameda County Board of Education. Bauters is in a highly competitive race for the open District 5 seat, which includes the cities of Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, Piedmont, and West Oakland, North Oakland, Rockridge, Grand Lake, and portions of the Fruitvale, Manzanita, and Dimond District neighborhoods. It became open when current Supervisor Keith Carson announced in December that he would not seek reelection. Bauters told the Bay Area Reporter that he’s pleased with the endorsement. “I’m thrilled that our campaign has earned the strong support of Equality California and other partners in our community,” he stated. “Across the Bay Area, LGBTQ+ people remain underrepresented in county government – and Alameda County has never elected an out LGBTQ+ supervisor. I’ve spent my career as a victims’ advocate and a city councilmember fighting for marginalized and underserved communities – on the Board of Supervisors, I’ll continue that work and be a visible voice for not just LGBTQ+ people, but the many diverse

Courtesy the candidates

Alameda County Board of Supervisors candidate John Bauters, left, and Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Angela Normand were endorsed by Equality California January 10.

Milk plaza

From page 2

“Year one what we are focusing on is to find funding for code-compliant Muni stairs,” he said, adding the stairway and es-

communities which make Alameda County beautiful.” Among the nine people running are Berkeley City Councilmember Ben Bartlett, Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas, Alameda County Board of Education Trustee Ken Berrick, former Oakland mayoral candidate Gregory Hodge, and Piedmont resident Lorrel Plimier, an attorney and computer scientist. It is unlikely that any candidate will receive more than 50% of the vote on March 5 in order to win the seat outright, thus it is expected that the top

two vote-getters in the primary will square off again on the November 5 ballot. Should Bauters win, he would be the first out gay man elected as a supervisor in Alameda County. Since mid-December Bauters has secured the support of more than 30 local leaders for his supervisorial bid, with Assemblymember Mia Bonta (DOakland) endorsing him January 3, as the Bay Area Reporter’s online Political Notes column recently reported. (https://www.ebar.com/story. php?ch=news&sc=news&id=330692)

Jennifer Esteen, a gay woman and registered nurse, is running for the District 4 seat on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors against incumbent Nate Miley. She was previously endorsed by EQCA. Normand is seeking reelection to the Area 2 seat on the county education board. It includes the city of Alameda, a small northeast portion of San Leandro north of Dutton Avenue, and the northwestern portion of Oakland, including West Oakland, Uptown, and a part of Jack London Square. She was first elected in 2020.

calator replacement will cost $16 million. The construction documents should be ready by summer, Springfield said. “That’s a good sign,” he said. “The city doesn’t create construction documents for projects they don’t plan to build.”

As a prerequisite to starting the plans, the friends’ group gave the city ownership over the design, which the nonprofit had heretofore owned. The Board of Supervisors had to approve accepting the gift from the friends – valued at $1.275 mil-

lion – which it did November 9 on a vote of 11-0. Supervisors Mandelman and Joel Engardio, a gay man who represents District 4, introduced the resolution. Engardio did not return a request for comment.

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Normand was also pleased with EQCA’s endorsement “We are honored to have earned the support of a leading California LGBTQ+ organization in our reelection campaign,” stated Normand in an email. “In this time of rising discrimination towards LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and faculty in our schools, it is critical to have visible queer leadership in our education spaces. I am honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with EQCA and other LGBTQ+ organizations locally and statewide as we continue the work to protect our students, and ensure our schools are safe and welcoming spaces for all.” Tony Hoang, a gay man who’s executive director of EQCA, praised all the candidates endorsed last week. “We are thrilled to endorse these pro-equality candidates at all levels of government,” he stated. “The challenges we continue to face in creating a world that is just and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people demand that we elect pro-equality lawmakers and leaders that will work to defend our community’s hard-fought gains, as well as continue to pave new ground in the ongoing fight for full, lived equality.” In addition to Bauters and Normand, other out candidates EQCA endorsed are San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, a gay man who’s seeking reelection; Ethan Weaver, a gay man and a Los Angeles deputy city attorney who’s running for the District 4 Los Angeles City Council seat; and John Erickson, Ph.D., a gay man who’s seeking reelection to the West Hollywood City Council. t Springfield clarified that the $1.275 million figure came from totaling up the labor and costs of getting to the proposed design. See page 9 >>

<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 18-24, 2024

Volume 54, Number 3 January 18-24, 2024 www.ebar.com

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SF school board should review false sexual abuse cases

t’s one of the oldest – and most damaging – of tropes: that gay people molest children. Yet, when confronted by this false allegation against a gay educator, San Francisco Unified School District officials, instead of fighting the homophobic bias of allegations that were determined to be untrue, chose to enable the accuser’s parents, who then went on to file a similar unfounded complaint about a year later against a bisexual male educator. The San Francisco Board of Education should review these cases so that other SFUSD personnel aren’t caught up in what, in our opinion, can be described as malicious intent on the part of one family. So far, according to school board commissioner Mark Sanchez, a queer man, the school board has not reviewed the cases. As we report this week, gay educator David Hemminger endured months of a formal Title IX investigation by district officials in 2022 after a third grade student (complainant) at McKinley Elementary School in the Castro and her mother accused him of sexual misconduct. Once he was officially cleared, however, he was forced to transfer to another school despite having done nothing wrong and having positive performance reviews. Stephanie Bealby, director of employee relations for the school district who signed the report, explicitly stated, under “Discipline and Consequences: Because there were no findings of a violation of board policy, this Decision-Maker does not make any recommendations for formal discipline for [Hemminger].” Bealby did state that she feels strongly that Hemminger should not have any

contact with the student. And under “Supportive Measures,” she did recommend that Hemminger not return to McKinley to make sure the student feels comfortable and because Hemminger was the only resource specialist at McKinley. Before Hemminger was told he’d have to transfer schools, a top district administrator met with him and said they wanted him back at McKinley, giving Hemminger false hope that his life could return to normal. Of course, that did not happen and he subsequently received the transfer letter. After Hemminger was told he’d have to transfer schools, his attorney at the time sent a demand letter to the school district outlining the homophobic bias in his case. The district responded that Hemminger’s transfer was a “supportive measure for the student,” who believes the allegation to be true, according to Hemminger. In Hemminger’s case, the effects of the nowclosed investigation are ongoing. Most significantly, in addition to being reassigned, the complainant’s mother is apparently allowed to control where Hemminger is allowed to go in his own Castro neighborhood (he lives a few blocks from McKinley). She reportedly called McKinley officials to complain after Hemminger attended a graduation ceremony there in 2023 and ran into her on the street – off campus – after which district officials told him he could not be on the McKinley campus unless the parent or site administrator said it was OK. The district ceding such authority to a parent post-adjudication is unfortunate. Hemminger said that prior to that he was never informed he could not be on campus.

He should not have to continue to suffer punishment affecting his employment or ability to move freely about his neighborhood now that the investigation has been closed. In 2023, about a year later after Hemminger’s case, Douglas Rich, a bi male teacher at McKinley, was accused by the same student and her parents of similar sexual misconduct. Both educators have worked in the district for years, and Hemminger had worked with the student since kindergarten. While we understand the need to investigate serious accusations, we’re dismayed by the district’s overall attitude and response in these cases. In the false incident involving Rich, the allegation didn’t even occur on campus – or in San Francisco – so the district should have referred the matter to local authorities and not instigated an investigation at all. The parents ultimately decided not to pursue the case; Rich told us he saw them laughing about it afterward. And he’s aware that if the parents had decided differently, he likely would have endured a formal investigation like Hemminger did. LGBTQ people are fantastic educators. They care about their students, like other teachers and support staff. Yes, teachers and other educators do commit crimes, just like in any other profession. That’s why investigations are conducted, and from the documents we’ve reviewed, SFUSD did a thorough investigation in Hemminger’s case. But now that the final determination was made over a year ago, he should not face continuing penalties. That is why the Board of Education should review these matters, so that LGBTQ educators like Hemminger and Rich do not have to spend the rest of their careers looking over their shoulders wondering what some disgruntled family will do next. t

Author writes of foster care system in new memoir

by Mark Daley

few nights earlier, I’d gone down a research rabbit hole. What began with one question – was there one singular risk factor that could forecast child abuse or neglect? – quickly budded into dozens more. If a parent had a drug addiction, was that the equivalent of drawing the Monopoly card reading, “Go directly to foster care. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200?” My fingers typed queries as fast as they could move, while my elbow rested slightly on Roxy, who had cuddled in beside me on the sofa. I quickly discovered a report, put out by the federal agency that oversees foster care, that included a list of the different bases for which children are removed from their caretakers and their prevalence. I began scrolling, reading the percentages assigned to each reason – neglect, 61%; parental drug abuse, 32%; abandonment, 5%; physical abuse, 13%; disability of a child, 2%; death of a parent, 1%. The list went on. The percentages totaled 170, which meant they were not mutually exclusive. Neglect was often the by-product of a concomitant challenge. I wanted to know which struggles needed to be present in a home to make the environment ripe for abuse. What role does mental health play in foster care detentions? What about social isolation? Homelessness? I waded into pages upon pages of academic studies. It was all so insightful, but none of it directly answered my initial question about whether or not there was a single factor whose presence could provide the clairvoyance to predict abuse or neglect, probably because there was no answer. As far as I could tell, there’s no clear line of cause and effect, no one component that makes or breaks a parent’s ability to protect their children. Risk is cumulative and uncertain. The more factors at play, the greater the probability, but risk alone is not an inevitability. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know about the ins and outs of foster care. Taking away someone’s child is a colossal decision, one that in practice has disproportionately impacted Black and Native American children, who, I learned, are overrepresented nationally in foster care at rates that are one and a half and two times their proportion of the general population, respectively. Our nation’s unwillingness to engage in difficult conversations and put in the work needed to repair the damage caused by our shameful history of slavery and segregation has allowed structural, institutional, and systemic racism to go unchecked. The criminal justice system has been used to overpolice Black people. As a result, Black men account

Courtesy Atria Books

Author Mark Daley

for 35% of those incarcerated, while representing just 13% of the overall male population. How many Black women, earning just 63 cents for every dollar paid to white men, are left to raise children alone because of this practice? Even more, discrimination in lending, the tax code, and employment has systematically denied generations of Black families access to wealthbuilding pathways, leaving them with a fraction of the financial safety net of the average white family. Lack of access to quality health care and bias within the medical community are among the factors contributing to the horrific fact that Black women are three and a half times as likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women. Pervasive systemic injustices, rooted squarely in racism, are contributing factors to the inflated numbers of Black children in foster care. The numbers are also inflated for Native American families. As recently as 50 years ago, three in 10 Native American children had been removed from their homes and placed in adoptive homes, foster homes, or institutions. For over a century, Indigenous children were systematically separated from their families by the U.S. government, the Catholic Church, and other religious organizations. Tens of thousands of children were sent to more than four hundred governmentrun or supported boarding schools, where physical, sexual, and emotional abuse ran rampant. The

schools were designed to force tribal children to assimilate to white culture, thereby decimating the future of tribes. Most of the children removed would never see their biological families again, never hear their Native languages spoken, never participate in another tribal ceremony. They lost all connections to their families, their culture, their traditions, and too many lost their lives. Indigenous children are still overrepresented in the foster system, accounting for less than 1% of the country’s total population but 2 percent of its foster care population. Two peoples, one whose land was stolen, the other stolen and brought to this land, united by the unconscionable acts of the past, still echoing in the policies and systems surveilling families today. These communities share a bond of oppression and a well-justified distrust of government and the child welfare system. Many in these communities face challenges passed on to them like a torch handed from one generation to the next, the result of intergenerational trauma and society’s limited understanding of the sustained impact of racism and cultural genocide. Hispanic families face a different set of challenges. As of 2017, one in three children living in the United States was Hispanic. On the surface this community is underrepresented in the foster care population nationally, accounting for 21% of all youth; however, there are great disparities among states. Hispanic children are overrepresented in foster care in a handful of states and significantly underrepresented in roughly seventeen states. If a lack of cultural understanding and the inability to effectively communicate with Spanish-speaking families are seen as explanations for the overrepresentation of Latino youth in some states, the same challenges may also explain the underrepresentation in other states. Families with undocumented loved ones may shy away from public services because they don’t believe they are eligible or they are concerned about potential repercussions resulting from their immigration status. While 94% of Latino children were born in the U.S., a quarter of them had a parent who lacked the required legal status to lawfully reside there. This puts the unimaginable stress of having a parent deported on an estimated four million Latino youth. One menacing characteristic that See page 9 >>

