June 21 2018 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

The

www.ebar.com

Since 1971, the newspaper of record for the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community

Vol. 48 • No. 25 • June 21-27, 2018

PRIDE 2018 The celebration begins!

Members of Dykes on Bikes, shown in 2008, lead the San Francisco Pride parade. Jane Philomen Cleland/Design: Ernesto Sopprani

LGBT Q Community Change Makers T he Dykes on Bikes have blazed a trail for decades, leading the San Francisco Pride parade in a symbol of lesbian power and resistance. So, it was sad to hear that Soni Wolf, one of the group’s founding members, died April 25, shortly after she was named a community grand marshal for this year’s parade. Wolf fought for change during her life. She challenged assumptions that the word “dyke” was pejorative and embraced the word, encouraging the community to reclaim it, much as it did the pink triangle, once a sign of Nazi oppression for gays. Eventually, she won a trademark for the name, Dykes on Bikes, and today it signifies pride in the LGBTQ community. SF Pride will honor Wolf from the main stage on Sunday. And, we’re sure that she will be remembered at the start of the parade, when all those dykes rev their motorcycle engines for the ride up Market Street. This special Pride section includes stories of other LGBT people working to make change in their

communities, or for the greater good of everyone. This is the second year in a row that President Donald Trump has refused to issue a Pride proclamation, which is just added confirmation that he is not a friend to the community, no matter what he says. It’s quite clear that Trump regularly lies and thinks that posting untruths on Twitter will make them true. It does not. San Francisco, which next month will see Mayor-elect London Breed sworn in, remains firmly in resistance mode against the Trump administration, as do other Bay Area cities. Our leaders value diversity. We are stronger when everyone is represented, and when we use our voices to call out injustice, prejudice, homophobia, and transphobia. So, enjoy yourself at SF Pride. But remember that, these days, a lot is at stake as the president and his administration roll back rights and pit groups against each other. Think about ways you can get involved in the community and turn those thoughts into action.t

The late Soni Wolf was a founding member of Dykes on Bikes.

{ FIRST OF FOUR SECTIONS }

Sarah Karlan

A next step for adults with HIV who have been undetectable* for at least six months. *Undetectable means keeping the amount of HIV in the blood at very low levels (less than 50 copies per mL).

What is JULUCA?

JULUCA is a prescription medicine that is used without other antiretroviral medicines to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in adults to replace their current anti-HIV-1 medicines when their healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements. HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known if JULUCA is safe and effective in children.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Do not take JULUCA if you: • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir or rilpivirine. • are taking any of the following medicines: dofetilide; carbamazepine; oxcarbazepine; phenobarbital; phenytoin; rifampin; rifapentine; proton pump inhibitors (including esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole sodium, rabeprazole); St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum); or more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate. What are the possible side effects of JULUCA? JULUCA can cause serious side effects including: • Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash with JULUCA. Stop taking JULUCA and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips or tongue; problems breathing. • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus who have certain liver function test changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with JULUCA. Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in people without history of liver disease or other risk factors. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver function. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away or get medical help if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless; feeling anxious or restless; have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself. • The most common side effects of JULUCA include: diarrhea and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of JULUCA. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking JULUCA.

Before you take JULUCA, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have ever had a severe skin rash or an allergic reaction to medicines that contain dolutegravir or rilpivirine. • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. • have ever had a mental health problem. • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if JULUCA will harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take JULUCA. You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. It is not known if JULUCA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines interact with JULUCA. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with JULUCA. • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take JULUCA with other medicines. Important Safety Information continued on next page. Please see Important Facts about JULUCA on the following page.

Printed in USA.

832817R0

March 2018

My doctor and I are proud of how far I’ve come. Now, I want to ask about staying undetectable with fewer medicines in my HIV pill. I started treating my HIV and reached an undetectable viral load. And whenever I become aware of other treatment options, I talk to my doctor. Here’s what I learned about JULUCA: Rodney†

Undetectable since 2008

JULUCA is the only once-daily complete HIV-1 regimen that combines 2 medicines in just 1 pill.

Ask your doctor about JULUCA. Learn more at JULUCA.com T:15.67”

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (cont’d) How to take JULUCA? • Take JULUCA 1 time a day exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. • Always take JULUCA with a meal. A protein drink alone does not replace a meal. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. †

Real patient diagnosed with HIV-1. Individual compensated for his time by ViiV Healthcare.

IMPORTANT FACTS

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

(Jah-LOO-kah) ABOUT JULUCA • JULUCA is a prescription medicine that is used without other antiretroviral medicines to treat Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in adults to replace their current anti-HIV-1 medicines when their healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements. • HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). • It is not known if JULUCA is safe and effective in children.

HOW TO TAKE JULUCA • Take JULUCA 1 time a day exactly as your healthcare provider tells you. • Always take JULUCA with a meal. A protein drink alone does not replace a meal.

DO NOT TAKE JULUCA IF YOU • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir or rilpivirine. • are taking any of the following medicines: dofetilide; carbamazepine; oxcarbazepine; phenobarbital; phenytoin; rifampin; rifapentine; proton pump inhibitors (including esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole sodium, rabeprazole); St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum); or more than 1 dose of the steroid medicine dexamethasone or dexamethasone sodium phosphate.

BEFORE TAKING JULUCA Tell your healthcare provider if you: • have ever had a severe skin rash or an allergic reaction to medicines that contain dolutegravir or rilpivirine. • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. • have ever had a mental health problem. • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if JULUCA will harm your unborn baby. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take JULUCA. You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. It is not known if JULUCA can pass to your baby in your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. 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 JULUCA. • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF JULUCA JULUCA can cause serious side effects, including: • Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash with JULUCA. Stop taking JULUCA and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing. • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus who have certain liver function test changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with JULUCA. Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in people without history of liver disease or other risk factors. Your healthcare

provider may do blood tests to check your liver function. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. • Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away or get medical help if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless; feeling anxious or restless; have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself. The most common side effects of JULUCA include: diarrhea and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of JULUCA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking JULUCA. You may report side effects to FDA at www.fda.gov/medwatch, or at 1-800-FDA-1088.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about JULUCA. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. • Go to JULUCA.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling. ViiV Healthcare Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. ©2017 ViiV Healthcare group of companies or its licensor. December 2017 JLC:2PIL ©2018 ViiV Healthcare group of companies or its licensor. Printed in USA. 832817R0 March 2018

Pride 2018>>

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

SF office aims to uplift transgender community by Matthew S. Bajko

nside an office space carved out of the ground floor of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center is a staff of three working to uplift the city’s transgender residents as well as underserved members of the broader LGBT community. They are working on a report that examines what the unmet needs are of the city’s transgender community, to be released later this summer, and launching an economic fellowship program for transgender immigrants to the Bay Area. They also have been making sure that the more than 2,500 buildings the city owns or leases have the proper signage declaring singlestall restrooms can be used by all genders, as required by city and state laws. Known as the Office of Transgender Initiatives, it is believed to be the first such municipal office of its kind. The late mayor Ed Lee launched it two years ago this month and had appointed longtime transgender advocate Theresa Sparks to oversee it. When Sparks retired last fall, Lee appointed Clair Farley, a transgender woman who had worked on economic issues for the LGBT center, as his second senior adviser on transgender initiatives. “It has exceeded my expectations in a lot of ways,” Farley, 35, told the Bay Area Reporter during a recent interview about the work she has been doing for the city. Her focus, she said, is on “how do we put the community first and lift up the needs and priorities of the community?” The office falls under the purview of the mayor and city administrator. Assisting Farley is Pau Crego, who is transgender and nonbinary, as director of policy. Crego started in the position

Rick Gerharter

Clair Farley

last July after being hired by Sparks. Maceo Persson, a queer transgender man, joined the office January 2 as the civic engagement and operations manager. For the past decade he had worked for the Transgender Law Center in various capacities. He saw working for the city as “a great opportunity,” said Persson, to do the same kind of work he had been doing in the nonprofit sector but with “a different perspective.” Farley’s first day on the job was December 4, eight days prior to Lee’s sudden death from a heart attack. Over the last seven months Farley and her staff have worked for two mayors. First under District 5 Supervisor London Breed, who briefly served as acting mayor following Lee’s death due to her being president of the Board of Supervisors. And then for Mayor Mark Farrell, the former District 2 supervisor who was elected by a majority of his board colleagues in January to serve as mayor on an interim basis.

Having won the special election on the June 5 primary ballot to serve out Lee’s term through early January 2020, Breed is expected to take her oath of office on July 11 as the city’s first elected African-American female mayor. Earlier this year, Breed had told the B.A.R. that she not only supported maintaining the transgender initiatives office but would also be open to expanding its job title to include all LGBT initiatives under her administration. Farley has worked on a number of LGBT initiatives in recent months, such as the renaming of Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport in honor of the late gay supervisor Harvey Milk and an agreement with sister city Cork, Ireland to jointly advocate for LGBT equality on the world stage. And she has also been a voice within City Hall advocating for the establishment and funding of LGBT cultural districts in various neighborhoods. But with transgender individuals disproportionately impacted by homelessness, unemployment, and physical violence, Farley does not want to see any expansion of her office’s role diminish its focus on the needs of the transgender community. “In working with the most vulnerable in our community, we find that transgender initiatives are the most needed,” she told the B.A.R. this spring. Farley had yet to meet with the mayor-elect when she spoke with the B.A.R. last week. She said she expects to have a good working relationship with Breed, noting her support of numerous LGBT initiatives and programs over the years as a supervisor. “During the brief time we worked together, I felt we worked together well,” Farley said of when Breed served

Like the generations before us, we stand united in the ght for equality. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2018 LGBT Pride Celebration!

DENNIS J. HERRERA San Francisco City Attorney

Paid for by Dennis Herrera for City Attorney 2015, nancial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.

See page 6 >>

NANCYPELOSI_5X5.5.indd 1

6/18/18 1:20 PM

/BayAreaReporter

Untitled-3 1

@eBARnews

6/18/18 1:19 PM

<< Pride 2018

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Gay teen works to end bullying in schools by Alex Madison

t 16 years old, most kids’ priorities are getting their driver’s license, being a part of the popular circle at school, or taking perfectly lit selfies. But for Sameer Jha, it’s achieving equality for the LGBT community and fighting for the safety and inclusion of LGBT youth. He’s already the founder of a nonprofit, a youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign, and an author. Jha came out when he was 14 during some of the hardest times of his life, and has since been dedicated to educating youth and adults about the LGBT community with the goal of squashing stigma, bullying, and hate. “A lot of what I am doing is talking about the experiences with bullying I have faced and trying to combat that,” he told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent interview. “I want people to understand the importance of LGBTQ-plus identities

and make sure students are protected, included, and have safe spaces.” Most recently, Jha fought for the use of LGBT-inclusive sex education curriculum for fourth through sixth graders in the Fremont Unified School District, where he previously was a student at Hopkins Junior High School. He stood up in front of hundreds of people at the May 2 school board meeting to share his story and explain the importance of educating young people about LGBT identities. “No student should have to go through what I went through in elementary and middle school,” he said. “Sex education is a way to get information to students and to show LGBT students that they are important and valued by the school and its curriculum.” Though the school board voted to nix the inclusive sex-ed program, Jha’s mission didn’t take a dip. Currently, he is in the final stages of completing a teacher’s guide called, “Read This. Save lives.” The

Rick Gerharter

Sameer Jha is working to combat bullying in schools.

150-page book is used to inform educators about the experiences of LGBT students, their identities, and the intersection of identity, race, and sexuality to help create safer classrooms for queer youth. He hasn’t made his GoFundMe goal

yet – he’s raised nearly $1,500 of his $8,000 ask – but is determined to see the book become a reality. He is now searching for publishers. The book is just one of Jha’s projects. Through his nonprofit, the Empathy Alliance, Jha holds workshops, consults gay-straight alliances in various communities, and conducts school assemblies. A couple months ago, he held a workshop at Hopkins, his former school. It was there that Jha faced his bullies on a daily basis, had tarantulas thrown on him during science class, and where he first heard the word “gay,” which was used as a slur to insult him or as a synonym for uncool, as in “that’s so gay.” It is those dark times that drive the everyday fight for his community. The workshop at Hopkins included anti-bias training, how to dismantle stereotypes, and the impact words can have on people. “I want people to be aware of how actions and words affect others,” Jha said. “People didn’t know what they were doing affected me.” The workshop wasn’t the only thing he did for his old middle school. After founding the Empathy Alliance, Jha led efforts to originate the school’s first GSA, which today is thriving. “There is such a huge change. I’m so happy to see the whole school completely shifting and beginning to be a community of people driven to make change and support each other,” Jha said.

High school

On Pride Weekend We come together in our diverse communities to take a stand for equal rights for all. It is an honor to join you this weekend and to represent you in Sacramento.

Phil Ting ASSEMBLYMEMBER

Paid for by Phil Ting for Assembly 2018 – FPPC# 1393484

For more information, visit asmdc.org/ting

PhilTing.indd 1

6/14/18 3:05 PM

At College Preparatory School in Oakland, Jha’s high school, he strengthened its GSA’s annual Day of Silence, a national event held each spring at schools across the country. Students take a vow of silence for a day to represent the isolation LGBT youth often experience, especially when they don’t feel safe coming out. He said seeing more than 100 students not speak in honor of the LGBT community was “powerful.” For Jha, being an activist also calls for moments of celebration. For

Transgender office

From page 5

as acting mayor. “I hope she continues to see the opportunity in our work to make San Francisco special and continue to be seen as a leader.”

National impact

The work her office is doing, added Farley, has the potential to impact the lives of transgender individuals and other LGBT community members on a national level. “San Francisco is not going to stop here but is going to work to make change across the country,” said Farley. In addition to working with her counterparts from Cork, Ireland at the international level, Farley is also working with her colleagues in other city halls across the country whose bosses have joined the group Mayors

Pride Month, Jha organized a Pride party at the new Fremont Community Center in the city’s Central Park. Many of Jha’s mentorwill be in attendance at the event Thursday evening. When talking to Jha’s mentors and people he has worked closely with, they said they feel Jha has, and will continue, to make incredible change in his community and beyond. Jha attended the Human Rights Campaign’s “Time to Thrive” conference last spring in Washington, D.C., where he worked closely with Vincent Pompei, director of HRC’s Youth Well-Being Project. As youth ambassador, Jha was asked to participate in panels at the conference discussing LGBT identity, particularly nonbinary identities, with educators and counselors in the audience. “He is just one of those young people that gives you hope,” Pompei said. “He will be a leader who will stand for things. He amplifies the voices of other LGBT people and helps us to better understand and support them.” Monique DeVane, head of school at College Prep, called Jha a “real leader.” DeVane has been able to watch Jha interact, guide, and inspire other students at his school, where he is a member of its Student Equity Action team. “He has a wonderful way of engaging with his peers and community members. He is a leader who doesn’t come from a place of ego, but from a place of service. He is consistently positive and generous in his approach to others and inviting folks to join him in conversation,” DeVane said. Jha’s leadership is apparent in almost everything he does. Though he dedicates an incredible amount of time to his activism, he still lives the life of a normal teen – hanging out with friends, spending time with family, and participating in school events. He also has a passion for poetry and other writing. He won a gold medal in the 2018 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for his poem “Partition,” which is about the British divide of colonial India into two independent countries, Muslim Pakistan and Hindu India, in 1947. Jha’s mom is Pakistani and his dad is from India. The poem expresses the exploration of his race and heritage. As for his future, he hasn’t decided on a college just yet, though he is interested in becoming a professor of linguistics and gender and sexual studies. But there is one thing he is certain about, he wants to make change – big change. “I want to change the world and make it a better place,” he said.t To donate to Jha’s GoFundMe campaign, visit http://www.gofundme.com/theempathyalliance.

Against LGBT Discrimination, which Lee helped to co-found. Through the coalition, she shares LGBT policies that San Francisco has implemented. For example, Farley worked with City College of San Francisco officials on their recent policy update for using the preferred names and pronouns of transgender and gender-nonconforming students. Her office has also been in talks with the San Francisco Superior Court to ensure it is using transgender people’s preferred names and pronouns in court records and documents. And it has helped train more than 50 service providers with city contracts on how to collect sexual orientation and gender identity demographic data. Since July 1 San Francisco has required any agency funded by it, as well as numerous city departments, to collect the SOGI data. See page 8 >>

<< Pride 2018

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Trans man helps others navigate their journeys by Alex Madison

t has been 15 years since Socorro Moreland transitioned. It was an experience that inspired his career working with trans men of color to ensure they receive the help they need to live healthy, safe, and happy lives. “It is one of my life goals after my experience with transitioning and encountering issues that I would never let another trans young person go through that,” Moreland, a Latino trans man, told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent interview. It was 2003 when Moreland transitioned, and it wasn’t like today in the Bay Area, where oftentimes it’s relatively easy for young people to get hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. Moreland, who goes by “Cory,” said he had to stay in a homeless shelter to qualify for health insurance to be able to begin his transition. He went to Dimensions Clinic, which is run by the San Francisco Department of Public Health out of the Castro Mission Health Center and offers low-cost health services to LGBT youth ages 12 to 25. At the time, it was the only clinic Moreland knew of that offered HRT. It has been a long journey since then, but today Moreland, 33, works to educate and increase the availability of health and other resources for trans men of color. He works as a

healthlink navigator at AIDS Project of the East Bay in Oakland. APEB is one of the longestrunning HIV/AIDS service organizations dedicated to people of color since it opened in 1983. The agency offers HIV/AIDS services to communities most impacted by the ongoing HIV epidemic, including PrEP and HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment, and provides a primary care clinic for its clients. Moreland has worked there for five years, often putting in 15-hour days, heading the agency’s trans program. He works to increase awareness of HIV prevention for transgender people through community-based education and speaks on panels and conferences, on top of his everyday duties at APEB. “It’s very important to continue working with young trans people out here who need these necessary resources and need to know they are loved,” he said. “They need people from their community who understand the process themselves.” George Mizrahi, one of Moreland’s colleagues at APEB, talked about his passion for the job. Mizrahi called Moreland’s knowledge on trans issues “amazing,” and said he can do it all, from navigating a client through the legal name change process to heading the feminization and masculinization services. The foundation of Moreland’s success, Mizrahi said, is his willingness

StevenUnderhill PHOTOGRAPHY

TS HEADSHO S PORTRAIT

StevenUnderhill.com StevenUnderhillPhotos@gmail.com

EVENTS

415 370 7152

STEVEN_2x3-REDESIGN.indd 1

Rick Gerharter

Socorro Moreland helps young black trans people navigate health resources at AIDS Project of the East Bay.

to share his personal experience to help other people’s transition. “Cory is phenomenal,” said Mizrahi, a biomedical prevention manager at APEB. “He understands the community and the work on a level that you can’t teach. He goes above and beyond for his clients. We would all be running around like chickens with our heads cut off if it weren’t for Cory.”

HRC fellow

Aside from his work at APEB, Moreland last year served as a fellow through the Human Rights Campaign’s HIV 360 Fellowship Program. He said that he learned a lot about nonprofit management skills and leadership efficacy during the eight-month fellowship. “It was one of those things I was honored to be included in,” Moreland said. Another former fellow of the program, Jalenzski Brown, who identifies as bisexual and genderqueer, first met Moreland at HRC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. at a retreat. Brown said, from the moment he met Moreland, he liked him and thought to himself, “Who’s that firecracker?” After getting to know

6/15/18 3:15 PM

T A T S IR H T R U O Y H C N E QU

! E D I PR WATER

50% OFF

BEER • WINE • LIQUOR • GATORADE • SANDWICHES CIGARETTES • SNACKS • CANDY FIND US ON YELP! NEARBY THE CIVIC CENTER PRIDE CELEBRATION

NICK’S FOODS 1659 MARKET STREET, SAN FRANCISCO

one another during their time as fellows, Brown began to see what a positive voice Moreland was for the trans community. “What I really love about him is how passionate he is about the work and about making things happen and getting things done,” Brown said. “He has brought more awareness to the issues black trans men are facing. He’s not just bringing it to the forefront, but keeping it at the forefront.”

Website

It was during Moreland’s time as a fellow that he got the idea for a website with the goal of empowering trans men of color. After receiving a grant from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which funds HRC’s HIV 360 program, Moreland launched http://www. Brotherhood510.com. The site is a place where trans men of color can go to find support, health and social services, and other resources. It offers an East Bay guide of community resources like where to get HRT or safe places to stay if people are experiencing homelessness. Moreland also started an Oakland chapter of the national group Black Transmen Inc., a national organization that was started by

Transgender office

From page 6

One issue that has come up is that many transgender people do not want to disclose what sex they were assigned at birth. Farley’s team is working with the Department of Public Health in refining how the question is asked. “I think what we have found is a lot of people feel uncomfortable answering that question,” said Farley. In May the office brought together the 14 members of its Transgender Advisory Committee for its first meeting. The members represent local nonprofits, such as El/ La Para TransLatinas, health care providers, and businesses. It is assisting Farley and her team on its needs assessment for the transgender community. The city currently spends $1.5 million annually on transgender services and programs, but more resources are needed, said Farley. “It will include recommendations for funding and programs,” said Farley of the report. Her office has already teamed with the city’s Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs to pilot an economic fellowship program for transgender immigrants. The idea is for them to develop

Carter Brown in Dallas. It’s an advocacy group designed to empower black trans people by offering conferences and access to support groups and resources. Moreland started the local chapter last year and it serves about 40 people, with room to grow. Moreland also serves on the community cabinet at Connecting Resources for Urban Sexual Health, and was a leader at Equality California’s LGBT Advocacy Day in May 2017. He doesn’t have much of it, but Moreland spends his free time with his fiancée, Maria Almanza, and likes to cook traditional Cuban dishes. The couple will be married in Oakland in August, he said. Though he said he doesn’t know what his future will bring, he knows he wants to stay in Oakland and continue his work in the trans community. For Moreland, everyday is all about making progress in the trans movement and making sure trans people get the resources they need. “My work has just begun,” he said. t For more information about AIDS Project of the East Bay, visit https://www.apeb.org/.

professional skills through placement with local nonprofits. It should roll out in a limited capacity next January, and Farley plans to seek upwards of $200,000 in next year’s budget to expand it. This August, Farley plans to roll out a transgender and LGBT employee resource group for those already employed by the city. She hopes it will also provide assistance to those looking to be hired by city agencies. “We don’t have a firm count, but we know there are not a lot of transgender people working for the city,” noted Farley. Because the office does not provide direct services, it is not open to the public. But anyone with an issue can email it at transcitysf@ sfgov.org or use the hashtag #transcitysf on social media platforms to ensure it sees the post. It is also its Twitter handle. Since coming to work in the office earlier this year, Persson has been struck by the fact that his colleagues throughout the city bureaucracy have reached out for help in improving how they provide services to transgender individuals and the LGBT community in general. “Seeing people really want to serve our community well has been really wonderful,” he said.t

<< Pride 2018

t Oakland center is full of Pride

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

VALENCIA CYCLERY

We’ve got more bikes in stock & ready to ride than any shop in SF MANY ON SALE!

Hybrid/City

Road

Kid’s Kid’

Mountain

Your one-stop shop for the whole family! 1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) SF

SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 Mon-Sat 10-6, Thur 10-7, Sun 11-5

valenciacyclery.com Untitled-7 1

6/19/18

A breakthrough solution for men seeking better erections and Optimal Sexual Performance

by Cynthia Laird

hen the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center opened its doors last September, the two gay African-American men who founded it breathed sighs of relief. It had been a long process to secure the space near Lake Merritt, and the organization didn’t have much of a budget. But Joe Hawkins and Jeff Myers, the center’s co-founders, want to make sure that the city’s large LGBTQ population has a safe space in which to hang out, even as they work to secure funding from the city and private foundations. In January, the men had to strategize quickly when the main tenant suddenly left, leaving them with way too much space and the rent doubled to $9,000 a month. A creative solution was found when Hawkins and Myers rented out several small offices to other tenants – many of them queer themselves or LGBTQ-friendly. “By February we had filled the offices,” Hawkins said in an interview at the center. Tenants include therapists, wellness services, and video production. Oakland has not had an LGBTQ center until now. Previous efforts, such as a pledge by Oakland Pride to funnel proceeds from the fall festival into creating a center, did not come to fruition. Hawkins and Myer, both in their 50s, were formerly involved with Oakland Pride and got tired of waiting. After Donald Trump was elected president, they felt a sense of urgency. “I said, ‘Jeff, do you really want to open a center?’” Hawkins recalled. “Then you better help me.” Just starting the center was an accomplishment. “There’s no LGBTQ center funded by two African-American gay men in the state that’s for everyone,” Hawkins said, explaining that the men contributed their own money and funds they 9:42 AM raised to get the doors open.

Jane Philomen Cleland

Joe Hawkins, left, and Jeff Myers co-founded the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center.

“This was money out of pocket we didn’t have,” he said, adding that they did get $1,000 from Oakland Pride, and another $1,000 from City Councilman Abel Guillen, who identifies as two spirit. Today, over 30 groups meet at the center, ranging from yoga to dance to crystal meth anonymous. It holds movie nights, has a small library of queer-themed books, and book club meetings. The center is all-volunteer run, and has a budget of about $150,000. Hawkins is an event producer, best known for creating the hugely popular gay Blatino Oasis event in Palm Springs. Myers is a surgical nurse at UCSF. Leslie Ewing, a lesbian who is executive director at the Pacific Center for Human Growth in Berkeley, was an early supporter, in part because the two centers are very different. Pacific Center’s main mission is to train therapists and operate its mental health clinic. “In Oakland, and I’ve lived there since 1981, people are looking for a place literally to find one another and community,” she told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview. “They can do things the Pacific Center can’t do.” Ewing said that Hawkins contacted her before he sent out a news release about the center. “He’s a good guy and he wanted to really work together,” she said.

“I grew up lesbian, you know, like my community was female and I was just not interested in men. So, I wasn’t interested in being a man,” he continued. “I just put it away, like, I put it in the back of my head.” Ross struggled with depression and fear until he got the help he needed to transition in his late 30s.

The GAINSWave is a drug & surgery free non-invasive technique that uses pulse waves to improve sexual performance.

3 Enhances Erections

3 Improves Sexual Performance 3 Increases Sensation 3 Treats ED & Peyronie’s Disease As you get older, the blood vessels that supply blood to your penis begin to collapse or breakdown. Good blood flow is essential to erectile function. The GAINSWave improves blood flow by opening existing blood vessels and stilmulating the growth of new blood vessels.

(415) 384-9360

Fog City Urology A division of Golden Gate Urology 45 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114

FogCityUrology.indd 1

For more information, visit oaklandlgbtqcenter.org/. The center is located at 3207 Lakeshore Avenue (entrance on Rand Avenue).

Silicon Valley’s new transgender champion settles into his job by Heather Cassell

REQUEST APPOINTMENT

Pacific Center, one of the country’s oldest LGBT centers, is helping in two ways, Ewing explained. It is providing a therapy group for older adults, for which it pays some rent, and is providing training and support for the Oakland center’s peer group “to help them get that up and running.” Hawkins and Myers said the need for the center is evident by the 26,000 people who are signed up on its email list and the many people that attend its events. “There’s a lot of homophobia and stigma in communities of color, and we wanted a safe space,” Hawkins said. Myers pointed to the diversity of the center. “The community deserves a center that serves our diversity,” he said. “We have money, we have talent, we have resources.” But more support and visibility is needed and that will likely come this weekend at San Francisco Pride. For the first time, the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center will march in the San Francisco Pride parade as a contingent. And it will have a booth at the festival Saturday and Sunday. “We want to be visible,” Myers said.t

5/30/18 11:41 AM

t’s a pioneering position to be in, and it appears that Anthony Ross has the right stuff to pave the path to build real change that will impact the South Bay’s transgender community for years to come. In early March, Ross stepped into his role as the first-ever countywide transgender program manager at the Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs. It was a tough decision, but after working with queer youth for 15 years at Outlet in Redwood City, it was time for a change, said Ross, a 45-year-old queer transgender man. “I feel super lucky and blessed to have been doing work I love pretty much my whole career,” said Ross. “I still like working with queer youth. I just love working with the community.”

Love and support

The youngest of six children in a liberal Irish-Italian Catholic family in New York, Ross came out as a lesbian when he was 19 years old to a supportive family, he said. However, his journey coming out as a transgender man and transitioning when he was 38 years old was more complicated. “It was really scary,” Ross said about coming out as a lesbian. “I knew my parents weren’t going to kick me out. I knew they were still going to love me, but it was really scary.” A similar fear surfaced when he realized he was transgender, but this time

Youth leader

Jo-Lynn Otto

Anthony Ross is settling into his new job as transgender program manager for the Santa Clara Office of LGBTQ Affairs.

it was his community’s response he feared. He was deeply involved in the lesbian community and working professionally in the gay community. Realizing he was transgender and not just a very masculine lesbian happened in one night. Being transgender wasn’t on his radar at all. It clicked after listening to a transgender panelist while in graduate school who echoed his experience of once being an ultra-tomboy lesbian and growing up going to Catholic school. “I felt like he reflected my experience,” said Ross, who was 29 at the time. “I got that guttural like, ‘Oh my god, I’m trans,’ and just could not process it at that point.”

His family’s support inspired him to provide the same accepting space for queer youth throughout his personal struggle. Ross earned his graduate degree in health education and started his career working as an alcohol and drug counselor with youth in New York before following his California dream to live in a “cool, gay beach town.” At one of his brother’s suggestions, he landed in Santa Cruz. Soon after Ross arrived in the Bay Area he started working part-time at Outlet, an LGBTQ youth program of Adolescent Counseling Services on the Peninsula, in 2003. Eventually, he worked his way up to be the program director in 2008. He loved his job. He didn’t want to leave. However, to develop transgender programs for Santa Clara County was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. “At this point it feels a little bit overwhelming just because there’s so much to do,” said Ross. He recognizes that much has See page 18 >>

THRIVE WITH PRIDE Thriving together for generations When you embrace equality, it leads to a healthier, happier future for all—and we wish all generations will live life to its fullest. That’s why we champion diversity and invest in community health at organizations like LYRIC, the Castro Country Club, and Openhouse. Kaiser Permanente is proud to have a long history as a supporter of diversity and inclusion. And we’re always proud to be your partner in health. Look for our float in the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade on June 24.

kp.org/sanfrancisco

<< Pride 2018

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR BRAIN

Everyone with a brain is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. During Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month in June, learn the facts about brain health.

LEARN MORE AT ALZ.ORG/ABAM Steven Krzanowski, Alzheimer’s Association Events Manager (left) and Jaime McElmon, RN at Sutter Health and Alzheimer’s Association Volunteer (right)

FIERCE THINGS

Pub owner brings her Irish roots to Oakland by Cynthia Laird

hen Jackie Gallanagh moved to the Bay Area from Ireland in 1996, there were 17 Irish pubs in San Francisco. She tried most of them. “A lot of them didn’t feel like home to me,” Gallanagh, a lesbian, said during an interview at Slainte, the Irish pub she opened April 29, 2017 near Jack London Square in Oakland. “The touristy ones were not very good.” Gallanagh lived in the city for five years before moving to Oakland, where she found the Irish scene was even more limited. “There was no St. Paddy’s Day, no Irish feel,” she said. “The handful [of places] in Oakland didn’t do it for me.” After working in real estate for a number of years, she had the money and opportunity to change that. Slainte (pronounced Slawn-cha), located at 131 Broadway, used to be an Indian restaurant. Gallanagh spent many months and close to $550,000 gutting the space, infusing it with warmth and Irish charm. The first thing most people will spot when they enter is a large painting of Oscar Wilde and, at the other end of the pub, two overstuffed chairs by a fireplace with a painting of James Joyce looking down on patrons. “We completely stripped it,” she explained, and installed handmade benches, tables, and new kitchen equipment. The bars were rebuilt, and Irish memorabilia – paintings, books, photos, and, of course, a dartboard – now adorns the walls. “Everything needed maintenance.” She won a lottery from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for her liquor license. “There were 25 available and I was number 16,” she said, and paid the $14,000. The result has been a successful resurgence of authentic Irish cuisine in the East Bay. Slainte celebrated its first St. Patrick’s Day in March, with Gallanagh obtaining permits to close a portion of Second Street for a block party, complete with bagpipe players and Irish dancing girls. Many pints of Guinness and lots of Irish coffees were consumed by hundreds of people. The pub was packed even before the party started, as a soccer game was being shown on TV. About 3,000 people stopped by throughout the day, she said. “It was a lot of fun all day long,” Gallanagh recalled. “Everybody loved it.” There was no corned beef and cabbage served that day (or any day at the pub). As Gallanagh pointed out, ham and cabbage is traditional Irish fare. “People wondered where the corned beef was,” she laughed. “Irish don’t eat corned beef.”

Early life, coming out

Gallanagh, 48, was born in Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland, close to the border with Northern

Kelly Sullivan

Jackie Gallanagh, standing, shares a laugh with Red Oak Realty colleagues, from left, Sue Arendt, back to camera, Cherie Carson, and Lena Ronquillo.

Ireland. She went to university in Derry City and earned a bachelor’s degree in business. She said that she did not get to Dublin a lot, as she grew up on the other side of the country. “The village was very close,” she recalled, noting the town had about 4,000 people. “We socialized in pubs, and I worked in a lot of bars.” The closeness of the town made it hard for Gallanagh to come out to her family, which she did the year she moved to the U.S. “Being gay was difficult there,” she recalled. “I couldn’t be myself. It kind of put pressure on me and despair. “I came out to my mother. My brothers and sisters kind of knew,” Gallanagh, who’s the middle child among the seven children, said. Her siblings live in various parts of the world, including Queens, New York; Boston; Australia; and Ireland. “We’re all very close.” Both of her parents have passed away. She marveled at the fact that Irish voters passed a same-sex marriage referendum in 2015 by 62 percent. “I thought it was amazing. I cried a lot. I was very shocked,” she said. “Things do change. It was brilliant.” Before Gallanagh opened Slainte, she had a 14-year career in real estate, working with Team510 at Red Oak Realty. She still has her license, and her spouse, Chimene Pollard, continues to work in the business. The couple, who’ve been together for 17 years, married in 2008, during the brief time that same-sex marriage was legal in California. (Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban that voters approved that November, was ultimately overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court on a technicality in June 2013.) Pollard has been very supportive of Gallanagh’s business venture. She’s frequently at Slainte, grabbing a quick meal and sometimes helping out when it’s crowded, like during the televised World Cup tournament, which packed the pub last weekend. “It’s been a most interesting journey,” Pollard said in a recent phone

BEGIN@

Kelly Sullivan

479 Castro Street , San Francisco • (415) 431-5365 • www.cliffsvariety.com

Jackie Gallanagh works behind the bar at Slainte.

Kelly Sullivan

Slainte head chef Ted Moore makes the roasted root vegetable and arugula salad, topped with candied pecans made with Magners cider.

interview. “Really amazing and much more magical than I anticipated.” Pollard, 49, said that Slainte has been welcomed by customers. “I have a newfound respect for our little corner of Oakland,” she said. “There’s a huge Irish community in the East Bay that we didn’t know existed.” Gallanagh said that like most Irish pubs, Slainte has live music Thursday nights and late afternoons on the weekends. The musicians, all session players, just show up, Gallanagh explained. “You don’t know how many musicians you’re going to have,” she said. “They travel to Irish pubs and know each other.”

The food

Essential to any successful restaurant is the food, of course, and Slainte seems to be doing well in that department, partly on the strength of Gallanagh’s own dishes. “Her recipes have translated really well,” Pollard said. Added Gallanagh, “Irish food has come a long way.” Slainte employs about 17 people, mostly part-time. One of the critical full-time workers is the new head chef, Ted Moore, who started in March, the week of St. Patrick’s Day. “As soon as you walk in here, you feel it’s an Irish pub,” he said. “It’s cozy.” Moore, 48, and a straight ally, has made the rounds cooking at various Bay Area eateries. He said that he was drawn to Slainte because of its atmosphere. “Everyone’s enjoying themselves,” he said during an interview one afternoon before the dinner rush picked up, “The front and back of the house, and the customers, of course.” Moore said that he likes the challenge. See page 18 >>

We are San Francisco. Bank with us. Personal Banking • Consumer and Auto Loans • Real Estate Loans • Business Services Great People

Become a member today. SanFranciscoFCU.com

415.615.7088

Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS#416906

<< Pride 2018

14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Agricultural institute leader bridges communities, farmers markets by Charlie Wagner

peak with the gay man who is the new CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Marin and one word you’ll hear time and again is “community.” Andy Naja-Riese is passionate that, “Food is critical to keeping us healthy and it’s always about the community.” AIM’s mission is “to connect and support communities and agriculture” and the nonprofit manages seven farmers markets in the Bay Area. Naja-Riese, 35, identifies strongly with AIM’s goal, “to educate the public around the nutritional and economic benefits of buying locally grown food directly from farmers.” And he is thrilled that diversity is a core value for AIM. “I’m proud our team includes other LGBTQ people and veterans,” he said. “I really believe in the principles of diversity and inclusion.” Naja-Riese considers farmers markets a key tool in reducing hunger, and described how his attitude toward food prices is shaped by his background in social justice. He is proud that multiple AIM programs contain an explicit social justice component. AIM’s board co-chairs said they were pleased to hire Naja-Riese. “The AIM board is tremendously excited to have Andy leading our wonderful team,” co-chairs Tamara Hicks and Lynn Giacomini Stray wrote in an email. “Andy brings a deep understanding of the issues that face farmers markets and the sustainable food movement. His innovative and creative leadership, as well as his passion for healthy eating, entrepreneurship, climate change, and food justice are exactly what is necessary to address these important issues before our community.”

Charlie Wagner

Andy Naja-Riese, holding a bowl of produce, has big plans for the Agricultural Institute of Marin, where he recently became CEO.

AIM’s operating budget is $2.1 million. Naja-Riese said the agency does not release salary information. According to the latest IRS Form 990 for 2016, his predecessor was paid $140,160. Naja-Riese said his salary is less than that.

Indirect route to ag institute

Born in Queens, New York, in a family of teachers, Naja-Riese was raised with the idea that education and public service were extremely important. His decision to join AIM is not surprising, but his route was not exactly direct. Intending to be a veterinary doctor, Naja-Riese started at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. While still an undergraduate, his interests evolved in a different direction, changing to a focus on the environment and community work. In Ithaca he volunteered for an AIDS

organization and found its AIDS Ride for Life to be “an amazing community experience.” Naja-Riese next received a master’s of public health from the Harvard School of Public Health, with an emphasis in society, human development, and health. Following graduation, he received a three-year fellowship in community health and fitness sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which required a move to Atlanta, where the CDC is based. As part of that fellowship, he then moved to Oakland, California in 2010 and did community outreach at Jack London Square. While living in Oakland, his friends introduced him to another man, also in the public health field. After discovering they had much in common, a romance was sparked and eventually led to the two men falling in love. That man was Gary Najarian, 49. “I returned to Atlanta, and we had a long-distance relationship for one year,” Naja-Riese recalled, “but I moved back to California in 2011.” After a short time working as a senior consultant for Resource Development Associates in Oakland, a for-profit company that works with organizations seeking to improve lives in underserved and vulnerable communities, he decided to return to working directly for the government. Naja-Riese was hired to manage the Program Integrity Branch for the Western region of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, where he managed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. In California, the program is now called CalFresh/ EBT (electronic benefit transfer). Meanwhile, he and Najarian

moved together to San Rafael in 2013, and they were married in October 2015 atop Mt. Tamalpais. “We decided to create a new last name combining parts of both names,” Naja-Riese explained. “We call ourselves the ‘giant carpenters,’” which is a rough translation of their new last name. Naja-Riese’s former last name was Riesenberg. Naja-Riese continued working for the USDA until April 2018, overseeing nutrition education programs with emphasis on local and seasonal food, and on May 7, started as CEO of AIM. “I am so proud of Andy’s commitment and passion for social justice, food security, and local farmers,” Gary Naja-Riese wrote in an email. “I know that he will bring his unique blend of caring, energy, and humor to all of us in the Bay Area that want to eat better foods from local producers.” He added, “On a personal note, I’m looking forward to even more local fruits and veggies on our dinner table.”

Farmers markets

AIM manages two farmers markets in San Rafael at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Marin Civic Center; two in San Francisco on Clement Street and at the Stonestown Shopping Center; and three in the East Bay at the Hayward City Hall Plaza, the Newpark Mall in Newark, and on Lake Park Avenue in Oakland. The Sunday San Rafael market is the third largest in California and attracts up to 18,000 visitors per week in summer. Naja-Riese credits that to the fact that, “Farmer’s markets are about fun and trying new food.” AIM works with vendors and has

a Farm Audit Program where someone visits vendors’ farms to verify the farmer is growing what they sell. AIM also ensures a “market balance” so that too many farmers are not selling the same products. AIM farmers markets offer both organic and non-organic products. “Many other organizations look to AIM for guidance on how to do farm auditing,” said Naja-Riese. “We want to preserve the integrity of farmers markets and support small and family farmers. We believe you should know what you’re buying was harvested recently.” AIM verifies organic products have the proper credentials. AIM markets have a waiting list and applicants are reviewed for quality and variety. Farmers, ranches, fishermen, and artisan food creators are eligible.

