November 9, 2017 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter by Bay Area Reporter

Gay man killed

Palm Springs makes history

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Vol. 47 • No. 45 • November 9-15, 2017

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Election wins for LGBTs

A Scandinavian twist

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Middleton makes history Lisa Middleton celebrated her election to the Palm Springs City Council with her campaign manager and school board member James Williamson, left, restaurateur Willie Rhine, and City Council member Geoff Kors, who is married to Williamson.

Vol. 47 • No. 45 • November 9-15, 2017

SF gay man found dead, boyfriend arrested Alkoraishie Ali, left, and Keith Harris

Courtesy Geoff Kors

by Matthew S. Bajko

orty years after gay rights activist Harvey Milk became the first out person elected to public office in California, by winning a San Francisco supervisor seat, Palm Springs resident Lisa Middleton has become the first transgender person elected to a non-judicial office in the Golden State. Middleton, a former Bay Area resident,

placed first Tuesday night in the race for two seats on the Palm Springs City Council. Netting 5,968 votes, close to 31 percent of those cast, according to unofficial results Wednesday morning, Middleton was the top vote-getter among the six candidates on the ballot in the longtime gay desert mecca in Riverside County. See page 21 >>

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by Seth Hemmelgarn

he boyfriend of a man who was found dead in his Hayes Valley apartment last week has been booked on a murder charge and is in Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, according to the sheriff’s department. Alkoraishie Ali, 26, who’s listed under the

name Othman Al-Muttalaby, was booked at 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 7, according to the agency. Police arrested him at 5 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s department spokeswoman Eileen Hirst said. Keith Harris, 48, was found Thursday, November 2, in his unit at the Estrella Apartments at 340 Hayes Street. See page 20 >>

Police provide shooting update at town hall

by Sari Staver and Seth Hemmelgarn

an Francisco police provided new details Tuesday night about last week’s officerinvolved shooting in the Castro. In their first public comments analyzing the Halloween shooting in the Castro –sending both a police officer and the suspect to the hospital with gunshot wounds – San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said the crime appeared to be “a deliberate attempt to shoot two police officers.” At a Castro town hall meeting at the Eureka Valley Recreation Center November 7, where police and city employees outnumbered Castro residents by more than two to one, Scott said police are still interviewing witnesses and analyzing camera footage of the scene. “Many questions remain,” he said. “We don’t have a full assessment tonight,” Scott added. Body camera footage from one of the officers is available, the chief said, as well as audio and video evidence from a number of nearby residences. The crime took place at 12:03 a.m. November 1 at 18th and Diamond streets, according to Captain Valerie Matthews of the major crimes investigation unit. Two uniformed officers, walking a foot beat assigned to the Castro on Halloween, were flagged down by a citizen and were told of a suspicious vehicle parked nearby, Matthews said. The person

said he thought a robbery might be in progress. The officers approached the vehicle, ordering the driver – the only occupant of the car – to get out. As the driver got out of the car, he began shooting the officer, striking him several times. The second officer returned fire, striking the suspect several times. Both were sent to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Preliminary evidence indicates that the suspect fired 16 rounds from his weapon and the officer also fired 16 rounds from his departmentissued weapon. The suspect’s firearm was located at the scene. The suspect, Sesar Valadez, 32, of Hayward, has been charged with multiple crimes, including two counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and for an outstanding arrest warrant out of Alameda County. Because the investigation is ongoing, the names of the officers have not been released. At the time of his booking, Valadez was in the hospital in life-threatening condition for the gunshot wound he sustained during last Wednesday’s incident. The officer who was shot was also hospitalized but he’s in stable condition, according to police spokesman Sergeant Michael Andraychak. Police said that he’s a 41-year-old, nine-year veteran of the department. Police believe that there were at least two other individuals who may have been with the suspect at

Sari Staver

Mission district Captain Gaetano Caltagirone, left, and police Chief William Scott talked about the recent shooting in the Castro at a town hall meeting November 7.

blocks away in the first block of Oakwood Street. The suspects were described as a man between the ages of 20 and 30 and two women. Mission district Captain Gaetano Caltagirone said he thought Castro residents “might be worried” about safety. “Those are legitimate concerns,” he said. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter after the meeting, Caltagirone said that the police “have doubled” the number of beat cops assigned to the Castro. When asked specifically how many beat cops were walking the Castro during the day, he said that there were two all day, seven days a week. But when pressed about that number, asking if they were together or in different parts of the neighborhood, the captain said there was only one there at a time. “It is my goal to have two out there,” he said. “I’ve only been on the job a short time. Remember, we have doubled our staffing already.” Gay District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy thanked the police for their rapid response after the shooting. Sheehy said he was the only member of the Board of Supervisors to advocate for larger staffing for the police department during budget hearings last year. Current levels, mandated by law, cap the number of officers at 1,971, a number set in the mid-1990s, when the city had hundreds of thousands fewer residents, Sheehy said.

2017

the time of the shooting. Shortly after the shooting, three individuals flagged down a taxi about one block from the incident, pulling a gun on the driver and hijacking the car. Police believe the three who stole the taxi may be the same people with the suspect during the shooting. The vehicle was recovered unoccupied several

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10/31/17 12:46 PM

WHAT IS GENVOYA®? GENVOYA is a 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older who weigh at least 77 pounds. It can either be used in people who are starting HIV-1 treatment and have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. These include having an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL) for 6 months or more on their current HIV-1 treatment. GENVOYA combines 4 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day with food. GENVOYA is a complete HIV-1 treatment and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking GENVOYA. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body ﬂuids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body ﬂuids on them.

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What is the most important information I should know about GENVOYA? GENVOYA may cause serious side effects: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. GENVOYA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking GENVOYA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking GENVOYA without ﬁrst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. Who should not take GENVOYA? Do not take GENVOYA if you take: • Certain prescription medicines for other conditions. It is important to ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with GENVOYA. Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. • The herbal supplement St. John’s wort. • Any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection. What are the other possible side effects of GENVOYA?

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The most common side effect of GENVOYA is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking GENVOYA? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how GENVOYA works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take GENVOYA with all of your other medicines. • If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take GENVOYA. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if GENVOYA can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking GENVOYA. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Important Facts about GENVOYA, including important warnings, on the following page.

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

(jen-VOY-uh) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GENVOYA

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF GENVOYA

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

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

ABOUT GENVOYA •

•

GENVOYA is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 77 pounds and have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. GENVOYA can also be used to replace current HIV-1 medicines for some people who have an undetectable viral load (less than 50 copies/mL of virus in their blood), and have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months and have never failed HIV-1 treatment, and whose healthcare provider determines that they meet certain other requirements. GENVOYA does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

Do NOT take GENVOYA if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin (Uroxatral®), carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®), cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®), dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®), lurasidone (Latuda®), methylergonovine (Ergotrate®, Methergine®), midazolam (when taken by mouth), phenobarbital (Luminal®), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®), pimozide (Orap®), rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®), sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®), or triazolam (Halcion®). • Take the herbal supplement St. John’s wort. • Take any other HIV-1 medicines at the same time. GET MORE INFORMATION •

• •

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•

GENVOYA is a complete one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine. Take GENVOYA with food.