Politics >>

January 18-24, 2024 • Bay Area Repor ter • 5

Housing, budget top priorities for LGBTQ caucus vice chair Ward

by Matthew S. Bajko

s vice chair of the Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, gay Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) will be helping this year to elect the out candidates for state Assembly and Senate seats endorsed by the affinity group for LGBTQ legislators in Sacramento. There are at least 30 LGBTQ legislative candidates running on the March 5 primary ballot. As of January 1, the 12-member caucus had endorsed nearly half of them. With three of its current members set to depart later this year, and several of the 2024 candidates running for the same seat, Ward told the Bay Area Reporter he expects modest gains to the caucus’ roster come December when the winners of the November races are sworn in. “We will see how the primary shakes out. I expect the caucus will have 15 to 17 members, but it could be more than that,” said Ward, who is set to become the next chair of the LGBTQ caucus. The B.A.R. met up with Ward in December when he happened to be in San Francisco for a holiday party and meetings with local leaders and housing advocates. With several of his caucus colleagues either seeking or expected to run for higher offices, Ward said his visit wasn’t tied to his laying the groundwork for his own post-Assembly candidacy. “No,” Ward simply replied when asked about seeing him run for statewide office in 2026. As of now, Ward said he expects to serve all 12 years in the Assembly that he is allowed to do so under California’s term limits. First elected in 2020, he is running this year for a third term representing the 78th Assembly District. This year will be the first full legislative session overseen by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas). After Rivas faced criticism for not naming any African Americans to his leadership team in the fall, Ward was among his Democratic caucus colleagues who came to his defense, as the B.A.R.’s online Political Notes column noted last month. With anti-LGBTQ groups pushing a ballot measure aimed at stripping away rights for transgender youth, and conservative lawmakers expected to introduce bills in Sacramento that attack the LGBTQ community, despite having no chance of advancing them in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, Ward told the B.A.R. he has full faith in Rivas defending the LGBTQ community. “He is an unwavering ally of the LGBTQ community and will go to the mat for any issues we raise,” said Ward.

Housing a priority

At the top of Ward’s more immediate agenda is addressing the state’s lack of affordable housing for many residents. Rivas named him chair this year of the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee. “I have been meeting with a lot of thought leaders about the solutions we need,” Ward said of his time late last year ahead of the Legislature reconvening this month. As chair of the Senate Housing Committee since 2018, gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told the B.A.R. he looks forward to working with Ward over the coming months. He expected to have as good a relationship with him as he had with Ward’s predecessors in the position, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (DBerkeley) and former Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), now city attorney for San Francisco.

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law Courtesy the subject

Assemblymember Chris Ward

“He is such a thoughtful, hardworking, detail-oriented person. He gets it when it comes to housing because he has seen it at the local level as well as the state level,” said Wiener, who like Ward is also running for reelection this year. “He and I have a wonderful working relationship. I am really excited about Chris’ new role.” With California facing a budget deficit, Ward expressed concern about what the impact could be on LGBTQ programs funded by the state. Preserving such allocations in the budget will be a top priority for the LGBTQ caucus, he predicted, while some new LGBTQ initiatives may need to be delayed unless a funding source for them can be worked out. “I am concerned. A $68 billion deficit is not something that comes easily to solve, but California has been in a budget deficit before and addressed it,” he said, referring to earlier deficit figures. Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his 2024-25 state budget proposal last week. The $291.5 billion spending plan includes a $37.9 billion deficit that Newsom hopes to offset by dipping into the state’s rainy day reserves and possibly delaying a minimum wage increase for health care workers, according to media reports. The Los Angeles Times reported the deficit is due to weaker than expected revenues, delayed tax deadlines because of last year’s storms, and inaccurate budget projections.

Bill to ban forced outing on hold

As for reviving his bill aimed at prohibiting school officials from outing transgender students to their parents or guardians without their permission, Ward told the B.A.R. he has put it on hold for the time being. He withdrew it in the fall for several reasons, one being after hearing from educators about the issue. “A common thread in our conversations with educators was teachers want to teach and not be the gender police,” said Ward. “They said their main concern is that students can be safe in their classrooms and learn to their full potential.” For the time being Ward is closely watching a lawsuit state Attorney General Rob Bonta filed against a Southern California school district in San Bernardino County that adopted such an outing policy. The state courts have put most of the transphobic policy on hold as the case is being litigated. Meanwhile, an anti-trans parental group has until late May to qualify for the fall ballot a statewide proposition supportive of the outing policy, in addition to banning gender-affirming care for minors; preventing trans women and girls from participating in women’s sports; and repealing a state law allowing trans

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students to use bathrooms or locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. This month, it anwww.SchneiderLawSF.com nounced it would sue Bonta over the title and summary he gave to their proposed proposition. “While we are monitoring Attor*Certified by the California State Bar ney General Bonta’s work and other 315 Montgomery St., Ste. 1025, San Francisco, CA 94104 issues out there, we are committed to being strategic about our approaches without losing sight of our goals and principals,” said Ward. Asked about seeing the LGBTQ Vice President of Advertising caucus get behind a decline-tosign campaign to ensure the antiadvertising@ebar.com trans measure doesn’t make the ballot, Ward would only say it is in talks with leaders of LGBTQ advocacy groups about mounting such an effort. He noted that many of the caucus members “are mindful of the origins of Prop 8” and how it ended up The qualifying back in 2008. In that case, Ward recalled how backers of the 44 Gough Street #302, San Francisco, CA 94103 same-sex marriage ban appeared at (415) 829-8937 • www.ebar.com first to be failing then rebounded after receiving an infusion of cash and support from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “It gave it the fuel to get the necessary signatures to make it on the ballot,” said Ward, who has two young children with his husband. He dismissed any suggestion that the out legislators aren’t concerned about this year’s anti-trans ballot measure initiative. “We take it very seriously and need to monitor the work being done to qualify it,” said Ward, adding, “We will be prepared for all contingencies.” As for seeing voters adopt the measure the Legislature placed on the November ballot to repeal Prop 8’s anti-marriage equality language When you plan your life celebration and lasting remembrance in from the state’s constitution, Ward advance, you can design every detail of your own unique memorial expressed confidence in seeing it and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind. Planning ahead be passed. Despite a federal court When your celebration lasting protectsyou your plan loved ones fromlife unnecessary stress and and financial burden, decision striking down the homoWhen you remembrance plan your celebration and lasting remembrance in allowing themlife to focus on what will matter most at that time—you. in advance, you can design every phobic proposition that went into you canofdesign every detail of your ownand unique memorial detail own memorial provide effect in 2013, two years prior toadvance, the Contact usyour today about theunique beautiful ways to create a lasting legacy U.S. Supreme Court ruling marriage at the San Francisco Columbarium. and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind. Planning your loved ones with true peace of mind. Planning ahead equality was a federal right, Propprotects 8’s your loved onesProudly from unnecessary stressunnecessary and financial burden, ahead protects yourserving loved onesCommunity. from the LGBT definition of marriage as being beallowing them focus on whatburden, will matter most them at thattotime—you. tween a man and a woman remains stresstoand financial allowing in California’s governing document. focus on what will matter most at that time—you. LGBTQ leaders want it excised in Contact us today about the beautiful ways to create a lasting legacy case the conservative justices who at the San Francisco now have a majority on the nation’s Contact usColumbarium. today about the beautiful ways to create highest court reverse course on ala lasting legacy at the San Francisco Columbarium. lowing same-sex couples to wed in One Loraine Ct. | San Francisco | 415-771-0717 a future ruling. Ward said the LGProudly serving our Community. SanFranciscoColumbarium.com BTQ caucus members are “in early Proudly serving the LGBT Community. discussions” with LGBTQ groups on FD 1306 / COA 660 who will run the campaign in support of the Prop 8 repeal measure, which he estimated will require at least $20 million to $30 million in donations. “I feel really great about the early polling supportive of the repeal,” he said. “We will put together a solid and appropriate campaign to ensure One Loraine Ct. | San Francisco | 415-771-0717 we get that language out of our constitution.” t SanFranciscoColumbarium.com

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<< Community News

6 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 18-24, 2024

Hearing held for trans homicide defendant by John Ferrannini

he transgender woman who has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing a man at San Francisco’s Crissy Field in November is being held by federal authorities, her attorney confirmed to the Bay Area Reporter. Leion Butler, 20, appeared at the federal courthouse at 450 Golden Gate Avenue on Friday. Her attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender David Rizk, confirmed she is in the custody of the United States Marshals Service after the hearing. The marshals neither confirmed nor denied Butler was in its custody before the B.A.R.’s last report. Rizk had complained at a December hearing that Butler had been held by the San Francisco Sheriff ’s Department in an allmale facility and Magistrate Judge Alex G. Tse ordered the marshals to respond to remediate those concerns, but the service told the B.A.R. late last year it wouldn’t say if that meant she had been transferred to them. The B.A.R. also asked Rizk if Butler would be interested in an interview; Rizk told the B.A.R. he would ask her later January 12. The housing matter was the first issue to come up at Friday’s hearing in

John Ferrannini

A hearing was held in federal court in San Francisco January 12 for a transgender woman accused of second-degree murder.

the courtroom of District Court Judge Susan Illston, who asked Rizk, “Is the defendant’s housing OK?” Responded Rizk: “Yeah. Thanks for asking.” The hearing was a regularly scheduled status conference. Butler is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Hamza Walupupu, 32, on November 12 at Crissy Field. A former United States Army airfield and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the location bumps the prosecution up from the state to the federal

court system. According to a federal memorandum in support of keeping Butler in custody, Butler told police in an interview after her arrest that she was working as a sex worker the night of November 12 when Walupupu allegedly approached her. After performing oral sex on Walupupu, he wanted a refund after she revealed she was transgender, the memorandum continues. Butler refused and then shot Walupupu and took his car to Hunters Point, where she wiped it down of finger-

prints, and then abandoned it, according to the memorandum. Police later found the car because it’d been doubleparked for three days. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Davidson said that the two sides are close to coming to an agreement on the deadlines needed to get to before trial, which is tentatively set for April 15. Davidson, Rizk, and Illston agreed to tentatively set another check-in for Friday, February 2, but concurred that if Davidson and Rizk come to an agreement on the scheduling matters first it will be canceled. During the hearing, Rizk illustrated some of the matters that he and Davidson have had trouble seeing eye-to-eye on. Among them, the cutoff point for the government to file new charges. “I’m concerned that they might file some sort of obstruction charge so I need assurance if that’s something the defense has to prepare for,” he said, adding it would be burdensome if there were two trials because new charges came too late in time for the homicide case. “It’s well within the court’s discretion to put a cap on the charges,” he said. Responded Illston: “I think I’ll do that. I would be worried. This is such a speedy case I would be concerned.” Rizk also asked for an earlier time for

evidence and witness lists to be finished – six to seven weeks before the trial, to be specific. Davidson argued that’s too soon. “That’s just very early, considering how quick this case has moved,” she said. Responded Rizk: “This isn’t a simple gun case – this is a homicide case. It’s routine in complicated cases where the stakes are significant to have an early deadline for witness lists.” Illston agreed to have an early deadline for witnesses, but a later one for evidence. Davidson asked Illston to invoke the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution. Article 6, paragraph No. 2 of the Constitution states that the Constitution, and federal law generally, trumps state laws. The issue in question is the release of Butler’s juvenile records, which the state cannot disseminate under state laws. Illston agreed this is a concern. “I have a civil case involving them. We’ve been waiting two years now,” the judge said, referring to an unrelated matter. “If it would help to have a court order they be produced, I’d be happy to do that.” Responded Davidson: “Your honor has the authority to do so.” t

Pope Francis issues call to ban surrogacy by Heather Cassell

uring a January 8 speech, Pope Francis called for a global ban on surrogacy, claiming the practice, which helps couples have children, exploits the women who carry the babies. The comments come less than a month after the pope issued a directive that stated priests can offer blessings to same-sex couples Many LGBTQ couples use surrogacy to have their families. But Francis called the practice “deplorable” during his State of the World speech, a 45-minute address to Vatican-accredited diplomats. “I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs,” the pope said, reported CNN. “A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract,” he added. The 87-year-old pontiff added that

Bill Wilson

Pope Francis has called for a global ban on surrogacy.