Public Market Hall

AIM is also involved in an even more ambitious project in Marin called the Public Market Hall. After Marin voters passed Measure B to fund a permanent farmers market at the Civic Center in 2014, AIM has been working with vendors and the local community in what Naja-Riese called a “public-private partnership.” “We want to create and support educational programs,” Naja-Riese said, “and allow farmers to sell 365 days a year. We want this to be a national model.” Now with him as AIM’s new CEO, that project will move forward. All AIM farmers markets accept CalFresh/EBT for eligible items, including plants that produce food. The Market Match program offers shoppers double value when they See page 18 >>

Pride 2018>>

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 15

After TV spotlight, Ken Jones reflects on his activism by David-Elijah Nahmod

n the 2017 television miniseries “When We Rise,” a docudrama that tells the story of the birth of San Francisco’s gay rights movement during the 1970s and 1980s, actor Michael K. Williams, who portrayed gay activist Ken Jones, was featured in a courtroom scene, fighting to continue living in the home Jones had shared with his recently deceased partner. Marriage equality and domestic partnerships were still many years away. Same-sex couples had no legal rights at the time, and Jones lost his case. In another memorable sequence in the show, Jones, who is African-American, turns to a group of straight black men who refuse to believe that homosexuality exists in their community. “I stand before you a proud gay black man,” Jones’ character said. The show brought new recognition to Jones and his activism, something friends were quick to praise. Though humble in his personal interactions with people, Jones is a man of great courage and accomplishment, his friends said, always willing to stand up for himself and his community. “Ken is a trailblazer in his own right, as one of the first out gay black men who chaired the Pride parade,” said longtime friend Cecilia Chung, a trans woman who was also featured in “When We Rise,” and played by actress Ivory Aquino. “His stories really demonstrate the struggles of people of color and being LGBT, the stigma they have to overcome in order to survive one of the hardest times in queer history, from anti-LGBT violence and the HIV epidemic. Ken is one of the true heroes in the movement.” Gay activist Cleve Jones, whose memoir, “When We Rise,” partially inspired the TV miniseries written by gay screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, has known Ken Jones for years. Part of the reason he wrote his book was to share the contributions of early Bay Area LGBT activists, including women and people of color. “Ken is a dear friend and a true pioneer in our community, with a history of activism going back over four decades,” Cleve Jones said. “He’s smart and funny and dedicated, and I wish more people knew the remarkable story of his life. People talk a lot about intersectionality these days. Ken has always lived it.” Now 67, Ken Jones, who has seen his share of hard times, is at peace with his life. He recalled the pre-internet days of the gay rights movement, when activists campaigned for their causes on the streets of the Castro. “Hibernia Beach was centered on the corner of Castro and 18th and extended from 19th to Market,” he said. “There was no ocean within 14 miles of that beach, but we didn’t let that interfere with our creativity as we hung out wearing our skimpy and sexy beach wear. On any given Saturday or Sunday you would encounter some six to eight ironing boards, staffed by scantily clad activists who were gathering signatures, registering voters, or hawking a cause.” At the time, most gay bars and organizations were operated by white men – people of color were often made to feel unwelcome. Jones was actively involved in combating these prejudices. “We got off to a rocky start,” Jones recalled, noting that some of the white men felt as though they owned the organizations they were part of. “All of them were white,” Jones wrote in an email. From the Jon Sims Marching and Twirling Corps to Shanti to San Francisco Pride to the political clubs. Local gay media wasn’t much better, he pointed out. “Bob Ross, may he rest in peace, and his newspaper were very, very slow to cover women’s and people of color issues,” Jones wrote, referring to the Bay Area Reporter’s founding

Rick Gerharter

Activist Ken Jones has long championed LGBT rights.

publisher who died in 2003. Today, nonprofits like Shanti and the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee have diverse leadership; a queer woman of color heads the Pride board, and a straight man of color is the executive director of Shanti. As for the B.A.R., which started in 1971, it began covering racism in the Castro some time around the 1980s; back issues of the paper show stories about protests at bars in the gay neighborhood that would demand multiple forms of IDs from minorities. Late last

year, Michael Yamashita, a gay man who has been the publisher of the B.A.R. since 2013, and was the paper’s longtime general manager, purchased the paper after acquiring shares from two former investors. He became the first Asian-American publisher and owner of an LGBTQ newspaper. “We decided that it had to begin and that two seats would be given up from the high-performing and highly skilled, volunteers to women and people of color,” Jones said of those early efforts to diversify organizations. “Some of the white men were infuriated by having to

give up their treasured seats to absolute nobodys. Many of them spent hundreds of hours to make sure we failed at every opportunity.” Breaking down these barriers was only a small part of the activism in which Jones took part. He has served as a board member of Yes Inc., a federal demonstration project for salaried health outreach workers. Yes was the lead agency in creation of the Six-Agency Mid-City Consortium to combat AIDS. And for about a year and a half, he was co-house manager for LGBTQ kids who were aging out of foster care in Oakland. “We wanted to give them stability, a sense of family, help them be successful in their next educational growth and/or working endeavors,” Jones said. “We kept them off the street and from selling their bodies just to eat – we served three full meals every day.” Jones also served on the citizen review board for the BART Police Department beginning in 2009, when he was appointed by former BART Director James Fang. When current board member Nick Josefowitz won election a few years ago, Jones said that a straight white man replaced him. Josefowitz told the B.A.R. that he decided to nominate someone else. “Ken Jones served out his full term on the BART Citizen Review Board.

All of us in the BART community are grateful for his service,” Josefowitz wrote in an email. “BART ran an open and transparent process to appoint his successor, and I nominated a datadriven candidate with a proven track record of delivering on police reform and social justice.” Jones said that while on the panel, he helped recommend changes in police procedure. “We reviewed and modified policy and procedure, as well as citizen review of complaints,” Jones said. “I have spent a lot of time gathering an understanding of police culture, which is foreign from mine, and how to bring about change in the culture that everyone could buy into.” Through it all, Jones found his peace through spirituality, which came to him as he feared he would die of AIDS. “One minute I was facing a terminal diagnosis and the next I accepted God as my Lord and Savior – 28 years later I am doing pretty well for a 67-year-old man living with AIDS for more than 30 years,” he said. “I now believe that God created me just like I am, healed, perfect, and whole.” He pointed to a quote from Maya Angelou: “Pride is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” t

RHODA GOLDMAN PL AZA

Lower Pac Heights Living. Ask us about Living Well With AssistanceSM at Rhoda Goldman Plaza, The City’s unsurpassed assisted living and memory care community— fantastic food, amazing staff, and incredible location. For your personal visit, connect with Candiece, 415.345.5072 or CandieceM@rgplaza.org. 2180 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 Founded by Jewish Family and Children’s Services and Mount Zion Health Fund RCFE# 385600125

rgplaza.org

<< Pride 2018

16 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

LIFE DOESN’T END AFTER

Therapy/Support Group for Gay Men Over 50 Get honest and caring support. Explore possibilities. Develop direction in your life.

50!

$60/session. David Silven, Ph.D. Call David Silven, Ph.D.

Call (415) 672-7688 (415) 672-7688

Psychologist Psychologist License Lic. 94119411

Cheryl Alterman Photography

Celebrate your wedding with us gracecathedral.org/weddings | 415 749 6328

Law school dean a longtime advocate for equality by Charlie Wagner

olden Gate University has long supported diversity and it did so once more when it chose Anthony Niedwiecki to be its new law school dean in August 2017. School officials celebrated his appointment in a news release, which noted that Niedwiecki is “one of only a handful of openly LGBTQ deans to ever lead an ABA-accredited law school,” referring to the American Bar Association. “GGU Law School is the third most diverse, according to U.S. News and World Report,” the dean pointed out, “and because it’s such a strong social justice school, the diversity perpetuates itself.” In the 2017 entering law school class of 186 students, 62 percent were from racially diverse backgrounds, 64 percent were women, and 11 percent identified as LGBTQ. GGU Law previously had the second female law school dean in California and the first African-American dean. The law school currently has 425 students, about 25 percent part-time. Niedwiecki, 51, grew up in Michigan and was elected to the student council in high school, where he admitted he was a “typically nerdy high school student.” Always interested in politics, he decided early that law school was necessary for that career. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit with a B.A. in math, then moved to North Carolina to work as a high school math teacher. He moved to Charlotte to replace another teacher he later found out had been fired for being gay. “That kept me in the closet for a while longer,” he confessed. While in Charlotte, he decided to enroll in law school and chose Tulane University in New Orleans because it was the “only school which had a

Charlie Wagner

Waymon Hudson, left, stands with his husband, Golden Gate University School of Law Dean Anthony Niedwiecki.

publication like the ‘Law and Sexual Orientation Journal,’” he said. After being around people who were openly gay for the first time in his life, he came out at age 26.

Advocate for equal rights

As if making up for lost time, Niedwiecki immediately became an open and vocal advocate for equal rights and was delighted when the university sponsored him to attend the Lavender Law Conference in Portland, Oregon, organized by the National LGBT Bar Association. He described how the conference exposed him to new ideas about using his law degree to advance LGBTQ rights. In the summer of 1994, as part of his law education, he worked for two law firms in Houston. At the first, he had a terrible time and was warned to “bring someone to events” because “people are starting to talk.” His experience at the second was decidedly different, starting with a lunch the firm arranged with a gay attorney in the office. Following graduation from Tulane, Niedwiecki moved to Temple

University in Philadelphia for an advanced law degree program and became a fellow in its master of laws, or LLM, program. After the fellowship ended, he moved to Tempe, Arizona to teach the first law and sexual orientation class offered at Arizona State University. “There were no LGBTQ students in the class, but I was very open with the students about myself,” he said. “I’ve committed to myself that whenever I am the teacher, no student would feel the way I felt at that first firm (in Houston).” Next, he moved back to Philadelphia to teach at Temple University. During the NYC Pride celebration, he visited the city and met the man who he would eventually marry, Waymon Hudson. They moved together to Fort Lauderdale, Florida where Niedwiecki began teaching at NOVA Southeastern Law School. Shortly after that, as the couple passed through the Fort Lauderdale airport, they heard an announcement featuring a controversial Bible quote from Leviticus 20:13, which says that “men who lie with men” are “to be put to death.” Niedwiecki contacted the airport manager and told him, “We should not be hearing Bible quotes and threats of death at an airport.” Then he called NBC and ended up on that night’s news. The next day, the mayor of Broward County held a news conference to apologize. The airport pursued the issue and eventually fired the young man who had made the announcement. But when the local Fort Lauderdale press covered the incident, they headlined the story, “Self-proclaimed Christian fired for offending two gay men.” The backlash was immediate. Niedwiecki and Hudson received death threats and Hudson was spat See page 18 >>

Sex sells, even from an old ice cream truck by Sari Staver

f you live in the East Bay and see an old ice cream truck in the neighborhood, it could be selling something other than frozen treats. Nenna Joiner, an African-American lesbian who, seven years ago, gave up a corporate gig to go into the adult pleasure products business, recently purchased the 1970s truck and operates it as a portable pop-up store on the weekends. Joiner’s brick-and-mortar store, Feelmore Gallery (feelmore510.com), is located at 1703 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland. “I wanted to do something that would make a real impact in Oakland,” she said, “and while there have been ups and downs,” overall Joiner said she thinks the company has become a valuable resource within the community. While the open-minded Bay Area already has more than its share of sex shops, Joiner said Feelmore “not only has excellent products,” but “we have also been a part of the revitalization of Oakland.” “Has it been hard?” Joiner asked in response to a question. “Yes,” she practically shouted, “it has been hard.” A graduate of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Joiner, 43, moved back to California for a career in technology. She had a “very good job” with the Clorox Corporation, she said, “but I was dissatisfied.” Joiner was convinced that by opening her own business, she’d be “more in control of her own destiny” and

Jane Philomen Cleland

Nenna Joiner

would also be able to “affect change” in her community. The idea for a so-called sex shop appealed to her. “I’m glad I had no idea how difficult it was going to be because I might never have gotten started,” she added. “I heard the word ‘No’ so many times that I thought no one would rent to my type of business.” Once she found a physical location where the landlord seemed open to having her as a tenant, her problems were far from over. She scraped together the start-up funds to pay for the permits and renovation, with help from her mother, Sharon Jones, who has since passed away, Joiner said. “My mother convinced me that I had nothing to lose and that anything I lost, I could always get back,” she said. “That turned out to be true and was a real inspiration.” Feelmore’s tag line, said Joiner, is “It’s More Than Just Sex,” and reflects her personal philosophy about the business.

“Sex is the guise to what we do, which is to ensure empowerment, education, and equality,” she explained. Physically, she pointed out, the shop looks different than most of her competitors. With low lighting and soft music playing, several walls are painted black and covered with erotic paintings, framed prints, and pristine shelves of merchandise. “Like a gallery,” she said. Once the business was on its feet in terms of profitability, Joiner said she was anxious to “spread the word” but did not want to open another brickand-mortar location. Earlier this year, Joiner decided she wanted to grow her business by opening a pop-up at San Francisco International Airport through its small business program, which enables companies with a revenue of at least $250,000 to rotate through annually. But Joiner’s business didn’t qualify and her efforts to talk airport commissioners into lowering that figure were not successful. Instead, she purchased the ice cream truck, complete with music, which she drives around the East Bay on weekends, selling merchandise from her store. Next up on her to-do list: teaming up with a local ice cream vendor and keeping frozen treats in stock as well. “People can’t resist coming over to say hello when they hear the music and see us pulling up. That’s the first step to meeting new people,” Joiner said. t For more information, visit feelmore510.com.

STARS & STRIPES ! D E D N E T X E exclusive offers

LATHROP OUTLET STORE NOW OPEN!

, ! ay In nd y rr Mo at Hu ds nd En 2 ! le uly pm Sa J 9

A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A

Get it Today! No Credit Needed!

18290 Harlan Rd., Lathrop, CA 95330

MONTHS no interest* no down payment no minimum purchase

On purchases with your Ashley Advantage™ credit card from 6/5/2018 to 7/2/2018. Equal monthly payments required for 60 months. Ashley Furniture does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase. *See below for details.

36MONTHS 24MONTHS 12MONTHS

no interest* no down payment no minimum purchase

no interest if paid in full

no down payment no minimum purchase

On purchases with your Ashley Advantage™ credit card from 6/5/2018 to 7/2/2018. Equal monthly payments required for 36 months. Ashley Furniture does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase. *See below for details.

On purchases with your Ashley Advantage™ credit card made 6/5/2018 to 7/2/2018. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full within 24 months. Minimum monthly payments required. ††See below for details.

On purchases with your Ashley Advantage™ credit card made 6/5/2018 to 7/2/2018. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the promotional purchase is not paid in full within 12 months. Minimum monthly payments required. ††See below for details.

plus

20off %

‡‡

in 24 months††

plus

25 off %

‡‡

in 12 months††

plus

30off %

‡‡

#1 IN CALIFORNIA, #1 IN AMERICA, 51 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU!

NOW HIRING! Sales Associates

CONCORD

FOLSOM

MILPITAS

ROHNERT PARK

SAN FRANCISCO

Exit at Concord, next to Trader Joe’s 2201 John Glenn Dr Concord, CA 94520 925-521-1977

Located in the Broadstone Plaza 2799 E Bidwell St Folsom, CA 95630 916-986-9200

In McCarthy Ranch 128 Ranch Dr Milpitas, CA 95035 408-262-6860

707 Bayshore Blvd. San Francisco, CA 94124 415-467-4414

facebook.com/AshleyHSMilpitas

Exit Rohnert Park Expwy, across from Costco 6001 Redwood Dr Rohnert Park, CA 94928 707-586-1649

MODESTO

ROSEVILLE

facebook.com/AshleyHSConcord

EMERYVILLE

Get it Today! No Credit Needed!

In the East Baybridge Shopping Center 3839 Emery St., Ste. 300 Emeryville, CA 94608 510-292-4339

facebook.com/AshleyHSEmeryville

FAIRFIELD Exit Green Valley 4865 Auto Plaza Ct Fairfield, CA 94534 707-864-3537

facebook.com/AshleyHSFairfield

facebook.com/AshleyHSFolsom

FRESNO 7502 N. Blackstone Ave Fresno, CA 93720 559-283-8251

3900 Sisk Rd., Ste B Modesto, CA 95356 209-248-6152

facebook.com/AshleyHSFresno

facebook.com/AshleyHSModesto

LATHROP OUTLET STORE

REDDING 1405 Dana Drive Redding, CA 96003 530-222-7707

18290 Harlan Rd. Lathrop, CA 95330 209-707-2177 facebook.com/AshleyHSRedding OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Mon. - Sun. 10am - 6pm

facebook.com/AshleyHSRohnertPark

Highland Reserve Marketplace 10349 Fairway Dr Roseville, CA 95678 916-953-5757

facebook.com/AshleyHSRoseville

SACRAMENTO Located at the Promenade in Natomas 3667 N Freeway Blvd Sacramento, CA 95834 916-419-8906

facebook.com/ AshleyHSSanFrancisco

STOCKTON In the Park West Place Shopping Center 10904 Trinity Parkway, Stockton, CA 95219 209-313-2187

facebook.com/AshleyHSStockton

VISALIA 3850 S. Mooney Blvd Visalia, CA 93277 559-697-6399

facebook.com/AshleyHSVisalia

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK: Monday - Sunday 10am - 9pm

“Se Habla Español” www.AshleyHomeStore.com

facebook.com/AshleyHSSacramento

*Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage™ Credit Card. No interest will be charged on promo purchase and equal monthly payments are required equal to initial promo purchase amount divided equally by the number of months in promo period until promo is paid in full. The equal monthly payment will be rounded to the next highest whole dollar and may be higher than the minimum payment that would be required if the purchase was a non-promotional purchase. Regular account terms apply to nonpromotional purchases. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval. ‡Monthly payment shown is equal to the purchase price, excluding taxes and delivery, divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded to the next highest whole dollar, and only applies to the selected financing option shown. If you make your payments by the due date each month, the monthly payment shown should allow you to pay off this purchase within the promo period if this balance is the only balance on your account during the promo period. If you have other balances on your account, this monthly payment will be added to the minimum payment applicable to those balances. ††Ashley HomeStore does not require a down payment, however, sales tax and delivery charges are due at time of purchase if the purchase is made with your Ashley Advantage™ Credit Card. Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo purchase if you pay the promo purchase amount in full within 12 or 24 Months. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo purchase from the purchase date. Depending on purchase amount, promotion length and payment allocation, the required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off purchase by end of promotional period. Regular account terms apply to non-promotional purchases and, after promotion ends, to promotional balance. For new accounts: Purchase APR is 29.99%; Minimum Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders should see their credit card agreement for their applicable terms. Promotional purchases of merchandise will be charged to account when merchandise is delivered. Subject to credit approval. §Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See store for details. ‡‡Previous purchases excluded. Cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount. Discount offers exclude Tempur-Pedic®, Stearns & Foster® and Sealy Posturepedic Hybrid™ mattress sets, floor models, clearance items, sales tax, furniture protection plans, warranty, delivery fee, Manager’s Special pricing, Advertised Special pricing, and 14 Piece Packages and cannot be combined with financing specials. Effective 1/1/2018, all mattress and box springs are subject to a $10.50 per unit CA recycling fee. SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. Stoneledge Furniture LLC. many times has multiple offers, promotions, discounts and financing specials occurring at the same time; these are allowed to only be used either/or and not both or combined with each other. Although every precaution is taken, errors in price and/or specification may occur in print. We reserve the right to correct any such errors. Picture may not represent item exactly as shown, advertised items may not be on display at all locations. Some restrictions may apply. Available only at participating locations. ±Leather Match upholstery features top-grain leather in the seating areas and skillfully matched vinyl everywhere else. Ashley HomeStores are independently owned and operated. ©2018 Ashley HomeStores, Ltd. Promotional Start Date: June 5, 2018. Expires: July 2, 2018.

<< Pride 2018

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Silicon Valley

with the county’s Office of Cultural Competency, Office of Immigrant Relations, and Office of Women’s Policy, all of which are under the Division of Equity and Social Justice. He was also impressed by the support from county leaders and employees and is looking forward to learning from his colleagues and working on many issues, he said. “Anthony is a great addition to our team,” said Martinez. “Having somebody focusing on transgender issues and bringing that depth of knowledge to our office is a great benefit to the community.” She praised Ross’ past accomplishments, particularly his ability to take a small office and grow it to fit the needs of the community, as an example of the “skill sets and traits that are going to make him a very successful staff in this role.” Ross is excited about his new position and working with his colleagues, community leaders, and the county’s transgender community. “I’m really fired up. There’s so much good work happening,” he said, talking about the expertise and resources everyone is bringing to the table. “There are so many people that are really just passionate. It feels really amazing to be a part of it because, again, I feel like it’s such a privilege to be here right now in this position, in this office, [and] in this county. It’s amazing.”t

To resolve these issues, Ross is taking his experience building programs at Outlet to the transgender community countywide. County officials have already

identified an LGBT youth shelter (ebar.com/news/news/260321) and transgender health clinic as priorities to stem homelessness and health care issues in the community. Many of the programs being developed come from issues identified in the 2013 LGBT health survey conducted by the county, Ross noted. His overall goal is to raise the visibility and awareness for the transgender and nonbinary communities, he said. To reach that objective, his first task this year is to understand what the South Bay’s transgender community needs, especially for people of color. “While the trans community is highly marginalized across the board in seeking services and getting support ... trans and queer folks of color are the most discriminated against,” he said. “Those are the folks that are having the hardest time. So, a lot of the priority for me is to build up as much support services for that group.” He’s also working with the LGBTQ Affairs office and other agencies to bring the transgender conversation to criminal justice, domestic violence, and hate crimes issues, he said. Once he has an understanding of the community’s needs, he will prioritize them to begin to identify gaps in policies and enforcement of existing policies and develop programs based on the resources available, he said. He is also tasked to work with the transgender health clinic expected to open later this year, and training county

employees on cultural sensitivity for gender-nonconforming individuals. “Anthony will work with that team to make sure that there is outreach into the community and visibility about that endeavor,” said Maribel Martinez, director of the Office of LGBTQ Affairs. “A large part of the work that we do requires collaboration and relationships with community organizations and schools related to addressing transgender community needs.” To get the job done, Ross said he will be a regular at the office’s 10-city listening tour, which has already held its first two meetings this year. He’s also looking at working on a survey specifically for the county’s transgender community. “My vision is, really it has to do with building up a solid foundation of providers within the county and without and, especially, in the outlying areas,” he said. Martinez agreed. “We are hopeful this role will allow us to better reach a community that has been largely underserved and invisible for a large part as it relates to policy making,” she said. “What we hope for in the future is that the transgender community will be not only informed of the process but would be engaged in the policymaking as well.”

use EBT. Market Match is supported by foundation and government grants, but will end when the funds are exhausted. Markets also accept federallyfunded WIC (women, infants, children) checks given out by WIC clinics to qualified low-income shoppers. Farmers market managers explain the program to participating farmers, who display special signage on their booths. In their spare time, the Naja-Rieses started Bay Area Group Eating Lox (BAGEL), an unofficial tasting competition, and found one of their favorites, made by Marla Bakery, at

the Clement Street farmer’s market. BAGEL also recently held a gala to raise money for undocumented fire victims of the Sonoma-Napa fires. Agricultural education is an essential AIM goal and includes three categories of market-based educational programs. In “Diggin’ the Market Tours,” AIM organizes tour groups who follow a guide as they visit one of the markets. The tours include food tasting, gaining better understanding of food and vegetables, receiving nutritional guidance, and generally getting better access to healthy food. Working with schools throughout the Bay Area, the “Diggin’ in the Classroom” program aims to increase students’ awareness about farming and other fun

subjects. AIM staff visit schools to explain the principles of healthy eating and discuss where food comes from. The “Farm Field Studies” program allows groups of children and young adults from the Bay Area to visit local farms. AIM suggests such direct exposure will inspire students to “become active participants in a sustainable food system” as they spend a day at the farm. There is a fee for this program but scholarships are available. “These programs are some of my biggest passions,” Naja-Riese said, “and I want to expand them.” He also hopes to work more with health care professionals, seniors, and housing organizations. AIM also sponsors what it calls the

Kava Zip, which connects vendors with crowdfunding sources for loans. Its website claims 98 percent of businesses using this approach have been successfully funded. The first $5,000 is lent with zero interest. AIM recently received grants from the Marin Community Association and others to develop a mobile farmers market, so it can “bring a farmers market to low-income and other underserved communities,” Naja-Riese pointed out. Naja-Riese was eager to highlight the value AIM attaches to volunteers and hopes to expand their involvement in the nonprofit. Volunteers staff information booths at several markets, assisting with EBT cards and selling

merchandise. Volunteers also assist with the Farm Field Studies program. “I believe in the role community members play,” Naja-Riese said, again using one of his favorite words. “They can be ambassadors and be familiar faces to our shoppers. We can even expose high school students to new career paths.” Naja-Riese asserted, “Growing food is the hardest job out there.” “I believe healthy food creates a better society,” he added. “Food is now moving too fast and we want to slow the experience down.” AIM is funded by stall fees paid by vendors, as well as grants from other organizations. For a schedule of its markets and other information, visit agriculturalinstitute.org. t

young lesbians in Portland who were abused by a bus driver as he was kicking them off a bus for kissing.

same-sex couples, add protections for transgender employees, and hold its first Pride celebration. During his term in office, the couple took in a foster child considered “unadoptable” by Florida because of the child’s HIV status. Their foster son lived with them for several years before he was accepted into college and moved to Portland in 2009, but they keep in touch. Niedwiecki asked that his son’s name not be published.

transgender name changes because, as he explained it, “I always try to infuse my values wherever I go.” Fort Lauderdale changed a lot during the couple’s years there and in the time since. “People became more active and more gay people ran for office,” Niedwiecki said. Dean Trantalis, a gay attorney, was elected mayor of Fort Lauderdale this year, and took office in March. “[He] was one of the main organizers when we were holding protests,” Niedwiecki said.

“We can send people who contact us to different organizations for help, like Lambda Legal,” he said, referring to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund. Hudson, a former writer for Huffington Post, does most of the social media updates these days. “We have a large following on Facebook and Twitter,” Niedwiecki said, “and have been able to pull communities together which don’t always talk to each other.” Niedwiecki said that he and Hudson try to help people connect with organizations that can help them, such as the American Civil Liberties Union or smaller LGBTQ agencies. “Most of the time, these are sensitive issues that make it hard to talk about publicly,” he said. “We just try to keep a presence online, both as the organization and as individuals, which helps people find us when they are in need.” He believes “being dean gives me another outlet for my activism.” And as his husband, who is the GGU law communications coordinator wrote recently, “Dean Niedwiecki has seen firsthand how laws can both stifle progress for equality and also dramatically expand access to civil rights very quickly.”t

From page 10

changed for the transgender community in recent years. Out trans celebrities Chaz Bono, Laverne Cox, and Caitlyn Jenner have boosted the community’s visibility. However, there is still much work to be done, even in the progressive Bay Area, he said. Ross likens the state of the transgender community to that of the gay and lesbian movement in the mid-tolate 20th century when community was everything to people. “You needed your community to find your way,” he said. Currently, there are many people – transgender youth to seniors – who still don’t know how to access the limited services available in the county. Services are limited due to the availability of well-trained providers such as counselors, social workers, teachers, medical providers, county employees, and anyone who encounters a gender nonconforming individual. Geography adds another challenge due to the spread-out nature of the county that stretches north to south from Palo Alto to Gilroy and east to west from Milpitas to Los Gatos, he noted. However, he believes the two biggest challenges are conservatives and complacency by progressives. A conservative population in what is often considered a progressive area is pushing back on things like

Agricultural institute

From page 14

Law school dean

From page 16

on in a supermarket. They requested, and received, police protection for their home. Even some of their friends were less than supportive of their activism, Hudson, 39, recalled. Then Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle emerged as a new adversary. Naugle was pushing the purchase of $250,000 “robot-toilets” for the city’s parks because, as Naugle said, “We want to have single bathrooms to prevent gay men from having sex in them.” The couple responded to his harassment by organizing protests against Naugle in front of City Hall. They and their supporters came up with a “Flush Naugle” protest message, and asked people to mail in toilet paper to the mayor’s office. Naugle had offended so many different communities that the protests were organized in coalition with the American Civil Liberties Union, labor unions, and other civil rights groups. The men also started a nonprofit called Fight OUT Loud to support LGBTQ individuals facing discrimination and hate (http://www.fightoutloud.org). Their first cause beyond the airport incident was supporting two

Irish pub

From page 12

“I hadn’t had the chance to work with Irish cuisine,” he said, referencing two staples of the Irish diet, lamb and ham. Menu items include traditional

LGBT-inclusive sex education for school students in Fremont, which, while in Alameda County, is close to the Santa Clara County line. “There are still folks who still don’t want to acknowledge the existence of the community or don’t want to acknowledge that there are specific things that we need,” he said. “There’s some very conservative populations in the Bay Area and they work in the county and they work in tech.” The other challenge is complacency. “We think we’re super progressive and open, yet we have a really long way to go,” said Ross, adding there is a general perception that everything is OK because many LGBTQ people are doing well and living openly in the Bay Area. “I want us to have a higher standard.” “Kids are being harassed in the bathroom. I have trans adults who are getting fired because they have to miss work for surgeries,” said Ross. “That’s happening here. “We’re still not where we should be if LGBTQ ... or people are still feeling kind of isolated, kind of misunderstood, not sure where to get services,” he added. “That means we’re missing something, right, as a community.”

Solutions

Run for office

Niedwiecki decided to take his activism a step further and run for the office of city commissioner in Oakland Park, Florida, where they lived at the time. Oakland Park is adjacent to Fort Lauderdale. He began his race in 2007 for the election in March 2009. He was one of the few openly gay people running for office in Florida at that time and received substantial support from his co-workers at NOVA Southeastern. He won the race and served for a year and a half, including a stint as vice mayor. During the campaign, and after six years together, Niedwiecki and Hudson decided to get married in San Francisco when it was briefly legal in 2008. Word of their marriage spread back home but they were relieved to notice few negative reactions. Because Niedwiecki was elected commissioner, Oakland Park was one of a handful of cities in the U.S. that passed a resolution against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the federal law that prohibited gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. He also pushed Oakland Park to expand benefits to Irish pub fare, such as soda bread with Irish cheddar cheese, soup, and fish and chips. Then, there are the lamb sliders with garlic cheese crisps, sausage roll, Shepherd’s pie, and a full Irish breakfast, which is served all day. Weekend brunch items feature smoked salmon benedict, sweet

Advocate for foster youth

As they cared for their foster child, they learned how bad the Florida foster care system was. They were shocked to find out that their state preferred a child become homeless rather than be adopted by gay men. The couple lobbied the Florida state Senate to overturn the state’s 1977 ban on gay adoption, instituted in response to Anita Bryant’s campaign. They were relieved when thenGovernor Charlie Crist said in 2008 that he would not appeal the Florida Supreme Court’s decision that the ban was unconstitutional. In 2010, Niedwiecki and his husband moved to Chicago so Niedwiecki could serve as associate dean of the John Marshall Law School. At John Marshall, he started a clinic to do

potato pancakes, and colcannon hash, among other items. The bar has Guinness on tap, naturally, as well as other Irish brews, Irish coffee, and spirits. Moore and Gallanagh are planning to add items to the menu soon. Moore mentioned a couple of

Fired up

Ross is very excited about the Office of LGBTQ Affairs joining forces

Current role

In his current role as GGU law dean, and in response to President Donald Trump’s comments and directives on immigration, he distributed this statement to all law students: “We are committed to our students including LGBTQ and illegal immigrant communities.” Niedwiecki met with each new law school student last fall and observed that a large number were driven by social justice concerns, and at least 25 percent claimed they enrolled in law school in reaction to Trump. He believes this is part of a national trend and commented, “They decided to do something about it.” Fight OUT Loud now uses social media more than its original website, he explained.

sandwiches and a ham dish, depending on the season. He said that since he’s been there, he’s redone the Shepherd’s pie to “what Jackie remembers from her childhood.” For her part, Gallanagh is happy that Slainte has been well-received. It generated favorable press last year

when it opened, and so far, things are going well. “It’s been really good,” she said. t For more information, visit https://slainteoakland.com/

Pride's new TV deal

Glamping in style

ARTS

Frameline 42

Rainbow Pride parties

The

www.ebar.com

Since 1971, the newspaper of record for the San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQ community

Vol. 48 • No. 25 • June 21-27, 2018

SF Pride beefs up its weekend offerings Samir Taha

Global human rights activist Scott Long lies in his bed at Highland Hospital in Oakland.

Global gay rights activist beaten in Oakland

by Heather Cassell

ongtime American global LGBT rights activist Scott Long was brutally attacked and hospitalized June 9 in Oakland. Long, 55, underwent surgery last week and is now back at his friend Samir Taha’s apartment recovering with the help of a handful of friends. The attack happened after months of Long dealing with some other serious health issues, he revealed in a June 12 Facebook post that was accompanied by graphic photos of him in his hospital bed. Long’s boyfriend is currently in Romania. Long requested that he not come to the United States, he told the Bay Area Reporter via Facebook Messenger. Long has worked for many of the major human rights organizations – Human Rights Watch, OutRight Action International when it was known as the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association. He has also held fellowships at Columbia and Harvard universities. His work has taken him all over the world, including some of the world’s hot spots for LGBT rights. He returned to the United States in 2016 after living in Cairo, Egypt for three and a half years. His Facebook page still states that’s where he’s living, but he’s been in Oakland for nine months. Since returning, Long has been working on a book about international LGBT human rights.

The attack

Long had just celebrated his birthday June 5. He was getting supplies for a surprise birthday party for Taha’s birthday June 10. He was walking to Taha’s home with groceries late Saturday around 10:30 p.m. A man came out from behind a fence in a neighboring driveway and attacked him from behind with what Long believes was a tire iron in the East Bay city’s Laurel neighborhood. Long turned around to see a wiry 20- or 30-something man about 5 feet 7 inches tall dressed all in black in a rage screaming at him before he felt the second, third, and fourth blows to his head. He couldn’t recall what the young man was screaming due to the ringing in his ears, he said. The second blow had knocked off his glasses, so he couldn’t clearly see the man beyond his initial glimpse. See page 37 >>

Untitled-9 1

Tens of thousands of people marched in the 2017 San Francisco LGBT Pride parade.

by Alex Madison

very year, the San Francisco Pride celebration brings new faces and new entertainment to the multitude of attendees, and most of the action takes place on Sunday with the parade and celebration. This year, for its 48th anniversary, SF Pride officials are putting a local focus on its Saturday

festivities, in the hope of drawing more people to what is typically a more low-key day. This year’s theme, “Generations of Strength,” will also deliver new events to the bash that is expected to welcome more than a million people for the festivals on Saturday and Sunday, June 23-24, and the colossal Sunday parade. George Ridgely Jr., executive director of

the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, the nonprofit organization that oversees the event, said that although he hasn’t marketed Saturday as being more local, he knows, as attendance grows year after year, including a rise in out-of-towners and straight allies, that preserving the local feel has become ever more pressing. See page 37 >>

Estate insists Baker sole flag creator Rick Gerharter

by Matthew S. Bajko

he estate of Gilbert Baker is pushing back against claims that he is not the sole creator of the original rainbow flag. It has released excerpts from Baker’s unpublished memoir to back up its contention that the initial idea to create a rainbow-colored flag for the 1978 Pride parade and celebration in San Francisco came from Baker alone. While the estate does not refute that Baker, who died last year at the age of 65, had assistance in stitching together the first rainbow flags created 40 years ago, it does take issue with anyone claiming that he shares credit for coming up with the design. “We, as keepers of the flame so to speak, we do have a duty to correct the story when we think there are mistakes or when people say, ‘To have flags was my idea,’ or, ‘The rainbow was my idea.’ We feel necessary to defend Gilbert’s legacy,” said Charles Beal, manager of creative projects for Baker’s estate, in a recent phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “We are upset this is happening a year after Gilbert died.” Beal said the estate was responding to claims made by Lynn Segerblom in a first-person account she wrote for the Los Angeles Blade in March and in an interview with the B.A.R. this spring in which she claimed to have come up with the idea for making the 1978 flags rainbow patterned and sought credit as a co-creator of the first flags. “We are happy she is going to have a day in the sun. We do have to object when there are factual differences about the creation of the rainbow flag from

Mark Rennie

The first rainbow flags flies on Market Street the day of the 1978 San Francisco Pride parade.

what she is saying and what Gilbert wrote,” said Beal. Segerblom doesn’t deny that it was Baker who was instrumental in turning the rainbow flag into a global symbol for LGBT people. But she does contend that the first such flags were collaboratively designed and made by herself, Baker, and their friend James McNamara, who died of AIDS in 1999. “It really is a three person, not a one person,

flag making. Everybody played their part and then some,” Segerblom, 61, who is straight and lives in Torrance, southwest of Los Angeles, had told the B.A.R. earlier this year. Known then as Faerie Argyle Rainbow, Segerblom befriended Baker and McNamara in the mid1970s. With Baker, she co-chaired the decorations committee for the 1978 Pride parade. They were tasked with designing flags to fly on the various flagpoles in the city’s Civic Center Plaza in front of City Hall where the parade ended and a rally and celebration were held. They also set out to create larger flags for two flagpoles in the adjacent United Nations Plaza fronting the Market Street entrance into the area. As Segerblom wrote in her first-person account in the Blade, she and McNamara volunteered to design the flags for the two larger flagpoles, while other artists were selected to create smaller flags to be flown around the reflecting pool. “Now, what to put on them? I’m sure we all had a meeting about this, but I was ‘the Rainbow Faerie’ so I wanted them to be rainbow colored flags. We all agreed,” wrote Segerblom. In her written account and interview with the B.A.R., Segerblom said she chose the eight colors that made up the first flag: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, aqua, royal blue, and violet. “I wanted it to be a full rainbow, not like a quasi rainbow,” said Segerblom, who also opted to include a corner section with stars to mimic the design of the American flag. See page 35 >>

{ SECOND OF FOUR SECTIONS }

6/15/18 1:20 PM

What is BIKTARVY®? BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, oncea-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects: � Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. Who should not take BIKTARVY? Do not take BIKTARVY if you take: � dofetilide � rifampin � any other medicines to treat HIV-1 What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY? Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include: � Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. � Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. � Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. � Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomacharea pain. The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY? � All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. � All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines. � If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. � If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at MyDailyCharge.com

KEEP EMPOWERING. Because HIV doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t change who you are. BIKTARVY is a 1-pill, once-a-day complete HIV-1 treatment for adults who are either new to treatment or whose healthcare provider determines they can replace their current HIV-1 medicines with BIKTARVY.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

BIKTARVY.COM

IMPORTANT FACTS

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

(bik-TAR-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

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

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

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: • dofetilide • rifampin

• any other medicines to treat HIV-1

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

• 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. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

• Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including:

• Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. • Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. • Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

• The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (5%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

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

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

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

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2018 © 2018 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0025 05/18

BVYC0025_BIKTARVY_D_9-75x16_BayAreReporter_KeepEmpowering_r1v1jl.indd 3

6/6/18 4:55 PM

Queer reading>>

t Book on Sisters looks at intersection of camp, drag

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

by Brian Bromberger

t all started on Easter weekend 1979 in San Francisco, when three men with nothing else interesting to do donned retired nuns’ habits that had been donated by a convent in Cedar Rapids, Iowa “for a theatrical production.” They added whiteface with some rouge and lipstick, and then walked through the Castro. Later that day they appeared at a gay nude beach at Lands End, followed by a stop at a high-end coffee shop in Pacific Heights. In August they presented themselves at the Castro Street Fair as an order – that’s when the fair took place then – passing out cards soliciting for members to join the new drag nuns’ group. This was the birth of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, self-described as “21st century queer nuns,” whose mission is “to promulgate universal joy and the expiation of stigmatic guilt,” by offering outreach, support, and protest on behalf of more than 83 communities on four continents. A new book, “Queer Nuns: Religion, Activism, and Serious Parody,” written by Melissa M. Wilcox and published by New York University Press, gives the background, history, and insights into the role the Sisters play across queer culture and the religious landscape. Wilcox is professor and chair of religious studies at UC Riverside. She has written two well-received books in the field, “Coming Out in Christianity: Religion, Identity, and Community,” and “Queer Women and Religious Individualism,” both published by Indiana University Press. Wilcox, 46, declined to state how she identifies. She was interviewed via email for the Bay Area Reporter. Wilcox’s interest in the Sisters developed having grown up in the Bay Area, where she saw them at Pride parades, as well as interviewing one for

Rick Gerharter

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence led a funeral march at an ACT-UP Day of the Dead action at the state Capitol in Sacramento October 29, 1993.

her “Queer Women” book. Wilcox, who did her doctoral work as part of a research group that encouraged the study of religion in unexpected places, and having spent her career writing about interaction with religion in LGBTQ communities, saw the Sisters as a “fascinating opportunity to think about religion, sexuality, gender, embodiment, and activism that reflect the complex communities in which the Sisters work and from which they draw their members.” She sees the Sisters as embodying serious parody, which is defined as “a form of cultural protest in which a disempowered group parodies an oppressive cultural institution, while simultaneously claiming, for itself, what it believes to be an equally good or superior enactment of one or more culturally respected aspects of that same institution.” The Sisters aren’t just camping or spoofing Roman Catholic nuns, but argue quite seriously that they are nuns. “That makes what they do more than performative protest or camp,

even as what they do is in part both performative protest and camp,” Wilcox wrote in her email. “Many Sisters would claim the term camp,” she added. “I don’t know that it’s either a compliment or criticism. I’d call it description. I argue in the book that camp may be the key to understanding and, perhaps even, resolving the apparent paradox of serious parody.” Ken Bunch, who as Sister Vish brought those nun habits to San Francisco in 1979, told the B.A.R. he helped start the order because he wanted a creative outlet. “I would say that the conformity of the 1970s led to my boredom, and boredom breeds great creativity,” Bunch wrote in an email. “If I had not brought those nun’s habits from Iowa, we might be the Clowns of Perpetual Indulgence.”

Misconceptions

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Sisters is that they’re mocking nuns. Wilcox insists mockery is

different from camp in that the former implies a level of contemptuousness, when, in fact, many Sisters admire Roman Catholic nuns. Wilcox noted that one way to bring a tear to a Sisters’ eye is to mention there are Roman Catholic nuns who respect them and their work. Wilcox noted that Roman Catholic nuns, like everyone else, have a wide range of theological and political commitments. Some have commended the Sisters’ work, while others find their parody and their criticisms of the church to be too sharp. “Another way to say this is that some respect the serious side and take the parody side in stride or even appreciate it, whereas others either aren’t aware of the serious side or feel that the parody negates it,” Wilcox wrote. “I’d guess that more Roman Catholic nuns have come to appreciate the Sisters’ work over the years as the Sisters have become more widely (and better) known.” In fact, Wilcox argued that the serious part of their parody – the activist and charity work they do – is what makes the Sisters stand out. “The combination of the two – seriousness and parody together – is what makes them successful,” Wilcox wrote. “And the Sisters themselves have known that from very early on.”

HIV/AIDS

Soon after their formation, the Sisters had to deal with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Wilcox noted that unlike other groups, they were prepared to do this work. “By the summer of 1980, the Sisters had already developed the mission statement that they still have today,” she wrote. “They were exploring theatrical work, protest, fundraising, and even spiritual development as aspects of the order. So, although the AIDS epidemic shifted the focus of the order, at least for awhile, and at least in

San Francisco (less so, in some ways, in the Australian order, for instance), the fact that the order survived the devastations of the epidemic is due in part to the fact that major groundwork had been laid well before people began dying in significant numbers.” Also, very early on, the Sisters promoted safe-sex education among the masses and fundraising for HIV/AIDS care with many houses still prioritizing sexual health as their main focus today. The Sisters now have houses throughout the world, many of which are long-standing. “The Sisters became popular abroad long before they became popular in the U.S.,” Wilcox wrote. “Until around the turn of the 21st century, houses within the U.S. were outnumbered by houses beyond the U.S. and at least three houses were founded outside the U.S. (in Toronto, Sydney, and Melbourne) before the second U.S. house (Seattle) began. “So, the question is, really, why they’re experiencing such rapid growth in the U.S. – and have been doing so for roughly the last 13 years,” she continued. “There are lots of possible explanations, and most likely the real story contains some complex combinations of them. They include political changes, the shifting fortunes of drag, the internet, internal organization to support new houses, and ,perhaps, the coming of age of a generation keenly responsive to irony.”

Controversy

This is not to say that the Sisters haven’t engendered controversy. One of the biggest misconceptions about the Sisters is that they’re all gay, cisgender men. In fact, women and transgender people have been See page 38 >>

Alert

Bus Substitutions The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is making major infrastructure improvements to century-old Twin Peaks Tunnel. Planned improvements include replacing train tracks and seismic reinforcements in the tunnel between Castro and West Portal stations.

Starting June 25 for 2 months

Construction will begin in summer 2018, during a tunnel closure lasting up to two months. During the closure, Forest Hill and West Portal stations will be closed, the K Ingleside will travel on a shortened route, and bus service will run for the L Taraval and M Ocean View lines.

