Bay Area Reporter June 24, 2010 40th Anniversary of San Francisco Pride Edition

Highlights in final weekend’s features, documentaries, shorts.

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Those were the days: The politics of Pride and the music and memories of the parade.

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Frameline 34 wraps up

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The big 4-0!

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See second section

AY REA EPORTER

Vol. 40

. No. 25 . 24 June 2010

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

an Francisco is set to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the LGBT Pride Parade and celebration this weekend, Saturday, June 26 to Sunday, June 27.

This year, as people enjoy main stage talent that includes the Backstreet Boys or watch almost

Members of a contingent unfurl material corresponding to the colors in the rainbow flag during the 2008 Pride Parade.

page 24

NectArena celebrates

Sweet Lips retires his

by Heather Cassell

by Seth Hemmelgarn

t’s the year of the women at this Sunday’s San Francisco Pride festival.

NectArena, San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee’s women’s stage, is celebrating 10 years of pride. In addition to the stage’s anniversary, two competing women’s Pride events, not affiliated with the Pride Committee – Eden in the Bay and PrideFest – are adding glam to the celebration. [See “Feast of Eden” in this month’s BARtab.)

The popular NectArena stage, the longest running of its kind and also

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NectArena executive producer Jade Williams, better known as Edaj.

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one of the two most prominent Pride women’s stages in the world has “sparked the idea of women’s stages at other Pride events,” said Kendall L.

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column after 39 years

he Bay Area Reporter columnist who’s been writing for the paper since it was founded in 1971 is retiring his column today (Thursday, June 24).

Sweet Lips, a.k.a. Richard Walters, and the late B.A.R. founding publisher Bob Ross were roommates when Sweet Lips started his self-described gossip column.

He wrote about people, bars, and events in San Francisco’s Polk and Tenderloin areas. He even worked in a few bars.

But declining health has led him

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10th anniversary Jane Philomen Cleland

Rick Gerharter

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200 passing parade contingents, the anniversary milestone is likely to call to mind Pride’s historical significance.

Paul Boneberg, executive director of the GLBT Historical Society, said Pride’s 40th anniversary “shows the importance of the Pride events both in San Francisco and around the world.”

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by Seth Hemmelgarn

Bay Area Reporter columnist Sweet Lips, right, visits with bar owner Marlena and B.A.R. publisher Bob Ross, left, at the paper’s 30th anniversary party in April 2001 at the now-defunct Club Rendez-Vous.

FIRST OF THREE SECTIONS

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▼ Dyke, trans marches this weekend PRIDE

2010

wo popular Pride-time events are set to take place again in San Francisco this year: the Dyke March and the Trans March.

The seventh annual Trans March begins with a rally Friday, June 25 at 3:30 p.m. in Dolores Park, at 18th and Dolores streets. There will be performances from the Transcendence Gospel Choir and others.

This year’s theme is “United by Pride, United By Power.”

Last year, the march went through the Mission District, but they’re returning to their roots this year, said organizer Gwen Park.

The march, which begins at 7 p.m., will leave from Dolores Park, go up Dolores Street to Market Street, then head right on Market to United Nations Plaza.

“Pretty much every organization we talked to was saying they wanted to have it be a little bit more central, a little bit more visible,” said Park. “Having it in Civic Center is a little bit more symbolic because it ends up in the political center. It makes the whole march feel a little bit more activist.”

Park said organizers are expecting “a few thousand people.”

She said something new this year is an effort to have the performers “reflect our larger communities.”

For example, said Park, the Transcendence Gospel Choir is “a pretty diverse mix of people, all united, of course, by being in a gospel choir.”

Park said donations are “very much appreciated, but there’s absolutely no fee. You can just hang out.”

There will be an after party at El Rio, 3158 Mission Street. Doors open at 9 p.m., and there will be a show starting at 10. The party benefits the Transgender, Gender vari-

Jane Philomen Cleland

by Seth Hemmelgarn

Women await the arrival of Dykes on Bikes at last year’s San Francisco Dyke March, held the Saturday of Pride weekend.

ant/genderqueer and Intersex Justice Project.

The cover charge is $5-$22, and there will also be a raffle. For more information, visit www.transmarch.org.

Dyke March The 18th annual Dyke March begins with a 3 p.m. rally in Dolores Park Saturday, June 26. The march steps off at 7. The theme is “Dyke Planet/Green Planet.”

This year, for the first time, attendees will be asked to make a $5 donation when they enter the park, although no one will be turned away, said Mo Kalman, a Dyke March organizing committee member.

“The Dyke March is really suffering economically,” said Kalman.

The event is “really hard to fund,” said Kalman. The $3,800 from the city’s Grants for the Arts agency is the only major grant the march gets, she said. About $500 is taken out for insurance, according to Kalman. Grants for the Arts didn’t confirm the insur-

ance figure by press time.

The march’s budget this year is about $25,000.

Besides the lack of grant funding, the march is also faced with increased expenses.

Those expenses include recycling and composting, which Kalman said organizers are including in their cleanup plans for the first time this year.

The Dyke March goes east on 18th Street to Valencia Street, then north to 16th Street and west to Market Street.

The Dyke March after-party will be at 19th and Castro inside the footprint of Pink Saturday, the annual street festival put on by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Inc. Alix Dobkin and Phranc are expected be among this year’s performers and will do a set together.

Kalman said, “it’s always hard to say,” but they’re expecting anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 people this year.▼

Courtesy Mandy Carter

BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

The Bay Area Women’s Float Committee’s 1980 float in the San Francisco Pride Parade as it appeared just before the event.

Lesbians to recall Maud’s, Amelia’s at Pride parties compiled by Cynthia Laird resh off of last year’s fun and successful reunion of lesbians who frequented the old Maud’s bar, organizers are back for another reunion party this weekend, and adding the old Amelia’s bar to the mix.

Mandy Carter is again heading up the effort. The party will take place at Finnegan’s Wake (formerly Maud’s), 937 Cole Street (at Carl) on Saturday, June 26 from noon to 6 p.m. There is a cash bar. This year is the 21st anniversary of Maud’s closing in 1989.

A post-Pride Parade party will take place at the Elbo Room (formerly Amelia’s), 647 Valencia Street on Sunday, June 27 starting at 5 p.m.

There is a $5 cover and cash bar.

People will also be marking the 30year anniversary of Page Hodel’s first DJ job at Amelia’s as she spins her vinyl records for dancing.

Carter said this year’s festivities would also commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Bay Area

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Women’s Float Committee that was organized by Maud’s and Amelia’s.

The committee was responsible for having the first-ever women’s float in the 1980 Pride Parade.

People attending either event must be 21 years of age or older.

Pink triangle helpers needed Pink triangle organizers need volunteers to help with this weekend’s installation of the famous Pride icon.

Patrick Carney, a founder of the project, said that this year would be a “rebirth” of sorts for the pink triangle; last year several of the tarps were destroyed in an apparent arson incident for which no arrests have been made.

Volunteers are needed on Saturday, June 26 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. to install the tarps. People should bring a hammer. Helpers also do not need to stay for the entire time, even a one-hour shift is a big help, Carney said. The location is the Twin Peaks vista point/overlook parking lot.

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

COMMUNITY

NEWS

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Getting ready for more Pride akland Pride board member Joe Hawkins, center, holding scissors, joins with other board members and supporters at the ribbon cutting at the group’s headquarters in Jack London Square. The June 23 event was held to promote the upcoming Oakland Pride, scheduled for Sunday, September 5 in the city’s Uptown district. It will be the city’s first LGBT Pride event since 2004. Applications for booths and sponsorships are available.

For more information, visit www.oaklandpride.org.

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Jane Philomen Cleland

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Laird appears headed for runoff

by Matthew S. Bajko n the fiercely fought contest for a vacant state Senate seat along California’s central coast, openly gay former Assemblyman John Laird appears headed into an August 17 runoff election, according to unofficial returns Wednesday.

Laird, a former Santa Cruz mayor and councilman who made history in 2002 by becoming one of the first out gay men to serve in the state Legislature, was trailing his Republican opponent, Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee (San Luis Obispo), by more than 11,000 votes.

But Blakeslee appears to have fallen short of the 50 percent plus one

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threshold needed to capture the seat outright in Tuesday’s special primary. He had netted 64,676 votes or 49.7 percent of the total, compared to Laird’s 53,639 votes or 41 percent, according to preliminary results.

Elections officials in the five counties within the 15th Senate District were still tallying absentee ballots in the race Wednesday. With two minor party candidates pulling away votes from Blakeslee and Laird, it is expected that the four candidates will continue to campaign for the seat throughout the summer.

The seat became up for grabs after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger tapped GOP Senator Abel Maldonado to serve in the vacant lieutenant governor position. The winner could upset the balance of power in the Senate and give Democrats one more vote toward the super majority they need to pass a budget without Republican support.

In Utah, lesbian teacher Claudia Wright’s insurgent campaign to knock out longtime Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson sput-

Sweet Lips ▼

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to retire the column. He is now living in a Peninsula nursing home.

Sweet Lips, 87, said he started the column to provide “publicity for other people and myself.”

Coy Ellison, who along with his partner, Sal Meza, has been helping with the column in recent years, said, “You didn’t have to have a title to get noticed” in the pieces, and the column often bridged younger and older generations.

Sweet Lips, who wore a charm bracelet with little red lips hanging from it to a recent lunch interview, explained how he got his name.

“Because of my wonderful disposition,” he said, someone suggested his name should be “Sour Lips.” But others said it should be “Sweet Lips,” and the name stuck.

He recalled the way the Polk area used to be decades ago, when gay bars were more prominent there. It was also ground zero for the gay community before the Castro became the city’s major “gayborhood.”

“Polk Street used to be a good cruising area,” said Sweet Lips. “Even I made out.”

He doesn’t seem to have lost the “wonderful disposition” that led to his nickname.

Asked what the people in the Polk neighborhood were like, Sweet Lips said, “Gay. Don’t ask me silly questions.”

He did say, though, that San Francisco was different.

People “liked to do things togeth-

State Senate candidate John Laird

tered out Tuesday. Matheson easily defeated his challenger 68 percent to 32 percent, according to unofficial returns; he is expected to defeat his GOP opponent in November.▼

er,” he said. “If you had a party, you practically had the whole town come.”

Sweet Lips appears to still have plenty of friends in San Francisco.

Before leaving for lunch, Ellison gave Sweet Lips a black T-shirt, a gift from a local stripper.

Sweet Lips asked when he’d get a performance and said, “I hope he wore it.”

Ellison quoted Sweet Lips as saying he was retiring the column because “When you’ve lived as long as I have, and done as much as I have, it’s time to hand it over to someone else.”

Steven Rasher, a longtime friend of Sweet Lips, said the columnist has trouble concentrating, and can’t see or hear very well, but other than that, he’s doing fine physically.

Thomas E. Horn, the B.A.R.’s current publisher, said Sweet Lips “has been an institution not only to the B.A.R., but in San Francisco, and part of the moral and ethical glue that has held our community together” for decades.

“We will miss her enormously, but we know that she will have a long and fruitful retirement,” said Horn.

Toward the end of the lunchtime interview, asked if he’d like people to know anything else, Sweet Lips quipped, “I’m available.”

Sweet Lips’s final column is on page 66. Cards and letters may be sent to Brookside Skilled Nursing Hospital, 2620 Flores Street, San Mateo, CA, 94403 attn: Richard Walters. Visitors also are welcome.

Brookside’s phone number is (650) 349-2161.▼

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24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

PRIDE

2010

Photographer brings ‘NOH8’ to SF for Pride weekend

by Matt Baume dam Bouska’s photos are unmistakable: against a glowing white background, subjects stare into the camera with duct tape over their mouths and “NOH8” written on their cheek. And although his portraits have become icons in the fight for marriage equality, Bouska only recently became interested in activism.

The NOH8 phrase references California’s Proposition 8, which voters passed in November 2008 and banned same-sex marriage in the Golden State.

This weekend, Bouska, who lives in West Hollywood, brings his iconic photography services to San Francisco for Pride.

“I’m somewhat new to Pride, myself,” he admitted in an interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

The 26-year-old fashion photographer’s recent subjects include Glee’s Jane Lynch, Lost’s Michael Emerson, and the cast of The Real World: Washington, D.C. But his most surprising subjects might be of Cindy and Meghan McCain, wife and daughter of Senator John McCain (R-Arizona).

The two women posed for Bouska earlier this year.

Bouska, awoke to activism after Proposition 8 passed in 2008. He and his partner, Jeff Parshley, quickly founded NOH8, he said.

“I was never an activist in any respect before this,” he said. “But after the rallies, we wanted to take it one step forward. ... My outlet was as a photographer, so it made sense to me to speak out through there.”

Now, after photographing an estimated 4,300 people, he’s thrilled by the project’s success.

“We never intended for it to take off as much as it has,” he said. “Seeing all the different stories and seeing these people come through ... I have a responsibility to make these messages public so everyone can see them.”

And everyone does. Bouska’s taken so many photos – and inspired so many individuals to take their own – that they’ve gained a degree of ubiquity among LGBTs, who often use the images as profile pictures on Facebook and Twitter.

Although the format of the photos is simple, there’s nuance to their message. The word “hate” is particularly fraught, and organizations like Courage Campaign and Equality California train their canvassers to avoid using the word when canvassing with potential voters.

“There is some research that shows that when you talk to people who are not yet for equality, ... those people will often actually strengthen their opposition, because they’re trying to justify that theirs is not a hateful position,” said Geoff Kors, executive direc-

Adam Bouska will be in San Francisco this weekend for an open photo shoot for his “NOH8” campaign.

tor of Equality California. “They’ll say, ‘it’s not a hateful position, it’s a fair position.’”

But, he points out, Bouska’s work avoids accusing others of hate.

“I think in this context, it’s a very appropriate word, because it’s an individual saying ‘no hate’ about themselves,” Kors said. “I think this is a really effective project that’s resulted in several surprising people who might not have spoken out otherwise.”

And it’s that sparking of conversation that Bouska sees as the measure of his campaign’s success.

“These photos go out there and provoke a dialogue,” he said. “It’s a simple way for people to speak out.”

San Franciscans and others visiting the city will have an opportunity to be photographed by Bouska during Pride. On Saturday, June 26, he’s holding an open shoot at the W Hotel, 181 Third Street (at Howard) from 2 to 5 p.m. and all are welcome. Single photos are $40, and group photos are $25 per person; with proceeds funding the NOH8 campaign’s ongoing outreach.▼

Corrections After the June 17 article ‘SF doc arrested for drug possession,” was published Rachael Kagan, director of communications at San Francisco General Hospital, e-mailed to clarify that Dr. Keith Loring had “courtesy privileges” at the hospital at one time, which meant that he worked there occasionally.

Kagan said that Loring resigned that position in May and no longer has any SFGH affiliation.

In the June 17 article “Multimedia project shares intergenerational HIV stories,” the surname of media producer Marc Smolowitz was misspelled.

The online versions have been updated.

Adam Bouska

Cindy McCain, wife of Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, is one of the people who have participated in Adam Bouska’s NOH8 campaign.

Courtesy Adam Bouska

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PRIDE

2010

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Etiquette guru offers tips for Pride celebrations

by Matt Baume ay etiquette expert Steven Petrow has an important message for San Francisco Pride celebrants.

“Share your water and sunscreen,” he urged, “don’t blow a whistle in someone’s ear,” and, if you’re marching alongside a float, “don’t hold up the parade to cruise someone on the sidelines, unless you’re a very talented homosexual and can march and flirt at the same time.”

In the 15 years since he wrote The Essential Book of Gay Manners and Etiquette, Petrow has served as the LGBT community’s foremost authority on thoughtful behavior, guiding countless gays through prickly situations with grace and tact in books, magazine articles, and online at GayAndLesbianManners.com.

But don’t mistake manners for stuffiness.

“One of my goals is not to be a finger-wagging etiquette maven,” he told the Bay Area Reporter in a recent interview. “I don’t believe in using the word ‘should.’”

He went on, “I think one of the reasons that I became interested in manners was that I would wind up in situations where I didn’t know what to do. ... I found that knowing what to do in an unfamiliar situation was freeing to me, whether it was something as silly as dealing with a bunch of forks at a place-setting, or understanding the community norm about who pays on the first date. It takes down the temperature to know what a prevailing norm is. I think when people understand the true meaning of manners and etiquette, it’s not restricting or homogenizing but provides a baseline of information and lets you focus on the more

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When we’re out at Pride, we’re all ambassadors...

And sometimes, your best foot forward is your motorcycle.

– Steven Petrow important things in the world.”

Regarding who does pay for the first date, Petrow, in his new book, Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners: LGBT Advice for Dating, Sex, Coming Out, Marriage & All the Rest, due out next spring from Workman, said that although it is not uniformly accepted, the basic rule for any couple on a first date is, “You invite, you pay.”

He advises that people say – or listen – to some of these code phrases: “Please be my guest.” “It will be my treat.” “I’d like to invite you to join me...”

“Of course, it’s smart to be prepared to pay your way no matter what you think the situation is – just as it’s good manners to offer to pay for yourself or contribute toward the tip, even when you know you’re the guest,” he writes.

Sometimes, of course, it’s not exactly clear, Petrow writes. In those cases, you can consider picking up the tab, or offering to split the bill.

“If you’re fighting over the tab, it’s a good thing,” he writes. “One of you should concede and say, ‘I hope you’ll let me take you out the next time.”

But one last note, Petrow writes in his book, “Even if your date pays for you, you’re under no obligation to ask him or her out again to settle the

score, nor to become intimate.”

Thoughtful behavior can often put everyone at ease. It’s an important lesson to keep in mind during this weekend’s Pride festivities, when the LGBT community enjoys the spotlight.

“When we’re out at Pride, we’re all ambassadors,” said Petrow, explaining that the festival is more than an opportunity to have fun; it’s also a chance for the community to put its best foot forward. “And sometimes, your best foot forward is your motorcycle.”

Petrow, 52, now a resident of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has in the past marched in San Francisco’s Pride Parade as a volunteer with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Prior to moving back east four years ago, he lived in the Bay Area since 1980.

“Particularly during the AIDS epidemic, it was a much more political parade than it has become,” he said, “although there’s still a good infusion of politics in it these days. ...

There was a real sense of mission, that of funding and recognition of HIV. Now the mission is Pride in general, and the marriage equality issue.”

Over the years, Pride has evolved

Gay etiquette expert Steven Petrow urges paradegoers to drink water and remember the sunscreen this weekend.

along with the changing times. But from a social perspective, the celebration still serves the same purpose.

“It’s really a ritual of our community,” said Petrow, a former National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. “This is really the one common festival or cultural event that we share as LGBT people.”

And although San Francisco Pride has grown to be a firmly entrenched tradition – and this year marks its 40th anniversary – the exact rules of other gay cultural rites are still unwritten. For example, Petrow said, there’s no clear consen-

sus on how to celebrate a child’s adoption, or whether a gay couple should buy engagement rings.

In terms of etiquette, LGBT social norms are still very much in flux; but shared experiences such as Pride enable the community to create new traditions.

When all come together, Petrow said, it’s important for the community to reflect on our history while looking to the future.

Also, he added, “be sure to wear layers, because you know how the weather is.”▼

24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

OPEN

BAYAREAREPORTER Volume 40, Number 25 24 June 2010 eBAR.com PUBLISHER Thomas E. Horn Bob Ross (Founder, 1971 – 2003) N E W S E D I TO R Cynthia Laird A R T S E D I TO R Roberto Friedman ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko Seth Hemmelgarn Jim Provenzano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Aiello • Tavo Amador • Erin Blackwell Roger Brigham • Victoria A. Brownworth Philip Campbell • Chuck Colbert • Richard Dodds Raymond Flournoy • Brian Gougherty David Guarino • Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell Robert Julian • John F. Karr • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • David Lamble • Michael McDonagh Paul Parish • Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr • Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro • Gwendolyn Smith Robert Sokol • Zak Szymanski • Ed Walsh Dick Walters • Jane Warner • Sura Wood

A R T D I R E C TO R Kurt Thomas P RO D U C T I O N M A N AG E R Tom Dvorak P H OTO G R A P H E R S Jane Philomen Cleland Marc Geller Rick Gerharter Lydia Gonzales Rudy K. Lawidjaja Steven Underhill Bill Wilson I L L U S T R ATO R S & C A R TO O N I S T S Paul Berge Christine Smith G E N E R A L M A N AG E R Michael M. Yamashita C L A S S I F I E D A DV E R T I S I N G David McBrayer

FORUM

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Equality’s on the march ner, a reporter for Metro Weekly. ver the past couple months, while doing research for our Pride section at the Also on Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary GLBT Historical Society, the covers of Clinton gave a speech at the State Department the annual Pride programs read like a wish list in recognition of LGBT Pride Month. During for fairness. One of our favorites was from 1974, her remarks, Clinton noted, “Men and women when the Pride Committee seemed to get a twoare harassed, beaten, subjected to sexual vioyear jump on the nation’s bicentennial lence, even killed, because of who they are and with the theme “Gay Freedom by 1976.” whom they love. Some are driven from Of course, when 1976 rolled around, their homes or countries, and many gays were still not free or equal. Then who become refugees confront new there was the 1996 theme “Equality threats in their countries of asylum. In and Justice for All.” Last year, the Pride some places, violence against the LGBT theme was “To Form a More Perfect community is permitted by law and inUnion.” In each of these slogans is the exflamed by calls to violence; in others, it pressed desire for equality, and yet when the persists insidiously behind closed festival ends Sunday evening, we will doors.” still be longing for full equality.

Clinton went on to say that E DITORIAL these are not “gay” issues. “This is a Although progress has been made over the past 40 years, we must human rights issue,” she said, ackeep fighting. cording to a transcript, “... let me say today that The Obama administration has implementhuman rights are gay rights and gay rights are ed – or plans to – a number of policies that are human rights, once and for all.” long overdue for LGBTs. Transgender people will soon be allowed to indicate their preferred gender on their passports without having to undergo reassignment surgery. Same-sex partners will soon have hospital visitation rights, along with medical decision-making.

This week, the Labor Department announced new guidelines for the Family Medical Leave Act that permits an employee to take family leave for a child for whom he or she is acting as a parent, even if the employee does not have a legal or biological relationship to that child. This is an expansion of FMLA, and while it does not cover adult partners or spouses – thanks to the onerous Defense of Marriage Act – the change is welcomed by thousands of same-sex couples who are raising children. In fact, the Williams Institute at UCLA released a report Tuesday estimating that as many as 100,000 children in 50,000 families will now have access to a second parent’s time to care for them as a result of the ruling.

The FLMA change highlights the limitations of what the administration can do because of DOMA, which is why it is critical that it be repealed. On Tuesday at the White House reception for LGBT leaders, President Barack Obama said he has called on Congress to repeal DOMA, according to a tweet from Chris Geid-

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Clinton is certainly right about that.

While we’re pleased at the positive changes that have been made under Obama – from rescinding the HIV travel ban to the signing of the hate crimes bill – the big-ticket items like repealing DOMA, repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act have not happened. Responsibility for most of this inaction can be laid at the door of the Senate, where 60 votes are required for passage under its rules and where, so far, the votes aren’t there.

As we begin this Pride weekend, which will include a taped address from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) on Sunday, the LGBT community must re-commit to lobbying senators to move on these issues. And we must continue to exert pressure on Pelosi and other House Democrats to vote on ENDA. But make no mistake, ENDA won’t get to Obama’s desk until the Senate passes it. And that’s where the community should focus its efforts.▼

D I S P L AY A DV E R T I S I N G Colleen Small Scott Wazlowski

LEGAL COUNSEL Paul H. Melbostad

City needs to fund PWA housing

by Brian Basinger he Stonewall rebellion taught us to stand up to power, to tell the truth about our lives, and to fight for what is right. In honor of this 40th anniversary of San Francisco’s Pride Parade, I am compelled to speak against recent statements by Mayor Gavin Newsom and Department of Public Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz that undermine support for the housing needs of people with HIV/AIDS. Newsom implies that my community has access to housing that is somehow “unequal” and greater than other groups. Katz adds to the echo chamber by falsely implying that people with HIV/AIDS are not paying our fair share of rent compared to other groups. The combination of these statements creates a disturbing narrative of mistruths.

We will never know whether these were unfortunate coinciding misstatements or if they were part of a cynical attempt to justify gutting housing for people with HIV/AIDS. It doesn’t matter the motivation. The statements were made and we have a duty to counter them with the truth.

We reject this divide and conquer philosophy, pitting low-income people with HIV/AIDS against other poor people in need of their human right to housing.

One only need look at the facts to find that Newsom and Katz’s statements are dead wrong.

According to HUD, 90.9 percent of people with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco are either homeless or at risk of homelessness due to an extreme rent burden. According to Katz’s own Department of Public Health, 10 percent of the overall homeless population has full-blown AIDS. If we include HIV-positive people who don’t have AIDS, that figure could be 20 percent to 25 percent. A recent public health report showed 12 percent of people who got an AIDS diagnosis in 2008 were homeless at the time. Imagine what it feels like to have lost your job, lost your home, and then be told you have AIDS. The implication that people with HIV/AIDS are getting more than our fair share of housing is especially interesting given that we are hard-

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ly represented in the much-touted Care Not Cash housing for homeless people. In one of the largest providers, less than 1 percent of tenants are people with HIV. Is this an example of successfully equalizing our access to housing?

AIDS is still the #1 cause of premature death of all men ages 15-54 in San Francisco and homelessness causes us to die five times faster.

In what strange world is taking away housing from the group with the greatest housing disparity and the greatest negative impact from homelessness an “equalization?”

To add insult to injury, Katz misstates reality when saying people with HIV/AIDS will simply move from paying 20 percent of income to paying 30 percent of income toward rent. No one on an HIV subsidy has ever paid just 20 percent of income toward rent. In fact, very few of our subsidies are at 30 percent of income. The AIDS Housing Plan determined that up to 13,000 people with HIV/AIDS in need have absolutely zero access to rental assistance and are at risk of homelessness due to an extreme rent burden, on top of the 2,500 already homeless. A few hundred G UEST have subsidies at 30 percent of income and a few hundred more have shallow subsidies where they are paying 50 percent to 80 percent of their income to rent.

The funding for these subsidies came about because of a protest at City Hall organized by AIDS Housing Alliance/SF to bring attention to the fact that the HIV community had lost one-third of our housing subsidy slots in just three short years under the Newsom administration. Not only did we lose subsidy slots, we lost housing quality. Many of our subsidies have been shifted from “deep” – allowing tenants to pay one-third of their income toward rent – to “shallow” rent subsidies of around $225 per month. This is the difference between living in a studio with one’s own bathroom versus living in a bed-bug-, cockroach-, rat-, and drug-infested hotel in the Tenderloin. How’s that for equalizing our housing? This is an un-

acceptable race to the bottom of human dignity.

AHA’s success in restoring some of the lost subsidies was followed by the Board of Supervisors Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Housing Plan, instigated for us by then-Supervisor Tom Ammiano and Supervisor Bevan Dufty, which led to funding the housing subsidies being lost under the Ryan White CARE Act. The budget should reflect, respect, and honor legitimate community planning. However, the funding for these subsidies was cut from the mayor’s budget last year too.

AHA sacrificed funding for our emergency hotel program in order to focus efforts on preserving the subsidies cut by the Newsom administration last year. Fifty percent of our participants had gone from homelessness to more permanent housing within 28 days because of our intervention. That resource no longer exists. The notion that “No person with AIDS was harmed in the making of this budget” is false.

Katz gives a false impression that this is a small adjustment with very few consequences. The San O PINION Francisco AIDS Foundation’s attempt to raise rents last year resulted in what staff at that organization characterize as “a disaster.” People in government will try to promote the party line that no person with AIDS will lose their housing, because they are taking away subsidies by attrition. The reality is staff will be pressured to reduce the number of people receiving subsidies. They will no longer have the flexibility to work with clients who are having trouble and will begin exiting clients from subsidies due to minor technical violations. Those clients will most likely become homeless. This happened during budget cuts last year. It will happen again this year.

Why is the first answer always to cut the housing of people with HIV/AIDS? I’m calling on the Board of Supervisors to explore legislation formalizing the call to have housing subsi-

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9

LETTERS

IML winner was the ‘right guy’

we were playing a giant game of telephone. Floratos assured me that she’d have Julie contact me.

Demetri Moshoyannis, my Folsom brother and coI do enjoy Goldman’s other work, and I do hope that judge at IML 32, nailed it by calling Tyler McCormick an she succeeds in her career. I also hope that she can stick to exceptional, historic IML winner [“An exceptional, historic her word, and do so without having to take shots at our IML winner,” Guest Opinion, June 10]. own community.

McCormick did wow us again and again during IML. His speech was touching us, inspiring us, and a strong Kat McGhee statement of an outstanding leatherman.

San Francisco It was great to see that not only the judges, but also his classmates, were overwhelmed and happy to Shirley Q.: A symptom, not the see that the right guy won the IML contest this problem year.

In their attack on Shirley Q. Liquor, the coDemetri is right, when he says that IML is chairs of the Bayard Rustin Coalition address not and should not be a beauty pageant. a gay community that values the inclusion of But McCormick did not convince me with African Americans in its celebration of “dihis big heart and cleverness only, he is also a versity” [“Pride and Shirley Q. Liquor,” Guest very handsome young man and a perfect Opinion, June 17]. They write, “Strangely, the governor of our community.

M AILSTROM celebration of LGBTQ Pride in the Bay Area I can understand that the leather comthis year coincides with the arrival of F. munity of San Francisco was hoping that Charles ‘Chuck’ Knipp.” Knipp is a white drag queen who Lance Holman would be able to bring home the sash to goes in blackface as Shirley Q. Liquor. He mocks African the Bay Area after all these years since Lenny Broberg did.

American women. But I argue that his appearance during But let me tell you one thing: Holman did an outpride is neither strange or coincidence. standing, amazing job as well. He represents our old guard This was another example of today’s Bay Area’s gay leather community in its best way and he should get all community denigrating African Americans – even those the support from the Bay Area during his title year as the who are same-gender loving. During the Badlands conIML first runner-up. He was one of my top favorites, too. troversy, the club was accused of discriminating against And I am sure he will do a great year in an amazing team African Americans. Even as men picketed the club, men represented by McCormick, him and Jack Andrew Duke. lined up to get inside. A study by the San Francisco DeThe three IML winners have the unique chance to fill a partment of Public Health found that African American gap in our leather history. Let us support them on their men were devalued in San Francisco’s gay community – long, important journey. even by other African American men. There’s a paucity of images of African American loving couples in the gay Daniel Ruster, Founder and Producer media. When Proposition 8 passed, angry white gays atFolsom Europe tacked African Americans – even those protesting Prop 8 Berlin, Germany with them.

Caution on lesbian comic In a 2007 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Knipp himself said: “Wealthy white people are starting to hire me Many members of the LGBT community know Julie for private parties, where I play the raisin in a bowl of oatGoldman as not only a lesbian comic, but as a lesbian acmeal. From the way they interact with me, I can see that tivist. A YouTube search of Goldman’s work pulls up plenmy being there as Shirley makes them feel it’s acceptable to ty of clips of her comedy acts about such hot-button isopenly mock black people in a way they otherwise would sues as gay marriage versus domestic partnership. She is not ...” Later, he said, “I do see that Shirley Q. Liquor unknown for her edgy, almost abrasive style, which consisleashes a lot of important emotions and issues around race tently pushes the envelope. ...”