GENVOYA, the GENVOYA Logo, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, SHOW YOUR POWER, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. GENC0144 06/17

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11/1/17 10:13 9:44 AM 10/30/17 AM

Community News>>

November 9-15, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 7

Deadlines approach for North Bay fire victims by Heather Cassell

t’s been just over a month since the deadly North Bay wildfires, and deadlines are approaching for survivors who lost homes or businesses to file for recovery grants, cleanup assistance, and other relief. Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration officials are urging people, even if they believe they don’t need assistance, to apply to find out the status of their eligibility before the deadline, which is December 11. The Bay Area Reporter spoke with public information officers Thomas Kempton at FEMA and William Koontz at the SBA and Mark Quinn, senior adviser to the California Association for Microenterprise Opportunity, to gain insight about how the agencies can help LGBTs and others in the North Bay recover from the fires. The experts, who are allies of the LGBT community, are experienced in disasters, cutting through red tape, and advising on little known opportunities during the recovery phase following a disaster. Grants can help fire victims receive support that’s not covered by insurance. This can include temporary housing, assistance with home repairs, rebuilding their homes, or replacing necessities such as medication, a car, or employment tools. Kempton reiterated that information will not be shared with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for undocumented individuals. He also noted that families with a U.S. citizen living in the house, such as a child, might be eligible for FEMA assistance. Assistance is available for businesses – both physical location and economic impact – homeowners, property owners, renters, and for

citizens and individuals living legally in the United States. FEMA experts are also urging property owners to allow access to burned-out land where proper cleanup is necessary to remove hazardous waste. Grants do not have to be repaid, unlike the low-interest SBA loans that are also available.

Assistance

President Donald Trump’s disaster declaration brought in much needed support from FEMA and the SBA, along with insurance companies and other community-based organizations to help fire victims. Kempton said that $8 million has been approved for two FEMA programs: housing assistance and other needs assistance. Last month, Congress approved $36.5 billion for an emergency and disaster plan, which included $18.7 billion for FEMA to respond to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and parts of northern California scorched by wildfires, particularly Napa and Sonoma counties. A total of $576.5 million was approved by Congress to address wildfires in the West. Governor Jerry Brown asked for $7.4 billion for wildfire recovery for the 21 blazes that ripped through northern California, particularly wine country, reported the Sacramento Bee. The fires broke out October 8 and burned uncontrolled for 12 days, claiming 42 lives and destroying an estimated 8,900 homes and other buildings. Cal Fire announced that the fires were fully contained October 31. Only 3,658 FEMA assistance registrations have been approved as of November 5, according to Kempton. 9.75 in. So far, 66 out of 1,100 fixed lowinterest disaster loans have been

Courtesy Terri Stark

Willi’s Wine Bar in Santa Rosa, California was destroyed in the wildfires that swept through the North Bay.

approved by the SBA, totaling $11.5 million, said Koontz. Business owners, whether selfemployed or larger companies, can receive up to $2 million, homeowners can receive up to $200,000, and renters can receive up to $40,000 for personal property losses that can be repaid between 15 and 30 years, he said. Individuals who are referred to the SBA but don’t qualify for a loan will be referred back to FEMA for additional assistance, but they have to go through the process again, said Koontz. It’s free to apply for federal assistance and it’s not necessary to accept the money if it’s discovered that it’s not needed, officials said. The officials said that people should be prepared for the unexpected during the recovery. Quinn, who worked at the SBA’s San Francisco office for more than 30 years and is a member of the Golden Gate Business Association, said the loans are “insurance for your insurance policy.” “The SBA loans are sort of the

insurance for your insurance policy in case it doesn’t [get] cover[ed] they need to have that as a backup,” said Quinn. He noted that Napa is California’s second largest tourist attraction behind Disneyland, and tourism supports many small businesses that might have lost bookings for events, tours, and the like. The loans can help keep businesses operating – from fixed costs to retaining employees – until tourism rebounds. “If you don’t apply during the window you lose that opportunity,” Quinn said. Koontz added, “The good news is if you take advantage of one of these disaster loans you are not going to take those dollars away from anyone else. These are your tax dollars that you worked hard to pay into the system coming back to you in your time of need.”

Getting signed up

FEMA team members have been going door-to-door registering people as well as being available at disaster recovery centers for those

who lost their homes. Individuals concerned about fraud can go to the centers or apply online or by phone. There are ways to identify a potential scam artist posing as a FEMA team member. FEMA team members will never ask for money upfront, they wear a uniform, and they carry a federal badge that has a chip in it, said Kempton. FEMA team members will ask for identification and other personal information during the registration process, he added, noting some confusion caused by misreporting. The information is to assist fire victims to get the aid they need, such as direct deposit for grants, as quickly as possible. Local sheriffs’ deputies have also been guarding against potential scam artists posing as FEMA team members going door-to-door, Kempton said. Applications are also available via the FEMA app, online at http://www. disasterassistance.gov or http://www. fema.gov/disaster/4344, or can be completed by phone from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 800-621-3362, 800462-7585 (TTY), or 800-621-3362 (711 or Video Relay Service). Multilingual operators are available.

Cleanup

FEMA and other agencies are rapidly working to complete phase one of the cleanup before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can come in to complete the second phase to remove all hazardous materials before the rainy season, said Kempton. Rains will pose a problem, allowing toxins to seep into the ground. Kempton urged property owners to complete and sign the “right of entry permit” by Thursday (November 9) for Sonoma County and See page 14 >>

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<< Open Forum

8 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

Volume 47, Number 45 November 9-15, 2017 www.ebar.com PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird ARTS EDITOR Roberto Friedman BARTAB EDITOR & EVENTS LISTINGS EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • Seth Hemmelgarn CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ray Aguilera • Tavo Amador • Race Bannon Erin Blackwell • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Brent Calderwood • Philip Campbell Heather Cassell • Belo Cipriani Richard Dodds • Michael Flanagan Jim Gladstone • David Guarino Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell • John F. Karr Lisa Keen • Matthew Kennedy • Joshua Klipp David Lamble • Max Leger Michael McDonagh • David-Elijah Nahmod Michael Nugent • Paul Parish • Sean Piverger Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr •Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel Khaled Sayed • Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith • Sari Staver • Jim Stewart Sean Timberlake • Andre Torrez • Ronn Vigh Charlie Wagner • Ed Walsh Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Dan Lloyd • Jo-Lynn Otto Rich Stadtmiller • Steven Underhil Dallis Willard • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Paul Berge • Christine Smith ADVERTISING/ADMINISTRATION Colleen Small Bogitini VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937 NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

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

Steyer’s self-serving pitch B

illionaire Democratic donor Tom Steyer seems to have hit a nerve with his TV ads calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. The commercials, starring, of course, Steyer, urge like-minded people to sign his online petition, and more than 1.7 million have. Still, reality must intrude – there is no way as long as Republicans control Congress that Trump will ever be impeached. His quixotic quest begs speculation on Steyer’s true motivation, which is likely a run for senator in 2018 against Dianne Feinstein, or a run for president in 2020. He has long flirted with elected office. Steyer is the latest in a long line of rich California business people who have tried to enter the political arena. Voters have been skeptical, rejecting many of these checkbook candidates for various statewide races over the years. In front of the soft-focus background in his ads, for which he is reportedly paying $10 million, Steyer calmly promotes his petition as an effective response to Trump. In reality it’s only an easy and cheap attempt for voters to register their discontent. But let’s fantasize for a moment: say Steyer’s petition is successful, Congress does obey the petition and draws up articles of impeachment, and Trump is booted from office. Then, we’re left with Mike Pence as president. The consequences of a Pence presidency would be disastrous for the LGBT community. As governor, Pence signed a socalled religious freedom bill that allowed business owners the right to refuse service to LGBT people. After an outcry and the threat of boycotts by allies such as Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, Pence was forced to sign an amended version that stated the law

