July 9. 2020 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter

Lee fights police brutality

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5 added to NYC honor wall

Queer law firm adapts

ARTS

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Walter Mercado

The

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

Vol. 50 • No. 28 • July 9-15, 2020

AIDS 2020 underway this week

Panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt were hanged from San Francisco City Hall Monday to kick off the virtual International AIDS Conference.

Sari Staver

The intersection of 18th and Castro streets, where a Castro resident said he was attacked in February.

Castro assault victims decry broken system

by Sari Staver

A

man accused of assaulting and harassing people in the Castro was arrested on unrelated charges June 28, stemming from an alleged attack on a family in the city.

At his July 1 arraignment in San Francisco Superior Court, Triball Zero pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and child endangerment. He is being held without bail in San Francisco County Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for July 15, according to Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorney’s office.

According to Bastian, the arrest took place after Zero got into an altercation with a family at a local park. When the male victim began filming the dispute, “words were apparently exchanged,” Bastian said, before Zero allegedly grabbed and smashed the phone.

The San Francisco Public Defender’s office, which is representing Zero, did not respond to an emailed request for comment. A spokeswoman’s voicemail was full and unable to accept messages.

Zero, 37, who is known to some Castro residents and merchants for his unruly behavior, allegedly attacked Zack Karlsson in the middle of a busy Saturday afternoon at 18th and Castro streets earlier this year. Karlsson, a tech CEO who lives and works in the Castro, made a citizen’s arrest and police cited Zero for battery following the February incident. Karlsson accused Zero of punching him in the head while walking behind him crossing the street at 18th and Castro.

Four months later, Canela Bistro and Wine Bar owner Mat Schuster called police after Zero allegedly harassed him in the Castro, screaming and following him closely during a 30-minute chase.

Zero has not been charged in the alleged incidents involving Karlsson and Schuster.

Both men have expressed frustration that Zero had apparently fallen through the cracks in the city’s public health and law enforcement systems.

Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said the case is illustrative of the need for change.

“Triball is a known challenge to the neighborhood, is clearly a danger to himself and others, and it shouldn’t take committing multiple serious crimes to get him off the streets and into care,” Mandelman told the Bay Area Reporter in an email on July 2. “After slipping through the system time after time, I hope there is a good outcome to this case that gets him the help he needs and also protects Castro residents and businesses.”

Tried to help

People in the Castro had reached out to help Zero, to no avail. Billy Lemon, executive director of the Castro Country Club, a clean and sober space, wrote in an email to the Bay Area Reporter: “Both Brandon [Stanton, assistant director] and I tried for about six months to help Zero ... trying to direct him to treatment, as we know it is an important first step for healing.” Lemon said that like many other locals, Zero knew the country club was a space that was safe.

“I think Zero needs supportive care. I’m not See page 8 >>

by Liz Highleyman

T

he 23rd International AIDS Conference opened Monday, July 6, with welcoming remarks from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland).

Over the course of the week, virtual attendees heard about a new case of long-term HIV remission (as reported online Tuesday), innovations in PrEP, and the impact of COVID-19 on people with HIV and AIDS worldwide.

“San Francisco has always been central to the story of HIV and AIDS, and it has always been a center of community-based research, prevention, and care,” Pelosi said. “We suffered from it, we learned from it, we had the intellectual resources to address it, and we understood that everyone did not share the same love that we had for people with HIV.” In conjunction with the conference opening, panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt were displayed at San Francisco City Hall and Oakland City Hall, as the Bay Area Reporter

noted in an online story Monday. The conference was supposed to have been jointly hosted by the two cities, but was switched to a virtual format due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“As we remember and honor the victims of the AIDS epidemic, let us welcome and utilize the lessons of that experience,” Oakland City Council President Rebecca Kaplan, a lesbian who participated in the Oakland quilt unveiling, told the B.A.R. “To successfully respond to the COVID pandemic we need to respect See page 8 >> Liz Highleyman

Grindr removes ethnicity filter to combat racism

by John Ferrannini

G

rindr, the largest hookup app for gay men, is dispensing with its ethnicity filter as it and other GBTQ dating platforms have joined together with a public health consortium to produce the NiceAF campaign, with the stated goal of encouraging people to be kinder to one another on the apps, and to fight the stigmas that people encounter on them.

One of the ways they have been doing so is by having a video competition accessible through the apps. A winner will be announced July 17.

“We will reward the most voted videos with a cash prize of $300 and will have $100 for the two runners-up,” Tony Taylor, a queer man who is a project manager with the local consortium Building Healthy Online Communities, said in a phone call with the Bay Area Reporter June 24.

“The contestants decide what to speak about based on personal experience: race; but HIV and body stigma as well.”

People have been invited to participate through in-app advertisements donated by Adam4Adam, Daddyhunt, Grindr, POZ Personals, Scruff, and Jack’d. People can view the videos on the NiceAF campaign website (https://niceaf.org/). The deadline for submissions for the cash prizes was July 2, but as of July 7 people are still invited to submit videos and testimonials, Taylor said.

Taylor’s associate Jen Hecht, a queer woman who is the director of the BHOC, was on the same phone call with the B.A.R. Hecht said that one person who has already submitted a video focused on unsolicited nude photos and belligerent behavior, “which is a unique take as to how niceness looks online,” she added.

“Incorporation of humor and creativity are encouraged, but not a requirement of winning,” Hecht said.

Grindr removes ethnicity filter

Both Hecht and Taylor said that they were happy that Grindr – the largest social networking app for GBTQ people – announced last month in the midst of the national uproar over

Screengrab via BHOC

The NiceAF Campaign is soliciting videos about the stigma people have faced on LGBTQ dating apps, such as Grindr, as part of a competition to highlight the importance of online civility.

race following the police killing of George Floyd that it would be removing its ethnicity filter. In the wake of Grindr’s announcement, Scruff and Jack’d also announced they were doing away with their filters.

The filter has been controversial for years as a means to discriminate between potential sexual partners on the basis of their ethnic/racial backgrounds. “[Grindr is] committed to doing it for the next release,” Hecht said last month.

A spokesperson for Grindr stated to the B.A.R. after the initial interview with Hecht and Taylor that the elimination of the ethnicity filter had been delayed due to a recent change in Grindr ownership, but that changes began at the end of June.

For the last four years, Grindr had been owned by a Chinese company but it sold its 98% stake in March to U.S.-based San Vicente Acquisition Partners.

“We have now completed all the changes to our apps and service needed to remove the ethnicity filters, and the [quality assurance] review on the updates is complete,” the spokesperson,

who declined to have his name published, stated.

The changes began June 30, following a review period from both Google and Apple on app updates, the spokesperson said.

Hecht stated in a July 1 email to the B.A.R. that Grindr has done away with the filter. A cursory look at the latest edition of the app July 7 confirmed this.

“Many men of color have asked for this and we applaud Grindr for taking this step,” Hecht said, adding that there are “several negative consequences that we anticipate” such as increased negative messages to minorities from those “who previously saw only white users in their cascade,” increases in racialized language in users’ profiles, and less of an ability for minority groups to find each other.

“We look forward to working with Grindr on addressing these issues so we can build online communities that are healthy for everyone,” Hecht stated.

Hecht said last month that she hoped the change will be accompanied by “a thoughtful roll-out.”

See page 9 >>

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection.

If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

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(bik-TAR-vee)

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure.

Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP CREATING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2020 © 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0219 04/20

CHAD LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP CREATING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Chad’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • July 9-15, 2020

Volume 50, Number 28 July 9-15, 2020 www.ebar.com

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Wear a mask, dammit

t

I

n the Bay Area, while many people appear to be using face coverings when outside of their homes, there are still too many who aren’t wearing them. Our own community members at times flaunt the public health measure, out of a sense of invincibility or complacency after weeks of sheltering in place. Now, four months into the pandemic, most scientists agree that covering your nose and mouth with a face mask is the best way to control the spread of the novel coronavirus. Practicing physical distancing of at least six feet is also a critical prevention measure.

Especially as businesses begin to reopen, it is important that we all follow the mandates issued by state and local officials to cover up when in public. Cases of coronavirus are ticking up in many parts of the state, including San Francisco and nearby counties. San Francisco Mayor London Breed has delayed further reopening, including indoor dining, and on Tuesday there was a new high in reported state cases in a single day: 9,114.

The virus shows no sign of slowing.

Complacency was on full display over the Fourth of July weekend in New York, where hundreds of gay men gathered at Fire Island Pines for packed parties, many without face coverings and standing way too close together. Towleroad reported the parties attracted the attention of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and island officials. It was also reported that at least one man attended parties knowing he had COVID symptoms. Apparently, some gays just don’t care.

Closer to home, not everyone in front of Castro-area eateries is wearing masks or physically distancing.

While there is an urgent need for restaurants to get back to business and the desire of people to socialize, they’re not going to be open for long if people continue testing positive for the virus and make people anxious about going out. In fact, in March, the National LGBT Cancer Network

Rick Gerharter

The Lookout bar and restaurant put tables on the sidewalk on Noe and 16th streets last month and drew a crowd.

spearheaded a letter signed by over 100 organizations stating that LGBTQs are at greater risk from the novel coronavirus due to other social and medical issues that affect us, such as higher tobacco use than among the general population, higher rates of cancer and HIV-infection, and instances of discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity.

