May 16, 2019 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter

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Milk day events

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Vol. 49 • No. 20 • May 16-22, 2019

Chasten hits the Castro

Equality California has released its first report card looking at how school districts are educating LGBTQ students.

Report details CA schools failing LGBT students

Courtesy Windows for Harvey

Yi Lin Pei’s Windows for Harvey watercolor is on display at Local Take in the Castro.

Milk’s spirit lives on in art

by Sam Moore

W

ith 35 storefront windows throughout the Castro district displaying work by local artists beginning Friday, this year’s Windows for Harvey exhibit is set to be the biggest one yet.

The initiative, presented by Castro Merchants, aims to honor Harvey Milk and his legacy through artwork that centers around a theme. This year’s is “Soapbox,” a reference to Milk’s spirited activism and campaigning.

See page 15 >>

Steven Underhill

C

hasten Buttigieg, center, husband of Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, was in town last Friday and got a tour of the Castro, as well as the Gubbio Project and Larkin Street Youth Services in the Tenderloin. It was all part of a four-hour visit to LGBT groups and homeless organizations that work with queer youth. Above, he was joined by for-

mer porn star and gym owner Race Cooper, left, and his friend, Matt Fuller, outside Squat and Gobble. Gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and gay BART board President Bevan Dufty, who organized the tour, helped show him around, including stops at the GLBT Historical Society Museum, Strut, and the Castro Country Club.

by Matthew S. Bajko

A

groundbreaking report has found that the majority of California’s school districts are failing LGBT students.

Despite state laws aimed at protecting LGBT pupils and requiring schools teach about LGBT history, most schools in the state have yet to implement the legislation, according to the report.

And the report shows that few school adminis-

INSIDE PRIDE

See page 10 >>

The official magazine of Jones receivesSanCuba award amid Francisco Pride 2019

cancellation of Pride events A Publication of VIA MEDIA[Caselli Partners LLC]

by Liz Highleyman Cynthia Laird

Incoming War Memorial managing director John Caldon, left, received congratulations from Trustees Gina Moscone and Thomas E. Horn at the May 9 board meeting where his appointment was unanimously approved.

War Memorial director selected

by Cynthia Laird

T

he San Francisco War Memorial Board of Trustees May 9 appointed John Caldon as its new managing director.

Caldon, a gay man, is expected to start in July, he told the Bay Area Reporter in a brief interview after the meeting.

The vote was 9-0, board President Nancy Bechtle said following a closed session. Two trustees were absent. Bechtle also said that Caldon was the unanimous choice of the board’s selection committee.

Caldon, 41, will succeed managing director Elizabeth Murray, who is retiring after serving

S

an Francisco AIDS activist Cleve Jones received an award from the Cuban National Center for Sexual Education in Havana last weekend as other activists were reportedly arrested after attempting an alternative march after the government canceled two others.

Jones’ visit to Cuba with the San Franciscobased Rainbow World Fund occurred amid increasing tensions; Michael Lavers, a reporter for the Washington Blade, was blocked from entering the country last week after he arrived at the Havana airport and had to fly back to Miami.

Jones received his recognition from Mariela Castro Espin of CENESEX at a May 10 gala. Jones also spoke at an LGBT diversity celebration in the city the next day.

CENESEX organized Saturday’s party after the Cuban Ministry of Public Health abruptly canceled two traditional Pride marches, called congas, which were to take place in Havana and the city of Camagüey in central Cuba. Jones was slated to be grand marshal of the Havana event. This would have been the 12th year of the congas.

Responding to the cancellation, around 100 Cuban LGBT activists, many of them waving rainbow flags, took part in an unauthorized march in Old Havana last Saturday afternoon. The spirited

See page 15 >>

Gooch

Mariela Castro Espin of CENESEX and Cleve Jones speak at an LGBT diversity party in Havana.

but peaceful march lasted about an hour before ending with a small number of arrests.

As the Bay Area Reporter reported last week, CENESEX announced the cancellation of the congas May 6. When the news broke, a delegation from the San Francisco-based Rainbow World Fund – including Jones, photographer Gareth Gooch, and this reporter – was preparing to de-

{ FIRST OF THREE SECTIONS }

INSIDE PRIDE

part for the island to participate in three weeks of LGBT events known as the Jornada.

In a statement about the cancellation, CENESEX cited international and regional tensions that include escalating threats from the Trump administration and Christian fundamentalists opposing a provision in the revised Cuban constitution to allow same-sex marriage.

See page 15 >>

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

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection.

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

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

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

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

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

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

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP EMPOWERING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

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KEEP EMPOWERING. Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

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Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

To learn more, visit BIKTARVY.com.

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

<< Community News

4 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

INSIDE PRIDE The official magazine of San Francisco Pride 2019 A Publication of VIA MEDIA[Caselli Partners LLC]

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Gilead PrEP donation met with skepticism

by David-Elijah Nahmod

G

ilead Sciences announced last week it will donate millions of free bottles of Truvada for PrEP to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but many AIDS activists say it is not enough.

In a May 9 news release, the Foster City-based company said it would provide up to 2.4 million free bottles annually to uninsured Americans at risk for HIV. Studies continue to show that PrEP is very effective at preventing HIV if taken as prescribed.

Gilead said the donations will extend to 2030. It’s enough to supply 200,000 patients annually for up to 11 years, according to federal officials.

The donation of Truvada for PrEP (tenofovir disiproxil fumarate/emtricitabine) will transition to the new Gilead drug Descovy (emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide) if it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

It was recently reported that the CDC holds the patent for Truvada.

While Gilead holds patents on the Truvada coformulation – due to expire in 2021 – and its two component drugs, advocates found that the U.S. government separately patented use of the pill for PrEP, an indication approved in 2012.

Last month, the Washington Post reported that the Justice Department has launched a review of a government patent for use of the drug.

AIDS activists were not impressed

by Gilead’s free PrEP announcement.

Mark S. King, the author of My Fabulous Disease blog and a gay, HIV-positive man, posted last week that the deal is “a steaming pile of Truvada.”

“It cost Gilead pennies to make Truvada. They charge $20,000 a year,” King wrote. “If Gilead really wanted to end this epidemic – and make no mistake, they have the ability to fun-

Gilead Sciences said it would donate millions of bottles of Truvada to the CDC.

damentally alter the trajectory of HIV in the United States – then they would lower the price of Truvada across the board, for everyone. And by lower, I mean by a lot.”

King also pointed out that people with insurance also need PrEP, and many still face barriers to obtaining the medication.

And, he wrote, Gilead is phasing out Truvada to make way for the new drug, Descovy. King argued that by making the free Truvada available to uninsured people, it’s creating a new customer base for Descovy, which will also cost $20,000 a year once it’s approved.

Gilead submitted a new drug application for Descovy for PrEP to the FDA April 5. The company submitted a priority review voucher with the filing, which could reduce the review time to six months.

According to Gilead’s news release, approximately 200,000 of the 1.1 million people at risk for HIV receive PrEP. Many who need PrEP do not receive it due to the social stigma still associated with HIV, homopho-

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bia, and a lack of awareness of PrEP among patients and doctors, as well as a general lack of access to health care.

Gilead’s donations will greatly increase the number of at risk and infected individuals who will be given access to PrEP, the company said, as well as to develop programs in which state and local governments are able to implement protocols so that uninsured at risk patients are able to receive PrEP at no cost.

“We are proud to partner with CDC to dramatically expand access to medication that can help prevent new HIV infections,” Gregg Alton, chief patent officer of Gilead, said in a statement. “We believe today’s donation, combined with efforts to address the root causes of the epidemic, such as racism, violence against women, stigma, homophobia, and transphobia, can play an important role in ending the HIV epidemic in the United States, particularly in parts of the country with the highest burden of disease.”

The company noted in its release that following five years of declines, the annual number of new HIV diagnoses has remained stable in the U.S. since 2013. During 2016 and 2017, half of new diagnoses concentrated in 48 “hotspot” counties as well as Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, Gilead stated.

Gilead has long-standing patient support programs to help at-risk individuals have access to PrEP. Those with commercial insurance may be able to take advantage of the company’s copay coupon support, through which they may receive Truvada free of charge. Those without insurance may be able to receive PrEP free of charge through Gilead’s Medication Assistance Program.

Gilead officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Bay Area Reporter.t

Our Family Coalition executive director to depart

by Meg Elison

Hybrid/City

t

O

ur Family Coalition Executive Director Renata Moreira announced Monday, May 13, that she is resigning from the organization to spend more time with her family.

Moreira, a queer Latina, has led the LGBTQ family nonprofit for three years. Prior to that she served as acting executive director and held other positions in the agency.

She is expected to leave OFC at the end of June.

While Moreira was not specific in her announcement, other than to say she needed to “devote some much-needed time to my own family,” she posted on Facebook March 29 that her older sister, Isabela de Lima Garcez Moreira, 43, had died in Brazil.

In a news release from the coalition, Moreira, 42, remarked on the particular challenges of her tenure.

“My work as executive director coincided with [Donald] Trump’s election,” she said. “From day one, I have been so moved by the fierce community response. For every gut-punch to our democratic process and to decency, I’ve seen resilience and solidarity.

“Particularly for a family-driven agency like OFC, we have had to remain alert and responsive to neardaily attempts on the part of this administration to roll back legal gains, or to isolate, separate, and persecute the most vulnerable among us,” she added. “Yet at the same time, we draw inspiration from our love of our families, and maintain the values of com-

Courtesy OFC

Renata Moreira spoke at Our Family Coalition’s recent Night Out benefit.

passion and justice in our work. For our sake and theirs.”

OFC states its mission as “advancing equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer families with children through support, education, and advocacy.” The coalition has achieved significant goals during Moreira’s tenure, including helping to pass Assembly Bill 960, the Equal Protection for All Families Act, by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco). This law, signed by former Governor Jerry Brown, updated California’s assisted reproduction laws to ensure equal protection for all families, including LGBT citizens who had been previously excluded. OFC and other organizations co-sponsored the bill, held rallies, and

raised community support.

Moreira also spoke out against Brown’s veto of the broadly-supported Assembly Bill 2153, which would have allocated funds for annual training sessions for educators in the state on supporting LGBTQ students in grades seven through 12. Gay Assemblyman Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) has reintroduced it this year as AB 493, the Safe and Supportive Schools Act. He enlisted the support of new state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a former assemblyman who wrote the first bill.

OFC’s budget is about $1.2 million, according to its 2015 annual report, the most recent on its website.

In an email to OFC members, Renata mentioned some of the accomplishments during her tenure. The agency received the Jose Julio Sarria History Maker Award from San Francisco Pride in 2018, which honored the group for its work leading the coalition to ensure that the FAIR Act is thoroughly implemented throughout California. The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful Education Act went into effect in 2012.

She also stressed the expansion and innovation of OFC’s programs and said it has produced over 250 playgroups, workshops, and community events impacting nearly 4,000 LGBTQ families and allies annually.

Polly Pagenhart, OFC policy and communications director, said in a phone interview that the agency is See page 15 >>

IUNTRANSMITTABLE BECAME

HIV medication makes the virus undetectable.

Undetectable means it can’t be transmitted.

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HIVhasCHANGED.org

<< Open Forum

6 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

Volume 49, Number 20 May 16-22, 2019 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Meg Elison CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Brent Calderwood • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani • Dan Renzi Christina DiEdoardo • Richard Dodds Michael Flanagan • Jim Gladstone David Guarino • Liz Highleyman Brandon Judell • John F. Karr • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Paul Parish • Sean Piverger • Lois Pearlman Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Dan Renzi Bob Roehr • Adam Sandel • Jason Serinus Gregg Shapiro • Gwendolyn Smith • Tony Taylor Sari Staver • Jim Stewart • Sean Timberlake Andre Torrez • Ronn Vigh • Charlie Wagner Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd • Jo-Lynn Otto Rich Stadtmiller • Kelly Sullivan • Fred Rowe Steven Underhil • Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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Gilead’s self-serving donation

G

ilead Sciences, the makers of Truvada, announced last week that it would provide up to 2.4 million free bottles of its PrEP HIV prevention medication through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “as a result of discussions between the Trump administration and Gilead.” That’s enough to supply 200,000 uninsured people with PrEP for up to 11 years.

And while that may seen like a lot, it’s estimated that there are 1 million Americans at risk for HIV infection, who – with and without insurance – could benefit from free or drastically cheaper Truvada, which costs about $20,000 a year.

Gilead should do more than donate a couple of million bottles, which would only address one-fifth of the need in the U.S. Annually, about 40,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV. Gilead should drastically lower the cost of Truvada for everyone who needs it. Lowering a major barrier between medication and the people at risk for infection will do more to stem the HIV/AIDS epidemic than anything else right now. Period.

Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, who led a team at Massachusetts General Hospital that analyzed the cost of the Obama administration’s AIDS plan against President Donald Trump’s recently announced plan – which includes this wider access to PrEP – told the New York Times that the Gilead deal was “a noble effort – but it covers less than 20 percent of the people who need it.”

“Let’s call a spade a spade,” she told the paper.

“The real cost of Truvada is about $60 a year. If you really wanted to cover everybody, you’d cut the price to everyone.”

Exactly.

Many HIV/AIDS activists have echoed those comments. Yes, Gilead has patient copay plans and the Foster City-based company said in its news release that “many government health care programs receive significant discounts on the company’s products.” Gilead also “established a price freeze for all of the company’s HIV medications for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs in 2008, which remains in effect through 2019.

ADAPs also receive supplemental discounts.”

But those programs cover only about 18% of people who need PrEP, and the newly announced donation to the CDC could double that number if it’s reserved for patients who aren’t enrolled in a financial aid program. But this detail is not guaranteed under the deal Trump is reported to have negotiated himself. In fact, Truvada was developed largely with taxpayer funds and the CDC holds the patent, and thus, could be owed back royalties from Gilead. Trump missed an opportunity to

leverage this advantage for more favorable terms to increase availability of Truvada to meet the total need. Inexpensive generic alternatives to Truvada are available in other countries, but Gilead has worked to block them from the U.S. Studies have consistently shown that when taken as prescribed, Truvada can be 99% effective. People who are HIV-positive but have an undetectable viral load are also less likely to transmit the virus to others. With robust prevention efforts like PrEP, and early treatment for those who seroconvert, the number of new HIV cases could plummet.

In fact, we editorialized on this topic last summer, when studies unveiled at the International AIDS Conference confirmed previous research that PrEP works extraordinarily well to prevent HIV. San Francisco and other cities have implemented Getting to Zero initiatives that aim to reduce HIV infections to near zero in a few years and access to PrEP is key to ensuring success.

Gilead needs to make Truvada available, or at least affordable, especially to those for whom studies show experience disparities to health care access: LGBT people of color and trans women.

Peter Staley, a founder of PrEP4All, a group pushing for wider access to Truvada, told the Times that Gilead’s donation will cost it less than $10 million a year. That’s pocket change for the pharmaceutical company that charges $1,600 for a month’s

A

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supply in the U.S. that it costs $6 to manufacture.

There’s more going on here, however. Gilead is waiting for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve Descovy, the next generation Truvada. Mark S. King, an award-winning blogger at My Fabulous Disease, wrote: “Descovy reportedly does not cause the side effects that some Truvada patients have had. Gilead knew about the Truvada side effects years ago, but they waited all this time to introduce Descovy because they wanted to run out the clock on Truvada’s patent, yes, even while knowing Truvada was causing side effects in some people along the way. This is just another chapter in the rich, sick history of Gilead’s corporate profiteering.”

Gilead’s donation could yield a generous $1 billion tax break if its value is set by its list price rather than its manufacturing cost. Not bad for a donation that cost less than $10 million to make.

So, Gilead is offering to donate millions of its old drug Truvada all the while counting on those patients to switch to its new drug Descovy once it’s approved. (It should be noted that Gilead’s news release about its donation to the CDC stated that Truvada would transition to Descovy if the FDA approves it for PrEP.) It’s great when companies announce price cuts or donations. Unfortunately, most of the time they’re not enough to make a dent in the problem. It would be better if Gilead could take a bigger leap and permanently reduce Truvada’s cost (and Descovy’s if it’s approved). That bold action would help more people and would make a real, tangible difference in the fight to end HIV. t

End may be near for ‘alphabet soup’

by Michael Colbruno

Bay Area Reporter

t

spate of recent headlines must make one wonder if the “alphabet soup” movement that has led us to LGBTTIQQ2SA – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, two spirit, and allies – has finally seen its day.

The New York Times ran an opinion piece about Pete Buttigieg titled “The First Gay President?,” while numerous headlines heralded the historic mayoral elections of “lesbians” Satya Rhodes-Conway in Madison, Wisconsin and Lori Lightfoot in Chicago. The Guardian recently ran a piece about Colorado Governor Jared Polis titled, “What it’s like being America’s first openly gay governor?” One can’t help but notice how LGBTQ has slipped from the headlines.

The whole move toward LGBTQ and its various add-on variations was well intended, but it’s grown into a linguistic monster with ever growing heads, as I noted in an op-ed that touched on this topic just over a year ago.

There was a time in our recent history when there truly seemed to be separate communities associated with each letter of these acronyms.

We can also point to the time when this all seemed to change. It was at the height of the HIV/AIDS pandemic when women started caring for sick men, moving into elected office, and sharing the same community spaces with men for the first time.

We were forced to come together as community in order to survive and the very language that we used to describe each other followed right behind. Less than 30 years ago, our community was having fights over whether we

Michael Colbruno

should say “gay and lesbian” or “lesbian and gay.” A few years later when bisexuals asked to be added, it created a veritable verbal brannigan, and adding “T” and “Q” led to more tumultuous tussles over our community acronym.

Our goal was to show an inclusiveness that valued each of us equally. It was a noble ideal, but as identitarian politics raged in the online digital era, we landed at a point when the ever-growing acronym became semantically unsustainable. In our current online “call out” culture, one can be skewered in 280 characters, or less, and have their reputation damaged for unwittingly using the wrong term or pronoun

to describe someone, or to omit a letter (or number) from LGBTTIQQ2SA. Author and gay “radical incrementalist” Jonathan Rausch recently argued in the Atlantic that this alphabet soup has become a symbol for the “... excesses of identity politics – excesses that have helped empower the likes of Donald Trump.” He cites research that shows that the backlash against identity politics drove numerous non-bigoted voters toward the president’s version of a national identity.

There is a strong linguistic, cultural, and political case for us to land on a single LGBTQ community identity and identifier. When Lightfoot is sworn in as mayor May 20, she will represent 2.7 million people, Polis represents 5.7 million people, and California’s Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara represents almost 40 million people. If the once unthinkable happens and Buttigieg is elected president, he would serve 327 million people. He wouldn’t be a “gay president” or an “LGBTQ president,” but a president of all the people.

Rausch suggests that perhaps we should settle on the term “Q” to encompass all sexual minorities (i.e., Q community, Q equality).

With the growing visibility and success of our community, it’s an important discussion for us to have at this critical point in our history.

Watching the newspapers, one wonders if the headline writers will do the work for us. t Michael Colbruno lives in Oakland.

t

Politics>>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

LGBT leaders and allies celebrated the Walnut Creek City Council’s vote earlier this month to fly the rainbow flag at City Hall for the first time.

Growing list of East Bay cities celebrate Pride

by Matthew S. Bajko

F

ive decades after an uprising against police brutality at a New York City gay bar sparked the creation of Pride parades and festivals in June, the number of East Bay cities officially recognizing the annual LGBT celebration is growing.

It was just a decade ago that the Contra Costa Board of Supervisors, for the first time, unanimously adopted a Pride proclamation. The county stretches from Richmond to Walnut Creek and Byron to the east and south to San Ramon. It has long been one of the more conservative locales in the Bay Area, with the region’s lone Republican state lawmaker until her defeat last year.

One of the county’s largest cities, Richmond, took the lead in recognizing Pride when its City Council also adopted a Pride proclamation in 2009. Yet when city officials flew the LGBT community’s rainbow pride flag in 2013 to mark June being Pride month, it sparked some criticism.

Six years later the city perched along the eastern shores of the bay will be sprouting rainbow banners on street poles across town ahead of the annual Pride celebration taking place Sunday, June 2.

“It is going to break out everywhere. The way I see it, I am envisioning we are going to have rainbows all over,” said Cesar Zepada, president of the Richmond Rainbow Pride board. “Our community is excited to see the change in the city of Richmond.”

Zepada, who also co-founded the Lambda Democratic Club of Contra Costa County, has been working with other LGBT community members to expand the number of cities in the East Bay county that recognize Pride.

Along with Richmond, El Cerrito has long marked June as being Pride Month.