311 Free language assistance / 免費語言協助 / Ayuda gratis con el idioma / Бесплатная помощь переводчиков / Trợ giúp Thông dịch Miễn phí / Assistance linguistique gratuite / 無料の言語支援 / Libreng tulong para sa wikang Filipino / 무료 언어 지원 / การช่วยเหลือทางด้านภาษาโดยไม่เสียค่าใช้จา่ ย / ‫خط املساعدة املجاين عىل الرمق‬

SFMTA.com/TwinPeaks

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Volume 47, Number 25 June 21-27, 2018 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 • Alex Madison 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 Christina DiEdoardo • 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 • Juanita MORE! David-Elijah Nahmod • Paul Parish Sean Piverger • Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Bob Roehr Adam Sandel • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Tony Taylor • 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 • Kelly Sullivan Steven Underhil • Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini

<< Open Forum

t B.A.R. arts section fails in film review

he Bay Area Reporter’s arts section blew it last week with a transphobic review of “Man Made,” a documentary about transgender male bodybuilders. We quickly heard the criticism, but acted too slowly and too passively to update the online version of the story, which we regret. The paper’s editorial policy has long been to use names and pronouns that people prefer, and in their reviews, our critics will strive to keep their misplaced musings out, especially if they are not experts in the field of gender identity. That’s what led to last week’s unfortunate word choice by reviewer Erin Blackwell when she wrote that the male bodybuilders featured in the film “were women when they decided to become men, so they are in fact ‘women made.’” It was inaccurate, insensitive, and transphobic, and the onlline version of her review has been re-edited. We apologize. Trans men are men. Trans women are women. Period. It’s not lost on us that this error occurred in the middle of Pride Month, and there is no “good time” for these mistakes to happen, as we wrote in an editorial several months ago [“We screwed up,” February 1] about a similar issue involving a trans person who was deadnamed in a news article – publishing the person’s old name instead of the one with which they identify. It’s hard enough for LGBTQ people to be portrayed accurately in the mainstream media; when the gay press screws up, it’s even worse. We have heard the outrage loud and clear from readers who have eviscerated us online, in emails, and in phone messages.

by Jewelle Gomez

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

News Editor • news@ebar.com Arts Editor • arts@ebar.com Out & About listings • jim@ebar.com Advertising • scott@ebar.com Letters • letters@ebar.com Published weekly. Bay Area Reporter reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement which the publisher believes is in poor taste or which advertises illegal items which might result in legal action against Bay Area Reporter. Ads will not be rejected solely on the basis of politics, philosophy, religion, race, age, or sexual orientation. Advertising rates available upon request. Our list of subscribers and advertisers is conﬁdential and is not sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers published herein is neither inferred nor implied. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

for decades, including transgender writers and advisers. Yet, it just takes one mistake to chip away at our good will and respect in the community. We will do better.

Apologia for a transgression

Bay Area Reporter film reviewer Erin Blackwell issued the following statement, which has been edited for space. Never has one of my articles attracted so much impassioned attention in 25 years of writing for the Bay Area Reporter. The fallout from my review of T Cooper’s “Man Made” was designed to confront me with my own personal unresolved inner conflicts. I want to thank everyone who took time to complain about the rough ride I gave not so much the film as an aesthetic entity as the real people whose lives are on raw display fleetingly but intimately – and, by extension, the entire trans community. Mea culpa. I’m sorry. Director T Cooper voiced his displeasure with my review by calling me transphobic. When I read Cooper’s remarks, I requested an interview through his publicist, which was declined. I turned to my trans roommate to walk me through the error of my ways. As a nonbinary trans person, they succinctly parsed the verbiage. Where I had written “biological women bodybuilders rejecting natural bodies,” I should have written, “bodybuilders assigned female at birth reclaiming their bodies to reflect their gender identity.” I had used obsolete terms betraying an essentialist mindset, even though I was trained by French feminists to reject essentialism. I was mortified. Further, my roommate reminded me, “Sex is a spectrum,” as established by Magnus Hirschfeld, the pioneering Berlin sexologist, over 100 years ago. This is one of my favorite scientifically proven facts, as I have never personally been an avatar of femininity. t

Visibility is our superpower

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937

LEGAL COUNSEL Paul H. Melbostad, Esq.

We are taking steps going forward to ensure that this does not happen again. First, we will provide all writers with guidelines on covering trans issues, such as avoiding generalizations and assumptions based on, for example, a film title. It is not our job to presume someone’s gender identity, or to write about it in a flippant way. We are and strive to be better than that. Second, we will ensure our editors know when and how to edit such offending language and assumptions. Both of our recent mistakes could have been avoided if editors had paid closer attention while editing the draft articles. Finally, we will act quicker to correct these lapses in judgment. The film review should have been corrected as soon as editor Roberto Friedman heard about it last Friday, not three days later. This transparency is important to us. And this remains as true today as it was a few months ago: We will be transparent when we fall short. We regularly criticize others when they get it wrong, you deserve to hear from us when we do too. We pride ourselves on our staff ’s professionalism. Many have been with the paper

his year I have the honor of being the lifetime achievement grand marshal for the San Francisco Pride parade. I haven’t missed a Pride parade since I moved to California 25 years ago. To many queer people it’s just a good time in the sun; to others it’s irrelevant or an embarrassment. Some don’t understand why we need a parade – or a march as it’s called back east. They think it doesn’t meet the need of social change directly enough or it gives the right wing images to use against us. When African-Americans can be shot dead in the street by police and women (mostly) can be harassed simply for trying to work at a job or walk down the street – why is a gay parade important? Now, I wouldn’t trade a minute or mile for a bucket of bitcoin but the parade route was not always smooth for me. And the answer to that question didn’t come easily. I’d marched for black civil rights before I left my hometown, Boston, and moved to New York City in 1971. But in such an erotophobic culture a gay march was a frightening prospect; living and working in New York City was already shock enough. I’d only been on an airplane once in my life; I’d never lived on my own; and worst of all: my one female lover was left back home ... with her new husband. But I became friends with a couple of white feminists so I got to share an apartment in the West Village. I could walk out the door at any time and be in the heart of gayness! Yet, I was so shy and anxious I was barely able to go into the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop. I lived so close to the Pride March route the cheers tantalized me through the windows. I agonized but as much as I pushed, I wouldn’t go past my door. I was paralyzed with fear – would I be the only person of color? How many lesbians were there, really? The following year I determined, no matter what, I’d go out to the street. I’d watch from the sidewalk just as most New Yorkers did. So, I found a sunny spot and tried to look inconspicuous

Courtesy Jewelle Gomez

Jewelle Gomez took part in the 1989 Pride March in New York City.

– which was not that easy in the 1970s for a plump woman of color with an afro in the very white and sleek West Village. I was moved as the marchers sang and danced their way down the avenue. Their fierceness was so thrilling, this time I was paralyzed with joy. Then, I saw people marching with brown paper bags over their heads; eyes and mouths were cut out but their identities were concealed. They were teachers from public schools determined to be part of the movement. They banged cans and tambourines with a solemn pride that was devastating and inspiring. I held onto a streetlamp as if I’d been punched realizing that these were people willing to risk everything. All they needed was for one administrator or neighbor to recognize something random – a wristwatch or a T-shirt, for example, and they were toast. I wiped away my tears with a handkerchief my grandmother had provided as a going away gift and then I did something that changed my life: I stepped into the street, wading into the wave of people surging down the avenue. In that

moment I felt the danger and the liberation of being on the street. Those teachers were in the same tradition of folks who’d been protesting injustice since the first tea was dumped into Boston Harbor. They saw a need and filled it the best way they could – by putting their bodies on the line. Now, when I’m at the Pride parade here in San Francisco, the variety of contingents is dazzling and, most importantly, it’s a place where all the issues come together. We have queer folks who are part of Black Lives Matter and #MeToo just like we were part of the civil rights and black power movements. And rather than seeing the movements as competitive, we are a unifying force for human rights. We are testament to the truth – whether we fear deportation, are the objects of vile presidential tweets, or we can’t get a cake for our wedding, all our oppressions are connected. Now I understand why it was crucial that I stepped off that sidewalk. Tattooed dykes in fry boots, leather, and bustiers; gay men in high heels, balloons, and feathers; or trans teens in any one or all of the above – visibility is one of our superpowers. We’re out there in the sun, in front of the world for the sake of that isolated, terrified, queer person (young or old) who thinks they’re alone; who’s too afraid to come out of their apartment, their village, or their own anxiety and step into the stream of an authentic life. We all choose to be in the same parade, whether or not we agree with each other on every point, to show we are not alone. As a lesbian/feminist I believe that, like a parade or a march, we must personally always move toward something – together; toward social change that makes the world a better place for everyone. Parading is our life’s work.t Jewelle Gomez is the author of seven books, including the double Lambda Literary Award-winning vampire novel, “The Gilda Stories.”

Politics>>

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Lesbian wins East Bay Assembly primary race by Matthew S. Bajko

Tide turns in San Mateo ed race

t Richmond’s Juneteenth festivities Saturday, the city’s lesbian city councilwoman celebrated her come-from-behind win in the June 5 primary to compete this November to represent the state’s 15th Assembly District. The East Bay seat stretches from Richmond south into parts of Oakland. Jovanka Beckles had placed third on Election Night to then claim second place by the weekend, only to drop back down behind Oakland City Councilman Dan Kalb at the start of last week. By Wednesday, June 13, Beckles had shot back into second and saw her lead over Kalb grow with each update of the vote count. Beckles claimed victory late Thursday, June 14, with her campaign emailing supporters that it had “been a roller coaster ride with a photo finish, but we won!” Kalb conceded the race the following day. According to the latest unofficial returns, Beckles took second place with 18,132 votes, or 15.7 percent of the total. Kalb received 17,837 votes, or 15.4 percent. Former Obama staffer Buffy Wicks came in a dominating first place with 36,551 votes, or 31.6 percent of the total. Under the state’s “jungle primary” system, the top two vote-getters in the primary compete against each other in the November 6 general election. The Assembly seat is open, as Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) is running to be elected state superintendent of public instruction in the fall. Beckles will be vying in November to become the first out LGBT state legislator from the East Bay. She would also become the first out African-American woman – born in Panama, Beckles is both black and Latina – and LGBT immigrant elected to California’s Legislature. She is facing a well-financed opponent in Wicks, who reported having $117,233 in her campaign account as of May 19. Beckles, who has refused donations from lobbyists and corporate interests, had just $19,116 in her campaign account as of that date.

Jane Philomen Cleland

Richmond City Councilwoman Jovanka Beckles, left, raises her arm in victory at the city’s Juneteenth event after clinching the second spot for the November general election for the open 15th Assembly District seat.

She noted the fact that she is running a “people powered” bid for the state Legislature in a statement her campaign released June 16. “I have taken no corporate money. I never have and I never will,” stated Beckles. “That means I’m free to listen to everyone. I’m not bought.” She added that she is “excited” and “looking forward” to the fall campaign. “There are no strings attached to my candidacy. I’m nobody’s puppet,” stated Beckles. “You know my story. I want to hear your stories. I want to work in Sacramento to make our state a better place for all of us.” In her own statement issued June 14, Wicks congratulated Beckles on her advancing to the general election. She added that she, too, “look(s) forward to a constructive and healthy debate on the issues” with Beckles as they seek to succeed Thurmond. “This district has always sent leaders to Sacramento, women and men, who have led the fight in the Legislature for equity and justice,” stated Wicks. “The incredible insights and contributions of all the candidates over the past year have helped ensure we’ll get just that in our eventual representative.”

On the Peninsula, the two out candidates for San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools had swapped places Friday afternoon when the latest vote count was released. Gary Waddell, Ph.D., who had been the top finisher since Election Day, had dropped to second place. Taking first place, with a 428-vote lead, was Nancy Magee. She now has 46,242 votes, or 50.2 percent of the total, while Waddell is trailing with 45,814 votes, or 49.8 percent of the total. The candidates are colleagues at the county education office and are running to succeed lesbian San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools Anne E. Campbell. After serving two four-year terms in the position, Campbell opted not to seek re-election. Waddell, a gay resident of Pacifica, currently serves as deputy superintendent of the instructional services division at the county education office. Magee, a lesbian resident of Half Moon Bay, is the county’s associate superintendent for the student services division. Elections officials updated the results Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., after the Bay Area Reporter’s press deadline. With upwards of 45,000 votes still to be counted this week, Waddell had remained hopeful of reclaiming first place. “We are watching the results closely and hoping for a positive outcome,” Waddell told the B.A.R. Friday night. “I am proud of our campaign and elevating the conversation around serving all students well throughout the county. We will be watching the results come in closely over the next week.” Magee also was waiting for the vote count to be updated before claiming victory. In a Facebook post early Saturday morning, she noted that, “with a reported 40,000+ additional ballots yet to count, we still have a ways to go.” She thanked her supporters “for all your positive energy! Keep it coming.”t

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

family law specialist* • Divorce w/emphasis on Real Estate & Business Divisions • Domestic Partnerships, Support & Custody • Probate and Wills www.SchneiderLawSF.com

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

Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion, is on summer hiatus. It will return Monday, July 30. Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes.

Supes OK Phelan Ave. name change by Alex Madison

rida Kahlo Way will soon be the new name of Phelan Avenue, a three-block street that runs through City College of San Francisco’s Ocean campus. The Board of Supervisors unanimously voted for the name change at its June 19 meeting. The name of the celebrated bisexual Mexican artist will take the place of James Phelan, who the street is currently named after. He was a San Francisco real estate banker whose son, James Duval Phelan, a former United States senator and San Francisco mayor, has a legacy fraught with racism and xenophobia. Although the street is technically not named after the former mayor Phelan, the association to his racist past was enough to prompt its removal. District 7 Supervisor Norman Yee has spearheaded efforts for the past year to get the street name changed. “We know that efforts to rewrite history takes persistence. That’s why we are voting on my resolution,” said Yee as he introduced it at the meeting. “It’s important to raise our consciousness and praise important contributions of historically marginalized communities, particularly

Courtesy Wikipedia

Frida Kahlo

people of color and women of color. We must know our history to not repeat the mistakes of our past.” The vote comes after the board’s Land Use and Transportation Committee gave its endorsement to the proposal June 11. That meeting was filled with public comment both from supporters and detractors of the name change, primarily Phelan Avenue residents. Some residents said they weren’t

included in the renaming process, which some called “bias” and “unfair,” while others simply said they don’t want to deal with the hassle that the name change may present. Many City College employees were also there to show support of the change. The City College board voted for the name change and submitted its official street name nomination to Yee in February. Longtime City College interdisciplinary instructor Leslie Simon was the first to suggest Frida Kahlo Way. Currently, the campus is home to the “Pan American Unity” mural, painted by Kahlo’s husband and hugely influential Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. He died in 1957; Kahlo died in 1954. A street renaming committee, which included residents and City College representatives, voted in favor of naming the street after Kahlo April 4. According to Yee, the name change process will take anywhere from six to nine months to install the new street signs. Frida Kahlo Way will appear alongside Phelan Avenue on all the signage for five years, ensuring See page 38 >>

UCSF DuoPACT research study on HIV pays up to $80 per couple per visit over 9 months

DuoPACT

TollͲfree (855) 800Ͳ6043

<< Pride 2018

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

HAIR RESTORATION

Trans, Dyke marches set to roll by Alex Madison

he Trans and Dyke marches are expected to draw thousands of queers to San Francisco this weekend.

Dyke March

BEFORE

AFTER

Free Consultation 800-743-4247 Email: RMAforHair@aol.com

THOMAS ROSANELLI, MD 30 years experience

• ARTAS Robotics • FUE • FUS • PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) hair restoration procedure

15% off first hair restoration procedure* Plus receive 20 units Botox FREE Restrictions apply. New Patients only. Botox free units with hair restoration procedure. Expires 7/31/18

www.Rosanelli.com

Drain Clean Special* Call us 24/7

415-993-9523 Main line service up to 100’, with access point. Warranty included. May not be combined with other offers. Service limited to San Francisco County resident, 8am to 7pm.

A locally owned and operated franchise. Lic# 974194

www.MrRooter-SFO.com

The 26th annual San Francisco Dyke March takes place Saturday, June 23. It will honor the lesbians who first started the tradition in 1993 with this year’s theme “Continued Resistance.” In the current political environment when President Donald Trump and his administration continue to roll back LGBT civil rights, this year’s Dyke March will remember the spirit of its foremothers and the original purpose of the march: to bring awareness to the issues affecting queer women and to demonstrate the community’s strength in numbers, and, of course, to resist. “This year, we want to focus a lot on our history and remember the people who came before us and not forget our past,” said Haley Patoski, a lesbian and chair of this year’s march. It was the 1993 Lesbian Avengers’ Dyke March in Washington, D.C. that attracted 20,000 women and inspired the first San Francisco march a few months later. Today, the local gathering draws between 20,000 and 30,000 queer women. “It started as a protest with some really pissed off lesbians,” Patoski said. “We don’t want people to forget why we are here.” The march will also celebrate a day in which women will command the Castro, a normally male-dominated neighborhood. On Saturday at 5 p.m., participants will gather at 18th and Dolores streets, where the Dyke motor contingent and the disabled senior trolley will start the march. The women will walk through the Mission and the Castro, and for the second year in a row, end the march back at Dolores Park. Organizers encourage all who participate to help clean up the park after the march. Though a tone of resistance will be a strong component of the event, it

Rick Gerharter

Participants drew attention to trans youth at last year’s San Francisco Trans March.

will also be a lot of fun. As per tradition, the celebration will kick off with talks from community leaders and entertainment during the rally in the park starting at 11 a.m. Saturday. There will be an opening blessing from Bay Area American Indian Two Spirits and comments from Kate Kendell, the outgoing executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Among the entertainers are trans band Polythene Pam, drag kings Rebel Kings, musicians Lotus Sky and LaMantia, and Kin Folkz, founder and director of Spectrum Queer Media, will be the march’s grand marshal. Folkz is also a community grand marshal for the San Francisco Pride parade. For the first time, the event will have an official after-party at Folsom Street Foundry, 1425 Folsom Street, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. There is a $5 cover at the door, half of which will go directly to the Dyke March. For the past 25 years, the Dyke March has remained an all-volunteer, grassroots operation. The march is supported by donations from local business owners, community organizations, and individuals. If interested in volunteering, visit http://www.thedykemarch.org/volunteer-1.

Trans March

Gavin Grimm, the young trans man from Virginia who has so far

Call Now to Make an Appointment with a Wallbed Expert!

2 Convenient Locations

550 15th Street Suite #2 San Francisco 415-854-7748 2515 S. El Camino Real San Mateo 650-264-9541 Newly Designed Location

Accessories and More From

Largest Selection of Murphy Wallbeds In Town!

SFMurphyBeds.com

See page 37 >>

TV deal means wider Pride audience by Alex Madison

Saving space beautifully!

unsuccessfully fought for the right to use the boy’s restroom at school, will be front and center at the 15th annual San Francisco Trans March Friday, June 22. Grimm, 19, graduated from high school last year and has amended his court complaint against his former school district. The march this year doesn’t have a theme, but its mission remains the same: to provide a safe space for trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people, and to continue the fight against trans discrimination and violence. It is one of the largest trans events in the world, according to its website. “This allows our community the chance to mobilize, come together, and celebrate our lives,” said Nikki Calma, a trans woman and Trans March committee board member. “The marchers gain a sense of empowerment and are given a space to find resources and support and gain a sense of who they are.” The daylong event starts with a Trans Youth & Elder Brunch, hosted by San Francisco’s Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center and Openhouse, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The brunch fosters intergenerational dialogue and is open to people of all ages. It takes place at the playground in Dolores Park. There is also a kick-off with coffee

he 48th annual San Francisco Pride parade will be the first syndicated Pride parade in the world, according to George Ridgely Jr., executive director of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee. The nonprofit behind the Pride celebration, happening June 23-24, announced in March a three-year partnership with CBS Bay Area for the production and distribution of the Pride parade on all of its digital platforms. “We are bringing back the livestream and we are elated,” Ridgely told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent interview. “This is one of the most exciting things this year. To be the first Pride parade to be syndicated in the world means so much.” The parade will stream online at www.kpix.com/live as it happens Sunday, June 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A two-hour highlight show of the parade will also be televised a week later on Saturday, June 30, from 8 to 10 p.m. on KPIX 5 and KBCW 44 cable channel 12, all CBS affiliates. A rebroadcast of the highlight show will air the same day from 11:35 p.m. to 1:35 a.m. “We’re honored to showcase Pride’s vibrant parade for the next three years on all of our broadcast and digital platforms,” said Kevin Walsh, president and general manager of KPIX/ KBCW. In a newsrelease “KPIX 5 has

Rick Gerharter

Donna Sachet, left, and Michelle Meow, shown in 2013, will be back this year hosting the SF Pride parade TV broadcast.

a proud legacy of covering the LGBTQ community. Now we look forward to bringing this 21st century celebration to multiple screens, and building on their very successful tradition.” The broadcast will be hosted by SF Pride board President Michelle Meow and drag queen Donna Sachet. Meow is the host of the “Michelle Meow Show,” that airs on KBCW-TV, a CBS affiliate. Sachet co-hosted a Comcast weekly LGBT television series called “OUT Spoken” for five years and currently serves on the advisory board at PRC, formerly known as the Positive Resource Center. The pair has hosted the parade for nearly a decade. Their on-air camaraderie is so popular that when Sachet

was not invited back to host in 2009, her replacement, Jai Rodriguez, of the old “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” TV show, ended up offending viewers with his commentary and it caused a public backlash. The pair have hosted the broadcasts together ever since. KPIX reporter Christin Ayers and retired KPIX political reporter Hank Plante, a gay man, will also help with coverage for the parade. Plante, 71, will travel from his home in Palm Springs to San Francisco, where he spent two decades reporting on LGBT issues, including the HIV/AIDS epidemic of the 1980s, for KPIX. “It’s so personal to me as one of the first openly gay TV reporters in the country,” he said. “It’s a thrill for me to be back covering the parade in the beautiful city of San Francisco.” Commenting on the televised highlight show, Plante said, “That’s a really big deal.” WB20, which is now Graniteowned independent KOFY, was the first station to air the parade live in 1995. Since then, SF Pride has worked with many Bay Area broadcasters for the live web stream and televised broadcasts of the parade, including KRON and KOFY TV20-Cable 713, which has most recently aired the parade online in the last few years. The KOFY web broadcast in 2013 earned its first Northern California Emmy Award nomination.t

IF YOU WANT A SINGING CAREER, STAY AWAY FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE. Ellieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s severe asthma attacks were triggered by secondhand smoke at work. She and her partner have to live with its effects forever. If you or someone you know wants free help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. #CDCTips

Ellie, Age 57 Her partner, Karen Florida

<< Travel

28 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Glamp it up at Mendocino Grove by Charlie Wagner

lamping – you’ve probably heard the term, but may not know what it is. The name is a mashup of camping and glamorous, adding a pleasant gay note to the idea of sleeping in a tent. My husband and I tried it out recently during a hosted weekend at Mendocino Grove in Mendocino, California. The camping part translates into sleeping in a safari-style canvas tent. The glamorous angle is how Mendocino Grove tents outshine conventional tent cabins like those in Yosemite’s Half Dome Village, formerly called Curry Village. I like those tent cabins, my husband tolerates them, and a friend recently declared, “Never again.” Teresa Raffo, head of camper relations and co-owner of Mendocino Grove since 2015, described it as LGBTQ-friendly and estimated that about one-third of its guests are LGBTQ. She, and co-owner and husband Chris Hougie, created a website that describes the grove as, “catering to every camper, from the

seasoned to the novice alike, united by the desire to get away and enjoy the outdoors. You show up, we pitch the tent.” Our spacious tent was on an elevated wood platform and held a very comfortable queen-size bed with high-quality sheets and blankets, and most importantly, a heated mattress pad. The bright reading lights on the nightstands on either side of the bed have USB outlets for charging phones. Inside was a comfortable chair and table; outside, a covered porch with two stylish leather butterfly chairs and another small table. We could stand up everywhere in the tent. Rates start at $125 for two people, including continental breakfast. Higher rates apply for tents with “coastal views” or with multiple beds. Our tent had a coastal, or water, view and the ocean sounds were very pleasant as we fell asleep. Battery-operated lanterns are in each tent for visitor use. And that was important because the tents do not have private

Charlie Wagner

Harbor seals nap on the bank of Big River in Mendocino.

bathrooms. However, campground bathrooms were well lit, immaculately clean, and had a quickly-replenished pile of fluffy towels. The hot (!) showers had organic soap and shampoo dispensers, but bring your own washcloth and other toiletries. Tents are much farther apart than in Yosemite, but the campground is dark enough that you need a flashlight to get around after the sun goes down. The owners said chamber pots were available if you want to avoid walking to the bathroom at night. Larger tents have a queen bed and two doubles, and one had a queen and two sets of youth-size bunk beds. There are a total of 58 tents and some are accessible. Ten of the tents can accommodate pets for an extra fee of $20 per day with a $150 refundable deposit. Raffo pointed out that Mendocino County has many dog-friendly beaches, hiking trails, and restaurants. The grove’s website lists the rules for pets, which include, “We ask that your furry friends be kept on a leash at all times, and they are never left unattended at your campsite.” While the owners wait for a commercial kitchen license, the breakfast includes a generous variety of teas and Thanksgiving coffees, fresh fruit, yogurt, and breakfast bars. When they get the license, Raffo said they hope to add fruit salads, pastries, and other prepared foods. “Permit requests move very slowly in Mendocino County,” Hougie observed. The grove has its own nature trail named Fern Canyon, and its own resident naturalist named John Moran. We took the easy, 45-minute Fern Canyon hike and saw many examples of native Douglas iris and Miner’s lettuce, as well as

Charlie Wagner

The safari-style canvas tents at Mendocino Grove offer comfortable camping, or glamping.

Adirondack chairs positioned to enjoy the ocean and village views. The campground forbids loud noise after 10 p.m. and a camp host is on site 24 hours a day for emergencies. The grove offers two sessions of yoga instruction on Saturday and Sunday morning for an additional $10. It will lend mats but encourages participants to bring their own. The grove does not supply cookware or dinnerware and encourages campers to bring an ice chest, which can be kept in the tent cabins. The company does rent what it calls a Camp Box, however, which includes a tablecloth, dishes, utensils, and minimal cookware, for $75 and up. Raffo advised reserving Camp Boxes in advance. There are both communal gas grills and fire pits on the grounds. For those using the fire pits (firewood is available for purchase), they offer a S’more Box for $12, with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. From 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday nights and catered by local restaurant Trillium, the grove offers a dinner of hearty soup, artisan breads, a glass of local wine, and dessert for $20.

Exploring around Mendocino Grove

The grove is just across Highway 1 from the town of Mendocino, which is easily walkable. The seaside village has attractive Victorian buildings, boutiques, and a multitude of art galleries and restaurants. Our favorite shops in Mendocino were the Gallery Bookshop, a local independent bookstore, and two shops featuring handmade furniture. The most impressive was the Highlight Gallery on Main Street, which represents over 200 fine and decorative artists in a variety of media, including a large selection of gorgeous and, often pricey, custom furniture. More affordably-priced is Anderson’s Alternatives Native Woods Gallery on Lansing Street, which is a native wood gallery and lumberyard, with a gallery of finished furniture in back. The Mendocino Art Center on Little Lake Street has a large gallery and publishes a quarterly guide to local galleries, artists, and events. Also in the village, the Mendocino Theatre Company operates yearround and states its mission is to, “present plays of substance and excitement.” When you finish shopping, the Mendocino Headlands hike starts right in town and is a level 2.5 mile loop along the water. It is not accessible. The grove sits on a hillside above

a tidal estuary named Big River, at 8.3 miles the second-longest in California. The area around Big River Estuary was added to the Mendocino Headlands State Park in 2002. A long and nearly flat bike trail goes inland along Big River and connects with other trails. Friends praised it highly. The estuary itself is very calm and the habitat of many creatures. Just below the grove is Catch A Canoe and Bicycles Too (http://www. catchacanoe.com), which rents single or double kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and bikes, charging $35 for up to three hours. In addition, it offers unusually stable redwood outrigger canoes built from re-purposed redwood barns. These seat from two to eight people; some are designed for guests with pets. For those who want to explore Big River with less effort, one option would be Catch A Canoe’s daily tours scheduled during summer months, featuring wind and solar electric power for effortless cruising and quiet electric motors. Rates start at $65 a person. All private tours allow pets. We took this tour and, as we traveled upriver, enjoyed seeing many harbor seals, their cute pups, ospreys, blue herons, cormorants, and both native California Lilacs and native rhododendrons. Our guide claimed that in warm weather, if you go upriver about three or four miles, you can swim in fresh water. Moran, the naturalist, promoted two nearby hikes. The Russian Gulch State Park offers a non-strenuous 3.25-mile hike to a beautiful waterfall, and the first 2.25 miles is a paved bike path and fully accessible. Jug Handle State Natural Reserve has the 2.5-mile (one-way) Ecological Staircase Trail, which ends in a pygmy forest. Raffo said her favorite is the Spring Ranch hike, about three miles away. Ask at the grove for directions, as the trailhead is not marked. Bob Lorentzen’s “The Hiker’s Hip Pocket Guide to the Mendocino Coast” has many more hiking ideas. Fort Bragg is an easy 10-mile drive north, where you will find more beaches, hiking, and the notto-be-missed Mendocino Botanical Gardens at 18220 North Highway 1. The gardens hold more than 1,000 rhododendrons, one of the nation’s largest collections, including many hybridized right on the Mendocino Coast. For the best rhododendron show, one garden docent advocated visiting between mid-April and mid-May. California’s largest “rhodie” show is held there on the first weekend in May. See page 38 >>

Commentary>>

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 29

Pride is more than product placement by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

t’s Pride Month, and this means a whole lot of people will take to – or have taken to – the streets across the world, festooned in their best rainbow gear. We’ll march, and party, and do all those things we do at Pride. It will be crazy and chaotic, and we will be the big messy community we are, in all our glory. Increasingly, too, this means that corporations will hop on the bandwagon, ready to support us for a handful of days, hoping to lure our dollars into their coffers. Over the years, I’ve had the dubious pleasure of seeing the involvement of corporations grow from the days of a handful of internet start-ups hawking free logoemblazoned cups and Frisbees to the big players of today rolling out Pride-themed fashion lines and glitzy ads. Now, I don’t feel that corporations don’t deserve a place at the table, though a lot of it feels incredibly hamfisted and more than a little sleazy. Then again, that’s how I feel most times companies try to shoehorn their products into holidays and such. For example, once again Target has set up a Pride selection at their stores, replete with rainbow trinkets and other merchandise. It even has some transspecific goods. I’m actually glad for that, considering that maybe some young LGBTQ person might see this stuff and feel like they can be accepted in this culture at large, even in these challenging times. That’s a really good thing. At the same time, I question why Target can’t get the idea that red comes first when setting up the rainbow flag-style displays. Nevertheless, I’m not going to get too hot under the collar over such things. If a company wants to create something with the LGBT community in mind, or spread a message of love and acceptance for all of us, then who am I to criticize that? Yet, it isn’t so simple. Recently, Instagram users discovered that they were getting “shadowbanned.” That is, their content was looking just as it should, but none of their photos or videos were showing up when searched. As it turned out, Instagram had opted to shadowban certain specific hashtags from search, flagging them as being possibly pornographic. Unfortunately, this included a lot of LGBTQ-specific hashtags. The irony, of course, is that while this is going on, Instagram also rolled out rainbow-colored hashtags for certain terms for Pride Month. So you could have #LGBT in rainbow tones, but #gay could result in a shadowban. Things, of course, get more complicated when one talks about trans bodies. Instagram, for example, doesn’t allow baring of what it refers to as “female nipples.” A user by the name of Rain Dove – who doesn’t identify as female or male – had their topless photo playing basketball with a friend removed for violating this guideline. This, of course, is often an issue in online spaces, as so many choose to let algorithms do the work, without those same algorithms understanding nuance and liminal spaces. A similar issue has cropped up with YouTube, which has been caught demonetizing and otherwise penalizing transgender users of the platform – all the while releasing its own #ProudToCreate hashtag and accompanying video. Trans YouTube user Chase Ross recently came forth, showing that his videos have been demonetized, age restricted, and such because of the trans content of his work. He went so far as to film his upload process, showing that the video was marked as “not available for most advertisers” when he added the word “transgender” to the clip’s title. Even more insidious, some YouTube content creators have even seen

anti-LGBTQ ads show up before their content. Once again, YouTube blames the algorithms, saying via a spokesman that, “sometimes our systems get it wrong.” Beyond these sites, we’ve seen issues with online Tshirt sites recently, both selling anti-transgender content, while simultaneously delisting content created by trans creators for “hate speech” for using

Cynthia Laird

Pride merchandise at Target

the term TERF, an acronym for “transgender-exclusionary radical feminist.”

The worst example this year, however, would have to go to cosmetics subscription service Ipsy. It was attempting to release a video with a message of hope for LGBTQ people, only to start the video with one of their models touting her attraction to women, and speaking of a “spectrum” between transgender women and “authentic cisgender women” – as if to say that transgender women are not, themselves, authentic. Ipsy, perhaps knowing that it could not blame this on an algorithm,

apologized and removed the video. The model herself also apologized. Like I said before, I’m glad that so many companies are stepping up and trying to show their support. I appreciate it even more when they specifically go out of their way to include transgender people. At the same time, their tone-deafness toward LGBTQ in general, and transgender issues specifically, rankles me. It feels a bit like, oh, bars offering specials on “Irish See page 35 >>

We Belong Together

Your empty paper cups and cartons now belong in your Blue Bin. Learn what goes where at SFRecycles.org

<< Community News

30 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Grimm recalls ‘isolating’ experience in court fight by Sari Staver

Untitled-1 1

fter a three-year court battle to be allowed to use the boy’s bathroom at his rural Virginia high school, trans teen Gavin Grimm said the experience has “opened up my world.” The court fight, still ongoing, no longer affects Grimm personally, 6/18/18 10:25 AMsince he graduated from Gloucester High School last year, but the grueling ordeal has turned the transgender teen into an activist. Grimm, 19, described the case – and his personal journey – June 5 LGBT PROGRESSIVE CATHOLICS † OUR FAMILIES & FRIENDS at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, where he spoke with Abdi Soltani, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California. He will also be a special guest at this weekend’s San Francisco Pride, where he will speak about his experiences Liturgy & Social: Every Sunday 5pm from the main stage Sunday, June 24. First Sunday Movie Night Second Sunday Potluck Supper “It has been such a privilege to Third Wednesday Faith Sharing Group be handed the platform” to fight for 1329 Seventh Avenue † info@dignitysanfrancisco.org transgender rights, Grimm said at the Follow us on Facebook! recent panel. The court fight was often “isolating,” Grimm admitted, “because it’s hard to find any friends who’ve been through anything similar.” But if given the opportunity to do it again, Grimm said he wouldn’t hesitate. We are Your Local Experts helping “It’s been difficult,” he said, “and I Exceptional Clients Buy and Sell was tired a lot of the time,” but there Beautiful Homes in San Francisco. has never been a moment where he thought ‘I wish I hadn’t done this,’” he Call Us for a Free Valuation of Your Property. said. “I’ve never had any regrets.” Now living in Berkeley, Grimm hopes to become a teacher, a job he thinks will enable him to continue his activism. The court battle is still in limbo – the ACLU, which is representing Grimm, is waiting to hear from the 4th U.S. Mike Ackerman & Oliver Burgelman Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond LIC# 01388135 | 01232037 whether it will hear the case. 415.307.5850 The lawsuit against the Gloucester ABZ@ZephyrSF.com

Celebrating our Sexuality and Love as Gifts of God

BuildingTrust4Life.com

Rick Gerharter

Gavin Grimm spoke about his lawsuit against his old high school earlier this month at the Commonwealth Club.

County School Board argues the bathroom policy is unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment and violates Title IX of the U.S. Education Amendments of 1972, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination by schools. The school board said it was protecting the other students’ privacy. After Grimm graduated from high school, he filed an amended complaint that seeks, among other things, a permanent injunction preventing the board from excluding him from the restrooms when he is on school grounds for alumni activities. The Grimm case comes at a time when legislators, courts, and school boards are grappling with how to best accommodate students whose gender identity conflicts with the sex they were assigned at birth. In recent years, federal judges have delivered a mix of opinions on whether transgender students have the right to use bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity. After President Donald Trump

took office, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Attorney General Jeff Sessions rolled back protections for transgender students, rescinding an Obama-era directive that called on public schools to allow students to use bathrooms in accordance with their gender identity. At the same time, the education department also stopped investigating civil rights complaints from transgender students fighting for bathroom access. Grimm’s story began in 2014 when he and his family told the high school that Grimm identified as transgender, setting off an uproar from some parents. “I never had any issues with the other kids,” he said, “only the adults.” The family sued the school district, stating that the decision violated Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funding. The case quickly gained national attention, and transgender advocates Laverne Cox and Janet Mock publicly supported Grimm’s fight. Grimm has nothing but praise for his family. “I came out to my parents the summer before my sophomore year and, when I returned to school that fall, my mom and I essentially asked the school what they were going to do to protect me,” he explained. The school principal suggested he go ahead and use the boys’ bathroom, which he did for seven weeks, until the school board barred him from using it and announced it was going to discuss the situation. The school offered him alternative accommodations in a unisex bathroom, which Grimm said was humiliating. With less than 24 hours’ notice, Grimm and his mom had to argue their case at a school board meeting, where “my genitals and my less than See page 38 >>

Gay park flagger dies by Cynthia Laird

A Assisted Reproduction • Surrogacy • Prenups Divorce • Custody • Parentage Disputes

www.waldlaw.net

88 Kearny Street, Suite 1475 • SF, CA 94108 • (415) 648-3097

Free Legal Help

Life Planning Are you a San Francisco resident age 60 or over, or disabled? Do you need: a simple will t t an advance health care directive t t help with Social Security or SSI benefits t t end of life planning t t

Maybe we can help. We may be able to help with other legal issues: eviction defense, debt collection, access to health care, and more. A collaboration of Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE) and the AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP), to help senior and disabled members of the LGBTQ community.

For intake:

(415) 538-3333 LAE-2x5_060718.indd 1

5/31/18 10:19 AM

gay man collapsed and died Sunday, June 10, while participating in Flagging in the Park at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. John Joseph Catanoso, 65, died after suffering an apparent heart attack, his family said. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the death. At least two people in the flagging group performed CPR on Mr. Catanoso. After medical personnel took him away, the other flaggers formed a large circle, held hands, and someone led a prayer, according to photos posted on social media. Xavier Caylor, one of the production members of Flagging in the Park, said in a Facebook post that the team released a statement following Mr. Catanoso’s death. “We want to share our warmest gratitude with all who attended our most recent Flagging in the Park event last Sunday. We especially honor you for your love and commitment expressed when the most tragically unexpected happened: a member of our community passed during the event,” the message stated. “It has shocked and saddened us all. Now we seek to turn sadness into understanding, and fear into love. A situation such as this is a vivid reminder to appreciate every moment we have, and to take care of one another along this journey.” The message stated that organizers are “evaluating ways to improve our broader preparedness should any urgent personal needs arise at our FITP events in the future.” Local resident Mark Abramson posted on Facebook that he had plans to meet Mr. Catanoso last Tuesday

John Joseph Catanoso

for a drink, and later realized that the man who had died at the park was his acquaintance. The two men did not know each other well; Abramson said that he had first met him last June when Mr. Catanoso wanted him to autograph some of his books. “If I could see him one more time I would try to make him laugh, I guess. I’d tell him, ‘Some people will do just about anything to get out of buying me a drink!’” Abramson posted on Facebook. “I hope his friends who know him lots better than I do approve of my remembering him with a laugh and join me in raising a glass in his honor.” Mr. Catanoso was originally from Wildwood Crest, New Jersey but in recent years called Kihei, Hawaii on Maui his home. In New Jersey, Mr. Catanoso attended Phillip Baker Elementary School and Wildwood Catholic High School. Friends said that he was always fun-loving and dreamed early in his life to live in Hawaii, which he eventually did.

Mr. Catanoso attended Marylhurst University in Oregon, where he majored in human communications. Mr. Catanoso resided in Portland, Oregon and Carlsbad, California while he was employed by Siltronic, where he was the company’s silicon crystal and wafer manufacturing supervisor and sales account manager. He retired in his late 50s. By this time, according to an obituary by his cousin, Marlene Catanoso, he had purchased a condo on the beach in Kihei and could speak Hawaiian like a native. “He loved fine wine, good food, the theater, he never missed a movie, loved music and dance – boy, could he dance,” Marlene Catanoso wrote. “He was passionate about the ocean and spent every minute possible diving, swimming, or surfing. He was a great listener, terrific storyteller, and the best friend anyone could have.” He also loved to travel the world and was especially fond of his Italian heritage. Mr. Catanoso spent countless weeks in Calabria, Italy where he developed a close relationship with his Italian cousins. Mr. Catanoso is survived by his father, Captain Joseph Catanoso, and is predeceased by his mother, Constance Applebee Catanoso. He is also survived by his father’s sisters; Leona Betz and Mary Nestor, from Cape May County, New Jersey. On his mother’s side, he is survived by an aunt, Kathleen Steinberger; uncle, Jack Kallin; and cousins, Barbara Lepore, Fred Steinberger, and Ron Steinberger from Brick, New Jersey; Catanoso and Lepore cousins, and many friends. Plans for a memorial are pending. t

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi.

Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi? Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include: • Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant? • Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother? • It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

NP-390-27

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines? If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi? For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist. To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.

<< Community News

32 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Learn about LGBTQ roots at genealogy class compiled by Cynthia Laird

he California Genealogical Society will hold a class on LGBTQ genealogy Saturday, June 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the CGS office and library, 2201 Broadway, lower level, in Oakland. Instructor Stewart Blandon Traiman, a gay man, has been studying genealogy for 30 years. He noted in

a news release that LGBTQ people have always been part of history and family stories. The “confirmed bachelor,” or “spinster aunt” in many people’s family trees may not have been single, and might have had partners but there is no legal documentation or family acknowledgement, he noted. The class will explore census data, newspapers, obituaries, military

records, photographs, phone books, and archives for clues on ancestors’ sexuality. The class will also look at LGBTQ history and individual stories that give context to available records. Pre-registration is required. Admission is free for CGS members and $30 for non-members, which can be applied toward a one-year CGS membership the day of the class. To register, visit https://www. eventbrite.com/e/lgbtq-genealogytickets-40832920364.

Last call for pink triangle installation volunteers

Courtesy Facebook

Stewart Blandon Trainman

2018 LGBTQ

Seminar Dates: August 11 November 3

Organizer Patrick Carney wants to remind people that volunteers are still needed to set up and take down the giant pink triangle installation atop Twin Peaks this weekend. The pink triangle, now a symbol of LGBT pride, was once used by the Nazis in concentration camps to identify, shame, and persecute homosexual prisoners. Gays were forced to wear the pink triangle on their pockets in the camps as a way to set them apart from other prisoners. The triangle will be installed Saturday, June 23, from 7 to 10 a.m. Those interested in helping out should bring a hammer and gloves. People should wear closed-toe shoes and sunscreen. The display consists of 175 bright pink tarps, held in place by nearly 5,000 12-inch long spikes. The display is 200 feet long on each leg and can be seen for 20 miles in clear weather. A ceremony featuring political leaders, Pride grand marshals, and other dignitaries will be held at 10:30 a.m. Carney said that gay activist Cleve Jones will tell the story of the pink triangle. Two gay diplomats will also be attending: German Consul General Hans-Ulrich Suedbeck, and French Consul General Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens. He will bring Marlène Schiappa, who is France’s minister for gender equality, Carney said. Getting people to help take down the triangle is more challenging, Carney noted, because it follows the Pride parade and celebration. He said that even if people can help out for an hour between 4:30 and 8 p.m. Sunday, June 24, it would be appreciated. Those installing the triangle will receive pink triangle T-shirts. This year’s shirts are being donated by the Bob Ross Foundation, which is overseen by Thomas E. Horn, publisher emeritus of the Bay Area Reporter. (Ross was the founding publisher of the long-running LGBT publication.) For more information, including directions to the site, visit http:// www.thepinktriangle.com.

Alameda County to hold clean slate event

Locations in San Ramon, Foster City, Orinda and now Los Gatos.