“human life must be preserved and defended.” The revelation isn’t new. The Catholic Church has opposed reproductive technology, including surrogacy and IVF, and abortion for a long time. Surrogacy is illegal in some coun-

tries and in the U.S. states of Michigan, Nebraska, and Louisiana, reported Reuters. Critics of the practice argue ethical concerns, including the potential for a “poverty bias” against women attracted to surrogacy for financial reasons. Elsewhere in the U.S. the practice is legal, but it’s not regulated by the federal government. As a result, it’s up to states to pass their own laws governing surrogacy, according to NPR. NPR reported that gestational surrogacy, the most common form of modern surrogacy, occurs when a person carries another couple’s embryo and gives birth to a child on their behalf. Only some U.S. states expressly allow surrogacy, and not all of them allow surrogates to be compensated, a practice commonly known as commercial surrogacy. When a person is unpaid, it’s typically referred to as altruistic surrogacy, NPR added. LGBTQ Catholic organization New Ways Ministry declined to comment. Representatives for Dignity/USA,

another LGBTQ Catholic organization, did not respond to a request for comment. A search on the websites for Dignity/USA and New Ways Ministry did not find press statements on the pope’s comments.

Wedding bells ring in the new year

Wedding bells were ringing during the first week of 2024. Vietnam’s national star soccer player Tran Thi Thu, 33, married her girlfriend, Nguyen Thi Thuong in Ho Chi Minh City January 6. The wedding marks the first time a woman Vietnamese football player publicly married a same-sex partner, reported VnExpress.net. The couple have been together since 2022. Thu was first called up to the Vietnam Women’s National Football Team in 2017. She competed in the 2023

FIFA Women’s World Cup and won gold at South East Asian Games 31 and 32. She secured eight national titles as a center-back with the Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Football Club. Thu’s contract ended in 2023. It is unclear if a new contract is being negotiated, according to VnExpress.net. Defender Hoang Thi Loan, defender Chuong Thi Kieu, and goalkeeper Tran Thi Kim Thanh were among some of her teammates who attended the wedding. Same-sex marriage is not recognized in Vietnam, according to Equaldex. Nepal and Taiwan are the only two countries in Asia to legalize marriage equality. Elsewhere, Australia’s foreign minister, Penny Wong, and her longtime partner, Sophie Allouache, are set to wed, reported the Star Observer. The couple have been together since 2006 and have two children. See page 9 >>

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Community News>>

January 18-24, 2024 • Bay Area Repor ter • 7

API family exhibit opens at historical society compiled by Cynthia Laird

he GLBT Historical Society will open its new exhibit, “API Family Wall of Pride” with a reception Friday, January 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at its museum, 4127 18th Street in the LGBTQ Castro neighborhood. Curated in collaboration with Asian and Pacific Islander Family Pride, the exhibition invites visitors to dive into stories from parents and families who, through their courage and faith, reclaimed the strong family ties and proud sense of interdependence so characteristic of API families, an announcement stated. The exhibit showcases stories of pride and acceptance from a diverse array of families, the historical society noted. The Wall of Pride honors parents and families who unconditionally love their children regardless of social stigma. The reception will include remarks and refreshments. The historical society no longer requires proof of COVID vaccination to enter the museum, but masks are encouraged and will be made available to guests at check-in. Tickets for the event are free for historical society members and $10 for non-members. To reserve a ticket, go to http://tinyurl. com/7vcvnt36.

Oakland LGBTQ center seeks board members

The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center has openings on its board of directors and interested people can apply. According to an item in its newsletter, the center’s leadership team is recruiting “outstanding, committed individuals” to serve on the center’s all-volunteer board. Those interested should email a cover letter and resume to center co-founder and board President Jeff Myers at Jeffrey.myers@oaklandlgbtqcenter.org.

Scholarship deadline approaches for AIDS 2024

Applications for scholarships for AIDS 2024 are due soon, organizers said. The International AIDS Society’s 25th conference takes place in Munich, Germany and virtually July 22-26. People who will be at least 18 years old on July 20 and working, volunteering, or studying in the area of HIV are eligible to apply for a scholarship, an IAS news release stated. The scholarship program offers support to people from around the world to attend the pre-conference and AIDS 2024 in person or virtually. The program is intended for individuals who would otherwise not have the financial means to attend, the release stated. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, January 23. For more information about this and other types of financial support, including a limited number of me-

dia scholarships, go to http://tinyurl. com/527w4ea2.

Jack London park’s young writers contest opens

Jack London State Historic Park in Sonoma County has announced that science fiction is the theme of this year’s ninth annual young writers contest, which is now open. The announcement was made January 12, the 148th birthday of the park’s namesake. London is most famous for writing adventure stories but he also dabbled in science fiction, a news release stated. With stories like “Before Adam,” “Star Rover,” and “The Scarlet Plague,” London explored themes like multiple dimensions, time travel, and post-apocalyptic societies. Students entering this year’s contest are instructed to write a short story involving a mysterious portal into a parallel universe. The contest encourages middle school students (grades six-eight) to exercise their writing skills by creating an original 1,500-2,000-word story inspired by the works of Jack London. The prizes are $200 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place. The contest is judged blindly by a panel of volunteers (not employees of Jack London Park Partners, the nonprofit that manages the park). “Even 148 years after his birth, Jack London still has much in common with the young writers of today – imagination, curiosity, creativity,” stated Matt Leffert, executive director of Jack London State Historic Park. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 31, and winners will be announced by May 1. Complete contest rules and the entry form are available at http:// tinyurl.com/2h7f65yy. Links to the 2023 winning entries are also available there.

East Bay park district marks 90 years

The East Bay Regional Park District is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Over the decades, the park district has grown to be the largest regional park district of its kind in the nation, with 73 regional parks available for hiking, biking, swimming, horseback riding, boating, fishing, picnicking, camping, and nature discovery, a news release stated. The park district manages over 125,000 acres of parklands, 55 miles of shoreline, and more than 1,300 miles of trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. “Join us in celebrating the park district’s 90 years of milestones and history of environmental conservation and positive experiences in nature,” stated park district general manager Sabrina Landreth. “We

Courtesy GLBT Historical Society

The GLBT Historical Society is set to open its “API Family Wall of Pride” exhibition.

invite the public to enjoy their regional parks and shorelines and celebrate with us throughout the year at events and programs commemorating our 90 years of service to the community.” The East Bay Regional Park District’s story began in the late 1920s when thousands of acres of watershed land in the East Bay Hills suddenly became available for development. Civic leaders came together with a vision: preserve the land forever, and balance environmental conservation with public enjoyment, the release noted. To aid the cause, they enlisted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and the National Park Service’s chief naturalist Ansel Hall to survey the watershed lands for potential park use. The resulting 1930 Olmsted-Hall report titled “Report on Proposed Park Reservations for East Bay Cities” brought national credibility to the effort and is largely considered the founding document of the East Bay Regional Park District. Four years later, in the heart of the Great Depression, civic leaders placed a measure on the ballot to establish the park district and tax themselves for land preservation. The measure passed on November 6, 1934, by a resounding 71% – even during trying times and economic instability. On June 4, 1936, the district purchased land from the East Bay Municipal Utility District to create its first three parks – Upper Wildcat Canyon (Tilden), Temescal, and Roundtop (Sibley). Events and programs celebrating the park district’s 90th anniversary include a community birthday celebration Saturday, May 11, and monthly naturalist-led “Explore Your Parks” adventure programs, among others. Additional events and programs will be announced throughout the year. For more information about the park district’s 90th anniversary, including events and activities, visit www.ebparks.org/celebrating90-years. t

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Obituaries >> Michael Robin Flick, M.D., J.D. February 26, 1946 – January 3, 2024

Michael Robin Flick passed peacefully with his life partner, Bob Bush, at his side. Born in Washington, D.C., Michael attended Colégio Americano (American High School) in Mexico City, Mexico, and Duke. He received his M.D. from Johns Hopkins University. His son, Andy, was born during his pulmonary training at the

University of Florida, Gainesville. He met Bob during his research fellowship at the UCSF Cardiovascular Research Institute in 1978. Both were early members of Bay Area Physicians for Human Rights, or BAPHR. In 1980, Michael joined the UCSF Pulmonary Faculty at San Francisco General Hospital. He was the director of the Medical-Respiratory Intensive Care Unit (5R) from 1985-1989. There he ensured that all AIDS patients were treated with dignity and respect, and that their chosen partners and family were given preference for visitation and involvement in care decisions. In 1989, Michael entered UC

Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law (now Berkeley Law), to study the ethics of law. He was editor in chief of the California Law Review 1991-1992. His comment, “The Due Process of Dying,” argued that management of death and dying needed to be left to patients and their physicians and not involve lawyers or courts. In later years Michael wrote, read, and traveled, always looking for a great meal and new adventure. A memorial celebration of Michael’s life will be held. Contact Bob at rabush@ me.com for details.

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<< From the Cover

8 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 18-24, 2024

District flip-flops, Hemminger says

Gay educator

From page 1

The allegation turned Hemminger’s life upside down, he said. He was advised to follow a “detailed plan if I am approached by police” by the defense lawyer, he said. “She talked to me about wiping my computer clean,” Hemminger recalled of his attorney. “I said, ‘I don’t have child porn on my computer’ and she said, ‘No, you don’t understand. They’re evil fuckers who want leverage against you. It doesn’t matter that you don’t have child porn.’ It was really incredibly stressful.” After several weeks, Hemminger got a formal notice of investigation, dated April 4. The San Francisco Unified School District’s Office of Equity and Employee Relations opened what is known as a Title IX investigation. It was completed more than four months later. Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972 requires educational institutions receiving federal aid provide prompt and equitable resolutions in cases of sex discrimination, including allegations of sexual harassment or violence. Schools can use the normal disciplinary process to address these complaints. “I was completely baffled,” Hemminger said. “A little girl I’d worked with in the third grade, who I’d worked with since kindergarten. She has an instructional aide assigned specifically to her, so that person is assigned to her at all times, so I’d only work with her with that professional in the room. I was completely confused.” According to San Francisco Unified School District documents provided to the B.A.R. by Hemminger, on March 14, McKinley’s principal Molly Pope received a report Hemminger had sexually assaulted a student. The name of the student, referred to as the complainant, and the nature of her special education needs, were redacted in the report provided to the B.A.R., as was the mother’s name, though the document stated the student received language and speech services. Hemminger said he knows the name of the parent but did not want to disclose it to the B.A.R. because he is “terrified.” The B.A.R. could not attempt to seek comment from the parent. Pope, McKinley’s principal at the time, deferred comment to the district, stating, “Staff cannot comment on personnel matters.” The district’s 20-page report details the allegations, the people interviewed, and the conclusion that cleared Hemminger. “The allegations of sexual assault were reported by Complainant’s mother after Complainant reported that Respondent [Hemminger] touched her vagina and that the touching happened in his classroom,” the document states. “On April 8, 2022, Complainant’s mother further alleged that Complainant disclosed she grabbed Respondent’s penis and then had to wash her hands because it was stinky.” The investigation included interviews with 10 people, including Hemminger, another student (referred to as student), the complainant, and the complainant’s mother. Hemminger steadfastly denied the allegations during the investigation and to this day. “My room is visible to the staff lounge and copy room,” he said. “In my mind, I’m thinking this child must’ve been assaulted [by someone else] and they’re trying to blame me.”

Insufficient evidence

The August 19, 2022 final determination letter, signed off by the district, states, “The evidence shows that there were only two occasions where Respondent [Hemminger] and Complainant were

CA Hall of Fame

From page 1

“Talk Show” (1984) and hit songs “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels,” the Go-Go’s continued their trailblazing course, helping define the punk-pop genre. Their influence on generations of female musicians and countless bands is immeasurable.

Educator David Hemminger was the subject of a Title IX investigation.