Tom Steyer in his impeachment ad.

cannot be used to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. At the time, in 2015, Pence was widely believed to be considering a presidential run of his own. When he was in Congress, Pence supported the federal anti-LGBT marriage amendment. He said repealing the military’s anti-gay “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy would turn the armed forces into a “backdrop for social experimentation,” according to GLAAD, which compiled a detailed list of Pence’s anti-LGBT extremism. In fact, he wanted to end DADT and have the military return to a full ban on open service. He is an early backer of conversion therapy, whereby licensed mental health professionals attempt to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of people, usually youth. This effort to “pray away the gay” has been derided as junk science by scores of medical professionals

and organizations like the American Psychiatric Association. Its use on minors has been banned in nine states and Washington, D.C. Since he has become vice president, Pence has been Trump’s point person for social conservatives, and he has not disappointed them. He has been part of the administration that has supported rescinding protections for trans students. The administration has also sought to erase all mentions of the LGBT community and their health needs from the Department of Health and Human Services’ upcoming strategic plan. He supports the administration’s ban on trans military service. Earlier this year, Foreign Policy reported that Pence and his staff worked quietly to get Congress to roll back the Defense Department’s year-old policy covering medical procedures for transitioning service members. Pence’s anti-LGBT record is a long one. We’re not sure a lot of people outside the community know that. They’re flocking to Steyer’s website to sign his petition, while Pence hides his ruthless Christian conservatism behind a pleasant demeanor, playing the role of an establishment Republican. He doesn’t revel in chaos the way Trump does, but make no mistake, Pence is a right-wing extremist. Steyer is wasting everyone’s time. He is cynically manipulating people’s frustrations. Steyer is not doing LGBTs any favor with this effort. We’re not sure if it’s because he’s not educated about the LGBT community or just doesn’t care. If Steyer wants to run for office, he should announce his candidacy like anyone else. And he can spend as much of his money as he likes, but he shouldn’t resort to the pipe dream of a Trump impeachment to boost his name recognition. t

Yes, No, YES! – district elections by Jon Golinger

San Franciscans of the merits of district elections. In early 1976, the coalition held “You can stand on the outside 18 community meetings and a weekend and throw bricks at Silly Hall or long “congress” to draft the proposed you can take it over.” district boundaries using an inclusive, – Harvey Milk community-based process instead of leaving the important district line drawarvey Milk lost before he won. ing decisions to so-called experts. Not just once or twice, eiIn November 1976, the reform forces ther. The first three times Milk ran went to the ballot with a new district for elected office, he got outspent by elections initiative, Proposition T. The establishment-backed opponents “No” campaign was bitter and unrelentand out-organized by experienced ing, charging that Prop T was part of politicians. And he was outvoted on an elaborate vote-fraud plot that would Daniel Nicoletta Election Day. “take over the entire city” and inject “PoIn his first run for the San Fran- Harvey Milk runs with his arms outstretched on November 8, tentially Corrupt Ward Ghetto Politics cisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, the night he won election to the San Francisco Board of Into Our City!” But, by a slim margin, the 1973, Milk ran a quintessentially Supervisors. broad coalition and organizing efforts of grassroots campaign as a populist the reformers paid off this time and they mayor Art Agnos, Milk was fed up and just about Democrat without campaign staff, finally succeeded in convincing voters it was time finished with politics. Three strikes and you’re endorsements, or much money. He planted to give a new system a try. On Election Day, Prop out. But then the people changed the game. The himself in his neighborhood and talked to everyT passed with 52 percent of the vote. The stage was voters of San Francisco finally threw Milk a pitch one in sight as they came by the Castro Camera set for the city’s first district elections for the Board he could hit. door, one by one. His strong liberal positions on of Supervisors in November 1977. Efforts to replace the at-large system of sulegalizing marijuana and keeping government In the historic first district elections on Nopervisor elections with a district-based system out of private sexual decisions were perfectly in vember 8, 1977, San Francisco voters elected that would empower neighborhoods and reduce tune with the views of his neighborhood and neighborhood representatives to City Hall. But the impact of big money on local campaigns he swept the Castro district, earning more votes the result was not a dramatic change in the memhad begun to move out of the realm of idea and than any other candidate in the area. If Milk had bership of the Board of Supervisors. A majority into the world of possibility in 1972. That year, been running to represent the Castro at City of the incumbent board members elected under a grassroots coalition of neighborhood groups, Hall he would have won in a landslide. But Milk the at-large system chose to run in their respeclabor unions, and civic leaders calling themselves lost. His 16,900 votes were not enough to win tive home districts. Each one of the six incumCitizens For Representative Government began to under the “at-large” system for elections for the bents who ran won. However, to replace the five come together to change the way supervisors were Board of Supervisors. While the makings of a members of the board who declined to run, San elected. The goal was to create a more responsive movement to replace the at-large system of suFrancisco voters chose a diverse mix of liberals and inclusive board that better represented city pervisor elections with a district-based system and conservatives, three men and two women, voters: geographically, ideologically, and had begun by 1973, the 32 candidates for and the first African-American female superviethnically. Under the at-large system, no supervisor that year still had to place sor, Ella Hill Hutch. And the voters of District Asian-American had ever been elected fifth or higher in the citywide vote 5, covering the lively Castro and the happening to the board and only a few Africantally to win one of the at-large board Haight-Ashbury, elected the first openly gay Americans, Latinos, and women had seats. Milk placed 10th. That meant person in California history. District elections ever been elected. Not a single openly he was out. But he wasn’t done. elected Harvey Milk and changed San Francisco. gay person had ever represented San In 1975, Milk again ran for suBut in a head-spinning sequence of events, Francisco, which had become the pervisor and again he overwhelmbarely one year later an unthinkable, earth-shatepicenter of gay politics in America. ingly received the support of the tering, double-murder scene played out at City Landlord and property interests voters in the Castro and surroundHall that created just the opening the opponents dominated the board and tenants were ing neighborhoods. But again, the of district elections would need to try and change largely unrepresented. A civil grand jury issued a establishment-backed candidates and those with San Francisco back. t report calling for reform of the system for electing more money and more name recognition presupervisors finding that, under the at-large system, vailed under the at-large system. They could pay Excerpted from Chapter 1 of Jon Golinger’s the Board of Supervisors had become completely for mailers to every part of the city and Milk could new book “Saving San Francisco’s Heart: unrepresentative of the changing population of How to win elections, reclaim our city, and not. He could only talk to people. And he talked to San Francisco. keep SF a special place,” published by Bay thousands of them, earning enough votes on ElecAfter forming an umbrella organization called Guardian Books. “Saving San Francisco’s tion Day to come in seventh in the race for six seats the Community Congress in early 1975, the proHeart” is available at neighborhood bookon the board. Closer but again Milk lost. stores like Dog Eared Books in the Castro district elections forces held a series of meetings After an ill-fated run the following year for a or through the publisher at www.sfbg.com. throughout San Francisco to persuade reluctant state Assembly seat against rising star and future