Reproductive Science Center has been Reproductive Science Center has been making people parents for over years.30 years. making people parents for30over In House Egg Donor Program • Egg Bank • Excellent Success Rates • Financing Options

In House Egg Donor Program • Egg Bank • Excellent Success Rates • Financing Options

rscbayarea.com | 888-DRS-4-IVF

The Alameda County Public Defender’s office will offer help for people seeking to clear criminal records and other holistic services at its third annual Family Festival Saturday, June 23, from noon to 4 p.m. at Verdese Carter Park, 9600 Sunnyside Street in Oakland. Public Defender Brendon Woods said that his office’s clean slate program will be the centerpiece of the afternoon event, with lawyers available for free consultation and intake for cleaning criminal records to help people find employment, seek occupational licenses, and gain access to other benefits. “Our holistic model of public defense has been incredibly successful, and we’re looking forward to again partnering with nonprofits and others trying to lift up some of our most vulnerable residents,” Woods said in a news release. “The best way to support our community is to provide people with good jobs and access to services and to keep them from slipping through the cracks.” The festival will also feature free food and music, face-painting, kids games, pickup basketball games, and horse rides provided by the Oakland Black Cowboy Association. The event is co-sponsored by Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley and other groups, including the NAACP.

Author to highlight cannabis for seniors

Author Beverly A. Potter, Ph.D., See page 33 >>

Pride 2018>>

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 33

New name for gay vet group

Courtesy Pride Veterinary Medical Community

Members of the former Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association marched at Toronto Pride several years ago.

by David-Elijah Nahmod

group of LGBT veterinarians will march with Pride this Sunday, under a new name. Pride Veterinary Medical Community, formerly known as the Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association, will have a contingent in the parade. Since 1992 the organization has “created community while advocating for LGBT veterinarians, veterinary students, veterinary technicians, and clients,” according to co-founder Dr. Ken Gorczyca, who currently volunteers on the board. “We surveyed our membership, and especially the younger members wanted a more inclusive name,” Gorczyca told the Bay Area Reporter. “We also wanted to get away from the alphabet name. We are excited about our new name, as it is inclusive, and is open to people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, and our allies.” The organization’s roots date back to 1977, when several gay veterinarians met for a dinner party during the American Veterinary Medical Association conference. They wondered how many other gay veterinarians were out there. “To discover the answer Dr. Jeffery Collins and Dr. Herman Westmoreland courageously placed an ad in the Advocate, the national gay newsmagazine, announcing the first gathering of the Association for Gay Veterinarians (AG Vets) to be held in Las Vegas during the 1978 American Veterinary Medical Association conference,” said Gorczyca. “Initially, the group was an all-male association made up of 25 veterinarians and veterinary students. Women had the Association for Women Veterinarians at a time when women were a small minority within the profession.” AG Vets disbanded in 1988 when the AIDS epidemic sent many veterinarians back into the closet due to the stigma of the disease. “At the same time, the AIDS pandemic brought lesbian and gay veterinarians together on the front lines of activism while advocating for their friends, clients, and family members with AIDS,” said Gorczyca. “Veterinarians were founding

News Briefs

From page 32

will be in San Francisco Monday, June 25, at 7 p.m. to talk about her book, “Cannabis for Seniors,” at the Institute on Aging, 3575 Geary Boulevard. Once viewed as a “street drug,” cannabis has, for decades, been used medicinally in California and numerous other states. With the advent of legal adult recreational marijuana in the Golden State this year, more people can access it. According to a recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the number of people over 65 who say they use marijuana

members of organizations like Pets Are Wonderful Support in San Francisco and PETS DC in Washington, D.C., as well as many others across the country.” The Lesbian and Gay Veterinary Medical Association was formed in 1992. Now known as Pride Veterinary Medical Community, the organization has about 500 members. “It’s a far more diverse organization than it was 25 years ago,” Gorczyca noted. “We have two trans men on the Pride VMC board and seven women. There is generation and gender change occurring in the veterinary profession and this is reflected on our current board.” The annual budget for Pride VMC is $50,000. There’s a $50 membership fee for veterinarians, $20 for vet technicians, and $5 for vet students. “Most funding goes toward supporting lectures and networking events at veterinary conferences and to student scholarships and grants,” Gorczyca said. The membership is excited to be marching in this year’s parade. “We do not have a float, but our members will be marching with their canine companions, some of which will be dressed up for the festivities,” said Gorczyca. “Historically, LGVMA members have marched with the PAWS contingent. Recently, our members have marched in the Toronto Pride parade, and with our sister group in Great Britain, British Veterinary LGBT+, which marches in London pride, and the Australia Veterinary LGBTQIIA celebration at Sydney Mardi Gras.” In addition to participating in the Pride parade, Pride VMC will also be sponsoring some events at the Pacific Veterinary Conference June 28-29. Local vets Dr. Dane Whitaker will be speaking on well-being and stressors, while Dr. Sandy Hazanow will moderate a panel discussion on LGBTQ-friendly practices. Pride VMC will also be sponsoring an evening networking event June 28 at the Lookout. The group’s website, http:// pridevmc.org/, is currently under construction, but people can follow the hashtag #vetmedpride.t

has increased by about 250 percent since 2006. Potter earned her doctorate in counseling psychology from Stanford University, and her master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling from San Francisco State University. In her book, she explains that in many cases, using cannabis may enable seniors to reduce dependency on narcotic pain medication and to avoid opioid addiction. General admission is $15, or $5 for students and seniors 65 and over. A limited number of Potter’s book will be available for $15, cash only, at the event. t

PUBLIC NOTICE: ACCESS TO CALTRANS UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURAL & ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Caltrans needs your help to repair and rebuild California’s transportation system. We are looking for qualified contractors, consultants, suppliers, truckers, and service providers to help fix our roads, freeways, and bridges. California Senate Bill 1 (SB1) will provide $54 billion over the next 10 years for state and local transportation projects. This creates additional opportunities for all small businesses, including businesses owned by women, minorities, disabled veterans, LGBT, and other underrepresented groups, to participate on public works projects with local and state transportation agencies. Now is the time to get involved. Visit Caltrans’ SB1 web site, www. rebuildingca.ca.gov, and learn more about planned improvements. Review Caltrans’ online “look ahead” reports of upcoming construction and architectural and engineering contracts to identify potential opportunities for your business. Attend contract-specific outreach events, like pre-bid meetings and pre-proposal conferences, and meet with prospective bidders/proposers. Learn about Caltrans contracting requirements at free training and workshops.

Construction look-ahead report:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/oe/contractor_info/12_month_Advertising_Schedule.pdf

Architectural and Engineering look-ahead report: http://www.dot.ca.gov/dpac/ae/doc/lookahead.pdf Caltrans Events Calendar: http://www.dot.ca.gov/obeo/calendar.html For more information, contact Caltrans’ Small Business Advocate at smallbusinessadvocate@dot.ca.gov.

<< Pride 2018

34 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Gay French consul general celebrates SF Pride by Heather Cassell

Gay Games

rance will show its pride in San Francisco this weekend. The gay consul general of the French Consulate of the Northwest, Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, will be present at multiple events, including along the parade route down Market Street. French Minister of Gender Equality Marlène Schiappa will also be in attendance. Lebrun-Damiens, 41, and Schiappa, 35, will also join gay German Consular of the Pacific Northwest HansUlrich Suedbeck, who will speak at the pink triangle ceremony atop Twin Peaks Saturday, June 23. Lebrun-Damiens sat down with the Bay Area Reporter at the French Consulate in San Francisco earlier this month. He discussed French influence in the San Francisco Bay Area, his work on HIV/AIDS in Africa and Asia, LGBT rights in France and at the United Nations, and participating at Gay Games X in Paris in August. The diplomat, who began his position at the consulate in May 2016, was quick to mention French contributions to technology and biotechnology throughout his jurisdiction, especially in the Bay Area, as well as French art and culture’s imprint on San Francisco.

Jane Philomen Cleland

French Consul General Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens

There are about 60,000 French nationals throughout northern California and Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rocky Mountains, and up to Alaska and as far as Guam, the area overseen by the consulate. He and his team manage French visas, and work to promote French commerce and technology, French language education in the United States, and French culture. Connecting Americans and the French to exchange ideas and experiences excites him. “We learn from each other,” he said. “The more I can put in touch French and American authorities or organizations on these topics, the better. That makes our job so interesting.”

Lebrun-Damiens, who loves cycling, has switched sports to participate in Gay Games X. He has been training to run the half-marathon through Paris. “I’m training especially hard for it because ... running is not where I’m the best,” he said. He couldn’t participate in the cycling event due to his schedule and switched his focus to running. “Here, it’s wonderful biking in the San Francisco area,” he said. “It’s cool here to see so many bikers.” Regarding the upcoming Gay Games, Lebrun-Damiens said he’s proud of the way the sporting event not only brings together amateur athletes from around the world, but also how it promotes diplomacy by the games being hosted in different countries every four years. Tens of thousands of LGBT athletes and their supporters are expected to attend the Paris games. The first few days before the opening ceremonies are devoted to a human rights conference. “There will be a lot about human rights. There will be a lot about sense of community about where we come from, what we’ve achieved, and what challenges we have,” he said, “to show all the progress made toward universal

rights.” Universal human rights are important to Lebrun-Damiens, who worked at the United Nations. He participated in the resolution by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that brought LGBT rights to the global stage in 2011, when she declared in her historic speech before the United Nations Human Rights Council that, “LGBT rights are human rights and human rights are LGBT rights, period.” France decriminalized homosexuality long ago, in 1791, but the country had its own dark period during World War II under the regime of Marchal Philippe Petain. French LGBTs suffered under Petain’s anti-gay policies and for decades following the 1940s, when the French police maintained records on LGBT citizens and businesses, which continued into the early 1980s. The police used the records to discriminate against and harass France’s queer citizens, said LebrunDamiens. Yet, homosexuality was never recriminalized in the country. Police never could arrest someone simply for being gay. France has since returned to its roots, embracing its LGBT community and fighting for LGBT rights, he explained. Today, France is a better place than when he grew up in the French

countryside and was bullied as a child. He had no recourse. Today’s queer youth have the law on their side. There are serious charges, even for hate speech. The government supports education about LGBT people in schools with grants and funds LGBT events, such as the Gay Games. France has same-sex marriage and allows transgender individuals to determine their gender. The government pays for gender confirmation surgery.

HIV/AIDS

France was also responsive to the HIV/AIDS crisis, said Lebrun-Damiens. “Paris and San Francisco went through the same horrible times because these are the two cities where I think the disease appeared first,” he said. However, French scientists lobbied the government hard to identify the real causes of the disease and how to fight it, particularly among vulnerable populations, such as gay men. “So, very quickly all these stigmas were, I mean very quickly, the government fought or made campaigns to eradicate the stigma against people living with HIV,” said Lebrun-Damiens, who worked with Nobel Prize-winning Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, one of the virologists who discovered and named the HIV/AIDS virus. “There is still today stigma against people living with HIV everywhere in the world, and we need to work on that,” he said. Due in part to Lebrun-Damiens’ efforts, France was the second contributor to the Global Fund against HIV/AIDS. At the U.N., on behalf of the European Union and France, he pushed a resolution to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS by getting a commitment from 194 countries to contribute to funding the fight, targeting at-risk communities such as gay men and sex workers. One of the proudest moments in his career was helping an African nation reduce HIV transmission. He started by convincing leaders that by recognizing gay rights or the gay community, even while the country still criminalized homosexuality, it would improve the situation. France helped fund the government campaigns that partnered with LGBT organizations where gay men went into the underground clubs giving out condoms and educating people about HIV/ AIDS. The number of transmissions dropped, as he predicted. “That was magic. That was wonderful,” said Lebrun-Damiens, who wouldn’t identify which African nation he worked in. “I really loved working on that, and then, at the United Nations as well, when we were a core group of countries who wanted to persuade countries who still criminalized homosexuality just to drop these laws,” he said.

Back in France

d i s c o v e r t h e n e w s ta n f o r d c o u r t S P E C TA C U L A R NOB HILL VIEWS

STELLAR NEW LOBBY

REIMAGINED GUEST ROOMS

Use code “newsc” for special savings 9 0 5 C a l i f o r n i a S t r e e t, S a n F r a n c i s c o , C A 9 4 1 0 8 / T : 4 1 5 . 9 8 9 . 3 5 0 0 / s t a n f o r d c o u r t. c o m

“When you think in terms of rights in 40 years, where we’ve come from, what we’ve done, that’s pretty amazing,” said Lebrun-Damiens. “Now, I’d say that in France we have equal rights.” That doesn’t mean everything is perfect. “What we need to still improve is [fighting] homophobic acts,” he said. Hate crimes have risen 20 percent, according to SOS Homophobie, a French LGBT organization that reported documented hate crimes in 2016 in an article published by Human Rights Watch in May 2017. He believes the figures increased partially due to the French government creating a hotline, making it much easier to report hate crimes. Additionally, the interior ministry started maintaining records of homophobicbased crimes registered by the police. Breaking down the hate crime statistics, he noted there was an increase See page 38 >>

t <<

Community News>>

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 35

Baker estate

From page 19

But in an excerpt from Baker’s memoir that his estate published on the website https://gilbertbaker.com/ – with permission from the New York City-based literary agency Sterling Lord Literistic – Baker wrote that he was inspired by the American flag to create a flag for the “gay nation” in order “to proclaim its own idea of power.” According to Baker, it was gay supervisor Harvey Milk and gay documentarian Artie Bressan Jr., both now deceased, who encouraged him to come up with a new symbol for the gay community. Baker wrote that, while dancing one night on acid, he decided a rainbow flag would be an appropriate choice. (While the website says this occurred at the Cow Palace, Beal told the B.A.R. Baker was actually at the Winterland Ballroom.) “We were all in a swirl of color and light. It was like a rainbow. A rainbow. That’s the moment when I knew exactly what kind of flag I would make,” wrote Baker. “A Rainbow Flag was a conscious choice, natural and necessary. The rainbow came from earliest recorded history as a symbol of hope.”

Crediting others

Over the last four decades Baker has credited both Segerblom and McNamara for assisting him with the creation of the first rainbow flags. In a 2015 interview with the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, Baker spoke of Segerblom’s expertise with tie-dye and McNamara’s sewing prowess. An exhibit honoring Baker and the 40th anniversary of the rainbow flag at San Francisco International Airport also credits the involvement of Segerblom and McNamara. A handout created for the exhibit, which runs

Transmissions

From page 29

car bombs” and “black and tans” for St. Patrick’s Day, or perhaps people running

Mark Rennie

People test one of the first rainbow flags ahead the 1978 Pride parade.

through January, says that the three friends “stitched the sections together to create the first of a pair of rainbow flags measuring 30 by 60 feet, one of which resembled the American flag with tie-dyed stars on a blue field.” LGBT historian Glenne McElhinney, who helped dye fabric for the first flags, is making a short documentary about their creation to be used as part of LGBT history classes in California schools. Using first-person accounts, including an interview with Segerblom, and archival material, McElhinney is stitching together a closer look at how the first rainbow flags were created. “Lynn and James deserve a third of the credit for creating the rainbow flag, for being behind the designs, for doing the stitching and colors, and supervising the artists who did the work,” McElhinney had told the B.A.R. earlier this year. Asked this month about the pushback from Baker’s estate against that contention, McElhinney declined to comment. She told the B.A.R. she had not read the memoir excerpts posted online and did not want to get into a around in sombreros and fake mustaches for Cinco de Mayo. More than this, claiming to support us by festooning your business or website with rainbows, while actively

back-and-forth with Baker’s estate. In an emailed reply, Segerblom also told the B.A.R. she had not seen the website created by Baker’s estate. “There have been some things that I read, in articles in the past, that were not correct,” she wrote. “I hope Glenne’s documentary film, that will be finished soon, will clear this up. I’d bet my dollar, on Glenne. She really researches things.” Following Baker’s death last year, when most obituaries made no mention of Segerblom or McNamara’s participation in creating the 1978 flags, Segerblom decided it was time for her to tell her side of the story while she was still alive. Due to knowing an editor at the Los Angeles Blade, she submitted her account to the LGBT newspaper. In his memoir, Baker does write about Segerblom and McNamara, according to Beal. But the estate’s literary agent declined to release those passages to the B.A.R. “Gilbert wrote lovingly about James’s help and about Lynn’s help,” said Beal, adding that, “We look forward to sharing the chapters of what went on in that workshop. He gave high praise to Lynn and James.” Beal, 62, a gay man who lives in New York, first met Baker in 1993 and soon became close friends with him. He helped Baker with the creation of a 25-mile-long rainbow flag for the 1994 Pride parade in Manhattan to mark the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. “James McNamara came to help sew it,” recalled Beal, adding that the flag was then cut up into pieces and sent around the world. “It really was the beginning of the internationalization of the rainbow flag. It went from being a national symbol to being an international symbol that year.”

Infused with sex

At the suggestion of Beal, the B.A.R. contacted San Francisco-based lawyer Mark Rennie, who is bisexual and has photographed the local LGBT community over the last four decades. He was friends with Baker and took photos of him test flying the oversized rainbow flags a few days prior to the 1978 parade. “Gilbert was media savvy. From day one he saw himself as a media artist,” recalled Rennie, who was introduced to Segerblom by Baker. “They were really tight.” Rennie provided the B.A.R. with several pages from a version of Baker’s memoir that is dated from 1999 that he said Baker had given him a copy of prior to his death. In the 13 pages that Rennie shared copies of, Baker several times mentions Segerblom and McNamara, who he credits with teaching him how to sew. “He gave everything he made the attention of a couturier, and instilled his passion for workmanship and beautiful detail into much of the construction of the Rainbow Flag,” wrote Baker. “We sewed and then we ironed each seam as if the gigantic pile of color taking shape in our workroom was being made for a bride.” Baker also wrote about designing the first rainbow flags to be 42 feet by 62 feet – “the largest possible size for display without touching the ground” – for the two flag poles in the U.N. Plaza as they “framed City Hall in perfect symmetry.” He also wrote about the individual looks of the two flags. “One flag the simple stripes of the rainbow. The other, the same stripes with a field of tie-dyed stars that Faerie had meticulously created, almost like an American flag,” wrote Baker. “Both flags were incredibly complicated to

match and then sew. She and James and I worked constantly, right up to the moment of the parade.” They worked on finishing the two flags at the Grove Street LGBT center a block from City Hall right up until early in the morning of Sunday, June 26, 1978. “We weren’t tired. Faerie had made everyone a breakfast of echanacea (sic) and ginseng tea and James had brought some cocaine that we were going to try after we completed the sewing,” wrote Baker. “We celebrated by taking off all our clothes and rolling around in the soft cotton infusing the fabric with the joy of sex, the most logical way (to) launch a flag for the Lesbian and Gay liberation movement. Despite my notions about beauty and art it really was all about sex. A spectrum of sexuality, and the freedom to express it, that we considered to be a human right.” In another passage, Baker wrote that he always considered the rainbow flag “my masterpiece” and ended the 1970s “as the new Betsy Ross.” As for Segerblom and McNamara, he wrote that they “never let me forget their roles in the creation of the symbol for a whole movement, even though they gladly let me take all the credit. A little jealousy spiced up our dinner parties, but I took it all in stride. They were both very gracious. What we’d made was bigger than all of us.” Baker acknowledged that he “loved the recognition, but everybody knew who was the one that stayed up the long sweaty work nights making it real, giving it life.” It remains unclear when Baker’s memoir will reach bookstores. Only a small LGBT publisher has so far expressed interest in publishing it, said Beal. “We are hoping for a bigger publisher because the memoir is so important,” he said. “We want the muscle and marketing that comes with a large publisher.”t

harming us in other ways – such as YouTube’s demonetizing and offering anti-LGBTQ ads to viewers – does little to prove you are the ally you claim to be. What it really comes down to, for

me, is an issue of actions over words. It’s great to claim to be supportive, but unless you back it up with concrete actions of support, the words are simply words: they hold no meaning. t

Gwen Smith wishes her readers a safe and happy Pride. You’ll find her online at www.gwensmith. com.

Congratulations on the 48th annual San Francisco LGBTQ Pride celelebration

<< Commentary

36 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Fighting against ableism by Belo Cipriani

t’s a sad truth that when it comes to disability etiquette and norms, many people and organizations fall short on the awareness scale. And perhaps it’s this very lack of understanding that pushes able-bodied individuals to constantly ask people with disabilities intimate questions about their conditions – no matter the place, time, or circumstance. For Mia Mingus, who had polio

as an infant, and has had her share of inquiries about her physical disability from the public, humor has been a way to deal with all the questioning. She tells people: “I fell out of an airplane” or “I was attacked by a tiger.” But laughs aside, the 37-year-old queer writer and community educator from Oakland said that her sense of safety is probably the biggest factor in dictating how she deals with the questioning. “I am constantly assessing my

DISPLAY OBITUARIES & IN MEMORIAMS

The Bay Area Reporter can help members of the community reach more than 120,000 LGBT area residents each week with their display of Obituary* & In Memoriam messages.

RATES:

$21.20 per column inch (black & white) $29.15 per column inch (full color)

DEADLINES:

Friday 12noon for space reservations Monday 12noon for copy & images

TO PLACE:

Call 415-829-8937 or email advertising@ebar.com

* Non-display Obituaries of 200-words or less are FREE to place. Please email obituary@ebar.com for more information.

44 Gough Street, Suite 204, San Francisco, CA 94103

THIS IS THE

san francisco

Columbariu M Funeral Home and

formerly the Neptune Society

environment, the people around me, and the relationships I have to them, when navigating any kind of oppression or threat of violence,” she said. “For example, for the ever-persistent, ‘what’s wrong with you?,’ I often reply, ‘nothing, what is wrong with you?’ Or, sometimes I just say, ‘I have a disability,’ and end it there. These are all when I am in situations where it is safe enough for me to do so, because oftentimes it is not safe.” Mingus explains that able-bodied people can feel entitled to the time and attention of people with disabilities, and if they don’t receive it, they can get mad, angry, or even violent. “Similarly to the ways in which men and masculine people feel entitled to women, femmes, and feminine people’s time, attention, and labor, when we say ‘no’ or do not comply, there are serious consequences we may face,” she said. Whether intentional or not, Mingus pointed out forced intimacy dehumanizes people with disabilities. It helps to normalize ableism – the system of oppression that gives people superiority

by Roger Brigham

ussia celebrated being awarded the 2014 Winter Olympics, which are supposed to bring together people from across the globe in unity and acceptance, by passing laws that banned any supportive statements about gays and lesbians – a move officials said was not anti-gay but rather protective of children, but which has done nothing demonstrable to protect kids and has emboldened citizens to double their level of hate crimes. Now it is hosting the World Cup of men’s soccer, saying in advance that gay and lesbian fans would be tolerated and accepted, but immediately showing that shit hasn’t changed. Just before the cup began last week, organizers of the Diversity House, a safe zone for fans of diverse ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations, were told they would have to abandon the building in St. Petersburg that had been designated to host the zone. Similar political acts have been used previously to hurt LGBT awareness and acceptance.

COA 660

Belo Cipriani is a disability advocate, an award-winning journalist, the prize-winning author of “Blind: A Memoir” and “Midday Dreams,” and the spokesman for Guide Dogs for the Blind. Learn more at www. belocipriani.com.

Courtesy AP

Mexico players celebrate their stunning 1-0 victory over defending World Cup champion Germany.

“They recognize it as the method through which the city authorities shut down activities which do not conform to their political outlook,” said Piara Powar, director of the international anti-discrimination network FARE in charge of the project. Powar called it a “political attack of the kind that shows how debates about human rights are curtailed by powerful

conservative political forces in Russia.” Diversity House was moved to a new location in the city center and has been hosting visitors. Even before the first kickoff, two gay Frenchmen were beaten and robbed after catching a ride. Their phones and wallets were taken and one of the men was hospitalized with severe head and brain injuries. I would say that two men were reportedly arrested for the attack, but “reportedly” may not be the right word – at least not in Russia. Government authorities there issued orders earlier this month to police departments to censor their crime reports during the cup. So if you get assaulted in Russia during the World Cup and the cops don’t report it, do you still bleed? I’m asking for a friend. During Mexico’s stunning 1-0 victory over tournament favorite Germany in the opening round Sunday, the Mexican fans, as they are wont to do but have been repeatedly warned not to do, chanted the homophobic slur “puto” – not to be confused with the equally derogatory Russian term

Run promotes Gay Games

Call (415) 771-0717 FD 1306

based on physical and mental ability. “Ableism created and depends on the binary of ‘able-bodied’ and ‘disabled.’ Ableism is connected to, and mutually dependent with, other forms of oppression and violence,” said Mingus. In the LGBTQ community, Mingus believes that ableism is palpable and contributes to the exclusion of people with disabilities – especially at Pride events. “I think we have a long way to go before Pride events are accessible, because it is not only the logistical access, which definitely has a long way to go, but it is also the culture of ableism as well,” she said.

To combat forced intimacy and ableism, Mingus suggested people explore their able-bodied privilege. “For starters, abled queer people can do their own work to learn about and understand disability, ableism, access and, most importantly, their abled privilege and how it connects to heterosexism, the gender binary, homophobia, transphobia, and trans misogyny,” she said. “At this point,” Mingus added, “there are countless resources for those who are interested in learning. There are activists you can follow on social media, who routinely share educational resources, articles, and posts. There are also queer and/or other social justice groups that they can find that have not only created material on this, but also have incorporated changes into their work.” To learn more about Mingus’ work, visit leavingevidence.wordpress.com.t

Predictable violence attends World Cup

We’ve expanded our services and kept the spirit and tradition. One Loraine Court between Stanyan & Arguello

Courtesy Mia Mingus

Mia Mingus

unners carry rainbow flags Saturday, June 16, in the Memorial Run in New York City. The run is a quadrennial event associated with the Gay Games that raises awareness of the toll of AIDS and the need

See page 38 >>

Front Runners New York

for resources to fight it. Legs of the run are staged in other former Gay Games host cities, leading up to the final leg at Gay Games X Paris in August.

t <<

Community News>>

Global activist

From page 19

“I was reeling from the blow,” said Long, who couldn’t say for certain if it was an anti-gay assault. “I honestly couldn’t make out, and have no way to reconstruct, what he was shouting. I mean, it could have been conceivably ‘you faggot.’ It could have been ‘you alien lizard person.’ I really don’t know.” Nothing of Long’s was taken. He believes it was a random attack. However, at the end of what he estimated was a nine-second assault, he heard the man laugh. He will never forget the sound of the man’s laugh, he told the B.A.R. “I was just so dazed. I sat down on the curb and I was like, bleeding, and said, ‘Help, help,’ and nobody stopped, of course,” said Long, who after a few minutes remembered he had his cellphone. “So, I called Samir.” “I just ran down the street,” said Taha, 28, a gay Egyptian man. “I just saw him sitting on the curb and there was so much blood it was terrifying.” The assailant broke Long’s jaw and cheekbone. He lost his lower left teeth and has huge gashes on his face from the force of the weapon. Long filed a police report. Oakland police did not respond to a request for comment by press time. Long underwent six hours of surgery June 12 to reconstruct his cheekbone and jaw. Doctors implanted a metal plate in his face, but they didn’t have to wire his jaw shut, he told the B.A.R. Long returned to Taha’s apartment June 13, where a small team of close friends is working to help him recover from the incident.

Taha’s photos of Long in the hospital posted on Long’s Facebook page, along with a message from Long about the attack, elicited hundreds of responses from around the world. “Thank you, Donald Trump for endorsing violence as he himself said that he could shoot someone on the street, or that he would punch someone, or that he would destroy North Korea. It is these unpresidential comments and words that instigate hatred,” wrote Kurt Francis on Facebook. “When the president changes his view and decides to have the ability to recognize and accept and celebrate differences then the people have a chance.” Anne Mini added, “Please join me in sending any healing energies, prayers, and good thoughts you can possibly spare to genuinely lovely person and longtime LGBTQ global rights activist Scott Long.” Global LGBT rights activists were also shaken by the attack. “I am saddened to hear about this brutal assault and wish Scott a swift and full recovery,” wrote Peter Tatchell in an email to the B.A.R. following his release from a Moscow jail. Tatchell was protesting Russia’s attacks on LGBT people, including threatening queer World Cup fans at the start of the global sporting event June 14. [See item below.] Julie Dorf, senior adviser at the

Council for Global Equality, also expressed her sadness for the attack on Long and highlighted the importance of his work. “It is truly a lesson for those of us working on global LGBT rights work in the United States to reconcile such random and vicious violence in Oakland, California with the targeted violence and hate crimes we tend to address in our work,” wrote Dorf in an email to the B.A.R. “Scott has worked in so many countries with ostensibly much ‘worse’ situations for LGBT communities and yet his vulnerability was right here in a country where rage, inequality, and violence are rampant.” Some people on Facebook expressed hope for the arrest of the attacker, but Long wants something other than jail time for his assailant. “I feel reasonably certain that if he were arrested I’d refrain from pressing charges,” Long wrote to the B.A.R., despite filing a police report with the Oakland Police Department. “The problem from the start was that I also don’t want him attacking others; and our society tries to limit us to only one real option for achieving that: prison.” He would rather his attacker get the help and support he needs. At press time, no arrests had been made in the case.

Tatchell arrested in Moscow

The aforementioned Tatchell was arrested in Moscow June 14 during a one-man protest of Russia’s

SF Pride

From page 19

“Keeping it local is something we think about all the time when looking at our programming, entertainment, and the composition of the parade,” said Ridgely, a gay man. “Although there is no avoiding the fact that San Francisco Pride is a world-class destination for people, I know that it’s important we don’t lose our core sense of self and values.” Almost 80 percent of the people who come to enjoy the weekend events do not live in the city, though 42 percent are from the Bay Area, according to a San Francisco economic impact study of the city’s outdoor events from 2014. Over the years, Saturday has become the quainter, family-oriented, and less crowded day as the parade on Sunday draws throngs to city streets. Ridgely did say that, with the end of Pink Saturday in the Castro a few years ago due to incidents of violence, Saturday attendance is picking up. Entertainment that day is also locally focused. Some highlights from both festival days include the main headliner, female hip-hop artist Kehlani (“The Way”) who performs Sunday, at 5:30 p.m. at the main stage at Civic Center Plaza. Bringing the “Generations” theme to a more tangible level for festivalgoers is the “Seniors Tell All” activity. Located near the southwest side of the Civic Center Plaza, LGBT seniors will be available for open conversation to share their stories of activism and resistance. Larry Nelson, a gay man, came up with SF Pride’s theme this year and was a strong voice in the creation of Seniors Tell All. “I am 65 and when I go away my story shouldn’t,” Nelson said. “I want younger people to be able to ask us

Response

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 37

Trans, Dyke marches

From page 26

and doughnuts at Good Vibrations, 603 Valencia Street, from 11 a.m. to noon, for marchers to get their caffeine fix before the march. From 2 to 6 p.m. a resource fair will be held in the park featuring a variety of vendors. This year, the fair

Rick Gerharter

Everybody Loves A Corgi was part of the San Francisco 2017 LGBT Pride parade, and the contingent is expected back this year.

‘What was it like then? What did you do to survive?’” The timing of the theme this year is opportune, Ridgely said. “We want to recognize the older generation’s contributions, record their stories, and pass them on to the younger generation who will now carry the torch,” he said.

gay African-American rapper Le1f; and “American Idol’s” first drag queen finalist, Ada Vox.

Sunday parade

Saturday’s festival includes almost all local performers. The Stud, a queer bar in the city’s South of Market neighborhood, will bring drag queens and a DJ set by Siobhan Aluvalot. Femme Deadly Venoms, an all-female, Bay Area-based group will bring its hiphop sound to the stage. Ms. Nzuri Soul, also from the Bay Area, will perform jazz and R&B tunes, and drag artist Trangela Lansbury will also perform. Sunday will bring the bigger acts including Our Lady J, a transgender television writer, producer, and singersongwriter; Yaeji, a Korean-American electronic-music artist from New York;

The parade will have even more contingents than it did last year with over 280. As per tradition, the fivehour parade will kick off with the rumblings from the Dykes on Bikes Women’s Motorcycle Contingent. This will be the first time that Dykes on Bikes founding member Soni Wolf will not lead the group. Wolf died at the age of 69 on April 25 from natural causes. She will be posthumously honored as a community grand marshal this year and her contributions will be celebrated on the main stage Sunday. Resistance to the Trump administration will again be a strong aspect of the parade as it was last year, Ridgely said. SF Pride organizers have long faced criticism that the parade and celebration have become too commercial, which led to a more politically-focused Pride in 2017.

will offer HIV and gonorrhea testing and screening. During that time, Our Family Coalition will sponsor a family area at the playground. Entertainment takes place from 3 to 6. Shena Rose, a drag performer, will be there, along with musician and visual artist Inocente Po Guizar, dance group River Bradley, and a salsa bomba performance by In

Lak’ech Dance Academy. The street march starts at 6. People begin to gather around 5:30 at 18th and Dolores streets. The first three contingents include a motorcycle contingent, the disabled senior trolley, and those who will hold the “Trans March” banner including Grimm, representatives from San Francisco Community Health

Local flavor

ongoing violence against LGBT people and threats to queer soccer fans at the World Cup. The London-based activist was holding a banner supporting LGBT Chechens while standing next to the statue of Marshal Zhukov near the Kremlin last Thursday when police arrested him at 3:15 p.m. local time. Tatchell was detained for over an hour before being released. He was charged with protesting, which was outlawed by presidential decree, according to Simon Harris, communications and campaigns manager of the Peter Tatchell Foundation. Tatchell called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to meet with him to discuss LGBT rights in Russia, but he didn’t get a response. At the same time, he accused Putin of failing to condemn the violence against LGBT Chechens and the country’s LGBT community under the Anti-Homosexual Propaganda Act signed in 2013. “I was exercising my lawful right to protest, under the Russian constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and the right to protest in Articles 29 and 31,” Tatchell said. “A one-person protest, which is what I did, requires no permission from the authorities and the police. “President Putin has failed to condemn and act against the homophobic witch-hunts in Chechnya, which have seen scores of LGBTplus people arrested and tortured, with some even being killed,” he said in the release. He noted authorities have used the Anti-Homosexual Propaganda Act to stop LGBT people from peacefully protesting, as well as suppressing

LGBT organizations and discriminating against LGBT people. At the same time, anti-LGBT demonstrators get free reign, he said. “Little action has been taken by the Russian government and police to crack down on far-right extremists who target LGBT-plus people for violent and humiliating assaults – including the instigators of the current threats to bash and stab LGBT-plus football fans at the World Cup,” Tatchell said in the release.

The resistance contingent will follow Dykes on Bikes to protest the Trump administration and its policies that negatively affect the LGBT community and other minorities. “In just a few short years following the greatest progress in modern American LGBTQ history, we’ve experienced drastic setbacks on many aspects of our lives,” Michelle Meow, who is serving her last year as SF Pride board president, said in “Inside Pride,” SF Pride’s official guide to the festival. “Pride is about evolution as much as it is about reflection. We will always fight for our rights and fight to keep them.” The San Francisco Human Rights Commission; Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, who is also the Democratic nominee for the gubernatorial election; San Francisco Mayor-elect London Breed; Planned Parenthood of Northern California; and many corporate and nonprofit participants are among the contingents. Celebrity grand marshals include Jose Gutierez and Luis Camacho, who choreographed the video for Madonna’s hugely popular song “Vogue.” Among the community grand marshals are UC Berkeley’s first full-time director for LGBT resources and longtime activist Billy Curtis, and Brian “Chickpea” Busta, a San Franciscobased community activist, fine artist, and street performer.

Department will have a strong presence throughout the weekend, officials said. “There will be a significant police presence during Pride activities, with both uniformed and plainclothes officers on duty to monitor public events,” according to an SFPD Facebook post. All attendees will be screened at the entry gates this year and will have to walk through metal detectors or be screened with handheld wands. People’s bags will be checked, and bags larger than 18 inches by 18 inches won’t be permitted. Ridgely said people should expect to wait in line for about 20 minutes. The Civic Center celebration runs from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Market and Beale streets and ends at Market and Eighth streets. BART will operate on a regular Sunday schedule, with trains starting at 8 a.m., but will provide longer and additional trains before and after the celebration to accommodate the crowds, according to its website. The parade and festival are free, but there is a suggested donation of $1-$5 for the festival. Donations from the celebration have helped SF Pride contribute nearly $3 million to community nonprofits since 1997. Every year, Bay Area nonprofits work as community partners to provide volunteers for SF Pride. In exchange, the groups receive a portion of the proceeds. t

Security

Security for the weekend festival will be similar to last year. Formal safety screenings were instituted at the SF Pride celebration two years ago following the June 12, 2016 massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, where 49 mostly LGBT people of color died in one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings. The San Francisco Police

Center’s Trans:Thrive, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and TGI Justice. The march will travel along Market Street, turn on Taylor Street, and end at Taylor and Turk streets, near the site of the Compton’s Cafeteria riot of 1966, one of the first recorded LGBT-related riots in the U.S. There, Our Lady J and Grimm will speak, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Standard procedure

Tatchell said that getting arrested is standard procedure for those who demonstrate in support of LGBT rights. “Unlike brave Russian protesters, I have the ‘protection’ of a British passport, which means I have been treated more leniently than they are,” said Tatchell in a statement. This was the third time Tatchell has been arrested for protesting for LGBT rights in Russia. He was previously arrested twice during protests in Moscow and suffered brain damage after being attacked by Russian neo-Nazis in 2007, according to the release. This is his sixth visit to Russia working in solidarity with the Russian LGBT movement. Tatchell is working with his attorneys to schedule a court date to fight the charges against him, he wrote in an email to the B.A.R. t Got international LGBT news tips? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at Skype: heather.cassell or oitwnews@gmail.com.

For more information, visit sfpride.org. For complete Pride, nightlife, and arts listings, see the BARtab section.

There are two after-parties this year, one for all ages and the other for 21 and over. Wicked Grounds, 289 Eighth Street, will host “Transfabulous,” a sober party for everyone from 7 to 10 p.m. “Bustin’ Out 12: Party Against the Prison Industrial Complex” will take place at El Rio, 3158 Mission Street, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. for adults. t

<< Community News

38 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 21-27, 2018

Sisters’ book

From page 23

members for many years. “I argue in the book that serious parody, like all forms of parody and camp, is a double-edged sword that, wielded incautiously or unthinkingly, can do unintended harm,” Wilcox wrote in her email. “The Sisters are fond of saying that they are mirrors of their community. They mean that they mirror the community’s beauty, and that is true in very profound ways. But caught up in that same mirroring can also, at times, be an uncritical reiteration of the biases and limitations of the communities that the Sisters draw their members from.” Wilcox said that at times, women “have encountered significant

Phelan Ave.

From page 25

residents and business owners have enough time to make changes to their addresses. The name change is part of a local and nationwide movement to replace names and monuments of

Mendocino

From page 28

Food options

Raffo recommended Harvest Market at Mendosa’s in Mendocino for assembling meals and picnics. It was described by another local as the best market in town. Its culinary director, Margaret Fox, manages the take-away foods and is the former owner of the nearby Cafe Beaujolais. Raffo also suggested Corners of the Mouth, a local co-op market on Ukiah Street. We had several meals at the very good Mendocino Cafe, a casual restaurant serving lunch and dinner that has outdoor seating and some Thai-inspired selections. Lunch (two courses,

Grimm

From page 30

human status” was going to be discussed, he said. Comments at the meeting, including some from adults who did not have any children attending the school, included many people who were either “disrespectful” or “outright hateful,” he said. “Many people addressed me as a young lady,” recalled Grimm. “I told them repeatedly that I felt quite confident that I was a boy.”

Jock Talk

From page 36

“putin,” which stands for “read Hillary’s emails and take command of presidential elections.” FIFA said this week it would “investigate” the fan misbehavior, but let’s be real: nothing of substance will happen

Consul general

From page 34

of hate speech in 2016 and 2017, which SOS Homophobie noted in its report. Physical violence against LGBT people was up, but it was only 5 percent, he said. He believes that the reason for the increase could be that some people feel more open and daring to say what they believe, and some victims feel more comfortable reporting hate crimes. Lebrun-Damiens also said that hate speech goes beyond the LGBT community and includes racism and anti-Semitism.

sexism in the order; trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer folks have sometimes encountered transphobia or heterosexism; and Sisters of color have encountered racism.” Some left the Sisters, while others fought back. The Sisters most famous controversy happened in San Francisco in 2007 at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in the Castro, which Wilcox describes in detail. “In 2007, Archbishop [George] Niederauer was scheduled to say Mass at Most Holy Redeemer, the Roman Catholic parish in the Castro district,” Wilcox wrote. “It became clear quite quickly that some conservative Catholic groups, suspicious of Niederauer already, were concerned about how he might represent the church in the so-called

gay parish, and were planning to attend. Two members of the San Francisco house of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence shared that concern (though from the other side of the theological and political spectrum), and they also decided to attend, in habit. Both partook in the Eucharist, one being Roman Catholic and the other one mistakenly believing that it would be disrespectful not to do so, and the archbishop served them without batting an eye. “The Sisters were welcomed by parishioners and all appeared well until one of the conservative Catholic visitors to the parish posted a video he’d taken of the archbishop serving the Sisters,” Wilcox wrote. “The video went viral, the scandal went international, [Fox News’] Bill O’Reilly went apoplectic, and

the rest is history, (with Niederauer eventually publicly apologizing, which bishops almost never do).” Wilcox said the incident showed the complexity between the Sisters and the church. “The archbishop served the Sisters politely and respectfully; they received the Host equally politely and respectfully. At least some of the people at Mass that day appeared to be grateful for the Sisters’ presence. The folks who went off the rails about the event were conservative Catholics who seem to have all been laypeople,” Wilcox wrote. “By the time the dust settled, the story had been reshaped to be about a couple of upstart drag queens who went up to take Communion in order to stick a finger in the church’s eye,” Wilcox wrote. t

people who no longer represent the values of today’s society. It would also mark another city street named after an LGBT luminary. In 2014, San Francisco honored the late transgender icon Vicki Marlane by naming a block of Turk Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood after her. As the Bay Area Reporter

noted at the time, it was the first city street named after a trans person. In 2016, the city also renamed the 100 block of Taylor Street as Gene Compton’s Cafeteria Way, after a restaurant that served as a hangout for transgender and queer people in the 1960s. Police raided it in 1966 in what is known as the Compton’s Cafeteria

riot, preceding the more famous Stonewall riots in New York City. Other streets in San Francisco named after LGBT figures are Alice B. Toklas Place and Dr. Tom Waddell Place, alleys near City Hall, Jose Sarria Court in the gay Castro district, and Jack Kerouac Alley in North Beach. t

glass of wine) was about $30 per person (before tip); dinner was about $60. Trillium Restaurant on Kasten Street prepared our finest meal and features “New American cuisine with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients.” It serves lunch and dinner; a three-course dinner is about $115 per person (with wine, before tip). There’s an outdoor deck with ocean and garden views and pets are allowed at those tables. Nearly as good was our dinner at the Ravens at the Stanford Inn and it was all-vegan. It serves breakfast and dinner sourced mostly from its own certified organic farm. Pets are welcome in part of the restaurant. We paid about $65 per person (with wine, before tip).

