June 15, 2017 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

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Vol. 47 • No. 24 • June 15-21, 2017

Hundreds rally in San Jose Jane Philomen Cleland

Construction worker Michael Bennett uses a torch to melt thermo plastic leather flag colors into the sidewalk on Ringold Alley.

SOMA alley leather walk takes shape

by Matthew S. Bajko

he bronze bootprints lining the sidewalks on a block of Ringold Alley honor men and women who left a lasting imprint on San Francisco’s leather community during their lifetimes. Made from the left and right soles of a pair of Dehners boots owned by Mike McNamee, the founder and former owner of Stompers, the 28 commemorative markers feature the names and short bios of 30 individuals. Among them are Marcus Hernandez, the Bay Area Reporter’s former leather columnist known simply as “Mr. Marcus,” and Alexis Muir, a transwoman and owner of early South of Market bars and baths. Also included are former Brig bar owner Hank Diethelm, who at 14 fled the Nazi Youth to immigrate to the city in 1949 and was murdered by a sexual partner in 1983, and Robert Opel, who owned Fey-Way Studios and streaked the 1974 Oscars ceremony then was assassinated in SOMA in 1979. Planted in several bulb-outs newly added to the street are stone plinths – recycled curbstones that once lined city streets – that bear the names of iconic leather businesses, many of which long ago closed their doors. Among them are Stormy Leather, a woman-owned leather store, and Fe-Be’s, the first leather bar on Folsom Street, once known as the “Miracle Mile” for the myriad leather bars and gay bathhouses that had operated on or near it starting in the 1950s. Today, only a handful remain. At the entrance to the one-way alley on Eighth Street is a bulb-out decked iut in the black, blue, and white colors of the leather flag, including a reproduction of its red heart. Round bike racks have been installed there, across from where an under-construction parklet is set to soon open. See page 18 >>

Participants walked in the San Jose Equality March for Unity and Pride June 11.

by Heather Cassell

rainbow of supporters demanded equal rights during last weekend’s march in San Jose that coincided with the national Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington, D.C., and numerous other satellite protests around the country.

People’s spirits were high as they waived their rainbow flags and signs, chanting in English and Spanish: “What do we want? Equality,” “What do we want? Diversity,” “No hate, No fear, everyone is welcome here,” through the heart of the South Bay city. March and rally organizers estimated the June 11 crowd to be upward of 800 attendees, but the Bay Area Reporter and Mercury

News estimated the crowd to be around 300. The San Jose Police Department didn’t respond to a request to confirm attendance numbers. Some older gay activists expressed disappointment in the numbers that were a mere shadow of the turnout for the Women’s See page 17 >>

Flore launches cannabis cocktail menu

Jo-Lynn Otto

by Sari Staver

nightlife consultant and a past president of the San Francisco Entertainhe Castro’s Flore cafe is rolling ment Commission, said Flore “hopes out its new cannabis cocktail to continue the tradition.” menu and is believed to be the “When Brownie Mary and Dennis first bar in San Francisco to offer bevPeron met for the first time, it was erages laced with pot. here at Flore,” said Alan, referring to Beginning Friday, June 16 at 4:20 the late medical cannabis proponent p.m., the 44-year-old cafe at Market Mary Jane Rathbun. and Noe streets will begin offering When Alan bought Flore with 16 new drinks, including “Peron’s business partner Aaron Silverman Perverted Punch” (named after mediin January, the two promised to cal marijuana activist Dennis Peron develop a menu that would include and consisting of pisco, pear vodka, cannabis. Alan and Silverman, a lime, and pineapple juice); “Harvey’s straight ally, met while doing canHibiscus Sangria” (named after slain nabis advocacy work in California supervisor Harvey Milk with hibisand realized they shared a vision of cus-infused vodka, Pimm’s blackSari Staver a restaurant where customers could berry, elderflower liqueur, pinot noir, Flore co-owner Aaron Silverman, left, showed off some of the enjoy and share cannabis while they and lemon juice); and a “Castro Cup” cannabis-infused drinks and bites with Chris Emerson, cosocialize over food. (cucumber-infused Irish whiskey, founder of Level Blends, mixologist Christopher Longoria, and Alan has a long history of cannaPimm’s No. 1, lemon juice, and soda). Flore co-owner Terrance Alan. bis activism beginning in the 1970s The menu also includes four nonwhen he and Peron fought to make alcoholic mocktails, including “Flore medical marijuana legal. He is chair cheese crumbles); and housemade hummus Sunrise” (orange and pineapple juices with of San Francisco’s Cannabis State Legalization de Flore. Munchies will be available until 7:20 pomegranate syrup). p.m., while the beverages can be ordered during Task Force. A cannabis-laced beer, Tokeback Mountain, restaurant hours. Silverman is an experienced cannabis was introduced April 20 and has quickly be“The Castro is the neighborhood where entrepreneur. come the most popular beer on tap. But as Alan knew, the task wasn’t going to be medical marijuana got started in this city,” said Flore’s new menu will include a munchies co-owner Terrance Alan, referring to Peron’s easy. Local laws prohibit bars from also selling section, featuring jalapeno hog and cheese bites; fight for dispensaries under Proposition 215, cannabis, which made the owners’ job “very baby got back (chicken fried bacon strips); Noe tricky,” said Alan. But he figured out that if he which legalized medical marijuana in 1996. Valley nuggets (buffalo Tater Tots with blue See page 16 >> Alan, a gay man who is an entertainment and

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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRIUMEQ? TRIUMEQ can cause serious side effects, including: • Serious allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death have happened with TRIUMEQ and other abacavir-containing products. Your risk of this allergic reaction to abacavir is much higher if you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get symptoms from 2 or more of the following groups while taking TRIUMEQ, call your healthcare provider right away: 1. fever; 2. rash; 3. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; 4. generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness; 5. shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat. Your pharmacist will give you a Warning Card with a list of these symptoms. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times. If you stop taking TRIUMEQ because of an allergic reaction, never take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir- or dolutegravir-containing medicines again. If you take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get lifethreatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop TRIUMEQ for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to TRIUMEQ, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking TRIUMEQ again can cause a serious allergic or life-threatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take TRIUMEQ again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one. • A buildup of acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take TRIUMEQ. This serious medical emergency can cause death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel very weak or tired; have unusual muscle pain; have trouble breathing; have stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy/lightheaded; or have a fast/irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems can happen in people who take TRIUMEQ. In some cases, these serious liver problems can lead to death. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking nucleoside analogue medicines for a long time. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: • yellow skin, or the white part of the eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark urine; light-colored stools; loss of appetite for several days or longer; nausea; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area • Worsening of hepatitis B virus in people who have HIV-1 infection. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B virus (HBV), your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking TRIUMEQ. A “flare-up” is when your HBV suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver disease can be serious and may lead to death. Do not stop taking TRIUMEQ without first talking to your healthcare provider, so he or she can monitor your health. • Resistant hepatitis B virus. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with TRIUMEQ and become harder to treat (resistant). ©2016 ViiV Healthcare group of companies. All rights reserved. Printed in USA. 723601R0 August 2016

• Use with interferon and ribavirin-based regimens. If you’re taking TRIUMEQ and interferon, with or without ribavirin, tell your healthcare provider about any new symptoms. Worsening of liver disease that has caused death has happened in people infected with both HIV-1 and hepatitis C who were taking antiretroviral medicines and interferon. Who should not take TRIUMEQ? • Do not take TRIUMEQ if you: • have the HLA-B*5701 gene variation • are allergic to abacavir, dolutegravir, or any of the ingredients in TRIUMEQ • take dofetilide (Tikosyn®) • have liver or kidney problems What are other possible side effects of TRIUMEQ? • People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with TRIUMEQ. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your liver function before and during treatment with TRIUMEQ. • When you start taking HIV-1 medicines, your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking TRIUMEQ. • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicines. • Some HIV-1 medicines, including TRIUMEQ, may increase your risk of heart attack. The most common side effects of TRIUMEQ include: trouble sleeping, headache, tiredness These are not all the possible side effects of TRIUMEQ. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRIUMEQ? • Before you take TRIUMEQ, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have been tested and know whether or not you have a gene variation called HLA-B*5701 have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection; • have kidney problems; have heart problems, smoke, or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes; drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRIUMEQ will harm your unborn baby • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take TRIUMEQ • You should not take TRIUMEQ if you also take: • abacavir (EPZICOM®, TRIZIVIR®, or ZIAGEN®) • lamivudine (COMBIVIR®, DutrebisTM, EPIVIR®, EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM, or TRIZIVIR) • emtricitabine (Emtriva®, Atripla®, Complera®, Stribild®, or Truvada®)

Important Safety Information continued on next page

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• Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements (for example, antacids or laxatives; vitamins such as iron or calcium supplements; anti-seizure medicines; other medicines to treat HIV-1, hepatitis, or tuberculosis; metformin; methadone; or St. John’s wort). Some medicines interact with TRIUMEQ. Keep a list of your medicines to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

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IMPORTANT FACTS

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(TRI-u-meck) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRIUMEQ

BEFORE TAKING TRIUMEQ

TRIUMEQ may cause serious side effects, including: • Serious allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reaction) that can cause death have happened with TRIUMEQ and other abacavir-containing products. Your risk of this allergic reaction to abacavir is much higher if you have a gene variation called HL A-B*5701. Your healthcare provider can determine with a blood test if you have this gene variation. If you get symptoms from 2 or more of the following groups while taking TRIUMEQ, call your healthcare provider right away: 1. fever; 2. rash; 3. nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain; 4. generally ill feeling, extreme tiredness, or achiness; 5. shortness of breath, cough, or sore throat. A list of these symptoms is on the Warning Card your pharmacist gives you. Carry this Warning Card with you at all times. • If you stop taking TRIUMEQ because of an allergic reaction, never take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir- or dolutegravir-containing medicines again. If you take TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing medicine again after you have had an allergic reaction, within hours you may get life-threatening symptoms that may include very low blood pressure or death. If you stop TRIUMEQ for any other reason, even for a few days, and you are not allergic to TRIUMEQ, talk with your healthcare provider before taking it again. Taking TRIUMEQ again can cause a serious allergic or lifethreatening reaction, even if you never had an allergic reaction to it before. If your healthcare provider tells you that you can take TRIUMEQ again, start taking it when you are around medical help or people who can call a healthcare provider if you need one. • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “teacolored” urine, light-colored stools (bowel movements), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain on the right side. You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking nucleoside analogues for a long time. • Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRIUMEQ. Do not stop taking TRIUMEQ without ﬁrst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months. • Resistant HBV. If you have HIV-1 and HBV, the HBV can change (mutate) while you’re on TRIUMEQ and become harder to treat (resistant). • Use with interferon and ribavirin-based regimens. Worsening of liver disease that has caused death has happened in people infected with both HIV-1 and hepatitis C virus who are taking antiretroviral medicines and are also being treated for hepatitis C with interferon with or without ribavirin. If you are taking TRIUMEQ and interferon with or without ribavirin, tell your HCP if you have any new symptoms.

Tell your healthcare provider if you: • have been tested and know if you have a particular gene variation called HL A-B*5701. • have or had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis B or C virus infection. • have heart problems, smoke, or have diseases that increase your risk of heart disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes. • drink alcohol or take medicines that contain alcohol. • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRIUMEQ will harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

ABOUT TRIUMEQ • TRIUMEQ is a prescription HIV-1 medicine used alone or with other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults. TRIUMEQ is not for use by itself in people who have or have had resistance to abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine. TRIUMEQ should not be used in children under the age of 18. • TRIUMEQ does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

DO NOT TAKE TRIUMEQ IF YOU • have a certain type of gene variation called the HL A-B*5701 allele. Your HCP will test you for this before prescribing treatment with TRIUMEQ. • are allergic to abacavir, dolutegravir, or any of the ingredients in TRIUMEQ. See the full Medication Guide for a complete list of ingredients in TRIUMEQ. • take dofetilide (Tikosyn®). Taking TRIUMEQ and dofetilide (Tikosyn) can cause side effects that may be life-threatening. • have liver or kidney problems. • If you also take: abacavir (EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, or ZIAGEN); lamivudine (COMBIVIR®, DutrebisTM, EPIVIR®, EPIVIR-HBV®, EPZICOM, or TRIZIVIR); emtricitabine (Atripla®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Stribild®, or Truvada®) abacavir (EPZICOM, TRIZIVIR, or ZIAGEN)

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. • Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRIUMEQ. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider

MEDICINES THAT MIGHT INTERACT WITH TRIUMEQ • antacids, laxatives, or other medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium, sucralfate (Carafate®), or buffered medicines. TRIUMEQ should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after you take these medicines. • iron or calcium supplements taken by mouth may be taken at the same time with TRIUMEQ if taken with food. Otherwise, TRIUMEQ should be taken at least 2 hours before or 6 hours after you take these medicines • anti-seizure medicines: oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®), phenytoin (Dilantin ®, Dilantin ® -125, Phenytek ®), phenobarbital, carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol®-XR, Teril®, Epitol®) • any other medicine to treat HIV-1, medicines used to treat hepatitis virus infections (such as interferon or ribavirin), a medicine that contains metformin, methadone, rifampin (Rifater ®, Rifamate ®, Rimactane ®, Rifadin®), St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRIUMEQ TRIUMEQ can cause serious side effects including: • See “What is the most important information about TRIUMEQ?” section • Changes in liver tests. • Changes in your immune system • Changes in body fat • Some HIV-1 medicines including TRIUMEQ may increase your risk of heart attack. The most common side effects of TRIUMEQ are: trouble sleeping, headache, and tiredness These are not all the possible side effects of TRIUMEQ. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRIUMEQ. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRIUMEQ. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

GET MORE INFORMATION • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist • Go to TRIUMEQ.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved product labeling COMBIVIR, EPIVIR, EPZICOM, TIVICAY, TRIUMEQ, TRIZIVIR, and ZIAGEN are registered trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. EPIVIR-HBV is a registered trademark of the GSK group of companies. The other brands listed are trademarks of their respective owners and are not trademarks of the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. The makers of these brands are not afﬁliated with and do not endorse the ViiV Healthcare group of companies or its products. ©2016, the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. All rights reserved. April 2016 TRM:4MG

Community News>>

June 15-21, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

family law specialist* Remembering Pulse victims ver 100 people gathered at 18th and Castro streets in San Francisco Monday, June 12 to mark one year since the tragic mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida that took the lives of 49

people. The Reverend Megan Rohrer was one of several speakers at the event. Another remembrance took place at Skylawn Memorial Park in San Mateo. Names of the victims were read at both Bay Area events.

Maitri director resigns after 6 months by Seth Hemmelgarn

he executive director of Maitri, a San Francisco nonprofit that provides hospice services to people with AIDS, has resigned after only six months on the job, the agency has announced. Michael Sorensen, who couldn’t be reached for comment, is leaving “for personal reasons,” a June 10 Maitri news release said. Sorensen replaced former Maitri Executive Director Michael Smithwick on December 19, after Smithwick retired. “I would like to acknowledge Michael for the contributions he has made as Maitri’s executive director, culminating in a very successful Bliss annual gala in May,” stated Maitri board Chair Michael Niemeyer. “I wish Michael all the best in his future endeavors.” Maitri will appoint an interim executive director by June 16 “to assure a seamless transition, as the board embarks on a search for a permanent replacement,” the nonprofit said. “... The highest levels of residential care services and patient care that Maitri provides will remain unaffected.” The sold-out Bliss gala, which marked Maitri’s 30th anniversary, grossed more than $245,000 and “was the most successful gala in the organization’s history,” the group said.

Michael Sorensen

The agency is nearly finished successfully negotiating its two main government contracts, which account for almost $1.7 million of its $2.9 million budget and will span at least three years. The contracts “will help ensure that Maitri can make hospice and respite care available to those disabled by AIDS,” the group said. One of the agency’s most pressing concerns has been finding a tenant for its 4,000 square foot ground floor commercial space. The space has been mired in controversy since Los Angeles-based

bisexual San Francisco woman who was convicted of making criminal threats outside a gay bar in 2016 is expected to serve more than six years in state prison after her sentencing this week. Pearly Martin, 30, had been accused of yelling “faggots” and threatening several gay men with a knife, among other charges. In April, jurors hung on hate crime enhancements but convicted Martin of five counts of making criminal threats, which came with enhancements for using a knife, as well as a count of residential burglary. She was also convicted of a misdemeanor vandalism charge that stemmed from her kicking out the window of a police car, but she was acquitted of false imprisonment charges.

Courtesy SFPD

Pearly Martin

The case resulted from an April 25, 2016 incident outside Club OMG, a gay bar in the South of Market neighborhood. Monday, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Sharon Reardon sentenced Martin to a total of nine years in state prison, but Martin,

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AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which operates a chain of Out of the Closet thrift shops, settled an eviction lawsuit with Maitri over its rejection of a rent increase in 2015. Maitri then endured harsh criticism last year when it announced plans to lease the space to a sex offender rehab company, without giving nearby residents a heads up. That deal fell apart after a neighborhood uproar. Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, whose District 8 includes Maitri, said earlier this year that he’d like to open what he’s called a “respite center,” possibly in Maitri’s vacant commercial space, that would welcome homeless people off the streets during the day. However, there’s no funding for such a center. Mayor Ed Lee has targeted money for more Navigation Centers, and Sheehy told the B.A.R. this week he is pushing for one to be designated specifically for homeless youth. He has yet to locate a site for such a facility, whether in his district or elsewhere in the city. Before joining Maitri, Sorensen had most recently served as the executive director of health centers at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. He’d also served as director of development and communications at the Cascade AIDS Project, among other work. t

Woman gets prison for threats by Seth Hemmelgarn

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

who’s been in jail since her arrest shortly after the incident, is likely to serve about six and a half years because of the time she’s already spent in custody and other credits. Although jurors hadn’t agreed on the hate crime enhancements, Reardon said at Martin’s sentencing Monday that since “the victims were vulnerable,” she considered that an aggravating factor in how much time to give Martin. Reardon also said that Martin had “engaged in violent conduct” indicating she was a danger to society, her past crimes had been “numerous” and had increased in severity, and her previous performance on probation had been “unsatisfactory.” Court records show that Martin had previously been accused See page 16 >>

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<< Open Forum

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

Volume 47, Number 24 June 15-21, 2017 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Seth Hemmelgarn CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Brent Calderwood • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani Richard Dodds • Michael Flanagan Jim Gladstone • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell • John F. Karr Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Michael Nugent • Paul Parish • Sean Piverger Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr •Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel Khaled Sayed • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Sari Staver • Jim Stewart Sean Timberlake • Andre Torrez • Ronn Vigh Charlie Wagner • Ed Walsh Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd • Jo-Lynn Otto Rich Stadtmiller • Steven Underhil Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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Charity watchdog’s good move M

illions of people donate to nonprofit agencies, many which do good work and provide vital services to their communities. National organizations also serve to unite supporters around a common cause. Smart donors regularly check sites like GuideStar, which compile data on finances and other metrics of nonprofits – including the public IRS Form 990 – to ensure that their dollars are funding reputable charities. That’s why GuideStar’s announcement this week that it is now identifying anti-LGBTQ hate groups is so important – and so welcome in this Pride Month. According to GuideStar, it will now place a warning label on tax-exempt nonprofits accused of spreading hate. ABC News reported that the site recently flagged 46 nonprofits as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which is the leading authority on the subject and for years has tracked anti-LGBTQ groups. GuideStar’s president and CEO, Jacob Harold, said the new feature reflects a “broader shift in how we imagine our role in the [nonprofit] field,” ABC reported. Adding new data sources is part of that shift, but Harold also framed the warning labels as a response to the recent rise in “hateful rhetoric” in the U.S. We’ve seen hateful rhetoric increase since Donald Trump became president, and it’s not just LGBTs who are the targets. There have been reports that young students, feeling increasingly emboldened by the low level of discourse, now openly taunt and intimidate fellow students, especially minorities. In the first comprehensive review of post-election bullying, BuzzFeed News reported that it “has confirmed more than 50 incidents, across 26 states, in which a K-12 student invoked Trump’s name or message in an apparent effort to

harass a classmate during the past school year.” From BuzzFeed’s report: On a school bus in San Antonio, Texas, a white eighth-grader said to a Filipino classmate, “You are going to be deported.” In a classroom in Brea, California, a white eighth-grader told a black classmate, “Now that Trump won, you’re going to have to go back to Africa, where you belong.” Given these examples and more, in which adults are doing the bullying, it’s important that organizations like GuideStar respond by exposing hate rhetoric and ideology, calling out hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan and Richard Spencer’s Virginia-based National Policy Institute. The Eliminate Hate Campaign, a nationwide coalition of faith leaders and others who work to increase media accountability and public awareness of the growing influence and extremism of anti-LGBTQ hate groups, praised GuideStar’s decision. “We are thrilled GuideStar decided to properly identify anti-LGBT hate groups for what they truly are – organizations that traffic in the slander and discrimination of the LGBTQ community,” the coalition said in a statement.

For the love of art by J.K. Fowler

and therefore the soul-feeding institutions that we love. We suck the life out f our community is interested in of organizers with little regard or conmoving toward the institution of cern for what it takes to produce arts sustainable arts and culture organizaand cultural programming and offer tions, then we must put our money little but praise and the occasional where our interests lie. At Nomadic dollar in return. This must stop. We Press, we have consistently produced must literally put our money where quality shows in quantity not beour mouths are. cause we appreciate the challenge, Those mad or passionate enough to but because we believe that arts and start an arts and cultural organization J.K. Fowler cultural programming are vital to know the across-the-board drain it any society worth living in. causes on leader’s lives. We are driven As a community, we must move by the projects we begin – deeply in away from treating our arts and cultural praclove – and will do what it takes to maintain, sustices as ancillary to the day-to-day reality of paytain, and grow them, even at the expense of our ing bills. There needs to be a shift from “I write/ own personal lives. And when we cannot take it paint/create because I love it” to “I write/paint/ any more and burn out, those that appreciated create because it is what I do as an occupation, the work that we did when we were thriving and as something I do to sustain myself, my family, in the stage of growth before the burnout are, my children.” The donation scheme instituted at sadly, nowhere to be seen. It is unacceptable for many of our arts and cultural programs within those that appreciate the arts and culture that this country necessarily maintain arts and cultursuch organizations produce to simply al organizations as ancillary to mainstream socimove on to the next and create a culety, as things that people participate in when they ture of disposable arts and culture have the free time, as those things we do after our organizations once again relegated 9-5 day jobs that many of us dread going to every to the “when I have time, I run day. Small-scale donations, while immensely apa press/studio/etc.” as ancillary preciated, do not pay people’s salaries, nor do hobby, a side thing rarely noted. they create sustainable arts and culture organizaIf you want art in your comtions. Sustained purchases from arts and culture munity to survive, you need to organizations and regular, sizable donations do. give artists money: not just your We must always accept what people can afford to tacit or involved support, but dolgive, and while affordability is a reality for many lars. This is your responsibility as (i.e., we do not have a diode in our bank account a member of the arts community if you are ever to give), there are others whose affordability is reinterested in arts and culture to be sustainable and ally a subjective assessment that places value of central, supported from the bottom-up. This must one thing over another. It is rare that the arts and be paired simultaneously with financial training culture are valued monetarily; more often they for arts and cultural organizations to ensure that are valued for being “powerful,” “interesting,” when monies are given to arts organizations, the “beautiful,” and so on. resources are well spent. Let’s please keep in mind “Powerful,” “interesting,” and “beautiful” do that every single day we: give money to businesses not pay the bills. “Important” or “indispensable” that strip workers of their rights; denigrate the do not pay the bills. Dollar bills do. For as much environment; support illegal governmental activitalk as we as artists discuss the importance of ties; and sell our privacy to the highest bidder. So feeding our souls with the arts, we simultaneousour high horse can only be so high. Oversight is ly support and promulgate systems that attack, important across a society, however, but training denigrate, and undermine the institutions that and skills development when it comes to business create the art that we have come to appreciate, acumen and money management is key for the

“The hate groups in question are dangerous, and all the entities that continue to normalize their vitriol are complicit enablers of their extremism. It’s time for those in the media and other institutions to follow the lead of GuideStar and start consistently identifying hate.” The SPLC identifies groups as anti-LGBTQ when they knowingly spread “demonizing lies about the LGBT community, engage in baseless, incendiary name-calling, or actively work to criminalize LGBTQ people.” A prime example is the Family Research Council, which, SPLC states, “... often makes false claims about the LGBT community based on discredited research and junk science. The intention is to denigrate LGBT people as the organization battles against samesex marriage, hate crime laws, anti-bullying programs, and the repeal of the military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy.” Just last year on its website, FRC stated, “Family Research Council believes that homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large, and can never be affirmed. It is by definition unnatural, and as such is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects.” As the Eliminate Hate Campaign rightly pointed out, a common denominator with these hate groups is that many have high levels of access to the Trump administration and state legislatures. They are positioned to escalate their attacks on LGBTQ equality by “toxifying civil discourse, peddling misinformation (fake news), and leveraging policymaking power at local, state, and national levels,” the campaign noted. As you celebrate Pride, be mindful of groups that are opposed to us and feel a newfound sense of power now that Trump is in the Oval Office. Empower yourself with information when donating to nonprofit organizations, and use sites like GuideStar that have a system that lets you know if the group you support is also supportive of you.t

arts. So many of us are not only averse to money management, unfortunately, but downright petrified when it comes to asking for money for our products. And yes, art and culture is a product in capitalist society. Wishing it weren’t and interacting with art and culture through this lens is dangerous and hurts the very arts we are claiming to protect from the claws of the capitalist system. You have a literary journal that you appreciate? Pay for it. Buy it, donate to the organization, and forgo other things to do so. You have an arts and culture organization that consistently produces in your community? Support it by attending, spreading the word, buying their products (again, yes, books are products), and give them money – collectively give them enough money so that they can not only pay their electricity bill but they can actually pay their performers and those that work for the organization. Pay them enough so that, gasp, they can grow and expand their programming. Growth does not always equal a lessening in the quality of programming. Starving as someone involved in the organization and having to scrimp and scheme to make it will lead to choices being made by those in the organization that may adopt hardline capitalist practices. Why? Because the socalled supporters, no matter how much they clapped, didn’t pay for what they appreciated and therefore took it for granted and built their enjoyment on the backs of the workers within the organization, many or all of whom donate their time day in and day out, again often at the expense of their own personal lives and well-being. The alternatives to collecting money from those that attend one’s events or buy one’s books, CDs, or paintings are to join the nonprofit industrial complex, apply for grants, and run the great risk of beginning to tailor programming to the funding rather than the original mission and vision of the organization, as so many groups have. The other alternative is to run the organization for as long as one can, likely burn out in the process, and close shop within five years, again as so See page 16 >>

Letters >>

June 15-21, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Turn Pride party into a protest

San Francisco Pride officials should take serious note of what happened in Los Angeles last weekend during its Pride march (http://www.latimes. com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-pride-resistmarch-20170611-story.html). San Francisco should follow this great example and turn this year’s Pride party into a demonstration march against the atrocities facing our community. Enough of the party and the commercial promotions. San Francisco should step up to the plate and show its political strength. Send a message to Washington and the world – and most importantly, to the young LGBTQ people – that the party comes after the work is done.