Last year, the city of Concord for the first time passed a Pride proclamation and flew the rainbow flag in front of its City Hall in June. City leaders will do so again this year at 4 p.m. Friday, May 31, ahead of the annual Pride celebration Saturday, June 1, in Todos Santos Plaza hosted by the Rainbow Community Center, the area’s LGBT community center located in Concord.

Officials in Walnut Creek recently voted to also fly the rainbow flag at their City Hall for the first time this year. Monday night the Pleasant Hill City Council, for the second year in a row, is expected to declare June Pride Month and approve flying the rainbow flag throughout the month at City Hall.

“I like the idea of proclaiming the month every year so we get to do it

and kind of put it out there so people can see it happening,” said Ken Carlson, a gay man who serves on the council and recently termed off the board of the rainbow center.

After flying it for a day last year, San Pablo city leaders plan to raise the rainbow flag for the entire month of June this year. And at its meeting Wednesday, May 15, the Martinez City Council presented a proclamation declaring June Pride Month, which Zepada said was a first for the county seat.

Antioch in 2018 for the first time approved a Pride proclamation, and LGBT leaders would like to see the city this year also raise the rainbow flag at City Hall. Zepada is also talking to city leaders in Hercules and Pinole about following suit in declaring June Pride Month for the first time this year and hoisting the rainbow flag. He would like to see all of the cities along the Highway 4 corridor, including Pittsburg, officially celebrate Pride.

“Then all of west county will be flying Pride flags during the month of June,” Zepada noted. “It is not about putting up a piece of cloth with rainbows on it; it is so much bigger than that. It is about being able to save someone’s life.”

Having municipalities recognize Pride month sends a signal to their LGBT residents, especially LGBT youth, that they are welcome and an important segment of the community, said Zepada.

“We know LGBT youth are the most at risk for suicide,” he noted. “It is about saving a life, about giving hope, and about paving a way for future generations to live in a much better world where there is love and peace and people come together as a community to share all of their strengths and diversity they have.”

As for why it has taken so long for the cities in Contra Costa County to recognize Pride, Carlson said it is largely due to no one demanding that they do so until fairly recently.

“In all honesty I don’t know what has taken so long. I will say a significant group of activists within Contra Costa County really lit the fire and have gotten out there and knocked on the door and talked to people to make it happen,” said Carlson. “It is just one of those things. In Contra Costa County without someone kind of prodding it, it just didn’t happen.

They didn’t think about it. It took somebody coming in and pointing a finger and saying, ‘Hey, why aren’t we doing it?’ It is really great to see it happening.”

Next door in Alameda County gay Dublin City Councilman Shawn Kumagai hopes to see his city adopt its first Pride proclamation when the council meets Tuesday, May 21. The

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freshman lawmaker, the first out person to serve on his council, is the lead sponsor and is also seeking to have the rainbow flag flown on one of the three flagpoles outside Dublin’s City Hall.

As he wrote in a letter to his counterparts on the Walnut Creek City Council, the recently married Kumagai noted that, “While many may say that raising the LGBTQ pride flag is ‘trivial,’ ‘unnecessary,’ or even ‘offensive,’ I assure you that this simple gesture of solidarity with your LGBTQ community members is none of these things. I contend that the fact that you have received any such comments against this action is evidence that we still need to address the topic of LGBTQ equality in public forums.”

In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Kumagai said he expects to receive some pushback to his wanting Dublin to mark Pride. But he is cautiously optimistic that it will be approved.

“I think, again, there is not only anti-LGBT sentiment out there but a general misunderstanding of what is behind the move of proclaiming LGBT Pride Month and what raising the pride flag means both to the LGBTQ community but also the community at large,” said Kumagai.

Because the LGBT community doesn’t have a central hub, like the Castro district in San Francisco, where it can gather in the far eastern areas of the Bay Area, Kumagai argued it is even more meaningful to have a city fly the Pride flag, even if for just a day.

It is a visual symbol to their LGBT residents that they belong and are celebrated, he said, and a spark to have deeper conversations about how to better address their needs.

“It is kind of a sleepy place and an LGBTQ desert, but we are here,” he said. “This is just the bare minimum, the recognition that the LGBTQ community is here. The next step is to identify there are systemic gaps in services and a feeling of unsafety.”

As he wrote in his open letter to the Walnut Creek council, Kumagai noted that “in these trying times it is more important than ever that public officials stand up to proclaim that we serve ALL of our residents, that we embrace their unique contributions to our society, and that we recognize the hardships that they have faced and continue to face.” t Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column previewed the release of a groundbreaking report on LGBT issues in California schools.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBT political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes.

Got a tip on LGBT politics? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ebar.com.

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<< Harvey Milk Day 2019

8 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

t

Milk plaza architects redesign canopy element

by Matthew S. Bajko

T

he architectural firm overseeing the proposed revamp for Harvey Milk Plaza has refined its vision for a sweeping canopy element that is a focal point of its design.

The reworked structure being crafted by Perkins Eastman’s San Francisco office will be officially unveiled Sunday, May 19, at a special event in the Castro to coincide with the gay district’s annual celebration of Harvey Milk Day. A new aerial flyover video of the project will also be shown that day.

By winning a supervisor seat in 1977, Milk became the first openly gay person to win elective office both in San Francisco and California. He was assassinated a year later on the morning of November 27, 1978 along with then-mayor George Moscone inside City Hall by disgruntled former supervisor Dan White.

In 1985, city leaders dedicated the plaza above the Castro Muni Station as a memorial to Milk, a daily transit rider and vocal advocate for public transportation. Situated at the corner of Castro and Market streets, the plaza is considered the front door into the city’s gayborhood.

But the windswept, sunken area is a largely uninviting space rarely used by the public other than for special events and protests. It has also become a gathering spot for homeless individuals.

Courtesy Perkins Eastman

A new rendering of the canopy element for Harvey Milk Plaza

After transit officials announced several years ago plans to install a new elevator for the Muni station, Castro community leaders called for a total reimagining of the plaza space. A design competition was launched leading to the selection of Perkins Eastman.

The current plans for the area call for raising the terraced gardens to street level and creating a new belowground exhibit space adjacent to the Muni fair gates where Milk’s story could be told. Estimated to cost at least $11 million, the proposal has been controversial from the start and is opposed by the architect that initially designed it, Howard Grant, who later came out of the closet as gay.

Others have voiced concern that

the canopy will obstruct views of the 1922 Beaux-Arts building at 400 Castro Street, designed by Edward Foulkes, and a mural painted on it that depicts a historic Victorian across the street.

The proposed canopy would start above a new glass protective shield over a rebuilt entrance into the Muni station pushed farther back from Castro Street. It would then extend over the shaft for the new elevator and end in front of a planned grove of 11 ginkgo trees representing each month that Milk held office.

As the Bay Area Reporter reported in December, the firm jettisoned a cantilevered amphitheater that was widely derided in favor of the artistic overhead structure following feed-

back from the city’s arts commissioners. They recently met with members of the oversight body to show them the latest iteration of the canopy.

“In December what you saw was basically a scribble. They developed it a little further so it looks like a real idea in the renderings,” explained Brian Springfield, a local architect based in the Castro who is a member of the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza group pushing for the reimagining of the public parklet.

In the revised designs and video, the support structure is rendered in pink and cut into triangular shapes, reminiscent of the LGBT community’s lambda symbol, holding up see-through panels. It appears to be billowing in the wind like the adjacent oversized rainbow flag currently installed at the plaza.

Springfield stressed that it is still far from being the final design, as public input in the coming weeks will be used to further refine the vision for the canopy. It remains to be seen how much of the structure the architecture firm will design or if an outside artist will be brought in to create it.

“Perkins Eastman said to us the structure of this sculptural element might be over pronounced at this point,” Springfield said. “It could be thinner to give it a more lightweight appearance. It becomes almost like a scrim or a transparent element.”

The city’s public works department is handling the design of the new el-

evator, which has been delayed due to the community’s desire to see it include a fourth stop flush with Market Street. Initially it was to have three stops, two inside the Muni station and one accessible from Castro Street.

Rachel Gordon, a spokeswoman for the agency, told the B.A.R. this week that the price tag for the elevator is unknown since it is still being designed. Nor is it clear who will pay for the additional stop; the city could either absorb the cost or require the friends group to foot the bill.

“The fourth elevator stop does look feasible but there is no funding for it,” said Gordon. “And we don’t know how much it is going to cost. It is not green-lighted because it doesn’t have the approvals.”

The city is trying to move the projects, both the elevator and plaza redesign, simultaneously through the approval process. Multiple agencies must sign off on the plans, and at this point, a groundbreaking is not expected until late 2020 at the earliest.

The reveal of the latest vision for the plaza will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at 541 Castro Street. The friends group will also be honoring gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Lawrence M. Cushman for their support of the project.

The video and drawings will also be added next week to the project’s website at https://www.friendsofharveymilkplaza.org/. t

SF to mark Milk day, White Night riots

by Matthew S. Bajko

A

series of events and marches will take place next week centered around celebrating the late gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, whose election in 1977 marked the first time an out LGBT person won a public office in San Francisco and the state of California.

Tragically, Milk and then-mayor George Moscone were assassinated inside City Hall the morning of November 27, 1978 by disgruntled former supervisor Dan White. Six months later the White Night riots erupted in front of City Hall the night of May 21, 1979, as protesters enraged at White being convicted of voluntary manslaughter rather than first-degree murder clashed with police in front of the civic building.

Over the ensuing decades Milk has

Courtesy of Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library

A photographer from the Associated Press in 1977 captured this iconic image of Supervisor Harvey Milk, left, and Mayor George Moscone inside San Francisco City Hall.

become a global icon for the LGBT community. His life is taught in public schools across California, and since 2010, the state has annually celebrated

Harvey Milk Day on May 22, the day Milk was born in 1930, as a day of special recognition.

Since it falls this year on a Wednes-

day, city officials and community leaders in the gay Castro district will mark the occasion Sunday, May 19.

The neighborhood’s annual Harvey Milk Day Commemoration will take place from 1 to 2 p.m. that day.

It will start in the lower level of Harvey Milk Plaza above the Castro Muni station with musical performances by LGBT groups and speeches by invited guests. Attendees will then march down Castro Street to 575 Castro, the former site of Milk’s store, Castro Camera, and sing happy birthday to Milk.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the riots, which also saw police officers sweep through the Castro that night harassing and beating patrons of the area’s gay bars, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club will be marching from the Castro to City Hall Tuesday night. The political group, which was named after Milk following his

death, will gather at 5 p.m. at the plaza at Castro and Market streets and then head to City Hall where several speakers will address the crowd.

The following evening the club will return to Harvey Milk Plaza for a street dance from 6 to 9 p.m. to celebrate Milk’s birthday. Forty years ago the political group held a similar “party on the street he loved,” as its May 1979 newsletter noted.

Also on May 22 the Castro Theatre will present, for the fifth year in a row, the documentary “The Times of Harvey Milk.” It will screen at 5 p.m. and tickets cost $10. (Unlike in years past, the movie house did not team with the Milk club for the film screening.)

Lastly, the GLBT Historical Society Museum will once again offer free admission on Milk day. It is open between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. and is located at 4127 18th Street. t

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<< Community News

10 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

t

Stars, politicos celebrate at EQCA 20th gala

by Cynthia Laird

H

ousing – and the lack of it – was one of the themes at Equality California’s 20th anniversary gala last weekend, as two San Francisco officials who work on the issue, one elected and one a department head, were recognized by the statewide LGBT rights organization.

The city was well represented at the May 11 Equality Awards event at the Fairmont Hotel. Mayor London Breed gave a shout-out to the city’s new fire chief, lesbian Jeanine Nicholson, as she introduced gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who received the Vanguard Leadership Award.

Breed cited examples of Wiener willing to take risks by proposing cutting-edge state legislation, such as the mental health conservatorship law and a safe injection site pilot program.

“And yes, we need to build more housing. Scott has pushed the envelope,” the mayor said, referring to Wiener’s controversial Senate Bill 50 that would legalize more housing, including affordable housing, near public transportation and streamline the approval process.

Wiener told the sold-out audience of about 600 people that he accepted the award on behalf of the entire Legislative LGBT Caucus, which currently has seven members and Wiener chairs.

“The work that we do fighting for LGBTQs – we do it as a team ... in partnership with EQCA,” he said.

Wiener said that even though

<<

Rick Gerharter

Actress Rita Moreno speaks at Equality California’s 20th anniversary awards dinner in San Francisco, where she received the organization’s Ally Leadership Award.

California has some of the strongest LGBT rights laws in the country, “we have enormous work to do.”

“Today, young LGBT people are criminalized for having sex and get put on the sex offender registry,” he said. “Our trans brothers and sisters in the criminal justice system are treated horribly.”

Wiener has proposed laws to help both of those situations. One would require that incarcerated transgender people in California jails be referred to by their preferred pronouns, gender, and name. Another would prevent gay male adolescents from having to be listed on the state’s sex offender registry.

Emcee Carmen Carrera, a trans woman and actress, noted that four

CA schools

From page 1

trators are properly training educators and support staff on how to address bias and bullying based on a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The findings come from Equality California’s 2019 Safe and Supportive Schools Report Card, which it officially released May 13. A corresponding website detailing the report’s findings and results for individual school districts also went live at http://safesupportiveschools.org/.

“Something has to be done to address the needs of LGBTQ+ students in schools,” said college freshman Anna Zeng, who came out as queer while a freshman at University High School in the Irvine Unified School District.

EQCA sent the survey to all of California’s 343 unified school districts to fill out voluntarily. Less than half – 130 school districts – turned in the surveys despite repeated efforts by the statewide LGBT advocacy organiza-

Courtesy EQCA

Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur

tion and the law firm Latham & Watkins LLP, which provided pro bono assistance, to have school administrators participate.

“While certain districts reported they have made great strides, other

EXPLORE THE GAY WORLD

out of 10 LGBT youth in San Francisco identify as LGBTQ. “Senator Wiener knows we need more homes,” she said. “We can be the light – all of us in this room.”

Kevin Bard, president of the progressive Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, attended the dinner. He had a different take on Wiener’s housing legislation.

“This is a $600 ticketed dinner,” he said in a brief interview. “Most people [here] never worry about paying the rent.”

Bard said he has a very good relationship with EQCA, but that housing is critical.

“You can’t protect LGBTs without protecting LGBTs from losing their

homes, in my opinion,” he said. “Low rent equals LGBT rights.”

Gay city planning director John Rahaim received EQCA’s Civic Leadership Award. He said he was humbled.

Rahaim and his staff are constantly involved in housing issues, and Rahaim talked about the work he’s done in the Mission district for the past several years. Erick Arguello, president of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, helped introduce Rahaim.

“The Mission district has taught me so much,” Rahaim, who lives there, said. “I’m proud we’ve changed the tenor of the conversation. I didn’t think that would happen five years ago. We can grow and be a city with soul.”

districts reported that much work remains to be done in their schools,” wrote EQCA Executive Director Rick Zbur in the introduction to the report. “Unfortunately, nearly 62% of all California’s unified school districts failed to respond to the survey at all.”

In a press call Monday to discuss the report, Zbur said it was “deeply disappointing” that so many school districts did not fill out the survey. But he also expressed optimism in seeing many districts improve their scores when the next report card is released in 2021.

“This gives school districts a check list of the things they should be looking at in all areas to help provide a safe and supportive school environment for all kids,” said Zbur, adding that, “We know when LGBTQ kids are protected all kids benefit.”

Speaking as a public school parent himself, as he has twin boys and a daughter, Zbur said he wants to know, just like other parents, that the school his children attends is “doing everything in its power” to be safe and supportive of every single student it enrolls.

It is believed to be the first time an agency has scored a state’s individual school districts on how they are educating LGBT pupils and their straight peers. The hope is that parents, students, educators, and advocates will use the findings to press schools to do a better job when it comes to protecting and educating LGBT students.

“This report will help to create transparency as school districts across our state work to implement best practices, policies and programs to protect and support LGBTQ students,” wrote State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond in a letter accompanying the report.

such training of their employees depending on the grade level they work in.

Just 64 districts have policies in place to change a transgender student’s name and gender on school records, such as transcripts, while only 54 said they require teachers and school personnel to use a student’s preferred name and gender pronoun.

Nearly all the districts, however, allow students to use the restroom that corresponds with their gender and also provide an easily accessible genderneutral bathroom.

Yet only 10 said they have adopted a policy allowing students to bring a date of any gender to school events or dances like prom, and a mere seven districts said they require all of their schools to celebrate such LGBT holidays like Pride or Harvey Milk Day, which California observes each May 22 on the birthday of the slain gay rights leader elected a San Francisco supervisor in 1977.

While 88 school districts have updated their sexual health curriculum to include discussion of relationships other than cisgender heterosexual couples, seven districts said they still use an optional/opt-in system for their sexual health education. Six districts do the same for their HIV prevention education.

Just 65 districts said they are teaching about LGBTQ history in their classrooms. However, 91 districts have yet to purchase LGBT-inclusive textbooks or teaching materials in order to meet the requirements of the state’s FAIR Education Act, which mandates the teaching of LGBT topics in social science and history classes.

The report breaks the school districts into four tiers, with the lowest being those that did not respond.

Twenty-two districts, including San Francisco Unified and Visalia Unified in Tulare County, made it into the top tier of “spotlight districts.”

In the Bay Area, other districts in the top tier included Alameda, Castro Valley, Milpitas, Newark, Oakland, Saint Helena, San Lorenzo, and Santa Clara.

Another 80 landed in the second tier dubbed “foundational districts,” while 28 were categorized as “priority districts” in the third tier. Bay Area districts in the second tier included Berkeley, Dixon, Fairfield-Suisun,

Five areas, four tiers

The survey was broken into five areas of concern: school climate, cultural competency training, transgender and gender-nonconforming students, curriculum, and suicide prevention.

All of the participating school districts have existing policies prohibiting harassment and bullying, while 82 of the districts regularly collect data about their LGBT students.

But 46 districts do not train their staff about diversity and anti-bias issues, while those that do vary on requiring

Actress Rita Moreno, 87, one of the few stars who’s received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards, was presented with the Ally Leadership Award.

She told the audience of how she came to the U.S. from Puerto Rico when she was a young girl and the teasing she endured.

“The older I become, the more comfortable I become,” she said. “I want that for everyone.”

EQCA Executive Director Rick Zbur talked about the organization’s legislative priorities this year, including getting increased access to PrEP. He also talked about the work EQCA has accomplished over the years, including the push for marriage equality and helping lead the successful legislative effort to ban conversion therapy for youth. Nonbinary Californians can now go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office and change their gender marker, he added.

“All of these laws were sponsored by EQCA,” he said. “And yes, there were challenges and setbacks along the way.”

Those include EQCA’s court fight against President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving openly in the military.

“He is truly hell-bent on rolling back progress we’ve achieved,” said Zbur. “We in California have a special role in leading the movement.

We cannot rest if we don’t have full equality.”t For more photos, see Shining Stars, page 31.

Hayward, Martinez, Morgan Hill, Palo Alto, and South San Francisco.

Those in the third tier from the Bay Area included Cotati-Rohnert Park, John Swett, San Jose, and Vallejo City. As for local school districts that did not respond to the report card, they include Antioch, Benicia, Dublin, Emery (which is Emeryville’s school district), Fremont, Gilroy, Livermore Valley Joint, Mt. Diablo, Pleasanton, San Leandro, San Ramon Valley, and Vacaville.

Todd Oto, superintendent of the Visalia Unified School District, said the report card prompted his district to review its policies regarding LGBT school issues.

“We want our school campuses to be as safe and welcoming as they can be,” said Oto, adding that his district knows “we have much work to do to improve our schools but we are excited to be a spotlight district.”

A fundraising campaign is underway for EQCA to beef up its staffing in order to hire people to work directly with individual school districts to improve their scores and introduce training for their staff. It plans to biennially release new report cards.

“This report card will empower school communities, students, and faculty to make sure districts do their part,” said EQCA board member Jeff Freitas, a gay man who is presidentelect of the California Federation of Teachers and served on the advisory committee for the report card.

EQCA pinpointed three areas where it felt school districts need the most improvement. It is recommending that LGBTQ-inclusive cultural competency trainings be required for all teachers and school staff; legislation currently before state lawmakers co-sponsored by Thurmond, Assembly Bill 493, would require such training in grades seven through 12.

It wants to see every school district in the state adopt policies requiring transgender students be referred to by their preferred name and pronoun. And it wants to see every school using LGBT-inclusive textbooks or teaching materials in the classroom.

“The report card is just the beginning,” said Zbur. “We are hoping this will help us launch programs in school districts across the state.” t

t

Community News>>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

Monarch resigns from East Bay drag court

by Sam Moore

T

he reigning monarch of an East Bay drag court has resigned her title following backlash surrounding her alleged use of a racist term toward two former board members earlier this year.