Politics>>

t Transgender college student fights to join US military by Matthew S. Bajko

ince the sixth grade Dylan Kohere knew he wanted a career in the military. Both his grandfathers were drafted into the Army during World War II, and the resident of Mount Olive, New Jersey, intends to sign up for the same branch of the armed forces after graduating from college. “In talking with military recruiters, the Army felt like the best place for me. I see taking myself as far as I can in going up the ranks and doing whatever they need me to do,” said Kohere, 18, in a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. In the spring he purposefully accepted admission to the University of New Haven, a private four-year school located in West Haven, Connecticut where he is majoring in criminal justice, due to it having an Army ROTC program on campus. As explained on the program’s website, Army ROTC graduates earn the bar of a second lieutenant and are commissioned into either the active Army, Army Reserve, or Army National Guard. When he arrived on campus this summer and signed up for ROTC, Kohere informed university officials that he is transgender. Having never had a transgender person apply for the program before, the university at first was unsure if he could enroll in it. After researching the issue, the leaders of the program informed Kohere he could not officially take part in ROTC but could sit in on the program as a classroom cadet. Outside of taking classes, Kohere is not allowed to join the other ROTC cadets in their physical training or in their labs on Fridays, where they learn about weapons and other military basics. “I have never been enrolled in the ROTC program,” explained Kohere, even though he is living in housing on campus designated for ROTC cadets. The reason for his being barred from the program was President Donald Trump’s July 26 announcement, via Twitter, that he was ordering the military to ban transgender people from enlisting. The policy had been scheduled to take effect March 23, though the military immediately deferred allowing transgender people to enlist. “Since the president’s decision, my life has been thrown into chaos as I determine what this means for my life ahead. I have been told by my ROTC commander that I cannot train with my fellow cadets,” wrote Kohere on the Huffington Post website. “When my roommates head off to training at 6 a.m., I go by myself to the gym. My career plans are in disarray, and my opportunity for an ROTC scholarship is gone.” In August Kohere joined with seven other transgender plaintiffs, some civilians and others service members, to sue the Trump administration in an attempt to block the anti-transgender policy from taking effect next year. Their lawsuit, Doe v. Trump, was filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights and GLBTQ Advocates and Defenders. As the B.A.R. reported last week, the federal judge in Washington, D.C. hearing their case issued a nationwide injunction putting Trump’s policy directive on hold until the lawsuit challenging the new ban can be settled. In her 76-page memorandum ruling issued October 30, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, predicted that the transgender plaintiffs are likely to win on their claim that the Trump ban violates their rights to due process and equal protection.

Courtesy GLAD

College student Dylan Kohere

Doe v. Trump is one of four lawsuits various legal groups have filed against the Trump administration over the policy. A federal judge in Baltimore will hold a hearing Thursday, November 9, in the Stone v. Trump case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of six transgender service members. The focus of the proceeding will be on whether to also issue a preliminary injunction against the ban. Another hearing has been scheduled for Monday, November 20, in a federal court in Riverside, California for the lawsuit known as Stockman v. Trump. NCLR, GLAD, and the law firm of Latham and Watkins LLP filed that case on behalf of seven transgender individuals, some already serving in the military while the others wish to enlist, and the statewide LGBT advocacy organization Equality California. “Last week, we secured a nationwide injunction that halts Trump’s ban,” stated NCLR legal director Shannon Minter. “Right now, every transgender service member is protected, and qualified transgender Americans who wish to enlist can do so as of January 1, 2018. But we know this battle is not over – every federal court that declares this ban unconstitutional moves us closer to a permanent end to this nightmare for our dedicated and courageous service members.” A federal court in Seattle is hearing the fourth lawsuit, which was the first to be filed, brought by Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and OutServe-SLDN on behalf of two transgender people barred from enlisting, a transgender woman who has been in the Army for 12 years, and the LGBT advocacy groups the Human Rights Campaign and the Gender Justice League. For the time being, despite the judge’s ruling last week in his lawsuit, Kohere remains a classroom cadet and not an official ROTC member. “I am working right now to get everything into place so, hopefully within the next couple of weeks or so, I can join back into the program,” said Kohere, who

is working with medical professionals on a treatment plan for his gender transition, which he expects to complete while at college. His being unable to fully join the ROTC program has not soured the start of his freshman year of college. Kohere has received support from his fellow cadets and other students he has met on campus and is enjoying the courses he is taking. “I am still getting the education I was looking to get and I am meeting new friends that support me to the end,” he said. “This is just one obstacle, basically, I am working on getting past.” After the adviser of his gay-straight alliance in high school alerted him that the LGBT legal groups were looking for plaintiffs to join the federal lawsuit, Kohere immediately filled out the form to do so. Being in the military, he said, “is a basic human right I believe everyone deserves.” But his “real motivation behind joining this case,” Kohere added, is that he hopes “to make the world better not only for myself but for the tens of thousands of other transgender service members in the military right now. This can greatly impact their lives.”

November 9-15, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

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San Jose LGBT center joins vets parade

Due to Trump’s move to ban transgender military service members, the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center decided to march in this year’s San Jose Veterans Day Parade. It has invited local transgender groups and individuals to be part of its contingent. Those who do are asked to bring their transgender and rainbow pride flags with them to the event Saturday, November 11. “For the transgender military members who can’t be out, we made the decision to march in the parade on their behalf, so they know there is support for them out there,” Gabrielle Antolovich, president of the DeFrank’s board of directors, told the B.A.R. in early October. “They just need to see we are there, because we are an LGBT community center and represent the entire LGBT community.” The DeFrank center is contingent #54 in the parade and will be gathering near the SAP Center, 525 W. Santa Clara, in downtown San Jose. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. The following day, Sunday, November 12, several LGBT contingents will take part in the San Francisco Mayor’s Salute to Veterans Parade. It will begin at 11 a.m. at North Point Street and the Embarcadero and wend its way through Fisherman’s Wharf. As in years past, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band will perform in the parade. Also marching will be members of the primarily LGBT Alexander Hamilton Post 448 of the American Legion. Another LGBT-focused veteran’s organization, the Bob Basker Post 315 of the American Legion, will also be participating in the parade and marching with the Veterans For Peace SF Chapter 69. t

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<< Commentary

10 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

Who gets remembered

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

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ovember 20 is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This year will be the 18th observance. It was my work with the Remembering Our Dead project that helped create the event way back when. When I started TDOR, I was very specific in some definitions. Rather than simply being an event to honor dead transgender people, I was specifically addressing people – transgender-identified or otherwise – who were killed due to antitransgender violence. I’ve long held that this is an important distinction. At the same time, this characteristic does cause some confusion as TDOR comes around, and you start seeing any number of, well, numbers thrown at you as to how many we’ve lost in a given year. Not all anti-trans murders are of trans people. Consider Roy A. Jones, who was 17 months old at the time of their death in 2010. Jones was killed because their babysitter, Pedro Jones (no relation), thought the infant was “acting like a girl.” Jones was way too young to self-identify as trans, but the killing surely fits as an anti-transgender murder. The same can be said about the 2001 murder of Willie Houston, who was neither trans nor gay identified. At the time of his death, Houston was holding his wife’s purse while she went to the restroom, and escorting a blind friend by walking arm in arm with him. His killers perceived Houston as being gender nonconforming, and presumably gay or transgender – regardless of his chosen identity. This same discrepancy has come up this year, surrounding the death of Imer Eliu Alvarado. Alvarado was killed May 17 in Fresno, California. Alvarado did not identify as transgender, but as a gay man. At the time of his death, however, according to the local ABC affiliate, Alvarado was dressed in drag. It is likely what caused the altercation that led to his death. By the same token, the September murder of San Francisco DJ, artist, and activist Anthony “Bubbles” Torres in the Tenderloin is similarly complicated. Torres also did not identify as transgender – but created a female persona some 20 years ago. As Bubbles, he was a flamboyant figure in the local scene. When he was killed, the initial reports called him a transgender woman. I would not call either Alvarado or Torres transgender. They did not choose to identify with the term, and I think it wise to respect that. But we can look at their killings as being, at least potentially, antitransgender murders. Their appearance at the time of their deaths may indeed have been a contributing factor in their murders. There are others that one can question from another angle, like the murder of Ava Le’Ray Barrin, a 17-year-old trans woman allegedly shot and killed by Jalen Breon Brown on June 25 in Athens, Georgia. Barrin and Brown were both acquaintances, and both were trans-identified. It does not appear to have been an anti-transgender murder, but some other form of personal dispute. Others become unclear. The death of Kiwi Herring was at the hands of the St. Louis police. Herring, an African-American transgender woman, had a dispute with a neighbor that turned into an altercation. The police were called

