January 3, 2013 editon of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

Mideast turmoil hits Cliff's

Political predictions 2013

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Vol. 43 • No. 01 • January 3-9, 2013

New laws ring in 2013

Lesbian named to bench

by Seth Hemmelgarn

by Matthew S. Bajko

acationing in Tulum, Mexico with her family for the holidays, Berkeley resident Kimberly E. Colwell received an unexpected surprise. Governor Jerry Brown’s office called her Christmas Day to inform her she had been selected to fill a judicial vacancy. Colwell, 54, is believed to be the first Courtesy Governor’s office out lesbian to be appointed to the Alam- Kimberly E. eda County Superior Colwell Court and is only the third out judicial appointment Brown is known to have announced since returning to the governor’s office in 2011. “It was a very nice Christmas present,” Colwell told the Bay Area Reporter by phone Thursday, December 27 as she was standing in the warm waters of the Caribbean. A shareholder and head of the litigation group at Meyers Nave Riback Silver and Wilson since 2002, Colwell applied for a judicial appointment in late 2011. She is filling a vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on June 27, 2012. “I am really excited to be an out member of the judiciary. I think the community needs to see itself and I don’t know if there are enough gay people who are judges,” said Colwell, who earned a Juris Doctorate degree from UC Hastings College of the Law. “I think it is important for people who go into a courtroom that they see themselves up there.” After growing up in the North Hollywood district of the San Fernando Valley, Colwell received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Linfield College. For nearly 13 years she has been with her wife, filmmaker Deborah Alice Craig, who is working on a project about lesbian health. The couple first married in San Francisco in 2004 and again in 2008 prior to the passage of California’s same-sex marriage ban. According to her bio on her law firm’s website, Colwell has conducted more than 75 trials and represented a wide array of clients, from police officers and cities to school districts and private security companies. She also handled cases for the Judicial Council of California, representing judges, appellate court justices, and court employees all over northern California. She was part of her firm’s team that conducted a confidential internal affairs investigation for the Bay Area Rapid Transit District See page 2 >>

These babies are Royal

he Grand Ducal Court of San Francisco rang in the new year Tuesday, January 1 by crowning three Royal Babies for 2013 at Club OMG. The three, Jill FeltaFish, Cory Nichols, and Krystal Methatic, sold

Rick Gerharter

the most raffle tickets over three weeks. An impressive $2,290 was raised with the raffle and performers’ tips during the show. The beneficiary is the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center

everal LGBT-related bills took effect Tuesday, January 1, but the implementation of one piece of legislation signed into law in 2012 is being delayed. Meanwhile, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) indicated he’s interested in addressing condoms being used as evidence of prostitution, among other legislative possibilities in the new year. Senate Bill 1172, California’s groundbreaking law banning the use of reparative therapy on people younger than 18, was Jane Philomen Cleland set to go into effect Assemblyman this week. However, as Tom Ammiano reported last week, a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel issued an emergency order December 21 delaying enactment pending the appeals court’s review of a lawsuit. The underlying lawsuit is Pickup v. Brown, See page 7 >>

LGBT fundraisers look for ‘crowd’ assist by Matthew S. Bajko

aising money is an ever present, timeconsuming task for any nonprofit. The calendar year is full with fundraising events both large and small, and agency leaders are trained in the art of asking for donations from just about anyone they meet. In today’s social media plugged-in and online connected world, nonprofits are beginning to use new tools to make their “ask” in hightech ways. These digital donation platforms even come with their own branding, known as “crowdfunding.” Donations can now be made as easily as sending a text message, while a crop of new websites aim to make fundraising as simple as setting up a webpage. Like their mainstream counterparts, LGBT agencies are also looking to the “crowd” for a financial assist. In late November the National AIDS Memorial Grove teamed up with AT&T for its holiday-timed gift giving ask. But in what is believed to be a first for a San Francisco-based LGBT nonprofit, the grove asked donors to send it $10 donations via text message. The effort was dubbed the “A Time for Hope; A Place to Heal” Text to Donate campaign. Supporters were asked to text the word “HEAL” to a designated number before December 27 to make their tax-deductible donation. AT&T agreed to pay for any texting charges or fees regardless of the carrier people use for their mo-

Rick Gerharter

The National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park, seen here in 2002, last month tried a texting campaign to raise funds.

bile devices. The grove, a wooded memorial to those lost to AIDS that is located in Golden Gate Park, hoped to raise between $3,000 to $5,000 generated from 300 to 500 text messages. John Cunningham, the grove’s executive director, said his and other nonprofits are taking

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the plunge into crowdfunding in order to connect with donors, especially younger contributors, in the spaces where they now operate. “Before we had Facebook, Foursquare and all the rest, it was special activism on the street. The platforms for that information has See page 9 >>

<< Community News

2 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

www.ebar.com Imran Jaffery for HooplaHa.com

Married in Maine

ast weekend Maine became the latest state to allow same-sex marriage. Lucie Bauer, left, and Annie Kiermaier, who wed in 2008 and were celebrating the fact that their home state now recognizes their union, joined oth-

er couples at Portland City Hall to celebrate the historic occasion. More photos are online at the Hoopla blog, a project of the HooplaHa site (www.hooplaha.com), which is dedicated to spreading smiles and positivity.

Former pastor takes deal in teen sex case

by Seth Hemmelgarn

gay San Francisco man who has been accused of having sex with minors he met through Craigslist has accepted a plea deal and is expected to be sentenced to prison in February. Brandon Lee Hamm, 37, who had been a volunteer pastor at Peninsula Metropolitan Community Church in San Mateo, had faced 58 felony charges after police arrested him in June. On Friday, December 21 in San Mateo County Superior Court, Courtesy San Mateo Sheriff’s office

Brandon Lee Hamm

Hamm pleaded no contest to nine charges: three counts each of meeting with a child for the purpose of a lewd act and oral copulation with a child under 16; and one count each of possession of child pornography, sodomy on a child under 16, and sodomy on a child under 18. A no contest plea is similar to a guilty plea. According to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s office, in June, Hamm advertised on Craigslist for “horny skater boys.” A police detective responded to the ad posing as a 14-year-old boy and engaged in “graphic” email exchanges with Hamm, who sent a picture of his genitals. Hamm allegedly arranged to meet for sex, and officers from the South San Francisco Police Department arrested him after he showed up at a park, which had been designated as a meeting spot. Police found child pornography featuring boys 4 to 6 years old having sex with adults on his cell phone, according to the DA’s office. Following his June arrest, with Hamm’s consent, officers went through his email account and lo-

Lesbian judge

From page 1

into the officer-involved shooting death of Oscar Grant in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day 2009. The Daily Journal legal paper named Colwell one of the Top 100 Women Litigators that year. “While I have been a zealous advocate for my clients, I think I am ready to make the switch to be neutral and help people everyday,” said

cated a victim who’s now 16, prosecutors said in a case summary. The boy was 14 in 2009 when he responded to Hamm’s Craigslist ad and ultimately met him a number of times. They allegedly engaged in oral copulation and sodomy. Another case also came to the police department’s attention after the June arrest. Officers located a boy who was 15 in the fall of 2010 at the time of the incidents. According to the DA’s office, Hamm responded to the victim’s Craigslist ad, and prosecutors indicated that the two ended up meeting several times and had oral and anal sex. The victim’s emails “show great anguish and embarrassment over what he was doing but [Hamm] kept the relationship going right up to the time of his arrest in the other case,” prosecutors said in a summary. Meeting places included a Burlingame park, a school, and the home of one boy’s aunt, according to law enforcement officials. At a hearing set for February 19, Hamm could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in state prison. After a September preliminary hearing, San Mateo Superior Court Judge Leland Davis III had held Hamm to answer on most of the charges against him, so he had been heading to trial. He remains in custody on $500,000 bail. Among the charges that were dropped as part of the plea deal was distribution of lewd materials to a minor. Hamm will have lifetime sex offender registration status for the convictions. Ryan McHugh, Hamm’s attorney, declined to comment on why Hamm accepted the deal, but San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe estimated Hamm could have faced up to 35 to 40 years in prison if he’d been convicted on all charges.t

Colwell when asked why she wanted to become a judge. “The idea of doing that is very appealing to me. Any judge I have talked to has said it is the best job they have ever had.” Alameda County Superior Court Presiding Judge C. Don Clay administered the oath of office to Colwell Monday, December 31. She is believed to be the second judge to identify as lesbian on the East Bay bench and only the fourth to idenSee page 7 >>

Community News >>

t Soda machine protest frazzles tempers in the Castro by Peter Hernandez

small but spirited group of demonstrators held informational pickets outside Cliff ’s Variety on Castro Street last week after some of them were forcibly removed by employees for loudly protesting inside the store on Christmas Eve. The cause of the dispute is an athome soda machine, Sodastream, which is manufactured in an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank that is disputed by the Palestinians. Some of the protesters filed assault complaints with San Francisco police after the incident. They and others distributed literature to passersby in front of Cliff ’s December 26 and 28 about the Christmas Eve flash mob while the store’s manager said that a protester also hit one of their staff and pushed a strollerpushing customer. Store manager Terry Asten Bennett said her staff wasn’t “emotionally or mentally prepared” for the two-minute adaptation of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” December 24. “Cliff ’s, with your store so bright, won’t you care about human rights?” sang the group of about a dozen protestors who donned shirts reading, “Boycott Israel till Palestine is free” on Christmas Eve. Asten Bennett discussed the incident, adding that her store’s surveillance tape shows a different account than what the protesters uploaded to YouTube, though she wouldn’t share it. “Nobody intended to push them out of the store until one of the protesters swung at an employee. It is not our policy to touch people,” said Asten Bennett. The video shows an agitated staff grabbing the protesters – mostly older lesbians – and then propelling them out of the store by grabbing their arms. “I should have laid down so they couldn’t push me, but I was afraid to. I allowed them to propel me out. They held me by the arm and pushed me. I went into shock afterwards,” said Emily Wheeler, 58, one of the Christmas Eve protesters. Cliff ’s staff, which was not trained to properly handle unwanted guests, had never before experienced a flash

Rick Gerharter

Nancy Stoller, left, and Jonathan Richman engage a pedestrian, who would not give his name, in front of Cliff’s Variety December 28, asking him not to buy Sodastream products for sale at Cliff’s because the product is made in Israeli-occupied Palestine. Twenty-five activists picketed the Cliff’s, following months of discussion with the store and a Christmas Eve action that resulted in employees forcibly removing the activists from the store.

mob, said Asten Bennett. Similar videos recently shot in Bed Bath and Beyond stores during Sodastream protests by CodePink, a women-led activist organization, show store managers, often overpowered by the protesters, asking the group to leave before police arrive. Police didn’t arrive at Cliff ’s Variety for 25 minutes though, and its staff is not apologetic for their actions. Openly lesbian protester Nancy Stoller, 70, said she filed a complaint and will receive a case report within a week. She has osteoporosis, broke her hip two years ago, and was forcefully pulled out of the store by the shoulder. She will decide whether or not to press charges upon receiving the case report, but hopes that she can at least receive an apology mediated by Community United Against Violence. During the December 28 vigil, some passersby sounded off to the protesters. Petyr Kane, owner of the Castro Street businesses Body and Citizen, said, “What they did to you was not assault. I’ll show you assault.” Another passerby, who refused to be identified, told the protesters that

they “had it coming.” “This kind of reminded me of being at a sit-in. I have never been attacked since the 1960s. It was painful that it would happen at Cliff ’s,” Stoller said. She has been a pivotal LGBT activist, notably for her successful advocacy for LGBT partner benefits at UC Santa Cruz. The action was part of a larger nationwide protest of products manufactured in what the United Nations has denounced as an illegal Israeli encampment on former Palestinian land. Since 1967, over 500 Israeli settlements have been built on the West Bank in Palestine, a violation of international law, according to the United Nations Security Council. While the management of Cliff ’s Variety says their buyer told them that Palestinians working for fair wages produce Sodastream, activists say that Palestinian workers in Israeli settlements do not have the same labor rights or benefits as Israeli workers. Sodastream did not respond to a request for comment. The December 24 flash mob followed eight months of negotiations with Cliff ’s Variety to suspend the sale of the product, which have since fizzled.t

Participants needed for HIV aging survey compiled by Cynthia Laird

new study of people age 50 or older living with HIV in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin counties is seeking participants. The survey is being conducted by Loren Meissner, a graduate student in the gerontology program at San Francisco State University, with support from the HIV Health Services Planning Council, which prioritizes federal funds under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act for the three counties. Survey events are coming up next week in San Francisco, Redwood City, and San Rafael. On Wednesday, January 9 the survey will take place at Shanti, 730 Polk Street in San Francisco at 3 p.m. People should RSVP to Ali Cone of the planning council by January 7 at (415) 674-4751 or

acone@shanti.org. On the Peninsula, the survey will take place Thursday, January 10 at 2 p.m. at ACRC, 2684 Middlefield Road, Suite E in Redwood City. RSVP to Megan O’Day by January 8 at (650) 483-4187 or moday@acrc. org. Finally, in the North Bay the survey will take place Friday, January 11 at 2 p.m. at the Marin AIDS Project, 910 Irwin Street in San Rafael. RSVP to the MAP receptionist by January 8 in person or by phone at (415) 457-2487. For general inquiries, contact Cone at the above email. Meissner said that it’s expected to take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete the survey. Those meeting eligibility requirements will receive a $20 Safeway gift card for their time. If people have friends who are eligible and may be interested in

future opportunities to take the HIV and Aging survey, they can subscribe to the private Yahoo group (http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/hivaging or email hivaging-subscribe@yahoogroups. com. Meissner aims to enroll 200 participants by February. The planning council’s Yahoo group is separate but may have future information on how the study was used by the council (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ SF_HIV_Health_Services_Planning_Council).

Help needed to take down Tree of Hope at City Hall

The holidays are over and that means it’s time to take down Rainbow World Fund’s World Tree of Hope at San Francisco City Hall. The organization could use some volunteers for the project, which takes place Saturday, January 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. RWF Executive Director Jeff CotSee page 12 >>

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 3

<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Volume 43, Number 01 January 3-9, 2013 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Thomas E. Horn Bob Ross (Founder, 1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko Seth Hemmelgarn Jim Provenzano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Aiello • Tavo Amador • Erin Blackwell Roger Brigham • Scott Brogan Victoria A. Brownworth • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Chuck Colbert Richard Dodds • David Duran Raymond Flournoy • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell John F. Karr • Matthew Kennedy David Lamble • Michael McDonagh David-Elijah Nahmod • Elliot Owen Paul Parish • Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff Jim Piechota • Bob Roehr • Donna Sachet Adam Sandel • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Ed Walsh • Sura Wood

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Hagel’s apology is not enough

f former Senator Chuck Hagel wants to be President Barack Obama’s next secretary of defense, he would be wise to place a call to James Hormel and personally apologize for his virulently anti-gay comments directed toward Hormel back when he was being considered for an ambassadorship. Hagel is reportedly in the running for the cabinet post and is viewed as a top choice by political observers. Obama told David Gregory of NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday that he has not yet made a decision on his pick for the powerful position and that he considers Hagel qualified. Hagel, apparently feeling the heat from the media’s reporting on national gay rights groups expressing their opposition, last month issued a statement in which he apologized for his remarks. But he has not personally apologized to Hormel, and that’s really what Hagel needs to do. In 1998 Hagel, then a Republican senator from Nebraska, used language that even today would be considered appalling and homophobic. When President Bill Clinton had nominated Hormel, a longtime openly gay philanthropist, to be ambassador to Luxembourg, Hagel responded that Hormel’s openness about his sexual orientation was “aggressive,” that it could inhibit his ability to represent the United States in a foreign post, and that Clinton’s nomination of an openly gay person to the position lacked “common sense.” “Ambassadorial posts are sensitive. They are representing America. They are representing our lifestyle, our values, our standards,” Hagel told the Omaha World-Herald at the time. “And I think it is an inhibiting factor to be gay – openly aggressively gay like Mr. Hormel – to do an effective job.” Wow. And this guy wants to serve as the country’s top civilian military official, overseeing the armed forces, which now include openly gay and lesbian service members? We’re not sure he’s the best fit. But he definitely isn’t a good candidate for the job if

he cannot honestly talk about his past comments. Does he feel that gay military leaders would not be effective or not adequately represent the United States? We sure hope not. Last week, the Log Cabin Republicans took out a full page ad in the New York Times taking aim at Hagel, calling him “wrong on gay rights, wrong on Iran, and wrong on Israel.” It was surprising to see the predominately gay GOP group make such a public statement against a fellow Republican who is generally viewed as a moderate. In Sunday’s interview, Obama said that he worked with Hagel when they were in the Senate and that Hagel “served with valor in Vietnam.” He currently serves on Obama’s intelligence advisory board, the president said. Obama also noted that Hagel “apologized for it,” referring to the Hormel remarks. “And I think it’s a testament to what has been a positive change ... over the last decade

in terms of peoples’ attitude about gays and lesbians serving our country,” the president told Gregory. “That’s something I’m very proud to have led and I think that anybody who serves in my administration understands my attitude and position on those issues.” We certainly appreciate the president’s unequivocal commitment. Obama is accurate when he pointed out Hagel had apologized. In his statement, Hagel said that his 1998 comments were “insensitive” and that he is “fully supportive of ‘open service’ and committed to LGBT military families.” That is a good first step. Should Hagel be nominated as defense secretary, the Senate must thoroughly vet him on LGBTs serving in the military and same-sex military families. In the meantime, he should reach out to Hormel – a prominent member of San Francisco’s gay community, who served as ambassador with integrity and proved LGBTs can work at all levels of the federal government – and say, “I’m sorry.” It’s the right thing to do.t

Breaking the sex-drug link by Luke Adams

he song says, “It’s that time of year when the world falls in love.” But it’s also when Facebook fills with bitter posts against the holidays and photos of kittens eating latkes or breaking Christmas ornaments; consumerism runs rampant; Kathy can’t try to out Anderson anymore; some of us don’t get epiphanies until after the Epiphany doldrums; and many of us would like to hide in bed with the covers over our heads. It is also the time of year when those of us who do clinical work with sexually active people often see a spike in their distress level about their connection between drugs and sex. There has been plenty of good scientific study about the frequent link between the use of lots of alcohol (more than five drinks over a few hours more than twice per week) – or between use of powder cocaine, crack, meth, and ecstasy – and sexual behavior that can feel out of bounds (Rhodes, 1996). Unfortunately, there has not been much good research published about helping these users detangle their sex lives from their drug use, once they make the decision to seek recovery. In more casual observation, those of us working in the field have seen broad evidence of relapses that were brought on by the lack of tools for untangling the sex-drug connection. Arnold M. Washton released a workbook in 2008 through Hazelden Publishing titled, “Quitting Cocaine: Your Personal Recovery Plan.” In this workbook, he developed a list of 10 tips to break the sex-drug connection, and any of us who are David Letterman fans can vouch for the impact of a Top Ten list. Some (myself included) have suggested that Washton’s version is not only judgmental, but also both sex-negative and heterosexist. It reflects similar ineffective notions trapped in the boxes of distorted cultural thinking that still dominate many of our schools when they’re ad-

Frank Strona

Luke Adams

dressing this health issue (Ley, 2012). As a professional, with more than a passing interest in seeing LGBTIs move toward a healthier understanding of sex and sobriety, it remains clear to me that moralizing doesn’t serve as an effective treatment strategy (MacCoun and Reuter, 2001). The following is my own version of a Top Ten List reflecting a more groundtested and results-oriented approach.