During recent protest marches, not all San Francisco police officers were wearing face coverings when they should be. That’s why it’s essential that if you’re participating in an action, you should cover up – if the cops won’t do their part to protect themselves and others, at least you should.

The virus is transmitted via droplets or aerosols; the louder one talks or yells, the more of those droplets and aerosols are released.

Some people have been inspired to make a political statement by refusing to wear face coverings by arguing that obeying to do so is an attack on their personal liberty. That’s a bogus argument and red herring that refuses to consider the

medical and societal imperatives.

If enough people wear face coverings – health authorities say that number is 80% – the virus can be significantly slowed. We’re not at that level right now.

In response to the AIDS epidemic, our community was presented with stark choices, too, especially in the early days. Now, medical advances allow people to make informed choices about wearing condoms, disclosing their viral load, PrEP status, and other information. But 39 years ago, wearing a condom was just about the only prevention method, and it required a lot of education in order to change sexual behavior, negotiating relationships, and values.

Coronavirus will be a problem until there’s an effective vaccine. Most of us adhered to the stringent shelter-in-place orders this spring, while finding creative ways to encourage people to do the right thing (like face mask contests), but it’s too bad that the message isn’t sticking. As trans union leader Gabriel Haaland wrote on Facebook this week, “Wearing a mask is not an ideological test, it is a test of your compassion for others.”

Wear a mask, dammit. t

Imagining a future with COVID-19

by Daralt

A

s a survivor of the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, I remember how our community was torn apart by the two camps that were formed around the practice of safe sex. Condoms or no condoms?

As the number of cases rose, the arguments heated up. The Bay Area Reporter’s obituaries were no longer confined to just one page. And these pages, with the all so familiar faces, would be published every week. Yet the argument persisted by those who scoffed at the notion of safer sex.

Now years later, I see it all over again. Social distancing and wearing face coverings seem to be the point of contention. Wear a mask and practice social distancing is the mantra of the majority. Wear a mask and live in fear is giving up your rights, comes from the other camp. Months into the terrible novel coronavirus pandemic and we are still receiving mixed messages from our supposed leaders. I hear in the media that an official in Texas who advocates the non-use of face masks thinks that Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases doesn’t know what he’s talking about and is spewing false information. It’s all so confusing.

As of today, there are now over 130,000 dead Americans killed by COVID-19 – and that figure will rise. That’s 130,000 people who didn’t ask for this – their loved ones heartbroken by their loss. I know that feeling as I lost so many I loved during the AIDS crisis. It hurts to lose someone so needlessly, and yet here we are again. The numbers keep going up, as Americans become more complacent.

As I rode in a car through the Castro the other day, I just couldn’t believe the number of people out and about as if there were no pandemic. I did see people wearing masks, but unfortunately, I saw far too many not wearing a face covering or practicing social distancing. It hurt my heart to see this.

If we, the people, do not get our act together soon, I can imagine that the following scenario could be a possibility in the not-too-distant future.

The new COVID sensibility

As Harry and Sam stood near the front of the line to get into their favorite bar, Harry looked

Courtesy Daralt

Daralt

back to see how long the line was. It only ran three-quarters down the length of the block, much shorter than when they first queued up at the rear. The line consisted of several people standing right up against each other, with no one wearing a mask. The general attitude was that the people had the freedom to wear a mask or not, because forcing people to don a face covering was taking away their freedom. The right-leaning Supreme Court had just ruled that masks could not be forced on the American people.

“That damn COVID-19 was putting a damper on our freedoms,” Harry thought to himself.

“Oh, there goes another one,” he mumbled to Sam as he nudged him to turn and look.

“Oh, yes, too bad he didn’t make it into the bar in time to have a little fun before it got him,” replied Sam. “They’ll come and sweep him up in a bit.”

President Donald Trump was well into his second term and COVID-19 had become the norm. Three and a half years into the pandemic, there still was no vaccine and the virus has mutated into a very efficient killing machine.

Now, infection and death came within hours of each other. It was now the norm to see people just fall dead where they were. So common now, that there were special cleanup crews that would come and remove the deceased party within a

half-hour; after all, the economy is more important than people’s lives. That was the mantra of Trump now. No one was even allowed to stay home and shelter-in-place anymore.

As Harry and Sam inched closer to the entrance to the bar, they could see some bodies being carried out by the special crews.

“Look at that Harry, they just made more room for us to get in. It won’t be long now,” Sam said, with a tinge of excitement in his voice.

“We’ve been out here in this damn line for almost three hours now.”

“Did you hear about the last Trump rally that was held in Texas about two weeks ago?” Harry asked Sam. “It went pretty well this time, only 213 people dropped dead this time, much better than the last one, right? Damn, 604 dead at that one! The crews were working very hard to haul them out of there so that the others could continue their adoration of Trump.”

Sam thought about what Harry had just said.

Those numbers would have been much more shocking a few years ago, but the country had grown very complacent over the years. “It’s about the economy” signs and billboards had littered the country on Trump’s orders. Each evening newscast would always start with that reminder to the viewers, and the high daily death count was now relegated to scroll at the bottom of the screen. Trump had decreed that would be the only way the death toll would be allowed to be announced. Fox News was now the only news outlet in the country after Trump had the licenses revoked of all the “fake news” networks in the land. That was with the help of his new vice president, Sean Hannity, who came on board after Mike Pence passed away from the virus last year.

America was the only country that even had COVID-19 anymore, with every nation in the world banning any entry by an American into their country. Trump continues to hold his very popular rallies with his adoring followers who chant, right up to their last breath, “Make America Great Again!” t Since moving to San Francisco in 1981, Daralt, who uses one name, has owned and operated A Taste of Leather (1988-2010), and co-owned Mack Folsom Prison (19922010). After his heart attack and subsequent quadruple bypass in 2017, he has taken up writing, photography, and music production.

t

Politics >>

July 9-15, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

Police protests turn Assembly Barry Schneider Attorney at Law candidate Lee into citizen-journalist family law specialist*

by Matthew S. Bajko

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

S

ince advancing out of the March 3 primary race for an open South Bay state Assembly seat, Alex Lee had been sheltering at home with family, friends, and his 3-year-old cat Soba due to the coronavirus outbreak. His campaign for the 25th Assembly District that straddles Alameda and Santa Clara counties was largely being conducted virtually.

Then came the last weekend of May, when Lee took to the streets of San Jose to join in the protests against police brutality spurred on by the deaths of a number of African Americans at the hands of police officers. Equipped with his cellphone, Lee documented what he encountered through videos and photos uploaded to his social media accounts.

In doing so, the former legislative policy adviser went from being a candidate for elected office to a citizen-journalist. Over the course of the last three days in May, Lee’s campaign twitter account – @VoteAlexLee2020 – provided man-on-the-street coverage of the protests and the police response to them.

“I felt safe up UNTIL the #SJPD showed up Just like every peaceful protest across the country, things get ugly AFTER the police show up – armor and firearms and all,” Lee tweeted May 30.

Along with other protesters, Lee was tear gassed by police and found himself in the line of fire when officers shot rubber bullets into the crowd. The weekend culminated in him being arrested Sunday, May 31, for breaking the curfew city leaders had imposed in order to clear out the streets.

Lee had finished livestreaming a protest on his Instagram account and had stopped to talk with some journalists covering the event “to trade notes on what did you see,” he said, when a police van pulled up and arrested him and a man who had come out of his apartment to see what was going on. After being processed at the SAP Center indoor sports arena, Lee and a group of other people who had been arrested were dropped off close to midnight at the Great Mall in Milpitas north of San Jose.

There were no public transit options to get home, noted Lee, who was able to call a friend and get picked up.

He was given a court date in October, though it is expected the charges will be dropped.

“At the time when all this stuff kind of kicked off in San Jose, I had no intention of going there and being witness to police brutality at a protest against police brutality,” Lee told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview this month.

www.SchneiderLawSF.com

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

South Bay Assembly candidate Alex Lee took this photo in San Jose during protests against the police May 29. “We’re Linked together as riot gear police show up,” he wrote on Twitter.

Once on the scene, Lee said he decided to use his platform in order to show “how terrible things were that happened.” He remains astounded by the tactics the police used during the protests and has continued to call for police reforms via his Twitter account.

“What shocks me the most is that police, no matter if they be in Minneapolis, New York, or San Jose and the Bay Area, essentially are the same. I saw police respond to a protest against police brutality with police brutality,” said Lee. He signed a pledge not to accept political contributions from law enforcement sources. Among his legislative priorities will be pushing police reform measures, such as banning local police departments from buying military-grade weapons and equipment like tanks and grenade launchers.

“As an Asian American with some status, I had just a taste of what a lot of our community members who are Black and Brown face in the face of police brutality. It was like having a wake-up call,” said Lee. “We need to end police brutality. We really can not sit idle on the sidelines and let this happen anymore to our own community members.”

At 24, Lee said he didn’t consider what he was doing as citizen journalism. He viewed his posts similar to everything else he routinely shares online.

“I hope I authentically can say I am for these changes,” said Lee. “I am not saying it because it is popular or something. I do have pushback from community members who are more propolice. I can push back on it. The ways we solve our criminal justice issues are broken, and I think everyone knows that, at least I hope.”