Christine Smith

to the scene, where they say Herring brandished a knife and cut one of the officers. They then shot her to death. I’m wary of adopting police narratives as of late, particularly out of the St. Louis area, and even more when it involves a black victim. With all the research I’ve done on this particular case, I find I am simply unsure – but I am more likely to err on Herring’s side, at least until I learn more. Another officer-involved shooting, that of nonbinary-identified Scout Schultz, I am less inclined to include in such a count. The case certainly leaves me questioning the actions of the Georgia Tech police, and why Schultz ended up being shot while holding no more than the miniature blade of their multitool. It seems their death was more a case of police malfeasance than anti-transgender animus. This is where things get complicated: when you comb through every case, especially, I think, as a trans person, it’s all very personal. Nevertheless, one ends up forced to be methodical, and tease out the details, and see if they fit. Sometimes they do not. I think, though, it is important to bear this one fact in mind: regardless of the specifics of any given case, when one looks at the data collected and sorted over the last couple decades, one discovers that a person is killed due to anti-transgender violence every two weeks in the United States of America. Also, when one expands this to a worldwide sample, you see such a murder, on average, every day and a half. We are still at appalling levels of violence. Let’s not forget this, particularly in an era where the rights of transgender people are threatened more than they have been since the 1930s. Oh, and one final thing: even though I have laid out my rationale above, if you feel it important to include Schultz or any others when you are honoring those we’ve lost, please do not let me stand in your way. It is not my place to tell you who, or how, you should grieve. What I do ask you to do is what I’ve asked since 1999: Remember. t Gwen Smith hopes you will attend a Transgender Day of Remembrance event in your area. You’ll find her at http://www. gwensmith.com. For Bay Area events, see the News Briefs.

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<< National News

12 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

Big night for LGBT candidates in US by Lisa Keen

uesday was a good night for LGBT candidates and a historic one for transgender candidates. There were at least 71 openly LGBT candidates in 23 states. Of those, 55 percent won, 35 percent lost, and the results of 10 percent were not yet settled as of press time. Lesbian Jenny Durkan, 59, handily won election as mayor of Seattle, one of the fastest growing cities in the country and the eighth largest container port in the U.S. Durkan replaces Seattle’s first openly gay mayor, Ed Murray, who resigned in September after allegations surfaced from five men who said Murray sexually abused them as teenagers. (Murray denied the allegations.) SeattlePI.com said Durkan’s opponent, Cary Moon, tried to link her with Murray. Though Moon has not yet conceded the race, results suggest Durkan took more than 60 percent of the vote. She was the first openly gay person President Barack Obama appointed as a U.S. attorney. Also in Seattle, lesbian challenger Mitzi Johanknecht, 58, appeared to defeat incumbent John Urquhart in a race for King County Sheriff. Johanknecht is in charge of one of the sheriff office’s precincts and ran against Urquhart, saying he mistreated employees, especially

photo

Seattle Mayor-elect Jenny Durkan

Virginia Delegate-elect Danica Roem

women. She’s been on the force for three decades, and Urquhart had recently been accused of rape by a former female deputy. Danica Roem won a stunning victory to the Virginia House of Delegates against a Republican incumbent who had made a name for himself trying to ban transgender people from public restrooms. According to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which was supporting 61 of the 72 LGBT candidates Tuesday, the win in Virginia means Roem is the first out transgender person to

win and serve in a state legislature and the only out transgender state legislator in the U.S. In Minneapolis, another Victory Fund-backed transgender candidate, Andrea Jenkins, won 70 percent of the vote to become the first transgender woman of color elected to office in a major U.S. city. Jenkins won a seat on the Minneapolis City Council. Vote counts in that city (which allows voters to indicate first, second, and third choices) are still underway and Wednesday morning, the Star Tribune said that another

transgender candidate, Phillipe Cunningham, still has a chance to win a seat held by the current council president. Lesbian activist Jillia Pessenda is also in a very tight race for a seat. Tyler Titus became the first transgender candidate to win elective office in Pennsylvania. He won a seat on the school board for Erie. There were only four LGBT candidates for state legislative offices Tuesday; three of them were incumbents who won re-election: Tim Eustace and Reed Gusciora of New Jersey and Mark Levine of Virginia. Roem was the newcomer who won in Virginia. Last month, Luis Lopez advanced to a December 5 runoff for a California Assembly seat representing Los Angeles.

Mayoral races

Of the 72 LGBT candidates Tuesday, 67 ran for local offices –12 for mayor, 41 for city council seats, seven for local school boards, and seven for various other local positions. Only five out of the 12 mayoral candidates won Tuesday night – Durkan in Seattle and four incumbents – Alex Morse in Holyoke, Massachusetts; Sean Strub in Milford, Pennsylvania; Lydia Lavelle in Carrboro, North Carolina; and

Patrick Wojahn in College Park, Maryland. In Atlanta, longtime lesbian activist and politico Cathy Woolard came in third among 12 candidates for mayor. Woolard, a former Atlanta City Council president, garnered 17 percent of the vote behind the second place winner. The top two vote-getters will battle it out in a runoff December 5. In Hoboken, New Jersey, Councilman Michael DeFusco, 35, failed in his bid to become the city’s first openly gay mayor. The six-person race was marred near the end when anonymous fliers that tried to portray the campaign leader and eventual winner, a Sikh, as a terrorist. The flier included De Fusco’s name in a way that made it look like his campaign created the ad. But DeFusco denounced the flier as racist and “disgusting.” Paul Prevey, a gay former member of the Salem City Council, came up short in his bid to unseat three-term incumbent Mayor Kim Driscoll of Salem, Massachusetts.