Educator Douglas Rich was almost the subject of a similar investigation.

potentially alone in the resource room. The information provided in the final investigation report shows that during the spring of 2022, student [redacted] was present for every other interaction in the resource room, and that other adults were routinely present. Student [redacted] did not report any concerns about respondent and did not report any touching. Further, the resource room has windows and is visible from both the street and from the adjacent room which acts as a staff lounge, printer room, and reading room for staff and students. Based on these facts, it is more likely than not that Respondent did not have the access or ability to make sexual contact with Complainant without being witnessed.” Another factor in the district’s ultimate determination that there was insufficient evidence to establish a sexual assault was the San Francisco Police Department’s response to the report. “It is notable that Complainant did not report sufficient allegations of abuse when asked by SFPD trained forensic interviewers,” the report stated. “It is the Decision-Maker’s understanding that SFPD investigation was closed as a result of Complainant not sufficiently alleging abuse when interviewed without her mother present, and criminal charges were not levied against Respondent. The fact that SFPD declined to pursue charges against Respondent after interviewing Complainant is a substantial factor in the Decision-Maker’s analysis, including the credibility of the information gathered by the investigator.” SFPD did not return a request for comment by press time. Stephanie Bealby, employee relations director for the SFUSD, signed the report. Hemminger said she was the Decision-Maker. Bealby deferred comment to the district, stating, “All media inquiries should be directed to the communications office.” Hemminger was relieved at the report’s conclusion. “This was the first time I was able to breathe – I’m not going to be arrested or have to face interrogation by the police,” he said. The representative of the United Educators of San Francisco, the union that represents the educators, told Hemminger that nonetheless “you may have to move because of this,” referring to being transferred to another school. “I said, ‘No, I didn’t do anything wrong,’” Hemminger said, adding that the labor attorney told him he could no longer represent him because the money the union allocated had been used up. The union representative asked Hemminger if he wanted an attorney again after the revelation that he may have to transfer, and he agreed, but “when they gave me the referral form, it said ‘teacher may be relocated as a result of the investi-

gation.’ That wasn’t in my original referral and I didn’t understand why it had been added, so I didn’t sign it.” The final school district determination letter does state that “the DecisionMaker feels strongly that Respondent should not have any contact with Complainant.” Hemminger was informed he’d have to be transferred to another school. “I was furious,” he said. “I wrote a letter saying ‘I didn’t do anything wrong; this is a crime gay men have been accused of historically, forever, and to make me move suggests there’s a reason you think I can’t be there anymore.’ They said it was for the student’s comfort. You can’t just make up a lie to get someone moved because they’re uncomfortable even when I didn’t do anything to cause the student to be uncomfortable. … It reinforces a horrendous stereotype that gay men have faced forever.” The district would only speak with Hemminger’s attorney at that point, he said, even though he said he no longer had one. The district issued a brief response when reached for comment for this report. “We cannot discuss information related to a specific personnel matter,” spokesperson Laura Dudnick stated in a January 3 email to the B.A.R. “SFUSD has the right to assign teachers to schools based on legitimate, educational need. Any transfer decision is made in compliance with the United Educators of San Francisco contract and a careful assessment of the circumstances to ensure the success of its students and staff.” The United Educators of San Francisco did not return multiple requests for comment. Tom Ammiano, a gay former member of the San Francisco Board of Education, including serving as its president in 1992, as well as a former city supervisor and state assemblymember – not to mention once being a teacher himself – told the B.A.R. that “what should be removed is the homophobia that allows this to happen.” “What is the school doing about it?” he asked. “Classic blaming the victim. School district is resting on its laurels. The school board must have discussed this in closed session. It should be reheard. Hoping Mark Sanchez will make the request.” Sanchez, the only LGBTQ member of the elected school board, told the B.A.R. on January 16 that “I spoke to the superintendent [Matt Wayne] on Thursday and he said he was going to get back to me. In general we don’t comment on personnel issues – there’s legal ramifications about doing so.” The Board of Education has not reviewed the case thus far, Sanchez said.

Hemminger said he wanted district officials to speak to him. “I decided I needed to rally people to get them [district officials] to talk to me,” Hemminger said. “Parents sent letters to the district and the board. ... I kept hounding more people to write to them. Eventually, Assistant Superintendent Tamitrice Rice Mitchell said the district is reviewing.” The two met in September 2022. “I had tissues in my bag because I knew I would cry,” Hemminger said. “The first thing she said to me was, ‘We want you back at McKinley starting Monday. I burst into tears because I just wanted to go back to my life.” Hemminger was asked not to tell anyone he’d be going back to McKinley. “I foolishly agreed to it,” he said, adding he kept his silence for over two weeks, when he was sent a letter in which he was informed that, in fact, he’d have to be transferred after all. “How is this legal?” Hemminger said he thought, adding that “the union contract states transfers can’t be punitive. ... They ignored me again and started a game where they didn’t speak to me.” Lainie Motamedi, who was elected school board president January 9, stated to the B.A.R., “We cannot discuss information related to a specific personnel matter.” Immediate past school board presidents Kevine Boggess and Jenny Lam did not return requests for comment. Neither did Mitchell. A subsequent letter informed Hemminger his paid leave would end the following day, September 30, and he’d be reporting to Yick Wo Elementary in Russian Hill. Yick Wo was “a famous Chinese laundromat who sued the city for equal protection – this is a fascinating kind of story,” Hemminger said. Indeed, the case Yick Wo vs. Hopkins (1886) established at the United States Supreme Court that laws that are race-neutral on first impression but are applied prejudicially are unconstitutional. But in spite of the historical parallel he saw, Hemminger was “furious and I didn’t know what to do,” adding he suffered massive panic attacks and anxiety. “All I asked for was to be able to get back to my life, to the job I liked,” Hemminger said. “I was friends with all my co-workers – I’d worked there eight years. There was nothing on my record – all my reviews were positive. I asked, ‘Can we at least arrange a plan for me to return?’ They just ignored me.” Hemminger hired an attorney, who wrote a demand letter to the district in which he “brought up the homophobic bias in all this.” The district responded that Hemminger’s transfer was a “supportive measure for the student,” who believes the allegation to be true. “The attorney was shocked by how they came back,” Hemminger said. “I couldn’t pursue it anymore; I just kind of had to let it go.” Hemminger was represented by the Knutson Law Office. In a statement, attorney Ryan Knutson said, in part, that “Since Mr. Hemminger was hired by SFUSD as a Special Education Resource Teacher more than a decade ago, he has shown nothing less than exemplary professionalism, compassion for students, and dedication to his duties as a teacher.” “SFUSD has acted without basis against Mr. Hemminger and must rescind Mr. Hemminger’s punitive transfer,” he continued. At the end of the school year in 2023, Hemminger attended a graduation ceremony at McKinley. The parent of the complainant was off campus, at 14th and Castro streets, when the two ran into each other.

After a mid-1980s breakup, the Go-Go’s returned in 1990 to continue their career. A new full-length album, “God Bless the Go-Go’s,” was released in 2000 and a new charting single, “Club Zero,” in 2020.

exercised unprecedented power in the legislature as the longest-serving speaker of the Assembly in state history, the release stated. Then, as mayor of San Francisco, he refurbished and rebuilt the nation’s busiest transit system, pioneered the use of bond measures to build affordable housing, and paved the way for a second campus of the University of California, San

Francisco, to anchor the city’s position as a center for the burgeoning field of biotechnology, according to the release. He was also an early supporter of marriage equality, holding a domestic partner ceremony for same-sex couples at San Francisco City Hall in the late 1990s. Brown served two terms as mayor, from 1996 to 2004.

Courtesy David Hemminger

Powerful Assembly speaker

Brown was the longest-serving speaker of the California Assembly, from 1980 to 1995. In the role he

Courtesy Douglas Rich

SFUSD responds

“She called the school to complain I’d been on campus,” Hemminger said. “I was never forbidden from being on campus.” Hemminger alleges that subsequently Mitchell told him “not to return under any capacity, professional or personal, for any reason, until I get permission from her or a site administrator.” Hemminger said that because he lives three blocks away he feels this is burdensome. “I have the right to move freely and exist,” he said. “I didn’t do something wrong. This is your [the district’s] mess; it’s not my responsibility. If someone feels threatened by me without any cause, that’s their problem.” Hemminger now works with fifth graders at Leonard R. Flynn Elementary School and Junipero Serra Elementary School. He also alleges that during the time he was under investigation, the students assigned to him did not receive legallymandated services from the district. “We’re talking hundreds of hours of services they didn’t provide,” he said, adding investigations are supposed to be wrapped up within 90 days. His took over four months. Hemminger had remarks for teachers and parents – “do not assume SFUSD is making a just or studentfocused decision.” “Over the course of my leave SFUSD did not serve over 500 hours of legally mandated services to dozens of students,” Hemminger continued. “When confronted with the most hateful trope used against queer people, SFUSD declined to fight that false narrative, enabling my accuser to make more false claims. They will take the path of least resistance to protect their power without concern for their students or staff.”

Allegation against second educator

Douglas Rich, a 57-year-old bisexual educator at McKinley, told the B.A.R. that in September 2023 he was “called into the principal’s office” where he was told that “the same student had gone home and told her parents I touched her in her private parts.” Rich is an educational specialist who also works with multilingual learners. He said he never worked one-on-one with the student. “I was only in the classroom she was in one time at the beginning of the year teaching the entire class a lesson,” he stated. The allegation was that Rich was at a birthday party with the student and her father in Sunnyvale when the alleged molestation occurred. Rich contended he had never been to a party with them, or ever to Sunnyvale. When asked when this occurred, Rich stated, “The family knew it was made-up as they hadn’t been to a party either.” “They had to interview a bunch of colleagues at my work, and after that story came out, the parents said, ‘we’ll decide whether or not to take this any further,’” Rich said. “All my colleagues were waiting and waiting and waiting and they [the parents] said, ‘OK we’re not going to.’ All the parents had to do was say, ‘I think we’re going to take a look at this and take this further’ and I’d be in the same situation David was in. The only difference is I don’t even work with this child. … I saw the parents outside laughing like it was a big fucking joke. It was just sad.” Rich told the B.A.R. he feels the district is hypocritical for espousing social justice rhetoric after how Hemminger was treated. “We work for this district constantly saying ‘stand up against everything that’s going on here,’” he said. t Newsom praised the inductees. “The contributions of this newest class of the hall of fame will have an impact on California – and the nation – for generations to come,” he stated. “Through their boundless qualities and trailblazing achievements, these visionaries embody the spirit of California and will continue to inspire millions more.” See page 9 >>

t <<

Community News>>

January 18-24, 2024 • Bay Area Repor ter • 9

ples to apply to marry. The first applications will be processed and certified by February 2, reported The Guardian. Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to legalize marriage equality with lawmakers in Parliament voting 55-34 in favor of same-sex marriage last June. According to the Estonian Human Rights Center, 53% of Estonians supported same-sex marriage this year. Up from 34% a decade ago. Estonia has recognized civil partnerships and cohabitating partners since 2013. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1991 after the country became independent after the fall of communism and its split from Russia. All eyes are now on the Czech Republic, Greece, Latvia, and Ukraine. According to The Guardian, Latvia’s first openly gay president, Edgars Rinkēvičs, paused the country’s passage of same-sex civil partnerships in November in response to opposition protests. Opponents now must gather the minimum of 154,241 signatures to trigger a referendum in the secular country. If the petition fails, civil

unions will become law by July 2024. Same-sex couples have no access to legally recognize their relationships in Lithuania. In June, the Czech Parliament sent the country’s same-sex marriage bill to committees to debate and potentially be revised before it will be returned to the Senate for a final vote, reported Reuters (https://www.reuters.com/world/ europe/czech-lawmakers-give-firstnod-same-sex-marriage-bill-opposition-ahead-2023-06-29/). Greece is considering a same-sex marriage bill, despite opposition from the Orthodox Church of Greece. A bill could be brought to the Mediterranean country’s Parliament by 2027, reported Pink News. LGBTQ Ukrainians are pushing to have their relationships legally recognized. A civil unions bill was introduced to Parliament in 2023, reported The Guardian. t

It also speaks to the way systems police poverty and how they determine what good enough parenting looks like. It seems that poverty, whether or not it’s accompanied by maltreatment, is a lightning rod for intervention. And not always for the better. There are so many ingredients that could be combined to cook up a foster care detention, but simply mixing them together does not guarantee a child will experience harm. Foretelling neglect or abuse is impossible. If life were a sport, we could place bets on future success. Factors like poverty, in utero drug exposure, parents’ education level, and marital status would all weigh into the over/under. The probability of

graduating from high school or college, serving time in prison, or teenage pregnancy could be measured and predicted. We begin life on an uneven playing field, like two NFL teams waiting for the coin toss on opening day. One team stacked with Pro Bowlers and the other trying to rebuild a franchise. But what happens if the star quarterback gets injured? A crushing blow sidelines him, possibly ending his career. The season in jeopardy, his replacement is young and untested, the 199th draft pick overall. A once-bright outlook, now dimming. Anxiety takes hold of morale, choking it in the locker room. The crowd thins, optimism wanes. One loss, one event, triggering a series. Suddenly the line shifts.