However, I believe she pushed the envelope too far. On In other words, his mockery of African American a recent trip to Cancun with lesbian travel company women helped his white audience release their pent-up Olivia, I was excited to find Goldman was scheduled as our racial hostility toward African Americans. Obviously, he evening’s entertainment for our final night. My excitement has performed the same service for his non-wealthy white quickly turned to outrage as Goldman launched in to an gay audiences. Shirley Q. Liquor not only performed in hourlong act throwing genderqueer and transfolks under Russian River in June 2010 (Pride Month), his show was the bus. I sat in uncomfortable silence as Goldman readvertised in the gay media (i.e., Gloss magazine). Acpeatedly referred to Chaz Bono, who recently publicly ancording to the B.A.R., his show in Russian River was exnounced he legally changed his gender to male, as “she.” I pected to draw a standing-room only crowd [“Shirley Q had to leave the room when Goldman stated, “If you have to bring controversy to Guerneville,” June 17]. His stereoa vagina, you’re a woman!” when discussing being introtype-laden CDs are in demand. duced to a genderqueer person at a trans wedding. SeverIn the 1800s, many argued that the early minstrel shows al other people left the room even before this point, some introduced white America to African American culture. in tears.

Hence, Shirley Q. Liquor – and even Knipp’s justification As I discussed the act with several other Olivia guests, of her – continues the tradition of American minstrelsy.

I was shocked to find this wasn’t the first time she’d perSince an entertainment form reflects its culture, how formed this same routine on an Olivia trip. Upon returnmuch of the racial attitudes of the Bay Area’s gay commuing home to San Francisco, I discovered that she was also nity are based on those of the 1800s? scheduled to perform during this year’s Pride events, The co-chairs of the Bayard Rustin Coalition called for specifically at Eden, an inaugural event geared toward les“progressive” organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area bians. I wrote to Goldman, urging her to reconsider such to renounce Shirley Q. Liquor and to avoid the Russian offensive material. I was met with a very brief rebuff.

River venue were she was to perform. But why? Activists As I mulled over what actions I could take to defend have protested Shirley Q. Liquor for years. His shows have this part of our LGBT community, I was contacted by been boycotted across the country. Still, he performs. Still, Eden’s event producer, Christine de la Rosa, a longtime his shows draw large crowds. Still venues book him. The supporter of the trans community. She hadn’t seen Julie’s man who booked Shirley Q. Liquor for the Russian River act in Cancun (she was also on the trip), and had relied told the B.A.R., “This is one of the few things we do at the on Olivia to hire the talent for the comedy show on June River that can get people of color up from the city to see.

25. A few days later, I was also contacted by Tisha Floratos This is one of the biggest turn-out events every year.” of Olivia, who assured me that an urgent conference call By now, Shirley Q. Liquor fans must be well aware of was held with Goldman, and she agreed to pull the trans the fact that he offends many African Americans – SGL or bit out of her act (why this conference call wasn’t made not. By now, his detractors should see there’s a market in previously when Olivia patrons walked out of the show on gay America for denigrating African Americans – SGL or other trips, I’m not sure). Floratos also informed me that not. Obviously, Shirley Q. Liquor is not the real issue.

Goldman was very sorry if her act had hurt any one, and her intention was not to offend. Considering the amount Kheven LaGrone of work I’d done to spread the word about this issue, I didOakland, California n’t feel right giving the “all clear” on the situation until I’d heard these words from Goldman herself, as, at this point,

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Guest Opinion ▼

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dies “held harmless” when budget cuts happen, similar to what people with HIV/AIDS recently achieved in New York. As the only disabled PWA executive director of an AIDS organization in SF – making $699 per month by the way – I am more than happy to call for limits on executive compensation. Cut from the top!

This is not to say that there isn’t the opportunity for increased efficiency and effectiveness.

AHA has developed a suite of rental assistance programs that cost on average $98 per month of stable housing per client. This compares favorably to other providers that cost $727 per month. AHA could provide 4,896 additional months of stable

housing and serve 408 additional households with these funds. As the only housing service provider in San Francisco founded, run, and staffed by people with HIV/AIDS – most of whom are disabled – we will also create jobs in the process. Using our HIV/AIDS funding to create jobs for people with HIV/AIDS is also an official city policy. Let’s follow it. Otherwise we will continue down this path of HIV apartheid where other people have all the jobs providing services to all of us HIVers, leaving us homeless or stuck in shanty-like hotels in Tenderloin Township.

The most important thing is to remember that HIV is a communicable disease. Knowing your status and having stable housing are the two most effective tools we have in stopping the spread of the virus. We must challenge ill-informed policies, like what Newsom and Katz are pur-

suing, that undermine legitimate efforts to stop the spread of HIV. The HIV community needs to understand our power. With proper organization, we have enough votes to determine who becomes our next supervisor in District 6 (Tenderloin), District 8 (Castro), and District 10 (Bayview). Now is the time for our community to act in order to groom our future leaders to make sure they are fully educated on our needs and have the HIV community at the top of their agenda. I invite the mayor and the HIV community to attend our HIV town hall listening session with candidates on Friday, July 23 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Milton Marks Auditorium at the State Building, 455 Golden Gate Avenue.▼ Brian Basinger is the director of the AIDS Housing Alliance/SF.

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

COMMUNITY

NEWS

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Palm Springs police open inquiry over slur

by Ed Walsh he Palm Springs Police Department has launched an investigation after it was revealed last week that one of its officers referred to a potential gay sex sting suspect as a “cocksucker.”

Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez told the Bay Area Reporter that he first learned of the slur last week and that it is in no way reflective of department policy. Palm Springs City Manager David Ready first learned of the slur from the B.A.R. and called it “very inappropriate.”

Palm Springs Police arrested 19 men on sex charges last June during a three-day sting operation aimed at curbing public sex in the city’s gay Warm Sands neighborhood. Five other men were arrested during the sting because they were wanted in connection with other criminal cases, Dominguez said.

The arrests took place after a decoy officer coaxed each of the 19 men to expose his penis in a dark parking lot of a gay resort. The men are being charged with penal code section 314, a charge that will require the men, if convicted, to register as sex offenders for life. The men would be on a sex offender registry in a database accessible to law enforcement only. The 314 charge is commonly used for flashers.

On Monday, June 14, during a court hearing over a defense request for public sex arrest statistics, it was revealed that a Palm Springs Police officer jokingly referred to a potential suspect as a “cocksucker.” The slur was

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Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez

caught on tape and was made by an officer who was in a police vehicle while recording a decoy officer as he interacted with potential suspects. According to Roger Tansey, a public defense attorney for six of the arrested men, in referring to a would-be suspect, the officer quipped, “Are you a cocksucker? Yes.” Another officer could be heard laughing.

The slur was first pointed out by attorney Bruce Nickerson, who specializes in cases in which men are charged with having public sex with other men. Nickerson was an expert defense witness.

Nickerson said that in his 30-year career of dealing with such cases, he’s never seen such a “vicious” sting. He said the decoy officers pushed the men to commit more serious crimes even after they had done something that had warranted an arrest.

Nickerson told the B.A.R., “Every person was arrested for a registerable act, indecent exposure. In the video of the sting which I reviewed, there were many opportunities to arrest persons for the less serious lewd act in public.

But the cops persisted in their enticement game until the person was ca-

News Briefs ▼

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Then on Sunday, June 27, volunteers are needed from 5 to 8 p.m. to disassemble the triangle.

The commemoration ceremony will take place Saturday, June 26 at 10:30 a.m. and will include state and city officials.

One of this year’s special guests will be Phillip Black, the deputy lord mayor of Sydney. The Lesbian and Gay Freedom Band will also be performing.

N EWS This year is the 15th display of the pink triangle, once a symbol used by the Nazis to identify gay prisoners during World War II. For more information, including directions, visit www.thepinktriangle .com.

joled into actually exposing himself and then and only then was the arrest made.

“In most sting operations,” the attorney continued, “there is an amalgam of arrests, some for soliciting, some for a lewd act, some for loitering, and a few for indecent exposure.

Here all were arrested for the one offense which is registerable.”

At the same hearing last week, Palm Springs Police Lieutenant Dennis Graham testified that the department had reached a “consensus” with the Riverside County District Attorney’s office to charge the men with the more serious 314 penal code charge requiring lifetime sex offender registry. Graham said that less severe prosecutions were not deterring the problem of public sex. A Palm Springs Police sergeant similarly testified previously during a deposition. A former prosecutor who was working in the Riverside County DA’s office when the charges were first brought also said that there was a deal between the police and prosecutors to charge the men with 314 p.c. and that plea bargains would not be considered. But Dominguez reiterated to the B.A.R. that no such deal existed.

The Riverside County Public Defender’s office had requested that a judge order the Palm Springs Police Department to turn over its records of arrests for public sex over the past 10 years. It is trying to prove a claim that the department discriminates against gays. After a hearing last week, a judge ordered the department to turn over its records for two years.

Dominguez told the B.A.R. that a community meeting over the sting controversy was held on June 8 and another will be held July 13. Next month’s meeting will include Sergeant Don Mueller of the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department who specializes in police diversity training, hate crimes, and police relations with the LGBT community. ▼

crimes that affect clubgoers.

“We continue to hear of a number of crimes, such as pickpockets or drugged drinks, that turn a fun evening into an evening filled with drama,” said Greg Carey, CCOP chair.

“We want to teach people how to be more aware of their surroundings and to take care of each other.”

The flier advises that pickpockets “dance close and slip your wallet out.” CCOP also urges people not to carry large amounts of cash or multiple credit cards. The items should be kept in your front pocket.

Club patrons also should not leave their B RIEFS drinks unattended or accept drinks from a stranger.

Carey also urges people to report crimes to the police.

c

Stay safe over Pride weekend Castro Community on Patrol has announced the publication of a new flier to promote safety for club patrons over the Pride weekend, as well as for general use.

The “Clubbers Guide to Safety” will be distributed at a number of clubs in the Castro and South of Market beginning this weekend. As reported online last week, a similar effort has been promoted by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, who have posted fliers around the city that focus on five specific areas: hydration, nutrition, relaxation, visitation, and sex and drugs.

CCOP’s flier is small and can be carried in your pocket. It folds out to provide details on the most common

Tenderloin Tessie fundraisers Tenderloin Tessie, which provides free community dinners on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, will be having two fundraisers over Pride weekend, June 26-27.

Michael Gagne, board president, said volunteers are needed for both events, which involves working the entry gates to the party in the Castro Saturday night and for the Pride festival on Sunday.

For Saturday, shifts are from 6 to 9 p.m. (mandatory meeting at 4) and 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. (mandatory meeting at 6:30).

For Sunday, volunteers are needed for the following shifts: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 12:30 to 3 p.m., and 3 to 6 p.m.

Those interested in helping should call Gagne at (415) 5843252.▼

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24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

11

POLITIC S

Pelosi Pride video elicits rebuke from local activists

by Matthew S. Bajko ailed as the first time a United States speaker of the House will address an LGBT Pride event, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has recorded a taped message to be shown on a Jumbotron during San Francisco’s annual celebration this Sunday, June 27.

When it was announced June 2 Pride Executive Director Amy Andre gushed in a press release that Pelosi “is dedicated to achieving equality for every American.”

Since then local LGBT activists have cried foul at Pride’s allowing Pelosi to deliver comments during the Pride festival unchallenged. Their ire was piqued after the speaker told reporters during her weekly D.C. press conference June 11 that she would not schedule a vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a key piece of legislation the LGBT community has sought for decades, until Congress repealed the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military.

It was a backtracking from her reported comments made during a May 17 phone call with several LGBT leaders when Pelosi insisted she would push for votes on both ENDA and the anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy. Participants on the call, who later talked to LGBT media outlets, did not say Pelosi conditioned moving forward on ENDA only after DADT had been repealed.

“She stated in no uncertain terms that ENDA is moving,” Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center P OLITICAL for Lesbian Rights, told the Bay Area Reporter at the time.

During a Castro fundraiser May 21 at the LGBT Community Center, Pelosi herself made no mention that DADT had to be repealed in order to work on ENDA. Instead, she sounded impatient with how long the pro-gay bill has been stalled in the House, telling the crowd, “Let’s get this over with.”

Pelosi’s Pride address became a focus at a meeting a handful of LGBT activists held Thursday, June 17 in San Francisco to discuss the state of legislation on Capitol Hill. Three people from that meeting then met with Andre and Pride board president Mikayla Connell Monday, June 21 to request either they pull Pelosi’s video from the main stage lineup or offer them a chance to rebut her remarks.

“We were promised a vote,” said local blogger Michael Petrelis, who attended this week’s meeting. “We want ENDA movement and we want Pelosi to lead.”

Although Petrelis had advertised the meeting as open to the public, the two Pride leaders refused to allow the B.A.R. to sit in on the meeting.

According to Petrelis, the Pride officials refused to allow the activists a chance to address Sunday’s gathering themselves. Instead, Connell offered to read a short statement explaining their frustration with Pelosi’s delay on an ENDA vote prior to introducing the speaker’s video, which will be played in the late afternoon.

“They want two bullet points: what is wrong and what can be done in the future,” said Petrelis.

He added that Pride also offered to send a letter to Pelosi urging her and her local staff to hold regular meetings with the LGBT community to discuss what can be done to help pass pro-gay legislation.

“It is a big start,” Petrelis said when asked if he was satisfied with Pride’s response.

Connell said Wednesday that she had yet to see Pelosi’s video and was

Rick Gerharter

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Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, now speaker of the House, rode in the San Francisco Pride Parade in 1999, wearing a sticker opposed to the anti-gay Knight initiative, which went before voters the next year.

unsure if she would make her remarks before or after it is screened Sunday around 3 p.m. She added she was “fine” with the agreement Pride and the activists had struck.

“I will issue a call to action for Pelosi to get ENDA passed now while we still have a majority in the House and have a Democratic president,” said Connell.

A transgender woman, she noted that two years ago she was “very disappointed” with Pelosi for moving a vote on a version of the bill stripped of transgender protections.

“We have to be very grateful for Pelosi and all of the work she has done for us over the years, but at the same time, no one is perfect,” she said. “There are issues, especially around ENDA, and we should communicate that with Congresswoman Pelosi.”

Since June 11 N OTEBOOK the B.A.R. has sought to talk to Pelosi about her video message at Pride but was told her schedule did not provide any time for an interview.

Asked this week about the complaints Pride had received regarding the speaker’s taped comments, Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill referred questions to Pride officials.

As for where Pelosi now stands in terms of passing ENDA, he wrote in an e-mail that it remains “a top priority of the speaker, but the speaker believes that passing ENDA before DADT repeal has been finalized, jeopardizes both initiatives.”

He added that, “Until then, we should encourage the Senate to develop a course for ENDA to ensure that when the House passes the legislation, the Senate can move quickly to send the legislation to the president’s desk.”

For the record, two years ago Pelosi turned down Pride’s invitation to address the crowd during the 2007 celebration, five months after she became the first female to be elected House speaker.

This will be the first time that Pelosi has taken part (albeit by broadcast transmission) in San Francisco’s Pride celebration since 2001, when she rode in that year’s parade. Hammill said Pelosi is unable to attend in person this year because she will be out of town.

Pelosi first took part in the parade in 1988, one year after winning a special election to the House by defeating openly gay former Supervisor Harry Britt. According to her office, her second Pride appearance came in 1993.

In all, Pelosi has been at eight of the city’s Prides since entering Congress.

Actor at Alice breakfast One of the featured speakers at this year’s annual Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Pride breakfast will be La Mission film star Jeremy Ray Valdez, who plays Jes Rivera, the gay son of the film’s protagonist, Che Rivera. Set in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood, the movie depicts the

violent reaction Rivera’s father, played

by Benjamin Bratt, has toward learning his son is gay.

Bratt and his brother, Peter, coproduced the movie. It is the second year in a row that the moderate LGBT political club has drawn Hollywood talent to its Pride event. Last year Bruce Cohen, one of the producers of the Oscar-winning Milk, the biopic about gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk, addressed the Alice breakfast.

Other speakers this year will include openly gay California Assembly Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles) and state Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). Also slated to deliver remarks are San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, and District Attorney Kamala Harris, the party’s nominee for state attorney general.

As of press time Wednesday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown, the current AG, had yet to confirm if he would attend. Brown has dropped by the event the last two years now.

The party’s other major candidate this fall – Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer – will again be a no-show at the event as her schedule does not allow her to attend. With Boxer in a tough re-election battle this fall against GOP nominee Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Alice Club leaders had hoped she would make time to attend the breakfast.

“We went pretty aggressively after her to be a speaker this year because she is up for re-election and she might want to get out there a little bit more,” said Alice Co-Chair Charles Sheehan.

“This would have been the right place for her to come address loyal, devoted LGBT activists.”

Tickets for the breakfast are still available. The cost is $65 for Alice members; $95 for non-members, and they can be purchased at the door.

The event begins at 7:45 a.m. Sunday, June 27 at Yank Sing Rincon Center, 101 Spear Street at Mission Street.

Ammiano hosts Pride party Openly gay state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) is once again hosting a post-Pride Parade party inside his state office across the street from the Civic Center Plaza.

Ammiano, who is expected to easily secure a second two-year term this November, has also invited District 6 supervisor candidate Debra Walker to march with him in the parade Sunday.

District 8 candiate Rafael Mandelman will also march with Ammiano.

Joining Ammiano’s contingent once again will be Pride at Work and members of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. The club has already endorsed Walker, an out lesbian artist, and Mandelman, a gay attorney, in their races.

Ammiano’s party will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the State Building, 455 Golden Gate Avenue in Room 14300. To RSVP e-mail volunteer@tomammiano.com.▼

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

PRIDE

2010

Cheer SF energizes crowds

by Roger Brigham hout and cheer, toss and tumble, cartwheel and handstand. It is for such joyous athletic service to the community, doled out in electric exuberance for dozens of organizations at countless events over the past three decades, that Cheer San Francisco was named organizational grand marshal for this year’s San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade.

The gay-identified cheer team will be taking part in this year’s Pride Parade, and will once again draw cheers

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Members of Cheer SF perform on the main stage at last year’s Pride festival.

from the crowds lining Market Street.

“It’s a confirmation of our 30 years of volunteering in the community, of giving back and inspiring and motivating people,” Steve Burke, program director for Cheer SF, told the Bay Area Reporter. “We’re really blessed and honored to have the distinction. This is the granddaddy of all celebrations and parades. It’s a real honor.”

Cheer SF dates its roots to 1980 when Guy Andrade, who coached high school cheerleading squads, created the adult Hayward Raw Rahs.

The Raw Rahs marched in the San Francisco Pride Parade that year. The group changed its name to the Bay Area Raw Rahs in 1990, then became Cheer SF in 1996. Through the years its members have appeared at dozens of Pride parades, ethnic festivals, LGBT events with the Warriors, Giants, and 49ers, and even Bill Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s inaugurations.

After raising money for charities for several years under the 501(c)3 nonprofit status of the Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts, Cheer SF formed its own Cheer for Life Fund in 1996. Each fiscal year starting in July, the group designates a service organization as a primary beneficiary for the season. This year the seasonal beneficiary is the Positive Resource Center, which provides benefits counseling and employment services to people living with HIV/AIDS. “We’re thrilled to be working with such a dynamic and energetic organization as Cheer San Francisco,” said Brett Andrews, PRC executive director. “The entire team’s passion for their work is readily apparent and entirely infectious. Our partnership with Cheer San Francisco is invaluable, providing PRC with essential funds when they are needed most and introducing our work to segments of the community we’ve never reached before.”

“Most of our volunteers are performing participants,” Burke said.

“They have an equal interest in giving back to the community and they want to cheer.”

Burke, 52, who joined the squad in 1990, said as of a year ago, Cheer SF had generated more than $150,000 for HIV/AIDS and breast cancer causes.

“The first 20 years, we gave back by performing for free,” Burke said.

“It’s really only been in the last 10 years, since the fall of 1999, that we raised most of that. It started very slowly as we were getting used to raising money and asking for money.

The bulk of it has been in the past four or five years. We’re hoping we’re over the $200,000 mark once we’ve

given out this year’s totals.”

Cheer SF’s fundraising work has drawn the attention of the Gay Games. Cheer SF has had a performance squad in every Gay Games, and will send about 40 members this year to Cologne, Germany. While there, Cheer SF will receive the Federation of Gay Games 2010 Legacy Award for Fundraising Excellence.

Fun on the sidelines Medals and trophies are handed out at championship games to victorious teams, but athleticism can be found as well by those who seek the sidelines rather than the headlines.

“It’s become quite a sport,” Burke said. “It continues to evolve. It keeps you in shape, it keeps you going, and it keeps you young. It’s amazing what you’re able to perform with a lot of practice.”

Currently Cheer SF has 63 volunteers, 58 of whom are performers.

Burke, who is openly gay, said the squad is made up of both gay and straight members.

“Sexual orientation is a non-issue with us,” he said.

To recruit new members, Cheer SF holds clinics and auditions annually, usually in the summer or fall; this year’s will be after the Gay Games. The squad has weekly mandatory practices on Tuesdays in Emeryville and usually goes on break from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.

Practices include warm-ups and stretches, then two hours of skill drills, routines, and formations.

Burke got his start in cheerleading in college at California State University, Sacramento.

“When I was in high school, you rarely saw boys in cheerleading,” he said. “In my family, I was in the middle of three boys who were jocks, but I didn’t have the confidence to be a jock. I had the coordination, but not the confidence.”

After college he coached cheerleading at Alhambra High School in Martinez, eventually hooking up with the Raw Rahs and Cheer SF. Most cheerleading squads only toss girls or women in the air, but Cheer SF gives guys a chance to fly.

“What’s so fascinating about Cheer San Francisco is that the group is so diverse,” Burke said. “No matter how hard we try to be a ‘cookie-cutter’ looking squad, we’re not and it has served us so well. You have to be 18 to be on the squad and we have people in their 50s, so people can see someone whom looks like them or they can relate to. That’s what makes us stand out and pop.”

And turns skeptics to fans.

“We’re always well received,” Burke said. “Even if you don’t like Cheer SF at first eventually, you’ll be like a puppy dog.”▼

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Nichols, founder and former executive producer and stage manager of the stage, which was first known as Nectar.

Pride London, which estimates that about up to half of its attendees are women, hosts the world’s second most prominent stage for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women, according to its website.

“It’s great to have a stage focused on the women’s community,” Amy Andre, executive director of San Francisco Pride, said in an e-mail.

“LBT women’s culture is multifaceted and ever-evolving. To see this kind of longevity is a testament to the way we continue to develop and celebrate that culture.”

What a difference a decade makes This force of queer women partying at Pride is far different from a decade ago, Nichols said.

“Very few lesbians attended San Francisco Pride. I wanted to change that,” said Nichols, who noticed the lack of women’s participation in Pride when she was production coordinator of the Pride Committee.

She also pointed out that San Francisco’s LGBT celebration wasn’t alone.

“There weren’t any women’s stages at any Pride events throughout the country,” she said.

Responding to the dearth of women-specific venues at San Francisco Pride, Nichols created NectArena with help from a handful of her friends. Nichols, who became director of production for Olivia Cruises after leaving the Pride Committee, flexed her production muscle with Kathryn Grooms, who was then working in the production office of the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. Grooms assisted with back-

2010

stage and performer support, fundraising, and volunteer coordination. Sini Anderson, who was the co-artistic director of the National Queer Arts Festival, booked performers. Andrea Burnett also was involved.

The first women’s stage graced Pride in 2000.

Grooms, 39, an out lesbian, is now a private psychotherapist in New York City. Anderson, 40, is a queer-identified bicoastal film director currently working on a feature documentary about feminist punk rocker and activist Kathleen Hanna, once the lead singer of punk band Bikini Kill. The Bay Area Reporter was unable to locate Burnett for comment.

Creating NectArena “was about respecting my community and showing the amazing talent within it,” said Nichols, 36, an out lesbian who is now an assistant director on films in Los Angeles.

Pride can be “intimidating and isolating” for LBT women, said Carol Hill, co-producer of NectArena. She wanted a space by and for queer women to “not only watch a show, but to be a real participant in the San Francisco Pride festivities.”

Anderson recalled that women were excited but also hesitant about the stage at first.

“They couldn’t believe we were going to try to create a hip event for Pride,” said Anderson, who saw the doubt fade when she looked out from the stage at a sea of women at the Pride celebration. “The day of the stage was absolutely packed.”

NectArena became an instant hit representing women as “beautiful, strong, intelligent and sexy,” she added.

The stage attracts big name and emerging artists, such as Daniela Sea of The L Word, Tribe 8, Bitch, GodDess & She, performing alongside local and regional artists and “celesbians,” such as Michelle Meow Sin-

Ultra Gypsy performs at NectArena, the women’s stage at San Francisco Pride.

hbandith, better known as Swirl Radio host Michelle Meow; author and spoken word performer Michelle Tea; and belly dance theater company Ultra Gipsy.

Bitch, who said she doesn’t make her name public for performance and political reasons, called NectArena “deluxe for the performers” in an e-mail interview, adding that after performing at many Pride events around the world she agreed with Nichols that there are very few women’s stages.

“As long as there’s a woman that wants to make a women’s stage happen, other women will somehow show up and support her,” Grooms said.

Sapphic carnival In 2003, Nichols handed the reins over to her friend Jade Williams, known as DJ Edaj to lesbian partygoers. A queer woman who has been spinning at lesbian parties around the Bay Area for nearly 15 years, Williams, 37, joined the NectArena committee in 2002.

Nichols was ready to move on to other projects and felt it was time for the community to take over the stage and for other women to put their imprint and vision into NectArena, she said.

“It was never about a person, it was always about the community,” said Nichols, who stayed on during the transition until 2005.

“NectArena is in bed with the entire community,” agreed Williams.

“We are servants to the whole community.”

The stage’s name changed from Nectar to NectArena in 2006 to symbolize its growth, as well as retain its historical roots, said Williams, whose day job is as a director in the surgery department at UCSF. Williams immediately set out to create “our own carnival within our own block,” and “taking us out of the box of the lesbian community” to truly represent all queer women, she said.

Williams began to implement her vision gradually with expert precision. She took out the folksy acoustic

and spoken word performances that weren’t paired with up-tempo beats and the political speeches because they were being drowned out by the pulsating dance hits from the surrounding stages and also because Pride is a party.

“This is Pride. This is the one weekend where thousands of women come together ... to actually party,” said Williams.

Williams added dance troupes and go-go dancers and mixed up musical genres from punk rock to hip-hop to global beats. She also brought in youth from the Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center and booths to host “interactive games” to win free vacations and other prizes.

The women’s carnival quickly outgrew its space on Golden Gate at Leavenworth, near where members of Dykes on Bikes park their motorcycles, and relocated to “prime time real estate,” at Van Ness and Golden Gate, said Williams. The move enabled them to be “able to do bigger things.”

This year, NectArena will be temporarily located on McAllister between Hyde and Leavenworth streets due to construction at the current space.

Labor of love Organizing the annual stage hasn’t been all sugar, there has been some spice, Williams said. While every stage has been a success since its founding, it has also been a challenge pulling it off with an all-volunteer staff and dependence on fiscal sponsors, aside from the usual glitches that can happen putting together live performances.

The women’s stage started out with some financial assistance from the Pride Committee along with sponsors and private donations, according to Nichols. But somewhere along the way Pride stepped out of

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Federal depts. mixed in promotion of LGBT rights The DOS worked with Obama to appoint David Huebner as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa in December 2009. Huebner is the first openly gay person to be appointed to an ambassadorship in the Obama administration, and the third in U.S. history.

Grade: B.

by Dana Rudolph panel of six LGBT activist leaders in April was asked to grade the Obama administration thus far on LGBT issues. Three panelists gave the administration a D, two gave it a B, and one a C. Keen News Service decided to take a look at eight major federal departments and apply a similar grading system.

The result was strikingly similar to that of the April 22 LGBT Leadership Townhall panel, hosted by Sirius XM Radio’s Michelangelo Signorile show. The panel’s average came to 1.8 on a scale that gives 1 point for a D and 4 for an A. The KNS analysis came up with a 2.0.

The Departments of State and Housing and Urban Developmenteach earned a B” from KNS, a grade given for taking significant steps toward equal rights for LGBT people, even if some inequities remain. Health and Human Services and the Office of Personnel Management each earned a C, given for taking some steps toward equal rights and making no efforts to obstruct equality, while many or major inequities remain within that department‘s purview. And Defense, Justice, and Education each earned a D, for taking few steps toward improving equal rights and making some efforts to obstruct such rights.

None of the departments warranted an A, for taking significant and comprehensive steps toward improving equal rights for LGBT people, or an F, for doing nothing to improve equal rights for LGBT people

A

Housing & Urban Development

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

and also taking steps to block such equality.

Department of State The DOS said it would provide the same benefits to the same-sex partners of foreign service employees sent abroad as to opposite-sex spouses, including diplomatic passports, use of U.S. medical facilities, emergency evacuation, and training at the Foreign Service Institute.

Two major items are not covered, however: health care and retirement benefits. President Barack Obama, in a memo requesting partner benefits for federal employees, stated that federal law prevents his administration from extending those benefits.

DOS has, additionally, changed two policies regarding passports. A person in a legal same-sex marriage can apply for a new passport using his or her taken (married) surname, and a transgender person can change the gender listed on their passport without needing gender reassignment surgery, simply certification from an attending medical physician.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has publicly decried Uganda’s proposed harsh anti-gay bill, and spoken directly with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni about it. Karl Wycoff, deputy assistant secretary of state, testified at a January House hearing on the Ugandan bill, and said the U.S. embassy in Uganda has been working with the Ugandan government and local gay and lesbian groups to stop the legislation.

The DOS also issued a statement condemning the Malawi government’s sentencing of a gay couple to 14 years of hard labor for “carnal knowledge against the order of nature” and “gross indecency.” The president of Malawi later pardoned the couple, who have since broken up.

HUD has commissioned the first-ever national study of discrimination against LGBT people in the rental and sale of housing. Already, it has conducted town hall meetings in three cities, including San Francisco, to solicit input for shaping the study.

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan has also proposed policy changes that would stop discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in HUD’s core housing programs, require those who participate in HUD programs to comply with local anti-discrimination laws that cover sexual orientation and gender identity, and end mortgage-loan discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The policies are being drafted and will go through a period of public comment before being enacted.

HUD has two openly gay appointees who required Senate confirmation: Raphael Bostic, assistant secretary for policy development and research, who will be overseeing the LGBT discrimination study, and Mercedes Marquez, assistant secretary for community planning and development.

Grade: B.

Department of Commerce The DOC changed Census Bureau policies in order to retain data on same-sex couples reporting themselves as married. The Census Bureau also cooperated with Our Families Count, a coalition of LGBT organizations, on an education campaign to motivate LGBT Americans to take part in the 2010 census.

The DOC has two openly gay appointees requiring Senate confirmation: Michael Camunez, assistant secretary for market access and compliance, and David Mills, assistant secretary for export enforcement.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Queer the Census project, however, is still working to have questions about sexual orientation and gender identity included in future census surveys.

Grade: B.