Nor did he consider if his postings would negatively impact his chances of winning come November, said Lee, in his contest against Republican Bob Brunton to succeed Assemblyman

Kansen Chu (D-San Jose). He is expected to easily win the left-leaning seat to become the first out bisexual member of California’s Legislature.

And Lee, who turns 25 Saturday, July 11, will also be the youngest state lawmaker since 1938 if he wins.

“The thought didn’t cross my mind at the time how this would impact my campaign. There were more important things happening that demanded our attention,” he said. “In the end, I don’t think it affected our campaign negatively at all. Some voters are, I’m sure, displeased at my involvement and my arrest. I think more people are pleased I am using my platform and out there being in the streets with people demanding justice for Black lives.”

Last month, Lee announced he had racked up additional support within the Democratic Party for his historic candidacy.

Among those endorsing Lee was Chu, who had remained neutral in the primary. Nonetheless, Lee recently admonished the outgoing Assemblyman on Twitter for making derogatory comments during an interview with a Chinese-language newspaper in explaining why he opposed ending California’s ban against affirmative action in the public school admission process.

Lee has also been highly critical on Twitter of San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s response to community demands for police reform and his championing a charter amendment that would extend his current term in office by two years. Asked about his social media posts about the mayor, Lee said he has never shied away from calling out elected leaders when he believes their actions or policy proposals fall short.

“I want to be out there fighting for the people. I plan to be in the Assembly an activist Assembly member,” said Lee. “I got a chance to practice it earlier than I thought I would.” t

Letters >> Props to pink triangle participants

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 25th annual Pink Triangle. We have a new look this year, which in this time of pandemic illustrates our perseverance and resiliency. This illuminated pink triangle will continue to shine as a beacon of hope for the 50th San Francisco Pride though July 10. Volunteers are needed to help take it down Saturday, July 11, at noon and will receive a pink triangle T-shirt.

Thank you to the amazing, enthusiastic, and uplifting organizing and fundraising team for Illuminate the Pink Triangle: Ben Davis and the nonprofit Illuminate (masterminds behind the Bay Lights) and his love, Vanessa Inn; Patricia Wilson, who produced the festive pink LED torch procession; David Hatfield, Madeleine Maguire, Whitmire Vo, Wendy Norris, Gary Virginia, Gregg Cassin, Kile Ozier, Robin Abad, Garaje Gooch (for his amazing photos and videos); longtime volunteer Debra Walker; and a few other volunteers who helped put up the outline while remaining socially distant.

Thank you to my husband, Hossein Carney, and my sister, Colleen Hodgkins – I could not be doing this for the 25th time without them.

The ceremony: Thank you to San Francisco Mayor London Breed; Sister Roma, who told the history of the pink triangle; Consul General of Germany Hans-Ulrich Suedbeck; state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco); Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco); San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros; San Francisco Su-

pervisor Rafael Mandelman; and violinist Kippy Marks, who performed several times during the ceremony.

Thank you to the Dykes on Bikes and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence for taking part in the pink torch procession. Thank you to the 75-plus torchbearers.

Fiscal sponsors for the lighting: thank you to the nearly 500 supporters who contributed to the Illuminate the Pink Triangle GoFundMe charity site.

General fiscal sponsors: thank you to San Francisco Pride; the Bob Ross Foundation (via Thomas E. Horn for the T-shirts); the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; Hodgkins Jewelers; and Brian Gerritsen.

The pink triangle is one of history’s reminders of hate and brutality, and part of appreciating and celebrating where we are for any Pride weekend is understanding where we have been. Just look out of your window, or off your balcony or roof, or from the street and the giant illuminated display is a reminder of where hatred can lead and what can happen when discrimination and bigotry are allowed to become law as they did under the Nazis in the 1930s and 1940s.

San Francisco is the only city on the planet with a giant one-acre pink triangle hovering over the city for its Pride weekend. This giant pink triangle is uniquely San Francisco.

Patrick Carney San Francisco

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<< Community News

6 • Bay Area Reporter • July 9-15, 2020

t

New inductees named for Stonewall honor wall compiled by Cynthia Laird

T

he International Imperial Court System and the National LGBTQ Task Force have announced five new inductees to the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor at the Stonewall Inn in New York City.

The honor wall was inaugurated last year, the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, and 50 names of deceased pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes were included. They were selected by the Stonewall 50 Wall of Honor Board of Governors, which is made up of 18 LGBTQ leaders.

The court system and the task force are now tasked with naming five people annually.

This year’s inductees are Phyllis Lyon, founder of the first lesbian organization Daughters of Bilitis in 1955 and a trailblazer from San Francisco; Sean Sasser, AIDS activist and educator known for his appearances on MTV’s “The Real World: San Francisco” that depicted his relationship with Pedro Zamora, who

was named to the wall of honor in 2019; Lorena Borjas, a trans and immigrant rights activist known as the mother of the trans Latinx community in Queens, New York; Aimee Stephens, a Michigan resident whose historic U.S. Supreme Court case paved the way to LGBTQ non-discrimination protections in employment; and Larry Kramer, playwright, author, and LGBTQ and AIDS activist who founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City.

Lyon died in April of natural causes.

Sasser passed away in 2013. Borjas died in March of complications of COVID-19. Stephens died in May of kidney disease just weeks before the high court issued its landmark ruling in her case and two others. Kramer died of pneumonia in May. “Now more than ever it is important for us to remember whose shoulders we stand on,” honor wall founder Nicole Murray Ramirez, queen mother I of the Americas, stated in a news release.

Rea Carey, executive director of the

Lyon, Joyce Newstat; Sasser, Courtesy CNN; Borjas, Courtesy NYCSpeakerCoJo/Twitter; Stephens, Courtesy ACLU

This year’s Stonewall honor wall inductees are, from left, Phyllis Lyon, Sean Sasser, Lorena Borjas, Aimee Stephens, and Larry Kramer.

task force, stated that the five inductees “have helped to change the world and improve the lives of LGBTQ people and those with HIV.” People can view the honor wall’s Wikipedia page at https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_ LGBTQ_Wall_of_Honor for a list of all the inductees.

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The AIDS Walk events in San Francisco and New York will collaborate for the first time for this year’s virtual “at home” event Sunday, July 19.

AIDS Walk: Live at Home is a 90-minute streaming event that will be held at 10 a.m. (Eastern and Pacific times) to raise funds for PRC in San Francisco and Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York City.

According to a news release, AIDS Walk will feature performances and appearances by a broad list of talent, including Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Matt Bomer, Vanessa Williams, Laura Linney, Alan Cumming, Skylar Astin, and many more. Several members of the “Queer Eye” TV show will also appear, including Tan France, Karamo Brown, and Bobby Burk.

In the Bay Area, the AIDS Walk program will be broadcast on ABC7/ KGO TV in partnership with iHeart-

by Brian Bromberger

T

he presiding bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California welcomed viewers to a virtual service Tuesday by standing in front of the

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SF civil grand jury seeks candidates

The San Francisco Superior Court is seeking volunteers for civil grand jury service for the 2020-2021 term.

Judge Susan Breall, chair of the court’s civil grand jury committee, encouraged interested San Franciscans to apply.

“The civil grand jury offers the opportunity to contribute to our

community by examining city government to identify efficiencies, to suggest reforms, or to highlight things that are not working well,” she stated in a recent news release.

In order to serve, the release stated, volunteers must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age; have lived in San Francisco for at least the past 12 months; have no felony convictions; and be able to communicate in English.

A requirement of the state constitution, the civil grand jury provides a “watchdog” function and has broad latitude to examine city departments, agencies, and officials.

The upcoming term runs from July 1 to June 30, 2021. (There has been a delay in the announcement due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.) The civil grand jury usually meets once a week, with additional meetings and interviews scheduled as necessary.

The deadline to apply is Friday, July 24. A court spokesman said that the grand jury meetings would be conducted virtually until the shelter-in-place order is lifted.

For more information and to apply, go to https://civilgrandjury.sfgov.org/join.html. t

AIDS 2020 interfaith service invokes healing

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Haring altarpiece in Grace Cathedral’s AIDS Interfaith Memorial Chapel as he explained that in the art, a radiant child was surrounded by loving hands.

Bishop Mark Handley Andrus then stood away from the piece so that online viewers could see it clearly. Called “The Life of Christ,” the late gay artist Keith Haring created the triptych altarpiece in 1990, just two weeks before his death of AIDS-related complications.

The July 7 interfaith service was part of this year’s 23rd International AIDS Conference that was to have been held in San Francisco and Oakland but was moved online because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Andrus explained that the child is cradled by two arms of a divine figure with 12 hands reaching out, embracing all people and warding off evil.

“Every person is a radiant child and the many hands of God are our hands, we who reach out to all the ra-

diant children forgotten, hidden away, or in danger of dying alone from AIDS,” Andrus said.

He commented that the AIDS Memorial Quilt was an essential response of the religious, interfaith community to the first outbreak of AIDS in San Francisco and still is today. A panel hangs in the chapel.