Mad about dog-killer’s sculpture

I was by Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and was assaulted by a new sculpture by dog killer Tom Otterness. Otterness is the man who adopted a dog, then shot it and filmed it as an “art project” 40 years ago. San Franciscans forced the city’s art commission to decline his piece that it had commissioned for the new Central Subway in 2011. The one for the hospital went ahead. The San Francisco Art Commission should be ashamed. We are the City of Saint Francis. Everyone should be made aware of this artist’s background and the dark side of this “whimsical” piece.

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Former B.A.R. film critic runs for Palm Springs council seat A

gay man who was the Bay Area Reporter’s film critic in the 1990s and early 2000s, and worked as a real estate agent while in San Francisco, is running this November for a seat on the Palm Springs City Council. Robert Julian Stone, 66, grew up in Detroit and moved to San Francisco in 1971. He worked for a number of local publications and was hired in 1990 as arts editor of the B.A.R. The next year he became the paper’s film critic, resigning from the position in January 2006 after moving to the desert resort town in Riverside County. Over the last decade Stone has played a key role in the forced retirement of a Palm Springs police chief due to the fallout from a 2009 gay sex sting and the indictment this year of gay former Mayor Steve Pougnet due to an alleged bribery scheme involving a local developer. “This town deserves better treatment than it has received in the past from its elected representatives,” Stone told the B.A.R. during a recent phone interview about his decision to seek elected office. He is one of seven people who have pulled papers to run for two council seats that will be on the city’s fall ballot. As the Political Notebook reported in May, Palm Springs Planning Commissioner Lisa Middleton, who is also a former Bay Area resident, is vying to become California’s first transgender city council person. Long a mecca for gay retirees, Palm Springs elects its four city council seats citywide, and its elected mayor is the fifth vote on the body. The council’s two incumbents whose four-year terms are up this year, lesbian City Councilwoman Ginny Foat and City Councilman Chris Mills, who is straight, have yet to say if they will seek re-election. It is believed at least one of them will decide not to run, creating an open seat on the council, whose other three current members are all gay men. Stone had moved to Palm Springs with his partner of 23 years, Patrick McGrew, who died in 2013 due to a heart attack. A year later he met his current husband, Dr. Bob Maietta, a retired physician. He turned his “weird and funny” experiences during his first year in the city into the book “Postcards From Palm Springs” that “kind of scandalized the town,” said Stone. Later, he was a vocal critic of the tactics used by the police department to coerce gay men to expose themselves in his neighborhood of Warm Springs. Those arrested were

Courtesy Stone for City Council campaign

Palm Springs City Council candidate Robert Julian Stone

then charged by the county district attorney’s office with misdemeanor indecent exposure, which could have required them to register as sex offenders for life if convicted. “That just set me through the roof. You are not going to do this with my tribe,” recalled Stone. By 2011 half a dozen of the men saw the charges against them dropped, while the rest were able to plea bargain down for lesser charges. None of the cases ever went to trial. Stone credited B.A.R. freelance reporter Ed Walsh for helping keep the story in the public’s eye and bring pressure on both the police and D.A. “because the local press wanted it to go away and refused to cover it.” Three years later Stone had turned his attention to a questionable development deal that the former mayor had championed. It involved the sale of a prominent downtown parcel to a local developer, who it turned out, had been paying Pougnet as a consultant. Using public records requests, Stone and attorney Judy Deertrack, who is also running for a council seat this fall, uncovered the payments, which Pougnet had failed to disclose at the time of his voting on the project. They took what they uncovered to the local U.S. attorney and agents with the FBI. After news of the payments broke in 2015, Pougnet announced he would not seek re-election. He was indicted earlier this year on bribery and other charges. The case was recently relocated to Indio County, and Pougnet and the two other defendants are expected to enter pleas at the end of June. In late May, Stone and Deertrack publicly revealed they have been working with local law enforcement on the case. “We have remained silent about our initiation of this investigation for two years, but the time for silence is over,” they said at a news

conference. “We step forward today to demonstrate to the general public that, if you discover actions by elected officials that bear the signs of corruption, you must call them out.” The case and the ongoing fallout from it led Stone to decide to run for a council seat. He wants to ensure protocols are put in place at City Hall to prevent a similar scandal from occurring. “I think campaigning makes me a better person,” said Stone. “I have rediscovered what wonderful people live here in Palm Springs and just how great they are. That motivates me even more strongly to continue running through November.” To learn more about his campaign, visit https://stoneforcitycouncil.com/.

Gay man runs for San Mateo education post

Gay Pacifica resident Gary Waddell, Ph.D., is running to be elected superintendent of schools for San Mateo County. Should he win the race next June, he would be the highest-ranking countywide LGBT official on the Peninsula. The former school principal is currently the deputy superintendent of the San Mateo County Office of Education overseeing instructional services and programs. He previously had served as the county education office’s associate superintendent of instruction and its curriculum services administrator. An award-winning school counselor in his native state of North Carolina, where he started his education career, Waddell is also a former foster parent for adolescents with emotional and behavioral disabilities. He is expected to formally announce his candidacy this Friday (June 16). According to his campaign website – http://www. garywaddell.org/ – he has already been endorsed by gay former state Assemblyman Rich Gordon (DMenlo Park) and gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). “I’m honored to be running for San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools 2018 because I believe that it is time to stand up for our kids through progressive leadership, world-class schools for EVERY child, and dynamic schools that include the arts, civics, innovation, sustainability, and social-emotional learning,” wrote Waddell, 54, on Facebook in early May when he announced the launch of his campaign site. Should no candidate receive 50 percent plus one of the vote on the June primary ballot next year, then the top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election ballot. The current holder of the elected position, Anne E. See page 16 >>

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<< Community News

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

SFO exhibit will honor Pride flag creator by Matthew S. Bajko

ometime in the late 1990s Gilbert Baker, the creator of the iconic rainbow flag, began dreaming up an idea to install an exhibit at the San Francisco International Airport, which has its own museum and mounts various art exhibits in its four terminals. It would incorporate American flags he had created for the 1984 Democratic Convention that decorated the ceiling of the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco. In September 2001 Baker and his close friend, Cleve Jones, had scheduled a meeting with the airport’s thendeputy director, Peter Nardoza, a gay man who had been a mayoral aide to Dianne Feinstein. (He died in 2011.) But it came just days after the horrific events of September 11, when terrorists hijacked four airplanes, flying two into the World Trade Center in New York City and one into the Pentagon outside Washington, D.C. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania

due to the actions of the passengers, including gay San Francisco rugby player Mark Bingham. “It was so eerie walking through the terminals. It was completely empty,” recalled Jones. “My best recollection was he had this idea of having the flags suspended from the ceiling at the airport.” The U.S. flags had wires sewn into them so they could be manipulated into various shapes. But due to new security measures instituted at airports across the country following 9/11, Baker’s plans for the airport installation were shelved. Earlier this year, he returned to the idea. This time Baker was conceiving an exhibit on the history of the Pride flag to coincide with the 40th anniversary in 2018 of his having created the global LGBT symbol. “Gilbert always wanted to have a show at the airport,” gay District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, a close friend of Baker’s, told the Bay Area Reporter. “I was talking to Gilbert about it

and he wanted rainbow flag banners hung around SFO.” Sadly, Baker unexpectedly died March 31 at his home in New York. He was 65. His death was caused by hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the New York City medical examiner’s office. With Baker’s sudden passing, his friends and city officials are now working to make his vision for an SFO exhibit a reality next year. “I think it is possible to do something wonderful at the airport for the 40th anniversary of the rainbow flag. Who knows, maybe it is fabric, maybe it is projection of images,” said Jones, speaking by phone from New York this week where he was to attend a memorial march in honor of Baker. “I think all sorts of things could be done, especially if done with projections and lights.” A frequent flyer through SFO, Jones said he is always impressed by the quality and diversity of the

Rick Gerharter

Sister Timothy Simplicity, on stage, reads a proclamation designating Gilbert Baker as Sister Betsy Ross of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, while other Sisters hold rainbow ribbons strung down the aisles of the Castro Theatre to open the celebration of life for Baker, the creator of the rainbow flag.

art exhibits mounted by the airport museum staff. “I think the curators of the art spaces in the airport do a tremendous job. I am always struck by

the beautiful curating that goes on there,” said Jones. The preliminary discussions about See page 16 >>

Sheehy, Lee propose $1.54M increase for youth services by Matthew S. Bajko

or months gay District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy has criticized Mayor Ed Lee’s administration for not adequately funding services for the estimated 1,500 homeless youth on the city’s streets, 43 percent of who identify as LGBT. Thirteen percent are HIV-positive. In May Sheehy, who is the first out HIV-positive person to serve on the Board of Supervisors, had publicly expressed his frustrations during a meeting with merchants in the gay Castro district. “I see a lot of young people on our streets but not a lot of services for those people. In my perspective the

situation since I have been in office is getting worse,” said Sheehy, who was appointed to a board vacancy by Lee in January. “I have voiced my frustration at Room 200.” This week Lee responded by announcing at a news conference Monday in the newly remodeled LGBT Community Center that he had proposed $1.54 million in additional funding for services targeted at the city’s youth, particularly those who are homeless. It is in addition to the $2.9 million grant the city received in January from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program. “We talked about what is

Jane Philomen Cleland

Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, left, talks with San Francisco LGBT Community Center Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe after a news conference announcing more funding for the center and other agencies.

happening on the streets. He emphasized youth and how this center here is a welcoming center for so

many generations,” said Lee about his discussions with Sheehy about his budget priorities.

Due to the election of President Donald Trump, young people who felt emboldened to come out of the closet during the eight years Barack Obama was in the White House now face being attacked and are moving to places like San Francisco in search of acceptance, noted Sheehy, who worked as a bike messenger and couch surfed when he first moved to the city in 1988. “We have an internal refugee problem. As a sanctuary city we also have to be a home for refugees from Trump’s America,” said Sheehy, adding that he was “very grateful” for the mayor’s funding allocation. See page 16 >>

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<< Community News

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

Body scanners in SF to help trans inmates by Seth Hemmelgarn

an Francisco Mayor Ed Lee wants $300,000 to pay for two body scanners in the city’s jails, a step that’s seen as crucial in helping trans inmates be housed according to their gender identity. Lee spokeswoman Deirdre Hussey said in an email to the Bay Area Reporter that the mayor is proposing the funding in his budget for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years. The scanners would mean most transgender people and other inmates could be searched electronically rather than relying on sheriff’s deputies to examine people. Ensuring staff of the appropriate gender are available to do strip searches has been one of the stumbling blocks in improving housing conditions for trans inmates. For years, trans people have complained of abuse and harassment by other inmates and sheriff’s staff in San Francisco’s jails. Sheriff Vicki Hennessy, who oversees the jails, said Monday that it would take “six months to a year” to get the body scanners up and running, but she’s “looking forward” to people neither having to be subject to nor perform strip searches. “I think this will be a great step for everybody,” said Hennessy. It would take time to get the scanners ready because “We have to make sure we have the appropriate places to put them, and we may need to do some upgrading to the power sources,” she said. Her agency will

Kelly Sullivan

Sheriff Vicki Hennessy

also need to seek bids on the project. “It’s a longer process than I would like, as is everything,” she said. Hennessy said “the majority of inmates” are strip-searched when they first come into custody and may be strip-searched again once they’re in custody. Theresa Sparks, a trans woman who’s been working with Hennessy and others to address housing concerns and serves as Lee’s senior adviser for transgender initiatives, praised the mayor’s action. “One of the big issues around transitioning trans women from the men to the women’s side [of the jails] is body searches, and it’s an issue of whether the deputies want to do body searches of trans women or trans women want

men or women doing searches,” said Sparks. “... Body scanners essentially alleviate the entire issue.” It’s important that trans inmates are “able to feel comfortable with being searched, and with the current system, in many ways they are not comfortable, nor are the guards,” Sparks added. In June 2015, then-Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi announced plans to stop classifying transgender inmates who have not had surgery according to their birth sex, meaning that trans women would no longer be housed with men. Gay Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, who’s been working with the mayor’s office to get the funding, said he’s “excited” about Lee proposing the funds for the body scanners. “I think it’s such a major move forward,” said Sheehy. “By eliminating strip searches, it will improve conditions for trans and gendernonconforming individuals in custody. It’s a traumatic experience to be strip-searched.” Sheehy said that he thinks his board colleagues will support funding for body scanners when the mayor’s budget proposal comes before them this summer. “We all want to do the right thing,” he said. In response to an email from the B.A.R. about whether his group supports getting body scanners and their eliminating the need to do body searches on trans inmates, Eugene

Cerbone, a gay man who serves as president of the San Francisco Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, said, “I don’t know who told you that body scans would replace searches of trans inmates, that is incorrect to my knowledge. These scanners are for contraband and not to be solely used in place of searches. Two machines would not be enough if they were to be used for searches only. Our union supports scanners since they assist the deputies in keeping drugs and other forms of contraband out of the jail system.”

‘Case-by-case review’

In a letter to Sheehy in February, Hennessy wrote that the scanners would “obviate the need for strip searches where warranted to prevent the introduction of contraband into the jail environment.” She also wrote, “The ultimate goal is to consider gender identity for all individuals, as part of the case-bycase review performed by the Classification Unit, and safely housing all transgender, gender variant, and intersex prisoners according to the gender with which they identify.” Several factors, including charges, “criminal sophistication,” and psychiatric needs, are used to classify each inmate who’s in the sheriff’s custody for 72 hours “to determine the safest, most appropriate housing,” Hennessy wrote. “We are currently developing a policy that will consider gender identity in each classification review

and housing decision.” She immediately started working on moving the trans inmates to “A-Pod,” a men’s re-entry pod in County Jail #2, which is behind the Hall of Justice. The pod, managed by Five Keys Charter School, has been modified to provide trans inmates “with their own housing unit, including a shower, segregated from men’s housing, but having the benefit of more light, air, and freedom of movement than they had at County Jail #4,” wrote Hennessy, who called the move to A-Pod “an intermediate step.” Trans women are still being housed in A-Pod, she said Monday. Trans men are housed separately. “We have had trans men from time to time,” said Hennessy, who added that there are “usually between five and 15” trans people in custody. The sheriff is hoping to have all staff trained on trans issues by June 30. “We’re making a lot of progress but I don’t know how many we’ve been able to do because of our overtime issues,” said Hennessy, referring to a recent San Francisco Examiner story that said, “Staff shortages have forced [the sheriff] to order her 840 sworn deputies to work mandatory overtime until September.” She told the B.A.R., “I’ve had to cancel some trainings in order to have enough people to operate the jails.” t

Attorneys blame officials for Ghost Ship deaths by Seth Hemmelgarn

ttorneys for one of the men charged in the deaths of 36

people at Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire are continuing to say government officials and others are responsible for the blaze, rather

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than their client. Derick Ion Almena, 47, faces 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the December 2 blaze, as does Max Cardin Harris, 27. According to court records, Almena was the leaseholder on the warehouse and Harris acted as the “creative director,” collected rent from tenants, and performed other duties. Both men lived in the building, located at 1305 31st Avenue. Despite the fact that Almena had lived for years with his family at the warehouse, which reportedly didn’t have fire sprinklers and was visited numerous times by police, building inspectors, and others, attorney J. Tony Serra said at a news conference Friday, June 9 that Almena didn’t know the building was unsafe. Serra, who said Almena’s attorneys were angered by the charges, said, “There are ulterior motives that lie behind the prosecution of our client,” who’s being made “a scapegoat for the persons and entities who are culpable for this great tragedy. ... Our client has been demonized.” The “real culprits” include PG&E, Oakland’s fire department and building inspectors, and the Alameda County Sheriff ’s Office, who all “failed completely” in their jobs to ensure the warehouse was safe, said Serra. He said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has charged Almena, who didn’t “directly or indirectly” cause the fire, “in order to shield” public agencies, who would likely have to pay millions of dollars in damages if they’re found liable for the fire. Families of some of the victims filed civil lawsuits in connection with the incident earlier this year. Records indicate several government agencies had failed to address problems at the warehouse despite years of reports to police and others. Attorney Jeffrey Krasnoff also said Friday that firefighters had cut a hole in the roof of the warehouse, which “accelerated the fire” and

Rick Gerharter

Micah Allison, the wife of Ghost Ship defendant Derick Almena’s wife, spoke at a news conference Friday, June 9.

“may have accelerated the deaths.” Almena wouldn’t have allowed his family to live in the building if he’d known it was a “fire trap,” Serra said Friday. “He didn’t ever envisage this.” Micah Allison, Almena’s wife, said she’s “overcome with grief and very troubled” by Almena and Harris’ arrests. “We all have been devastated by the loss of life December 2,” said Allison, whose family wasn’t at the warehouse that night. “We would never have lived in a place we thought was unsafe.” Allison didn’t take questions Friday. Asked how Almena didn’t realize his building wasn’t safe despite the lack of sprinklers and numerous visits by officials, Serra said, “Why wasn’t it red tagged?” Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman for O’Malley, said in an email, “The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office holds itself to the highest of professional standards when prosecuting criminal matters; we do not try our cases in the media. ... Our ethical duty as prosecutors is to analyze the facts and apply the law to those facts, filing criminal charges only when there is proof beyond a

reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the crime.” O’Malley said at a news conference June 5, the day she filed the charges against Almena and Harris, that they had “deceived” police and other officials, allowing people to live at the site and holding unpermitted events there. They blocked one exit, leaving only one way to get out of the building, which had “no fire suppression or lighted pathways,” she said. Additionally, O’Malley said, they “very purposefully” crammed the site with “highly flammable” materials. The building reportedly was filled with pianos, rugs, artwork, and other objects. The warehouse blaze started as people gathered for an electronic music concert. O’Malley said that there was a “nearly impossible labyrinth of the defendants’ making to get out of that building.” The Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau has determined that all 36 people who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation. At least three of the victims were transgender people. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf See page 18 >>

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<< International News

t Arab group to hold film screening at LGBT center 12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

by Heather Cassell

ueer Arabs will be able to see themselves reflected on the silver screen at the Pride Month film festival at the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. The festival, produced by the Arab Film and Media Institute, will screen a series of short films about LGBTQ Arab communities, headlining with the popular “Breaking Fast,” which will be shown along with “The Invitation,” and “The Society” Thursday, June 22. This is AFMI’s first Pride Month screening, though its annual Arab Film Festival has been around for two decades. It’s the second time the festival will show “Breaking Fast,” a short romantic comedy about an Arab-American man and an American man who fall in love while breaking fast during the holy month of Ramadan. The film first appeared in the festival’s line-up in 2015 and drew 110 audience members to the showing, Serge Bakalian, executive director of the Arab Film Festival, wrote in an email interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

He said the film stood out from other films exploring LGBT issues because the main character was a practicing gay Muslim and wasn’t struggling with the intersectionality of his identities. “So much of the LGBT content we receive from the region is dark, and dealing with one repression or another,” said Bakalian. “While here was a well-made film with its central character both a practicing Muslim and gay, and not struggling with either identities or having to reconcile the two. We were immediately into it. “Audiences absolutely loved it, along with the rest of our LGBT content,” continued Bakalian. “The film was a positive portrayal of an LGBTQI Arab man falling in love, not something we often see on the screen.” The festival has included LGBT-themed films since 2013, wrote Bakalian, a 41-year-old ally. “It’s always been important to show as many different experiences of being Arab, but this year we are all feeling a renewed attack on people’s rights, and this makes it more imperative than ever to give voice and increased representation to the Arab LGBTQI community in our

Courtesy AFMI

Lovers embrace in a scene from “Breaking Fast.”

programs,” wrote Bakalian, referring to AFMI’s partnership with the LGBT center to present the films. Dani Siragusa, 33, is a bisexual woman who is the associate director of development at the LGBT center and the only non-Arab on the festival’s board. “I think it’s also important now to uplift the voices of the LGBT community within the Arab community, because within the Arab community, LGBT is kind of seen as taboo,” she said, noting that in America the Arab community is similarly “demonized.”

Bakalian hopes to fill the center’s 120-seat rainbow room, he wrote. “LGBTQI members of our community face additional discrimination from within and without simply based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Bakalian, recognizing the importance of this week’s one-year anniversary of the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida that left 49 people dead at the hands of an Americanborn Muslim, Omar Mateen. “I’ve always believed that film provides the means to counteract divisiveness,

ignorance, and fear with empathy. LGBTQI Arabs are an integral part of the Arab community, and showing films by and about their lives helps us reaffirm that.” He hopes the LGBT Arab community feels validated with the showing of the films and that the broader LGBT community has a greater understanding of the queer Arab community. Siragusa hopes to make the Pride Month screening an annual event at the center. AFMI is a new educational and incubator initiative of the Arab Film Festival to “nurture” new talent through its filmmaker services, according to the film series’ announcement. Tickets are $15 per person or $25 for a special “Date Night” package for two people. Tickets include a hosted bar and snacks. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.eventbrite.com/e/ arab-love-afmis-inaugural-pridescreening-tickets-34836102721. All ticket sale proceeds will support AFMI’s programs and services.

Federal judge dismisses suit against Lively U.S. federal Judge Michael Ponsor has ruled that American pastor Scott

See page 17 >>

Generic PrEP approved, but not soon available by Liz Highleyman

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic version of Truvada, a combination pill used for both HIV treatment and prevention, but it will not soon hit pharmacy shelves, advocates said. “While the FDA approval reminds us that generic versions of commonly used HIV drugs are coming, we still have some time to figure out how to embrace the costsaving potential of generics while minimizing the headaches that can accompany their arrival,” Tim Horn, deputy executive director of the Treatment Action Group, told the Bay Area Reporter. On June 8 the FDA announced that it had approved a generic version of Gilead Sciences’ Truvada co-formulation containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine. Truvada is one of the most widely used components of

Courtesy Tim Horn

Treatment Action Group deputy director Tim Horn

antiretroviral therapy and is the only product approved for PrEP. The generic version is produced by Teva Pharmaceuticals. Appearance on the FDA’s

approved generic drug list indicates that the agency considers generic tenofovir/emtricitabine to be “bioequivalent and therapeutically equivalent” to the branded Truvada pill – meaning equally safe and effective – but it does not override patent protections. Gilead’s patent on tenofovir disoproxil fumarate expires in July, but the patent on emtricitabine remains in effect until 2021. The company also has a longer patent on tenofovir alafenamide, a newer formulation that causes less bone loss and kidney toxicity. “It’s important to note that there are a number of factors involved in commercialization that are not tied directly to FDA approval,” Gilead associate director Ryan McKeel told the B.A.R. “A generic version of Truvada will not be immediately available.” Last week’s FDA announcement took many experts by surprise,

given that the emtricitabine patent still stands, but others noted that certification of generic products sometimes comes months or years before patents run out. Some have suggested that a legal settlement between Teva and Gilead could dictate when generic tenofovir/emtricitabine will become commercially available, but advocates are not privy to the details of such an agreement. “Given the secrecy of the settlements challenging Gilead’s patents, it’s hard to know exactly when the generics may be registered and sold, but it may be awhile,” longtime medication access advocate Ethan Guillen told the B.A.R. “We know that in poor countries generic Truvada is well under a hundred dollars – the system here is built to keep prices artificially high. As a community we need to fight for a just system that gives us the drugs we need at affordable prices.”

While many people living with or at risk for HIV look forward to the availability of cheaper generic products, advocates caution that this could lead to discontinuation of patient assistance and co-pay programs that help people pay for Truvada for treatment or PrEP. “The potential for cost savings with generic contenders is considerable, but they also come with challenges, such as public and private insurers tightening restrictions on access to brand-name drugs, and an end to co-pay assistance programs for brand-name drugs with generic competitors,” Horn told the B.A.R. For the time being, no changes to Gilead’s payment assistance programs appear imminent. “Gilead believes Truvada for PrEP is an important HIV prevention tool and we remain committed to helping ensure access to our medications for people both at risk of or living with HIV,” McKeel said.t

1985

Help Reduce Isolation in Your Community Give back as a one-on-one Shanti volunteer for our newest program!

2015

Shanti’s LGBT Aging & Abilities Support Network(LAASN) Supporting LGBT Seniors and Adults with Disabilities

1995

2001

Since 1974, Shanti has trained 20,000 Bay Area volunteers to offer emotional and practical support to some of our most vulnerable neighbors, including those with HIV/AIDS, women’s cancers, and other life-threatening diseases. We are now excited to announce that our services are being offered to LGBT aging adults and adults with disabilities who face isolation and need greater social support and connection.

Shanti LAASN peer support volunteers: 2009

1. Go through the internationally-recognized training on the Shanti Model of Peer Support TM 2. Make a commitment of 2-4 hours a week for a minimum of 6 months

1987

3. Get matched with one client, for whom they serve as a non-judgmental source of emotional support and reliable practical help 4. Have one of the most rewarding volunteer experiences of their lives!

2009

To learn more about how you can be a Shanti volunteer, please contact Volunteer Services Coordinator, Kayla Smyth at 415-674-4708 or email: ksmyth@shanti.org. If you think you or someone you know could benefit by being a Shanti client, or to learn more about the services, please contact Joanne Kipnis at 415-625-5214 or email: jkipnis@shanti.org

1988

2010

The LGBT Aging & Abilities Support Network is made possible by funding from the City and County of San Francisco’s Department of Aging and Adults Services.

2006

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Embracing Compassion. Care, and Community Since 1974

<< Community News

14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

Grace Cathedral holds Pride evensong compiled by Cynthia Laird

he Episcopal Diocese of California will hold a special Pride Evensong at Grace Cathedral Thursday (June 15), beginning at 5:15 p.m. Following the choral service, sung by the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys, a panel of clergy and lay people will talk about the early struggles for equality and dignity in the diocese, the responses to the AIDS epidemic, and the diocese’s role as a national leader on LGBTQ religious issues, including ordinations and same-sex marriage. One of the panelists is Sara Yoe, an intern at the diocese who has spent the last several months digging through diocesan archives and conducting interviews for an LGBTQ history project that is now online. Yoe’s work explores the largely untold history of ministry for the LGBTQ community that the diocese has been doing for nearly 40 years. After the evensong service and panel discussion there will be a reception in the cathedral dining room memorabilia, photos, and other documents will be on display. Grace Cathedral is located at 1100 California Street. For more information, see the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ events/110892559481681/. To view the diocese’s online history project, visit http://diocal.org/living-history-ministry-lgbtq-community.

Financial boot camp for arts orgs

Intersection for the Arts will hold a financial empowerment boot camp for arts organization leaders Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its offices, 901 Mission Street, Suite 306 in San Francisco. Led by Yesenia Sanchez and Jericha Senyak, the workshop will help attendees transform financial concepts and abstract lists of numbers into hidden stories that underpin an organization’s work or an individual artistic practice’s values, goals, successes, and challenges.

Courtesy Episcopal Diocese of CA

Episcopal Diocese intern Sara Yoe

Attendees will review fundamental financial concepts, identify needs for financial sustainability, and learn how to tell stories about their organizations based on real, hard numbers. The cost is $60 for the public, or $30 for members of Intersection’s fiscal sponsorship program. Limited space is available. To sign up, visit https://www.flipcause.com/widget/ event/MTkxODc=/11865.

Huckleberry block party

As part of its 50th year celebration, Huckleberry Youth Programs will hold an old-fashioned block party Sunday, June 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1292 Page Street in San Francisco. Organizers said the event will include community mural painting, tie-dying, food trucks, Zumba, jewelry-making, a photo booth, face painting, button-making, and more. There will be a DJ, rescue animal adoptions, a bake sale, and resources from community partners. Admission is free. Huckleberry will also provide tours of its 24-hour crisis shelter. For more information, visit www. huckleberryyouth.org.