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Health and Human Services HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Kathy Greenlee, the openly lesbian assistant secretary of the administration on aging, announced plans to establish the first national resource center for LGBT seniors. To that end, they awarded a three-year, $900,000 grant to Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders.

In addition to Greenlee, HHS has one other LGBT appointee requiring Senate confirmation, Richard Sorian, assistant secretary for public affairs.

HHS in July 2009 ended its longstanding policy of banning people with HIV/AIDS from traveling to the U.S. The department also worked with Obama and Congress to reauthorize the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act, the largest federal program dedicated to HIV care and treatment.

HHS is now drafting rules to support the president’s memo ensuring hospital visitation and decisionmaking rights for patients’ designees, including same-sex partners. They will then make the proposed rules available for public comment before enacting them, a process expected to take several months.

And a draft of “Healthy People 2020,” a decennial document to set national goals for health and reduce health disparities, includes sexual orientation and gender as attributes that may cause disparities.

LGBT disparities were in fact noted in Healthy People 2010, the version published in November 2000 under President Bill Clinton. For the 2020 version, a commentary submitted by the National Coalition for LGBT Health and many major LGBT organizations calls for more acknowledgement of gender identity and greater inclusion of LGBT demographics in all relevant federal health surveys.

HHS, however, through its U.S. Healthy Marriage Demonstration Fund, continues to provide over half a million dollars a year to the antiLGBT Iowa Family Policy Center.

The grants, begun under President George W. Bush, go from the IFPC to a third-party marriage-counseling program called Marriage Matters, reported the Iowa Independent. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa told the Independent May 7 that it plans to investigate whether the grants violate the separation of church and state.

And an HHS committee in June voted to uphold the lifetime ban against blood donation by men who have sex with men. People who have sex with someone of the opposite sex who is HIV-positive, however, must only wait one year. The committee heard testimony from Peter Sprigg, senior fellow of the ultra-conservative Family Research Council, among others.

Grade: C.

Office of Personnel Management The head of the department is John Berry, the highest-ranking openly gay official in any federal administration. Elaine Kaplan, his general counsel, and Vic Basile, senior counselor to the director, are also openly gay.

Under Berry, OPM added gender identity to sexual orientation in the Equal Employment Opportunity statement for federal employment.

Last June, Obama directed federal agencies to determine what benefits they could make available to the same-sex partners of federal employees under existing laws. OPM worked with the Department of Justice to review the information and recommend to the president that he extend all of the identified benefits.

Berry, however, ordered the health insurance carrier of a lesbian federal employee not to comply with

Attorney General Eric Holder

a 9th Circuit Court order to include her partner on her insurance plan.

He explained at the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s 2009 Leadership Conference that Kaplan and the DOJ both concluded that neither OPM nor the president have the authority to provide such benefits. He said that is one reason the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which would institute these benefits, is so important.

Grade: C.

Department of Defense Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chair of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen have told Congress they would implement repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” if Congress approves it, and Mullen said he personally believes that it’s the right thing to do. Gates in March approved new regulations that make it more difficult for gay and lesbian service members to be discharged under the policy. However, discharges are still occurring under DADT, which prohibits gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.

On April 30, however, Gates said Congress should not pass its own repeal of DADT before he can complete a study on its impact and come up with an implementation plan. On May 25, he said he would accept a proposed congressional amendment that would repeal DADT but not go into effect until after the DOD study is complete – but he would still prefer that Congress wait until after the study before passing legislation. The study is due December 1.

The DOD boasts one openly gay appointee who required Senate confirmation, Douglas Wilson, assistant secretary of defense for public affairs.

Grade: D.

Department of Justice The DOJ filed briefs in Smelt v.

U.S. and Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services et al. strongly defending the Defense of Marriage Act, and in Log Cabin Republicans v.

U.S., defending DADT. Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, did, however, issue a strong statement in support of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said at the LGBT Leadership Townhall that DOJ has been doing “spectacular” community education around the hate crimes law.

She explained in an interview that NCTE has been working with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights to help train the DOJ’s Community Relations Service about LGBT-related hate crimes.

Based on that experience, she believes CRS “wants to implement the law right,” according to the spirit as well as the letter of the law. The DOJ is also preparing to train local law enforcement about the act this summer.

And in June, the DOJ’s office of legal counsel issued a memo stating that federal prosecutors may use the

Violence Against Women Act in cases of interstate stalking and domestic violence involving same-sex couples.

Earlier this year, the DOJ also filed a motion to intervene in the case of a New York teen who was bullied and physically assaulted at his public school for being effeminate. DOJ lawyers backed arguments made by the New York American Civil Liberties Union, which said that Title IX of the federal Equal Opportunity in Education Act, which prohibits gender-based discrimination, also applies to discrimination based on actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression.

The DOJ motion was still pending when a settlement was reached between the school district and the student. In the settlement, the court noted the U.S.’s desire to intervene and its wish to resolve the student’s claim without further litigation.

Although NPR reported the case as “a novel interpretation of the Title IX statute,” Title IX was in fact used in at least three federal cases under Clinton and two under President George W. Bush to combat harassment based on sexual orientation or gender non-conformity.

There are three openly gay Obama appointees to the DOJ that required Senate approval: Jenny Durkan, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington; Sharon Lubinski, U.S. marshal; and Laura Duffy, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California.

The DOJ held a Pride event this month with Attorney General Eric Holder, Perez, Lubinski, and Durkan in attendance.

Grade: D.

Department of Education The LGBT community had high hopes for the DOE when Obama appointed openly gay Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, as head of Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools.

The OSDFS budget was slashed 40 percent even before Jennings took office, however. The remaining money will be used to fund a “Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students” program that will provide grants for schools to address a variety of problems. Anti-bullying programs that include LGBT-based bullying could be one possible component.

The DOE has done little else to address the high incidence of bullying based on real or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.

No DOE officials testified in a July 2009 House committee hearing on “Strengthening School Safety through Prevention of Bullying.”

The DOE included no specific call for federal anti-bullying protections or programs in the Blueprint for Education that sets forth Obama’s framework for a major reform of education policies, despite bills in Congress that would provide such protections.

The DOE has also issued no statements on several bullying-related youth suicides – at least two of which were because of harassment based on perceived sexual orientation – that have occurred since Obama took office.

Grade: D.

Other actions There were also LGBT-related developments in agencies not covered above. The IRS, for example, said in June that same-sex domestic partners in California must combine their incomes and each report half when they file their tax returns. This is consistent with the way that married opposite-sex couples file under California’s community-property law.

This week, the Department of Labor announced it would issue regulations ordering businesses to give gay employees equal treatment under family leave policies, the Associated Press reported. Secretary Hilda Solis planned an announcement Wednesday.▼

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Newsom restores funding for transgender program

by Seth Hemmelgarn ayor Gavin Newsom has restored funding for the Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative, which helps transgender people find jobs.

Tony Winnicker, Newsom’s communications director, told the Bay Area Reporter last week, “There were a number of reductions in the initial proposal that the mayor was not happy about,” including the proposed cuts to the transgender initiative.

The funding had been left out of the proposed budget that Newsom unveiled June 1.

His proposed $6.48 billion budget for fiscal year 2010-2011 closed a projected city deficit of $482.7 million.

“The budget is always a snapshot, and balancing the budget is in some ways a daily activity, a year-round activity,” Winnicker said last week.

The funding for the initiative is almost $240,000, said Winnicker. Trent Rhorer, executive director of the Human Services Agency, previously told the B.A.R. that contracts for the transgender initiative are pegged at $270,498.

The initiative is a collaborative effort that includes the Transgender Law Center, the San Francisco LGBT Community Center, and Jewish Vocational Services.

“We were so happy to hear from the mayor’s office that TEEI had been

M

Rick Gerharter

Mayor Gavin Newsom

saved,” Masen Davis, executive director of the Transgender Law Center, said in a statement. “Many community members and allies came out in support of TEEI. We are incredibly grateful for everyone’s hard work in making sure that this critical program could continue to help alleviate chronic unemployment among transgender people.”

The initiative, which started about three years ago, has helped more than 125 transgender people gain employment, according to program officials.

Winnicker said given “unaccept-

able” unemployment rates and the state of the economy, “nothing is more important ... than a program that can help someone get a job.”

Rebecca Rolfe, executive director of the LGBT Community Center, said in a statement, “TEEI is a vital resource for the transgender community and restoration of this program is an incredible victory. That victory is possible because of the amazing advocacy done by the community and by our great allies at City Hall, led by Supervisor Bevan Dufty. The mayor and the Board of Supervisors heard the strong voices of the community and we thank them and thank the many people who came out to speak about the importance of TEEI to the community.”

Dufty, a longtime supporter of the initiative, said in a phone interview that the restoration is “very heartening to the transgender community and the many individuals and agencies collaborating for TEEI, because the program is so strong. It’s disheartening to feel like you’re facing elimination.”

The Human Services Agency had proposed cutting the funding after the mayor’s office told the agency in April to identify $12.6 million in reductions, but the city’s Human Services Commission later rejected the cut.

Next year’s budget is currently under discussion by the Board of Supervisors.▼

Iceland legalizes same-sex marriage City Hall.”

Should those routes also be rejected, pride organizers will sue and he Icelandic parliament, take the case as far as the European Alþingi, legalized same-sex Court of Human Rights, Efremarriage June 11. The vote menkova said. was 49-0. Fourteen members of parShe also vowed that the march liament skipped the vote. would happen with or without city Same-sex couples will be able to permission. marry starting June 27.

“Right to freedom of assembly is The registered partnership appaguaranteed in Russia by Article ratus that gay couples used in 31 of the constitution as the past will no longer be well as the European available.

Convention on Human The national LGBT Rights and the Internaassociation, Samtökin tional Covenant on Po78, said Iceland had relitical and Civil Rights, moved the last obstacle which are two internato equal rights for all. tional treaties ratified by Iceland is the ninth our country,” Efrecountry where sameW OCKNER’ S menkova said. sex couples can marry W ORLD In Moscow, Mayor nationwide and the Yuri Luzhkov has banned 11th nation where gay pride for five years in a row, callsame-sex marriage is possible. ing gay parades “satanic.” Small Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhangroups of activists have defied the na Sigurðardóttir is openly lesbian. bans and have been attacked and Gay marriage also is legal in Belbeaten by police and anti-gay progium, Canada, the Netherlands, testers.

Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Mexico City, ConMalawian gay couple split up necticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New The gay couple in Malawi who Hampshire, Vermont, and Washingwere sentenced to 14 years in prison ton, D.C. after holding an engagement party

by Rex Wockner

T

City denies permit for Pride Parade in St. Petersburg, Russia The city government in St. Petersburg, Russia, denied a permit for the first gay Pride march, scheduled for June 26, citing construction work on the route, GayRussia.ru reported.

Officials told organizers to suggest a different route.

Pride spokeswoman Maria Efremenkova said the city has a legal responsibility to propose another route when a permit is denied, but, “We are ready to negotiate with the authorities to ensure our action can take place legally and ... we immediately submitted three new routes to

and were then later pardoned by the nation’s president have split up.

Local reports said Steven Monjeza isn’t interested in gay life anymore, broke up with Tiwonge Chimbalanga, and quickly got engaged to a woman.

“I want to live a normal life,” Monjeza said, according to Britain’s Guardian.

Chimbalanga, however, told the paper: “There are lots of good men around. I will remain a gay.”

Previously, Chimbalanga had made comments that indicated he identified as a woman and may be transgender.

President Bingu wa Mutharika

Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir

pardoned the couple May 29 following international condemnation of the sentences and apparent pressure from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Group rates international businesses’ gay-friendliness The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce said June 10 that “the Top 5 most LGBTfriendly corporations in the world are IBM, Google, BT Group, Morgan Stanley, and Cisco Systems.”

The results are from the group’s second International Business Equality Index, which is based on survey forms filled out by the corporations.

“IBM is extremely proud to receive this recognition ... on behalf of all 400,000 IBMers and our LGBT communities worldwide,” said Patricia Lewis, vice president for diversity and employee experience.

Court: German gays who marry elsewhere are not married in Germany A Berlin court ruled June 15 that same-sex couples who marry in nations where it is legal are not married in Germany, but rather are registered partners.

Andreas Böttcher had sought

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Bill Wilson

Rainbow flag flies at City Hall

wo of San Francisco’s openly gay officials, Treasurer Jose Cisneros, left, and Supervisor Bevan Dufty (holding his daughter Sidney) welcome Pride week Monday, June 21 by flying the rainbow flag at City Hall. The annual unfurling marks the beginning of a week full of events, parties, and activities leading up to the 40th annual Pride Parade Sunday, June 27.

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Website seeks to streamline gay men’s social plans ▼

they’re not following,” said Goldberg.

“And you’re able to set the price in order to message you.”

Although the site only recently introduced its event-tracking features,

Matt Baume

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Fabulis creative director Bradford Shellhammer, left, and founder Jason Goldberg have high hopes for the new social site.

by Matt Baume t was during one of his many trips between work in Germany and his boyfriend in New York that Jason Goldberg envisioned a better way to go out for dancing, dinner, or a drink.

The entrepreneur with dot-com successes like Jobster and Socialmedian under his belt sensed an opportunity to answer the most pressing questions of our time. As he put it: “Where to go? What to do? Who to meet?”

He christened the new venture “Fabulis,” and quickly assembled a team to build a brand new online social planner for gay men.

When Goldberg and his boyfriend Christian Schoenherr traveled, Fabulis creative director Bradford Shellhammer explained, “they realized there was a problem.

We’ve all experienced it. ‘What do I do tonight, what restaurant should I go to, where can I meet cool locals?’”

Existing sites didn’t help, since they were all limited to either families or hookups.

“People told us that they’ve gone on Manhunt to find out where they should eat when they were in Rome,” said Shellhammer.

The Fabulis mission is simple: help gay men discover new events and meet new friends. To that end, the site scans Facebook events, analyzes attendance, and showcases trends – something Goldberg calls “the velocity of fabulousness.”

About $625,000 has been raised for the project so far.

I

“It was the easiest fundraising I’ve ever done in my career,” said Goldberg. “It took 72 hours to raise the finances for Fabulis.”

Among the investors: the Washington Post, along with Allen Morgan, Lars Hinrichs, and Don Baer – all investors in Goldberg’s prior company, Socialmedian.

There’s also an advisory board of heavy-hitters: British Queer Eye host Julian Bennett, co-producer of The Office Halsted Sullivan, former GLAAD president Neil Giuliano, Grey Gardens producer/director Michael Sucsy, and former Clinton LGBT adviser Richard Socarides, whom Goldberg met while working as a White House aide in the 1990s.

Socarides, in fact, is the first person Goldberg ever came out to – “over the White House e-mail system,” he laughed.

During a limited sneak-peak in April, the site came under fire for a feature that numerically ranked users by perceived popularity. That won’t last, said Goldberg.

“We’re going to move very quickly away from the focus of the site being a kind of a popularity contest. ... the homepage is no longer a ranking of members. It’s plans.”

Concerns about the site’s cliquishness may be reignited by a messaging system. Contacting certain users will require “bits,” credits that users earn by recruiting new users, interacting with the site, or laying down cash.

“People will have to spend some bits in order to message people

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The horns heard ’round the soccer world

by Roger Brigham ust think, two weeks ago you didn’t even know what a vuvuzela was, much less what 50,000 or so of them blasting simultaneously sounded like. Ah, yes, the wonderful global phenomenon known as the World Cup is upon us, brought to us by the registered trademark of Coca-Cola. Nothing like rolling out of bed at 4 a.m. to watch fans go wild to the thrill of watching 22 grown men run up and down the field for 90 minutes without scoring.

Actually, I was on the edge of the Mojave Desert last week watching the United States squad rally from a 0-2 deficit to Slovenia to tie it, then have an egregiously bad call deny what would have been the winning goal. Inexplicable. Shades of the 1972 Olympic basketball game between the U.S. and the Soviets, or boxer Roy Jones getting jobbed in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

But, of course, those are just things that happen on the field of play and not so important in the cosmic scheme of things.

The World Cup is as big as global sports get, and particularly heady stuff for host South Africa. The media have been enthusiastic, but the tournament has not been without its price on the locals and criticism of FIFA, the world governing body for soccer.

AllAfrica.com blogger Sokari Ekine noted, “FIFA decides and controls everything around the World Cup – they are owners of the event from decisions on who gets advertised, WC products, music, what J OCK takes place in and outside the stadium, the food which is sold, where the teams stay and even words. FIFA actually owns words and phrases and have managed to persuade the government to suspend the right to protest.

South Africa is simply the host with no real powers. The four main criticisms are the massive financial cost of hosting the event at the expense of far more pressing housing needs; the role of FIFA in dictating the terms of

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the tournament; the displacement and forced evictions of low-income residents and shack dwellers; and the exclusion of street traders from selling their wares at the venues.”

SF Fog loses in Bingham Cup semis The Gotham Knights of New York knocked off two-time defending champion Sydney Convicts 18-15 to win the Bingham Cup last weekend in Minneapolis. The San Francisco Fog A team, which had won the two inaugural Bingham Cups in San Francisco, had gone through the tournament undefeated before losing to Sydney 3-0 in the semifinals.

TALK The Bingham Cup, held every two years as the world cup of LGBT soccer, was created in honor of Mark Bingham, who was one of the passengers who fought back on Flight 93 on 9/11. For information about the Fog, visit www.sffog.org.

S

Website ▼

page 21

the site boasted 14,000 registered users at launch. At a Fabulis-sponsored party this spring at Blackbird in the Castro, the site’s brand new users were enthusiastic.

“The Internet has totally taken the place of sending out a flier,” said event planner J. Aleczander. “It’s very green!”

Jack Shamama, editor of the Gay Porn Blog, was a fan of the social ranking feature. “It’s fun and silly,” he

NectArena ▼

page 13

the financial picture, said Williams, who cut the stage’s $20,000 annual operating budget in half without diminishing the quality of the entertainment.

Pride’s Andre said all of the stages are a part of San Francisco Pride as a program and stage producers “may be asked to help cover a small portion of our costs” to help support the event.

Then there was the year that a generator went out for nearly 45 minutes, recalled Williams. Members of the Dance Brigade, which had just finished performing,

But I’m a softball player!

Go figure: first a photo of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan playing softball leads to na-

tional speculation she is a closeted lesbian, then a Tennessee church softball league decides a team can’t compete because one of the players says she is gay. Whatever happened to Don’t Ask, Just Play?

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reported last week that Jana Jacobson, a coach and player who was her team’s only representative at a Bellevue Baptist Church league meeting, said she was asked by league reps if she was gay, then was told her team could not play after she said yes.

The league officials met with Jacobson a day before the season started to question her and tell her about a new rule banning public displays of affection. (Guess that would make Argentine soccer coach Diego Maradona, who assured worried World Cup reporters that he had not gone “limp wristed,” ineligible because he likes to hug and kiss his athletes after good plays.)

Jacobson told the Commercial Appeal the league officials told her allowing her team to play “would send a message to Bellevue members that the church condoned her lifestyle.”

“I find all of this to be absurd and against the word of God as I know it,” Jacobson said.

Amen.▼

said, “but it makes you feel cute.”

“I have no idea what it is,” said Adrian Albino, “but it’s definitely going to be something.”

With so many initial users, advertising and sales opportunities abound.

“We believe that we can have a decent percent of our users paying us,” said Goldberg, “in addition to having a premium sponsorships with advertisers and promoters who want to reach this audience.”

The Fabulis team is in it for the long haul, and doesn’t rule out an initial public offering.

“Our plan is to build a hundred million dollar-plus business, targeting the gay market,” said Goldberg, “And if we do that, we can definitely be a public company in the future.”

Goldberg and Shellhammer have been pleased so far with interaction on the site and its Facebook fan page.

“People are asking questions, interacting with one another, posting photos,” said Shellhammer. “It proves this theory that there are gay men all over the world who are hungry for interaction with other gay men. In a different way.”▼

“flooded the stage” in their street clothes with their drums, and “took it into the audience like it was meant to happen,” Williams said, laughing.

While other stages were shut down the women kept on partying.

“That was one of the best stages,” said Williams, who incorporated audience interaction with the performers as a regular part of the show after that year.

In 2009, NectArena was on hiatus to prepare for its 10-year anniversary, but queer women weren’t without a space. NectArena organizers worked with the Pride Committee and partnered with club promoter Christine De La Rosa to create the Women’s Dance and Performance Pavilion. Other stages also added queer women performers to their

lineups, Williams said.

NectArena 2.0 This year, NectArena will honor the late club promoter Chantal Salkey, who created the popular tea dance Mango at El Rio, where Williams spins and Hill has taken over as promoter. May’s Mango dance party donated proceeds to NectArena.

Williams, a former Army brat, hopes that NectArena will continue to garner international recognition and attract artists from around the world as the stage enters its second decade.

“It’s super fun. We definitely need this space for free-flowing boobs,” said Sinhbandith, who emceed the stage in 2008. “Keep it coming.”▼

▼

24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

NATIONAL

NEWS

Obama welcomes gays to White House

by Lisa Keen t was not exactly the same rousing, sustained cheer of last year that greeted President Barack Obama as he entered the East Room Tuesday evening for a reception in honor of LGBT Pride Month. There was an awkward quiet as he shook some hands near the stage before making his remarks, and several moments of silence when normally one might have expected the requisite applause.

But the several hundred people attending the White House LGBT Pride Month reception were enthusiastic in their reception of the president.

Obama welcomed a crowd that was said to include more grassroots activists and fewer entrenched leaders at the national level. (A request for the guest list was turned down, a routine occurrence, even though the guest list will become public in 90 days.)

On hand was San Franciscan Roberta Achtenberg, one of the first openly gay appointees, from the Clinton administration. Also there was country-western singer Chely Wright, who only recently acknowledged publicly that she is gay.

Initially, Obama read somewhat stiffly from prepared remarks, then grew more comfortable, talking about promises to the LGBT community upon which the administra-

I

tion has delivered.

He reminded his audience that, in that same room one year ago, he pledged that he would “not put aside matters of basic equality, and we haven’t.” The crowd did not cheer, and the president moved quickly on, noting that while his administration has a lot of work to do, it has made some progress.

Among the milestones of that progress, said Obama, was passage and enactment of the hate crimes law and a memorandum directing the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that all hospitals receiving Medicaid and Medicare enable LGBT patients to designate their partners and families for visitation privileges. The president said he directed HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to send a message to hospitals today to begin complying with the request even before formal regulations have been adopted.

The president also pointed to a memorandum he initiated last June, directing federal agencies to extend “as many benefits as possible under the law” to gay federal employees with same-sex partners.

Obama reiterated some promises that he has not yet delivered on: passing “an inclusive non-discrimination” act to protect employees – a reiteration that drew a loud and enthusiastic cheer – and repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and ending the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Obituaries >> Loretta Mooney Humphries November 13, 1925 – April 3, 2010

“My Three Gay Sons Are Beautiful Human Beings!” read the banner which Loretta Mooney Humphries carried in the 1979 Pride Parade, her first. Within one year, she, along with three other parents, had founded what is now known as Parents and Friends of Lesbian And Gays (PFLAG).

A fierce mother bear where her children were concerned, that fierceness extended to the entire LGBT community and our quest for equality. Bob Ross, founder of the Bay Area Reporter, admired and befriended her because he recognized the importance of her endeavor.

So did Jon Sims, founder of San Francisco's Gay Marching Band, especially when she volunteered to sew the uniforms for their first performance at Mission High School, because her son, Steven, was a member.

When most of his friends had abandoned him, she tended to Jon in his last

days, as she tended to many patients.

Loretta is survived by her children, Bob, Steven and Leora; her son-in-law, Victor; grandson, Manolo; and seventyplus nieces and nephews. A memorial mass will be celebrated at Mission Dolores Basilica on November 13, 2010 at 9am, her 85th birthday. All are invited to attend.

Her legacy has helped many. We are proud of you, mom.

OBITUARY POLICY Obituaries should be e-mailed to obituaries@ebar.com. They must be no longer than 200 words. Please follow normal rules of capitalization – and no poetry. We reserve the right to edit for style, clarity, grammar, and taste.

Please submit a photo of the deceased. E-mail a recent color jpg. Deadline for obituaries is Monday at 5 p.m., with the exception of special display ad obituaries, which must be submitted by Friday at 3 p.m. For information on paid obituaries, call (415) 861-5019.

Obituaries can be mailed to Bay Area Reporter, 395 9th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Write the deceased's name on the back of the photo. If you include a SASE for the photo's return, write the person's name on the inside of the envelope flap. All obituaries must include a contact name and phone number. They must be submitted within a year of the death.

For archived obituaries, go to www.glbthistory .org/obituaries.

Check out the Bay Area Reporter online at:

www.ebar.com

President Barack Obama

policy – which drew a slightly smaller cheer. On the latter point, the president defended his administration’s decision to enable the Pentagon to complete its implementation study before final repeal of the policy. He said that was “the only way to get this” repeal to work, given that the Pentagon is “in the midst of two wars.”

“The bottom line,” said the president, “is that we have never been closer to ending this discriminatory policy, and I’m going to keep on fighting till it’s on my desk and I sign it.”

Absent from tonight’s event were the three openly gay representatives.

The president noted that Representatives Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and Jared Polis (D-Colorado) had to leave early. No mention of Representative Barney Frank (DMassachusetts). A spokesman for Frank did not respond by deadline as to why he was not at the event.

A list of “notable guests” obtained by a White House pool reporter did include Baldwin and Polis’s names but not Frank’s. ▼

www.ebar.com

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

PRIDE

2010

Pride turns 40 “These are events that are not only connected to our history,” but also show “a global community in one rotating party around the world. There are very few communities that have an equivalent to what queer people do in celebration of ourselves and our community, and it’s extraordinary,” said Boneberg.

He added that San Francisco has “always had one of the best parties and celebrations and demonstrations – depending on what the need is – to celebrate pride in our community.”

This year’s festivities begin Saturday with the festival in Civic Center, from noon to 6 p.m.

The parade kicks off Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Market and Beale streets, and ends at Market and Eighth streets.

The Sunday celebration runs from noon to 7 p.m. in Civic Center.

Besides the Backstreet Boys, main stage performers will include Andy Bell of Erasure and Martha Davis and the Motels, among others.

Grand marshals this year include Lifetime Achievement honoree James C. Hormel. Hormel, the former ambassador to Luxembourg, who was the U.S.’s first openly gay ambassador.

Alice Walker, the Pulitzer Prizewinning author of The Color Purple, and retired Navy Commander Zoe Dunning will be among other celebrity grand marshals.

There is no cost to attend the Pride festival, but a minimum donation of $5 at the entrance gate is requested. No one is turned away for lack of funds.

The donations help support the over 80 Bay Area nonprofit organizations through the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee’s community partners program.

Donations from the celebration have helped San Francisco Pride give back more than $1.6 million in grants since 1997.

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Maceo Persson, Franko Potter, Kelly Rivera Hart, Bentrish Satarzadeh, and Jason Husted march down Market Street to the Federal Building following the Rally 4 Equality on June 5.

Stages Besides the main stage, numerous other venues will be available for people to check out.

Among them will be the Steamworks Latin stage.

Jamie Awad, who owns Club Papi, a co-presenter of the stage, said this would be the stage’s 13th year.

“Fourteen years ago we couldn’t even do Spanish music at Pride,” said Awad.

He also said, “It means a lot to have the Latin community really feel part of Pride,” especially with the ability “to bring such big entertainment” from places like Mexico.

According to a Granda Entertainment news release Awad sent to the Bay Area Reporter, Granda and Club Papi will be teaming up with Media Concepts PR to present “Acéptame Como Soy,” which translates to “Accept Me as I Am.” Billed as “a song with a message of love, acceptance and support to gay people and their families,” the song will be performed live on stage by Alondra and Diego Schoening, the ex-lead singer of the Mexican Latin pop act Timbiriche.

The Latin stage will be located at Van Ness Avenue and McAllister Street. The stage runs Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.

For more performers and other information, visit www.clubpapi.com.

Other venues at Pride are expected to include the Asian and Pacific Islander Pride stage and pavilion, the Elder Space, and Leather Alley. The

World news ▼

★

Lydia Gonzales

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recognition of his 2006 Canadian marriage to his Spanish husband.

Prior to the ruling, Böttcher’s identity documents labeled him “single,” so the determination that he is, in fact, in a civil union was seen as a partial victory for gay rights.

Spain recognizes the two men as husbands.

Britain to expunge gay-sex convictions British Home Secretary Theresa May said June 16 that Britain would expunge the criminal records of men convicted of having gay sex when it was illegal.

The action applies to anyone whose partner was at least 16 years old at the time.

Britain decriminalized gay sex in 1967 and set the age of consent at 21, then later lowered it to 16.

“I’m proud of the fact that Britain is a world leader for LGB and T equality, but we must not be complacent,” said May, who also is minister for women and equality. “In this country and around the world, too many LGB and T people still face discrimination based on outdated prejudices, and that has to stop. ... It’s not fair that a man can be branded a criminal because 30 years ago he had

women’s NectArena stage celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. [See story, page 1.]

Pride’s significance Earlier this month, the Rally 4 Equality to kick off Pride Month included a gathering at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro. The June 5 rally was meant as a call for full federal equality in employment, the military, marriage, immigration, health care and housing.

Franko Potter, 40, who had a rainbow flag with him, was one of several people standing at the plaza.

He talked to the B.A.R. about the value of “showing my pride, and who I am, and what I do ... and what I believe in.”

Potter, who is gay, said he’d try to attend every Pride event this year.

Nearby, Trey Allen, 27, was taking in the sun at 17th Street Plaza.

The openly gay Allen said Pride is a time “where I can celebrate what makes me unique, so we can dress up silly and have tons of fun.”

Simone Mims, who will turn 34 on June 27 – Pride Sunday – and identifies as a lesbian, said, “Obviously there’s a lot of history around the event and people being who they are and being accepted,” and “being able to express who they are.”

Mims, who was walking through the Castro, said this would be her first Pride in San Francisco.▼ For more information, visit www.sfpride.org.

consensual sex with another man.”

The action on criminal records is one piece of a new government-wide program to tackle prejudice against LGBT people, the Home Office said.

The initiative also includes “new work to end the blight of homophobic bullying in schools, work to allow same-sex couples to register their relationships in a religious setting, lobbying other countries to repeal homophobic legislation and recognize UK civil partnerships, (and) ending the removal of asylum seekers who have had to leave particular countries because their sexual orientation or gender identification puts them at proven risk of imprisonment, torture, or execution.”

“We’re working to make Britain a place where everyone is treated fairly and everyone has an equal chance in life, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity,” May said.

“This ambitious program of work is the first step on that journey.”

Thousands march in Tel Aviv Tel Aviv’s 13th gay Pride Parade attracted more than 100,000 people June 11, making it Israel’s largest pride event ever.

At a rally, Knesset Member Shelly Yacimovich said there are many closeted gay politicians and added, “it is time for them to come out.”▼ Bill Kelley contributed to this report.

24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER 25

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LEGAL NOTICES STATEMENT FILE A-032828700

STATEMENT FILE A-032836600

STATEMENT FILE A-032837000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Cow Tools Productions, 2261 Market Street, #182, San Francisco, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Susan D. Conley. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/08/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Helios Architectural Glass, 1550 McKinnon Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed Constance Levathes. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/11/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/11/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Ocean Avenue Tattoo, 1907 Ocean Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94127. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Thomas O McGrath. 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 06/11/10.