Andrus introduced House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who recalled that in her first floor speech in Congress (1987) she said she came to Washington, D.C. to fight against AIDS, which she believed was a moral imperative. While listing all the legislative accomplishments in the struggle to overcome the disease, she noted the battle isn’t over, noting discrimination against trans women of color and disparity of access to care are just two areas that still need attention.

“Together we will continue turning See page 9 >>

Corrections The July 3 article “Local gym owners adjust business plans” misstated the number of clients The Queer Gym in Oakland had in March when it was forced to close due to the imposition of shelter-in-place orders. Because it had already canceled in-person bootcamps for online coaching, its client base went from 250 people down to 68 earlier this year. The online version has been corrected.

The photo credit on page 7 of the July 2 print edition for the photo of Pride is a riot marchers in the Castro should have been for Rick Gerharter.

t

Business News>>

July 9-15, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

Queer-owned law firm adjusts during health crisis

by Matthew S. Bajko

S

ince they closed their law firm’s Oakland office in March due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, co-founders Felicia Medina and Jen Orthwein have been working from home, as have Kevin Love Hubbard, a lawyer recently made a partner in the firm, and several other legal staff.

They likely will continue to work remotely until next year since the dangers of working in a shared office space remain unclear.

“We are in no rush to get into an office since we are able to do our work at home,” Orthwein told the Bay Area Reporter during a recent video interview.

Nonetheless, the health crisis has presented challenges for the legal profession. California’s courts postponed jury trials the last three months and are just now beginning to reschedule them under new guidelines and policies aimed at protecting the health of jury members, court staff, and the litigating parties. The San Francisco Superior Court, for instance, has banned all in-person appearances and is only conducting hearings remotely.

Lawyers’ access to their imprisoned clients has also been restricted due to the pandemic, which has led in recent weeks to outbreaks of the virus at several state prisons, including San Quentin in Marin County. The inability to confer with clients face-to-face has presented one of the “biggest barriers” for being able to conduct their jobs, noted Orthwein.

“One of the only ways to communicate with clients in prison was to visit them. We can’t do that right now,” said Orthwein, who partnered with Medina three years ago to open their firm Medina Orthwein LLP. “We are only being granted access by phone through a court order.

And that is only if our client filed a lawsuit and has an upcoming hearing or event in court where we need to communicate.”

For the most part the firm has been using written communication not only with its clients but

Courtesy Felicia Medina

Felicia Medina, left, Kevin Love Hubbard, and Jen Orthwein are the three attorneys in the queer-owned law firm Medina Orthwein LLP.

also fellow inmates who may serve as witnesses in their cases.

“We can’t communicate with witnesses or clients unless we are writing to them back and forth,” explained Orthwein. “We can continue to file complaints, and for our own safety that is what we will do. We have no idea when prison officials will allow people to access folks again.”

Just last week the firm filed suit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation on behalf of C Jay Smith, a Black transgender woman who alleges San Quentin staff retaliated against her after she reported sexual assaults and harassment by someone who had previously targeted and raped her. A former member of the prison’s Inmate Advisory Council, Smith claims in her suit that prison staff blamed her for the assaults and falsely accused her of possessing a deadly weapon, which could result in her being given an additional 10-year sentence if she is charged.

Smith was transferred to the

California Medical Facility in Vacaville to receive better mental health care after being kept in solitary confinement for months at San Quentin. Her case is just one example of the legal advocacy Medina Orthwein LLP engages in to improve the conditions for transgender and nonbinary people housed in the state’s prison system.

The firm has worked closely with other transgender advocates and gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) in recent years to advance his Senate Bill 132 that would require trans incarcerated individuals in state prisons to be classified and housed with other inmates based on the gender identity of their choice. Thus, female trans inmates, currently housed in male prisons, could choose to be placed in women’s prisons.

Hopeful the bill will be passed and signed into law this year, Medina said it can’t come soon enough based on the reports the firm is hearing from its clients about the current conditions inside the state’s prisons due to COVID-19.

“What we see happening based

on our limited conversations with folks inside is there are a lot more dangerous conditions for LGBTQ folks in prison right now. They are locked in cells with people they may not necessarily be compatible with, and that puts everyone in danger. There is no programming. The situation has gotten far worse than it already was, which is very bad for our clients.”

In addition to taking cases focused on the treatment of LGBTQ incarcerated individuals, the firm also focuses on employment litigation, particularly cases centered on discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Its clients have run the gamut from transgender inmates denied gender reassignment surgeries to corporate executives discriminated against due to their race or ethnicity. One recent case helped female AC Transit bus drivers receive accommodations during their pregnancies and for breastfeeding their infants.

“It has to come down to the merits,” explained Medina in how the firm decides what cases to take on. “Or it comes down to can our leverage get a result that was meaningful to a particular employee, or victim of police brutality, or a particular incarcerated person.”

Many times they are able to resolve their clients’ claims out of court.

“A large percentage of our docket is privately settled,” noted Orthwein.

Medina Orthwein LLP is a plaintiff-side employment and civil rights law firm. It is one of just a handful of queer-owned law firms in the country. Its founding attorneys have won praise and ruffled feathers over the years.

In 2018, Orthwein was honored

by San Francisco Pride with its Heritage of Pride - Pride Freedom Award for their legal work, which included launching the detention project at the Transgender Law Center. That same year the San Francisco Business Times named Medina one of its OUTstanding Voices.

Last year, Orthwein and Medina were criticized by fellow board members of the local LGBTQ bar association for their “pervasive personal attacks” in emails the

two had sent to individuals and the full board, leading to as many as seven to resign or opt not to seek re-election to their seats.

Orthwein and Medina are no longer on the board of the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom. They did not provide comment about the BALIF board issues for this article, though Orthwein did say they remain involved with the organization.

Medina, 41, currently co-chairs the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ board, and earned her law degree from the Yale Law School.

The queer Chicana attorney lives in Oakland.

In addition to being an attorney, having graduated from Golden Gate University School of Law, Orthwein, 46, earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Palo Alto University and worked as a forensic psychologist at a state prison. A queer trans-identified nonbinary person, they live in Alameda and often provide pro bono forensic assessments for LGBTQ people, particularly trans individuals, who have parole board hearings.

Having gotten to know one another through local bar associations and working on cases together, they decided to open their own law firm following the 2016 election.

“We had similar views with respect to what justice work looks like and anti-racism work looks like,” said Medina.

Hubbard, 35, also graduated from Yale Law School and first met Medina while working as a summer associate at the firm where she was working. A gay man, he lives in San Francisco and maintains his membership in the Massachusetts Bar, giving Medina Orthwein LLP a bicoastal litigation presence.

“As soon as they started the firm, we had been in discussion on how it would make sense for me to come join them,” said Hubbard. “It was really a privilege and a pleasure for me to do that because of the focus of the work the firm does.” t Got a tip on LGBT business news?

Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar. com.

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<< From the Cover

8 • Bay Area Reporter • July 9-15, 2020

<<

Broken system

From page 1

a social worker so I can’t say for sure what that would look like. I can say that folks living on the street (as he did at the time) suffer from events that make it hard to ask for help. I, too, hope Zero gets some help. Due to a series of events that were not supportive of our code of conduct at the club, Zero was asked to leave.”

Zero was often seen in the neighborhood. On February 8, police cited him for misdemeanor battery after Karlsson called 911 to say that someone had clobbered him at 18th and Castro streets.

At 6 feet, 5 inches tall, Karlsson said he had never worried about the growing number of street assaults in the neighborhood.

“Who’s going to mess with someone my size?” asked Karlsson, 42, who typically travels with Norman, his 55-pound, one-eyed pit bull.

A gay man who has lived – “and loved” – the Castro for the past four years, Karlsson said that he has started to change his mind.

The incident occurred as Karlsson walked down 18th and arrived at the Castro rainbow crosswalks on a busy afternoon. Seemingly out of nowhere, Karlsson felt “a searing pain” on the side of his head.

“It felt like I was hit by a two-byfour,” he said in a recent interview. His head spinning, Karlsson pulled himself together and asked the handful of people at the bus stop if any of them saw what had just happened to him.

Half a dozen people nodded yes (“But not a single one asked me if I needed help,” he said), while two men continued to walk away, screaming and swearing at Karlsson. Karlsson followed them and pulled out his cellphone to capture images of his alleged attackers. Karlsson called 911 and police “showed up almost immediately,” he said.

Much to Karlsson’s surprise, one of the men, whom Karlsson identified as Zero, seemed to confess to the cops immediately. “I’m the one you’re looking for. Just give me the battery citation and fuck off,” Karlsson said the suspect told police. The man identified himself, according to the police, listing his

<<

address and phone as unknown.

Police explained that in order for them to issue a citation, Karlsson would have to fill out the paperwork to make a citizen’s arrest, which he did.

As he walked the few blocks back to his home, Karlsson said to himself, “That was too easy. Cops show up immediately, guy confesses, fill out paperwork, done.”

After a number of back and forth phone conversations while the case sat on the desk of an assistant district attorney, Karlsson learned in June that the DA’s office dropped the charge.

“I was really pissed,” said Karlsson.

“I didn’t want him sent to jail. I wanted him to get help. The DA [Chesa Boudin] ran on a platform of prosecuting violent crimes. I don’t believe any voters want violent crimes to go unprosecuted, but that seems to be where we are now.”