The top 10 tips to help break the connection between drugs and sex

10. No matter what, do not give up. Whether it is small incremental ways to reduce harm by limiting your use or being in one of many forms of treatment and mutual support, keep at it and keep moving forward. Once you surrender to the process, don’t go back to the pull of giving up on a good life. 9. Take stock of your sex life – including taking your own sexual inventory.

Where were you selfish, dishonest, or inconsiderate? Did you unjustifiably arouse jealousy, suspicion, or bitterness? Where were you at fault? What could you have done differently? Examine any possible fear you may have of intimacy or rejection, and any attitudes you may have toward others or yourself that take value away from sex. Ask yourself what you want out of many kinds of relationships – from possible casual sex partners to friends to friends with benefits to partners to whatever else might be in between, with or without sex. Have you set realistic standards to aim for? For example: What is your ideal for the kind of sex you want? What is your ideal for the kind of relationships you want? Where (if ever) do those overlap? 8. Not enough “lead in your pencil” or “oil in your engine?” Don’t let it get you down. It is pretty normal for people to have little or no sex drive after they stop using drugs: This too shall pass. For most people, it can take several weeks to months for their sex drive to kick back in as something they might feel is normal for them. Your brain chemistry may not even return to baseline for one to two years, so expect you will be working on this for a time. Hint: this then becomes a great time to explore sensuality and different kinds of intimacy. 7 . It will not happen overnight. You are probably going to feel frustrated and afraid that sex without drugs will be boring and unsatisfying. Learning how to enjoy sex without using drugs is a process that may take some time and practice. You may want to consider developing a safefeeling friendship (or a few) with whom you can practice. Getting through the vulnerability of finding such friends without emotional baggage is part of getting better. Three rules of thumb for very early recovery that many people use: (1) “Fuck but don’t send flowers” – you have awhile before you get a better handle on yourself, and taking a hostage in the process isn’t fair to you or the other person; (2) “Don’t play with anybody See page 12 >>

Politics >>

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

Surprises aplenty in 2013, say LGBT politicos by Matthew S. Bajko

ho will ever be able to forget 2012? Chock-o-block with political goings-on at the local, state, and federal level, last year served up quite a feast for politics junkies. San Francisco City Hall watchers were consumed by a series of who-will-be-ousted and whowill-prevail sagas, from criminally-charged Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi to bisexual appointed District 5 Supervisor Christina Olague to Happy Meal crusader District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar. (Only Olague ended up packing her political bags.) In Sacramento all eyes fell on Governor Jerry Brown’s ability to pass a tax measure to prevent another round of budget cuts and if Democrats would gain more control in the state Capitol. Brown and his party prevailed on both counts, with sales taxes rising this year and Democrats empowered with supermajorities in both of the Legislature’s chambers. Out in Washington, D.C. the horse race betting, of course, was primarily consumed with whether President Barack Obama would be a one-term White House resident or secure four more years. Even after he defeated GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney, the breathless guessing games continued up to the last minutes of 2012 as pundits debated if Obama and Congress would pass a tax deal to avoid plunging the country over the fiscal cliff (They did on January 1). In the waning days of 2012, the Political Notebook wondered if the new year would prove a dullard or dish up as expansive a political buffet as the last 12 months had. As is our want, the Notebook turned to a number of LGBT politicos for advice on what to expect in 2013. A tradition begun in 2008, this year’s request had many respondents weighing in on the future of same-sex marriage, with the U.S. Supreme Court set to rule by June on whether to strike down the federal Defense of Marriage Act and California’s same-sex marriage ban known as Proposition 8. How lawmakers will react to stop mass murders involving assault weapons also was a key focus. And some are already looking to who will seek the presidency in 2016. There was also some levity this year and a bit of group think. Log Cabin San Francisco President Fred Schein polled his club’s members to compile the predictions he sent in. Bay Area Youth Summit Executive Director Jason Galisatus sought input from his colleague and fellow Stanford student Jack Weller. The gay Republicans included this premonition: “We think Governor Chris Christie will be reelected in a landslide and, amid a shower of doughnuts, will come out for same-sex marriage as he welcomes the Super Bowl XLVII champion 49ers to Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, NJ.” Brendalynn Goodall, president of the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club, in addition to her more serious picks, sent in a few “outrageous” ones. They included predicting former President Bill

Clinton would develop a constitutional amendment to seek a third term; Texas would secede from the United States, and that “Todd Palin is gay and works for equality in Alaska.” As always, check back in December to see who among this year’s crystal ball readers had the best foresight.

Courtesy Martha Knutzen

Martha Knutzen

We will not go over the fiscal cliff, but the Republicans will continue not to get that 98 percent of us make nowhere near $250,000 a year. The San Francisco LGBT community will become a role model for how it meets the needs of our senior community, thanks to our task force on the issue. Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi will feel the pressure and resign. The Supreme Court will overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, but not allow marriages in California, which is okay, because the California Legislature will pass a bill and Governor Jerry Brown will sign it all in one day. I will marry my spouse, Fran Kipnis, for the 16th time! Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club will help re-elect San Francisco gay Treasurer Jose Cisneros and City Attorney Dennis Herrera, and San Francisco will be a very good place to be in 2013. Martha Knutzen Alice B Toklas LGBT Democratic Club co-chair

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro sweep the audience away with his eloquence and youthful charm. Castro will run for the Big Seat in 2016 along with Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, who will both certainly be given a run for their money. The strong Latino turnout and their huge influence in this election will serve as a wake-up call to both Democrats and Republicans alike, and much attention will be given to the issue of immigration reform. While Clinton currently denies her intent to run (as she must while she fills the nonpartisan, and allegedly apolitical, office of secretary of state), she will be gathering her forces together during these next few years to run in 2016. Bill Clinton’s involvement in the 2012 campaign revealed the Clinton push for continued relevance. By the time the election rolls around, most of the former Obama administration will migrate to her camp. Thanks to “Texts from Hillary,” the populous no longer views her as a nagging shrew, but as a strong, independent woman who could make a fine first female president. And of course, the LGBT community will experience exponential progress. SCOTUS [U.S. Supreme Court] will rule in favor of us in Hollingsworth v. Perry, but I’m not too sure about the DOMA challenge. That would have nationwide implications I’m not sure this Supreme Court will be willing to accept. Jason Galisatus Bay Area Youth Summit Executive Director Either a past Republican presi-

Courtesy Fred Schein

Fred Schein

Courtesy Jason Galisatus

Jason Galisatus

Obama’s second term will be the era of the progressives. The GOP’s radical conservatism proved to be unsustainable; progressives will capitalize on this. These next four years will be marked in the history textbooks as the rise of the Latino community on the national scale. At the Democratic National Convention, we saw an extremely bright and promising

dent, presidential candidate, or a likely prospective one, will “break the logjam” and openly support both same-sex marriage and the repeal of DOMA, opening the flood gates for “closeted, non-social conservatives” to “come out” as the party rapidly moves to join them. Along with this, the Republican Party will formally “make-up” with its libertarian wing and hold a “lovein” here in San Francisco. Former U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) will be re-elected to the Senate, as he previously was, in a special election. Although not strictly political (as they are very fair and balanced) the Bay Area Reporter and Bay Guardian will be the only surviving citywide print media, as the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner become exclusively subscriber-online sources with “headline story” apps available at no charge. A San Francisco supervisor will be indicted. Take your pick. There will be scant observance of nudity ordinances in the city as groups of naked people appear See page 12 >>

<< National News

6 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Some call for Scalia to recuse himself in marriage cases by Lisa Keen

here was a tiny outcry in December for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself from deliberating on the two marriage-related cases that will come before the high court this year. It erupted mostly from liberal political bloggers after the Associated Press and some other media outlets reported that Scalia, in a December 10 book tour appearance at Princeton University, discussed past dissents in which he compared homosexuality with such harmful acts as murder, in-

cest, adultery, and cruelty to animals. Legal experts were quick to shoot down the idea that Scalia should recuse himself. “Judges all the time say, ‘I’m against X because X would mean Y,’” former Solicitor General Charles Fried, a Republican, said. And while statements made in public “might be a different story,” he said, Scalia’s remarks at Princeton were no different than his remarks in his written judicial opinions. On the other side, Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law expert at Georgetown University, told MS-

NBC that most judges avoid making public comments related to pending cases. He said he found it “very troubling” that Scalia’s comments at Princeton could be seen as addressing “one of the core issues” in two cases coming up this spring related to marriage rights for same-sex couples. “Scalia has a history of making comments that many of us find very difficult to square with judicial codes of conduct,” said Turley. The judicial code of conduct is United States Code Title 28, Section 455. Paragraph (a) states that a judge or justice shall disqualify himself “in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” The U.S. Code also notes, in subparagraph (1) of Paragraph (b) that a justice or judge shall disqualify himself “where he has a personal bias or prejudice concerning a party. ...” Scalia recused himself in 2004 from the Pledge of Allegiance case Elk Grove v. Newdow. He did not explain why, but some speculated it was because he had stated publicly that one party’s claim was “meritless.” The Supreme Court public information office does not keep statistics regarding the justices’ recusals, but it appears Scalia has not made a practice of recusing himself from many cases, even when the clamor for recusal is very loud and widespread, as it was in 2004 over an entirely different case – one involving a friend. At that time, the court was about to rule on a matter concerning thenVice President Dick Cheney’s private dealings with an energy task force. Scalia, who was close enough friends with Cheney to invite the vice president to join him on a hunting trip, did not recuse himself. Responding to queries from two U.S. senators asking about recusal, then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist said, “There is no formal

Justice Antonin Scalia

procedure for court review of the decision of a justice in an individual case. That is so because it has long been settled that each justice must decide such a question for himself.” In a memorandum responding to the outcry for his recusal, Scalia said he would recuse himself “when, on the basis of established principles and practices, I have said or done something which requires that course.” “My recusal is required if, by reasons of the actions described above, my ‘impartiality might reasonably be questioned,’” wrote Scalia, quoting the U.S. Code. He did not recuse himself from the Cheney case. He joined a 7-2 majority ruling that Cheney did not have to turn over certain documents related to his private meetings with the energy officials. Might Scalia’s impartiality on legal matters involving gay people be reasonably questioned? Nearly every legal expert consulted for this report said yes. And not a single one said they believed Scalia would recuse himself from the two upcoming marriage cases.

Retiring Representative Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts), who three years ago publicly labeled Scalia a “homophobe,” said December 18 he still thinks Scalia is a “bigot and a homophobe” but doesn’t think Scalia should recuse himself from the marriage cases. “You don’t recuse yourself because you feel strongly about something,” said Frank. If that were the case, he said, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker, who is gay and has a same-sex partner, should have recused himself from hearing the Proposition 8 case in California. (Frank added that he takes the U.S. Code to mean judges should recuse themselves only when they might be “affected financially” by a case.) Still, there is a widespread presumption that Scalia’s willingness – in his judicial opinions and his public remarks – to compare intimate relations between two people of the same gender with murder has cemented his vote against the legal rights of gay people under the Constitution even before the briefs have been filed. Scalia has always voted against the interests of gay people in cases before the court – from the 1987 decision, 5-4, allowing the U.S. Olympic Committee to ban Gay Games from calling itself the Gay Olympics, through the unanimous decision in 1995 to allow St. Patrick’s Day parade organizers in Boston to exclude a gay contingent, and the 5-4 decision in 2000 to allow the Boy Scouts of America to revoke the membership of an Eagle Scout because he was gay. It wasn’t until the court began recognizing the legal rights of gay people that the depth of Scalia’s discomfort with things gay became apparent. t Coming next week: A look at Scalia’s dissents in gay cases.

t <<

Community News>>

New laws

From page 1

pressed by four mental health professionals, the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, the American Association of Christian Counselors, and two “Jack and Jane Doe” plaintiff couples on behalf of two “John Doe” minors. The plaintiffs’ request for an emergency order argued that the John Doe minors would face “immediate and irreparable harm to their physical, emotional, and mental health,” and that the mental health practitioners would suffer damage to their careers, if the law is allowed to go into effect. Governor Jerry Brown signed the law, which bans state licensed mental health professionals from engaging in reparative or conversion therapy with minors, in September.

Looking ahead

Although one LGBT-related law is stalled for now, it appears there could be plenty to look forward to. In an emailed statement, Ammiano said, “It is still very early in the new session and I have not finalized

Lesbian judge

From page 2

tify as LGBT. Judge Victoria Kolakowski, who identifies as a transgender lesbian, and gay Judge Hugh Walker are open about their sexual orientation. A third judge whose identity is not known listed himself as gay on a survey of the court’s demographic makeup that was released in early 2012. Next Monday, January 7 lesbian Judge-elect Tara Flanagan will take her oath of office to become the fifth LGBT person on the Alameda court. She will be assigned to the Hayward Superior Court branch

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

my legislation package,” but he’s asked his staff to research several issues that he’s interested in. Among those, he said, is “HIV/ AIDS prevention, including the possession of condoms being used against folks in prostitution charges.” The San Francisco Police Department was criticized this past summer after the Bay Area Reporter found contradictory policies within the department over the seizure of condoms from people suspected of prostitution. Police Chief Greg Suhr later announced that officers would no longer confiscate condoms as evidence of prostitution and issued a bulletin to department personnel. Condoms can still be photographed. Ammiano, who is gay, said he’s also interested in addressing the needs of homeless youth, especially those who are LGBT; continuing his work on school safety and bullying prevention; pursuing his efforts to provide better services to LGBT foster youth; educational equity for transgender youth in the state’s schools; and “clarifying places in the law where same-sex married couples and legally registered domestic partners are still treated differently

than opposite-sex married couples.” The assemblyman also mentioned the Ellis Act, which the California Legislature enacted in 1985 and enables landlords who wish to go out of the rental business to evict tenants. “Ellis Act evictions can have greater impacts on the chronically ill and have displaced or threatened to displace AIDS patients,” Ammiano said. “We hope to meet with housing advocates in January.” Ammiano also referred to two bills related to LGBTs and others that he introduced December 3. AB 4, the Transparency and Responsibility Using State Tools (TRUST) Act, addresses immigration issues. “For decades, same-sex couples have been unable to get equal immigration benefits,” he said. AB 5, the Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights and Fairness Act, “promotes dignity for all homeless, including those who may be doubly stigmatized for LGBT issues,” Ammiano said. Finally, he said, “Regulation of medical marijuana, which I’ve introduced before, is of special interest to many of those people living

hearing family law cases. The Oakland-based attorney won an open judicial seat during last June’s primary election. According to election law, judges elected to the bench are sworn in on the first Monday after the new year. In terms of seniority, she will be right behind both Colwell and Berkeley resident Brad Seligman, 61, an attorney Brown also appointed last Thursday to a vacant seat on the Alameda court. (Colwell and Seligman will both earn $178,789 as judges.) Any disappointment about moving down the list was tempered, said Flanagan, by seeing

Brown select her friend Colwell. The two have worked closely as members of the Women Lawyers of Alameda County. In October Colwell had been elected as president of the professional group, and Flanagan has been serving as vice president. The third and fourth WLAC members to become judges in Alameda in recent years, they will be stepping down from their leadership roles in the group due to joining the bench. “I honestly couldn’t be happier. It is an excellent selection by the governor,” said Flanagan. “She is just a smart, great woman and I am just so thrilled.”t

with AIDS. Hearings on regulation will take place in the Legislature in January.”

