June 30, 2011 edition of the Bay Area Reporter

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BARtab Red Hot Summer Fun

Federal agencies have Pride

DA candidates square off

Dore Debauchery Leathernecking Sacramento Scene

'Billy Elliot' dances

see inside

The

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

Vol. 41 • No. 26 • June 30-July 6, 2011

Seth Hemmelgarn

Freddy Roberto Canul-Arguello Rick Gerharter

Police probe gay SF man’s death

A sign amidst the crowd at the Pride festival in Civic Center called attention to the marriage victory in New York.

A New York state of Pride

by Seth Hemmelgarn

T

by Seth Hemmelgarn

W

hen Milton Ramirez heard that something had happened to Freddy Roberto Canul-Arguello, he didn’t believe it.

Two hunky guys added some spice and beef to the Project Open Hand float in Sunday’s Pride Parade.

he 41st annual San Francisco Pride Parade Sunday, June 26 had a joyous atmosphere surrounding it as people celebrated the victory in New York, where late Friday night Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a marriage equality law after it passed the state legislature.

Rick Gerharter

See page 13 >>

See page 12 >>

Transgender Law Center adds positions Lesbian

by Seth Hemmelgarn activist Jean Harris dies A

by Cynthia Laird

L

ongtime lesbian activist Jean Harris died at her home in Palm Springs, California on Saturday, June 25. She was 66.

Ms. Harris had been experiencing multiple health issues, a posting on her Facebook page said, but her death was unexpected. The cause of death is not yet known.

Known for her Jane Philomen Cleland spirited use of colorful Jean Harris language and her manner of man-dress, she was often viewed as a polarizing figure.

A cross-dressing lesbian before it became commonplace, Ms. Harris was a well-known aide in the San Francisco City Hall offices of former Supervisor Harry Britt, former Mayor Frank Jordan and former Health Director Dr. Sandra Hernandez.

See page 11 >>

San Francisco-based nonprofit that works with the transgender community is adding new positions to cover its expanding work.

Kristina Wertz, legal director for the Transgender Law Center, will leave that position to become the agency’s first policy director.

TLC Executive Director Masen Davis said that as the economic downturn has continued, there is a need for services.

“We’re getting more and more requests for legal services,” Davis said. “We’ve realized that we have to meet the individual needs of people today, but we also have to start and actually continue changing the policies that lead so many transgender people to face challenges accessing jobs and health care.”

He added, “We’ve always done policy work, but this represents a further deepening of policy advocacy by the Transgender Law Center.”

Wertz’s new job will include working with state agencies on implementing laws, as well as leading legislative efforts and connecting community members with policy makers.

She said she’s looking forward to continuing to strengthen “California’s set of good policies that ensure that transgender people are able to really thrive.”

Davis said since Wertz joined the center in 2007, she’s “evolved into a really strong policy advocate.” He said her new role would include health care and economic justice work, “to

Rick Gerharter

Transgender Law Center Executive Director Masen Davis, center, was joined by Maceo Persson, left, and Justin Tanis in the eighth annual Trans March last Friday.

reduce some of the barriers” that transgender people face at the local, state, and national levels.

One piece of legislation that TLC is currently sponsoring is Assembly Bill 887. The bill, authored by out Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and co-sponsored by Equality California, aims to strengthen employment, housing, and other protections for all Californians, especially those facing discrimination based on gender identity and expression.

{ FIRST OF TWO SECTIONS }

Another bill TLC is sponsoring is AB433.

That proposal is designed in part to streamline the existing process for making a petition for a court order recognizing a change of gender and obtaining an updated birth certificate. The bill, also co-sponsored by EQCA, was written by Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal (D-Long Beach).

Davis said Wertz has overseen policy work See page 7 >>

<< Community News

2 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

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LGBT groups demand changes to SF Assembly district maps

by Matthew S. Bajko

A

coalition of LGBT groups is demanding changes to the proposed boundaries for San Francisco’s two Assembly districts, warning the lines as currently drawn will dilute the community’s voice in Sacramento.

The bipartisan group of LGBT agencies and political clubs is also asking the state’s Citizens Redistricting Commission to give the city’s sole Senate District it will have come 2012 an odd number so that openly gay state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) can seek a second term. Not only would he be barred from doing so until 2014 if the Senate District is given an even number, it would leave the vast majority of the city’s LGBT community unrepresented by a lawmaker it voted for in the Legislature’s upper house for two years.

“Please help make sure we keep San Francisco odd,” said gay Treasure Island resident Owen Stephens at the Monday, June 27 hearing the redistricting commissioners held in San Francisco.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera has also requested that the commission number the San Francisco Senate seat with an odd number. In a letter to the panel, Herrera also cites the importance of ensuring the LGBT community has representation in the statehouse.

The LGBT groups and Herrera submitted their letters during the meeting Monday night. It was the commission’s second-to-last hearing to gather public comment ahead of its issuing a second round of draft lines for political districts on July 14.

A number of LGBT leaders addressed the panel to voice their concerns about how it has proposed splitting San Francisco into two Assembly districts. Under the commission’s first draft maps, neighborhoods with large numbers of LGBT households have been moved out of the 13th Assembly District, which has elected three out lawmakers over the last two decades, into the 12th Assembly District, which has been represented by Asian lawmakers in recent years.

The LGBT groups are asking the commission to move Diamond Heights, Glen Park, Twin Peaks, Cole Valley, Haight-Ashbury, and Laurel Heights into the 13th District, which is represented by openly gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco). Just elected to a second term in the fall, Ammiano is already raising money for his 2012 campaign.

The city’s eastern district “is one of the most critical districts in California

(((((((((

Rick Gerharter

Dan Brown, president of the San Francisco Log Cabin Republican Club, addressed the Citizens Redistricting Commission.

for the LGBT community,” wrote the LGBT groups. “The current tentative map greatly dilutes and divides the LGBT community of interest in San Francisco by removing several heavily LGBT neighborhoods ... by doing so, the tentative map undermines the ability of the LGBT community to be fully represented.”

To make up for the lost population, the groups suggest adding more of the Outer Mission and Excelsior into the 12th District.

The letter was co-drafted by the statewide LGBT advocacy group Equality California; the National Center for Lesbian Rights; the San Francisco LGBT Community Center; the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club; and Log Cabin Republicans of San Francisco, the gay Republican group.

“We did take the unusual step of partnering with Alice, which is something that doesn’t happen often, because this is something that affects the community as a whole,” Dan Brown, the Log Cabin chapter president, told the commissioners.

Chris Bowman, a gay Republican who submitted proposed maps through the California Conservative Action Group, asked the panel members to “keep the LGBT community in San Francisco intact.”

Openly gay San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener, whose District 8 would be further split between the two proposed Assembly districts, also spoke in support of the letter sent in by the community groups. He also pressed for the Senate seat to be an odd numbered one.

“Otherwise two-thirds of my district will not be represented for two years,” said Wiener. “For the last

20 years we have been able to win because the LGBT community of interest has been united.”

Supervisor Malia Cohen, whose District 10 seat covers the city’s southeastern neighborhoods and is also split between different legislative districts, echoed Wiener’s comments to the panel.

“I am concerned this community will be marginalized and disenfranchised,” said Cohen.

“I can’t imagine having no representation for two years.”

In his letter, Herrera claimed having the city’s Senate district not be given an odd number would be “a potentially devastating setback” for the entire state’s LGBT community which has “historically looked to San Francisco’s elected legislators for leadership on issues of concern to their community.”

“Should a quirk in the numbering of state Senate districts eliminate San Francisco’s representation during this critical time, the detrimental effects would reach far beyond my own city’s borders. It would be gravely unfair to Californians who have been too long marginalized, and too often denied rights to which they are entitled,” wrote Herrera.

Commissioner Angelo Ancheta, who is from San Francisco, requested that the LGBT groups submit the recently released U.S. Census data on same-sex households for San Francisco so it had more information to guide its discussions.

He said having the data could prove helpful, as “there might be some tough cuts we have to make.”

He also asked EQCA to resubmit its maps of the LGBT neighborhoods in various cities around the state with different color schemes so they are easier to read. Andrea Shorter, with EQCA, promised to do so.

The panels lone out member, Commissioner Cynthia Dai, who is also a San Francisco resident, thanked the more than 100 people who showed up for the hearing prior to the start of the testimony. She indicated that the commissioners are open to redrawing the maps they initially released.

“We hope to hear from you today on how we can improve our maps.

There are some tricky population shifts” the commission has to contend with, said Dai, who will assume the panel’s rotating chair position on July 1.

The commission is expected to reveal its numbering of districts in next month’s second release of draft maps. It is planning to vote on its final maps in August.▼ For more information visit wedrawthelines.ca.gov/.

www.ebar.com )))))))))

▼

National News>>

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 3

Obama dodges marriage questions

by Lisa Keen

P

resident Barack Obama at a midday nationally televised press conference on Wednesday was repeatedly pressed for his views on marriage equality. He spoke out strongly against discrimination based on sexual orientation and detailed many of the things his administration has done to advance equal rights for LGBT people. But he continued to dodge questions about his personal view of same-sex marriage.

Political commentators had been speculating Wednesday morning that a question about marriage equality would be asked, given Obama’s highprofile speech in New York on the eve of that state’s marriage equality vote last week. And, for the first time in the history of presidential press conferences, a gay specific question came up at the beginning of the event. The second reporter called on – MSNBC’s White House reporter Chuck Todd – asked the president to comment on the constitutionality of three things: the War Powers Act, the debt limit, and “do you believe marriage is a civil right.”

After Todd asked his question, the president laughed and noted that Todd had asked a “hodge-podge” of a question.

“We’re going to assign you to the Supreme Court,” quipped the president. “I’m not a Supreme Court justice, so I’m not going to put on my constitutional law professor hat here.” He then said he wanted to talk about Libya and did so, concluding that he didn’t think the constitutionality of the War Powers Act was really at issue. He then asked Todd to repeat the other parts of his question and Todd asked about marriage.

The president was clearly prepared.

“This administration under my direction has consistently said we cannot discriminate as a country against people based on sexual orientation,” said Obama. He said his administration has done more to advance equal rights for LGBT people in two-and-a-half years than the previous 43 presidents, and he rattled off an impressive list of accomplishments – from a new hate

President Barack Obama

crimes law to a law repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” from hospital visitation to refusing to defend “the federal government poking its nose” into state laws defining marriage. He also said the administration “filed briefs before the Supreme Court that say we think any discrimination against gay, lesbian, and transgender people is subject to heightened scrutiny.”

That latter reference was apparently to a letter the administration sent to Congress, not the Supreme Court, notifying it that the president and attorney general had concluded the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and that laws infringing upon the rights of LGBT people, like DOMA, should be given the highest level of scrutiny by the courts.

“We’ve made sure that is a central principle of this administration,” said Obama.

Although Todd did not ask about New York specifically, Obama spoke about New York’s marriage law, essentially repeating comments made at last week’s fundraiser. He said the state of New York “made a decision to recognize civil marriage, and I think it is important for us to work through these issues.” Each community and each state, he said, will be different.

“What you’re seeing is a profound recognition that gay, lesbian, and transgender persons are our brothers and sisters, our children, our friends and co-workers, and they’ve got to

Underground Railroad exhibit opens compiled by Cynthia Laird

T

he African American Center of the San Francisco Public Library will present an exhibit, “The Underground Railroad: Songs of Hope and Freedom.” The opening event will take place Saturday, July 2 at 1 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium at the main library, 100 Larkin Street.

Curator Bill Doggett will provide opening remarks, annotations, and special recordings of Negro spirituals from 1910-1915. He will be joined by African roots choral ensemble, Awon Ohun Omnira (Voices of Freedom), which will perform Negro spirituals associated with the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century slaves to escape to free states and Canada. Abolitionists and allies aided the freedom-seekers.

A related exhibition that is open through August 4 is located in the

African American Center, on the third floor of the main library.

All programs at the library are free.

New publisher for SF gay paper The San Francisco Bay Times has a new publisher, according to the paper’s masthead. On June 16, the first week in several that the LGBT paper had a print version, Betty Sullivan was listed as the publisher.

Longtime publisher and editor Kim Corsaro was listed as contributing editor, along with Dayna Verstegen.

Sullivan, the owner of the popular Betty’s List website that promotes events primarily for the queer women’s community, was unavailable for comment.

Up until the June 16 issue, the paper had not published in several weeks, although its website was updated weekly.

Corsaro has not returned multiple calls from the Bay Area Reporter seeking comment.▼

be treated like every other American, and I think that principle will win out,” said Obama. He said he doesn’t think progress in this area will be “perfectly smooth” but that he has learned “a president can’t dictate precisely how this process moves.”

“But we’re moving in the direction of greater equality,” said Obama, “and I think that’s a good thing.”

Laura Meckler of the Wall Street Journal pressed a second question on marriage equality, asking the president, “Do you personally now support same-sex marriage?”

“I’m not going to make news on that today,” said Obama, using a line he has engaged in previous interviews when asked about marriage equality.

He then answered another question of Meckler’s on a different topic.

Meckler then pressed again, asking about his personal views on same-sex marriage.

“I think this has been asked and answered,” said Obama, “and I’ll keep on giving you the same answer until I give you a different one, and that won’t be today.”

The president was scheduled to make brief remarks Wednesday evening to a group of LGBT guests at a reception observing LGBT Pride Month, in the East Room of the White House.▼

On the web Online content this week includes: Jock Talk, Transmissions, and Wockner’s World columns; articles on Kevin Jennings’s departure from the Obama administration, GOP candidates react to New York marriage vote, and a look back at gentrification in the Castro; and a longer version of the obituary for Roger Chaffin. www.ebar.com.

ebar.com

<< Politics

4 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

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Campaign backers give mayor a leather look

by Matthew S. Bajko

H

e already has the quintessential gay male accessory – his trim mustache. Now Mayor Ed Lee has gone leather.

During the Pride festivities the city’s interim leader could be seen sporting a leather biker’s cap. Well, the cartoon version of Lee, that is.

The backers behind the “Run, Ed, Run” campaign, aimed at convincing Lee to seek a full four-year team, unveiled a new poster last weekend that showed the leather attired Lee’s

cartoon face with a pink background and a rainbow over the left side of his head.

Supporters unveiled the signs at the opening of their campaign headquarters in the Mission Saturday and have been handing them out ever since.

“Aren’t they great?” said Planning Commission President Christina Olague, a bisexual Latina who is one of five co-chairs leading the push to get Lee to run.

Olague, the only out person on the steering committee, said she signed

on because of how Lee’s been running the city. She pointed to his hosting town halls with all 11 supervisors to talk directly with residents and his submitting a budget that was relatively painless compared to years past.

“The way he has handled the job the past year has been refreshing from my standpoint. He is someone who understands the workings of government and making people feel part of the administration,” she said.

“To me, City Hall has been a fortress the last eight years, and even beyond

Seth Hemmelgarn

The campaign to encourage Mayor Ed Lee to seek a full term unveiled new signs with a leather look for the city’s popular leader.

that. It was nice to go to the D6 budget hearing and have the mayor listening to people’s suggestions.”

For all the enthusiasm and statewide press attention the push to see Lee declare his candidacy has wrought, there is no guarantee it will bear fruit. The mayor continues to signal he wants to return to his old job as city administrator.

And while his full plate of Pride events – including being the first mayor at the Trans March – added to speculation he is being coy about his electoral intentions, others said he was only doing what the LGBT community expects of its mayor.

“The mayor would have been far more conspicuous with his absence. It would have been a bigger deal if the mayor hadn’t shown up,” said Matt Dorsey, who stressed he was speaking for himself and not on behalf of the mayoral campaign of his boss, City Attorney Dennis Herrera.

Olague spoke favorably of the mayoral candidacies of Supervisors David Chiu and John Avalos, as well as that of Bevan Dufty, the only gay candidate at the head of the mayoral pack. Nonetheless, she is holding out hope that Lee will run.

“He can work with everybody. It would be unfortunate if he didn’t run,” she said.

For those who agree, they can sign a petition urging Lee to jump into the race at www.runedrun.org.

Sheriff’s race shakeup This week two candidates for San Francisco sheriff dropped out of the running, while Mission Station police Captain Greg Corrales has pulled papers to seek the seat.

Former sheriff’s deputy union head, David Wong, who is fighting his dismissal from the department due to an altercation he had with a female prisoner, told the Bay Area Reporter this week that he determined it is impossible for him to win this year.

San Francisco Police Officer Michael Evans, one of two gay men who pulled papers, also has dropped out. He told the B.A.R. he ended his campaign Tuesday, June 28.

“After much consideration I determined now is not the best time for me to run for sheriff. I will continue to work in the community and the nonprofits I am working with,” he wrote in an email.

The decision came after Dufty announced he was snubbing Evans and former sheriff’s deputy Jon Gray, the other gay man in the race, and instead endorsing straight Sheriff’s Captain Paul Miyamoto, who has been endorsed by the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.

“Paul Miyamoto clearly is someone who has come through the ranks

of the department. He commands the respect of the rank and file,” said Dufty, adding that he is open to giving Gray his second or third choice endorsement. “I am not snubbing them. I am very open if they stay in the race and show some viability.”

With Evans now out, Gray can seek the support of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which stays out of races with more than one LGBT candidate. He has been working to gather enough signatures to waive the filing fee and is trying to line up endorsements.

As for Dufty’s endorsement decision, he said he is “not happy.”

“I want Bevan to win, but I want to win, too,” said Gray.

One obstacle Gray had faced in the endorsement hunt was that Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi’s Facebook page for his sheriff’s campaign had listed his endorsers, including that of the B.A.R., from his 2008 re-election campaign. A message line did include the old date, but it was easy to miss, and several people who landed on the page through Google questioned why they should endorse Gray when it appeared Mirkarimi had such wide backing.

“People are looking at this Facebook page and it is not correct,” said Gray.

After being contacted this week about the mix-up, Mirkarimi’s campaign removed the endorsement list.

“That is not a campaign page. It is remnants from the 2008 campaign,” said consultant Jordan Curley. “It was clearly dated 2008. We are not trying to pass off endorsements from 2008.”

Dufty hires new campaign manager As of next month Dufty will welcome his third campaign manager onto his mayoral bid. Dan Kelly, 32, an openly gay campaign consultant, will start work July 14.

He has been helping Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn with her bid for an open congressional seat.

The Wisconsin native has worked on various campaigns since 2002 and recently joined the Victory Fund campaign board. He met Dufty through the national LGBT group.