Jessica Avalon, the 40th monarch of the Imperial Star Empire, a chapter of the International Imperial Court System that represents Alameda and Contra Costa counties, stepped down as Regent Empress XL five months after she allegedly used of a racist term toward the former board members.

Avalon’s resignation was announced by Carlos Vargas, the organization’s board president, at a general assembly meeting held Monday, May 13, at a pizza restaura in Hayward. Avalon was not present.

“With her resignation I believe it closes the subject,” Vargas said, “and the people who filed their grievances will be happy.”

Viva Commotion, also known as Monolito Wilson, and his husband, Princess Monet Sparkles, also known as Moses Green, expressed those objections in February. According to Commotion, Avalon referred to him and Sparkles as “stepin’ fetchits” in January. The racist term is a reference to a 1930s African American vaudeville persona whose name was a play on “step and fetch it.”

Commotion and Sparkles are both African American. Avalon is white.

When attention was brought to Avalon’s alleged comment, the Imperial Star Empire, or ISE, board of directors suspended Commotions and Sparkles’ titles of Her Most Imperial Highness Imperial Crown Princess XL and Her Most Imperial Highness Imperial Crown Princess Royale XL, respectively. They were removed from the board two months later.

“After their titles were removed they decided to bring up the ‘racism’ word,” Vargas said in a phone interview, “and it started getting really ugly after that.”

According to Vargas, the International Imperial Court Council, or ICC, conducted an investigation into the matter and found that the ISE was justified in its removal of Commotion and Sparkles’ titles. However, it asked that an apology be issued on behalf of Avalon for her alleged use of the racist term. Vargas neither confirmed nor denied that Avalon used the term in the first place.

“I don’t know if it was used,” he said. “This was all hearsay; there is no actual proof that the term was used. Jessica has never denied it or said she did.”

In an email sent to Commotion, ICC Grievance Committee member Logan E.B. Childs Rale Storm wrote that the racist slur is “a highly inappropriate term to be used in any manner or situation and goes against the ICC discrimination policies and will not be tolerated.”

“Stepin fetchits was used during slavery and is highly offensive,” the email read. “As a result, Nicole Murray Ramirez, Queen Mother I of the Americas Nicole the Great, and the Court Relations Committee have requested a formal written apology letter to yourself and Moses Green and forgiveness for the racist slang that was used.”

Per the ICC’s request, Vargas apologized to Commotion at Monday’s meeting, and said he plans to issue a formal apology in writing.

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Sam Moore

Viva Commotion, also known as Monolito Wilson, welcomed the reigning Imperial Star Empire monarch’s resignation.

“The apology should come from Jessica,” Commotion said in an interview afterward, “since she was the one who did it. I just think it’s too little, too late.”

Avalon did not respond to a request for comment.

Reached by phone Wednesday, Ramirez said he put a strong nondiscrimination policy in place 11 years ago. He said that the process the Imperial Court System has in place worked in this instance.

The Imperial Star Empire was established in 1978, 13 years after the Imperial Court System was first founded in San Francisco.

The court system’s chapters, or empires, operate as individual nonprofit organizations that raise funds for various charitable causes through drag shows, balls, galas, and other events. Together, the court system’s 70 empires make up one of the world’s oldest and most extensive LGBT organizations.

Commotion, as well as five other former ISE monarchs, attended the highly tense meeting to, as Commotion put it, “hear what they have to say.” At one point, a heated argument broke out between former monarch Deneka St. James and Avalon’s husband, John Marques, who is also the ISE’s treasurer.

“Anyone who wants to call Jessica Avalon a racist has the right to do so,” St. James said. “I didn’t wrongfully allegate anything.” St. James had been involved with the organization for 18 years before her title was suspended following the alleged incident between Avalon, Commotion, and Sparkles.

Michael K. Lee, the ISE’s vice president, said at the meeting that people have been known to join the organization “with their own agendas.”

“If we feel someone is not a good fit,” he said, “we have every right to protect this organization and remove them. Sometimes people are a good fit and sometimes they are not.”

Commotion said after the meeting that, while he is glad that Avalon stepped down, he feels the ISE’s board should be replaced.

“I don’t think this current board can effectively conduct the work that needs to be done for this organization,” he said. “I think they need to step down.”

Vargas, however, seemed optimistic that the issue will resolve.

“I’m hoping that, with the apology from us,” he said, “we can move on and focus on what the purpose of this organization is.

I hope that we can move forward and work together as an LGBT community.” t

Get to know us. Call 415.447.5527 for more information or to schedule a visit.

1661 Pine Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 covia.org/san-francisco-towers A not-for-profit community owned and operated by Covia.

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The deadline to engrave names for the 2019 mid-year cycle is June 28.

Mid-year engravings will take place in July*.

For more information, please call 415.765.0446 or visit www.aidsmemorial.org. *2019 year-end engraving deadline is October 11.

Engravings will take place in advance of World AIDS Day, December 1.

<< Community News

12 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

Bears of SF to celebrate 25th anniversary

by Charlie Wagner

T

he Bears of San Francisco, a group for hirsute men and their admirers, turns 25 this year and will be celebrating Sunday, May 19.

Like most BOSF activities, the party will also serve as a fundraiser, according to BOSF steering committee member Jack Sugrue.

The Bears generally pick two or three beneficiaries per year, but “it’s not a hard and fast rule,” said Erik Green, co-chair of the steering committee.

Green defined the Bears’ mission as “fundraising, service, and socializing.”

T. Justin Williams is the other BOSF steering committee co-chair.

BOSF has been a certified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization since it was founded in 1994.

Sugrue said they could not announce the anniversary beneficiaries yet, but identified the organization’s two main 2019 beneficiaries as the LGBT Asylum Project and Muttville, both nonprofit organizations.

The asylum project provides free legal help for LGBTQ immigrants seeking asylum in the U.S. For senior and special needs dogs, Muttville either finds homes for those that are adoptable, or provides endof-life care for dogs that are not.

The anniversary celebration will be hosted by Gold’s Lil Princess, and include Jell-O shots. The day will start with a 2 p.m. reception for club laureates and former steering committee members, followed by the 3 p.m. beer bust featuring tunes by DJ Movin’ Mike and performances by the Go-Go Bears, who are all members of BOSF. “We want to party like it’s 1994,” Green said. “The whole idea is to get as many members together as possible. We’ll have a slide show and project historic videos of the Bear Rendezvous held at Hotel Whitcomb.”

Charlie Wagner

Bears of San Francisco steering committee members Larry Rivera, left, Jack Sugrue, and Erik Green stand in front of the Lone Star Saloon.

Humble beginnings

BOSF steering committee members Sugrue, Green, and Larry Rivera all had different insights into how the Bears group formed and endured through the years. Rivera was a founding member and is the BOSF quartermaster.

They recently spoke with the Bay Area Reporter at the Lone Star Saloon, a favorite watering hole for bears.

Sugrue recalled the days before BOSF, “when two guys were running bear hug parties in a house on 14th Street in San Francisco.” That continued for several years, followed by the privately-run Bear Expo in 1992, 1993, and 1994. The expo was quite successful, due in part to volunteer assistance. But after some expo beneficiaries questioned where all the money raised was going, and were not satisfied with the answers, Sugrue said, “the volunteers disappeared.”

Rivera suggested the bears’ growing popularity in the late 1980s was connected to then-current ideas about HIV disease.

“Part of the initial appeal of the bear concept,” he said, “was that if you were large, you were healthy.”

After its nonprofit status was established, BOSF created a weekend event called the International Bear Rendezvous, first held in February 1995. IBR started at the Ramada Hotel (later renamed the Hotel Whitcomb) on Market Street, moved later to the Holiday Inn on Van Ness, and ended up at the downtown Parc 55.

Unfortunately, IBR was so successful, Sugrue said, “Everyone wanted a piece.” He explained how other people “were creating events outside the Rendezvous events.”

He even noticed buses hired to take people to non-IBR activities directly from the Rendezvous host hotels.

For financial reasons, Sugrue said, “We stopped the Rendezvous in 2011.”

After that, the group took “some time” to consider whether to continue.

“We thought the demand was out there,” Sugrue asserted. “One thing

we seem to have is the goodwill of the community.”

Green said BOSF currently has about 2,300 Facebook followers and between 50 and 80 dues-paying members.

“People seem to be very engaged with our Facebook page,” he said, adding that the group would like to increase its membership.

“We want to develop our ability to pull people together for the greatest good,” Sugrue said.

Green expanded on that thought: “We are re-imagining what membership is, and what value we are going to bring to the members.”

The Bears have always tried to be as inclusive as possible.

“The first BOSF treasurer was a woman who has now transitioned,” he noted.

Green said the steering committee is exploring the question of how BOSF can honor its past and look to the future.

“How do we expand our definition of ‘bear’”? he asked.

There is some affinity with other subsets of the LGBTQ community.

“We definitely have some overlap with the leather community,” Green said.

Steering committee member Manny Ojeda, Mr. SF Eagle Leather 2019, said he wants to reach out to the Latino community.

Socializing is also a focal point of the group.

“Lots of things we do that are successful are connected with food,” Sugrue observed with a smile.

In late April, for example, the Bears partnered with Mr. and Ms. San Francisco Leather for the Dining Out for Life fundraiser of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Sugrue also discussed BOSF’s close relationship with the Lazy

t

Bear Fund, another 501(c)3, which produces Lazy Bear Weekend in Guerneville.

“BOSF is always one of the Lazy Bear beneficiaries,” he said. “We always provide volunteers, and will again this year.”

Sugrue was the CFO of Lazy Bear from 2007 to 2010.

The continued success of Lazy Bear inspires optimism among the Bears, according to Sugrue.

The Lazy Bear Fund contributed a pair of Bear Tags, giving access to all Lazy Bear events, for the BOSF anniversary raffle. But Green pointed out money moves in both directions.

“Our club organized an event to raise money for Guerneville flood victims,” he said, “and after the 2017 fires, we did an event called ‘Bear Necessities.’”

All three men expressed how they look forward to the anniversary party. Sugrue and Green described some of their reasons.

“We raise lots of money with our beer busts,” Sugrue said. “Our participants are always extraordinarily generous.”

Green commented, “We are trying to keep the energy going.”

Speaking for the entire steering committee, Green said, “We are really excited to celebrate our last 25 years and to launch the next 25.” t The anniversary beer bust and tea dance takes place Sunday, May 19, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the SF Eagle, 398 12th Street. For more information, visit www.bosf.org.

There’s no cover charge. Beer busts cups cost $15 each. These cups provide for refills of beer or soda during the event, as well as a trip to the “do-it-yourself” nacho bar. For non-beer-bust buyers, food can be purchased for $7.

t Community News>>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 13

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Courtesy SF Rec and Park

SF Pride is holding an inaugural golf tournament and fundraiser at TPC Harding Park.

SF Pride to hold golf tourney benefit compiled by Cynthia Laird

T

he inaugural San Francisco Pride Pro-Am Golf Tournament will take place Wednesday, June 26, at 1 p.m. at TPC Harding Park in the city.

The fundraiser for the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee is a partnership between it, the Northern California Professional Golfers Association, First Tee of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.

In a news release, SF Pride officials stated that they will be bringing together the LGBT community, allies, and friends in the spirit of fellowship and equality.

“We feel that visibility is key to our ongoing progress as a community, and this opportunity is an important first step that we hope will grow into larger strides with a respected sporting institution such as the PGA,” SF Pride board President Jacquelene Bishop said in the release.

Participants can register individually or with a complete foursome. Each foursome will be joined by a local PGA professional. Those who sign up individually will be connected with others to complete the group.

Entry is $250 per amateur. The fee includes a donation to SF Pride, golf, cart, box lunch, and a champagne toast and light hors d’oeuvres after golf.

Space is limited. For more information, and to register, visit https://bit.ly/2VcOEJv.

SF maritime park holding docent training

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park will offer a free training course Tuesday, May 28, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for those interested in joining the park’s volunteer interpretive docent program.

According to a news release, the class will introduce participants to the San Francisco Maritime Museum Building, its artists, art, and architecture. Docents will learn about this unique Works Progress Administration structure through lectures and tours by National Park Service staff.

Throughout the year, docents will also have the opportunity to attend additional free training sessions about maritime history, 19th and 20th century historic ships, Park Service 21st century

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interpretation, audience centered interpretation, first aid, and situational awareness.

Interpretative docents provide a public service and share their knowledge with park visitors through educational and interpretative programs. Docents work indoors and outdoors, at the visitor center, at the maritime museum, and aboard the fleet of National Historic Landmark vessels.

The docents are required to serve at least 10 hours per month, and to make a commitment of at least one year to the park’s docent program.

Scheduling is flexible and docents can serve any day of the week during park hours.

Space for the upcoming training is limited. Applicants should contact Lou Salas Sian, docent coordinator, at lou_sian@nps.gov, or volunteer manager Terry Dorman at terry_dorman@nps.gov, for an interview and to reserve a seat.

San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/safr or call (415) 447-5000.

t ’s longes a c i r e m A blished u -p ly s u o continu ulation c r i c t s e and high spaper ew LGBTQ n istoric eh marks th rsary of the ive d 50th ann rising an p U l l a w e Ston IDE all R P s e t a r celeb long.

Summer

Queering psychedelics confab coming to SF

As the so-called psychedelic renaissance has entered mainstream interest and regulatory legitimacy, a two-day conference, Queering Psychedelics, will take place June 1-2 at Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th Street in San Francisco.

The conference is part of Chacruna’s Women, Gender Diversity, and Sexual Minorities speaker series. It will highlight the voices of queer visionaries within the psychedelic community as well as examine the history of psychedelics from queer and nonbinary perspectives.

Speakers include Kanyon Sayers-Roods, who will provide an indigenous perspective on the spiritual ecology of kinship, land, and responsibility; Erik Davis, who will provide a brief history of queer psychedelia; and Claudia J. Ford, who will talk about gendered knowledge and the decolonization of entheogenic plant medicines.

Organizers said that continuing education credit for psychologists will be provided by the Spiritual Competency Resource Center.

Registration for the conference is $180, with a one-day pass available for $100. For more information, visit https://chacruna.net/ queering-psychedelics/. t

JUNE 6 JUNE 27 AUG UST 22 SEPTEMBER 5

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5/15/19 11:46 AM

<< Sports

14 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

Fallout continues over gender-binary wars

t

by Roger Brigham

T

Opportunities for Small Business Enterprises SFO is soliciting Proposals for two Food and Beverage Kiosk Leases, Small Business Enterprise Set-Asides.

Visit flysfo.com/kiosklease for details.

StevenUnderhill PHOTOGRAPHY

he decision allowing international track and field to bar a few female athletes of color from women’s competition because their natural testosterone levels are higher than most women’s is barely three weeks old, and already we are seeing fallout and backlash on a global scale.

The new International Association of Athletics Federations rule bars women with naturally high testosterone levels (known as hyperandrogenism) from competing in women’s track distances from 400 meters to one mile. (The ban includes heptathlon, which includes an 800-meter run.)

Many skeptics have called the rule inherently racist (the greatest number of athletes known to have higher testosterone are from the Southern Hemisphere) and unfairly targeted to bar lesbian two-time Olympic 800-meter runner Caster Semenya of South Africa (the restricted distances coincide with the distances Semenya runs, but the IAAF has failed to establish a performance bump in those specific distances). The Court of Arbitration for Sport approved it earlier this month in a 2-1 vote.

Since then: • The World Medical Association immediately advised doctors not to give female athletes prescriptions to drop their testosterone levels because of ethical and medical issues, and called for the rule to be dropped.

“The World Medical Association has reiterated its advice to physicians around the world to take no part in implementing new eligibility regulations for classifying female athletes,” the organization said on its website this month.

Dr. Leonid Eidelman, president of WMA, was quoted on the website as saying, “We have strong reservations about the ethical validity of these regulations. They are based on weak evidence from a single study, which is currently being widely debated by the scientific community. They are also contrary to a number of key WMA ethical statements and declarations, and as such we are calling for their immediate withdrawal.”

WMA chairman Frank Ulrich Montgomery told South Africa’s sport24 that hyperandrogenism is a naturally occurring condition in women, such as Semenya, born with differences of sexual development, or DSD. “It is just normal to be androgenic and there is nothing pathological about the situation of this athlete,” Montgomery was quoted as saying.

“No physician can be forced to administer these drugs, and we definitely urge our colleagues to refrain from giving hormonally active medication

Courtesy AAP

The track and field world is reeling from a sports court decision affecting runner Caster Semenya and a few other female athletes.

to athletes simply because some regulations demand it. If physicians do apply these drugs, they do break ethical codes. The basic ethical code of all medical practice is never do harm, and it is doing harm to a perfectly normal body with just a rather high level of testosterone by administering drugs to use this in order to make them eligible for women’s sport.”

IAAF responded to WMA’s concerns by saying that affected women who do not want to risk altering their body chemistry are welcome to compete in men’s events.

Seriously.

(A quick aside: The Court of Arbitration for Sport acknowledged that the IAAF rule was discriminatory but that such discrimination was “necessary.”

Although it was referring to discrimination based on gender, the racial aspects of the ruling’s impact must be considered, especially in light of other IAAF actions. For example, last month IAAF said it would drop the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs from television broadcasts from continental competitions. African runners have long dominated those races.)

• This week, Athletics South Africa said it would appeal the court’s decision. Any appeal must be made by the end of the month and would be heard by the Swiss Federal Tribunal.

ASA told the Associated Press it felt two of the judges were “conflicted” because they had ruled on a previous attempt by IAAF to bar women based on natural testosterone; that the decision did not appear supported by the scientific evidence presented; and that the IAAF ban goes against sports public policies.

“The pertinent legal questions that

JayCee Cooper lost her appeal against USA Powerlifting’s decision to ban trans lifters.

the court should have addressed were not addressed,” the South African sports ministry said. “The court simply gave the unfettered latitude to the IAAF to do as it pleases.”

A spokesman for the South Africa sports ministry said, “We’ll file the appeal as soon as we possibly can. We feel that the scientific information that has been brought has been completely ignored. We’ve got a belief that a different court will arrive at a different determination.”

The Swiss court can also consider whether Semenya’s human rights are being violated. Before the ban was approved, the United Nations Human Rights Council condemned the rule, saying sports bodies should “refrain from developing and enforcing policies and practices that force, coerce or otherwise pressure women and girl athletes into undergoing unnecessary, humiliating, and harmful medical procedures in order to participate in women’s events in competitive sports.”

• Kenya withheld sprinters Maximilla Imali and Evangeline Makena from the World Relays in Japan last weekend. Kenyan officials said the move was a “precautionary” one taken after both runners tested as having high testosterone levels.

“We could not risk traveling with the two athletes after the recent IAAF ruling on the restriction of testosterone levels on female runners,” said Paul Mutwii, Kenya track’s director of competition.

• Although the IAAF ban places restrictions only on women with naturally high testosterone, critics contend it will set a precedent for other bans in other sports based not on science but on cultural perceptions – See page 16 >>

Obituaries >> Patrick Michael Eaton, aka Myrna January 20, 1948 – April 11, 2019

415 370 7152

StevenUnderhill.com StevenUnderhillPhotos@gmail.com

Myrna passed April 11, 2019, at age 71, at the Veterans Home in Yountville, California. His ashes were interred at the veteran’s cemetery there. Myrna served tens of thousands of San Francisco locals and tourists over many decades as a waiter at Without Reservations on Castro Street and previously at a Polk Street restaurant.

With humor and speed, Myrna put up with many late-night revelers who frequented the popular eatery into the wee hours of the morning. He was a humble and regular customer and supported benefits at Powerhouse, the Edge, 440 Castro, and other Castro businesses.

He was a decorated Air Force Vietnam veteran and a member of the Alexander Hamilton Post 448 of the American Legion. His twinkling eyes, generous smile, and friendly conversation will be missed by friends Jeff Scott, Tom Yaussy, Gary Virginia, bartenders, and other friends. A celebration of life will take place at the Edge bar, 4149 18th Street, Saturday, May 18, from 2 to 3 p.m.

Gary McDowell April 28, 1949 – April 9, 2019

Gary McDowell, 69, died at his home in Mill Valley, California April 9, 2019. Born in San Jose, he attended Del Mar High School and graduated summa cum laude from UC Santa Cruz; he later received his M.A. from the Cali-

fornia School of Professional Psychology.

Before working as a clinical psychologist in San Francisco and Marin counties, he went to Dharamsala in the foothills of the Himalayas where he studied Tibetan Buddhism. Gary also worked as a popular bartender at the Midnight Sun and other Castro area establishments during the 1970s and 1980s. Gary is remembered by his friends for his intelligence, wit, and deep interest in spirituality. He was a longtime AIDS survivor and was very committed to the issues faced by that community.