Bills taking effect

Unlike SB 1172, the anti-reparative therapy bill, other laws did go into effect this week. AB 1505, authored by Assemblyman Dr. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), is related to the repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on gays

serving openly in the military. The legislation reinstates California veterans benefits, rescinded due to a discharge based solely on sexual orientation, automatically when the federal government does the same. The new law also directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide resources from veterans’ legal services organizations that specialize in discharge upgrades and claims See page 8 >>

<< Sports

8 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

The year of critical mass by Roger Brigham

year ago, we were labeling 2011 as the gayest year ever in sports. What will the year just passed be remembered for? Quite possibly as the Year of Critical Mass. The year in which enough organizations formed, enough gay athletes and coaches spoke out, enough straight allies became publicly vocal that the tide turned and homophobic sports barriers were smashed into insignificance. A year ago I reflected on 2011 by writing, “We enter the new year with fairer protections and laws in place for athletes at every level of competition than we have ever had in our history. If 2011 was the year we stopped lurking in the closet, 2012 should be

the year we start celebrating and performing in force on the field.” Those performances in 2012 went far beyond the medals won by the nearly two-dozen out Olympians who competed in London; they included the formation of new initiatives and organizations and the inspirational sharing of stories and histories. Two years ago the big stories were the rash of sports individuals coming out of the closet; last year it was the rash of athlete ally initiatives springing up. In 2011 we saw the birth of three major LGBT sports initiatives (Changing the Game, Equality Coaching Alliance and Athlete Ally); in 2012 we got four (Ben Cohen Stand Up Foundation, Last Closet Campaign, Transition Tour, and You Can Play Project) and had the first ever LGBT Sports Summit to develop strategic planning for advancing LGBT rights in sports. Before, isolated queer individuals in sports were reaching out to each other in the darkness. Now, organizations are working together to shine a brighter light and dispel the shadow of intolerance. The summit last July at Nike corporate headquarters in Oregon came up with two key messages. The first was that organizations should work together as a team, sharing information and resources so that inefficient duplication or mixed messages could be avoided. The second was that they should work together to help refine the way the sports world values success: redefine the word “champion.” The idea is to strengthen the awareness of and value given to fair play, acceptance, and inclusion.

New laws

From page 7

representation. Gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) saw success with a bill that Brown signed last year; former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had vetoed similar legislation. SB 1140 specifies that no priest, minister, rabbi, or authorized person of any religious denomination is required to solemnize a marriage that is contrary to the tenets of his or her faith. Refusal to solemnize a marriage under that provision won’t affect the tax-exempt status of any entity. Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) authored AB 2356, which ensures that women in same-sex relationships can access fertility services on the same terms as women in opposite-sex relationships. Another new law, former Assemblywoman Betsy Butler’s (D-Marina Del Rey) AB 1700, is designed to keep LGBTs from losing their homes when a partner dies. The bill excludes a transfer of co-tenancy interest in a principal residence from property tax reassessment if two people owned the principal residence and it was transferred to one of them when the other died, and the survivor obtains sole ownership. AB 1960, by Assemblyman Roger Dickinson, (D-Sacramento) requires the state Department of General Services to report on the participation levels of LGBT businesses in state contracts that has been voluntarily reported as of January 1, 2013. Ammiano saw three LGBT-re-

Eduardo Guardarramas

Bay Area Reporter sports columnist Roger Brigham, right, talked with Chronicle Live host Jim Kozimor during a recent interview.

Our movement has gone mainstream. I recently wore makeup for the first time in my life to speak on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area’s Chronicle Live about the issues facing LGBT athletes and coaches. The interview ended with the inevitable question of if I thought a gay male active athlete in a major pro sport would come out of the closet soon. I answered with an emphatic, “Yes.” Quite frankly, I’d be quite surprised if it didn’t happen within two years, and it will be most directly due to the organizational momentum gained in the past two years. For years, folks said the biggest factors preventing one of those major athletes from coming out were fear of becoming a team distraction; fear of backlash from teammates; opponents and fans; and fear of lost economic opportunities. But now the major pro leagues have non-discrimination clauses covering sexual orientation in their collective bargaining agreements. Teams and leagues are proactively working to curb fan abuse and ho-

mophobic expressions with their athletes and coaches. Sensitivity training is now being included in introductory sessions for rookies. A handful of out athletes have been able to land significant endorsements. And now we have the organizational support to help any athlete coming out of the closet. Any pro athlete who wants to come out can, through a quick online search, reach experts respected and known within the sports world to help them through the process of coming out to teammates and the front office, handling the press conferences, and timing things in a way that creates the smallest ripples of disruption in the team dynamic. And when an athlete does come out, how will life be different then? How would coming out in 2013 make 2014 a brighter time? He’ll become a part of the team. No longer holding back in fear of discovery, more wedded to secrecy than candor. He’ll play free of the entanglement. It’s going to happen, and happen soon. We’ve reached critical mass. There’s no holding it back.t

lated bills signed into law in 2012. AB 1729 expands the current list of alternatives to suspension and expulsion for superintendents and principals in the state school discipline codes. It also requires schools to document alternative means of correction taken prior to suspension or expulsion. Finding alternatives to suspension and expulsion have been seen as a way to address bullying of LGBT students. Another Ammiano bill, AB 1856, requires the training for an administrator of a group home facility, licensed foster parent, and relative or nonrelative extended family member caregiver, to also include instruction on cultural competency and sensitivity relating to, and best practices for, providing adequate care to LGBT youth in out-of-home care. Finally, Ammiano’s AB 401 deletes an obsolete provision from the Carl Washington School Safety and Violence Prevention Act that specifies sexual orientation shall not include pedophilia. The governor also signed SB 987, which involves same-sex couples. The new law, authored by state Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod (D-Chino) changes sections of the government code administered by the California Public Employees’ Retirement Board, including code sections governing the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, among other systems. Provisions include clarifying references to “spouse,” “surviving spouse,” and “marriage” apply equally to a registered domestic partner, or partnership, to the extent provided by the domestic partnership provisions in the

state family code.

EQCA’s plans

The statewide LGBT lobbying group Equality California backed several pieces of successful legislation in 2012, but it’s not clear what the organization will be promoting this year. New Executive Director John O’Connor, who started his post in December, wasn’t available for comment for this story. In an email, EQCA spokesman Steve Roth said O’Connor wanted to wait “until we have more specific information to share, as the work is in the preliminary development stage.” Roth said EQCA has renewed Alice Kessler’s contract to serve for another year as legislative advocate. Additionally, Roth said, the nonprofit has hired Jo Michael as a legislative associate. Kessler, who previously served as EQCA’s government relations director from 2005 to 2009, returned to the organization in December 2011. Over the years, EQCA has successfully backed bills that promote everything from housing rights to school safety. O’Connor recently indicated the agency would focus on helping to ensure that state laws are adequately implemented. “EQCA is particularly interested in ensuring the full implementation of all legislation related to safe schools, which will be achieved in part through the efforts of the Safe Schools Audit, which we sought and secured in 2012,” Roth said. The estimated release date for the audit, which covers school safety and non-discrimination laws, is June.t

t <<

From the Cover>>

LGBT fundraisers

From page 1

changed,” he said. “Really, this is a matter of reaching the next generation and giving them the option to take action on the platforms they are comfortable with.” In order to stay relevant, nonprofits need to embrace the digital platforms their constituents and targeted audiences are using, said Cunningham. “Looking at texted donations, this gives us an opportunity to reach the next generation, the young people of today, on a platform they are on to drive them to this area of awareness,” he said, referring to the grove and its mission. “Really, it is a matter of reaching the next generation and giving them the option to take action on a platform they are comfortable with.” The grove has yet to announce how much the texting campaign raised. Nonetheless, other nonprofit leaders have already inquired about its experience, said Cunningham. “We will see where it all falls out after it is all set and done,” he said.

Online sites

From cellphones to Facebook’s Causes, which allows users to direct giving to their favorite nonprofits, there are various new means for agencies to seek out funding from donors. In recent years a number of websites geared toward helping nonprofits fundraise have also sprung up, such as http://www.Razoo.com and http://www.Firstgiving.com. “I think with today’s technology world people are going to more and more be wanting to find easy ways to give online and use their mobile devices. It is inevitable we will see a proliferation of these sites,” said Luis Chabolla, a spokesman for Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. “There is no shortage of entrepreneurial-minded people who see a market in philanthropy in helping donors raise or give money to nonprofits.” One of the better-known platforms is Razoo.com, which launched in 2007 and last summer surpassed the $100 million mark in the amount of money the website had raised for nonprofits. In the fall the company opened an office in San Francisco to bolster its usage by West Coast nonprofits. It charges a 2.9 percent fee on donations, which is charged directly to donors’ credit cards. CEO Lesley Mansford, who joined Razoo in 2011, claimed it is the lowest fee charged by such a site during an interview last fall with the Bay Area Reporter. “We are seeing some really nice momentum as nonprofits become more aware of Razoo. They recognize it is not that intimidating and quite easy to set up an online fundraiser,” said Mansford. The site promotes itself as a tool to do “social fundraising,” where by connecting giving campaigns to donors’ Twitter and Facebook accounts a single $50 or less donation can be leveraged to incite that person’s friends and followers to also give. “Now, it is not just about a person’s wallet and the $50 they have but the $5,000 or $10,000 their network has. Every donation can be a social donation,” said Mansford. “If I send a mail piece, just one person reads it, whereas on Facebook multiple people read it. The beauty of online is you can have multiple touch points.” The site uses email and various social media platforms to connect with donors. As of now about 15 percent of donations through Razoo are made on mobile phones, while 25 percent come through Facebook. “In the next couple years it could be as much as 50 percent,” predicted Mansford. “Facebook is much more

predominant in driving donations.” It is adding an app for iPads, so nonprofits can encourage people to donate at live events. “Mobile is going to be very important in fundraising in the future,” said Mansford. “We are continuing to look at ways to continue to be at the front of that curve.” Online fundraising campaigns can also take advantage of video messages that can be a powerful tool in connecting with donors, noted Mansford. It oftentimes leads to increased giving, she added. Razoo’s local office opened six months ago, and the company is working on doing an LGBT day with a large foundation in 2013. The idea would be to drive up giving over a 24-hour period to a certain LGBT organization. Mansford said she was not able to announce what the partner agency would be, though she did say she had not spoken to the Horizons Foundation, an LGBT grant-making agency based in San Francisco. One agency that opted to use the website for its end-of-year campaign was the Brown Boi Project. Seventeen days into its “30 Days of Brown Boi 2012!” fundraiser, the Oakland-based nonprofit for masculine-of-center LGBT and queer people had raised nearly half of its $20,000 goal. According to its Razoo page (http://www.razoo.com/team/30Days-Of-Brown-Boi-2012/share) Brown Boi had raised $6,232 ($4,694 online, $1,538 offline) as of Wednesday, January 2. The site includes a “leaderboard” listing people actively seeking donations and how much they have raised to date and from how many contributors. Those involved can also post comments to encourage other participants or congratulate them. Razoo also makes it easy for people to spread word of the campaign via Facebook or Twitter, as well as to join in. Brown Boi Executive Director B. Cole said she opted for Razoo this year over the site the agency used last year because it did not charge to set up the webpage. She also liked its low fee and use of various social platforms. “We love it,” said Cole, adding that other nonprofits should shop around when thinking of using a crowdfunding web tool, as “some of the sites are a bit on the scam side.” She also liked how Razoo makes it easy for Brown Boi to post photos about its members as it plugs the campaign, its biggest fundraiser of the year. “More than just raising resources, it is building community and deepening investment in our work,” said Cole. Her agency, whose budget is

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 9

$347,000, counts 75 members who are active fundraisers with an additional 60 volunteers. Going the crowdfund route makes sense for her agency, said Cole, because it has less than two full-time staffers and is dependent on having its members and volunteers be engaged in giving. “For most of us, we don’t fundraise every day,” she said. “We do not have a full-time staffer dedicated to fundraising.” Because of its usage of the webpage on Razoo, Brown Boi last week learned it had been selected to receive a $10,000 matching grant from the LGBTQ Giving Challenge, giving it the potential to raise $30,000. If it meets its fundraising target by January 13, then Cole plans to hire one of its part-time staffers fulltime. “It makes a difference if people know their small gift is going to be doubled,” she said. The giving challenge is a five-year effort to bolster grassroots giving to LGBT causes nationwide. “We are interested in encouraging grassroots giving so that new dollars and new donors come to the movement,” said Bill Lyons, the giving challenge’s project director. Fiscally sponsored by the New Venture Fund, the giving challenge’s goal is to increase the number of donors giving $35 or more to LGBT nonprofits. Having first met Cole at a conference in early 2012, Lyons said his fund has been impressed by how Brown Boi harnesses social media sites to garner both volunteers and financial support. “Brown Boi is an amazing organization. They have really robust grassroots support and their members are so driven to be participants in programs and champions of its fundraisers,” he said. “That is something we love to see, and larger donors love to see organizations have that kind of buy-in. The tech tools help amplify that organizational capacity to use Facebook and social media to have the most significant online fundraising. The tools they use are some of the best.”

Not for everyone

Not everyone is ready to embrace the giving websites. Some agencies have no need for them due to having staff that work fulltime on development and are using their own websites to drive online giving. Nonprofit executives are also leery about the costs involved in using sites such as Razoo when every penny counts in bolstering their bottom lines. AIDS Emergency Fund Executive Director Mike Smith said he is aware of a number of such websites and has been approached by a few of them. But he has his doubts about

Obituaries >> Jeffrey (Jeff) R. Terrell May 16, 1957 – December 19, 2012

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Jeff passed away unexpectedly on December 19, 2012 at his home in San Francisco. Family, friends, and his pet Gracie were Jeff’s love and joy. He was an avid reader and also enjoyed watching TV, movies, and spending time with friends, family and Gracie. Jeff was a generous, kind, and patient man who deeply touched all who knew him. He never stopped short of helping others in any way he could. He worked at the ARC of San Francisco for more than 20 years, an organization dedicated to assisting the more disadvantaged people in our society. Jeff is survived by his sisters Melissa and Melinda; his brother-in-law Ron; nieces and nephews; his beloved friends Bea, Donna, Eliana, Terry, Mary, Sondra, Al, Ron, Dino, Jose; and

many more to list here. He is preceded in death by his partner Robert, his mother and father as well as his sister Diana and brother Shawn. A private funeral will be performed at his request. The family wishes to thank all the showings of appreciation for Jeff over the years.

Memorial announced for Joe Leary

Friends have announced a memorial service for Joe Leary, a longtime member of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, will be held Saturday, January 12 at 3 p.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church, 1661 15th Street (at Julian) in San Francisco. Mr. Leary died November 15 at the age of 63. In addition to singing in the Gay Men’s Chorus and its Lollipop Guild, he helped with Singers of the Street, a choir for those affected by homelessness, though he himself was not homeless. The Gay Men’s Chorus is assisting with the upcoming memorial. For more information, contact Tom Mayer at jmayerinsf@yahoo.com.

using them. “They seem to think this makes it easer for people to give money to AEF. I might be old-fashioned but I don’t think anyone has trouble figuring out how to give money to AEF. So we have steered clear of them,” said Smith. “We don’t need a middleman. And we don’t know any of these organizations well enough to know whether we are being taken advantage of or not. We are wary of the whole thing.” The grove’s Cunningham said he is also wary of using the donation websites due to the fees involved. “There are a lot of added or hidden fees associated with those that can be incredibly high,” he said. Smith is watching to see how the grove’s texting campaign turns out. For now AEF has not opted to use such a donation tool, but Smith said it may be beneficial in the future. “My instinct says unless you have a really young hip donor base for whom texting is a primary means” of communication, said Smith, it doesn’t make sense to launch a similar text-based fundraising effort. “It didn’t seem like something our older, less tech savvy donors would do.” Yet in recent years AEF has seen more of its donors give through its website, which the agency set up through http://www.givedirect.org,

a free service offered to nonprofits. Texting may be the next step, acknowledged Smith. “I am going to be fascinated to see how it works for the grove,” he said. “I am glad they are trying it. It could be the future wave.” The Santa Cruz foundation also is taking a wait-and-see approach to these new web-based fundraising tools, said Chabolla. Even if they become more ubiquitous, he doubted they would completely replace the face-to-face ask. “Our sweet spot for raising money is not in large community campaigns or saturation. It is about building relationships with individual donors in our community,” he said. “Nothing will ever replace you and I going out, sitting down over coffee or lunch, and talking. That is how we raise the bulk of our money; it is not through mass campaigning.” Mansford stressed that Razoo does not see itself as replacing the more traditional ways to fundraise. “It is not all or nothing; this is another tool,” she said. “It may work better with one set of donors than another. Clearly, the millennial generation is not only more comfortable donating this way but wants to donate and communicate with people through these kinds of tools.”t

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Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034765600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RILLO LAW GROUP, 111 Pine St. #1400, SF, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Christopher J. Rillo. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/11/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/11/12.