“I thought he was fantastic and had an amazing attitude,” said Kelly.

“I know the joke about the number 3, but his campaign consultant Michael Terris has been keeping an eye on things and getting the ship going in the right direction.”

Dufty recently parted ways with David Feighan, who joined the campaign in April. Feighan had replaced Bob Michitarian, who transitioned into the role of campaign co-chair in March.▼

Community News>>

▼ Lawsuit filed to nip anti-circumcision initiative

by Heather Cassell

O

pponents of the anticircumcision ballot initiative might cut it short before San Francisco voters get the chance to decide on the controversial measure.

In an unusual collation, Jews, Muslims, and medical experts joined together June 22 and filed a lawsuit to block the initiative that seeks to ban and criminalize circumcision from being on the November 8 ballot.

A hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on July 15. It is expected that the court will make a decision within two weeks, said Michael Jacobs, a partner at Morrison and Foerster who took the case pro bono.

The initiative, which qualified for the November ballot last month, seeks to criminalize anyone performing circumcision – the practice of removal of the foreskin that covers the tip of the penis – on boys under the age of 18 within San Francisco. Violations would result in a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000 or imprisonment in county jail for up to one year, or both.

Medical exceptions are permitted in the initiative, but there isn’t a religious exemption.

Circumcision is most often practiced in Jewish and Muslim religions. It is also seen as a preventative measure for HIV, among other health issues.

Opponents state the initiative is invalid due to state law that prohibits local municipalities and counties from restricting medical professionals from performing medical procedures and also goes against the U.S. Constitution’s free exercise clause.

In the late morning sun on the first hot San Francisco summer day, the plaintiffs gathered with Jacobs on the steps of City Hall and announced their joint opposition to the initiative.

The plaintiffs include the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Anti-Defamation League along with five Jewish and Muslim families and two medical professionals.

“This proposed initiative to the Jewish or the Muslim communit[ies] says your religious practice, even if they are entirely consistent with the medical evidence, are threatened,” said Jacobs. “We just don’t think that it’s appropriate for either community or for parents in general or for doctors to have to wonder what is going to happen in November and have to worry about this.”

The families said they feel threatened and would be injured by not being allowed to practice their faith if voters pass the initiative. In addition to the lack of a religious exception, many in San Francisco’s Jewish community became agitated by anti-Semitic propaganda created and released by initiative author Matthew Hess earlier this month.

Openly gay District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, who is Jewish, pledged his support to stand with the opponents to defeat the initiative if it appears on the November ballot.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera is “screened off” from intervening in the matter to avoid the “appearance of conflicting loyalties” due to his bid for mayor, according to Herrera spokesman Matt Dorsey.

‘Undemocratic’ Lloyd Schofield, who is leading the anti-circumcision initiative campaign and was named a real party of interest in the lawsuit, called the lawsuit “undemocratic,” especially since San Franciscan voters “gave an overwhelming response to our initiative,” he said.

Hess and Schofield consulted with attorneys over the weekend and

reviewed the proposed injunction, they told the Bay Area Reporter.

Schofield pointed out the medical exemption included in the initiative did not disallow “medical intervention.”

Hess added that circumcision can “lead to loss of sensitivity and complications up to and including death.” He believes it’s “quite ‘reasonable’ to require that an adult give his permission first.”

“Parents and religious groups are claiming that it’s their right to genitally cut their children when it is not their right ... parents are a guardian and can only act in that child’s best interest,” Schofield added.

Marc Salomon, who was on his way to the Farmers Market in the Civic Center when he happened upon the press conference, agreed.

“As a gay man who’s been around a lot of penis, I really think that foreskins are there for a reason and that nature should trump nurture in this case,” said Salomon, a 48-yearold software engineer. The issue wasn’t on the top of his political list, said Salomon, who identified as a non-observant Jewish man, but he

strongly stated that “it’s not right for parents to take irreversible steps against their child to meet their religious needs or any other need.”

Hess took offense to claims in the lawsuit that the initiative “targets” unlicensed Jewish Mohels and violates the U.S. Constitution’s free exercise clause.

See page 7 >>

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 5

Plaintiff Leticia Preza, with daughter Sabiha, speaks at a press conference announcing the filing of a suit to remove a San Francisco ballot measure that would ban circumcision for all males under 18 years. Other plaintiffs include, in back, Jennifer and Jeremy Benjamin, an unidentified woman, attorney Nicole Aeschleman, and plaintiff, Dr. Brian McBeth.

Rick Gerharter

<< Open Forum

6 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

Volume 41, Number 26 June 30-July 6, 2011 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Thomas E. Horn Bob Ross (Founder, 1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko Seth Hemmelgarn Jim Provenzano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Aiello • Tavo Amador • Matt Baume Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Scott Brogan • Victoria A. Brownworth Philip Campbell • Heather Cassell Chuck Colbert • Richard Dodds Raymond Flournoy • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell 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 Ed Walsh • Sura Wood

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The tide is turning T

he New York state Senate’s approval of a marriage equality law last week was a milestone in the fight for LGBT equal rights.

Governor Andrew Cuomo promptly signed the bill at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern), and, when it goes into effect in 30 days, same-sex couples will begin marrying by late July.

Significantly, four Republican lawmakers voted for the bill, which passed in the Senate 3329. (The Assembly had already approved the bill.)

Many of us in California were asking ourselves why don’t we have Republican lawmakers like the ones in New York. The fact that the GOPcontrolled New York Senate voted on – and passed – a same-sex marriage bill demonstrates that the tide is indeed turning in our favor.

In addition to the celebrating we should note two key factors that led to the success of this historic vote.

GOP support Historically, the broader LGBT community votes Democratic, because Democratic politicians have authored LGBT bills and have publicly supported the fight for equality – not just for marriage, but non-discrimination laws, hate crimes laws, and a host of others. At the national level, the Democratic Party is far ahead of the GOP in bringing LGBTs to the table and recognizing our rights in the party platform. In contrast, Republicans have often been hostile to LGBTs, which can be seen today among the GOP presidential field. In the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic, of course, Republican President Ronald Reagan could not bring himself to mention the disease publicly.

In Congress and at the state level, however, monolithic Republican opposition to equal rights is crumbling. In last December’s Senate vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” eight Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues by voting to end the military’s anti-gay policy.

The New York Senate is the first Republicancontrolled state legislative body in recent years to vote and pass any law in our favor. The LGBT community needs to recognize that we can – and do – have allies across the aisle and in New York’s case. GOP Senator Mark Grisanti of Buffalo switched his vote from two years ago and voted yes. In his statement, he said, “I cannot deny

anyone in my district and across New York the same rights I have with my wife.”

Kudos must also go to Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, who allowed the full Senate to vote on the bill, with each member voting according to his or her conscience.

The gay community needs to stand up for those New York Republicans who supported us, as they likely will be challenged in coming elections.

Executive leadership Governor Cuomo displayed extraordinary leadership in the marriage fight’s success. For weeks it looked like the bill was going nowhere or would be defeated – again. Cuomo, according to a fascinating New York Times article about the backroom maneuvers on the marriage bill, basically took over the campaign, placing top aides in charge and corralling the disparate LGBT groups under one coalition. He enlisted the help of powerful Wall Street fundraisers, and waged an aggressive

campaign. It was a personal issue for the governor as well since his girlfriend, Sandra Lee, has an openly gay brother and she strongly advocated for the bill. It proves that knowing someone gay often changes negative perspectives. The governor also lobbied Republican lawmakers, eventually breaking the logjam.

In the end, New York’s marriage victory had a winning combination of a united LGBT community, money for ads and other outreach, and lobbying. Cuomo’s personal involvement was also key.

Next month, New York will become the largest state to legalize same-sex marriage. The percentage of samesex couples living in states that allow us to marry has now more than doubled, from 6.9 percent to 14.3 percent, according to an analysis of 2009 U.S. Census figures by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. We are reaching a tipping point when it seems more likely that same-sex marriages will be legal in other parts of the country.▼

New movie highlights important issues facing LGBT seniors

by Mark Snyder

T

he new movie Beginners is based on the true life story of director Mike Mills, played

by Ewan McGregor, whose 75-year-old father, played by Christopher Plummer, comes out as gay. It couldn’t be a more timely film, as the baby boomer generation is now aging and more seniors than ever are coming out as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. It’s estimated that there are currently 3 million LGBT elders across the United States, and that 25,000 live in the Bay Area alone. Census figures released last week estimate 34,000 same-sex couples in the Bay Area.

Many younger people are finding themselves in the position of caring for their parents and other seniors in their life who happen to be LGBT. At the LGBT Advisory Committee of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission we’ve formed a seniors workgroup to begin to address some of the most pressing needs of LGBT seniors. Meanwhile organizations like COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent are providing community for people who have LGBTQ parents and the National Center for Lesbian Rights’ Elder Law Project is in its 12th year of operation.

In Beginners, the father has the financial means to acquire excellent health care and housing.

But for many LGBT seniors accessing quality housing and health care are a struggle that can be the difference between life or death, and a struggle that can put pressure on the entire family.

Studies show that lesbian couples are nearly twice as likely to have incomes below the poverty line as straight couples. Gay couples are also more likely to be poor. Furthermore, even for those who do have access to quality health care and housing, it

Andrew Tepper

Actor Christopher Plummer plays an older gay man in the new film, Beginners.

isn’t always the most culturally competent. For transgender people – including elders – nearly 20 percent have been refused care outright because of transphobia. Even with their economic advantage, “It wasn’t always easy,” Mills said of his father’s coming out.

Seniors often feel pressure to stay in the closet about their sexual orientation or gender identity as staff and residents at senior centers and care providers may not be creating inclusive environments. In one recent survey, 89 percent of the 769 LGBT elders and service providers who responded stated that it wouldn’t be safe to come out in a nursing home. That’s a shocking number. They may feel afraid to reveal the news to their children and extended family.

Furthermore, many San Francisco seniors grew up in different political times and in locations that were extraordinarily hostile to LGBT people. In

the 1950s and 1960s, every institution in society – political, religious, and medical – marginalized and criminalized LGBT people.

There are simple things senior centers and care facilities can do to include LGBT people.

Host a movie night, plan a Pride celebration, and present workshops on the legal rights of LGBT seniors. Organizations like Lavender Seniors of the East Bay and Openhouse both provide trainings to help facilities become more inclusive.

The gay community and culture also needs to evolve quickly to celebrate and include our seniors at events and encourage intergenerational socializing and knowledge sharing.

In order to best serve LGBT seniors in San Francisco, though, more structural changes will need to be implemented. We need citywide programs to ensure staff at agencies that serve seniors are ready to create inclusive environments and address the unique needs of LGBT seniors.

California passed a law in 2008 mandating cultural competency training for nursing home personnel, but the Department of Public Health has yet to enforce it. It’s long overdue. We need plenty of affordable housing for low-income seniors, and assisted living housing for seniors who have health complications. And finally, we need to ensure seniors who have been living with life partners are recognized as family at the hospital, in their housing and care facilities.

By taking these and other steps to create safe, respectful, and caring environments for LGBT seniors, we can prepare for situations like the one portrayed in Beginners and other real life stories being confronted by thousands of families all across the country.▼ Mark Snyder is the communications coordinator for COLAGE: People with a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, or Queer Parent, and a member of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s LGBT Advisory Committee.

▼

Letters >>

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Circumcision ban about individual choice The proposition to ban circumcision is perfectly in line with San Francisco values. I welcome any respectful conversation. I reject wholeheartedly that this proposal is anti-Semitic. The Jewish community cannot claim that the effort to ban male genital mutilation is anti-Semitic just because it is a ritual they perform. Reasonable people will understand that the individual should have a say over what changes happens to their bodies medically from birth to death. The health benefits cited by the World Health Organization clearly are dealing with HIV in Africa and not the world as a whole. In America we have clean water, access to condoms, and are well informed about how HIV spreads. Further, circumcision will not stop the spread of HIV; only condoms have been advocated as the one and only, outside of abstinence, protection from HIV. As for other health benefits such as preventing cancers: Would it be okay with the supporters of circumcision then to advocate the removal of female breasts at birth to prevent breast cancer? This is a human rights issue, and yes, it’s also about religious freedom as all of the boys circumcised have a religious ritual forced on them, one in which they have no say. What’s wrong with letting a man decide when he is an adult if he wants to sacrifice his penis for God? Lastly, parental rights are not absolute, they can be limited.

John Trompeter San Francisco

Wrong AIDS doctor A letter in the June 23 issue asserts that Dr. Anthony Fauci falsely claimed discovery of the AIDS virus. The writer uses the phrase “As I dimly recall,” and “dimly” is surely the appropriate word. A 10-second search on Google would have revealed that the person in question was Dr. Robert Gallo, not Dr. Fauci. It is unfortunate that you have provided space for this inaccurate attack on a fine scientist and administrator, a hero of the fight against HIV/AIDS. David R. Kessler, MD San Francisco

[Editor’s note: A correction has been appended to the online version.]

in six states but you can’t divorce in the rest.

What do we want? Gay divorce. When do we want it?

Now. Jon Sugar San Francisco

Comprehensive portrait Thanks to Tavo Amador for providing readers with a comprehensive yet unsentimental portrait of the literary career of American national treasure James Baldwin [“Gay, black, brilliant and brave,” June 23].

Joe Kempkes San Francisco

Thanks from pink triangle organizer Thank you to the 120 volunteers who helped with either the installation or the takedown of the pink triangle this past weekend.

Thank you to the speakers at the commemoration ceremony who included Mayor Ed Lee; state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco); Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco); San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu; Supervisors Scott Wiener, David Campos, Malia Cohen, and John Avalos; former Supervisor Bevan Dufty; city Treasurer Jose Cisneros; Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting; and several Pride Parade grand marshals.

The ceremony began with a reading of the history of the pink triangle by Yigit Pura (of Top Chef Just Desserts fame), which was immediately followed by a trifecta of experts who tied in the history to where we are today in our efforts for full equality. Aaron Belkin, Ph.D., tied the pink triangle into the effort to overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

He was followed by Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart, who tied the pink triangle into the current effort for marriage equality, and then Judge Victoria Kolakowski finished the history portion by reminding everyone that the judiciary is often the place that can either stall rights or help move them forward.

Thank you to the fiscal sponsors SF Pride: Les Natali and Toad Hall, the Castro Lions, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Grand Ducal Council, Betty’s List, and Hodgkins Jewelers.

Thank you to SF Lesbian Gay Freedom Band members for their participation.

The nighttime illumination of the display, along with the klieg lights panning the sky above it, were visible for miles.

Patrick Carney Friends of the Pink Triangle San Francisco

Divorce lawyers needed Now we need to petition for gay divorce. You can marry

<<

Lawsuit From page 5

“The measure targets all forced circumcisions of males and does not single out Mohels or any one religion,” he wrote in an email.

‘Fruitless’ effort Opponents are confident that they will prevail in their pre-election challenge to the initiative.

Jacobs claimed that the initiative is “fruitless” and an unnecessary use of taxpayer’s dollars and creates “emotional community divisions concerning the initiative,” pointing to the anti-Semitic overtones.

“If we prevail – as we expect – then this won’t go on the ballot and the people of San Francisco won’t get involved in a debate about circumcision that’s also fruitless,”

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Transgender From page 1

for the last year and will transition to that role full time when the new legal director is brought in.

“We would love to get somebody in place by the end of the summer,” he said.

The new legal director would focus on building the center’s legal team, Davis said. He added that TLC has seen a number of employment discrimination complaints throughout the year, and it is representing people who are in different stages of the complaint process.

TLC’s also working with “a number of people who’ve run into barriers accessing health care,” Davis said.

He wasn’t sure what Wertz’s salary as policy director would be, but as legal director, he believed it was $70,000. Wertz declined to confirm that but said her salary as

said Jacobs.

“The state has already decided ... we have a very strong argument under the state statute that prohibits localities from restricting medical procedures by medical professionals,” he added, pointing to Section 460(b) of California’s Business and Professions Code.

Wiener, who was at a Metropolitan Transportation Commission meeting in Oakland, applauded the legal challenge and pledged to stand with the opponents and to defeat the initiative if it appears on the November ballot.

“We have an unfortunate history in California of asking the voters to vote on discriminatory and illegal initiatives. This is another in that line,” Adam Taylor, a legislative aide to Wiener, read from a prepared statement by the supervisor on the

steps of City Hall. “This unwise and unconstitutional initiative should not be on the ballot, and I applaud you for challenging its constitutionality.”

Hess and Schofield dismissed the opponents’ interpretation of the business code and the Constitution.

They stood their ground with their own interpretation of the state code, the Constitution, and the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Prince v.

Massachusetts (1944), which held that the government has broad authority to regulate the actions and treatment of children.

“If standing up for the rights for people who are under 18 to have intact genitals is creating community division, it’s about time people actually looked at this for what it is and have a discussion.

It’s been ignored for too long,” said Schofield.▼

policy director would be the same as what it has been in her current post.

questions to Davis and Wertz but said, “There’s nothing going on here that’s not amicable.”

He said he wasn’t sure what he’d do next.

TLC has 11 staff. Once Wertz starts as policy director, there will be 12, including two who are parttime, Davis said.

Other changes In addition to other changes, TLC is looking for a communications manager.

“We realize as we’re growing our staff that we have a lot of opportunities to engage in more public education about transgender people and our rights,” Davis said.

Salary for the position is expected to be in the $45,000 to $60,000 range.

Davis hopes to have the position filled by the end of summer.

Finally, Davis said, the center is “phasing out” the associate director of health policy position, which Jason Tescher currently holds. Davis said Tescher’s done “incredible work” since joining TLC and he hoped he would be able to work with the center as a consultant in the future.

Tescher, who’s been with the center for just over a year, deferred

Finances Davis said the center is “doing everything we can to hold steady during the economic downturn.”

Last year, it hired its first development manager, Paige Kruza.

The center’s budget for 2011 is about $795,000. It has no debt, Davis said.

“We’ve been able to grow by being really strategic in our work and proactive in our fundraising and conservative in our budgeting,” he said.▼ For more information, visit transgenderlawcenter.org.

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<< Pride 2011

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

▼

Janet V. Lockett

FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Douglas talked about the federal hate crime law at last week’s Pride event for several federal agencies, as FBI employee Alicia Sensibaugh, who served as master of ceremonies, looked on.