Major city contests

In Atlanta, Councilman Alex Wan was the top vote-getter in a race for City Council president, but he must now face the second See page 20 >>

SF supes grapple with cannabis regulations

Obituaries >>

by Sari Staver

July 9, 1968 – September 27, 2017

dozen current and former elected officials joined the chorus of cannabis activists and business owners urging the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to pass reasonable regulations that allow for

adult recreational use of cannabis to begin January 1. Officials held a November 8 news conference in front of City Hall. That followed two days of backto-back committee hearings where supervisors are crafting legislation to create a regulatory framework for

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businesses to cultivate, manufacture, deliver, and sell cannabis when it becomes legal next year. Proposition 64, passed by California voters last year, legalized the recreational use of cannabis by adults aged 21 and over. Organized by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and gay San Francisco Democratic Party Chair David Campos, the officials issued a statement that said, “Currently, the proposals before the Board of Supervisors include several draconian proposals that will effectively ban new cannabis businesses in almost all of San Francisco, thus reducing access to cannabis, foregoing tax revenue and employment opportunities, preventing historically marginalized communities from entering the industry, and abandoning San Francisco’s opportunity to continue to be a leader in cannabis access and innovation.” In addition to Wiener and Campos, both former supervisors, the officials included gay District 8 Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, Supervisors Malia Cohen (D10) and Hillary Ronen (D9) and half a dozen representatives from the boards that oversee City College of San Francisco and the city’s public schools. On November 6 and 7, the Land Use and Transportation Committee and the Rules Committee, respectively, heard dozens of residents, business owners, and activists offer opinions on how to balance the needs of various communities competing for policies that favor their members. While some cities, such as Berkeley, have promised to be ready to sell pot to any adult on the first day of 2018, San Francisco is still squabbling over a variety of critical issues, including whether existing medical cannabis dispensaries will be fasttracked to add recreational cannabis to their offerings. Local officials have also not decided whether they will attempt to craft a citywide strategy or approve policies that would allow neighborhoods to carve out exemptions and exceptions. Also at issue is the policy on the

Sari Staver

Supervisor Jeff Sheehy

distance a recreational business must be from schools or day care centers; the state policy recommends 600 feet but some supervisors believe it should be maintained at 1,000, which is the requirement for medical cannabis dispensaries, a decision activists say would crimp the city’s ability to establish a thriving cannabis industry. Most public commenters favored the 600 foot limit. Politicians and activists weighed in with their opinions. Sheehy, who uses medical cannabis to treat his HIV-related symptoms, said in a telephone interview after the land use committee hearing that he was “moderately optimistic” that the board would allow the city’s existing medical cannabis dispensaries to sell marijuana to all adults beginning January 1. “It’s important that we at least get that done,” said Sheehy. He has introduced a amendment that would temporarily allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to become retail outlets for recreational cannabis sales while they apply for new permits. If local dispensaries aren’t allowed to begin selling recreational marijuana beginning January 1, they might be harmed and possibly forced out of business while residents and tourists flock to cities that have moved more quickly, supporters said. Sheehy is also adamant that the supervisors reject the proposal to See page 20 >>

Kevin Henry Avila

A loving son, nephew, cousin and brother, Kevin Avila prided himself as the devoted, s e l f - p ro c l a i m e d third-parent to his niece, Jordan, and nephews, Mason and Ryan Chavez. He spent some of his best times instilling a love of dance, music, dress-up, and his always biting sense of humor that shall be carried on for generations to come. A person dedicated to making an impact, Kevin found his one true love as a marriage and family therapist, working in the heart of San Francisco. He is survived by a plethora of best friends, a title held far and wide, as he was known to throw love and devotion to all who knew him. He will be forever missed and stands as a reminder that we shall not be silent. Please ask for help whenever you need it. You are loved. Suicide prevention hot line: 1-800-273-8255. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 18, at 2 p.m. at 4110 Hillcrest Way, Sacramento, CA 95821. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Friends for Survival Inc., P.O. Box 214463, Sacramento, CA 95821.

Celeste Newbrough memorial rescheduled December 3, 2017 A memorial service and celebration will be held Sunday, December 3 for Celeste Newbrough, a lesbian and early feminist who helped organize against the anti-gay Briggs initiative in 1977, ahead of the election a year later. Ms. Newbrough died August 4. She was 77. An earlier planned memorial had to be postponed due to the poor air quality during the North Bay fires. The memorial will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, 1 Lawson Road in Kensington. People are asked to call (510) 506-0291 if they would like to attend. For the Bay Area Reporter’s obituary on Ms. Newbrough, see http://ebar.com/news/article. php?sec=news&article=72868.

Community News>>

November 9-15, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 13

Jack’d goes after Grindr for alleged racism by David-Elijah Nahmod

n a new YouTube video, gay dating app Jack’d claims that 37 percent of Americans identify as black, Hispanic, Latino, or Asian. “You see them on Jack’d, do you see them on Grindr?” the video asks. Grindr, the most popular of the gay hookup apps, has repeatedly come under fire for allowing its members to post things like “No Blacks, no Asians,” in their profiles. “Your dating preferences are actually racist,” continues the Jack’d video, referring to Grindr. “We will be the generation that ends racism.” The video was created by Alon Rivel, who serves as director of global marketing for Jack’d. Rivel, who is a 29-year-old gay man, told the Bay Area Reporter that an African-American who works with Jack’d got “eww ... you’re black” as a response on Grindr. “We need, as a community, to be better because we are all minorities,” said Rivel, who is an Israeli-American Caucasian. “It’s one thing to not want to respond to someone because you’re not attracted to them, but to outwardly say it is unacceptable. People of color experience this every day – it impacts their self-worth. On Jack’d we don’t tolerate this. We are known as a safe space for people of color.” Shaun Haines, a gay African-American man, told the B.A.R. that when he reached out to a Grindr profile, the response was “I don’t fuck the [N-word].” Grindr told the B.A.R. that its policy is not to allow for such behavior on the site. “Grindr recognizes that sexual racism is a larger problem within our community and impacts all dating apps, not just Grindr,” Peter Sloterdyk, vice president of marketing for Grindr, said in a statement. “We prohibit the use of offensive or racist language and encourage our community to report offending profiles through our app’s built-in system. We take these reports seriously and respond to them by censoring or banning offending profiles. We consistently look for ways of improving the Grindr experience and do so through ongoing conversations

Courtesy YouTube

A screenshot from Jack’d’s recent YouTube video highlighting racism in the world of online hookup apps.

with LGBT community organizations via Grindr For Equality, a holistic program at Grindr that works to promote justice, health, safety, and more for LGBTQ individuals around the globe.” Grindr publicist Jeff Koo told the B.A.R. that the company would not comment further on the subject. Haines said that he takes issue with Grindr’s claim that it takes action regarding offensive responses. “Reporting the incident to Grindr, unfortunately, didn’t result in much action,” Haines said. “I received a standard response from their legal team. I believe at the time that I had begun to advocate that the platform begin to implement mechanisms to protect its users from harassment and support the process of resolving issues of identity verification. I still believe these networks should be tasked with identity verification as a valuable resource to resolving any crimes committed through these platforms.” Rivel said that Jack’d’s YouTube video was made to highlight Grindr’s influence in the gay hookup market; the site says it has millions of daily users. “I never set out to say anything bad about Grindr,” said Rivel. “But Grindr is influential and needs to do better. We’re the underdog and we’re trying to do better.” According to Rivel, Jack’d has 1.2 million members, with 450,000 daily active users. Thirty percent are black, 25 percent are Asian, and 25 percent are Latino/mix/other. “We’re the most diverse dating app, and also the youngest,” he said. “Eighty