Cafe Beaujolais is still around, still highly respected, and priced similarly to Trillium. Nearby Anderson Valley is a major wine-growing region with over 30 tasting rooms to visit. Our favorite was Navarro Winery in tiny, but scenic, Philo, which has good prices by the case. For art lovers, the annual self-guided art tour called Anderson Valley Open Studios happens in early May. Was our glamping experience truly glamorous? We thought so, and the grove certainly lived up to its motto, “Camping made comfy.” And for Mendocino, the rates are relatively a bargain. If you must have a private bathroom, check out the nearby Stanford Inn

(rates start at $315) or about 10 miles away, the Beachcomber in Fort Bragg (rates start at $169 per night). Mendocino Grove is working to add Airstream trailers, so you may be able to try out another new and hip lodging option soon. t

A second school board meeting was even worse, he said. “People were louder, angrier, and nastier,” said Grimm. Although Grimm’s family and friends testified on his behalf, “it was pretty clear to me that [the school board] had made up its mind” before it heard the case. Grimm explained that he “simply was not a girl” and “just wanted to be a normal child and use the rest room in peace as I’d been doing,” but his plea fell on deaf ears. “Adults were the only ones who tried to impede my rights. I was

bullied and I let them know I deserved the rights of every other human being,” he said. When the ACLU heard about the case and contacted the family, Grimm said he was “ready” to become a plaintiff. “I realized I had to take the matters into my own hands. I’d gotten used to the injustices” that were common in a small, religious conservative community, he said. Despite the negativity and hate Grimm witnessed during his fight for equality, he is optimistic about the future.

During his speaking engagements, Grimm said he believes he’s had the most impact in small towns, where “I’m not speaking to the choir” and where they don’t get a chance to see LGBT media. And when Grimm meets with other young activists, so many “are action minded, motivated, and aware of the tools we need to push back.” “I’ve gotten so much energy from being around a group of people who know there is something very wrong with the system and want to do something about it,” he said. t

on this. Maybe fines against the team if we’re lucky, but none of the more extreme measures at the association’s discretion. FIFA has been pretty aggressive about eliminating racist behavior and taunts from crowds, hitting the clubs with fines or suspensions or forcing them to play without crowds in the stands, but it has been

reluctant to act against homophobic activity equally, even though its policies say it should. Showing their obtuseness and insensitivity, some soccer officials have even argued that the term, which literally refers to a male prostitute, “insults” but does not “offend.” Excuse me?

In the end, this is the event from which FIFA makes a ton of money and depends upon to justify its very existence. It is a commercial event and FIFA will not risk a dollar or a peso or a ruble of it to take a stand to defend its own principles or its own fans. Not only will this act not be treated decisively, it will barely be reported. t

“We have to take these very seriously, and the government does,” he said. The laws are a “good thing, but we need to do more.”

rooted – in our society as in any society in the world. You don’t get rid of hundreds of years of homophobia like this,” Lebrun-Damiens said, slapping his hand on the table. “I think you need to look at this [from a] long perspective and you need to find the best and higher impact programs to answer this worrying trend,” he added. He immediately dismissed the uptick in hate crimes being attributed to the influx of refugees into Europe. When the B.A.R. asked if France was doing anything to help LGBT refugees, he said no. “It has to be looked at as something

which is in our culture that we need to get rid of,” he said about homophobia. Having government leaders dedicated to combatting homophobia and hatred toward other communities, “it shows that there’s still work to do, but we are almost there in terms of equal rights,” he said. Lebrun-Damiens believes eradicating homophobia and other issues facing the LGBT community is possible. “We need to fight for equal rights everywhere, but diplomacy counts, and I’m very proud to be of a country, to be a French diplomat, of a country that was one of the leaders,” in global LGBT rights, he said.t

Continuing the fight

To combat anti-gay issues in France, the country implemented a national plan against homophobia, which is under the purview of Frederick Potier. He was appointed last May by President Emmanuel Macron to the new interministerial delegation to the fight against racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-LGBT hate. “I think homophobia is deeply rooted – has always been deeply

For more information, visit http:// www.mendocinogrove.com. Mendocino Grove is offering a promotion to B.A.R. readers. Book a stay of two or more consecutive weekday nights (Sunday-Thursday) and receive 20 percent off, now through October 31. Promo code: BAR20. Restrictions may apply.

Legal Notices>>

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF RENA SANGIACOMO IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-18-301947

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of RENA SANGIACOMO. A Petition for Probate has been filed by ADRIENNE LANGENHAN & MICHAEL SANGIACOMO in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that ADRIENNE LANGENHAN & MICHAEL SANGIACOMO be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: JUN 26, 2018, 9:00 am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: Terrence P. Murphy SBN 104739, 5 Third St #1100, San Francisco, CA 94103; Ph. (415) 495-3950 Ext 103.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-18-553916

In the matter of the application of: CARIE LYNNKESSEL PAGE, 44 20TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner CARIE LYNN-KESSEL PAGE, is requesting that the name CARIE LYNNKESSEL PAGE AKA CARIE LYNN PAGE, be changed to CARIE LYNN PAGE. 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 10th of July 2018 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038148100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: IPOWER SF ELECTRIC, 77 NORTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GERMAN MATIAS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/16/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/16/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038160300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SOKC CO., 3251 20TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICHARD MA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/24/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038153500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: T.HAYNES LIGHTING, 1322 47TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOSHUA PINE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/21/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/21/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038150100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JOSE’S HAULING & HOME IMPROVEMENT SERVICES, 126 PRENTISS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOSE M. DELCID. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/17/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/17/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038162700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ENGINEER.AI, 600 CALIFORNIA ST 11TH FLR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SD SQUARED NORTH AMERICA LIMITED (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 11/06/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038153600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KIEM’S PRODUCE, 1901 JERROLD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GRUBMARKET INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/18/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/21/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038146800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: YO TAMBIEN CANTINA, 205 HUGO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed YO TAMBIEN, 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 05/16/18.

MAY 31, JUNE 07, 14, 21, 2018

Classiffieds>>

t Legal Notices>>

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-18553945

In the matter of the application of: BIMALA GURUNG THING, 255 HYDE ST #619, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner BIMALA GURUNG THING is requesting that the name BIMALA GURUNG THING, be changed to BIMALA THING. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 19th of July 2018 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-18553947

In the matter of the application of: STACEY CHONG, 227 MOSCOW ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner STACEY CHONG, is requesting that the name STACEY CHONG, be changed to ALEX KOI CHONG. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, RM. 514 on the 17th of July 2018 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038175800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HARLEQUINN TOURS, 333 JEFFERSON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DEREK DEWITT. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/18/03. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/05/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038169600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OCEAN BLUE LAUNDRY & CAFE, 8 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARJORIE V TOBILLO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/30/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038162500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SELA MAC, 550 SPRUCE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SARAH MCNAMARA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 03/01/12. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038157700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POST DRY CLEANERS, 1610 POST ST #102, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TSEDENISH TSOGZOLGARAV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/23/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/23/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038170200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SEE.SAW.SEEN OPTOMETRY; SEE SAW SEEN OPTOMETRY; SEE.SAW.SEEN; SEE. SAW.SEEN EYEWEAR; 515 GOUGH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SEE.SAW.SEEN OPTOMETRY (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 04/23/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038170000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THATCHER’S GOURMET POPCORN, 1201 MINNESOTA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed X GOURMET PLUS 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 05/31/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018

June 21-27, 2018 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 39

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038166900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LAKESIDE NAIL BAR, 2671 OCEAN AVE, SAN FRANCISO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LAKESIDE NAIL BAR (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/14/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/29/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038166500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GIRON CONSTRUCTION, 170 QUINT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GECMS INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/31/12. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/29/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-03816000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PIZZA FLIRT; CYBELLA’S, 464 BROADWAY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CITY PIZZA AND BURGER INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/20/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038159300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LUMINATE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC, 16B FUNSTON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94129. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LUMINATE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 12/13/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038167200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EMPAWTHY, 3215 20TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed EMPAWTHY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/15/18. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/30/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038168400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: RAW VINO, 1307 DE HARO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed RAW VINO 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 05/30/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038168700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ROYAL OIL COMPANY, 704-708 BRYANT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed H4L 3 LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/16/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/30/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038167400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ARTFARM PRODUCTIONS, 40 POND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BRET PARKER & KATRINA BARMA. 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 05/30/18.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: T HAYNES LIGHTING, 1322 47TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by LUIS H. PINE. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/31/16.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038184400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMERICAN CHINESE HERBAL COLLEGE, 4651 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed XUSHI LIANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 04/04/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/12/18.

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038176000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ALTERNATIVE MORTGAGE SOURCES, 2358 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BETH MARCIA HOFFMAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/86. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/05/18.

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038174300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KELLY’S JANITORIAL, 3600 SIERRA RIDGE ROAD #4106, RICHMOND, CA 94806. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SONIA RAQUEL HERNANDEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/23/13. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/04/18.

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038180800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KONG LAI CONSTRUCTION CO, 2242 22ND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALLEN KWONG SETO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/02/89. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/18.

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038179900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HAVEN GROUP, 1400 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOHN SOLAEGUI. 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 06/08/18.

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038179000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BABY & MOM NUTRITION, 4992 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed GUIMEI WU & LIFENG WU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/07/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/18.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: EUROGIRLS, 537 JONES ST #2166, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by VITA CAMPISI. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/22/16.

Movers>>

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GOURMET NOODLE HOUSE INC, 3751 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GOURMET NOODLE HOUSE INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/25/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/18.

To place your classified ad, call

415-861-5019

Housecleaning Richard 415-255-0389

Professional 30+ years exp Virus/Malware GONE! Device setup Mobile Support Network & wireless setup Discreet

Pet Services>>

415.821.1792

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BRJ CONSTRUCTION 415 DELANO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed RICHARD L. JOHNS & WILLIAM JOHNS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/03/08. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/12/18

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038176800

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038189900

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-18-553959

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05,12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038188700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BWG PARTNERS, 1699 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PACIFIC UNION INTERNATIONAL 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 06/05/18.

In the matter of the application of HONG Y. SING, 121 ELLINGTON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112: for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner HONG Y. SING, is requesting that the name HONG Y. SING, be changed to HONG Y. KAMTALONG. 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 24th of July 2018 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038190900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: APRETTYDAI BOUTIQUE; SASS MINKS, BLINKS & WINKS, 165 PRAGUE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NICOLE WILLIAMS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/18/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/18/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038186000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ABM CONSULTING, 601 VAN NESS AVE #47, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed AARON MCDANIEL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 01/01/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/13/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038188300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BRIANNA’S JEWELRY, 2757 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EDWIN ALBERTO GONZALEZ MENDEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/15/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/15/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038172900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: KGWMEDIA; SHEEPDOG’S APPAREL, 60 VAN NESS AVE #704, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KYLE WARREN. 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 06/01/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038185000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EMPOWER TOGETHER CONSULTING, 530 DIVISADERO ST #178, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JULIE ROBERTS-PHUNG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 01/01/13. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/12/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038185900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MJD ELECTRIC, 228 DEL MONTE AVE, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94080. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BILL MICHAEL BESKALIS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/13/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/13/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018

Hauling>>

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MCBAKERS MARKET, 1800 MCALLISTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed JADA & SONS 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 06/15/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038183500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STUDIO PARADISO, 308 JESSIE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed MOSSER VICTORIAN HOTEL INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/01/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/12/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038181400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ZUNI CAFE, 1658 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed CUCAGNA, LTD. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 02/15/79. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/11/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0381800-00 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STUDIO MUNROE, INC, 1427 DOLORES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed STUDIO MUNROE, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/28/13. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038181700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PICNIC, 1808 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed POLKAPICNIC LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/11/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/11/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038178400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EUROPA, 647, 647 CLAY ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SURYA 647 LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/06/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/06/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038182900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SUPERCLEAN BUILDING SERVICES, LLC, 1385 FAIRFAX AVE, #C, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SUPERCLEAN BUILDING SERVICES, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/01/05. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/11/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038187300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: COW MARLOWE, 3154 FILLMORE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed COW MARLOWE SF 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 06/14/18.

JUN 21, 28, JULY 05, 12, 2018

(415) 441-1054 Large Truck

Jobs Offered>> CLEANING PROFESSIONAL

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

Travel>>

4115 19th Street San Francisco, CA 94114

415 861-5381

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE GIFTED BASKET, 1201 MINNESOTA ST. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed THE GIFTED BASKET INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/18/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/18/18.

HAULING 24/7 –

Celebrating 33 Years of Fabulous Travel Arrangements!

SFMACMAN.com

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038185300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SENIORES PIZZA, 320 11TH STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed 11TH STREET PIZZA INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/04/18. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/04/18.

35 PUC # 176618

•Home OR OFFICE •27 YEARS EXPERIENCE

RICK

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038174800

Cleaning Services>> RAMBO WITH A VACUUM

Ralph Doore 415-867-4657

MACINTOSH HELP

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037119200

JUN 14, 21, 28, JULY 05, 2018 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038161200

Tech Support

 Yelp reviews

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: 18/8 FINE MEN’S SALON SAN FRANCISCO, 1 EMBARCADERO CENTER, LOBBY LEVEL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by JB DESTINY PARTNERS LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/13/17.

JUNE 07, 14, 21, 28, 2018 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037005201

Classifieds Tech Support>>

STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037841300

11am-5pm (PST) M-F, Closed on Weekends

415.626.1169 www.nowvoyager.com

BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT JOB OPPORTUNITIES Engineers, Inspectors, Environmental Planners, Specialists, Administration, and More For more info, visit www.baaqmd.gov/jobs or call (415) 749-4980

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.

La LuPone

Countess beat

Punk dame

Chorus composer

Vol. 48 • No. 25 • June 21-27, 2018

www.ebar.com/arts

Courtesy Frameline

Frameline Finales! by David Lamble

rue fans of Frameline 42, America’s longest-running LGBTQ film festival, know that the best of 11 days of queer-themed cinema often screens in the event’s final weekend (Thurs.-Sun., June 21-24). “Bonding” Struggling to pay his rent, a shy, aspiring stand-up comedian teams up with his best friend, who moonlights as a dominatrix in this amusing, touching, and kinky new episodic series from director Rightor Doyle. (Castro, 6/21) See page 58 >>

Cory Weaver/SFS

Scene from director Rightor Doyle’s episodic series “Bonding.”

‘Boris Godunov’: not good enough by Philip Campbell

ichael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony can credit an impressive string of successfully semi-staged operas and musicals at Davies Symphony Hall over the years. Last week’s presentation of Mussorgsky’s massive “Boris Godunov” will be remembered somewhere further down the list. See page 58 >>

“Scene 1: Outside the Novodyevichy Manastery, near Moscow, 1598.” Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the San Francisco Symphony & Chorus in Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.”

{ THIRD OF FOUR SECTIONS } AT THE

FAIRMONT VENETIAN ROOM

MATTHEW MORRISON

9/30 Opening Night with MATTHEW MORRISON (Glee, Finding Neverland, South Pacific) 10/14 Tony winner GAVIN CREEL (Hello Dolly!, Book of Mormon, Hair, Millie) 11/4 KATE BALDWIN (Finian’s Rainbow, Hello Dolly!) 12/2 CHRISTINE ANDREAS - PIAF - No Regrets

Subscribe for reserved seats, ticket discounts

20 1 SE 8–20 AS 19 ON

1/20 CARMEN CUSACK (Bright Star, Wicked) w/singer/songwriter SUSAN WERNER (Bull Durham) 3/3 Jazz legend JOHN PIZZARELLI 3/24 Grammy winner CATHERINE RUSSELL (Harlem on my Mind) 5/05 LACHANZE (Tony winner - The Color Purple, If/Then, Summer)

www.bayareacabaret.org

(415) 927-4636 (INFO)

42 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018 2pub-BBB_BAR_060718.pdf

5/16/18

<< Out There

7:41 AM

! s h g u a l big

Trans fans at Frameline 42

Steven Underhill

Co-director Fiona Dawson (left), director Gabe Silverman, profiled trans troop Laila Ireland and producer others were in the house at the Castro Theatre for the Frameline opening-night film “TransMilitary.”

by Roberto Friedman

pening night at Frameline 42 was a rousing good kick-off to the film fest. Co-directors Fiona Dawson and Gabriel Silverman were in the house for the screening of their documentary “TransMilitary,” which follows the stories of four transgender troops who serve or have served in the US Armed Forces. The Castro Theatre audience was entirely transfixed. The filmmakers provide an easily followed timeline format that presents a complicated story in clean, simple lines. We see the troops’ elation when the military’s transgender ban is lifted in the final months of the Obama Administration in 2016, and their downcast despair when the Trump Administration tries to reimplement the ban upon seizing power. Its status remains in limbo as various holds work their way through the federal courts. “TransMilitary” was a great way to begin the festival. We like this new trend of opening-night documentaries! But it also showed how bigoted laws and regulations have real and pernicious impacts on people’s lives. We think Dawson & Silverman’s doc is a worthy addition to the cinema of civil rights. We only hope there’s a happy ending. Of course we believe all LGBTQ people need to have the same opportunities as their straight brethren to serve in the military, with the career possibilities that brings. And we’re

CMY

NEW CONSERVATORY THEATRE CENTER SF’S PREMIER LGBT & ALLIED THEATRE CENTER

INTRODUCING THE

2018-19 SEASON POWERFUL. PERSONAL. PROFOUND.

By Charles Busch By Hansol Jung 6th Anniversary Tour Sep 21–Oct 21, 2018 Oct 26–Dec 2, 2018 Nov 30–Jan 6, 2019

By Jordan Tannahill By Mark Gerrard Jan 18–Feb 24, 2019 Mar 1–31, 2019

By Philip Dawkins Apr 5–May 5, 2019

totally down with the struggle. We just wish the whole country didn’t glorify warriors and the warmaking machine so much. How many trillion dollars for the Pentagon is enough? Why not divert some of that federal largesse to the very real need for social services, or toward working on problems of poverty and inequality? In one scene, we see one of the profiled trans troops, Logan Ireland, on patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan. But what exactly is the US military doing in Kandahar? In another scene, we see another of the trans troops, Jenn (some profilees are given full names, some just first names), with her wife and two young children in a domestic scene. In voiceover she’s saying that their family tries to keep their home life separate from her work life. But they’re playing combat games in the living room, “shooting” at each other with supersoaker water guns that look like semiautomatics. War games have come home. Shoot-em-up for work, shootem-up for play, shoot-em-up at the Cineplex, shoot-em-up in the videogame. How much Out There would rather be focusing on rights for LGBTQ people in the Peace Corps!

Sex Pride

Hello, Everydoobie! This is OT’s annual rant where we implore you to stop saying, “Happy Pride!” It takes the gay out of gay liberation, the whole bogdam reason for the party to begin with. Sure, plastic TV anchors can say, “Happy Pride!” to their audiences because they don’t want Gramps & Grammy Bumblefarts in Antioch to choke on the gay part. But you? You’re right here in the capital of gay capitalism. Say it loud, say it proud, say it graphic! Happy Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trisexual, Trysexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Answering,

Intersex, Polyamorous, Polysexual, Poly-want-a-cracker-sexual, Ambivasexual, Asexual, Be-sexual, 3x-a-day-sexual, Platonic, Uranian, Martian, Venusian, old-timey Homosexual, Futuro-sexual, Onthe-down-low, Under-the-table, Over-the-rainbow, Supersexual, Superdupersexual, Supersoakersexual, Quickie, Tantric, Allover Pride! Or, you know what? Say, “Happy Pride!” like the lobotomized legions all you like. But don’t forget the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins! Happy Envy! Happy Gluttony! Happy, happy Lust!

Kindness liberation

Now’s a great time to remember that the original goals of the gay liberation movement did not include P.R. opportunities for corporate profiteers and usurious banks. So recently we’ve been trying to get back to the original impetus behind our coming out and being proud in the first place. The best movie we’ve seen all month in this regard was “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” Morgan Neville’s documentary explores the world of the late great Fred Rogers, title host of the classic children’s program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” No, Mr. R wasn’t gay. But he was an exemplar of a different way to be a man: in exact opposite to the monsters of toxic masculinity that currently besmirch the public sphere, Mr. Rogers was kind, caring. His goal was empathy, to put others at ease, to let you know you are loved. We can’t think of a more radical, a more liberationist agenda, than to discover and disseminate this. It takes enormous strength to be gentle and kind. Mr. Rogers is our patron saint of kindness. He puts the gentle in gentleman. We’ll take that over toxic masculinity – it can bubble out of any member of the LGBTQ tribe! – any day of Pride Month.t

By Max Vernon May 10–Jun 9, 2019

B E CO M E A S U B S C R I B E R TO DAY SUBSCRIBE OR BUY TICKETS AT NCTCSF.ORG BOX OFFICE: 415.861.8972 25 VAN NESS AVE AT MARKET ST

Focus Features

Fred Rogers, emperor of empathy.

N E W ES T S H OW U N D ER T H E BIG TO P OFFICIAL PARTNERS

OPENS NOV 15

OPENS FEB 13

AT&T PARK SAN FRANCISCO

SANTA CLARA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS SAN JOSE

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! LOCAL PARTNER

cirquedusoleil.com/volta

TICKETS STARTING AT

<< Theatre

44 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Patti LuPone pulls no punches by Jim Gladstone

degrees away from that of her evening’s guest. o San Francisco queen As the two women worth his salt would turn sat across from each down a salty sit-down with other in broad-backed, Patti LuPone. So we were out cream-colored armin full force last Wednesday chairs, I kept imagining night as the Curran Theatre voluble, rambunctious offered the latest installment Patti pouncing forward of “Show & Tell,” its series of from her seat, devouronstage conversations with ing dear Carole in a leading lights of the theater couple of ferocious, scene. lip-smacking bites, We’re notoriously inforthen spitting out the mal about nightlife in this buttons from her late city, with hoodies and jeans interlocutor’s tailored somehow allowed in the same green velvet jacket. constellations as Michelin But Miss Patti was stars. But in homage to La on her best behavior LuPone, this was an unusually as she gamely dissharp-dressed special-occacussed others’ worst. sion crowd. Loads of shiny With the slightest Courtesy the subject designer jackets, just-shined nudge of a prompt shoes, frosted tips. from Hays, she’d be Patti LuPone was outspoken at the Curran Theatre. The evening was moderoff and running with ated by that cheerful chaman anecdote about behind-the-scenes dealmaker, Hays pion of San Francisco theater, Andrew Lloyd Webis also a sweet, soft-spoken presence, Carole Shorenstein Hays. While an ber’s battle with the twin devils of her public personality about 180 esteemed producer and powerful alcohol and insecurity (Cue Sturm

und Drang organ chords!), or the undue pressure that producers of her television series “Life Goes On” put upon Chris Burke, her co-star, who had Down syndrome. She even dissed Denzel Washington, who, as a screen actor, she suggested “just doesn’t have the craft” to succeed in his current Broadway run in “The Iceman Cometh.” That said, it was Webber she circled back to, again and again, a great carrion bird with no patience for the Reaper. “Some of the music in ‘Evita’ is awfully hard to listen to, don’t you think? ‘Sunset Boulevard’ really isn’t a great musical. During rehearsals, Andrew was missing, you know – he just wasn’t there.” We pledged solidarity as she pled for the world to turn off its mobiles during the sacred hours of theater, lest we descend to an even more cultureless fray than today’s. We cheered the tale of Our Lady snatching a cellphone from the hands of a texting audience member, side-eyeing the queenfriends we’d brought along for the show, knowing their

hurrahs were little more than inverse Schadenfreude. “Onstage conversation” tends to be code for “a staged conversation,” but LuPone, consummate actress that she is, did a helluva job of making her lines feel spontaneous. There was no shortage of set-pieces tucked into her discussion, including an oft-repeated homily (you can find it on YouTube) about how one learns more from failure than success, but LuPone infused it with gravelly, outspoken energy that made her advice feel as spontaneous as it was sound. Hays slipped quarters in the jukebox, but Lo! the jukebox sang. And then, just before our audience with the Peron of Our Own ended, she really did sing. She chose “I Am San Francisco,” from “I Am Harvey Milk” by composer Andrew Lippa, whose new gay opus “Unbreakable” world-premieres with the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus this weekend. La Lupone commands your attendance.t

cross-country trip to resettle in San Francisco after a last East Coast bash at the Woodstock concert, is close to Pearl’s age, but he’s footloose and free of commitments. She falls hard for his sexy hippie vibe. In Walker’s alternative lifestyle, Pearl catches a whiff of her alternate life, patchouli and copious pheromones. The pair’s duets include an abundance of awkwardly choreographed dry-humping. Brayben won an Olivier playing Carole King in the West End production of “Beautiful,” and her powerful, emotionally nuanced singing is one of “Moon”’s strongest assets. Composer Paul Goodman cushions Brayben’s multifaceted voice in jewelbox arrangements full of swooning cello and sparkling violin lines. His melodies, combined with her masterful tone and inflection, carry the solo numbers “Out of this World” and “Ground Beneath My Feet,” and help transcend lyrics that are often prosaic and rhyme-heavy (“He kicked my heart,/I fell apart”), co-written by Goodman and Gray. As Walker, Resnick’s shoulderlength, straw-colored hair, six-footplus height, and lanky, sometimes bare torso are lovely to look at. But the way he plays his crunchy granola

character is so laid-back it’s almost recessive. We can’t feel the animal charisma that Pearl and her fellow campground ladies are so thrown by. There’s also a problematic recessiveness to Resnick’s singing. He tends to swallow the ends of phrases. The vocal bar set by Brayben is very high, which makes their pairing all the more awkward. “Moon”’s secondary storyline focuses on Pearl’s strained relationship with adolescent Alison. Daughter finds mother square. Mother is unconsciously envious of the new possibilities open to women of a younger generation. As Alison, Brigid O’Brien is a standout. Her phenomenal, brasstinged voice makes her believable as Brayben’s offspring. She also gets the script’s best zingers, delivered with plenty of rebellious teen spirit as she complains about her parents’ complacence toward the War. In one amusing exchange, she refuses to share cowboy-hatted little brother’s room so long as his cap guns are present. She’s also the only member of the cast who maintains a credible Noo Yawk accent from start to finish.

Moonshadows by Jim Gladstone

n the American Conservatory Theater’s guileless, bighearted new musical “A Walk on the Moon,” at the Geary Theater through July 1, there are sweet, small elements that achieve liftoff. But they can’t compensate for larger ones that crater. The action is set in the summer of 1969. The country is in upheaval. As the show opens, images of the Vietnam War, Martin Luther King and John Lennon are projected onto the stage. Americans are anxiously awaiting the Apollo 11 landing (the

show’s guiding metaphor). Everything is about to change. Within this fraught era, “Moon” focuses on the Kantrowitz family: Father Marty (Jonah Platt) works Mondays through Fridays in a Brooklyn television repair shop. On the weekends he joins his wife Pearl (Katie Brayben), small son Danny (Elijah Cooper), rebellious teenage daughter Alison (Brigid O’Brien) and his widowed mother (Kerry O’Malley) at a rustic upstate bungalow camp, a common summer situation for lower-middle-class Jewish New Yorkers of the time.

Based on a critically acclaimed 1999 independent film of the same title, “Moon” is far more faithful to its source material than Pearl is to Marty. One of the two central plot threads is Pearl’s sexual and romantic affair with Walker (Zak Resnick), an earthy salesman who regularly pulls into camp with his caravan full of women’s blouses. Pearl yearns for a bigger, broader sense of identity than Housewife/ Mother, which is how she’s been perceived by herself and others since becoming pregnant with Alison at 16. Walker, planning a

See page 52 >>

Kevin Berne

Katie Brayben (Pearl) sings in the world-premiere musical “A Walk on the Moon” at ACT’s Geary Theater.

“An extraordinary experience” —TheaterDogs.net

“A revelation” —San Jose Mercury News

—San Francisco Chronicle

Tony Kushner Tony Taccone

DIREC TED BY

P H OTO BY K E V I N B E R N E

Francesca Faridany and Randy Harrison in Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika

FINAL WEEKS — MUST CLOSE JULY 22!

DON ’ T MISS OUT! Call 510 647-2949 · Click berkeleyrep.org LE A D S P O N S O R S

SEASON SPONSORS

<< Fine Arts

46 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Size matters in Golden Gate Park!

by Sura Wood

who’s really the biggest kid on led to their demise; for sea lions the block. We’re told whales, there are many ways to go, none n a month that will see yet anwhich have hair, breathe air, of them pretty, from gunshot other sequel of the Jurassic Park nurse their young and are probwounds and fatal encounters franchise, this time around with ably as or more intelligent than with fish nets to shark attacks. a mammoth Mosasaurus makwe are, all descended from the A network of exhibits concening a startling debut as a big-wave same hippopotamus-like ancestrates on the giant redwoods that surfer, here comes “Giants of Land tor. They may have lost the hind only grow along a narrow stretch and Sea,” a new, semi-permanent legs, but they retained tiny hips of the Northern California coastshow at the California Academy of that you’re hereby dared to loline, where climate conditions are Sciences. With a couple of notable cate on that skeleton. If you’re conducive for nurturing these exceptions, it doesn’t quite live up to into forensics, you can follow a amazing specimens. A mere 5% its title, the gee-whiz factor mostly a whale’s biography through its of old growth forests survive, function of what you read and learn earwax and teeth. The monster a sorry statistic resulting from rather than what you can see. In fact, Humpback’s trademarks are aggressive logging dating back the informative exhibit has the vibe acrobatic leaps out of the water, to the Gold Rush. An awesome, of a cautionary environmental sciand wing-like flippers; while the 8,500-lb. cross-section of an ence class, albeit one with buttons sperm whale – immense jawancient redwood taken from 150 CAS that light up and cool monitors to bones from a carcass are on view feet up a tree, felled by a storm scroll through. While there’s not last year, was airlifted by helicop- Northern California’s epic Old Growth Redwoods, part of “Giants of Land and – dives to depths of over 1,000 as much visual wonderment as the ter from Prairie Creek Redwoods Sea,” at the California Academy of Sciences meters. Whales are a breathlittle kid in you might crave, this exState Park and installed in the taking species, literally and tree’s history, including its chemical tually “ascend” those great coastal periential, interactive exhibit roams museum. A sample from the base figuratively, but warming ocean make-up and the impact of stress, redwoods. The tallest trees on earth, from Northern California’s epic Old wouldn’t have fit into the building. temps threaten their future and the sunlight, drought and rainfall going they can achieve a height of 380 Growth Redwoods to the marvels The tree is said to have established survival of other forms of sea life. back 1,000 years. Who needs Schefeet, weigh on average a half-million of the Pacific Ocean, providing an itself around the year 1200; if only it Back on land, humans contend herazade? pounds, and produce 2,000 pounds educational diversion during this could talk. In a way, it can. Scientists with disasters beyond their control, A darkened, partially enclosed of new wood each year. By pushing celebratory week. There’s even an have examined the rings – a new one the ground literally shifting beneath booth offers an opportunity to vira button, visitors can select from a immersive fog room, along with is added each year – which reveal the their feet. Therefore, it might be adseries of short, narrated videos. If an explanation of how fog is visable to save the best – make that you opt to hang out on the top of formed that seems geared tothe most terrifying – for last. That a tree, and share a view previously ward tourists; locals know they would be the new and improved reserved for the Gods, be precan just step outside into GoldShake House. After a brief introducpared for a brief spell of vertigo en Gate Park on an average day tion to the earth’s tectonic plates as the camera pans skyward. and be enveloped in the real and factoids on memorable local A major portion of the show’s thing. Among the exhibition’s temblors, visitors enter a space decreal estate is dedicated to the surprises are the good deeds of orated like a living room, where they ocean: the tectonic plates shifting the otter, whose skeleton is feaexperience petrifying simulations of beneath the surface, its delicately tured in a display that recasts the both the 6.9 jolt of 1989, and the balanced ecosystems imperiled adorable mammals as saviors of 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The by pollution and population an ailing planet. They protect latter, an estimated 7.9 magnitude growth, and its extraordinary kelp from the ravenous appetites shaker, lasted 90 seconds; though denizens. A gigantic, 87-footof marauding urchins capable the re-creation lasts a third of that long blue whale skeleton, whose of devouring entire kelp forests, time, it feels like an eternity. As massive size never fails to inspire which capture carbon from the sound effects ratchet up the nowonder, is suspended from the atmosphere. place-to-run, no-place-to-hide fear ceiling. This, the largest animal Staring down from a wall is meter, you’ll find yourself clutching Kathryn Whitney, CAS on earth, driven to the verge a slightly creepy collection of the thoughtfully placed handrails of extinction by the ravages of 420 numbered seal lion skulls, Part of the new, semi-permanent show “Giants of Land and Sea” at the for dear life.t commercial whaling, and still accompanied by a monitor that California Academy of Sciences. endangered, is a reminder of answers questions about what Ongoing: calacademy.org

For the children by Jim Piechota

A Storytelling of Ravens by Kyle Lukoff; Groundwood Books, $18.95 Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love; Candlewick Press, $16.99 Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick & David Serlin; Scholastic, $16.99

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders; Random House, $17.99

hen thinking about books, LGBTQ adult contemporary fiction or tried-and-true cult classics often come to mind. But for gay readers cultivating families of their own, there remains a distinct need for literary nourishment, especially

StevenUnderhill PHOTOGRAPHY

TS HEADSHO S PORTRAIT EVENTS

StevenUnderhill.com StevenUnderhillPhotos@gmail.com

415 370 7152

written for the young ones. Here is a selection of some of the best, brightest, and newest books out on shelves today, just in time for Pride 2018! The zany debut picture book from Brooklyn school librarian and bookseller Kyle Lukoff “A Storytelling of Ravens” is a curious oddity wonderfully illustrated by the mixed-media talents of Atlanta artist Natalie Nelson. Aimed at children ages 5-8, the story focuses on the collective nouns of animals, and the situations colorfully splashed across the double-wide pages are creative and wonderfully fun to read aloud to kids (and adults). The opening pages find a “nuisance of cats” blaming something on the dog. What could it be? A “knot” of toads aims for a passing fly, a “storytelling” of ravens awaits a bird to finish his longwinded story, a “sloth” of bears gets table service, and a “bloat” of hippopotamuses deliciously awaits the result of an “explosion at the cupcake factory!” Silly, fun, and expressive, this book is a true winner for children’s bedside tables. Perfectly appropriate for this same age range is affirmed waterlover Jessica Love’s gorgeous tale of individualism and personal expression, “Julian is a Mermaid.” Julian, an Afro-Latinx child, discovers he has a mermaid tail. Once he begins to believe himself to be a goddess from the sea, his remarkable transformation becomes a reality. His Abuela may be perplexed at first, but things merge together beautifully. Here’s an effective new entry in trans literature for children that

addresses issues of gender nonconformity, acceptance, and the transformative powers of water. Husband-and-husband creative partners Brian Selznick and David Serlin collaborate on an inventive storybook featuring an adorable, tiny animal named Baby Monkey. Illustrated in pencil, the story explores the mystery of missing objects, and encourages children to discover them while reading about Baby’s sleuthing adventures. Visual clues, mystery guests, and hours of entertainment await readers of all ages (but mostly kids) in this romp with Baby Monkey and his gaggle of kooky clients. Sharing the important life and work of gay rights leader Harvey Milk with children is schoolteacher Rob Sanders’ empowering story “Pride.” As the opening pages suggest, it’s all about hope and having a dream to cling to, even in the darkest days. This book tells the revolutionary history of the gay pride flag,

and its importance to the LGBTQ community and the globe, as an example of the power of community and solidarity. Milk’s political legacy is at the center of the book, a story built on pride, unconditional love, acceptance, and fighting the good fight for equal rights. Illustrated by the talented Steven Salerno, the book is a perfect teaching tool for classrooms and living rooms.t

b R

Bob’s philanthropy continues 15 years after his death through his Foundation.

THE BOB ROSS FOUNDATION

Three examples of Bob continuing to make a difference:

Photo: Gooch

Support of our community “Thanks to the support of the Bob Ross Foundation, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has been able to share its message of hope and inclusion through music to audiences all over the world, most recently on its tour of the Deep South. ”

Bob Ross Scholarship at San Francisco Ballet

— Dr. Tim Seelig

Since, 1999, the Bob Ross Foundation has helped to underwrite expenses for students at the San Francisco Ballet school.

©Erik Tomasson

Bob Ross LGBT Senior Center at Openhouse

“I will always be grateful to Bob Ross for helping me and other students pursue our dream of becoming professional dancers. His foundation’s support helped kick off my career with San Francisco Ballet.” –Nathaniel Remez San Francisco Ballet dancer, 2014 recipient

BobRossFoundation.indd 1

Bob’s one million dollar gift “was transformational. The Bob Ross LGBT Senior Center reminds us all that older people do matter, and should be central in our lives and our community.” –Karyn Skultety, Executive Director, Openhouse

6/18/18 10:45 AM

<< Music

48 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Countess Luann is a class act by Adam Sandel

hen it premiered in 2008, Bravo’s reality show “The Real Housewives of New York City” introduced the world to four socialites – and a countess. As the others engaged in a series of wine-swilling, party-spoiling misadventures, Countess Luann de Lesseps remained the arbiter of taste and class. Ten seasons, two divorces, one re-marriage, three pop songs, and a 2017 arrest (for disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, and battery of an officer) later, de Lesseps is a rehab-ed new woman – and a nightclub star. Countess Luann brings her nightclub act to Feinstein’s at the Nikko on Fri. & Sat., June 22 & 23. She’ll also grace the SF Pride Parade on Sun., June 24, joined by DJ James Kennedy of Bravo’s “Vanderpump Rules.” In a recent interview she proved to be much more candid and bubbly than her TV persona. So how does she describe her nightclub act? “I’ve found my calling,” she said. “It’s like you’re sitting in my living

Courtesy the subject

Countess Luann de Lesseps is coming to Feinstein’s.

room. I love to tell jokes and sing and be the center of attention, so it’s perfect for me! “I’ve been singing since I was a kid – songs by Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Heart – and friends kept asking me to sing,” she said. “Director Ben Rimalower came up with the idea for me to do a com-

edy act with music. And I’ve got lots of stories!” She’s performed the act in New York and Los Angeles, and was just booked to play the massive room at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City. Her shows also feature guest performers. Tony nominee Sharon McKnight and Broadway’s David

Burnham are set to join her for the Feinstein’s gig. “Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters came to my New York show, then came back to be in the show. He said he wants to be on my next dance single.” Her 2010 recording debut “Money Can’t Buy You Class,” followed by “Chic, C’est la Vie” and “Girl Code,” were inspired by her “RHONY” co-stars (they know who they are). When asked about the highlight of her 10 years on the reality show, her answer is quick. “Singing with Natalie Cole,” she said. “She was a lovely woman, and that was a real thrill. The episode that depicted her December 2017 arrest had just aired before we spoke, begging the question of what it felt like to watch it. “I’d already been through it – shackled and jailed with criminals,” she said. “Seeing it on the show, at least I looked good! On that camera in the police car, I looked blonde, like Jean Harlow. “I’d been self-medicating since I was going through so much pain

married to that man,” she said. Her wedding to Tom D’Agostino, and their messy split eight months later, were all chronicled on the show. “The things we do for love,” she sighed. “Wait, I should sing that song! “Going through rehab was the best thing I ever did,” she said. “I did therapy and yoga, I changed up my friends, and I’m still not drinking. I got a great new agent, and everything’s been blowing up – it’s great!” The experience also brought de Lesseps closer to one of her TV costars with whom she’d been on the outs. “Believe it or not, Bethenny [Frankel] has really come around, because she likes supporting women who’ve been knocked down.” So what’s the next goal for the renewed Countess? “I really wanna play Matron Mama Morton in ‘Chicago,’” she said. “She sings about class – and she lives in a jail, so it’s perfect!”t Luann de Lesseps: #CountessAndFriends, 6/22 & 23, 8 p.m., Feinstein’s at the Nikko, 222 Mason St., SF. (415) 394-1100 www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Courageous artist & sexual pioneer

by Tavo Amador

he Swedish Royal Academy’s decision to award the 1947 Nobel Prize for Literature to Andre Gide (1869-1951) was revolutionary. Never before had an openly homosexual author been given that prize. Gide was recognized “for his comprehensive and artistically significant writings, in which human problems and conditions have been presented with a fearless love of truth and keen psychological insight.”

Gide was not only forthright about his sexual orientation, he also wrote about it candidly. His most important works featured homosexual and bisexual male characters, some of whom were good and moral, some of whom were not. Gide eloquently and logically argued that same-sex physical attraction was natural, and that it should not be condemned by society. Additionally, Gide distinguished between “sodomites” and “pederasts.” The former were men who were sexually attracted to adult

S TUNNING O CEAN V IEWS WITH A P RIVATE O UTDOOR T ERRACE CEREMONIES | RECEPTIONS | HOLIDAY PARTIES | BUSINESS ENTERTAINING

DINING AT THE CLIFF HOUSE

CliffHouse.com 415-386-3330 1090 Point Lobos San Francisco 94121 Private Events Direct 415-666-4027 virginia@cliffhouse.com

males. The latter, in which he included himself, were men drawn to youths: teenage boys. Andre Paul Guillaume Gide was born in Paris to a Protestant bourgeois family. His father was a university professor, his paternal uncle a well-known economist. Gide was 11 when his father died. He was reared in isolated conditions in Normandy. Perhaps that’s why he began writing at an early age, publishing his first novel at age 21. While traveling in Northern Africa in 1893 & 94, Gide began having sex with Arab youths. In 1895, he met Oscar Wilde in Algiers, and introduced Wilde to local teenagers willing to engage in sex with him. The visits to North Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia were then French colonies or protectorates) influenced his 1902 novel, “The Immoralist” (“L’Immoraliste.”) To please his father, its central character, Michel, marries Marceline. They honeymoon in Tunis. Michel is stricken with tuberculosis. Marceline moves him to Algeria, and under her care, he recovers. Michel realizes he is attracted to Arab youths. He is also attracted to his estate’s caretaker’s son. He befriends the flamboyant, rebellious Menaique, and the men spend a night together. Marceline’s miscarriage, frail health, and eventual death sadden Michel deeply, but also liberate him to live the life he prefers. The novel was not published in English until 1930. In 1954, Augustus and Ruth Goetz adapted “The Immoralist” for the stage. Billy Rose produced it on Broadway with Louis Jourdan, Geraldine Page, and James Dean as an Arab boy. (Dean, uncomfortable in the part, quit after the openingnight performance, which director Elia Kazan had seen. Impressed, Kazan offered Dean the lead in the film “East of Eden”(1955), which made him a star.) The play ran about three months. In 1908, Gide founded the literary magazine “Le Nouvelle Revue Francais,” (“The New French Review,”) and remained its director until 1914, when publication was interrupted by WWI. Important writers like Anatole France contributed to it. Under subsequent directors, it was the first to publish works by Jean Paul-Sartre and Andre Malraux. The magazine is still in print. In 1916, 47-year-old Gide took 15-year-old Marc Allegret as his lover. The handsome youth would

Courtesy the subject

French novelist Andre Gide had accurate insights into homosexuality.

later catch the eye of Jean Cocteau, whom Gide feared would “corrupt” him. Gide had been married to his cousin, but the marriage was never consummated. In 1923, he had a brief liaison with a woman and fathered a daughter. It apparently was his only heterosexual encounter. It did, however, cause problems with Allegret, who eventually decided he preferred women to men, and became a successful and influential movie director in France. In the early 1920s, Gide enjoyed the admiration of writers like Albert Camus and Sartre. Marcel Proust corresponded with him and wrote about his own homosexuality. But the 1924 publication of his Socratic dialogues “Corydon,” with their passionate and rational defense of homosexuality, earned Gide notoriety. The title came from the shepherd in Virgil’s “Ecologues.” Corydon suffers from unrequited love from Alexis, a beautiful youth. Fortunately, unlike the U.K., homosexual sex between consenting adults was not against French law. Thus, Gide was not subject to the legal persecution that destroyed Wilde. Nonetheless, the book garnered considerable opprobrium. Despite the criticism it received, Gide regarded “Corydon” as his most important work. It was not published in English until 1950. He followed “Corydon” with “The Counterfeiters” (“Les faux-monnayeurs”) (1925), a complex novel within a novel ostensibly about fake gold coins but really about the nature of authenticity and originality. It is peopled with homosexuals

and bisexuals. First published in “The New French Review,” it was frigidly received, in part because of its homosexual characters, and in part because of its challenging structure. Over the years, however, its reputation has risen, and current critical consensus rates it highly. An English-language version appeared in 1927. In 1924, he had published an autobiography, “If I Die.” He wrote “Oedipus” in 1931 and “Theseus” in 1946. The two were jointly published in English in 1950, and are reworkings of classical Greek myths. He also authored nonfiction books and worked on his voluminous journals. Politics had interested him. In 1896, he became mayor of a small commune in Normandy. In the 1930s, Gide became an admirer of Communism, but a visit to Russia disillusioned him. By the time he received the Nobel Prize, he was regarded as one of the most important writers of the 20th century. But he was also considered a great moral threat in many quarters. Hence, the Roman Catholic Church placed his works on its “Index of Forbidden Books” in 1952. Gide’s exceptional literary merits – he earned accolades for the clarity of his prose – are matched by his accurate insights into homosexuality. He courageously refused to hide his nature. It would take the rest of the Western World many decades to acknowledge the truth of what he intuitively understood and eloquently postulated – that it is a natural form of sexual expression.t

What makes our Northern California coast unlike any place else on Earth? How do

ocean, land, and climate

merge to support living giants

blue whales and coast redwoods?