FBI encourages LGBTs to report hate crimes

by Matthew S. Bajko

T

ebar.com

he FBI office in San Francisco is encouraging LGBT people to report hate crimes based on a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity now that the federal agency has jurisdiction to investigate such criminal activity.

Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel relayed that message during a Pride celebration a number of local federal law enforcement agencies co-hosted Friday, June 24 ahead of the city’s annual Pride Parade and festival.

In October 2009 President Barack Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. One of the bill’s provisions authorized the FBI to investigate hate crimes directed toward the LGBT community.

Stephanie Douglas, the FBI special agent in charge of the San Francisco division, told the Bay Area Reporter that since the law took effect her office has not received many calls about hate crimes involving LGBT victims.

“Since the hate crimes law took effect there have not been a lot of reports about hate crimes.

San Francisco is a pretty tolerant community,” said Douglas. “We do want to make sure the community feels comfortable coming forward.

Where there are instances of crimes going on they should feel comfortable reporting such crimes.”

Last year’s inaugural Pride event at the Philip Burton Federal Building hosted by the San Francisco MultiAgency LGBT Pride Committee celebrated the passage of the hate crimes law. This year’s celebration, at which the B.A.R. was the only media outlet invited to cover, reiterated the fact that the FBI wants to hear from the LGBT community.

FBI Special Agent Melissa Patrick, who oversees the local division’s hate crimes unit, spoke about the pro-gay law and how it has unshackled the agency’s hands when it comes to investigating anti-gay attacks. Holding up a leopard-print high heel shoe, Patrick described a scenario where a transgender woman walking to meet a friend is catcalled by two men who attack her when they realize the object of their advances is biologically male.

“If the story I told you happened in 2008, I could not have helped her,” noted Patrick, adding that due to Obama’s signing the bill, “today it is possible for me to investigate when a high school student is beaten because he is gay or when a transgender person” is attacked.

But Patrick stressed that, “I cannot investigate a crime I don’t know happens. It is imperative we look out for one another and bring these crimes to the attention of law enforcement. I now have the tools to investigate these crimes.”

Victims or people who have information about such crimes can call the local FBI office 24 hours a day, seven days a week, noted Douglas, at (415) 553-7400 and ask to speak to the duty agent.

Reports about hate crimes can also be submitted online at tips.fbi. gov/.

About 75 people attended the ceremony, which was held in the federal courthouse’s ceremonial courtroom where judges are sworn in. Its theme this year was “Be Yourself, Change the World” and other guest speakers included retired Naval Captain Robert D. Dockendorff, a gay man who spoke about the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and National Center for Lesbian Rights senior staff attorney Christopher Stoll, who discussed the ongoing lawsuit over California’s same-sex marriage ban.

Gay pastry chef Yigit Pura, one of this year’s celebrity grand marshals at Pride, also addressed the audience. Agencies taking part in addition to the FBI included the Department of Justice; U.S. Pretrial Services; Drug Enforcement Administration; and the General Services Administration.

“I have always felt it was very important for all of us to be out and visible in the workplace. This is one way of doing that,” said David Weir, a gay man who is the courtroom services supervisor for the U.S. Federal District Court.

Weir said the court for northern California is “very supportive” of its LGBT employees. When he and his husband married in 2008, Chief Magistrate Judge Maria-Elena James officiated the ceremony.

“Even with the judges who are politically conservative I have never felt any negative reaction at all,” said Weir, who obtained the second marriage license issued to a samesex couple in Contra Costa County behind openly gay clerk Stephen Weir, who is of no relation.

Geoffrey W. Lagonoy, who serves as the FBI San Francisco LGBT coordinator and chairs the Multi-Agency LGBT Pride Committee, said the event for LGBT employees is similar to ones held by other minority employee groups throughout the year.

“I think it is important to honor our federal employees who are LGBT. Like their peers outside the federal government, they work in silence,” said Lagonoy, a technical information specialist for the FBI. “This is a way to show there are people like you who are working in the federal government, they are proud of their accomplishments, and it is okay to be out in the workplace.”▼

Read more online at www.ebar.com

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

<< Election 2011

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

▼

It’s experience versus change in DA’s race

by Heather Cassell

S

an Francisco’s district attorney’s race kicked off with respectful, but passionate, perspectives from the three candidates about how to keep the city safe during their first candidate forum.

It was standing room only in the LGBT Community Center’s Rainbow Room June 15 as moderator Scott Graham, editor-in-chief of the legal newspaper the Recorder, opened the two-hour debate between District Attorney George Gascón and his two opponents, Alameda County prosecutor Sharmin Bock, and

former police commissioner David Onek.

The race is on the November ballot and it is also a ranked choice contest, like the mayor’s race, where voters can choose their top three candidates.

The filing deadline is August 12, so additional candidates could jump into the race.

Onek and Bock are looking to unseat Gascón, who was appointed district attorney by former Mayor Gavin Newsom in January after thenDistrict Attorney Kamala Harris was sworn in as state attorney general.

Gascón was formerly the city’s police chief.

The candidates hold similar positions on some hot button issues and were cordial with each other, but they wasted no time on differentiating themselves on key issues and switching the conversation to their strengths.

Bock, a curiosity to the audience as a relatively unknown entry onto the San Francisco political scene, positioned herself as the experienced prosecutor and innovator. Gascón positioned himself as the experienced insider and manager. Onek portrayed himself as the outsider reformer.

All of the candidates believe in preserving San Francisco’s policy as a sanctuary city for documented and undocumented immigrants; reserving three strikes only for serious and violent felonies; diverting nonviolent offenders into programs rather than sending them to jail; reforming the prison system; and strengthening many of the programs created and implemented during Harris’s term as district attorney.

Bock A 40-year resident of San Francisco, Bock is the only candidate with more than 20 years experience prosecuting “every kind of crime,” in the courtroom, she said, and has implemented nationally recognized criminal justice programs similar to Harris. She has also already garnered the endorsement of Congresswoman Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo/San Francisco).

Bock created and leads nationally recognized units dealing with human trafficking, rescuing exploited individuals and prosecuting the perpetrators as well as finding closure for unsolved murder and rape cases, she said.

“The job of district attorney is not a management job, it’s not a police job, and it’s not even a job for someone with just a law degree; it’s a job for someone that’s an experienced, progressive veteran prosecutor,” said Bock, immediately taking a stab at Gascón and Onek. “If you want a DA who knows what it takes to effectively charge, prosecute, and convict the most dangerous criminals that are in our society and [that] can actually deliver the results that you deserve to keep your community safe that’s an important difference.”

Gascón

www.ebar.com

Gaston’s brief tenure as the district attorney has been marred by scandal in the police department that has caused more than 100 cases to be dropped by the district attorney’s office due to alleged police misconduct and problems in the labs.

He’s continued to tackle the issue while continuing to implement programs, such as the neighborhood courts.

Gascón, who has worked closely with the city’s LGBT community, was the only candidate to address the community throughout the evening.

He has been endorsed by out gay mayoral candidate Bevan Dufty and out city Treasurer Jose Cisneros.

Harris has also endorsed him, as has Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California).

Rick Gerharter

San Francisco district attorney candidate David Onek, left, makes a point while current District Attorney George Gascón and candidate Sharmin Bock look on at a recent forum at the LGBT Community Center.

Onek Onek, who is now a senior fellow and founding executive director of the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice, was one of the police commissioners that selected Gascón as chief of police.

He also served in Newsom’s Office of Criminal Justice and has an estimated 20 years’ experience working on reforming the criminal justice system.

Most of the questions directed to Onek focused on juvenile justice reform and the city’s gang injunction.

Onek responded that he looked forward to working on progressive reform around juvenile justice, pointing out that he disagreed with taking truancy to a law enforcement level.

“How is a child going to go to school because their parent is locked up?” he asked to great audience laugher, but didn’t suggest any changes.

Scandals Bock took Gascón to task pointing to the “impossible conflict of interest” of Gascón being asked to investigate and potentially prosecute police officers that he formerly supervised as chief. “That puts George Gascón between a rock and a hard place,” said Bock.

Bock pointed out the importance of the police and the district attorney’s office working together as partners, but she stressed the necessity of the departments retaining their autonomy.

It’s “just important [and] perhaps more vital [that] they need to be entirely independent of one another,” said Bock, who called for a new district attorney as the only solution to the problem.

Gascón said the district attorney’s office had the “ability to prosecute many of the cases” and dismissed the attacks on his position as “theories” about dealing with police corruption and reforming the department. There has only been one challenge to the conflict of interest, Gascón said, and his office “prevailed.” The reality, according to Gascón, is that there are a finite number of cases of alleged improper conduct of an officer and if any conflicts arise those cases are immediately handled by the state attorney general’s office.

“We’ve done what needs to be done,” said Gascón. The police department had a problem with a “small number of police officers” and the majority of officers were “hard working people.”

Gascón pointed out that in spite of the similarities shared by the candidates the difference would come down to how “we move policy and how do we move safety in the district attorney’s office in the years to come.”

“I have a long history of successful leadership in the criminal justice system,” Gascón said. He pointed to his work during the past year and a half in the district attorney’s office and police department; in the Los Angeles Police Department, and, before arriving in San Francisco, taking a strong stance and doing what was right for people of color, the LGBT community and other communities

in Mesa, Arizona, where he served as police chief.

“You are not hiring a trial lawyer.

You are hiring someone that can lead the organization that could motivate people to do the right things and they can also manage the organization when it comes to budgetary issues,” Gascón said.

Quality of life Bock believes in doing everything possible to “get people out of the criminal justice system,” she said.

She prefers to look at quality of life issues in a compassionate way rather than legislating to the point of micromanaging when asked about issues such as the sit/lie law and incarcerating individuals for drug use.

“Political hot button measures don’t work ... we need to take a hard look at quality of life,” she said, recommending a combination of foot patrols and social services to assist people on the streets and diversion programs for people using drugs.

They shouldn’t be anywhere “near a jail cell,” she said to audience applause.

Gascón and Onek agreed with Bock.

Gascón, who was asked about marijuana, suggested the plant should be decriminalized. Onek said he believed there was a way to hold people accountable without “waste[ing] precious prison beds” by sending individuals back to jail for minor offenses.

Only Onek spoke out staunchly against the death penalty. Bock, who opposes capital punishment, left the window cracked, preferring to continue with Harris’s special circumstance committee to review cases individually and make recommendations on capital punishment, she said.

Gascón, who was the only one to have faced making a death penalty charging decision, believes it should be reserved for perpetrators of the most heinous crimes. Yet, later in the debate, he agreed with Bock that the “death penalty is not a good tool” due to costs and its ineffectiveness. He then went further, suggesting rewriting the state constitution “so that we take this tool out of the way so we create life in prison without parole.”

In addition to the allegations of police misconduct that is affecting criminal cases, the DA’s office is facing overwhelming caseloads, and the city is preparing for the forthcoming influx of potentially thousands of prisoners after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision ordered the state to release or transfer more than 33,000 inmates because of overcrowding.

Bock pledged that she wouldn’t experiment at San Franciscans’ expense with the serious challenges facing San Francisco.

“We are definitely in challenging times. San Francisco is at a critical crossroads and there is stormy weather ahead, let there be no doubt about it,” said Bock.

The debate was co-sponsored by the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, the Recorder, and the San Francisco Young Democrats. ▼

▼

Obituaries>>

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 11

Gay Chicago businessman Roger Chaffin dies

by Cynthia Laird

R

oger “RJ” Chaffin, one of Chicago’s most visible gay businessmen for more than 30 years, died June 17 in the Windy City. He was 59.

The cause of death was not released.

Mr. Chaffin was a reliable volunteer for LGBT community organizations and charities, producing numerous large charitable and special events. He

raised thousands of dollars for local organizations, gave of his own money, co-produced films, and was an active member of business associations.

An Ohio native, Mr. Chaffin, who was born April 11, 1952, moved to Chicago in 1974 and was soon working as a delivery person for the weekly newspaper GayLife. He quickly moved into paste-up and other production tasks and served in the creative role of producing souvenir programs for events such

Obituaries >> Rick (Dwight Richard) Eckel March 5, 1944 – June 13, 2011

Rick died in a car accident on June 13. Born in Shelby, Iowa, on March 5, 1944, Rick graduated from the University of Iowa in 1967. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1970. Rick was instrumental in the formation of the Berkeley Runaway Center (Berkeley Youth Alternatives) as well as the Gay Games and the Berkeley gay rights ordinance. A web developer, he was on the staff of Electronic University Online, and Oregon State University

<<

Harris From page 1

“She was a fearless activist, and a hell of a friend,” said California Democratic Party Chair John Burton.

“I remember she came to my office unannounced, and one of the guys pokes his head in and says, ‘There’s a guy in the lobby waiting to see you, and if he were a woman he’d be really good looking.’ Of course, I knew exactly who he was talking about. I said, ‘That is a woman!’”

District 8 Supervisor Scott Wiener adjourned Tuesday’s board meeting in memory of Ms. Harris.

Born into a conservative family, her parents attempted to strip her of custody rights to her children when she came out as a lesbian, even testifying against her in court. At the time she was a young mother and housewife.

Former state Senator Carole Migden described Jean as “a one-of-a kind activist and woman.”

“During her reign of influence in the late 1980s and early 1990s in San Francisco and statewide LGBT politics, Jean feared no one, brooked no limits, and intuitively understood the levers of power and how to use them,” Migden said. “Loyalty and clarity were her hallmarks. I mourn the loss of a cherished friend and a mighty warrior who was foundational in our quest for LGBT equality.”

Ms. Harris was raised in Long Beach and received a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Long Beach, and did her post-graduate work at San Francisco State University.

Ms. Harris left southern California after her divorce, settling in Santa Cruz and becoming active in her union at phone company GTE. It was not until she moved to San Francisco in the mid-1980s, however, that she became active in lesbian and gay politics. Her first organizing role in San Francisco was to seek a common agenda between lesbians of divergent backgrounds. With Roma Guy, founder of the Women’s Building, Ms. Harris organized meetings to establish a dialogue between working class women and lesbians associated with the establishment, such as Bay Area Career Women.

Guy said that Ms. Harris could be “very direct – in your face – and then sit there with gay men and middle

in Corvallis. After retiring, he managed his vacation rental, The Meadow House. Rick will be remembered for his generous spirit, gentle intelligence, love of music and nature, and his infectious laughter.

“If I hadn’t moved to San Francisco, I’d have missed one of the most important events in my life – being there in 1978 with my beloved life partner, Tandy Belew, when the first gay band stepped off onto Market Street, greeted by a tearful, screaming crowd of celebrants whose souls and creativity were inspired as the gay movement became gay culture,” Rick once said.

A memorial will take place August 6 at his home in Oregon. Donations in Rick’s memory can be made to Under One Roof, www.underoneroof.org, or to Visual Aid, visualaid.org.

class women and say, ‘I’m a mother.’

She was a dyke lesbian who could do that,” Guy told the Bay Area Reporter.

Ms. Harris “confronted the internalized femaleness – that you have to be nice,” Guy said, and turned that into “you have to organize.”

In 1986, Ms. Harris became a close aide on the Britt for Congress campaign, and later, went to work with Britt in his City Hall office. It was during Britt’s tenure on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors that Ms. Harris’s political acumen was recognized city and statewide.

“Our movement has had no better activist and no one could have a better friend,” said Britt.

In that period, Ms. Harris became one of the lead organizers of San Francisco’s first domestic partners campaign in 1989, which would have enabled couples to visit lovers in the hospital, along with conferring other basic rights. The initiative failed at the polls but with a group of dedicated volunteers, Ms. Harris and Britt organized a signature drive to put the initiative to voters once again. In 1990, the measure passed.

The election of 1990 became known as the “Lavender Sweep,” electing Migden and Roberta Achtenberg to the Board of Supervisors, Tom Ammiano to the San Francisco school board and Donna Hitchens to the Superior Court. The coalition of LGBT, labor, and people of color communities was the brainchild of Ms. Harris, Britt, and the late Dick Pabich.

“Jean Harris lived hard, played hard, and was truthful to herself, as she was to others. I will miss her very much – she was a great friend, confidant, and a champion for all,” said Maria Abadesco, a member of the labor coalition in 1990.

Controversy But that time was also a period of controversy, as African American members of the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club left in the early 1990s after Ms. Harris became president and formed their own group, Lesbians and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action.

LGADDA members charged Ms. Harris of stacking the club with new members and of 25 members on the executive board, only one was a See page 13 >>

as Circus Vargas Big Top fundraisers, where he also starred as one of the Flying Rotundas on a dare and as a fundraising activity. His creative endeavors also helped to create the annual yearbook souvenir for International Mr. Leather weekend.

At GayLife until 1982, he served as writer, entertainment editor, reviewer, and business manager, acquiring an informed perspective on Chicago’s LGBT community.

In 1977, Mr. Chaffin and his then-partner Jose were profiled in a three-part Chicago Sun-Times feature on same-sex relationships, which included photo coverage of their ceremony at Chicago’s Good Shepherd Parish Metropolitan Community Church. Taking place years before the Illinois Legislature passed civil unions, friends said that Mr. Chaffin was a trailblazer.

Mr. Chaffin’s honors were many and included two Gay Chicago magazine citations for business achievement in 1986 and in 1998 in partnership with Gary

Roger “RJ” Chaffin

Chichester. He was also honored as the Pantheon of Leather Business Person of the Year award in 1992.

His highest honor came with his induction into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame in 1997.

For 18 years he had directed International Mr. Leather weekend’s Leather Marketplace, which grew into the world’s largest vendor fair of its kind. He served on boards of Strike Against AIDS, the Chicago AIDS Benefit Committee, and the Northalsted Area Merchants Association, where he served as president from 1998-2004. His final position was as the weekend coordinator for International Mr. Leather from 2009-2011.

Mr. Chaffin was the beloved son of John and the late Mary Chaffin of Marion, Ohio. Dearest brother of David (Margaret) Chaffin of Shelby, Ohio; and Mary Kay (Ted) Lyons of Prospect, Ohio; life-long and bestchosen brother of Gary Chichester.

Beloved uncle, friend, and colleague of many.

Services are being planned and will be announced in the future.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that memorial donations be sent to John Chaffin, 1057 Olive Avenue, Marion, Ohio 43302.▼

<< Pride 2011

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

<<

Pride From page 1

Some, like state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) reminded folks that the California legislature had actually approved a same-sex marriage bill first, back in 2005.