JUNE 10,17,24, JULY 1, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032828100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 1.BV Health Solutions, 2.Sexual Health Clinics of Northern California, 1246 Castro Street, #9, San Francisco, CA 94114. This business is conducted by a corporation, signed William Bell. 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 06/08/10.

JUNE 10,17,24, JULY 1, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032809200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Scope Architecture and Design, 2550 Baker Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Emily O’Keeffe. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/28/10.

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: Ragazza LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 311 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-2208. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 24, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

STATEMENT FILE A-032812600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Oakside Cafe, 1195 Oak Street San Francisco, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Shu Ping Chen. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/01/10.

JUNE 3,10,17,24, 2010 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTICIOUS BUSINESS NAME: #0296756-00

To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: CCJK Corp. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 2240 Irving Street, San Francisco, CA 94122. Type of license applied for:

The following persons have abandoned the use of the ficticious business name known as Oakside Cafe, 1195 Oak Street San Francisco, CA 94117. This business was conducted by an individual, signed Brenna Li. The ficticious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/31/06.

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 24, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-032798600

NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: J Malhi S F Corporation. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 233 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94117-3536.

Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 24, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: Lanzhou Noodle LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 3741 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 24, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: Little Bitty LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 1356-1358 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94133-4710.

Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 24, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: Jalpa Ashokbhai Patel, Vinalkumar N Patel. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 2200 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94133-1806. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 24, 2010

JUNE 3,10,17,24, 2010 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Bruce Weitzman, MFT, 295 Fell Street, Suite B, San Francisco, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Bruce Weitzman. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/31/07 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/24/10.

JUNE 3,10,17,24, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032778800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Brass Knuckle, 507 Mississippi Street San Francisco, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Shellie Kitchen. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/14/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/14/10.

JUNE 3,10,17,24, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032812100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: “K” Salon, 1134 Lombard Street San Francisco, CA 94123. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Lethuy Nguyen. 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 05/28/10.

JUNE 3,10,17,24, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: PLOW LLC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 1299 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107-2919. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 17,24, JULY 1, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: Joseph Yousef Dabit. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street, Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 896 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94109. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE JUNE 17,24, JULY 1, 2010

JUNE 10,17,24, JULY 1, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032825800

JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010

JUNE 24, JULY 1,8,15, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032854300

STATEMENT FILE A-032805100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 1. Professional Garage Doors, 2.

Reliable Locksmith, 2055 16th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Sagy Vaknin. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/26/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/26/10.

JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032801300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Takara Sushi S.F., 4243 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94114-2409.

This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed William C.P. Chan.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/25/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Tataki 8 Lounge, 1740 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94131. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Kenneth Zhu. 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 06/21/10.

JUNE 24, JULY 1,8,15, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032806300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Lefty’s at Junction, 2140 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Hugo Gamboa. 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 05/27/10.

JUNE 24, JULY 1,8,15, 2010

JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Zooty Designs, 2939 B, Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Laura Tulloss. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/07/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/07/10.

STATEMENT FILE A-032851800

JUNE 10,17,24, JULY 1, 2010

JUNE 24, JULY 1,8,15, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-032819500

STATEMENT FILE A-032841200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Dream SF Real Estate, 150 Manchester Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.

This business is conducted by a corporation, signed Beth C. Newman. 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 06/03/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Hairdoo Voodoo, 3150 18th Street,Suite 324, San Francisco, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Margaret A. Friel. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/15/10. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/15/10.

JUNE 10,17,24, JULY 1, 2010

JUNE 24, JULY 1,8,15, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-032828600

STATEMENT FILE A-032847700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: M Design, 1738 18th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Marlene Duong. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/08/10. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/08/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Tiagu, 652 8th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Brandon Neustadter. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/17/10. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/17/10.

JUNE 10,17,24, JULY 1, 2010

JUNE 24, JULY 1,8,15, 2010

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Intava Hair Salon, 323 Ivy Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Lieng Phethsaya. 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 06/18/10.

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STATEMENT FILE A-032829000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Viva Goa, 2420 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed Nicolau Fernandes. 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 06/08/10.

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JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032831100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Pinkies Bakery, 1196 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company signed Boris Nemchenok. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/10.

JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTICIOUS BUSINESS NAME: #0312921-00 The following persons have abandoned the use of the ficticious business name known as Pinkies Bakery, 1294 Vallejo Street. #5, San Francisco, CA 94109. This business was conducted by a sole propietorship, signed Cheryl Burr. The ficticious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/05/08.

JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-032831000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: Citizens Band #1, 1198 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company signed Boris Nemchenok. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/10 The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/09/10.

JUNE 17,24, JULY 1,8, 2010

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. No. 25 . 24 June 2010

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

PRIDE

A Pride timeline

2010

June 28, 1970:

June 27, 1971:

June 25, 1972:

On the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City, a “gay-in” is held in Sheepshead Meadow in Golden Gate Park.

Gay Pride activities include a rally and party.

San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto refuses to give a gay pride proclamation.

compiled by Cynthia Laird

Pride main stage offers career boost for performers

by Matthew S. Bajko hen the Backstreet Boys take to the main stage Sunday during San Francisco’s Pride festival, the aging boy band will be performing in front of a crowd 10 times the size of several venues they have been hitting on their current North American tour to promote their new album This is Us, BSB. Depending on the weather, the crowd at Pride could number 200,000 people watching the main stage. Wednesday night (June 23) the Backstreet Boys performed at the 15,000 capacity Energy/Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Even if the Pride audience only numbers in the 100,000s, it will still dwarf their other West Coast performances.

The group’s two shows in San Francisco this weekend at the Warfield on Market Street have a capacity each of 2,250. In Reno the band was booked into an 1,800-seat venue. The biggest crowd the band has recently played in front of was 50,000 people in Japan.

W

The Backstreet Boys will headline Pride’s main stage on Sunday.

“We would like people to hear our music a little bit more. We keep producing great records.”

What the group is hoping for, said Carter, is that performing at Pride will lead to radio stations playing their newer music.

“All we want to do is get one song back on radio,” said Carter, who added that “yes, the gay community gets behind stuff they like very much. I would be lying to say we wouldn’t want [the Pride audience] to put their support behind us and help this little pop band the Backstreet Boys, who people think are dead, make a resurgence. If it happens, it happens.”

There is precedent for a San Francisco Pride gig giving a boost to a performer’s career. When current international sensation Lady Gaga stepped on the stage in front of City Hall in 2008, hardly anyone had ever heard of her and her music had yet to break onto radio station playlists.

In a 2009 interview with MTV

page 32

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“We have been playing before 5,000 to 10,000 people in the states.

In the biggest times of our career, we played before hundreds of thousands of people. So this is kind of bigger,” band member Nick Carter said about playing San Francisco Pride in a recent phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter from the back of his tour bus in Detroit. “We are excited. We want to take this opportunity to be able to show people we still exist and we are still here.”

The band shot to stardom in the late 1990s when it consisted of Carter and four other members: A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson.

Richardson left the group in 2006, while the remaining quartet has struggled to produce another breakout hit. Carter said he and his bandmates don’t expect their Pride performance will jettison them back to the top of the pop charts.

“We are not looking at this as an opportunity to blow ourselves up again. We are really comfortable where we are at touring,” said Carter.

24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

31

BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

PRIDE June 24, 1973:

June 27, 1976:

Name changed to “Gay Freedom Day.”

First mayoral proclamation, by George Moscone.

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page 30

News, she said that radio disk jockeys at first “didn’t want to play my music on the radio. We fought and we fought and I played every club. I had chicken dinner with every program director I could get my hands on.”

Then came her big break in 2008 when, at the last minute, she was added to the main stage lineup at that year’s San Francisco Pride. Despite having her mic and music cut off in mid-song because her performance went past Pride’s allowed

time on its sound permit, Lady Gaga [born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta] credits her appearance with helping launch her into mainstream fame.

“Being invited to play [San Francisco Pride], that was a real turning point for me as an artist,” Gaga told MTV News.

Pride’s global reach draws top talent In this multimedia world, it isn’t only the people gathered in the Civic Center for Pride who are part of the audience. Through Twitter, Facebook, LGBT blogs, YouTube, and international news coverage of Pride, it is possible to reach a global fanbase for anyone who steps foot onto the main stage.

And that, said main stage producer Audrey Joseph, is part of the draw for musicians who agree to

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known performers are also slotted into the lineup. Each year numerous acts submit demo tapes in hopes of being selected to play Pride.

“You try to break in new artists.

You have to give people a chance on the stage,” said Joseph. “San Francisco Pride can make or break you.”

Irrespective of what post-Pride bounce their performance may bring, for many artists just standing before the audience that day is reward enough.

“It is an honor, especially in this city knowing how many performers live here,” said Ben Holder, part of the queer electronic duo Ejector, which he started with his friend Ricky Terry in late 2007. “The word we keep using is thrilled. We are bouncing off the walls.”

The two, best known for their song “Get Out,” have performed on one of the minor stages at Pride in

Jane Philomen Cleland

Main stage

2010

Lady Gaga took off her trademark glasses, seen in foreground, during her performance at San Francisco Pride in 2008.

play San Francisco Pride.

“I do promise these artists the visibility and exposure that comes with performing at our Pride,” said Joseph, a longtime events producer and former record company executive. “Our coverage of Pride goes out on CNN. It goes out everywhere.”

Unlike other pride festivals that charge an entrance fee and can afford to pay music acts top dollar to perform, San Francisco Pride has a limited budget to work with in booking talent for its main stage due to its being a free event. Joseph said Pride works with its hotel, airline, and ground transportation sponsors to sweeten the deal for artists to come perform.

What makes it an easy sell, though, is for performers having the chance to reach hundreds of thousands of potential fans, both straight and LGBT. It is a sweet aphrodisiac for groups looking to relaunch their career, promote a new album, or merely show the public their support for LGBT rights.

“We thought this was a great opportunity to share our music with everyone, from gays to everyone who wants to hear Backstreet Boys music,” said Carter.

In recent years some of the powerhouse acts to grace the main stage have included Cyndi Lauper; the B52s; Dead or Alive; Crystal Waters; En Vogue; Third Eye Blind; Jennifer Holliday; Jimmy Somerville; and Joan Baez.

“I tell them we have 600,000 people coming through the door throughout the day. And at any given time there are between 100,000 to 200,000 people in front of the main stage. Even if you are bad, someone is going to comment on your act,” said Joseph.

It is no accident that lesser

the past and last summer played at the Folsom Street Fair. Their main stage appearance Sunday will fulfill a dream they have had since 2002.

“Before we moved here we saw Dead or Alive play on that stage. We both turned to each other and said we want to play that stage,” recalled Holder, who turns 40 next month.

Focus on top talent a change from Pride’s early days The main stage at Pride didn’t always attract nationally known groups. Forty years ago the collection of artists who performed are now largely forgotten acts.

Perhaps the most famous early performer who rocked Pride was Sylvester James. The hometown drag diva, known simply as Sylvester, became a disco superstar and died from AIDS in 1988. Sylvester and His Hot Band played the 1977 Pride fair.

Other early Pride entertainers in the late 1970s included Gwen Avery, a black lesbian blues artist from the Bay Area; gay folksinger Stephen Grossman; and Sweet Chariot, a women’s rock band. It wasn’t until the 1980s that producers of the main stage started turning to acts with more household names, as well as artists in the emerging gay and lesbian music scene, to play at Pride.

In 1985 Sylvester returned to perform along with his onetime collaborator Jeanie Tracy, who became a star in her own right with her hit remake that year “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” Throughout the 1980s lesbianowned Olivia Records had many of its recording stars play at Pride, including Alicia Bridges and Diedre McCalla. In the 1990s the pendulum began to fully swing toward landing

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24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

PRIDE

2010

June 26, 1977: A postcard issued for the occasion was written to anti-gay leader Anita Bryant.

“Dear Anita, Having a gay time. Wish you were here,” it read. First parade downtown on Market Street.

GLBT Historical Society Archive

The 1989 Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Parade started in the Castro District – and would for two years – due to construction on Market Street.

by Seth Hemmelgarn ver the 40-year history of what is now known as the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade and celebration, the gay community has seen a lot. The event, which started as a tiny march down Polk Street, now is estimated to draw more than a million people. Countless people have grieved over friends and family members lost to AIDS, and the celebration itself struggled to reflect the diversity of its participants.

At least one thing, however, has been consistent for decades – the excitement each person feels.

Kathy Knowles, a lesbian who volunteered consistently from 1981 through 1992, remembers waiting in Civic Center Plaza with the “humongous” crowd to hear Dykes on Bikes’ motorcycles, the signal that the parade was approaching.

“I would just go out and absorb the energy,” Knowles, 56, said in an interview. “It was huge, all these tens of thousands of people waiting there for the beginning of the parade, and then as soon as we could hear the motorcycles, everybody would start screaming.”

Pride’s beginnings were much more modest.

In 1970, about 30 people marched down Polk Street to City Hall to mark the first anniversary of New York’s Stonewall riots, where transgender people and others stood up to police. The riots are generally regarded as the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement, although many have noted that San Francisco had a riot at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria in 1966. That riot broke out when police confronted trans people. The exact date is not known.

On that first anniversary in San Francisco, the Christopher Street Liberation Day Gay-In at Golden Gate Park drew about 200 people.

The event’s name reflected the street where the Stonewall Inn still stands.

There was a rally but no parade in 1971, but after that, it grew by

O

Rick Gerharter

Growth, change over 40 years of SF Pride

thousands of people each year.

A fundraising-related document from 1974 found in the archives of the GLBT Historical Society indicated efforts to generate income were much simpler than they are today, when large corporations help the Pride celebration occur.

“Raffle tickets are on sale from all committee members and the cost is 50 cents each or books of ten for $5.00,” the document said. “If you would like some tickets to sell, contact Harvey Milk, 864-1390. Prizes include a ten speed racing bike, 19 inch color television set, Polaroid cameras and a host of others.”

In 1976, then-Mayor George Moscone issued the first proclamation for what was then known as “Gay Freedom Day.” There were an estimated 120,000 participants.

The parade marched down Market Street for the first time in 1977, and attendance was an estimated 200,000.

Glenne McElhinney, who marched for the first time in 1976 with members of a women’s cheese collective and became event co-chair in 1982, attributed the “huge jump” in attendance in 1977 to factors such as the anti-gay activism of Anita Bryant, the pop singer turned Florida citrus promoter.

“The parade went on and on and on forever,” said McElhinney, who is 54 and identifies as “dyke, lesbian, feminist and rabble-rouser, rebel, butch.” “... Everybody marched, and there was a huge contingent of straights for gays riding in the parade that year, and bisexuals were starting to flex their muscles. It was the place to be that year, in 1977, and it makes it a special parade,” she said in a recent interview.

The city provided $10,000 to the parade in 1978, marking the first time the parade received city funding. The event was even larger than the year before, and Milk rode in the parade as the city’s first out gay supervisor.

Milk’s assassination five months

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34

page 37

24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

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24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

2010 June 25, 1978:

Harvey Milk rides in the parade as an openly gay elected official.

Rainbow flag debuts; first year of city funding.

Dan Nicoletta

June 25, 1978:

Rick Gerharter

PRIDE

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later, in November, had an impact on the event the next year.

Lani Ka’ahumanu, 66, who marched in the parade for more than 20 years, said, “I can’t quite remember the parade,” in 1979. “It’s kind of a blur.”

But Ka’ahumanu, who is bisexual, did recall there was “just this pall that took over.”

AIDS enters the scene

rade “laid the groundwork” for the “response to AIDS, especially in San Francisco, where lesbians and gay men joined together and where our sisters supported gay men in this epidemic, and have ever since.”

In 1983, 20 people who were living with AIDS led the parade, which was dedicated to them that year, according to materials in the archives of the GLBT Historical Society.

Ken Jones, who’s gay, served as co-chair in 1984 and said he was the parade’s first African American cochair. Around 1981, when he became involved, discussion included “how do we acknowledge our gay pride ... and at the same time address all the death that was taking place around us?” he said in a recent interview.

Boyd, also a 1984 co-chair, recalled being “besieged by the media.”

The sentiment was that the committee shouldn’t be inviting people from the suburbs and Middle America, “because they were going to come to San Francisco and catch this disease,” she said.

However, “If these guys stayed in small towns in the Midwest in ignorance ... that would be more dangerous for the spread of HIV than for them to come to San Francisco and learn something,” said Boyd.

McElhinney, a 1982 co-chair, recalled the disease’s toll as she ticked through the men she had worked with on the celebration. Many of them are dead.

“It’s really sad, really sad,” she said. “... All of that history and all of that richness is gone. A whole generation of wonderful gay men is gone.”

Knowles, the longtime volunteer, said, “The pool of people to run things was constantly being depleted” because of the disease. It took at least 500 volunteers to produce the event.

But she recalled one volunteer in the late 1980s who was sick but sneaked out of the hospital to work.

Rick Gerharter

In the 1980s, a new disease was taking a toll on the community.

The year 1981 “really was a turning point,” said Greg Day, 65, who was a Pride co-chair that year. “We already had ‘gay cancer,’ and one year later we were in the throws of the epidemic. Within two years after that parade, the epidemic was very intense. It was very, very important for men and women to come together.”

Day, who is gay, said the 1981 pa-

1994 Pride Parade grand marshal Lani Ka’ahamanu with her daughter.

Members of ACT-UP/Golden Gate and others block Police Chief Willis Casey’s car in the 1991 gay parade.

“I think he made it through the day,” said Knowles.

Despite the sadness in the community, there were still good times.

Knowles recalled one year when singer and actress Grace Jones was on the last float of the parade.

“Everybody in the crowd was trying to climb on the float. We were trying to stop them, of course,” said Knowles, who recalled that Jones “just kept singing. She wasn’t fazed at all.”

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There was controversy over the 1980 events, including allegations of fiscal mismanagement.

In the August 1981 issue of On Parade, a publication put together by people involved with the celebration, co-chair Barbara Cameron wrote that the 1980 committee had left behind unpaid debts.

Cameron’s article was accompanied by a preliminary financial report that listed income (as of July 1981) at $76,833 and expenses at $69,760, leaving a surplus of $7,073.

By comparison, the LGBT Pride Celebration Committee has projected it will take in about $2.2 million this year, which is also what it plans to spend.

Neither figure includes in-kind contributions.

The current budget data comes from information the committee submitted to the city’s Grants for the Arts office in February.

In 1981, there were 250,000 people who attended the parade. The name was changed that year, and in 1982 what had been Gay Freedom Day since the early 1970s was known as “International Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day.” Linda Boyd, a lesbian who was co-chair in 1983 and 1984, was one of several people who recently recalled that many, including women, were critical of the change.

“They wanted to be called gay women,” said Boyd, 64, in a recent interview. “They didn’t like the term ‘lesbian’ at all.”

The only fatal accident during the celebration happened in 1982. Darryl Anderson, 19, was apparently lying behind a float when the float’s driver ran over him.

Rick Gerharter

Controversy

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PRIDE

Child care was provided for a donation of $1 per child.

Lunch and a snack were provided.

2010

June 28, 1981:

June 28, 1981:

Dykes on Bikes, shown here in 2008, became the lead contingent in the parade

Name changed to Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Parade.

Jane Philomen Cleland

June 29, 1980:

GLBT Historical Society Archive

by Matthew S. Bajko t is almost a rite of passage for elected officials in San Francisco.

Each June politicians, and those

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seeking public office, dutifully line up to march with a contingent of supporters in the annual Pride Parade.

Anyone watching the procession slog down Market Street Sunday will see numerous political leaders march by, waving to the crowd. Some will travel on foot, others by convertible vehicles, and a few on floats, such as openly gay District 8 Supervisor and San Francisco mayoral candidate Bevan Dufty, who each year teams up with fellow politicians, local youth, and entertainers to dance his way to the end point near the Civic Center.

Politicians, gay and straight alike, love a parade, even a gay one.

“That is always part of the parade, and it is not just Pride. It is all parades.

We ride in all of them,” said openly gay state Senator Mark Leno, who has ridden in 13 of the city’s Pride parades since 1998. “I think each of the communities, whether it be the LGBT community at Pride, the Chinese community at the Chinese New Year Parade, the Latino community with Carnivale, I feel, appreciate you for taking the time to be there.”

Spectators may forget that when the parade began 40 years ago seeing an elected leader marching with LGBT people was an exceedingly rare sight. In addition to marking the oneyear anniversary of the Stonewall riots

Rick Gerharter

Politics loves a parade, even a gay one

State Senator Mark Leno rides in the 2009 Pride Parade with Assemblyman Dave Jones, now the Democratic nominee for state insurance commissioner.

in New York City, the 1970 march also served as a public venting for LGBT people to demand to be treated equally and not as second-class citizens.

It was a coming out few politicians at the time wanted anything to do with, even in San Francisco. But organizers of those first Prides fully understood the political ramifications that were possible by having the LGBT community show its collective power.

“The process of raising the level of the consciousness of both gay and straight continues. The parade in San Francisco can be a major vehicle for this purpose. In an election year it is desirable to manifest an image of strength and solidarity,” wrote the parade’s organizers in the 1972 guide to the celebration, overseen then under the name of Christopher StreetWest/SF. More importantly to those seeking public office, the parade’s spectators served as a vast pool of potential supporters and voters. Not only were LGBT people lining up to watch their friends march, but so too were many straight residents coming out to witness the parade’s spectacle.

It wasn’t long before political campaigns grasped the benefit an appearance at Pride could reap for their chances come Election Night. Starting in 1975 ads from local politicians congratulating the LGBT community on Pride appeared for the first time in the official guides to the festival that the Pride committee published.

The late Republican state Senator Milton Marks was one of the first. He not only addressed the Gay Pride rally held Saturday, June 28 in 1975 but also took out an ad that simply said, “Best wishes to you all!” Gene Prat, who ran for sheriff that year, also took out an ad in the guide that said, “My best to all!”

In 1977 the first letter of support from a San Francisco mayor appeared in the Pride parade guide. Mayor George Moscone wrote that it was “an honor” to lend his “strong support to the observance of Gay Pride week.”

He noted that “one of the most sacred rights guaranteed by our democratic form of government is the right to live one’s life in the fashion he or she chooses – and to be free from prejudice or discrimination of any kind.”

Moscone, a progressive leader who was killed in November 1978 inside City Hall along with then-Supervisor Harvey Milk, the city’s first openly gay elected official, went on to write that the United States government not only embrace a “multitude of lifestyles” but also “encourage the citizens of this country to express themselves fully, to live the lives they choose and to be proud of their identities and

achievements. That is why Gay Pride Week is so important, because it gives formal recognition to the integrity, the strength and significant contributions of our nation’s gay community.”

Milk, of course, prior to his death took full advantage of the annual marches to attract support for his political campaigns. Milk addressed the same gay Pride rally as Marks had in 1975, and that year’s guide featured a cover story about the ambitious political up-and-comer. An essay in the 1976 Pride guide, which called the parade the “highpoint of social and political expression in San Francisco,” addressed Milk’s failed Democratic primary bid that June against Assemblyman Art Agnos and urged gay voters to back gay candidates.

“If every gay in San Francisco would support Harvey Milk in his next campaign ‘whatever that is’ and if every gay anywhere would vote gay every time the opportunity offers, we would be far better off politically,” stated the unsigned article.

One of the more famous photos of the charismatic gay rights leader is one taken at the 1978 Pride march by photographer Terry Schmitt that shows Milk wearing a lei while seated in a vehicle along the parade route, his right hand raised in a fist as he is engaged in an euphoric yawp.

In his Pride Guide welcome that year Milk blasted President Jimmy Carter for not publicly opposing the homophobic Proposition 6 on California’s ballot that fall. Known as the Briggs initiative, it would have prohibited LGBT people from being public school teachers.

“Gay freedom? That is a question that Jimmy Carter must answer. We must raise our voices loud and clear until he hears our message,” wrote Milk. “How long, Jimmy, before you speak out for the human rights of all Americans?”

Faced with such sentiments within the LGBT community, straight leaders at the time made sure to show their support for Pride. A 1978 celebrity auction to raise money for the Pride Committee featured Moscone along with then-Police Chief Charles Gain; Joe Freitas, the district attorney at the time; Sheriff Eugene Brown; and state Assemblyman Willie Brown.

Following the deaths of Milk and Moscone, Board of Supervisors President Dianne Feinstein became mayor. She took out a full-page ad in the 1979 Pride Guide asking LGBT voters to retain her as mayor in that year’s elections. And in her Pride welcome letter, Feinstein credited the gay community with playing a “major role” in the city’s growth and vitality.

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PRIDE June 27, 1982:

June 30, 1985:

The Pride Parade’s only death occurred this year – Darryl Kevin Anderson was run over by a float.

Senator Alan Cranston (D-California) became the first U.S. senator to speak at a gay celebration.

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Besides challenges from outside the LGBT community, there was also turmoil among people involved with the celebration.

McElhinney said there was criticism for having women as co-chairs, then for having people of color in leadership positions and reaching out specifically to people of color.

“We were actually trying to make changes that were positive, that people ended up doing anyway,” she said.

What was happening with organizers was like a barometer of what was going on in the community, said McElhinney.

Boyd said that within communities of color, “there was denial that there were any gay people, and on the other hand there was racism

Courtesy Greg Day

Addressing diversity

Greg Day served as co-chair in 1981, during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

within the white community.”

Knowles said, “It wasn’t a question of other people being overtly racist, but it was always a struggle to get people of color to work on the parade.”

A 1983 flier asking “Were you left out last year?” especially sought volunteers for the outreach committee to make sure “people of color, women, disabled ... [and] the dying” were included.

There were also concerns about including bisexuals.

Ka’ahumanu said in 1983 she helped co-found the bi political organization BiPol. In 1984, Dianne Feinstein was the city’s mayor. (It would be several years before Feinstein was elected U.S. senator.) Feinstein didn’t ride in the parade, Ka’ahumanu said, but according to the Pride Committee’s current Web site, she did issue a proclamation.

The bisexual contingent, which carried “biphobia shields,” had someone play “Mayor Bi-anne Feinstein.”

The marchers eventually encountered a woman who jumped into the middle of their contingent and started screaming, “You don’t belong here! What are you doing here?”

Ka’ahumanu recalled.

“We put up our shields and started chanting, ‘This is what biphobia looks like,’” and the woman disappeared, said Ka’ahumanu.

Another name change Bisexuals and transgender people finally saw more acknowledgment when the celebration’s name was expanded. In 1995, the name appeared for the first time as the San Francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration.

The move took a while .

Matthew L. Le Grant, 54, a bisexual who was on the board of directors around that time, recalled the excuse he heard for people not wanting bisexuals included in the name “was that we were not really queer enough. The assertion especially for bisexual people was that they were really just straight people that would run back into the closet when the going got tough.”

Dominique Leslie, who is transgender, served on the Pride Committee board in 1995 and 1996.

Leslie, 52, said in a recent interview that among the opinions she heard at the time for people not wanting the name change was that people didn’t want an “alphabet soup.” There was also the notion that “we’re all gay.”

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TRAVEL

Salon 7 owners Tanya Marini and Jennifer Oxier show their Reno pride in front of local lesbian artist Veronica Williams’s spirited mural.

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

A traveler’s oyster in Reno and Lake Tahoe

by Heather Cassell ooking for a great getaway that offers mega-variety entertainment options and fine dining with easy access to tranquility? Don’t overlook Reno and Lake Tahoe; the bordering vacation destinations just about four hours from San Francisco offer everything any vacationer could possibly want.

“The nice thing about the RenoTahoe area is that you can have both in the same day,” said David Paisley, senior research director of Community Marketing Inc., the parent company of the Gay and Lesbian Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Tourism officials in the area echoed Paisley’s assessment.

“Depending on what the traveler’s interest is, there is something for everyone,” said Jill Stockton, communications manager of the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority.

LGBT Renoites praised Reno and Lake Tahoe as hidden jewels.

“There are a lot of great things to be found if you take the time to explore and be open minded,” said Eddie Reynoso, co-owner of the Firehouse Grill and Deli with his sister, Hermila Sanvicente. Reynoso hopes that the gay community and the community in general continue to support local businesses. “You’ll discover just amazing, amazing things and amazing people.”

Reno experiences more than 300 days of sunshine a year and is surrounded by the High Sierra mountains on one side and the open desert on the other. The city attracts an estimated 4.6 million visitors annually, according to 2008 tourism figures, the most recent available.

“I have friends who live in Philly and Denver who are envious of all of the things that we have going on,” said Lynda Wiest, who hosts lesbian discussion groups and social events at Spectrum Northern Nevada, an LGBT community organization in Reno.

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Reno Reno, long known as the “Biggest Little City in the World,” is starting to

capitalize on its variety of attractions and its close proximity to Lake Tahoe. The old mining town along the Truckee River, founded in 1859, has tossed its worn-out attempt at glam and glitz, leaving that to its younger sister, Las Vegas. Instead, Reno is embracing its natural beauty and talent after undergoing a multimillion-dollar makeover during the past two years.

Reno’s downtown area, known as the Riverwalk District, is now dressed up with trendy bars offering local brews and wines, cafes and gourmet restaurants, and performing and visual arts venues. All are within walking distance from the city’s core casino-hotels Circus Circus, Eldorado, and the Silver Legacy. Other casinoresorts include Cal-Neva, Atlantis, and the Peppermill.

Throughout Reno a new wave of business owners are injecting the city with a burst of energy. Renoites who stayed close to their roots are painting their imaginations on their city.

Locals who spent time away are returning bringing their experiences and tastes home. Then there are the California transplants, especially from the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Area, who are bringing the Golden State style to the area.

Reno is “up and coming,” Paisley pointed out.

High rolling Reno has much to offer LGBT travelers and is an easy escape destination to get to by bus, car, plane, or train. The drive up Interstate 80 from the Bay Area through Donner Summit down to where Reno spreads out on the edge of the Great Basin is amazingly beautiful after passing Sacramento’s congestion.

If you don’t want to drive, the Fun Train and the Reno Snow Train are six-hour parties on the rails that roll into Reno’s train station located close to the cluster of well-known hotels.

Or catch a flight (that takes just under an hour) to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Many of the hotels provide free shuttle service to and from the airport.

On a recent visit, I was more than

ready to stretch my legs after the drive and hit the bars and clubs. My girlfriend and I quickly dropped our bags in our suite overlooking the famous Reno arch, courtesy of the Eldorado Hotel and Casino. The family-run and -operated hotel boasts not only of its multi-award-winning Brew Brothers micro-brewery, but its famous porcini mushroom ravioli.

The Eldorado is also linked by walkable overpasses to Circus Circus, fun for families, and the Silver Legacy.

Reno doesn’t have any queerowned bed and breakfasts or hotels, but there are several LGBT-friendly lodging options (see online travel information list) to choose from after a long day of playing.

My girlfriend and I headed to Tronix Video Music Club, Reno’s number one queer dance club, on the other side of town.

Reno doesn’t have a “gayborhood.” Instead, its gay bars and clubs are spread out around the city, the main bars and clubs form a triangle.

Only a few are within walking distance from each other. When going out, plan to drive – there’s usually plenty of parking – or take a cab.