Castro bookstore marks first year

Dog Eared Books will celebrate its first anniversary at its Castro

location with a special program Tuesday, June 20 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at 489 Castro Street. Store staff said that gay activist Cleve Jones will be a featured reader. This week, Jones won a Lambda Literary Award for his biography/ memoir “When We Rise: My Life in the Movement.” “I wrote this book because the LGBT movement saved my life,” a Lambda Literary news release quoted Jones saying as he accepted his award. “And I’m ready to keep fighting.” At Dog Eared, Jones will be joined by Charlie Jane Anders, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, and Jeff Chang. Additionally, artist Faluda Islam (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) will be the emcee and their artwork will be on display in the store through the end of the month. The lesbian-owned store was voted best bookstore by Bay Area Reporter readers in this year’s LGBTQ Best of the Bay readers’ poll.

Science event explores evolutionary connections to gender

The Leakey Foundation’s Science Speakeasy program this month will celebrate LGBTQ Pride by studying evolutionary connections to gender. The event takes place Tuesday, June 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Public Works, 161 Erie Street in San Francisco. One of the featured speakers will be Dr. Stephanie Meredith, who will discuss the development of sex-typical behavior in non-human primates. She has done long-term research on sex-typical behavioral development in ring-tailed lemurs in Madagascar and is now working on research focusing on hamadryas baboons in Ethiopia. “We can connect primate behavioral sex differentiation to humans in just the same way that we connect primate morphology to that of humans,” Meredith said in a news release. “We share a common ancestor, so we may

share some processes of behavioral development with our primate cousins due to our relatedness.” The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit that funds scientific research exploring the many facets of human origins and shares that information through its public programs. The cost for the program is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Attendees must be 21 or over with valid ID. For tickets, visit https://www.ticketfly. com/purchase/event/1468895/tfly.

Rainbow Honor Walk reception

The Rainbow Honor Walk and the Human Rights Campaign store will have a community reception to celebrate the 24 new walk honorees Tuesday, June 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the HRC store, 575 Castro Street in San Francisco. The event is free and open to the public. The honor walk salutes the achievements of noted LGBTQ people throughout history. The first 20 plaques were placed in the sidewalks of the Castro district a couple of years ago. The new class includes Jose Sarria, founder of the Imperial Court and the first out gay person to run for office in the world, campaigning unsuccessfully for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1961. Sarria’s plaque will be on display at the reception. For more information on the project, visit http://www.rainbowhonorwalk.org.

Pacifica to hold Pride BBQ

The Traveler Swim and Surf Club in Pacifica will hold a bringyour-own Pride barbecue Thursday, June 22 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the store, 5450 Coast Highway. Organizers said that people are welcome to come and connect with the area’s LGBT community. The outdoor and adventure-inspired

store is located just steps from Linda Mar Beach. To RSVP, email hello@travelersf.com.

HIV study looking for Native American male participants

The Indigenous Wellness Research Institute at the University of Washington in Seattle is conducting an HIV prevention study and is looking for Native American male participants. The Virtual Two-Spirit project is a culturally-grounded, online HIV intervention for Native American and Alaska Native men who have sex with men. The intervention facilitates positive sexual health behaviors and promotes HIV risk harm reduction strategies, a news release stated. Eligible participants who complete the three-week intervention and online assessments can receive up to $190 in incentives. The intervention utilizes a computer downloadable virtual reality world, where participants create their own avatar and go through experiential modules in learning about HIV testing, harm reduction techniques, condom use and condom use negotiation, and behavioral role play. The expected outcomes for participants include an increase in HIV testing, more reliable condom use, and awareness and practice of harm reduction behaviors. Results of this study will be used to further refine and tailor the intervention for a larger study. Eligibility criteria include being or identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native; at least 18 years of age; having an email address; male (or identify as male) who has sex with men; and HIV-negative or do not know current HIV status. The study is supported by funding from the National Institute of Health and Health Disparities. The principal investigator is Karina Walters, Ph.D., at the University of Washington. To learn more about the study, or to check on eligibility, contact vr2s@uw.edu or (971) 251-0402. t

Trans during wartime by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

Pride flag emblazoned with “LGBTs

Trump,” andPhotographer noted that the flag BestforWedding here was a collective groan on itself was upside down, move typias voted by BARa readers November 8, 2016 as we saw

Donald Trump win the presidency. With his victory, we knew that transgender rights won through the Obama administration, protections that had been claimed to be “robust,” were on the chopping block. Indeed, I think back to a picture of then-candidate Trump holding a

cally reserved for those in distress. Today, past Trump’s first 100 days, we see the rollback of our rights in action. Transgender military service, one of the later additions to a broad number of trans-positive Obama-era policy changes, is now

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in jeopardy. According to a report in Newsweek, transgender men and women will not be allowed to sign up to serve on July 1 as anticipated, and it is unclear if Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis will implement the order at all. It is unclear how this will affect the 7,000 or so transgender military personnel already serving, some of whom have been openly transgender since last June’s order, but we have a good idea: two transgender cadets – one with the Army, the other with the Air Force – are set to graduate their military academies this year, but will not be commissioned. Because policies are not yet in place, the Pentagon does not know how to handle these new officers. The military is not the only place we’re seeing setbacks: Back in February, early in his presidency, rules around restrooms and other facilities aimed at protecting transgender students were rescinded, furthering antitransgender struggles over bathroom access. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has quietly begun to purge materials related to trans people’s use of shelters, revoking rules allowing them

to stay at sex-segregated shelters of their choice. Carson, it is worth noting, had this to say about transgender people last July at the Republican National Convention: “You know, we look at this whole transgender thing. I got to tell you: For thousands of years, mankind has known what a man is and what a woman is. And now, all of a sudden we don’t know anymore. Now, is that the height of absurdity? Because today you feel like a woman, even though everything about you genetically says that you’re a man or vice versa?” Carson’s views are not out of line with his contemporaries in other agencies under Trump. While Education Secretary Betsy DeVos reportedly initially opposed rescinding the guidance on trans students, she ultimately fell in line behind the administration’s overall views, and is seemingly no longer interested in standing up to any violations of students’ rights. Tom Price, the Health and Human Services secretary, has been clearly against transgender students, saying that the restroom policies enacted under

Courtesy Reuters

Then-candidate Donald Trump held an upside down rainbow flag during a campaign event.

President Barack Obama were “yet another abuse and overreach of power by the Obama administration, and a clear invasion of privacy.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions is staunchly opposed to LGBT rights, having even fought against hate crime protections, but Sessions seems against protecting most everyone under his watch – besides perhaps, himself and his cronies. Indeed, many in the Trump White House have come from LGBT hostile territory. See page 18 >>

Sports>>

June 15-21, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 15

World Ouchgames, continued by Roger Brigham

espite widespread calls for the end of the World Outgames from angry LGBT athletes in the wake of the last-minute cancelation of the 2017 Miami World Outgames, as well as three past presidents of the licensing body for the event, the board of the Gay and Lesbian International Sport Association sent a letter to registrants last week saying it is sorry for past mistakes, but indicated it plans to remain in business, leaving open the possibility for a World Outgames 5. “We deeply regret Miami Outgames organizers’ failure to comply with the scheduled sports, and our own limitations with regards to our local oversight over the delivery of such scheduled sports program,” the unnamed GLISA board wrote. “We take seriously the criticism we received, and will work diligently to address our mistakes so that we can build upon and continue to celebrate the vitality and diversity of our LGBTIQ+ communities.” Unsurprisingly, the letter triggered numerous hostile responses on GLISA’s Facebook page. “Is this a joke?” track and field athlete Giampiero Mancinelli wrote in response to GLISA’s letter. “We want money back, travel expenses

Track and field athlete Giampiero Mancinelli wants a refund for the canceled Outgames.

refund[ed], and full accountability – this includes, first and foremost, YOU the GLISA Board, whoever you are. You didn’t even have the grace to sign with your names. But then you have been absent the whole process, shame on you.” “We received ‘assurances’ from the GLISA board that World Outgames Miami would be okay despite all the red flags that were raised by *many* people,” swimmer Dick

Smith wrote on Facebook. “GLISA lied to us as much as Outgames Miami did and I simply don’t trust that GLISA will give us the answers we deserve.” Argentina reportedly sent 50 registrants to Miami and a group in Buenos Aires is actively seeking to host the World Outgames in 2021. “Buenos Aires in 2021?” Dane McManus of Britain wrote on Facebook. “Who are you kidding? You think GLBTIQ sporting organizations will promote your events to their teams after this? How can you even think you can move forward when the trust you had with the community has been totally obliterated? I would have been sad to say this previously but now I am just angry. Time to do the honorable thing and cease to exist.” Outgames organizers had told Miami Beach officials in 2013 that they expected their event would bring in more than $88 million to the greater Miami area. Their projections included 2,000 conference participants bringing in a total 1,000 friends or family members and staying five nights in local hotels;

cultural events bringing in 2,000 participants and twice that many friends and family for 10 nights; and sports bringing in just below 12,000 participants and another 24,000 friends and family, staying 10 nights in hotels. In reality, sports drew just 2,000 registrants and the conference and cultural events were lightly attended.

Go Warriors – but not to the White House

As soon as the Golden State Warriors completed their historic run through the NBA playoffs Monday with their second championship victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in three years, rumors began to fly that the Warriors would decline the traditional visit to the White House to pose with the president. Noting the outspoken criticism of the president offered in the past by coach Steve Kerr (who called him hopelessly unfit for office), star guard Stephen Curry (who said he’d be more comfortable with the description by the executive of his athletic wear sponsor if the executive

had described Donald Trump as an “ass” rather than an “asset”), and reserve David West (who has said the president represents the opposite of the values he tries to instill in the young athletes with whom he interacts), two people began to say that unnamed sources had told them that the team had unanimously voted not to go to the White House. Then again, an invitation hasn’t been made yet and it would be difficult to envision that conversation occurring in the joyous celebration going on at the time. “Today is all about celebrating our championship,” the team said in an official press statement. “We have not received an invitation to the White House, but will make those decisions when and if necessary.”

Giants LGBT Night

Tickets are still available for the Giants LGBT Night, a 7:15 p.m. game Monday, June 26, against the Colorado Rockies. Special event tickets include a 5 to 7 p.m. LGBT Night pre-game party and a limited edition LGBT Giants scarf. Partial proceeds from each special event ticket will be donated to local nonprofits in the LGBT community. Information is available under the Special Events menu at http://www. mlb.com/giants. t

New app makes movies more inclusive by Belo Cipriani

Years later, Koren found himself in a similar situation when a friend with a hearing impairment vented to him about a theater experience. “When Marty, my family friend, approached me to describe his horrible experience at the theater using an assistive listening device, it brought me right back to those years in camp,” he said.

Fueled with the desire to make the movie-going experience more inclusive, the LGBT ally applied to the Thiel Fellowship – a $100K grant awarded by the Thiel Foundation (founded by gay tech investor and PayPal founder Peter Thiel) that allows for young people to drop out of college to pursue entrepreneurial projects – and he received the prize in 2014. Koren left Johns Hopkins University his sophomore year to work on technology that bridges the gap between the abled-bodied and people with disabilities. Now 22 years old and a Berkeley, California resident, Koren is the co-founder of Actiview – the soonto-launch mobile app that provides audio description for the blind, closed captioning for the hearing impaired, and Spanish translation to films at the theater. “We quickly realized that the need went further than just amplification and we set out to make the ultimate

Michael Early

Richard I. Fuselier

or most young people, adolescence is a time filled with fashion and romantic concerns. For Alex Koren, his teen years were the beginning of a quest for equal access for the hearing impaired. “When I was 13,” Koren said, “I went to a camp that had a program for deaf kids as well. We shared bunks, activities, everything. Some of the counselors were deaf and we had interpreters on staff to help bridge the gap, but we were all encouraged to learn some sign and just truly be friends with no barriers.” But as inclusive as the camp felt, Koren discovered there were some activities that could not be truly all encompassing. “We’d get back to our bunks afterward,” continued Koren, “and laugh about what we’d done that night, often inadvertently leaving out our deaf friends who had missed out. It had an extremely lasting effect on me and was probably my first glimpse into the separation that exists between the deaf and hearing communities.”

Courtesy Lighthouse for the Blind

Actiview co-founder Alex Koren

access tool for entertainment, offering audio description, amplified audio, closed captions, sign language interpretation, and multi-language support,” said Koren. Koren’s co-founder is 19-year-old entrepreneur Braun Shedd. The duo was later joined by Pixar’s former head of post production, Paul Cichocki, who came on board after seeing the Actiview demo. Actiview backers include the ex-CEO of DirecTV and the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco. While Actiview’s initial launch will focus on providing better access to the movie-going experience for people with disabilities and non-English speakers, the startup has big plans for expanding its reach. “While we’re doing theatrical releases in the very near future, we’ve

been building our technology with so much more content in mind. Actiview will be available for online streaming services in the home as well, and we’re working on extending the technology to live theater and sports stadiums too,” said Koren. “Actiview will be your one-stop shop for entertainment access.” To learn more about the app and to be notified when it launches, you can follow Actiview on Twitter or visit its website at: actiview.co.t Belo Cipriani is a disability advocate, a freelance journalist, the award-winning author of “Blind: A Memoir” and “Midday Dreams,” the spokesman for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the national spokesman for 100 Percent Wine – a premium winery that donates 100 percent of proceeds to nonprofits that help people with disabilities find work. Learn more at www.belocipriani.com.

Obituaries >> Edward Joseph Bloxom May 9, 2017

Edward Joseph Bloxom passed away May 9, 2017. He died peacefully in Colorado Springs, Colorado at his mother’s home. Born in Dalhart, Texas, Ed leaves many good friends in Denver and San Francisco. Through the years, Ed worked at AT&T, Lucent Technologies, New College, various substance abuse treatment programs, and was most recently self-employed as the founder of the China Cowboy. He met many of his SF friends while working at the Muscle System Gym. He was an avid reader, cat lover, and a close confidant of many, with a very gracious, loveable and loving presence. He was also a keen observer of people (including himself), and used his wicked sense of humor to help all of us put things in perspective. Ed was a “fighter” and longtime survivor, having overcome many debilitating health issues. He spent the last five years of his life caring for his aging mother. Ed, you will be sorely missed and remembered with great fondness.

February 6, 1955 – May 3, 2017 Michael Early of San Francisco passed away May 3, 2017, at his Page Street home where he lived for more than 25 years. He was born February 6, 1955 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to Mildred D. Early and the late Warren I. Early Jr. He is also survived by his brother, Richard, and his wife, Kay; his sister, JoAnna, and her husband, Craig; and seven nieces and nephews. Michael received a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Carolina State University and moved to California, where he later became an architect with RMW. Michael was one of the chief architects on the Japan Airlines and Levi Strauss buildings. Michael was buried at the Early Cemetery in Pleasant Valley, Virginia. Michael will be missed and remembered by his close friends, Frank and Kerry.

August 25, 1934 – May 29, 2017 Beloved son of Aloysius Richard Fuselier and Dorothy Ann Fuselier, loving brother to Sister Mary LaSalette, OP. Cousin of Deacon and Mrs. John Peter Storm of Santa Rosa and Sister Linda Fuselier, HNJM. Richard was a native of San Francisco and a beloved and faithful member of the Most Holy Redeemer Catholic community. Richard is survived by his good friend, Jeffery Hassan and many, many close friends: Pete, George, Otto, Ed, John, Randy, Bill, Jim, Doug, Ramona, Olga, Nanette, Tom, Cyindy, Ikuko, Michael, Will, Father Matt, Nick, and so very many more. Richard was predeceased by his life partner, Michael Jensen, in 1990. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, 43326 Mission Circle, Fremont, CA 94539, or Most Holy Redeemer AIDS Support Group, 100 Diamond Street, San Francisco, CA 94114.

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<< Community News

16 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

Flore

Threats

From page 5

of physical attacks, drug sales, and robbery. “Good luck,” Reardon told Martin. “Hopefully this is a learning experience for you.”

Guest Opinion

From page 6

many organizations have done. The issue is this: We say that we love the arts and writing; that we bleed ink. But we refuse to accept the reality that arts and culture organizations need your direct monetary support. We can believe this simultaneous to, and alongside, going outside to purchase a cup of coffee. Why? Because coffee

Political Notebook

From page 7

Campbell, is expected to announce Thursday that she will not seek a third four-year term.

SF supes approve LGBT history projects

At its meeting Tuesday, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved projects in the Tenderloin and North Beach neighborhoods that will honor LGBT history. As last week’s Political Notebook reported, the pair of proposals had easily won the support of

SFO exhibit

From page 8

an exhibit have focused on a budget and where at the airport to mount the show, the B.A.R. has learned. It is unclear whether it would be in just one terminal or more and if portions could be displayed in pre-security areas so even those without booked flights could view it. “The exhibit is currently in the conceptual stage; airport, arts commission, and representatives from Supervisor Sheehy’s office are in ongoing discussions about the scope and timing of the exhibit at SFO,” airport spokesman Doug Yakel confirmed in

Youth services

From page 8

Jeff Kositsky, director of the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, thanked Sheehy “for challenging us to do better on this issue of youth homelessness, and we need to do better.” The majority of the money,

neck,” said Alan. And Silverman said, “One night after work I had ... umm… well, a few more beers than I should have. The next morning, I was certain I’d have a nasty hangover, but I didn’t.” Since the two took over at Flore, they’ve revamped the menu, hired new staff, and have begun to spiff up both the interior and the patio. “We’re happy with the changes,” said Alan. “Business is picking up and we’re getting good feedback from customers. We plan to continue making improvements.” Within the coming weeks, Alan intends to dip his toe into the cannabis tourism business, opening a “bud and breakfast” apartment across the street from Flore. Guests can order room service from the restaurant and will be able to tour local farms, he said. Since Flore is located adjacent to the Wednesday afternoon Castro Farmers Market, the cafe will soon introduce rotating cocktails developed on the spot from produce available at the market. “Flore is going to take the lead, as it always has,” Alan said. “We have a long history to uphold and we intend to do so.” t

approve a legal and regulatory system that will enable retailers to sell cannabis.

that several diners on the patio were using cannabis vape pens, Alan responded, “If someone complains about it, we’ll certainly ask the customer to put it away.” Smoking, he added, is “strictly prohibited at all times,” even on the tables on the street, outside the interior patio area. The future of cannabis in restaurants and bars is uncertain, said

Alan. The task force he chairs recommended that the city consider creating new types of licenses to accommodate “the diverse businesses within the adult use cannabis industry such as baking or cooking licenses, consumption lounges.” “We bought Flore to get into the customer service and food service side of the tourist economy so we can explore what socialization and food look like in the next 10 years,” said Alan. Customers won’t see THC-based cannabis on the menu “for at least a few years,” conceded Alan, who noted that currently Proposition 64, which legalized adult use of recreational marijuana, prohibits businesses that sell alcohol to also serve cannabis. Alan said the clause was put into the initiative because of all the “uncertainty” among the public about legalization. The law would have to be amended and the city would have to develop a specific license for such a business, Alan said, two developments he believes could happen “in time.” Prop 64, which makes it legal for people over the age of 21 to possess cannabis, will go into full effect in January, the deadline for the state to

She said that Martin had “a lot of potential,” and she hoped that Martin could eventually be “a productive member of society.” Martin’s reaction to the sentence couldn’t be seen as she faced Reardon, but after the judge announced how much time she’d be serving, Martin’s mother, who was in the

gallery, stood up, called Reardon a “stupid bitch,” and walked out of the courtroom. Reardon either didn’t notice the comment or ignored it. Another woman who was in court to support Martin complained about “fucking faggots” as she left the courtroom. Afterward, Assistant District

Attorney Ben Mains said, “This was a very good sentence for us.” Mains pointed to how Martin’s defense had sought to minimize her actions. Private defense attorney John Kaman told jurors during his closing argument earlier this year that Martin’s use of the word “faggot” during the incident “doesn’t mean

she hates faggots. ... It’s just an insult. We should all be familiar with generic insults these days.” Mains had responded, “Saying ‘faggot’ is not just something she throws around. ... She knows exactly what that means.”t

baristas need to be paid wages as part of the capitalist system of work and wages. But why do artists not need to get paid? Why is it OK for an arts organization not to receive compensation for arts and culture programming, pay not only their performers but the management of the organization as well? We are in a Trump presidency, a presidency that wants to strip all funding away from behemoth national arts and culture organizations.

And we are saddened by this, and rightfully so. Yet we do nothing with the fact that our local arts and culture organizations are stretched far beyond capacity, receive a pittance of donations for the hours of work that they are doing, and have workers that burn themselves out. Part of this is no doubt the responsibility of the organizational workers themselves; but part – a part arguably much less talked about – of the responsibility falls on

us as consumers of the arts and culture to ensure that the performers and organizers are paid for their time and can survive. Despite the philistine times in which we currently live, it is heartening to know that the arts scene is still very active. More people than ever are using the mediums of painting, music and creative writing to express their feelings and frustrations and this is commendable and

gives a ray of hope. Keep going artists and writers: keep creating and keep being voices for us all.t

the board’s land use committee on June 5 and were expected to win the full board’s backing. At the urging of District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim, the board endorsed the creation of the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District in a section of the Tenderloin. It will be named after Gene Compton’s Cafeteria where, in August 1966, LGBT patrons rioted against police harassment. The boundaries of the Compton’s district will be the north side of Market Street between Taylor Street and Jones Street, to the south side of Ellis Street between Mason Street

and Taylor Street, and the north side of Ellis Street between Taylor Street and Jones Street. Since first being proposed last year, the district now includes the 6th Street corridor (on both sides) between Market Street and Howard Street. The board tasked the planning department to assist the proponents of the district. It will be incorporated into the larger LGBTQ Cultural Heritage Strategy city officials are working to complete by early 2018. The other project, backed by District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, will see the installation of 10 street plaques commemorating historic

businesses in what is known as the Top of Broadway Community Benefit District in a portion of North Beach. Sidewalk markers will be placed at two sites where lesbian bars once operated – 12 Adler and 440 Broadway – as well as in front of 506 Broadway Street, once home to the legendary Finocchio’s female impersonators cabaret. The city arts commission must still sign off on the designs for the historical markers, while the Department of Public Works needs to formally approve their installation.t

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check ebar. com Monday mornings at noon for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column reported on the local support for two gay Latino leaders seeking an open state Assembly seat in Los Angeles.

an emailed reply to the B.A.R. Sheehy told the B.A.R. the hope is that the exhibit could be installed by June next year to coincide with Pride Month, four decades after the debut of the Pride flag. Gilbert created the first rainbow flags, which initially had eight colored bars, in time to display them on flagpoles in United Nations Plaza, a few blocks from San Francisco City Hall, for the 1978 Gay Freedom Day Parade. “I am a total fabric queen, that is my craft,” said Baker in a video shown during a celebration of his life at the Castro Theatre Thursday, June 8. “The pink

triangle was put on us by the Nazis. We needed our own symbol.” His idea for using a flag was sparked by the hoopla surrounding the United States Bicentennial in 1976. As Gilbert recalled in the video, the American flag that year was not only flown on countless buildings but was also emblazoned on all manner of products, from clothing to furnishings. “I saw the American flag everywhere,” said Baker, adding that the flag’s ubiquity made him realize how powerful of a symbol it could be. On the last rainbow flag banner Baker made for Jones, he affixed the slogan “Rise and Resist” on it. When Jones had two Sisters of the Perpetual

Indulgence unfurl it last Thursday on the theater’s stage, it brought the crowd of more than 600 people to its feet. “He thought outside of the box always. He was a true artist,” said Dr. Jerome Goldstein, adorned in a rainbow hat, jacket, and shirt. Goldstein and his husband, Tom Taylor, were longtime friends with Baker and considered him a part of their family. Through their Diversity Foundation, which oversees the gigantic rainbow flag and flagpole Baker installed in the Castro, the couple coordinated last week’s service. In another video segment shown during the ceremony, Taylor explained Baker dropped two of the

original colors from the flag so they could be commercially produced. The first two flags, one of which resembled an American flag with stars, were created by hand. Baker and friends dyed the fabric themselves at the LGBT Community Center that had been on Grove Street in the 1970s. Baker never trademarked the rainbow flag and didn’t benefit financially from its adoption by the LGBT community the world over. “There was a commitment on his part to leaving the world a better place,” said Goldstein, adding that, “The rainbow flag is forever.”t

$906,000, will be used for housing subsidies for 94 transition-age youth between 18 and 24 years old. The LGBT center will receive $289,000 to expand its drop-in hours for its youth program, which will now be open on Saturdays, and increase its meals program from one night a week to five. “San Francisco is making an

investment in those who come here, young LGBTQ people who come to San Francisco seeking to be themselves and seeking safety,” said Rebecca Rolfe, the center’s executive director. Larkin Street Youth Services will receive $350,000 to partly fund a new outreach coordinator and increased staffing for outreach teams

that work with homeless youth in the Castro and Haight-Ashbury neighborhoods. “We are ecstatic to expand services to this population of young people,” said Sherilyn Adams, the agency’s executive director, “as it furthers our work to end youth homelessness.” The funding is part of the mayor’s

two-year budget proposal for the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 fiscal years. The supervisors are expected to approve the pair of $10 billion budgets by early July.t

From page 1

used the hemp-based non-psychoactive form of cannabis, called cannabidiol, or CBD, it would be legal. “Of course, I checked with my lawyers,” said Alan in an interview at Flore, where the bartenders mixed a few of the new beverages. The new menu was developed with help from consultants Christopher Longoria, an award-winning mixologist who is bar manager at 1760, an upscale restaurant on Polk Street, and chemist Chris Emerson, Ph.D., co-founder of cannabis company Level Blends. The new cocktails “won’t get you stoned,” said Alan, explaining that a cannabis compound using CBD is not psychoactive but rather is the form of the drug that is used for relaxation, pain relief, and a wide variety of other conditions. Each drink will contain 10 mg of cannabis, an amount many consider a single dose. “Most recreational cannabis users have traditionally chosen THCdominant strains,” said Alan. “That would still be illegal.” But when a reporter pointed out

Sari Staver

Some of the food and drink offerings that will be available starting this week at Flore.

Celebration of life

An apparent first

Flore appears to be the first bar to offer cannabis-laced cocktails, said Joan Simon, president of Full Plate Restaurant Consulting. “I haven’t heard of any others,” said Simon, who lived in the Castro before moving to Sonoma County and is working with Castro’s Finn Town and has had a number of other neighborhood clients in past years. “If nothing else, San Francisco residents are adventurous about new food and drink options so I have no doubt that lots of people will be curious to see what the offerings are,” added Simon in a phone interview. “The trick will be to get them to come back a second time by assuring high quality flavor profiles and presentation.” Flore’s owners are keeping their fingers crossed that people will like their new offerings. “We’ll see which drinks are popular over the next couple of weeks,” said Alan, “and make any necessary adjustments.” Alan and Silverman are both big fans of Flore’s cannabis-infused beer. “It really took the kinks out of my

J.K. Fowler is founder and executive director of Nomadic Press (https://www.nomadicpress.org/).

Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes. Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 8298836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

Community News>>

June 15-21, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 17

Safe injection bill awaits Senate vote by Liz Highleyman

Control and Prevention. “As overdose rates show no sign of slowing across the country, we need to consider bold, evidencebased public health interventions,” said Monique Tula, executive director of the Harm Reduction Coalition, which co-sponsored the bill. Supervised consumption facilities offer a place to inject drugs under the watch of medical staff, cutting the risk of overdose fatalities. They provide clean syringes and other injection equipment to prevent transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C. They also reduce street-based drug use and improper syringe disposal, and offer clients an entry point for seeking addiction treatment and medical care. San Francisco is one of several cities vying to open the first supervised injection facility in the United States. Last month Board of Supervisors President London Breed announced the launch of the Safe Injection Services Task Force, which will study the feasibility of such

services in the city over the next three months. The California Assembly is the first U.S. legislative body to pass such a bill, though other jurisdictions are moving forward through other means. The Board of Health in King County, Washington (which includes Seattle) voted in January to approve two supervised injection facilities, which are expected to open within a year. Gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who co-authored AB 186 with Eggman, is now introducing parallel legislation in the Senate. “I’m thrilled that the Assembly passed this important public health bill, which gives us an additional tool to address the drug addiction we see every day on our streets,” Wiener told the Bay Area Reporter. “I’ll work very hard to move the bill through the Senate, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and advocates to make that happen.”

Wiener’s legislative aide, Jeff Cretan, said that the bill will start going through the Senate hearing process in the next few weeks, although it has not been referred to any specific committees yet. The deadline for getting Assembly bills through the Senate is September 15, he added. Many advocates did not expect the bill to pass the Assembly this year, but it did so by the minimum margin of 41-33, with two Republicans joining the majority. “I’ve been amazed at the support for this bill and this issue, and how much it’s changed since last year, both in California and in San Francisco,” Laura Thomas, deputy state director of the Drug Policy Alliance, told the B.A.R. “It feels like people are starting to pay more attention to the rise in overdose deaths and are looking for better solutions. California is again leading the way, putting science and compassion ahead of fear and outdated stigma about drug use.”t

20-something activists grew up during a period of tremendous gains for LGBT rights under former President Barack Obama. They hadn’t experienced the long hard-fought battles before those rights were secured. It was also a somber afternoon, coming a day before the one-year anniversary of the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine mostly gay Latino men were killed by Omar Mateen during the rampage, and another 53 were injured. “Tomorrow is the first anniversary of Orlando where 49 precious lives were gunned down,” Eshoo told the crowd. “I know today that we honor them and we hold their memories in our hearts. “I think that they would be prideful about what we are doing today, but they would also instruct us that we have a lot more work to do,” she added. “Together, we are going to prevail because in the United States of America there’s only one class of citizenship: first class, equality for everyone.” Gay Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager kicked off the rally at the plaza. “I have fought long and hard for LGBT rights as county supervisor, a San Jose City council member, as a school board member, as well as the co-founder of an organization of LGBT politics called BAYMEC,” Yeager said. Yeager, along with other speakers, took jabs at the president. “President Donald Trump claimed that he was better for the gay community than Hillary Clinton,” he said, pointing out he has ignored Pride Month and his administration has taken steps to remove LGBT content from government websites. “However, we know that claim was

worth about as much as one of his degrees from Trump University. “This is not fake news,” said Yeager, using one of Trump’s favorite attacks on the media. “This is reality. We won’t be erased.” Yeager and other elected officials spoke about the county’s accomplishments protecting and supporting the LGBT community, including opening the nation’s first countywide Office of LGBTQ Affairs, flying the rainbow and trans flags, and suing the Trump administration for its “hateful” policies. The politicians pledged to continue to support the LGBT community. “We are strong. We are proud. We will not go backward, only forward,” Yeager said. “Which way are we heading?” “Forward,” the crowd responded. State Senator Kevin de Leon (DLos Angeles) pointed out that California is the sixth largest economy in the world because of its values. “We succeed because we are dreamers, not dividers,” he said. “We succeed because we lead from the heart, not from a position of strength. We succeed because we double down in lifting people up, not pulling them down.” Community activists responded to the call to run for political office. Shay Franco-Clausen announced that she planned to run as the first out queer woman of color for a seat on San Jose’s City Council at the prerally outside of City Hall.

exhibitionist. His desire for security makes him remind his followers I am the master. His nation is a hostile nation. “Let’s resist the ills of our society that continue to dictate the shameful chapter of our history, by making ourselves visible in unity and pride,” Garcia added. Danielle Castro, a transgender activist and project director at the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health at UCSF, agreed. “We are in a critical time in this country where we have to stand together,” Castro, a San Jose native, told the crowd. She called for transgender women of color to speak up for their rights and for LGB community leaders to support transgender community leaders.

Rodrigo Garcia, who said he’s a gay Mexican undocumented immigrant, called upon the audience to make their creed “resistance.” “The propaganda that the government of Trump is promoting is one of fear,” he said. “The president is an

Those who attended said the march was important. “It’s really important to me,” said Parson Andrews, 17, who came out as gay to his family and friends just last week. Andrews, who was at the march with his friends, expressed interest in political office. Darryl Remulla, 16, identified himself as a cisgender straight male and one of Andrews’ friends. He said that he attended the rally in support of Andrews and expressed the importance of straight allies. “It’s important for the LGBT community to have supporters that are straight,” said Remulla. “This is a movement that everybody could and should get behind. It’s very important to show that we have a voice and that we are not going to stop until we have rights for everybody.” What has happened in the White House has affected his family, he

told the B.A.R. His brother is gay and married. His family doesn’t know what is going to happen to his brother and his husband or his friends who are queer under Trump’s administration. “It’s kind of scary because my brother is gay,” said Remulla. “We are not sure what’s going to happen to him.” David Campos, a gay man who is a deputy Santa Clara County executive and former San Francisco supervisor, was pleased to see so many groups come together in support of the LGBT community. “It was very important. It was very inspiring. It shows that there is a movement that is taking place,” Campos said at the Bay Area Municipal Elections Committee’s after-rally mixer. “What you saw was not just members of the LGBTQ community, but members of other communities that are not necessarily queer coming out and saying you know we are going to be united, we are going to work together, and if you come after the LGBT community then you are coming after all of us,” said Campos. Yeager said the day was a success. “I am optimistic, but I know we have to keep on being as vigilant as possible,” he said at the BAYMEC mixer. San Francisco Pride community grand marshal and drag king Alex U. Inn agreed, which is why they invited everyone to join them in their “Resistance” contingent behind Dykes on Bikes at the San Francisco Pride parade June 25.t

of expression of LGBT Ugandans, attempted to suppress their civil rights, and “make the very existence of LGBTI people in Uganda a crime.” “Anyone reading this memorandum should make no mistake,” wrote Ponsor, who sits on the federal court in Springfield, Massachusetts. “The question before the court is not whether defendant’s actions in aiding and abetting efforts to demonize, intimidate, and injure LGBTI people in Uganda constitute violations of international law. They do.” However, the case was thrown out due to “narrow jurisdictional ground” limiting extraterritorial reach of a federal statute. In a news release, the Human Rights Campaign said that Ponsor concluded that he did not have jurisdiction in this particular case.

Despite the case being dismissed, CCR and SMUG claimed victory. “The court recognized that Lively worked to erase LGBTI Ugandans from civil and political life – a threat to Ugandan self-determination,” Rutgers Law professor and CCR cocounsel Jeena Shah said in a news release. “The evidence surfaced in this case showed how Lively’s persecutory efforts exploited a long history of Western homophobia in Uganda, beginning with British colonization.” Richard Lusimbo, 30, a gay man who was one of the chief witnesses in the case, was pleased with the decision, but disappointed that Lively wouldn’t be held accountable for his crimes. “I think that was the most important thing,” Lusimbo said in an interview via Skype about Ponsor’s statement.

“The judge is particularly very, very clear when he says persecution of LGBT people by Scott Lively broke international law,” Lusimbo added, noting the broader implication of Ponsor’s ruling beyond Uganda. “Look, you are not going to go around promoting homophobia or instigating prosecution of LGBTI people and think you’re free just because you think you are protected by religion, freedom of expression, and everything. I think this is very important to us and also for the community internationally.” In its lawsuit, CCR claimed that Lively, along with other American evangelicals, colluded with Ugandan government officials and religious leaders to persecute Ugandan LGBT people under the Alien Tort Statute. The statute allows for non-U.S.

bill that would allow supervised drug consumption facilities in certain areas of California awaits a vote in the state Senate after clearing a major hurdle in the Assembly. Assembly Bill 186, introduced by lesbian Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), would permit exceptions to controlled substances laws, enabling local governments in eight counties – including San Francisco and Alameda – to authorize supervised injection facilities on a pilot basis. “California is blazing a new trail toward a policy on drug addiction and abuse that treats it as the medical issue and public health challenge that it is, and not as a moral failing,” Eggman said in a statement. “We are in the midst of an epidemic, and this bill will grant us another tool to fight it – to provide better access to services like treatment and counseling, to better protect public health and safety, and to save lives.”

San Jose

From page 1

March earlier this year, they said. Despite the low attendance, the diverse crowd included young, old, queer and straight, a variety of ethnicities, citizens and immigrants, and many San Jose natives. No counterprotests against the LGBT march occurred. The marchers, who started out at City Hall, were greeted at Cesar E. Chavez Plaza by elected officials and community leaders who spoke in support of the LGBT community. “This march is very important because it sends a very strong message along with the rest of the LGBT groups around the country that we just can’t be silenced and pushed aside,” Thaddeus Campbell, 61, chairman and president of Silicon Valley Pride, said at the rally. “Now it’s even more important that we get our voices out and get our voices heard.” The overarching theme of the day from speakers was to resist political and physical attacks on the community, particularly trans people; donate money and volunteer time to organizations and political campaigns; write letters to elected officials; and run for public office. San Jose Democratic Congress members Zoe Lofgren and Anna Eshoo were on hand, as was San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. They talked about what they were doing to protect LGBT rights at the federal and local level.

History and remembrance

Sunday was also a day for remembrance and a queer history lesson for younger activists who participated. Many of the teenagers and

Out in the World

From page 12

Lively violated international law by aiding and abetting crimes against humanity in his efforts to demonize gay people in Uganda, but dismissed a lawsuit against him on jurisdictional grounds. The Center for Constitutional Rights, representing Sexual Minorities Uganda, or SMUG, filed suit against Lively in U.S. federal court in 2012, hoping to hold the anti-gay pastor accountable for his actions in the African country. Lively has built his career urging policy makers to pass laws that target LGBTQ people. Ponsor ruled June 5 that evidence showed Lively “aided and abetted efforts” to restrict freedom

Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman

Drug overdose deaths are rising in California and nationwide, in part due to an influx of fentanyl, a drug far more potent than heroin. In 2014 there were more than 47,000 fatal overdoses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease

Resistance

Impact

For more information about the San Francisco “Resist” contingent, contact Inn at themommasboyz@gmail.com.

citizens to file claims in federal court in violation of international laws. However, Ponsor said that a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court decision limited the reach of that statute. LGBT Ugandans’ reaction to the judge’s decision in the case has been slow, Lusimbo said, but he feels that the community will celebrate the ruling at Uganda Pride later this summer. Although he won the case, Lively filed an appeal of the judge’s ruling June 9 in an attempt to get what he called “prejudicial language” eliminated from the decision.t Got international LGBT news tips? Contact the author Heather Cassell at oitwnews@gmail.com.

<< Community News

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 15-21, 2017

Transmissions

From page 14

It would seem, therefore, that for as long as Trump is in office, transgender rights will be threatened. We’re now in the first Pride Month of this presidency, and Trump – far from the smiling candidate holding up a Pride flag and imploring people to “ask the gays” about how much they favor him – has declined to officially recognize it. It’s an unsurprising move. Let this be a reminder to our community: While we have enjoyed a relatively successful eight years prior insofar as transgender rights go at the federal level, we are now at war. Our rights are being eroded, and will continue to be pushed back

Ghost Ship

From page 10

said in a statement, “While it is a defense attorney’s job to redirect attention away from their client, it is the district attorney’s duty to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable. I believe the exhaustive criminal investigation and subsequent charges” that O’Malley filed “do just that.” Almena and Harris’ “reckless and deceptive actions ... claimed 36 innocent lives,” Schaaf stated. “For years, they worked hard to escape legal scrutiny and deceive city officials.” The mayor continued, “The charges filed send a clear message: you won’t get away with making

SOMA alley

From page 1

Where the block ends at Ninth Street, in the sidewalk on the right, is a marker stone with text explaining the history of SOMA’s leather scene. Ringold Alley played a starring role, as five decades ago it was the go-to place for gay and bisexual men to engage in late-night sex once the leather bars scattered about SOMA had closed. It is also where the annual outdoor fetish festival known as the Up Your Alley Fair began in 1985, then called the Ringold Alley Fair. Included on the marker stone is a rendering of a mural by Chuck Arnett once found on the wall of the Toolbox and shown in a photo in the June 1964 issue of Life magazine that accompanied the now infamous article “Homosexuality in America.” The “Leather David,” a rendering of the famous biblical character decked out in a leather outfit, also adorns the marker. “It is very beautiful,” said landscape architect Jeffrey Miller, who worked with SOMA leather leaders on the redesign of the alleyway. “With the cultural history here, it is really important for people to understand what this is all about.” The $2 million alleyway project, officially known as the San Francisco South of Market Leather History Alley, has been nearly a decade in the making. The initial concept for it came from Jim Meko, who, prior to his death in 2015, had long pushed for a rezoning of Western

against. This isn’t fear mongering: this is fact. While it is nice to have an administration that is willing to go to bat for us now and then, it is really up to us to make a difference. Each one of us is our best spokesperson, and can do more to protect our community than any action taken by a president’s Cabinet secretary. Now is a time for us to stand up and be heard. It is a time for us to assert our rights, even as people seek to demolish them. It is not a time to play nice and hope for the best, nor is it a time to despair and let harm come: no, it is a time to stand our ground and fight back. It will be up to each of us to stand against an administration full of anti-transgender bullies. We will need

to rely on our allies and make new ones, and work stronger and closer with them. We will need to stand not only for ourselves, but also for all who may be oppressed under the Trump administration. This Pride is not one about celebration, but should be one of resistance, where we show just what we are made of in the face of such attacks from the President and his people. We simply have to stand, united, against our enemies, and continue to show that –- in spite of their best efforts – we shall continue to exist. If this is to be a war, then it will be on us to win it.t

a profit by cramming people into dangerous spaces or failing to maintain safe living conditions.” Although electrical wiring in the building has reportedly been suspected as what started the blaze, Drenick has said, “The evidence was largely consumed in the fire itself. The cause of the fire will remain undetermined.” PG&E spokesman Matt Nauman said in an email, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the victims of this tragic event. We’ve seen no evidence to date that would lead us to believe that our facilities were the cause of the fire.” Sergeant J.D. Nelson, a sheriff ’s department spokesman, previously told the Bay Area Reporter, “Other than recovering 36 bodies” from

the warehouse, the sole contact his agency had with the property “was the time we arrested Mr. Almena for being in a stolen trailer” at the front of the site. Nelson didn’t know when the arrest had been. Rebecca Kozak, executive assistant to Oakland’s fire chief, declined to comment for this story. Alex Katz, the Oakland City Attorney’s chief of staff, also wouldn’t comment, citing the “pending litigation.” Almena and Harris’ next court date is Friday, June 16 for a plea hearing. Both men were arrested June 5 and are being held in Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California on $1.08 million bail. Each man faces 39 years in prison if convicted of the charges.t

SOMA that would honor the area’s leather history. A bootprint honoring Meko can be found near the marker stone. “It’s amazing, so well done,” said Race Bannon, the B.A.R.’s current leather columnist. “I think it’s one of the most important community projects that the San Francisco leather scene has undertaken. It preserves a slice of San Francisco leather history that might not be known to a wide audience otherwise.” Developer 4Terra Investments, which built the LSeven mixed-use housing project that fronts Ringold Alley, paid for the leather historical elements as part of the capital improvements it was required to fund. Thursday the Friends of the Urban Forest will be planting 19 street trees along the block: 11 Acer rubrum Armstrong, a Columnar Red Maple, three Arbutus Marina, a strawberry tree, and five Tristania laurina, a water gum native to Australia. One of the people Miller worked closely with to design the project was Gayle Rubin, an associate professor of anthropology and women’s studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who lives in San Francisco and has been documenting the city’s leather community since the 1970s. “I’ve been going over to see it as often as possible, and I am thrilled at how it’s looking,” Rubin told the B.A.R. in an emailed reply. “Jeff Miller, the landscape architect for the whole L7 development, has done a terrific job of translating the

vision into a functional design and a beautiful set of material elements.” The inclusion of the word “sex” on the stone plinth honoring the Caldron Sex Club prompted a verbal complaint with the city’s public works department, which held a hearing last week about the alley project. No one in attendance spoke against the leather installation, and the agency’s director should sign off on the project’s major encroachment permit in the next few weeks. (The department’s spokesperson could not be reached for comment by press time.) “Fortunately, the neighbor who had initially raised hell about the Caldron stone did not file a formal complaint, and the only people at the hearing were in support of the installation,” wrote Rubin. “As I said, we’ll need to monitor the progress of the paperwork and be ready to mobilize if it seems warranted. As I also said, I’m optimistic that the process will sail smoothly from here.” Once the permit is issued, the Board of Supervisors will formally approve the project. District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim is expected to introduce the resolution to do so; her office did not respond to a request for comment by press time Wednesday. A formal dedication ceremony for the alleyway project is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, the week prior to this year’s Up Your Alley Fair, which will be held Sunday, July 30.t

Gwen Smith is like a tree planted by the waters. You’ll find her at www.gwensmith.com.

Names in Ringold Alley leather walk The following people have been honored with bootprints lining the sidewalks on a block of Ringold Alley. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Jim Kane, community leader and biker Ron Johnson, poet and co-founder of the Rainbow Motorcycle Club Steve McEachern, owner of the Catacombs, a gay and lesbian S/M fisting club Cynthia Slater, founder of the Society of Janus Tony Tavarossi, manager of the Why Not Chuck Arnett, iconic leather activist, Toolbox muralist Jack Haines, Fe-Be’s and The Slot owner Alexis Muir, a transwoman who owned SOMA bars and baths Sam Steward, author and tattooist Terry Thompson, SF Eagle manager Philip M. Turner, founder of Daddy’s Bar Hank Diethelm, The Brig owner Ambush co-owners Kerry Brown, Ken Ferguson, David Delay Alan Selby, founder of the store Mr. S Leather and known as the “Mayor of Folsom Street”

15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.

Peter Hartman, owner of 544 Natoma art gallery and theater Robert Opel, Fey-Way Studios owner Anthony F. (Tony) DeBlase, creator of the leather flag Marcus Hernandez, Bay Area Reporter leather columnist John Embry, founder and publisher of Drummer magazine Geoff Mains, author of “Urban Aboriginals” Mark Thompson, author of “Leatherfolk” and founder of Black Leather Wings Thom Gunn, poet Paul Mariah, poet, printer and activist Robert Davolt, author and organizer of SF Pride leather contingent Jim Meko, printer and SOMA activist Alexis Sorel, founder of The Is and Black Leather Wings member Bert Herman, author and publisher, leader of handball community T. Michael “Lurch” Sutton, biker and founder of the Bears of SF

Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-553055

In the matter of the application of: ANTHONY O’NEAL LEWIS, 1180 HOWARD ST #510, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ANTHONY O’NEAL LEWIS, is requesting that the name TRINAROSE SOJOURNER TRUTH LEWIS AKA TRINAROSE LEWIS AKA TRINA LEWIS AKA TRINAROSE S. LEWIS, be changed to TRINA ROSE LEWIS. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 25th of July 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 25, JUNE 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037604900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MR INVITE, 828 TAYLOR ST #22, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRIAN HICKEY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/19/17.

MAY 25, JUNE 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037580500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MILE HAWAIIAN BBQ, 91 6TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRIAN ZHAO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/02/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/02/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037600000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WENDY HEFFNER LMFT, 2282 UNION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed WENDY HEFFNER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/17/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/17/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037598300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DOMAINPROPICKS, 268 BUSH ST #2511, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALBERT CLARK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/08/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/15/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037604300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE UNDERGROUND SMOKE SHOP & GIFT, 875B O’FARRELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ADNAN S. RAMAHI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/29/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/19/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037603900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YMSF, 1905 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed TIERSA NUREYEV & YVONNE MOUSER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/15/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/19/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037595600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COMMUNITY, A WALGREENS PHARMACY #15296, 2262 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WALGREEN CO. (IL). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/23/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/11/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037602600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: INTOACTIONS LLC, 1850 PAGE ST #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed INTOACTIONS LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/18/17.

MAY 25, JUN 01, 08, 15, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037612000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AUNTIE AUBEE’S APOTHECARY AND SLOW JAMS, 75 VICKSBURG ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELIZABETH SUMMERS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 04/24/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037611300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAYA RICO BY LUCHO, 2071 20TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KELLY MARIA BARBIERI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/24/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037610500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAYWORKS PLUMBING, 43 RANDOLPH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BORIS AUGUSTIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/24/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037600700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EYEBROW CARE, 3401 CESAR CHAVEZ ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed TARA THAPA & BISSU SAPKOTA CHHETRI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/17/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/17/17.

JUNE 01 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037615200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SIMPLYSHE, 149 NEW MONTGOMERY ST 4TH FL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed MISSION PETS, INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/26/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037607500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KOJA KITCHEN SF, 865 MARKET ST #FE10, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SET KJ INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/22/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037608300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HERNANDEZ ENGINEERING, 850 RANKIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed M. HERNANDEZ CONSTRUCTION, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/08/09. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037608900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POKE ORIGIN, 716 IRVING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed TAKUYA INVESTMENT INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/23/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037609000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POKE BOWL, 3251 20TH AVE #250A, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed POKE STONE INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/23/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037603100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DESIGN THEORY HARDWARE, 336 HAYES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CANAUSSIE INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/18/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037609300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SCOTT STREET PROPERTIES, 230 SCOTT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed ANGUS WHYTE & THOMAS GREXA PHILLIPS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 07/05/07. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037608200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MCH DEVELOPMENT, 850 RANKIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MCH DEVELOPMENT, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017

Legals>>

t Classifieds

June 15-21, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037604700

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037613100

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037616900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLACK SERUM, 310 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BLACK SERUM LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/19/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/19/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO BOOTBLACK & MS. SAN FRANCISCO BOOTBLACK, 10439 SW 42ND AVE, PORTLAND, OR 97219. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELIZABETH SIBLEY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO ART BOOK FAIR LLC, 1150 25TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SAN FRANCISCO ART BOOK FAIR LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 04/24/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/30/17.

JUNE 01, 08, 15, 22, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037606400

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037611400

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037415200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: A.G.D. GENERAL CONTRACTOR, 1509 DOLORES ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANTONIO DAVIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/22/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/22/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: J POWER ELECTRICAL, 742 KIRKWOOD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CARLOS JIMENEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/25/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/17.

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037598300

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037620900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DOMAINPROPICKS.COM, 268 BUSH ST #2511, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALBERT CLARK. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/30/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/30/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO SEGWAY TOURS, 2545 POWELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed EVLOGIA AP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/17.

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037613500

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037623700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KARISSA BIESCHKE DESIGNS, 106 PARNASSUS AVE #9, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KARISSA NICOLE BIESCHKE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HAYES CLEANERS, 68 EVERGLADE DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed MANPING ZHOU & ZAITONG TANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/01/02. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/17.

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: LUCKY CAT DESIGN CO.; LUCKY CAT DESIGN, 2411 CHESTNUT ST #304, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by SARAH WOHL. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/2017.

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037346600 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: LUCKY CAT DESIGN COMPANY, 2411 CHESTNUT ST #304, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by SARAH WOHL. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/2017.

JUNE 08, 15, 22, 29, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037630800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: L K HEALTHCARE, 551 FAXON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed YANG LI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/08/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/17.

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037627500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TOES N PAWS SITTERS, 101A CLAY ST #316, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed PHILIP RODGER ARCA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/23/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/06/17.

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037629900

RAMBO WITH A VACUUM – Housecleaning Richard 415-255-0389

CLEANING PROFESSIONAL –

27 Years Exp. (415) 794-4411 Roger Miller

Hauling>> HAULING 24/7 –

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Movers>>

Notices>>

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PETER GOWLAND PHOTOGRAPHY LLC, 3171 25TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PETER GOWLAND PHOTOGRAPHY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 07/07/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JIN POT, 5158 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BAY FOODIE CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/17.

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037620800

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037637100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE SEA SCAPE INN, 4340 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed RASAN INVESTMENT LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/13/17.

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PARC 55 SAN FRANCISCO A HILTON HOTEL, 55 CYRIL MAGNIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PARC 55 LESSEE LLC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 01/04/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/17.

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037620200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HOTEL TRITON, 342 GRANT AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed DCP JL TRITON SF, LLC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 04/11/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/17.

JUNE 15, 22, 29, JULY 06, 2017

Classifieds Household Services>>

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037632000

To place your Classiﬁed ad, call 415-861-5019 Then go have a drink & relax...

– THANK YOU ST. JUDE –

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, gloriﬁed, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude, worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude, helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Say prayer nine time a day for nine days. Thank you Jesus and St. Jude for prayers answered. Publication must be promised. B.K.

Tech Support>>

PC Support Ralph Doore 415-867-4657

Professional 30+ years exp. Virus removal PC speedup New PC setup Data recovery Network & wireless setup Discreet

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Deadline: NOON on MONDAY. Payment must accompany ad. No ads taken over the telephone. If you have a question, call 415.861.5019. Display advertising rates available upon request. Indicate Type Style Here

XBOLD and BOLD stop here

 Yelp reviews

Pet Services>> 35 PUC # 176618

RATES for Newspaper and website: First line, Regular 10.00 All subsequent lines 5.00 Web or e-mail hyperlink 5.00 CAPS double price BOLD double price X-BOLD triple price PAYMENT:

Cash

Personal Check

Contact Information Name Address Number of Issues

Mail with payment to: Bay Area Reporter 44 Gough St. #204 SF, CA 94103

Credit Card Payment Name Card Number Expiration Date Signature Money Order

City Classification

OR E-MAIL: BARLEGALS@GMAIL.COM

Visa

MasterCard

AmEx

Telephone State Amt. Enclosed

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War buddies

Lesbian politicos

Macha chanteuse

ebar.com

Out &About

O&A

Vol. 47 • No. 24 • June 15-21, 2017

www.ebar.com/arts

Courtesy Frameline

Hello, Frameline! by David Lamble

he 41st edition of the nation’s premier LGBTQ film festival unspools with a record number of films by and about women. The techno-savvy will appreciate all the ways our favorite devices figure in dramas and comedies, features, docs and shorts. Our picks for Frameline’s first week follow. The venues: the Castro, Roxie and Victoria in San Francisco; East Bay programs at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood and Landmark Theatres Piedmont. See page 30 >>

Return of the Don

Tender emotions

by Philip Campbell

T Ildebrando D’Arcangelo in the title role, and Andrea Silvestrelli as the Commendatore, in San Francisco Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”

he second presentation in San Francisco Opera’s summer season opened last week with Mozart’s immortal masterpiece “Don Giovanni.” Making his SFO debut, director Jacopo Spirei has revised Gabriele Lavia’s production from 2011. The Company is calling it a reboot. See page 32 >>

he third and final production in San Francisco Opera’s summer season opened last Saturday at the War Memorial Opera House with Giacomo Puccini’s beloved tearjerker “La Boheme.” A historical cornerstone of the Company’s repertory, the enduring verismo tale of young friends living and loving in 19th-century Paris also fits with the city’s Summer of Love celebrations.

Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Scene from co-directors Jennifer Kroot and Bill Weber’s “The Unknown Tales of Armistead Maupin.”

See page 32 >> Erika Grimaldi as Mimì in San Francisco Opera’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème.”

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

@LGBTSF

SOCIAL-MEDIA-STRIP.indd 1

@eBARnews

6/28/16 2:45 PM

<< Out There

22 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Gay way before it was cool by Roberto Friedman

Creating Memories for a Lifetime! THE CLIFF HOUSE TERRACE ROOM A UNIQUE SAN FRANCISCO EXPERIENCE Ceremonies • Receptions • Family Celebrations • Parties

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ometimes reading a book review is better for the general reader than actually reading the book. In Out There’s considered opinion, that’s the case with “So Famous and So Gay – The Fabulous Potency of Truman Capote and Gertrude Stein” by Jeff Solomon (Univ. of Minnesota Press). Nonfiction books from university presses can be entirely worthy endeavors for their authors’ dedicated scholarship and academic credentials. But often they fail the general readership for being dense of detail and full of niggling minutiae. Solomon is an assistant professor of English and women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Wake Forest University, and his interest and expertise in his subjects are clearly present. But this overdetermined study of how Capote and Stein expressed their outlaw sexuality and defeated homophobia is better summarized than read start-to-finish. If you really want to get into the weeds, a full 67 pages of the 276-page volume are devoted to explanatory endnotes. The central question of the book is, “How and why, in a time of homophobia and closeted homosexuality, did two openly gay writers become mass-market celebrities?” And these two were not just “openly gay.” Capote was openly effeminate, “queeny,” he spoke with a lisp; and Stein was openly butch and could be a contender for the non-pejorative use of the term “bull dyke.” That is to say, neither powerhouse hid their queer light in the shadows. Solomon shows how they constructed their own images, and he makes extensive use of archival materials such as author photos, media accounts, and gossip items in the popular press. In large part, he answers his question of, “How did these two get away with it?” by implying, “By daring to.” Capote’s famous author photo, for his pioneering gay novel “Other Voices, Other Rooms” (1948), finds him stretched out on a sofa like a regal feline. His youth, his come-on expression, his full lips, and his boyish bangs: all signaled sexual availability and desirability. Solomon asserts that Capote’s photographic portraits “allow their subject both to be recognized as gay and to be seen and discussed not as gay but as nonspecifically queer, as effeminate, childish, and strange. These deviations were less threatening than the bald assertion of sexual difference.” But these impressions were misleading. “Though Capote was understood as effeminate, he was not soft, delicate, or weak. Nor can a man who fashioned one of the most successful literary careers of his day be called ‘childish.’” For Capote was highly skilled at publicity and selfpromotion, even if this was usually portrayed as charm or the ability to seduce the camera. He certainly

seduced his publisher at Random House Bennett Cerf as well, who said, “I am always happy to see him, although he sometimes annoys me by throwing his arms around me and calling me ‘Great White Father’ and ‘Big Daddy.’ But I don’t mind it somehow when Truman does it.” Unsurprisingly, Gore Vidal, whose gay novel “The City and the Pillar” also came out in 1948 and was savaged or ignored by the press, resented Capote’s success as well as his means to achieve it. He said, “The only thing [about gay artists that straight critics] respect is a freak like Capote, who has the mind of a Texas housewife, likes gossip, and gets all shuddery when she thinks about boys murdering people.” Solomon is good at showing how notices of the time called Capote queer in elaborate coded language. The Time review of “Other Voices” began, “The author of this novel is only 23, but his literary promise has already caused a flutter in Manhattan publishing circles.” “Flutter” – as in flapping, weak wrists? Do tell, Mary.

Lesbian connection

Stein’s great celebrity was even more improbable. Solomon calls her breakout hit “Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas” “a blatant manifestation of lesbian erotics and love” and notes that the book “links Stein and Toklas in its title, offers photographs of the women at home, relates decades of their domestic life, and clarifies the women’s sexual connection.” The book follows the construction of Stein’s celebrity persona

through a New York Press profile (1910), a Saturday Evening Post parody (1913) and on through her Time magazine cover (Sept. 11, 1933). For the cover pic, Time editors cropped a 1931 photo of Stein at home taken by her friend the gay fashion photographer George Platt Lynes. For the time and the medium, “the most notable aspects of the photo are Stein’s hair and clothes, which are extraordinarily masculine. In profile, her hair resembles Caesar’s on a Roman coin, as noted by Ernest Hemingway: Stein “got to look like a Roman emperor, and that was fine if you liked your women to look like Roman emperors.” The Press puff-piece noted, “The homely axiom ‘laugh and grow fat’ certainly applies to Miss Stein. Her avoirdupois is of the ‘spreading kind.’ The corset is an unknown article in the simple wardrobe of Miss Stein.” All of this habit of haircut and dress was, of course, highly unconventional, non-heteronormative for the time, and as Solomon notes, was extensively described in the press “well before Stein’s look became a standard visual shorthand of lesbian identity.” As for the Time piece, it’s difficult to imagine “a more explicit mention of female homosexuality in a noncriminal context” in a mass-market cover story in the early 20th century. Stein’s charisma “testifies to the power of her broadly queer attributes to fascinate the public,” even in the face of “the historic invisibility of lesbians to allow ‘The Autobiography’ to avoid homophobic censure despite its extended depiction of lesbians in a sustained and loving domestic embrace.” In other words: “Gertrude, you go, girl!”t

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<< Theatre

24 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Achilles & Patroclus 4ever by Richard Dodds

long a river, a traveling carnival sets up shop with rickety rides and music from a rock group reduced to playing second-tier gigs. Its sing-along hit was “Come Sail Away,” and while the name of the group is never mentioned, pop-savvy theatergoers will catch the significance of the song choice. It was performed by Styx, a name derived from the river running between the living and the dead in Greek mythology. The river that will eventually separate two men bound by an overpowering love may not be named, but you don’t have to be steeped in Greek mythology to understand what it represents. In JC Lee’s intriguing “warplay,” having a stylish world premiere at New Conservatory Theatre Center, which commissioned it, characters derived from Achilles and Patroclus in Homer’s “The Iliad” are brought into the modern world – except that it’s a woozy variation on the world we all explore daily. Characters identified only as “A” and “P” know about computers, automobiles, rock music, and even contemporary jargon. “You keep stifling me,” P says to A, who will henceforth be identified as Patroclus and Achilles for the sake of clarity. Achilles is definitely the alpha in this relationship, exuding quiet self-confidence and a sense of entitlement while trying to mentor the flighty, rambunctious, and often whiny Patroclus. At the start of the play, in a sort of “Waiting for Godot” wasteland, they’re on route to some sort of sports game that Achilles feels obligated to play in, and which Patroclus wants no part of. It’s

his duty, Achilles believes, to toughen up Patroclus for coming games that he knows will become life-and-death affairs. “You’re being a complete fucking pussy about this,” are the first words spoken in the play when Achilles admonishes Patroclus for his squeamish reluctance to kill a rabbit. Patroclus then accuses Achilles of “toxic masculinity,” but that he will soon enough envy. The playwright keeps the audience off-kilter as realities collide and shift, as these competitive friends, whose bond has been frequently interpreted over the centuries as sexually romantic, spar physically and philosophically. In Homer’s world, the gods would preordain events, and in Lee’s play, the characters are unsure if such a thing as free will exists, how much of what we do are animalistic instincts, and are we hard-wired into genetic bonds. Director Ben Randle has found stylish ways to render the Lois Tema complicated world of JD Scalzo, left, and Ed Berkeley portray contemporary characters inspired by Greek mythology these two characters, in “warplay,” having its world premiere at New Conservatory Theatre Center. making agile use of Devin Kasper’s set

evoking a dystopian landscape that Christian V. Majia’s lighting and Theodore J.H. Hulsker’s projections further enhance, with Hulsker also providing an increasingly ominous sound design. As Achilles, Ed Berkeley projects a calm, understated bravado that rankles Patroclus, whom JD Scalzo portrays with a flamboyant overflow of both attraction and resentment. “You’ve never had to earn love,” Patroclus tells Achilles, who indeed believes he possesses an irresistible glow. Even hotdog vendors give him free franks. The play runs a little more than 90 intermissionless minutes, and when the end comes, Lee pushes all rancor and injury aside for a moment of sweet transcendence. The folly of war is not a lesson being taught here, but the importance of expressing love before it’s too late is a message that comes across clearly.t “warplay” will run through July 2 at New Conservatory Theatre Center. Tickets are $25-$50. Call (415) 861-8972 or go to nctcsf.org.

Princess goes on the lam by Richard Dodds

Joan Marcus

Georgia Engel is aunt and chaperone to Stephanie Styles’ crown princess, who wants to escape her royal duties for a night on the town in the new musical based on the movie “Roman Holiday.”

he new musical based on “Roman Holiday” is diligently pleasant, and with some fixes, it could be even more pleasant. But there is no way it can ever escape the pleasant label, a description with positive connotations when talking about the weather or a conversation, but is more like damning with faint praise when the subject is a big musical with “pre-Broadway premiere” as part of its billing. It is a doubtful candidate for survival in New York, if indeed it is ever put to that test. Yet for some audiences, “Roman Holiday” might provide a onceupon-a-time respite from the “Hamiltons,” “Matildas,” “Fun Homes,” “Spring Awakenings,” “American Idiots,” and other musicals that have revitalized Broadway but that want to challenge as well as engage theatergoers. “Roman Holiday” is pretty much challenge-free in all regards, from the script that doesn’t much stray from the sensibilities of the 1953 movie starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, to the score that has been filled with Cole Porter chestnuts. One Porter song that you obviously will not hear is “I Love Paris,” a paean to a city he loved and that he often referenced in his songs. If the project had been to find songs for a project titled “Paris Holiday,” the choice of his songbook would have a resonance missing here – which is not to say that at least some of the songs don’t slip smoothly into the proceedings, and even when they need a shove to fit into the plot, it can be a pleasure to hear them. “I Love Paris” was first heard in 1953, in the Broadway musical “Can-Can,” which happens to be the same year “Roman Holiday” made its

debut in movie theaters. The musical derived from the movie also looks like it could have been assembled in 1953, and while it would be nice to report that the intent was homage, what’s on stage at the Golden Gate Theatre seems unimaginatively oldfashioned. It’s one of those shows where a young couple may begin singing while taking a stroll, and soon pushcart vendors, tourists, shopkeepers, pedestrians, and the carabinieri are all singing along, even though the lyrics have nothing to do with anything going on in their lives. That couple happens to be an American newspaper correspondent stationed in Rome, battle-tested and bored with peace, and a crown princess of an unnamed country, a girl who just wants to have fun. When Princess Anne goes on the lam from her royal duties and gets staggeringly drunk, reporter Joe Bradley lends her a pair of pajamas and his couch to sleep it off. Before she wakes up, he realizes he has a princess in his pad and a big scoop for his newspaper. With a photographer pal in tow, Joe shows Anne the town while surreptitiously chronicling her candid self. Even if you’ve never seen the movie or haven’t seen it in years, nothing much in the plot or how it’s rendered is likely to be much of a surprise. Wait. Let me briefly walk back on that. In a role largely created for the musical, Georgia Engel’s initial entrance and subsequent appearances as the queen’s aunt and chaperone are greeted with sparks of affection and laughter. Librettists Kathy Speer, Terry Grossman, and Paul Blake have obviously tailored the role to Engel’s spacey charms, and she is the only irreplaceable member of the cast. We’re back to pleasant and/or predictable for the other major play-

ers. Stephanie Styles is endearing as Princess Anne, vocally well-equipped and with good comedic instincts. The lanky Drew Gehling isn’t bad company as Joe, but looks like he must have been 15 years old while covering WWII, and doesn’t have a hint of anything resembling a seasoned newspaperman of the era. Jarrod Spector and Sarah Chase go through standard-issue wisecracking routines as the secondary couple, playing the womanizing photographer and his sultry forever-fiancee girlfriend. Spector won a Tony Award for playing songwriter Barry Mann in “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical,” which also had a pre-Broadway premiere in San Francisco. The same director is at the helm of “Roman Holiday,” but in the earlier show, Marc Bruni was able to give a musical built around pop oldies a stylishly vibrant look abetted by its seamless integration with Josh Prince’s choreography. None of that is present in “Roman Holiday,” with Alex Sanchez’s jumbled choreography unable to gain traction with what feels like an understaffed ensemble. The recent Broadway production of “An American in Paris,” adapted from the 1951 movie, demonstrated how mining old treasures can still bring up gold when digging with the right tools. “Roman Holiday” seems satisfied with theatrically recycling surface artifacts, a perfectly pleasant pastime likely to be best-appreciated far away from that lion-filled coliseum known as Broadway.t “Roman Holiday” will run through June 18 at the Golden Gate Theatre. Tickets are $55$275. Call (888) 746-1799 or go to shnsf.com.

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<< Music

26 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Passion & pastoral vibes

by Tim Pfaff

ebar.com

Best Breakfast & Best Late-Night Restaurant Celebrating our 40th year!

ppearances to the contrary, I don’t cover every new Christophe Rousset release; it’s all I’d do. But the out early-music wizard is marking the 25th anniversary of his ace ensemble Les Talens Lyriques with a series of releases that warrant celebration, particularly because they represent ensemble growth. Rousset’s brilliance was apparent, and acknowledged, from his debut as a harpsichordist; Les Talens Lyriques was barely more than a twinkle in his eye when it struck unlikely gold: its soundtrack for Farinelli, an Amadeus-imitative bio-pic about castrato Carlo Broschi, sometimes called opera’s first superstar, sold as only the rarest classical CDs do – in the hundreds of thousands of copies. So the band played on. That 1994 CD sought to re-imagine the sound of a castrato by digitally blending the voices of a countertenor and soprano, which proved more spooky than enlightening. But the playing! The new remake, also called Farinelli (Aparte), retains the vocals of the original and a much more inclusive selection of music the castrato sang, this time with Ann Hallenberg, a mezzo-soprano who is, to the early-music world, as much diva assoluta as Anna Netrebko is to big-house opera. Hallenberg is the vastly more disciplined singer, but the sense of fun suggested by the CD cover is the sheer revelry in crackling coloratura and arching line that was Farinelli’s stock in trade. As with the earlier Farinelli, the hit number is the plangent “Ombra fedele anch ‘io” from Broschi’s long-forgotten opera Idaspe. You may know it from the 2007 movie Fracture, in which a “live” but soporific performance of it barely distracts an upscale LA audience. Hallenberg shows other ways it can be hypnotic. Rousset’s career is grounded in his being a polyglot of musical styles. No other ensemble purveying French Baroque music is better with this elusive idiom (the up-and-coming Rafael Pichon may yet prove his match), but his work is as acute in German and Italian music as it is in French. And though it remains concentrated in the life of Les Talens Lyriques, Rousset increasingly appears in opera-orchestra pits such as Vi-

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Out early-music wizard Christophe Rousset.

enna’s and Covent Garden’s, and lately is leaning into assignments including a forthcoming Massenet Werther, which would have seemed unthinkable (or Rousset might have thought little of) a quartercentury ago. Then there are his incursions into “new” old repertoire. As a single example, in tandem with these anniversary releases is a new recording of Etienne Mehul’s 1806 opera Uthal (Ediciones Singulares), which won’t send Matthew Shilvock’s advanceprogramming staff scrambling but does draw attention to a transitional composer whose music warrants investigation. Still, some of Rousset’s best work has been with the operas of Jean-Baptiste Lully, and in the anniversary year he weighs in with Lully’s last, 1686 opera, Armide, generally regarded as the composer’s best and the work that perfected the genre of tragedie en musique that would yield the great works of Rameau and others. It’s Rousset’s sixth recording of a Lully opera (Aparte; in live performance, as usual), and it both crowns the work that comes before it and demonstrates the qualities that have made Rousset’s music-making reliably artistic stretches in every sense, not the least the introduction of new singers. Lully’s rich, plentiful music for dance in his operas, tailored to the tastes of Louis XIV, reflects the composer’s own multifaceted talents as a dancer and conductor as well as composer. Regrettably, it’s exactly where many recordings of his operas bring on the longueurs. Rousset’s keen sense of the rhythms of the French court makes the dance epi-

sodes sparkle in his recordings. Recorded in concert in the new Pierre Boulez Salle of the Paris Philharmonie in December 2015, this new Armide moves along at a clip onstage dancers might find daunting, and in fact it leads to some smudged diction from Rousset’s mostly Francophone cast. But the compensation is that the drama is never slighted. The emotional grit of the story of the sorceress Armida and her lovehate affair with the knight Rinaldo, from Torquato Tasso’s 16th-century Crusades epic, has entranced opera composers from Monteverdi (whose Armida opera is lost) and Gluck to Dvorak and, in 2005, Judith Weir. Lully, setting a superb libretto by Philippe Quinault, took to it in what the a cco m p a ny i n g notes chronicle as a particular thorny time in his life. Only one of his troubles was the scandal caused by his sexual dalliance with one of Louis XIV’s musical pages, which resulted in the lad’s being packed off to a monastery and Lully’s forfeit of the king’s unwavering support. What it bequeathed to posterity was an opera rich with drama and magic, passion and pastoral. Antonio Figueroa holds his own as the bewitched knight Renaud, but the vocal show is Marie-Adeline Henry’s as Armide. She wields a pungent voice with contrasting sweetness, and the full palette of colors needed to realize this fabulous crooner of “Save me from love”; her big setpieces ending acts two and five are alternately hair-raising and spellbinding. Douglas Williams’ Hidraot appears only in Act II, but he raises hell’s furies vocally, too.t

DVD>>

June 15-21, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

Celebrating lesbian politicians was elected to the State Assembly in 1994, California lawmakers were still quoting from Scripture as they stepped up to the podium to debate which laws to pass. In the film, Kuehl speaks eloquently about being “the only one.” As she tries to get a domestic partner bill passed, Kuehl is forced to listen to Bible quotes from male colleagues who tell her that her lifestyle is wrong, and that she’s not entitled to the same protections they take for granted. Audiences who view the Courtesy the subject film will see video footage of these hearings, Out lesbian legislator Shelia Kuehl which, as Kuehl reminds currently serves on the LA County Board the B.A.R. by phone, of Supervisors. weren’t all that long ago. Kuehl, who as Shelia James played Zelda on by David-Elijah Nahmod the 1960s sitcom “The Many Loves n the riveting new documentary of Dobie Gillis,” “Political Animals,” filmmakserved eight years ers Jonah Markowitz and Tracy apiece in the AsWares tell the story of the changes sembly and the that came to California politics State Senate. She over the past two decades. Those currently serves changes most likely led to some of on the LA County the federal equality laws that LGBT Board of Supervipeople now enjoy. The story is told sors. Kuehl spoke through the eyes of four women to the B.A.R. who served in the California Legisabout the joy and lature. All four were lesbians – they the pain which were the first four LGBT-identified come with a life in people in history to be elected to politics. “Everyone the Statehouse. thinks that when When out lesbian Shelia Kuehl

you’re elected you’re going to have a thick skin,” she said. “There’s a lot of personal pain you go through that no one cares about.” After several failed attempts, Kuehl’s domestic partner legislation passed. “The joy is in the relief of victory,” she said. “The second part of the joy is for the people who are now protected.” There was also joy to be found in camaraderie. As the film recounts, Kuehl was joined in the Assembly in 1996 by Carole Migden, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Migden, also an out lesbian, was the second LGBT person to serve as a state lawmaker. “This gives a level of visibility to our community that we never had before,” Kuehl said. “People expected us to be a one-note samba, but we were leaders in many other areas, not just with LGBT issues.” Kuehl cited the environment and health as some of the issues she’s worked on. It’s Migden who gets the film’s best line. As she speaks to the camera, Migden recalls her early involvement in San Francisco politics. She remembers a particularly amusing interlude with then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who asked Migden if she knew what a glory hole was. Feinstein said she wanted to be familiar with her constituents’

Sweet home Alabama by Brian Bromberger

“C

ounting for Thunder,” the new DVD just released by Wolfe Video, begins with the narrator’s voiceover, “My mother was a magician of sorts.” A few moments later he mentions miracles in life. One wishes that either magic or a miracle could have conjured this frustrating film into becoming the likable hit it yearns to be. The cover proclaims it a new “Terms of Endearment,” a lofty expectation never met. Its true antecedent is as a “Fried Green Tomatoes” clone, though there is little comparison in quality or charm. The chief problem here is Phillip Irwin Cooper, who is the director, writer, producer, and star of his first movie, doing too much with too little. Phillip Stalworth (Cooper) is a 40ish actor in LA, “past his date of expiration for anything except erectile dysfunction commercials.” The last straw is his rejection from a gig for being too old as a southern version of Steve Carrell. He receives a call from his bitter sister, Sis (Allison Elliott), that his mother, Tina (Mariette Hartley), has Stage 4 lung cancer. Stalworth’s relationship with his girlfriend Caroline (Erica Shaffer) is ending, so he decides to return to his hometown, Lower Fig Tree, Alabama, and care for Tina. He has a distant relationship with his father, Garrett (John Heard). He comes back with New Age books on treating cancer, which captivate Tina. When her doctor tells her that her cancer has almost disappeared using conventional treatments, she

decides to stop them and try nontraditional remedies such as macrobiotics, ripe for satire. Meanwhile Phillip runs into an old childhood friend, Joe (Peter Stebbings), nicknamed Iron Dick, who is restoring his parents’ home. He makes a pass, and Phillip responds positively. When Phillip was a teenager, his father caught him kissing a male classmate. So Phillip is bi, but has not had a successful partnership with a man. Tina is trying to live the life she never got to pursue, but her cough returns, her weight plummets, and her cancer returns with a vengeance. Joe is thinking about relocating to California to spend time with Phillip when Garrett catches them embracing, sending Phillip into an existential crisis. Phillip must now cope with the deteriorating health of his mother, and decide whether he wants to pursue Joe. There is too much going on in “Counting the Thunder,” with all its focus on Phillip. Unfortunately, Tina, played by the radiant Hartley (the underappreciated TV actress legendary for those Polaroid commercials with James Garner), is far more intriguing as a woman who put her dreams on hold to become wife and mother. Her revelations about dead family members who had same-sex partners tantalize us in a way that Phillip’s musings never do. The gay component is almost incidental to the story, so the movie doesn’t work as a late coming-ofage. Also, there is a climactic scene where Phillip confronts his father about being gay and Garrett’s self-

ishness toward Tina, yet there are no emotional fireworks. It is exasperating to witness a fine actor like John Heard trying to generate heat but lacking the material to do so. Metaphors are thrown into the picture, but their meaning is obscured. The title of the film is based on Tina’s mother’s game: counting minutes between the first time you hear thunder until you see lightning. Presumably that interval is the period when life is lived despite its unpredictability, but its significance is never spelled out. And Phillip periodically tries to run backwards blindfolded up the family’s steep driveway without falling, but we have no idea why. The movie is based on a play Cooper wrote and performed in LA for nine months. Based on real events where he took care of his ill UCLA college professor mom, he played all 23 disparate characters, which probably succeeded on stage. But Cooper as film actor is unfulfilling. He looks older than the 40-year-old he’s playing, and adopts weird facial expressions to show emotions. A different actor not tied so closely to the material might have worked here. Southern humor is too intermittent to be effective. The pacing is slow and boring. Little here is dramatically satisfying, nor does one feel any passion between Phillip and Joe. Finally, the audience has no idea what time period the film encompasses, whether it is months or years, nor whether Phillip leaves intermittently to resume his LA life. How Phillip contributed to his mother’s return of her cancer by encouraging her to stop medical treatments is never addressed. At one point Tina asks Phillip, “Have you ever felt that nothing in your life has ever went the way it should?” One could say the same about “Counting the Thunder,” a movie in desperate search for a lightning bolt that never arrives.t

“jargon.” “I could have just died!” Migden says. In 2000, Kuehl and Migden were joined in the State Legislature by Jackie Goldberg and Christine Kehoe, who are also lesbians. The four women became close friends, meeting for regular lunches where they brainstormed and exchanged ideas. The filmmakers preserve some of these gatherings for posterity. It’s here that we see the magnitude of the joy these women get from their work. But again, it’s not always easy. As Goldberg addresses the State Assembly, fighting for passage of a bill that would protect LGBT kids from bullying at school, she begins to cry. Goldberg is worn

out from the endless anti-gay hate she’s forced to endure from fellow lawmakers who don’t think that she, her partner and their son are worthy of the same rights everyone else already has. It’s a heartbreaking moment. Now that “Political Animals” is available on DVD, Kuehl warns people not to get complacent. “There’s a great deal of danger,” she said. “But not from Trump. His colleagues are hell-bent on undoing everything we have. There’s an ongoing conservative effort to elect a conservative Republican majority. They are only a few states away from changing the Constitution. It’s important to alert people that this is the case.”t

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<< TV

28 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Watching a house of cards come down by Victoria A. Brownworth

hat a time to be alive! Month five in the over-the-top telenovela that is the Trump presidency, and “Muy Loco Peligroso Trump” makes “House of Cards” and “Scandal” look like ABC After-School Specials. We’re still reeling from James Comey’s June 8 testimony, which we watched with rapt attention, hoping he’d do to Trump what he did to Hillary: keep him out of the White House. Regardless of what happens next – Jared Kushner, Gen. Mike Flynn, Attorney General Jeff Sessions all testifying – hearing Comey repeatedly call Trump a liar was, to quote Trump’s attorney, validating. While watching a cudgel of constitutionalists on CNN and MSNBC talk about obstruction of justice and burdens of proof, we caught an ironic exchange between Jeffrey Toobin and John W. Dean. Toobin is a legal scholar who was assistant counsel for the Dept. of Justice during IranContra. Dean was White House counsel for Richard Nixon and one of 48 members of the Nixon Administration who went to prison in the Watergate scandal. Toobin and Dean were discussing Comey’s statement the night before his testimony. Dean said Comey’s statement alone meant the burden of proof for obstruction of justice had been met. Toobin countered off the cuff, “Well you were convicted of it, so you should know.” That this was a moment of levity is quite a statement about the way we live now. The New England Journal of Medicine released a study June 7 that determined Trump is making us both mentally ill and mean. We believe it. Is it any wonder we want scripted TV that is either incredibly dark or incredibly funny? Both are on offer in the coming weeks, and we are here for it and then some. Our favorite new show is ABC’s “Downward Dog,” which is in an early time-slot, so we aren’t sure it will gain the ennui-and-angstridden adult audience it’s geared toward, but hopefully folks will DVR it to pump up the ratings. “Downward Dog” is spun off a web series created by Samm Hodges and Michael Killen. The premise is a dog doing a mockumentary about his life. We hear his interior monologue so there’s none of that creepy weirdness of making the real dog who plays him beautifully have his mouth animated to match the dialogue.