But it was vetoed by then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But politicians and others hailed the New York victory, and it was symbolized in a few of the 200 parade contingents that rolled up Market Street.

Civic Center was full of LGBTs and allies as crowds marked the city’s 41st annual Pride celebration last weekend.

“I think it went wonderfully,” said interim Pride Executive Director Brendan Behan. “The weather was wonderful. The crowds were great” and people enjoyed the festivities.

Among those appearing to have a good time Sunday were Lisa Nelson, 56, and Vicki Vaughn, 49, who had come with their 10-year-old twins.

Nelson said she’d been coming to San Francisco Pride since 1988, and she wanted her kids to see it, too.

“I want them to be proud of their family and see people like us, and not feel like we’re the only ones around,” Nelson said. The couple got married in San Francisco in 2004 and again in 2008. They live in Sebastopol.

Lola Smith, 30, held a pink, green, and blue-feathered umbrella as she watched the parade Sunday. It was her first San Francisco Pride. She’s from Sacramento and said she’s been to Pride there before, but “it’s boring.”

Matt Starkey, 43, attended his first Pride in San Francisco 25 years ago, before he even came out. He lives in Hollywood now and said this was his first Pride here in 10 years.

He said he just came to have a good time.

“No expectations, no agenda,” he said.

The BART transit system reported

Rick Gerharter

A large contingent in the Gay Pride Parade urged the release of Bradley Manning, imprisoned for being accused of releasing U.S. government documents to Wikileaks.

that 247,936 people used the service Sunday, setting a record for Sunday ridership. Besides Pride, there was also a San Francisco Giants baseball game that evening.

Behan said Pride officials were still finalizing data on how much money came in and they wouldn’t have those numbers “for another few days.”

However, he said, it appeared donations at the gates were up this year. One concern from last year had been that there were gaps between people collecting money, but at least some volunteer collectors appeared to work closer together this year.

“Our donations partners worked really hard,” Behan said. “You could see it in their efforts at the gates.”

He said attendance is “always difficult to estimate,” but he noted that in past years Pride officials have put the number at over 1 million over the two-day period, and he said judging from this year’s data, it appears attendance continues to grow.

The parade included groups as

Jane Philomen Cleland

Women enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine at Dolores Park at the Dyke March rally.

diverse as the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. That float featured a bevy of farm animals carrying “Don’t Eat Me!” signs.

Of course, there were also politicians. This year’s crop was especially full, with candidates for mayor and other offices vying for attention.

Political campaigning could endanger Pride’s nonprofit status, but Behan said he hadn’t received complaints regarding candidates crossing the line on politicking during the parade. However, he said he was gathering photos from Pride’s official photographers.

“With so many participants this year who were candidates, it starts to become a capacity issue for us to be able to monitor and regulate,” said Behan. He said Pride clearly states the rules in parade packets and other places.

“We are never for or against any particular candidate, nor do we

facilitate any particular candidate,” said Behan. “It’s important when candidates participate in the event that they do so as individuals or, if they happen to already hold office, they can participate as representatives of their elected office, but not as candidates.”

Police incidents There was one serious incident near the celebration over the weekend, although it didn’t appear to be related to Pride.

San Francisco police have arrested two people in connection with a shooting that occurred Saturday on the 1000 block of Market Street.

A 16-year-old boy from San Francisco has been charged with felonies including assault with a deadly weapon and various weapons and gang charges. His name isn’t being released because he’s a juvenile.

The second suspect arrested was Terrell Blay, 18, also of San

▼

Francisco. Blay has been charged with felonies including weapons and gang charges.

According to police, the incident occurred at about 6:15 p.m.

Saturday. A suspect from one of two groups shot several rounds, resulting in five people being struck.

The victims were men aged 17, 20, 21, 45 and 74, police said. All were taken to San Francisco General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

San Francisco police spokesman Lieutenant Troy Dangerfield didn’t know the status of the victims as of Monday, June 27.

He said police believe the shooting was gang-related because members of the gang task force were at the scene and knew both suspects “to be involved in gang activity.” He didn’t know if any of the victims had been attending the Pride celebration, which took place nearby.

“As far as we know, this was not related to the Pride event at all,” he said.

Blay was expected to be arraigned Wednesday, June 29. It wasn’t clear when the juvenile would be arraigned.

Officer Albie Esparza, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department, said there had been arrests on Sunday for assault with a weapon, misdemeanor assault, and theft. He said that the reports were from the police jurisdiction that covers Civic Center, but he didn’t have more details.

Pride’s future Pride festivities appeared unmarred by a rough year for organizers that included the departure of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee’s executive director, as well as news in December that the organization was $225,000 in debt.

Behan said Pride’s debt going into the weekend was “definitely no less See page 13 >>

▼ <<

Community News>>

SF gay man’s death

From page 1

Ramirez, who tends bar and performs in drag at Esta Noche in the Mission neighborhood, recalled saying, “You will see. He might just walk in the door any minute now.”

But Canul-Arguello, 23, never returned to the bar, where he’d been a regular. San Francisco police said his burned body was found at about 5:30 a.m., Friday, June 10 in Buena Vista Park. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s office identified the body on June 24.

San Francisco Police homicide Inspector Robert Velarde said a friend had seen Canul-Arguello at 3 a.m. that Friday in the area of 18th and Castro streets. Between then and the time the body was found, “We don’t have any idea where he was at,” Velarde said.

Velarde, who said that CanulArguello’s identity had been confirmed through fingerprints, said he didn’t have any information on the circumstances around the killing.

Police are seeking the public’s help in the case.

According to Canul-Arguello’s family and others, he was gay. Those who knew him described him as hard working and fun loving.

The Cafe The last time Ramirez, 31, saw Canul-Arguello was at about 1 a.m. that Friday morning, at the Cafe bar in the Castro neighborhood.

“He was drunk, but not to the point you were like, ‘Okay, you have to go,’” Ramirez said. Ramirez has a photo on his phone from that night that shows Canul-Arguello embracing Ramirez’s boyfriend, who was in drag, and holding what appears to be a beer.

<<

Harris From page 11

person of color, according to a 1995 article in the San Francisco State newspaper, Golden Gator.

Robert Dockendorff, who Ms. Harris replaced as Milk Club president, would only say that she was “extremely polarizing.”

Bryon Norris, who as Bryon McQuarters was a leader of LGADDA and vice president of the Milk Club when Ms. Harris was president, said he had mixed feelings about her.

“I regret the way that it happened,” Norris told the B.A.R. “But in a way I’m thankful to Jean. Her actions caused us to leave the Milk Club and create our own organization and stand on our own feet sooner rather than later.”

Norris added that the racial issues that split the Milk Club were, at the time, also going on in LGBT groups around the country.

“Part of Jean was very exciting to work with,” Norris said.

“Unfortunately she was misguided or racially insensitive in terms of the way she did her politics. At one point in time she was very important to the community.”

Britt left office in 1992 and Ms. Harris then went to work as a deputy mayor for Mayor Frank Jordan.

Under Jordan, the city approved needle-exchange to curb the spread of AIDS among injection drug users. San Francisco implemented needle exchange even before the state legislature would introduce a bill authorizing such programs.

<<

Pride From page 12

than about $80,000.”

He said the next step for Pride would be “for the board and I to sit down after receipts are settled and take a look at the 18-month to twoyear financial plan.” He said they would have a retreat “most likely in

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Canul-Arguello didn’t do drag often, Ramirez said, but he’d been talking to Ramirez’s boyfriend about dressing up for the city’s LGBT Pride celebration. Ramirez recalled that one of the younger man’s drag names had been Pandora.

Tony Espinosa, 43, whose wife was Canul-Arguello’s aunt, said he had last seen Canul-Arguello Thursday morning, June 9. The next day, someone from Pi bar, where the younger man worked, said he hadn’t shown up, Espinosa said.

He said Canul-Arguello didn’t talk much about his friends, but he said he was “always happy,” and “I don’t think he has any problems with anybody.”

Canul-Arguello had lived in San Francisco for more than three years and most recently had lived with his brother, Ivan Canul-Arguello, 27, in the Tenderloin neighborhood. Their parents live in Mexico.

Espinosa said Ivan Canul-Arguello “doesn’t speak much English,” but he did have a message.

“Help. Help us to find who killed him,” Espinosa said, interpreting for the elder Canul-Arguello.

Javier Perez, 29, Canul-Arguello’s best friend, said the younger man was a hard worker, but he also liked to have fun. He had seen CanulArguello at about 1 a.m. at the Cafe, hours before he died, and said he’d been “very drunk.” He said CanulArguello had been with a friend named Mario, whom Perez didn’t know much about.

He didn’t know Canul-Arguello to go to Buena Vista Park, which is known as a popular gay cruising spot.

However, he recalled warning Canul-Arguello to be careful about the people he went out with. He said that Canul-Arguello had once told him about meeting a man who was

from Los Angeles in a bar.

“He went with him to have sex with him, and I told him, ‘You don’t know this guy,’” but Canul-Arguello had said, “No, he seems nice,” Perez said.

Perez cried during a recent phone interview while discussing his friend.

“I feel he’s somewhere else,” Perez said. “He’s not dead. I can’t believe it, still.”

Move to Oregon Ms. Harris relocated to Oregon in the mid-1990s to organize the LGBT community and defeat a statewide discrimination measure (No on 13).

There, she was the first executive director of Basic Rights Oregon, founded in 1996.

After several years in Oregon, Ms. Harris returned to California, bringing her organizing skills to the California Alliance for Pride and Equality, which was to become the present-day Equality California. As executive director she transformed CAPE from a fledging grassroots organization to a powerful lobbying organization with a database of close to one million registered voters.

“Jean was a relentless and effective advocate for LGBT equality and a mentor to so many of us who she took under her wings,” said former EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors in an email. “Her leadership in winning back domestic partnership in San Francisco in 1990 – the first time voters anywhere voted to give our relationships recognition – and efforts in gaining statewide rights for DPs in 2001 propelled the marriage equality movement forward.”

In 2003, Ms. Harris went to work on the West Coast campaign for Governor Howard Dean’s presidential campaign, Dean For America. Subsequently, she worked for California Assembly Speaker Emeritus Herb Wesson (D-Los Angeles), and former Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and later, she became principal consultant for former California Senate President Pro Tempore Don Perata (D-Oakland), working closely with

the LGBT Legislative Caucus.

She began her work with the Democratic Party in 1971 as a field organizer for the McGovern campaign and served in the Democratic Party as a member of Campaign Selection; Legislative, Affirmative Action; and Budget Committees; member of Delegate Selection Committee of California Democratic Party; Assembly District Chair of 16th Assembly; was appointed Delegate by then-Assembly member John Burton; and elected Chair of Lesbian-Gay Caucus of California Democratic Party.

“The LGBT and broader civil rights community lost both a friend and a movement icon with the passing of former California Democratic Party LGBT Caucus Chair Jean Harris,” said a statement from state Democratic Party LGBT Caucus Co-Chairs Clark Williams and Pat Washington.

“Harris spent decades on the front lines of Democratic and LGBT politics. A 2001 article in the Nation rightfully described Harris as ‘one of the savviest gay organizers in the country’ and appropriately credited her leadership of Basic Rights Oregon as the reason that Oregon was the only state to withstand the tide of anti-gay referenda sweeping the U.S. in 2000.”

Ms. Harris is survived by her partner, Denise Penn; her children: Jann and Jill, and Penn’s two children, Jake and Rachel; her granddaughter Brooke; siblings Roy, George and Linda; and her mother. A memorial is planned in San Francisco for Thursday, July 21 at 6 p.m. at Delancey Street Foundation, 600 Embarcadero.

Anyone wishing to attend is asked to RSVP to cstuartsf@aol.com.▼

the fall.”

It’s been “a very successful year, given all the challenges,” Behan said.

There’s “still a lot of work,” he said, but he and others are committed to getting the organization “back on stable financial ground.”

Behan said the plan is for him to remain through the end of December. “It’s ultimately the

board’s decision” whether he stays, he said, “so we’ll be talking about what the future holds for all of us, and what the right fit would be.”

He also said, “It’s more complex than just whether I would like to [stay] or not.” It’s also a matter of “What’s going to be right for the community, for the committee, and for the organization,” he said.▼

‘You can’t believe how beautiful he is’ Panfilio Perez Garcia, 37, worked with Canul-Arguello at Luna Restaurant on Castro Street. He recently recalled the way CanulArguello used to dance in front of a huge mirror at the eatery, and how he’d always talked about his family.

Garcia – who recognized Canul-Arguello from a photo but remembered his name phonetically as Freddy Sean Canul – said he’d been Luna’s best employee.

“You cannot believe how beautiful he is,” Garcia said.

Late Sunday afternoon, June 26, on a steep hillside north of Buena Vista Park’s tennis courts, yellow police tape still marked three clumps of trees where evidence connected with Canul-Arguello’s death had been collected.

San Francisco’s Civic Center area, where thousands of people were enjoying the last minutes of this year’s LGBT Pride celebration, was visible from the park.

“Wherever he is, I miss him,” Garcia said. “... He is always in my heart.”

Police are asking anyone with information regarding this case to call inspectors Robert Velarde or Daniel Dedet at (415) 553-1145. Information can also be given anonymously at (415) 575-4444, or text-a-tip to TIP411. The case number is 110467285.▼

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June 30-July 6, 2011 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

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The

Vol. 41 • No. 26 • June 30-July 6, 2011

www.ebar.com/arts

Lex Ishimoto plays young Billy in a fantasy sequence in which he dances with his older self (Maximilien E. Baud) in the musical Billy Elliot at the Orpheum Theatre.

Michael Brosilow

T

he man who made Billy Elliot dance, both on screen and on stage, took dance lessons as a kid in the same kind of tumbledown rec center that entices Billy to take his first step into the world of dance.

But unlike the 11-year-old Billy, who must endure taunts from other kids and abuse from his father, choreographer Peter Darling didn’t tough it out.

“I didn’t want to have to prove myself every time I stepped into a dance studio,” Darling said recently from his home in London in an

Peter Darling on choreographing ‘Billy Elliot’ ~ by Richard Dodds ~ interview for the touring production of Billy Elliot at the Orpheum. “At that point, there was still a lot of stigma attached to guys who danced, but I think it provided me with a determination that when I got the movie of Billy Elliot, I could show that boys dancing

could be a visceral, athletic thing.”

The movie Billy Elliot opened in 2000, and it was the first feature film for Darling, as it was for director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter Lee Hall. While the story of a sensitive, talented lad in the coal-mining territory of Northern

Fire & reign San Francisco Opera’s ‘Ring’ cycle concludes

England who breaks through societal boundaries to joyously realize his dream to be a dancer now sounds like a commercial sure thing, that wasn’t the case.

“The movie was very hard to finance, and we managed to get it made for just under three million pounds,” Darling said. But it proved popular at the Cannes Film Festival, and Elton John and his partner David Furnish happened to be in the audience. “David said to Elton this See page 29 >>

Jay Hunter Morris (Siegfried) in San Francisco Opera’s Siegfried.

~ by Philip Campbell ~

M

eanwhile, back at Brunnhilde’s rock…

It’s time to fall once more into a burning ring of fire for the second half of our reportage on the San Francisco Opera’s world premiere of the complete Francesca Zambello, Wagner Ring of the Nibelung. As we go to press, only the final two operas in the third cycle of the so-called “American Ring” remain. Siegfried plays Friday, July 1, and Gotterdammerung, Sunday, July 3.

The imaginative decision to time-travel through eras from the Gold Rush to ecological Armageddon has afforded a remarkably flexible template for the entire cycle. Zambello’s unique concept has also streamlined the massive saga without weakening its cumulative power. One of the most intriguing aspects of her viewpoint has been the developing feminism (or at least, See page 23 >> Cory Weaver

{ SECOND OF TWO SECTIONS }

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

▼

Sexed up & over by LGBT Pride

by Roberto Friedman

S

o was LGBT Pride weekend good for you, too? Did the gay earth move? Truly, Out There has a gay love hangover. We’re spent, depleted, queer quenched for another year. We’re smoking a post-coital cigarette. Every smoke ring is packed full of Pride.

Our Pride weekend began last Thursday when we attended three big gay parties in one big gay evening.

First we made our way over to Mark Rhoades’ Pride Party 2011 at the Bently Reserve, where libations flowed and yummy finger foods were designed by Top Chef Jennifer Biesty from La Scala’s Bistro. It was a benefit for the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute, the invitation specified “cocktail attire,” and the guest list was A-list.

Performer Sandra Bernhard regaled the crowd from a balcony, beginning by belting a few bars from “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”

Looking at all the suits and ties, she opined, “You guys should be in assless chaps! You all look like straight people!”

Bernhard found it ironic and comical that a vodka company was sponsoring a gay Pride event.

“That’s like Gerber’s doing a shoutout to babies!”

Next we trucked over to the Velvet Room at the Clift San Francisco hotel for the SF Pride Media Party 2011, where celebrity and community grand marshals were feted, and journalists were fetid. Stage and screen star Olympia Dukakis was among the styling marshals who did a drop-by. Our spiffy plus-one Pepi struck it up with a fetching go-go boy wearing not much more than glitter.

We finished the night’s festivities chilling at the legendary Stud bar, celebrating their 45th birthday with a private then public bash. By that time we were really in our cups, so we probably saw you there, but we don’t remember. Good thing our office is just upstairs!

Our further Pride celebrations included a walk on the wild side Pink Sat., a camp in Faerie Village on Sun., and closing night at the 35th

SF International LGBT Film Festival, director Geoffrey Sax’s Christopher and His Kind, which brought us right back to Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden’s Berlin. Sax and artist Don Bachardy were in the house.

The fest’s festive closing-night fete was held at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, whose excellent Seeing Gertrude Stein exhibit was open to fascinated partygoers.

What a Pride week!

We’re pleasured out.

Pepi recognized the music to this year’s Frameline trailer, which we liked a lot, as “Free” by Ultra Nate, Havre de Grace, MD’s favorite daughter.

“Senator, your disco days are over!”

Steven Underhill

Olympia Dukakis attends the SF Pride Media Party at the Clift San Francisco.

Letters from the editor Dear New York Times Magazine, Out There is surely not the only walking example of homosexuality to feel that last Sunday’s (6/19) New York Times Magazine cover story “A Good Life in the Closet? Challenging the Orthodoxy of Coming Out” was an odd sort of Pride Month present from the Old Gray Lady. It came in a special F-U gay-pride package along with a second “ex-gay” article, “Going Straight.”