The bettors who predicted a great season begin counting their losses before the next play is even called. When the pillars bracing our lives begin crumbling upon us, are we prepared with the insight and the fortitude to look up? Do our feet move to prevent us from being flattened by the crashing beams? Can we dig through the debris to find something, anything, an iota of meaning, that makes perseverance worthwhile? In the chaos, do we lose what it means to be ourselves, or find the strength to emerge from the wreckage and begin again? t

state, nation, and world.” In addition to the Go-Go’s and Brown, the other members of the 17th class are: Helene An, master chef and the “Mother of Fusion Cuisine;” Vinton G. Cerf, computer scientist and a father of the internet; Ava DuVernay, visionary storyteller and award-winning filmmaker; Thelton E. Henderson, a revered federal judge and civil rights leader; Los Lobos, iconic Chicano rock band; Cheryl Miller, legendary basketball player and

sports broadcaster; Leon E. Panetta, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and dedicated public servant; and Brenda Way, celebrated artistic director and choreographer. Past LGBTQ inductees to the hall include the late drag queen José Julio Sarria, drag queen and host of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” RuPaul Charles, lesbian soccer star Megan Rapinoe, the late lesbian pioneers Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, the late gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, gay artist David Hockney, lesbian

tennis star Billie Jean King, gay TV star George Takei, gay former San Francisco Symphony music director Michael Tilson Thomas, and the late lesbian astronaut Sally Ride. Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger established it in 2006 in collaboration with the California Museum and his former wife, Maria Shriver. Details on the induction ceremony will be forthcoming, the release stated.t

the merchants’ president, referred the B.A.R. to Andrea Aiello, a lesbian who is the executive director of the Castro Community Benefit District, who she credited for authoring the blast. Aiello confirmed as much to the B.A.R., stating simply, “we are getting there early to talk to interested merchants.” As for Springfield, he’s still raising buzz. “I am personally so excited to see this idea make it this far along – something

the Castro has been talking about for two decades now,” he said. “It has widespread support and it’s exciting people to see the value of something special at Castro and Market [streets].” Public Works’ Rachel Gordon stated that no start date has been set for the plaza project. “We don’t have funds identified for Harvey Milk Plaza project, so no construction start date cemented,” Gordon stated to the B.A.R. “We hope to com-

plete the design by late summer 2024.” One of the project’s critics is Howard Grant, who designed the original plaza in the 1960s along with the Castro Muni station and others located along Market Street. He is among those opposed to seeing it be ripped up or significantly altered. Employed at the time by Reid and Tarics Associates, Grant would come out as gay years later. Grant did not respond to a message seeking comment. t

The following person(s) is/are doing business as JOYFUL GARDEN, 438A CASTRO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed JOYFUL GARDEN LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/25/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/10/23.

In the matter of the application of FLOR BERMUDEZ, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner FLOR BERMUDEZ is requesting that the name FLOR BERMUDEZ AKA FLOR ADRIANA BERMUDEZ HERRERA AKA FLOR A. BERMUDEZ HERRERA be changed to FLOR MARQUEZ. 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 26th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

name or names on 10/09/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/19/2023.

is signed EPP I, LLC (DE), EPP II, LLC (DE) & I. EPP & SONS, INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/21/2023.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558441

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558449

Out in the World

From page 6

Meanwhile, queer Brazilians are saying, “I do,” in record numbers, according to the National Human Rights Observatory. The organization reviewed data from the civil registry statistics from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. It found marriage and civil unions registrations were up by 148.7% in the nine years since marriage equality was legalized in South America’s largest country. Merco Press reported that between 2013 and 2021, Brazilian same-sex couples registered 59,620 same-sex marriages and 59,620 civil unions, according to the survey. In 2013, there were only 3,700 same-sex marriage registrations. In 2021, there were only 9,202 same-sex marriage registrations. The bulk of same-sex marriage registrations happened between 2017 and 2018. Most same-sex marriages (57.1%) were between women. Finally, on January 1, registries opened for Estonia’s first same-sex cou-

Guest Opinion

From page 4

appeared time and time again in my search for answers was the oversized role of poverty in child welfare cases. One study found infants born in California’s poorest neighborhoods were reported to Child Protective Services at seven times the rate of infants born in the wealthiest areas. This does not suggest parents who struggle financially are incapable of caring for their children or keeping them safe. Rather, it demonstrates the stress of economic hardship felt by parents and the difficult decisions it forces them to make – groceries or rent, diapers or gas money.

CA Hall of Fame

From page 8

Added first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, “The governor and I are thrilled to welcome another spectacular group of trailblazers into the California Hall of Fame. With a penchant for challenging the status quo, these individuals wholly reflect the courageous, ambitious, and bold spirit of California, and have made an indelible mark on our

Milk plaza

From page 3

Members of the Castro Merchants Association are invited to come to the event one hour early, at 5 p.m., “to have a quieter special time to engage with board members about the project,” according to an email blast January 4. When asked for comment, Terry Asten Bennett, a straight ally who is

Got international LGBTQ news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at WhatsApp/Signal: 415517-7239, or oitwnews@gmail.com

Courtesy Nguyen Thi Thuong via Facebook

Tran Thi Thu, right, and Nguyen Thi Thuong celebrated during their wedding in Ho Chi Minh City on January 6.

Mark Daley, a gay man, is a social activist, entrepreneur, and foster-

turned-adoptive father with over two decades of experience in message development, communication strategy, and public policy, including as a communications director and spokesperson for then-senator Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign. He is the founder of One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ equality organization, and The FosterParent.com, a national platform to connect interested families with foster organizations. Copyright @2024 by Mark Daley. From the forthcoming book “Safe” by Mark Daley to be published by Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC. Printed by permission.

Liz Hafalia/San Francisco Chronicle

Former San Francisco mayor Willie L. Brown Jr.

The Memorial at Harvey Milk Plaza meeting will take place Thursday, January 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 500 Castro Street, the former Harvey’s space. People interested in attending can register online via Eventbrite at http:// tinyurl.com/3kw2wm6f

Legals>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0401903

In the matter of the application of MARIA DOLORES LOPEZ, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MARIA DOLORES LOPEZ is requesting that the name MARIA DOLORES LOPEZ AKA MARIA GOMEZ AKA MARIA DOLORES GOMEZ PERAZA be changed to MARIA DOLORES GOMEZ LOPEZ. 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 26th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558448

In the matter of the application of TALIA RACHEL SIRKIS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner TALIA RACHEL SIRKIS is requesting that the name TALIA RACHEL SIRKIS be changed to TALIA RACHEL DUKOR. 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 26th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558442

In the matter of the application of STEPHANIE ORGE, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner STEPHANIE ORGE is requesting that the name MARIAH GEORGETTE NAVARRO be changed to MARIAH MARIE NAVARRO. 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 26th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558446 In the matter of the application of CONCEPCION OCASIO, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner CONCEPCION OCASIO is requesting that the name CONCEPCION OCASIO be changed to CONCEPCION HERRERA. 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 26th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402118

The following person(s) is/are doing business as COACHING AUTHENTICITY, 584 CASTRO ST #509, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KASHI WHITTEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402001

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CATO CREATIONS, 515 GOETTINGEN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NANCY CATO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/2022. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/30/2023.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402058

The following person(s) is/are doing business as KYANI DEVAREU HARRIS, 1907 ARMSTRONG AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KYANI DEVAREU HARRIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/11/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/11/2023.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402126

The following person(s) is/are doing business as 1890 BROADWAY STREET BUILDING, 1890 BROADWAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed EPP I, LLC (DE) & EPP II, LLC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/21/2023.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402127

The following person(s) is/are doing business as 3401 CLAY STREET JOINT VENTURE; 3401 CLAY STREET BUILDING, 3401 CLAY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402122

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SF SKINCARE.COM; PACIFIC HEIGHTS SKIN CARE, 2000 VAN NESS AVE #307, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SHARI’S WORLD INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/2007. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/21/2023.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402024

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RAPTI LIQUOR AND GROCERY STORE, 330 5TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed RAPTI LIQUOR STORE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/05/2023.

DEC 28, 2023, JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF CAROLINE THERESA JOSEPH IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-23-306905

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of CAROLINE THERESA JOSEPH. A Petition for Probate has been filed by CHESTER JOSEPH JR. & RONALD PAUL JOSEPH in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that CHESTER JOSEPH JR. & RONALD PAUL JOSEPH 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: JANUARY 22, 2024, 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 later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: CODI M. DADA (SBN 288909), LAW OFFICE OF CODI M. DADA, 802 GRANT AVE, NOVATO, CA 94945; Ph. (415) 827-1425.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF BUENAVENTURA VINCENT ORTEGA IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-23-306909

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of BUENAVENTURA VINCENT ORTEGA. A Petition for Probate has been filed by ROSALINA ZANAS in

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10 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 18-24, 2024

the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that ROSALINA ZANAS be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. 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: JANUARY 22, 2024, 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 later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: TATIANA PAVLOVA-COLEMAN (SBN 350374), PAVLOVA-COLEMAN LAW, INC., 12121 WILSHIRE BLVD. #810, LOS ANGELES, CA 90049; Ph. (310) 405-7551.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 2024

SUMMONS FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, NOTICE TO RESPONDENT: JOHN REYNOLDS, JR., AN INDIVIDUAL; AND DOES 1-10, INCLUSIVE; YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: RECOLOGY INC., A CORPORATION AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA CASE NO. CGC-19-578961

NOTICE! You have been sued. The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court. There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web Site (www.lawhelpcalifornia. org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case. Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. The attorney for Plaintiff: TERESA M. BECK (SBN 149763), JAMES J. REYNOLDS (SBN 109658), KLINEDINST PC, 501 WEST BROADWAY #600, SAN DIEGO, CA 92101; TEL. (619) 400-8000; TBECK@KLINEDINSTLAW.COM; JREYNPOLD@KLINEDINSTLAW.COM. 08/07/2023, Clerk of the Court, William Trupeck, Deputy. SUMMONS FIRST AMENDED SUBROGATION COMPLAINT, SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, RECOLOGY, INC., A CORPORATION AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN CALIFORNIA, PLAINTIFF, V. JOHN REYNOLDS, JR., AN INDIVIDUAL; AND DOES 1-10, INCLUSIVE, DEFENDANTS. CASE NO. CGC-19-578961 Plaintiff RECOLOGY INC. (“RECOLOGY” or “Plaintiff”) alleges against JOHN REYNOLDS, JR. (REYNOLDS”), and DOES 1 through 10, inclusive (collectively, “Defendants”) as follows: 1. At all times mentioned herein, Defendants, and each of them, were residents and/or domiciliaries of the State of California and/or operating and/or working in the State of California. 2. At all times mentioned herein and material hereto, RECOLOGY was and is a corporation entered, authorized, and licensed to do business in the State of California and is self-insured for workers’ compensation insurance. 3. At all times mentioned herein and material hereto, Miguel Oropeza was acting within the course and scope of his employment for RECOLOGY. 4. This court has jurisdiction over this action, and venue lies in this county because the actions leading to this case occurred in this county. The Plaintiff RECOLOGY has spent considerable time and money attempting to locate Defendants without success. 5. The true names or capacities, whether individual, corporate, associate or otherwise, of Defendants named herein as Does 1 through 10, are unknown to Plaintiff who therefore sues said Defendants by such fictitious names and Plaintiff will amend this complaint to show their names and capacities when the same have been ascertained. 6. At all times mentioned herein and material hereto, RECOLOGY was the employer of Miguel Oropeza while Miguel Oropeza was acting within the course and scope of his authority as such, and with the permission and consent of RECOLOGY; and at all relevant times, RECOLOGY was selfinsured for workers’ compensation. As a result, RECOLOGY was required to pay compensation to Miguel Orpoeza in the amount of $277,540.58 as set forth below, and seeks recovery of the compensation paid and other damages. FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION As to all Defendants (Subrogation) 7. On August 31, 2017, Miguel Oropeza was employed by RECOLOGY and performing work for RECOLOGY as a sanitation engineer at Castro Street and Market Street in San Francisco, California, when REYNOLDS, who was driving a BMW, struck the body of Miguel Oropeza with REYNOLD’s BMW (“the INCIDENT”), causing significant physical and emotional trauma to Miguel Oropeza. 8. At all times relevant hereto, REYNOLDS negligently operated his vehicle to cause the damages alleged herein. 9. At all times mentioned herein and material hereto, Miguel Oropeza, through his Employer, RECOLOGY, was entitled to and did receive, and continues to receive, workers’ compensation insurance benefits paid by RECOLOGY for injuries attributable to the INCIDENT. 10. The negligence of Defendants was the proximate cause of the injuries sustained by Miguel Oropeza, and of the damages incurred by RECOLOGY in providing workers’ compensation benefits relative thereto. 11. Miguel Oropeza was seriously injured as a result of the INCIDENT. 12. Miguel Oropeza filed a workers’ compensation claims with RECOLOGY relative to the ATTACK. 13. As of the filing of this Complaint, RECOLOGY has paid workers’ compensation benefits to/on behalf of the Miguel Oropeza as a result of injuries sustained from the INCIDENT, in the amounts specifically set forth in the Prayer for Damages below long with other damages incurred in the amount of $277,540.58. 14. RECOLOGY may step into the shoes of Miguel Oropeza and pursue the rights and remedies of Miguel Oropeza against Defendants. 15. RECOLOGY may recoup its payments directly from Defendants. 16. As of the date of this filing, Defendants have failed to pay RECOLOGY the full amount of the damages sustained by RECOLOGY, and such damages continue to be incurred. DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL Pursuant to Code of Civ. Proc. Section 631, RECOLOGY demands a trial by jury in this action of all issues so triable. PRAYER FOR RELIEF RECOLOGY prays for judgment against Defendants in the amounts paid out in Worker’s Compensation Benefits and other Damages set forth below: 1. For Worker’s Compensation Benefits paid in the amount of $141,282.96. 2. For attorneys’ fees incurred herein in the amount of $55,000; 3. For costs in the amount of $2,744.82; 4. For interest on the above damages in the amount of $78,512.8; 5. For total damages of $277,540.58, and 6. For such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper. KLINEDINST PC DATED: August 7, 2023 By: s/James J. Reynolds. Teresa M. Beck, James J. Reynolds, Attorneys for Plaintiff RECOLOGY INC.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