Now Open Discover the connections that only happen here. Plus, ascend through an ancient redwood interactive, feel a jolt in an earthquake simulator, roll through a fog room, and more at this new exhibit.

GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY

Get tickets at calacademy.org

29037-CAS-Giants-Print-Whale-Bay Area Reporter-9.75x16-05.31.18-FA.indd 1

6/14/18 5:38 PM

<< Music

50 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

SF Gay Men’s Chorus looks back by David-Elijah Nahmod

Jews going out of Egypt. So, too, should we in the LGBTQ community tell our stories yearly, to anyone who will listen.” “As with every culture, our history is often boiled down to the familiar stories and highlights,” added Dr. Tim Seelig, SFGMC artistic director. “LGBTQ history certainly falls into that category, with a few milestones that most people know, like Stonewall and Harvey Milk. Andrew decided to go back to the very earliest days of the 20th century to unveil some incredible stories that

have definitely added to the tapestry that is us.” Seelig explained the role of the Chorus in this production. “The chorus plays the major character throughout the entire work,” he said. “There are pieces where the chorus stands alone, but mostly aids the characters as they unfold. There are no speaking roles. The singing roles are played by the four incredible leads who are joining us. They play all of the various characters.” In addition to Lippa, the lead singers are soprano Lisa Vroman, Broadway’s Britney Coleman and tenor Marcus Paige. “This is the largest production the chorus has done in its 40-year history,” said Seelig. “The talent that has been amassed is truly mind-boggling for a chorus like SFGMC. We don’t usually have an Executive Producer or Stage Director or Projection Creator. Much of this is because of the huge draw Andrew Lippa brings to anything he touches. People want to be involved in whatever he is doing. People still talk about the production of ‘I Am Harvey Milk.’ That was five years ago now. It has had over 30 productions around the world. Well, ‘Unbreakable’ is going to be even bigger and more powerful. It is not to be missed.” “Unbreakable” can be seen on Fri., June 22 at 8 p.m. and Sat., June 23 at 2:30 & 8 p.m. Tickets range in price from $25-$99. Visit https:// www.sfgmc.org/ or call City Box Office at (415) 392-4400.t

with the wife of a music producer, her recording contract was canceled. She later claimed a shaman helped her give up booze. She continued to have some long-term lovers, such as human rights lawyer Alicia Elena Perez Duarte, but these relationships were tempestuous, and Chavela could be violent with or without alcohol, even ripping out a piece of Duarte’s skull when she pulled on her hair! She made a spectacular comeback at the El Habito Club in Mexico City in 1991 at age 72, singing for the first time in 12 years, then onto Madrid for a career rebirth in 1992. Her ardent admirer director Pedro Almodovar, who used her music and video in his films, arranged for her to sing in both Paris and at Carnegie Hall in 2003 at 83. Because attitudes about homosexuality had changed, in her last years she was idolized, and at 81, she came out publicly in her autobiography. Her butch nature made her both unwilling and unable to hide

who she was. Her wish was to die onstage and she came close to fulfilling it, becoming ill before her final concert in Spain, but returning to die in Mexico at 93. Mexican senator Patricia Jimenez summarized her importance: “For the lesbian community Chavela is the most important woman in Mexican history. She opened the path for us from the moment she started singing in Mexico. There isn’t a lesbian in Mexico who doesn’t know Chavela, and who doesn’t love and adore her.” Chavela was able to convey anguish and sorrow, as if she were speaking only to you. “I offer my pain to people as I bring baggage that I open up onstage.” In her final years, “she lived in a continual state of saying goodbye,” as if every concert were her last one. She lived a complex, contradictory, and solitary existence despite her love of audiences, and deep inside was lonely, never really recovering from her childhood wounds. The documentary, as a love letter to her, largely succeeds. Yet the emotional power of her voice is talked about rather than shown even with translated English lyrics, which may be due to the dearth of footage available to the filmmakers. Like other groundbreaking artists, she remains an enigma. One senses that, like Garland and Piaf, Chavela was best experienced in live concert, which is why both Gund’s interview with her and a live concert performance are two of the standout bonus features. Her thrilling concert debut in Madrid at 73 is inspirational, and conveys the worship of her fans. But it is Chavela’s authenticity, her living life on her own terms, that is most stirring. As she commented to Gund, “When you’re true to yourself, you win in the end.”t

n June 22 & 23, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus will present the world premiere of “Unbreakable,” a new musical which will take audiences on a journey through 12 decades of gay history. “Unbreakable,” the concluding performance of the chorus’ 40th season, unfolds at the Nourse Theater. The show stars Andrew Lippa (“I Am Harvey Milk”), who also serves as its composer. The 70-minute work will share the stories of various people from the LGBT community’s past. The stories include Lem Billings, a closeted gay man who was President John F. Kennedy’s closest friend, and Sylvia Rivera, an early transgender activist in New York City. Lippa spoke to the Bay Area Reporter about the creation of this new work. He said that he wanted to create a piece that was bigger in scope than “I Am Harvey Milk,” and thought of doing a chronology of the LGBTQ movement since 1900. “I organized ‘Unbreakable’ by decade,” Lippa said. “For example, finding a story about the 1980s, I knew would include AIDS. The 1920s led me to a story about a young man named Cyril Wilcox who, at Harvard, was condemned for his suspected homosexuality. The 1950s revealed Executive Order 10450, signed by President Eisenhower, which effectively banned all gays and lesbians from

Matthew Murphy

Shawn Northcutt

Left: “Unbreakable” composer Andrew Lippa. Right: SFGMC artistic director Dr. Tim Seelig.

federal government service.” Lippa pointed out that “Unbreakable” starts with a question. “Can you stand fast against the powers of hate and repression that come your way?” he asks. “And it ends with a kind of answer: good things take time. They do. But they take time and force. All things worth having or doing: democracy, progressivism, raising a child, learning a language, building a relationship, love, these things take time. The history of our movement is filled with steps forward and backward.”

He noted the importance of telling and preserving these stories. “These stories, and so many more I couldn’t include, are our LGBTQ legacy, and as important as stories about George Washington and Zeus and Moses,” he said. “Our grandmothers and grandfathers in the LGBTQ community suffered, sweat, stood up and shouted, failed and pushed forward. We stand on their achievements, on their strength. Judaism, at Passover, reminds us it is incumbent on every generation to tell the story of the

Macha lesbian chanteuse by Brian Bromberger

Photography: ©Troy Dean Wardlow |

Design: Cesar Sanchez

CreativeBlvdSF

omeone once said, “The best revenge is to outlive your critics.” If this is true, then Mexican lesbian chanteuse Chavela Vargas (19192012) might be the exemplar of this wisdom, progressing in her lifetime from pariah to icon. She is the subject of the documentary “Chavela,” which won the Audience Award for Best Documentary at last year’s Frameline, and has been released on DVD by Music Box Films. Chavela is Mexico’s version of our

Judy Garland or France’s Edith Piaf, a singer “who sang the music of desperation, getting rid of all the embellishments, so all that remained was the wounded soul.” Fortunately she had a happier end than Garland and Piaf. Director Catherine Gund, burnt out from the AIDS deaths of friends in the early 1990s, retreated to Mexico, where some lesbian friends introduced her to Chavela’s recordings. Gund tracked her down and did two interviews with her in 1991, storing them away but rediscovering them after Chavela died.

pride country-western dancing SATURDAY, JUNE 23

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

Sundance Pre-Pride Dance 7:30pm–12:00am • GA: $12

SF Pride Civic Center Festival 11:00am–6:00pm

Sundance After-Pride Dance 6:00pm–10:00pm • GA: $8

Hotel Whitcomb 1231 Market St. SF

On Golden Gate near Larkin St.

San Francisco, CA

Hotel Whitcomb 1231 Market St. SF

Lessons at 7:30–8:30 pm

Quick Lessons at 2, 3 & 4 pm

Lessons at 6:00–7:00 pm

THURSDAYS

6:30–10:30pm (lessons 7:00–8:00pm)

SUNDAYS

5:00–10:30pm (lessons 5:30–7:15pm)

Admission $5 | 21+ w/ ID | 550 Barneveld Ave., San Francisco, CA www.sundancesaloon.org

/sundancesaloon

@SFSundance

They are the backbone of the film, along with black-and-white photos, archival footage of performances, and remembrances of Chavela’s fans, friends, and lovers. It’s a captivating look at this unconventional fighter for freedom and equality in music and sexuality, who inspired both love and hate in her professional and personal lives. Born Isabel Vargas Lizzano (Chavela was a pet name for Isabel) in Costa Rica, she had a miserable childhood, rejected by both her religious parents as too boyish. Her parents would hide her from guests, and local people would call her horrible names. Her parents divorced, and she went to live with her aunt and uncle. But, having started singing at age 8, she left Costa Rica at 17, for Mexico City, where she hoped she could fulfill her artistic dreams. She sang in the streets, but eventually began playing bars and clubs. She adopted the ranchero, male cowboy singing style (her mentor was Jorge Jose Alfredo, whose many songs she sung), wearing pants underneath a poncho, commenting later that when she tried to dress like a woman, she “looked like a transvestite.” She became more macha than many machos, smoking cigars, carrying a pistol, getting drunk on tequila, even singing intoxicated. Her homosexuality well-known, she had many lovers, including wives of politicians and intellectuals. She had an affair with the artist Frida Kahlo, as well as a fling with actress Ava Gardner. Prejudices at the time prevented her from playing any of the big theaters. In the late 1970s, living in obscurity, she went into a 15-year decline, drinking herself into oblivion. Having slept

Contemporary. Elegant. Versatile. The ideal venue for your next meeting, conference or gala. Designed with versatility in mind, Terra Gallery & Event Venue accommodates events ranging from large scale corporate meetings and conferences, trade shows, product launches, auctions, screenings, performances... to weddings, intimate receptions and private parties. Two levels and a total of 24,000 square feet offer multiple environments to suit your needs. Terra’s prime location on Rincon Hill in SOMA is just minutes away from San Francisco’s top hotels, restaurants and cultural activities. For information and ideas on how Terra can be transformed for your event, call 415.896.1234 or email info@terrasf.com.

511 HARRISON STREET (AT FIRST) SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105 WWW.TERRASF.COM • 415.896.1234

<< Film

52 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Up yours! Vivienne Westwood by Erin Blackwell

ivienne Westwood is one of those names you’ve heard, you know, you’ve forgotten. Well, it’s back in a dynamic new biopic that’s restless and breathless, scurrying after its subject who is now an old lady who has finally relinquished the reins of part of the output that bears her name, and is spending her free time as a climate change activist. If you’re a free spirit, you’ll enjoy this spirited backward glance at a great British designer, provocateur, businesswoman, whose smash-the-box approach continues to inspire in these dull gray days of our despair. “Westwood” opens Friday in SF. The best thing about “Westwood” is it never sits still. There’s lots of voiceover babbling with footage that keeps your brain hopping. Lots of scenes with models and mismatched swatches, although not much about her technique. If she has any, I mean as a tailor like Alexander McQueen. Westwood is

synonymous with early-70s punk and spiky hair, the Sex Pistols, the whole vomiting-back-up the “Rule, Britannia” tosh that was already so old, so outgrown, so 19th-century by the time she came of age. The worst thing about “Westwood” is it’s only 80 minutes long. You might think that’s a small thing, to be a short feature, but when the career’s this long and the influence this great, and the filmmaker spent two years getting in Vivienne’s hair and on her nerves, she oughta be able to make a 90-minute statement. Those missing 10 minutes, that last lap, that deepest, most revealing layer detracts perversely from all that’s gone before because the movie starts off quick and agile, and you expect it to slow and deepen, then it doesn’t. What’s missing? Context. What is punk, exactly, and why did it need to happen? What is Empire, exactly, and who was kidding whom? The UK was on the skids, and some of its artists, by dint of sheer revulsion, ac-

tually propped it up in the eyes of the world. Documentarist Adam Curtis is a genius at tracking the devolution of Britain and all the lies it’s told itself and others in the form of propaganda it willingly swallowed whole. Westwood is a fashion designer, but punk was not just fashion, it was a look that has yet to be improved upon as a way to express alienation from the mainstream. Westwood has tweeted her displeasure with the film, complaining, “There’s not even five minutes of activism in the film, instead there’s a lot of old-fashioned footage.” Well, she is a designer, the only top-flight independent left who has never sold out to the corporation. That stance is consistent with punk attitude, although loss of control of her own company is a constant refrain. And if she now feels as strongly about polar bears rendered homeless by melting polar ice-caps as she once did about the obsolescence of the British royal family, why would someone entrusted with her cinematic portrait fail to

Courtesy filmmaker

Vivienne Westwood in director Adam Curtis’ “Westwood.”

take the old lady seriously? We live in an apolitical moment, and “Westwood” is an apolitical film. Fashion itself might be perceived as an apolitical exercise, except it has always been there to translate the shifts in mood that signal great social change. Even Gandhi’s loin cloth was political.

Vivienne’s real problem is being a success. She’s a dame, for Chrissake! That’s why it’s hard to take her activism seriously. Precisely because she’s always been so serious about her work. Ultimately, that’s her gift to the world. Female genius. Well done. Now off with her head, and on with the revolution!t

Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) and the other hotel residents go for a summer cruise. Look for a credit for the now-90-something Mel Brooks. “Shock and Awe” Rob Reiner returns to historical-dramatization mode for a movie about journalists (Woody Harrelson, James Marsden) who questioned the Bush administration’s assertion that Saddam Courtesy SFFILM Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” “Blindspotting” The director Gus Van Sant. second Oakland-set satire of the summer “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get (after “Sorry to Bother You”) adFar on Foot” In a return to form dresses the racial and economic and the realization of a long-gesfault lines of the city from a more tating project, openly gay director grounded perspective. Daveed Gus Van Sant adapts the memoir of Diggs (of “Hamilton,” also one of the cartoonist and Portland, Oregon the film’s screenwriters) plays a fixture John Callahan (1951-2010), mover who has only a few days left who became a quadriplegic after of probation when, while driving an alcohol-fueled car accident, but one night, he sees a white cop shoot retains his sense of humor. Joaquin a fleeing black civilian. With Rafael Phoenix stars, but Jonah Hill, as Casal. Callahan’s sponsor, makes an im“The Equalizer 2” The retired pression in support. With Rooney government assassin Denzel Mara. Washington played in “The Equal“Eighth Grade” The comedian izer” (2014) wasn’t so retired that Bo Burnham makes his featurehe couldn’t return for a sequel and writing and directing debut with another round of violent revenge. this Sundance hit about an eighthAntoine Fuqua directs. grader (Elsie Fisher) whose advice “Far from the Tree” A documenin web videos belies her tentativetary version of Andrew Solomon’s ness in real life. bestseller about families and how “Hotel Transylvania 3: Sumthey adapt to children who don’t mer Vacation” Since “Nosferatu,” meet their expectations because of it’s clear that vampires and boats developmental disabilities, actions are bad news. But in the second or special identities. sequel to “Hotel Transylvania,”

“Generation Wealth” In a recent exhibition and a book both called “Generation Wealth,” the photographer and documentarian Lauren Greenfield (“The Queen of Versailles”) cast a critical eye on conspicuous consumption. This nonfiction movie expands the project. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” The songs of Abba skip Broadway this time for a sequel to the 2008 musical comedy. If you like the music, Greek island scenery and Meryl Streep, you surely already know what this movie is. If not, head for the mainland, pronto. Lily James and Cher are new to the cast. “McQueen” Drawing on video footage and interviews with friends, family and collaborators, Ian Bonhôte’s documentary aspires to be a definitive portrait of fashion designer Alexander McQueen (19692010), his sensibility and his working methods. “The Third Murder” In a change of pace, the Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, best known for his domestic dramas, tries his hand at a courtroom mystery in which a man who has confessed to murder (Koji Yakusho) may not actually be guilty. “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” Scotty Bowers explains how he acted as a procurer for stars of Hollywood’s golden age. He chronicles his exploits in a memoir called “Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Live of the Stars.” “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies” The Cartoon Network series takes a trip to the big screen with the added vocal talent of Will Arnett and Kristen Bell.t

Still more summer flicks by David Lamble

elcome to Part 3 of our rundown of 101 summer movies. Here are the films coming up in July. “Ant-Man and The Wasp” The colony continues to grow with this sequel to “Ant-Man” (2015), which again shrinks Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly. Michael Douglas returns along with the director Peyton Reed. “Bleeding Steel” Jackie Chan, now in his 60s and still hanging from high places, plays a cop in this futuristic thriller. “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda” Stephen Nomura Schible directs this portrait of the Japanese composer. Whether playing a piano partly destroyed in the 2011 tsunami or musing on the relationship between nature and music, Sakamoto is great company. This film is very accessible when it comes to showing his working process. “Sorry To Bother You” Lakeith Stanfield is an Oakland telemarketer who rises through the ranks of a company and into the orbit of an unhinged entrepreneur (Armie Hammer). Your opinion will de-

pend on whether rapper Boots Riley’s feature writing-directing debut bites off more than it chews, satirically, but it has plenty going on. “Whitney” This second Whitney Houston bio-doc, after “Whitney: Can I Be Me,” is the estatesanctioned version, so expect less muckraking and more music. Kevin Macdonald directs.

BEST WINE BAR

$1 Oyster Happy Hour 3-6pm Daily Brunch Saturday & Sunday 11am-3pm Excellent Date Location

2800 California St @ Divisadero 415.928.3728 - Call for Reservations!

www.scopodivino.com

Moonshadows

From page 44

The notion that most of “Moon”’s characters are mid-century Brooklyn Jews requires suspension of disbelief to a “Harry Potter” degree. Curly mopped Nick Sacks plays Ross, Alison’s 16-year-old romantic interest with a big voice and magnetic presence that make him a fine match for O’Brien. He’s a nice Jewish boy who improvises folk songs that capture the burgeoning of both political awareness and hormone levels with Dick Nixon jokes. Visually, the production is beautiful, with bucolic Catskills sets by Donyale Werle, period-perfect 1960s costumes by Linda Cho, and

nuanced lighting design by Robert Wierzel. And there’s the exquisite coordination of director Sheryl Kaller’s blocking and Tal Yarden’s video projections. The show’s most sumptuous scenes feature four translucent layers of visual interplay, with some cast members positioned in front of the forward scrim, others sandwiched between two scrims, and powerful projections running on both. But from its opening juxtaposition of quaint woodland cabins and riotous national tumult, “Moon” throws down its own gauntlet, inviting audiences to wonder how the era’s broad social changes will manifest amidst the Kantrowitzes. The answer to how? is superficially.

By story’s end, what seemed like an imminent nuclear family meltdown has been averted, with Pearl resolving that a momwife life is right for her. Alison’s opening provocations about fighting the man fade away into Teenbeat romance. And throughout this woman-centered show, even as lip-service is paid to most touchstone 60s social issues, feminism itself is oddly bypassed. Even Pearl’s escapist fantasies are about coupling up with a different sort of man, not any personal ambitions. Projected up on those scrims, the cultural issues of the 60s remain largely untouched. They are gauzy, evanescent, and as far away as the moon.t Geary Theater, through July 1.

SUNSET PIANO & SAN FRANCISCO BOTANICAL GARDEN PRESENT

FLOWER PIANO Twelve Days, Twelve Pianos, One Garden & You!

JULY 5 –16, 2018

MUSIC, NATURE, AND COMMUNITY JOIN FORCES AS THE GARDEN TRANSFORMS INTO AN ALFRESCO

And get tickets now for NightGarden Piano— July 12, 13 & 14!

CONCERT HALL WHERE EVERYONE IS INVITED TO PLAY AND LISTEN.

Beautifully lit pathways lead to pianos aglow with performances and open pianos to play.

For information and tickets to NightGarden Piano, visit sfbg.org and sunsetpiano.com Media Sponsors

Image: Travis Lange

Event Sponsors

54 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Strike a ‘Pose!’ by Victoria A. Brownworth

very Pride we search for LGBT TV to make us feel more present for the non-LGBT viewers. Every Pride we want to be seen. Every Pride we want to remind people that yes, we are here, we are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, queer, and it won’t hurt str8 people to see us and know that we are an integral part of their world. We can’t recall a scripted series in the past few years that meets that goal more than Ryan Murphy’s “Pose,” the sine qua non of his gay oeuvre. Murphy has made this series with his regular partner for most of his work, Brad Falchuk, and with Steven Canals and Janet Mock. We have fallen in love with “Pose” because so much of our own gay history is there in that show from our extreme gay youth to our AIDS activism in the 80s. We were the gay teen who left home after being hospitalized for conversion therapy at 16 after being expelled from our allgirls school for being a lesbian. We had a period of being homeless. We were embraced by older butch lesbian bouncers at the gay bar we snuck into with our fake ID. And we were in New York City reporting and being an activist in the late 80s, the period in which “Pose” is set. These characters are people we were, we knew, we loved. We love “Pose.” We love it so much that we have re-watched each episode thus far because we cannot get enough of these characters and these moments. Mj Rodriguez (Blanca) and Indya Moore (Angel) give us two of the most believable yet luminous characters on the tube right now. As the Mother of an upstart Ball house, Rodriguez gives a magnificent performance. We see her fight battle after battle for herself, for her gay and trans family, for what she describes as her “kind.” There are brutal moments. Blanca finds out early on that she is HIV+, which propels her forward to change her life’s course. Later, when she goes to a bar labeled the best gay bar in the city by The Village Voice, she sits waiting to be served in the all-white, all-gay male establishment only to be rejected by everyone. She’s thrown out on the street yet keeps trying, finally being arrested. Yet with Blanca, every tribula-

tion is turned to exaltation. When Elektra (Dominique Jackson), her former Mother and her nemesis, bails her out of jail, we are given entree into the generational differences in the Ball world. Where Blanca is a tough mama organizer of her family with a hidden vulnerable side and the secret of her HIV+ status, Angel is always deep in her feelings. She’s so pretty and has a sad look that brightens into joy readily. She’s so real, it sometimes hurts to watch her performance. There are no bad characters, no bad writing, nothing that doesn’t ring true for those of us who have been deeply in our community for decades. But there are things that rise beautifully. Among those are Blanca’s relationship with Damon (Ryan Jamaal Swain), the young homeless gay dancer beaten, then rejected by his religious parents for being gay. Blanca gives Damon the maternal love his own mother could not give him, and she elevates him with that love. Blanca gets Damon enrolled in dance school, which gives him another gift, his mentor, dance instructor Helena St. Rogers (Charlayne Woodard), who not only makes space for him at the school, but takes him to his first ballet. Evan Peters, fresh from his starring role in Murphy’s “American Horror Story: Cult,” proves his versatility as an actor yet again. As a rising star in the Trumpian business world that runs counterpoint to the ball culture in “Pose,” Peters’ character Stan Bowes is living a double life. There is the life he says is “middleclass white man” that he leads with his wife Patty (Kate Mara), whose deepest desire is for a dishwasher, and the life he leads with Angel, with whom he has fallen deeply and perhaps tragically in love. There is sweetness to the coupling of Stan and Angel that belies the seeming stereotype of the “straight white guy fetishizing trans woman of color” aspect of their relationship. Stan risks his stable white life for Angel, and she risks feeling something for another person for him. There is a scene between the two of them in a diner in episode two that is so brutally emotionally real, it takes your breath away. “Pose” is a gift we have been given for Pride. Revel in it.

<< TV

ley and Det. Mikael Eklund searching for the man or team killing young, blonde, blueeyed women in a particularly gruesome manner. WGN has presented some really fine Canadian and British productions in the last year, like “Bellevue” and “Shoot the Messenger.” “100 Code” may be the best yet. Deeply introspective, the series delves into the ways in which power and desire, sex and perversity commingle to create killers, and lays bare how little buffer there really is between that level of madCourtesy FX ness, if it is madness, and the Scene from “Pose,” the dance musical from Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, rest of us. “100 Code” is chalBrad Simpson and Brad Falchuk. lenging, thought-provoking and deeply unsettling, with great performances, particuPlum wants to be thin. She Taking the cake larly by Nykvist, who co-starred in dreams of herself in a different body It would seem implausible at best the Swedish versions of “The Girl in a clingy red dress. She’s working that we would have a queen as flamwith the Dragon Tattoo” films. Like toward weight-loss surgery, but has ing as Olympian ice-skater Johnny “Pose” and “Dietland,” “100 Code” been unable to lose enough weight Weir on prime time during Pride, repeats several times a week, so no to qualify. Plum also wants to write right? Yet the goddesses of Pride are excuse for missing any of these sureal investigative pieces for the shining their love on us this year perb series. magazine, but remains relegated to because Trump has made our lives We would be remiss if we failed answering the increasingly more so unutterably hellish. to comment on Anthony Bourdain’s disturbing letters to the editor from Weir and his BFF, Olympic gold sad and untimely death by suicide young women as desperate and demedalist Tara Lipinski, were stars at when he was such a fixture on the spondent as she is. the Olympics in Pyeonchang, giving TV landscape over the past decade She has a black gay male best the best commentary on ice-skating. and more. We loved “No Reservafriend (yes, it’s a trope, but it’s our Now they are back, together again, tions” and hated “The Taste,” which trope and we might as well embrace to give us life as the queen and brought out all the worst things it, since it’s not going away), Stequeen of wedding cakes. in him and Nigella Lawson. But it ven (Tramell Tillman), who runs a Yes, what the U.S. Supreme Court was “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Uncafé where Plum often bakes cakes taketh away, the Food Network known” that took us to places we with a young man who is obviously giveth back. The “Wedding Cake had never been and knew we would in love with her, even though she Championship” on Food Network never go. doesn’t see it. debuts June 25. There are six teams Bourdain was handsome in that The running subplot in “Dietof two competing for the title and a rough, seasoned, overly tanned land” revolves around an under$25,000 prize. During the grand fiand casually sexy way that men ground movement of women who nale, the three remaining teams will are allowed to own. He exuded an are fighting back. Plum is being have to create the perfect cake for almost palpable animal energy on seduced by and into its subversive Lipinski and her husband in honor screen that must have been nearly attack on the status quo. This hapof their one-year anniversary. overwhelming for those who were pens through the increasingly seThe judges are Maneet Chauhan in proximity to him. It did overductive ministrations of Julia Smith of “Chopped” fame, and gay wedwhelm competitors on “The Taste,” (the marvelous Tamara Tunie), who ding planner David Tutera. For the which was a wrong venue for him: maintains the make-up and scent premiere, Randy Fenoli, host of “Say too constrained, too exacting. Bourlines in the basement of Kitty’s emYes to the Dress,” will serve as a guest dain needed the open space and pire, but has a whole other agenda, judge. Because this is the gayest of complexity of “Parts Unknown,” and her minion Leeta (Erin Darke), all shows. Pride tidbit: Fenoli won which took him around the world. who follows Plum everywhere and Miss Gay America in 1990 perIn that CNN series, Bourdain took may or may not be in love with her. forming as Brandi Alexander, and us to meet a vast array of people of We say is. used the money he won to enroll all classes and backgrounds whose There is deep mystery and inin New York’s Fashion Institute of relationship to food he highlighted trigue at the heart of “Dietland.” Technology. Snap! In a tweet anas he also explored their respective Men are turning up dead, and even nouncing the show, Weir wrote that worlds. The warmth, the humility dropping from the sky, dead, the the “sparkle and drama are pretty that Bourdain evinced while meetwork of a group of women called outrageous.” What more can we say? ing with these people, sometimes in “Jennifer.” A plethora of men known Masterpiece Cakes not invited. groups, sometimes one-on-one, was for their ill treatment of women are So AMC’s “Dietland” isn’t a gay ineffably engaging. being abducted, tortured and forced show. Not really. Although there We watched Bourdain because to give video testimonies of their are gay characters. But it has the we can no longer travel and he took crimes before being killed. feel of a gay show, and after “Pose,” us places we wanted to go. Whether And there’s Verena Baptist it’s our summer fave. “Dietland” he was in LA’s Koreatown or the (Robin Weigert), the leader of a is a brilliant mix of dystopian mysterious Myanmar, Quebec or seeming anti-diet cult, who is diffantasy, #MeToo, backlash against Morocco, New Mexico or Copenferently soignee from Kitty, but ohfat-shaming, and acid takedown of hagen, Detroit or Congo, Bourdain so-mesmerizing. She wants Plum to those women’s magazines that think was exploring the places others become her best self and offers her a being body positive means one can either feared going or thought they check to prove it, but asks that Plum wear a size 4 instead of a size 0, and already know. He was relentlessly wait to cash it until she has comthe concomitant culture of femiinquisitive, and took us with him pleted Verena’s program. nine perfection these magazines on each new adventure. If you have This is not a series for everyone. promote. a staycation planned, Netflix and Plum is the focal point, and everyMarti Noxon, whom we first fell chill with “Parts Unknown.” It’s thing revolves around her world, in love with when she wrote for and brilliant. which is largely interior: at times executive produced the groundWhat has been so hard to accept brutally isolated, and at others breaking series, “Buffy, the Vampire about Bourdain’s suicide is that he wildly fanciful. But Nash’s portrayal Slayer,” is the creator of “Dietland,” was so overflowing with life. We of Plum is lush, real and utterly based on a book by Sarai Walker. felt that energy as we watched him engaging. She’s superb. “Dietland” Noxon also created the fabulous traveling the world just so he could is the fastest-moving hour on TV. “UnReal,” and has written and coshow it to us. We noted on Twitter Funny, dark, mysterious, playful, produced series as diverse as “Priafter his death was announced, “Anbold. So bold. vate Practice,” “Mad Men,” “Glee” thony Bourdain knew that food was If you like dark, really dark, then and “Code Black.” But “Dietland.” knowledge & love, food taught us WGN’s “100 Code” is perfect sum“Dietland” is mesmerizing in the about each other & in sharing meals mer fare for you. This psychological same way “Buffy” was. The central we learned about how others lived, thriller set in Stockholm is about character, Plum (the incredible Joy struggled, remained resilient. He two detectives tracking a serial Nash), has a closet filled with only wasn’t solitary in a kitchen, he was killer and trying to escape their own black clothes, the better to cover her breaking bread in the truest sense. demons. “100 Code” is an Englishlarge body and help her to fade into Do that today, in his memory.” Swedish-German production. Be the background. Plum works for a So for the most flamboyant of forewarned, there are subtitles, but women’s magazine where she ghostPrides, the gayest of cakes, to say yes only about a fifth of the time, as the writes a column for the publisher, to the dress, and to mourn as well central character is American and the soigneé Kitty Montgomery, as celebrate, you know you must, always demanding “English!” Domplayed with a slithery archness by as always, stay tuned. Have the best inic Monaghan and Michael Nyqvist Emmy winner Julianna Margulies Pride ever, friends.t star as New York Det. Tommy Con(“The Good Wife”).

MY MOMENT

to celebrate!

Discover more ways to play and enjoy new luxury accommodations, our world-class spa and salon, award-winning dining, gaming and entertainment! Experience every moment, all in one great destination.

US 101 TO EXIT 484. 288 GOLF COURSE DRIVE WEST, ROHNERT PARK, CA P 707.588.7100 PLAY WITHIN YOUR LIMITS. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM, CALL 1-800-GAMBLER FOR HELP. ROHNERT PARK, CA. Â© 2018 GRATON RESORT & CASINO

JOB #: GRT-151906

JOB TITLE: My Moment to Celebrate

<< Books

56 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

To tell the truth: LGBTQ nonfiction by Gregg Shapiro

he following titles are suggestions for reading on a park bench, at the beach or anywhere the sun is warmly shining on you. Thanks for the memoirs: Not only is Jake Shears a talented singersongwriter and all-around magnetic performer who is, shall we say, easy on the eyes, but he’s also a marvelous writer, as he proves with his first book, “Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir” (Atria). Following the extraordinary success of his epic 2016 bestselling novel “Queen of the Night,” Alexander Chee returns with the essay collection “How to Write an Autobiographical Novel” (Mariner), in which he touches on his own personal evolution, as well as love and loss, including the AIDS crisis and the 9/11 tragedy. Anyone who has ever read any of memoirist and educator Barrie Jean Borich’s previous books (“Restoring the Color of Roses,” “My Lesbian Husband”) knows that the arrival of each new one is an event, and “Apocalypse, Darling” (Mad Creek Books), which ventures into toxic landscapes and wastelands both personal and environmental, is no exception. “Hiding Out: A Memoir of Drugs, Deception, and Double Lives” (Dey Street) is queer actress-playwright Tina Alexis Allen’s “audacious”

story in which she untangles the knot of her upbringing, closely tied to a shared secret with her strict and religious father. “I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé” (Atria) is Michael Arceneaux’s timely, humorous and deeply considered essay collection told from the perspective of an AfricanAmerican gay man. In Michael Goddart’s unique memoir “In Search of Lost Lives: Desires, Sanskaras and the Evolution of Mind & Soul” (Epigraph), the writer shares the details of his recovery of more than 80 past lives, including more than 10 homophile lives. As seen on TV: You’ve probably seen Claire L. Evans give a TED Talk or in music videos by YACHT (she’s one half of the musical duo), and now is your chance to read her writing in her “Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet” (Portfolio/Penguin). Marion Ross, who played everyone’s favorite Midwestern TV mom on “Happy Days,” and later made an appearance on the gay 80s Show-

time series “Brothers,” tells her story (with help from David Laurell) in “My Days: Happy and Otherwise” (Kensington). LGBTQ folks have long been a presence in and fans of reality TV shows, from PBS’ “An American Family” to MTV’s “The Real World” and Bravo’s “The Real Housewives” series, and Lucas Mann’s “Captive Audience: On Love and Reality TV” (Vintage) gives them something to read about. Cultural affairs: Just in time for Pride month, and ideal for readers of all ages, the colorful “Pride: The

Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” (Random House), written by Rob Sanders and illustrated by Steven Salerno, tells the story of social activist Milk and designer Gilbert Baker. Almost everything you need to know about “Feminist Weed Farmer: Growing Mindful Medicine in your Own Backyard” (Microcosm Publishing) by Madrone Stewart, featuring sections on “Creating a Good Growing Environment,” “Protecting your Plants” and “Harvesting your Medicine,” can be found in the title of the book.

Arriving on bookshelves around the same time as Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s “RBG” doc opens in theaters, “Ruth Bader Ginsburg: In Her Own Words” (B2 Books), edited by Helena Hunt, features a multitude of quotes from the trailblazing Supreme Court Justice, including those on the subject of same-sex marriage. Also focused on legal issues and the LGBTQ community, “Gay Priori” (Duke) by Libby Adler is “a queer critical legal studies approach to law reform.” In addition to a couple of pages on “homosexuality,” Mark Kurlansky’s “Havana: A Subtropical Delirium” (Bloomsbury), queer folks such as Reinaldo Arenas, Allen Ginsberg, Josephine Baker, and Federico García Lorca, as well as the gay film “Strawberry and Chocolate,” appear in the book. The poets Ginsberg and Arenas are also written about in “Orchids, Rosebuds, and Sweet Flags: Reflections on Gay Poetry” (Lethe) by Drewey Wayne Gunn, along with notable gay poets such as Mark Doty, J. D. McClatchy, W.H. Auden, Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes.t

Cool fiction for hot weather by Gregg Shapiro

Best Breakfast & Best Late-Night Restaurant Celebrating our 41st year!

ummer’s finally here, and the time is right for reading at the beach, or wherever your heart desires. In “Read by Strangers” (Lethe), the follow-up to Washington DC-based gay writer Phillip Dean Walker’s 2016 story collection “At Danceteria and other stories,” he populates the 16 pieces (one less a page in length, another 32 pages long) with gay porn stars (“Brad’s Head Revisited, 94”), a meth-addicted escort (“Three-Sink Sink”), fierce front-desk receptionists (“The Gargoyles”) and a mother having an affair with her daughter’s teacher (“Hester Prynne Got an A”). There’s even a spooky homage to gay bar culture in “Caravan.” Another DC-based gay writer, Yermiyahu Ahron Taub, best known for his six volumes of poetry, makes the transition to prose with his debut short story collection “Prodigal Children in the House of G-d” (Austin Macauley), deals with issues of family, society and ostracism within ultra-Orthodox and LGBTQ communities through a series of 10 stories, complete with a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish terms. Rounding out the trilogy of DC writers, poet and historian Kim Roberts’ informative “A Literary Guide to Washington DC: Walking in the Footsteps of American Writers from Francis Scott Key to Zora Neale Hurston” (University of Virginia Press), while not specifically a LGBTQ title, features queer literary luminaries Walt Whitman and his lover Peter Doyle, Langston Hughes, Angelina Weld Grimké and Richard Bruce Nugent. The inclusion of five literary walking tours and maps is an added bonus. Long before Edmund White was the recipient of the 2018 PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, he was beloved by readers gay and straight alike for “A Boys Own Story,” the memoir “City Boy,” and “The Joy of Gay Sex.” White “remembers his life through the books he has read” in

his latest, “The Unpunished Vice: A Life of Reading” (Bloomsbury). With cleverly titled chapters “Manilow of the Hour” and “New York State of Blind,” gay memoirist Eric Poole picks up where he left off in his earlier memoir “Where’s My Wand?” in “Excuse Me While I Slip Into Someone More Comfortable” (Rosetta Books), guiding readers from suburban St. Louis in the 70s into the brave, potentially deadly new world of the 1980s. The 1970s and 80s, as well as the Midwest, also figure prominently in “Now I’m Here” (Beautiful Dreamer Press), the new novel by Lambda Literary Award-winning writer Jim Provenzano, as we learn the story of small-town Ohio boys Joshua and David as told by their childhood friend Eric.

“Out of Step: A Memoir” (Mad Creek Books) by “working-class bisexual” writer Anthony Moll follows the “pink-haired queer” through his military enlistment during the time of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” coming of age “against the backdrop of hypermasculinity and sexual secrecy.” Everything you’ve heard about “My Ex-Life” (Flatiron), the acclaimed new novel by Stephen McCauley, is true; it’s wicked funny and insightful, a portrait of the unlikely reunion of gay man David and his ex-wife Julie, each in the midst of their own life crises, who come to each other’s aid in unlikely ways. “Night Soil” (Soho), the new novel by multi-award-winning gay writer Dale Peck, is a frank exploration of the secrets families keep, sexual experimentation, the “legacies of racism and environmental destruction,” all woven into the story of potter Dixie Stammers and her son Judas. Lambda Literary Award-winner Amber Dawn’s second novel “Sodom Road Exit” (Arsenal Pulp) combines a paranormal thriller with family melodrama during an Ontario summer in 1990 in which protagonist Starla returns home to the virtual ghost town where her mother lives and is forced to face the startling history of Crystal Beach. Gar McVey-Russell’s debut novel “Sin Against the Race” (gamr books) is the story of Alfonso Rutherford Berry III, an African American man whose family’s political legacy plays a powerful role in his life until he comes out and becomes “a formidable presence in his community.” “Yeled Tov” (Lethe), Hebrew for good boy, is the latest book by gay writer Daniel M. Jaffe (“Jewish Gentle and Other Stories”), in which gay teen Jake struggles with “desire and devotion” as he comes of age. The first issue of “Crude” (Image/ Skybound) from queer comic book writer Steve Orlando, who recently collaborated with Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame, and is the person behind gay superhero Midnighter in the mainstream comics universe, was recently launched.t

BE PART OF OUR 2019 SEASON

SFBALLET.ORG

<< Film

58 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Luminous Isabelle Huppert by Erin Blackwell

ette Davis was the greatest USA screen actress of her time, and no one’s come along since to rock her crown. Meryl Streep is such a wimp, so clever and genuinely comic, but so slight. You can’t imagine her fighting studio bosses to pursue a career. She’d never slug her bridegroom on the platform of their honeymoon train. Although Isabelle Huppert long ago married as wisely as Streep, she brings to the screen a quality of despair capable of any infamy. No surprise she commits atrocities in the surreal sci-fi horror film about French national education “Mrs. Hyde,” at the Roxie starting Friday, June 22. Bette never stopped working, which led to her taking parts in movies so far beneath her genius it was embarrassing, even boring. Sometimes it seems as though Huppert is stuck in a similar rut, performing her shtick in flicks de-

signed for her signature deadpan ennui. Although “Mrs. Hyde” leaves a lot to be desired, its storytelling wobbly, not for an instant did I feel that Huppert, now 65, was repeating herself. She generates spasms of vulnerability as an overworked, undervalued high school teacher devoted to the elegance of scientific thought. The plight of schoolteachers at the mercy of hooligans is the context of this melodrama set in the Arthur Rimbaud High School, where Marie Géquil teaches physics. Huppert is scrawnier than ever, like a sinewy, wizened ballet mistress with a bobble-doll head atop a perfectly erect spine, her red hair undulating down a boney back. She is outmatched physically by a class full of Arab teenagers who wisecrack through her lectures. Even the two young white women give her attitude. She has a pet Arab student named Malik, a paraplegic who uses a walker, whom she’s determined will outperform expectation.

to become contestants at the Trans FitCon bodybuilding competition in Atlanta. The five are Dominic, Mason, Rese, Kennie and Tommy, the youngest a sassy 23-year-old, and the oldest a late bloomer in his mid-40s. Each describes the difficulties of living with their gender identity at birth. The five come from conservative hometowns across the Midwest and South. We witness Dominic’s pre-op nervousness and hear a lesbian spouse worrying that she may no longer be attracted to a mate who

a first-rate ensemble of soloists and choristers. The addition of dancers and big technical crew must have added up to a pretty penny, but at least, as they say in Hollywood, the money was up on the screen. The mostly evocative video projections by Adam Larsen with associate Hana S. Kim were striking, but ultimately too much. Pablo Santiago’s moody lighting design clarified the action better. Scenic and costume design by Emily Anne MacDonald and Cameron Jaye Mock was functional, but fell short of the expected opulence. Choreographer Christopher Bordenave’s fellow dancers appeared like a sober-sided company of Mummers. Their presence would have been appreciated more had the stage picture been less frequently congested. The best sense of time and place came from idiomatic contributions by Pacific Boychoir (Andrew Brown, director) and Ragnar Bohlin’s extraordinary SFS Chorus. Get them into costumes and light them well, and you have enough background for a convincing drama. MTT’s choice of seven scenes, six from the 1869 version and the final scene from the 1872 revision, seemed suited to a trimmer treatment of the beautifully symphonic score. Using the composer’s own rawboned orchestrations was an-

other wise decision. Advance word and thorough program notes promised the show would clock in at under two hours. Inexplicably, the night wore on much longer. There were still cuts that, ironically, would have helped delineate the sometimes confusing cast of characters and their complex motivations. We know the story, but insights into the politics and psychology of the men surrounding the tortured Boris were left to the singers. It’s unfair to place all responsibility on director Darrah’s shoulders. Mussorgsky’s episodic take on the rise and fall of Boris has always been a bit muddy, more pageant than drama. Spectacle is appropriate in fleshing out the story, but the scrim-like sets soaked up some of the power of the chorus and, in one instance, the placement of heavy church bells in front of the orchestra virtually drowned out their obviously energetic playing. The usually thrilling coronation scene came and went with flattened impact. When the orchestra was backing the soloists, audibility problems improved. Purely orchestral passages were wonderful. Bass Stanislav Trofimov was superbly musical in the title role, and he captured the emotional torment of the haunted Tsar as he sank into madness and death. Tenor Yevgeny Akimov was a darkly cunning

Scene from directors Natalie Metzger and Michael Rohrbaugh’s “Alone in the Game.”