Let’s state at the outset that we don’t believe the authors of the magazine pieces, Mimi Swartz and Benoit Denizet-Lewis respectively, or their editors Vera Titunik and Ilena Silverman (the NYTM now has editor credits on its contents page!), are homophobic or possessed of a hidden agenda. We think it’s more likely the writers and editors knew a great contrarian angle when they saw it, and pounced. It’s like the year they marked the Mother’s Day issue by putting a story on fathers on the cover.

The cover piece begins with Houston psychotherapist Denis Flanigan, who counsels conflicted, God-fearing gay people to stay in the closet for mental health.

“Antigay religious groups would not condone homosexuality; they thought gays should just give up their orientation, and the most extreme among them offered frightening ‘conversion’ practices. Nonreligious gays thought the conflicted should just walk away from churches that won’t accept homosexuals as they are. ‘Which trumped which?’

Flanigan asked himself. ‘Religion or sexual orientation?’

“Is it possible, he wondered, that the most psychologically sound alternative for truly devout gay men and women would be to defy both groups?”

But for all the article’s thoughtfully expressed concerns with balancing one’s religious beliefs with one’s sexual orientation, there is surprisingly little balance of the views of the closeted with those of the proudly out LGBT. Certainly there’s no contradiction between devoted spirituality and personal and public honesty as to one’s true nature. Still, it’s a considered examination of a valid issue, even if we ultimately come down on the side of coming out. Yeah, we’ll say it: personal integrity trumps adherence to any fundamentalist religious dogma, if you’re going to set them against each other. But we didn’t feel raped after reading the piece.

With “Going Straight,” and it pains us to say this because we’ve followed Denizet-Lewis’ career since the 1990s, we did feel sorta violated by time we reached the -30- (end).

The story presents the subhead, “As a young gay man, Michael Glatze seemed very happy with who he was.

Then he changed his mind.”

Denizet-Lewis discloses his personal connection upfront. “We worked together 12 years ago at XY, a San Francisco-based national magazine for young gay men, back when we were young gay men

Steven Underhill

Sandra Bernhard attends the Pride kick-off party at Bently Reserve.

ourselves.” Now “born again” as a so-called “exgay” going to Bible school in Wyoming, Glatze is rigidly, vehemently antigay.

“Homosexuality, delivered to young minds, is by its very nature pornographic,” he wrote for a far-right website.

Glatze caroms from extreme to extreme, and everything turns out to be about him. “Sitting in his YGA office, Michael wrote three words on his computer screen: I am straight. They felt true, so he typed a few more: Homosexuality = Death. I choose Life. Then he stood up and left the building.” So he’s a drama queen. So what?

Since the NYT Magazine is going to dabble in pop psychology and “ex-gay” pathology, why not devote a coverstory package to attention-seeking, narcissistic behavior syndrome? We’ll bet reporters’ Rolodexes are full to bursting with leads.

Sincerely, An editor who knows the appeal of a contrarian pitch.

Dear Aretha Franklin, Please try to be more careful, Queen! Last week we found this story on People.com under the headline, “Aretha Franklin injured

by her Jimmy Choos!”

“On Friday, while on the road to promote her album A Woman Falling Out of Love, the Queen of Soul put the emphasis on ‘falling’ in her Dallas hotel suite – by stumbling over one of her Jimmy Choo spiked heels, which had gotten caught on her toe.

“I’m so grateful it wasn’t my right piano [pedal] foot,” said the singer.

“How am I supposed to match my new Marc Jacobs gown with this wooden blue hospital shoe?”

Sometimes we worry about you.

Signed, A Fan.▼

LaBruce faces the pornorazzi

by Cornelius Washington

H

ands down, the man at Frameline 35 was underground auteur Bruce LaBruce. From the documentary about him directed

by Angelique Bosio, The Advocate for Fagdom, to LaBruce’s colordrenched, blood-soaked, sex saga of a zombie on the lurch L.A. Zombie, he covers the waterfront.

Photojournalist Cornelius Washington gave LaBruce the twiceover at the Victoria Theatre and the 45th anniversary party of the legendary bar The Stud.

Cornelius Washington: Your images and Joe Castro’s have been featured in David Leddick’s coffee-table books on the male nude. David was the international creative director of Revlon and L’Oreal, and he wants to know, how did you two hook up? He was very impressed by the quality of the make-up.

Bruce LaBruce: Joe is one of the primary reasons I did the film. He

Cornelius Washington

Filmmaker Bruce LaBruce at Frameline 35.

came to one of my premieres, where he told me that he was a make-up artist and special-effects creator for a straight porn horror film. I was thrilled to work with him. He has a mastery of make-up, where everything looked beautiful without See page 21 >>

Read more online at www.ebar.com

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

▼

Film>>

So like Candy

by David Lamble

I

n an era when many of our treasured new queer classics never make it to a big screen in this town, don’t miss the one-night chance to catch one of the best documentaries about a kid with broken dreams, a film with an impossibly long title, Beautiful Darling: the Life and Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar, that shows only two times at the Castro Theatre, today, June 30, at 7 & 9:15 p.m.

“Candy fit in perfectly because she was like a real movie star from MGM, only in a world that was filled with LSD and speed.” – John Waters.

Perhaps the most poignant and fleeting stab at stardom from the Warhol crowd belonged to a young man, James Slattery, fated to grow up with a girlish countenance and an obsession to follow in the stylish footsteps of Jimmy Stewart’s frequent co-star, Kim Novak. Raised just off the Babylon line of the Long Island Rail Road – the train NYC cops getting off the Midnight shift ride – Candy Darling plopped herself down inside Manhattan precincts where a man in makeup, let alone a dress, risked arrest and worse. Crashing the hothouse world of Warhol’s movie factory in the mid-60s along

Candy Darling, a.k.a. James Slattery, is profiled in a new doc.

with a handful of starstruck chicks with dicks, Candy Darling quickly established a reputation as perhaps the one boy actress who had the aura of a young Marilyn Monroe.

Starring in Warhol’s feminist parody/homage Women in Revolt, which miraculously garnered her a Hollywood opening, Candy’s career would peak and crash as drugs and fashions adjusted for the yuppie 1970s.

Director James Rasin has assembled a remarkable chorus of

New York insiders – Fran Lebowitz, Jayne County, Paul Morrissey and Waters – not only to assess Candy’s bitter 15 minutes, but to provide a fitting epitaph for an era with its guerrilla wars over fame, gender and fickle, media-driven fads.

Beautiful Darling climaxes with a provocative debate on trans-identity and the moving efforts by best friend Jeremiah Newton to find a fitting resting place for Candy’s ashes next to his mom’s, and ultimately his own.▼

Music>>

Trans-cendent

by Gregg Shapiro

D

bartabsf.com

owntown NYC performance legend Justin Vivian Bond (formerly known as Justin Bond) will be familiar to readers as the proprietor of the sex-club in John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, and one-half of the campy cabaret duo Kiki and Herb. Dendrophile (justinbond.com) marks Bond’s solo recording debut and includes “In the End,” the song Bond performed in Shortbus. It’s a terrific, powerful song, and fits in nicely with the rest of the material on the disc. Bond covers Joni Mitchell (“Court and Spark”) and Joan Baez (“Diamonds and Rust,” paired up in a medley with Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett’s “Superstar”), and does the songs justice. Another cover, “The Golden Age of Hustlers,” illustrates Bond’s gifts as an interpreter. More than half the selections are original Bond compositions, ranging from the hoedown of “Equipoise” to the drag

drama of “The New Economy” and the sexy pop of “Genet.”

Be warned, Bond’s voice is an acquired taste, but one worth attaining.

Produced by rocker Andrew W.K., Regifted Light (Drag City) by Baby Dee is a mostly instrumental effort, with Baby Dee at the piano (a concert grand) venturing into modern classical territory. Simply put, it’s gorgeous. Call it classical music for hipsters. Amusing title aside, the gorgeous “Cowboys with Cowboy Hat Hair” could have been the soundtrack to one of Brokeback Mountain’s scenes of passion.

“Coughing up Cat Hair” is one of the album’s most stirring compositions.

Baby Dee can be heard singing on four songs.

Black Crow (Flaming Dame) is the latest disc by trans singer/songwriter Namoli Brennet. Between the image of a wheatfield on the cover and songs like “Iowa” and “Honeybee,” this is one of Brennet’s most country-oriented recordings. Those more familiar with Namoli’s folkpop material will find something to like in songs such as “Do It Now.” The double-disc Shipwrecks &

Dreamboats (actorslashmodel.com/madsen/ homoticons) by Madsen Minax & The Homoticons is a very ambitious project. Madsen (of Actor Slash Model fame) fronts this “wayward quartet of transcentric trespassers” as they acoustically traverse a variety of themes in the most somber language. Not an easy journey, but one worth taking.

Elias Krell of the Homoticons steps out solo on Takin My Take (eliaskrell.com). Krell gets right to the heart of the trans matter on the personal and powerful “She,” both a love song and an addressing of complex gender-identity issues.

Love also comes into play on “I Think You’re Crazy.” ▼

DVD>>

▼ Crossing over to the other side

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

by Tim Pfaff

E

arthly matters never cease to surprise, no?” Huay says to her son, Boonsong, early in Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, the film that won gay Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Festival, and his most visionary work to date. Huay, at that moment the 19-year-dead ghost of the wife of the titular Boonmee, and Boonsong, their son but, having crossed over, now a fulltime monkey spirit, have just dropped into the alfresco dinner of Uncle Boonmee, Auntie Jen, and tangential family member Tong. The spirit creatures are as perplexed by the anxieties they cause their earth-bound relatives as those “real people” are startled to see them. The things people fret about, the spirits wonder.

The film, for Apichatpong an impassioned farewell to celluloid, the medium he has treated like the most intimate of lovers, is due for imminent release on DVD. (Long out in several European countries, it’s due out here from Strand, with English subtitles, in early July.)

DVD may be the medium in which it can finally be understood, because it’s a film that requires, warrants, and rewards multiple viewings.

It seems preposterous even to have to say that – as if you could “see” Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” in a single pass-by, or “hear” Mahler’s Sixth in even a great MTT performance. Some things need living with for their spirits to be glimpsed, and released, and the more you look, the more you see.

An earthly matter that never ceases to surprise me is the persistent question, “Does Apichatpong Weerasethakul really believe in ghosts?,” as beside the point, from the spirit realm’s point of view, as Auntie Jen’s question to Huay, “Did you get the things we left for you at the temple at your funeral?” (though Huay, the shyly radiant Natthakarn Aphaiwonk, replies both “yes” and “thank you”). The film is only a baffler to people who can still convince themselves that their lives proceed in a linear, sensical way. The rest of us can sit back and be carried away by Apichatpong’s entrancing but surprisingly straightforward story.

In the same measure that his more explicitly gay Tropical Malady was Apichatpong’s Tristan und Isolde (or Tristan und Kurwenal), about the very same deracinating and death-dealing power of sexual desire Wagner expressed in his great opera, so Uncle Boonmee is his Parsifal.

Even on a first viewing, there’s no mistaking that Apichatpong’s theme is, like Wagner’s, the passing of spirit from one life to the next through the wound of mortality (being fleshbound) itself. Monkey spirits with their glowing red eyes abound in Apichatpong’s film, but since the director is addressing big things, there’s no monkey business (though, as in real life, a few great laughs).

<<

Bruce LaBruce From page 18

the use of PhotoShop or image manipulation.

What is your favorite sexual fantasy?

Hmmm. Oh Jesus, sex with Jesus!

Why is your first name also your last name?

I wanted to create a name that was both memorable and repetitive.

Like fashion photographer Horst P. Horst?

Like Rod LaRoque.

It’s easy to miss the big stuff because Apichatpong sets his stories in his beloved, native Isaan, Thailand’s vast northeast, bordering both Laos and Cambodia, and populates them not with superheroes but with common people who, as always, turn out to be not so common after all. Most of the dialogue is in a strain of Isaan Thai so close to Lao that the original version of Apichatpong’s film comes with Thai subtitles so that midcountry-dwellers and sophisticated Bangkokians can follow it. The Parsifal legend, like Tristan, does not live only in Wagner’s late-appearing, strenuously re-imagined version, but also in narratives closer to folktales.

The latest is Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

Karmic wound Because the characters are so individually conceived and rendered, it seems almost reductive to call Boonmee (Thanapat Saisaymar) Apichatpong’s Amfortas, his bum kidney the equivalent of the Grail Knight’s wound. (Boonmee sees his death as the karmic outcome of having killed communists, at the government’s behest, as a young man, the “wound” on his soul.)

The “pure fool” Parsifal is citydweller Tong (Sakda Keawbuadee, Apichatpong’s ongoing muse), the urbanized outsider who himself cannot understand the Isaan language the other characters use, but who ultimately leads them all out of the cave in which Boonmee’s kidney is drained for the last time.

In what counts as a suspenseful moment in an Apichatpong film,

Porn star Adam Killian said that he loved working with you, and he wants to know if you’d book him again.

Oh, definitely. He and the other three guys with whom he had sex are the biggest guys in the porn industry, and the funny thing is, when they were booked for the movie, for some bizarre reason, they thought that they were all going to have non-sexual roles, so when they arrived on set and found out that I did want them to have sex with each other, they were all jumping onto their cell phones to call their respective porn studios, to

that fatal body fluid nearly gets on Tong as the kindly, soft-hearted uncle (a designation bigger and more saturated with affection than its English equivalent) gives up the ghost. Jen (Jenjira Pongpas), as much Dante’s Beatrice as Kundry in Parsifal, richly delivers the urfeminine.

Huay, who knows the way, leads the anxious, club-footed Jen, the death-entranced Boonmee, and the cowardly lion Tong – hand in hand, right out of Milton at the end of Paradise Lost – first through the jungles, then into the caves of Isaan that Apichatpong has used so often, and so tellingly, that they’ve become like characters in his films.

His Eden. It’s beauty of the sort that makes you draw breath then hold it for minutes at a time.

There’s a radical (in the original sense of “at the root”) tenderness to the characters’ interactions, and even though they’re aware that they are dealing with life’s big moments, they don’t “process” much, the way that we moderns do. They chat and tell stories.

About a third of the way into the film, Apichatpong stops to tell a story of his own, a tale of the Princess and the Catfish, as enchanted a 20 minutes are you are likely to spend on Earth. Not only is it not a break in the story, a departure, it’s a sounding of its deep pedal notes, its ground bass. As the catfish makes love to the princess under the waterfall, lines between species and strata of time disappear in a fairytale about how nothing is quite what it seems, and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.▼

see if they could do the film. Once the studios found out that I was directing the film, everything was fine. I’m always torn about whether I will do another porn movie, but if I do, it’ll be about L.A. street gangs.

I’ll have Adam play a top!

Adam will soon direct his first porn film. Baby, will you give him some advice?

Yeah, tell him to go to the fountain. Tell him he’s doing the film for the whole world, not just America, so get the hottest, most diverse group of men, have a lot of passion and kissing, and then, really go for the cum shots.▼

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<< Backstage

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

▼

Kevin Berne

Wesley Taylor, right, as Michael Tolliver, thinks he has found true love with Dr. John Fielding (Josh Breckenridge) in ACT’s Tales of the City.

Embodying Michael ‘Mouse’ Tolliver

by Richard Dodds

I

ebar.com

t was three days before the Pride parade, and Wesley Taylor was happy that the event was skewing audience demographics at Tales of the City. “We love nothing more than a theater full of gays,” said the young actor who plays Michael “Mouse” Tolliver in the new musical based on Armistead Maupin’s stories. “It’s a warm and embracing energy that you can actually feel.”

Only 24 years old, Taylor has already been featured in two long-run Broadway hits – Rock of Ages and The Addams Family – and he turned down several lucrative offers in New York to sign up for the summer run of Tales of the City in San Francisco.

He landed the role of uber-gay Franz, the son of a dastardly real estate developer, in Rock of Ages only six months after graduating from college, and then found more steady paychecks from 18 months with The Addams Family.

“I think it’s important when you’re young and not starving and don’t have a family to support to make decisions based on what you believe in,” said Taylor, sporting a tank top, a casually arranged mop of hair, and the ’70s moustache he grew for the role of Mouse. “I’m doing projects that excite me.”

Taylor had previously auditioned for Tales director Jason Moore for other projects, and sensed a potential camaraderie. “Then I heard Jason was directing Tales, and someone said there was a part that was perfect for me. But I didn’t know anything about the books or Armistead or the miniseries, but I auditioned and when I got called back, I started reading the books and got hooked.”

Then came the waiting game. “I auditioned in front of Jason and Jeff [Whitty, the librettist], and they taped that and then had to send the tape to [songwriters] Jake Shears and John Garden, and to Armistead. Everyone had final casting say, and that become very frustrating.”

But the waiting paid off, and Taylor had the chance to help mold his character in an entirely new musical.

“I think you have to keep moving to keep yourself sane,” said Taylor, who has already encountered the

performer’s brick wall. “Sometimes after you’ve done 400 performances, you have panic attacks on stage because you think, I cannot say this fucking line one more time. It’s a real challenge to keep yourself awake and alive.”

That shouldn’t be a problem with Tales of the City during its ACT run, currently announced to end on July 31, though the actors are contractually committed to play through August should the run be further extended. Speaking of contracts, the male actors had to sign a nudity clause agreeing to bare all if requested. But a brief glimpse of Taylor’s backside is about as naked as the show gets. “There was a lot more and it was cut down,” Taylor said, “because we didn’t want to seem like we were pandering to the gay community.”

As Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, Taylor plays a young man enjoying the sexual freedoms of 1970s San Francisco, though fretting how his

conservative parents will react when they find out he is gay. One of the most touching moments in the show comes when Mouse sings the coming-out letter he has written to his mother.

Though it can moisten theatergoers’ eyes, Taylor says it’s far from his favorite moment in the show. “Sometimes it’s a moment I don’t look forward to at all,” he said.

“It’s a gift of a song, but it’s hard, and sometimes after that scene I’m exhausted.”

Taylor came out to his own parents, Southern Baptists living in Orlando, several years ago, and there has been muted acceptance. Although he was out of the closet with everyone he knew, he wasn’t sure what his professional stance should be. “When I would come out of the stage door at Rock of Ages, people were asking me if I was really gay. I didn’t say yes or no, but was just shocked by the audacity of the fans. I finally decided life is too short, and I want to celebrate my life and be part of the movement.”