Martin, voiced with genius and superb pacing by Hodges, is the mixed pit-bull/mutt of Nan (played with pitch-perfect edgy millennial goofiness by Alison Tolman). Nan’s coming off a break-up, and Martin is still finding his way in life, unsure if he wants to dedicate to the life of the mind, or if he should engage in mindless sports like other dogs. Both Martin and Nan are searching. For what we are not sure, but that is the basic plot. Where are we going, and how will we get there? Nan is no longer together with Jason (Lucas Neff), but he is hopeful they’ll get back together and comes around regularly to see Martin. It’s impossible to articulate how perfect Hodges is, how well he and the actual dog Ned, who has that soulful dog look, are in this black comedy. Suffice it to say we could watch hours of this and never be tired of the suspension of disbelief required. It’s charming, urbane, witty as hell, and you must watch it. TNT’s new black comedy “Claws” debuted June 11, and it is queer. We are always ready for Niecy Nash (“Reno 911”), and she gives us everything as Desna Simms, head of a group of five manicurists turned money launderers and organized crime mavens. Co-starring with Nash is Carrie Preston as Polly. Preston revealed her comedic talents on “The Good Wife” and won an Emmy for her role as quirky genius attorney Elsbeth Tascioni. Polly is a different kind of genius. “Claws” is super gay, although only one of the main characters, Quiet Ann (Judy Reyes), is an out butch lesbian. “Claws” has so much high camp, it sometimes feels like RuPaul should be somewhere waiting in the wings for a cameo. Also in the cast are Jenn Lyon as Jennifer, Karrueche Tran as Virginia, Harold Perrineau (“Lost”) as Dean, and the inimitable Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”) as Uncle Daddy. There’s plenty of waxed, buff and naked eye-candy, since the show is set in Florida and men have to regularly strip down for the pools. Originally made for HBO (there’s got to be a story there) and executive produced by Rashida Jones, herself a comedic actress, “Claws” is a cool drink of fabulous summer fun.

Master piece

Season 2 of Netflix’s Emmy-winning comedy “Master of None” was released May 12. Here it is a month later and we are just catching up, because we’re spending too much time watching the queer prime-

NBC-TV

Former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony was riveting TV.

time lineup of Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon and Rachel Maddow on CNN and MSNBC. Who would have guessed the gays would have the news locked in the time of Trump? What a delicious irony. We keep hearing terrible excuses from some of our white colleagues for not watching “Master of None,” like, “I’m not an Indian Muslim/Taiwanese American/person of color, and I don’t know what I would have in common with those characters.” Teachable moment where we say, “You mean like the white TV characters people of color have been watching since TV began?” Welp. “Master of None” is the place where we learn, laugh, and see the best comingout episode of anything ever. “Thanksgiving” is pure, gut-wrenching, tear-jerking brilliance. Not all coming-out scenes in real life are smooth like they are on TV shows. In real life, ours got us kicked out of the all-girls school our mother, grandmother and sister had attended, and landed us in a mental hospital for conversion therapy, in a scene much like the one starring Sarah Paulson in “American Horror Story: Asylum.” Based on “Master of None” star Lena Waithe’s own coming-out story, Denise comes out, not an easy ride for a young black woman in the 1980s. Kym Whitley as Denise’s aunt, and Angela Bassett as her mother, Catherine, make this an incomparable episode. Thanksgiving is that holiday we all have stories about. Especially those of us who are LGBT. “Master of None” nails it. When the first season of “Master of None” debuted, Waithe told The Hollywood Reporter that her character was going to change things up. “I don’t know if we’ve seen a sly, harem pants-wearing, cool Topshop sweatshirt-wearing, snapback hatrocking lesbian on TV.” Waithe, whose character was originally supposed to be a straight white woman, not a black lesbian, said, “I know how many women I see out in the world who are very much like myself. We exist. To me, the visibility of it was what was going to be so important and so exciting.” It is both important and exciting. The “Thanksgiving” episode is about many things, including race. In an interview about the episode for Vanity Fair, Waithe explained how getting Bassett onto “our little show” was such an honor, and made her step up her writing game. She also put Bassett in context as an actress and racial-barrier-breaker. “Angela Bassett is a freaking legend. Without Angela Bassett, there is no Viola Davis, there is no Halle Berry. She’s the one who came in and did things Meryl Streep was doing, as a black actress.” Bassett does those things in “Master of None.” Yet another reason to watch. Our patience with comedy is

limited, but our need for drama has ratcheted up since Trump took over. F/X’s “Fargo” ended its third season June 7, so now you can go binge the whole dark, funny season at once. We highly recommend it. Much of what happens in this season is satisfyingly vicarious when one feels just a little murderous. That would explain why we binged the last four episodes in a row of season one of “Queen of the South,” to catch up to season two, which debuted June 8 on USA and Telemundo. “QotS” is about drug cartels, the blurred lines between America and Mexico near the Texas border, what some people will do for money, and where others draw the line. Watching Teresa chug down more than a dozen packets of cocaine after one of the other drug mules dies in her lap made us glad we’d chosen a different career path. The show stars Brazilian actress Alice Braga as Teresa Mendoza, a once-wealthy drug “queenpin,” who in season 2 is working as a drug mule and first lieutenant of Dona Camila Vargas (Veronica Falcon), who is gradually taking over the territory of her estranged husband. “QotS” is violent. There are a lot of murders, and torture is intermittent, but it is also extremely compelling. We consider violence and danger the purview of men, but “QotS” examines what happens when women take charge of criminal enterprises. In Spanish and English, so it’s also good for building your Spanish vocabulary as well as prepping you for the violent return of “Game of Thrones” in July. (The violence, not the Spanish.) Back for its fifth and final season is BBC America’s award-winning sci-fi clone drama “Orphan Black,” starring Tatiana Maslany as, well, everyone. Maslany has been the eternal bridesmaid at the Emmys for her tour de force performance as a halfdozen different women, but the timing was bad for her. She is compelling as each character, and the scenes are seamless. Yet more than half the time she is playing against herself. She really deserves an Emmy. If you’ve never delved into “Orphan Black,” this isn’t the season to start, but the other four seasons are available on Netflix, Hulu and BBC America. The show is an intricate drama about what we know is right around the science corner: cloning of humans and parts of humans, and what the moral grounds are for such experimentation with our fellow humans. And what might go wildly wrong. For fans of the series, the final season will be bittersweet but spectacular. There is no show we want to watch more than Netflix’s new, ultra-hyped series “Gypsy.” We aren’t sure how Netflix nabbed Oscar-nominated British actress Naomi Watts for the lead, but they did, and we are

thrilled. Netflix teases the series with this synopsis: “The 10-part psychological thriller follows Jean Halloway (Naomi Watts), a Manhattan therapist with a seemingly picturesque life who begins to develop intimate and illicit relationships with the people in her patients’ lives. As the borders of Jean’s professional life and personal fantasies become blurred, she descends into a world where the forces of desire and reality are disastrously at odds.” Who among us hasn’t experienced the forces of desire and reality being disastrously at odds? Those people Jean gets involved with are both male and female. Netflix released a lengthy trailer on June 9, and Watts is fantastic. Fans of Watts will have flashes of “Mulholland Drive.” “Gypsy,” created, written and produced by Lisa Rubin, has a similar kind of surreality to it. It also stars Bill Crudup as Halloway’s husband, Michael and Brenda Vaccaro, Poorna Jagannathan, Sophie Cookson and Karl Glusman, among others. Netflix streams “Gypsy” beginning June 30. Some returning favorites to stuff into that overloaded DVR for June are Ava DuVernay’s complex drama “Queen Sugar,” returning to OWN for a second season June 20; and AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead,” for those who can’t get enough of those zombies, returns for a third season, where things are exacerbated at the U.S./Mexican border. Oscar winner Melissa Leo (Goldie) stars in a new Showtime series, “I’m Dying Up Here.” Goldie (loosely based on Mitzi Shore) runs a 70s Hollywood comedy club where stand-up comedians are always hustling to get space at the mic and “Tonight Show” spots. With Ari Graynor, Michael Angarano, Clark Duke, Andrew Santino, Al Madrigal. Summer wouldn’t be summer without some supernatural thrills from the master. Stephen King’s “The Mist” premieres June 22 on Spike, and has everything: mystery, disappearances, fear of the Other, insects. June 5, Spike released a new trailer, and the 10-episode series is both visually stunning and a terrifying evocation of the King classic. Created by Christian Torpe, the series stars Morgan Spector (“Person of Interest”), the great Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”), Alyssa Sutherland (“Vikings”), Gus Birney, Dan Butler (one of the first out gay actors on TV), Luke Cosgrove, Danica Curcic, Okezie Morro, Darren Pettie, Russell Posner and Isiah Whitlock, Jr. “The Mist” is set in Bridgeton, Maine. Something mysterious befalls the small town, a mist that rolls in one day and never leaves. Where did it come from? What is in the mist? Bad things. The natural world is turning on itself, and those who stay out in the mist – well, you wouldn’t want to do that. As with King’s previous summer series “Under the Dome,” the isolation of a community creates a nightmare scenario, and people don’t trust each other. That distrust worsens as the mist becomes entrenched and scarcity of resources becomes a concern. People’s pasts are revealed, scapegoats are targeted: it’s Trumpworld in microcosm. Showrunner Torpe told Entertainment Weekly that mere implication of something deadly was not enough. “We didn’t want it to be a monster show, we wanted it to be a show about fear and how people react when they are afraid. In order to do that, we obviously need to scare the characters once in a while.” So for fear that you can turn off with a TV remote, comedy with a touch of something wicked, truthtelling from gay TV writers, and the latest in the never-ending story of “Muy Loco Peligroso Trump,” you know you really must stay tuned.t

Film>>

June 15-21, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 29

Free Gertrude Bell! by Erin Blackwell

ertrude Bell (1868-1926) is an ambiguous historical figure along the lines of T.E. Lawrence “of Arabia” (1888-1935), a rather queer British person who used Empire as an excuse to have adventures, fell hard for native culture, and exercised some esoteric geopolitical influence. Inevitably, such well-intentioned Arabophiles had their loyalties shredded when Western capitalists reneged on the promise of self-rule for the newly created Iraq. The UK’s headache became a USA quagmire in 2003, and now Islamist terrorists have brought the battle to European capitals. The documentary “Letters from Baghdad” sketches the earlier failure, Friday at Opera Plaza. “Letters” uses archival footage to assemble a mosaic of places and people, British, Arab, and Persian, as they were before, during, and after WWI. Clips and pix are fascinating but rarely identified, so the Middle Eastern bits are a jumble of cultures you’d need to be an expert to distinguish. There are maps, or pieces of maps, that deprive the viewer of the big picture, fading in and out before you know where you are. Once away from the stifling confines of upperclass England, Gertrude Bell’s travels left the ordinary tourist in the dust. An entire film could and perhaps should be made of her truly

amazing adventures. Wedged in among the archival snippets are talking heads in costume, who intone sentences from their own letters or diaries. Too many minor characters pop in and out to keep track of, and they’re all Downtonesque wannabes. The film’s conceit is to dispense with narration by splicing together these contemporary sources, but words from Bell’s prolific pen get lost in the dust storm. Tilda Swinton offcamera breathlessly reads redundant letters home to the father she will never see again, for whom she professes undying devotion from a well-maintained distance. This existential ambivalence, or duplicity, or bad faith, is never explored. “Letters” lingers long over Bell’s platonic attachments to a few men, early on. These were never consummated and it starts to seem obvious that men were awed by her indomitable spirit, her brain, dare I say her virility. The heterosexual imperative has never seemed so puny as in this saga of a woman who thought nothing of entering unmapped tribal territory, organizing her own 20-camel caravan, and setting off on a geological survey of wells, photographing ruins, with some ethnographic study on the side. Any man’s equal, this Victorian explorer will find herself in a geopolitical no-man’s-land after WWI.

Gertrude Bell in 1900, in a scene from the documentary “Letters from Baghdad.”

Forty minutes in, this brittle sketch hits pay dirt as Gertrude Bell designs the borders of the newly minted Iraq. All of her hard-won expertise on tribal cultures will pay off when the Brits fulfill their promise of a free Arab state, after Arabs help them outwit the Germans. Too bad something called the SykesPicot Agreement scuppers this idyll. Standard Oil is mentioned in passing. Her hopes betrayed by her

own country, Gertrude Bell discovers she’s on the wrong side. Once the West’s puppet is installed, she’s relieved of her political post and assigned to organize Iraq’s fabled antiquities. Once the museum opens, she dies of an overdose. We only learn this by reading, after the final image of a sunset. Any movie about Gertrude Bell is better than no movie about Gertrude Bell, unless perhaps it’s

a movie starring Nicole Kidman. I didn’t see Werner Herzog’s descent into conventionality “Queen of the Desert” (2015), and I doubt I could stomach it. Since movies are how most of us learn our history, “Letters” is a welcome riposte to Kidman’s noseless portrayal. Tilda Swinton on-camera would be an improvement; maybe that’s why she also executive-produced, to give others that casting hint. Directors Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Kayenbühl have meticulously crafted an overly cautious but much-needed corrective to USA’s disastrous, ongoing campaign of oil-based misinformation. “Letters” tells the tragic tale of a greatly gifted woman who escaped the choking confines of late Victoriana to live the life of a Bedouin, played each side against the middle, and ended up alone. She’d always been singular, because she’d worshipped freedom. Now she had to face her sense of “immense failure here. We’d promised an Arab government with British advisors and had set up a British government with Arab advisors.” She had not, after all, managed to escape the prison of Empire. Out of range of her own father, she’d fallen into the clutches of more powerful men. She’d thought she was playing them, but they were playing her. Plus ça change.t

Honoring Joan Crawford’s legacy by Tavo Amador

ay 10th marked the 50th anniversary of Joan Crawford’s death at age 71. In its front-page obituary, The New York Times said, “Miss Crawford was a quintessential superstar – an epitome of timeless glamour who personified for decades the dreams and disappointments of American women.” Several books have been reissued to commemorate her death. Especially interesting is Charlotte Chandler’s “Not the Girl Next Door: A Personal Biography of Joan Crawford” (Simon & Schuster, $20.99), which features extensive interviews with Crawford and people who knew her well or worked with her. It’s how she wanted to be remembered. When she died, Crawford’s place in classic Hollywood’s pantheon was unassailable. A year later, however, oldest daughter Christina Crawford published a scathing, vengeful, unreliable account of life with mother, “Mommie Dearest.” Despite its inconsistencies, questionable allegations of child abuse and lunatic behavior, and despite denials by Crawford’s two younger daughters, many people believed it was true. In 1981, Anne Bancroft withdrew from the film version after objecting to playing a one-dimensional, implausible caricature. Her replacement Faye Dunaway’s dazzling performance obliterated the illogical, highly suspect assertions. The damage to Crawford’s legacy was significant, but not permanent. Her achievements couldn’t be denied – she finished 10th among the American Film Institute’s Greatest Female Legends of the 20th Century. Nonetheless, absent “Mommie Dearest,” she probably would have finished higher. Dunaway later regretted making the movie.

Crawford recounts her Dickensian childhood, her lack of formal education, and her early passion for dancing, which led to the chorus of a Broadway show. An MGM executive spotted her, arranging a screen test, which she passed. She arrived in Hollywood in 1925. Stardom came in 1928’s “Our Dancing Daughters,” and she remained one for 42 years. In 1929, she married Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., son of one of Tinseltown’s greatest stars and stepson of the legendary Mary Pickford. The uneducated, socially insecure flapper found herself attending elegant functions at Pickfair, the home of her in-laws, and after the White House, the most famous residence in America. Fairbanks talks about their intense sexual attraction, about her beautiful face and figure, her energy and unflagging ambition. She very much wanted to be a “lady,” but he married her because she was a “woman.” They divorced in 1935, but remained friends. Sec-

ond husband, actor Franchot Tone, came from a wealthy New York family and was a founder of the Group Theatre. They divorced, but she cared for him when he grew frail. Her third husband was a handsome, minor actor, Philip Terry. They divorced in 1946. She wed PepsiCo CEO Alfred Steele in 1955. By her own account, this was the happiest of her marriages. It ended with his unexpected death in 1959. Crawford expresses bewilderment over Bette Davis’ refusal to accept her friendly overtures. Davis found them excessive and insincere. Nonetheless, they didn’t feud while filming 1962’s “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” They were civil and professional. Vincent Sherman, who directed Crawford three times, including the then-under-appreciated but now highly regarded “Harriet Craig” (1950), talks about her sexual aggressiveness and their affair. He reveals a woman who felt compelled to use her allure to control him. Crawford’s many lovers included Clark Gable, John Garfield, Yul Brynner, Kirk Douglas, Robert Wagner, and attorney Greg Bautzer, although Chandler glosses over most of them. Long before the modern gay rights movement, she was a close friend of openly gay actor turned successful interior designer William Haines. She often said that Haines and his partner, Jimmy Shields, were the only happily married couple she knew in Hollywood. Crawford adopted four children and candidly discusses the problems she had with the two older ones, Christina and Christopher. Myrna

Loy, a friend since their early days at MGM, told Chandler that those two made her glad she never had children. Crawford’s self-discipline was legendary, and she sought to instill that and independence in her children. She lavished attention and gifts on them, but fearing they would be spoiled, insisted that they behave almost like miniature adults. Christina, as strong-willed as her mother, completely dominated her brother, and the two repeatedly rebelled. Davis, like many people, expressed outrage over “Mommie Dearest.” “I wouldn’t read trash like that, and I think it was a terrible thing for a daughter to do. An abomination. To do something like that to someone who saved you from an orphanage, foster homes, who knows what. If she didn’t like the person who chose to be her mother, she was grown up and could choose her own life.” Sadly, Davis would live to see her own daughter, B.D., write an equally vicious memoir, “My Mother’s Keeper.” Daughter Cathy Crawford LaLonde remembers a protective, loving mother, who in her

later years was relaxed around her rambunctious grandchildren. She insists Christina, who had a brief acting career, was jealous of their mother and always wanted to be “Joan Crawford,” but failed. Crawford disinherited Christina and Christopher. She left Cathy and her twin sister, Cindy, modest trust funds. The bulk of her estate went to the USO and to various charities. At Christie’s auction of her personal effects, Andy Warhol bought much of her costume jewelry. One fan purchased her false eyelashes. Crawford was a complicated woman, and Chandler’s biography needs to be read along with those written by others. It is, nonetheless, a good antidote to “Mommie Dearest.” Ultimately, however, what matters is her professional legacy. Perhaps openly gay director George Cukor, who guided Crawford three times, summed her up best. “I thought Joan Crawford would never die. Come to think of it, as long as celluloid holds together and the word Hollywood means anything to anyone, she never will.”t

<< Film

30 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Chavela: Chanteuse & sexual outlaw by Sari Staver

he stunning new documentary about the life and times of iconic chanteuse and sexual outlaw Chavela Vargas will be screened twice at the Frameline film festival, with the award-winning lesbian directors answering questions afterwards. Selected as Frameline’s Centerpiece Documentary, “Chavela” screens Mon., June 19, at the Castro Theatre at 6:30 p.m.; and Thursday, June 22, at the Piedmont in Oakland at 7 p.m. Vargas, who died in 2014 at age 93, was a darling of Mexico City’s bohemian club scene in the 1950s, where she challenged mainstream Mexican morals by dressing in men’s clothing while she sang songs intended for men to woo women, refusing to change the pronouns. The tequila-drinking, cigar-smoking rabble-rouser sang at Elizabeth Taylor’s marriage to Mike Todd (and ran off with Ava Gardner), and lived with Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera for over a year. The new documentary tells Vargas’ life story, an amazing journey from a 14-year-old rejected runaway from Costa Rica to a worldrenowned, Grammy-winning Mexican icon. Codirected by Catherine (“Cat”) Gund and Daresha Kyi, “Chavela” has taken the world by storm following its premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, where it was awarded the second-place audience award. After

Frameline 41

From page 21

“The Unknown Tales of Armistead Maupin” Jennifer Kroot’s (with codirector Bill Weber) bio-doc is several films in one. It’s a funny, ironic account of how a “son of the old South,” with a rock-rib conservative dad, does all the dutiful things expected of a first son: Navy service in Vietnam; jump-starting a journalism career with a stint at a Marin weekly; and adopting a Dickensian style for a diary-like column, “Tales of the City,” making witty fiction of Maupin’s nightly sexcapades. This leads to a daily San Francisco Chronicle series filled with increasingly explicit queer content, culminating in a wildly popular PBS TV series. That show, despite its huge audience, was driven off the air by a vengeful witch-hunter – ironically, Maupin’s first employer, North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms. The film offers candid audio snapshots of the subject from his adopted family, including Neil Gaiman, Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen and Amy Tan. The filmmakers eloquently portray an urban community moving from the highs of sexual freedom in the 70s (including Maupin’s relationship with a Hollywood superstar, the closeted Rock Hudson) to the devastating reality of AIDS, to a world where freedom and prudence are lovingly if precariously balanced. (Castro, 6/15) “Prom King, 2010” What do you suppose a hopeless romantic would wish for if he were a 21-year-old college kid with expectations that eclipse those of every post-Stonewall generation? First-time director Christopher Schaap stars in his own sweet romance, unfolding in present-day New York. (Castro, 6/19) “My Friend Dahmer” Marc Meyers is out to pull off the impossible: create an empathetic portrait of a young man whose crimes live on well past his own prison-block demise. Drawing on a popular graphic novel, Meyers mixes a veteran cast (Anne Heche and Dallas Roberts as the clueless parents), a brave newcomer (Ross Lynch as Dahmer) with a black-comic touch that some

Courtesy Frameline

Chavela Vargas is the subject of Frameline’s Centerpiece Documentary.

its busy film festival tour, the film will go into commercial release in the U.S., with fall screenings in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It has also been sold to television and film distributors in dozens of cities worldwide. In a telephone interview with the B.A.R., co-director Gund said she was “thrilled and excited” to be presenting at the Castro Theatre during the upcoming San Francisco LGBT film festival. Gund, who identifies as queer, has another documentary, “Dispatches from Cleveland,” screening during Frameline. That documentary tells the have likened to David Fincher’s 2007 serial killer opus “Zodiac.” (Castro, 6/20) “Dating My Mother” Mike Roma covers well-plowed ground: the romantic yearnings of a 23-year-old wannabe screenwriter. Danny’s attempt to find gratification via online dating sites is matched by his mom’s (Kathryn Erbe) efforts to move beyond widowhood. Danny (Patrick Reilly) is his own worst enemy: screwing up his professional chances with an ill-timed poolside pass at a straight friend, reading mom’s beads over her fumbling stabs at returning to the dating game, and being an all-around mean little shit. Director Roma’s brazen trick of having mom and Danny share a bed in the wake of the recent death of her hubby pays comic dividends without reading the least bit creepy. Sprinkled with comic cameos, this may be one of the festival’s handful of commercial breakouts. (Castro, 6/16) “Discreet” Small-town Texas is the stage for a revenge-fueled melodrama that features a full panoply of Web-driven American culture, from video-lounge hookups to sexstarved teenage boys. Director Travis Mathews (“Interior. Leather Bar.”) centers his twisted tale on the return of sexy drifter Alex (Jonny Mars). (Victoria, 6/19) “Princess Cyd” Writer-director Stephen Cone (“The Wise Kids”) returns with the adventures of a spirited lass who benefits from the wisdom of her grounded Aunt Miranda. (Victoria, 6/20) “Saturday Church” Damon Cardasis gives us a trans-identified youth, Ulysses (newcomer Luka Kain), who flees a homophobic religious aunt for the freewheeling life around Manhattan’s West Side piers. (Castro, 6/16) “4 Days in France” (France) Director Jerome Reybaud kicks off his fictional travelogue with a bored 36-year-old skipping out on his humpy boyfriend in a white Alfa Romeo to see what romantic adventures await in the provinces. This sex-with-attractive-strangers saga is fueled with all the latest techno toys, from iPhones to Grindr. (Castro, 6/19, 22)

story of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed by gunfire by police, but was blamed for his own death by local prosecutors. “Dispatches” is a “docuseries,” with five chapters showcasing how intersecting social justice movements are empowering marginalized groups, including those within the transgender community. “Yes, I’ve been very busy,” said Gund, who had two children graduating from high school on the evening of the B.A.R. interview in early June. A New Yorker who began her film career making videos of ACTUP in the 1980s. Gund went on to

make a number of award-winning documentaries. Her work gained national attention after her film “Born to Fly” was nominated for an Emmy after screening on PBS’ Independent Lens series. The film’s co-director, Daresha Kyi, a lesbian, will also be on a Frameline panel, “Online & Out the Door: QTPOC [Queer Trans People of Color] Episodics Break Barriers,” a free, 90-minute discussion to be held at the Roxie Theater on Tues., June 20, at 3:30 pm. The panel will explore why politically charged barriers and cultural mores keep queer and trans people of color from becoming seen and understood in deeper and more rewarding ways within the larger media landscape. Kyi, a freelance film and television director and producer currently living in Atlanta, has made films including “Most Daring” (2007) and “La Voz Kids” (2013). Kyi produced Gund’s film “Dispatches from Cleveland.” The co-directors met and became friends decades ago, agreeing that someday they “should make a film together,” said Gund. That day came two years ago, when Kyi got involved with this film, first as a producer, then as co-director. Work on the film began in 1992, when Gund spent the winter just south of Mexico City and first heard Vargas’ music on her friends’ record players. “And of course I heard all the stories about her womanizing and her irresistible allure,” said Gund. Gund’s friends arranged a meet-

Both photos: Courtesy Frameline

Above: Scene from director Jerome Reybaud’s “4 Days in France.” Below: Scene from director Ernesto Contreras’ “I Dream in Another Language.”

“Center of My World” (Germany) A best-selling German novel is the basis for a randy schoolboy’s misadventures. Phil returns home from French-language camp to discover Mom and Sis at odds. The start of school brings the appearance of a gorgeous new boy, Nicholas. (Castro, 6/21) “Tom of Finland” (Finland) Dome Karukoski presents the story of a legend: Touko Laaksonen (1920-91), a once-obscure artist whose work became iconic. This biopic focuses on a WWII encounter with a Russian paratrooper that would prove decisive for the development of Tom’s hypermasculine style. (Castro, 6/18) “I Dream in Another Language”

(Mexico) Ernesto Contreras examines why two elderly men have stopped speaking to each other, in their native tongue (Zikril, almost an extinct language). Warning: some parts of the film come sans subtitles, although most is presented in Spanish, subtitled in English. (Castro, 6/20) “Becks” Daniel Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh’s hard-luck story of singer-songwriter Becks, played by Lena Hall (“Hedwig”). The story hits familiar live-music pit-stops with vigor and verve. (Castro, 6/21) “The Archer” Valerie Weiss provides a twist to the usual womenbehind-bars tale by having her protagonist Lauren be handy with a bow-and-arrow. (Castro, 6/16)

ing with Vargas, who agreed to be taped. “I immediately became obsessed” with Vargas’ ability to draw people in, Gund said. But when Gund went home to New York, she got busy with other projects and put the tapes away. When Vargas died three years ago, Gund unearthed her tapes, “a veritable gold mine of footage,” she said. “I knew I had something rich and unique.” Realizing she had what might be the beginnings of a new project, Gund showed her friend Kyi a section of the footage. “She was mesmerized,” said Gund. The two spent the next two years finding footage of interviews and concerts, as well as doing their own interviews with people who had known Vargas. With grants from wide-ranging sources, the two were able to complete the film on a “half-million-dollar budget,” which Gund says is typical of documentaries of this type. Already an established filmmaker with enough awards to fill several walls, Gund is nevertheless thrilled with the reception her new film is receiving. “It’s been unanimously positive,” she said. “We’ve had great luck selling it overseas. Europe, Central and South America, pretty much everywhere. We knew Chavela had a gigantic and enthusiastic audience in Mexico, and we were thrilled to learn that she resonates everywhere people see the film and hear her music.”t Info: frameline.org.

“Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall” Katherine Fairfax Wright presents YouTube celebrity, former “American Idol” contestant Todrick Hall as he makes a new album with 16 videos whose subjects include homophobic bullying. (Castro, 6/17) “Girl Unbound” (Pakistan) Erin Heidenreich tells the story of Maria, a 16-year-old flaunting the taboos of her conservative Islamic community by becoming a champion squash player. English, Urdu and Pashto, with English subtitles. (Castro, 6/18) “God’s Own Country” (UK) 2017 Sundance World Cinema Directing Award winner Francis Lee presents a British male farmyard romance. John, a hard-drinking Yorkshire lad, has his routines upset by the arrival of a Romanian day laborer. His home life tough, his dad waylaid by a second stroke, John drowns his sorrows at the local pub. Leads Josh O’Connor and Alec Secareanu have a sizzling onscreen chemistry. (Castro, 6/17) “The Wound” (South Africa) John Trengove explores a tribal initiation ritual where teen boys are taken on a retreat for circumcision and mentoring. The powerful story probes the meaning of masculinity and manhood today, and spotlights intergenerational relationships. (Castro, 6/18) “Alabama Bound” Carolyn Sherer tackles the prickly subject of samesex parenting and adoption in a state that could easily be considered the nation’s most deeply red. The film takes us directly into the lives of lesbians and their children, whose human rights are put on hold while the state’s white Christian oligarchy fights a rearguard battle against justice, led by right-wing state judge Roy Moore. Cari and her wife fight a nineyear battle for joint custody of their son, born with a potentially deadly heart condition. Meanwhile an African American mother, Kinley, has to fight her ex-hubby for custody despite evidence that his new wife has physically abused their young son. The filmmakers make clear that this battle for the rights and See page 31 >>

Through the publications 15-21, 2017 • B A they June know and trust.R

Music>>

Solo & so queer

by Gregg Shapiro

n her ironically-titled second album “Third” (Omnivore), trans singer-songwriter Cait Brennan had her work cut out for her in equaling her well-received 2016 debut “Debutante.” From all indications, she succeeded. Endorsed by Laura Jane Grace, and rocking with a versatility that would make Hedwig envious, Brennan has found her lucky number with “Third.” Just in terms of sheer variety – the raw rocker “Stack Overflow,” the retropop of “He Knows Too Much,” the dramatic “At the End of the World” and “Goodbye Missamerica” [sic], the Bowie-esque glam on “A Hard Man to Love” and “Benedict Cumberbatch,” and the rock-and-roll heaven anthem “The Angels Lie” – “Third” time’s the charm. Queer female folk singers such as Sera Cahoone are nothing new. But what Cahoone does with the genre on “From Where I Stand” (Lady Muleskinner) deserves attention. Beginning with the stunning opener “Always Turn Around” and continuing through the touching “Better Woman,” the seductive Americana of “Up to Me”, and the gentle swing of “Time To Give,” Cahoone’s way with a love song is admirable. “Ladybug,” which addresses queer domestic violence, makes the personal universal. Cahoone is backed by a band of topnotch musicians, including Dave Depper of Death Cab for Cutie. While it’s not uncommon to hear strong traces of country in the folk music of lesbian musicians such as Diana Jones or Sera Cahoone, it’s been less so when it comes to gay male artists. So, here’s a trend I bet you didn’t see coming! Sam Gleaves is an openly gay folk singer from Appalachia, and Jared Tyler is a gay man who “grew up in the buckle of the Bible Belt.” The self-titled album “Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes” (Community Music) is steeped in the tradition of duet singing, a reflection of the pair’s Southwest Virginia roots. Particularly noteworthy

Frameline 41

From page 30

humanity of Alabama’s LGBTQ minority is an extension of the historic fight for equality of the races. (Victoria, 6/17) “Hot to Trot” Gale Freedman’s film spends 88 minutes surveying a topic that’s a bit off-the-path: ballroom dancing. We view behind-the-scenes preparations for a competition that can take its finest participants to the Gay Games. Particularly moving is the story of Ernesto, a handsome Costa Rican who, losing one partner to illness, miraculously finds a replacement just before the big competition in Oakland. (Victoria, 6/18) “Britney-Holics” Jerell Rosales finds a comic sweet spot in this 10-minute investigation of the inner workings of a high school fan club. Jumpstarts the popular “Fun in Boys Shorts” program. (Castro, 6/17) The “Fun in Girls Shorts” program offers another delicious sampler of queer women’s short films,

is Hughes’ “When We Love,” a song (and potential anthem) that brings traditional music firmly into the 21st century. The same can be said for the cover of Ola Belle Reed’s “Tear Down the Fences.” Tyler exemplifies the way that contemporary country music continues to return to its rawest roots on his third album “Dirt on Your Hands” (jaredtyler.com). Bookending the disc are “Death of Me” and “Love of You,” two songs Tyler wrote for his life partner Jacob. Other outstanding originals include “Norway,” “Heart Wide Open” and the bouncy “Lucky I Am.” Tyler is also a capable interpreter of other people’s songs such as Malcolm Holcombe’s “The Door” and Dixie Mitchell’s “Waltzing Around with My Shadow.” On a one-woman mission to disprove the myth of the humorless lesbian, Scout Durwood succeeds with ease on “Take One Thing Off ” (Blue Elan). As she explains in the informative intro, the disc is a combination of a live stand-up comedy set and songs recorded in a studio. The stand-up material includes lesbian sex tapes, hate crimes, alcoholism, football players, being hit on by straight guys, strip clubs, and anxiety. She also coins one of the funniest lines of the year: “The men in LA look so much like the lesbians in New York!” Durwood’s musical moments are alternately humorous (“The Wedding Song,” “Go Go,” the title cut) and serious (“Fallin’ in Love,” “Here We Go” and a cover of “My Funny Valentine”). On “The Neon Jungle” (Rock Ridge Music), gay modern soul singer-songwriter JC Brooks shed more than the name of his previous band, The Uptown Sound. Returning with only one original member (Kevin Marks) and four new faces, Brooks steps to the fore, striving for a sound that incorporates his original retro sound (“Jungle,” “Edge of Night,” “Heartbeat”) with a fresh approach (“Stumble in the Dark,” “Watch Me,” “Get Gone.”) An LGBTQ music column wouldn’t be complete without a dance-music artist. That’s where James Raftery fits in with his new album “Everything” (Serious Janitor Music). After recording under the Rat Wakes Red moniker for 15 years, Raftery moves in a distinctly synth-pop direction. “Frame,” “Sun Roof,” “Mirroring” and the title cut are all meant for serious dancing. Raftery is also comfortable slowing down the beats on “Seed,” “The Goal” and “Hidden Mind.”t including Allison Tate’s “Carol Support Group,” a spoof of a group dedicated to people stuck on the film “Carol.” (Castro, 6/17) “Bones of Contention” Andrea Weiss’ daunting subject: the 40-year reign of Fascism under the Franco dictatorship. The film concentrates on the fate of LGBTQ communities under Franco, and the Fascist-ordered murder of gay poet Federico Garcia Lorca, among an estimated 120,000 fascist victims. (Victoria, 6/17) “The Fabulous Allan Carr” How soon we forget. Docmaker Jeffrey Schwartz remembers the spectacular rise and tacky fall of a hard-working promoter. A showbiz shooting star thru the 70s-80s, Carr backstage-managed the careers of such La La luminaries as Olivia Newton-John, Michelle Pfeiffer and a big comeback for Ann-Margret. Then there was the 1989 TV Oscar show debacle, and it all came tumbling down. (Castro, 6/18)t frameline.org.

rea

eporter

• 31

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6/6/17 2:19 PM

We are the future of the LGBT community. “The world still has its challenges but things are getting better. From the way we first met on line to marriage equality to our daughter’s upcoming Quinceañera our life together is more fulfilling every day. We keep up with events and entertainment on EDGE, because that’s where we see our future at its brightest.” The people depicted here are models. Their image is being used for illustrative purposes only.

<< Music

32 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Musiciens du Louvre, also cuts loose in his impressive SFO debut. Subtle recitative accompaniment by Robert Mollicone on the fortepiano adds historical texture to the lush orchestral sound. This is a big-boned interpretation for modern listeners. It moves with urgency, and remains relevant despite the distracting visuals. Before the opening matinee, General Director Matthew Shilvock announced bass-baritone Ildebrando D’Arcangelo was feeling poorly, but would still appear in the title role. There was a general gasp of relief. Along with Erwin Schrott (replacing previously contracted Marco Vinco), D’Arcangelo was making his highly anticipated SFO Both photos: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera debut. Left: Ana María Martínez as Donna Elvira in San Francisco Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” No need to lower the Right: Erwin Schrott as Leporello in San Francisco Opera’s production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” bar. The magnetic international star gave a full-powered performance The antique chairs have returned, an international cast that can turn from start to finish. His Don Giovanni but the hideous AstroTurf has vanfrom drama to comedy on a lira. looks, charm, and big, rich sound From page 21 ished. Some tacky hedges are back, Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da combined to make an appealing and and the “mirrors” are hyperactive. Ponte fashioned an enduring drama refreshingly complex portrait of the From a visual standpoint we call Andrea Viotti’s gorgeous costumes giocoso filled with insights into sex-addicted Don. it recycling. Repurposing original remain impeccable. human nature. Like a Shakespeare Bass Marco Vinco was a fine set designer Alessandro Camera’s The old show didn’t upstage the play, “Don Giovanni” can still shock Leporello in 2011, but we couldn’t numerous moving mirrors as darksingers with pointless technology. and amuse us today. deny enthusiasm for his replaceened panels for Tommi Brem’s (SFO The re-staging works best when a The singers and orchestral mument. Uruguayan bass-baritone debut) projections actually becomes simple black drop descends and sicians of the current production Erwin Schrott has essayed both of an annoyance. When the performers we can refocus on the music and handle every nuance with intelthe leading roles to great acclaim. In sing about someone, the subject is characterful acting. Spirei also surligence and skill. French conducan afternoon of stellar SFO debuts, projected behind, above or around passes with some insightful touches tor Marc Minkowski, celebrated he took the stage effortlessly with them. It is a promising concept that that restore needed comic relief to a for his longtime direction of the a sexy blend of comedy and genersoon wears thin. It’s predictable and disturbingly dark story. He also has period-instrument ensemble Les ously produced sound. His contoo on-the-nose.

La Boheme

From page 21

The co-production with Houston Grand Opera and Canadian Opera Company is another quick return item in the SFO summer lineup. It has been a season of highs and lows, but still worthy of interest. All three operas are high on everyone’s list of favorites.

Director John Caird’s and designer David Farley’s charming and intimate take on Puccini’s perfect little heartbreaker was last seen in 2014. Memories of the cast(s) are still recent enough for comparison, but it’s unfair to expect duplication of previous successes. A revival works best when the newbies are allowed to breathe their own life into the roles. “La Boheme” is an

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flicted manservant is afraid of and fascinated by his dissolute master. He is also laugh-out-loud funny. Texan soprano Ana Maria Martinez was another standout in the part of Donna Elvira. The SFO veteran added warmth to a character too often portrayed as deranged and shrewish. We felt for her pitiable rejection and could almost understand her mania. She expertly applied hard-etched rolled “r’s” to add clout to her punchlines. Bass Andrea Silvestrelli is busy this summer season. His huge voice is a great fit for Sparafucile in “Rigoletto,” and he fills the War Memorial with commanding tone as the vengeful Commendatore in “Don Giovanni.” The roles of the peasant couple Masetto and Zerlina are performed by bass-baritone Michael Sumuel and soprano Sarah Shafer. A little too physically imposing to be completely believable, Sumuel still portrays the challenged young bridegroom with intensity. Shafer is sweet, but needs more vixen in her voice to add personality. Canadian soprano Erin Wall and French tenor Stanislas de Barbeyrac (SFO and U.S. debuts) are elegant as the aristocratic Donna Anna and Don Ottavio. Their roles in the drama are often less interesting, but Wall injects spirit and beautiful sound to add complexity. De Barbeyrac justifies the replacement of an often-cut recitative with his subtly shaded acting and pure, clear tone. “Don Giovanni” continues in repertory through June 30. There is a free live simulcast at AT&T Park on Friday, June 30.t

ensemble work with two lovers at (as he must) dominate the stage more elegant coquette than tradiits heart, and I doubt many listeners with a strong and beautiful voice. tion has accustomed us to expect. will be disappointed at the current His acting became more believHer accurate singing managed to incarnation. able as the performance continued. fill in the blanks. The melodic score is beautifully Once he and his love-at-first-sight Bass Scott Connor as the philososerved by conductor Carlo Monpartner got over the hurdles of Act pher Colline was big-hearted and tanaro. He made his SFO debut I, he seemed less self-conscious, touching in his famous Coat Aria with “Carmen” in 2016, and he has winning our unqualified support (“Vecchia zimmara senti”). bonded with the orchestra and masby the final curtain. American bass-baritone Brad Walker is a current Adler Fellow, and tered the quirky acoustics of the pit Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi he was another age-appropriate and in short order. did not share as successfully in attractive cast member as the musiThe passion and tender emothe journey. Her Mimi is never cian Schaunard. Company veteran tion of the music project character completely convincing despite her bass-baritone Dale Travis made his as well as backdrop for the singers, well-sung portrayal. Grimaldi’s mark as the landlord Alcindoro. and it is thrilling to hear the strings voice is pure and strong and always The adorable moppet choristers adding such robust flavor. The cospleasing. She simply doesn’t get of Act II got their own ovation, and tumed onstage band in the Latin under our skin. Subtlety is a virtue director Ian Robertson’s reliable Quarter scene is a coup de theatre unnecessary in verismo. grownups added additional pulse to that lifts the spirit of the show. It As the painter Marcello, Norwethe show. increases our admiration for Caird’s gian baritone Audun Iversen was It should be interesting to hear unfussy and thoughtful details. well-matched with the feisty Ellie what former Adler Fellow soprano The sets are a collection of canDehn as Musetta. Iversen made Julie Adams brings to the role of vases (presumably by the artist his character’s frustration sympaMimi for two performances later Marcello) that cleverly frame the thetic, and he joined with his budin the month. “La Boheme” plays action, moving seamlessly on two dies for some realistically funny through Sunday, July 2.t turntables. They add a cinematic horseplay in Act IV. Dehn was a flow that is both functional and attractive. Even if we’re humming the tunes on the way into the theatre and welcoming the revival with vivid recollections, it is a pleasing reunion. For first-timers it should be a surefire hit. The performers supply an outcome that packs a little less punch this time, but we are still fighting back a predictable tear or two by the ending. Feelings and involvement are still satisfied by the wonderfully theatrical composer. Warming up and growing in commitment before a convincing final act, the singers guarantee cumulative emotional impact. It isn’t as devastating as “La Boheme” can often be, but requiring one hanky instead of three still provides a certain catharsis. Caird and Farley assure us “We’ll Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera always have Paris.” Tenor Arturo Chacon- Scott Conner as Colline, Arturo Chacón-Cruz as Rodolfo, and Audun Iversen as Marcello in San Francisco Opera’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” Cruz in the role of the ardent poet Rodolfo can

Lorna Luft

On the Town

Karrnal Knowledge Vol. 47 • No. 24 • June 15-21, 2017

Leori

www.ebar.com V www.bartabsf.com

Aerial Life Acrobat Erin Shredder in the new ‘Soiled Dove’ show

by David-Elijah Nahmod

hough she enjoyed being a firefighter, which she had done for seven years up in Humboldt County, Erin Shredder felt that something was missing from her life. See page 34 >>

et your rainbow Pride flow like a fabulous Gilbert Baker flag. LGBTQ Pride-themed events fill our month and this week.

Listings begin on page 36 >>

Sun 18 Queer Summer of Love @ National AIDS Memorial Grove

Alex Ray

Erin Shredder in a recent aerial performance.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

34 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Ralph Boethling

Ely Kay

Above Left: Erin Shredder at a recent Edwardian ball at The Regency. Above Right: Erin Shredder performing at New York’s Coney Island. Below: Aerialists and hoop dancers suspended above the audience at The Soiled Dove show.

Aerial Life

From page 33

“It was exciting,” she said of her former career in a Bay Area Reporter interview. “I liked the adrenaline of it, and I liked helping people. But when I went to Burning Man, it changed my life and opened my perspectives.” It was a woman in a hula hoop at Burning Man who set Shredder’s life on its current course. “She was creating a whole new way of modern dance,” Shredder recalled. “It was very empowering and helped me tap into my more elegant side.” Shredder left her life as firefighter. These days she does massage therapy and teaches yoga in the East Bay. She also performs in The Soiled Dove, Vau De Vire Society’s naughty but nice interactive dinner theater show, which is now playing under the Big Top at The Point in Alameda. The Soiled Dove will run every Friday and Saturday through July 1. It’s a return engagement for The Soiled Dove. The company enjoyed sold out runs in 2014, 2015 and 2016. “We take place in the past,” Shredder explained as she described the show. “The Soiled Doves are performers who come out and offer their support to a brothel. Some of them are real characters, so you get a history lesson while you get your mind blown.” The show, Shredder tells us, is performed under the big top. “I’m a circus performer,” she said. “It’s really fun. I perform twice a week and it’s always a different show each time.” Shredder’s performance is an aerial acrobatic act. She calls it aerial hula hooping. “This job is amazing,” she said. “I do a lot of physics in my head; everyday is different. I can’t do autopilot.”

She calls her act, and the show itself, “an exhilarating dinner theater.” She added that designing her own costumes was a big part of the joy she takes from her work. “It’s more than showing up and dressing up,” Shredder said. “It’s about telling a story with a costume.”

Many of the press releases for The Soiled Dove refer to Shredder as a ‘lesbian acrobat,’ but in her day-to-day life, she refers to her sexuality a bit differently. “I’m sexually fluid,” she said. “I’m an open individual. I try not to fit into any label. I’m queer. I’m attracted to a person, the organs don’t matter. We don’t have to fit

into society’s box.” Shredder feels that staying humble is a big part of achieving success in her new profession. “As soon as you get too confident it wipes you out,” she said. “It’s all about showing up for practice, doing your best and taking your time.”t

The Soiled Dove at The Point Alameda: the new circus-themed dinner theatre experience from the Edwardian Ball, New Bohemia and other groups, includes live music, aerial acts, all under a beautiful 12,000-square-foot circus tent from Tortona, Italy. $50-$130. Fri & Sat 7:30pm. Thru July 1. 2001 Ferry Point, Alameda. www.thesoileddove.com

Bottom three photos: Marco Sanchez

Gymnastic pole dancing at The Soiled Dove.

Read more online at www.ebar.com

Sing it, Lorna

June 15-21, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 35

Celebrating Pride with Judy’s daughter

Lorna Luft

by David-Elijah Nahmod

er mother, the late Judy Garland, was a gay icon. Now, nearly fifty years after her mother’s death, Lorna Luft continues to embrace the gay community and the concept of Pride. “I will always stand shoulder to shoulder with my LGBTQ brothers and sisters,” Luft tells Bay Area Re-

porter, as she prepares to perform a special Pride-themed show at Feinstein’s at the Nikko. “I grew up in a house that taught acceptance toward everyone. We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go.” Luft noted that her mother’s passing in 1969 coincided with the Stonewall Riots, the night during which a group of LGBTs fought back against police harassment at the Stonewall

Inn, a small and yet now-historic gay bar in New York City. “I’m on the Board of the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative,” Luft said. “It’s a wonderful organization about giving back and spreading the word about tolerance. We need to learn more about tolerance. It was only a year ago that the horror of Pulse happened.” As we spoke, Luft also noted the recent terror attacks in London, which affected her personally. “My husband is British,” she said. “We’re living in a world I never thought it would be; the whole world is upside down now.” Despite such tragedies, the singer said that she was excited about returning to San Francisco, a city where she has strong connections; her son went to college here. “I have contributed a great deal of money to San Francisco because of my son’s parking tickets,” she said with a laugh. She also spoke of her favorite spots in the city, which included the Hotel Nikko, where she’ll be doing her Pride show. “I love the Top of the Nikko,” she said. “You can see the whole city up there. And I love Union Square, even though the neighborhood is bad for my credit cards. When I’m in Union Square I can hear my cards screaming to let them out of my wallet!” Luft also noted San Francisco’s famous hills. “Just walk up California Street and you’ll get all the exercise you need,” she said. Asked what her Pride show will entail, Luft was happy to answer, although she didn’t want to give too much away. She prefers that her audience get most of the answer while she’s performing the show. “My show is about celebrating who we are,” she said. “And it’s about not being afraid. I’ll be doing some of my mom’s songs and a lovely medley from Peter Allen, my sister Liza’s ex-husband. I want people to come see the show and to celebrate. Pride is about celebration. Forward is so much better than backward.” Luft added that she often thinks about the world her two grandchildren are going to grow up in. “I celebrate Pride,” she said. “I celebrate green to save the planet. I want everyone to celebrate Pride, and to bring their families. It was only 48 years ago that Pride began. Now Pride is celebrated in every city. Bring your flags. Bring whatever you want to celebrate!”t Lorna Luft performs at Feinstein’s at the Nikko Friday June 23, 8pm and Saturday June 24 at 7pm. $28-$60 ($20 food/drink min.)Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Above: Lorna Luft at a recent cabaret performance. Left: Lorna Luft with her sister Liza Minelli. Right: Lorna Luft in 1957 onstage with her mother Judy Garland.

ebar.com

<< On the Tab

36 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

Daddy Saddle @ Lone Star Pride edition of the monthly silver fox night with ‘60s music. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Gay Pride Comedy Night @ Ashkenaz Center, Berkeley Lisa Geduldig hosts a night of lesbian and gay comics, including Sampson McCormick, Karen Ripley, Mimi Gonzales and Justin Lucas. $15-$20. 8pm. 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. www.ashkenaz.com/

Vibe Fridays @ Club BnB, Oakland House music and cocktails, with DJs Shareef Raheim-Jihad and Ellis Lindsey. 9pm-2am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Video Gaymer Night @ SF Eagle Multiple screens around the bar for gaming; plus no cover, free coat check and drink specials. 8pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. sf-eagle.com

Growlr @ SF Eagle DJ Pumpkin Spice plays grooves at the beary cruisy night (for bears, otters, cubs and pups); with Steamworks raffle prizes and drink specials. $5. 9pm-2am. 398 12th st. www.sf-eagle.com

Grrrrth @ Powerhouse Mr. Powerhouse Leather 2017 Travis Rowland presents a night for big bears and beers. $5. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Latin Explosion/Club Papi @ Club 21, Oakland

Fri 16

Dick Van Dick at Swagger Like Us @ Oasis

The Latin dance night includes drag acts hosted by Lola and Dorys, with half a dozen gogo studs. $10-$20. 9pm-3am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Midnight Show @ Divas

Edited for space. Full listings at www.ebar.com/bartab

Thu 15 Comedy Returns @ El Rio 8th annual ‘Obligatory June Gay Comedy Night,’ with Tom Ammiano, Mimi Gonzalez, Julia Jackson, Nick Leonard, and host Lisa Geduldig. $7$20. 8pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Craig Jessup @ Hotel Rex The vocalist performs a cabaret concert of songs by Rodgers & Hart, Gershwin and other classic composers, with piano and bass accompaniment. $30-$50. Cocktails and small plates available. 562 Sutter St. www.societycabaret.com

Gayface @ El Rio Queer weekly night out at the popular Mission bar. 9pm-2am. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Jock Strap Happy Hour @ Powerhouse Fundraiser for REAF and Broadway Bares SF II, with raffles and a jock strap with donation/admission $15 ($5 without). Strip down yourself! 8pm-10pm. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Katya Smirnoff-Skyy @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The Russian opera diva performs a new cabaret show at the elegant nightclub. $21-$50. $20 food/drink min. 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.russianoperadiva.com www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com/

Sex and the City Live @ Oasis D’Arcy Drollinger, Sue Casa and crew return for the sixth year of the drag parody version of the hit HBO series. $25-$35. Wed 7pm. Thu 8pm. Fri & Sat 7pm. Thru July 1. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Fri 16 Ain’t Mama’s Drag @ Balancoire Weekly drag queen and drag king show hosted by Cruzin d’Loo. 8pm10pm. No cover. 2565 Mission St. www.balancoiresf.com

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi The musical comedy revue celebrates its 43th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs, now with new ‘Summer of Love’ numbers. $25-$160. Beer/ wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. Wed-Fri 8pm. Sat 6pm & 9pm. Sun 2pm & 5pm. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Creature @ The Stud Queer Pride kickoff party, with kinky freaky leather and unusual folks welcome; drag acts Silk Worm and Britney Smearz; DJ Bearcat. $5-$10. 10pm-4am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Weekly drag shows at the last transgender-friendly bar in the Polk; with hosts Victoria Secret and Alexis Miranda. Also Saturdays. $10. 11pm. 1081 Polk St. www.divassf.com

The Soiled Dove @ The Point Alameda New circus-themed dinner theatre experience from the Edwardian Ball, New Bohemia and other groups, with live music, aerial acts, all under a beautiful 12,000 square foot circus tent from Tortona, Italy. $50-$130. Fri & Sat 7:30pm. Thru July 1. 2001 Ferry Point, Alameda. thesoileddove.com The accomplished singer-composer performs songs from his new CD, Angel City. $45-$65. $20 food/drink min. 8pm. Also June 17, 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Swagger Like Us @ Oasis The monthly queer hip hop night gets down with special guest rapper Dick Van Dick, plus DJs DavO and boy_friend. $10 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

DJ Brd’s Pride edition of the ginger (redheaded guys) groovy music night at the bear bar. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Rise With Pride @ SF LGBT Center

Juanita MORE! and crew’s diverse fun night, with DJ Stanley Frank. $5. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Brunch, mimosa bar and a panel talk about the Center’s volunteer opportunities and programs. RSVP required: rsvp@sfcenter.org Free/ donations. 11am. 1800 Market St. www.sfcenter.org

Club Rimshot @ Club BNB, Oakland

Shake It Up @ Port Bar, Oakland

Hip hop and Latin dance club. $5-$15. 9pm to 4am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

DJ Lady Char spins dance grooves; gogo studs, and drink specials, too. 9pm-2am. 2023 Broadway. (510) 8232099. www.portbaroakland.com

Beatpig @ Powerhouse

Gameboi SF @ Rickshaw Stop Gaysians and their friends dance it up at the monthly party, with pop and house grooves. $6-$15. 9:30pm-2am. 155 Fell St. www.rickshawstop.com

Soul Party @ Elbo Room DJs Lucky, Paul, and Phengren Osward spin 60s soul 45s. $5-$10 ($5 off in semi-formal attire). 10pm-2am. 647 Valencia St. 552-7788. www.elbo.com

Thu 15

Katya Smirnoff-Skyy @ Feinstein’s

Hella Gay @ Uptown Nightclub, Oakland

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the groovy movement at a potluck and Summer Solstice picnic with retro music and drink specials. 4pm-7pm. 1369 Folsom St. www.hitws.com

The Killer Queens @ Slim’s

Trikone Pride Bollywood @ Club OMG

The Queen tribute band performs hits by the regal band; Rebel Rebel, a David Bowie tribute band, opens. $15-$40 (with dinner) 9pm. 333 11th St. www.slimspresents.com

Weekly show with soul, funk and Motown grooves hosted by Carnie Asada, with DJs Becky Knox and Pumpkin Spice. The yummy brunch menu starts at 12pm, with the show at 1:30pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Live in the Castro @ Jane Warner Plaza

The Monster Show @ The Edge

Sundance Saloon offers free outdoor line-dancing and two-stepping (1pm3pm). June 18: Laura Lackey (1pm). June 21: Hot to Trot Film Dancers (4:30). Castro St. at Market. www.sundancesaloon.org

The weekly drag show with host Sue Casa, DJ MC2, themed nights and hilarious fun. $5. 9pm-2am. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

Picante @ The Cafe

Broadway Bares II: ManuStript @ DNA Lounge

Summer of Love Party @ Hole in the Wall

8th anniversary party for the queer hip hop night, with DJs G Star, Djkar Bear and Bee. $7-$10. 9pm-2am. 1928 Telegraph Ave. www.uptownnightclub.com

Lips and Lashes Brunch @ Lookout

Pop culture storytelling, this month with poet Sean Patrick Mulroy, comedian Dom Gelin, Wonder Dave and more. 7pm. 4 Valencia St.