His ashes will be scattered over Monterey Bay, near where he used to enjoy scuba diving. He is survived by his partner, Sam Williams; his sister, Jill McDowell; and half-sister, Karen Ink Chaussee. Gary was much loved and will be much missed. In lieu of flowers, gifts to the Marin AIDS Project are welcomed.

t <<

Community News>>

War Memorial

From page 1

22 years as managing director and 38 years with the War Memorial department. He is currently director of City Hall events in the city administrator’s office.

Addressing the board after the announcement, Caldon thanked the trustees for “the confidence you’re placing in me.” He pledged to work with the arts and veterans groups that are part of the War Memorial’s portfolio.

Caldon has overseen City Hall events for the last three years. Prior to that, he worked for the War Memorial for seven years.

<<

Cuba

From page 1

The new constitution, which was recently approved by a popular vote, allows marriage between two people without specifying gender, Cubans who work with CENESEX told the B.A.R. The policy will be further developed in a family law revision and referendum.

Unsanctioned conga

Speaking at the diversity party and in a statement on her Facebook page, Castro Espin, daughter of Cuban Communist Party head Raúl Castro and niece of the late Fidel Castro, suggested that opponents of the government were using the unsanctioned march to promote agitation against the state.

Castro Espin and CENESEX are highly regarded by many in the LGBT community for spearheading efforts to expand gay and transgender rights and sexual equality.

But some criticized the cancellation of the congas, fearing that it will be seen as a victory for fundamentalists and embolden their efforts to oppose

<<

<<

“I’m beyond thrilled and slightly terrified,” Caldon told the B.A.R. Three gay men are now overseeing city arts departments. Tom DeCaigny is director of cultural affairs at the Arts Commission and Matthew Goudeau was hired earlier this year as head of Grants for the Arts.

Mayor London Breed formally announced Caldon’s appointment following the trustees’ vote.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of John Caldon to serve as War Memorial Managing Director, where he will continue his service to the City of managing historic landmark buildings and promoting San Francisco’s arts and culture,” Breed said in a news release. “In his current

role as director of City Hall events, John has modernized and expanded the events department, while working hand-in-hand with my office to plan and execute important cultural heritage and community events on behalf of the city.”

Caldon said in the release that he was “humbled” to accept the appointment.

“San Francisco is a world-class arts destination, which is a huge driver of our tourism industry and definer of our city’s identity,” he said.

Bechtle said, “We are delighted that John Caldon will be returning to the War Memorial in the role of managing director to guide the strategic and operational leadership of the city’s premier performing arts venues.”

Trustee Thomas E. Horn, who chaired the selection committee, also praised Caldon.

“I have worked with John for many years, both at the War Memorial and at City Hall,” Horn, the B.A.R.’s former publisher, wrote in an email. “ He will bring his considerable talent back to the War Memorial, and I am thrilled.”

The department head-level position is responsible for overseeing the War Memorial Opera House, War Memorial Veterans Building, Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, Zellerbach Rehearsal Hall, and adjacent grounds.

The city agency also hosts approximately 900 performances and events annually in seven rental facilities serving annual attendance of about 1.2

million patrons, guests, and visitors.

The managing director consults with the mayor’s office regarding programs and initiatives, coordinates activities with other city departments, and performs numerous other duties.

Caldon hold a bachelor’s degree in creative writing with a theater minor from San Francisco State University.

His career in theater production and facilities management spans more than 20 years, including work in various production capacities for several of California’s regional theaters and as a shipboard production manager for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.

Caldon’s salary was not immediately available. t

LGBT rights and changing gender roles. On social media, march proponents said the LGBT community could not go backward and risk losing hard-won gains.

“Giving up space only weakens us,” Yasmin Silvia Portales Machado said in a Facebook post translated from Spanish.

The unpermitted march, which started at Parque Central in Old Havana, was allowed to proceed a few blocks along the Prado boulevard under the watch of police, but was stopped before it could reach the Malecón seaside promenade. A few Cuban participants were arrested by plainclothes police, according to international news reports.

Havana activist Isbel Díaz Torres, who publicized the unsanctioned conga on Facebook, said he and his partner were detained Saturday morning and not allowed to attend the march. They were released nearly 24 hours later, Torres said in a Sunday morning Facebook post.

“We want to congratulate all of us who showed a capacity for self-organization,” Torres said upon his release.

“The multiple calls, the networks of

people and allies, the decentralization of the call, and the convergence in the fight against homophobia, transphobia, and religious fundamentalism produced good results.”

The unauthorized march was largely organized via Facebook and other social media, which have only recently become available to a large number of Cubans. The unsanctioned gathering – as well as the fundamentalists’ visible opposition to government policy – suggest that more open communication may be changing the relationship between civil society and the state.

Jones and RWF Executive Director Jeff Cotter issued a joint statement about the weekend’s events.

“First, we are saddened by the government’s decision to cancel this year’s congas due to pressure from anti-LGBTQ fundamentalist Christians who oppose the significant advancements that LGBTQ people have made in Cuban society,” the men said. “Second, we are dismayed by the government’s attempt to shut down an alternative conga organized by independent LGBTQ activists and the arrests of some participants of that event ...

“We have communicated our concerns directly to the leaders of CENESEX,” Jones and Cotter stated. “It has been a complicated and difficult week but we are all grateful for the positive interactions we have experienced with the Cuban people and to witness their continued progress on LGBTQ issues.”

der. We have made mistakes about AIDS. But we have moved forward,” Jones said at the gala. “Some people in both our countries want us to go back. But we say no – we will move forward together. We will build no more walls, we will build bridges.”

In remarks warmly received by the gala and diversity party audiences, Jones also criticized the Trump administration’s tightening of the blockade against Cuba, which has already led to increased hardship including stricter food rationing on the island.

As a guest of CENESEX, Jones was scheduled to attend only sanctioned events, including the diversity party scheduled at the same time as the unauthorized conga. RWF delegates found it difficult to keep informed about the alternative events due to poor phone and internet access using American devices.

“The government undermined its own message about support for the LGBT community,” Jones told the B.A.R. “This issue has sparked an unprecedented level of unsanctioned debate on both sides. This may be the birth of a new independent LGBT movement.” t

Event honors Jones

Castro Espin presented the CENESEX Primo to Jones at the Cuban Gala Against Homophobia and Transphobia at Havana’s Karl Marx Theater, in recognition of his decades of work for LGBT liberation and the fight against HIV/AIDS. In return, Jones gave Castro Espin a rainbow flag hand-sewn by his friend, the late Gilbert Baker, who conceived of the flag as a symbol of LGBT unity.

The RWF delegation also brought sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which Jones founded. Those were displayed at CENESEX headquarters for several days and this week will be united with quilt panels made by Cubans.

“In both our countries, we have made terrible mistakes. We have made mistakes about sexuality. We have made mistakes about gen-

Milk’s spirit

From page 1

Milk made history when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, becoming the first out gay man to win elective office in the city and state. He and thenmayor George Moscone were assassinated by disgruntled ex-supervisor Dan White in November 1978.

“This year’s theme is about speaking up and providing people with hope,” said Yi Lin Pei, a participating artist whose work will be displayed in the windows of Local Take on 17th Street. “My piece is my own interpretation of that theme – it’s a small child crawling onto a soapbox and being assisted by an adult.”

Pei, 31, who left her job in the tech industry to work as a full-time watercolor artist, said she’s been interested in art since she was a toddler. Born in China and raised in Zambia, she immigrated to the U.S. 15 years ago to pursue an education.

“I immigrated to this country for my own education,” Pei, a straight ally, said. “I think there’s a lot of things I relate to in people’s struggles. And this is one more struggle I didn’t even realize existed until I came to this community.

I feel very proud to be a part of this.”

Pei currently has some of her artwork on display in the gallery of Local Take. This is her second year participating in Windows for Harvey.

“I try to make art that makes people stop and think,” she said. “I’m excited for seeing people use this opportunity to bring people together. It’s really cool to see other people’s interpretations of Harvey and share our stories with each other, and open up more

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 15

Our Family Coalition

From page 4

sorry to see Moreira leave.

“I’m really sad to see her go, but also very proud of the work she’s done in the last seven years, particularly the

Jane Philomen Cleland

James LaCroce, Ph.D., installed his art Monday at 2075 Market Street, which includes scenes from his children’s books as well as a specific piece about Harvey Milk, which is facing the street.

dialogue – which was really the whole point of Harvey’s message.”

The artwork being displayed for Windows for Harvey ranges from paintings and photographs to more eclectic mediums such as floral, electronic, and felt.

Some participants, like author and artist James LaCroce, Ph.D., drew on inspiration from their own lives in their window displays. His pieces feature characters from children’s books he’s written, including his most recent book, “A Chimp and a Chicken Go to Therapy.”

“I used characters from the books,” LaCroce, who’s married to Bay Area Reporter assistant editor Matthew S. Bajko, said. “They’re waiting in line to see a display of Harvey Milk’s suit, the one he

was wearing the day that he was killed.”

LaCroce, 45, who works as a clinical psychologist, has written and illustrated three books over the past 10 years.

They explore issues such as gay adoption, neighborhood violence, and the reasons people go to therapy, through San Francisco-dwelling characters Chimpy and Matthew Chicken. The artwork he’s displaying was digitally created and printed on canvas.

Some of his other art on exhibit depicts scenes from his books.

“The books have always served as a creative outlet for me,” he said, “to express myself in a different way than through work. I wanted to do stories that weren’t being told, and stories about the gay community.”

Windows for Harvey is a new experience for LaCroce.

“This is a first for me,” he said. “I’m excited to see what people have to say about it.”

His art will be displayed at 2075 Market, next to Ace Hardware.

Members of the public will be able to vote for their favorite window displays this year by posting pictures of the art on Instagram with the hashtag #windowsforharvey.

Additionally, tours that include many of the windows will be run by Cruisin’ the Castro Walking Tours.

Windows for Harvey was launched three years ago by Castro Merchants.

At the time, it consisted of store owners displaying posters in their windows that read “Happy Birthday, Harvey.”

new directions she’s taken us in,” Pagenhart, who is 56 and genderqueer, said. “She’s done stellar work at one of the hardest times in our organization’s history. It’s bittersweet to lose such fierce leadership, but we’re excited to open the next chapter for the

organization.”

Steve Disselhorst, co-chair of the OFC board of directors, said via phone, “We are incredibly grateful for the inspiration and dedication Renata has shown this organization, really just the love she has for people. We’re

already working on finding someone to take on this role so that the coalition can move forward.”

According to a news release, OFC is now leading a search for an interim executive director to lead the agency through the end of the year. t

“There’s so much love for Harvey Milk in the neighborhood,” said Brian Springfield, one of the event’s organizers. “Most of the business owners were more than happy to participate. And it’s just kind of grown since then.”

Springfield said that, while reading Randy Shilts’ book “The Mayor of Castro Street,” he came across a passage that mentioned how Milk would use the windows of Castro Camera to tell stories and engage people on the street.

“He’d put up a Christmas tree and presents around the holidays,” Springfield said, “and the wrapping paper would be torn open after Christmas Day. He’d put boxes of Alka-Seltzer tablets there after New Year’s. In some ways, Windows for Harvey is something Harvey himself was doing when he had windows in the Castro neighborhood. It’s kind of meant to be.”

The event will run from Friday, May 17, to Sunday, May 26, and is one of the activities around Harvey Milk Day (May 22). An opening party to celebrate participating artists and merchants will be held Saturday, May 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 575 Castro Street, the former location of Harvey’s Castro Camera shop.

“Harvey Milk represents our community at its most unified and its strongest, and really its most beautiful,” Springfield said. “He represents us at our most able to accomplish our goals through standing together. We still need to remember that – we still hear that call to action sometimes.”t For more information, visit windowsforharvey.com or the Windows for Harvey Facebook Page.

To reach the interim executive director search committee, email ied@ourfamily.org. For a job description, go to at https://tinyurl. com/OFC-IED-2019.

<< International News

16 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

<<

Jock Talk

From page 14

especially impacting transgender athletes. Although transgender athletes have increasingly been included in the higher levels of sports without the globe grinding to a halt, powerlifting

organizations seem to be closing their exclusionary ranks.

Last week, USA Powerlifting denied an appeal by transgender lifter JayCee Cooper and cis queer Latinx lifter Breanna Diaz to overturn its ban against transgender lifters. The next day, Virginia’s Mary Gregory, a

transgender woman, was stripped of her world titles and records from competition a month earlier in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Paul Bossi, president of RAW Powerlifting Federation, said, “Our rules, and the basis of separating genders for competition, are based on physiological

classification rather than identification. On the basis of all information presented to the board of directors for this particular case, the conclusion made, is that the correct physiological classification is male.”

Cooper and Diaz responded on Instagram by writing, “Our proposed

t

policy may not have passed today, but our fight for trans inclusion is not over. Women’s Strength Coalition and Pull for Pride will not stop pushing for a trans affirming and inclusive policy until all are welcome on the platform.” t

Global trans model, activist is ‘unstoppable’

by Heather Cassell

G

lobal transgender model and activist Geena Rocero charmed the audience at the sold-out 30th annual Professional BusinessWomen of California’s conference last month.

Rocero was at the conference, themed “Unstoppable,” to speak about the power of storytelling and being a transgender feminist. An estimated 7,000 women attended the conference.

It’s the first time the conference ever had a transgender woman as one of its keynote speakers in its threedecade history. Rocero said that she hopes more transgender women will follow her in taking the conference’s stage.

Rocero, 36, is definitely unstoppable. She’s busy working on a book and producing new TV shows, she said, though she wasn’t ready to discuss the details about the projects.

Since she came out during a presentation at the 2014 TED conference (LINK: https://www.ted. com/speakers/geena_rocero), Rocero has catapulted her career from magazine covers to global transgender poli-

Courtesy PBWC/Nikki Ritcher Photography

Transgender model, producer and activist Geena Rocero

cy adviser, advocate, and producer.

The TED talk was the first time she revealed her true self to the world, she said.

“I had enough,” said Rocero. “The thought of living a double life and the paranoia that somebody would out me and it would ruin my career was getting too much. I was ready.”

Rocero started her modeling career entering transgender beauty pageants as a teenager in the 1990s, first in the Philippines and later throughout Asia. In 2001, she moved to San Francisco to be with her family.

The move was a complete flip for

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Legal Notices>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554777

In the matter of the application of: JIAYI LI HAYNER, 1222 HARRISON ST # 4408, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner JIAYI LI HAYNER, is requesting that the name JIAYI LI HAYNER, be changed to MADISYN LI HAYNER. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 6th of June 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038589900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHACHI’S, 1008 DIVISADERO ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIEL NEMIROVSKY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/02/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019

Rocero. In the Philippines, transgender people are “culturally visible” in the community and mainstream TV, she said, but “not politically recognized.”

“In the U.S., San Francisco specifically, it was the other way around,” said Rocero, who underwent gender reassignment surgery in Thailand with the support of her family when she was 19.

She was also able to legally change the gender marker on her government-issued documents and receive trans-specific health care. “There was a degree of political recognition ... but there was no mainstream visibility.”

“That kind of paradox, growing up

in the Philippines and moving to the U.S., really informed a lot of my advocacy and my policy research,” said Rocero, who moved to New York in 2004 to pursue her modeling career.

In her eyes, policy isn’t enough. It’s just a step. Cultural representation isn’t enough. It’s just a piece of the puzzle. The two pieces have to constantly work together in order to effect change, she said.

Rocero turned her eye to media to bridge the gap between policy and transgender people’s stories. Her first effort garnered her a GLAAD award for the Logo show “Beautiful as I Want

In the matter of the application of: JOSE LUIS JIMENEZ GOMEZ & METADEL GEBYAW YIRDAW, 1617 HOWARD ST #12, SAN FRANCISCO CA 94103, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner JOSE LUIS JIMENEZ GOMEZ & METADEL GEBYAW YIRDAW, is requesting that the name MARCOS JIMENEZ GOMEZ, be changed to MARCOS JIMENEZ-GOMEZ. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 11th of June 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038621900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MAGOMEDOV LAW GROUP, 534 PACIFIC AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed YULIYA MAGOMEDOV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/29/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/19/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019

A longer version of this story is online at ebar.com.

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO CALIFORNIA BARREL COMPANY LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, Plaintiff, v.

All Persons Claiming Any Interest in, or Lien Upon, the Real Property Herein Described or, Any Part thereof, Defendants.

Case No. CGC-19-574377 SUMMONS ON FIRST AMENDED COMPLAINT [CCP § 751.05] The people of the State of California, to All Persons Claiming Any Interest in, or Lien Upon, the Real Property Herein Described or, Any Part thereof, defendants, greeting (See Memorandum Disclosing Adverse Interest [CCP § 751.07] attached.): You are hereby required to appear and answer the complaint of CALIFORNIA BARREL COMPANY LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, plaintiff, filed with the clerk of the above-entitled court and county, within three months after the first publication of this summons, and to set forth what interest or lien, if any, you have in or upon that certain real property or any part thereof, situated in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, particularly described as follows: REAL PROPERTY, SITUATE IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COMPRISED OF SIX (6) PARCELS, DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEING A PORTION OF PARCEL A, AS SAID PARCEL A IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN GRANT DEED RECORDED SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2016-K334613 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN THE OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, STATE OF CALIFORNIA, MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: PARCEL ONE BEING ALL OF MARYLAND STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID MARYLAND STREET; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), EASTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID MARYLAND STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET, SOUTHERLY 279 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID EASTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), WESTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH SAID WESTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF MARYLAND STREET, NORTHERLY 279 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL TWO BEING ALL OF LOUISIANA STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID LOUISIANA STREET; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), EASTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID LOUISIANA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET, SOUTHERLY 279 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID EASTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), WESTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH SAID WESTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF LOUISIANA STREET, NORTHERLY 279 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL THREE BEING A PORTION OF GEORGIA STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 1, AS SAID PARCEL 1 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578), EASTERLY 80 FEET TO A POINT IN THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578); THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, SOUTHERLY 406.42 FEET TO THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 3, AS SAID PARCEL 3 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT QUIETING TITLE RECORDED MAY 26, 1960 IN BOOK A127 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, AT PAGE 596, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 3 (A127 OR 596), NORTHWESTERLY 18.79 FEET TO A POINT ON THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES: 1) NORTH 03°10’16” WEST 125.39 FEET, AND 2) SOUTH 86°49’44” WEST 63.85 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2001-K334613) AND SAID WESTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, NORTHERLY 271.42 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL FOUR BEING A PORTION OF MICHIGAN STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT A POINT ON THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID MICHIGAN STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE SOUTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 2, AS SAID PARCEL 2 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET, SOUTHERLY 157.42 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 4, AS SAID PARCEL 4 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT QUIETING TITLE RECORDED MAY 26, 1960 IN BOOK A127 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, AT PAGE 596, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 4 (A127 OR 596), NORTHWESTERLY 2 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A POINT ON THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES: 1) NORTH 03°10’16” WEST 9.01 FEET, AND 2) SOUTH 86°49’44” WEST 11.12 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2001-K334613) AND SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL 4 (A127 OR 596); THENCE, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 4 (A127 OR 596), NORTHWESTERLY 6 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO A POINT ON SAID WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), NORTH 03°41’19” WEST 143.4 FEET, MORE OR LESS, TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613) WITH THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 2 (DN 2001-G897578); THENCE, ALONG SAID SOUTHERN LINE OF PARCEL 2 (DN 2001-G897578), EASTERLY 18.62 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL FIVE BEING A PORTION OF HUMBOLDT STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID HUMBOLDT STREET (33 FEET WIDE) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET, AS SAID MICHIGAN STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 2, AS SAID PARCEL 2 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 2 (DN 2001-G897578), WESTERLY 18.62 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID NORTHERN LINE OF PARCEL 2 (2001-G897578) AND THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), THE FOLLOWING TWO (2) COURSES: 1) NORTH 03°41’19” WEST 1.31 FEET, AND 2) NORTH 87°24’17” EAST 18.63 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID WESTERN LINE OF PARCEL A (DN 2001-K334613) AND SAID EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF MICHIGAN STREET, SOUTHERLY 1.12 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCEL SIX BEING A PORTION OF HUMBOLDT STREET, AS SAID STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, LYING WITHIN SAID PARCEL A (DN 2016-K334613), MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: BEGINNING AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE SOUTHERN LINE OF SAID HUMBOLDT STREET (33 FEET WIDE) WITH THE EASTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, AS SAID GEORGIA STREET EXISTED PRIOR TO THE VACATION THEREOF, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF PARCEL 1, AS SAID PARCEL 1 IS DESCRIBED IN THAT CERTAIN JUDGMENT RECORDED FEBRUARY 1, 2001, AS DOCUMENT NUMBER 2001-G897578 OF OFFICIAL RECORDS, IN SAID OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO; THENCE, FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING, ALONG THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578), WESTERLY 80 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF SAID PARCEL 1 (2001-G897578) AND THE WESTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET, SAID POINT BEING THE NORTHEASTERN CORNER OF SAID PARCEL 1 (DN 2001-G897578); THENCE, ALONG SAID WESTERN LINE GEORGIA STREET, NORTHERLY 33 FEET TO THE NORTHERN LINE OF SAID HUMBOLDT STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID NORTHERN LINE OF HUMBOLDT STREET, EASTERLY 80 FEET TO A POINT ON THE EASTERN LINE OF SAID GEORGIA STREET; THENCE, ALONG SAID EASTERN LINE OF GEORGIA STREET, SOUTHERLY 33 FEET TO SAID POINT OF BEGINNING. PARCELS ONE THROUGH SIX BEING PORTIONS OF APN 4175-017. ATTACHED HERETO IS AN ILLUSTRATIVE INDEX MAP, AND BY THIS REFERENCE, MADE A PART HEREOF. And you are hereby notified that, unless you so appear and answer, the plaintiff will apply to the court for the relief demanded in the complaint, to wit: quiet title to the Property consistent with the legal description above, against all adverse claims of all claimants, known and unknown, as of the date the Complaint in this case was filed.

