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Protest at AIDS confab
Charming southern France
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21
ARTS
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'McQueen'
Getting sexy @ Up Your Alley
The
www.ebar.com
Since 1971, the newspaper of record for the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community
Vol. 48 • No. 30 • July 26-August 1, 2018
Castro housing projects add to retail concerns Daine Grey
Student’s death sparks calls for change at City College by Alex Madison
T
he death of Daine Grey, a 22-year-old trans man and student at City College of San Francisco who died by suicide July 2, has sparked concern among some students about a transphobic and homophobic culture at the school. A GoFundMe account has also been set up – and has raised over $25,800 – for Grey’s funeral arrangements after his body reportedly went unclaimed by his estranged family for more than 10 days. According to an update on the site, Grey’s funeral will be held Thursday (July 26) in Oakland. A close friend of Grey’s, who goes by the name of Lady Katerina, set up the GoFundMe account for Grey and said he and other LGBT students at City College have faced bullying by other students. Lady Katerina, 36, is a lab technician at the Queer Resource Center at the college’s Ocean Campus where Grey was an active participant. The Queer Resource Center was a “home” to Grey, Lady Katerina said, and she feels its closing during the summer semester, something the college’s queer community has fought against for years, was upsetting to Grey. “Daine is the symptom of a broken system. The college failed him,” said Lady Katerina, who identifies as pansexual, intersex, and two spirit. “QRC was his safe space, his home, his life, where he was able to be himself. “When you’re trying to deal with life and then have an essential part of your everyday ripped from you, it’s very debilitating,” Lady Katerina added. Connie Chan, a spokeswoman for City College, confirmed that the resource center was closed for the 2018 summer semester, but could not confirm if it had been closed during previous summers or the reason for its closing. “The new administration is working closely with students to advocate for more resources,” Chan said. A July 17 Facebook post on the college’s page offered condolences regarding Grey’s death and also noted the resource center was open for a few hours a day from July 9-20 to offer counseling and other services to students. It is unclear what pronouns Grey preferred. See page 18 >>
Construction continues on housing at the intersection of Church, Market and 14th streets.
by Matthew S. Bajko
A
s developers prepare to break ground on several new housing developments along upper Market Street, the addition of more ground-floor retail spaces along the commercial corridor in the city’s gay Castro district is adding to neighborhood
concerns about how to attract new businesses to fill the storefronts. Due to a variety of factors, from changing demographics and consumer behavior to rising rents and costs to do business in San Francisco, there is a glut of vacant commercial spaces along Market Street between Octavia Boulevard and Castro Street. While more than
a dozen businesses this year have either moved in, expanded into, or announced plans to soon open in the area, other longtime retailers have shuttered their doors. Now three new developments will be adding additional retail space to the corridor in the See page 10 >>
Breed announces $1M for residential care homes
Rick Gerharter
by Alex Madison
M
ayor London Breed took a step toward keeping her campaign promise to decrease homelessness in San Francisco Monday, proposing $1 million in new budget investments for residential care facilities. The mayor made the announcement at Victorian Manor, an assisted living facility on McAllister Street, with newly elected gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Board of Supervisors President Malia Cohen, newly appointed District 5 Supervisor Vallie Brown, and lesbian Health Director Barbara Garcia. “To address homelessness we have to make sure we invest in preventing homelessness in the first place,” Breed said. “This additional funding is a down payment for our commitment to ensure these providers can care for and serve our community.” The proposed budget amendment will provide funding to 37 care facilities and keep over 350 people housed and cared for, Breed said. Over the next two years, $600,000 will be given to nine high-intensity care providers in the city, and an additional $400,000 will be allocated to increase operating support for 28 other basiclevel care providers. Residential care facilities provide long-term
Rick Gerharter
District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, right, spoke at a news conference Monday where Mayor London Breed, left, announced $1 million over two years for residential care facilities. Standing next to Breed is new District 5 Supervisor Vallie Brown.
housing and support for residents in need of behavioral and medical services. The funding will specifically target facilities contracted by DPH, which serve people who have severe behavioral and medical health issues – the majority have a history of homelessness, according to a news release from the mayor’s office. The funding will provide a specific amount of money per bed, per care home to ensure
that each patient’s needs are properly met. The money will also, eventually, lead to an increase in wages for staff and employees of the care homes, Garcia said at the news conference. Breed said in San Francisco, and throughout California, these facilities are under financial strain by a lack of state and federal funding.
{ FIRST OF THREE SECTIONS }
LGBTQ Parade and Festival
August 25-26 Downtown San Jose
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Ride to Pride with VTA
Supported, in part, by a Cultural Affairs grants from the City of San Jose.
See page 18 >>