DEC 13, 20, 27, 2012; JAN 3, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034757700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SA BEANG THAI, 312 Divisadero St., SF, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Atthapon Inkhong. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/06/12.

DEC 13, 20, 27, 2012; JAN 3, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034763100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAYVIEW ICE CREAM SHOPPE, 1650 Quesada Ave., SF, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Robert Davis. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/10/12.

DEC 13, 20, 27, 2012; JAN 3, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034756200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SPIRO COFFEE, 826 Van Ness, SF, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed Nob Hill Restaurant Ventures Inc. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/05/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/05/12.

DEC 13, 20, 27, 2012; JAN 3, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034731400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LA SCUOLA INTERNAZIONALE DI SAN FRANCISCO; LA SCUOLA; 728 20th St., SF, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed La Piccola Scuola Italiana Di San Francisco (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/21/12.

DEC 13, 20, 27, 2012; JAN 3, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034760200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SYNTROPY FITNESS, 168 South Park Ave., SF, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability corporation, and is signed The Center for Lifestyle Well-Being (CA)The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/07/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/07/12.

DEC 13, 20, 27, 2012; JAN 3, 2013 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Dated 12/11/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: GOLDEN GATE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 33 New Montgomery St.

#1230, SF, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at 1446 Market St., SF, CA 94102-6004. Type of license applied for

41 - ON-SALE BEER & WINE - EATING PLACE DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 2013 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Dated 12/07/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: DOGPATCH CAFE, LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 33 New Montgomery St. #1230, SF, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at 2291 & 2295 3rd St., SF, CA 94107-3125. Type of license applied for

41 - ON-SALE BEER & WINE - EATING PLACE DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034769600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FERNANDO’S HAIR SALON, 5763 A Mission St., SF, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Jose A. Alvarado Garcia. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/13/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/13/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034765300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DATEBOOK, 472 Union St. #2, SF, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Melissa Edwards. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/11/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034773600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: B&B INVESTMENTS, 125 Gilbert St. #8, SF, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Brent Huigens. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/17/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/17/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034776100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FRANCESCA’S FLOWERS & GARDENS, 128 Woodland Ave., SF, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Francesca Perez. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/18/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/18/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034775600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CRENELATED DIPHTHONG PRESS, 1526 Anza St., SF, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Sarah Corr. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/18/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013

The

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034760300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FILLMORE LAUNDRY, 1426B Fillmore St., SF, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PRK Ventures Inc. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/07/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034757200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MIKE’S GROCERY & LIQUOR, 2499 Mission St., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BIKO Inc. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/03/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/05/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034761400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SF SHEN YUN PRESENTER, 601 Van Ness Ave. #E808, SF, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed San Francisco Falun Buddha Study Association (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/07/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034777200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE, 301 Main St., SF, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Woodstream Advisors LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/18/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/18/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034775900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LIME TREE, 450 A Irving St., SF, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Siok Ming Tjong. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/18/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/18/12.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-032369600 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: MIKE’S GROCERY & LIQUOR, 2499 Mission St., SF, CA 94110. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by Basem Hasan Kurd. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/06/09.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-032624900 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: FILLMORE LAUNDRY, 1426B Fillmore St., SF, CA 94115. This business was conducted by a husband & wife and signed by Hang Vuong &

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Sreewan Vuong. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/10/10.

DEC 20, 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034774200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WAVEWORKS COACHING, 9 COLERIDGE ST., SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Anne Elizabeth Moellering. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/17/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/17/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034786000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOLDEN KING VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT, 757 CLAY ST., SF, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Philip Vuong. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/21/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/21/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034776300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BRITTANY BARR CONSULTING, 3501 DIVISADERO ST. #20, SF, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Brittany Barr. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/17/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/18/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034784500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: A TRAN’S BAY BIKE SHOP, 1 AVENUE OF THE PALMS #21, SF, CA 94130. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Tammy Sheila Powers. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/20/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034774800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 2BY4 PRODUCTIONS, 3560 24TH ST #3, SF, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Paul Cello. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/15/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/17/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034760600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MASON PACIFIC, 1356-1358 MASON ST., SF, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MTomato LLC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/17/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/07/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034739100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAM’S CABLE CAR LOUNGE, 222 POWELL ST., SF, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed Sirhed Gallery Market LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/28/12.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-034014700 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: GOLDEN KING VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT, 757 & 759 CLAY ST., SF, CA 94108. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by Philip Vuong & Huong T. Vuong. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/21/11.

DEC 27, 2012; JAN 03, 10, 17, 2013 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES Dated 12/21/12 To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: PHAIRATWETCHAPHAN, LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 33 New Montgomery St. #1230, SF, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at 5937 GEARY BLVD., SF, CA 94121-2006. Type of license applied for

41 - ON-SALE BEER & WINE - EATING PLACE JAN 03, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-034787600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: METALMAN, 2275 MCKINNON AVE., SF, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Kwok Yam Jung. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/24/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/24/12.

JAN 03, 10, 17, 24, 2013 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-03479300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: L J C, 101 UTAH ST. # 210-A, SF, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed Reinfrido Z. De Guzman. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 12/28/12.

JAN 03, 10, 17, 24, 2013

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City and County of San Francisco January 2013 Monthly Port of San Francisco Pier 38 Rehabilitation Project REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) The Port of San Francisco is seeking submittals on proposals to rehabilitate and re-tenant the Pier 38 bulkhead structure and a limited portion of the Pier 38 shed. Contact John Doll at: john.doll@sfport.com RFP Submittal Deadline: February 22, 2013 Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund Support San Francisco’s vibrant arts community by donating to the Voluntary Arts Contribution Fund (VACF). Since its inception in 1984, the VACF has provided $1.2 million in vital support to hundreds of the city’s most beloved arts organizations, serving every San Francisco neighborhood. Your gift will make possible important artistic programs and services, including safety improvements and facility upgrades. Be part of why San Francisco is known around the world as an extraordinary arts destination – support the VACF. For more information, and to make a donation, visit www.sfgfta.org or call 415.554.6710. The VACF is a program of Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund. San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (“SFMTA”) In accordance with requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as set forth in 49 CFR Part 26 (Part 26), the SFMTA hereby noties the public that it intends to establish a goal of eleven percent (11%) participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) on the Central Subway Project, to be attained by race-neutral measures. In Part 26, DOT sets forth regulations pertaining to how a recipient should establish an overall goal. The regulations also include provisions regarding how a recipient should, at the direction of the DOT, express an overall goal as a percentage of funds for a project. To facilitate participation by DBEs without regard to race, ethnicity and gender, SFMTA will implement a small business enterprise participation goal on the Central Subway.

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<< Community News

12 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Political Notebook

From page 5

“spontaneously” in unexpected neighborhoods such as Pacific Heights, Visitation Valley, and Fisherman’s Wharf. Republican-appointed Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Clarence Thomas will create the majority votes that overturn both Prop 8 and DOMA, which will be immediately followed by a joint Log Cabin/Alice love-fest in the Castro led by Log Cabin’s president, who will not be nude. Fred Schein Log Cabin San Francisco President Gay political clubs will stop tak-

Rick Gerharter

Glendon Hyde

ing money from the SF Realtors after their disgusting display of homophobic ads and filtering money to elect people who will destroy rent control (right, Alice?). The Castro and District 8 will realize that leadership without community involvement is no leadership at all. Gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener will either realize this lesson or lose his seat to a more community-based leader in two years. Removing benches in Harvey Milk Plaza and banning nudity citywide instead of finding community solutions is wrong and we all know it. There is a difference between community and imperialist decision-making and one makes a leader and one makes a tyrant. Besides, who votes against letting chil-

Guest Opinion

From page 4

crazier than you” – you know if someone still has a lot of work to do before they don’t feel like a commodity or they’re still too fragile or dysfunctional; (3) You are entitled to bring on yourself as much misery as you would like in your early recovery, but you are not entitled to drink or use over it, so be careful. 6. Get creative, get active – just get out. A moving target is harder to hit. Develop a list of alternative activities to do immediately when confronted with urges to act out in ways that would potentially combine sex and drugs. The Bay Area Reporter’s arts section lists many events that do not revolve around using alcohol or other drugs. The Castro Country Club (www.castrocountryclub.org) provides a list of clean and sober community events and meetings. Gayalcoholics (http:// gayalcoholics.com/aa-roundupsevents.html) is a site that provides a list of LGBT AA conventions, which is

News Briefs

From page 3

ter, in a post on the group’s Facebook page, said that people will be removing the lights and thousands of origami cranes and storing them in boxes.

dren from less well off families get a break for riding Muni to school? Only the Grinch of the Castro who views money and having it as more important than community as a whole. The Merchants of Upper Market and Castro will collapse inwardly as the community stops shopping at their stores and loses all money donated from the Castro Street Fair. How hard is it to raise a flag on a flagpole paid for by a street fair and engage the community? To not allow the community to be part of the Castro will be the downfall for this tyrannical organization. Gay people will stop trying to prove we are good or deserving and instead focus on our rich history and be more involved with being ourselves instead of fitting in. We will no longer look to straight acceptance and assimilation to prove we deserve equal rights. We will instead rise like the phoenix and follow our cultural heritage and not look to hetero-normative behaviors for acceptance. This way we can stop the sacrilege of our culture, the assimilation of our people, and the desperate attempt to forget where we came from and instead own our history and be true leaders like we have always been. Different but empowered. We will have our first transgender supervisor and they will win on the strength of their community service, not their moneyed backing. The bubble will burst and we will be able to live here again as we grant another round of rent control to our city. District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim will be board president. The South of Market district will realize its queer historical district and the Folsom Street and Dore Alley fairs will not lose out to the whims of a moderate-leaning view of appropriateness. Oracle will just have to find another week to invade! Glendon Hyde, a.k.a. Anna Conda Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club President

former District 6 Supervisor Chris Daly keep fading. Meanwhile, watch gay attorney David Waggoner, a hero among progressives after helping Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi beat ethics charges. Bob Michitarian Fundraiser and political adviser; corporate attorney

Courtesy Brendalynn Goodall

Jane Philomen Cleland

Brendalynn Goodall

Bob Michitarian

The freedom to marry will be restored. As a legally married same-sex couple, I look forward to my right to have long-term care insurance. We will have full equality when it comes to federal rights and benefits. The East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club will continue its resurgence in 2013. This past year the club has increased partnerships and alliances with our LGBT community and allies. We will continue to grow in both numbers and influence. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan is appointed ambassador to China, leaving her mayoral seat vacant! Brendalynn Goodall East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club President

The U.S. Supreme Court will strike down DOMA and will declare Prop 8 unconstitutional. I was able to marry my partner in 2008 and there are many same-sex couples in California that are in loving relationships, waiting to marry.

Most people predict the Supreme Court will strike down DOMA and let each state decide on same-sex marriage; I expect it to find both DOMA and marriage discrimination unconstitutional. Either way, Justice Antonin Scalia is sure to make an ass of himself during oral arguments. Expect the rulings in June, just in time for Pride, and be ready for a surprise viewpoint from Chief Justice John Roberts. (Also in 2013: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg retires.) Even before the court rules, Rhode Island and Illinois will approve marriage equality. Senator Dianne Feinstein (DCalifornia) successfully resurrects her assault-weapons ban, but the gun lobby blocks broader efforts with self-serving proposals (like arming

every fifth grader with an Uzi). President Obama appoints the first openly LGBT person to the cabinet (Houston Mayor Annise Parker at Transportation? Roberta Achtenberg at HUD?). Lesbian U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (DWisconsin) becomes the Senate’s new Hillary Clinton, succeeding without grandstanding. An inclusive federal Employment NonDiscrimination Act becomes law, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) builds for a Democratic House takeover by 2016. Gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) leads on drug reform; the LGBT Legislative Caucus leverages the supermajority to enhance transgender equality; and gay state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) considers retirement. Former Controller Steve Westly angles to join Obama’s cabinet, and California Attorney General Kamala Harris becomes U.S. attorney general if Eric Holder steps down. In San Francisco moderate liberals continue ascending. Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose patient restraint during the nudity hubbub earned praise from the center, leads others in legislative successes. Lesbian former Navy Commander Zoe Dunning’s star rises; gay Treasurer Jose Cisneros wins reelection. Among more left-leaning progressives, gay Supervisor David Campos, gay College Board member Rafael Mandelman, and School Board member Matt Haney emerge as leading voices, while folks like

just the tip of the iceberg for 12-steprelated social events. Leathermen’s Discussion Group (http://www.sfldg. org) offers many informative and social events that are open to men, women, transgender people, and intersex persons. 5. Be prepared. Understanding the stuff that gets you to associate sex with drug use is one big part of knowing how to address it. What are your triggers? Develop an action plan to anticipate and respond safely to them. Learn how to put brackets around your sex and around your romance life with recovery tools. 4. Chill out and take a time out. Consider taking a cooling off period from sex for a short while after your last use or after a major triggering episode (some say 30 days is a good goal to work toward) to let your thoughts, feelings, and fantasies wind down. Be careful of falling into the “virgin versus whore” trap of restricting so much in your sexuality that you might binge in an unhealthy way. 3. Find good support for you.

Do you have a therapist? Do you have a group? Do you have a sponsor? Do you have some friends you confide in? Take the initiative to be open and honest with these supporters about any secret desires you have to act out in a way that would potentially combine sex and drugs, and any time you want to use sex only for seeking validation. Recognize that everyone has sex problems and that, sometimes, people act out their own problems on you. Sometimes, that is with bad medical advice such as: prescribing “no sex for a year;” labeling you a “sex addict;” telling you that you should “just get over it;” declaring that your desires for either “vanilla” or “kinky” sex are “wrong” or “not sober;” insisting that only monogamy (or only celibacy, or only polyamory) is right for you. Nobody who is working a healthy recovery program will try to be the arbiter of your sex conduct. Learn to discern with your circle of wisdom providers. 2. Remember those supporters from Tip 3. Talk with those people about your thoughts and concerns about not being

able to engage in the kind of erotic sex you want without getting high again. Don’t be afraid to dispute yourself about those thoughts. Remember, having support also means they don’t always have to agree with you; being able to dialogue is part of the learning process, as is navigating different opinions. Ask yourself what you really want out of sex, and what it means to be satisfied (and those may be different things at different times). My colleague Frank Strona likes to say, “It’s allowable for a person to ask, ‘Are you looking for warm fuzzies and breakfast, or are you just looking to get your rocks off?’” Decide which sexual behaviors you may wish to keep away from, which sexual behaviors are those that could place you at risk if you are not applying your recovery tools, and which sexual behaviors enhance your life and recovery. 1. Go back to Tip 3 and grow it. Work on finding, caring for, and nurturing a social and mutual support system to which you can turn. Here is a helpful reading list about these issues: Sex and the Sober Alco-

“We need a lot of folks to help out,” Cotter said. Breakfast, coffee, lunch, and snacks will be provided, along with music. Cotter asks that people let him know if they can help out for a few hours by emailing him at jcotter@

rainbowfund.org. City Hall is located at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place.

of America branch at 501 Castro Street, is now accepting reservations for new users of this community funded meeting space. Interested nonprofit 501(c)3 groups can contact Richard Magary, the user liaison, with questions and requests at magaryr@

Castro meeting room accepting reservations

The Castro Community Meeting Room, located above the Bank

There will be more LGBTs running for office and volunteering in their community, nationwide and locally. I predict the influence of the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club will become even greater than it is now. I also predict more grassroots organizing for HIV/AIDS and senior issues. Because of the passage of Proposition 30, I see better days ahead for California in improving education for public schools, colleges and universities. There will be a new federal law in 2013: a new Brady Bill, a bipartisan assault-weapons ban led by Senator Dianne Feinstein. Marriage equality will become a reality for LGBTs in 2013. On the local level, El Cerrito (where I live) will be adding more affordable senior housing and will be actively pursuing a new public library. I see bicycle rentals as an alternative in weekend local errands. More cities will participate in weekend street closures to encourage neighborhoods to connect and to exercise. I see more art in BART stations: works by local and California artists for riders to enjoy. Gabriel Quinto El Cerrito Human Relations Commissioner Member of East Bay Stonewall and El Cerrito Democratic clubst Due to the holidays the online Political Notes column is on hiatus. It will return Monday, January 14. Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes. Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 8615019 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar. com.

holic, by Toby Rice Drews; The Ethical Slut, by Dossie Easton and Janet Hardy; Sexual Outsiders, by David M. Ortman and Richard A. Sprott; The Myth of Sex Addiction, by David J. Ley; and Codependents Anonymous, by CoDA Inc. If you have made the choice to get better, and you have not examined these issues, now is the time to safeguard your progress by taking a look at these helpful tips.t Luke Adams is an addiction specialist, mental health counselor, minister and longtime community organizer. He currently serves on the team at San Francisco City Clinic on the Mind-Body Program staff. The Mind-Body Program is part of a comprehensive set of services operating out of City Clinic that offer STD/ HIV testing, linkage to care, and mental health/substance use counseling. For more information on the program, contact Luke.Adams@ sfdph.org. For more information on STD/HIV testing at City Clinic visit http://www.SFCityClinic. org.

ix.netcom.com or (415) 431-2359. Room use is limited to nonprofit groups only and reservations cost $25 per meeting. The fee helps cover the associated costs of running the room, including maintenance, cleaning and supplies, and insurance.t

Bunuel classic

Choral memories

Karrnal karma

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Erich Bergen climbs onboard

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Vol. 43 • No. 01 • January 3-9, 2013

‘Anything Goes’ opens at the Golden Gate Theatre by Richard Dodds

t was 10 a.m., and Anything Goes star Erich Bergen was on the phone from Los Angeles. Before breakfast but with coffee in hand, he was revved up for a conversation. He had already warmed up with a phone chat with his mother. “She said, ‘Well, what other things have you gotten yourself into today?’ It’s been like that my entire life. I’m not good at sitting still.” So far, he’s only gotten himself into two extracurricular events during the Jan. 8Feb. 3 run of Anything Goes at the Golden Gate Theatre, including a benefit concert with the Anything Goes company on Jan. 21 for the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, and the debut of a new cabaret act at the relocated Rrazz Room on Jan. 28. It’s a similar pattern to his activities when he helped launch the national tour of Jersey Boys, playing Four Seasons member Bob Gaudio, at the Curran Theatre in 2007. Just 20 years old when he opened in Jersey Boys, it was his first big-time Broadway musical, playing it here for months before another long run in Las Vegas, where he also found time for high-profile outside endeavors, from performing at the Liberace Museum to organizing a benefit concert following the death of Michael Jackson. “I never paid my dues, like most people do in summer stock and what-not,” he said. “I’m sure in my later years I’ll work backwards.”