Frameline 42

From page 41

“Man Made” A significant achievement of Frameline 42 has been to showcase films portraying an increasingly visible American transgender community. One of the best of the bunch is a 91-minute docudrama, “Man Made,” where five “self-made” men demonstrate how to cope with a tumultuous social landscape around gender roles and identity. “Man Made” showcases the paths taken by five brave individuals

Boris Godunov

From page 41

The idea of illustrating oratorios and paring down theatrical works for concerts has always benefitted from the maestro’s innate sense of showmanship and his wholehearted collaboration with the orchestra. “Boris Godunov” is another MTT concept, directed by James Darrah, with the same creative team from productions including an absorbing “Peer Gynt” in 2013, a triumphant “Peter Grimes” in 2014, and the fabulously entertaining Bernstein, Comden & Green “On the Town” in 2016. MTT has also presented a substantial Beethoven “Fidelio” and memorable Wagner “The Flying Dutchman.” Some disappointing misfires were a gussied up Beethoven “Missa solemnis,” visually confused with Leonard Bernstein’s intentionally kinetic 1971 “Mass,” and a busy Mahler “Das klagende Lied” that looked pretty, but buried the score in unnecessary accouterments. There were no outright failures or undercooked performances, as professionals such as these can always be relied on for creative flair and nothing less than musical brilliance. Still, the highly anticipated recent program proved surprisingly inert despite high production values and

After 16 minutes of gown glow in the dark. Not lackluster set-up, which knowing how she does this, includes a listless househuor when she decides to, or sband and foppish school why, lessens our investment principal, Géquil (proin this innately thrilling sunounced “Jekyll”) finally perpower. catches fire, literally, when The most electrifying a lightning strike overloads scene involves a student the school’s circuits. The with long blonde hair being scene in her physics lab in placed inside a Faraday a trailer, in which she has a cage when an Arab student mad brainstorm in a white is instructed to crank up lab coat, will disappoint the juice to 100,000 volts. fans of Universal horror But the most devastating films. This is her Colin sequence shows Géquil’s Les Films Pelléas Clive moment, when she answering a student’s quescreates a monster with the Isabelle Huppert as the title character in director tion about a mysterious aid of heavenly fire, but Serge Bozon’s “Mrs. Hyde.” “woman of fire” terrorizing director Serge Bozon does the housing project known not know where to put the as City 2000. In a tour de be-goggled maniac Lionel Atwill. camera. One errant zap, force monologue, Huppert His head and hands are giant glowand she falls to the floor and out of manifests the Jekyll-Hyde split in worms. Not all the time, only when sight. What might have been! consciousness as an eerily disjointed Atwill straps him down and turns In “Man-Made Monster” combo of clearly enunciated logic on the juice. Post-lightning, Géquil (1951), Lon Chaney, Jr. glows like and obscure psychic turmoil. It’s a is able to self-activate a power surge a lightbulb due to an excessive must-see for students of the crimithat makes both her and her nightelectrical charge forced on him by nally insane.t switches from she to he, in the process beginning to “sweat like a man.” Director and transman activist T. Cooper deftly edits his subjects’ life stories: one must face a young son who insists on calling him “mommy,” another risks breaking off a longstanding same-gender relationship, and still another fears coming off onscreen like “a circus freak.” (Rialto Cinemas Elmwood, 6/21) “Conversations with Gay Elders: Kerby Lauderdale” Veteran director David Weissman delivers a thrilling, deceptively simple 70-minute chat with a gay everyman. The life of Kerby Lauderdale covers a host of moving moments: discovering his sexual identity at summer camp, a college romance, a lengthy hetero marriage, and finally, a 14-year relationship with an HIV+ male partner. Never maudlin, this is a frank discussion between two real adults. (Castro, 6/21) “The PrEP Project” A satiric short from co-directors Chris Tipton-King and Robyn Kopp offers a candid but funny spin on how this “magic bullet” HIV prevention pill could impact the lives and loves of real people. Part of the “Homegrown” shorts program. (Victoria, 6/21)

Frameline

“Up Close & Personal” This collection of nine shorts from the US, Canada, Australia, Spain and Jamaica tracks the ups and downs of trans identity. Noteworthy is the next-to-last work: “Angela Wilson: A Butcher’s Story,” director Gaby Scott’s profile of the owner of Avedano’s San Francisco butcher shop. Most ambitious is “Picture This,” Canadian director Jari Osborne’s nuanced portrait of Andrew, who self-identifies as “a queer cripple.” (Castro, 6/22) “Reinventing Marvin” Bullied at school, handsome Marvin flees his boorish family for drama school in Paris, where he is nurtured by a variety of mentors, including grand dame Isabelle Huppert appearing as herself. Soon Marvin starts to reinvent himself in Anne Fontaine’s powerful film about the making of an young artist. (Castro, 6/22) “Alone in the Game” Have you wondered, as I have, why more bigname athletes don’t come out and add social awareness to their skill sets? The team of Natalie Metzger and Michael Rohrbaugh delivers the stories of young sports starsin-the-making who must deal with another Herculean challenge. With commentary from high profile experts from the Olympics and soccer

worlds, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. (Castro, 6/23) “Ideal Home” Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd star as a glamorous foodie couple whose lives are turned upside-down when a secret 10-yearold grandson shows up on their Santa Fe doorstep and threatens to alter their lives, in this rambunctious, endearing comedy. (Castro, 6/23) “Studio 54” The title of this year’s Castro closing-night drama may remind some of 1998’s cringe-worthy cute-kids-dancing-their-asses-off discomania version “54,” from director Mark Christopher. But relax, this one draws on previously hidden sources to show what went on behind the velvet rope. Director Matt Tyrnauer zooms in on Studio 54’s celebrity owners Steve Rubell (dead from AIDS 1989) and Ian Schrager, who met at college and lived to showcase the exhilarating highs and deadly lows of the club scene. So strap on your dancing shoes, feather your hair, and prepare to get down with this electrifying documentary about the infamous dance parlor where Elton John, Cher, Grace Jones and other celebs were bumping up against common guys and gals lucky or influential enough to get in. (Castro, 6/24)t

Cory Weaver/SFS

“Scene 4: An inn near the Lithuanian border.” An Innkeeper (mezzosoprano Catherine Cook) welcomes Varlaam (bass Vyacheslav Pochapsky) and Grigory (tenor Sergei Skorokhodov), who has now assumed the role of the Pretender Dimitri.

Prince Shuisky. Mezzo-soprano Eliza Bonet portrayed Boris’ son Fyodor with just the right blend of adolescent curiosity and confusion. Baritone Aleksey Bodganov was effective as functionary Shchelkalov, and bass Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev sounded fittingly weighty as the old monk Pimen. He was a good foil to tenor Sergei Skorokhodov’s believably zealous decision to assume the role of the pretender Dmitri in Scene 3. Smaller parts were cast from strength and also provided some of the night’s needed touches of humor. Bass Vyacheslav Pochapsky proved endearing as the drunken

monk Varlaam. His Innkeeper was SFS and San Francisco Opera veteran mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook. She can’t help upstaging everyone with her perfect timing and personality. The final scene ended with the wistful song of the Holy Fool portrayed by tenor Stanislav Mostovoy. His brief appearance lent a poignant perspective to the enigmatic saga. This week, MTT returns with soloist Daniil Trifonov for Rachmaninoff’s exciting and melodic Piano Concerto No. 3 and both of Jean Sibelius’ masterful final symphonies. No graphic enhancements necessary; the action is all in the music.t

Xtravaganza Pride www.ebar.com/bartab

BARchive

Flore shows Vol. 48 • No. 25 • June 21-27, 2018

Rainbow stage

Talent abounds at LGBT Pride events by David-Elijah Nahmod

his year’s LGBT Pride celebration in Civic Center, held June 23 and 24, is more than just a gathering. Dozens of performers and DJs will bring music to the main stage and multiple themed DJ areas. Some of the performers offered their opinions on the upcoming weekend. See page 60

Jaki Nelson performs at SF Pride’s Main Stage on Saturday, June 23.

Sundance Saloon’s weekend full of dancing.

Pride parties Celebrate, dance and enjoy by David-Elijah Nahmod

here’s a lot going on for Pride weekend before and after the parade. Here’s a select list of just some of the weekend’s events for those who want to party, dance and enjoy some nightlife talents. See page 61 >>

{FOURTH OF FOUR SECTIONS}

<< Pride 2018

60 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

tions and similar nonprofits that benefit those that really need it. Vendors could offer discounts if customers signed a petition that meant something to them. Personally, I believe Pride is about just that, presenting yourself in a way that you can be proud of.” One performer on Saturday’s main stage is most definitely political. At a recent concert appearance, Jaki Nelson debuted her new song “Boys and Girls” with her parents in the audience. She asked the crowd, “Who likes girls? Who likes boys? Well, I like both.” “The song directly responds to my bisexuality by placing both boys and girls in the same breath, in the same spirit, in the same thought,” Nelson said. Her song is the first that places bisexuality in a positive light. “It is the only song truly celebrating bisexuality as a positive lifestyle as opposed to other songs that have Trangela Lansbury brings a wild drag contingent to Pride’s main stage framed it in a dysfuncon Saturday, June 23. tional mindset,” she said. “I don’t need drugs or alcohol in my system “To me, Pride is about being hapRainbow Stage in order to be with a person of the py to not be in the closet any more, From page 59 same sex. I think ‘Boys and Girls’ is to be free and to be more flamboythe first bisexual anthem to tackle ant than I’ve felt comfortable with Among those appearing on the the subject in a purely fun, natural in my earlier years,” said Gomez. “I main stage on Saturday, June 23 is way.” wish San Francisco and the rest of the outrageous Trangela Lansbury’s Nelson says that no one in her the world’s Pride events were more Grrrl Gang. Described as “a grandfamily was surprised by her revelapolitical. The first Pride was a riot. daughter of the Cockettes,” the legtion. Instead of people asking for donaendary drag troupe from the 1970s, “My mom’s response was, ‘You’re tions at the gates, they could sign Lansbury (aka visual artist Diego just like mommy!’” she said. “My one of ten petitions or donations Gomez) spoke about what Pride family is really gay. My mom is bicould go to trans youth organizameans.

sexual, my grandma was bisexual, my uncle is gay.”

Civic Center scene

Other performers on Saturday include the Bay Area’s very own trio Femme Deadly Venoms, who present a tasty gumbo of trip hop, funk, soul and electronica. Ms. Nzuri Soul offers her electrifying stage presence and a whole lot of soul. And Cheer SF will be on hand to act as Pride’s cheerleading squad.

Yves Saint Croissant is co-hosting the Saturday main stage. “I am beyond excited to host the festivities on Saturday,” she said. “I’ve performed on the main stage for the past two years so I feel like I’m getting a big promotion. I’m looking forward to feeling the crowd, the energy of Civic Center during this important celebration, representing our beautiful city and most of all cohosting with my drag bestie Persia.”

THE

WEEKND

Yves St. Croissant MCs Pride’s Saturday main stage.

FLORENCE

+ THE MACHINE

JANET

JACKSON

FUTURE • BECK • ODESZA • BON IVER • DJ SNAKE

PORTUGAL.THE MAN • N.E.R.D • CHVRCHES • JAMES BLAKE • JAMIE XX JANELLE MONÁE • ILLENIUM • MAC DEMARCO • TYCHO FATHER JOHN MISTY • CARLY RAE JEPSEN • CHROMEO • THE INTERNET BØRNS • GRYFFIN • THE GROWLERS • TASH SULTANA • SOB X RBE BIG GIGANTIC • BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE • RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE DANIEL CAESAR • BILLIE EILISH • PERFUME GENIUS • GOLDLINK REX ORANGE COUNTY • SHANNON & THE CLAMS + MANY MORE!

83 RESTAURANTS • 41 WINERIES • 30 BREWERIES SFOUTSIDELANDS.COM

See page 61 >>

Pride 2018>>

June 21-27, 2018 • Bay Area Reporter • 61

Gooch

Juanita MORE!’s Pride Party @ Jones. photo: Gooch

mrPam

Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma co-MC Pride on Sunday June 24.

Rainbow Stage

From page 60

Saint Croissant also commented on Generations of Strength, the theme of this year’s parade. “When I think of the theme of Generations of Strength, I see the faces of performers, promoters and industry friends who have supported me immensely in the beginning of my drag career,” she said. “No one would know who I am without them. There is so much power when one connects with the people who’ve molded our city’s rich culture and now I’m eager to pay it forward to the next generation.”

Sunday scene

Sunday June 24 brings a little star power to Pride’s Main Stage with the appearance of Evelyn “Champagne”

King, the disco diva who achieved pop music immortality with her hit 1977 single Shame. King’s success continued into the 1980s with popular tunes such as “I’m in Love” (1981) and “Love Come Down” (1982), In 2004, “Shame” became one of the first records to be inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. Also taking to the Main Stage on Sunday is Hollywood’s own Our Lady J, perhaps the first transgender woman to perform at New York’s legendary Carnegie Hall. Lady J brings her unique piano stylings to Pride. Currently she serves as a writer and producer on the new FX series Pose, and previously worked on Amazon’s Emmy-winning show Transparent. Local superstars Honey Mahogany and Sister Roma co-host the main stage on Sunday.

“There is no better feeling than standing on the main stage and looking out at the sea of beautiful smiling faces of every age, color and gender expression,” Roma said. “The joy and love they radiate fills the air and it’s contagious. They’re singing, dancing, cheering, hugging, laughing and sometimes even crying. It’s magical.” Roma added that she thinks Generations of Strength is a “brilliant” theme for this year’s Pride. “It speaks to our heroic and LGBTQ predecessors who fought so hard to get us where we are today,” she said. “It also recognizes that the hope for a better tomorrow lies in the young people, especially young queer and trans people of color. I love San Francisco and my LGBTQ family and our allies more than bacon, and that’s a lot!”t

be available at the door. 620 Jones Street, $45 12-7pm. http://juanitamore.com/events/

Pride On The Patio @ SF Eagle

Hundreds of half naked bodies will gyrate to the throbbing beats of the SF Eagle All Star Disco Lineup (12pm7pm), all leading up to Disco Daddy Pride, with DJ Bus Statioon John, 7pm-12am. 398 12th Street. http://sf-eagle.com/

Pride VIP Party @ City Hall Rotunda

Larkin (11am-6pm); then evening dancing again at the Hotel, $8, 6pm10pm. www.sundancesaloon.org

What started off years ago as a casual cool respite from the sun and crowds has become the must-attend event for Pride Sunday. The dramatic staircase of City Hall becomes a hangout to see and be seen, plus the staging area for performances by the SF Gay Men’s Chorus and other groups. This year, the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress, presented by the Dutch Consulate of San Francisco –a massive gown composed of international flags– will be worn and shown off at the party, where food, an open bar, and DJed music in three rooms all add to the flair. $60-$85. 2pm-5pm. Tickets at www. sfpride.org

Swagger Like Us: SF Pride @ Mezzanine

The Stud Is So Proud Of You @ Stud

Featuring TS Madison, Cakes Da Killa, DavOmakesbeats, Jibbz, Micahtron, India Sky, Kelly Lovemonster and more. Pre-sale tickets have ended. $40 at the door, cash only. 444 Jessie St, 9pm. https://mezzaninesf.com/

A big, all-day Pride Party, featuring DJs, London Jade, Chelsea Starr, Ajai Nicole, Adam Kraft, GossipCat, Jordee, plus drag shows throughout the day. 399 9th Street. 2-9pm. https://www.studsf.com/

The Playground: Hip Hop vs. House @ Club BNB, Oakland The Gay Husbands of San Francisco Pride Party @ Oasis

Pride Events

From page 59

Fri 22 The Gay Husbands of San Francisco Pride Party @ Oasis

Kick off Pride weekend with The Gay Husbands of San Francisco and benefit the LGBT Asylum Project. Walk the red carpet, get signed photos with the cast, watch season one, and bid in the international bachelor auction. 298 11th Street, $30-50 6-11pm www.sfoasis.com

Sat 23 Juanita MORE! Nighttime @ SVN West

Drag icon Juanita MORE! celebrates her 15th year of hosting Pride parties by throwing a huge bash the night before her legendary Sunday party. Join MORE! at SVN West, formerly the famed Fillmore West, for a night of dancing under

the stars on the SVN roof deck. Music will be provided by an all queer line-up: Gavin Rayna Russom (LCD Soundsystem), Kim Ann Foxman (Fire House), Jasmine Infiniti (New World Dysorder) and the House of MORE! Proceeds to benefit TRUTH (Trans Youth). 10 South Van Ness Ave., $45 10pm-4am http://juanitamore.com/events/

Polyglamorous Pride @ Oasis

Join Polyglamorous for an afternoon of outdoor dancing on the Oasis rooftop deck with DJ Minx (Women on Wax-Detroit), Vicki Powell (Deep South-Atlanta plus Major, Mark O’Brien, and BEYA (Polyglamorous). 298 11th Street, $15-30 3-9pm www.sfoasis.com

Sundance Saloon Pride @ Hotel Whitcomb

Enjoy country-western linedancing with pride, for beginners and experienced dancers. $12. 7:30pm-12am. 1231 Market St. Sunday, June 24 with an outdoor dance floor at Pride, Golden Gate St. near

Featuring Love and Hip Hop New York’s J. Adrienne. 500 people will get a Club BNB VIP card, pride drink specials, go-go dancers and performances, free food, plus two dance floors with DJ Rum Hip Hop and DJ Demarco House. 2129 Broadway, Oakland. 9-pm-4am. http://www.club-bnb.com/

Pink Saturday @ Beaux

Wearing pink is urged for the annual Pride party at Beaux. The party starts early with DJ Guy Ruben whooping you up into a frenzy at 4pm. Arrive early for the 5pm meet and greet with Sharon Needles, with photo op provided by Gooch. Live drag show with Needles and Au Jus at 6:30 pm. NYC DJ Colby B spins at 9pm. 2433 Market St. http://www.beauxsf.com/

Sun 24 Juanita MORE! Sunday Daytime Party @ Jones

Perhaps Pride’s most anticipated events, MORE!’s Sunday Daytime Party features Horse Meat Disco featuring Severino, CarrieOnDisco and La Maison de Munro. Online pre-sale tickets have sold out, but a limited number of tickets will

5-Year Anniversary @ Driftwood

Hard French Hearts Los Homos Pride Party @ Mezzanine

Mezzanine’s 8th annual Pride Party with a bewitching Alley Party, a fabulous DJ line up, hosts Dulce de Leche and Lil Miss Hot Mess, plus live performances by Shopping and the great disco diva Evelyn “Champagne” King. $25-35. 444 Jessie St. 3-11pm (Block party from 3-8pm) www.hardfrench.com

5-Year Anniversary @ Driftwood

Feeling a bit not-exactly gay? Want to avoid the Civic Center crowds? Stop by Driftwood. SoMa’s gayest straight bar, for their five-year celebration, with the Dudes And Disco DJ crew. 12pm-11pm. 1225 Folsom St. www.driftwoodbarsf.com

SF Pride Tap Takeover @ Jersey Restaurant

For an off-the-calendar relaxing time, stop by Jersey Restaurant in downtown San Francisco to taste their Pride-themed beers: Black Hammer’s Sparkle Pony Belgium Blonde Ale, Laughing Monk’s Sister Amor Hazy IPA, and other brand’s celebratory Pride batches. Partial proceeds from your beers go to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center. Jersey, 145 Second St. http://www.jerseysf.com/t

For more nightlife and Pride events, go to page 70.

<< Pride 2018

62 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Xtravaganza Pride

Vogue icons and celebrity grand marshals Jose Gutierez and Luis Camacho

by Cornelius Washington

Regarding the iconic “Vogue” video, were you aware of the legendary fashion photographers whom the video referenced? The two photographers (Horst P. Horst and Irving Penn) were both still alive when the video debuted. Luis: I was not aware of the photographers. We just worked on the dance aspects of the video, and I’m so happy to hear that they loved it. Jose: That’s beautiful! It’s the ultimate compliment!

an Francisco Pride is poised to get the biggest infusion of movement, outlandish style and fabulosity, with two of the most enduring men of color in LGBTQ culture. Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza and Luis Camacho Xtravaganza, known as two of the shining performers in the 1980s ballroom and dance community of New York, are known for their work with Madonna in her iconic music video, “Vogue,” her tour and the accompanying 1991 documentary film Truth or Dare. The 2015 documentary film Strike a Pose included both dancers, and covered their lives since those iconic music video days, as well as those of their colleagues, including Gabriel, who died of AIDS, and two others who came out as HIV-positive. Since then, both men have continued to inspire dancers and artists around the world. The two will participate in San Francisco Pride as celebrity grand marshals. We spoke via bi-coastal chat, to talk about past, present and future accomplishments and goals, as the most sterling representatives of vogue culture reaches new hew heights of pop culture visibility on the FX network’s newest series, Pose, about the intersection of 1980s ball culture and Manhattan’s powerhungry elites.

Jose: Before you ask even one question, I want everyone at the Bay Area Reporter to know that I loved the interview that you and I did last year! I was just very flattered and humbled. It was a beautiful article. You all made me feel like a pioneer. People have told me this before, but your article really hit home for me. Cornelius: Thank you! With all of your accomplishments in LGBTQ culture, as two of the most iconic dancer/choreographers, has any city given you and/or Luis any serious status in any of their Pride parades across America? Jose: I’ve walked with The House of Xtravaganza in New York City Pride, but never with Luis or on my own. Luis: That’s why we’re so happy to do this Pride together. No shade on anyone, but SF Pride, I’ve noticed, always moves the LGBTQ community forward. I’m sure that San Francisco Pride will be very happy to hear

Left: Jose Gutierez Xtravaganza Right: Luis Camacho Xtravaganza

that. Luis, tell me the very first that you met Jose. Luis: We were both students at the High School of Performing Arts. He was just this beautiful little guy and he is my brother. He is forever emblazoned in my life. I love him! Jose: I must say the same; our relationship has been a blessing. Luis, tell me how you felt the first time you saw vogueing. Luis: I felt like a child who got his first glance at what would become his favorite toy. Jose: Wow, that’s deep! Luis, tell me how you joined The House of Xtravaganza. Luis: Originally, I was in The House of Lamé, and I snatched a trophy in the “Butch Queen First Time in Drag at a Ball” category, and I saw The House of Xtravaganza. No racism or shade, but, there are plenty of Latins in all of the houses, but, The House of Xtravaganza had an energy and authenticity of which I just had to be a part. So, my snatching a trophy got me in. As opposed to Miss Venus Xtravaganza, whom you all just hijacked into the house (Laughter). Let’s discuss a difficult topic: cultural appropriation.

Jose: I understand what you’re talking about. I see it going on ... everywhere, most notably in last fall’s Gucci ad campaign. I’m very territorial about vogue culture. I teach it all over the world. In the past year, I’ve been to Cuba, Japan and Brazil. I always inform my students of the culture, not just the movement. LGBTQ people of color have created a culture that took in people who were thrown out onto the street by straight people. We loved, nurtured and supported them. What you see in vogueing is real pride, beauty and elegance, created out of struggle and hardship. People should know and acknowledge it. Luis: As far as vogueing is concerned, I want to see LGBTQ people of color working in a situation that is authentic for them and makes them shine. There’s nothing wrong with a gay, black man vogueing in a print ad campaign and, yes, he should wear Gucci, vogueing for Gucci. Why not? Thank you, guys! How do you feel about “a death drop”? Luis: God bless them! I don’t know how they don’t break their necks, but God bless them! That’s all that I can say! Jose: The “death drop” was a feeling that someone performed in the moment, like an exclamation

point. That was something that came over them, but it’s nothing to which my generation aspired, as a feeling of elegance. The “death drop” is what the “new school” is all about. Luis: What Jose and I did back in the day, along with others (Willi Ninja comes to mind.), was considered “new school.” When we first experienced it, it was people performing static poses out of high fashion magazines. What Jose and I did was add more dance-like ballet transitions into the poses. Now, what we did is considered “old school.” However, you guys were a very important part of a serious artistic movement when people used fine art techniques to sell commercial products. Grace Jones comes to mind, as does Madonna. Bob Mathis-Friedman, a gay cultural anthropologist, made the observation that you, as an entity, made “gay subtext is now text.” Jose: Wow, I’ll have to hashtag that! Bob is brilliant, and I’ll have to agree. Some of the other dancers with whom we worked on the Blonde Ambition tour were still in the closet. Luis: We really were like Batman and Robin.

Let’s discuss the Rock The Vote campaign that you filmed with Madonna. Did you two have any idea that you would be the very first openly gay men of color to create a national ad campaign, encouraging people to vote? Luis: No, we just put on those little booty shorts and did it (Laughter). Jose: I wanted to encourage people who are LGBTQ and of color to vote, and I thought to myself, “Yeah, I’ll stand next to this white woman and encourage people to vote. No problem.” The LGBTQ community needs to vote every chance that they get! At the height of your work with Madonna, who was the most iconic person you’d ever met? Jose: Hands down, Elizabeth Taylor! Luis: I must agree, Elizabeth Taylor. She’s the queen of cinema, as far as I’m concerned. I must also say that a highlight of my career, Queen’s English, the record that Jose and I did and was a huge thrill for me. I work with elderly people, and one of my elderly friends sang it to me recently. That was an incredible moment. Jose, let’s discuss your latest work. Recently, I saw the recordbreaking documentary The Gospel According To Andre, which also showed the teaser for the FX series Pose. I see that its creator, Mr. Ryan Murphy, is not taking any prisoners! Jose: Oh, my God, I’m dying to see Andre’s documentary! He’s the most influential man in fashion! The fact that he’s black makes it all the more thrilling! Currently, NYC is all about Pose and that documentary! The ads for both are everywhere! The show is going great, and I’m working very hard on this project. See page 64 >>

Luis Camacho (lower left) and Jose Gutierez (lying down) in a promo shot for Madonna’s Truth or Dare film.

<< Pride 2018

64 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Martha Wash The legendary singer’s at Feinstein’s

by Jim Gladstone

“I

want to see the Donna Summer musical,” says Martha Wash who performs in San Francisco for the first time in four years next weekend at Feinstein’s at the Nikko. “She had so many hits, she was the Queen of Disco.” Wash, the one-time Weather Girl, remains steadfastly sunny even after years-long battles with record labels and producers whose profit-oriented presumptions may well have kept that particular crown from resting on her own head. As hardcore fans are well aware, Wash’s deep yet somehow cheerful growl is part of contemporary dance music’s bedrock. The 64-year-old San Francisco native was still a student at Polytechnic High when she saw an ascending Sylvester perform as the opening act for Billy Preston. Wash, who grew up performing in church choirs, later won an audition and became one of two back-up vocalists for the flamboyant gay singer, paired with her friend Izora Rhodes. The exposure from accompanying Sylvester on four late ‘70s albums and two number one hits —“You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Dance (Disco Heat)”— raised Wash and Rhodes’ profile. Stepping out of the background, the duo recorded a pair of albums as Two Tons ‘o Fun before shaking off the pejorative nickname and rebranding as The Weather Girls with the release of their signature single, “It’s Raining Men” in 1982. The song, with music by Paul Shaffer of David Letterman fame, was a Donna Summer cast-off. Considering the song too kitschy,

Martha Wash, Sylvester and Izora Rhodes in the early 1980s.

Martha Wash

Summer—along with Diana Ross and Cher—turned down the opportunity to record it. But performed by Wash and Rhodes with a winkless sincerity that allowed it to transcend mere camp, “It’s Raining Men” sold over six million copies in its first year of release. Its seemingly immortal life has included a 2001 cover version by Gerri Halliwell that topped the UK charts, and a production number in the music-theater version of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (A spirited Theatre Rhinoceros production of that show is playing San Francisco through July 7). When the Weather Girls disbanded in 1988 after three hitless

albums, Wash was in demand as a singer for house music dance tracks. The gale-force power of her voice swept Black Box’s “Everybody, Everybody,” “Strike It Up,” “Ride On Time” and “I Don’t Know Anybody Else” to the upper echelons of the Billboard charts. Wash is also the singer on C&C Music Factory’s “Dance (Gonna Make You Sweat), a #1 hit in 1991. Wash was not invited to participate in the lip-synced music videos and live performances made to promote these enormous hits, replaced by twig-skinny fashion models. Nor was she given proper credit or royalties. While she fought for—and ultimately won—combined settlegay person of color, like director Lee Daniels, who has stated that he was inspired to direct after watching the ground-breaking documentary, Paris Is Burning. Any thoughts or opinions about that? Jose: I think that the show will have some surprises for everyone. Ryan has done, and continues to do, his homework and research, utilizing LGBTQ people of color in front of and behind the camera. Keep watching. One of my bisexual relatives said that he’s not interested in watching the show. He thinks that it’s too trans-identified, and that narratives about masculine gay and bisexual men of color threaten everyone, and never receive enough support and/or attention. Jose: I understand how he feels. I hope that he will give the show a chance, and not be so quick to tune out. The show is breaking new ground on a lot of levels. I just hope that the LGBTQ community will give it a shot.

Luis (standing, right) and Jose (lower right) in a recent Japan Vogue fashion spread.

Xtravaganza Pride

From page 62

What’s it like to work on this program? Jose: I’m living my history. It’s very surreal and emotional for me. In my opinion, the show’s breakout role will be that of Damon Richards (aka Damon Evangelista), played by Ryan Jamaal Swain. My spies tell me that that role was based on you, Jose. Talk to me.

Jose: I understand that there are people on the Internet who are saying that. Let me say two things. First, Ryan Jamaal is a wonderful actor, with a wonderful spirit in the role, with whom people will identify. But, is the character based on me? Maybe. Maybe not. You’ll have to see how the story develops. Commentary is going around that it’s sad that the LGBTQ community of color is not in the position to tell their own stories, and that a white man (Ryan Murphy) is not qualified to do so, that Pose would have been better told by a

Looking at the trans characters, I cannot help but think of Octavia St. Laurent, and that it was her dream to be in the situation in which these women now find themselves. Luis: Octavia was an impossible beauty! I’ve never seen anyone in the trans community, anywhere, who looked as beautiful as she did. Jose: Thank you! “Impossible beauty” sums her up perfectly! She was beautiful, inside and out. This generation’s trans community has it easy, compared to what I saw her endure. The community really should give

ments well into the seven figures, Wash has said that as helpful as the money has been, her notoriety for pursuing compensation and recognition has yielded its own benefits. “I want to be known as a good person as well as a good singer,” she says. “Lots of studio singers and musicians have thanked me for speaking up.” Wash was featured in 2014’s Oscar-winning documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom, which furthered public awareness of the unsung singers behind much of our favorite music. In recent years, Wash has released occasional music on her own Purple Rose Records and made regular appearances at Pride events and gay charity functions worldwide. In 2012, no doubt with the support of Paul Shaffer, she appeared on the Late Show With David Letterman to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “It’s Raining Men.”$49-$85 ($20

food/drink min.) Between gay events, the documentary, and a series of concerts with Linda Clifford and Evelyn “Champagne” King called First Ladies of Disco, a younger generation of fans has begun to recognize and appreciate Wash’s music. Among her champions is RuPaul, who credits endless plays of “Carry On,” Wash’s 1992 solo dance hit, with helping him process his mother’s death. Wash has appeared on Drag Race and recorded an update of “It’s Raining Men” with RuPaul in 1998. “I have longtime fans,” says Wash, “who bring young people with them to my shows. They say they’re taking them to school.”t

her the respect that she deserves.

I am now asking you, what do you want your contribution to the LGBTQ community to be? What do you want your legacy to say? Luis: That’s a very serious question. I want people to know that everything that I do is based upon authenticity. That’s what I want people to both know and see. On my tombstone, I want it to read, “He did that!”

There’s a lot of talent on the show! Billy Porter comes to mind. Jose: Billy is an amazing artist! He just comes in and wrecks the place! He, too, has done his homework and research, and he is always totally prepared. Please tell Ryan to put Billy in the studio, and have him create the next big timeless gay anthem, connected to the show. Billy can sing his natural ass off, bottom line! Gentlemen, what do you think will be the evolution of vogueing? Jose: I want it to be seen as a serious art form, like ballet. I want it to transcend pop culture. It’s a serious art form. It’s neither a gimmick nor a trend. I want to see it in Carnegie Hall or The Kennedy Center. I want to see it on that level. Luis, last year, I asked Jose, and

Martha Wash performs at Feinstein’s at the Nikko, Friday and Saturday, June 29 & 30, 8pm. $49$85 ($20 food/drink min.). Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

I want the two of you to know that you are shining examples of what it means to be gay men of color, and that there are people, all over the world who’ve seen what you’ve done and continue to do. Happy Pride to both of you! I love you! Jose: It’s been an honor! Thank you so much. I love you, too! Luis: I hope to see you during Pride. I’ve never met you, but I must say that I love you, too. This has been quite an experience. Thank you so much!t

Strike a Pose subjects (top row): Salim “Slam” Gauwloos, Oliver Crumes III, Carlton Wilborn, Kevin Stea; bottom row: Luis Camacho, Jose Gutierez

<< Arts Events

66 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Arts Events June 21-28

Sat 23 Art + Pride @ Harvey Milk Photo Center Group exhibit of Pride-themed photography and mixed media dozens of by LGBT artists and photojournalists. Thru July 22. 50 Scott St. harveymilkphotocenter.org

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi

Sat 23

Priscilla Queen of the Desert @ Gateway Theatre

For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

Thu 21 Comedy Returns @ El Rio Sampson McCormick, Natasha Muse, Julia Jackson, Nick Leonard and Lisa Geduldig perform at the 9th Annual Obligatory Gay Pride Comedy Show. $10-$20. 7pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

An Entomologist’s Love Story @ SF Playhouse Melissa Ross’ comic play about two bug scientists. $30-$100. Tue-Sun thru June 23. 450 Post St. www.sfplayhouse.org

Hattie McDaniel: What I Need You to Know @ Cowell Theatre Singer-actress Vickilyn Reynolds performs the musical life story of the Oscar-winning African American actress ( Gone With the Wind ). $25$100. Various times thru June 24. Bldg. C, #260, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. hattiewhatineedyoutoknow.com

A History of Violence @ SOMArts

Straight White Men @ Marin Theatre Company

Group exhibit of varied media works exploring anti-LGBT violence, including Arthur Dong. Jason Hanasik, Xandra Ibarra, Julie Tolentino and more. Thru June 28. 934 Brannan St. www.somarts.org

Young Jean Lee’s serio-comic play about identity and privilege. $10$37. Thu-Sat 7:30pm. Sat & Sun 2pm/4pm. Thru July 8. 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. marintheatre.org

Michelle Meow Show @ Commonwealth Club Meow and cohost John Zipperer discuss LGBT Pride with grand marshal Ali Marrero-Calderon; weekly with different guests. 12pm. 110 Embarcadero. www.commonwealthclub.org

Pride! @ Spark Arts Group exhibit of LGBT-themed paintings and other art work by Ramon Pablo Vidali, An Luke Nguyen, Alan Beckstead, Susan Voix, and Sabrina Reid. Thru June 25. 4229 18th St. www.sparkarts.com

Shortlived VII @ PianoFight 48 plays by Bay Area theatre companies are performed in a 9-week competition for a $5K prize. Thru Aug. 25. $20-$40. 144 Taylor St. www.pianofight.com

Resident Artists @ ODC Theater The Resident Artist Program presents resident artist commissioned works thru June. $30. 8pm. 3153 17th St. www.odc.dance

Fri 22 Angels in America @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre Tony Kushner’s multiple awardwinning two-part epic drama about the 1980s, AIDS and politics, returns to the Bay Area, with Randy Harrison, Stephen Spinella and Caldwell Tidicue. Part One: Millennium Approaches and Part Two: Perestroika on separate dates, and a few double-header days; free events and talks, too. $40-$100. Tue-Sat 7pm. Most Wed, Thu Sat & Sun also 1pm. Thru July 22. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. www.berkeleyrep.org

Gwenaël Rattke @ Romer Young Gallery The Berlin artist’s multimedia art exhibit. Thru July 21. 1240 22nd St. www.romeryounggallery.com/

The Mushroom Cure @ The Marsh, Berkeley

6/10/16 2:34 PM

Adam Strauss returns with his hit solo show about treating his OCD with hallucinogenic mushrooms. $20-$100. Fri 8pm, Sat 8:30pm. 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley. www.themarsh.com

Older and Out @ North Berkeley Senior Center

The musical comedy revue celebrates its 43th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $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

Christopher Nelson @ Hotel Rex The local actor-singer performs Give My Regards, his show of Broadway hits and more. $30-$50. 8pm. 562 Sutter St. www.societycabaret.com

Finks @ Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of Joe Gilford’s musical play about his father’s McCarthyera red-baiting blacklist from the entertainment industry. $40-$100. Tue-Wed 7:30. Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat, Sun 2pm. Also Sun 7pm. Thru July 1. 500 Castro st., Mountain View. www.theatreworks.org

Hedwig and the Angry Inch @ The Stage, San Jose South Bay production of John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s Tony-winning hit trans rock musical. $30-$65. Wed & Thu 7:30pm, Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm. Thru July 8. 490 South 1st St., San Jose. www.thestage.org

Intimate Aphorisms @ Mission Cultural Center Exhibit of works by 15 queer Latinx artists. $5. Thru June 30. 2868 Mission St. missionculturalcenter.org

LGBTQ Histories from the WWII Home Front @ Rosie the Riveter Visitor Education Center, Richmond Park indoor exhibit that showcases the lives of historic LGBT people. Open daily 10am-5pm. 1414 Harbour Way South, Suite 3000, Richmond. www.roseitheriveter.org

Live in the Castro @ Jane Warner Plaza The outdoor entertainment series returns, with musicians and MC Donna Sachet. 12pm. Castro St at Market. www.castrocbd.org

The Ring Cycle @ War Memorial Performing Arts Center

OPEN 10AM-2AM FRI-SUN PRIDE Weekend 225 Church St @ Market PilsnerInn.com

Richard Wagner’s epic operas Der Ring Des Nibelungen (The Ring Of The Nibelung), based on Norse mythology, are performed in repertory by San Francisco Opera and Chorus. $10-$535. Thru July 1. 301 Van Ness Ave. www.sfopera.com

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus @ Nourse Theatre Unbreakable, a musical journey written and composed by Andrew Lippa, shares stories of LGBTQ people, with soloists soprano Lisa Vroman, Broadway’s Britney Coleman, and SF tenor Marcus Paige. $25-$100. 8pm. June 23 at 2:30pm & 8pm. 275 Hayes St. www.sfgmc.org

Violent Femmes @ UC Theatre, Berkeley The punk-pop band performs; Ashwin Batish opens. $40. 9pm. 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. http://vfemmes.com

Magnificent Magnolias @ SF Botanical Garden Visit the lush gardens for winter Magnolia displays, plus many other trees and plants. Free entry with SF proof of residency. $5-$10 for others. 7:30am-closing. 9th Ave at Lincoln Way. https://sfbotanicalgarden.org/

Priscilla Queen of the Desert @ Gateway Theatre Encore run of Theatre Rhinoceros’ hit 2017 production of the comic drag play based on the Australian film about queens on a road trip, with plenty of costumes and dance numbers. $15-$20. Wed-Sat 8pm. Also Sat 3pm. Thru June 30. 215 Jackson St. www.therhino.org

Skate Night @ Church on 8 Wheels Wheeled fun at the former Sacred Heart Church-turned disco roller skate party space, hosted by John D. Miles, the “Godfather of Skate,” including Saturday’s Black Rock night (Burning Man garb encouraged). 7pm-10pm. Sat afternoon sessions 1pm-2pm and 3pm-5pm. $10. Kids 12 and under $5. Skate rentals $5. 554 Fillmore St at Fell. www.churchof8wheels.com

Soft Power @ Curran Theater David Henry Huang and Jeanine Tesori’s contemporary comic political satire and musical, about East-West relations and biases. $29-$165. Thru July 8. 445 Geary St. https://sfcurran.com

Various Exhibits @ NIAD Art Center, Richmond Exhibits of art by visiting professionals, and art made by developmentally disabled people. Mon-Fri 10am-4pm. 551 23rd St. Richmond. (510) 620-0290. www.niadart.org

A Walk on the Moon @ Geary Theatre American Conservatory Theatre presents the world-premiere musical by Paul Scott Goodman and Pamela Gary, based on her 1999 screenplay of the film about a woman’s affair at a 1960s summer camp, with a cast of talented Broadway actors. $10-$100. TueSat 8pm. Wed, Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru July 1. 415 Geary St. act-sf.org

Way Bay 2 @ BAM/PFA, Berkeley Large group exhibit of 200+ works of art, film, performance and archival materials; thru Sept 2. Also, ongoing film series at the Pacific Film Archive. Berkeley Art Museum, Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St. Berkeley. www.bampfa.org

Alisa Banks

Weekly group discussion about problems for elders in the LGBT community. 3:15pm. 1901 Hearst Ave., Berkeley. pacificcenter.org

Thu 21 Hattie McDaniel: What I Need You to Know @ Cowell Theatre

Arts Events>>

June 21-27, 2018 • Bay Area Reporter • 67

Fri 22

San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus @ Nourse Theater

Years & Years @ Regency Ballroom

Film Screenings @ BAM/PFA

The fun British pop band, led by openly gay Olly Alexander (see interview last week) performs live. $30. 8pm. 1300 Van Ness Ave. https://yearsandyears.com/

Artistic and award-winning films, including documentaries about artists; ongoing. 2155 Center St., Berkeley. www.bampfa.org

Thu 28 Carlo Fantin, Sara Lish @ Mercury 20, Oakland Duo exhibit of works by the artists who focus on political, sexual and personal themes. Thu-Sat 12pm6pm. Thru July 28. 475 25th St, Oakland. www.mercurytwenty.com

Wild SF Walking Tours @ Citywide Enjoy weekly informed tours of various parts of San Francisco, from Chinatown to the Haight, and a ‘radical’ and political-themed LGBTinclusive tour. Various dates and times. $15-$25. wildsftours.com

Sun 24 The Art and Science of Pinball @ Chabot Space & Science Museum, Alameda New exhibit of 35 pinball machine, historic early versions, models, diagrams and demos. $5-$15. 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland. www.chabotspace.org

Ecstatic Dance @ Sacred Heart Church Weekly group freeform dance with a spiritual flavor at the former churchturned event space. $15. 9am-12pm. Also Wed. and Fridays in Oakland and Fairfax. 554 Fillmore St. www.ecstaticdance.org

Make Believe: The World of Glen Keane @ Walt Disney Family Museum Exhibit of animation art by the prolific artist (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Tarzan). Thru Sept 3. Also, Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men: Masters of Animation ( Bambi, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp) , thru Jan. 7. Other exhibits of Disney artifacts and film screenings. 104 Montgomery St, The Presidio. $5-$25. 10am-6pm. Closed Tue. http://wdfmuseum.org/

Expedition Reef @ California Academy of Sciences

Respect: Hip-Hop Style & Wisdom @ Oakland Museum

Exhibits and planetarium shows with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about animals, plants and the earth; Deep Reefs, Giants of Land and Sea, Gems and Minerals, and more. $20-$35. MonSat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am-5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

New exhibit that visualizes the movement and sound of the music genre, with many live events through the run, including Friday night parties and performances. Free-$16. Wed-Sun. Thru Aug. 12. 1000 Oak St., Oakland. www.museumca.org

Looking Through the Lens @ Diane Wilsey Center for Opera The Glory of San Francisco Opera, Past and Present , an exhibit of historic productions photos from the San Francisco Opera’s many productions. Free. Mon-Fri 9am6pm. Veteran’s Building, 401 Van Ness Ave. www.sfopera.com

William Blake in Color @ William Blake Gallery Exhibit of classic plates in the new gallery of historic art by the 18th- and 19th-century poet and illustrator. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm. Sat 11am-5pm. 49 Geary St. #205. www.williamblakegallery.com

Queer Tango @ Finnish Hall, Berkeley

Various Events @ Oakland LGBTQ Center

Same-sex partner tango dancing, including lessons for newbies, food and drinks. $5-$10. 3:30pm6:30pm. 1970 Chestnut St, Berkeley. www.finnishhall.org

Social events and meetings at the new LGBTQ center include film screenings and workshops, including Bruthas Rising, trans men of color meetings, 4th Tuesdays, 6:30pm. Film screenings, 4th Saturdays, 7:30pm. Game nights, Fridays 7:30pm-11pm. Vogue sessions, first Saturdays. 3207 Lakeshore Ave. Oakland. www.oaklandlgbtqcenter.org

Annual march and celebration, with 100,000 attendees, multiple DJed and live stages, food, booths, special areas and drinks. Gate donations. March goes from Embarcadero up Market Strret to 8th. 10am-6pm. www.sfpride.org

Unique Derique @ The Marsh The comic juggling solo performer’s new family-friendly show, Fool La La! Over the Rainbow includes a free juggling workshop after each show. $15-$100. Sundays, 1pm. Extended thru June 30. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Mon 25 Barbara Lewis: A Second Look @ Lost Art Salon Exhibit of mixed media works by the prolific painter, photographer and print artist; with Gravel & Gold, a women’s crafts collective. Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm. 245 South Van Ness Ave. http://www.lostartsalon.com/

Sketch 8 @ ODC Theater Premieres by choreographers Jennifer Archibald, Gabrielle Lamb and Amy Seiwert. $25-$55. 8pm. Thru June 30 (also 2pm). 3153 17th St.