Tronix was a bit livelier than a previous nightspot, but we learned that on Friday nights, Reno’s queer clubs aren’t hopping. While there are a variety of events going on nightly at various venues, queers looking to boogie to the latest dance hits in one of three of Reno’s gay dance clubs should plan to hit them on Thursday or Saturday nights, said Yvonne “Vonnie” Allen, Tronix bar manager.

“There are a lot of options in Reno. There’s a bar for every niche, basically,” said Allen, the only female bartender at the club.

She pointed out that Tronix, like the Ten99 Club, attracts a mixed younger crowd, while Neutron, the nightspot’s sister club directly across the street, attracts a Latin crowd.

Reno has three gay bars: the historic and wildly popular Five Star Saloon, right around the corner from the Eldorado, Carl’s Pub, and the Patio.

The only down side about hitting the clubs or going out anywhere in Reno is that smoking is still allowed indoors nearly everywhere. Travelers not keen on smoking might consider staying at the Silver Legacy, which is one of the few casino hotels that provides a non-smoking area on its gaming floor. For smoke-free dining and drinking, check out Washoe County’s Tobacco Prevention Coalition Clean Cuisine guide to non-smoking bars (www.notobacconevada.com/places. php?action=list) and restaurants (www.notobacconevada.com/cuisine. php). There is even a small listing for

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smoke-free outdoor event venues (www.notobacconevada.com/places.p hp?action=list).

Reno also provides opportunities for travelers with disabilities. Check out the visitor center at www.VisitRenoTahoe.com/access.

Desert oasis Reno’s growing LGBT community is loosening up Renoites’ frontier attitudes toward queers, in particular the bisexual community, which is huge according to locals.

“If you are bisexual it’s one of the places that you won’t get crap for that,” said Allen. “It’s a very understanding place.”

Wiest agreed with others that Reno’s LGBT community is coming of age.

“It really does feel like it’s booming,” said Wiest, a math education professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. “It seems that the gay community is thriving and growing in leaps and bounds.”

While Reno is “still rural, very frontier” with a residue of homophobia, it’s not as desolate and isolated as people imagine, said Reynoso. It has also become an empowering place for lesbians, who are a driving force revitalizing the mid-sized city.

Partners Kevin Chandler and Jerry Birdwell offer a welcoming respite at their Black Bear Inn at Lake Tahoe.

“The lesbian community is really marching forward,” said Reynoso, whose restaurant is housed in the historic Firehouse 2 next door to lesbianowned Salon 7. “The lesbian community has been an important staple of our community.”

Kelly Rae and Pamela Haberman, owners of Haberay Investments Inc., a development company that renovated the historic Firehouse 2, are a part of the growing LGBT community that is revolutionizing Reno.

Rae and Haberman, who retired to

the area after successful careers as a federal special agent and an accountant with the Economic Development Administration, respectively, have been instrumental in revitalizing the 4th Street corridor, separate from the Reno Redevelopment Agency’s $2 million redesign of the Riverwalk District.

But in spite of the queer boom, Reno lost its LGBT community center this year. LGBT community leaders are embracing the setback as a way to revitalize the community. They organized the Build Your Community Center group that is raising money for a new center and they are taking back Reno’s Pride from outside organizers, according to Reynoso and Jennifer Oxier, co-owner of Salon 7.

Paco Poli, editor and publisher of the Reno Gay Page, said that the center group will host a Pride Parade on August 14, the same day as a Pride festival. The event is being billed as a “green” parade, with no motorized vehicles.

Reno also hosts many activities and festivals throughout the summer and fall from July’s Artstown to Hot August Nights to September’s grand finale with the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off, Reno Air Races, and the Great Reno Balloon Race.

Reno visitors definitely won’t want to miss the monthly Wine Walk, every third Saturday, or the Reno Beer Crawl every fourth Saturday of the month.

Dishing it up Reno is becoming a foodie and wine and beer aficionados’ delight as the Biggest Little City in the World is bustling with gourmet restaurants, wine bars, and breweries. Reno’s gay and lesbian community is pulling up a seat to the table.

The Firehouse Grill and Deli, which opened in April, is one of the newest gay-owned restaurants.

Reynoso is a Reno restaurant veteran. He’s owned several eateries and a hotdog cart during the past six years.

Reynoso’s Firehouse Grill and Deli serves gourmet salads and sandwiches seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Reynoso plans to offer beer and wine by the fall.

Reynoso is putting a socially responsible spin on the menu with one of his sandwiches that he’s dubbed the “charity sandwich.” Proceeds from sandwich sales will be donated annually to select community-based organizations.

“My belief is that the more that you give the more people are more willing to give,” Reynoso said.

Not into drinking and gambling?

Reno offers sports enthusiasts many outdoor activities year-round, such as whitewater rafting down the Truckee River, hiking trails, rock climbing, and off-roading. There are 50 golf courses in the Reno-Tahoe area, not to mention snow boarding and skiing in the winter, water skiing in the summer, and more.

Plus, Lake Tahoe is only 45 minutes to an hour and a half drive away for travelers, depending on the destination at the lake. Many of Reno’s hotels provide complimentary shuttle

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service to some of the slopes during the winter and resorts during the summer, so ask about this service.

Mountain fun For the ultimate outdoor getaway, LGBT travelers might head to the mountains. Lake Tahoe is known for being a winter wonderland that plays host to Winterfest Gay Ski Week at Heavenly Ski Resort, which is in its 15th year, and the Blue Gay-La with its annual “Queen of the Mountain” drag race competition hosted at Blue Lake. But the summer is possibly the lake’s most active time of the year, according to locals.

South Lake Tahoe is also home of the American Century Championship, now in its 21st year. Organizers tout it as the longest running celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe. The charity tournament attracts up to 80 celebrities from film and sports. Within the past two decades it has raised more than $3

million for national and local charities, according to a June 1 news release. Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong organization, which seeks to improve the lives of cancer survivors, is the official tournament charity for the fifth consecutive year.

Tickets are available for the weeklong tournament event that takes place July 13-18. Prices range from $15 to $60, for more information, visit www.TahoeSouth.com.

The way to Tahoe Getting to Tahoe is easy. The drive through the mountains from Reno on Interstate 395, cutting through 431 to Highway 50 takes 45 minutes to the North Shore. Travelers coming from the San Francisco Bay Area should take Interstate 80 to Highway 50 to reach South Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is also accessible by plane, via RenoTahoe International Airport, or train, courtesy of Amtrak, from Emeryville to Truckee to a bus into South Lake Tahoe.

My girlfriend and I came over the mountain from Reno and stopped off at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Re-

sort, Spa and Casino in North Lake Tahoe. The gay-friendly resort is the only one directly on the lake and hosts Lake Tahoe’s only five star restaurant, the Lone Eagle Grille, where we enjoyed lunch.

Lake Tahoe offers a variety of dining pleasures, but mostly in South Lake Tahoe, which has options from French cuisine at Baxter’s Bistro at Northstar to Northern Italian at Cafe Fiore. For lighter fare check out Bite Restaurant and Lounge’s tapas and for brunch the place to be is at Beacon Bar and Grill, a lakeside hangout.

Like Reno, North Lake Tahoe doesn’t have any queer lodges, but Hyatt has rated a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for nearly a decade, according to the hotel’s corporate Web site. Hyatt also gives back to the local community, said Cory Baum, Hyatt’s associate director of sales, who gave us a tour.

Aside from the main lodge, the Hyatt offers cabins near the shore with communal fire pits, which are popular with guests, along with access to kayaks and other water sporting

gear and of course, a world class spa.

The Hyatt is also close to a variety of hiking trails, golf courses, horseback riding, and other outdoor activities. Guests can also take an extended walk to the Incline Village for dining and shopping.

North Lake Tahoe also recently became home to the new Ritz-Carlton Highlands in Truckee, California, for those looking for a more high-end lodging experience, but there are many options around the lake.

There aren’t any gay specific events happening at the lake during the summer, but queer summer vacationers looking for outdoor adventure can check out Tahoe Adventure Company for all the fun in the sun they can handle. Gay men looking for private sunning options can check out the East Shore’s Secret Cove, which is home to Lake Tahoe’s unofficial gay beach.

Community comfort Tahoe’s gay community is very small with no central place to socialize. Its only dance club, once located on the South Shore, closed four years ago and there is no bar or community center, said Sandy Myron, coowner of Inn the Pines with her partner, Theresa “Terry” Valdez.

Instead of bars and clubs, Lake Tahoe’s LGBT community hosts a bevy of gay and lesbian-owned and operated lodging including bed and breakfasts, guestrooms, rustic cabins, and condos for rent or to own, mostly in South Lake Tahoe.

Tahoe’s celebrity bed and breakfast is the Black Bear Inn. Owned by gay couple, Jerry Birdwell and Kevin Chandler, it has served as the set for popular shows such as the Bachelor, and HGTV’s Vacation Living. Birdwell, 67, is a bit of a celebrity himself.

The former Texas criminal defense attorney who was the first openly gay judge appointed by the late Governor Ann Richards to Dallas County’s 195th Judicial District Court in the 1990s hasn’t given up politics. Birdwell was elected mayor of the city of South Lake Tahoe in 2008. His term expires this November, according to the city’s Web site. Chandler, 48, is a former computer programmer.

The two men, who have been together for 20 years, retired from Texas to Lake Tahoe to build their dream bed and breakfast. They have created a cozy and plush eco-friendly lodge.

The bed and breakfast is geared toward couples, but is kid-friendly. Unfortunately, pets aren’t allowed.

There’s something special about being welcomed and served by the

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“San Francisco’s celebration of these events underscores its determination to preserve, protect and defend those civil rights which are guaranteed to our citizens a pledge that must be honored and strengthened by all San Franciscans, and by future generations in this city as well,” wrote Feinstein, now California’s senior U.S. senator.

Yet Feinstein’s supportive message couldn’t ward off attacks from the LGBT community during that year’s parade. She was a no-show at the march – a spokesman told reporters she canceled due to having a cold – but some suspected she was really trying to avoid the LGBT community’s still-simmering anger over the White Night riots from that May. Following the jury’s decision to give Milk and Moscone murderer Dan White a lesser sentence for the killings, the LGBT community erupted in violence that evening and burned police cars in front of City Hall. Gains, the city’s police chief, came under fire by his own officers for his handling of the event.

LGBT leaders hailed Gains’s decision to hold his officers back from fully confronting the rioters, while some criticized Feinstein at the time for offering lukewarm support to her police chief. Chants that Feinstein was

▼ mayor. Birdwell and Chandler are classy hosts. Don’t miss the wine and cheese welcome every day at 5 p.m. or the gourmet breakfasts Birdwell and Chandler cook and serve themselves for the up to 20 guests that stay either in the main lodge or the three cabins on the property.

“Everybody is happy when they come. Everyone is on vacation,” said Birdwell as Chandler nodded his head in agreement.

The latest lodging trend may be lesbian couple-owned and -operated guesthouses or rooms where locals dress up and rent out their spare rooms to guests. Inn the Pines is one of the latest examples that appears to be successful.

Myron, a former real estate professional, and Valdez, who works at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe, met soon after they each moved to Tahoe 30 years ago.

They built their home with the boutique guest suite in mind as an expression of their traveling preferences.

“I would much rather come here versus going to a sterile cold hotel. It’s a much nicer setting,” said Myron, who serves a wholesome breakfast to guests.

Myron told the Bay Area Reporter that their one guest room, which is a suite with a wet bar and private balcony on the first floor of their home, has been filled since they opened a year and a half ago.

For those who like cabin life, check out Holly’s Place, which is tucked away off the main drive through South Lake Tahoe on Rufus Allen Boulevard. This unmarked secluded lesbian-owned cluster of cabins encircled by a log wall has been a favorite for visitors since it opened two decades ago.

The once lesbian-only resting spot is now open to all guests, but memories of the lodge’s special place in lesbian history decorate the ceiling in owner Holly Eimer’s kitchen. For 20 years Eimer has photographed every guest that has stayed at Holly’s Place and added them to the collage above the entryway. Eimer, 60, an amateur lesbian historian, also likes to talk about her video collection of lesbians’ coming out stories that she’s gathered from guests over the years. Today, Eimer runs Holly’s Place with her partner, Karen Elizabeth, a professional photographer for nearly 30 years.

Holly’s Place is kid- and petfriendly with a recreation room filled with games, a flat screen TV with DVD player for movies, and space for socializing.▼

“on Dan White’s side” could be heard at that year’s Pride while the event’s co-host, author Armisted Maupin, joked from the stage that, “The mayor called in sick. She’s got gay flu.”

“Her relationship with Pride was rocky over the years,” recalled Glenne McElhinney, who was a member of the Pride committee from 1977 to 1984. “Pride’s relationship with all of the politicians in town was rocky given how volatile it was at that time.

We did not have a power base back then as we do now.”

Nor was it merely straight politicians who ended up in political hot water due to their involvement with Pride. After he was elected to the Santa Cruz City Council in the 1980s, John Laird took part in the San Francisco parade as well as his hometown’s own Pride march.

“It was hard to do at the beginning and we always had to have police protection,” Laird recalled of the early Santa Cruz Prides. “Back home I took some criticism for riding in the San Francisco parade. Some people were very upset at the time. They thought you can’t represent the city this way.”

Laird persevered and won re-election to the council. Now Santa Cruz Pride is the largest annual political gathering in Santa Cruz County every year, noted Laird, who is running this year for a state Senate seat representing the central coast.

“I have lived long enough to see a

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complete sea change in politics. We are not totally where we need to be yet but in my lifetime as a public official it is remarkable where we have come,” said Laird, who with Leno became the first out gay men to serve in the state Legislature when they were elected to the Assembly in 2002. “That is why it is important to be in the parade.”

Today politics and Pride are as connected as moms are to apple pies.

But just how political the parade should be has been a constant question Pride organizers and the LGBT community have wrestled with since the start of the gatherings. Following the 1974 event, when local gay bar owners faced criticisms for turning the parade into a showcase for drag queens and raunchy floats, organizers tried to steer the 1975 parade into a more political nature.

One lesbian told a Bay Guardian reporter at the time that the LGBT community is “marching more for rights than to put on a drag show or a leather show.” The alternative newsweekly noted in its story that year that Pride organizers “are trying to inject a little more of the spirit of Stonewall into San Francisco’s parade.

The San Francisco parade has traditionally been more campy and commercial.”

The debate over whether Pride should be a party or a political rally raged on into the early part of the1980s, with the community divided into two camps, recalled Linda Boyd, who was Pride co-chair in 1983 and 1984.

“It was an interesting time,” said Boyd, because the community was divided between people who were political – such as those who were in

Rick Gerharter

Parade’s purpose a matter of debate Then-Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, now a U.S. senator, rides in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade in 1989.

charge of the parade in the early 1980s – and others, such as people from the Tavern Guild society “who were more interested in just having a party and didn’t like the political stuff.”

“At that time, it was still pretty daring to be out at all,” added Boyd, 64.

“To me, it seemed like a political act to come out at that time.”

Questions regarding Pride’s purpose took on particular significance at that time due to the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic, which was killing off thousands of gay men. For many in the LGBT community it was no longer a time to party but a moment to demand more from political leaders who largely were ignoring the burgeoning medical crisis.

Kathy Knowles, who volunteered with Pride consistently from 1981 through 1992, said of the HIV epidemic, “It came to dominate the political aspirations of everyone. It overcame the idea of equal rights, and suddenly people were dying of an incurable disease, and the government wasn’t paying attention.”

Knowles, 56, said there was a conflict over whether the parade was a celebration or a political action.

“I think over the years it wanted to be both at the same time,” she said.

One example of how that affected the parade was in the late 1980s, when ACT UP contingents would frequently stage die-ins at various places, including in the middle of the parade, disrupting its flow.

That “caused problems for the people running the flow of the parade, and the health and safety people who had to keep things moving,” said Knowles, who added, “It wasn’t as though people were angry about that – they understood the significance.

But it was disruptive, to say the least, in a four-hour parade.”

According to an article in the 1981 parade guide by Ann Levy and Konstantin Berlandt, that year’s media cochairs, the previous year’s parade committee had voted to add speakers to the previously planned all-music program.

But four days later, the parade board overruled the general membership, editing lesbian activist Robin Tyler “and two others off the list, adding two names of their own and shortening times for all,” the story said.

The article stated, “The simple issue: Is the parade just entertainment, another day of dancing and being high, momentary happiness on the ragged edge of catastrophe? Or is it also a motion toward recovering our hopes and dreams?”

Despite being crossed off the list, Tyler came anyway.

In a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Tyler said a board cochair had apparently said “there was no need for politics anymore.”

There’d been the national March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (which Tyler said she’d called for in 1978), and Milk had become the first openly gay man to be elected to political office in a major U.S. city.

However, people from the community – Tyler thinks it was mostly lesbians – thought differently and invited her to speak. Tyler had emceed the parade before and was well known as an activist and a comic.

Supportive community members surrounded her as she walked to the

stage. Tyler said that when she spoke, “I said the same thing I’ve been saying, unfortunately, for 35 years.”

As she recalled it, she talked about how the community didn’t have any rights, how could there be pride without self-esteem, and how could there be self-esteem without continuing to fight for civil rights?

“I’d like to say it was me, but it really wasn’t me, it was the community that wanted to remain political,” said Tyler.

According to the 1981 article, parade security tossed Greg Day out of the press area behind the stage when he attempted to photograph “the flying wedge assault to the stage” of Tyler supporters in 1980, half of whom were wearing monitor T-shirts. The result was “a very confusing melee of monitors fighting monitors,” the article said.

In a recent interview with the B.A.R., Day, 65, said he was in the press area behind the main stage when a group of security monitors and others approached the main stage and prevented him from entering.

Day said the head of parade security told him to stop taking pictures, and he was escorted from the press area. People with the parade also threatened to take his camera, he said.

Day, who said the controversy was around women trying to participate more in the parade, said he subsequently asked the parade committee, “How can you be a civil rights organization and not uphold the freedom of the press and other rights?”

He said although he had “no interest in it,” he was nominated and then elected as co-chair.

Tyler didn’t recall seeing Day being escorted out, but noted she’d been busy speaking.

In the March 1982 issue of On Parade, a publication put together by people associated with the parade, Barbara Cameron indicated controversy over if and how to include speakers remained contentious.

Cameron, who’d served as a 1981 co-chair with Day, wrote that one problem was that “Many people have consistently pointed out that by 3 p.m. the crowd is too restless (and certainly high) to care about hearing speeches.”

By the start of the 1980s there was no question in the minds of local politicians that they needed to have a presence at the parade or be involved somehow, if only through an advertisement in the Pride guides. It may have still been a party atmosphere on the streets but Pride offered a platform for politicians few other events in San Francisco could match.

Watershed moment In hindsight 1980 was a watershed year in which the relationship between Pride and political leaders seems to have been forever cemented.

For in addition to letters from Feinstein and openly gay Supervisor Harry Britt, who had replaced Milk on the board, was a proclamation from then-Governor Jerry Brown (who is now running for a third term as governor) and a full-page advertisement from Congressman Philip Burton.

Tom Ammiano, today a state Assemblyman, that year sought support for his school board campaign. In all

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Dunning brings conviction to DADT repeal effort s the Senate soon begins its deliberations on repealing the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the armed forces, the military service record of the Bay Area’s out retired Navy commander belies everything repeal detractors have to say.

Until her retirement three years ago, Commander Zoe Dunning was

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the only openly gay service member serving her country. She not only fought but also prevailed in her discharge procedures, while continuing to serve throughout a two-and-a-half year legal battle in the mid-1990s.

Dunning is one of the celebrity grand marshals in Sunday’s San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade. Her presence in the parade is likely to continue the spotlight on the federal

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, just as it did last year with the participation in the parade of Army Lieutenant Dan Choi, who also was a celebrity grand marshal.

Altogether, Dunning, 45, served as an openly gay naval officer for 13 years, a distinction no one else can claim.

Meanwhile, DADT defenders say someone like Dunning somehow undermines military readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruitment and retention.

But Dunning’s experience – like other out service members, some currently stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan – tells an entirely different story.

“Coming out didn’t hurt [unit cohesion, morale, good order and discipline] at all,” she said recently in a phone interview. “In fact it helped. I no longer had to hide who I was. I began to socialize with unit members where I didn’t before because I was too afraid something would slip out of my mouth about the fact I was a lesbian or about what I had done over the weekend.”

Initially, Dunning said, fellow unit members – she served as a Naval Reserve supply corps officer at a naval aviation rework facility, located in Alameda – were surprised about her decision to come out. “‘Hey, you’re a great unit member and shipmate, why would you put yourself at risk, unnecessary risk,’” she said, recalling her colleagues’ reactions.

But over time, “They were just fine with [my being out],” Dunning said.

Better yet, “I was able to relax, without having to worry that I was going to lose my career and retirement.”

A funny thing happened on the way to Dunning’s stellar, 22-year career: The units she commanded con-

Navy Commander Zoe Dunning speaks at her retirement ceremony that was held June 2, 2007 aboard the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda.

tinued to get commendations, while Dunning continued to earn medals and promotions, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, as well as the Commendation Medal. In fact, the Navy promoted her twice. Ironically, she learned of her promotion to lieutenant commander between one of her two discharge proceedings.

Then a lieutenant, Dunning came out publicly as a lesbian at a 1993 rally in support of Keith Meinhold, who was kicked out of the Navy after he outed himself during a prime time television program. The rally was held outside the gates of Moffett Field near Sunnyvale. Off-handedly, organizers asked her if she would like to speak.

“I began to run over and over in my mind, what would I say if I were to say something,” Dunning said. “In working out a speech in my head, it was important to me to give voice to my experience. I had a good record to go on, a Naval Academy graduate and

law so that gays and lesbians who wanted to serve in the military could have the opportunity,” Dunning explained.

And yet, she added, “My legal victory was bittersweet. It enabled me to serve, but I was not able to go into federal court and challenge the constitutionality of the law.”

Today, Dunning continues working to bring about positive change. For a good part of the last two decades, she has served on the board of directors of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an organization providing moral support and legal services to members of the armed forces affected

by DADT. Since 2006, she has served as board co-chair.

“The SLDN board is another way for me to make a difference,” Dunning said.

And that she has, said SLDN Executive Director Aubrey Sarvis, who praised her “extraordinary dedication to get rid of ‘Don’t, Ask, Don’t Tell.’”

Jane

by Chuck Colbert

After all these years trying to influence decision makers, I want to be a decision maker – Zoe Dunning Stanford MBA. If they are going to kick me out, that speaks to how stupid this policy is.”

Within a 36-hour period, Dunning made up her mind, and decided to speak.

“The rest is history,” she said.

In fact, as recounted by Tom Carpenter, a speaker at Dunning’s 2007 retirement ceremony, the navy took “immediate action that led to a two-year struggle.” Her defense, Carpenter said, was saying that her sexual orientation was not conduct but was status.

The Navy, not surprisingly, quickly issued a memo stating that defense “would never work again,” Carpenter said, “but left Zoe in the service.”

Dunning came out at a time before such widespread attention was paid to the DADT policy. Today, about 78 percent of the American public supports gays and lesbians being able to serve openly in the military. The issue is currently widely discussed in the mainstream media. President Barack Obama addressed DADT in his State of the Union address in January. “This year,” he said, “I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.”

Dunning said she hoped to help change the policy when she came out.

“The whole reason for coming out was to make a difference, to change the

“She inspires me ever day,” Sarvis said.

Altogether, Dunning said, she is both “optimistic” and “impatient” now, with the Senate poised for action.

Last month the Senate Armed Services Committee passed an amendment repealing DADT as part of the Pentagon’s budget. The House of Representatives also approved the amendment.

The full Senate is expected to take up the matter soon.

Still, “It’s frustrating that everyday somebody is getting fired because of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” she said, referring to the fact that the policy remains in force.

Dunning’s impatience may well propel her to run for public office.

“I am currently going through training with Emerge,” she said, referring to an organization that prepares Democratic women who wish to run for elective office.

“After all these years trying to influence decision makers, I want to be a decision maker,” Dunning said.

Although not yet sure what office she might seek, Dunning explained her motivation by quoting openly gay Missouri state Senator Jolie Justus, who Dunning, with a chuckle, credits with this line: “I always say if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.”

Added Dunning, “Part of me wants to be at that table.”▼

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2010 June 26, 1988:

Mayor Art Agnos, shown here in the 1987 parade as he campaigned for mayor, became the first San Francisco mayor to appear in the parade.

The parade started in the Castro for the first time.

Bill Wilson

Rick Gerharter

June 26, 1988:

Former Ambassador James C. Hormel, right, joins House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and his partner, Michael Nguyen, left, at the Equality California reception on the eve of Harvey Milk Day May 21.

Hormel serves as Lifetime Achievement grand marshal

by Seth Hemmelgarn he San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee has named a groundbreaking diplomat as this year’s 2010 Lifetime Achievement grand marshal.

Former Ambassador James C. Hormel was the first openly gay person to hold the diplomatic post when he served in Luxembourg.

“It’s lovely,” Hormel, 77, said of the Pride recognition. “I don’t quite know what to say. There are a lot of

T

work, Hormel is active in Democratic politics. He was with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) when she spoke to leaders at the LGBT Community Center on the eve of Harvey Milk day last month.

“I know Speaker Pelosi is here for us and will do what is possible in this Congress to move us forward,” Hormel told the crowd.

Hormel said the LGBT community needs to remain vigilant.

“What continues to be important is that we remind ourselves that we

Maybe my lifetime is a little longer than some others.

–James Hormel people who have achieved a lot of things in their lifetimes, and I’m very honored.”

He added, “Maybe my lifetime is a little longer than some others,” and he recalled the people who are “no longer with us.”

Those people “might be leaders if they had survived the pandemic,” he said, referring to AIDS, which wiped out a generation of gay men.

For many years, Hormel has been a philanthropist and has generously supported LGBT and social justice organizations. The James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at the San Francisco Public Library is named after him. He is an heir to the Hormel meatpacking fortune.

Hormel, whose partner is library commissioner Michael Nguyen, lives in San Francisco. Hormel was previously a Pride community grand marshal in 2005.

He attended his first San Francisco Pride more than 30 years ago, and said the parade and celebration have “taken on a different meaning as time has passed.”

Hormel said initially the event was meant to demonstrate LGBTs’ presence, especially politically.

Unlike in the parade’s early days, today “there’s really a critical mass of gay and lesbian elected officials around the country, in small and large states and small and large cities,” said Hormel.

In addition to his philanthropic

are worthy of first-class citizenship, that we have not yet received it, and that it is not going to be just given to us, and that we must pursue it,” Hormel said.

Hormel added, “I think that the parade serves to remind us of a lot of things about ourselves, that we are all-inclusive, that we encompass all aspects of our society, and that things that we do matter in this universe.

We sometimes need to remind ourselves because the general public isn’t so likely to just volunteer that information.”

Hormel’s diplomatic path wasn’t easy. In 1999, then-President Bill Clinton appointed him as the country’s ambassador to Luxembourg during a recess of the Senate, which had refused to confirm Hormel due to his sexual orientation.

Hormel went on to serve with distinction until 2001. Since then, there have been two other openly gay ambassadors. Michael Guest was appointed by President George W. Bush as ambassador to Romania; he resigned in 2007. Last year, President Barack Obama named David Huebner ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa.

Hormel remains active in other projects as well.

Currently, Hormel said, “I’m still working on a book which will relate to my own experience in trying to get through the Senate confirmation process for ambassadorial appoint-

ment.”

He said he also continues to be “very much involved in philanthropic and political activities, mainly around issues of social justice,” although LGBT issues are a “primary” concern.▼

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At the height of the AIDS epidemic, the San Francisco Pride guide included this racy ad from the SF AIDS Foundation urging gay men to wear a condom.

The state Supreme Court’s May 15 decision legalizing same-sex marriage led to a “magical” SF Pride Parade, by which time couples had started marrying in the Golden State. Some, like Keith and Eric Evans from Reno, marched in the 2008 Pride Parade.

GLBT Historical Society Archive

June 26, 1988:

2010

Rick Gerharter

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Growth

Ken Jones was co-chair of the Pride board in 1984.

ly changed officially in December 1994, he wrote.

Celebration continues to thrive Since its beginning, the Pride celebration has seen plenty of turmoil from both inside and out of the LGBT community.

One recent challenge the LGBT community has faced is the battle over same-sex marriage.

At one upswing in that battle, the California Supreme Court ruled in May 2008 that same-sex couples have the right to marry in the state.

In the Pride parade the next month, shortly after same-sex couples began getting legally married, many couples celebrated by marching.

The joy was short-lived, however.

In November 2008, the state’s voters passed Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Prop 8 was upheld by the state Supreme Court in May 2009.

(Closing arguments in a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Proposition 8 were heard in San Francisco last week. A ruling is expected with-

Courtesy Dominique Leslie

However, Leslie said, “For transgender people, we may or may not be gay. Some of us are queer-identified, some of us are not.”

She recalled that others were “just afraid that what gains they had gotten for their own community would be taken away by another community.”

Leslie indicated the discussion didn’t hit her hard.

“I developed a pretty thick skin early on, so I don’t really take things like that personally,” she said.

In a celebration guide in the GLBT Historical Society’s archives, Dennis McMillan wrote that the Freedom Day committee had held a town hall meeting in January 1994 to discuss a possible name change.

According to McMillan’s story, 44 percent wanted to add bisexual and transgender to the name, 37 percent had “totally new names in mind,” and 18 percent wanted to keep the current name.

He wrote that someone from ACT UP said bisexual and transgender people were lesbian and gay, so there was no need for a name change.

“Others believed the name was already long enough and entirely appropriate as is,” McMillan said in his piece.

However, the name was eventual-

Courtesy Ken Jones

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Dominique Leslie served on the Pride Committee board in the mid1990s.

in weeks, and the matter is widely expected to reach the U.S.. Supreme Court.)

Regardless of what’s going on around the community, the celebration is always a big task to pull off.

Teddy Witherington, 48, became the Pride Committee’s first executive director in 1997. The consensus was that it would be good to have someone working full-time throughout the year to organize the celebration.

Witherington, who is gay, came from London Pride.

“There are always challenges,”

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more than a dozen elected people and candidates for office used the Pride guide as a tool to promote their campaigns. In the parade that year eight politicians or people running for office had contingents, a record number back then.

And the Pride Parade and festival also became a platform to wage public education campaigns about LGBT rights issues and pressure the federal government to take action. The 1981 Pride Committee utilized that year’s event to fight a federal policy that could deny foreign visitors from entering the United States based solely on their sexual orientation.

The week prior to the June march that year Pride leaders invited two gay foreign participants to take part, British musician Tom Robinson and Ignacio Alvarez, an activist from Mexico. The decision led to a court victory, with a U.S. District Court judge in Northern California issuing an injunction against the anti-gay ban on foreign lesbian and gay male visitors.

Calls for action on AIDS increasingly became part of Pride’s message and focus. Feinstein’s mayoral welcome in 1983 was solely about what she described as “a poorly understood and often deadly set of diseases impacting the gay community with particular severity.” She called for a “strong show of solidarity from all people, an outpouring of community caring and a united demand for adequate research funds from the federal government.”