Bergen worried at first that Anything Goes might be such a backwards step. “I had no desire to go out on the road again and have it not be the mega-hit that Jersey Boys was. Thank God I said yes, because it’s been the time of my life.” In Anything Goes, Bergen plays Billy Crocker, a young Wall Street broker who stows away aboard the S.S. American to pursue the girl of his fantasies, the socialite Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to a titled Englishman. The plot also involves gangsters posing as clergy, and Billy being mistaken for Public Enemy No. 1, though his old friend Reno Sweeney, an evangelist-turned-singer, is also onboard to help Billy in his exploits. Reno Sweeney was the role created in 1934 by Ethel Merman, for whom Cole Porter wrote such songs as “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” and the title song. The touring production, based See page 21 >>

Welcome to 2013 in fine art! by Sura Wood

Joan Marcus

OMG, what a year (for dance)! by Paul Parish

he New Year has arrived, and with it the biggest shockwave for the local art world, the extended closure of SFMOMA, which will be shut down for nearly three years – count ’em. Beginning June 2, the original Mario Botta-designed building undergoes a large expansion project designed to accommodate the Fisher collection and double the facility’s gallery space, though the Swiss architect’s elegant signature atrium is likely to be an unfortunate casualty. The enlarged museum will reopen to the public sometime in 2016. In the meantime, SFMOMA has arranged for out-

Erich Bergen and Alex Finke share a romantic moment on the high seas in the revival of Anything Goes coming to the Golden Gate Theatre.

Courtesy of Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, CA

Kalkidan Mashasha II (The World Stage: Israel), (2011), oil on canvas by Kehinde Wiley, coming to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco.

door installations, site-specific commissions and partnerships with other venues for pop-up shows around town, the latter a dubious prospect at best. It’s never easy when a prominent institution takes a timeout, but it would have been nice if they had established a dedicated beachhead of their own during the construction period, especially given the amount of time it won’t be open for business. SFMOMA’s presence on the scene will definitely be missed. Come springtime, they’ll See page 16 >>

Jiz Lee

Keith Hennessy’s Turbulence, a dance about the economy played the Forum at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts this past year.

{ SECOND OF TWO SECTIONS }

y the time you see this essay, the country may well have run off the fiscal cliff. Will we recover, like Wile E. Coyote always does? If we hit bottom, will we know? Is this it? It’s a spectral feeling, and it’s been a spectral year. The Republicans could not and will not believe we beat them, and we can hardly believe we did it, either. Rents are rising, cranes hover all over SF, Twitter is building, but the “holidays” were spooky, with scenes we did not want to see, like crazed gunmen shooting up the common good. New York City was battered almost as badly as New Orleans, just in time to win the election for Obama. There have been dark times before, and during them, the theater has sometimes held the mirror up to Nature and showed us the image of what we were feeling: Martha Graham’s Lamentation reflected the horrors of the Spanish Civil War; Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free showed us the boys standing between us and Hitler; George Balanchine showed modern urban life in the Age of Anxiety. In the central pas de deux of Agon, Balanchine showed us the end of segregation: a black man and a white See page 14 >>

<< Out There

14 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Deconstruct me, Elmo! by Roberto Friedman

e know that the sad case of Sesame Street’s Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash and his alleged sexual interactions with underage boys is nothing to joke about. But we can’t help feeling that the story would not have reaped such wallto-wall press had Clash been, say, a lighting designer or cameraman on the show. There’s something about the fact that it was his hand stuck up the Elmo puppet’s capacious cavity that transformed a sordid little tale into an international media sensation. We think it’s the puppet, and not just because the Elmo character is given to exclaiming, “Tickle me!” to perfect strangers of both genders. There is just something about the puppet form that captivates the human imagination. Consider the success of theatrical entertainments Avenue Q

and Puppet Up!, which built their appeal on the incongruity of Muppet-looking characters saying the most outrageous things. Some also believe that Mitt Romney’s goose was cooked as soon as he went after the large-beaked iconic puppet Big Bird. Puppets rule. Consider, too, that one of the most popular Internet memes from Hurricane Sandy was footage of a shirtless man wearing a horse’s head trotting around storm-ravaged Brooklyn. In a similar vein, the solidly-built ram/ man seen here in Steven Underhill’s photo was spotted wandering around Union Square. There’s something eerie about a puppet, inhabiting that indeterminate zone between doll and animate being, that grabs us. We believe this explains the appeal of so-called Plushies and Furries, people who like to dress up in soft, furry animal costumes to engage in sexual relations. We even

heard tell of a recent porn film with the descriptive title Panda Gang Bang. It’s the animate/inanimate conundrum brought into service of the libido: can’t fail. The New York Times reported last week on a “gossipy, big-haired crone puppet in Puerto Rico known as La Comay” who became embroiled in scandal when she “commented on the murder of a 32-year-old publicist by pointing out that the victim was in an area frequented by prostitutes and wondered whether he was ‘asking for this.’” Puppets say the darnedest un-p.c. things! We long for the bygone days of Kukla, Fran and Ollie, and also for Shari Lewis’ classic puppets Charlie Horse and Lamb Chop, who was quite the role model for Out There in our childhood. Lewis was always exhorting, “You can do it, Lamb Chop!” And if an adorable sock puppet could do it, we figured, so could we.

Trouper report

Don’t forget The Met Live in HD series, featuring internationally known singers making Metropolitan Opera debuts, simulcast on the cinema screen. The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series, now in its seventh season, is seen by approximately 3,000,000 people in 1,900 theaters in 64 countries. The Les Troyens HD transmission is set for Sat., Jan. 5, at 12:55 p.m. ET (three hours later in the West). The Met presents Berlioz’s vast epic with Deborah Voight as Cassandra, Susan Graham (Met role debut as Dido), Bryan Hymel (substituting for Marcello Giordani as Aeneas) and Dwayne Croft as Coroebus. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi conducts the Francesca Zambello production, critically acclaimed when it premiered at the Met in 2003. Watch out for the giant

Dance 2012

From page 13

woman danced together intimately, in terrifying balance, with ultimate respect and trust. This past year the big-time dance companies presented welcome distractions, and sometimes hovered about the edges of our concerns, but some of the experimental artists went right to the question, “Are

Steven Underhill

Ram/man graces Union Square. What must tourists think?

horse! Finally, re: Laura, reviewed this week: In 1930, gay Clifton Webb, already established as a song-anddance man in the theatre, was brought to Hollywood by MGM. But they didn’t know what to do with him. He was offered a chance to play himself in the Joan Crawford musical Dancing Lady (1933), but he insisted on equal billing with her and co-star Clark Gable. MGM refused and used another Broadway hoofer instead, Fred Astaire, in his film debut, playing himself. Thus, Miss Crawford was Astaire’s first screen dance partner. Webb left

we a society in free fall?” and held onto it for a whole evening’s work. Best of these was a tiny show, Departing Things, which could have been titled Free Fall, presented by Joe Landini at his hole-in-the-wall The Garage, a converted space on Howard St. that held 50 people at most. (Landini has since moved The Garage to Bryant, but it’s very much still going.) The brilliant young performance artist Raphael de Hoyos used the long, skinny Garage space like the fuselage of an airplane, and created an expressionist atmosphere of mingled preposterousness and dread. He made us wait sometimes for anything to happen. Then suddenly someone would dash for the back door and fall off into space. There was a drop back there of about six feet, with a mattress at the bottom. You never knew what was coming next. They split us, the audience, into halves facing each other, with the action happening between us. It often began in your peripheral vision, and required a 90-degree turn of the head to see what was going on. The whole evening, they terrorized and soothed us by turns. Half the small cast would regress into the kind of emotion you feel when the plane’s lights have gone out and you’re getting buffeted all over the sky. Some climbed into the rafters, gibbering like monkeys. Another crammed herself into the bottom of the desk the ticket-takers had used. Next, those who had taken our tickets changed into airline stewards, rolled out that desk (which doubled as a cart), and practiced their calming gestures. They poured out little glasses of water, rolled down the aisle, passed them amongst us (along with little Reese’s cups and plane-sized bottles of Jack Daniels),

Hollywood, thrived in the theatre, and did not appear on screen again until Laura. After Laura, he became a big movie star, so he had the last laugh. Queens often do!t

On the web This week, find Victoria A. Brownworth’s Lavender Tube column, “Happy new year on the lavender tube!” online at ebar.com.

David Cooper

San Francisco Ballet principal ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan, here costumed as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.

and got us talking to each other nervously, as if the lights had come back on and the plane had settled down. De Hoyos is a protégé of Keith Hennessy, who made a huge mess of a dance last year called Turbulence, a dance about the economy. It played the Forum at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, attracted a big crowd, and adopted many of the tropes of the Occupy movement. It had wonderfully anarchic moments, including the apparition of a gigantic golden angel on the grid overhead, a glorious moment. But it died of a surfeit of earnestness, a noble failure. De Hoyos and many other fine performers were in the show, but only the magnificent drag artist Jupiter could transcend the show’s internal contradictions. Many progressive artists came, evSee page 22 >>

Film >>

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

Under the Don’s thumb by David Lamble

ince contemporary Spanish filmmakers seldom dip back into the bad old days under Generalissimo Francisco Franco, if you want a taste of life under Fascism, along with a glimpse of master filmmaker Luis Bunuel working at the top of his craft, the newly restored Tristana must not be missed during its limited Landmark Theatres run, starting Friday. Set in provincial Toledo, Tristana focuses on the collision between feudal and modern values as a young woman (startlingly young Catherine Deneuve, working at the top of her game for a director for whom she was not a first choice), still grieving her dead mother, is placed under the unorthodox “guardianship” of an eccentric nobleman (Fernando Rey) who boldly asserts that he will be both father and husband. This arrangement leads to trouble, although not always in ways our postfeminist minds would think. Don Lope (a nuanced turn from Rey, arguably Bunuel’s favorite male actor) is pushing the envelope, but he’s still well within the values of his decidedly male chauvinist society. Tristana is ambivalent about the arrangement at first, but gradually she tires of the garrulous Don Lope. Through one of Bunuel’s prized coincidences, Tristana meets a young artist (Django Unchained’s Franco Nero). Tristana moves in with the young painter until tragedy strikes. A tumor whose growth requires the amputation of her right leg brings Tristana back under the Don’s domain, whereupon the story takes a truly dark turn. With a rich plot flavored by wonderful takes on Spanish cuisine, Bunuel allows us to luxuriate in a Dark Ages battle of the sexes with two deeply flawed protagonists. Rey portrays a man who denounces the church and powerful people who take advantage of the weak, while taking what appear to be outrageous liberties with his ward. Later, Don Lope recants his ferocious anticlerical views and literally snuggles up to some hot-chocolate-loving priests. Deneuve’s Tristana goes from bizarrely submissive to surprisingly modern in her liaison with Nero’s painter, then to violently puritanical when crippled. Bunuel injects his usual surreal touches, such as an ongoing nightmare where Tristana imagines the dismembered head of Don Lope as a church bell-clapper. There’s also a touch of naughty eroticism as Tristana bares her breasts to a lustful deaf-mute boy. See Tristana for a return to the days when foreign language art-films were more than just trendy brand-name products. Tchoupitoulas “I need my beauty rest.” The pint-sized teen William Zanders, and older brothers Bryan and Kentrell, become our guides to some uniquely New Orleans sights and sounds in the Ross Brothers’ (Bill and Turner) nocturnal doc crawl through a funky but pleasurable Gulf Coast fairyland (opens at the Roxie). Giving us a post-Katrina Big Easy sunset to sunrise, the camera-wielding brothers follow the teen bros from the Algiers ferry through a dreamlike journey, with stops in virtually every down-anddirty dive in the French Quarter. As sublime as the camerawork is, it’s almost topped by the flute-playing William as he opines on what it would be like if Michael Jackson were still alive and dancing his ass off, his desire to stay forever young, and the injustice of being perpetually surrounded by taller folks. The lads seem largely unfazed by their parting glances at adult carnal pleasures. The Ross Bros., zipping

The startlingly young Catherine Deneuve stars as the title character in Luis Bunuel’s Tristana.

backstage to show us more than the Zanders see, are still discreet enough to make the survey a soft R by my standards. The Zanders create drama by missing the last ferry home and trespassing through an abandoned ship. A sumptuous tour through America’s oldest, hippest city, Tchoupitoulas is also a tantaliz-

ing African American coming-ofage story. The Ross Bros.’ production notes hint at an even edgier backstory. “We drank too much, slept too little, and broke the law. It got weird. We disrobed at a gay karaoke bar to Duran Duran so that we could get permission to film there. We shot

under the pier with a homeless man. The next day, while watching dailies, we listened on the lavalier mic as he plotted with his buddy to kill us.” Last Night at the Bridge It took an hour thanks to Muni’s obnoxious imposition of Saturday schedules, but I made it on Dec. 27 for possibly the last film program at San Fran-

cisco’s historic pre-WWII Art Deco movie palace, the Bridge. Wolfing down a box of Peanut M&Ms, I relished every queer-empowering beat of The Perks of Being a Wallflower with a young crowd, mostly loyal parishioners of Peaches Christ’s Midnight Mass shows. Following a trip to the tiniest Men’s Room in North America, I joined Midnight movie fans reminiscing about drag shows. The Bridge was doomed because its classically designed interior – 400 seats, with that 1950s standby, the smoking lodge – was unsuited for twinning. Possibly the best Bridge anecdote appears in Tristana director Luis Bunuel’s chatty memoir My Last Sigh. Bunuel recalls That Obscure Object of Desire’s distinctly surreal San Francisco reception. “Ironically, a bomb exploded on October 16, 1977, in the Bridge Theatre; and during the confusion that followed, four reels were stolen and the walls covered with graffiti like, ‘This time you’ve gone too far!’ There was some evidence to suggest that the attack was engineered by a group of homosexuals, and although those of this persuasion didn’t much like the film, I’ve never been able to figure out why.”t

<< Film

16 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Behaving badly in Tarantino land by David Lamble

t’s 1858 in Django Unchained, two years before the first shot will be fired in the Civil War, and an itinerate bounty hunter posing as a traveling dentist (Christoph Waltz) rescues a slave, Django (Jamie Foxx), from a gang of ruthless slave-traders. “What do you like about the bounty business?” “You kill white folk, and get paid for it.” “How would you like to partner with me through the winter?” “Why do you want to help me?” “As a German, I would like to help a real-life Siegfried rescue his Brunhilde.” The two strike up a unique bond, aiming to make money and free Django’s German-speaking wife, Broomhilda (Kerry Washington), from the clutches of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio), the cruel master of Mississippi’s Candyland plantation. “So what is the point of having a nigger who speaks German if you can’t wheel her out for a German guest?” Candie is a brutally comic turn from DiCaprio, allowing him perhaps to finally shed the pretty-boy aura of Titanic, and maybe notch that elusive Oscar. Candie is also director Quentin Tarantino’s way of both accurately depicting and sending up America’s original sin. A perverse sequel to his Nazihunting provocation Inglourious Basterds, Django is pure torture for the politically pious, but mother’s milk to everyone else. One of Django’s greatest guilty

Jamie Foxx as the title character in Django Unchained.