Witness my hand and the seal of said court, DATE: APR 15 2019 Clerk, By JUDITH C. NUNEZ, DEPUTY [SEAL], CLERK OF THE COURT Memorandum Disclosing Adverse Interest [CCP § 751.07] The following persons are said to claim an interest in, or lien upon, said property adverse to Plaintiff: 1. PG&E, 245 Market Street, N10A, Room 1015, P.O. Box 770000, San Francisco, CA 94177; 2. City and County of San Francisco, Office of the City Attorney, Room 234, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102, 3. Trans Bay Cable LLC, One Letterman Drive, C5-100, San Francisco, CA 94129; 4. San Francisco Port Authority, Pier 1, The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111; 5. California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the San Francisco Bay Region, 1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400, Oakland, CA 94612; 6. NRG Potrero LLC, c/o GenOn, 1360 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2000, Houston TX 77056 SUMMONS_revised041619.indd 1

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554786

to Be.” The show matched transgender youth with successful transgender individuals as mentors.

Her TED talk has been viewed more than 3 million times and has been translated into 32 languages, according to the TED website.

“It was a powerful moment. It changed my life. It freed me because for so long I had always been myself, but I couldn’t really fully be myself ... not fully living my most authentic self,” she said. t

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038613800

4/16/19 12:56 PM

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SUGA STUDIO, 499 ALABAMA ST #112, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NOBUTO SUGA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 02/25/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/16/19.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038596100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BONDED BEGINNINGS, 20 QUARTZ WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed EMILY GOVERNALE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/05/19.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038615200

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038620400

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038618200

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038602200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHOUADRA FOUED, 1208 CONNECTICUT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107.

This business is conducted by an individual and is signed FOUED CHOUADRA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/16/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: A.G.WELLNESS & CO., 126 TERRA VISTA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANGIE WANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/18/19.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/18/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EL PARCE CAFE, 517 O’FARRELL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MAURICIO BEJARANO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/17/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/17/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE MAGIC OVEN, 214 SHRADER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOYCE LAGOS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/10/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/10/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038618500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TAX & ACCOUNTING SERVICES, 474-A 28TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JENNIE T. DIEP. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/17/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/17/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038611200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JGKSF CONSULTING, 153 ALPINE TERRACE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JO ELLEN GREEN KAISER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038611800

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TRULLLA SOFTWARE, 875 VERMONT ST #101, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SLAWOMIR LIGUS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/19.

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Legals >>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 17

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038592100

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038627500

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038611700

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038626100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: A F SEWING CO., 245 SOUTH VAN NESS AVE #302, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed QI FEI LI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/03/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MG HAIR AND BEAUTY SALON, 2772 SAN BRUNO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed XIAOMEI PENG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038609200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: URBAN FLEUR, 660 4TH ST # 525, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JANE DAVID. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038604300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LCR CONSTRUCTION, 29 FAIRLAWN AVE, DALY CITY, CA 94015. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LUCIANO DA CONCEICAO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/24/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/24/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LOVE IS IN THE HAIR, 1163 BUSH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELIAS LOPEZ SOTO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/22/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/23/19.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038624300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PRESENCE, 1600 BRYANT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JULIE PHAM. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/19.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038625000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE WOODS, 910 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SANDRA CHU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/11/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GLIDE INSURANCE SERVICES, 1049 MARKET ST #602, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GLIDE LABS, INC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/23/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038600600

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038626400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VISUAL PRESENTATION, 301 8TH ST #210, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed JEANNE HANGAUER & TAINA KISSINGER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/31/99. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/09/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038617400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FINESSE PAINTING INC., 601 VAN NESS AVE #E610, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed FINESSE PAINTING INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/17/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/17/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038590400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EL TESORO TAQUERIA AND GRILL, 710 POST ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed FAJITA EXPRESS INC (CA).

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/18/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/02/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038588800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MASON DINER, 320 MASON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed KI YOUNG CHUNG & SARAH CHUNG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/01/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038609500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SASA BEAUTY, 1112 TARAVAL ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SA & G LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038609100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CHIC CHICK SIAMESE EATERY, 2550 GEARY BLVD # 306, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed MITT SINTH LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/12/19.

The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/12/19.

APR 25, MAY 02, 09, 16, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554789

In the matter of the application of: AARON EUGENE BALDWIN, 183 EUREKA ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner AARON EUGENE BALDWIN, is requesting that the name AARON EUGENE BALDWIN, be changed to AARON FURTADO BALDWIN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 11th of June 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038631100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DALY CITY FALCONS BASKETBALL CLUB, 207 SKYLINE BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HIEN TRAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/29/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/29/19.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038629900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AWAKENED SELF, 109 STONECREST DR, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SANTIAGO ROCHA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/26/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/26/19.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GREENFORCE PATROLS, 2031 UNION ST #6, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GREENFORCE SECURITY INTERNATIONAL GGGG YY PPP LTD, LLC (NM). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/24/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/24/19.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-037833500

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: DALY CITY FALCONS BASKETBALL CLUB, 207 SKYLINE BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business was conducted by a general partnership and signed by HIEN TRAN & JUNES AUBE VALDEMORO. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/08/17.

MAY 02, 09, 16, 23, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038638200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TIMOTHY MOUSE HOUSE, 601 DIAMOND ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed KAREN MARGARET BURYN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/02/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038639000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OASIS LAW GROUP, 100 PINE ST #1250, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111.

This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHELSEA M. WANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/03/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/03/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038635600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VELOCETI, 746 11TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROBERT JON MOON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/01/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038630700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BALL BUSINESS CONSULTING, 124 KIRKWOOD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DONTAYE BALL. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/29/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/29/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038633200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: FLYNN PTA, 3125 CESAR CHAVEZ ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed PTA CALIFORNIA CONGRESS LEONARD FLYNN ELEMENTARY PTA (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/30/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038637000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: A GENTLE REST, 3019 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed A GENTLE REST VETERINARY CORPORATION PC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/02/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038634800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BULGARA, 279 COLUMBUS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed BULGARA GROUP LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/01/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038603200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PINPOINT LOCAL, 2443 FILLMORE ST #380-6582, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TOUCH A STAR, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/10/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019

SUMMONS SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO, 400 MCALLISTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102 NOTICE TO RESPONDENT: MARY LOUISE CABALLERO, YOU ARE BEING SUED BY PETITIONER: JOSE DAVID ESQUIVIAS CASE NO. FDI-19-791213

Notice!

You have been sued. Read the information below. You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a response (form FL-120) at the court and have a copy served on the petitioner. A letter or phone call, or court appearance will not protect you. If you do not file your Response on time, the court may make orders affecting your marriage or domestic partnership, your property, and custody of your children.

You may be ordered to pay support and attorney fees and costs. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program.

You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self-Help Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association.

NOTICE – RESTRAINING ORDERS FOLLOW BELOW: These restraining orders are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further orders.

They are enforceable anywhere in California by any law enforcement officer who has received or seen a copy of them.

FEE WAIVER: If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the clerk for a fee waiver form. The court may order you to pay back all or part of the fees and costs that the court waived for you or the other party.

The name and address of the court is: Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Francisco, 400 McAllister St. San Francisco, CA 94102.

The name, address and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney is: JOSE DAVID ESQUIVIAS, 1450 THOMAS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124 (415) 724-6448, Date: FEB 22, 2019 Clerk of The Court, Dennis Toyama, Deputy.

STANDARD FAMILY LAW RESTRAINING ORDERS: Starting immediately, you and your spouse or domestic partner are restrained from: 1. Removing the minor child or children of the parties, if any, from the state without the prior written consent of the other party or an order of the court; 2. Cashing borrowing against, canceling, transferring, disposing of, or changing the beneficiaries of any insurance or other coverage, including life, health, automobile, and disability, held for the benefit of the parties and their minor child or children; 3. Transferring, encumbering, hypothecating, concealing, or in any way disposing of any property, real or personal, whether community, quasi-community, or separate, without the written consent of the other party or an order of the court, except in the usual course of business or for the necessities of life; and 4. Creating a nonprobate transfer or modifying a nonprobate transfer in the manner that affects the disposition of property subject to the transfer, without the written consent of the other party or an order of the court. Before revocation of a nonprobate transfer can take effect or a right of survivorship to property can be eliminated, notice of the change must be filed and served on the other party.

You must notify each other of any proposed extraordinary expenditures at least five business days prior to incurring these extraordinary expenditures and account to the court for all extraordinary expenditures made after these restraining orders are effective. However, you may use community property, quasi-community property, or your own separate property to pay an attorney to help you or to pay court costs.

WARNING – IMPORTANT INFORMATION California law provides that, for purposes of division of property upon dissolution of a marriage or domestic partnership or upon legal separation, property acquired by the parties during marriage or domestic partnership in joint form is presumed to be community property. If either party to this action should die before the jointly held community property is divided, the language in the deed that characterizes how title is held (i.e. joint tenancy, tenants in common, or community property) will be controlling, and not the community property presumption. You should consult your attorney if you want the community property presumption to be written into the recorded title to the property.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554812

In the matter of the application of: TRUNG HIEN LE, 1356 THOMAS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner TRUNG HIEN LE, is requesting that the name TRUNG HIEN LE, be changed to HIEN TRUNG LE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 20th of June 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038634400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MARI HAIR, 1538 PACIFIC AVE #113, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARICRUZ ZAMORA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/01/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038615000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PAYO’S KITCHEN, 548 MARKET ST #15585, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed FARIMA SAFDARI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/16/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/16/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038624100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OXBRIDGE, 2115 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed POLYAK PRECIOUS METALS, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/22/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038612200

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038632500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BOBS ON BAKER STREET, 601 BAKER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability partnership, and is signed BOB’S LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/15/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/15/19.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CORONA HEIGHTS MARKET & DELI, 4400 17TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ROSSETE SABA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/30/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038559900

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038634300

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: A GENTLE REST, 3450 17TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by a limited liability partnership and signed by A GENTLE REST VETERINARY CORPORATION PC (CA).

The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 03/14/19.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038079600

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: 3201 OCTAVIA ST APTS, 3201 OCTAVIA ST #102, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business was conducted by a corporation and signed by INTER-COUNTIES REALTY CO INC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/03/18.

MAY 09, 16, 23, 30, 2019 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF DAVID LORENZ IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-19-302783

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of DAVID LORENZ. A Petition for Probate has been filed by LENKA LORENZ in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that LENKA LORENZ be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: June 05, 2019, 9:00 am, Rm. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: MILLA L. LVOVICH 225589, LVOVICH & SZUCSKO, P.C., 50 OSGOOD PL #500, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133; Ph. (415) 392-2560.

MAY 16, 23, 30, 2019 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF FORTUNATA L. OLIVA IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-19-302835

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of FORTUNATA L. OLIVA. A Petition for Probate has been filed by VIRGINIA OLIVA THOMPSON in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.

The Petition for Probate requests that VIRGINIA OLIVA THOMPSON be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests the decedent’s will and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The will and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: June 03, 2019, 9:00 am, Rm. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: STEPHEN J. BROOKS 122764, 2001 UNION ST #300, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123; Ph. (415) 434-3323.

MAY 16, 23, 30, 2019 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-19-554835

In the matter of the application of: CAMILA SUSANA FABERSUNNE, 1419 PALOU AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner CAMILA SUSANA CRIBB FABERSUNNE, is requesting that the name CAMILA SUSANA CRIBB FABERSUNNE, be changed to CAMILA SUSANA CRIBB FABERSUNNE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Room 514 on the 25th of June 2019 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PERFECT SHAPES MAID SERVICE; PERFECTLY TOUCHED CLEANING SERVICE, 1706 OAKDALE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELISHA WOOTEN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/01/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038633700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 148 PRINT, 1275 FAIRFAX AVE #203B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICARDO S. CRUZ JR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/30/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/30/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038625900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SULLIVAN & SONS, 1067 TENNESSEE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALISON R, SULLIVAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/23/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/23/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038640400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NKG CREATIVE INSIGHTS, 274A 29TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed NATALIE GUNN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/06/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038646200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: IZAKAYA MAYUMI, 2221 CLEMENT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed IZAKAYA MAYUMI, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/08/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/08/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038625300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: POPPY’S PETALWORKS, 2860 LAGUNA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed POPPY’S PETALWORKS, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/04/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/23/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038638100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO CANNABIS COMPANY; CANNABIS COMPANY OF SAN FRANCISCO; ENTOURAGE EFFECT, 2130 OAKDALE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed TOP HORTICULTURAL CONCEPT (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/02/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038618000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MONEY EXPRESS CENTER, 4601 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed ROBERT AVELLAN & YADIRA D. ESCOBER PACHECO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 03/11/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/17/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-038637200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: VELA CAPITAL GROUP, 43 ELLERT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CRV VENTURES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 05/02/19.

MAY 16, 23, 30 JUNE 06, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038357700

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: REGENT THAI RESTAURANT, 1700 CHURCH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business was conducted by a corporation and signed by REGENT THAI INC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/15/18.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-038366700 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: POPPY’S PETALWORKS, 2860 LAGUNA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94123. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by LAURA H. AUYEUNG. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/22/18.

MAY 16, 23, 30, JUNE 06, 2019

22

Book passage

22

23

23

Other lovers

Giant steps

Family affair

Vol. 49 • No. 20 • May 16-22, 2019

Erik Tomasson

www.ebar.com/arts

Love, Dmitri

by Paul Parish

W

hen the glorious dancers of San Francisco Ballet, the pride of our city, ended their season at the Opera House with a brilliant run of “Shostakovich Trilogy,” a three-act abstract ballet by the former director of the Bolshoi Ballet, Alexei Ratmansky, they presented a political spectacle of almost imponderable depth.

See page 24 >>

San Francisco Ballet dancers in choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s “Symphony #9.”

Jack O’Connell in director Ed Zwick’s “Trial by Fire.”

Whose paradise?

Travesty of justice

by David Lamble

by Sura Wood

T

he legacy of European colonialism, its damage to indigenous populations in the Caribbean, and its lingering wounds and influence inform “Coffee, Rhum, Sugar & Gold: A Postcolonial Paradox,” a new exhibition with an original premise.

See page 23 >>

A

diabolical miscarriage of justice lies at the heart of the explosive Texas-set melodrama “Trial by Fire” from director Edward Zwick, fueled by deft performances from veteran Laura Dern and studly Jack O’Connell. The film, which opens Friday, screened at this year’s SF International Film Festival. O’Connell is Oscar-worthy as Cameron Todd Willingham, a man with a violent reputation who spent much of the 1990s in a Texas death-row cellblock, falsely accused of the arson murder of his three kids.

See page 24 >>

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

Steve Dietl, courtesy of Roadhouse Attractions

Courtesy of the artist & Jenkins Johnson Gallery, SF & NY

Lavar Munroe, “Spy Boy” (2018), acrylic and earring stud on untrimmed canvas.

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<< Out There

20 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

Hello, Healdsburg!

StevenUnderhill PHOTOGRAPHY

Courtesy H2Hotel

Spoonbar in the H2Hotel in Healdsburg, CA.

by Roberto Friedman

W

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StevenUnderhill.com StevenUnderhillPhotos@gmail.com

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e heard Healdsburg calling us. That’s the charming Sonoma County small town stocked full with wineries, luxurious accommodations and destination bars and restaurants. The town bureau invited us up there for an overnight stay.

Lunch the first day was a cooking demo and interactive experience at cooking school Relish Culinary Adventures with Relish founder Donna del Ray. The fare included crostini with glazed beets, chevre & herbs; a spring green salad; roast chicken with herb pistou; faro with kale, mushrooms and cheese; honey-roasted carrots with fennel pollen; and almond cake with strawberry-rhubarb sauce for dessert.

Del Ray made a point of ensuring that we all washed our hands, not just before food prep, but during it, anytime we touched our hair or face, a good reminder. As sous chefs, we learned how to sauté mushrooms so they don’t become gloppy, how to chop snap peas on the diagonal, and the secret of “airplane chicken.”

Winemaker Chris Pittenger of Gros Ventre Cellars joined us, sharing samples of his creations, in-

t

a typology we barely knew existed that makes for first-rate collectible art. It was a convivial meal of good food, wine and company, a true Healdsburg evening.

We stayed overnight at the Grape Leaf Inn, a quiet B&B where all the rooms are named after wine varietals. We were given the room called Sangiovese, a fiery red Italian grape that blends well. Accommodations included a firm bed, gas-jet fireplace, and hearty breakfast the next day.

We took a “Gentle Yoga” class at Yoga on Center in the morning, led by teacher Katina Knapp, who was patient and kind with our clumsiness. Then we capped off the jaunt to Healdsburg with a tasting at Wilson Winery in Dry Creek Valley, all estate-grown reds like Zins and Syrah. The vino and a lunch of sandwiches from Oakville Grocery on the patio overlooking the vineyards put us in a mellow mood for the drive back to the city and the press deadline awaiting us.t

cluding a Gros Ventre Rose that was a blend of Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Valdiguie, an old-world grape grafted onto new-world vines, quite yummy.

That evening, one of our dinner companions asked us, “You’re glowing! Did you have a treatment?”

Info: relishculinary.com, “Well, no, but we did have a masgrosventrecellars.com, sage,” we admitted, and the dinner hotelhealdsburg.com, h2hotel.com, table erupted in knowbarndiva.com, grapeleafinn.com, ing laughter. “It was yogaoncenter.com, wilsonwinery. com, oakvillegrocery.com. excellent, and our standards are very high.” The “Signature Massage” from Tony, a polite yet firm young masseur at the Spa Hotel Healdsburg, was superb. Out There enjoyed a Jacuzzi beforehand.

Afterwards, we went to happy hour at Spoonbar in the nearby H2Hotel and sampled good Sonoma Pinot Noir. The big, open windows; the fountain of water cascading down a sculpture of espresso spoons; the mellow vibe: this is a favorite place of ours.

Our dinner destination Barndiva sprawls across two Courtesy Hotel Healdsburg vintage buildings and gardens, and the décor includes sliding The Spa Hotel Healdsburg, entrance. drawers and walls full of English illustrated cigarette cards,

Theater activism

by Jim Piechota

A Body in the O by Tim Miller; University of Wisconsin Press, $19.95

I

n June 1990, major art grants for four performance artists from the National Endowment for the Arts were vetoed, due to the controversial content of the artists’ work, by chairman John Frohnmayer, an official appointed by George H.W. Bush. The politically motivated ruling incited an uprising and was soon followed by Congressional action and a Supreme Court decision in which all four artists were granted their fellowships, setting a precedent in the American arts community for future endowments.

Tim Miller was one of those artists, along with Karen Finley, John Fleck, and Holly Hughes. In his latest collection of essays and performance pieces, he demonstrates a well-honed sense of humor, a passion for queer history, and the kind of melodrama only a true performance artist can exude.

The book’s introduction features glowing accolades from longtime friend Craig Gingrich-Philbrook, a writer, performer, and communication studies professor at Southern Illinois University. He considers Miller his “performance big brother,” and writes that while

both he and Tim survived the HIV/ AIDS plague, which he considers “not over, just more deeply monetized,” their representations of that poignant era live on through performance art and nods to artistic communities that managed to thrive despite dark clouds of death, homophobia, and inequality.

Gingrich-Philbrook acknowledges the turn Miller’s art has taken. He has taken on the role of mentor and guide for generations of queer (and otherwise) students eager to hone their interpretive talents and artistic skills.