AMENDED ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558263

In the matter of the amended application of ANGELA CONSUELO GARCIA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ANGELA CONSUELO GARCIA is requesting that the name ANGELA CONSUELO GARCIA AKA ANGELA GARCIA AKA ANGELA C. GARCIA be changed to ANGELA C. GOMEZ GARCIA. 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 29th of FEBRUARY 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558452

In the matter of the application of EDY VAZQUEZ SANCHEZ & SHAYRENE CAMPOS SAMBOLA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioners EDY VAZQUEZ SANCHEZ & SHAYRENE CAMPOS SAMBOLA is requesting that the name HABIB ASHER VAZQUEZ CAMPOS be changed to HABIB ASHER VAZQUEZ CAMPOS. 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 28th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558453

In the matter of the application of IRYNA YURIIVNA SERDECHNA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner IRYNA YURIIVNA SERDECHNA is requesting that the name IRYNA SERDECHNA be changed to IRYNA THEOHARIS. 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 28th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558460 In the matter of the application of ADRIANNA DARIA MARON, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ADRIANNA DARIA MARON is requesting that the name ADRIANNA DARIA MARON be changed to ADRIANNA MARON CERVANTES. 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 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558454

In the matter of the application of WEN-FEI KUAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner WEN-FEI KUAN is requesting that the name WEN-FEI KUAN AKA WENFEI KUAN AKA JESSE W. KUAN AKA JESSE WEN-FEI KUAN be changed to JESSE KUAN. 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 28th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402131

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DJC, 516 JERSEY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JESSE HANCOCK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/22/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402176

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CROW & ROSE, ATTORNEYS, 838 SOUTH VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DAVE CROW. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/2005. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/28/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402134

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SMOOTH LIMOUSINE, 38 LOIS LN, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELIAS DEGU GULEMA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/01/2000. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/22/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402111

The following person(s) is/are doing business as GROCERY OUTLET OF MISSION, 1245 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed OUR LUCKY GROCERY INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/14/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/19/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0401995

The following person(s) is/are doing business as QUALITY RENTALS; CRAIG & GREEN POWER TOOL SERVICE, 1595 FAIRFAX AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed L&M RENTAL, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/1993. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/29/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402185

The following person(s) is/are doing business as APEX CLEANING SERVICES, 266 TEDDY AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PARADIGM SOLUTIONS NETWORK (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/29/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402087

Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner OLIVIA EILEEN BARE GROUNDS is requesting that the name OLIVIA EILEEN BARE GROUNDS be changed to ORION EILEEN BARE GROUNDS. 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 4th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558161

In the matter of the application of SOPHIEMARIE KUNG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SOPHIEMARIE KUNG is requesting that the name SOPHIEMARIE KUNG be changed to SOPHIE MARIE KUNG. 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 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558468

In the matter of the application of BASSAM ABDULMALEK THABIT AL-MOHAMADI, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner BASSAM ABDULMALEK THABIT AL-MOHAMADI is requesting that the name BASSAM ABDULMALEK THABIT AL-MOHAMADI be changed to BASSAM AL-MOHAMADI. 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 4th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558377

In the matter of the application of ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVICH TATARINOV, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVICH TATARINOV is requesting that the name ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVICH TATARINOV be changed to ALEXANDER ZANCHENKO. 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 22nd of FEBRUARY 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-24-558470

In the matter of the application of BROOKE ERIN SEGARAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner BROOKE ERIN SEGARAN is requesting that the name BROOKE ERIN SEGARAN be changed to BROOKE ERIN BLUME. 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 9th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-24-558477

In the matter of the application of SOPHEA TOMMY SOEUNG, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SOPHEA TOMMY SOEUNG is requesting that the name SOPHEA TOMMY SOEUNG be changed to TOMMY SOEUNG HODGSON. 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 11th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402165

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE WORKING ARTIST, 1694 44TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JIULIETTA CARRELLI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/26/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/27/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402225 The following person(s) is/are doing business as PROGRESSIVE LIMO SERVICE, 1562 47TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed AZIZ A. BENARAFA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/02/2024. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402234

The following person(s) is/are doing business as GENERAL MAINTENANCE SERVICES, 48 OCEAN AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARCO MORAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2024. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402097

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE FORGOTTEN COLLECTIVE, 775 POST ST #201, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed AADIL MUHAMMAD. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/18/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402219

The following person(s) is/are doing business as PENA MADRIDISTA NORCAL, 200 MAYNARD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a joint venture, and is signed FRANCISCO J. GALICIA & LUIS E. PLATERO PENA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/14/2023.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CENTERPEACE, 38 LANDERS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELHAM ZARRABIAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/02/2024.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 602991

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402224

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ACCORDION REPAIR & LESSONS SHOP SAN JOSE, 21988 FOOTHILL BLVD #103, HAYWARD, CA 94541. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed VALDET JAKUBOVIC. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of Alameda, CA on 12/22/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE 602666

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FAMPECA ELECTRIC INC., 1711 98TH AVE, OAKLAND, CA 94603. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed FAMPECA ELECTRIC INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/15/2018. The statement was filed with the City and County of Alameda, CA on 12/11/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-0400071 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as DUSTYHISTORY, 815 SOUTH VAN NESS AVE #A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by DUSTIN JON LEE. The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/13/2023. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/27/2023.

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-0390375 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as UTSUWA FLORAL DESIGN, 1288 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by HIROSHI ROY HAYAMA. The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/03/2020. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/29/2023.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BONJOUR PROFESSIONAL IPHONE IPAD REPAIR & ELECTRONIC CENTER, 1652 IRVING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed FUSHEN LI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/03/2024. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402256

The following person(s) is/are doing business as EVENTS OF ALL KINDS, 1401 MISSION ST #1202, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KYMBERLYN ROBINSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/05/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402072

The following person(s) is/are doing business as STARHAWK, 2852 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MIRIAM SIMOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/06/2005. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/13/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402140

JAN 04, 11, 18, 25, 2024

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CALACAS SCREEN PRINTING, 3156 22ND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JUAN PABLO RODRIGUEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/22/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/22/2023.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558461

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402268

In the matter of the application of OLIVIA EILEEN BARE GROUNDS, for change of name having been filed in Superior

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FLORECITA PANADERIA, 2823 18TH ST #106, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and

is signed XIMENA SUAREZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/03/2024. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/08/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402149

The following person(s) is/are doing business as POLK STREET ASSOCIATES, 2101 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed by GEORGE MORF, NICK MORF, & NICK MORF TRUSTEE, OF NICK MORF TRUST. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/1996. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/26/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402240

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BANH MI VIET, 518 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed AI LINH DUONG & THI KIM DUNG NGUYEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/03/2024. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/04/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402226

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RADIANCE, 58 WEST PORTAL AVE #254, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94127. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed KORWIN CONSULTING, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/2024.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402050

The following person(s) is/are doing business as RUNWAY GROOMING, 1801 UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed DREFREDDI LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/03/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/07/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402204

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HOMEOPATIA Y NUTRICION, 2595 MISSION ST #306, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HOMEOPATIA Y NUTRICION, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/29/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/29/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402208

The following person(s) is/are doing business as INTERIM HEALTHCARE OF RICHMOND DISTRICT CA; INTERIM HEALTHCARE OF MISSION DISTRICT CA, 1652 W TEXAS ST #227, FAIRFIELD, CA 94533. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed XNO SOLUTIONS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/29/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-0366031 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as HOMEOPATIA Y NUTRICION, 2595 MISSION ST #306, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by MARIO ARMANDO LARA. The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/29/2015. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/29/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-0376290

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as ATELIER YUKI, 210 POST ST #1109, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by YUKIKO OKADA. The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/2017. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/2024. JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-0396142 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as FS HVAC SERVICES, 912 COLE ST #156, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by QUALITY APPLIANCE REPAIR SAN FRANCISCO LC (CA). The fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/28/2022. The abandonment of fictitious business name statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/19/2023.

JAN 11, 18, 25, FEB 01, 2024

SUMMONS SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: RONALD J. ROSCIOLI, YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PLAINTIFF: BLUEX TRADE INC. CASE NO. CGC-22-601888

is requesting that the name YIU LUN CHAN be changed to HARRISON ALAN CHAN. 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 28th of MARCH 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-24-558488

In the matter of the application of MELISSA KATE MANDELBAUM, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MELISSA KATE MANDELBAUM is requesting that the name MELISSA KATE MANDELBAUM be changed to MELISSA KATE SACKS. 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 18th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-24-558490

In the matter of the application of OMAR FRAZER RESTOM, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner OMAR FRAZER RESTOM is requesting that the name OMAR FRAZER RESTOM be changed to RAMSEY FRAZER RESTOM. 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 18th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402276

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ADVANCE ARCADE, 57 LELAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MALO TANUVASA JR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402251

The following person(s) is/are doing business as KELVIN YUK PRODUCTIONS, 500 SWEENY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KELVIN YUK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/05/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/05/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402275

The following person(s) is/are doing business as EFFECTIVE CONSULTING, 575 CORBETT AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LEO CHAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/10/2008. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402263

The following person(s) is/are doing business as K. L. CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING, 791 MADRID ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed by K. L. CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/2024. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/08/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402205

The following person(s) is/are doing business as EAZY VACATIONS, 295 KANSAS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SHAW ENTERPRISES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/29/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/29/2023.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402229

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LA ROUTINE, 340 HAYES ST #505, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BOULANGERIE NOVEMBRE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/03/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402261

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ORDINARY OBJECT, 40 HARRISON ST #888, OAKLAND, CA 94607. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MOSSY MOSSY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/05/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0402287

The following person(s) is/are doing business as MASITDA GALBI JJIM, 2123 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MASITDA LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/10/2024.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE M-296192

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SUPER TECH BODY SHOP, 370 INDUSTRIAL WAY, BRISBANE, CA 94005. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SUPER TECH BODY SHOP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/2023. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Mateo, CA on 12/28/2023.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-24-558480

In the matter of the application of MIKAIYA PETERS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner MIKAIYA PETERS is requesting that the name MIKAIYA JADEN PETERS be changed to MIKAIYA JADEN PETERS MCKOY. 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 11th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-24-558482

In the matter of the application of LANCE ADRIAN GAURANO, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner LANCE ADRIAN GAURANO is requesting that the name LANCE ADRIAN GAURANO be changed to LUXE DANTE AURANO. 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 16th of APRIL 2024 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JAN 18, 25, FEB 01, 08, 2024

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-23-558458

In the matter of the application of YIU LUN CHAN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner YIU LUN CHAN

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“A

s a little kid, I didn’t even know about the Broadway show,” said actor and singer Deborah Cox, who plays Glinda in a revival of “The Wiz,” the Tony-winning 1975 musical that’s playing a local stop of a national tour at the Golden Gate Theatre. In a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Cox recalled having seen the classic Judy Garland film, “The Wizard of Oz,” and even playing Scarecrow in a grammar school production. But she only became passionate about the pre-Potter Wizarding World when she saw the very role she’d performed as a student get blown up, dipped in glitter and set into feverish motion by Michael Jackson in the movie version of “The Wiz” (1978). “Here was this recording artist stepping aside from how we all knew him to play this fun, crazy character.” Many of Cox’s gay fans will no doubt have a similar reaction to her stint in the Broadwaybound revival, since she is best known by the queer community as a dance music diva.