Taylor’s experiences with Tales of See page 27 >>

Richard Dodds

Wesley Taylor, who plays Michael “Mouse” Tolliver, takes a break before brush-up rehearsals for Tales of the City at ACT.

▼

Music >>

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 23

Cory Weaver

Andrea Silvestrelli (Hagen), with members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus, in San Francisco Opera’s Gotterdammerung.

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‘Ring’ cycle From page 17

solidarity) among the women. It may not always make perfect sense (the ladies are often quite nasty), but she makes a compelling case for them, and there is no denying the men behave most wickedly. Isn’t it the horrible dwarf Alberich who starts the whole shebang by stealing the poor Rhinemaidens’ gold, and foreswearing love?

By the time we get to Siegfried, Zambello has moved the action to the near-future. The naive hero lives in a squalid trailer with his ad-hoc father Mime, the conniving brother of Alberich, vividly enacted

by David Cangelosi. Making his role debut as Siegfried, Jay Hunter Morris compensated for a lack of heldentenor weight with a sensibly paced and charmingly boyish portrayal. He was a replacement for the originally scheduled Ian Storey, but he didn’t sound like secondbest.

One of the production’s most sensational coups de theatre happens when Siegfried kills Fafner (the keeper of the cursed ring).

The giant, cleverly disguised as a Transformer (think action figure) and impressively sung by Daniel Sumegi, was not only convincingly menacing, but also perfectly in step with Zambello’s foreboding of technological disaster.

Another smart stroke came with the Forest Bird appearing in human form. Sweetly bright soprano Stacey Tappan, making her SFO debut, sang coquettishly, and looked quite fetching.

Siegfried is sort of the nexus of the Ring, bringing together many of the most recognizable leitmotifs, supplying some of the most exciting action, and ending with one of the best love duets in all of opera. When Siegfried eventually gets past Wotan (a by-now physically and vocally wan Mark Delavan) to waken Brunnhilde from Daddy’s spell, the resulting climactic duet supplied yet another reason to thank the gods for Nina Stemme’s intelligent, generous and soon-to-be-legendary portrayal of the valiant Valkyrie.

Endless twilight Gotterdammerung (The Twilight of the Gods) is the most episodic drama in the cycle, and Zambello surmounted most of the usual tedium by again maintaining a

relatively brisk pace. The Gibichung brothers’ (superbly sung by Gerd Grochowski and Andrea Silvestrelli) plot to get the ring and Brunnhilde away from Siegfried, as abetted by their sibling Gutrune (soprano Melissa Citro, in a credible comeback from her earlier portrayal of Freia in Rheingold), unfolded with unusually crisp urgency.

The cast and Donald Runnicles, leading a seemingly tireless orchestra, helped immeasurably in illuminating the very human aspects of the story, as they have throughout the entire cycle. Even suffering a vocal indisposition, British tenor Ian Storey, who was back in as Siegfried, made a credible appearance.

The handsomely spare sets by Michael Yeargan, the evocative lighting by Mark McCullough, and the vastly impressive scenic projections by Jan Hartley continued to make an attractive visual framework for Zambello’s fascinating concept.

The slightly underwhelming final cataclysm, punctuated by a too on-the-nose, albeit touching, final tableau (a little girl plants a new ash tree), still worked effectively in context, and the projection of a cascade of photos of fallen heroes of contemporary wars (first displayed in the Valhalla of Die Walkure) was simply stunning.

We have not raved much about the musical qualities of this most intensely musical experience until now because, frankly, it has only intermittently reached the heights, but there have been many astonishing contributions from everyone onstage and in the pit throughout the entire cycle.

Some have called it Stemme’s Ring (her lengthy and ecstatic final ovation was obviously heartfelt), and others have called it Donald Runnicles’ (he certainly showed a remarkable mastery of Richard Wagner’s colossal score), but ultimately the triumph belongs to the director. Her Walkure and Siegfried could each easily be revived as brilliant stand-alone productions, but it would be wrong to undervalue the full cycle. SFO General Director David Gockley’s confidence in her vision has paid off big-time.

The bold and brave Zambello “American Ring” may not be for the ages, but it certainly resonates as a Ring for today. ▼

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Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

24 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

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Vice Palace @ Hypnodrome Thrillpeddlers brings forth the last Cockettes musical, the saucy 1972 revue of songs and sordid silliness, a very loose Fellini-esque parody of Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. $30-$35. Fri & Sat 8pm Sun 7pm.

575 10th st. at Bryant/Division. Thru July 31. www.thrillpeddlers.com

Vision and Revision II @ Frank Bette Center for the Arts Opening reception and poetry reading for an exhibit of scenic landscapes by Frank Bette, for whom the arts center is named.

7pm-9pm. Exhibit thru July 30. 1601 Paru St. at Lincoln, Alameda. (510) 523-6957. www.frankbettecenter.org

Sat 2 >>

Fireworks by jim provenzano

S

All My Children @ The Marsh, Berkeley Matt Smith’s comic tale of a man who claims to be the father of six children of his ex-girlfriends. $20-$35. Fri 8pm. Sat 8:30pm. Thru July 23. 2120 Allston Way. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Assisted Living, the Musical @ Imperial Palace

unday, July 3 is the night for celebrations that may have less to do with our nation’s birth and more to do with “no work on Monday.”

Nevertheless, choose from the dance parties for some holiday fun.

As always, find plenty more nightlife events in the July BARtab, inside this issue, and online at www.BARtabSF.com

Rick Compton and Betsy Bennett’s witty musical about senior lives and the joys and woes of aging; delicious Dim Sum banquet with each show. $79.59-$99.50. Sat 12pm.

Sun 12 & 5pm. Thru July 31. 818 Washington st. (888) 885-2844. www.assistedlivingthemusical.com

Beer Bust @ Kok Bar

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi

Fundraiser for local causes; today, Say & Frankie host for the Imperial Court. $8 all you can drink Bud Light or Rolling Rock. 5pm-9pm. 1225 Folsom St. www.kokbarsf.com

Boom! @ DNA Lounge Juanita More, Joshua J, Booty Call and the Some Thing dragsters come together for a fun night of drag and dance music; DJs Stanley Frank, Joshua J, Sidekick. $10-$15. 9pm-3am.

375 11th St. www.dnalounge.com

Ceremony @ City Nights Industry and Gus Presents’ T-dance, with DJs Grind, Moto Blanco, and Jay Santos. $20-$40. 5pm-12am. 715 Harrison St. www.industrysf.com

Menergy @ The Stud Enjoy an 80s time warp at the monthly

Fri 1 >> Billy Elliot @ Orpheum Theatre Elton John and Lee Hall’s must-see hit Broadway musical adaptation of the wonderful film about a boy who takes up dance lessons; starring Tony Award winner Faith Prince. $35- Tue-Sat 8pm. Sat, Sun & some Wed 2pm. some Sun 7:30pm. Thru Sept.

17. 1192 Market St. at 8th. (888) SHN 1799. www.shnsf.com

Down the Rabbit Hole @ Oddball Film Strange cartoon shorts, exceprts from The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, vintage Alice in Wonderland and more. $10. 8:30pm. Juyl 2, at 8pm, Pick Your Poison: Medicine and Madness, a bunch of short films about drugs and mental illness. $10. 8pm. 275 Capp St. 558-8117. www.oddballfilm.com

Ecosex Manifesto @ Center for Sex & Culture Annie Sprinkle and her partner Elizabeth Stephens’ curated group exhibit of ecological erotic art. Thru July 24. 1349 Mission St. at 9th. 902-2071. www.loveartlab.org

Fighting Mac! @ Thick House New gay play about 19th-century gay general Hector McDonald, and contemporary Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policies; written and directed by John Fisher. $15-$30. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru July 3. 1695 18th St. (800) 838-3006. www.therhino.org

Fillmore Art Walk @ Various Venues Enjoy visual arts works on display along Fillmore street from Sutter to Eddy. Live performances by Nursha Project, ShePeoples, Ryan Zweng, plus DJed music. 6pm-11pm. www.thefillmoredistrict.com

In Deep and Dance @ Café Flore Xavier Toscano, Gypsy Love, Kippy Marks and Scott Sterling perform (with DJs Marco Middlesex and Sergio) at a benefit for Bay

gay dance event. 6pm-12am. 399 9th St. at Harrison. www.studsf.com

Honey Soundsystem @ Holy Cow The coolest Sunday music mix crew plays groove-adelic sounds for a hip, diverse crowd. 10pm-2am. 1535 Folsom St. at 11th. www.honeysoundsystem.com

La Pachanga @ Blue Macaw Salsa bands play, with dancing and lessons (lessons 5pm, band 6pm) weekly at the mixed/gay-friendly nightclub. $10. 21+. 2565 Mission St. at 22nd. www.thebluemacawsf.com

Thick @ Club Eight DJ Luke Johnstone spins dance tunes at this holiday weekend event. $10.

11pm-3am. 1151 Folsom St. at 8th. www.eightsf.com

Area Theater and A Leg Up animal rescue.

Donations. 9pm-1am. 2298 Market St. 621-8579. www.cafeflore.com

Massage-a-thon @ Inkwell Tattoo Studio, Oakland Judo Ko, massage therapist, attempts a 50+-hour massage record while raising funds for disaster relief efforts. Starts at 10am. Thru July 4., 12pm. 2400 Broadway. www.74hours.org

The Pride @ New Conservatory Theatre Alexia Kaye Campbell’s innovative play about two men and a woman caught in a complex love triangle. $24-$40. Wed-Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm thru July 3. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

The Real Americans @ The Marsh

American Conservatory Theatre’s funny and sweet world premiere musical adaptation of Armistead Maupin’s first two novels in his popular series, with book by Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q ) and music/lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden ( Scissor Sisters) (ASL-interpeted July 23). Extended thru July 31. Tue-Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat & Sun 2pm. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Enjoy West African and Bollywood performances by Duniya Dance and Drum Company. $5-$10. 10pm. 3372 19th St. at Mission. (510) 213-1537. www.duniyadance.com

boy whose father was a pimp. $20-$35.

Sat 8:30pm, Sun 7pm. Thru Aug. 7. 2120 Allston Way. (800) 838-3006. www.themarsh.org

Evenings by the Bay @ Monterary Bay Aquarium Enjoy beer and wine, live music and festivities at the aquatic museum during evening summer hours, til 8pm thru Labor Day Weekend. (weekdays 9:30am-6pm). $19.95$29.95. Cannery Row at David Ave. (866) 963-9645. www.montereybayaquarium.org

Unique group exhibit of art celebrating “bromances” between straight, gay and other men by Frank Kozik, Yosiell Lorenzo, Justin Lovato, Jay Howell, Jesse Balmer and Gabe Boscana and Portland friends. 10% of proceeds goes to The Trevor Project. 6pm9pm. June 26, 2pm-6pm. Thru July 17.

1645 Mission St. 577-1658. www.artifactgallery.net

Cabaret Lunatique @ Spiegeltent Teatro Zinzanni’s special shows highlighting local neighborhoods presents Celebrate the Fillmore, with jazz and Motown music

by Johnny Trotman, Tony Sauncers, Rock Hendricks and Margo Leduc. $25-$35.

11:15pm. Pier 29, Embarcadero at Battery. www.cabaretlunatique.com

Chase the Tear @ NIAD Art Center, Richmond Vibrant group exhibit of varied media works by 50 artists with disabilities, the third in a series of exhibits organized by artist Timothy Buckwalter. 2pm-5pm. Thru August 19. 551 23rd St. (510) 620-0326. www.niadart.org

East 14th @ The Marsh, Berkeley True Tales of a Reluctant Player, Don Reed’s autobiographical solo show about being raised as a God-fearing church

Fri 1 Purple Rain @ Castro Theatre Peaches Christ presents a wacky screening of the Prince music film, with a live appearance by the lovely Apollonia. $20-$43. 8pm. 429 Castro St. www.peacheschrist.com

Feminist BBQ @ Radical Women Socialist political group hosts a barbeque with games for kids and adults. $10. 3pm-7pm. 549 Chenery St. www.radicalwomen.org

Fillmore Jazz Festival @ Fillmore District The largest free outdoor jazz fest returns, with 10 blocks of music, food, art and more. 10am-6pm. Also July 3. www.fillmorejazzfestival.com

Kim Nalley @ The Rrazz Room Acclaimed local singer performs her musical tribute to Nina Simone. $35$37.50. Wed, Thu, Sat 8pm; Fri & Sun 7pm. Thru July 17. 2-drink min. 21+. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (800) 380-3095. www.TheRrazzRoom.com

Metamorphosis @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley

Fri 1 Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance @ African American Art and Culture Center Performances, panels and receptions recreate the Harlem rent party atmosphere of a bygone era, with music, dance and spoken word acts

by Jai, Earl Thomas, Kirya Traber, Oriana Bolden, TuffNStuff, Anna Martine Whitehead, FBJ Browne, Griot Noir, MA Brooks, Brontez Purnell and others. $15-$25. 7:30pm.

Also July 2. 762 Fulton St. www.queerrebels.com

Wed-Sat 11am-6pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. 685 Mission St. at 3rd. 358-7252. www.moadsf.org

SF Hiking Club @ Wilder Ranch Join LGBT hikers on a 10-mile trek along the Santa Cruz coastline. Carpool 8:45am at Safeway sign, Market St. at Dolores.

(650) 615-0151. www.sfhiking.com

Teatro Zinzanni @ Pier 29 Joan Baez returns to Teatro in Maestro’s Enchantment, the new show at the theatretent-dinner extravaganza, with Ukranian illusionist Yevgeniy Voronin, clown Peter Pitofsky, aerialist Bianca Sapetto, trapeze artists The Collins Brothers, singer Kristin Clayton, contortionist Svetlana, plus jugglers, comedy, a five-course dinner, and a lot of fun. $117-$145. Saturday 11:30am “Breve” show $63-$78. Wed-Sat 6pm (Sun 5pm). Pier 29 at Embarcadero Ave. 438-2668. www.teatrozinzanni.com

Working for the Mouse @ La Val’s Subterranean, Berkeley

Bromance @ Artifact Gallery

Swingfest-Lindypendance @ Various Venues

Tales of the City @ A.C.T.

Duniya Dancehall @ Bollyhood Café

Musical comedy revue, now in its 35th year, with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $25-$130. Wed, Thu, Fri at 8pm. Sat 6:30, 9:30pm. Sun 2pm, 5pm. (Beer/wine served; cash only). 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Dan Hoyle’s moving and funny solo show, with multiple characters based on Midwesterners on the right and Coasters on the left, asks how a politically divided America can survive. $25-$35. Fri 8pm, Sat 8:30pm.

Thru July 24. 1062 Valencia St. at 22nd. 2823055. www.themarsh.org

Queer Jitterbugs’ annual four-day festival of partnered dance lessons, championship contests, and social dancing, with performances, live bands and more. $10-$25. 50 Mason Social House, 50 Mason st. 7pm-1am. July 2, Jazz Heritage Center Benefit, 320 Fillmore St. 8pm-1am. July 3 at 50 Mason, 7pm10pm. July 4 lessons and dancing at 151 Potrero Ave. 6pm-11pm. $40-$50. www.

QueerJitterbugs.com

Fri 1

Aurora Theatre Company’s production of Mark Jackson’s absurd and horror-tinged play based on Franz Kafka’s classic book about a salesman’s transformation into a giant insect. $10-$55. Tue 7pm; Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm & 7pm. Thru July 17. 2081 Addison St. (510) 843-4822. www.auroratheatre.org

Trevor Allen’s one-man show about the dark side of working as a costumed character at Disneyland, including drugs, sex on rides, and getting kicked in the crotch by kids. $10-$20. Thu-Sun 8pm. Thru July 8.

1834 Euclid Ave. www.impactheatre.com

Sun 3 >> The Art of Dr. Seuss @ Dennis Rae Fine Art Fascinating exhibit of rarely seen prints, paintings, sculptures and a few of the more known drawings by Theodor Geisel, the author/illustrator of the immensely popular children’s books. Ongoing, with updates and new items. 351A Geary St. 391-1948. www.dennisraefineart.com

Balenciaga and Spain @ de Young Museum Fashion exhibit focusing on the influence of Spain on the work of haute couture master Cristóbal Balenciaga. Thru July 4. $6-$17.

50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, Golden Gate Park. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

Bali: Art, Ritual, Performance @ Asian Art Museum Expansive exhibit of more than 100 historic art works in exhibits that showcase the practicality of the performing and visual arts in this beautiful culture. Special performances and interactive workshops throughout exhibit run. Reg. admission: $7-$17. Reg. hours Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Thu til 9pm. Thru Sept. 11. 200 Larkin St. www.asianart.org

Happy Hour @ Energy Talk Radio Interview show with gay writer Adam Sandel as host. 8pm. www.EnergyTalkRadio.com

Outlook Video @ Channel 29 Monthly LGBT news show; Cynthia Chin-Lee of Operation Marriage, 30 years of AIDS, suicide prevention. Prop 8 and the GLAAD Awards. 5pm. Also streaming online. www.outlookvideo.org

Performance Festival @ Yerba Buena Gardens

Outside the Lines @ Gallery Route One, Point Reyes

Ongoing series of free daytime music, theatre and dance performances. Thru Oct. 701 Mission St. www.ybgf.org

Opening reception for a group exhibit of unusual folk and contemporary art. 3pm5pm. Daily 11am-5pm (closed Tuesdays).

Thru Aug. 7. 11101 Highway One. 663-1347. www.galleryrouteone.org

Phyllis Christopher @ Good Vibrations Exhibit of photos by the prolific community documentarian of lesbians. 10am-pm (10pm Fri/Sat). 1620 Polk St. 345-0400. www.goodvibes.com

Romare Bearden @ Museum of the African Diaspora From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden, one of the greatest 20thcentury collage artists. $5-$10. Thru July 3.