In 1987 lesbian comedian Kate Clinton attacked then-President Ronald Reagan’s handling of the AIDS epidemic in a piece she wrote in the Pride guide that year.

“The health of a nation? Forget it.

The Reagan administration continues to move on the AIDS crisis with speed that can best be described as just north of glacial,” wrote Clinton.

It was another example of how Pride had become a way to showcase

said Witherington. “How can there not be challenges when you don’t have a dress rehearsal and you have to get 200 community groups from one end of San Francisco to the other? But the challenges really pale in comparison to the joys and the successes.”

Whatever the challenges, Ken Jones, a 1984 co-chair, said he hopes “the brave people” in the Stonewall riots are never forgotten.

“We must never forget why we gather,” said Jones, 60. “It’s significant that we gather to celebrate people who got tired of being harassed by the police, and they said ‘Enough is enough,’ and I hope that we never ever forget that struggle.”

The excitement the celebration generates should help people remember the work it’s taken to get through the last 40 years, and the work that remains to be done.

McElhinney, the former co-chair, said she’s ridden with Dykes on Bikes every year since the late 1970s.

Even after all these years, when she hears the roar of the hundreds of motorcycles, “my heart still races, it still races, every [last] Sunday in June ... I’m as excited then as I was my very first one.”▼ This year’s Pride celebration, with the theme “40 and Fabulous,” will be Saturday, June 26 to Sunday, June 27. For more information, visit www.sfpride.org.

the LGBT community’s anger with certain political leaders. The 1983 Pride guide ran a blank page to protest former Republican Governor George Deukmejian’s refusal to issue a Pride proclamation as his predecessor Brown had done.

The state’s GOP leader came under more criticism during the 1984 Parade following his veto of a state bill that would have banned LGBT discrimination in the workplace. The bill’s authors, Agnos and Marks, were invited to address the crowd from the stage that year.

Even after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger became the first Republican governor to issue Pride proclamations, it wasn’t without controversy. His vetoes of gay marriage bills were greeted with rebuttals to his Pride messages.

The other side of the coin has also manifested itself during various Pride celebrations. The 1985 celebration is believed to be the first time when a United States Senator addressed a Pride audience. The milestone belonged to Alan Cranston, a Democrat who represented California in the Senate from 1969 to 1993. And in 1998 President Bill Clinton became the first president to issue a Pride proclamation, with his vice president, Al Gore, following suit a year later.

The political issues of the day – and those who hold public office –will likely continue to shape whether Pride feels more like a political rally versus an outdoor block party for years to come.

“It has always been there and will always be there. It is exactly how it should be. Our community sits on the horns of this dilemma about assimilation or liberation. Pride is a manifestation of that,” said Teddy Witherington, Pride’s executive director between 1998 and 2005. “It is good and healthy that discussion, that difference of opinion is alive and well, especially alive and well within Pride. The day it isn’t is the day we really should be afraid.”▼ Seth Hemmelgarn contributed to this story.

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Main stage

learned they had a Bay Area gig lined up in June of that year, he invited them to also play Pride.

“They are wonderful people.

They said sure. They did an acoustic set,” recalled Witherington.

He said for many artists performing isn’t about the money, and therefore, Pride’s lack of funds to lure top talent to San Francisco could be overcome.

“Really, it is a question of knowing what is important for the performer. It is not really about money.

At a certain point it is about the ex-

BIKE SAN FRANCISCO’S HYSTORICAL GAY BAY TRAIL

perience,” he said. “People go on stage for a reason; it is about getting that experience with the audience and a San Francisco audience is a great audience. There is also a certain energy you get from a big audience at a live, free, outdoor event.”

Teaming up with Joseph, who at the time owned Club Townsend, which was home to world famous weekly gay dance parties Saturday and Sunday nights, also helped Pride land big name acts. Joseph would book them to perform at her club, thus helping offset the cost of hav-

Jane Philomen Cleland

well-known artists.

Andy Bell of Erasure, who will play Sunday, first performed at Pride in 1990. Gay pop punk band Pansy Division often played their hometown’s Pride during the decade. In 1996 Martha Wash shared the stage with local acts.

Then came a seismic shift in the approach to the main stage lineup with the hiring in 1997 of former Pride Executive Director Teddy Witherington, who had run London’s Pride festival during the first half of the 1990s. Witherington came onboard with the express purpose to land top talent each year for San Francisco’s Pride.

“Definitely, it was one of the things I think the San Francisco Pride Committee found attractive about me. I definitely had a track record of being able to work with and secure entertainment at very little or no cost,” recalled Witherington, now the executive director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

One of his first big gets was Chumbawamba, a British group who broke onto the American charts in 1997 with its hit “Tubthumping.”

Witherington knew them from his days across the pond, and when he

Pride main stage producer Audrey Joseph has worked with new and emerging talent over the years.

Courtesy Audrey Joseph

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Pansy Divison’s Chris Freeman performs during the band’s set at the 2007 Pride festival.

ing sought after talent perform on Pride’s main stage.

“Everyone could get something out of it: the audience, the club, Pride, the performer. Everyone was happy,” Witherington said. “Audrey is a pro and it was fabulous working with her.”

Joseph has one overriding stipulation for anyone not a drag queen who performs at Pride.

“There has never been anyone who lip synced. No one is allowed to lip sync on my stage,” said Joseph.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26TH 2010 • 2:00PM - 5:00PM

• BEGINS AT CUPID’S ARROW - EMBARCADERO @ FOLSOM AND MEANDERS AROUND THE CITY TO THE CASTRO •

Memorable moments The collaboration between Pride and Joseph led to some memorable moments, such as when Lauper sang for Pride and then did a gig at Joseph’s club where she came out dressed in a bear costume. Pointer Sisters June and Bonnie disappeared for a time with the limo Pride had provided them when they came to sing in 2003.

After Joseph’s club closed in 2002, it became harder to find a financially feasible way to lure big name acts to play Pride.

“When the club closed there wasn’t anyone in the community willing to take on that expense,” said Joseph.

“Now Pride has to foot the bill on its own. And because our Pride is a free event, I have to haggle and wheel and deal to get any talent to come.”

Some of the bigger stars will likely remain out of reach for San Francisco Pride. Joseph said her wish list has included Queen Latifah, Pink, and Melissa Etheridge.

“Even if a star like that played for free, their riders are more money than we have,” she said, referring to certain provisions a performer will ask for in their contract.

Witherington came close to booking several big name acts, such as Boy George, the Pet Shop Boys, Sinead O’Connor, and Liza Minnelli, who performs in Livermore tonight (Thursday, June 24). But he said something always derailed the negotiations and prevented them from committing to play Pride.

“It is almost like a planetary alignment. It has to be the right year, the right schedule; you have to get the right airline sponsor and hotel.

If all these pieces fall into place it kind of happens,” said Witherington.

As the LGBT community has come of age over the last 40 years, it has proven to be a tastemaker when it comes to popular culture. Therefore, reasons Joseph, it is to a recording artist’s advantage to target the queer community.

“These big stars pander to the straight community. It is about time they pander to us,” she said.

The supportive feeling can be mutual for both the LGBT community, buoyed by seeing international stars coming out for their gay fans, and the artists themselves, who are at times hounded by the entertainment press and welcome the adulation.

“The same way gay people put up with all the things they put up with in society is similar to what we share.

The comparison is when it comes to music community people who shun us. They try to shut us down; they don’t want to hear us no more or the music we do,” said the Backstreet Boys’ Carter. “It has nothing to do with our music. It is just an image in their mind that is just unfortunate.

It is just how people are.

“We hear it all the time, people making fun of us by saying Backstreet Boys is gay music. You can kiss our ass,” added Carter. “We have a gay following and gay fans as well.

We are just going to do what we have been doing and create music that is happy for all genres and all types of people.”▼

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We’re here & queer, we watch TV

Chorus of LGBT Pride

Sayonara, Sweetie!

So how come there are so few regular LGBT characters on series on the lavender tube?

The 32nd annual Pride Concert kicks off festivities.

Sweet Lips bids a fond farewell to loyal readers of his column.

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James Franco as Allen Ginsberg in Howl.

Best

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minds of our gay

generation Four features from the last weekend of Frameline 34 ~ by David Lamble ~

our films playing in the final days of Frameline 34, the San Francisco International LGBT Festival, deserve our attention: Howl Directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman take some artistic risks and liberties as they embed us inside the mind of a mad homo poet, the 29-year-old Allen Ginsberg – played with a saucy élan by quick-change artist James Franco, a casting choice that the late poet, who liked to recall himself as a cute boy, would most definitely have given a hearty ommmm to.

According to biographer Barry Miles, in August 1955, stung by a recent

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Scenes from

LGBT lives

Documentaries from Frameline 34, week 2 ~ by David Lamble ~ ome choices from documentaries screening in Frameline 34: Lost in the Crowd In Susi Graf ’s beautifully lensed, heartbreakingly candid portrait of a handful of queer runaways barely making it on the streets of Manhattan, a trans-identified biological boy from Utah stands out. A self-confessed “freak” who traded the sheltered life of a rich sissy-kid for the hand-to-mouth existence of a part-time sex worker, and who alternates tricks with episodes of petty theft, Kimy is remarkably grounded and brutally honest. He muses about a sex change paid for by work as a fashion designer, but by the end of our visit, the graceful, longhaired teen with Native American features has used three years of street life to redefine his goals. Completing a truck-driving course (his instructor says

Courtesy Frameline

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Scene from Lost in the Crowd.

Briefly,

recommended

Selections from Frameline 34 shorts, week 2 ~ by David Lamble ~ ighlights from the second week of shorts programming at Frameline 34: Deep Red Showing the depth of terrific Jewish and specifically Israeli material at Frameline 34, Eddie Tapero’s morally challenging short finds two lovely Tel Aviv citizens building their honeymoon nestegg. They’re saving up to start a new life together in Berlin, and their fast-buck scheme is to have the curly-haired, doe-eyed Gur (Yedidia Vital) perform as a high-priced S/M call-boy for horny old men while boyfriend Yuval (Oshri Sahar) strips their flats of plasma screens and computers. One night, while their latest victim Avner (Sharon Alexander) is tied up in the bedroom, Yuval mounts Gur in the living room.

Scene from Deep Red.

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Petticoat junction rameline 34, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, kicked off last Thursday night at the Castro Theatre with the based-on-fact tale The Secret Diaries

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of Miss Anne Lister. The film proved to be sort of a lesbian Masterpiece Theatre set in Regency England, with plenty of girl-on-girl action to get the Castro crowd’s juices flowing. Sample pickup line from Miss Lister: “Are you fond of Byron?”

Spotted in the good-looking

crowd at the Opening Night Gala, an afterparty at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society: Lister director James Kent and star Maxine Peake, festival directors K.C. Price and Jennifer Morris, Marc Huestis, Karen Larsen, Adam Sandel, Sandip Roy, K.M. Soehnlein, Lawrence Helman, Leslie Katz, and oh so many more LGBT film-lovers. Thanks to Frameline for making the gay press a part of it all.

Questions for further study: (1) Is it true that in lesbian films, all the men are portrayed as ugly, grotesque, or some combination thereof?

(2) Did the BBC have to tally up a “nipple count” before airing Miss Anne Lister during primetime in the UK? (3) Were the petticoats in early19th century Britain really that easy to get a hand wedged up into while fondling your lovely lass against a tree trunk? If so, whatever did 19thc. laddies wear underneath their breeches, and was it as yielding?

Greasepaint & sweat Here’s a tip for a good time: The Dynamite Show is a song-and-dance revue starring the clown troupe Fou Fou Ha!, playing at Brava Theater Center through June 26. It’s a burlesque romp directed by Maya Culbertson-Lane with music by Ryan Beebe, leading the Gomorrans Social Aide and Pleasure Club band. At last Friday night’s opening, the audience was every bit as boisterous as the clowning onstage, with the Fous cavorting in Day-Glo fight-wigs and spangled, corseted costumes, supplied with plenty of “booty pop.”

Find tickets at www.brava.org.

Two words on the free screenings of World Cup matches that have been showing on a giant screen in Civic Center: man magnet. At last week’s midday France vs. Mexico match, we detected not much Gallic flair, but plenty of Latino beef on the hoof.

Neighborhood watch “KQED is gayer than ever, and we want to honor our community O UT in the biggest way we’ve ever done,” said the station’s Scott Walton. “To close out Pride Month, we have rented the Castro Theatre and will be screening our award-winning doc The Castro for free. The 90-minute documentary

The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister director James Kent and star Maxine Peake enjoy the Frameline 34 opening-night party.

tells the dramatic story of how a quiet corner of San Francisco became the cornerstone of a movement and an international symbol of gay liberation.” The Castro screens at the Castro Theatre on Tues., June 29, 6:308:30 p.m., free.

Tickets: kqed.org/castroscreening or castrodocumentary.eventbrite.com.

Cruise control: In celebration of San Francisco Pride, the Red and White Fleet has launched a dedicated evening Bay cruise during Pride weekend. LGBT passengers will enjoy soaking up twilight views of San Francisco during the twoand-a-half-hour sail, complete with appetizer T HERE buffet, DJ music and dancing, one complimentary beverage, plus a cash bar ($68 per person, with a $5 donation to SF Pride from each ticket).

The cruises are scheduled for the evenings of Sat., June 26 & Sun., June 27, from 8-10:30 p.m. For information and reservations, call (415) 6732900 or visit www.redandwhite.com .

Steven Underhill

by Roberto Friedman

Rumor mill Did you catch that interview with Swedish soccer star Freddie Ljungberg in the New York Times Magazine? It’s the one where he says, “There’s been a gay rumor for a long time. I don’t mind at all. I am proud of that. I love fashion, and I think many gay people have amazing style.

So that it’s a compliment to me.” Aw shucks, that’s real swell of him.

He also remarks, “I was an underwear model for Calvin Klein for a few years. It is not something I wanted to do at first. I never regretted it, but I am a shy person, and to stand there buck naked in front of a camera was scary.” If you’ve seen the CK ads – and OT has one looming over our desk – you know: he don’t look scared.

If there’s one thing OT doesn’t find scary, it’s LGBT Pride. For years, we thought “pride” was a weird thing to associate with our sexuality: it goeth before the fall, after all. But now we realize we are proud of being queer, because it makes us all the more perverse. But then, we aspire to become a cartoon character.▼

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THEATRE

Mix-n-match musicals Best of Broadway’s 2010-11 season in SF

by Richard Dodds he presenters of the Best of Broadway series across the country are retailers who get their products from serious businessman who still have to believe in fairies. Unlike ordering up a new line of towels for Target, which will get made whatever the mood is that day in a factory in China, Broadway producers must sprinkle the fairy dust on the creators of their merchandise hoping that it will mysteriously gel the talent, timing, inspiration, and ego that has no recipe book for success.

Since the main ingredients in a series that calls itself Best of Broadway are, by definition, the best of Broadway, the viewing of the recent Tony Awards suggests a sputtering pipeline as the scramble begins to package future seasons for the road. Memphis, which won the best-musical award, is not exactly a must-see hit around which a five- or six-show season can be built, and surely heads are being scratched over what to do with American Idiot. Interestingly, one of the first shows of the just-completed Broadway season to announce a national tour is the critically unacclaimed The Addams Family, with its lack of Tony nominations providing some grittedteeth comic repartee for stars Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth. But when the box office didn’t flounder after the largely lethal reviews – apparently the show leaves enough audiences sufficiently satisfied – and coupled with the highly recognizable Addams Family brand name, whoosh, the tour was announced three weeks after the show opened on Broadway.

While The Addams Family is not

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part of the just-announced 2010-11 Best of Broadway season for San Francisco, the increasingly difficult mixand-match dynamics of assembling tour seasons, most always made up of musicals, are clear to see. (With Wicked closing its long run in September, the Orpheum will again be available, good news for more intimate shows that didn’t deserve the fate of the Golden Gate when the Curran wasn’t available.)

The season is anchored, at its tail, with a blockbuster. Billy Elliot will have been on the road for 18 months when it arrives at the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 13, 2011, but will undoubtedly be welcomed with the cheers that have stretched around the globe. It’s based on the 2000 movie about a gawky kid from a mining town in northern England who discovers he loves ballet, to the astonishment and frustration of friends and family. Elton John wrote the music, Lee Hall the book and lyrics, Stephen Daldry directed, and Peter Darling created the choreography. All won Tony Awards, as did the trio of young actors who alternate in the role of Billy.

The 2010-11 season will open with less stellar fare, a case of a critically and commercially unsuccessful musical rating a tour thanks, largely, to the family-friendly familiarity of its title: Shrek the Musical, opening Dec. 1 at the Orpheum. Shrek was a non-Disney Disney musical that put in the flesh (and rubbery costumes) the characters from the 2001 animated feature about an ogre, a princess, and their retinues.

Songs are by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire, and Lindsay-Abaire also adapted the fairy-tale plot.

Next to Normal, opening June 25 at the Curran, is the prestige item of the season. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, its story, centering on bipolar disease, is an unlikely choice for a Broadway musical. But critics appreciated the gutsy subject and innovative approach when it opened on Broadway in 2009, and local audiences will get to see Alice Ripley recreate her Tony Award-winning performance as a wife and mother whose moods and treatments must be integrated into the family’s suburban homelife. Brian Yorkey wrote the book and lyrics, with music by Tom Kite, and Michael Greif (Rent) the director.

It could be Mickey and Judy putting on a show to save the old theater, but in Rock of Ages, opening

Brian D’Arcy James and Sutton Foster were the stars of Shrek the Musical when it opened on Broadway.

Joan Marcus

In Billy Elliot, capping the upcoming Best of Broadway season, an 11-yearold boy (Trent Kowalik in a scene from the Broadway production) finds a new world beyond a dreary life through dance.

Alice Ripley will be recreating her Tony Award-winning role as a wife and mother with bipolar disease in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal.

March 8 at the Orpheum, the hair is high, the leather tight, and electric guitar riffs endless. It’s the 1980s’ turn at the jukebox-musical format, and its hit parade draws on the songs of Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, and Whitesnake.

The New York Times called it “Xanadu for straight people – and straightfriendly people, too” in its guilty-pleasure review. Constantine Maroulis, a runner-up on American Idol when that meant something, is continuing in his Broadway role as the Mickey Rooney-type who saves the day with pluck and a mullet.

Well, some show had to wind up at the old barn known as the Golden Gate, and it turns out to be the least likely to belong there. But maybe in its first theatrical national tour, Blue Man Group, opening May 26, has upped the ante in its wordless tribute to the theatrically creative use of drums of DayGlo paint, rolls of toilet tissue, sacks of marshmallows, and a pliant audience.

Since 1991, Blue Man Group, three guys with blue heads, has made a small off-Broadway theater its home. There is also a Las Vegas version, and there was even an arena tour a few years back that played the HP Pavilion. Now that must have used up a lot of marshmallows.▼ Subscriptions ($155-$555) to the five-show season are now on sale at www.shnsf.com and (888) 746-1799.

Joan Marcus

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THEATRE

Lessons learned

by Richard Dodds ne of the more popular meaning-of-life encapsulations is that the bumpy ride is what it’s all about, and that the perceived all-important destination is about as significant as a dart thrown by a blind man on a desert isle. So many good and important dramatic works end up with variations on clichés (be true to yourself, love is the answer, you can’t run away from yourself), but we are willing to hear them again if they come as the conclusion of a story that takes us there in a fresh and insightful way. Stephen Karam’s Speech & Debate is a modest example of this premise, that even well-grooved philosophies are enjoyable to revisit if the playwright provides us with an investment in his characters’ manner of discovery.

The intimate Aurora Theatre, at which the actors are surrounded by the audience on three sides, is an excellent venue for Karam’s almost dainty drama of three high-schoolers scampering about trying to save the world, or a pinhead version of it that they have magnified. First seen in New York only three years ago, the play uses the now-quaint Internet technology where AOL chat rooms are the go-to place for pick-ups.

While online portability has radically changed, we still get the idea of teens tethered to lumpy desktops in their bedrooms as they snoop, rant, romance, and spin an electronic lasso that can anonymously wrangle up whatever they want.

For the smirky Diwata, definitely not one of the cool chicks, her dream is a theatrical career unchained by those nuisances known as traditions.

Over-eager Solomon has decided the school newspaper is his steppingstone to a mantle place filled with

Jayne Deely and Maro Guevara perform a musical combining the Salem Witchcraft Trials and Abraham Lincoln in a scene from Speech & Debate at the Aurora Theatre.

Pulitzers. And every-nerd Howie, who just sorta wants to get laid, is swept up into a three-person A-Team in which the conspirators feed on one another to fulfill their own agendas.

Much of the charm of the play is that nothing really much happens, at least not in terms of the drama teacher’s nervous interest in his male students that becomes the centerpiece of a grand inquisition that never happens. The laughs come from the recognizably fumbling passions they possess, presented at just the right temperature by director Robin Stanton. There is a lesson learned for each of the characters, nothing overtly dramatic except, possibly, for the sexually hammereddown Solomon, who takes a big step and creates his first screen name.

And then there are all the play’s oddball delights, of Howie’s primitively illustrated gay version of Cain killing Abel, or a scene of Diwata’s

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musical that mashes up the Salem Witchcraft Trials with an Abe Lincoln who’s a little light in his Size 14’s.

Maro Guevara, Jason Frank, and Jayne Deely all are believably young yet mature in their theatrical delivery.

Holli Hornlein effectively completes the cast in a dual role of a teacher trying to tamp down scandalous material in the school paper, and an outside reporter happy to stir it up.

And for a musical-comedy fan, how can you not embrace a show that offers up a dirge for Mary Rodgers over changes the Salem High School is planning to make to Once Upon a Mattress? “Rest in peace, Mary,” Diwata publishes on her blog, “whether it be in a grave or on your living room couch.”▼ Speech & Debate will run at the Aurora Theatre through July 18.

Tickets are $34-$45. Call (510) 8434822 or go to www.auroratheatre.org.

Check out the Bay Area Reporter online at:

www.ebar.com

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BOOKS

Guilt-free love between males Revisiting the historical novels of Mary Renault

by Tavo Amador he recent death of classical historian Dr. Kenneth J, Dover (1920-2010) focused welcomed attention on his landmark work, Greek Homosexuality (1978), which proved beyond doubt that same-sex male relationships in ancient Greece were physical as well as spiritual. He demolished Victorian and Edwardian claims that those pederastic relationships did not involve sex between the older man (usually in his early 20s) and the boy, whose age ranged from 12 to 17.

Sex was an integral part of those socially accepted – indeed, idealized – relationships, and Dover’s evidence, including written sources and pornographic paintings on pottery, proved the case conclusively. His equally influential counterpart in fiction was lesbian Mary Renault (1905-83), who made such relationships central to her best-selling and acclaimed novels set in classical Greece.

Born in England, she earned a degree in English from St. Hugh’s College, Oxford, and in 1933 began working as a nurse at Radcliff Infirmary, where she met another nurse, Julie Mullard, with whom she formed a lifetime romantic partnership. Her first novel, Purposes of Love (39), was described as an odd mix of Platonism and hospital romance.

Her second, The Friendly Young Ladies (43), was a lesbian love story loosely modeled on her relationship with Mullard. In 1948, MGM awarded her a $150,000 prize for Return to Night, which gave her financial freedom. She and Mullard moved to Durban, South Africa, and lived openly as a lesbian couple in the relatively liberal social environment there. They were opponents of apartheid.

The Last of the Wine (56) was her breakthrough, a stunning comingof-age story set in Athens during the Peloponnesian Wars (431-404 BC) The teenage, well-born Alexias falls in love with the slightly older, equally patrician Lysias, whom he meets while attending Socrates’ lectures and discussions. It was hailed as a classic, earning a Modern Library edition and becoming a bestseller.

She modeled her syntax on Classic Greek, and captured its jagged beauty. Renault superbly recreated the world of classical Athens and its natural acceptance of pederastic relationships, in which the older partner mentors the younger one. It’s romantic, thrilling, and extraordinarily moving. Its success resulted in an American edition (59) of The Charioteer, her WWII story of two gay soldiers trying to base their lives on Plato’s Phaedrus and Sympsoium, an understandable exercise in frustration.

She returned to the classical world with two adventure novels based on the legend of the heterosexual Theseus, The King Must Die (58) and The Bull from the Sea (62).

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Admirers of those two included President John F. Kennedy (who didn’t comment on The Last of the Wine, however.) The Mask of Apollo (66) featured an actor whose romantic affairs were with other males.

It’s a riveting look at life in the Athenian theatre, and includes a fascinating visit to Syracuse, centered around Plato and his failed philosopher/king, Dionysius the Younger.

The teenage Alexander of Macedon briefly appears at the end.

Her next two fact-based novels recreated the life of Alexander the Great: Fire from Heaven (69), which includes his well-documented lifelong love for Hephaestion (who was only slightly older) and his relationship with Bagoas, The Persian Boy (72), which also shows the conqueror’s inconsolable grief over Hephaestion’s death in Babylon.

Both were bestsellers, although scholars claimed she romanticized Alexander, downplaying the brutality of the warlike culture in which he excelled. A movie version of The Persian Boy was announced, but never produced. (Too bad Oliver Stone lacked Renault’s integrity when he made his ghastly film about Alexander.) In 1975, she published a biography, The Nature of Alexander, which included a critical assessment of original sources about his life and

intelligent speculation about his personality.

The Praise Singer (78) was poet Simonides of Keos (b. 556 BC), and is set during the Persian Wars. It also describes the murder of Athenian Tyrant Hipparchos by real-life lovers (and near contemporaries in age) Harmodious and Aristogeiton, to whom a grateful population erected a statue in honor of their heroism. In 1964, she wrote the nonfiction Lion in the Gateway: The Heroic Battles of the Greeks and the Persians at Marathon, Salamis, and Thermopylae. She closed her literary career with Funeral Games (81), examining what became of Alexander’s empire and body upon his death (323 BC).

It featured an older, tougher Bagoas.

All her historical novels are available in quality paperback editions.

In 1993, David Sweetman authored Mary Renault: A Biography, which discusses her complex feelings about being identified by her sexual orientation, and her criticism of the modern gay rights movement. Nonetheless, like her brilliant contemporary, the bisexual Marguerite Yourcenar (The Memoirs of Hadrian), she freed literary homosexual love from thousands of years of Judeo-Christian guilt, and did so with unforgettable, fact-based stories that remain compelling.▼

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MUSIC

Choristers and musicians appearing in the 32nd annual Pride Concert, The Sound of Fabulous.

‘Fabulous’ Pride Concert

by Jason Victor Serinus ne of the most eagerly awaited Pride month events, the 32nd annual Pride Concert, is scheduled to kick off Pride Weekend on June 24 & 25 at 8 p.m. in Mission High School. Titled The Sound of Fabulous, the evenings are co-presented by two of the many organizations founded by the late Jon Sims, the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco [LGCSF] and the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band [SFLGFB].

The concerts will not only celebrate the 30th anniversary of the LGCSF, but also showcase the SFLGFB, San Francisco Gay Men’s

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Chorus [SFGMC], Golden Gate Men’s Chorus [GGMC], Voices Lesbian Choral Ensemble [VLCE], Cheer SF, and select members of the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony [BARS]. The nights will also serve as a farewell to Stephanie Smith, who is departing as Director of the LGCSF after eight years of service to resume her career as a pianist; and a welcome for Joe Piazza, who took over directorship of the GGMC on May 9.

“First and foremost, it’s a familyfriendly event,” Smith explained in an extremely energized phone chat.

“The Band will play selections from Wicked, the GGMC will of course blow us away with their musicianship, and the Gay Men’s Chorus will do some of the selections they performed amidst death threats as they toured Redding, Fresno, and other more redneck areas of California this past year.”

Smith stressed the equal importance of the presence of a lesbianidentified chorus, the VLCE, which didn’t perform for a year while they

of done its own thing. We have this interesting mix of women and men, and have always had our own sense of humor.”

Nonetheless, Smith is prepared to cover all fronts not pierced by those bananas. “Shenandoah” will honor our American heritage; the Hebrew piece “Eli, Eli” will give a nod to the 22nd Psalm; “Marybeth” from June Bonacich’s Group Therapy will cover the couches so many of us have confessed on; and “Stacey’s Mom” will prove that we continue to rock on, from cradle to grave. The chorus will also make available a DVD of their performance of Jack Dubowsky’s Halloween in the Castro, an original operatic commentary on violence in the Castro.

“This is the one time of year that all the groups that are in the same city and that have the same mission have an opportunity to get together,” said Smith. “There is nothing better than having the band accompany you. And I’m a sucker for history. I get the goosebumps every time all

The lesbians in Denver were so angry that we performed with phallic bananas. So revisiting it is literally my pleasure. People loved the bananas in San Francisco, but they freaked in Denver.”

– Stephanie Smith searched for their new Artistic Director, Jessica Bejarno.

Smith enthused that Cheer SF will perform in the Pride concert for the “first time ever. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. It really makes me happy that they’ll perform in my final concert, because I’ve had this vision for years that the Pride Concert should be more than just a musical event. I’ve always wanted it to be a spectacle, with cheerleaders, cloggers, and the like.”

The LGCSF will perform a mishmash of favorites that Smith has conducted during her tenure. They’ll also reach farther back, to the costumed and choreographed version of Carmen Miranda’s unforgettable “The Lady with the Tutti-Frutti Hat,” which they performed at a GALA lesbian and gay chorus convention in Denver 15 years ago.

“The lesbians in Denver were so angry that we performed with phallic bananas,” Smith chuckled. “So revisiting it is literally my pleasure.

People loved the bananas in San Francisco, but they freaked in Denver. Our chorus has always just sort

these groups that have been around for longer than I’ve been alive get together.”

Piazza, who has served as Interim Director of GGMC since January, promised two classical selections plus a spiritual. He also pledged that GGMC will continue to offer its special blend of music, from Gregorian chant and Renaissance music to contemporary fare.

“My own tilt is toward Scandinavian music, world, and jazz,” he declared. “I’m also a big fan of German male choral music.”

The evening will include the combined choruses performing a selection from Naked Man, with the BARS wind ensemble joining in, and music by Diana Ross and Cy Coleman.

“This is the chance for all the choruses to come together and make wonderful music,” Piazza said. “We have so much to express through our voices.”▼ For tickets, call 1-800-838-3006 or head to www.sfprideconcert.org.

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Paul Bentley and Sweet Lips arriving outside the Kokpit for one of Sweet Lips’ Hangings.