Local and visiting Asian drag queens’ weekly show. $5. 10:30pm show. DJ Philip Grasso. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Reddroxx @ Lone Star Saloon

Spencer Day @ Feinstein’s

Literary Pop @ Martuni’s

Rice Rockettes @ Lookout

Heklina hosts the fun drag show with weekly themes. June 17 is a Madonna tribute night. DJ MC2 spins dance grooves before and after the show. $10. 10pm-3am (11:30pm show). 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Groove on wheels at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate.” 7pm-11pm. Also Wed, Thu, 7pm-10pm. Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2:30pm and 3pm-5:30pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St. at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

The local jazz band performs weekly at the swanky hotel lounge bar. 7pm11pm. thru August. 999 California St. www.klipptones.com

Sun 18

Mother @ Oasis

Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels

The Klipptones @ Top of the Mark

Lulu and DJ Marco’s Latin night with sexy gogo guys. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Sat 17

Mascara @ Eureka Valley Rec. Center Castro Country Club’s monthly drag show and fundraiser for the LGBT sober space, hosted by MGM Grande; this month, Queers, Crackpots and Fallen Women. $15-$20. 7:30pm. 100 Collingwood at 18th. www.castrocountryclub.org

Movie night, 6pm then a dance party with lively Bollywood grooves by DJ SSHaaN. No cover; festive desi attire welcome. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Sun 18 Beer Bust @ SF Eagle The classic leather bar’s most popular Sunday daytime event in town draws the menfolk. Beer bust donations benefit local nonprofits. $10. 3pm-6pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. sf-eagle.com

Blessed @ Port Bar, Oakland Carnie Asada’s fun drag night with Carnie’s Angels – Mahlae Balenciaga and Au Jus, plus DJ Ion. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com

Broadway Bares II: ManuStript @ DNA Lounge The second annual fundraiser for the the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation features singer Steve Grand, cast members from Hamilton, Cassandra Cass, Mercedez Munro, and local singers and acrobats in a saucy fairy tale-themed song and dance night, with lots of sexy stripping! $45-$100. 8pm-11pm. 375 11th St. www.reaf.org

On the Tab>>

June 15-21, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 37

Naked Night @ Nob Hill Theatre

Wed 21

Strip down with the strippers at the clothing-optional night. $20. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Surrealistic Summer Solstice @ Conservatory of Flowers

OutLoud @ Oasis Joshua Grannell’s storytelling series this time celebrates the Sisters of Perptual Indulgence. $10. 7:30pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Retro Night @ 440 Castro Daytime Realness @ El Rio

Manarchy/ Hubba Hubba Revue @ DNA Lounge

Heklina’s 50th birthday is celebrated at the fun soul and R&B drag and dance party, with Matthew Martin, the Baloney guys, Au Jus and DJs Stanley Frank and Carnita. $10. 2pm-8pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

The male burlesque troupe takes over the strip night, with host Jesi Ringofire. $7-$12. 9pm. 375 11th St. www.dnalounge.com

Disco Daddy @ SF Eagle

Mister Sister @ Midnight Sun

DJ Bus Station John’s 4th annual Pride t-dance, with classic retro grooves. $5. 7pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Domingo De Escandal @ Club OMG Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez and DJ Carlitos. (Comedy Open Mic 5:30pm). 7pm-2am. 43 6th St. clubomgsf.com

Spanglish @ Club OMG Spanish and English drag shows and dance music with DJ Carlitos. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. clubomgsf.com

Musical Mondays @ The Edge

Strip down to your skivvies at the popular men’s night. 9pm-2am. 440 Castro St. 621-8732. the440.com

Sing along at the popular musical theatre night; also Wednesdays. 7pm2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com Tobacco 2.pdf 1 6/6/2016 1:18:12 PM

Weekly live music shows with various acts, along with brunch buffet, bottomless Mimosas, champagne and more, at the stylish nightclub and restaurant, with live entertainment and DJ Shawn P. $15-$20. 11am-3pm. After that, Femme T-Dance drag shows at 7pm, 10pm and 11pm. 2565 Mission St. at 21st. 920-0577. balancoiresf.com

Jewish Community Foundation’s LGBT Alliance, Keshet, Sha’ar Zahav, and the JCCSF cohost a Pride happy hour with drag act Belle Bottoms. Free/ RSVP, please. 6:30pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race review night, with Honey Mahogany, Dulce de Leche and Carnie Asada. No cover. 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. midnightsunsf.com

Tobacco 2.pdf 1 6/6/2016 1:18:12 PM

Femme Brunch @ Balancoire

Rainbow Monday @ Oasis

Underwear Night @ 440

Yoga @ The Stud Get your downward, dog, at the nightclub’s yoga night. 5pm-7pm. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Tue 20 Game Night @ SF Eagle Board games, card games and cheap beer. 4pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

High Fantasy @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Weekly drag and variety show, with live acts and lip-synching divas, plus DJed grooves. $5. Shows at 10:30pm & 12am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Hysteria @ Martuni’s Irene Tu and Jessica Sele cohost the comedy open mic night for women and queers. No cover. 6pm-8:30pm. 4 Valencia St.

Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am. 44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Underwear Night @ Club OMG Weekly underwear night includes free clothes check, and drink specials. $4. 10pm-2am. Preceded by Open Mic Comedy, 7pm, no cover. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

Wed 21 Bondage-a-Gogo @ The Cat Club The weekly gay/straight/whatever fetish-themed kinky dance night. $7$10. 9:30pm-2:30am. 1190 Folsom St. www.bondage-a-go-go.com www.catclubsf.com

See page 38 >>

Jock @ The Lookout Enjoy the weekly jock-ular fun, with DJed dance music at sports team fundraisers. 12pm-1am. NY DJ Sharon White from 3pm-6pm. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Polesexual @ The Stud Big-Ass Pride show, with pole dancers, variety and drag acts, and DJed dancing. $8. 10pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Queer Tango @ Finnish Hall, Berkeley Same-sex partner tango dancing, including lessons for newbies, food and drinks. $5-$10. 3:30pm-6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley. www.finnishhall.org

Queer Summer of Love @ Nat’l AIDS Memorial Grove Calamus Fellowship celebrates the spirit and sounds of the Summer of Love to kick off Pride Week, featuring opening ceremony by Blackberry, performances by Liam Ocean and Jubilee, DJs Steve Fabus, Justime, Maha Wam, and Brontez Purnell. Workshops, face painters, massage, cuddle space, art, and potluck! Donations welcome. 12pm-5pm. Golden Gate Park, Nancy Pelosi Dr & Bowling Green Dr. calamusfellowship.org C

CMY

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The Country-Western line-dancing two-stepping dance events celebrates 18 years! Free, including lessons for newbies. 5pm-10:30pm. 550 Barneveld Ave. sundancesaloon.org

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room Donna Sachet often hosts the weekly fabulous brunch and drag show, now celebrating its tenth anniversary. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.starlightroomsf.com

Mon 19 Epic Karaoke @ White Horse, Oakland Mondays and Tuesdays popular weekly sing-along night. No cover. 8:30pm-1am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. whitehorsebar.com

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*C enters for Dis eas e C ontrol and P revention (C DC )

6/6/17 11:24 AM

<< On the Tab

38 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

On the Tab

From page 37

Girl Scout @ Port Bar, Oakland The weekly women’s happy hour and dance night with DJ Becky Knox. 6pm10pm. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com New weekly women’s event at the intimate Mid-market nightclub, with DJ Micah Tron. 9pm-2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

LGBT Pub Crawl @ Castro Weekly guided tour of bars. $10-$18. Meet at Harvey Milk Plaza, 7:45pm. Also morning historic tours on Mon, Wed, & Sat. www.wildsftours.com

Marga Gomez @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The funny comic performs a special Pride show at the elegant nightclub. Free ($20 food/drink min.) 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.margagomez.com www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Pan Dulce @ Beaux The hot weekly Latin dance night with sexy gogo guys, drag divas and more, returns to the Castro, with Club Papi’s Frisco Robbie and Fabian Torres. $5 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Brooke Michael Smith @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Matt Alber @ Swedish American Hall

The Girl I Mean To Be, a night of stories and songs blending contemporary and classical musical theatre. $25-$40 $20 food/drink min. 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. http://www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com/

The award-winning gay singersongwriter performs acoustic versions of new and favorite songs, with guest Anna Steele. $20-$45. 7:30pm and 9:30pm. 2174 Market St. at Sanchez. www.mattalber.com

Bulge @ Lone Star Saloon

My So-Called Night @ Beaux

Grace Towers’ roving packed underwear event invades the bear bar with a Pride edition. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Juicy @ Club OMG

Circle Jerk @ Nob Hill Theatre

Thu 22

Lady Ryan (right) at Bad Habits @ Bruno’s

Surrealistic Summer Solstice @ Conservatory of Flowers Celebrate summer and the Summer of Love 50th anniversary at free outdoor concert with members of Jefferson Airplane, The Chambers Brothers, Moonalice, plus groovy illuminated projections from inside the beautful Conservatory’s glass windows. BYO chairs, blankets, picnics, etc. Food trucks on-site. No glass bottles. 6pm-10pm. Golden gate Park, JFK Drive at Conservatory Drive. www.conservatoryofflowers.org

Thu 22 Bad Habits @ Bruno’s Women’s Pride dance and mingle event, with two floors of fun, gogo gals, DJs Val G, Alex D, Ms Jackson, Lady Ryan. Motice and Yo Yolie. $10-$35/ $100 VIP. 2pm-1am. 2389 Mission St. brunossf.com

Beautiful for Pride @ Elbo Room VivvyAnne ForeverMORE’s Pride party and new monthly drag show, with Abominatrix, Laundra Tyme and others; DJ Primo Pitino. 10pm-12am. 647 Valencia St. www.elbo.com

Get down on it at the very interactive play party downstairs in the famed strip club, with live acts upstairs, too. $10. 9pm. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. thenobhilltheatre.com

Glamour Shots @ Virgil’s Sea Room Lexington Events presents a Pride kick-off party with local digital and photo artists Meg Allen, Katie Bush, Daniela Dee, Asia Hassan, Keep Drowning,and many others; DJs Olga T, Ms. Jackson and Jamila Afrika. $5. 9pm-2am. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

Carnie Asada hosts a weekly ‘90s-themed video, dancin’, drinkin’ night, with VJs Jorge Terez. Get down with your funky bunch, and enjoy 90-cent drinks. ‘90s-themed attire and costume contest. No cover. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. $5. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Wine-Tasting @ Castro Village Wince Co. Benefit for LYRIC, with a quartet of California wines on the menu. $15. 6:30pm. 4121 19th St. www.castrowine.com

Mary Go-Round @ Lookout Mercedez Munro and Holotta Tymes present saucy and unusual drag acts. $5. 10pm-2am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Want your nightlife event listed? Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event. Event photos welcome.

How LGBTcommunity? community? Howdodoyou youspeak speakto to the the LGBT How do you speak to the LGBT community? Through thepublications publications Through the they knowand andtrust. trust. they know Through the publications they know and trust.

Representing the “best of the best” in LGBT media, with over a million readers weekly in print and online.

Representing the “best of the best” in LGBT media, with 212-242-6863 over a million readers weekly in print and online. Representing theinfo@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com “best of the best” in LGBT media, with www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com over a million readers weekly in print212-242-6863 and online.

info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com 212-242-6863 www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com info@nationallgbtmediaassociation.com www.nationallgbtmediaassociation.com

Untitled-11 1

6/2/17 1:17 PM

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

40 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

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Members of the SF Gay Men’s Chorus sang at the Gilbert Baker memorial celebration at the Castro Theatre.

Primetime Pride by Donna Sachet

ou know it’s going to be a major Pride Month when the first official Pride party is in May! Well, Michelle Meow’s newest SF Pride fundraising event, held on Wednesday, May 31 at Hawker Fare, attracted all kinds of supporters, including Lisa Williams, Marsha Levine, George Ridgely, Audrey Joseph, David Currie, Jethro Patalinghug, former Pride Executive Director Teddy Basham-Witherington, Tita Aida, AsiaSF’s Larry Hashbarger, 2017 Grand Marshal Alex U. Inn, 2017 Lifetime Achievement Honoree Dr. Marcy Adelman, and a host of friends from Serramonte Ford and Workday. Even Michelle’s lovely and charming mother and stepfather were in the house! To raise additional funds, Michelle auctioned off several original portraits of LGBT leaders in San Francisco. We’ve never visited the Asian continent, but now we feel like we’ve at least gotten a genuine taste of the rich culture of Laos and Thailand

Rick Gerharter

Per Baker’s request, Connie Champagne closed the Celebration of Life for Gilbert Baker with a plaintive a cappella rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as photos from Baker’s life were projected on the Castro Theater screen.

with culinary delights and commentary from Michelin starred chef James Syhabout and musical performances by Tookta. This celebration of diversity had it all. The second day of June brought Mark Rhoades’ 10th anniversary

Both photos: courtesy Mark Rhoades

Above: Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza (center) led the vogue performance at the Pride party at Bently Reserve. Below: Attendees at Mark Rhoades’ Pride party at Bently Reserve included (left to right) Marco Carvajal, Drew Herron, AJ Gonzalez and a friend, and Matthew Simon.

PG&E Pride party at the Bentley Exchange benefiting the Richmond/ Ermet Aid Foundation. This San Francisco PR pro and gay socialite always hosts a top-notch event, attended by the cream of San Francisco’s LGBT Community, and this year’s attendees included Chris Carnes, Richard Sablatura, Jim Wright, Frank Woo, Janis Callon, Linda Scaparotti, Leslie Katz, Lindsay Bolton, Ken Henderson, Joe Seiler, Marissa Burger, Christopher Meza, Mario Diaz, Marcy Adelman, Derek Barnes, Amy Karle, Andrea Shorter, Ari Kalfayan, Paula West, Brandon Hernandez, and a dramatic entrance by Juanita More! The event featured vogueing dancers, passed hors d’oeuvres, and generous bars with only a short program with Mark and emcee Liam Mayclem. Once again, Mark threw a party that will long be remembered. The following night, AT&T opened their new flagship store at the cable car turn-around at Powell and Market Streets with their own Pride party, benefiting the Rainbow Honor Walk. You have to see this amazing building, completely restored to its original Baroque architectural theme after years of neglect. It now offers a spacious retail experience with the latest high-tech devices. Soaring stone arches frame glistening electronic screens; an ornate and deeply carved ceiling rises above hands-on personal demonstrations and state-of-the-art appliances. For the month of June, seven of the next 24 Rainbow Honor Walk brass plaques to be embedSee page 42 >>

Read more online at www.ebar.com

June 15-21, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 41

Devil’s feud cock

Falcon Studios

As the Devil in Earthbound, Dean Monroe finds it so nice to be surrounded by sex slaves.

by John F. Karr

read. That’s what I felt at the prospect of director Chi Chi LaRue’s much ballyhooed return to Falcon Studios, Earthbound: Heaven to Hell 2. The movie’s press release contained the kind of sentence that makes me file my teeth before hitting the keyboard: “It’s not just porn,” Chi Chi proclaimed. “It’s an event!” Earthbound is a continuation of LaRue’s successful 2005 hit, Heaven to Hell. Its really good sex made it one of the few movies of its day that I’ve kept. But it also had some hoo-hah plotting, and saddled its performers with bulky angel and devil wings, as well as ill-advised horns glued precariously onto foreheads. More comic than scary, they made me wince every time the guys dove in to suck cock. My dread intensified as I noted the new movie’s prolonged threehour length, and especially the setting of its opening scene. Here are

all the risible trappings of directors going spooky. The bells of midnight toll, dozens of pillar candles sputter in a paint-besmirched dungeon of crumbling concrete walls, and a hood lamp swings ominously overhead, like a film noir with the Devil standing in for a detective in a trench coat. A hood lamp in hell? And what’s with the running water we hear in the background, in the traditionally flame-filled, parched land of deviltry? Wouldn’t the Devil live in silk-draped, chandeliered luxury? Oh, well. I suffered more oy vay as the action commenced. In ominous shadow on a bizarrely ornate throne, the Devil drips benedictory blooddrops from silver Fu Manchu finger extensions onto the tongues of his hooded acolytes. When the Devil speaks, a vocoder distorts his voice to a rumbling bass. A sex slave, played by Skyy (is that pronounced Sky-yiy?) Knox, has spurned him, for which he is banished to earth. Terra firma, we find drug runner Andrew Stark intimidating trem-

Falcon Studios

Top: Can Trelino be forced to snitch by Andrew Stark’s sexual pleasuring? The answer’s in Earthbound. Bottom: An aggressive romp for Andre Donovan and Johnny V is a divertissement, in Earthbound.

‘Earthbound: Heaven to Hell 2’ revives costume porn epic bling Trelino to snitch on, well, we don’t know who. But the Boss doesn’t really want information. He wants ass. And he takes it, in urgent domination. It’s lovely to, ahem, cum across beefy, bearded Stark’s luminously complected body, stark black hair, and enviable cock. Despite being forced to submit, young Trelino, with his lickable cappuccino complexion, is on the lucky end of the stick, especially when lasciviously scarfing Stark’s stud sauce. May I invoke the Deity in a movie about the Devil? God, but I’m glad gay men aren’t afraid of semen anymore. Meanwhile, back in the Devil’s lair, and like the Wicked Witch of the West spying Dorothy in her giant crystal ball, Devil Dean Monroe divines from an ancient tome that Knox has gone “off-bound,” whatever that means, and must at all costs be prevented from finding love. Is the Devil jealous? If that’s the problem, Knox should have been kept Down Below, in the loveless lands of the lower world. Indeed, henchmen are dispatched to haul him back to Hades. The Devil’s temper can only be calmed by the ministrations of his minions, who swarm into his every bodily opening. They’re a powerful bunch of guys –thickly muscled pulverizer Arad Winwin, who’s a real wow-wow, studly Sean Zevran, delectable bum boy Gabriel Alonzo, and of course, the redoubtable Mr Monroe. You’d think the Devil would be a top, wouldn’t you. But Monroe’s a famed bottom, whose whimperingly begged, “Fuck Me,” gets his minions all riled up. Boy, they know how to follow orders. As a scene capper, watch Winwin’s cum dripping off Monroe’s tongue. A real win-win. Back to earth we go, where Knox receives from a passing angel the cryptic and questionable message, “Love = Freedom.” But there’s no time for debate, what with the Devil’s henchmen coming after him, so Knox takes refuge in a goth nightclub. It’s a delightfully picaresque place, full of sexually charged night crawlers, played by many recognizable denizens of SF’s demi-monde. Does Knox observe Love there? He does if Love = Brent Corrigan pole-dancing in a leather jock. When Knox faints, good Samaritan Brent takes him home. Stark thinks the goth club owner is ripping him off, and assuages himself by ripping off Armond Rizzo’s ass. The guys start out in deep make-out mode, proceed with passion and skill to the ruination of Rizzo’s rear end, and culminate in Rizzo savoring Stark’s semen. After three scenes, we’re only halfway through the movie. In selfdefense, I called an intermission. I girded my by-then much abused loins to continue, only to find my mauling instantly recommencing when a couple of All Stars have brutal sex in a foreboding back alley. J. J. Knight slams into Blake Riley, who exhibits an especial nastiness when devoutly licking cum off Knight’s spunk-crusted cock. A divertissement follows, when the irresistible enticements of Johnny V divert dark-skinned Andre Donovan from his commanded pursuit of Knox. It’s a fucking frenzy in the goth club’s back room, most exciting for the Reverse Cowboy that dotes on Johnny’s gleaming body. And then, the touching finale. Brent tenderly bathes Skyy, who repays this kindness by working several dextrous fingers up Brent’s ass while firmly grasping the bauble’s achingly stiff cock. I dote on the taut muscularity of Skyy’s lean body, and Brent’s face, form and phallus are fabulous

Falcon Studios

Self-mauling is mandated as JJ Knight tops Blake Riley, in Earthbound.

as ever. His cock just bewitches me. The spell was heightened during their ensuing flip fuck, a lovely event that particularly dazzles when they each in turn drop their blessed cum on the other’s tongue. Upshot? Dread dispelled. Chi Chi was right. This handsomely designed and assuredly crafted movie is an event, in that each scene is a resounding success. Though Earthbound indulges

Chi Chi’s career-long penchant for elaborate scenarios, this one lacks his ringmaster approach to directing sex scenes. The result is closer relationships, and emotional connections in even the crudest encounters. Chi Chi’s final statement in the press release was, “I’m so happy with the outcome!” Well, so am I. Especially when the movie exits with the hint of a sequel.t

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

42 • Bay Area Reporter • June 15-21, 2017

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Donna Sachet’s June Pride Picks Fri 16

Sat 24

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’ The Gay Kitchen Sink with The Kinsey Sicks @ Nourse Theater

Annual Pink Triangle Installation @ Twin Peaks

$20-$45. 8pm. Also Sat. 17 at 2:30pm & 8pm. 275 Hayes Street. www.sfgmc.org

Sun 18 Georg Lester

Juanita MORE! and her pug mascot at a recent sold out Pride party at Jones.

On the Town

From page 40

ded in the Castro neighborhood sidewalks are on vivid display. On hand for the unveiling and festivities were Ken McNeely, Mark Leno, Scott Wiener, Jeff Sheehy, Cammy Blackstone, Mike Smith, Anna Damiani, Justin Jones, and David Perry, Kathy Amendola, Colton Windsor, Ben Leong, Kendall Stulce, Charlotte Ruffner, and Madeline Hancock from the Rainbow Honor Walk Board of Directors. Before the month is out, get downtown to see this amazing revitalized space.

Flags unfurled

And so, within a few days of June, the City knew Pride month was upon us. As the iconic rainbow flags began to appear up and down Market Street to commemorate Pride Month, the community gathered at the Castro Theatre on Thursday,

June 8, to pay tribute to the flag’s creator, Gilbert Baker, who died on March 31. Hosted by Dr. Jerome Goldstein & Tommy Taylor and The Diversity Foundation, the evening started with music outside the theatre by the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, a blessing inside from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and the induction of Gilbert into Sainthood, a distinct honor and well-deserved recognition. Personal remembrances by Jerome, Tommy, Cleve Jones, State Senators Mark Leno and Scott Wiener, and City Supervisor Jeff Sheehy were interspersed with moving video tributes and musical performances from the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Thrillpeddlers, Ruby Vixen, Connie Champagne, and this singing columnist. Keeping the proceedings moving smoothly and deftly was emcee Paul Gabriel. The theatre was packed and all were invited after the program to the upstairs lobby for light food and cocktails. Thank you

to all the sponsors, performers, and attendees for ensuring that the life and work of Gilbert Baker was beautifully commemorated right here where it began. As this issue of the Bay Area Reporter hits the stands, we’ll be joining James Holloway for Opening Night of the Frameline Film Festival on Thursday, June 15, featuring The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, a joyous documentary about the legendary tale-teller. The Opening Night Gala follows at Terra Gallery and the festival runs through June 25. For a select list of Pride events during the rest of the month, kindly refer to the nearby index we have carefully prepared to guide you through the maelstrom of activities. Return to your favorite events, try something brand new, and make an extra effort to support the organizations and individuals who make Pride month in San Francisco the big, bold, and richly diverse happening that it is.t

Broadway Bares SF II: ManuSTRIPT @ DNA Lounge Benefiting Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation and Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS, with cast members from Hamilton, and singer Steve Grand. $45-$100. 8pm. 375 11th Street. www.dnalounge.com

Thu 22 Pride Nightlife @ California Academy of Sciences With Heklina, Juanita More!, & others. 6pm. Golden Gate Park. www.calacademy.org

Fri 23 Trans March 2017 @ Dolores Park 12pm.

Gay Pride Sunset Cruise @ Pier 40 $65. 6pm. Brian Kent Productions. http://bit.ly/2slrhU3

7:30am. All volunteer project.

Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s 19th annual Pride Brunch @ Hotel Whitcomb Honoring the Grand Marshals of Pride Parade and benefiting Positive Resource Center. $75 and up. 11am. http://bit.ly/2ro1jdT

Jungle: Pride @ Armory 9pm-4am. 333 14th Street, with Betty Who, DJs Pagano, Danny Verde, Seth Breezy, Wayne G, & Paul Goodyear. www.prideatthearmory.com

Sun 25 47th Annual SF Pride Parade Embarcadero, along Market Street to Civic Center, 10:30am-5pm. www.sfpride.org

Juanita More!’s Pride Party @ Jones $40. 12pm. 620 Jones Street. www.juanitamore.com

VIP Pride Party @ City Hall Rotunda 2pm. www.sfpride.org

Mon 26 LGBT Night @ AT&T Park With the SF Giants. $16$76. 7:15pm. http://atmlb. com/2te4whA

Read more online at www.ebar.com

Shining Stars

June 15-21, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 43

Photos by

Steven Underhill Tony Award Viewing Party @ Victoria Theatre

ay of Light Theatre company’s Tony Awards viewing party, held June 11 at The Victoria Theatre (2961 16th Street), drew creative and theatrical folks, some in festive and retro style attire. Performers and hosts led sing-alongs during commercial breaks that included songs from Hello Dolly and Hamilton. Raffle prizes included tickets to Hamilton, San Francisco Ballet, and a Sephora gift bag. Be sure to check out Ray of Light’s new season announcements this fall. www.rayoflighttheatre.com More photo albums are on BARtab’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at www.StevenUnderhill.com.

Read more online at www.ebar.com

April 27-May 3, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 43

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For headshots, portraits or to arrange your wedding photos

call (415) 370-7152 or visit www.StevenUnderhill.com or email stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com

“This will be a show not to be missed.” Michael Tilson Thomas

MUSIC FOR A MODERN AGE A UNIQUELY THEATRICAL EVENT

FRI JUN 23 7:30PM SAT JUN 24 8PM SUN JUN 25 2PM

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony perform a thrilling musical program framed by dynamic dancers and illuminating imagery in a one of a kind multi-sensory experience. Featuring the movers and shakers of the American contemporary classical music scene, this concert event is a must see spectacle. The June 25 concert benefits the Orchestra’s Pension Fund.

ALL TICKETS* JUST

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor San Francisco Symphony Measha Brueggergosman mezzo-soprano Ives From the Steeples and the Mountains Ives The Unanswered Question Michael Tilson Thomas Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind (West Coast Premiere) Harrison Selections from Suite for Violin with American Gamelan Antheil A Jazz Symphony

Concerts at Davies Symphony Hall unless otherwise noted. Programs, artists, and prices subject to change. *Subject to availability Inaugural Partner

Official Airline

Box Office Hours Mon–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat noon–6pm, Sun 2 hours prior to concerts Walk Up Grove Street between Van Ness and Franklin