Testimony at supe’s hearing

Now, ready to see if he could find out where the system failed, Karlsson was one of the first people to testify at Mandelman’s June 25 public safety committee hearing. Mandelman is among the most vocal local politicians expressing concern about street assaults in his district, and called the hearing hoping to kick-start the discussion about getting help for homeless, mentally ill people.

Like the victims, Mandelman said he too is “frustrated beyond belief.”

At the hearing, Mandelman also voiced his frustration that the conservatorship program – a program under a new state law – had gotten off to such a slow start.

“I am very perplexed” about why it has taken an entire year and we still haven’t had a single person conserved” under Senate Bill 1045, he said.

The law by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) creates a five-year pilot program for San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties, allowing for strengthened conservatorship laws that focus on providing housing and wraparound services for people suffering from mental health and substance use issues. Then-governor Jerry Brown signed it in 2018.

Specifically, said Mandelman in a recent telephone interview, “I want to

find out why the program hasn’t gotten off the ground.”

Karlsson had the same question.

“We are nearly two years from Governor Brown’s signing this bill, 40% of the way through a five-year trial.

While I don’t have the vocabulary or the history, I do have experience with having been assaulted by a mentally ill person with substance abuse problems,” he said.

“Why is there a lack of urgency?

I apologize for how inflammatory this sounds, and it’s not an accusation. However, this is life or death for some people; it was for Leo Hainzl,” he added.

Karlsson was referencing the case of Hainzl, a Glen Park resident who was killed in May. The man who allegedly killed him was also well known to local residents, businesses, and the police. (Peter Rocha, a homeless man, has been charged with suspicion of homicide in that case.)

When informed July 1 that Zero was in jail for the unrelated assault, Karlsson wrote in an email, “I’m glad he’s not currently a danger to himself or others.

But we, as a city, failed this man.”

He continued, “He’s now likely to spend real time behind bars. Isn’t the point of having conservatorship measures, explicitly, to intervene before these cases get to be too serious that they end up in jail for long periods of time, unable to be rehabilitated. Isn’t that what we were trying to avoid?”

Other alleged incident

Four months after Karlsson was assaulted, the same man allegedly attacked Schuster, a longtime Castro business owner and executive chef of Canela, which he opened with his partner in 2011.

“When I moved to San Francisco I fell in love with the Castro,” said Schuster, 43, a gay man who has lived in the neighborhood for the past 15 years.

In a telephone interview with the B.A.R., Schuster described a terrifying incident on June 10. While picking up lunch at a sandwich shop in the Castro, the same man who had allegedly attacked Karlsson four months earlier was blocking the doorway of the cafe, telling the restaurateur he “wasn’t going to move” and suggested Schuster “call 911.”

AIDS 2020

From page 1

science, make sure prejudice doesn’t undermine our response, and take steps to protect and value our entire community.”

Quilt co-founder Cleve Jones recalled that the panels were displayed for the first time from the mayor’s balcony at San Francisco City Hall in 1987, while Dianne Feinstein occupied Room 200.

“The lessons we learned fighting AIDS are extremely relevant today as we fight COVID-19, and it’s painful for me to see so many of the mistakes being repeated,” Jones told the B.A.R. “I’m sad that the conference has to be virtual. There’s so much to be gained when we are actually gathered together in the same room.”

But the virtual conference format also has its advantages too.

“Sometimes there are blessings in disguise,” Lee said during her virtual remarks. “We’ll probably connect with more people.”

Long-term remission

Among the biggest news stories at AIDS 2020 was a report that a Brazilian man who was treated with an intensive experimental regimen has no evidence of remaining HIV after more than 15 months off antiretroviral therapy.

The only two people thought to be cured of HIV – Timothy Ray Brown, also known as the Berlin Patient, and the London Patient, Adam Castillejo – received bone marrow stem cell transplants to treat leukemia or lymphoma from a donor with a rare genetic mutation that makes T cells resistant to

Schuster brushed past him but the man followed closely behind, screaming, causing several drivers on Market Street to pull over and offer help.

“He was practically on top of me,” said Schuster, noting that the subject wasn’t wearing a protective mask.

“If I get sick, and have to close the restaurant, that affects everyone who works there,” said Schuster, who has kept Canela open continuously for takeout since sheltering in place began in March due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Canela added outdoor tables when it was permitted.)

Schuster said he filed a police report. The DA’s office says it never saw it and only became aware of the incident when the B.A.R. asked about it while reporting for this story.

The man followed Schuster to the Castro Farmers Market, he said, where market manager Mia Simmans said in an interview that she was “unfortunately, very familiar” with the man, who visits the Wednesday market regularly.

“He has made it almost impossible for me to do my job,” Simmans said.

“The police suggested I get a restraining order” to keep him at a distance.

She said that she has not yet begun the process for a restraining order.

Schuster determined it was Zero who allegedly attacked him after Simmans saw the chase and said that she has known Zero for years.

Like Karlsson, Schuster expressed his concern that people with severe mental illness “get the kind of help they need,” not a trip to jail.

Schuster, who had worked with atrisk youth earlier in his career, said, “The city needs to have a structure in place to help at-risk people. Right now, it’s like all hell has broken loose.

It’s an overwhelming problem.”

The city has “quickly mobilized around COVID, which gives me hope that it is possible” to come up with solutions for other issues facing the city, he added.

Karlsson hasn’t given up just yet.

After several visits to Walgreens adjacent to the attack, Karlsson was convinced that its security cameras had not captured any images of the incident. “That would’ve been important,” said Karlsson, “because I was hit from behind and did not actually wit-

ness” the crime. By the time the police left the scene it was too late to find any people who might’ve been at the corner to identify the suspect.

Karlsson is still awaiting the body cam footage from the SFPD. He hopes the officer’s body cam footage may have captured the spontaneous confession of the alleged assailant, evidence he can use to convince a judge to grant him an order of protection.

“It’s not like me and Norman can just blend in. We stick out. We’re going to be an ongoing target,” he said.

As far as the difficulty of getting the DA’s office to prosecute more cases, Mandelman told the B.A.R. in a telephone interview, “It seems to me there is something pretty broken with both the public health and criminal justice systems” in the city.

“I think the police should be citing more, the DA should be charging more, and we should be using charges to help leverage people who need treatment into such programs. I have expressed my interest repeatedly to the police and DA’s office to try to better understand what is keeping crimes, such as Zack Karlsson’s” from being charged and prosecuted.

In a phone interview with the B.A.R., Bastian, the DA spokesman, confirmed the details of Karlsson’s case but said he could not reveal any other information about the subject, including whether the suspect had a criminal record.

As far as why the DA decided to drop the Karlsson case rather than press charges, Bastian said, “We are not allowed to discuss any specifics of the case. I can only tell you that in order to charge,” the district attorney must believe that a San Francisco jury would be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the suspect was guilty.

Mandelman said one of the challenges of the system is to “get different departments” to work together.

“It’s absolutely essential that we work together to take more responsibility for what is going on in the streets. We’ve had a lot of finger pointing and passing the buck,” he said.

Aside from issues surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic, Mandelman said, “This is the biggest problem facing the residents of District 8.” t

would not encourage anyone to run out to the local health food store and get this drug.”

rise in new infections.

“We cannot drop the ball on HIV,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima. “We must double down and increase our efforts to hold governments and policy makers to account. Epidemics run along the fault lines of inequalities and we can and must close the gaps.”

A recent survey of more than 13,500 LGBTQ people in 138 countries presented at the conference showed that COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on this community worldwide.

Nearly half the respondents said they faced economic difficulty, with many unable to meet their basic needs. More than one in 10 had lost their jobs and nearly half expected to do so in the wake of the pandemic.

Some respondents said they had turned to sex work to support themselves, and sex workers reported that the pandemic had reduced their ability to negotiate safer sex practices.

In his opening remarks, International AIDS Society President Dr. Anton Pozniak recognized the remarkable context in which the first-ever virtual conference is taking place.

“These are remarkable times and defining times,” he said. “Every conversation we have now sits at the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and a new global reckoning with systemic racism. It is our job to make sure that HIV remains a part of the conversation and to connect the dots between conversations. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that the gains made in HIV are not lost, that the work of ending HIV continues, and that the lessons of HIV are applied.” t

HIV and COVID-19

Screengrab via AIDS 2020

Congresswoman Barbara Lee and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered welcoming remarks online Monday.

the virus. But this procedure is far too dangerous for people whose lives are not at risk from advanced cancer, and it is too expensive to be scaled up to cure the millions of people living with HIV worldwide.

The 35-year-old man was diagnosed with HIV and started standard three-drug antiretroviral treatment in 2012. Three years later he joined a clinical trial to test whether various intensified regimens could help reduce the viral reservoir – the hidden pool of latent HIV in resting T cells.

The research team added two more antiretrovirals, dolutegravir and maraviroc, to his current regimen along with nicotinamide, a form of niacin (vitamin B3) that appears to fight HIV by multiple mechanisms, including boosting immune responses and preventing T cells from going into a resting state.

The man used this intensified regimen for 48 weeks then went back to a standard three-drug combination. After two and a half years with an undetectable viral load, he started a closely monitored treatment interruption

in March 2019. His last test, on June 22 of this year, showed that he had maintained viral suppression without treatment for more than 65 weeks.