Ten Percent @ Comcast David Perry’s online and cable interviews with notable local and visiting LGBT people, broadcast through the week. Wed 7pm, ThuTue 11:30am & 10:30pm. www.ComcastHometown.com To submit event listings, email events@ebar.com Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication.

Thu 28

Sketch 8 @ ODC Theater

Various Exhibits @ The Beat Museum Enjoy exhibits, a bookstore and gift shop that celebrates the era of ‘beatnik’ literature (Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, etc.), with frequent readings, walking tours and other events in North Beach. $5-$8. Daily 10am-7pm. 540 Broadway www.kerouac.com

MORE! as Muse @ Apothecarium

The weekly LGBT TV show, with updates on current events. 9:30pm. www.outlookvideo.org

SF Pride @ Civic Center

Group exhibit of original art from trans liberation activist-artists Micah Bazant, Chucha Marquez, Ethan X Parker, Art Twink, Amir Khadar, Rommy Sobrado-Torrico, Mojuicy, Edxie Betts, and others. Thru July 27. 1800 Market St. sfcenter.org

Empowerment in Print: LGBTQ Activism, Pride & Lust, a mini-exhibit of periodicals from the collection. Angela Davis: OUTspoken, a new exhibit of art and ephemera about the historic lesbian activist and scholar, and Faces of the Past: Queer Lives in Northern California Before 1930, part of the Queer Past Becomes Present main exhibit. $5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Transcend, the artist’s exhibit of large portraits of various transgender people. Exhibit thru June. 470 Castro St. www.transpainter.com www.strutsf.org

Tue 26 The famed pot store hosts a group exhibit of art about and inspired by nightlife and community icon Juanita MORE!, including Ariel Dunitz-Johnson, Criket, Doug Sandelin, Gooch, Grey Lux, John Foster Cartwright, Mr. David, Mutha Chucka, Sean Freitas and Spike. Thru July 3. 2029 Market St. https://apothecarium.com/

OutLook Video @ Channel 29

Trans Resistance is Beautiful @ SF LGBT Center

Empowerment in Print @ GLBT History Museum

Rae Senarighi @ Strut

Wed 27

FACING THE FUTURE.

Martin Machado: Fluid State @ SF Art Institute Exhibit of works by the artist that visualize shipping containers traveling through the Bay; thru Aug. 19. Pier 2, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. http://sfai.edu

René Magritte: The Fifth Season @ SF MOMA New exhibit of 70 artworks by the master Surrealist painter; thru Oct. 28. Sublime Seas : John Akomfrah and J.M.W. Turner, a captivating video installation (thru Sept. 16). Also, Nothing Stable under Heaven (thru Sept. 16) and Alexander Calder: Scaling Up (thru Aug. 19). Free/$25. Fri-Tue 10am-6pm. 151 3rd St. www.sfmoma.org

SFAF.ORG /FACING THE FUTURE

<< BARchive

68 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Frank Banks Musical master of The Mint

Three winning Great Tricycle race teams in 1972, in a Bay Area Reporter feature.

Frank Banks tickles the ivories at The Mint.

by Michael Flanagan

rom 1975 to 1988 Frank Banks was both defined by and helped define The Mint (1942 Market) in San Francisco. He would go on to play other bars before he left and his presence here was felt all the way to City Hall, but The Mint was the place where he came alive and entertained a broad swath of the city. Banks was born in Wagoner, OK on May 11, 1946. His family moved to Albuquerque, NM when he was a child and it was there that he first experienced the delight he felt while playing music for an audience. As a teenager he became church pianist at the First Baptist Church. After becoming an English and music teacher in Albuquerque, he continued to entertain. From 1971 through 1974 he played piano at revival theaters during the summers, first at the Alpine Theater in Red River and then (for three years) at the Tiffany Saloon and Melodrama in Los Cerrillos. The small town knew it had a gem in Banks, as a reporter for the Albuquerque Tribune noted in 1972: “One of the best things ‘Egad!’ has going for it is a rinky-tink pianist named Frank Banks. He really knows how to make that old piano roll. When he begins to play there’s just no sitting still.” Following the summer theater season in 1974 he moved west to San Francisco. As Bay Area Reporter publisher emeritus Tom Horn (who met Banks at First Baptist Church) noted in an interview. “If there had been a gay piano bar there, he might have stayed in Albuquerque.” Banks was out in Albuquerque in the early 70s – Horn said “he checked the

box” regarding military service in Vietnam. But San Francisco beckoned and offered a gay life that Albuquerque couldn’t. Once in town he quickly established himself on the piano bar circuit and was playing at The Mint in 1976 when Horn followed Banks to San Francisco and became housemates with him. By 1977 (the first year his name appears in the entertainment listings in The Chronicle) he was playing there Wednesday through Sunday weekly. Even in his early days as a pianist in San Francisco, he did not play exclusively at The Mint. He played at the grand opening of Toyon in San Jose on Nov. 15, 1978 and the grand opening of the Red Boar in Cupertino on Jun 10, 1978. He was well known enough to be featured prominently in both ads (and in the Red Boar ad was billed as “Frank Banks, from The Mint”). This arrangement with The Mint continued through the ‘80s. In December, 1985, regarding Googie’s (688 Geary), B.A.R. columnist Sweet Lips wrote: “It is nice to have Frank Banks on the keyboard Sundays from 5 to 9, so come on down and enjoy.” Although he did not perform exclusively at The Mint, his performances there defined his piano bar career in San Francisco in two ways: by a live album and his performances at the Great Tricycle Race.

For the record

Frank Banks Live at The Mint was recorded in March and April, 1982. Although I found vendors for the album, I was somewhat surprised to find no reviews for it in either the music or the gay press. Horn provided an explanation for this:

Great Tricycle Race competitors in the 1980s.

“Frank’s fans drove the album. They insisted that he must record live. The person who did the recording, a fan from San Anselmo, said, ‘I’ll set it up, I’ll do the work.’ And they simply set up a microphone and recorded him live in the bar.” Listening to the album is akin to using a time machine. The Mint was a lively bar, and you hear people laughing, glasses tinkling and most of all the rapport between Banks and his audience during sing-alongs. Two songs on the album, “Oklahoma” and “I Cain’t Say No,” from Rogers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, were a regular part of his repertoire, according to Tim Lewis (another piano bar musician who looked to Banks for inspiration), because of Banks’ birthplace. Other songs, “Broadway Baby,” “New York New York” and “Lullaby of Broadway,” reflected his love of musicals. Regarding this, Horn said, “He would get sheet music for plays as soon as they came out and once he had played them they were committed to memory.”

charities (guide dogs for the blind, Shanti and Ward 5-B, among others). Flamboyant costumes were part of race and afterward there was a party with music at The Mint. Horn says that Banks was playing for the Tricycle Race from 1975 on, but 1984 is the first year he was featured in their ad: “The Incomparable Frank Banks at the Piano 6PM to 10PM.” This event was very well attended

Mint condition

Because of his longtime connection to The Mint, it’s no surprise that he was involved in entertainment for The Great Tricycle Race. The race, which began in 1972, grew out of a need to turn the Memorial Day holiday profitable for the bar. Les Balmain, with help from other bartenders, came up with the idea of team tricycle races with one contestant pushing and the other on the tricycle that was a benefit for

Ad for Frank Banks at the Mint.

– a subsequent B.A.R. article noted there were over 1, 200 people at the party in the parking lot next to the mint for a swimsuit contest at the 1984 event. By the late 1980s, The Mint was shifting away from being a piano bar and Banks began playing at other venues in town, including J.J.’s, Nine’s, Sutter’s Mill and Charpe’s. He also drew attention from other quarters in town. Horn, who is on the War Memorial trustee’s board, remembered that after a meeting in the ‘80s, thenMayor Diane Feinstein stopped by Horn’s and Banks’ house. Although she initially demurred, she stayed for a sing-along and had quite a good time. Horn remembers her request of “La Vie en Rose,” which of course was in Banks’ repertoire. From then on Banks counted the Mayor as a fan. If there was one showbiz cliché which typified Banks, it was that the show must go on. He continued to play for his “children” (as he called his fans) until a final performance at the Square Bar (405 Mason) on August 29, 1992. Less than six months later, he was dead from AIDS back in Albuquerque at age 46. Banks seems to have been ignored in the press. There is very little in the written record about him. It could be because of the explosion of talent, or that musicians in piano bars were not considered “serious” performers. But it is obvious that someone who was nominated for two Cable Car awards as “Entertainer of the Year” deserves to be remembered. His talent and the memory of the Mint as a piano bar, lives on in the recording that his fans made sure we would have today.t

Nightlife>>

June 21-27, 2018 • Bay Area Reporter • 69

Flore shows Iconic cafe becomes hot nightspot

All photos: Dan Karkoska

Left to Right: Dennis Sanchez (right) sings as Maria Konner accompanies, Leigh Crow and Ruby Vixen sing as Kitten on the Keys accompanies, and Kitten on the Keys (Suzanne Ramsey) performs at Flore’s new night, Club 88.

by David-Elijah Nahmod

opular Castro eatery Flore, formerly known as Café Flore, has launched an evening entertainment series called Flore at Night, with an array of music, comedy and drag shows. “Flore has been an important part of the Castro since 1973,” said Flore Event Coordinator Dan Karkoska. “Everyone has a Flore story about something important that happened to them there. It’s where Dennis Peron met and shared a joint with Brownie Mary and the modern medicinal cannabis movement was born. It has been a gathering place for every kind of celebration or date you can imagine. We intend on providing plenty more stories with the Flore at Night programming.” “Flore at Night is the return to evening programming at Flore,” added co-owner Terrance Alan. “Flore has been without evening activity for years now and with so many talented people in our community, it’s logical that Flore become an evening showcase. In January, we opened our doors to the folks at Paint Night to see if there was interest in the community for evening activities. Yes, after many a sold out night there is interest and we brainstormed what to do next.” In addition to Paint Night on Tuesdays, which includes a teacher plus paints and canvas boards, Flore at Night now includes Karaoke Dokey and Club 88. Club 88 offers the musical stylings of Maria Konner, Kitten on the Keys and Alan Choy

tinkling away at the piano for evenings of classic rock, pop and show tune sing-alongs. Konner hosts and performs on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 9 PM to midnight, Kitten On The Keys on the second Wednesday and Alan Choy on the fourth. An evening of comedy, featuring Marga Gomez, Natasha Muse and Casey Ley hosting on rotating nights, is now in the planning stages for Friday evenings. Karkoska was particularly excited about Club 88. “All three performers have been doing this forever,” he said. “Maria Konner loves an audience to show off for. She is an amazing talent. Kitten on the Keys performs all over town and is so full of the love of entertaining that we bonded immediately when we met. Alan is quieter of the three and that makes him more stealth as he glides his fingers smoothly over the piano keys.” For Kitten on the Keys, aka Suzanne Ramsey, performing at Club 88 is a homecoming. “I’m from the Bay Area. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Café Flore was my hangout spot before and after punk rock and new wave shows with my buddies,” she recalls. “Here I am, middle-aged, still living in San Francisco, and I get to play piano for singers at my old high school haunt! “My piano bar hostess is a little bit rock and roll cabaret with a reservoir of the Great American Songbook, as well as Bowie, Queen, Elton, and a dash of Mary Poppins,” said Ramsey of her repertoire. “I

have always fantasized about playing piano for a super-stoner sing along-dream come true.” Maria Konner said that she’s excited about the new sound and lighting systems at Flore, which she feels will enhance her performances. “Club 88 will bring a lively participatory vibe to the Castro where patrons will be encouraged to bring their friends and energy to the show,” Konner said. “We expect the music to include not only great sing-along classics, but also the occasional tearjerker torch song or jazz standards. We’ll be advertising on sites geared towards tourists where we hope to mix locals and tourists, gay and straight, to engender a fun atmosphere where we can share the culture and values of this great city.” Konner added that she’s looking forward to performing for a diverse crowd. “We hope this show represents what San Francisco is all about.”

Karkoska noted that a new stage has been built for the Flore at Night shows. “I remember DJing unsteadily while standing on milk cartons in the back so I could see over the counter,” he said. “So we had a stage built that we can wheel in and set up, we added a new light system and gave the sound an update.” He hopes people will also check out Karaoke Dokey on Thursday nights from 9-11 PM. “We have an exciting hostess, Monty Quilla, who has been performing at all the drag shows around town,” Karkoska said. “She brings a Hello Kitty-meets-M.I.A. flair to the night, and really knows how to bring the fun to a party. She is sweet, talented and amazing. She will do a great job.” Karkoska feels that Flore at Night can be an antidote to the changing face of the city. “We want Flore at Night to have

the feeling of classic San Francisco,” he said. “These days, with all kinds of buildings going up and coming down, it’s nice to have a familiar place you can go to and relax. You can see a show, maybe sing along, have good food and drinks. See friends, maybe make a new one. Flore at Night shines like a beacon in the Castro inviting everyone to come in and begin another Flore story.” But Terrance Alan feels that change is a good thing for the café. “Flore is always changing to serve the new LGBTQ community and every community who walks into our doors,” he said. “Flore at Night is a part of that change you are seeing. Our craft cocktail bar, new menu make up today’s Flore. What will keep the place going is staying a place to be, like we have been since 1973.”t Flore, 2298 Market Street. http://flore415.com

PAX VAPORIZERS E-Cigarettes Whip-its CIGARs HAND-BLOWN GLASS PIPES LIQUID AROMA

The

Twilight Zone

237 Church Street • San Francisco, CA 94114 415-437-1999

Flore

Karaoke Dokey host Monty Quilla (left) with Camille Tow at Flore.

BRING IN OR Mention our ad in the Bay Area Reporter and receive 10% off *10% off discount does not apply to tobacco products

<< Nightlife Events

70 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Dot

Sat 23

AfterGlow @ Space 550

La Bomba Latina @ Club OMG

Red Hots Burlesque @ The Stud

Drag show with DJ Jaffeth. $5. 9pm2am. 43 6th St. www.clubomgsf.com

The saucy women’s burlesque show will titillate and tantalize. $10-$20. 7pm-9pm. 399 9th St. www.redhotsburlesque.com

Club Papi Pride @ Club 21 The popular Latin club celebrates Pride with Ana Barbara performing live, plus gogo guys galore and Latin music. $10-$20. 9pm-3am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Fantasy Friday @ Divas

Nightlife Events June 21-28

Thu 21 After Dark @ Exploratorium The cocktails and science night for adults, with installations throughout the hands-on exhibit museum. $20. 6pm-10pm. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. https://www.exploratorium.edu/

Comedy Returns @ El Rio Sampson McCormick, Natasha Muse, Julia Jackson, Nick Leonard and Lisa Geduldig perform at the 9th Annual Obligatory Gay Pride Comedy Show. $10-$20. 7pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

CrazySexyQueer @ Virgil’s Sea Room Pride kickoff party at the cool mission bar. 9pm-2am. 3152 Mission St. http://www.virgilssf.com/

Fatal Femmes @ The Stud Hoe is Life’s Pride party, with drags and gogos and DJs Yah Yah & Fela Kutchii. $5. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

High Tide Pride @ Hornblower Cruises Honey Soundsystem and Le1f DJ the Noise Pop and Do the Bay Pride party on a boat ride around the Bay, with performer Saturn Rising and a boatload of cool queens. $40-$60. 5:30pm boarding. eventbrite.com

Junk @ Powerhouse MrPam and Dulce de Leche cohost the weekly underwear strip night and contest, with sexy prizes. $5. 10pm2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Karaoke Dokey @ Flore Monty Quilla hosts the new weekly amateur singing night. 9pm-12am. 2298 Market St. www.flore415.com

Martini Thursdays @ Trax The Haight gay bar offers cheap gin & vodka cocktails. 1437 Haight St. http://www.traxbarsf.com/

The Monster Show @ The Edge 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

NightLife @ California Academy of Sciences The museum parties showcase science topics and provide ample space for dancing, schmoozing and spectating. June 21 is a special Pride event, with Heklina hosting a drag show, Hella Gay Dance Party DJs, dragsters House of Glitter, Sue Casa and Militia Towers, food, multiple bars, demos and exhibits, the launch of the 500 Queer Scientists visibility campaign, and more. $18-$22. 6pm-10pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. www.calacademy.org/nightlife

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

Queer Karaoke @ Club OMG KJ Dana hosts the weekly singing night; unleash your inner American Idol. 8pm. 43 6th St. clubomgsf.com

Queer Latinx Happy Hour @ SF Eagle Gathering for LGBT Latin folks. 5:30pm-8pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

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

Royal Variety Show @ Moby Dick Queen Dilly Dally’s weekly fun variety show of drag, music and even puppets. 9pm-11pm. 4049 18th St. www.queendillydally.com

RuPaul’s Drag Race @ Various Venues Watch Season 10 of the competing drag queens show, with yet again no Bay Area contestants (eyeroll). At Oasis, Beaux, Moby Dick, Oakland’s Port Bar, and other bars. 298 11th St.

Speakeasy Pride @ Goorin Bros. The interactive Prohibition & drinks show hosts two LGBTQ happy hours. Also June 22. 5:30pm-7:30pm. 1612 Stockton St. thespeakeasysf.com/lgbtq-night

Summer Solstice Drag Show @ The Academy Pride festivity at the ‘members-only & guests’ social club and barbershop, with Mercedez Munro. $25. 8pm. 2166 Market St. academy-sf.com

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 The Country-Western line-dancing two-stepping dance event celebrates 20 years. Free thru April 29; $5 after. 5pm-10:30pm. Also Sundays. 550 Barneveld Ave. sundancesaloon.org

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle Rock bands play at the famed leather bar. June 21: Ethel Merman Experience, Lolly Gaggers, and Bobbleheads. $8. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Thu 21 NightLife with Heklina @ California Academy of Sciences

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge

Weekly drag shows at the last transgender-friendly bar in the Polk; with hosts Victoria Secret, Alexis Miranda and several performers. Also Thursdays and Saturdays. Thursday karaoke night. $10. 10pm. 1081 Polk St. www.divassf.com

Freaky Friday @ Wild Side West DJed dancing and drag shows. 9pm-2am. 424 Cortland at Wool. https://www.wildsidewest.com/

Friday Nights at the Ho @ White Horse Bar, Oakland

Steam @ Powerhouse Bath house fun at the cruisy bar, with wet towel contest, gogo studs, clothes check and porny prizes, sponsored by SteamWorks Berkeley. $5. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. powerhousebar.com

Stoked for Pride @ DNA Lounge DJs Dara, Scott Brown, Petting Zoo, Alex Prospect and others spin at a Pride-themed dance night. $20-$30. 7pm-3am. 375 11th St. dnalounge.com

Stud Puppy @ The Stud Pound Puppy’s Pride event at the historic bar, with DJ Mystic Bill. $10 10pm-4am. 399 9th St. studsf.com

Taboo @ Oasis Gay Glow, Pride neon & black light edition. $15. 10pm-2am. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. www.auntcharlieslounge.com

Dance it up at the historic (and still hip) East Bay bar. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave. whitehorsebar.com

Vanessa Bousay @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko

Enjoy the weekly queer and LGBTfriendly live acoustic concerts. $5pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

15th annual march for transgender people, with Gavin Grimm, Our Lady J, DJed music; supporters cheer from the curb; starts and ends at Dolores Park, 18th & Dolores; four after-parties. 6pm. http://www.transmarch.org/

GAMeBoi SF @ Rickshaw Stop

Vibe Fridays @ Club BnB, Oakland

The local drag chanteuse performs a new cabaret show, The Man I Love. $19-$40 ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Fri 22 Adam Killian, Carlos Lindo @ Nob Hill Theatre The male strip clubs popular performer plays onstage and in the audience. $25. 8pm & 10pm sex shows with Carlos. Also June 23 & 24. 729 Bush St. at Powell. 397-6758. www.thenobhilltheatre.com

Friday Night Live @ El Rio

Pride edition of the monthly Gaysians & pals dance party, with Asian Pop via VJ LaRock. $25. 9pm-3am. 155 Fell St. http://www.rickshawstop.com/

Trans March @ Dolores Park

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

Steven Underhill

For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/events

Ali & The Thieves @ Hotel Rex The acclaimed Australian blues-jazz group performs Leonard Cohen Koans, a tribute to the folk singercomposer. $30-$50. 8pm. 562 Sutter St. societycabaret.com/

Bear Happy Hour @ Midnight Sun Hairy men and their pals enjoy 2-for-1 drinks and no cover. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Beards & Booze @ The Edge The weekly happy hour event for bearded guys and the beard fans who like them, with DJ Brian Kent. 5pm9pm. 4149 18th St. www.edgesf.com

Bear Pride @ Lone Star Saloon DJs Paul Goodyear (Fri) and Chaka Quan (Sat) spin at two nights of proud ursine fun. $5. 9pm-2am. Also June 23. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Bearracuda @ Folsom Foundry The ursine gathering celebrates Pride with an underwear party at the big warehouse space; DJ Waybe G. $20-$60. 9pm-3am. 1425 Folsom St. www.bearracuda.com

Fri 22

GAMeBoi SF @ Rickshaw Stop

The Gay Husbands of San Francisco @ Oasis The local comedy show (broadcast on Revry), with some favorite actor hunks, returns for a screening, cast party and season preview; proceeds benefit the LGBT Asylum Project. $30-$50. 7pm show; 9pm rooftop VIP party. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Growlr @ SF Eagle Bears and cubs, and men, oh my! With DJ Pjhil B. $8. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. sf-eagle.com

Hard Fridays @ Qbar DH Haute Toddy’s weekly electro-pop night with hotty gogos. $3. 9pm-2am (happy hour 4pm-9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Off the Grid @ Fort Mason Weekly parking lot food & drink truck festival. 5pm-10pm, thru Oct. 26. Free/$25 VIP tasting. Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd. fortmason.org

PowerBlouse @ Off the Grid Juanita MORE and Glamamore’s drag makeover event moves to the weekly parking lot food & drink truck festival. 5pm-10pm ($25 VIP tasting). Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd. www.juanitamore.com

Prism @ Qube Bar & Grill, San Mateo New weekly LGBT night at the Peninsula restaurant and bar. 8pm11:30pm. 4000 South El Camino Real, San Mateo. https://qubelyfe.com/

Sat 23 AfterGlow @ Space 550 Comfort and Joy’s annual glowing dance night of revelry, where fab drag on the dance floor and onstage are welcome, celebrates with DJs Paul Goodyear, Steve Fabus, David Harness, Jackie House, Bus Station John, and more; plus Grace Towers, violinist Keith Lawrence, pole dancers Joshua Ciafardone, Cezar Lopez, plus Liam Ocean, LED Circus and Chickpea’s flourescent décor. $80. 10pm-6am. 550 Barneveld St.

Bar Kode @ SF Eagle Kink and hanky code night for leather and fetish fans, with DJ Matt Consola. $10-$15. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Bootie @ DNA Lounge Resident DJs and guests spin at the mash-up DJ dance party, with Adrian A, Mysterious D; four rooms of different sounds and multiple DJs; The Monster Drag Show hosted by Sue Casa. June 23 is Lady Gaga vs. Madonna vs. Everybody. $10-$15 and up. 9:30pm3am. 375 11th St. www.bootiesf.com

Bounce @ Lookout Dance music with a view at the Castro bar. 9pm-2am. 3600 16th St. www.lookoutsf.com

Dyke March @ Dolores Park The annual lesbian march starts and ends at Dolores Park, with speeches and entertainment. Free. 5pm. 19th St. at Dolores. www.thedykemarch.org

June 21-27, 2018 • Bay Area Reporter • 71

Scott Iverson

Nightlife Events>>

Fri 22

Bearracuda @ Folsom Foundry

Green Eggs and Bam! @ Flore Drag shows and brunch at the restaurant-café, with Camille Tow. Shows at 12pm, 1pm, 2pm. 2298 Market St. www.flore415.com

JM! Pride @ SVN West Juanita MORE’s new Pride event, at the former Carousel Ballroom, where a new indoor/outdoor venue includes DJ sets by Gavin Rayna Russom, Kim Ann Foxman, Jasmine Infiniti and others. Proceeds benefit trans youth support programs. $45. 10pm-4am. 1595 Market St. at Van Ness Ave. www.juanitamore.com

La Bota Loca @ Club 21, Oakland Banda Los Shakas performs live at the LGBT Latinx night. $10. 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St. club21oakland.com

Lips and Lashes Brunch @ Lookout 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. lookoutsf.com

Luv 4 Luv @ The Stud Pride party with DJs Sassmouth, Sha Sha Kimbo & Siobhan Alubalot; live acts Saturn Rising and Cat Mahatta. $10. 10pm-4am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Mango @ El Rio After-party for the Dyke March, with DJs Olga T, Lady Lu, La Coqui playing hiphop and Latin grooves. $5-$20. 6pm-2am. 3158 Mission St. elriosf.com

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s popular drag show, with special guests and great music themes; DJ MC2 plays grooves. June 23: Pink Saturday with Le1f and Meatball. $10$20. 10pm-3am (11:30pm show). 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Nitty Gritty @ Beaux Josh Carmichael, with DJ Salazer, hosts the tattoo appreciation night. $10. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Onyx @ Powerhouse Leather-kink for Men of Color and their pals, with DJ Blackstone, bootblakcs. 6pm-9pm. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Pink Saturday @ Wild Side West

Steven Underhill

DJed dancing and drag king show with Madd Dogg 20/20, Fudgie Frottage and more. DJ Tweaka Turner, MC Miss Shugana. 9pm-2am. 424 Cortland at Wool. wildsidewest.com

Sun 24

Pride @ Civic Center

The Playground @ Club BNB, Oakland Revamped night at the popular hip hop and Latin dance club. $5-$15. 9pm to 3am. 2120 Broadway. (510) 759-7340. www.club-bnb.com

Polyglamorous Pride @ Oasis Enjoy groovy grooves with DJs Minx, Vicki Powell and residents Mark O’Brien, Major and Beya, with rooftop dancing. $15-$30. 3pm-9pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Pride Brunch @ Hotel Whitcomb Pride Grand Marshals are honored as Donna Sachet and Gary Virginia cohost the 20th annual brunch and fundraiser for Positive Resource Center, with music by the Dixieland Dykes, delicious food and drinks. $75 and up. 11am-2pm. 1231 Market St. www.eventbrite.com

Saturgay @ Qbar Stanley Frank spins house dance remixes at the intimate Castro dance bar. $3. 9pm-2am (weekly beer bust 2pm-9pm). 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Serve @ Curio The Chapel’s new neighbors celebrate their new restaurant with live brunch shows by Trixxie Carr; June 23 with Mary Vice, Dottie Lux and Shakey Gibson. June 24 with Hollow Eve, Florida Man and Tito. 11am-3pm. 775 Valencia St. www.trixxiecarr.com

SF Pride @ Civic Center The less crowded Saturday mainstage show includes live acts and DJed music, plus access to booths and beverages. 11am-5pm. Civic Center. www.sfpride.org

Shake It Up @ Port Bar, Oakland DJ Lady Char spins dance grooves; gogo studs, and drink specials, too. 9pm-2am. 2023 Broadway. (510) 8232099. www.portbaroakland.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

Sugar @ The Cafe Dance, drink, cruise at the Castro club, with DJs Gay Marvine, Taco Tuesday and Matthew XO. 9pm-2am. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

See page 72 >>

Untitled-4 1

6/19/18 8:35 AM

Playmates and soul mates...

t Shot in the City

<< Nightlife Events

72 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Sun 24

Hard French @ Mezzanine

San Francisco:

1-415-692-5774 18+ MegaMates.com

Nightlife Events

From page 71

Sundance Saloon Pride @ Hotel Whitcomb Country-western line-dancing with pride, for beginners and experienced dancers. $12. 7:30pm-12am. 1231 Market St. Sunday, June 24 with an outdoor dance floor at Pride, Golden Gate St. near Larkin (11am-6pm). then evening at the Hotel, $8, 6pm-10pm. www.sundancesaloon.org

Club Papi SF @ Calle 11 Vegas Papi Boy Invasion features a dozen Latin studs from Las Vegas and L.A. gogo dancing, plus Latin and hip hop DJed grooves, rooftop bar. $10$20. 9pm-2am. 1501 Folsom St. www.clubpapi.com

Sun 24 Academy of Friends Pride Viewing Party @ Equinox Enjoy a panoramic view of the Pride march at the fundraiser, with food, open bar, gift bag, gogo guys & gals, DJed music and entertainment. $50 and up. 10am-4:30pm. 747 Market St. http://www.academyoffriends.org/

Beverage Benefit @ The Edge Fundraiser and fun, with proceeds going to local nonprofits. $10. 4pm7pm. 4149 18th St. www.edgesf.com

Big Top @ Beaux Enjoy an extra weekend night at the fun Castro nightclub, plus hot local DJs and sexy gogo guys and gals. $8. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.Beauxsf.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

Dirty Musical Sundays @ The Edge Sing along at the popular musical theatre night, with a bawdy edge; also Mondays and Wednesdays (but not dirty). 7pm-2am. 2 for 1 cocktail, 5pm-closing. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

GlamaZone @ The Cafe

So Proud/Teenage Dreams @ The Stud

Pollo del Mar’s weekly drag show takes on different themes with a comic edge. 8:30-11:30pm. 2369 Market St. www.cafesf.com

Hard French @ Mezzanine The popular downtown post-Pride dance party with live sets with Eveyln “Champagne” King and Shopping; DJs Olga T, Vin Sol, SAindri, plus outdoor block party. $30-$40. 3pm-11pm. 444 Jessie St. ww.hardfrench.com

JM! Pride @ Jones Juanita MORE!’s popular daytime patio party includes DJs Horse Meat Disco, CarrieOnDisco and others. $45. 12pm-7pm. 620 Jones St. http://juanitamore.com

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

Pool Party @ Oasis Rooftop relaxation with a six-foot kiddy pool (a tribute to the club’s oldtime bigger pool) Free. 1pm-6pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Pride VIP Party @ City Hall Rotunda Enjoy performances by Taina Asili, cast members from Mighty Real, a Glamamore Fashion retrospective, DJ Olga T, Siobhan Aluvalot, drag cabaret, stellar views of City Hall, food, drinks. $60-$85. 2pm-5pm. www.sfpride.org/event-tickets

Pride day party, with DJs London Jade, Chelsea Starr, Adam Kraft and others. $10-$15. 2pm-9pm. Teenage Dreams 9pm-4am with DJs Brown Amy, Piano Rain and others. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room The weekly brunch and drag show with a panoramic view. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.starlightroomsf.com

Mon 25 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

Hubba Hubba Revue @ DNA Lounge The weekly women’s (and a few men) burlesque show. $7-$12. 9pm-11:30pm. 375 11th St. www.dnalounge.com

Munro’s at Midnight @ Midnight Sun Drag night with Mercedez Munro. No cover. 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Musical Mondays @ The Edge

Pride on the Patio @ SF Eagle Get leathery for Pride, with an all-star DJ line-up. 12pm-8pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

SF Pride @ Civic Center Annual march and celebration, with 100,000 attendees, multiple DJed and live stages, food, booths, special areas and drinks. Gate donations. March goes from Embarcadero up Market Street to 8th. 10am-6pm. www.sfpride.org

Shag @ Powerhouse DJ Jim Collins plays sleazy tracks, with Milita S. Towers, Mary Vice and host Nic Candito. $5. 9pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Sing along to shows tunes on video, lip-synched, and live, at the Castro bar. 4149 18th St. at Collingwood. www.edgesf.com

No No Bingo @ Virgil’s Sea Room Mica Sigourney and Tom Temprano cohost the wacky weekly game night at the cool Mission bar. 8pm. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

Piano Bar 101 @ Martuni’s Sing-along night with talented locals, and charming accompanist Joe Wicht. 9pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market.

Disco Daddy @ SF Eagle Takeover Tokyo

DJ Bus Station John’s Pride Day T-dance honors the music of classic disco, Hi-NRG and R&B. $7-$10. 7pm2am. 398 12th St. 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

Frameline Closing Party @ Oasis Schmooze with filmmakers galore at the festival closing party. $50-$60. 9pm-2am. 298 11th St. sfoasis.com

Game Heaven @ Brewcade Take a break from your burdens with a few rounds of video games and some specialty beers. No cover. 2200 Market St. www.brewcadesf.com

Tue 26

Vice Tuesdays @ Q Bar

Nightlife Events>>

Underwear Night @ 440

St. 861-4186. midnightsunsf.com

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

Club 88 @ Flore

Tue 26 Cock Shot @ Beaux The weeknight party gets sexy, with DJ Chad Bays spins sexy grooves. No cover. 9pm-2am. 2344 Market St. www.beauxsf.com

Gaymer Night @ Midnight Sun Weekly fun night of games (video, board and other) and cocktails. 8pm-12am. 4067 18th St. www.midnightsunsf.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 Comedy @ Martuni’s Open mic for women and queer comics, with host Irene Tu. 6pm-8pm. 4 Valencia St.

Karaoke Night @ The Stud Sing Till It Hurts with hostess Sister Flora; 2 for 1 happy hour, no cover, plus raffle prize drawings. 8pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

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

Retro Night @ 440 Castro Jim Hopkins plays classic pop oldies, with vintage music videos. 9pm-2am. 44 Castro St. www.the440.com

Stag @ Powerhouse Single, or a couple looking for an extra? Cruise it up. $5. 5pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. powerhousebar.com

Trivia Night @ Hi Tops Play the trivia game at the popular new sports bar. 9pm. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

Trivia Night @ Port Bar, Oakland Cranny hosts a big gay trivia night at the new East Bay bar; drinks specials and prizes. 7:30pm. 2023 Broadway. www.portbaroakland.com

Truck Tuesdays @ SoMa Location The weekly new super (semi) secret play party in the tradition of Truck Bar. 9pm-1am. https://www.facebook. com/groups/1848132005238191/

Vice Tuesdays @ Q Bar Queer femme and friends dance party with hip hop, Top 40 and throwbacks at the stylish intimate bar, with DJs Val G and Iris Triska. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Wed 27 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

Bottoms Up Bingo @ Hi Tops Play board games and win offbeat prizes at the popular sports bar. 9pm. 2247 Market St. 551-2500. www.HiTopsSF.com

B.P.M. @ Club BnB, Oakland Olga T and Shugga Shay’s weekly queer women and men’s R&B hip hop and soul night, at the club’s new location. No cover. 8pm-2am. 2120 Broadway, Oakland. www.bench-and-bar.com

Castro Karaoke @ Midnight Sun Sing out with host Bebe Sweetbriar; 2 for 1 well drinks. 8pm-2am. 4067 18th

June 21-27, 2018 • Bay Area Reporter • 73

New weekly piano bar sing-along night with alternating hosts Maria Konner, Kitten on the Keys and Alan Choy. 9pm-12am. 2298 Market St. www.flore415.com

Comedy Showcase @ SF Eagle Kollin Holtz hosts the open mic comedy night. 5:30pm-8pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Dick at Nite @ Moby Dick Grace Towers’ weekly drag show at the fun local bar. 9pm-12am. 4049 18th St. http://www.mobydicksf.com/

Follies & Dollies @ White Horse Bar, Oakland Weekly drag show at the historic gay bar. 9:30pm-11:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Gigante @ Port Bar, Oakland Juanita MORE! and DJ Frisco Robbie’s new weekly event, with Latin, Hip Hop and House music, gogo gals and guys and a drag show. $5. 9pm-2am. 2023 Broadway, Oakland. www.portoakland.com

Hump @ Powerhouse DJ Jim Collins spins vinyl grooves at the weeknight event. $5-$10. 10pm2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Karaoke Night @ Club 1220, Walnut Creek Sing along at the East Bar gay bar; dance nights on weekends, and drag shows, too. 9pm-1am. 1220 Pine St., Walnut Creek. www.club1220.com

Miss Kitty’s Trivia Night @ Wild Side West The weekly fun night at the Bernal Heights bar includes prizes, hosted by Kitty Tapata. No cover. 7pm-10pm. 424 Cortland St. 647-3099. www. wildsidewest.com

Movie Night @ SF Eagle Enjoy drinks and a flick, with trivia games and prizes. 8pm-2am. 398 12th St. www.sf-eagle.com

Pan Dulce @ Beaux Drag divas, gogo studs, DJed Latin grooves and drinks. 9pm-2am (free before 10:30pm). 2344 Market St. www.clubpapi.com

Queeraoke @ El Rio Dulce de Leche and Rahni NothingMore, Beth Bicoastal, Ginger Snap and Thee Pristine Condition perform weekly, plus karaoke for queens. 9pm. 3158 Mission St. http://www.elriosf.com/

Fabulous 50

icole Murray-Ramirez, aka Empress Nicole the Great (center), celebrates with other Imperial Court royals, and the film’s producers and director, after the Castro Theatre premiere of 50 Years of Fabulous, at Twin Peaks Tavern. The film documents five decades of Empress and Emperor history. https://www.50yearsoffab.com/

Fuego @ The Watergarden, San Jose

Literary Speakeasy @ Martuni’s

Throwback Thursdays @ Qbar

Weekly DJed sex party with Latin videos and musics, free salsa bar, half-price lockers, at the famed South Bay bath house. 4pm-12am. 1010 The Alameda, San Jose. www.thewatergarden.com

Enjoy readings by local and visiting authors Jennifer Barone, MK Chavez, Paul Corman-Roberts, and Keeley Anne Finn, along with musical guests Wally Bee and Matt Langlois, and host James J. Siegel, at the monthly event’s three-year anniversary. 7pm. 4 Valencia St.

Enjoy retro ‘80s soul, dance and pop classics with DJ Jorge Terez. No cover. 9pm-2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Ho Is Life @ The Stud Vaguely ho-ish club night. $5-$10. 10pm-4am. 399 9th St. studsf.com

Kick It @ DNA Lounge Kandi Love, Northcore Collective and Plus Alliance’s weekly EDM, flow arts dance night, with DJs; glow drag encouraged. $5-$10. 9pm-2am. 375 11th St. www.dnalounge.com

Nap’s Karaoke @ Virgil’s Sea Room Sing out loud at the weekly least judgmental karaoke in town, hosted by the former owner of the bar. No cover. 9pm. 3152 Mission St. 829-2233. www.virgilssf.com

Thu 28 Cuir @ The Stud New leather & kink night with DJs Power Top Raman, PopTart, performers Voodonna Black, Julian Gutierrez, Camille Tow and others. $5-$7. 9pm-2am. 399 9th St. www.studsf.com

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

SEXY ASIAN $60 Jim 415-269-5707 MASSAGE ASIAN MALE

In Sunnyvale. Incall $60; Outcall $80. Call 408-893-1966

MEN TO MEN MASSAGE

I’m a Tall Latin Man. If you’re looking, I’m the right guy for you. My rates are $90/hr & $130/90 min. My work hours are 10 a.m. to midnite everyday. 415515-0594 Patrick call or text. See pics on ebar.com TO PLACE YOUR PERSONALS AD, CALL 415-861-5019 FOR MORE INFO & RATES

Dancing @ Badlands The Castro bar’s intimate dance floor and gogo guys, with drink specials. 9pm-2am. 4121 18th St. www.sfbadlands.com

Weekly electro music night with DJ Matthew Baker and guests. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com

Massage>>

Wear your jeans and meet new folks at the Russian River gay bar. 16220 Main St., Guerneville. www.queersteer.com

The fun British pop band, led by openly gay Olly Alexander (see interview last week) performs live. $30. 8pm. 1300 Van Ness Ave. https://yearsandyears.com

Thump @ White Horse, Oakland

Personals

Wrangler Wednesdays @ Rainbow Cattle Company, Guerneville

Years & Years @ Regency Ballroom

CJ Knight

“Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.” — Oscar Wilde

SENSUAL FULL BODY MASSAGE 415-350-0968

Models>> FABULOUS F**K BOY

Model looks 6’ 150# 27yrs, 8” uncut beautiful tight yummy ass. Smoky sexuality erotic male nympho. Hndsm hedonist. Str8, gay, married men at yr apt, hotel, mansion! Greek god Nick 415-290-2639. Leather fetish fantasy roleplay kink dom sub group scenes mild to wild. Pretty boy with a dirty mind, romantic & unforgettable! $400/hr, $2000 overnight negotiable.

People>> HOT LOCAL MEN

Browse & Reply FREE! SF - 415-692-5774 1-888-MegaMates Free to Listen & Reply, 18+

<< Shining Stars

74 • Bay Area Reporter • June 21-27, 2018

Shining Stars Steven Underhill Photos by

Frameline Opening Night Party @ Terra

inema fans got a splashy opening to the 42nd annual Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival on June 14. After the opening screening of the documentary Trans Military at the Castro Theatre, directors, producers, actors and patrons enjoyed drinks, music and food at Terra Gallery in SoMa. The festival continues through June 24. www.frameline.org See plenty more photos on BARtab’s Facebook page, facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at StevenUnderhill.com.