Dancefloor to stage

Over the course of her own nearly 30-year recording career, Cox has notched 13 #1 hits on the Billboard Dance Club chart, most recently “Let The World Be Ours Tonight” (2017)

‘The Wiz’

Deborah Cox brings Glinda goodness to the hit musical’s revival and most famously the ageless 1998 smash “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” which also reached #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 pop chart. Having performed at Pride festivals, circuit parties and landmark events, including World Pride NYC 2019, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Cox has grown from ally to advocate to icon. In a Venn diagram charting Fans of Deborah and Friends of Dorothy, the overlap would approach an eclipse. But many enthusiasts of Cox’s dance music may be unaware that, since 2004, she’s had an

‘Two Dykes and a Mic’ by Laura Moreno

“T

wo Dykes and a Mic” is the hit podcast created by stand-up comedians and platonic best friends McKenzie Goodwin and Rachel Scanlon. Their magnetic chemistry, quick wit and unique perspectives have propelled Goodwin and Scanlon to the top of the chart as their LGBTQ audience continues to grow, rapidly approaching 1 million listeners. Hilariously funny, insightful, and full of great information, the delightful duo dish up the latest news on sex, love, and appealing middleaged actresses among many other fascinating topics. Currently, the two extremely talented comedians are touring the U.S. and Canada, taping live shows in a number of different locations. They’ll perform live in Los Angeles on February 7. But whether they are on-stage with a live audience or are tucked away in a studio, their presentation is exactly the same so you won’t miss a thing. The personable pair started their weekly podcast in 2017 when they were only in their 20s. The purpose was to address the many questions they themselves had about being queer, as well as questions about the LGBTQ community, dating norms, expectations, etc. “There are a lot of people who don’t have a single queer best friend to ask those questions to,” said Goodwin in a recent podcast. “I think we’re starting conversations that genuinely are like, ‘Wait, how do you go on a first date with a woman? How do you talk to women?’ It’s nice to hear two gay best friends telling you how to do it.”

Goodwin and Scanlon keep listeners abreast of the latest trending topics with their Gay News segment, and address Topics You Wish Were in the Gay Media, like what to do in case you’ve “accidentally slept with your entire pickleball team.” Other fan favorites include dating advice with Ask a Dyke, real life stories on actually bad dates you don’t want to happen to you on their Bumble Fumbles segment, and questions queer women secretly ponder, such as “Is wearing flannel while straight queer-bating?” Every episode packs in tons of fun topics and keeps the listeners in stitches. Their surprise special guests have included Margaret Cho, Mae Martin, and E.R. Fightmaster. Goodwin put it best. “Let queer people be silly and full of joy even when June ends. The other months are super gay too!” As Scanlon told Xtramagazine.com, “When I was coming out, all I wanted to do was be in queer spaces, but the spaces I found all had this kind of sensual, serious energy. I’m not a serious lesbian, and I’ve never been a serious lesbian. All I ever wanted my whole young queer life was to be with queer people and be silly. All we want to do is laugh with our gay friends. If you know queer women, you know that we are the funniest, most lively, most caring people that you’ll ever get to meet. I always wanted to see that represented. We just want to let lesbians laugh.”

Deborah Cox as Glinda and Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy in ‘The Wiz’

increasingly sizable side hustle in the theater. After making her stage debut in the title role of “Aida” on Broadway (a part originated by Heather Headley), Cox starred in national touring productions of “Jekyll and Hyde” and “The Bodyguard,” playing the lead role originated by Whitney Houston in the movie that show was based on. Cox also covered many Houston hits in the Angela Bassett-directed 2015 Lifetime biopic, “I Will Always Love You,” in which her singing voice was dubbed over footage of actor Yaya DaCosta.

Her own road forward

“The studio aspect of the music business has never really been much fun for me,” said Cox of her increased focus on theater. “The past few years have been really tumultuous, both because of the pandemic and the changes that have been going on in the music business,” she said, alluding to the marginalization of R&B and soul genres in the streaming era. See page 14 >>

Podcasters McKenzie Goodwin & Rachel Scanlon serve up laughs and life lessons And on being able to do this with her best friend? Goodwin said, “We get back to our hotel after a long day of doing weird stuff and decompress with each other, laughing all night long. It’s like summer camp every single night.” Their brand of non-stop comedy seeks to spread real joy while dispensing helpful information to the queer world. “Oh my god. It is honestly the dream.” www.twodykesandamic.com

Rachel Scanlon and McKenzie Goodwin

Tony-nominated Broadway star American in Paris, Chicago, Anastasia, Falsettos & Direct from his starring run in Bway’s Chicago

Call Me Old Fashioned: The Broadway Standards

Sunday, February 4, 2024 - 5:00 p.m. AT THE VENETIAN ROOM, FAIRMONT SAN FRANCISCO BUY TICKETS AT: bayareacabaret.org

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<< Film

12 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 11-17, 2024

‘Fireworks’

true-life story packs an emotional wallop

by David-Elijah Nahmod

iuseppe Fiorello makes his debut as a director with “Fireworks,” (“Stranizza d’amuri”) a bittersweet tale of young gay love in a small, homophobic town. The film is set in Sicily in the early 1980s and is dedicated to two young men who were shot and killed for daring to love one another. Samuele Segreto and Gabriele Pizzurro, two young, fresh-faced actors, star as Gianni and Nino, both in their late teens, who meet when Gianni’s bicycle crashes into Nino’s motorcycle. Gianni is injured and passes out, and Nino revives him by performing CPR. This turns out to be the beginning of what at first appears to be a deep, platonic friendship. Gianni could certainly use a friend. He lives with his mother and his abusive stepfather and he is regularly bullied by his neighbors for being gay. Gianni is accepted by Nino’s family, who at first think very highly of him. When Nino’s father, with whom Nino works, needs to take time off ZGianni is bullied and gay-bashed are disturbing, and to a gay viewer, infuriating. The townspeople delight in tormenting him, but Gianni

Cinephobia Releasing

Samuele Segreto and Gabriele Pizzurro in ‘Fireworks’

Alessio Simonetti and Giuseppe Lo Piccolo in ‘Fireworks’

maintains his dignity throughout. Segreto shines as Gianni. He and Pizzurro are beautifully tender and spontaneous as their love begins to blossom amidst all that hate. Pizzurro is especially impressive in his film debut. The rest of the cast, some of which were reportedly locals, give good performances. Simona Malato, as Gianni’s deeply unhappy mother, is

small minds enforce a suffocating conformity and where those who are different pay a steep price. The film is a little bit on the long side, with a running time of more than two hours. Fifteen minutes could easily be edited out without hurting the power of the narrative. Be ready to shed a few tears when you watch this film. But “Fireworks” is much more than just a tearjerk-

especially good. She’s trapped in a marriage with an abusive man she does not love but is forced to stay with him out of financial necessity and is desperately trying to understand her son, whom she loves but cannot fully accept. The film was shot in the Sicilian dialect. This is not the picturesque Sicily of “The Godfather,” but the real Sicily, a dry, hot dustbowl where

‘Masc’ film series at BAM/PFA by Laura Moreno

new film series at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, “Masc: Trans Men, Butch Dykes, and Gender Nonconforming Heroes in Cinema,” celebrates the rarely depicted masculine identities of queer and gender non-conforming trailblazers. Screening from January 19 to February 25, the series is curated by Jenni Olson and Caden Mark Gardner. Representing six decades of LGBTQ cinema, here is a list of this year’s inspiring films. “The Aggressives” (US, 2005) features several butches, studs, and masc folks of color from New York City’s vibrant ballroom and nightlife scene, including actor Marquise Vilsón. “By Hook or by Crook” (US, 2001), co-directed by Harry Dodge and Silas Howard, traces three weeks in the life

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of a gorgeous, small town trans man with a unique outlook. After his father’s death, he moves to the city where he soon meets Valentine and the two embark on a beautiful friendship. “Chavela” (Mexico/US, 2017) is the amazing life story of Chavela Vargas, the internationally-known lesbian gunslinger singer and macho butch who dated both Frida Kahlo and Ava Gardner. The film traces her career from the 1960s to collaborating with Pedro Almodovar to winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy’s. “Lifetime Guarantee: Phranc’s Adventure in Plastic” (US, 2001) is the uplifting documentary about the folk singer Phranc, a Jewish butch lesbian and super-salesperson for Tupperware. Variety described Phranc as a “1950s sitcom-dad-styled androgyne hawking kitchenware to housewives.” “No Ordinary Man” (Canada, 2020)

is about trans jazz musician Billy Tipton, leader of the Billy Tipton Trio and recording artist. When he died in 1989, his identity was discovered, fueling sensational headlines in the press. This film aptly corrects the narrative and celebrates the life of a great musician. “Shinjuku Boys” (UK, 1995) is a candid look at Japanese AFAB (assigned female at birth) identity through the eyes of three friends who work at Tokyo’s New Marilyn Club, a nightclub where straight women can socialize with onabe (a term for both butch lesbians and trans men) and talk freely. “Southern Comfort” (US, 2001) documents the noteworthy story of Robert Eads, a trans man with ovarian cancer who endured medical malfeasance and transphobia from the medical establishment in the 1990s. t ‘Masc: Trans Men, Butch Dykes, and Gender Nonconforming Heroes in Cinema,’ Jan. 19-Feb. 25, at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St. Berkeley. $5-$14. www.bampfa.org

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‘Shinjuku Boys,’ ‘The Aggressives,’ ‘By Hook or by Crook’ and ‘Lifetime Guarantee: Phranc’s Adventure in Plastic’ and in the ‘Masc’ film series

er. With its powerful social commentary, and its call for tolerance, it’s far more meaningful than any soap opera could hope to be. t ‘Fireworks’ (Cinephobia Releasing) streams on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Vudu and more, and is also available on DVD. cinephobiareleasing.com

Books>>

January 11-17, 2024 • Bay Area Repor ter • 13

Michael Cunningham’s ‘Day’ by Brian Bromberger

ichael Cunningham figures out the pandemic’s implications in his new book, “Day: A Novel,” his first since “The Snow Queen (2014).” It’s his best work since his now classic novel, “The Hours (1998).” Is “Day” as good as “The Hours?” No, but it’s a solid winning return to form for Cunningham. Once again, he is indebted to the artistic muse that has inspired his imagination throughout his career: Virginia Woolf. “Day” follows a couple, Isabel and Dan, their two children, and Isabel’s gay brother Robbie, who lives in the attic loft, on April 5 in 2019 (before the pandemic) in the morning, 2020 (during the pandemic), at midday and 2021 (after the lockdown) in the evening. The words pandemic, lockdown, and COVID are never mentioned, but in the last two sections overshadow the narrative. The first section finds Robbie being asked to leave the cramped two-bedroom Brooklyn brownstone, because ten-year-old angry Nathan is too old to share a bedroom with his precocious five-year-old sister Violet. This is painful for all concerned, as Robbie is the favorite uncle and back-up caregiver to his niece and nephew. He teaches sixth grade history in a New York City public school and has recently split up with his boyfriend for whom he still pines. He’s having difficulty finding an apartment he can afford and now questions his decision 15 years ago to reject several medical school acceptances. Both Isabel and Dan love Robbie and consider him their closest friend. He’s the emotional fulcrum of the novel, as he connects everyone. Isabel is the most dissatisfied, creating tension in the family, as she’s slowly realizing she doesn’t love Dan anymore. She’s discontent with her position as a senior photo editor “who loved her job until the day she didn’t,” at a print magazine soon to close.