pleasures is one of the best bad-ass black/white buddy pairings ever, as Waltz’s bounty hunter/dentist – the sight of the swinging tooth sign over his wagon is one of the picture’s great sight-gags – is able to lay it on the line to Foxx’s Django. Django uses his newly acquired status as an emancipated slave to really put it to Calvin Candie with his sadistic slave-fighting “mandingo” exhibitions. Here, Waltz’s King Schultz cautions Django that his gamesmanship may upset their efforts to free Broomhilde. “He didn’t call her by name, but

she’s a young lady with marks on her back, who speaks German. Now, while it’s not wise to assume, in this instance I think it’s pretty safe – the point being, don’t get so carried away with your retribution that you lose sight of why we’re here.” “You think I lost sight of that?” “Yes, I do! Stop antagonizing Candie!” “I’m not antagonizing, I’m intriguing him.” “You’re increasing the abuse of these poor slaves.” “I will call the man who had me kill another man in front of his

son, and he didn’t bat an eye. Remember that? So that’s what I’m doing – I’m getting dirty.” As Django gets really dirty preparing for a third-act apocalypse, we sense Tarantino’s announced aim to give African Americans who felt cheated by the sentimental ending of Roots (spare the white man his just desserts) their full cinema payback. And while Django works as a hilarious send-up of what many of us had previously considered pretty cheesy subgenres – spaghetti Westerns and grade-Z Asian martial arts dust-ups – it genuinely deals with a lot of issues that more traditionally respectable filmmakers have pointedly dodged forever. Consider Samuel L. Jackson’s character, a thorn in the side of correctness as the chief house servant who in some ways is more committed to the worst excesses of slavery than his master Candie. Jackson, who performed with equal brilliance as Tarantino’s terminal force of nature in Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown, here becomes the equivalent of the movie’s Count Dracula: Broomhilde will not be safe as long as this creature lives. Jackson, like Waltz, has fully mastered the poetry of Tarantino’s big speeches. It’s been widely noted that Django Unchained has more than a hundred invocations of that pesky “n-word,” the most since Richard Pryor – Live in Concert. Those who truly relished Tarantino’s breakout hit Pulp Fiction recall the moment when he wrote himself the blank check – the freedom to say what he pleased – that he’s since

Fine art 2013

From page 13

present a major retrospective of the work of Garry Winogrand, a street photographer and chronicler of American life influenced by the likes of Robert Frank, Walker Evans and Cartier-Bresson. The first comprehensive exhibition the artist has had in a quarter-century includes over 300 images (Mar. 9-June 2). In another notable transition, the Exploratorium, after 43 years at the Palace of Fine Arts, moves to its new home at Pier 15, where it can spread out in its campus-like setting on San Francisco Bay. It’s slated to open its doors April 17. We’ll see what the future holds for them, SFMOMA and the rest of us, as well as the Contemporary Jewish Museum and FAMSF, which, as of this writing, do not have permanent directors in place. Although there are plenty of exhibitions to choose from and some true standouts like the Asian’s exciting Terracotta Warriors show opening at the end of February, this year, at least so far, is shaping up to be one of the least thrilling in recent memory. I sincerely hope to be proven wrong. Check out some of what’s in store below and judge for yourself. GLBT History Museum Migrating Archives: LGBT Delegates from Other Collections illuminates queer lives in a dozen different nations with materials that combine art and history. Institutions based in Italy, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, the Philippines, Hungary, England, the U.S. and others participated in the show, each contributing videos, photographs, artifacts and documents representing the experiences of one or two individuals, some famous, others anonymous. (Opens Feb. 1) Contemporary Jewish Museum Kehinde Wiley - The World Stage: Israel A young African-American artist exploring diasporas, cultural hybrids and identity, Wiley trolled Israel’s discos, malls, bars and sport-

Estate of Garry Winogrand, courtesy Fraenkel Gallery, SF

Los Angeles, 1964, gelatin silver print by Garry Winogrand, collection SFMOMA, gift of Jeffrey Fraenkel.

ing events for the subjects of these 18 portraits of men from diverse cultural backgrounds – Ethiopian Jews, Jewish and Arab Israelis – impacted by hip-hop culture. (Feb. 14-May 27); Beat Memories: The Photographs of Allen Ginsberg Nostalgia for and preoccupation with Ginsberg and the band of happy warriors of the Beat Generation abides. In over 80 photographs here with personalized captions penned by the poet, Ginsberg captures the lads – William S. Burroughs, Neal Cassady, Gregory Corso and Jack Kerouac – who were his co-conspirators and close companions during the high times of those rebel days. (May 23-Sept. 9) Berkeley Art Museum Silence, inspired by the late provocateur and “chance operations” guru John Cage, celebrates the centenary of the composer’s birth with a show that considers the absence of sound as a subject and point of departure for cinema and contemporary art. It includes works by an eclectic group: Joseph Beuys, Stan Brakhage, Marcel Duchamp, Nat Dorsky, Rene Magritte, Maya Deren, Warhol and Rauschenberg, among others. (Jan. 30-April 28); the final performances of San Francisco choreographer

Anna Halprin’s 1965 piece Parades and Changes are staged in conjunction with a display of scores, and documentation of the history of dance. (Feb.15-April 21); Yang Fudong The dreamlike films, installations and painterly photography by the meteoric star of contemporary Chinese art express the anxieties, ambivalence and disconnection of a fast-changing materialistic society. (mid-Aug. through Dec.) OMCA Summoning Ghosts: The Art of Hung Liu Though fragments of Hung Liu’s seductive body of work have surfaced over the years at Bay Area venues, this show is the first comprehensive survey of the prominent Chinese-born, Oakland-based painter, whose primary subjects are the mutable nature of memory and the arduous history of China, especially the hardships endured by women. The show features an array of paintings, personal photos and private sketchbooks with examples of art produced before the artist moved to the U.S. (Mar. 16June 30) De Young Rembrandt’s Century Who can resist Rembrandt? Not I. This selection of etchings by the 17thcentury painter, which demonstrates his mastery of printmaking, along

Courtesy Asian Art Museum

Armed Kneeling Archer from China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy, coming to the Asian Art Museum.

with engravings, ink drawings and watercolors by his predecessors and acolytes, runs concurrently with Girl with a Pearl Earring: Dutch Paintings from the Mauritshuis, a rarely seen collection from The Hague’s gem-like repository of artworks from the Golden Age. (Jan. 26-June 2); Eye Level in Iraq: Photographs by Kael Alford and Thorne Anderson is comprised of pictures from the front taken by a pair of experienced photojournalists working outside of the military “embed” program. Their images depict the impact and aftermath of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. (Feb. 9-June 16) The Asian Art Museum launches its 10th anniversary in the Civic Center location transformed by Italian architect Gae Aulenti, who died late last year, with China’s Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s Legacy. China has lent 10 statues – the maximum allowed outside the country – of the 8,000 discovered so far in an ancient tomb, as well as 120 objects excavated from the vast necropolis. The astonishing archaeological find in 1974 unearthed a literal legion of eerily life-like, life-

cashed in Django. That moment was the film’s infamous “Dead Nigger Storage” episode, in which Tarantino’s white househusband character invoked the previously taboo epithet, in the process immunizing his talented multi-racial cast if the stunt were to backfire. A generation before, Mel Brooks had performed a similar reverseminstrel show, daring for that time, wherein the white folks in his Blazing Saddles frontier town were so nasty to the suave black marshal (Cleavon Little) that it seemed as if the “n-word” might lose some of its terrible sting. A lot of us were wrong in predicting an early end to the worst of American Apartheid. The very existence and, yes, necessity of Django Unchained shows how very wrong we were. In my 2012 Top Films list, I deliberately paired Lincoln with Django. In effect, Tarantino imagines a pre-Civil War revolt of emancipated blacks that’s the equivalent to the climax of his Inglourious Basterds: blow up the Nazis in the theater. Director Spike Lee has reportedly denounced Django while simultaneously asserting he’ll never see it, a sad tactic for such a smart artist. While turf and artistic ego issues can explain Lee’s stance, for the rest of us Tarantino’s outrageously brilliant caper – a fitting response to D.W. Griffith’s wretched, rancid brilliance in Birth of a Nation – is a loose-cannon Best Picture pick, with bows to Mel Brooks, Richard Wagner, Mark Twain, Sergio Leone, and such deliciously trashy potboilers as Mandingo.t

size soldiers, chariots and horses. Like the Egyptian pharaohs, the first emperor was obsessed with immortality and with proving that, yes, you can take it with you. (Feb. 22-May 27); In the Moment: Japanese Art from the Larry Ellison Collection demonstrates that million-dollar catamarans are not the Oracle mogul’s sole interest. The exhibition of Ellison’s holdings coincides with the America’s Cup races in the summer (June 28-Sept. 22); The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia Uncovered in 1879 at Babylon, and dating back to 539 BCE, the Cylinder, which appears to encourage human rights and freedom of religion in the Persian Empire, is considered one of the great surviving relics of the ancient world. (Aug. 9-Sept. 20) Cantor Arts Center The Jameel Prize: Art Inspired by the Islamic Tradition, which illustrates how artists and designers translate historic traditions into contemporary art (through Mar. 10), is a major show, but some smaller exhibitions also merit attention, like one showcasing 24 works by that ubiquitous appropriator, Andy Warhol. More Than Fifteen Minutes: Andy Warhol and Celebrity displays prints, drawings, and Polaroid photographs of Mao Tse Tung, Mick Jagger, and other famous mugs (Feb. 20-June 30), while Inspired by Temptation: Odilon Redon and Saint Anthony presents three lithographic albums by the great French symbolist, inspired by Flaubert’s 1874 novel about a third-century monk who retreats to the desert to contemplate God, and is visited by demons and erotic visions instead (July 30-Oct. 20); and in the fall, look forward to Carrie Mae Weems: Three Decades of Photography and Video, an important exhibition from the formidable African-American artist who takes up gender, race and class in American society, without flinching. (Oct. 16Jan. 5, 2014) San Jose Museum of Art has two See page 17 >>

DVD >>

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 17

Dueling metrosexuals by Tavo Amador

etrosexual” is a contemporary term for a straight man who has many attributes once associated with gay males. He’s cultured, stylish, witty, snobbish and was superbly personified by Kelsey Grammar and David Hyde-Pierce on TV’s longrunning sitcom Frasier. Classic Hollywood had several actors who fit that description long before the word was coined. Claude Rains, George Sanders, Clifton Webb, and Vincent Price often played such parts. Webb and Price are among the stars of Laura (1944), Otto Preminger’s debut film, which has just been released in a new DVD. The movie opens with an off-camera patrician voice lamenting, “I shall never forget the weekend Laura died. A silver sun burned through the sky like a magnifying glass. It was the hottest Sunday in my recollection. I felt as if I were the only human being left in New York. For with Laura’s horrible death, I was alone. I, Waldo Lydecker, was the only one who knew her, and I was just about to write Laura’s story when another one of those detectives came to see me.” Webb plays the acerbic columnist and radio commentator. The audience first sees him typing while sitting in his huge bathtub, in a bathroom bigger than most Manhattan apartments. He’s speaking to Detective Lt. Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) about Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney). McPherson comments that Waldo’s statement to him about where he was when Laura was murdered is identical to the one he gave to the officer at the crime scene. “I’m the most misquoted man in America,” replies Waldo, unfazed. A flashback shows how Waldo and Laura met. Stylishly attired, he accompanies McPherson to visit Laura’s Aunt, Ann Treadwell (Judith Anderson), and Laura’s alleged fiancé, Shelby Carpenter (Price). Waldo dismisses Shelby as “a male beauty,” and expresses doubts that Laura loved him. At Laura’s apartment, Shelby foolishly plants a key to her country house in a nightstand, then pretends to find it. McPherson points out that it wasn’t listed in the official inventory. Shelby admits, “I’m a natural-born suspect,” and offers a poor excuse for his behavior. He comes from a once-wealthy family but, until he met Laura, had no visible means of support. She gave him a job in her company. McPherson discovers that Ann is infatuated with Shelby and has been giving him large sums. She resented Laura’s interest in him, yet professes to have been very fond of her niece. Shelby encourages Ann’s attention and generosity. On the night of the murder, he claims he was at the symphony, but when asked about the program, gives the wrong answer. He and Waldo snipe at each other, Waldo certain that Laura would never have married him and suggesting that, knowing the truth, he killed her. Shelby may have been having an affair with a model who resembled Laura. McPherson becomes obsessed with the dead woman, whose portrait hangs above the mantle of her swank apartment. Unexpectedly, the mystery of Laura is resolved, but it results in another mystery somehow connected to the first. Waldo and McPherson make an odd team, the Brahmin impressed

Fine art 2013

From page 16

cutting-edge Asian-themed shows on tap: Rising Dragon: Contemporary Chinese Photography (Feb. 20-June 30) and New Stories from the Edge of Asia: This/That (Feb. 21-Sept. 15). Artists channel Greek mythology to plumb the uncon-

with the working-class cop’s intelligence and determination. McPherson is amused by Waldo and flattered by his admiration, but it doesn’t impede his investigation. The ending is surprising and suspenseful. Preminger, who replaced an ailing Ernst Lubitsch at the last moment, directs with great fluidity, keeping the action moving, and balancing it with the unforgettable dialogue. The chic world of Manhattan’s Upper East Side in the 1940s is flawlessly evoked. The exquisite Tierney is splendid as Laura: warm, intelligent, independent, well-bred but assertive. Price is appropriately ambiguous, combining Shelby’s charm and his unsavory traits. Anderson is excellent: aristocratic, knowing, admitting that neither she nor Shelby is good, that they belong together, and determined to make that happen. Andrews gives a shrewd performance, balanced between bemusement and authority. His plebeian virility is appealing. The acting honors, however, belong to Webb. He rattles off epigrams with a dry wit that Oscar Wilde would have appreciated. He drips snobbery and condescension, yet at times is sympathetic, especially when explaining how, for Laura, he tried to be the kindest, gentlest man on earth. The gay Webb (1889-1966), returning to films after 14 years of theatrical success, would become a box-office star in the late 1940s and 50s. The lush, Oscar-winning blackand-white cinematography is by Joseph LaShelle. Preminger was nominated for Best Director, Webb for Best Supporting Actor, Jay Dratler, Samuel Hofferstein, and Elizabeth Rhinehardt for their adaptation of Vera Caspary’s brilliant novel, and Lyle Wheeler, Leland Fuller, and Thomas Little for their interior decoration. Bonnie Cashin designed the tony costumes. David Raksin’s original score included the famous title song. The sentimental Going My Way was 1944’s Best Picture Academy Award winner, a decision that would mystify most viewers and critics today. Although Laura failed to get nominated in that category, it, Double Indemnity, and Gaslight are the movies from that year that have withstood the test of time.t

scious mind and address race, war and desire for Swans, Swine, and Sirens (April 18-Dec. 1); and in Annie Leibovitz: Pilgrimage, the phenomenally successful portrait photographer behind those splashy, theatrically staged Vogue and Vanity Fair magazine spreads “branches” out, extending her oeuvre to landscapes and interiors. (June 6-Sept. 8)t

ebar.com

<< Out&About

18 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Fri 4

Jack Kerouac in San Francisco

Archer Live @ The Fillmore Panel discussion and readings by the voiceover cast of the wacky FX spy comedy animated series, with H. Jon Benjamin as Agent Sterling Archer, Aisha Tyler as Agent Lana Kane, Jessica Walter as Malory Archer, Chris Parnell as Cyril Figgis, Amber Nash as Pam Poovey, Lucky Yates as Krieger, series creator/executive producer Adam Reed as Agent Ray Gillette and executive producer Matt Thompson. $30-$45. 9pm. 1805 Geary Blvd. www.Ticketmaster.com

Desert Jewels @ MOAD

Forward. by Jim Provenzano “Fame is old newspapers blowing down Bleecker Street.” – Jack Kerouac

he past is forward, or something like that, where the best stuff and the worst stuff from decades ago is getting churned out again; remakes, revamps, and do-overs. I’m not sure if the upcoming naughtier dramatic adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road will be worth watching (the casting of Kristen Stewart should be a warning), but a panel discussion at the Public Library should explain a few things to Beat Lit newbies, and chainsmoking college sophomores who long to be writers (Get in line, kid. The future is crowded.). Kerouac biographer Gerald Nicosia chairs a panel discussion with Kerouac and Beat experts Peter Coyote, Dennis McNally, Joanna McClure, Rick Dale and Brad Parker. They will examine the cultural and artistic impact of the novel over the past 55 years and how the new movie is likely to affect Beat influence in our culture as well as how the Beats themselves are viewed in the new film and as icons. Thursday, Jan. 10. 6pm. Main Library, Lower Level, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St. at Grove. www.sfpl.org Balancing the frustrated machisSomething Cloudy, mo of Jack with the more emotional Something Clear. flair of Tennessee Williams, Theatre Rhino presents Something Cloudy, Something Clear at the Eureka Theatre. Williams’ rarely-produced play dramatizes a game of love and death between a playwright and two drifters. $10-$15. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Jan 13. 215 Jackson St. (800) 838-3006. www.TheRhino.org Kent Taylor

For the comic book-loving theatre fan, Berkeley Repertory unleashes yet another promising production. Previews begin this week for Dan LeFranc’s commissioned Troublemaker, or The Freakin Kick-A Adventures of Bradley Boatright, about a teenager who sees himself as a protective superhero. $29-$77. Previews thru Jan 6. Opening night Jan 9. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed & Sun 7pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru Feb 3. Thrust Stage, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 6472917. www.berkeleyrep.org

Troublemaker.