The book starts out with its title piece, in which Miller describes how

he was photographed hoisting himself into the “O” letter of the Hollywood sign in 1984 wearing “hot pants and a crop top.” It’s a pivotal moment in the artist’s life and paves the way for future works by him and other theater performer “first responders” who “creatively spelunk into the messy stew of the injustices that surround them and step in to confront a new crisis that threatens their communities.”

Miller was inspired by feminist activism and the gay rights movement as the AIDS epidemic became integral to homosexual life. His experiences with social justice, civil rights, and marriage equality, and his battle with the NEA to restore his theater fellowship, are thoughtfully reanimated here. Pages of photographs complement the text, illustrating the evolution of Miller’s queer life in the arts, his travels, and stories that are entertaining and relevant.

There are also scripts from performance works, including 2009’s “Lay of the Land,” about the fallout from the Proposition 8 decision; and “Rooted” (2016), which reflects on the challenges Miller faced attempting to ground himself. Readers familiar with Miller’s legacy will find this slim treasury a wonder; those not familiar with his electric artistry will find themselves seeking out his work.t

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<< Theatre

22 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

Bible thumper

by Jim Gladstone

M

iriam, the sharp-witted atheist academic played by Annette O’Toole in “The Good Book” now at Berkeley Rep, is the kind of professor whose bravura makes a lecture hall come alive: passionate, funny, insightful, provocative. She’s the teacher whose class would be worth taking regardless of the subject, someone who can make Russian history or modern architecture or Victorian textiles become a lens through which the whole world can be seen afresh.

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“The Good Book,” by Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson, has a lively mix of content worthy of such an engaged delivery: facts, hypotheses, anecdotes, jokes and challenging questions. The subject is the Bible, Old Testament and New, which happens to be a lens through which many already see the world (and a topic many others would normally be inclined to steer clear of). While Miriam’s lectures on the origins and history of the Bible don’t make up the bulk of the “The Good Book,” they establish an overarching tone for the evening.

Things move swiftly and build in collage. Brief didactic passages are thoughtfully layered with snippets of Miriam’s personal life; the story of Connor (Keith Nobbs), a young gay man who grew up in thrall of Catholicism; Bible scenes; and scenes of Bible scenes being written. Or, as Miriam would insist, “Not written. Assembled!”

Among the major tenets O’Hare and Peterson share via Miriam is the notion that the Bible is by no means the word of God, or of any single author. Instead, they argue, it is a collage, a gathering of chron-

icles, imaginings and opinions that came together over hundreds of years. It’s a still-evolving, perpetually changing work.

That transfixing unfixedness is reflected in Rachel Hauck’s flexible canvas of a set and Alexander V. Nichols’ handsome projections, which elegantly move the audience across continents and centuries. And it’s embodied by the shape-shifting five-actor ensemble that complements O’Toole and Nobbs, nimbly moving among dozens of roles from medieval monks to wandering Jews to a journalist from The New Yorker. Nobbs’ performance as Connor is remarkable.

While we meet the character in his 20s, we spend most of our time with him as a youngster.

Through rapid diction and subtly awkward postures, Nobbs gives us an utterly believable tween believer without a single comedic overstep.

Alessandra Mello/Berkeley Repertory Theatre Though the playwrights and Annette O’Toole (Miriam) in Berkeley their protagonists don’t believe Rep’s production of “The Good Book,” in Creation, they’re smitten with directed by Lisa Peterson. creative process. “The Good Book” argues for an appreciation

t

of the Bible as one of humankind’s greatest collaborative artworks. Many non-religious theatergoers will consider this a fresh and even generous perspective. Religiously observant audience members may feel unaddressed, though; for all its vivacious, Stoppard-worthy intellect, the play largely sticks to the literary Bible, sidestepping substantial engagement with the notion of religious faith.

When Miriam and her partner of many years break up after he admits, as if it’s a crime, that he believes in a higher power, we see the pain and confusion of her personal loss, but no prospect of subsequent spiritual awakening. That said, “The Good Book” is fundamentally not for Fundamentalists. It’s an evening of whiz-bang Bible study for the curious heathen.t The Good Book, through June 9. Berkeley Rep, 2025 Addison St., Berkeley.

Tickets ($22.50-$97): (510) 647-2949, www.berkeleyrep.org.

Poor baby

by Jim Gladstone

T

he title of “Significant Other,” playwright Joshua Harmon’s curdled romantic comedy now in its local premiere at the San Francisco Playhouse, refers not to one of the play’s many soon-to-be-spouses but to Jordan Berman (Kyle Cameron), a self-absorbed and un-self-helpful gay 29-year-old who whines and withers as, one by one, his trio of

longtime gal pals find boyfriends and get married. Harmon asks us to empathize with Jordan as an outsider, an odd man out, an Other. But Jordan lives in a significantly different reality from most of us.

Ostensibly set in the present (and in New York, not a high school) “Significant Other” wants audiences to embrace an out gay man who apparently has no gay male friends, no lesbian friends, no straight male

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friends, and has never had any friend with a spouse or serious partner. Jordan also seems oblivious to the existence of Tinder, Grindr and similar mating aids.

Once ditzy Kiki (Hayley Lovgren), cynical Vanessa (NicoleAzalee Danielle) and kindhearted Laura (Ruibo Qian, who outdoes the script with a stand-out, threedimensional performance) are betrothed, Jordan will be bereft. Long before the climactic, inexcusably operatic hissy fit in which Jordan snips at Laura: “Your wedding is my funeral!” I’d come to think of the show as “Three Weddings and a Pity Party.”

When Jordan stands at the edge of the floor watching each of his amigas take her first dance as a married woman, Cameron’s wide, wet eyes and shifting facial expressions perfectly convey a wistful mixture of admiration and aspiration recognizable to anyone who has ever been single at a wedding, regardless of sexual orientation. But the universality of these moments doesn’t spring forth from the character’s specificities, it overrides them. We feel these emotions as our own more than Jordan’s, because he’s as unlikeable as he is unbelievable.

In one early scene, Jordan tells his girlfriends that he’s obsessed with a new co-worker at his ad agency, Will (August Browning, who plays multiple roles). In response to their inquiries about his object of affection, Jordan can only objectify. He languorously describes Will’s physique in minute detail (he has obsessively scrutinized him at a pool party, but has never had a conversation with

him). Later, still not having spoken with Will, Jordan explains that he’s been fantasizing about him while masturbating, and is pretty sure that he’s falling in love. If this guy got married, he’d be a child bride.

Interspersed with Jordan’s bumbled attempts at pairing up (Greg Ayers plays two of his dates quite charmingly), and his attendance at an endless series of girlfriends’ showers, bachelorette parties and weddings, are visits and phone calls with his grandmother, Helene (Joy Carlin). Their melancholy, indirect conversations about loneliness have a credible texture largely missing elsewhere in “Significant Other,” but the elderly widow’s emotional aches make the young man’s moping feel all the more trivial.

While there are a handful of laugh-out-loud zingers and touching turns of phrase in “Significant Other,” there are also Valley Girl gags and mawkish moments. Harmon is capable of far stronger writing, in both dialogue and dramatic structure. His “Skintight” is a devilishly clever take on family dynamics, gay relationships and intergenerational friction (Idina Menzel will play in a Los Angeles production this fall), and his “Bad Jews” and “Admissions” have been widely praised.

Director Lauren English and her entire cast all do decent work here, but the material they’re working with is flimsy. Insignificant, even. t Significant Other, through June 15. San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St., SF. Tickets ($25-$100): (415) 6779596, www.sfplayhouse.org.

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Best friends Laura (Ruibo Qian) and Jordan (Kyle Cameron) share a moment and joke about getting married in “Significant Other.”

t

TV>>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 23

Being LGBTQ in a traditional context

by Brian Bromberger

T

here has been societal acceptance of LGBTQ people in the last decade, but the process of coming out can still be stressful if one comes from a traditional family background. “All in My Family,” a new documentary from Netflix, began airing on May 3 and is continually available for streaming.

It deals with a culture, mainland China, not often examined in an LGBTQ context. Writer-director Hao Wu was raised there, and he films his trips to visit his extended family, most of whom don’t know he is gay. “All in My Family” seems to be a coming out story, but it is more the tale of a collision between Western and Eastern expectations and values.

Wu grew up knowing he was gay, having found a textbook that labeled homosexuality a mental illness. But he was also the only son from a socially conservative family, so was expected to excel at school, land a prosperous job, marry a

woman, and produce children.

But Wu was a born rebel. In a society prizing conformity, he found it exhilarating to be different. At 20, he escaped to the U.S. to be who he wanted to be. But he says, “A son in a Chinese family can never run away from his past or his parents.”

He meets a younger ChineseAmerican partner, Eric. They parent two children conceived through surrogate, non-Asian mothers.

Eventually Wu comes out to his

sister in a letter and tells his parents he is gay, but neither is supportive.

Though loving, they are controlling, screaming at each other and their children. The film’s title is probably a tongue-in-cheek reference to the landmark 1970s TV show “All in the Family,” about the bigot Archie Bunker, at war with the tolerant world around him, especially his own family.

Wu’s domineering mother is brutally honest and headstrong to

the point of bullying. Because she loves him, she reluctantly forgives him for being gay (though it takes her three years) but doesn’t want to shame the family by revealing his truth to them, especially her father. Grandpa scolds Wu to settle down, find a wife, and give him grandkids. His mother considers Wu and Eric having surrogate kids as abnormal, worries the two won’t stay together to raise the children, and pities the children because they lack the love of a mother. “In China, love means worrying” and figuring out how to allay those worries, according to Wu. Wu, Eric, and their two children return to China for a New Year’s celebration. Wu misses his family, “no matter how nutty and noisy they are.” He wants to come out to Grandpa. He struggles with feelings of fear and exasperation with his mother, who still refers to Eric as Wu’s friend. Despite Wu’s professional success, he still grapples with his identity through the prism of his family’s “acceptance.” As he

observes, “When you’re young, you think truth is most important, but as you get older, other things become important, like people’s feelings.”

Wu tries to balance the complexities of being a parent, questioning how much he can compromise for his overbearing family. The audience will empathize with Wu’s vulnerability, but might not agree with how he resolves his dilemma.

At 40 minutes, this is one of those films you wish were longer. Wu’s husband Eric plays a very small role.

We learn little about how they met, or his feelings about Wu’s family.

He says to Wu that he’s just like his mother: short-tempered, refuses to admit his shortcomings, but has a big heart. Still, the film’s refreshingly honest approach to family, and candid struggles of how to integrate two different worldviews, make it easy to recommend. The last shot is a photograph of the entire family (traditional and very modern) posing together, which unwittingly reveals the shaky status of LGBTQ people.t

Divo behavior

by David Lamble

“T

he White Crow,” now playing at Bay Area Landmark cinemas, is a beautifully mounted biography of a fascinating figure in the dance world. Decades after his death from complications related to AIDS, Rudolf Nureyev (1938-93) continues to stir hearts with his athletic ballet performances, but also with his controversial personal life: a gay man performing in a Soviet police state where many were exiled to the frozen tundra for less provocative behavior.

Director Ralph Fiennes, working from a screenplay by award-winning playwright David Hare, focus-

<<

MoAD

From page 18

Now at the Museum of the African Diaspora, it features the work of 10 contemporary artists connected or native to the region, hailing from the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico.

To varying degrees and in overt or subtle ways they aim the sharp end of the spear at a pernicious power structure and the relationship between those who benefited from an oppressive and grossly unfair system, and those who sought liberation from exploitation and slav-

es his Nureyev tale on the dancer’s headline-grabbing defection to the West after Soviet authorities threatened to punish him for consorting with Western intellectuals.

The film’s climatic scenes, depicting Nureyev’s dramatic defection in Paris, are deeply moving and will land the movie a spot on many 2019 Best Picture lists. For LGBTQ audiences, “The White Crow” (Russian slang for a nonconformist) presents challenges. The film has already stirred up a fuss on IMDB for supposedly “straight-washing” the life of this ultimate queer rebel.

It’s a problem I believe offset by a marvelous performance from newcomer Oleg Ivenko as the moody

24-year-old ballet divo approaching the peak of his artistic powers.

The film fully resonates in a harrowing third act where Nureyev has to plead with French authorities at the Paris airport to prevent a Russian security force from abducting him back to the Soviet Union, to a most uncertain fate. Rated R for sexuality, graphic nudity & language. Shot in RusSony Pictures Classics sia, Serbia, Germany & France, in Russian, French Oleg Ivenko dances as Rudolf Nureyev in director Ralph Fiennes’ “The White Crow.” & English, with English subtitles.t

ery whose corrosive effects can still be felt today. Although the show’s title alludes to the desirable commodities exported from the area, its real subject is deeper: the pervasive abuse of power. Outrage at violation and fundamental injustice powers many of the exhibition’s artworks, which are as eclectic as their makers.

Among this critic’s laments is that there aren’t more of them, or additional historical context pertaining to individual pieces, which would’ve enriched the experience for visitors.

Andrea Chung’s evocative twopart installation “Proverbs 12:22” (2019) speaks softly and carries a

big stick. Chung cooked sugar until it achieved a hard, glassy texture and a shiny glaze – think of crème brulee or fossils preserved in amber.

She then applied the concoction, along with tiny beads, rice, herbs and spices, to the covers of paper books in assorted sizes, mini gavels, and a stained page of sheet music.

The colors range from ruby red and shades of brown to black, the latter achieved by cooking the sugar until it burnt. The project explores the uses and misuses of the Bible, especially during the dark days of slavery, where it could be a tool of oppression or hope, depending on

Collection of Alyssa & Gregory Shannon, Houston, TX

Firelei Báez, “How to slip out of your body quietly” (2018), acrylic and oil on paper.

who was proffering it. Slave masters notoriously handed out edited copies of the good book, the only version slaves were allowed to possess, that expurgated sections condemning the pernicious slave trade.

One thinks of the Bahamas as a playground for the rich, but Nassau-born artist Lavar Munroe spent his formative years in a rough, impoverished neighborhood, far from the eyes of tourists and affluent residents. Ergo, his tense, visceral, multimedia works, which mine the African Diaspora and disparities between the privileged and the marginalized. Several prime examples are sculptures from the artist’s “Gun Dogs” series. Five energetic members of the pack, on hand at the show, bare their teeth and assume menacing postures; one has a studded, black leather choke collar, while another lunges forward with its jaws agape. The beasts are made out of found materials such as cardboard, deconstructed Junkanoo (Bahamian carnival) costumes, rubber gloves, discarded shoes, toys and colorful miniature tennis balls that serve as eyes; a gold-studded red tongue that hangs out of the mouth of one tough customer looks to be an insole salvaged from a pair of sneakers. Wrapped as if bandaged, these freakish creatures are like devil dogs raised from the dead, but their horrific aspects are drawn from all-too-real, traumatic associations with slave hunters and the snarling attack dogs that police let loose on civil rights demonstrators. “The black mind and body have endured extreme trauma in relation to these animals,” notes Munroe.

Several pieces, like Phillip Thomas’ large-scale triptych “Pimper’s

Paradise, the Terra Nova nights Edition,” ask: Whose paradise is this, anyway? The canvas, bookended on either side by mirror images of nattily dressed men, illustrates how fashion functions as a tool of racial discrimination, class distinction, status and upward mobility for the select few. Mingling with a flowery 19th-century wallpaper background depicting period light fixtures reminiscent of sugar plantation gentry, smoke-filled club rooms and whitemen-only preserves, are silhouettes of golfers and others engaged in leisure pastimes. The longer you look, the more details you detect.

“How to slip out of your body quietly,” a surreal, “island of the mind” painting from Dominican artist Firelei Baez, also questions notions of paradise and luxuries enjoyed by the wealthy that come at the expense of an invisible, low-paid workforce of color. Here she presents a tropical vision of palm trees swaying in the trade winds (so far, so good), but beneath them are the furry hips of ostriches and the bare legs and feet of what appears to be a black-and-brown chorus line a long way from the Copacabana.

For “Veranda (Sca02),” Angel Otero appropriated twisted wrought-iron gates from his native Puerto Rico that he forged into a pair of irregular cylindrical forms, plugging their latticework with chunks of glazed porcelain. Poetically addressing the faded grandeur of architecture descended from an archaic ruling class, his work imparts that, even in the face of cruelty, suffering and degradation, beauty finds a way.t Through Aug. 11. moadsf.org.

<< Dance

24 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

<<

SF Ballet

From page 18

The piece would repay attention if you’d seen every show in the run, which ended on Mother’s Day. It’s worth remembering it was Nureyev’s mother whom the Soviets threatened when they wanted to torment the great defector who “leaped to freedom” in 1961 and first made celebrities out of ballet dancers in this country. Nureyev was as big as Mick Jagger, and he is still news: the Nureyev bio-pic “White Crow,” directed by Ralph Fiennes, has just come out, and a ballet about Nureyev choreographed by SFB’s own Yuri Possokhov made headlines in Moscow this year amidst huge controversy.

No question, “Shostakovitch Trilogy” is a work of monumental importance. It’s a very strange work, a black comedy in the two outer movements, and a poignant dance of infinite sadness in the central movement. There would not be room to plumb the burden of meaning here, even if there were not a rough mix of American and Russian idioms: Soviet ballet was the official idiom, Bolshoi rhetoric is bombastic and huge, and for Ratmansky to try to compose like Balanchine or Robbins in an idiom that belongs to the democratic American world cannot be expected.

The whole evening is a dark comedy, three symphonic works by the superstar Soviet composer set as pure-dance ballets on the model of Balanchine’s “Jewels,” with the most poignant one, “Chamber

<<

Trial by Fire

From page 18

Zwick’s story, based on a New Yorker article by David Grann, pivots on the malicious suppression of scientific evidence and expert testimony that supported Willingham’s claims of innocence. Laura Dern plays the

t

in a dinner jacket, with a wingspan power of his courage and the depths Symphony,” in the center, following you’ll realize that this is not a shalextending from the breastbone to reof his misery. The music is an expansonata form. low commitment. veal greatness of heart: the pecs, the sion of the String Quartet #8, which So the evening shapes up as a The epicenter of the evening, Shostakovitch himself, is Aaron Roshoulders and arms of this dancer many think was a kind of suicide brilliant black comedy that reflects bison, a beautiful dancer barechested are the pre-requisite for opening the note. He finds happiness with the Soviet life. If you were going to three women in his life (danced live, this was what you faced.

The opening “Symphony #9”

by Jahna Frantziskonis, Dores features the smiler with a knife Andre, and Jennifer Stahl), each beneath his cloak (Esteban poignant in their way, but often Hernandez) and the opaque he collapses with his hands cheer of a secretary who’s bewrapped round his head. At traying you to the party bosses the end he’s on the floor while (Sasha de Sola), who enters on the corps de ballet strike a pose a bright note and immediately of exaltation that embodies the starts to pogo on pointe, brilhopes and aspirations of his liantly, and somehow it seems imagination, the only monulike this is the thing to do. ment he can leave behind.

Everyone looks fabulous, since The finale is a brilliant comthis is a ballet, in black velvet edy set to Shostakovitch’s early tights with gleaming metallic Piano Concerto #1 with trumbelts, with stunning moves and pet. Ratmansky’s deployment sleek segues, and moments of of the corps is most powerful as private misery when the prothey mass like statues in a pubtagonists (Mathilde Froustey, lic park, or pile up into images Luke Ingham) don’t know that suggest anti-missile gear whom they can trust and sneak mounted on tanks parading on sideways offstage when they get May Day. There is a beautiful the chance. The ray of hope is double pas de deux, very poiembodied as an insight into gnant, to the almost-Elgar-like whom you can trust, danced to enriched melancholy harmonies of the adagio. The princithe hilt by Hansuke Yamamoto. pals in the double pas de deux You just have to accept it, he’s were Yuan Yuan Tan, dancing like the Lone Ranger. with Tiit Helimets, and Isabella Choreographer Ratmansky deVivo with Vitor Luiz. admits that he had to get his It’s hard to read the tone family out. He doesn’t say of the finale, when the male much to reporters, but when and female roles are reversed: you remember that his sucwomen supporting men. The cessor Sergei Filin had acid very last image has the guys thrown in his face, that both Erik Tomasson caught in beautiful attitudes, of them supported free expresheld in place by the ladies in sion in the arts, and used the San Francisco Ballet dancers Wona Park and Angelo Greco in choreographer the red leotards. I’ve chosen to ballets they commissioned to Alexei Ratmansky’s “Piano Concerto #1.” think it’s hopeful.t expose the crimes of Stalin, condemned man’s pen pal Elizabeth Gilbert, who jumps into the fray in an attempt to overcome the prejudices of Texas’ right-wing law-enforcement establishment. The state leads the nation in executions of death-row inmates. I sat down with director Edward Zwick to discuss how this project made it to the big screen.