Last call ence around town. My column has always been a group effort, and I always fought for the underdog. ear Loyal Readers, After 39 Thanks to my spies who have never years of writing this column seen a watering hole they didn’t like, and outliving almost everyone and who remember the most titillatthat matters, I’ve decided this is the last ing details, I was constantly supplied time I will honor you with my wit and with interesting tidbits. If the spies wisdom. 39 years ago, Luscious Lorelei didn’t keep me busy, I had more than (Paul Bentley) and Bob Ross decided enough friends, vicious queens and they were going to start a paper. I told bad bar owners to talk about. You them that I was going to write a gossip know who you are. column. We sat down at our dining I want to say a special thanks to room table and wrote the first issue of Mark Leno, Wayne Friday, Cat Canthe B.A.R. I wasn’t paid, so I considnell, Donna Sachet, Ron Ross, Steve ered it free publicity. To set the Suss, Steven Rascher, Coy Ellirecord straight, Mr. Marson & Sal Meza, the San cus started after me. I Francisco Imperial am proud to say that I Court of which I was a am the oldest living founding member, original writer for the and all the good people B.A.R. I never thought I (including Bob would be the only one S WEET L IPS Golovich) of the Tenleft. derloin, Polkstrasse Things were different and Hayes Valley. You keep the old back then. Everyone was more totimes alive, and I am proud to have gether. If someone said they were told you off, served you a drink and having a party or putting something shared in your life. together, all they had to do was make My life has been good. I worked a call or tell me, and everyone would with Sally Stanford at Valhalla, and show up. We knew that we had to have had cocktails with Carol Chanstick together if we were going to get ning and Billy Holiday. Paul Lynde anywhere. Most of us were used to once tried to insult my portrait at my being harassed by the police. I old bar the Kokpit. People know the learned to have a tough skin and wrath of Sweet Lips when you mess keep a sense of humor. It’s been a with my portrait! I am happy to say long time that I’ve been able to read that my life has been good, it was a my enemies and tell the truth in little wet, but it was good. Now reprint. It didn’t always make me the member, I like to drink vodka, so most popular queen in town, but you drop by Brookside Nursing Home in always knew where you stood with San Mateo, and bring a straw. Don’t me. stop sending your dish and dirt to All of a sudden, I wasn’t only SweetLipsSF@gmail.com, because I writing for me. I was writing for love gossip.

Lorelei, Mame, Maxine, Greta Grass, Jimmi “Mair” Quinn, Jose Saria, Yours Truly, Kenny Allison, Robbie Robinson, Czarina de Turk and Portland Ronnie Lynn, Pushy Phillis, Gladys and Empress of Puerto Vallarta Bumps, and any other person who Sweet Lips ▼ was having fun and making a differ-

by Sweet Lips

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Sam Harris at The Rrazz Room, Fri.

OUT&ABOUT Jack Davis and Pride pal near the Faerie Village at Pride

Big gay, all ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ by Jim Provenzano ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶

n the spirit of the last and busiest week of Pride month, every day is simply stuffed with LGBT events. Parties, movies, benefits. Before Homo Overload sets in, set your agenda on a Kinsey 7: super-duper-extra gay.

Friday, June 25, the Trans March kicks off the weekend of marches in Dolores Park, 3pm-7pm. March from the park to the Castro, 7pm. 18th St. at Dolores.

Thank goodness I didn’t shave. Mr. at Mighty, Friday June 25, is Joshua J. Cook’s annual mustache party and dance night. Wear one, bring one, draw one on. Who cares? With DJs Larry Tee from New York, and local fave David Harness, fun’s right under your nose. 8pm-4am. 119 Utah St. www.mighty119.com Saturday’s Dyke March in Dolores Park (www.thedyke march.org), a rally for lesbians with performances in the park, runs from 3pm-7pm, when the march heads to the Castro for Pink Saturday, also June 26, the annual night time street closure and open-air party organized by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Donations.

7pm-1am. Castro Street between Market & 18th. www.thesisters.org Ben DJs at Bootie Two notable June 26 parties have a proven over-the-top fun quotient: Bootie and Blowoff.

Musicians Bob Mould and Rich Morel DJ another edition of the groovetastic night popular with bears and manly men who like to dance. $15.

10pm-2am. Slim’s, 333 11th St. 255-0333. www.blowoff.us www.slimssf.com At Bootie, Adrian Roberts and Mysterious D’s global DJ mash-up phenom returns home and gets hella gay with a special Madonna vs. Lady Gaga night. $6-$12. 10pm-2am. DNA Lounge, 375 11th St. at Harrison. www.BootieSF.com www.DNALounge.com Sunday, June 27 is San Francisco’s LGBT Pride Parade and Celebration in Civic Center. Join the largest LGBT celebration in California, which celebrates four decades of pride. Mainstage musical acts in the heart of Civic Center include The Backstreet Boys, Andy Bell of Erasure, Rose Royce, Martha Davis and the Motels. Several DJed dance areas in nearby streets should please all tastes. The parade moves from Market St. at Beale west to Market at 8th St., 11am-5pm. And, by the way, don’t forget, lots of acts and booths will be open in Civic CenMr. at Mighty ter on Saturday, June 26. www.sfpride.org After pride, get on the bus to Juanita More!’s Pride Party at Mission Rock. This benefit for Bay Positives promises to be big fun. Local DJs include Derrick Love of Gemini Disco, James Glass, Chelsea Starr and Kim Ann Foxman of Hercules & Love Affair; from New York DJ Will Automagic & DJ Sean B of Spank. Performing again by popular demand are the amazing kids from The Cougar Cadet Corps Drumline; a drag show including Glamamore, Miss Rahni, Diamond Daggers, an art installation by NYC artist Matthew LeBaron. $25-$35. 2pm-2am. 817 Terry Francois Boulevard at 3rd & Mariposa. Free shuttle buses will go to the event at the now-closed Bambuddha Lounge (where More! previously held the annual parties), 601 Eddy Street. Advance tickets are available at The Seventh Heart, 1592 Market St. at Franklin, and online at www.juanitamore.com Whew! After all that festivity, you may be unable to relax. Stop by the Meditation Group at the LGBT Center, Tuesday July 29. Dharma Brandon leads an evening of meditation and dynamic spiritual inquiry into love, sexuality and radiant aliveness. $15-$25.

7pm LGBT Center, Room 308. 1800 Market St. 786-6364. www.sfcenter.org

I

Juanita More

Fri 25 >>

Lebanon, Kazakhstan and the US. $8-$12.

Thru June 20. 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.globallives.org www.ybcafree.org

Bibi SF @ Club Paradise Lounge

The Golden Girls @ Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory

Middle Eastern dance night returns, with hip-shakin’ music, drink specials, a chillout room, complimentary hookah and homemade finger foods, plus the cutest Middle Eastern guys and gals in town. DJs Cheon, Nader, Nile, with live acts by Nancy Ajram, Amr Diab & Tamer Hosny. $12. 21+.

9pm-2am. 1501 Folsom St. www.myspace.com/bibisf

Heklina, Cookie Dough, Matthew Martin, Pollo Del Mar, Mike Finn and Laurie Bushman stage scripts from the popular senior ladies TV show. $20-$25. 7pm & 9pm.

Thu-Sat thru June 25. 1519 Mission St. at 11th, 2nd. floor. www.trannyshack.com

Blackbird @ Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory

Cutting Ball’s production of the poignant one-man Samuel Beckett play. $15-$30.

Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru July 3. 277 Taylor St. (800) 838-3006. www.cuttingball.com

Seth Eisen’s fascinating and funny musical cabaret tour through queer cabaret history, from speakeasy singers to Klaus Nomi and Sylvester. $20-$25. 8pm. Thu-Sat (some Sun). Thru July 10. 1519 Mission St. www.eyezen.org www.mcvf.org

Boys Will Be Boys @ New Conservatory Theatre Joe Miloscia’s comedy musical revue that takes on gay stereotypes. $22-$40. WedSat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru June 26. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Cherry Zonkowski @ The Marsh Hilarious solo show, Reading My Dad’s Porn and French-Kissing the Dog, about growing up in Texas, San Francisco sex parties, marzipan pigs and more. Adults only! $15-$50. (800) 838-3006. Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru July 17. 1062 Valencia St. at22nd. www.themarsh.org

Chunkhouse/Bearracuda @ DNA Lounge The beartastic dance event of the month, with Ted Eiel DJing the main floor, while Bearracuda’s Dabecy and Medic spin upstairs. $15-$20. 9pm-after hours. 375 11th St. www.DNAlounge.com www.bearracuda.com

Dancing With the Drunks @ Harvey Milk School DJ Robbie Martin spins tunes in a fourhour dance marathon fundraiser for the imperiled Castro Country Club, the LGBT clean and sober space. $15. Sponsor dancers with bigger donations. 7pm11:30pm. 19th St. at Collingwood. www.castrocountryclub.org

The Dresses Project @ Theater Artaud Opening reception for an exhibit of 30 women artists’ group installation of handmade dresses, images, prints, poetry and more, inspired by Gertrude Stein’s Tender Buttons. Free. 7pm. Exhibit thru July 18.

Tue-Sat 1pm-5pm. 450 Florida St. www.katrinarodabaugh.com www.zspace.org

Ethnic Dance Festival @ Palace of Fine Arts Showcase of dozens of the best ethnic dance ensembles in Northern California, including 600 performers, 26 world premieres and 4 new commissioned works. Benefit gala June 11 ($125. 6pm-10:30pm). Sat 2pm & 8pm, Sun 2pm thru June 27. $22-$44 (packages $80-$158). 8pm. 392-4400. www.worldartswest.org

Faetopia Festival @ Former Tower Records Last two days of the groovy Playa Joy folks’ Eco Homo, a week of films, shows, environmental arts, awareness and activist events.

Today includes “Spirituality 101 for Hipster Fags” (3pm); June 26, Crude Habits Photo fundraiser (1pm-5pm), Gay adults workshop 2pm-4pm), and June 26, the possible return of the very popular Crude Oil Wrestling. $20-$45. Thru June 26. 2278 Market St. at Noe. www.playajoy.org

Frameline Film Festival @ Various Theatres Annual LGBT film festival showcases the best of narrative, documentary and short films with gay themes. $7-$10. Castro Theatre (429 Castro St.), Roxie Theater (3117 16th St.) and the Victoria Theatre (2961 16th St.), and in Berkeley at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood (2966 College Ave.). www.frameline.org

Global Lives Project @ Yerba Buena Arts Center Collaborative exhibit of filmmakers, photographers, artists and everyday people working together to create a video library of human life experience. The show features 240 hours of video of Brazil, Malawi, Japan, China, Indonesia, India, Serbia,

Krapp’s Last Tape @ Exit Theatre

Lollipop @ Sound Factory Join the hottest ladies in the Bay to celebrate pride. DJs Spinderella (Salt n Pepa), Lisa Pittman, Nuxx, Saratonin, Motive, Pam the Funkstress, Jose Melendez, Chicca de Nozze, Jeanine da Feen, and a special performance by the ladies of Desired Temptations. Enter the Justin Bieber look-a-like contest. The grand prize winner gets an allexpense paid trip to New York City to be crowned on TV. All guests get a free pride access gift bag filled with iTunes gift cards, naughty toys and goodies. $15-$20 includes one free drink. (510) 621-3553. www.lollipopsf.com

Marga and the Bad Boys @ LGBT Center

(Mon-Tue) 8pm (Wed). Mon-Wed thru June 27. 215 Jackson St. at Battery. (800) 8383006. www.somethingcoolcabaret.com

Speech & Debate @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Stephen Karam’s hit Off-Broadway comedy about three geeky teens, including a gay kid, who fight for truth amid a small town scandal. $24-$45. Tue 7pm, Wed-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm & 7pm. Thru July 18. 2081 Addison St. (5100 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org

The Tosca Project @ American Conservatory Theatre Dance and theatre blend through the talents of SF Ballet, modern and local theatre artists in this North Beach bar-inspired operatic re-imagining of a century of romance; directed by ACT’s Artistic Director Carey Perloff, with music by Puccini, Jimi Hendrix and others. $7.50-$85. Tue-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm & 7pm. LGBT “Out with ACT” show June 23. Thru June 27. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Marga Gomez performs saucy comedy with Thai Rivera, Casey Ley and Ricky Luna. $15. 8pm. 1800 Market St. www.margagomez.com

Sat 26 >>

Much Ado About Lebowski @ CellSpace

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi

Primitive Screwheads theatre ensemble brings a hilarious audience-interactive theatrical mash-up of the film The Big Lebowski and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. $20. 21+. White Russians served ay 7pm. Showtimes 8pm. June 24-27 & July 24 at 2050 Bryant St. at 18th. July 9, 10, 16, 17 at Off-Market Theatre, 965 Mission St. at 5th. www.primitivescrewheads.com

Musical comedy revue, now in its 35th year, with ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $25$80. Wed, Thu 8pm. Fri, Sat 6:30, 9:30pm. Sun 2pm, 5pm. (Beer/wine served; cash only). 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd. 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

The New Century @ New Conservatory Theatre West Coast premiere of Paul Rudnick’s gay comedy. $22 - $34. Thu-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm. Thru July 11. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level, near Market St. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

The Real Americans @ The Marsh Dan Hoyle (Tings Dey Happen) premieres a new multiple-character solo show based on his road trip to Middle America to explore the profound disconnect in a politically polarized country. $15-$50. Thu-Fri 8pm. Sat 5pm. Thru Aug 8. 1062 Valencia St. at 21st. (800) 838-3006. www.themarsh.org

Sam Harris @ The Rrazz Room Stellar vocalist, who’s also out and gay, performs Broadway, cabaret and classic songs. $30-$45. Wed-Thu 8pm. Fri-Sat 9:30pm. Sun 7pm. thru June 27. (Also, Harris will be at the Human Rights Campaign store for a CD signing, June 26, 1pm3pm; 600 Castro St. ) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis. 394-1189. www.TheRrazzRoom.com

SF Moving Men @ The Garage The annual concert of men’s dancing works returns, with dances by Joe Landini and Christine Cali & Co. $20. Fri-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru June 26. 975 Howard St. www.975howard.com www.sfmovingmen.org

The Fantastiks @ SF Playhouse Local production of the classic Off-Broadway musical about young love and interfering parents. $30-$50. Wed-Sat 8pm. Also Sat 3pm. Thru Sept. 4. 533 Sutter St. at Powell. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

Forever Never Comes @ Boxcar Playhouse Crowded Fire Theatre’s production of Enrique Urueta’s “psycho-southern queer country dance tragedy” set in Virginia.

Partial proceeds June 10 & 11 benefit youth programs at the LGBT Center. $15$25. Wed-Sat 8pm, Sun 5pm thru June 26.

505 Natoma St. 255-7846. www.crowdedfire.org

Gay Pride History Bike Tour @ Citywide Ride along on the SF Bicycle Coalition’s relaxed 8-mile bike ride to visit notable historic LGBT sites around town, culminating in the Castro for the Dyke March and Pink Saturday. $5. 2pm-5pm. Meet at Cupid’s Arrow at the Embarcadero. www.sfbc.org

Generations HIV @ Under One Roof Video storytelling booth for people effected

by HIV. Ask questions, tell stories, or share memories of others lost. Free. Thru June 30. 518A Castro St. www.TheHIVStoryProject.org

Shortlived 3.0 @ Off-Market Theatre Pianofight’s 3rd annual short play competitiopn, where the audience decides among 56 playwrights’ shows in SF and LA, with different plays every week. $20. 8pm. Fri & Sat thru June 26. 965 Mission St. www.pianofight.com

Something COOL Festival @ Eureka Theatre Carly Ozard, Tom Orr and Russ Lorenson headline a month of weeknight jazz and cabaret shows, with lots of singers and open mic nights. Free-$10. Lorenson’s Tony Bennett tribute Thu-Fri 7:30, Sat 6pm, Sun 3pm. Other acts 7:30

Ethel Merman at Martuni’s, Wed.

24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

Speech & Debate at Aurora Theatre, Berkeley, Fri.

Mon 28 >> Karel @ The Rrazz Room Out and outspoken radio host and writer tells it like it is in his talk-stand-up act. $25. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. at Ellis.

394-1189. www.radiokrl.com www.TheRrazzRoom.com

Queer Ballroom @ Live Art Gallery Weekly beginners same-sex dance classes in salsa and other styles. Also swing classes on Wednesdays, Standard ballroom Thursdays, $10 each, $35 for series. 151 Potrero Ave. 305-8242. www.QueerBallroom.com

Ten Percent @ Comcast 104

In the Wake @ Berkeley Repertory Obie Award winners Lisa Kron and Leigh Silverman’s complex drama set at a Thanksgiving dinner where American political freedoms (or lack of) come into question. $13.50-$71. Thru June 27. Tue, ThuSat 8pm, Wed Sun 7pm, Thu, Sat, Sun 2pm. Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org

Marga Gomez, Proud & Bothered @ New Conservatory Theatre Marga Gomez is back with her GLAAD Media award-winning comedy Proud and Bothered. About Pride MC gigs gone wrong, and a hilariously sordid affair with a Jersey girl; direction by F. Allen Sawyer; originally directed by David Schweizer. $22-$34. Thu-Sat 8pm; Sun 2pm. Thru June 26 (no show June 25). 25 Van Ness Ave. near Market St. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

More Glitter - Less Bitter @ Electric Works Gallery Exhibit of fascinating photographs by Daniel Nicoletta from 1975 – present.

Through July 10, 2010. 130 8th St. 6265496. www.sfelectricworks.com

Pastor Tom Show @ KUSF

Sat, Sun 2pm. Sun 7:30pm. Open run.

1192 Market St. at 8th. $30. 512- 7770. www.shnsf.com

Sun 27 >> Frameline Festival Closing Party @ SF Botanical Gardens James Franco stars in Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s biopic Howl, about Allen Ginsberg; with Jon Hamm, Treat Williams, Mary Louise-Parker and David Straitharn. After this closing event screening ($20-$25, 7:30pm. The Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St.), attend the party, with wine, cocktails, cheese, nibbly things and fabulous film artists, including (probably) James Franco himself. $50-$60. 9pm.

1199 9th Ave. at Lincoln Way. www.frameline.org

Fresh @ Ruby Skye The Official T-Dance of San Francisco Pride features DJ Wayne G. from London. $20-$25. 6pm-12am. 420 Mason St. at Geary. www.freshsf.com

Happy Hour @ Energy Talk Radio

Dr. Tom Polcari’s LGBT music and talk show. 4pm. Weekly on 90.3 FM.

Interview show with gay writer Adam Sandel as host. 8pm. www.EnergyTalkRadio.com

Pearls Over Shanghai @ The Hypnodrome

Hot Greeks @ Hypnodrome

Thrillpeddlers’ revival of the comic mock operetta by Link Martin and Richard Koldewyn, performed by the gender-bending Cockettes decades ago, and loosely based on the 1926 play The Shanghai Gesture. $30-$69. 8pm. Extended, Fri & Sat thru August. 575 10th. (800) 838-3006. www.thrillpeddlers.com

Thrillpeddler’s second revival of a hilarious Cockettes show, this one Martin Worman and Richard Koldewyn’s 1972 musical extravaganza about crazy ancient Greeks, with Connie Champagne, BirdieBob Watt, Michael Soldier in a wacky update of Lysistrada. $30-$69. Thursday 8pm and Sundays 7pm. Thru June 27.

575 10th St at Bryant. (800) 838-3006. www.thrillpeddlers.com

Pink Pride Tours @ Various Locales Enjoy local tours of LGBT historic areas, wine country visits, hikes to Muir Woods, Sausalito and more. $56-$96. Daily thru June 29. gaypridetours2010-bettylist.eventbrite.com/

Pride Readings @ A Different Light K.M. Soehnlein, author of The World of Normal Boys reads from the new sequel, Robin & Rudy at 1pm. Monica Nolan, author of Bobby Blanchard, Lesbian Gym Teacher, 2pm; and a Literary Tribute to E. Lynn Harris, with Terrance Dean, author of Hiding in Hip Hop, 4pm. 489 Castro St. 431-0891. www.adleventscastro.blogspot.com

Wicked @ Orpheum Theatre Mega-hit musical based on the book about the two famous Oz witches as young college roommates. $30-$99. Tue-Sat 8pm. Wed,

Mary Patricia Anderson @ Magnet Exhibit of portraits of “Glam Community Heroes” like Glamamore, Tita Aida, Donna Sachet, Sister Roma and more.

Tue-Sat 11am-6pm Wed-Fri 2pm-9pm.

Thru June 27; closing party 3pm. 4122 18th st. at Castro 581-1600. www.magnetsf.org

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

Seth Eisen’s Blackbird at Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, Fri.

David Perry’s new talk show about LGBT local issues. New times: Mon-Fri 11:30am & 10:30pm, Sat & Sun 10:30pm. www.davidperry.com

Tue 29 >> Foto Ada @ Robert Koch Gallery Exhibit of 1930s German photomontages that commented on the Nazi uprising. Also, Miroslav Tichy vintage photos. Tue-Sat. 10:30-5:30pm. Thru Aug. 21. 49 Geary St. 421-0122. www.kochgallery.com

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gayfriendly comedy night. One-drink minimum.

9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

Yoga Classes @ LGBT Center Fun, friendly weekly classes for beginners or experienced with Bill Mohler. $10-$20.

6:30pm. Also Wednesdays. Room 302, 1800 Market St. at Octavia. www.billmohleryoga.com www.sfcenter.org

Wed 30 >> Ethel Merman @ Martuni’s Drag performer does a biographical musical show based on her nom de drag, the Broadway legend, with the Tom Shaw Trio. $7. 7pm. 4 Valencia St. 241-0205. www.dragatmartunis.com

Hollywood Does Hollywood @ Castro Theatre Classic films about filmmaking and movie stars. Tonight, Singin’ in the Rain and It’s a Great Feeling. July 1, In a Lonely Place and The Player. More films thru July 9. $10. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Horst P. Horst, George Hoyningen-Huene @ Robert Tat Gallery Exhibit of high fashion, art, and nude prints by the two gay iconic photographers of the 20th century. Tue-Sat 11am5:30pm, by appointment, and first Thursdays til 7:30pm. Thru July 31. 49 Geary St. Suite 211. www.roberttat.com

This Is What I Want @ The Garage AIRspace presents relentlessly sexual new works by Bay Area dance and performance artists with Keith Hennessy, Anna “Bannanz” Whitehead, Em Gift, Evan Johnson, Hana Erdman, Jess Curtis, Johanna Buchignani, Julie Phelps, Kegan Marling, Macklin Kowal, Maryam Rostami, Mary Ann Brooks, sorvillo / blindsight, Ryan Crowder, Sara Kraft and Shawnrey Notto. $10-$20. 8pm. 975 Howard St. www.975howard.com

Thu 1 >> Fred Lyon @ Modern Book Gallery Exhibit of the local artist’s iconic black and white images of 1940s and ‘50s San Francisco. Thru Aug. 28. Sun–Thu 11am9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm. 49 Geary St., 4th floor. 732-0300. www.modernbook.com

Passionate Struggle @ GLBT Historical Society Exhibit about Bay Area LGBT historical events and people. Also, Man-I-Fest, a new exhibit of letters and documents by FTM transgender pioneer Lou Harrison and ations. Wed-Sat 1pm-5pm. 657 Mission St. #300. 777-5455. www.glbthistory.org

For more bar and nightclub listings, go to our new website and monthly print nightlife guide, www.bartabsf.com To submit event listings, email jim@ebar.com.

Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication.

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 24 June 2010

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SOCIETY

Forty & fabulous in SF!

by Donna Sachet hy do we celebrate Pride with such ferocity in San Francisco? Maybe because so much of the modern LGBT movement started here, maybe because so many of us have been and continue to be involved in the advancement of our community, or maybe because we increasingly recognize that we live in a beautiful bubble, grounded in “San Francisco values” and glittering for the world to see. Whatever the case, this town knows how to party!

The Castro bars set the stage for Pride Week with a private membership renewal event at Trigger on Tuesday, and the introduction of Lord Martine’s new Radar Fridays, Miss Bay Area Rodeo Gloria Whole’s Friday beer bust at The Edge, publication of the new poster at 440 Castro featuring the sexy bar staff, customer appreciation night at Café Flore on Friday, and the unveiling of a sparkling new exterior for the Midnight Sun. Ongoing theatrical entertainment abounds with the hilarious drag take-off of The Golden Girls at Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, The New Century, Boys Will Be Boys, and Marga Gomez in Proud & Bothered, all at New Conservatory Theatre Center, and Pearls Over Shanghai and Hot Greeks playing to packed houses at the Hypnodrome.

Classic drag shows continue monthly at Kimo’s on Polk St., with Fauxgirls led by Victoria Secret and Alexandria weekly at Marlena’s in Hayes Valley starring the lovely Galilea, at Aunt Charlie’s on Turk St. headlined by Gina la Divina & Vicki Marlene, and Sunday’s a Drag at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room atop the Sir Francis O N T HE Drake Hotel in Union Square.

What better time to reschedule the Imperial Council’s Mr. & Miss Gay San Francisco? This pageant has a long and illustrious history, sometimes

Steven Underhill

W

Dressed up as if in Regency England, at the Frameline 34 opening-night party at the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society.

boasting as many as eight contestants for each title, and launching the careers of many of today’s familiar faces, including Miss Gays 1977 Ronnie Lynn, 1985 Goldblatt, 1991 Amber Glass, 1993 Jealousy, 2004 Galilea, and T OWN 2007 Bebe Sweetbriar, and Mr. Gays 1993 Jacques Michaels, 1997 T.J. Istvan, 2001 Fernando Robles, 2005 Michael Dumont, and 2006 John Weber. Last Sat. night saw the pageant beautifully

C

staged in the Imperial Ballroom of the Hotel Kabuki, with only one contestant for Mr., but three contestants for Miss. We joined the judging panel of Ronn Ross, Mr. Gay 1974, Gladys Bumps, Kitty Glamour, and Lenny Broberg, expertly coordinated by Remy Martin. Although the only contestant for Mr. Gay, Moses Garcia competed proudly throughout the evening, demonstrating all the qualities necessary to win. Competing for Miss Gay were Paju Munro, Maria

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Coming up in leather & kink >> Thur., June 24: Radical Touch: Energy Beyond Polarity with Cleo Dubois & Selina Raven at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 8-10 p.m. $20. Go to: www.sfcitadel .org.

Fri., June 25: Annual After-Hours Pride Weekend Folsom Friday event: Pride in Unity at Mr. S Leather (385 8th St.). 8:30-10:30 p.m. Produced in conjunction with the SoMa Bar & Business Guild. Help kick off Pride Weekend in style and raise money for the Ms. SF Leather Contest and Camp Kindle, a nonprofit camp for children and young adults affected by HIV/AIDS. From 10 p.m.-2 a.m. there will be a free shuttle (by Suzan Revah and La Monistat) serving the participating venues of Folsom Friday: Truck, Powerhouse, Chaps, Blow Buddies, Mr. S Leather and the Lone Star. Go to: www.folsomfriday.com.

Fri., June 25: Bare Chest Calendar and Launch Party at the Powerhouse (Dore & Folsom). 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Purchase the new 2011 Bare Chest Calendar ($20) and support the AIDS Emergency Fund & Positive Resource Center. Bare Chest Go-Go Dancers, Miller Beer Specials and Give-Aways. Go to: www.barechest.org.

Fri., June 25: Eclipse Pride Weekend Celebration, Women & Trans Play Party at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $30. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Sat., June 26: Castro Bear Presents SoMa Beef & Co. at the Lone Star Saloon (1354 Harrison). 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Go to: www.castrobear.com.

Sat., June 26: Back Bar Action at the Eagle Tavern (398 12th St.). Back-patio bar open to all gear/fetish/leather. 10 p.m. to close. Go to: www.sfeagle.com.

Sat., June 26: SF Men’s Spanking Party at the Power Exchange (220 Jones St.). 1-6 p.m. “This is not an S&M Leather group.” More for guys into Spanking & Spanking Fantasies like Old-Fashioned Spanking over Daddy’s Knee, or a Fraternity-style Pledge Initiation Paddling. This is a safe place for beginners to explore their Spanking Fantasies, or just a good place to meet other guys into this fetish. For Info, call: (415) 864-2766, e-mail: SanFranParty@yahoo.com or check the Bulletin Board: www.voy.com/201188/.

Sat., June 26: Hell Hole Fisting Party. 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Door closes at Midnight. $25 admission. Free clothes check. For an invitation, visit www.HellHoleSF.com.

Sat., June 26: 15 Association Men’s Dungeon Party at

the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Go to: www.the15association.org.

Sat., June 26: xDelmar & Castrobear Present: Sweat@Pride at Paradise Garage (Paradise Lounge, downstairs, 314 11th St.). 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Special Advance Sweat pre-party hosted by Allen Carpenter & Mitch Evans (by invitation) from 9-10 p.m. Advance tickets on sale at Body on Castro. Advance: $15, $20 at the door. Go to: www.castrobear.com.

Sat., June 26: SF Pride Open Play Party at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $25 per person. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Sun., June 27: Castrobear presents Sunday Furry Sunday at 440 Castro. 4-10 p.m. Go to: www.castrobear.com.

Sun., June 27: Post Pride Cool Down Party at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 5-9 p.m. $10. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Mon., June 28: Whip Works, A Monthly Singletail Peer Group facilitated by Daddy Darin at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 8-10 p.m. $10. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Tues., June 29: 12-Step Kink Recovery Group at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission). 6:30-8 p.m. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Wed., June 30: Bear Buddies at Blow Buddies (933 Harrison St.). 8 p.m.-Midnight. $12, Buddies membership required, $8 for 6 months. Bear Buddies is a private membership event for bears, cubs and the men who luv em! Absolutely no cologne. Dress code encourages sleazy play closes like rubber, leather, uniforms, Levi’s, etc. Go to: www.blowbuddies.com.

Wed., June 30: Cheap Ass Contest at Chaps Bar (1225 Folsom). Benefits Stop AIDS. $100 prize to winner. Contestants register at 10 p.m., winner chosen by audience applause at Midnight. Free clothes check. Chaps Bar donates $1 per patron to Stop AIDS Project. Go to: www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com.

Wed., June 30: SoMa Men’s Club. Every Wed., the SoMa Clubs (Chaps, Powerhouse, Truck, Lone Star, Hole in the Wall, the Eagle) have specials for those who have the Men’s Club dogtags. See your favorite SoMa bar for details.

Wed., June 30: Castro Bear Presents Hairy Hump Day at 440 Castro, 7-11 p.m. Go to: www.castrobear.com.

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24 June 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

KARRNAL

Karr’s rough rider

by John F. Karr Not Karr’s cowboy, but close.

n each year’s Pride issue I make some whoopla about porn. And I’ll get to that, I promise. But first, I want to tell a story. I’ll try and connect it in however specious a manner to Pride. It’s the story of Karr and the Cowboy.

1970, Sacramento. I was in college.

It was a hot summer night, so I was dancing with friends in Sacto’s only gay bar – located outside of town, natch, across the river amidst the gas stations and motels of West Sacramento. In the door swaggered a cowboy. Not just fresh meat in a hothouse town, but so butch, so blond, that he could have had anyone in the place. So why did he pick me? I am not now nor have I ever been cute. Or butch.