Odin. But Chess doesn’t want him in their lives. Trying to revive some of their childhood fantasies, Robbie and Isabel invent a fake Instagram alter-ego personality, a handsome gay thirty-something pediatrician named Wolfe, who works at a community clinic. They “borrow” other people’s photos, pretending he’s their imaginary brother. Cunningham seems to be satirizing social media, since none of Wolfe’s followers care if he’s real or not. Robbie moves in a remote Icelandic cabin outside Reykjavik, writes letters to Isabel and posts Wolfe’s photos and activities online along with his beagle dog. Isabel and Dan’s home feels more like a prison, though at one point Isabel will retreat to an upstate country house in utter disrepair. There will occur a catastrophic event that will alter all their lives, extending beyond the lockdown.

Borrowed life

Quietly harrowing

When younger, Dan was a minor singer-songwriter and now recovered addict, who at age forty and stocky, yearns to revive his long-stalled career, which has degenerated into performing at a local Mexican restaurant. He’s basically a house husband, aware that he and Isabel are drifting apart, but longs to write the perfect song (“sorrow porn”) in the hope it will bring them together. Dan’s younger brother Garth, a sculptor, years ago agreed to be a sperm-donor to his lesbian college friend Chess, and falls in love with their infant son

Author Michael Cunningham

Richard Phibbs

in “The Hours,” mimicking Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway,” the novel occurs in one day that reflects each character’s whole life: April 5, though extending over three years. It’s probably not a coincidence that Robbie’s idealized version of himself is named Wolfe (a homonym for Woolf). Instead of taking place at the height of the AIDS epidemic, “Day” grapples with the effects of COVID-19. And the specter of death will make a stark appearance in these two books. Cunningham is an elegant stylist and creates a wistful, elegiac tone. He always treats his characters with compassion even in their ignoble moments. He sees the lockdown as forging an epidemic of loneliness, with physical separation from family and friends resulting in the erosion of anchors which held lives together. Ultimately “Day” is about loss,

whether it be the end of young adulthood to something unbearable. The characters are forced to reevaluate what’s important to them and, despite their own resistance, make changes while they still can become better versions of themselves. They are fragile but also resilient, as they face the new normal, emerging from the pandemic. Following Woolf, on one level very little happens in “Day,” but looking back years later, there are seismic shifts occurring during these three days. Ultimately “Day” is hopeful because the characters, in spite of all they’ve forfeited, are able to

This quietly harrowing novel is populated with disillusioned late thirtysomethings, who are disappointed that life hasn’t lived up to their expectations. They seem in stasis, unable to move forward, despite wanting to make changes, but continuing to repeat self-defeating patterns. Isabel “ponders the prospect that decadent unhappiness might be worse than genuine legitimate despair…Which is, as she knows, a decadent question to pose at all.” As Cunningham accomplished

Going Out

hen was the last time you had a great night out? If you have to check last year’s calendar, then it’s time to survey our expansive online arts and nightlife events (like the Castro favorite, The Midnight Sun; see photo), each week on www.ebar.com.

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proceed in an understated reluctant endurance. There’s a timeless quality here that is plaintive and seductive. But fans and admiring readers of Cunningham have much to celebrate, in that at age 71, he’s rediscovered his unique poetic quotidian voice and we are the beneficiaries of a gay author at the height of his considerable talents. t ‘Day: A Novel,’ by Michael Cunningham. Random House, $28. penguinrandomhouse.com

<< Music

14 • Bay Area Repor ter • January 11-17, 2024

Michael Tilson Thomas’ milestones and Mahler by Philip Campbell

years ago, an up-and-coming young maestro made his San Francisco Symphony debut. Conducting Gustav Mahler’s powerful Symphony No. 9, Michael Tilson Thomas started a musical partnership that would make Bay Area history and win him international fame, known simply ever after as MTT. To celebrate that event and the extraordinary 25-year collaboration that came later, MTT returns as Music Director Laureate Jan. 25-27 to lead his final subscription concerts at Davies Symphony Hall. The program is again devoted to Mahler. This time it is the composer’s ecstatic Fifth Symphony. From 1995 to 2020, Music Director MTT and the SFS cultivated their reputation among the world’s greatest Mahler interpreters, performing works by the composer every season. National and international tours and MTT and the Orchestra’s self-produced Mahler recording cycle on SFS Media, secured their lofty place. With seven Grammy Awards, including three for the Symphony No. 8 and Adagio from Symphony No. 10, MTT also won Gramophone “Artist of the Year” in 2005 for his work on the massive project. The impact of MTT’s Northern California legacy is ongoing, inextricably woven in San Francisco’s social and cultural life. Recently, the city unveiled commemorative street signs, naming the 200 Block of Grove Street between

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Van Ness Avenue and Franklin Street “MTT Way.” The honorary “MTT Way” in front of Davies Symphony Hall, brings to mind New York City Mayor David Dinkins renaming the corner of Broadway and 65th Street “Leonard Bernstein Place” in 1993. The many parallels between the two famous conductors are fascinating. Bernstein was an early mentor of MTT and certainly helped propel their mutual championing of Gustav Mahler. They are also both gay, but Bernstein could never fully come out because of the times. MTT came out to the world in 2014 when he married Joshua Robison. Already partners for decades and never really closeted, the ceremony was still a milestone for LGBT legal recognition. The New York City LGBT Historic Sites Project added Leonard Bernstein’s famous old Manhattan apartment to its list in 2018. Michael and Joshua’s Pacific Heights digs deserve such local designation. MTT directed a “Symphony Pride” concert in 2017 at a time when the civil liberties of LGBTQ people were under special threat nationwide. The Bay Area Reporter covered the unprecedented event, and quoted the maestro’s heartfelt thanks to San Francisco “for the generous welcome extended to me and my husband Joshua Robison since our arrival here over 20 years ago.” The mutual admiration society started in 1995 when the new Music Di-

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rector and his advisors agreed to an interview with the B.A.R. This was, amazingly, a daring move when established San Francisco institutions still would have preferred the ‘‘the love that dare not speak its name’ keep its voice down. MTT has already withdrawn from conducting previously announced January 18-20 and February 23-25 SFS concerts to focus on his health. When diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in

The Wiz

From page 11

“The whole process of going into the studio to develop a body of work and then making all the effort it takes to get it heard by the public isn’t what I was looking to do at this point. I’ve always liked getting out and singing in front of live audiences the most, and I wanted to

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Deborah Cox

the brain in spring 2022, ‘fearless leader,’ as we have affectionately dubbed him, still carried on. We are relieved he is wisely heeding doctor’s (and, probably his husband’s) advice. Marking so many milestones with challenging farewell concerts devoted to his beloved Mahler is very MTT, but even living legends need their rest.t

Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 at Davies Symphony Hall Jan. 25-27, 7:30pm; Open Rehearsal Jan. 25 10am. $79-$350. www.SFSymphony.org

have some fun. Cox, 49, said that after a career with plenty of ups and downs, the role of Glinda and the character’s signature song, “Believe in Yourself ” taps into strengths she’s developed along her own path. “She’s very warm, enlightened and maternal,” said Cox, who has three children of her own, ages 15, 17 and 20, and is now on the road with castmates who are largely

younger than herself. “The character is lighthearted, but also grounded,” Cox added. “I’ve been through a lot in the business, so I’m at a stage of my life where I’m not naive and, like Glinda, I’m able to offer little gems of advice.” t

www.michaeltilsonthomas.com

The Wiz, through Feb. 11. $55-$172. Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. www.broadwaysf.com

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Kyle Ramar Freeman as Lion, Avery Wilson as Scarecrow, Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, and Phillip Johnson Richardson as Tinman in ‘The Wiz’

“Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking, don’t they?” —Scarecrow, ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Music>>

January 11-17, 2024 • Bay Area Repor ter • 15

Rocking reissues from A(qua) to Z(evon) by Gregg Shapiro

rom sugary pop to gravelly blues, reissues of classic albums revive fan favorites in new formats. When MCA Records morphed into Universal Records in the mid-1990s, the old white men in suits at the label seemed to take the name seriously, subjecting an unsuspecting domestic record-buying public to an onslaught of Euro-dance pap (remember “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” by Italian group Eiffel 65?). Cartoony Danish quartet Aqua is another example. Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the quartet’s debut album, “Aquarium” (Universal) makes its vinyl debut. Best known for the album’s inescapable hit single “Barbie Girl,” which saw a tremendous resurgence in popularity with the release of the “Barbie” movie, Aqua mines a similar Euro-dance vein on “Doctor Jones,” “My Oh My,” “Happy Boys & Happy Girls,” “Didn’t I,” “Lollipop (Candyman),” “Calling You,” and “Roses are Red.” www. aquaofficial.com Clear across the artistic spectrum is singer/songwriter/actor Tom Waits. An artist who has been on our radar since the release of his brilliant debut album “Closing Time” (featuring the songs “Grapefruit Moon,” “Ol’ 55,” and “Martha”), his 1977 “I Never Talk To Strangers” duet with Bette Midler, and the extraordinary 1982 soundtrack to Coppola’s “One From The Heart” featuring Crystal Gayle. During those first ten years of his performance career, Waits’ distinctive growl morphed into a Captain Beefheartesque rasp, which became fully realized on “Swordfishtrombones” (1983), “Rain Dogs” (1985), “Frank’s Wild Years” (1987), “Bone Machine” (1992), and “The Black Rider” (1993), the five albums he recorded for Island Records All five have been reissued in newly remastered and repackaged editions, some making their vinyl debuts. For many fans, the first three of these albums are considered artistic turning points. Interestingly, “Soldier’s Things” (from “Swordfishtrombones”) was a minor hit for Paul Young, while “Downtown Train” (from “Rain Dogs”) served Rod Stewart and Mary Chapin Carpenter well. www.tomwaits.com In 1982, when his eponymous debut album was released, it might have seemed to some in the pre-Wikipedia age that Marshall Crenshaw appeared out of nowhere. Truth be told, he’d been in a touring company of the musical “Beatlemania,” in which he played John Lennon, during the late 1970s, leaving the show in February 1980 (10 months before Lennon died). More than musical impersonator, Crenshaw was a skilled songwriter as he proved on “Marshall Crenshaw” (Yep Roc), newly reissued in an expanded edition with seven bonus tracks (“Marshall Crenshaw” was previously reissued in 2000 by Warner Archives/Rhino with nine bonus tracks). Co-produced by Crenshaw and Richard Gottehrer (co-founder of Sire Records with Seymour Stein, and producer of albums by Blondie, the Go-Go’s, The Bongos, and others), the album boasted 11 tracks that perfectly fit the musical profile of the period, yet managed to be eternal. “Cynical Girl,” “Someday, Someway,” “Girls…,” “Mary Anne,” and “Rockin’ Around in N.Y.C.,”, still sound fresh and appealing more than 20 years later. Among the bonus material, and possibly of special interest to queer listeners, the B-side “(You’re My Favorite) Waste of Time,” covered by Bette Midler on 1983’s “No Frills,” and released as the second single from the album. www. marshallcrenshaw.com (Marshall Crenshaw performs on February 12 at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley and February 14 at Village Theatre & Art Gallery in Danville.) Before Jason Isbell launched his solo career in 2007, he was a member of Drive-by Truckers. During that time, he recorded three albums with the

band, including the 2004 album “The Dirty South,” newly reissued as “The Complete Dirty South” (New West), a doubledisc “definitive version,” including three bonus tracks, as well as four newly remixed tracks. Every bit as epic as 2001’s “Southern Rock Opera,” especially in terms of storytelling, Drive-by Truckers proved itself to be the thread connecting classic Southern rock with alt-country; highly recommended! drivebytruckers. com By 1978, when the late Warren Zevon released “Excitable Boy” (newly reissued by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab in an Original Master Recording/Super Audio CD edition), his second majorlabel album on Asylum, he was already a household name, at least in the L.A. music scene. Linda Ronstadt, for example, covered Zevon’s “Hasten Down The Wind” on her 1976 album of the same name, and then recorded his “Carmelita” and “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me,” on 1977’s “Simple Dreams.” But his success under his own name came with the 1978 hit single “Were-

wolves of London,” perhaps the greatest, original, novelty rock song of all time. The album, co-produced by L.A. music legends Jackson Browne and Waddy Wachtel, featured a dazzling array of studio (Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar, and Wachtel) and star (Ronstadt, Jennifer Warnes, Karla Bonoff, Mick Fleetwood, and John McVie) musicians, all of whom lent their prodigious talents to classic tunes including “Lawyers, Guns, and Money,” “Tenderness on the Block,” “Accidentally Like A Martyr,” and the title number. Gone too soon at 56 in 2003, this reissue is an op-

portunity for new and returning fans to marvel at Zevon’s genius. t

www.warrenzevon.com

This resource is supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/.

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