Folsom fair hires Finger as ED by David-Elijah Nahmod

fundraisers for a variety of community nonprofits and charities. Past beneficiaatrick Finger, who has served as ries have included AIDS Legal Referral interim managing Panel, Berkeley Free Clinic, director of Folsom Street Castro Country Club, FraEvents, the local nonprofit meline, Hospitality House, that produces the annual National AIDS Memorial Folsom Street Fair, has Grove, Pets Are Wonderful been named the group’s Support, Project Inform, executive director. Positive Resource Center, Finger had been manand the San Francisco Gay aging director since earMen’s Chorus. lier this year, following According to Folsom the departure of Demetri Courtesy Folsom Street Events Street Event’s news release, Moshoyannis, and over- Patrick Finger Finger has secured numersaw his first Folsom Street ous strategic partnerships Fair in late September. that have been critical in helping to raise “2018 is going to be an amazing, funds for these organizations. banner year for Folsom Street Events,” “2017 was a year of transition and Edwin Morales, president of Folsom learning for the organization and myStreet Event’s board of directors, said self,” Finger said in the release.“For 2018 in a news release. “It’s so exciting that we hope to improve upon the internawe have Patrick at the helm to lead the tional reputation of the organization organization into the future. With over and continue to diversify our events. In 10 years of experience with the orgaspite of the constant changes in the city, nization, Patrick has proven himself Folsom Street Events will continue to a passionate, intelligent, and knowlproduce events that can be found only edgeable leader whose dedication and in San Francisco.” support of not only the community Finger, who declined to be interat large, but those without a voice, is viewed for this story, has held other unquestionable.” positions at Folsom Street Events, and In addition to the street fair, Folsom at one time worked for Levi Strauss & Street Events is the organization behind Company. Finger’s salary information popular leather events and parties such was not available. According to the as the LeatherWalk, Up Your Alley, Bay group’s 2015 IRS Form 990, Moshoyof Pigs, Rough, Magnitude, and Deviannis made about $112,000 in salary ants Adult Arcade. These events serve as and benefits. t

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percent of our members are under 26.” Rivel added that Jack’d has suspended or deleted accounts for hate speech. “In terms of how many, it really varies depending on how many users report such activity to customer service,” he explained. “Overall we do see a very low occurrence of this type of behavior on Jack’d.” Rivel declined to reveal the types of language Jack’d has seen. “We will not reiterate hate speech or anything negative that a user has said or negatively been subjected to by another user on the app,” he said. “It is very uncommon for us to get reports of hate speech or racism occurrences on Jack’d as our user base knows that we do not tolerate it and that this platform is safe for everyone regardless of who they are or where they come from.” t

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<< Business News

t Store furnishes the Bay Area with Nordic designs 14 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

by Matthew S. Bajko

t their Scandinavian furnishings store Norden Living, Terje Arnesen and Christopher Sharpe showcase contemporary designers who have put their own twist on classic styles from their native Nordic region. All of the furniture, lighting, and home accessories they carry come from companies based in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Many of the items aren’t sold anywhere else in the Bay Area. “Scandinavia and Denmark have a strong design history, but I didn’t really find that here in San Francisco in the same way. I always wanted to bring that sense of design to San Francisco; really it’s been a dream of mine since I moved here,” said Sharpe, 51, who grew up in Aalborg, Denmark and graduated in 1993 with an architecture degree from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture in Copenhagen. After three years in Berlin, Sharpe relocated to San Francisco in 1996 and worked for a dozen years in architecture before becoming a licensed real estate agent. Three years ago he and Arnesen, who are both gay and have been friends for 20 years, started talking about opening a Nordic furniture store together. Arnesen, 56, grew up in Oslo, Norway and moved to the Bay Area in 1982 to attend San Jose State University, where he earned a degree in journalism and mass communication. After stints in New York and Los Angeles working in the fashion industry, he returned to San Francisco in 1994 and opened his own antique furniture store called New Deal and an interior design office. Initially located off Market Street near Zuni Cafe, the store is now located in the Castro at 4529 18th Street near Douglass. “As an interior designer I was always seeking modern Nordic design but didn’t find anything affordable,” said Arnesen. “I had set out with a whole business plan to open a store but it was a lot to take on by myself because I have the two other businesses. It was just a really perfect coincidence we talked about this.” The business partners focus on contemporary younger Scandinavian designers who take midcentury designs and update them

for modern tastes. For the last three years they attended the Stockholm Design Fair, held in February, to strike business relationships with Nordic design companies as they worked out the business plan for their store. “People are not buying antiques anymore,” said Arnesen, “or now they are only buying a few things.” The Nordic furnishings, he said, fit perfectly with the design tastes and needs of today’s urban dwellers. And their more subtle designs, added Sharpe, “don’t dominate the space” of a city apartment or home. Many of their customers are already informed about the brands and fabricators they carry, said the business partners, as they have researched them online and are familiar with their products. The advantage of being able to come to Norden Living, said Arnesen, is they “can sit on it and look at it” before committing to the furniture, which they can buy while in the store or later from its website at http://www.nordenliving.com/. “Plus, you also get professional advice,” he added. “You may be able to shop for it online, but there is no store to take it back to if you don’t like it. Dealing with European websites can be a bit of extra work. We are taking that whole problem out of the experience.” Although they limit the amount of inventory inside the store, Arnesen and Sharpe feature a larger selection of items on the store’s website and can work with customers to secure whatever furnishing they need. They frequently change what is shown in the shop, with items from Muuto and HAY, two Danish design firms, arriving in late November for the holiday shopping season. “Those brands are highly popular in Europe and other parts of the world, but there is little to no access to see their products in San Francisco and the Bay Area,” said Sharpe. Arnesen added that their customers “have been asking for those companies.” Currently on display in the store are a Peppy two-seater sofa ($3,260) and a Nakki lounge chair ($2,510), both made by Woud, and an Era low lounge chair by Normann ($1,595 in wood and cloth, $2,046 in leather). They also carry a variety of Krenit bowls in different sizes and colors ($109-$145) and bell-shaped lamps

EXPLORE THE GAY WORLD

Rick Gerharter

Terje Arnesen, left, and Christopher Sharpe, co-owners of Norden Living, a store of Scandinavian design, show off some of their offerings

in various sizes and colors by Bell ($400-$630) that are one of the store’s best sellers. “There is humor to it,” noted Sharpe. Either for decoration or a highend toy are wood animals by Nunu in the form of elephants ($76) and swans ($100) or wooden ducks on wheels by Ducky in several colors ($140). Another top seller for the store has been thick wool blankets ($295) from the Norwegian firm Røros Tweed in designs from the architecture firm Snøhetta. Arnesen and Sharpe opened the store at 3618 17th Street on April 20, though Arnesen didn’t realize the significance of the date, which is an annual holiday celebrated by users of marijuana. “I kept wondering why is everyone giggling,” he recalled about telling people when Norden Living would open for business. Since then, despite the store’s out-of-the-way location between the Castro and Mission business districts, the co-owners have seen a steady stream of customers. They have been participating in the Castro’s recently launched monthly art walks and hosting in-store events to promote the various design firms they carry. During the four Sundays of the Christmas Advent calendar in December they will be lighting a candle, part of a Nordic holiday tradition, and holding special events at the store those days. “People are becoming more small business oriented, especially in San Francisco,” said Arnesen. “They want to support local, small businesses.” Norden Living is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.

North Bay fire

From page 7

November 13 for Napa County to allow FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers entry onto property for cleanup. Property owners won’t be billed unless there is a clause on their insurance policy that covers cleanup following a disaster. In those cases, FEMA will bill for the balance, he said.