In addition to undetectable HIV RNA (the form of viral genetic material in the blood measured by standard viral load tests), he also had undetectable HIV DNA (the form that makes up the viral reservoir) in his immune cells. Analysis of HIV DNA in his gut tissue, lymph nodes and other sites is still needed to show whether the virus persists, but this testing was put on hold as COVID-19 disrupted health services in Brazil.

Experts cautioned that this is only a single individual – four other people treated with the same intensified regimen did not achieve long-term remission – and the findings do not suggest that people with HIV should try the experimental medications on their own at this time. Both nicotinamide and its relative niacin can cause side effects.

“It’s important not to over-interpret this,” Dr. Steven Deeks of UCSF told the B.A.R. “This may not be real and it could actually cause harm. I

t

UNAIDS released its annual report on the global AIDS epidemic at the conference Monday, July 6, showing “remarkable but highly unequal progress.”

Because the achievements have not been shared equally across countries, the global 90-90-90 targets – 90% of people with HIV knowing their status, 90% of diagnosed individuals being on antiretroviral treatment, and 90% of those having viral suppression – will not be reached in 2020.

Currently, those proportions stand at 81%, 82%, and 88%, respectively.

In 2019, an estimated 38 million people were living with HIV worldwide, of whom 25.4 million were on treatment, according to the report. Last year, 1.7 people were newly infected with HIV – down 40% from the peak in 1998 – and some 690,000 people died from AIDS-related causes.

The report notes that more than 60% of new cases occurred among key populations and their sex partners, including gay and bisexual men, sex workers, people who inject drugs, and people in prison.

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to halt or reverse this progress.

Shelter-in-place orders have limited access to PrEP and HIV treatment, while border closures have interfered with the production and distribution of HIV medications. A recent analysis found that disruptions in HIV treatment could lead to more than half a million additional AIDS-related deaths over the next year, as well as a

t <<

Community News>>

Ethnicity filter

From page 1

Part of that may involve adding an “additional moderating process for language that occurs on the site,” Hecht said.

“If an individual makes comments within their profile, or the way they treat other people, that’s what the NiceAF campaign is about,” Hecht added.

Grindr did not respond to multiple requests for comment about potential moderation.

Of 15 Grindr users messaged by this reporter to inquire as to the thoughts of app users on the end of the ethnicity filter, only one responded as of press time.

<<

“Overall, I’d say it’s a good thing!

Grindr should be helping to foster a positive community between people based on more than simply physical attributes,” a user who identified himself as Russell wrote.

“It’s not a perfect solution to the hypersexual lens of LGBTQ+ culture, but it’s a step in a better direction.”

As to whether people will become nicer, Russell isn’t so sure.

“Whether it makes things more civil remains TBD ... There are a lot of people who simply don’t know how to have a respectful conversation about race, culture, or ethnicity. I suspect there will be a learning curve for some,” Russell added.

July 9-15, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 9 Other apps embrace campaign

Carl Sandler, the founder and CEO of the Daddyhunt app, stated in an email to the B.A.R. on July 7 that participating in the NiceAF campaign was “a logical step for us.”

“Since the creation of Daddyhunt, we have encouraged people to treat each other with mutual respect on our platform and not to discriminate based on race or HIV status. Having worked with BHOC in the past, participating in the NiceAF campaign was a logical step for us,” Sandler stated. “With all that is happening in the world, we believe that this campaign educates people about certain stigmas and will encourage people to change their behavior.”

Interfaith service

From page 6

faith into action and principles into progress to achieve, finally, the dream of an AIDS-free generation,” she said.

Cecil Makgoba, archbishop of the Anglican Church of South Africa in Cape Town, recited a prayer for the half-million people, many in Africa, who died of AIDS last year, and interceded on behalf of those poor HIVpositive folks who are denied lifesaving medicines, noting that stigma against people living with AIDS actually increases the number of people who contract the disease.

Yvette Flunder, presiding bishop of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries in Oakland, urged resiliency, that God will give people strength to accomplish whatever task lies in front of them, “to move with intentionality until everyone is at the table, even if justice isn’t fulfilled in our lifetimes,” she said.

Kim Shuck, poet laureate of San

Screengrab via Grace Cathedral

Bishop Mark Handley Andrus gestured to the Keith Haring triptych altarpiece, “The Life of Christ,” at AIDS Interfaith Memorial Chapel at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral during Tuesday’s interfaith service.

Francisco, hoped people would learn to cherish each other and that the things we call community would be real communities of support.

“May we be better than we’ve been,” she said.

Khadijah I. Abdullah, founder

and executive director of RAHMA, a Washington, D.C.-based group that works to end AIDS stigma in faith communities, said that Muslims begin every prayer imploring God’s mercy, which is especially needed in this time of coping with COVID-19

ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept 103N, on the 28th of July 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/23/20.

An unidentified spokesperson for Daddyhunt stated that the platform is not planning on removing its ethnicity filter.

“Yes, we have allow [sic] members to filter by ethnicity. We respect that other platforms have made the decision to remove this filter, but on Daddyhunt, we have not experienced the same issues that other apps have,” the spokesperson stated.

“Our members treat each other with mutual respect and don’t discriminate based on ethnicity, HIV status, age or any other factor. In short, it is a welcome platform for all, which is a central part of the Daddyhunt code, which people can agree to adhere to when they join.”

Adam4Adam, POZ Personals,

Scruff, and Jack’d did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Since the widespread proliferation of LGBTQ dating apps in the past decade, experts have been calling attention to the negative effects on mental health faced by individuals who feel stigmatized or rejected, and/or who become addicted to acceptance they may find on them. A 2018 Vox article compared Grindr, for example, to “a slot machine that rewards you with an orgasm at unpredictable intervals.”

Hecht said that the response to the NiceAF campaign so far has been “overwhelmingly positive, though we have some folks who were not happy to see what we were doing.” t

and systemic racism. She said that African Americans are still enslaved, fighting for their lives, in that every morning when they step outside, they hope they won’t be murdered.

“We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go ... but let us want for our brother, sister, they and them, what you want for yourself,” she said.

There were additional prayers from the Hindu tradition by Dr. Asavari Herwadkar, director of the Ojus Medical Institute in Mumbai, India; the Jewish tradition by Rabbi Denise L. Eger from Congregation Kol Ami in Los Angeles and Rabbi Shlomo Rosen, international director, interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee in Israel; the Baha’i tradition by Teresa Morales, a representative from the Baha’i Center San Francisco; the Buddhist tradition delivered by Alistair Shanks, volunteer program manager at the Zen Caregiving Project San Francisco; and the Islamic tradition by Ishaq Pathan,

Bay Area director of the Islamic Networks Group of California.

Andrew Galvan, an Ohlone leader and museum director of Mission Dolores, opened the service and recalled his ancestors’ welcome to the original white settlers in California: “You can stay here if you are good.”

There were musical interludes by the combined choirs of the Angel City Chorale, Los Angeles and the Amy Foundation Choir of Cape Town, singing “We Are Marching in the Light of God;” the Oakland Interfaith Community Choir chanting “Open Your Mouth, Say Somethin;’” and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus performing “Amazing Grace.”

The service was hosted by Grace Cathedral in partnership with the Episcopal Diocese-California, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance of the World Council of Churches, the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, the San Francisco Interfaith Council, and UNAIDS. t

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039088200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-329092800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SEYMOURS FASHIONS, 211 SUTTER ST #700, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed KAVITA L. BULCHANDANI & LAL V. BULCHANDANI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/10/75. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/19/20.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOLDEN GATE CANNABIS COMPANY, 500 JONES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed INFINITY WELLNESS TLC INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/25/20.

Legals>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039076700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE HANDY GUYS, 1 CRESCENT WAY #1207, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PHILLIP JACKSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/13/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/20.

JUN 18, 25, JUL 02, 09, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039077700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SLEEPY BONES, 2829 35TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed STEPHANIE BONIFACIO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/20.

JUN 18, 25, JUL 02, 09, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039078500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TOKAIDO ARTS, 1581 WEBSTER ST #202, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NIEN TZU HSIANG HSU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/27/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/20.

JUN 18, 25, JUL 02, 09, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039078100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: APPROACH THERAPY, 2595 MISSION ST #311, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed APPROACH THERAPY PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES PC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/13/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/20.

JUN 18, 25, JUL 02, 09, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039071700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CALIFORNIA PROPERTIES, 2300 MACDONALD AVE, RICHMOND, CA 94804. This business is conducted by a trust, and is signed NANCY GABBAY, TRUSTEE OF PARNAZ REVOCABLE TRUST. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/18/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/26/20.

JUN 18, 25, JUL 02, 09, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555734 In the matter of the application of: AVNISH PATEL & SHEILA PATWARDHAN, C/O ALEXANDER TOTTO, WALD LAW GROUP, P.C., 88 KEARNY ST #1475, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner AVNISH PATEL & SHEILA PATWARDHAN, is requesting that the name ASHA PATWARDHAN PATEL, be changed to ASHA AVNISH PATWARDHAN PATEL. Now therefore, it is hereby

JUN 25, JUL 02, 09, 16, 2020

JUL 02, 09, 16, 23, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039082400

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555769

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MPSHARP TECHNOLOGIES LLC, 638 36TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MPSHARP TECHNOLOGIES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/12/20.