Seeing Gertrude Stein: Five Stories @ Contemporary Jewish Museum Exhibit of personal artwork, collected work and archival materials showing how the lesbian poet’s life, mostly in Paris, changed over the decades before and after WWII. Free-$10. Thru Sept. 6. 11am-5pm daily (closed Wed), Thu 1pm-8pm. 736 Mission St. 655-7800. www.thecjm.org

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Read more online at www.ebar.com

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25

Meditation Classes @ Kadampa Buddhist Temple Tessa Logan teaches drop-in meditation classes. $10. 7-8:45pm. 3324 17th St. 503-1187. www.meditationinnortherncalifornia.org

Midsummer Mozart Ensemble @ Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral Mozart’s Quinet for Piano and winds in E-flat Major is performed, plus other works. $5. 12:30pm. 660 California St. 777-3211. www.NoontimeConcerts.org

Yoga Classes @ The Sun Room

Fri 1 Pink Martini @ Davies Symphony Hall Thomas M. Lauderdale’s eclectic “little orchestra” from Portland returns for their annual concert. $35-$115. 8pm. Also June 30. 201 Van Ness Ave. Also at the Flint Center, Cupertino, July 2, 8pm. $16-$75. 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. 864-6000. www.pinkmartini.com www.flintcenter.com www.sfsymphony.org

The Steins Collect @ SF MOMA

Aug). Thru Oct. 9. 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian AvanteGarde, an exhibit of pivotal artworks originally collected by lesbian poet Gertrude Stein and her family. 4th floor galleries. Free (members)-$25. Thru Sept. 6. 11am-5:45pm daily. Closed Wed.; open til 8:45pm Thu. 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org

Ten Percent @ Comcast 104

Sundance Saloon @ Space 550 Sundance Saloon, the popular country-western dance night for the LGBT community, now in its 13th year, attracts friendly urban cowboys and cowgirls two-stepping and line dancing the night away. $5. 21+. Sundays 5pm-10:30pm, lessons 5:30–7:15pm. Thursdays 6:30–10:30pm, lessons 7pm-8pm.

550 Barneveld Ave., near Bayshore and Industrial. www.sundancesaloon.org

David Perry’s talk show about LGBT local issues. Mon-Fri 11:30am & 10:30pm, Sat & Sun 10:30pm. www.davidperry.com

Tue 5 >> Alex MacLean @ Robert Koch Gallery Exhibit of large prints of aerial American landscapes. Thru July 2. Tue-Sat 10:30am5:30pm. 49 Geary St. 5th fl. 421-0122. www.kochgallery.com

Marga Gomez brings her comic talents and special guests to a weekly cabaret show. $10. 8pm. 2120 Allston Way. (800) 8383006. www.margagomez.com www.themarsh.org

Oakland East Bay Symphony @ Craneway Pavilion Patriotic music is performed before a pierside fireworks display, food, beverages.

Bring blankets and chairs. Opening acts 6:30pm. Symphony at 8pm. 1414 Harbour Way South, off I-580. www.craneway.com/oebs

Picasso @ de Young Museum Masterpieces from the Museé National Picasso, Paris, a new exhibit of classic early modern works by the Spanish master painter.

Free (members)-$25. Open July 4. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. Wed 9:30am-8:45pm (the

Amy Johansen @ Grace Cathedral Accomplished organist performs contemporary and classical works in the beautiful church. Free. 8pm. 1100 California St. www.gracecathedreal.org

Geezer @ The Marsh Veteran clown and actor Geoff Hoyle’s witty solo show about his young life in England and his ruminations on aging. $25-$50.

Wed & Thu, 8pm. Sat & Sun 5pm. Thru July 10. 1062 Valencia St. at 22nd. (800) 8385750. www.themarsh.org

Same-Sex Dancing @ Queer Ballroom

SF Hiking Club @ The Presidio

Donna Sachet and Harry Denton host the fabulous weekly 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

Marga’s Funny Mondays @ The Marsh, Berkeley

Wed 6 >>

Ongoing partner dance lessons and open dancing in a variety of styles; different each night. $15 open dancing to $55 for private lessons. 151 Potrero Ave. at 15th. www.QueerBallroom.com

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room

Mon 4 >>

Heated, healing weekly yoga classes in a new location. Suggested donation $10-20.

12pm-1pm. Tue & Thu. 2390 Mission St, 3rd floor. 794-4619. www.billmohleryoga.com

Enjoy a 4-mile post-work hike with LGBT outdoors fans through the former military base. Meet 5:45pm at California St. at Arguello. (510) 910-8734. www.sfhiking.com

Our Vast Queer Past @ GLBT History Museum

Sat 2 San Francisco Mime Troupe @ Dolores Park The local political theatre ensemble presents their annual new show, 2012, The Musical! See Jesus, Nostradamus and Mayan priests argue apocalyptically. Free/donations. 2pm. Also July 3 & 4 at 2pm.

18th St. at Dolores. Also at other Bay Area venues thru Sept. 25. 2851717. www.sfmt.org

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gayfriendly comedy night. One drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th.

431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

New exhibit from the GLBT Historical Society, with a wide array of rare historic items on display. Special guest lectures: July 6, Seeing Gertrude Stein: a Talk by Tirza True Latimer, 7pm. July 7, My Desire for History; editors John D’Emilio and Estelle Freedman discuss their new anthology of the work of the late historian Allan Bérubé. Free for members-$5.

Wed-Sat 11am-7pm. Sun 12pm-5pm. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Thu 7 >> Katya Presents @ Martuni’s Katya Smirnoff-Skyy hosts a night of cabaret musical delights. 7pm. 4 Valencia St. at Market. www.dragatmartunis.com

Marga Gomez @ The Marsh Our fave lesbi-Latina comic tells of her childhood years vs. today, with kids taking over, in Not Getting Any Younger, a Workshop. $15-$50. Thursdays 8pm, Saturdays 8:30pm, Sundays 7pm. Thru July 24. 1062 Valencia St. at 21st. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Not a Genuine Black Man @ The Marsh, Berkeley Brian Copeland’s longrunning autobiographical solo show about racism in San Leandro. $20-$50. 7:30pm. Thru July 14.

(800) 838-3006. www.themarsh.org

To submit event listings, email jim@ebar.com.

Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication.

Fri 1 SF Ethnic Dance Festival @ Novellus Theater The final weekend of this expansive diverse dance event includes Ohlone Tribal Dance, Rara Tou Limen, Caminos Flamencos, Yang Yang Dance, Halau o Keikiali’i, De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association, Charya Burt Cambodian Dance, Chinyakare Ensemble, Bal Anat, Compañía Mazatlán Bellas Artes. $18-$58. 8pm. Also July 2, 3pm & 8pm. July 3, 3pm. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 401 Mission St. 474-3914. www.sfethnicdancefestival.org

For more bar and nightlife events, go to www.bartabsf.com

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<< Leather+

26 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

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Our incredible community

by Scott Brogan

A

few events of late have prompted me to reflect anew on how compassionate our community can be. We go about our daily routines with such focus that we’re usually oblivious to this fact. Maybe I’m biased, but considering that for decades now the leather community has been at the forefront of most local and national charity work, I’d argue that we’re the most giving.

On June 17, leather trailblazer and icon Roger “R.J.” Chaffin of Chicago, IL, passed away at 59. In that relatively short time, Chaffin was able to achieve an unbelievable number of accomplishments, including his recent role as the weekend coordinator for International Mr. Leather (IML).

His achievements are so vast I don’t have a fraction of the room here to do him justice, but a couple of highlights are: In 1989, long before any national attention on the subject, he co-produced the film Crimes of Hate about gay-bashing, and in 1977 he and his then-partner Jose blazed the trail to civil unions in Illinois by agreeing to be profiled in a three-part Chicago Sun-Times feature on same-sex relationships that included photo coverage of their ceremony, unheard of at that time.

It’s people like Chaffin that we have to thank for many of the benefits we enjoy today, not just in Chicago, but around the world.

We lost another leather icon, George Wong of Los Angeles, on June 6. Wong was one of those people who seem to have been

Courtesy International Mr. Leather

Courtesy www.leatherati.com

Late leather icon George Wong of Los Angeles, CA.

Late leather icon Roger “R.J.” Chaffin of Chicago, IL.

cloned, as he showed up everywhere.

He was a member of many leather organizations, including the L.A. Band of Brothers, judged dozens of contests (including IML), was a major player in fisting, gave many leather and fetish seminars, was a producer of the Mr. L.A. Leather contest, and even found time to indulge his passion for volleyball as a U.S. National Volleyball Champion, European Champion silver medalist, and Gay Games gold medalist. Again, too many accomplishments to do justice here, but I will note that his reach was not just L.A. or San Francisco (where he attended every single SF Pride), but across the nation and around the world.

With any loss, there is a certain amount of sadness and grief, but there is also a great joy in what they’ve left behind and the memories

we share that will always keep a part of them alive. The legacies they leave are an inspiration to us all.

The outpouring of love and support regarding these losses, plus the fact that so many took the time to give their love and support during my husband Doug’s recent medical emergency, once again have reminded me that our community is just plain incredible.

SF Pride 2011 Due to those medical priorities, I missed the Pride festivities. My cohorts were out and about, though, so I can report that the grand opening of the new “LockerRoom” at Mr. S Leather was a success. If you’re looking for gear, this is the place to go. More at www.mr-s-leather.com.

The Pride Parade Leather Contingent was once again a big hit.

Its continued success is the direct result of the tireless volunteer efforts of Jay Hemphill, Michael Holeman See page 27 >>

Coming up in leather and kink Thu., Jun. 30: Locker Room Thursdays at Kok Bar SF (1225 Folsom). 9 p.m.-close. Free clothes check.

Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Thu., Jun. 30: Underwear Night at The Powerhouse (1347 Folsom). 10 p.m. Wet undie contest and drink specials. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com.

Thu., Jun. 30: Pyro-Passion: Fireplay with Stefanos & Chey at the SF Citadel (1227 Mission). 8-10 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. $20. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Fri., Jul. 1: Truck Wash at Truck (1900 Folsom).

10 p.m.-close. Live shower boys and drink specials.

Go to: www.trucksf.com.

Fri., Jul. 1: Locker Room hosted by Michael Brandon at The Edge SF (4149 Collingwood). 9 p.m.Midnight. Celebrate your sports fetish with hot go-go boys, shot specials, and giveaways from the sponsors (ID Lube, Wasking4Men, Steamworks & Nob Hill Theater). Go to: www.edgesf.com.

Fri., Jul. 1: Go-go Studs at Kok Bar SF. 11 p.m.close. 1 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $2 cover after 11 p.m. Shot specials. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Fri., Jul. 1: Urge – SF’s Only Play Party for Guys Under 40, at the SF Citadel. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $25. Membership required, available at door for $10. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Sat., Jul. 2: All Beef Saturday Nights at The Lone Star (1354 Harrison). 100% SoMa Beef & Co. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Go to: www.facebook.com/lonestarsf.

at Truck. 8-10 p.m. Featuring prizes and ridiculous questions! Go to: www.trucksf.com.

Mon., Jul. 4: Happy Hour After Gym at Kok Bar SF. Mondays are all-day happy hour; Tue.-Thurs., 6-9 p.m.; Fri. & Sat., 4-9 p.m. $2.75 on all beer & well drinks. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Mon., Jul. 4: Dirty Dicks at the Powerhouse. Starts at 4 p.m. $3 well drinks. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf. com.

Tue., Jul. 5: 12-Step Kink Recovery Group at the SF Citadel. 6:30-8 p.m. Open to all kink-identified people in recovery. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Tue., Jul. 5: Dominant Discussion Group at the SF Citadel. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. $5-$15 donation. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Tue., Jul. 5: Busted at Truck. 9 p.m.-close. $5 beer bust, 9-11 p.m. Great music, notorious Truck boys.

Go to: www.trucksf.com Tue., Jul. 5: Ink & Metal followed by Nasty at The Powerhouse. 9 p.m. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com Wed., Jul. 6: Naked Buddies at Blow Buddies. Get naked and nasty! This is a male-only club. Doors open 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Play til late. Go to: www.blowbuddies.com.

Wed., Jul. 6: Wolf! for Furry Men on the Prowl at The Watergarden (1010 Alameda, San Jose). 4 p.m.Midnight. Featuring adult videos of hairy guys, a new red zone and club music. Lockers half-off. Go to: www.thewatergarden.com.

Sat., Jul. 2: Stars & Stripes Beer Bust hosted by Empress Saybelline and Emperor Frankie Kok Bar. 5-9 p.m. Benefits the SF Imperial Monarchs Charity Fund. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Wed., Jul. 6: Bear Bust Wednesdays at Kok Bar SF. $6 all-you-can-drink Bud Light or Rolling Rock drafts. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Sat., Jul. 2: Hot Nerd – Revenge of the Nerds at Kok Bar SF. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Wet wedgie contest, $100 prize. $5 cover or free with proper nerd attire or valid library card. Go to: www.kokbarsf.com.

Wed., Jul. 6: Ask the Doctor – Handball Heaven Panel Event at The Center for Sex & Culture (1349 Mission). Panelists Dr. James A. Bush, Dr. J.R. Gatpolintan, & Dr. Charles Moster. 7-8 p.m. Go to: www.handballheaven.com.

Sun., Jul. 3: Trailer Trash Party at the SF Citadel.

8 p.m.-1 a.m. $25 plus membership. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Wed., Jul. 6: Nipple Play at The Powerhouse. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Specials for shirtless guys. Go to: www. powerhouse-sf.com.

Sun., Jul. 3: Castrobear presents Sunday Furry Sunday at 440 Castro. 4-10 p.m. Go to: www.castrobear.com.

Wed., Jul. 6: SoMa’s Men’s Club. Every Wed., the SoMa Clubs (Powerhouse, Truck, Hole in the Wall, Kok Bar SF) have specials for those wearing Men’s Club dogtags.

Mon., Jul. 4: Trivia Night with host Casey Ley

▼

Karrnal >>

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 27

Forward thrust

by John F. Karr

B

efore getting to a pair of recent TitanMen releases, here’s news of former Titan superstar Tober Brandt. As Joshua Devore (his real name), he’s one of the uniquely talented cast members of Thrillpeddlers’ smash production of Vice Palace, the third and last in the theatre company’s revivals of Cockette classics. It’s a vaudeville, with a slim plot that allows the swell performers to strut their individual best through a succession of fabulous songs by Scrumbly Koldweyn. You’ve never seen a mix like this: sex and musical comedy and drag and nudity and blasphemous antics both high- and low-brow. As for Tober/Josh, his fans should check him out. Who knew he could be cute as an elf, sing like a pro, or cut such prankish choreographic capers? More at www.ThrillPeddlers.com.

I still miss Tober in porn, but he’d had his fling. And maybe it was a shelf life of a stylistic sort that made me have to catch up on Titan releases I’d been recalcitrant to watch. It wasn’t just a wintercold living room that kept me from the Blu-ray player. I’d been feeling Titan’s two-part scene formula was getting stale: those sessions of suck, rim, and j.o. orgasms followed by a bout of fucking. It delivered double the cum shots, for sure. But it was also getting a little rote. Or so I thought.

Turns out it may just have been performer fatigue – both my being too well-acquainted with the stars, and the stars being too longacquainted with the formula.

Because recently Titan’s seen a mighty turnover (ahem) of their men, and a new crop of stars has invigorated my viewing. In Jury Duty, I met Bronson Gates, Dirk Caber and, most especially, Scotch Inkum. Intuition adds blond honey Casey Daniels, ripped Jessy Ares, and, most especially, cute terrorizer Danny King. Sweat Equity backtracked some. Jessy Ares was paired with ever-arousing JR Matthews; Aymeric Deville met former Cazzo and Bjorn regular Frank Phillipp; and another European star being introduced to American viewers, daddy Mark Manus, topped Titan newcomer Kyle Quinn.

The mix of older and newer guys in Sweat Equity didn’t give the formula much of a boost. In the

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Leather + From page 26

and their committee. Each year, usually against insurmountable odds, they pull it off. When you think of the type of community involvement that Wong and Chaffin exemplified, this is it.

Other highlights of the packed weekend included everything from the SF Men’s Spanking Party to the 15 Association’s Play Party at the SF Citadel, to the multitude of events at the Powerhouse, Kok Bar SF, Truck,

<<

Backstage From page 22

the City and the city of San Francisco itself have further strengthened his sense of a gay fraternity. “To be completely honest with you,” he said, “I did not use to agree with things like Pride or something like the BET channel. Here we are fighting for equality, but at the same time it felt like a step backwards to emphasize

TitanMen

Danny King and Scotch Inkum in Titan’s Intuition.

movie’s kickoff scene, JR Matthews seems disengaged, despite the impact of uncut Jessy Ares – what a bod he’s got, and what a hard bone. Yet JR’s back being as active as a bottom can get in a cock-flapping RC. Beefy Frank Philips is a dad with a husky cock, yet Aymeric Deville enters into their fuck like it was a business deal.

He just assumes the position. And I didn’t have much patience for lean Kyle Quinn being topped by Mark Manus, with his fat, uncut German cock. Their look is different – they both look like they just got out of the Army – but the sex is sorta indifferent.

Throughout the movie, the guys work hard to show excitement, but the effort comes off only as hard work. Was it that I just wasn’t in the mood? Nope, because in a Behind the Scenes bonus, they’re all showing the personality I didn’t find in the film.

There’s personality aplenty in Intuition. And with brilliant sun, sparkling water, and sweat-beaded performers, this poolside romp’s a beaut on Blu-ray. The central threeway may be sorta standard, but lean, pretty blond Casey Daniels, in his porn debut, gets to show off his lovely cock and receptive bottoming skills in a spit-roasting sequence in which everybody gets a crack at the crack.

The movie’s opener has thrust aplenty. Jessy Ares alternates cute

when smiling with manly when playing hard. And former Lucas regular Jay Roberts meets him headon – well, rear-on. Jessy makes Jay gag on his granitic cock, then fucks him fiercely, with Jay bucking his ass back to cram as far down as possible while Jessy rams. Makes Jessy shoot far and plenty.

It’s the finale, though, that I’ve been revisiting. Meet young Danny King, who made his first movie in 2006, then waited over four years to make another, for Titan, which has him in three so far. That’s good news, because he’s a delight to look at, with shiny black hair, a forest of coal black eyelash, and blushing cheeks. He’s boyish, until he gets brutal. And then, personality-rich Scotch Inkum gets creamed. Inkum rims so ardently when King sits on his face that he nearly inserts his head clear up King’s exquisite anus.

King’s subsequent fuck is excellently delivered, zealously received, and revealingly filmed. Inkum’s orgasm costs him much cum.▼ www.TitanMen.com

Rebel, Hole in the Wall, and the Lone Star. No one could complain about a lack of anything to do.

Leather Alley at the Pride celebration was bigger than ever, featuring the bare-chest calendar men, fetish demos and a lot more.

It’s always enjoyable to see the fetish-curious flex that curiosity by trying out the various demos and activities. That’s the way we learn.