Comedy Bodega @ Esta Nocha

Pictorialism: The Photograph Becomes Art, a new exhibit of historic prints that visualize the posed, artistic aspect of early art photographers (Alfred Stieglitz, Imogen Cunningham and many others). Thru Feb 23. Tue-Sat 11am-5:30pm. (first Thursdays til 7:30pm). 49 Geary St. Suite 410. 7811122. www.roberttat.com

The Lion King @ Orpheum Theatre Disney’s long-running musical (and the highest grossing Broadway show in history) based on the animated film makes a return to the Bay Area. $32.50-$150. Tue-Sat 8pm. Sat 2pm, Sun 1pm. (closed or different times for some holidays). Thru Jan. 13, 2013. (888) 746-1799. www. shnsf.com

Nayland Blake @ YBCA FREE!LOVE!TOOL!BOX! , the former Bay Area artist’s new exhibit of conceptual and assembled found-object, personal installations and artworks, each with queer themes, including a DJ booth with his own large record collection. Also, Nathalie Djurberg’s amazing colorful creature sculptures. $12-$15. Thru Jan. 27. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission St. 979-2787. www.naylandblake.net www.ybca.org

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

Hedwig and the Angry Inch @ Boxcar Theatre New local production of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s popular transgender rock operetta, with multiple actor-singers perfoming the lead (Arturo Galster, John Lewis, James Mayagoitia, Ste Fishell, Nikkie Arias, Nicole Julien, Anastasia Bonaccorso, and CC Sheldon). $25-$35. Wed-Sat 8pm. Also Sat 5pm. Thru Jan 26. 505 Natoma St. 967-2227. www.boxcartheatre.org

Henry Gunderson @ Ever Gold Gallery Apocalypse Shelter, the artist’s exhibit of works depicting glass skulls and other pop culture end days imagery. Wed-Sat 1pm-6pm. Thru Jan 5. 441 O’Farrell St. 796-3676. www.evergoldgallery.com

Out of Character @ Asian Art Museum

Pictorialism @ Robert Tat Gallery

Exhibit of the artist’s colorful figure studies and drawings. Thru Jan 7. 565 Sutter St. 393-4511. www.nietofineart.com

Monthly street festival and art gallery party, with thousands of people, food trucks, outdoor DJ booths and more. 5pm10pm. Downtown area. www.oaklandfirstfridays.org

NorCal Americana duo perform at a night of folk-bluegrass music in a Winter Formal-themed night, with Tiny Television and Misisipi Mike. All ages. $15. $40 with dinner. 9pm. 859 O’Farrell St. 885-0750. www.slimspresents.com

Thu 3

Fernando Reyes @ Nieto Fine Art

First Fridays @ Oakland Galleries

The Leaves @ Great American Music Hall

Kevin Berne

The weekly LGBT and indie comic stand-up night. Frankie Quinones headlines with Drennon Davis, Cassandra Gorges, Justin O’Neill, Vero Garcia, Robbie Parras and Marga Gomez. 8pm-9:30pm. 3079 16th St. at Mission. www.comedybodega.com

North African Jewelry and Photography from the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès Collection, an exhibit of nearly 100 pieces of jewelry from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, plus documentary photographs. Thru Jan 21. $5-$10. Members free. WedSat 11am-6pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St. 358-7200. www.moadsf.org

Promised Land @ San Francisco Centre Matt Damon stars as a oil company flak who tries to sell farmers on fracking in a film directed by Gus Van Sant. $8.50-$12. Rated R.Various times. 835 Market St. (800) 326-3264. www.focusfeatures.com/ promised_land

Psycho Science, Afterschool Specials @ Oddball Films Wacky vintage short films about bats, time, sense perception and more. 8pm. Fri, Jan 4: The After School Extra Special Cut, featuring the best scenes from the most earnest and unintentionally campy educational TV movies starring Scott Baio, Kristy McNichol, Brady kids Eve Plumb and Chris Knight, and more. Also 8pm. $10 each. 275 Capp St. 558-8117. www.oddballfilms. blogspot.com

Decoding Chinese Calligraphy, an exhibit of modern and ancient scripted art, with numerous special events, workshops and discussions. Free-$12. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Thru Jan 13. 200 Larkin St. 581-3500. www.asianart.org

Woyzeck @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley Shotgun Players’ production of Robert Wilson’s re-conceived musical revision of Georg Buchner’s stage play, with music and lyrcis by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan; a tragic tale about a soldier who returns home to find his girl is having an affair. $25-$35. Wed & Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru Jan 27. 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. (510) 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org

Sat 5 100 Years of Rural California @ California Historical Society Exhibit of 150 large-scale color prints by writer-photographer Lisa Hamilton, and archival selections dating back to the 1880s. Thru Mar. 24. 2013. 678 Mission St. 357-1848. www.californiahistoricalsociety.org

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves @ Castro Theatre 75th anniversary restored print of Disney’s first feature color animated film is shown. Bring the kids! $8.50-$12. 1:30pm, 3:45pm, 6pm. 8:15pm. Thru Jan 5. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

100 Years of Rural California. See Sat.

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi Musical comedy revue, now in its 35th year, with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. Reg: $25-$130. Wed, Thu, Fri at 8pm. Sat 6:30, 9:30pm. Sun 2pm, 5pm. (Beer/wine served; cash only). 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 4214222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Bell, Book and Candle @ SF Playhouse Romantic comedy about a mortal man and a witch (the play and film inspired Bewitched ). $30-$60. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Jan 19. 450 Post St. above Farallon Restaurant. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws: Gay San Francisco, 1985-1988 @ SF Public Library Thomas Alleman’s exhibit of fascinating new large-print photos from San Francisco’s mid-1980s gay community, from the onslaught of AIDS to nightlife and arts celebrations. Exhibit thru Feb 10, 2013. Jewitt Gallery, lower level, 100 Larkin St. at Grove. www.allemanphoto.com www.sfpl.org

Earthquake @ California Academy of Sciences New exhibit and planetarium show with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about our ever-shifting earth. $20-$30. Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am-5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Eric Fischl @ San Jose Museum of Art Exhibit of a dozen-plus large paintings, and other works by the prominent post-modern neo-realist. Thru May 12, 2013. 110 South Market St. www.SanJoseMuseumofArt.org

Go Bang @ The Stud The super disco electric retro fun monthly dance night, with resident DJs Sergio Fedasz and Steve Fabus, with guest spinners Michael Serafini and Tyrell Williams. $7 (free before 10pm) 21+ 9pm-3am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.gobangsf.com www.studsf.com

Homo Erectus @ Q Bar New sexy monthly party from the Cockfight gang (DJs MyKill and DCNSTRCT), and their sloppy gogo guys; first Saturdays. $5. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.qbarsf. com www.ClubHomoErectus.com

Hurricane Sandy Benefit @ Café Du Nord Benefit concert with Elena Ovalle, The Liz O Show, Katie Giribaldi and Gyasi Ross bands. $8. 9pm. 2170 Market St. 861-5016. www.cafedunord.com

Jasper Johns, Jay DeFeo @ SF MOMA Two exhibits of the American artists’ works. Thru Feb 3. Also, Paul Klee’s Circus, Alessandro Pessoli, the photo exhibit South Africa in Apartheid and After (Thru Mar 3), and other works and ongoing Modern art exhibits. Free-$18. 151 3rd St. at Mission. Thu-Tue 11am-5:45pm (8:45 Thursdays). 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org

Leilani Bustamante @ Modern Eden Gallery Solo exhibition of the artist’s evocative paintings. Wed-Sun 11am-7pm. Thru Jan 6. 403 Francisco St. 956-3303. www.moderneden.com

The Listener @ The Marsh Charlie Varon performs his new show of five origianl comic stories in a workshop production. $15-$50. Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm. Thru Jan 27. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

The Marvelous Wonderettes @ New Conservatory Theatre Center NCTC’s production of the upbeat hit OffBroadway musical about three women in the late 1950s who reminisce while singing ‘50s and early ‘60s pop tunes. $20-$50 (fun-pack). Wed-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. Thru Jan 13. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 8618972. www.nctcsf.org

Roy Zimmerman. See Sun.

Nick Weber: Broadband @ Resipsa Gallery, Oakland Intriguing exhibit of paintings based on imagery from online porn. Saturdays, 1pm-4pm. Thru Jan. 11. 455 17th st. #301. Oakland. www.resipsagallery.com

Really Rosie @ New Conservatory Theatre

Carole King’s musical adaptation of the popular Maurice Sendak children’s book series Nutshell Kids, about some imaginative Brooklyn children; performed by NCTC’s Youth Conservatory Program. Sat 2pm & 4pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Jan 13. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Xavier MTW @ Glamarama Foucault at the Food Co., a whimsical visual story exhibit by a new local gay artist, at the fab hair salon. Thru Jan. 5, 2013. 304 Valencia St. www.glamarama.com

Royal Treasures from the Louvre @ Legion of Honor Exhibit of decorative arts, most never seen in the U.S., from the reigns of Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette, from the Musée du Louvre, Paris. Free-$20. Tue-Sun 9:30am5:15pm. Thru March 17. Lincoln Park, 34th Ave and Clement St. www.legionofhonor.org

The William S. Paley Collection: A Taste for Modernism @ de Young Museum New exhibit of varied and little-seen Modern Art works collected by the New York art patron with a diverse taste, including paintings by Cezanne, Picasso, Matisse Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec and others. Also, This World Is Not My Home: Photographs by Danny Lyon, thru Jan. 27. $10-$20. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. (til 8:45pm Fridays) Thru Dec. 30. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Roads @ Gauntlet Gallery Witty group exhibit of pop art in various media, all dealing with imagery from 1980s movies, at the new gallery. 11am6pm Tue-Sat. Thru Jan 17. 1040 Larkin St. (650) 209-0278. www.gauntletgallery.com

Sun 6 David Barnett @ Castro Country Club Exhibit of landscape and pet paintings by the local gay artist. Sales benefit the artist and the CCC; pet portrait commissions also available. Exhibit through Jan 18. 4058 18th St. www.DavidBarnettArt.com www.CastroCountryClub.org

Roy Zimmerman @ Macondray Hall Satirical singer-songwriter-guitarist, in the spirit of Tom Lehrer and Phil Ochs, performs music from his CD, Funny Songs About Ignorance, War and Greed. $18. 6pm. Universalist Unitarian Hall, 1187 Franklin St. www.royzimmerman.com

Out&About >>

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 19

Breaking News @ SOMArts Cultural Center

John-Waguespack’s art See Wed.

Guest curator Laura Arrington’s one-night Breaking News, a collaborative 30-artist event with a queer edge, including Keith Hennessy, Jesse Hewitt, Sam Kehl, Joe Landini, Mica Sigourney, Samantha Giron and others; participation encouraged. $5. 7:30pm-9pm. 934 Brannan St. at 9th. www.somarts.org/thenews

The Drag Show @ Various Channels

SF Hiking Club @ Crystal Springs Trail

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room

Join GLBT hikers for an 8-mile hike on the paved trail that runs parallel to the Crystal Springs Reservoir; hike across the San Andreas Reservoir, which straddles the San Andreas Fault. Bring water, lunch, layers, comfortable shoes. Carpool meets 9:00 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. (650) 615-0151. www.sfhiking.com

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

Ezra Jack Keats @ Contemporary Jewish Museum

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s

The Snowy Day and the Art of Exra Jack Keats, an exhibit of original artwork from the popular children’s book author/ illustraotr. Thru Feb 24. Also, The Radical Camera: New York’s Photo League, a group exhibition of fascinating photos from 1936-1951 taken by members of the progressive collective that documented the eras of postwar struggles, McCarthy blacklists, and urban life. Other exhibits ( California Dreaming and Black Sabbath ) ongoing. Free (members)-$12. Thu-Tue 11am-5pm (Thu 1pm-8pm) 736 Mission St. 655-7800. www.thecjm.org

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 Popular country western LGBT dance night $5-$8. 6:30pm-10:30pm with lessons from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Also Sundays 5pm10:30pm with lessons from 5:30-7:15 pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

Mon 7 Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht (aka Trauma Flintstone). 9pm-1:30am. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Picklewater Clown Cabaret @ Stage Werx Theatre One-night circus variety show and benefit for Circus Finelli. $10-$15. 8pm. 446 Valencia St. www.picklewater.com

Ten Percent @ Comcast 104

Stu Smith’s weekly LGBT variety show features local talents, and not just drag artistes. Channels 29 & 76 on Comcast; 99 on AT&T and 30 on Astound. www. thedragshow.org

Safeway Holiday Ice Rink @ Union Square The popular downtown ice skating rink is open. $5-$10. Open daily 10am-11:30pm thru Jan 21. Powell St. at Geary. www. unionsquareicerink.com

Wed 9 Play Fair @ GLBT History Museum Play Fair! The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Make Sex Safer, an exhibit of safe sex promotional efforts. Also, For Love and Community: Queer Asian Pacific Islanders Take Action 1960-1990s, an exhibit organized by queer and transgender Asian Pacific Islanders. Mon-Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. 4127 18th St. 621-1107. www.glbthistorymuseum.org

David Perry’s talk show about LGBT people and issues. This week, Perry chats with Joe Wolosz, co-owner of Gentleman Farmer Wines. Perry also speaks with Todd Trexler, a poster artist whose iconic works feature such legends as Sylvester and Divine. Mon-Fri 11:30am & 10:30pm. Sat & Sun 10:30pm. www.comcasthometown.com

Candlelight Flow Yoga @ LGBT Center

Tue 8

Dream Queens Revue @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gayfriendly comedy night. One drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

David Clark leads various yoga poses and practices, plus meditation and breathing exercises. Bring your own mat and water bottle, etc. $10. 7pm-8:30pm. 1800 Market St. www.4dbliss.com

Retro-classic drag show (2nd and 4th Wednesday) at the classic Tenderloin bar, featuring Collette Ashton, Ruby Slippers, Sophilya Leggz, Bobby Ashton, Sheena Rose, Davida Ashton and Joie de Vivre. No cover. 10pm. 133 Turk St. 441-2922. www.dreamqueensrevue.com

John Waguespack @ 111 Minna Gallery Large-scale pop culture icon portraits and paintings by the local artist. Thru Jan. 26. Wed-Fri 12pm-5pm. 111 Minna St. 9741719. www.111minnagallery.com/2012/ new-works-by-john-waguespack/

Radar Reading @ SF Public Library Reading series featuring underground and emerging writers, this month with Jack Halberstam, Grace Krilanovitch, Favianna Rodriguez and D-L Alvarez. Hosted by Michelle Tea. Main Library, Lower Level, Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room, 6 p.m. 100 Larkin St. (at Grove). www.sfpl.org

Bombshell Betty’s Burlesqueteers

Bodies in motion

omoerotic, lesborific and cyborgian; take your pick. From a militaristic manscape film to a burlesque review, and an exhibit and panel about the future of bodies and their motion, there’s a lot of consider, corporeally speaking. – J.P.

Thu 10 Comedy Bodega @ Esta Nocha The weekly LGBT and indie comic stand-up night. This week, Liz Grant and friends. 8pm-9:30pm. 3079 16th St. at Mission. www.comedybodega.com

How-To Nightlife @ Cal Academy of Sciences

Tue 8- Bombshell Betty @ Elbo Room

Craft stations, T-shirt designs and silkscreening, and lots of tutorial experts host tables and booths; plus food, cocktails and DJed dancing. $10-$12. 6pm-10pm, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

The buxom babes, Betty’s Burlesqueteers, perform a saucy strip show. $10. 9pm. 647 Valencia St. 552-7788. www. bombshellbetty.net www.elbo.com

San Francisco Magic Parlor @ Chancellor Hotel

Thu 10 - The Future Imagined @ Performance Art Institute

Wed 9 - Samsara, Beau Travail @ Castro Theatre Two evocative visual films, one environmental (3pm, 7pm), the other homoerotic (5pm, 9pm). $8-$11. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

The Future as the Design / the Body, a panel discussion about design elements of future human-machine interective products like prosthetic limbs, and unusual creative variations; with Scott Summit, T im McNeil, Jonathan Keats, and reps from Bespoke Innovations and CoDame. 7pm. Part of the last week of the exhibit, thru Jan 12 (appintment only: 566-7515 ) 75 Boardman Place. www.thefutureimagined.com

Whimsical Belle Epoque-style sketch and magic show that also includes historical San Francisco stories; hosted by Walt Anthony. with optional pre-show light dinner and desserts. $40. Thu-Sat 8pm. 433 Powell St. www.SFMagicParlor.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The popular country western LGBT dance night. $5. 6:30pm-10:30pm with lessons from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Also Sundays 5pm10:30pm with lessons from 5:30-7:15 pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. www.sundancesaloon.org

To submit event listings, email jim@ebar.com. For more bar and nightlife events, go to www.bartabsf.com

<< Society

20 • Bay Area Reporter • January 3-9, 2013

Steven Underhill

Members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus pose at the Castro Theatre on Christmas Eve, 2012.