JUN 25, JUL 02, 09, 16, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555758 In the matter of the application of: ETERI VLADIMIROVNA ELIASHVILI, 237 KEARNY ST #212, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108 for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ETERI VLADIMIROVNA ELIASHVILI, is requesting that the name ETERI VLADIMIROVNA ELIASHVILI AKA ETERI V. ELIASHVILI, be changed to ETERI VLADIMIROVNA DOBRICH. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103, Room 103 on the 6th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 02, 09, 16, 23, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555761 In the matter of the application of: JENNY WU, 780 DELTA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner JENNY WU, is requesting that the name JENNY WU AKA JENNY WU-ZHEN, be changed to JENNY WU ZHEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103, Room 103 on the 11th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 02, 09, 16, 23, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039077900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMERICARE SAN FRANCISCO, 120 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HOME CARE SF LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/10/20.

JUL 02, 09, 16, 23, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039090200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KINGZ AND QUEENZ CLEANING, 1225 4TH ST #228, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed ELITE 8 ENTERPRISES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced

In the matter of the application of: HO NAM CHAK, 691 KEITH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner HO NAM CHAK, is requesting that the name HO NAM CHAK, be changed to JACK H.N. CHAK. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Room 103N on the 18th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555768 In the matter of the application of: MEI FUNG YVETTE WUN, HO HEI CHAK, HO YIN CHAK, 691 KEITH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MEI FUNG YVETTE WUN, is requesting that the name MEI FUNG YVETTE WUN be changed to YVETTE M.F. CHAK; HO HEI CHAK be changed to MAX H.H. CHAK; HO YIN CHAK be changed to CHRIS H.Y. CHAK. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Room 103N on the 18th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555772 In the matter of the application of: NICHOLAS JAMES CHEUNG DOMBROWSKI, 625 COLE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner NICHOLAS JAMES CHEUNG DOMBROWSKI is requesting that the name NICHOLAS JAMES CHEUNG DOMBROWSKI be changed to NIK JEDREK VALLEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept.103N, Room 103N on the 18th of August 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039091800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAIDEN, MOTHER, CRONE, 3150 18TH ST #260, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JANAYA CASEY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/23/20.

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039091200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE CANTELLUS GROUP, 52 CLARENDON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed KES LLC (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/23/20.

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039095800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as FOUR DEUCES, 2319 TARAVAL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116.

This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed TDMULL PROPERTIES, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/22/13. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/30/20.

JUL 09, 16, 23, 30, 2020

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by Victoria A. Brownworth

W

alter Mercado will make you laugh, make you surprised, make you raise an eyebrow or two. And he will bring you to tears with his sincerest wish that you have love, the “Mucho mucho amor” from which the title of the new Netflix documentary about his life is taken.

Mucho, Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, directed by Cristina Constantini and Kareem Tabsch, is a Netflix original and a paean to its subject. The captivating film explores the rise and fall of a beloved icon of the Spanish-speaking world who riveted audiences for more than four decades with his wildly improbable act and charming personality. The directors adore Mercado and want you to love him, too.

By film’s end, you will.

As Netflix notes, “Every day for decades, extravagant Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic, and gender nonconforming legend Walter Mercado charmed the world with his televised horoscopes.” And then some.

To say that Mercado was a character is to understate, and nothing about Mercado was understated. The flamboyant astrologer and psychic was a gender-bending icon. It is not hyperbole to say there has never been anyone else like him. Throughout the Spanish-speaking world the Puerto Rican TV personality was as commanding of audiences as Oprah at her peak. There were years when America never missed Oprah. So too with Mercado. At his peak he had a viewership of 120 million.

And like Oprah, the phenomenon of Mercado kept the audiences rapt. He defined their days because his messaging was pure as

Mucho Mucho Amor The Legend of Walter Mercado it was riveting. He was gorgeous in his youth, like a Valentino; striking with his high cheekbones and full lips. “He wore a cape because he was a superhero,” says one friend.

As the directors explain, Mercado “enthralled the Latin world with sequined capes, opulent jewelry and horoscopes that shared a message of love and hope to his devoted viewers.”

Mercado is a visionary in many respects and his vibrant queerness is compelling for viewers.

As LGBT activist Karlo Karlo says in the film, he gave young queer people a message of hope.

And what a message it was. If you’ve never seen Mercado, you are in for a treat. He’s a fascinating person; a man who often looks like a woman, a seemingly gay diva queen who claims to be a virgin.

“I have sex with life,” he asserts in one interview. Mercado’s long-time assistant, Willy Acosta, is interviewed in the film. Acosta says that people have always assumed the two were lovers, but that they never were. Despite his totally queer energy, Mercado is described mostly as asexual.

When Mercado speaks to his audience, he

is enrapturing. It’s obvious why families tuned in daily to hear not just his predictions, but his enveloping goodwill. Mercado embraces his audience and you really feel it.

Walter Mercado Salinas was born in 1932 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the son of a Puerto Rican father and a Catalán mother. From an early age he was always convinced of his spiritual abilities and his reach into the psychic world. He says he was “not like other boys.” His mother told him “being different is a gift.”

After training in a host of disciplines that included pharmacy and psychology, he dedicated himself to the performing arts and classical dance.

Mercado performed as a dancer for years and throughout his 20s and 30s, and worked as an actor on several Puerto Rican telenovelas, including Un Adios en el Recuerdo (Farewell to the Memory) and Larga Distancia (Long Distance).

But the big moment that changed his life was when television producer Elín Ortíz put him on his show after another guest failed to show up: literally 15 minutes of fame. Mercado

used the time to introduce his wild astrologer persona for the first time –the capes, the rings, the over-the-top-ness.

A star was born.

Mercado was so popular that soon he had his own hour-long program: Walter, the Stars, and You, an astrology show. From 1970 through 2010, Mercado was a mainstay on TV. A powerful scene in the film is when Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda explains how impactful Mercado was on his life. Miranda talks about having watched Mercado’s show with his mother when he was growing up.

When Miranda calls Mercado and the two men meet, their meeting underscores how intense Mercado’s influence was on communities that have traditionally been invisible. As Miranda explains, Mercado was always on the TV screens of Latin American families, sharing his astrological commentary and being an undeniable icon for the Latino world from his various Telemundo programs.t

“I’d had a public upbringing as the gay kid from School of Rock, and that was hard for me to deal with at a young age,” he said. “And as I grew up, that manifested into a toxic relationship with myself and with other people. I really didn’t recognize my worth and I was not really proud of who I was and was actually feeling out of touch with who I was. I hit rock bottom, and from that moment on I started to do all this work on myself where I can improve my relationship with myself, which is my proudest accomplishment to this date.”

Falduto now loves himself fully and carries his positivity with him wherever he goes.

“I got really curious about how one goes about doing that,” he said. “As I was doing that for myself I was thinking, ‘What does this look like for other people?’ And I got really obsessed with the inner work process of what goes into a better relationship with yourself. I made that my passion, my calling, so that’s what I do. I help other people improve the stories that they’re telling themselves about themselves, about the world. Anything that’s getting in the way of thing that they want, essentially.”t

Falduto is once again attracting attention.

He was recently named by PrideLife Magazine as “one of the 20 most influential, outspoken

and optimistic individuals on the planet.” He spoke to the Bay Area Reporter about how he remains optimistic in the midst of a pandemic and the social unrest that the country is now facing.

“There’s also a lot of positivity to be found, if you look for it,” he said. “It’s easy to drown in all the terrible things going on, because there are a lot of them. But a lot of the things that are happening now are in the service of change. You can look at it as people finally speaking up and listening. I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything’s that’s happened, but I do try and brew a lot of internal positivity so I can carry that with me.”

He doesn’t think that he’ll make much of a difference if he carries negative energy.

As he recalls, Falduto spent a lot of time battling internal and external homophobia.

Brian Falduto Gay Life Coach is also a little bit Country

by David-Elijah Nahmod

F

ame came early for Brian Falduto. At the tender age of 11 he was cast as Billy, aka Fancy Pants, the gay kid in the film School of Rock. It was his first film and it made him a bit of an icon in the LGBTQ community. Falduto didn’t stick with acting. He walked away from the bright lights of Hollywood to do what he calls “the normal high school thing.” But performing remained in his blood, and so Falduto majored in theater during college.

Falduto is now back in the limelight, albeit in a very different way. He’s an LGBTQ life coach, working with individuals, helping them to love themselves by teaching them how to share their stories. He’s also a country singer and has just released his latest song.

In “God Loves Me Too,” Falduto sings plaintively about discovering his spirituality and coming to realize that yes, God does indeed love His LGBTQ children. The song was inspired in part by his experiences growing up in the church. “God Loves Me Too” has become the official theme song of Beloved Arise, an organization which supports and celebrates LGBTQ youth of faith.

Kari Alison Hodge, Rachel Paulson, and Julia Eringer in Good Kisser.

Women bending genres

Read the full article on www.ebar.com

Read the full interview on www.ebar.com

Sarah Bogler in A Good Woman is Hard to Find.