David Lamble: You’ve made a powerful film based on events that unfolded in Corsicana, Texas.

Edward Zwick: It was a very depressed place at the time of this trial, a small town not just in its size, but also in its attitudes. This was a real objectification of someone who was not as they wanted him to be.

He was doing some drugs, he was into [heavy-metal band] Metallica, he’d had a couple brushes with the law. When this crime took place, they wanted him out of there. They were willing to give a most cursory glance at the evidence. The jury was out for 45 minutes, and he was on death row.

There was a problem at the heart of the prosecution’s case.

The problem was the junk science of the arson investigators. There was a kind of mythology about arson, all these made-up ways. As Elizabeth Gilbert investigated the case, it was revealed as junk science. The horror of the case is that [then-Gov.] Rick Perry and the state of Texas actually refused to acknowledge science.

This defendant didn’t have Perry Mason on his side to crossexamine witnesses until the truth was revealed.

Look, there is an unequal treatment of anybody in trouble if there’s an issue of race or class. In fact, it’s better to be rich and guilty rather than poor and innocent. He could not afford any kind of real defense, and that’s what happens.

It’s literally a travesty of justice.

There’s a famous quote by [late Supreme Court] Justice [Anthony] Scalia saying, if it can be proven that a person has been unjustly put to death, his name should be shouted from the rooftops. Well, this is that case, and it’s looked at as a singular

case of injustice. Many people have now been exonerated on DNA evidence, but this precedes that time.

What it suggests is how many have been unjustly put to death without DNA evidence.

The heart of “Trial by Fire” is in the performances of Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell, as the passionate advocate and the moody condemned man.

The story was in The New Yorker nine years ago, and it won the Polk Award. I thought the characters of Todd and Elizabeth would serve really well in a drama.

How did you secure Laura Dern?

I produced a movie a long time ago called “I Am Sam,” in which Laura played a small part. Laura has a real political commitment. After reading the script and the article, she just walked into my office and said, “OK.” “Trial by Fire” opens as newly elected California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a moritorium on the death penalty during his term in office.

I don’t think this will come up in the 2020 Democratic Party Presidential debates, but you have a President who [as a private citizen] took out an ad in The New York Times calling for the Central Park Five to be put to death [five minority men who were subsequently exonerated].

So maybe this case will resonate nationally.t

Steve Dietl, Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Laura Dern and director Ed Zwick on the set of “Trial by Fire.”

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<< BARchive

26 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

James C. Left & Right: Grace Miller Papers (Glc 69), Public Library.

Hormel LGBTQIA Center, San Francisco

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photographer unknown; phot o courtesy of Mary Kay Sico la/Katie Gilmartin

Left: Jean Sullivan (l), Joyce Van der Veer (c), and Grace Miller (R) at Tommy’s Place. Middle: Joyce at Tommy’s Place, circa 1953. Right: Grace Miller at Tommy’s Place

The Raid on Tommy’s Place A case of Cold War anti-queer crackdowns

by Michael Flanagan

P

aranoia, red-baiting and homophobia swept across the United States in the early 1950s like a cold fire, and San Francisco was not exempt from its reach. The vile Joseph McCarthy and his venomous toady Roy Cohn engaged the country in the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954, the same year the hysteria broke out here.

On September 8, 1954 the San Francisco Police raided Tommy’s Place for serving underage girls and arrested three people related to the raid. Two, Grace Miller and Joyce van der Veer, were owners of the bar (their names were on the liquor license, which allowed them to be bartenders) and a third, Jesse J. Winston, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors, giving narcotics to minors and possessing narcotics.

The case captured news headlines for months with the San Francisco Chronicle kicking off the coverage with a screaming headline “S. F. TeenAge Girls Tell of ‘Vice Academy’” on September 10. The trials of Miller, van der Veer and Winston captured headlines into 1955 and cast a chill across the gay and lesbian community that arguably lasted for years.

Throughout the trials, articles with titles like “Tommy’s Bar Called Perverts’ Haven” appeared in the press. In a scene reminiscent of Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour, the Chronicle reported on a girl’s testimony on the stand: “A friend (a 17-year-old) said we

should go there because it was ‘gay.’

And what did ‘gay’ mean to you.

‘It meant homosexual, ‘the girl said almost inaudibly.”

Ultimately the trials of the three people arrested delivered quite mixed results. Van der Veer was acquitted on contributing to the delinquency of minors on Dec. 2, which enraged the PTA. PTA groups from around the bay area subsequently went after Tommy’s liquor license after the acquittal (they succeeded – the bar closed by 1955). Jesse Winston was convicted on all four counts and sentenced for one to twenty years in San Quentin.

Miller was convicted of serving beer to minors and sentenced to six months in county jail.

Along with the hysteria related to drugs and homosexuality in the case, it is impossible to avoid the obvious racism in the case. Winston was the sole African-American charged. Throughout the trial papers such as the Chronicle used lines like, “The blue-eyed young witness said she met Winston at the bistro about two years ago.”

Thrill Spot

It’s particularly gratifying that Katie Gilmartin, author of the noir mystery Blackmail, My Love will host a walking tour based on the events surrounding the raid at Tommy’s Place. “Thrill Spot: A Lost Queer History Walking Tour” happens May 19 at 2pm. Gilmartin will also host a talk, “Thrill Spot: The Raid on Tommy’s Place,” at the GLBT Historical Museum on June 13 at 7pm.

Gilmartin, who is writing a work-in-progress based on the raid at Tommy’s, is the perfect person to bring this episode to light. Her Blackmail, My Love was based in 1951 San Francisco. The noir thriller follows a cross-dressing female detective who is investigating the case of her missing brother (who has disappeared into the gay demimonde of San Francisco). That mystery was an engaging romp, which shows real promise for her take on the story of the raid on Tommy’s.

I spoke with Gilmartin about the upcoming walking tour and asked whether it was going to feature Tommy Vasu, the dynamic entrepreneur who gave Tommy’s Place its name.

“This walking tour isn’t going to be about Tommy,” she said. “This particular tour will focus on the experience of one of the bartenders who was arrested, Joyce van de Veer.”

I also asked whether the acquittal of Van de Veer and the six-month sentence of Miller were seen as being a successful defense of the case.

“My sense of things is that six months was an extraordinarily harsh sentence for something that happened routinely all over town,” said Gilmartin, “to the point that there were newspaper articles about how easy it was to get a good-looking fake ID for $7. They weren’t on trial for serving underage girls. They were on trial for being lesbians, really: and one of them went to jail for six months for it.

“Both Joyce and Grace were deeply traumatized by the whole experience in ways that affected them

for life. I’d like to read this story as inspirational, and there are aspects of it that are. But overall that’s not what I come away from it with, much as I’d like to, and much as I went into the research and writing expecting to.”

I further pressed as to whether or not Van de Veer and Miller viewed themselves as being heroic or celebrated for fighting back.

“You are absolutely right that it is extraordinary that Joyce was acquitted,” said Gilmartin. But knowing that in the last few years of her life she still feared that the SF police might track her down — and that she burned photographs fearing that they would incriminate her (she was a photographer, they were precious to her and would be to us, historically) — that makes it hard for me to view the raid and its aftermath as a celebratory event.

“I guess, most of all what makes it not that for me: that neither Joyce nor Grace came to see it that way, to see themselves as heroes. I so wish that they could have. But they simply did not have access to that perspective, in their lifetimes. That frames it for me.”

What makes Gilmartin’s research and her telling of the story so vital is that she interviewed friends of both Miller and Van der Veer. This personal touch obviously informs her work in a way that resonates when she discusses the case.

Sex Panic

The reach of the hysteria that spread across the United States con-

Salacious headlines (clockwise from top left): “Tommy’s Bar Called Pervert’s Haven,” San Francisco Chronicle, Dec. 21, 1954 “Bar Faces Crackdown In Dope Sex Ring,” San Francisco Examiner, Sept 10, 1954 “Schoolgirls Vice, Dope,” San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 9, 1954 “Jury Frees Owner of Sex Thrill Bar,” San Francisco Examiner, Dec. 3, 1954

tinued beyond San Francisco. In 1955, sex panics connected to homosexuality erupted in Boise, Idaho and Sioux City, Iowa. In Idaho, 15 men were convicted and sentenced to terms that ranged from probation to life in prison. In Sioux City, 20 men were arrested and sentenced to a mental institution “until cured.”

The horror from this era has informed several works, including film adaptations of the stage play The Children’s Hour (1961) and Allen Drury’s 1959 novel Advise and Consent.

We are fortunate to have the story of Tommy’s Place in the capable hands of Gilmartin. Both the upcoming walking tour and lecture will shed light on an era of San Francisco history that has too often been forgotten. She is compassionately breathing life into the stories of Grace Miller and Joyce Van der Veer.

They remain true heroes to me, as true heroes are not always successful and do not always survive intact.t The author would like to thank the San Francisco History Center of the San Francisco Public Library for access to the Grace Miller papers.

Thrill Spot: A Lost Queer History Walking Tour. Sunday May 19, 2-4 pm. Meet in Jack Kerouac Alley (behind City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Ave), free.

Thrill Spot: The Raid on Tommy’s Place. Thursday, June 13, 7-8:30 pm GLBT History Museum (4127 18th Street), $5 donation.

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Comedy>>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

Mark Jobe

Ross & Roma on roasts Celebrated Sister gets skewered on Saturday

Left: Ross Matthews Right: Sister Roma

By Jim Provenzano

R

oss Mathews seems like the least likely candidate for a shadethrowing night of comic insults hurled at Sister Roma, but it’s all in fun, and the upbeat series regular on RuPaul’s Drag Race will serve as a tonic to the Jungle Red claw-like insults one can expect at The Roast of Sister Roma, Saturday May 18 at the Castro Theatre.

The last time he was in San Francisco (September 2018), Mathews received a GLAAD Award at the Bay Area edition of the ceremony.

“We also did a live podcast in the Castro. I can’t wait to have my favorite dinner, the roast chicken for two at Zuni Café. I’ll be out and about!”

As MC of the evening, Mathews admits he’s not much of a roaster.

“I could think of nasty things to say, but I would have to call my mother and repent,” he joked in a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

A native of Mount vernon, WA, the 39-year-old comic, author and ebullient TV personality has brought upbeat gay verve to the E! Network, awards broadcasts, Celebrity Big Brother, RuPaul’s Drag Race and numerous other shows since his beginnings as an intern on The Tonight with Jay Leno in 2001. His charming wit and show biz career got a jumpstart when the show gave him short on-the-street segments that wowed fans, building to coverage of movie premieres, Academy Awards red carpet broadcasts, even two Winter Olympic Games.

Although he acknowledges having joined the ranks of gay TV personalities, he lacks the barely veiled closet of his forerunners like Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynde.

Does his presence at drag queenfilled events provide a balance to the shade and eye shadow?

“I would imagine that producers thought of me for that,” said Mathews, who, along with being one of the nicer RuPaul’s Drag Race judges, recently toured Europe with several stars from the show.

“Roasts are hilarious, but insult comedy is not in my tool belt,” said Mathews. “It’ll be just like any holiday with your family; I’m like Aunt Helen, who pacifies everyone.”

Becoming part of the Drag Race world still astonishes Mathews.

“I’ve only recently gotten the impact of it all,” he said, specifically of the European tour. “I was in countries I thought I’d never visit, and at the shows, there’d be 2000 people lined up to see them.”

On a more intimate side to touring, Mathews mentioned sev-

eral smaller U.S. cities where he’s brought his Brunch talk show, including Columbus, Ohio.

“I loved it there. The Short North; they have a really sweet and strong gay community there.”

As to being a celebrated out gay TV host, Mathews said that he’s never had to be in the closet.

“I never felt that need to be closeted. Because I could be open, the innuendo went away. I never had to be snarky. I prefer to ‘kill ‘em with kindness and win in the end,’ but not in a Pollyanna way. I just never learned that need for sarcasm.”

Like sweet tea to his costars’ whiskey sours, Mathews brings a refreshing openness to his gigs, be it writing for Chelsea Lately or co-judging with his good friend Michelle Visage.

“I try to balance out the panel,” he said. “Michelle goes for the jugular, and I put some lube on it.”

Asked if he’s ever considered creating a drag persona of his own, he said, “Maybe one day. I’m not opposed to it. But my role now is as a super-fan. I have always loved going to every drag show that I can. I cash out my $20s so I can tip them. I’ve never claimed to be an expert, but more to serve as support.”

Matthews respects the event’s intended joke target, Sister Roma.

“She’s such an original and a legend,” said Mathews. “You have to show such respect, and I’m honored to even be asked to participate. I take The Sisters’ role in our community seriously. They are heroes and have done so much.”

But that won’t stop him from guiding the volley of good-natured ribbing.

“That’s the whole point of a roast, to have a laugh. For one night, everyone can take the stick out of their ass.”

Roma Roasted Sister Roma says her roast is due, since she’s enjoyed poking fun at other queens at previous events.

“Drag roasts have become so popular,” said Roma in a phone interview. “There’s Bianca Del Rio’s Haters Roast, and Heklina started the local versions of herself, and for Donna Sachet and Peaches Christ.

At first I was apprehensive. I didn’t know if I could do insult comedy.

But then I decided to go all in and have fun.”

As to being the target of the evening’s jokes this time, said Roma, “I feel like it’s my turn.”

Along with co-MCing the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s 40th anniversary Easter Sunday (and its return to Mission Dolores Park last month), 56-year-old Michael Williams celebrates 32 years as Sister

Roma, ‘The Most Photographed Nun In The World™.’

As a community fundraiser, Roma’s tally approaches $1 million raised for local causes. Her activism around the discriminatory Facebook ‘real names’ policy made international headlines. Her work in design for the adult video industry may be the source of some naughty jokes. In that light, Roma also reminds fans that the event is all in fun.

She also hinted about a video segment with a certain ‘D-List’ celebrity.

“Roasts are an opportunity to let loose a guilty belly laugh,” she said. “Sometimes we know we have to laugh at life or we’d cry. I hope people can suspend their sensitive feelings and appreciate some dark humor.”

Right: Sister Roma with the 2019 Hunky Jesus contest winner ‘Forrest Gump Jesus,’ aka Nevin McConnell.

Steven Underhill

Above: L to R: Jessica Wild, Morgan McMichaels, Ross Mathews, Madame LaQueer, Sasha Colby, Savannah Westbrooke at Ross’ Brunch show.

Roma sees a difference between drag roasts and the historic TV shows featuring vintage talents like Dean Martin and Don Rickles.

“The Friars’ Club roasts were really good. Some of them were so funny. But drag queens have been roasting each other since the first person threw on a wig.”

Roma calls her upcoming roasters friends, noting Bob the Drag Queen’s success on RuPaul’s Drag Race, in solo shows, and in stage plays.

“And obviously I’ve known Heklina since 1906, before the earthquake. Jackie Beat and I have a long history, so they’ve all got dirt on me.

They know where the bodies are buried.”t The Roast of Sister Roma at the Castro Theatre with MC Ross Mathews, Heklina, Bob the Drag Queen, Varla Jean Merman, Sherry Vine, and roast mistress Jackie Beat. $20-$100. Saturday, May 18, 7pm. 429 Castro St. www.sfoasis.com

so gorgeous, people are green with envy when they look at me,” Polito said in 28 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019 a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter.

When he takes to the stage at Oasis, Politio will be doing what he does best: making people laugh. He promises ribald improvisational comedy and sultry songs, which include his own outrageous parodies of classic tunes.

“Hedda Lettuce is a fun time to have,” said Polito.

“Hedda is a comedian, and a singer. I love perMay 22 forming live. I think I’m mostly in my element when I have the energy of a live audience.”

The name Hedda Let- Hedda Lettuce tuce came to Polito in a dream. At the time, he was told that it was a horrible mean to toot my own horn, but no name, but he thought it was catchy. one is going to do it if you don’t do He describes his drag persona as it yourself. When you come, you’re bawdy, glamorous, funny and outgoing to see what a very good live spoken, someone you’d like to sit performer is all about. It’ll be a next to at a dinner party because she master class in live performance. It’s Untitled-5 1 5/15/19 1:58 PM says what she feels. a solid show; it’s got a beginning, “I don’t censor myself, especially middle and an end, which a lot of on stage,” said Polito. “I would never things don’t have these days.” say that I was a mean performer, but Polito says his character hails from I like talking to people as part of the Pigeon Tit, Tennessee, where she act, and I’m playful. Depending on grew up with her mamma, Shredda what’s going onat in the the world, Lettuce, as her deadbeat dad was Tom Reardon piano what’s going on with the audience and never around. She talks about mom what’s going on with me that day, it and dad in her act, along with others can change. I’m sort of like that aunt from her family history. you wish you had.”

Polito, who actually lives in New Playful aunt indeed. In addition York City, does all the writing and to his other talents, Polito is a songsongwriting himself. His song paro“I’ve lot of different styles, writer whose compositions include

by David-Elijah Nahmod dies rungot theagamut from Lady Gagaa lot Frank of different composers, different “You Can’t Drink With A Dick In to Sinatra, but he points out Reardon to Feinfeels,90 and I’ll hopefully Yourom Mouth” and returns “Jesus Take The that percent of the actbeiscobbling original stein’s at The for his it into a cohesive evening,” Reardon Wheel Because I’m Nikko Too Drunk To material. eighth show on May 16 and 17. tells “I’mbetween always Drive.”

“I Bay loveArea the Reporter. connection The singer, performs veryaudience concerned with that rather “The showwho hasalso a format, but in it the and the entertainer,” he musical will feel offerat his than “When with just doing fifteen songs also has atheater, free-for-all the usual same said.

I talk to the audience, eclecticsaid mixPolito. of songs: everything that I like.” time,” “Some of it is comedy sparks from that. The imfrom Thego-with-the-flow.

Great American I SongMixing different styles celebraof mudefinitely don’t provisation is the ultimate book to Bob Dylan and Fleetwood sic has become part of Reardon’s Mac. Reardon calls his latest show trademark. In the past he’s perThrowin’ A Ball Tonight. He says formed songs by legendary Broadthat the show doesn’t have a theme, way composers Rodgers and Hart but rather will offer a nice collecand Lady Gaga in the same show. tion of songs with some banter in He says that he loves the way difbetween. ferent musical genres can speak to each other and become part of the audience’s experience.

“I like to do pieces that are unexpected because I like people to hear a song again for the first time,” he said. “This came up at my last show where I did the Don Henley song ‘The Heart Of The Matter.’ Several people said that they had never before listened to the words of that song. It’s a relatively famous song by a relatively famous artist. They probably heard it a million times on the radio, but never listened to it.”

A Publication of VIA MEDIA [Caselli Partners LLC] Reardon pointed out that doing a Gershwin song combined with a Neil Young song makes both songs sound different.

“Hopefully this keeps the audience interested and keeps them guessing, engaged, thinking and reacting in unexpected ways,” he said.

“Sometimes you’ll get an audible reaction, which you can’t put a price on. You’ll be singing one song, and then segue into a second song and you’ll hear an audible sigh where you know that you just surprised people. It’s an appreciative surprise, and you can hear it.”

Reardon admits that the old standards have always held a special place in his heart. He’s always loved what he calls “the old stuff.”

But as he himself has gotten older, he’s developed an appreciation for latter day folk music and ‘70s rock. Performing in cabaret has allowed him to put newer songs into his act, but he says that his first love has always been the standards, a love he inherited from his parents.

EMENT M PLAC DE When going to see shows himself, LU C PREMIU IN S NITIE OPPORTU he would always choose Sinatra over RS, E V O C A I INSIDE AGES P D G E Springsteen.

IN M C FA COVER ER And while Sinatra is one of his V O C K & BAC inspirations, he says that he doesn’t model himself after Ole Blue Eyes.

“I certainly enjoy Sinatra’s taste in 8.000” H 00” W x 5.0 : EA LIVE AR H x 8.500” W music, and the songs that he made ” 00 E: 5.5 TRIM SIZ popular, though I don’t sing a lot of them,” he said. “Probably because so

<< Cabaret

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tion of life, by being in the moment completely with the audience and yourself, and by being a crazy, zany character. It’s scary, but it’s magical when it works.”

Polito said that he’s excited about returning to San Francisco, his –and Hedda’s– first visit here in quite a long time. He once lived here for nearly a year, during which time he did a lot of theater, including the infamous Christmas with The Crawfords drag comedy show.

While he’s here for his current gig, he hopes to put in some down time; walking around, going to cafes, and hanging out with friends.