Anyway, he was about 5’10”, with muscles, blue eyes, thick blond hair in soft curls, and golden fur glinting on his forearms. A Western wet dream, sho’ nuff. He pulled me onto the dance floor, less to dance than to let me feel his hard-on in his pants, and then, to the flabbergasted gawking of all present, he almost literally dragged me out by my hair – which I had then, yes I did. He didn’t say much as he drove his beat-up Chevy several blocks fursign the motel register as Mr. Proud. ther out of town, deeper into low-life That’s the story. Now I bring on the West Sacramento, and pulled up at a whoopla for the wank trade. We live in typically rundown roadside motel. a land of good and plenty: good sex “You just visiting?” I asked. for those who go after it, “Yup.” “What do you do?” I and plenty of movies for inquired easily. He said he those who want to watch was with the rodeo, and I it. Maybe too many believed him. His outfit movies. Still, it’s not –Stetson, worn neck merely a near-plethora scarf, Western shirt, of porn we’re happy in, boots that looked like nor even the near-astounding they’d kicked shit – was technical quality of conmighty authentictemporary movies. looking. He was K ARRNAL Younger viewers may take bandy-legged, and he smelled vaguely of K NOWLEDGE this for granted, but older viewers will know what a horse. I was kinda blessing we’re getting. thrilled – picked up by No, I sing a song of joy for the cona cowboy! Yet the pleasure was all his. tent, which serves most every taste He didn’t much want to kiss at all. imaginable. Where once we had to dig He didn’t much want to have his cock deep and pray to find “specialty” sucked, which I was (typically) eager movies, now we can call Room Service to do, it being an unusually sturdy and and have scenes of the most unique pretty blond thing. Nope. Before I and particular content delivered right knew it, I was getting plowed. Wellto our door. And not just formerly plowed for sure, but not for long. clandestine things like fisting or toy Quickly finished, he rolled off me, and play. Piss, once nearly banished, is now was immediately sleeping. all the rage, everyone from twinks to He was in the shower when I woke daddies are guzzling. And gangbangs up in the morning, so I waited in bed. seem to have supplanted the once-staPerhaps now we’d do it more thorple orgy finale in many a movie. oughly. But when he came out of the Other dishes once never served shower, he pulled on his pants, that come now by direct catering? plucked his wallet off the dresser, and Bukkake. Bears. An international array was soon accusing me of stealing of men, mostly Latin. but also Asian. money from it. Then he was hustling There are Black Men (though mostly me into my clothes so fast I had to put depicted as Thugs, a major subgenre on my shirt and zip my pants in the that’s majorly disconcerting). Tattooed parking lot, as the door slammed beMen (watch for Raging Stallion’s Mushind me. I hiked home, feeling sorry cle & Ink). Foot-Loving Men. Twins. for myself, but even sorrier for my Oh my god, are there ever Twins. Need cowboy. That’s one dude who didn’t

I mention Straight Guys, and Marines?

And squirting, which has even garnered a namesake star, Mark Squirt, in the Pornteam.com movie Boy Squirting: Wet Pleasures. And though I don’t (yet) review bareback movies, how can I resist naming a triple treat of not at all uncommon activities, Bare Bukkake Piss Ballers (which you can count as a fourfold fetish feast if you’re turned on by naked paint-balling)?

The unbelievable contents of Michael Lucas’ Farts no doubt served a minority audience. Now he’s struck gold with Men in Stockings, a specialty movie that should reach a broader viewership. Sure, we see a lotta boners in briefs and joints in jocks. But of Veiled Splendor there’s practically nada: I’m talking net, mesh, sheer garments, and rubber wear, such as that treated with colorful flair in Titan’s Slick Dogs. For even more tantalizing cockerie, don’t forget the cling of wet stuff, whether sheer clothes or gauze.

Amidst all this rah-de-dah, I’m sad to say, nipple play is still an infrequent and incidental accompaniment to leather scenes, and not a merriment unto itself. And the beauty of cock bondage is known only at BoundGods.com, where the setting is decidedly S&M scary. I think the way cock bondage puts prick on a pedestal could be mainstream popular, if only a mainstream director would spread its excitements around.

But let us not cavil. The porn we’re getting today, it’s strictly clap hands.

And why do we get all this variety? Because we are a people who claim our sex, with pride.▼

at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, the 32nd Annual Pride Concert at Mission High School tonight or tomorrow, the elegant Pride Soiree Friday at 12 Gallagher Lane, and on and on. We ask you to take particular notice of the 12th Annual Pride Brunch on Sat., June 26, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., benefiting Positive Resource Center and honoring the Grand Marshals of the Pride Parade. Gary Virginia joins us in hosting this festive party at Hotel Whitcomb, 1231 Market St., with free-flowing Barefoot sparkling wine and Stoli vodka specialty drinks, a gourmet brunch buffet, rousing music by the Dixieland Dykes +3, nearly 300 of the LGBT community’s movers and shakers, and personal remarks from this year’s Grand Marshals, including local philanthropist and statesman James Hormel, patriot and activist Zoe Dunning, State Speaker of the House John Perez, playwright and civil rights pioneer Alice Walker, international music sensation Andy Bell, and Cheer SF. This is a rare chance to get up-close and personal with your Grand Mar-

shals, and to kick off the weekend in style.

We are happy to be returning as the chief anchor of the television coverage of the SF Pride Parade this year, accompanied by Michelle Meow, Sebastian Kunz, Brett Andrews, Lenny Broberg, and Jewelle Gomez. This unique partnership between Clear Channel, KOFY-TV, and Comcast promises to deliver the 40th Annual Pride Parade to your home in live and uncensored streaming webcast at sfpridelive.com starting at 9:30 a.m., live simulcast on Comcast Hometown Network channel 104 starting at 10:30 a.m., primetime TV special on KOFYTV 20/cable 13 starting at 8 p.m., and Comcast On-Demand beginning Mon., June 28, at 7 p.m. Enjoy the Pride Parade at home or in person, then head to Civic Center for the gigantic Pride Celebration, with multiple entertainment stages, informational booths, food and drink, and Pride as only San Francisco can demonstrate it. Forty & Fabulous!

Happy Pride everyone!▼

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On the Town ▼

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Jose Garza, and Umsula Davenport.

Each one proved a worthy entrant as the judges rated their interview, sportswear, talent, and eveningwear.

To add to the evening’s entertainment, Miss Cowgirl Saybeline and Reigning Emperor Steven Dorsey and Empress Renita Valdez performed, and emcees T.J. Istvan and Mercedes Munro kept things moving smoothly. The sizeable crowd included Carlos Medal, Gary Virginia, Keith Bumps, Roxie Hart, Sammy Sampson, Carlton Paul, Marlena, Cher a Little, and Ray MacKenzie. After an enjoyable last performance by popular outgoing Mr. Gay David Slack, the new Mr. and Miss Gay were announced, Moses Garcia and Umsula Davenport, and the audience went wild.

We hope to see many of you this weekend at the myriad of Pride parties all over the city, perhaps at Kimpton Hotel’s 5th Annual Pride Party tonight

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FILM

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Courtesy Frameline

dressing-down by an old mentor, Ginsberg vowed to blast through whatever was blocking his real voice.

“I thought I wouldn’t write a poem but just write what I wanted to without fear, let my imagination go, open secrecy, and scribble magic lines from my real mind – sum up my life – something I wouldn’t be able to show anybody, writ for my own soul’s ear and a few other golden ears.”

“I saw the best minds of my generation/ Generation destroyed by madness/ Starving, mystical, naked/ Who dragged themselves thru the angry streets at/ dawn looking for a Negro fix.”

Howl would go on to be one of the first hot-sellers for the fledgling City Lights Press, provoke outraged fulminations from mad-dog conservative Norman Podhoretz for “its glorification of madness, drugs and homosexuality,” prompt the SFPD to cite City Light’s owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti and throw one of his clerks into the city’s drunk tank, “which smelled of piss,” and lead to a historic Federal censorship trial.

Epstein and Friedman employ a stellar supporting cast – David Strathaim (as the government prosecutor), Mad Men’s Jon Hamm as the brilliant defense attorney Jake Ehrlich, along with Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker and Treat Williams – to enhance their blend of fact, fiction and animation, and to demonstrate how a seven-page poem helped launch a culture war.

(Castro, Closing Night, 6/27) Hideaway Trust French bad boy director Francois Ozon to employ

Scene from Ozon’s Hideaway: doing a delicate dance about the future.

death as an aphrodisiac. Waking up in a hospital bed following her own close call from tainted heroin, Mousse (Isabelle Carre) discovers that her boyfriend Louis is dead, she’s pregnant with his kid, mom thinks she’s filth and wants the fetus deposed of, and the only soul who gives a damn about her is Louis’ seductive, sweet, gorgeous, musician, adopted brother Paul (real-life pop star Louis-Ronan Choisy).

The bulk of the film plays out in the cloistered rural home of an aging sugar daddy who never appears, as Mousse and Paul (who’s queer and hot for the guy who used to do her errands) do a delicate dance about the future of their bond and, of course, the kid. (Castro, 6/25) The String Director Medhi Ben Attia provides a witty x-ray of the social/sexual pecking order among the North African upper class and their former French rulers. Malik (the beautiful Antonin Stahly) returns to his native Tunisia after developing a taste for cute young guys

while in school in France. Struggling with his moody European mom Sara (Claudia Cardinale, still bearing a trace of the verve and beauty that allowed her to star for Fellini, Visconti and Blake Edwards) and memories of his recently deceased Arab dad, Malik finds himself drawn to Sara’s hunk of a young handyman Bilal (hotty Salim Kechiouche). A film that looks as if it’s trolling for tragedy turns unexpectedly towards a blissful climax for all hands. (Victoria, 6/25) Fit This engagingly acted British entry is a classic after-school special with a few too many characters. Director Rikki Beadle-Blair is determined to show every possible variation on sexual identity among a feisty group of inner-city London teens. Despite the narrative clutter, this one finds its pulse from time to time. The film delivers heartfelt lessons about adolescent sexuality, which makes it a perfect companion piece to the American doc Lost in the Crowd. (Castro, 6/26)▼

Courtesy Frameline

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Check out the Bay Area Reporter online at:

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Scene from The Heretics: a lesbian generation launches the Second Wave.

Frameline docs ▼

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he’d be a model driver if he could just control his road rage), Kimy has rethought his desire for a gender makeover.

“I’m still very transgender, but

I’ve decided not to go through a sex change, because when you have a sex change, you want to pass as a female.

A lot of transsexuals don’t pass no matter how beautiful they look.

There’s something about them where you can just tell that they used to be a man, so I’ve decided to be comfortable with whatever the hell this body is.” (Victoria, 6/26) Stonewall Uprising “I famously used the word fag in the lead sentence, I said, ‘the forces of faggotry,’ and the first gay power demonstration, to my knowledge, was against my story, and The Village Voice started using the word gay.” – Lucian Truscott IV, on the semantics of covering the new gay power movement on the morning after Stonewall.

Drawing on David Carter’s meticulously documented book sorting through the myths that have attached themselves to queer America’s Boston Tea Party, filmmakers Kate David and David Heilbroner let the words of the men and women who fought back that night tell a story that more than compensates for the absence of TV cameras. First describing the unadulterated pleasure of razzing the cops with a conga-like dance formation, a gray-haired Stonewall veteran fights back tears.

“It was the only time I was in a gladiatorial sport, and I stood up, I was proud, I was a man.” (Roxie, 6/24)

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Chained! is a rocking exploration of chains as butch dyke fashion.

boys discover what their sharply disparate iPod playlists say about their future compatibility.

Just Friends? Kim-Jho Gwangsoo concocts a frothy pop farce out of the bid by two South Korean soldier lover-boys to wrestle some sack time during a few precious leave days. (three above, Worldly Affairs, Castro, 6/25) Chained! Betsy Kalin kicks off her rocking exploration of chains as

Courtesy Frameline

“Come to the shower.”

“Not now, you drive me crazy like this.”

“Oh, fuck!”

“What’s wrong?”

“I told Shlomo I’d talk to him before Midnight.”

“Who’s Shlomo?”

“The next old guy.”

“You’re not serious, we’re in the middle here.”

The next morning, Gur gets a rude call from Avner, demanding the return of his computer and its precious contents. Deep Red pivots on tensions bubbling up between the partners in crime, and the mystery surrounding the innocent, smiling young boy on Avner’s laptop. (Deep Red program, Castro, 6/24) The Armoire Jamie Travis concludes his Saddest Children in the World trilogy of shorts with a disturbing fairy tale in which two boys bubbling just under puberty make up some bizarre new rules for the old game of Hide and Seek. The sinister implications of the piece are oddly underscored by the squeaky clean subtext of its Canadian setting.

Lines In Carlos Munoz Vazquez’s musically driven short, two club

Enlisted into the Western-sponsored adult-male sex biz in All Boys.

Frameline docs ▼

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The Heretics “I may have breasts and a cunt, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything in the world.” This saucy comment from road-movie director Su Friedrich opens Joan Braderman’s engaging portrait of a generation of feminists who launched what is generally regarded as the Second Wave of the Women’s Movement. “The Heretics” specifically refers to a generation that found sisterhood along with cheap rent in Lower Manhattan during the feisty early 70s when, as one survivor notes, virtually anything seemed possible in the world of progressive women. The heretics of this film also comprise the Heresies collective, which, between 1977 and 1992 put out 27 issues of Heresies, a trailblazing feminist journal on art and politics.

Braderman notes the satisfaction of being able to track down the farflung former Heresies members with a talented young female film crew.

Most have prospered and stuck to their art, writing or work as political organizers. The camera reveals the extra pounds along with the increasingly daunting challenge posed by extra flights of stairs.

One youngish Heresies veteran recalls fondly the nights of all-female consciousness-raising groups, where women were allowed an uninterrupted 15 minutes to tell their stories. “I think we need to go back to the CR groups,” she sighs, “they were the fuel of the movement.” (Victoria, 6/26) All Boys Do you recall that period after the fall of the Berlin Wall when the gay-porn industry began drilling down into a previously untapped field of skinny white boys who would be gay for pay? Some livelihoods were created, others deferred or de-

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stroyed when Soviet-sponsored Socialism ended and the free market dictated that upwardly mobile boys from places like Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Belarus enlist in the Western-sponsored adult-male sex biz.

In Markku Heikkinen’s tawdry little doc, porn maker Dan Komar explains his crush on one of his own starlets. “He was one of the most gorgeous creatures: those piercing blue eyes, the looks that have tarnished just a little bit.”

Heikkinen casts light behind the scenes of hard-core male sex films produced in the Czech Republic.

Komar, an American expat, thinks of himself as an industry innovator.

“For better or worse, I’m the guy who brought bareback to Prague. Now everyone has jumped on the bandwagon, and hardly anything is made over here with condoms.” For Dan’s ex-boyfriend and ex-star Ruda, the dreams fueled by porn money haven’t entirely faded.

“What would you do if you got a lot of money?”

“I’d save, and start a normal life without Dan.” Another young man, aging out of the biz at the ripe old age of 23, reflects sadly on his future as he walks across a played piece of farmland.

“I’m an old has-been in the business.

People are more into fresh meat and new contacts.” (Castro, 6/24) Out of Annapolis Steve Clark Hall’s low-key portrait of out graduates from Jimmy Carter’s alma mater made me reflect on just how far we’ve come. The men and women from Out of Annapolis, despite their share of witch hunts and less-thanhonorable discharges, seem to feel that their four years in the academy were a high point of their lives. This film is must-see doc viewing on the eve of the repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Expect the fleet to be in port for this one. (Castro, 6/26)▼

butch dyke fashion accessories with Aretha’s “Chain of Fools.”

“They started predominantly with the motorcycle industry, because that was the source of traveling without having to lose your wallet. Of course, chains keep other useful tools handy. Among those things is the bottle-opener, because you want to be sure when you’re at that party and there’s this fabulous girl there, you just pull out your chain and there’s your bottle opener, and pop, there you go.” (Dyke Delights, Castro, 6/26) Falling in Love – with Chris and Greg, Episode 3: ‘Food!’ This sharply written, intelligent series, probing the rationales behind queer attitude and how one goes about “earning” one’s attitude, zeroes in on the problems an aging queer guy has with his tranny lover’s voracious appetite, and peer pressure from the boys at

the gym.

“This is fine for you. You hang out with a bunch of art-school hippie dykes. They’ve clearly worked out other standards. For me, other than you, I hang out with a bunch of cut-throat Castro faggots – they are mean, and they are fit! They look great naked!”

“What Castro faggots are you talking about?”

“It’s a real body-conscious scene.

They haven’t transcended sexual attractiveness.”

“I don’t get it, where’s all this pressure coming from, your porn?

From the frat boys you jack off to when I’m not around?”

Tune in and see who wins: the hypernormative gay boys or the foodencouragers and weight-gaining crowd. It’s funny and eye-opening.

(Transtastic! program, Victoria, 6/24)▼

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Bring back queer television

by Victoria A. Brownworth hen is some network (not you, Logo, you’re doing just fine) going to start doing serious queer programming? It’s not just a question for Pride month. Seriously: it’s yet another new season with no major queer characters on any new shows. If it weren’t for reality TV and the soaps, where would the queers be, except for Logo? Shouldn’t we be able to turn on the tube and find somebody queer on our favorite shows?

CBS still does not have a single gay character on any of its franchise shows or sitcoms. How is that possible, especially when TV Guide singled out Neil Patrick Harris as one of the major movers and shakers at the network in this week’s “25 Most Influential People on Television” story?

Harris, Emmy-winner for How I Met Your Mother, and perennial awards show host, was also the only actor on the list. Only. Actor. On. The. List. So here we are, 41 years post-Stonewall, with an entire generation having grown up with out queers, and we can’t quite get that 10% of the population onto the tube? Really?

Listen up, TV execs: We’re here, we’re queer, and we watch TV. Give us some characters. And not just one token gay guy wandering through or some beautiful bisexual bombshell who can turn back to men at any time – possibly even in the same episode where we were watching her with another woman. Yes, we’re talking to you, Grey’s Anatomy.

Rant over. Maybe.

True Blood came back with a vengeance, and another queer character. One more reason to keep watching the best vampire show

W

brought an opera singer who called since Buffy. himself Prince Poppycock and sang ABC is trying to vamp up its own Mozart. He was pretty and pretty summer schedule. The Gates debuted good, and got moved to the next on June 20, an hour after True Blood. round. AGT seems to prove better It doesn’t have the same bite, but it’s got a lot of nice bodies, male and fethan any show on TV that real talent male, and the hypersexuality of subknows no gender, sexual orientation, urban vampirism. It’s reminiscent of age or race. It’s the most multifaceted reality show on the tube. And Desperate Housewives, but with teeth. super enjoyable.

Worth a look.

We also love a good kitchen fracas, Also on Sundays, because Sunday and there’s no better place for that night is apparently for all things inthan Hell’s Kitchen on Fox, or Top human, and more queerish than either vampire series is BBC Chef on Bravo. There aren’t any out America’s Being Human. queers on HK this season, although there do seem The British drama reto be a few closet cases. turns for a second seaBut there’s an adorable son next month, giving out gay chef on Top you time to watch season one if you haven’t Chef, Arnold Myint, who seen it. This extremely will be flaming with the edgy and intense flambé throughout, show features a we hope. ghost, a vampire and found this L AVENDER T UBE TVWetidbit a werewolf in a depretty cidedly different take fabulous: North on the Three’s Company formula of Korea has been renting actors from China to sit in the stands at the World apartment-sharing. The three are Cup and play North Korean fans. In trying to live their lives without full North Korean gear. All men. Serikilling anyone. Good luck with that. ously. How gay is that?

Queer talents We loved the tribute to men kicking each other in the testicles that It’s back in the realm of reality, as Morgan Freeman did on Craig Ferin reality TV, where you are likely to guson. The skit showed about 50 diffind the most queer TV. We are parferent nut-crushing plays from soccer ticularly fond of NBC’s America’s Got games in tribute to the World Cup. Talent, which always has a panoply of Looks like these guys could have used drag queens and the like (last season a cup or two. Check it out online at there was a gay high school batonCBS, under Late Late Show with Craig twirler who was trying to prove something to the boys who had bulFerguson. lied him) as well as some really good But the very gayest thing we saw talent. on the tube this week was on NightWe like this show because there’s line, which did a piece on icing, the hard work involved, the people are new viral bro game. Here’s the shtick: not just teen idol wannabes, and it’s a A guy jumps another guy and yells, range of acts from dancing to singing, “You’ve been iced!” At which point magic to fire-eating. Last week the iced guy must drop to one knee

Out gay TV star Neil Patrick Harris, one of TV Guide’s ‘25 Most Influential.’

(starting to see the gay content?) and then he has to chug an entire bottle of Smirnoff’s Ice (so gay).

As the founder of the You’ve Been Iced blog noted for the segment, it’s highly homoerotic in that the drink is really fruity and girly, and the dropping to one knee is submissive. Yeah, we had to be told that one. At the end of the piece, Nightline co-host Cynthia McFadden said, “I still don’t get it.” Of course you don’t, dear. It’s a guy thing.

Maybe this is why there aren’t more gay characters on the tube: straight men are already doing so much gay stuff the execs probably don’t think anything more than Glee is needed. Hmmm. And Happy Pride!

Whole world is watching It’s impossible to write about TV these days without mentioning the Gulf oil spill, since it remains the most prominent crisis in the nation.

It should be noted that America still has record unemployment at nearly 10%. There are no new jobs that aren’t Census or temporary jobs. The Obama Administration is still prosecuting two wars (or three if you can read a map, and thus don’t believe that Pakistan is part of Afghanistan), still torturing people through extraordinary rendition and still running Guantanamo. But the Gulf is the only news story these days.

Of course it would be hard to ignore the ongoing tragedy in the Gulf.

Unless you are in the oil industry or the President. Yes, we know, Obama walked along the beach last week and looked at tar balls, then he gave the first Oval Office speech of his Presidency. He also told Matt Lauer on Today that he was going to “kick some ass.”

Yet while interviewing Katie Couric on Late Night last week, David Letterman said what many of us have been thinking since the initial explosion: Why does the US government keep having to learn the same lessons again and again? Letterman pointed to the events that should have taught us something, notably 9/11 and Katrina. Why, he asked Couric, have we not yet learned that government agencies don’t share information, and government agents on the ground never seem to know as much as reporters in the same disaster zone?

Good questions. None of which were answered by the most unnerving speech of Barack Obama’s career.

When did Obama start being inarticulate? And what was with all the hand gestures? We knew the guy was passive, he never pretended he had a heart rate above a lizard’s. And we knew, because he repeated it during the primary debates, that he would be governing by committee.

But we also knew he was smart and, above all, ambitious. That we were certain of. So what happened? The speech was just plain crazy. “We are at war!”

Really? April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon well explodes, 11 people are killed, 17 hospitalized. Millions of gallons of oil and tons of natural gas spew nonstop into the Gulf

of Mexico, a few miles from New Orleans. June 15, 2010, Obama finally gives a speech after wagging his finger angrily at BP for 56 days. That ain’t war, so don’t say it. And do not promise that everything is going to be perfect at the end of this, when you have no idea when or even if there will be an end. Who’s going to bring back all the wildlife that’s been killed, or the wetlands and marshes that have been destroyed? A team from Re-animator?

Do not promise that the well will be permanently capped by month’s end. No one can promise that. BP isn’t sure of it, Aquaman isn’t going to swim down and plug it, and you are not a superhero.

Remember when late-night comedians couldn’t think of anything pejorative to say about Obama? Are those days over! As Craig Ferguson noted, Obama is treating the Gulf crisis like Bush treated Katrina: by playing golf and going on vacation. Ouch!

Ferguson also asked why we were still calling it the Gulf oil spill, noting that calling it a spill was like calling WW II a tiff.

Of course, Obama should thank his lucky stars for Tony Hayward and even Joe Barton. Hayward acts and talks like a villain from 24 or a James Bond film. The only thing missing as he testified before Congress was a big white cat he could stroke while he refused to answer questions, seeming put out at the very idea that he should.

Then there’s Barton. While every other Republican had the sense to be outraged at Hayward and the other oil-industry shills testifying, Barton decided to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and apologize to Hayward for the “shakedown” of BP by President Obama. By the end of the day, it was Barton doing the apologizing, after getting a well-deserved beat-down from his own party. Barton’s move was much like the one that tied the World Cup game between the US and England. There was England thinking they had won, then. No matter how angry one gets with the Democrats, there is always a Republican who can make one angrier.

Sadly, the late-night comics, Jon Stewart et al. are right about this one: the Obama Administration has made this their Katrina. Good luck with that clean-up! But Obama still has two champions on the tube: Oprah, without whom he would not have been elected, and Sherri Shepherd on The View. Both women insisted repeatedly this week that asking Obama to get angry was pointless. Oprah made a little more sense when she said it than Shepherd. (Really, do you want the gal who got into a fight with Whoopi Goldberg over whether or not the world is flat to be your champion? When you Google Shepherd, one of the choices that comes up in the top five is “Sherri Shepherd stupid”). Both women insisted that it was Obama’s job to stay calm. Calm, yes. Inert, no. Wake up and smell the rotting oysters. And stay tuned.▼

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DVD

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Digital pride

by David Alex Nahmod For the Bible Tells Me So (First Run Features)

ride seems like a good time to reflect on those who still strive to take our rights away. Progress has been made, particularly here in the Bay Area. But as Prop 8 showed us, gains can be taken away in the flick of an eye.

Daniel Karslake’s For the Bible Tells Me So is a searing documentary that shines a light on anti-gay religious fundamentalists who use the Bible as a weapon against LGBT people. “They are destroying the fabric of this nation,” says Rev. Pat Robertson on his daily television show. “I’ve never seen a man I wanted to marry,” preached the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart in 2004. “And if I ever did, I’d kill him and say God did it.”

But as openly gay Rev. Mel White of Soul Force aptly points out, “For a long time the Bible has been misused to support prejudice: slavery, apartheid, the second-class citizenship of women. Now it’s being misused to condemn gay people, It’s an old trick that fundamentalist Christians have used. And now they’re doing it again.”

Yet in spite of these efforts, LGBT people continue to come out of the closet, including out of the very churches in which these preachers operate. Bishop Gene Robinson, now the openly gay leader of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, was raised by devoutly religious parents where going to church, and marrying a person of the opposite sex, was expected and required.

Early in his life, the Bishop married and had two children. But eventual-

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ly he and his wife had to part ways – nothing was going to erase his identity as a gay man.

Lizzie Gephardt, daughter of former Congressman and Presidential candidate Dick Gephardt, also married, because it seemed like the thing to do at the time. Five years into her marriage, she had to face the truth about her lesbianism.

Yet fundamentalist ministers continue to use the Bible as a means to illustrate the “evil abomination” of homosexuality. “I’m going to go with what the Bible says,” says Rev. David Poteat, who has a strained relationship with his lesbian daughter Tonia.

Rev. Poteat and many others engage in “selective reading,” as a number of gay clergy point out. Rev. Irene Monroe, a black lesbian, sees the Bible differently than others. She refers to scriptural quotes which have been used to subjugate African Americans, and other quotes that were used against LGBT people, and against women in general.

A clip from the TV series The West Wing underscores this misuse of Scripture: as the President, Martin Sheen debates a fundamentalist minister who’s visiting the White House.

After being told that homosexuality is clearly an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, the fictional President poses this question: “I’m interested in selling my daughter into slavery as sanctioned by Exodus 21:7.

What would a good price for her be?”

As the minister cringes in the light of her own hypocrisy, the President’s supporters laugh. But it’s no laughing matter.

Just ask the devout Reitan family of Minnesota. When their 15-yearold son came out, their home was vandalized. The Reitans rallied around their son, and gave a televi-

sion interview in support of his gay identity.

But some folks learn that lesson too late. Mary Lou Kallmer rejected daughter Katie, as she was instructed to do by Biblical teaching. Kallmer didn’t awaken to her error until after Katie committed suicide. The nowheartbroken Mom does public speaking, urging parents to accept their gay offspring.

Further proof of selected reading comes when filmmaker Karslake reveals the annual incomes of the nowdeceased Rev. Jerry Falwell ($8.9 million), Rev. James Dobson ($138 mil-

folsom street fair sunday, september 26th, 2010

lion) and Rev. Pat Robertson ($459 million). All three made their careers by preaching against the evils of homosexuality, while ignoring the Bible’s command to give all their earthly possessions to the poor. As we prepare for the upcoming Pride March, we should not forget that their are some very wealthy and powerful people lurking in the shadows. They are not our friends.

The Way We Were: Before Stonewall/After Stonewall (First Run Features) The Meatrack (Something Weird Video)

Before and After Stonewall are two groundbreaking documentaries that together successfully tell the history of LGBT people in America from the 1920s until the present. In the aftermath of Proposition 8, these films stand both as a testament to how far we’ve come, and how much further we have to go.

Released in 1984, Before Stonewall features interviews with “old-timers” who recall the secret, underground life we were forced to lead nearly a century ago, and of the consequences (job loss, beatings, jail time) if you were outed. But a few courageous souls stepped out of the closet anyway, and planted the seeds for the visible community we have today.

Elderly New Yorker Mabel Hampton gets teary-eyed as she speaks of Harlem in the 1920s, where glittering nightclubs served as a safe haven for gay and black people alike. Back then, there was an alignment between the two communities. One older gentleman smiles as he recalls Gladys Bentley, a tuxedo-wearing black lesbian who sang in clubs and married her girlfriend in Atlantic City. “I don’t think I ever saw Gladys in a skirt,” he says with a laugh.

The late Harry Hay talks about the formation of the Mattachine Society, the country’s first gay organization, and publications like The Mattachine Review and One, which preceded papers like the B.A.R. in the 1950s.

Women recall when local icons Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon formed the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian organization, more than half a century ago. One woman remembers how exciting it was to walk into a room that was filled with lesbians, something she never thought would happen in her lifetime. But she also recalls that they had to draw the blinds. It was a differ-

ent world then.

Another Bay Area legend, Jose Sarria, speaks eloquently of his days as a drag performer at the Black Cat, the City’s first well-known gay bar, which closed in 1963. At a reunion of bar patrons 20 years later, good times are recalled, as are police raids.

All of this leads up to the now legendary night in June 1969, when fedup LGBT people at the Stonewall Bar in New York finally had enough, and fought back. We celebrate Pride in June to commemorate that historic event.

Produced some 15 years later, After Stonewall continues the story. A movement and a community emerges. People flock to San Francisco, where Harvey Milk makes history. But the film also teaches some forgotten history: in 1974, Elaine Noble won a seat in the Massachusetts State Legislature, the country‘s first openly gay elected official. She paved the way for Milk.

After Stonewall doesn’t sugar-coat the truth. In the 1970s, gay men and lesbians forged two very different cultures, and there were sharp divides between the two. Neither wanted much to do with the other until the 1980s, when AIDS brought everyone together.

The film also illustrates the rise of a separate gay movement among African Americans, who may have been intentionally shut out of the larger community, and of the first stirrings of the now very visible transgender movement.

First Run Features offers these two classics on a two-disc edition, commemorating the 25 years since Before Stonewall was released. Together, they stand as a 100-year history lesson which illustrates the need for community and unity. Before Stonewall opens with a title card: “Unless otherwise stated, the people who appear in this film should not be presumed to be homosexual – or heterosexual.” After Stonewall repeats that card, adding the words bisexual and transgender.

Produced on a shoestring in 1970, The Meatrack is an interesting antique. Then marketed as a sexploitation film, it’s clearer now that the filmmakers had higher aspirations.

With a bare-bones script and a cast of non-actors, Meatrack follows a few months in the life of a bisexual hus-

tler. The film attempts to dramatize how lonely gay life could be in those days, when most people were deep in the closet, and the baths were the only place to meet. Though the film is hampered by poor acting and production values, it stands as a filmed record of the Tenderloin of four decades past, where much gay cruising took place. Current viewers of the film should also consider how courageous it was to make and appear in such a film then, when police raids were still part of our lives. You can’t help but admire a cast that sheds their clothes, embracing and kissing on camera without shame, in 1970. We’ve come a long way, baby.▼

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