L

esbian filmmaker Wendy Jo Carlton seems to have a thing for intimate, almost stagey movies. Her latest, Good Kisser, also fits into that mold. Abner Pastoll's thriller A Good Woman is Hard to Find is also reviewed.

Read online at www.ebar.com

t

Music, Books & Online Events>>

Kent James aka Nick Name: April 30, 1964 - July 3, 2020

by Jim Provenzano

K

ent James, also known as the punk-influence rock band frontman Nick Name, died at his home in Palm Springs on July 3, 2020. The gay singer-songwriter lived in San Francisco for a few years, and performed at local nightclubs.

As a teenager, James veered sharply from his conservative Mormon childhood in Logan, Utah after leaving home to pursue a music career. Although he knew he was gay or at least bisexual at a young age, he fought it while immersed in the church, which included a missionary trip to Argentina.

Kent James aka Nick Name Years later, after a 1993 appearance on Star Search, James lived in Nashville, developed he couldn’t stay closeted. his country repertoire, and was After moving to LA, he acted in featured in music videos for Tana few films while working on his ya Tucker, Trisha Yearwood, and music. The late 1990s saw the indie others, and shared the stage with release of his first two CDs, PaperCharlie Daniels. But at the point back Romeo and Guilty Pleasures. of almost signing a lucrative muBy 2000, his transformation into sic contract with a country rock Nick Name took over. With an acband, James balked. He knew that complished band, he charmed gay

Lunch and Din er al day

July 9-15, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

music fans seeking a masculine rock performer who sang openly, and with humor, about sexuality.

MTV featured the band, and acclaim in music circles followed, as did a devoted if not huge fan base. But with a clearly gay identity, some clubs balked at booking the band (but not SF’s Upstairs at Kimo’s), leaving them to seek gigs at Pride events.

As Nick Name, in 2004 James performed a song in the West Hollywood-set gay horror film HellBent.

Howard Skora directed the 2004 documentary Nick Name and The Normals, which included performances at various Pride events and nightclubs, some of which received befuddled and even hostile audience reactions, and James’ offstage frustrations.

Still, some longtime fans enjoyed the band’s now-legendary live set at Los Angeles’ El Ray Theatre.

“Kent was a very special artist and lovable human being. He started as a Mormon missionary in Utah and transformed into a gay punk rock icon that challenged the status quo.

As I filmed him and his band, The Normals, I got to know his chosen family and I was lucky enough to call Kent a dear friend. Underneath the on-stage punk anger was one of the sweetest and most gentle souls I ever met. Everyone in his chosen family loved him so much and we are all devastated.”

With the Nick Name CDs now collectors’ items, James released a CD, Decade of Dirt, with both older and new material. Some of the sexier, punky Nick Name songs are included, like “Who’s Your Daddy?” and a dance remix of the Olivia Newton John song “Physical.” His songs like “World Keeps Turning” took on a more mellow if not melancholy tone.

From 2005 to 2013, James lived in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights, and performed at SF Pride’s main stage, with the Kent James Band, and with a later group, Heavy Liquid, at the SF Eagle, Thee Parkside and the North Beach Grant & Green Saloon.

In a 2007 interview with the Bay Area Reporter, James discussed his abandonment of the Nick Name persona.

“When we started out, it was a

blast. The last time I put the band together was for a show on Q Television,” he said. “It was a great way to end, in the way we wanted to. It was just done. We’d all grown up.”

Of his return to his earlier folk and country music influences, and his later CD releases, he said, “I’m in the moment. I’m interested in now.

I can claim the past, but I don’t want to live in it.”

James moved to Palm Springs in 2013 where he performed intimate solo concerts, cared for rescue dogs with his longtime partner Brian Masalkoski, and costarred in the independent film, Captivating Carla.

Friends of James said that his family will have him buried in a family plot in Logan, Utah.

According to his obituary, he is survived by his mother, Bonnie James, his brother, Mark James and his sister Dionne James Wallace.

An additional memorial in Palm Springs will be organized by Masalkoski and longtime friend David Perez at a later date.t

Open 24/7

Listen to Kent James’ music at last.fm and allmusic.com

Q-Music: Lust for Iggy Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust For Life,’ ‘The Idiot’ re-released

by Gregg Shapiro

B

orn James Osterberg, Jr. in Muskegon, Michigan, Iggy Pop is more than 50 years into a recording career that has resulted in just under 20 solo albums, in addition to the three groundbreaking records he made as frontman of The Stooges.

Never a great singer, and sure, he had a face that could scare a drip up a faucet, but that body! Those abs, those pecs and those lats; Pop had a porny physique long before any of his contemporaries. He knew it, too, often performing shirtless while contorting himself onstage in borderline erotic ways.

When it comes to Iggy’s solo work, he has yet to top the two he released in 1977 – The Idiot (UMC/ Virgin) and Lust For Life (UMC/ Virgin), each one newly reissued in expanded, double disc, deluxe editions. Both produced by David Bowie during his “Berlin period,” the albums are a musical departure for Pop, equally experimental and accessible, and far less abrasive than his Stooges output.

Seven of the eight songs on The Idiot, originally released in March 1977, are credited to Iggy Pop and David Bowie. The eighth, “Sister Midnight,” adds longtime Bowie guitarist Carlos Alomar to the song-

writing credits with Pop and Bowie.

The politically incorrect “China Girl” made its first appearance on The Idiot and was later recorded by Bowie on his 1983 Let’s Dance al-

bum, becoming one of Bowie’s biggest hit singles.

“Nightclubbing”, recorded by Grace Jones for her 1981 album of the same name, has more of a Berlin punk cabaret energy in Pop’s version.

Other notable numbers include the aforementioned album opener “Sister Midnight,” “Tiny Girls” (featuring a Bowie sax solo) and the rocking “Funtime.” The second disc in the set is a live recording from July 1977 in London.

Before listeners had a chance to fully digest The Idiot, Lust For Life arrived in August 1977. Of the nine songs, only three – including the exhilarating title track and the dramatic

Homecoming queen Carter Sickels’ ‘The Prettiest Star’

by Jim Piechota

T

he premise of Carter Sickels’ novel The Prettiest Star is one that is very much based on the kind of real circumstances many gay men grappled with in the AIDS years of the 1980s. A naïve young man with wanderlust strikes out on his own from a strict, religious Midwest upbringing and hits New York City like an unexpected summer storm.

Sickels, author of 2012’s wellreceived West Virginian character study The Evening Hour, expertly captures this scenario from both angles: the arrival and the ensuing years-long party across the city, then the unexplained fever, the crushing sadness, the death sentence, and the tentative backtracking return to a homeland that had never embraced him in the first place.

The story opens in 1986 where an epidemic-ravaged urban gay community struggles to come to terms with its own devastating decimation. Brian left good old Chester, Ohio when he was 18, and just six years later, he is watching his own health terminally fail after his partner succumbed to AIDS and most of their shared circle of friends already dead, amounting to his attendance at nine funerals in two years.

His desperate decision to return home sparks all kinds of resentment, anger, violence, and arrogance from his family and the nasty, bigoted townsfolk. Mother Sharon agrees to his homecoming, but father Travis sets strict sanitary and disinfectant ground rules, which ironically mirror current trends in COVID-19 home decontamination.

Brian glumly drives through town lamenting his past and remembering the hope he’d harbored for a new life of fun and freedom years ago when he’d left. “It was not supposed to turn out like this,” he thinks.

As the rumor mill churns across the petty social circles of Chester, Brian is ejected from the town pool for “infecting the water” and basically becomes the diseased town pariah and at the mercy of wicked scorn and random homophobic violence from all corners of the region.

With his grandmother being his sole defender and confidante, Brian exasperatedly

trudges through his time in town slowly being robbed of the hope he’d arrived with that things could possibly be tolerable, if he moved back home.

The story is a powerful, heartbreaking, and emotionally resonant work, and, while a painful and unjust narrative to behold, it also portrays so much of the gay community’s fabric, its decades of struggle, and its fight for equality in the face of unbridled disease and unrest.

As Brian reaches his breaking point and decides to flee before he is killed

by one of Chester’s finest sharpshooters, he reflects on the nature of going home again. “You come back to be seen, to be accepted, and to be loved,” none of which he’d received.

As his health declines, his mother and father lament on their failure to support their son in his time of need, and that failure to extend human grace, kindness, and dignity to another in need, may be the worst tragedy of all.t The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels; Hub City Press, $26

Right to Left: Drunk Drag Broadway, Dancing Together Apart, artist Rex Ray, Congressman-elect Ritchie Torres.

“Tonight” (later recorded by Bowie) – are solely Pop and Bowie collabs.

“The Passenger,” cowritten by Pop and Ricky Gardiner, was a minor hit for Siouxsie and the Banshees, and is one of Pop’s best-known solo recordings. An especially distinguishing factor of Lust For Life is that, aside from producing the album, Bowie is less of an obvious presence here, allowing Pop to fully establish his own unique musical identity, which comes through on songs such as “Some Weird Sin” and “Fall In Love With Me.” The second disc of the Lust For Life reissue is Pop’s 1978 live album T.V.Eye 1977 Live.t

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