Donna’s wish list by Donna Sachet

s 2012 came to an end, we looked over our columns for this year and since 2005, and we found ourselves making wishes for 2013. We are so blessed to be surrounded by music in this city! May the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, having broken all records with recordings, concerts at Davies Symphony Hall, and three sold-out Christmas Eve shows at the Castro Theatre, continue to find renewed strength and support with Tim Seelig at its helm. May more and more people find and attend the concerts and appearances of the LGBT Freedom Band, the Lesbian/Gay Chorus, and Kathleen McGuire’s Singers of the Street. And we wish more people would support other artistic efforts within our community, like Art for AIDS, Theatre Rhinoceros, Thrillpeddlers, and New Conservatory Theatre Center. As the SF Symphony, Opera, and Ballet present the very best in their artforms to the public, may more LGBT individuals attend and support their programs. Don’t be deterred by ticket prices! Select your seats in the upper tiers, or volunteer as ushers. You’ll be enveloped by world-class productions wherever you sit. AIDS service organizations abound, but as their services are more closely examined and funds more difficult to find, may their leadership prove visionary, and may their loyal supporters stay true. In addition, there are many local and national organizations dedicated to enriching our lives as LGBT individuals. We wish that all members of the LGBT community would find an organization or three to support with their time, talents, and money! Whatever your situation, your help is needed and appreciated. From Project Open Hand, AIDS & Breast Cancer Emergency Funds, Positive Resource Center, Shanti, Maitri, Project Inform, AIDS Legal Referral Panel, AIDS Housing Alliance, Sunburst Project, Pets Are Wonderful Support, AIDS Memorial Grove, and Meals on Wheels to the SF AIDS Foundation, LGBT Community Center, Rainbow World Fund, Open House, Night Ministry, GLBT Historical Society, EqualityCalifornia, GLAAD, NCLR, NGLTF, and Make A Wish Foundation, they all need and deserve your support. The best way to become a part of the city is to join with people of

common interests. Ask around, do some internet research, and find out where you fit in most comfortably, and where you can do the most good. Many groups raise money to support the many charitable organizations mentioned above. We wish continued success to the Imperial Court, Ducal Court, Post 448 of the American Legion, Castro Lions’ Club, Golden Gate Guards, Krewe de Kinque, Gay Asian & Pacific Islanders, Leather Alliance, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and many more. Then, there are those organizations which focus on events designed to keep the party going in San Francisco, and often contribute part of their proceeds back to the community. Foremost among them is SF Pride, where we wish the best to incoming Executive Director Earl Plante and to former E.D. Brendan Behan. In addition, we wish great success to the Academy of Friends (recently restructured and refocused), Folsom Street Events, Real Bad, Frameline film festival, Reason to Party (relatively new, but with proven success), Richmond/ Ermet AIDS Foundation, Castro Street Fair, AIDS Walk, AIDS Ride, and so many other great groups. And where would we be without the bars and clubs dedicated to putting smiles on our faces and providing places for us to meet, celebrate, and dance? We wish more people would quit complaining about the closing of bars and start supporting those who are there for us. We wish more people would turn off the barrage of cyber social networking and stroll into their local gay bar to meet their peers face-to-face! We wish we would run into more of you at The Edge, Toad Hall, Badlands,

Harvey’s, Midnight Sun, Moby Dick, Last Call, The Mix, Q-Bar, 440, Twin Peaks, Café, LookOut, Café Flore, The Mint, Blackbird, Pilsner Inn, Martuni’s, Rebel, Trax, Truck, The Cinch, Aunt Charlie’s, Diva’s, Gangway, El Rio, Esta Noche, Powerhouse, Hole in the Wall, Lone Star, Kok Bar, Sundance Saloon, Marlena’s, and BeatBox. You didn’t know there were that many, did you? And we haven’t even begun to mention the many businesses that cater to our community, many owned and operated by us, which offer alternatives to the big-box retailers and are located right in our neighborhoods. The next time you are hungry, we wish you would check out Eureka, Poesia, Dancing Pig, Fork, Catch, or Slider Bar. The next time you are sprucing up your home, we wish you’d start at Cliff ’s Variety Store, Hortica, or A & G Merch. If you’ve got pets, we wish you’d try Mudpuppies or Best in Show. You get the point! Shop locally and support our own! And if you think we are going to mention by name the many people for whom we are grateful, who keep the LGBT community alive and well, you are crazy! But we wish these leaders, these movers and shakers, continued good health, renewed vision, and increased support as they go about their busy but purposeful lives. And finally, we wish for greater community support for the Bay Area Reporter. Not only do we wish that more join the loyal readers of this column, but we wish many more read the paper cover to cover, whether online or in hand. Use our advertising to promote your events, read our news articles to keep up with our community and the world at large, and peruse our various columns to find information of interest. The B.A.R. will be there for you in 2013 and beyond, and we wish you all the best!t

Steven Underhill

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in performance at the Castro Theatre, Christmas Eve, 2012.

Karrnal >>

January 3-9, 2013 • Bay Area Reporter • 21

Reader’s digest by John F. Karr

onstant Reader was Dorothy Parker’s byline for her New Yorker book reviews. A little bit like reblogging a Tumblr pic, let me remind you of her one-sentence review of The House at Pooh Corner. “Tonstant Weader fwowed up.” I hope I haven’t caused similar afflictions to my own constant readers. So before I’m propelled into a new year of porn, let me offer grateful thanks to my own Constant Readers, especially those who dig into my archive blog (www.KarrnalKnowledge.com), and particularly to those who answered my plea for identification of a Mystery Man. Two people responded immediately. So I know there’s at least a pair of people reading me. The first responder won a prize (he and I will settle that), but as I don’t know if he wants his name bandied about in print, I’ll leave him anonymous. It was Luc, he said, performing for a company outside this column’s purview. Robert Mainardi, proprietor of The Magazine, chimed in, expanding the name into Lucas di Fubbiano. I scoffed at that – I’m a great fan of Mr. di Fubbiano, and have many of his films (there are strong appearances for Raging Stallion and Colt, weaker but good scenes from Diamond Pictures, and, last, director Csaba Borbely’s typically leaden scenes for Pacific Sun). Yet on closer inspection of the photos I offered for identification, Lucas is exactly who it was. Younger than we know him, his hair blacker and thicker than we’ve seen, giving generously broad smiles that I was otherwise unfamiliar with, and his body not as hardened (you may call it ripped, but his physique sometimes looked, um, strenuous to me). Yet there was the sharply etched tan-line, the twin bicep tattoos, and the nearmiraculous anal technique that I doubt has been anywhere equaled. It’s him, alright. And hosanna! A glad day for my gonads! Armed with the name, I was able to track down the scene. Not to a film, but to the Machofucker website. It’s a barebacking site, with lots of uncut Europeans breeding bottoms and shooting them the occasional OCS. In the scene of my desire, “Double Loaded,” Lucas indulges unbridled behavior with Igor and Darren. They’re a hardbodied pair, one of them immeasurably hung, and both sporting choker

Machofucker

Does eager Igor look like he’s having fun with Lucas? You bet.

Of Mystery Man Lucas di Fubbiano, Karr says, “This is Art.”

cockrings. It’s a hot scene, alright, but made most remarkable for me by the shining enthusiasm Lucas shows. Another constant reader asked whether an OCS was an Overt Cum Shot, an Obvious Cum Shot, an Obligatory or Outside Cum Shot. I guessed he was kinda joking – he knew it was a cum shot of some sort, and was just playing the cunning linguist. He copped to that, and said (bragged?) he was glad he could talk about this kind of thing with co-workers at his place of employment. Aha, I thought, there’s another category of OCS: the Occupational Cum Shot. Which is what you could call a porn performer’s orgasm. It’s a salaried job, you know. Which would also make it Obligatory (although they’ve been known to be Unobtainable). Finally, at that time of year when we pause for reflection, we might ask, What is Porn? Jerry Saltz gave the perfect description when coining the phrase “Neo-Verity” in a New York magazine article last week.

It’s a genre of performance art, he said, made “shockingly vivid and visible” by Clint Eastwood’s address to an empty chair. Where Republicans saw Eastwood sticking it to the President, Saltz wrote, “everyone else saw a party marooned in a private reality.” Saltz offers other examples of Neo-Verity, in art that places live animals in gallery shows, in politicians’ speeches that create their own “topography of truth while annulling fact.” And in places where we can’t tell if an act as it is occurring is real or feigned. “Neo-Verity,” concludes Saltz, “might be the performance equivalent of the visible moneyshot in porn: something real and unreal at the same time.” Porn: Something real – guys truly are having sex when being filmed – and at the same time, unreal – we most often see str8 guys having gay sex in false situations and environments, with chemically induced erections, in scenes filmed out of sequence with piecemeal stops and starts that only mirror the build and flow of sexuality when finagled together like pieces of a jizsaw puzzle. Happy New Year!t

Erich Bergen

From page 13

on the 2011 Broadway revival, stars Broadway veteran Rachel York as Reno Sweeney. “For both Rachel and me, our heroes were the entertainers, people who lived off whatever the audience gave back to them, so when we have scenes together it’s literally different each night.” Jersey Boys, a contemporary musical rooted in oldies rock, and Anything Goes, a quintessential example of a very-oldies musical, might seem experiences far apart for both audiences and performers. Bergen has a “yes and no” take on the question. For the audience, “there are more similarities than I thought,” said Bergen, “I think what Jersey Boys did was to introduce audiences again to having a good time in the theater. And even though Anything Goes is very different in terms of style and music, it reminds me as an actor on stage of

Brian Putnam

Anything Goes star Erich Bergen will take to cabaret stages a couple of times while the touring musical is in town.

Jersey Boys. The audience is again like another character in the show, because the jokes are so vaudevillian and set up in a way where we really need that audience’s laughter to continue to the next line.” But Anything Goes definitely exercises some different muscles for

Bergen as a performer. “With Anything Goes, not only do I have to be on the top of my game with my health, because my voice doesn’t go to that old-fashioned Broadway thing as naturally as it does for others, there is the dancing, which See page 22 >>

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22••BBay AYA Area REAR Reporter EPORTER •• January 3-9, 22 3-9, 2013 2013

San Francisco redux by Jim Piechota A Horse Named Sorrow by Trebor Healey; Terrace Books/University of Wisconsin Press, $26.95

oet and novelist Trebor Healey’s latest novel A Horse Named Sorrow is a powerful meditation on love, discovery, adventure, and closure. Alongside his impressive efforts Through It Came Bright Colors, the poetry collection Sweet Son of Pan, and the teenage-boyturned-satyr speculative fiction Faun, it seeks to further establish Healey as a talented, dark-horse author ascending the ranks of popularity and success. A Horse Named Sorrow tells the story of young 20something Seamus Blake, who, during a dark,

Erich Bergen

From page 21

is on a completely other level. It’s like [the traditional] Anything Goes on steroids.” Director-choreographer Kathleen Marshall, who has specialized in Broadway musical revival, creates demanding choreography that tells a story through dance. “At least it’s hard for me,” Bergen said. “I’ve always been a good mover because of being obsessed with Michael Jackson from an early age. I remember freaking out in rehearsal because I wasn’t getting the dance numbers right, and Kathleen said to me, ‘Stop, we hired you to do what you do, and we hired them to do what they do.’” Bergen is scheduled to continue

Dance 2012

From page 14

erybody wished Hennessy well, and many left early.

Beaux arts

Issues dear to gay men came to the fore at San Francisco Ballet and at ODC. Mark Morris’ extremely controversial ballet Beaux featured eight male dancers dressed in pink camo unitards, moving to the sort of tinkling harpsichord music featured in Nadia Boulanger’s “At Homes.” It generated the most violent hostility I’ve ever seen at the Opera House. Nothing on the scale of the Rite of Spring riot, but still, respectable ladies and gentlemen turned to each other as soon as they were free to, and screamed at each other. Some saw it as an attack on masculinity; some I heard considered it an attack on queers (!); and many thought it gave the men so little to do – no big virtuoso steps. And of this there can be no question: Morris avoided anything resembling Big Male Dance Steps. Me, I loved Beaux. It was like blueberries – it had a fugitive taste, one you have to pursue. You have to eat a whole pint of them before you’re sure you know what blueberries taste like. Beaux is intimate, subtle, quiet, like the dance depicted on a Grecian Urn. It has gestures as simple as one man brushing his hand across the chest of another, which made me swoon. One might dance a silly little solo for his friend in order to make him smile; or they’d all dance in a line, holding hands like Balkan soldiers. SFB took this dance with them on their tour to London, where none of the critics mentioned it. They’ll dance it again here next year. I cannot wait to see it again. Meantime, KT Nelson made a beautiful dance, Cut-out Guy, for

moody afternoon, begins “meandering around Oakland, taking a break from San Francisco,” and winds up studying the tattooed face of Jimmy on a BART train platform. He’s enamored with Jimmy’s boyish charm, coupled with “the Chinese character for good etched where his right sideburn should have been and the little bull’s-eye tattoo smack-dab between his eyes,” and the two begin an affair that begins and ends within the intensity of Healey’s first chapter. Though readers come to know Jimmy more thoroughly through subsequent flashback pieces (including a pivotal admittance that he has contracted “it”), his legacy is carried on via Seamus, who finds himself back on that same BART platform, this

with the tour through Feb. 17, after the show has left SF, and he may rejoin it next summer. But he wanted time off to work on songwriting projects, as well as to be available for casting during TV pilot season. He played recurring characters in several episodes of Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girls after his schedule unexpectedly became open when he was fired from the Las Vegas production of Jersey Boys for unclear reasons. “I wish it hadn’t gone down the way it did, but I’m thankful because it gave me a very early showbusiness punch in the face,” he said. “I had gotten all this handed to me on a platter, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I hadn’t paid my dues, learned how to be a professional.”

the five men of our splendid modern-dance company ODC/SF, that also studies the feelings men have for each other. In this case as teammates, in competition with each other for higher rank on the team, but also in close cooperation with each other – and also as friends, sensitive to the wounds and tender feelings of each other. Nelson used wrestling and other sports moves, dance moves, and “guy moves” in equal measure to make truly beautiful dance phrases, some of them very poignant, to surround her star Daniel Santos in his farewell appearances for the company. Cutout Guy was sincere and beautiful, and I saw no false gesture in it anywhere. It is not gay, but it is deeply homoerotic. Among the best news I can think of was the appearance of a real fairy at SF Ballet. Yuan Yuan Tan’s performance at the heart of Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony – a ballet he created in the mid-1950s to give his wife, the formidable powerhouse Maria Tallchief, a new delicacy – was a festival of lightness. She gave to airy nothing a local habitation and a figura. We saw it and were amazed, and so grateful. Perhaps even better is the way Cal Performances has turned Zellerbach Hall into a place where live music sounds better than you can hear over headphones. They presented two big productions of Tchaikovsky ballets last year, the Kirov/Maryinsky Swan Lake from St. Petersburg, and Mark Morris’ The Hard Nut, for which you could have happily sat there with your eyes closed and just listened to the music. Clarinets, flutes, bassoons, horns, cellos, violas, all the inner voicings and all the leading melodies sound clearer and more wonderful than you’ve ever heard them before. The dances were also supremely well-worth seeing.t

time with Jimmy’s cremated ashes in an urn tied around the handlebars of his bike. There he stands, heartbroken, but with a mission: to take Jimmy’s ashes back to his homeland of Buffalo, NY, on a bicycle nicknamed Chief Joseph. What ensues is a touching journey beginning in a San Francisco of more than 20 years ago, where Queer Nation and ACT-UP stickers were fashion statements, and the specter of AIDS loomed large. Healey’s descriptions of this time and place are spot-on; it was the kind of San Francisco “from which no faggot can ever return,” at a time when “you’re twenty and aim-

Eric Jamison

During his run in Las Vegas with Jersey Boys, Erich Bergen organized and performed in a benefit concert in Michael Jackson’s memory.

less and willing, you can literally fuck your way up and down whole

And yet there is a twist to this story. He signed with a manager (who is still his manager) at age 10, after she saw him in an afterschool theater program, and he worked steadily in commercials and voiceovers. “Part of me feels like I’ve been working straight without a break since I was 10,” he said. His parents had nudged him into performing as a way to work off excess energy “that certainly wasn’t going into sports.” Having grown up in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, above a piano store-turned-sex shop, he was surprised when he headed off to college that there was such a thing as a gay-straight divide. “Gay people have been in my life since I was born. I’m not even one of these people who are like, I’m a straight person for gay rights. I’m

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streets – paint the town white, and then go back and start over and put on another coat.” Ah, the good old days! Seamus’ cross-country travels bring him face-to-face with a parade of loony (and often horny) folks offering much more than a cup of sugar. They in turn lend some enlightening perspective to Jimmy’s death and the new life that awaits Seamus as he pedals East, using Jimmy’s own map. Healey’s sexy, heartbreaking novel is further testament that this talented queer author only seems to be getting better at mastering the fine art of storytelling. Engaging his audience with tender emotion and believable characterization can indeed be the key to the literary kingdom.t

coming from it from the opposite way, almost from a Zanna Don’t world,” referencing the musical about a high school in which gays are in the majority and straights are the outcasts, “so that’s why I’ve always been very – I have no qualms – let’s just say that on my iPod, I have both Eminem and Judy Garland.” And so, within his high-torque life and career, has he found time for romance? “I don’t want to say anything specific,” Bergen said, “but just let me say that when I sing, ‘All Through the Night’ every night, it definitely brings a new meaning right now.”t Anything Goes will run Jan. 8-Feb. 3 at the Golden Gate Theatre. Tickets are $40-$200. Call (888) 7461799 or go to www.shnsf.com.

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