The rest of the fair is just as much fun. My favorites are the corn dogs.

A weenie on a stick, dipped in a condiment, is my kind of food!

As we celebrate and enjoy our freedom of expression, let’s not forget those who first blazed this trail. It’s hard to believe we’ve accomplished so much in the past 42 years since Stonewall. In less than a lifetime we’ve been able to bring about monumental global changes benefiting our community and everyone else. To paraphrase a line from Designing Women (can’t get more Gay Pride than that, can you?): “We ain’t what we could be, and we ain’t what we should be, but we sure as he’ll ain’t what we was.”▼

your differences. Now I see we are celebrating a community that has gone through a lot of hardships. It’s about standing tall and saying this is who we are.”

From the inspirational to the tabloid-ial, since there is time for one last question. What’s his relationship status? It was well-known, at least in chat-room circles, that he was dating a popular young television star. “You have to be very careful when you’re

dating another actor who is also in the spotlight because fans want to know everything about your relationship.

And after we broke up, that’s what people wanted to hear about at the stage door, and that was the last thing I wanted to talk about.”

Is he dating now? “Yes, I’m seeing someone in New York. And he’s not an actor. Yeah!”▼ BARstage@comcast.net

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

28 • BAY AREA REPORTER • June 30-July 6, 2011

▼

Film>>

Saving the world from adult machinations

by David Lamble

S

uper 8 Up to now, I’ve missed every opportunity to catch the primetime work of TV show/movie producer J.J. Abrams. Lost: much too big a commitment; Felicity: too soapy; Mission Impossible III: I’m so over Tom Terrific. But as soon as I heard about his Spielberg reboot, I was hooked. Suddenly I found myself in the lower half of the California Theatre in Berkeley’s upper balcony, the part you have to climb down into, a sort of conversation-pit living room where you can imagine yourself actually in the movie. Balancing the Landmark large-size (free refill) popcorn and a giant Diet Coke, I sank down in my seat and felt this enormous grin take over my face that would last through the final credits.

I’m not sure if it’s the film’s runaway locomotive of a story, starting when the kid filmmakers find themselves fleeing the greatest celluloid train crash, or the pure mix of adrenalin and nostalgia to again experience the pre-Reagan era rush of a pre-puberty kids’ tale with realseeming, sweet kids.

I won’t give anything away that hasn’t already leaked out of early reviews, but Super 8 is infused with the delicious, creepy feel of evil, adult machinations that only kids can set right, the kind that fueled executive producer Steven Spielberg’s classics Close Encounters of the Third Kind

and E.T. The juvenile cast is blissfully free of celebrity-tweener tabloid, doomed kids or smiley-faced Disney kids. The kid lead, Joel Courtney, has the down-to-earth gravitas that Fred Savage gave his junior-high dweeb in TV’s The Golden Years. Courtney’s Joe Lamb has the challenge of overcoming a frosty relationship with his deputy-sheriff Dad (Kyle Chandler), and heartbreaking job of stealing and later rescuing his best friend’s girl, Alice (Elle Fanning).

A cute-meet moment has Joe instructing Alice in how to play a flesh-eating zombie.

“How am I supposed to be a zombie?”

“Pretty much just be a lifeless ghoul – dead eyes, scary. Did you ever have Miss Mullen for English?”

Super 8’s actual space alien who’s terrorizing Joe’s town, making small pets and large policemen disappear, is smartly kept out of view until the film’s big E.T. moment, which is neither corny nor mawkish. You sense that Abrams and Spielberg had a lot of fun spit-balling ideas for this one, like the pint-size, firecrackeraddicted little pepper-pot Cary (Ryan Lee), a hyper version of the snot-nosed little monsters from the original Bad News Bears.

In its non-stop energy, zesty paranoia about the workings of adults in uniform, and good-hearted revival of a Frank Capra small-town America under siege, Super 8 does a

movies. Don’t even mention them to me.”

In writer/director Gavin Wiesen’s Holden-indebted teen comedy The Art of Getting By, Freddie Highmore is George Zinavoy, a mopey, trenchcoat-wearing, aspiring painter who can barely summon the energy to get out of bed, listening to Leonard Cohen’s mournful wailing of Bob Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay.” George sheepishly shrugs as he’s threatened expulsion from his expensive, snooty New York City prep school. The only person who seems to get through is his crusty old art teacher. Veteran character actor Jarlath Conroy brings an old Marine instructor’s spirit to his harangue.

“George, you’re going to have to start digging around in there. Figure out what you want to say.”

“I don’t have anything to say.”

“Find something!”

While Catcher is a book full of cynical observations about everything Salinger found corrupt about post-WWII America getting greedier by the moment, George is just a beaten-down victim of PostIt pathos: “Life is shit, and then you die.”

Aside from his robotic parents, George’s only real chance at human engagement comes from a failed mentoring encounter with a slick 20something artist, Dustin, acted in a lazy monotone by the usually reliable Michael Angarano. Both lads are fighting over the same blonde seductress, inhabited with saucy gusto by Emma Roberts.

The Art of Getting By features a talented cast and the best movie poster of the year, giving us a dramatic view of just how much Highmore has grown since his Johnny Depp co-starring days. But it’s a distinct let-down for anyone still carrying around a well-thumbed copy of Catcher in the Rye. For the wit and satirical bite of Salinger, the closest take anyone’s likely to get on his testy view of American high-rollers is Burr Steers’ film debut Igby Goes Down, starring the spitfire Kieran Culkin as the world’s savviest disillusioned boy hero.▼

Complete Gay & Lesbian Manners: The Definitive Guide to LGBT Life (Workman), written with Sally Chew, is a guide to help answer questions ranging from coming out, dating and moving in together to parenting, bullying and homophobia and workplace issues in the LGBT community.

Embracing a willingness to “fail” through a humorous approach, Judith Halberstam explores pop culture, avant-garde performance and queer art in The Queer Art of Failure (Duke Univ. Press). Treatment counselor Michael Shelton, M.S., C.A.C., is the author of Gay Men and Substance Abuse, A Basic Guide for Addicts and Those Who Care for Them (Hazelden).

Bunch of bios Elizabeth Taylor: A Passion for Life by Joseph Papa (HarperCollins) is told through

biographer Papa’s words and quotes from the late Taylor. Celluloid Activist: The Life and Times of Vito Russo by Michael Schiavi (Univ. of Wisconsin Press) is the long-awaited biography of the late activist, film critic and author of The Celluloid Closet. For further reading on queer film, Univ. of Minnesota Press has reprinted Tony Peake’s 1999 Derek Jarman: A Biography.

Lady of Burlesque: The Career of Gypsy Rose Lee by Robert Strom (McFarland & Co.) is chock-full of photos and fascinating details of the legendary stripper and entertainer’s life. Out author Jackson Holtz takes on the tale of “wanted criminal, American outlaw, international celebrity” and troubled teen Colton Harris-Moore in Fly, Colton, Fly: the True Story of the Barefoot Bandit (New American Library).▼

J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 recalls Steven Spielberg’s summer blockbusters.

lot to restore our faith in the summer blockbuster.

The Art of Getting By Ever since J.D. Salinger caught literary lightning in a bottle with the glorious rants of that sarcastic little shit Holden Caulfield, filmmakers have been dreaming about bringing The Catcher in the Rye to the screen without frightening the horses: all the pathetic adult authority figures (the phonies) who produce, finance, and yes, censor movies that sarcastic little shits are supposed to take their dates to. Not that Holden Goes to Hollywood was ever a possibility, as Salinger has his prematurely graying, 16-going-on-30 avatar pronounce, “If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the

Books>>

Books for beach & beyond

by Gregg Shapiro

A

lthough it seemed like it would never get here, summer has arrived, which means time spent outdoors at the beach, in the park, at a sidewalk café, with a book to read.

The following are a few suggestions for your summer reading list.

Art of fiction Shine by Lauren Myracle (Amulet Books) is a y/a novel for readers of all ages about a brutal gay-bashing in a Southern town and how the victim’s friend, young Cat, takes it upon herself to investigate the crime when she believes that local law enforcement isn’t doing enough.

Rahul Mehta’s debut short story collection Quarantine (HarperPerennial) includes stories previously published in The Kenyon Review, The Sun and New Stories from the South, and features characters from the gay male Indian-American community.

Edited by Lázaro Lima and Felice Picano, Ambientes: New Queer Latino Writing (University of Wisconsin Press), an anthology of short fiction by both gay men and women, includes stories by Achy Obejas, Emanuel Xavier and Rigoberto González.

The latest Killian Kendall mystery, The Truth of Yesterday (P.D. Publishing) by Josh Aterovis, finds the gay sleuth heading to Washington, DC, on a surveillance mission, where he finds more than he bargained for. Prolific anthology editor and writer Shane Allison’s latest offering is Afternoon Pleasures: Erotica for Gay Couples (Cleis), and features contributions from Jeff Mann, Rachel Kramer Bussel and Rob Rosen.

Part of the proceeds from the sale of graphic novel Lost Raven (Bluewater Comics) by Darren G. Davis, which tells the tale of HIV+ attorney Zak Raven getting shipwrecked and abandoned on a forgotten island, will go to Evergreen AIDS Foundation.

With illustrations by Mike

Dutton, in the tradition of her groundbreaking classic children’s book Heather Has Two Mommies (Tricycle Press), Lesléa Newman’s Donovan’s Big Day, about the wedding of Donovan’s Mommy and Mama, is for readers of all ages.

Poetic voices Carl Phillips, who teaches at Washington University in Saint Louis, returns with his 11th book of poetry, Double Shadow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux).

A collection of words and images that highlights the impact of HIV and AIDS among people of color, War Diaries (AIDS Project Los Angeles/Global Forum on HIV and MSM), edited by Tisa Bryant and Ernest Hardy, contains work by Kevin Simmonds, Jericho Brown, avery r. young, G. Winston James, Reginald Harris, Samiya Bashir and others.

Touch (FS&G), Henri Cole’s seventh poetry collection, exposes the relationship between the body and human connection, often through both pleasure and discontent.

A Xicana Code of Changing Consciousness: Writings, 2000-2010

by Cherríe L. Moraga (Duke Univ.

Press) is a collection of political and familial essays and poems written through different personae of the queer Chicana woman.

In their own words Subtitled How a Gay, Hammer-Swinging Twentysomething Survived a Year in Iraq, Bronson Lemer’s The Last Deployment (Univ. of Wisconsin Press) places the author and gay soldier in the midst of the Iraq war, under the now-overturned “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

My Queer War (FS&G), by the late art expert James Lord, relates the story of a young soldier (Lord) coming to terms with his sexuality during WWII. Highly regarded queer

sexpert Susie Bright speaks her mind in her memoir Big Sex Little Death (Seal Press).

Now available in paperback, Where’s My Wand?: One Boy’s Magical Triumph Over Alienation and Shag Carpeting by Eric Poole (Berkeley) use large doses of humor to tell of a young gay man’s spiritual journey growing up in the Midwest during the 70s, inspired by Bewitched.

Published shortly before the announcement of the cancellation of long-running soap opera All My Children (on which she’s played Erica Kane for 40 years), Susan Lucci’s memoir All My Life (It Books/ HarperCollins), written with Laura Morton, might have taken a very different turn than it does.

Delicate Courage: An Exquisite Journey of Love, Death, and Eternal Communication (iUniverse) follows Jim Geary’s life of service in the AIDS community following life-changing events in late-70s San Francisco.

New nonfiction At nearly 400 pages and oversized, Steven Petrow’s

▼

Read more online at www.ebar.com

June 30-July 6, 2011 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 29

Books >>

Inside out

by Jim Piechota See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody by Bob Mould; Little, Brown & Co., $24.99

S

an Francisco resident Bob Mould has had quite an interesting life, and he shares the ups and downs of his fascinating history in an autobiography that spans his beginnings in the punk/alternative rock music scene to the current day, disc jockeying at the traveling Blowoff parties, a DJ collaboration with fellow accomplished music producer Richard Morel.

Mould begins See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody with a prefacing chapter of quirky adventures before and after (“finally”) performing in 2009 at the Coachella Valley Music Festival near Palm Springs. But he quickly gets real, adding that “once the rush from the flattery and vanity of the book deal subsided, I was left with three years of gathering, recounting,

i incremental popularity of his band Husker Du ( (named after a board g game), his clandestine s sexual urges, a first b boyfriend named Mike, and t drugs, the alcoholism, the a and the blind rages that p plagued and sought to d ne his youth. Through defi t dissolution of Husker to the t emergence of the band the S Sugar in the 90s, Mould tr trudged his way through th the music industry. This w wild ride would take him o onward to a curious stint aas a scriptwriter for World C Championship Wrestling, an and put him at the mercy of a particularly revealing (and co cocky) interview by Dennis C Cooper in a 1994 issue of Sp Spin magazine.

Ruminations spring up everywhere in this m memoir and range from th the surprising (“quitting sm smoking is the hardest thing

examining, reexamining, questioning, and ultimately, letting go of the past. It wasn’t a jovial journey through my musical history.” It’s this kind of candid, honest writing that makes his unpretentious memoir so appealing.

Mould, who will turn 51 this fall, takes us through his childhood, growing up in northern New York State with a paranoid, abusive father who inexplicably spared him the brunt of the physical and psychological torment that his siblings had to endure on a weekly basis. Music took hold of the author quickly as he began writing songs and creating music, while secretly coming to terms with his homosexuality by establishing “markers” that “still dictate a far amount of my desires as a sexual being.”

He delves into the punk rock scene of the late 1970s and 80s, the formation and

I’ve ever done in my life, much more difficult than quitting drinking”), to the humorous (“I took that pill [steroids], and within a few hours, I was ready to fuck a Coke machine”), to the more obscure (he suffers from tinnitus as a result of years subjecting his ears to loud music, and must sleep with background noise to cancel out the ringing in his head).

The book closes in on 400 pages, so Mould obviously has a lot to say, and that’s perfectly alright, seeing as a hefty portion of the narrative is splendidly anecdotal. Mould’s pages are saturated with funny, sad, introspective, cathartic, and attention-grabbing stories, and this makes for engaging entertainment, whether the reader is familiar with the author and the American music industry or not.

His big integration into the current gay culture of San Francisco and his club night’s success is reflected with equal parts appreciation and pride: “People think Blowoff is funny – ha-ha, Bob is DJing with his shirt off, how silly.”

He reflects. “They have no idea how much it means to me. We give them a place to belong, and, in return, they’ve given me a place, too.”▼

Kyle Froman

Choreographer Peter Darling collects a Tony Award for the Broadway production of Billy Elliot.

<<

Billy Elliot From page 17

would make a great musical, and Elton agreed,” Darling said. “Elton related to the story in a very strong way, and really pushed the musical forward.”

Director Daldry, screenwriter Hall, and choreographer Darling all moved on to the stage musical project, with Hall also adding the lyrics to John’s compositions.

When casting the movie, Daldry and Darling saw hundreds of potential Billys, and came close to abandoning the project when a youngster with both dancing and acting talent proved elusive. They finally settled on Jamie Bell, though ballet was not a strong suit.

“Jamie was a fantastically rhythmic boy, but he would freely admit he would never have gotten into the Royal Ballet,” Darling said.

“I think it’s always best to meet the performer where their skill is.”

In film, there is also the luxury of editing, in which a dance scene can be assembled from several shots.

“We did try to sustain the dance shots as long as possible,” Darling said. But on stage, he notes, “You’re in a permanent wide shot. And it’s certainly a much harder task for the child. Part of the training they receive from us is to build up their stamina with aerobics just so they can complete the show.”

When the musical Billy Elliot opened in London’s West End in 2005, three young performers

rotated in the role, a system maintained for the Broadway production that opened in 2008. In the touring company, five boys take turns playing Billy.

“On the road,” Darling said, “it’s harder to anticipate all the various stresses. Some of the boys had extreme altitude sickness when they played in Denver, and when your main star is 13 years old, you can’t just insist that he take some tablets and get on with it.”

The only other dancers in the movie version were the little girls learning ballet steps in the class that Billy eventually joins. But on stage, most of the performers participate in the ensemble numbers, and Darling had to find a way to have characters that include angry striking mineworkers dance in ways that seemed credible.

“Some are highly skilled dancers, some are phenomenal tap dancers, some are just good movers, and others are pure actors, so it’s the combination that helps the audience to identify with the people on the stage,” Darling said.

Daldry first noticed Darling’s work after seeing a revival of the quirky musical revue Oh, What a Lovely War! at the National Theatre.

“They weren’t dancer dancers, that’s for sure,” Darling said of his Lovely War cast, “and I think what Stephen responded to was the fact that I really push the narrative so the dancers tell the story.”

Darling had been working as an actor for about a decade when he

Anita and Steve Shevett

Faith Prince plays a dance teacher who encourages Billy (Daniel Russell) to join her class in Billy Elliot.

joined Lloyd Newson’s DV8 Physical Theatre that rattles the cage of traditional dance. “He doesn’t give you just a bunch of steps,” he said of Newson. “You are much more likely creating something interesting by incorporating the whole room rather than simply educating them.”

When Darling returned to London, he was ready to give up his career as an actor after his DV8 enlightenment. “The National Theatre was doing Oh, What a Lovely War!, and I thought what have I got to lose if I put myself out there to be the choreographer. I got the job.”

While keeping up with the four Billy Elliot productions playing around the globe, Darling is most fixated on the upcoming West End musical Matilda. Based on a Roald Dahl story about a schoolgirl with horrid parents and an even more horrid head teacher, the title character begins to turn the tables as she discovers her telekinetic powers.

It had a wildly successful run last winter at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Stratford home, and the highly anticipated London run begins in October. And then it’s on to musical versions of Bridget Jones’ Diary and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Darling has a taste for the unconventional in his choreographic work. “I do think I have a particular point of view of things,” Darling said, “and I don’t want to follow anyone else’s template.” The success of Billy Elliot

has brought more offers his way, but also the luxury to say no.

“I sometimes feel embarrassed knowing how hard people have struggled to become a choreographer, but for me a lot of doors opened very quickly,” Darling

said. “I feel blessed, and I will never take any of it for granted.”▼ Billy Elliot will run through Sept.

17 at the Orpheum Theatre. Tickets are $35-$200. Call (888) SHN1799 or go to www.shnsf.com.

Serving the LGBT communities since 1971

30 • Bay Area Reporter • June 30- July 6, 2011

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