Polito points out that one of the best things about being a drag performer many his songs soundwhen so iconic is not of being recognized he’s in outhis of voice, drag. that I don’t know what I would lendgototothem. my shows “You can Blow In Buddies and Inowould never do ‘Fly one will know!” t Me To The Moon’ or ‘Strangers In The Night,’ or any of the songs that are so idenHedda Lettuce at Oasis, tified Who wants to &hear Fridaywith andhim.

Saturday, April 19 that, when you can hear Frank 20. $27-$50.

7pm.

298 11th St. Sinawww.sfoasis.com tra do it?”

Music isn’t Reardon’s only profession. He’s also a judge in Alameda County Superior Court. He says that his day job is so serious, so intellectually rigorous and sometimes so stressful, that he wants his evenings to be nothing like his days.

In court, he hears felony criminal trials, such as murders, carjackings, sexual assaults, child molestations, and robberies.

“I want my nights to be fun and creative,” he said. “I don’t like strife or stress, because I have enough of that during the day. That’s why I try to surround myself with excellent musicians and delightful people. I deal with enough difficult people during the day, so who wants to do that at night as well?”

Sometimes fun things do happen as a result of his judgeship. A few years ago Reardon was greeted by members of one of his juries, who, after the case had closed, came to see him play the crazy dentist in the musical Little Shop Of Horrors. He’s also had experiences where people walked into his courtroom and recognized him from the stage, as well as times when people in the theater recognized him from court.

“Once I had a juror ask me if I had been Harold Hill in The Music Man,” he recalls. “I think they find it charming that I do both of these things.”

Reardon admits that filling a cabaret room can be challenging, what with so many people staying home to watch Netflix and YouTube, but he loves the feel of a cabaret, and is grateful to have sold out many of his shows at Feinstein’s.

“I love the cabaret setting,” he says. “I love the small tables with the individual lights on the tables, and you can hear the tinkling of the ice in the glasses. That’s just the height of elegance, performance, and connection with an audience. It’s very special.”t

Tom Reardon His Honor the Cabaret Star

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Tom Reardon: Thrown’ a Ball Tonight, Thursday and Friday, May 16 & 17, 8pm at Feinstein’s at The Nikko. $50-$80 ($20 food/drink min.) Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.feinsteinsatthenikko.com

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 29

Arts Events

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Arts Events>>

May 16-23, 2019

Garren Benfield @ The Lost Church

Thu 16 110 in the Shade @ Gateway Theatre 42nd Street Moon’s energetic production of Harvey Schmidt, Tom Jones and N. Richard Nash’s popular romantic musical. $30-$70. WedSun thru May 12. 215 Jackson St. www.42ndStMoon.org

American Psycho @ Victoria Theatre Previews begin for Ray of Light Theatre’s production of Duncan Sheik and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s darkly satiric musical based on the 1980s Bret Easton Ellis novel. $15-$40. Thru June 8. 2961 16th St. www.rayoflighttheatre.com

The Mayor of Folsom Street @ GLBT History Museum Opening reception for The Mayor of Folsom Street: Alab Selby’s Legacy, an exhibit of the leather culture pioneer (7pm). Also, SoMa Nights: 1980s-1990s Queer Club Photography, an exhibit of prints by prolific photographer Melissa Hawkins. May 23: Fighting Back: Unions, Workers and Queers: An Enduring Alliance, a panel discussion. 7pm. $5. $5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Classic and New Films @ Castro Theatre May 16 & 17: Restored 4K prints of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York (5:30, 7pm) and The Fog (8:55, 9:25) May 18: The Roast of Sister Roma with MC Ross Mathews, Heklina, Jackie Beat and others ($20-$100). May 20/21: The Shining (5pm, 8pm).

May 22: The Times of Harvey Milk (5pm), Bohemian Rhapsody sing-along (7:30). May 23: The Big Lebowski (7pm) and Kingpin (9:10). $8-$11. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

MAX 2019 @ Various Venues Media Art eXploration, a space, arts and science festival of performances, exhibits, talks, and parties all over the Bay Area.

Thru May 18. www.mediaartexploration.org

New Strands Festival @ Strand Theater New theatre works-in-progress, readings, a master class series, and special happy hours; including a new rock musical by The Kilbanes; new works by playwrights Luis Alfaro, Emily Feldman, Robert O’Hara, Jiehae Park; mentalist Vinny DePonto, and more. Free/ RSVP online. Thru May 19. 1127 Market St. www.act-sf.org

Significant Other @ SF Playhouse Joshua Harmon’s witty romantic comedy about a gay men who endures all his friends’ weddings. $20-$100. Thru June 15. 450 Post St. www.sfplayhouse.org

The vocalist shares musical tales of last-minute performances, with Bryan Nies (piano) and Byran Dyer (bass). $35-$60. 8pm. 50 Scott St. www.societycabaret.com

The View UpStairs @ NCTC Max Vernon’s glam-rock gospelpop musical, about a man who’s transported back in time to a historic 1960s New Orleans gay bar. $35-$60. Live music pre-show Wednesdays. Thru June 9. 25 Van Ness Ave. www.nctcsf.org

Sat 18

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

Trente Morant @ Harvey Milk Arts Center

Supremacy @ Exit Theatre Jason Mendez’ debut playwrighting work about a superhero, racial and political animus and inhumanity. $20-$32.

Thu-Sat 8pm. Thru May 18. 156 Eddy St. www.theexit.org

Walking Distance Dance Festival @ ODC Theater Three programs, eight days in and near ODC’s theater and studios. $15-$60. Thru May 19. 3153 17th St. www.odc.dance

Fri 17 Queer California: Untold Stories @ Oakland Museum Multimedia exhibition documenting California LGBT lives, with contemporary artwork, rare historical materials, film, photography, sculpture; thru Aug. 11. May 17, 5:30pm: Out/Here, Bay Area Asian American LGBTQ Filmmakers panel, and screening of Leits in Waiting (7pm). Free/$15.

1000 Oak St. http://museumca.org/

Sadie Barnette: The New Eagle Creek Saloon @ The Lab The Oakland artist’s installation recreates and honors her father’s history as owner of SF’s first Black-owned gay bar, with archival materials and ‘hosted’ events; thru June 30. May 17, film screening and performance., 7pm. 2948 16th St. www.thelab.org

Sister Act @ Gateway Theatre The nun-filled musical comedy. $15-$20. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sat 3pm; thru June 1. 215 Jackson St. www.therhino.org

Sarah Cahill, Regina Myers @ Old First Church The two acclaimed pianists perform a shared concert of work with a social justice theme, including works

by Elinor Armer, Ruby Fulton and Pauline Oliveros, Meredith Monk. $5-$20. 8pm. 1751 Sacramento St. www.oldfirstconcerts.org

Sat 18 David King @ IS Fine Art and Design Opening reception for the local artist’s new beguiling collage/ abstract works. 5pm-9pm. 1100 Sutter St. www.ianstallings.com

femMasculine @ Strut Informal reading of an upcoming queer/non-binary performance work. 2pm-4pm. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Garren Benfield @ The Lost Church The singer-songwriter performs at the super-intimate venue for a CD release concert, with Paige Clem. $15-$20. 7:30pm. 65 Capp St. www.thelostchurch.com

The Importance of Being Earnest @ Aurora Theatre, Berkeley Oscar Wilde’s classic “trivial comedy for serious people” gets an East Bay production. $35-$70. Extended thru May 19. 2018 Addison St., Berkeley. www.auroratheatre.org

Lenora Lee Dance @ Angel Island State Park Site-specific works Dreams of Flight and Within These Walls in an around the U.S. Immigration Station. $30$60 (not including ferry fees). 11am & 1pm. Also May 19. www.lenoraleedance.com

Maria Diamond @ Harvey Milk Arts Center The veteran vocalist performs a tribute to Nat King Cole, with pianist Barry Lloyd. $30-$50. 8pm. 50 Scott St. www.societycabaret.com

Polythene Pam @ The White Horse Bar, Oakland The upbeat witty queer band performs at the historic gay bar, with Forgetmenauts and Julia Serano. $5. 6:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.polythenepamband.com www.whitehorsebar.com

Who Killed Sylvia Plath? @ The Marsh Lorri Holt performs Lynne Kaufman’s fascinating solo play about the tragic demise of the poet. $25-$100. Sat 8:30pm, Sun 5:30pm. Thru June 16. 1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Sun 19

Wed 22

Expedition Reef @ California Academy of Sciences

Ben Platt @ The Warfield

Exhibits and planetarium shows with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about animals, plants and the earth; Deep Reefs, Giants of Land and Sea, Gems and Minerals, and more. $20-$35.

Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Melissa Errico @ Venetian Room Tony-nominated Broadway actresssinger performs Legrand Affair, her cabaret show of songs by Sondheim and other favorite composers. $65.

7:30pm. Fairmount Hotel, 950 Mason St. www.bayareacabaret.org

Thrill Spot: A Lost Queer History Walking Tour @ North Beach Author/artist Katie Gilmartin leads a tour of sites related to the historic lesbian bar Tommy’s Place and the sensational media attacks of the day, with performances by Molly Shaiken, Dulce de Leche, and Kippy Marks. Free. 2pm-4pm.

Jack Kerouac Alley, 261 Columbus Ave. www.facebook.com/ events/355228875092325/

Mon 20 Bitchin’; an Art Show for Humans and Dogs @ Creativity Explored Group exhibit of amusing art works of dogs by the members of the developmentally challenged artists group. Mon-Fri 10am-5pm (Thu 7pm) Sat 12pm-5pm. 3245 16th St. www.creativityexplored.org

Book Club @ Strut Discussion of Andrea Lawlor’s novel, Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl.

7:30pm. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

Gordon Silveria @ Strut ‘Queers in Space,’ an exhibit of the artist’s scifi comic illustrations. Thru May. 470 Castro St. www.strutsf.org

A Twist of Limelight @ Alcazar Theater Bay Area Musicals’ 4th annual gala fundraiser includes cocktails and food, a season preview by company actors, and a concert of music with Broadway star Paul Nolan. $45$175. 6:30pm-10pm. 650 Geary St. www.bamsf.org

TUE 21 Smoke & Mirrors: The War on Drugs @ AAACC Exhibit of works by six muralists and 20 artists focusing on pot use, hemp, and historical elements of cannabis in communities of color. Tue-Fri 12pm-6pm. Sat til 5pm. Thru Aug 31.

762 Fulton St. www.aaacc.org

The popular Broadway singer (Grammy, Tony, Emmy winner) performs music from his new album, Sing to Me Instead ; Wrabel and Ben Abraham open. $45-$125.

8pm. 982 Market St. www.thewarfieldtheatre.com

Border People @ The Marsh Dan Hoyle’s new solo show embodies multiple characters based around the U.S./Mexico border wall controversies; extended thru June 22. $25-$100. Wed-Fri 8pm, Sat 5pm.

1062 Valencia St. www.themarsh.org

Coffee, Rhum, Sugar and Gold: A Post-Colonial Paradox @ MOAD Exhibit of works that explore the legacy of European colonialism in the Caribbean through the work of 10 contemporary artists. Free/$10.

Wed-Sat 11am-6pm. Sun 12pm5pm. Thru Aug 11. 685 Mission St. www.moadsf.org

Thu 23 From Baghdad to the Bay @ SF Public Library Screening of the documentary about gay SF resident Ghazwan Alsharif’s epic journey as an Iraqi refugee and former translator for the U.S. military. Free. 6pm. Koret Auditorium, lower level. 110 Larkin St. www.sfpl.org

Gender Queer @ Cartoon Art Museum Mais Kobabe’s Gender Queer, thru July 1, and other exhibits. 11am-5pm.

781 Beach St. www.cartoonart.org

Peter Shinkle @ Commonwealth Club Author of Ike’s Mystery Man: the Secret Lives of Robert Cutler discusses his book about the gay government figure, with Michelle Meow. Free. 12pm. 110 Embarcadero. www.commonwealthclub.org

SF International Arts Festival @ Fort Mason See new dance, theatre and performance works by Joe Landini, Tango ConFusion, OOMPH Dance Theatre, pateldanceworks, Steamroller Dance Company, Lucia August/ Everyone Can Dance, ABADA Capoeira SF. $15-$38. Thru June 2. Various spaces, 2 Marina Blvd. www.sfiaf.org

With(out) With(in) the Very Moment @ SF Arts Commission Exhibit about LGBT lives, and surviving AIDS, with Elliot Anderson, Adam Ansell, Ed Aulerich-Sugai, Mark Garrett, Cliff Hengst, Nancer Lemoins, Mark Paron, Anton Stuebner, and featuring Alternate Endings, a series of video programs by Visual AIDS for Day With(out) Art. Thru June 22.

401 Van Ness Ave. www.sfartscommission.org

<< Nightlife Events

30 • Bay Area Reporter • May 16-22, 2019

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

Thu 16 InnerSpace @ CounterPulse Space-themed gala fundraiser for the performance space, with cocktails, dinner, auctions, performance and gifts. $25-$250. 6pm-11pm. 80 Turk St. www.counterpulse.org

Magic Masqerade Gala @ Gallery 308

Queens Read Celebrity Autobiographies @ Oasis

‘Warhol’s Factory’ is the theme for the venerable theatre company Magic Theatre’s annual gala, with dancing, cocktails, three-course dinner, live auction and multiple Andys! $500 and up.

6pm-11pm. Fort Mason Center, Bldg A, 2 Marina Blvd. www.magictheatre.org

Second festive and hilarious night of dragsters reading excerpts from unintentionally campy celeb tell-alls, with Cruzin’ d’Loo, Thee Pristine Condition, Roxy Cotton-Candy, Cristal Guysir, Intensive Claire and Carrie Fisher-Price; hosted by James J. Siegel. $20. 7pm. 289 11th St. sfoasis.com

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Nightlife Events May 16-23, 2019

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The Big Shebang, drag show with proceeds going to AccessSFUSD: The Arc and young adults with disabilities. $10-$30. 7pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Castro Comedy @ Strut Wonder Dave hosts ‘Bisexualapalooza,’ a night of jokes by, for & about bisexuals, and their pals, with Sureni Weerasekera, Arjun Banerjee, Max Eddy and Chey Bell.

8pm-10pm. 470 Castro St. strutsf.org

Comedy Returns @ El Rio 10th anniversary of the funny comic night, with host Lisa Geduldig, Bernadette Luckett, Ian Williams, Justin Lucas, Arjun Banerjee. $10-$20.

7pm-8:30pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

Disco Coalition @ Lookout Juanita MORE! and Go BANG! present the weekly series of community-building party-fundraisers for local LGBTQ nonprofits. 5pm-8pm.

3600 16th St. at Market. www.lookoutsf.com

Leela James @ Yoshi’s Oakland The stunning R&B vocalist performs at the upscale restaurant-nightclub. $40-$80. 8pm & 10pm. Also May 18, 7:30pm & 9:30pm. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

Uhaul @ Jolene’s The popular women’s dance party returns at the new nightclub, now weekly. 10pm-2am. 2700 16th St. at Harrison. http://jolenessf.com/

Wuhfff @ Powerhouse Pedal Pups’ monthly fundraiser for the AIDS LifeCycle, with gogo pups, shot pups and more. $5. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

Sat 18 Beatpig @ Powerhouse Juanita MORE! and crew’s monthly wild night. with DJs Entrée and Stanley Frank. $5. 10pm-2am. 1347 Folsom St. www.powerhousebar.com

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Dandy Warhols @ The Fillmore The Portland rock band plays; Cosmonauts and The Vacant Lots open. $30. 9pm. 1805 Geary St. at Fillmore. http://thefillmore.com

Full Nelson Lube Wrestling @ SF Eagle Pedal Pups fundraiser includes singlet-shredding grappling in a pool of lube, Jell-O shots, and a beer bust. $donations. 3pm-6pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Garren Benfield @ The Lost Church The singer-songwriter performs at the super-intimate venue for a CD release concert, with Paige Clem. $15-$20.

7:30pm. 65 Capp St. www.thelostchurch.com

Lindsay Mendez @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko The Tony-winning musical theatre actress performs at the elegant cabaret nightclub. 8pm. Also May 19, 7pm. $60-$85. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Macho Macho @ SF Eagle The monthly Latinx leather night, with lucha libre gogos, Latin and rock DJed grooves. $10. 9pm-2am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Fri 17

Uhaul @ Jolene’s

Maureen McVerry @ Oasis The musical theatre actress perform her updated Very McVerry cabaret concert. $20-$40. 7pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Mother @ Oasis Heklina’s popular weekly drag show, with special guests and great music themes. May 18: after-party for Sister Roma Roast, #1 hits drag onstage and Studio 5’4” in the Fez Room (short guy appreciation). $10-$15. 10pm-3am (11:30pm show). 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Polythene Pam @ White Horse Bar, Oakland The upbeat witty queer band performs at the historic gay bar, with Forgetmenauts and Julia Serano. $5. 6:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. polythenepamband.com www.whitehorsebar.com

A Twist of Limelight @ Alcazar Theater Bay Area Musicals’ 4th annual gala funderaiser includes cocktails and food, a season preview by company actors, and a concert of music with Broadway star Paul Nolan. $45-$175. 6:30pm10pm. 650 Geary St. bamsf.org

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

Tue 21 Boys of Bearlesque @ SF Eagle Bears’ striptease burlesque show, with onstage auditions. $5-$10. 8pm-11pm.

398 12th St. at Harrison. sf-eagle.com

Vice Tuesdays @ Q Bar

DJ Brd, bears and booze. $5 AIDS LifeCycle fundraiser. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Queer femmes and friends dance party with hip hop, Top 40 and throwbacks at the stylish intimate bar, with DJs Val G and Iris Triska. 9pm2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Sun 19

Wed 22

Redroxx @ Lone Star Saloon

Davis Pride @ Davis Central Park Celebrate LGBT Pride at the regional celebration, with a community fair, live music (Xavier Toscano, Mariah Paris Balenciaga), food and drinks.

10am-5pm. 401 C St., Davis. www.davispride.org

Daytime Realness @ El Rio

Dollz @ White Horse Bar, Oakland Ava LaShay hosts the twice-,onthly drag show. $5. 9:30pm. 6551 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.whitehorsebar.com

Miss Kitty’s Trivia Night @ Wild Side West

Heklina, DJ Carnita, Stanley Frank DJ and host the drag and dancing daytime fun. $10. 2pm-8pm. 3158 Mission St. www.elriosf.com

The weekly fun night at the Bernal Heights bar includes prizes, hosted by Kitty Tapata. No cover. 7pm-10pm.

424 Cortland St. 647-3099. www.wildsidewest.com

Disco Daddy @ SF Eagle

Pan Dulce @ Beaux

DJ Bus Station John’s groovy retro T-dance $5-$8. 7pm-12am. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

The Fifth Dimension @ Yoshi’s Oakland

Drag divas, gogo studs, DJed Latin grooves and drinks. 9pm-2am (free before 10:30pm). 2344 Market St. www.clubpapi.com

The iconic R&B soul band performs at the elegant restaurant-nightclub. $40.

7pm & 9pm. 510 Embarcadero West, Oakland. www.yoshis.com

Thu 23

Katya Presents @ Martuni’s

The sexy Australian men’s strip troupe performs. $27-$50. 7pm. Also May 24 & 25. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Our favorite exiled Russian opera diva performs with Summer Clearance (aka John Cavallinni) and accompanist Tom Shaw for a 14-year-anniversary and birthday concert. 7pm. 4 Valencia St. www.russianoperadiva.com

Mon 20 International Mondays @ Qbar Enjoy world grooves all night. 9pm2am. 456 Castro St. www.QbarSF.com

Munro’s at Midnight @ Midnight Sun Drag night with Mercedez Munro. No cover. 10pm. 4067 18th St. 861-4186. www.midnightsunsf.com

Aussie Heat @ Oasis

Juanes @ UC Theatre, Berkeley Columbian singer-songwriter performs. $75. 8pm. 2036 University Ave., Berkeley. www.juanes.net

Thursday Night Live @ SF Eagle Rock bands play at the famed leather bar. $8. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Tubesteak Connection @ Aunt Charlie’s Lounge Disco guru DJ Bus Station John spins grooves at the intimate retro music night. $5. 10pm-2am. 133 Turk St. at Taylor. auntcharlieslounge.com t

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Shining Stars>>

May 16-22, 2019 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

Shining Stars Steven Underhill Photos by

EQCA Awards @ Fairmont Hotel E

quality California’s annual awards gala, held at the Fairmont Hotel on May 11, included presentations of the Vanguard Leadership Award, presented by SF Mayor London Breed to Hon. Scott Weiner (who also got a birthday cake!); the Ally Leadership Award, presented to actress Rita Moreno; and the Civic Leadership Award, given to John Rahaim. Carmen Carrera MCed, and soprano Breanna Sinclairé performed.

See plenty more photos on BARtab’s Facebook page, facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at StevenUnderhill.com.

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For headshots, portraits or to arrange your wedding photos

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