Housing

People who are currently staying in hotels using Transitional

Couple to open gay bar in Redwood City

The couple aiming to open a gay bar on the Peninsula have selected Redwood City as the location and hope to welcome their first patrons next fall. As noted in the August business column, boyfriends Brian Roby and Michael Wright had scouted locations throughout the South Bay for their bar, which would be the only gay nightlife establishment in San Mateo County. The East Palo Alto residents have also been hosting Guerrilla Gay Bar events in the area to drum up support (and future customers) for their proposed bar. In a note to supporters last month, the couple announced they would open their bar in the county seat and reveal its name and branding in February. They did not disclose the bar’s exact location in Redwood City, nor respond to a request for comment about the lease details. “We’re excited and proud to share that we were able to complete the first phase of development ahead of schedule, and barring any major setbacks, we hope to open our doors in Redwood City just one year from now!” stated the couple’s message, posted October 23 to their Facebook page for the bar at https://www.facebook.com/peninsulagaybar/. They are hosting their next Guerrilla Gay Bar event from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, November 10, at The Blacksmith, 2048 Broadway in Redwood City.

Castro Merchants welcome the holidays

The annual Christmas decorations in San Francisco’s gay Castro district will be going up earlier this year and staying around a little longer as businesses look to draw in more customers during the still important season of shopping. The Castro Merchants will begin wrapping the Palm trees along upper Market Street’s median

Sheltering Program vouchers received an extension on their checkout date to December 8 due to the housing crisis, Kempton wrote in an email this week. He said that FEMA or the state will inform individuals about extensions to the deadline. Individuals seeking more information can visit https://ela.corplodging.com. To find a participating hotel, visit http://femaevachotels.com or call the CLC Hotel Support Line at 866-545-9865. The Sonoma County Fairgrounds leased 80 recreational

with red and silver bows and switching on the lights decorating the throughway’s sidewalk trees the week of November 20. “We want to create a warm village glow along Market Street,” said Daniel Bergerac, president of the business association. The morning of Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 23, will see the installation of the 28-foot-tall holiday tree in the plaza in front of the Bank of America building at the corner of Castro and 18th streets. And the traditional tree lighting ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, November 27, emceed by B.A.R. society columnist Donna Sachet. Expect a visit from Santa and his elves as well as performances by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and the Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Band. The December 7 edition of the recently launched evening Castro Art Walk events, held on the first Thursday of the month, will be themed to the holidays. And for the third year in a row the Castro will host a Hanukkah Menorah lighting ceremony, taking place this year at 6 p.m. Wednesday, December 13, in Jane Warner Plaza on 17th Street at Castro and Market. Another holiday tradition returns the Friday through Sunday after Thanksgiving at Cliff ’s Variety (479 Castro Street), when the familyowned general store will give shoppers 20 percent off their purchase if they donate $5 to the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, the nearby public elementary school. The store will also be donating 10 percent of its proceeds on Friday, December 1, to the AIDS/LifeCycle, the yearly June fundraiser for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. t Got a tip on LGBT business news? Call Matthew S. Bajko at (415) 829-8836 or e-mail m.bajko@ ebar.com.

vehicles for temporary housing approved by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. It’s anticipated that 120 more spaces will be developed and leased, according to news reports. FEMA transitional housing for displaced fire victims likely will be for at least the next 18 months. Trailers are the last resort, Kempton told the B.A.R. FEMA officials are looking at every opportunity to get people directly back into housing, either their own homes or manufactured housing in the challenging tight housing market. t

Community News>>

November 9-15, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 15

TDOR events include new East Bay venue compiled by Cynthia Laird

he 18th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance – to honor those lives lost to anti-trans violence – will be observed by organizations throughout the Bay Area, with a new location for the East Bay event. Tiffany Woods, the longtime producer of the TDOR observance in Oakland, has new commitments outside of the Bay Area and will not be involved this year. “It is time for a new vision and leadership,” she wrote in an email to the Bay Area Reporter. TDOR had taken place at Oakland City Hall in recent years, but this year it will move to the Pacific Center for Human Growth, 2712 Telegraph Avenue, in Berkeley. It will take place Monday, November 20, beginning at 6 p.m., said Leslie Ewing, executive director of the Pacific Center. Woods said that while much has changed since TransVision, where she works, produced the first East Bay TDOR in 2006, “what has not changed is the epidemic of violence worldwide against the trans and gender nonconforming communities.” “In fact, it is increasing,” she wrote in an email. “The goal is to never have to read a name again, and names to read increase each year.” Formally observed each November 20, TDOR was started in the late 1990s in San Francisco by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a trans woman who also writes the Transmissions column for the B.A.R. At the time,

she wanted to call attention to the brutal murder of Rita Hester, a trans woman in Massachusetts. Today, ceremonies generally include a reading of names of those lost to anti-trans violence during the year. Smith started out with the online Remembering Our Dead project, which transitioned into TDOR and now includes events in cities across the country and overseas. In addition to Berkeley, observances will be held in other Bay Area cities. All are free and open to the public. The San Mateo Pride Center, which opened in May, will have its first TDOR event Thursday, November 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 1021 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo. Jei Africa, a clinical psychologist and transgender man who’s director of the Office of Diversity and Equity for San Mateo County, will deliver the keynote address. Supervisor Dave Pine will provide welcoming remarks. Community speakers include Rhett Henderson, Alyss Swanson, and Lexi Shimmers. There will be refreshments, altar-building, a call to action, and procession. Organizers noted that while not every person represented during TDOR selfidentified as transgender, each was a victim of violence based on bias against trans people. In San Francisco, TDOR will be held November 20 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. A volunteer planning team organized the event, including representatives from Taja’s Coalition, Trans: Thrive, the

Lambert Bridge 2012 Crane Creek Cuvée

The dinner will include a traditional Thanksgiving meal from Whole Foods. The event is free, though donations are welcome. There will be two seatings: 2:30 to 4 p.m., and 4:30 to 6. Interested people should RSVP at (415) 6850886 or fallfeastrsvp@openhousesf.org, and indicate which seating they would like to attend.

Oakland councilman to distribute Thanksgiving baskets Rick Gerharter

Tiffany Woods, center, joined others in holding candles at last year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance observance in Oakland.

LGBT center, the trans employment program, and El/La Para Translatinas. To RSVP, visit http://bit. ly/2A1A9yd. The Central Valley city of Fresno will hold a TDOR ceremony November 20 at Fresno State University, 5241 N. Maple Avenue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the event runs from 6 to 8:30 in the North Gym, room 118. For more about TDOR, see Smith’s column on page 10.

Sleep out to bring attention to homelessness

The Coalition on Homelessness will bring attention to San Francisco’s homeless community by holding a SleepOut to end Homelessness Thursday, November 16, starting at 5 p.m. at the Powell Street cable car turnaround (Powell and Market streets). Organizers said that with the adult shelter waitlist at more than

1,000 people, and as the city “continues to criminalize homeless people living in tents and on the streets, we invite community members to join us for a sleep out to bring light to this issue.” The coalition was referring to laws like the newly enacted Proposition Q, which voters passed last year and allows the city to remove homeless peoples’ tents after issuing 24-hour notice and offering shelter. Interested people should bring their sleeping bags. For more information, contact Kelley Cutler at kcutler@cohsf.org or (415) 3463740, ext. 312.

Openhouse to hold Fall Feast

Openhouse, which provides services to LGBT seniors, will hold its annual Fall Feast Thursday, November 16 in the Green Room at the San Francisco War Memorial, 401 Van Ness Avenue.

Oakland City Councilman Abel Guillen (District 2) will hold his third annual Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway Saturday, November 18 ,from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Roosevelt Middle School, 1926 E. 19th Street. In an email to constituents, Guillen, who identifies as two spirit, said that over the past two years, his office has been able to provide holiday meals for 500 underserved Oakland families. Guillen also said that they are short of reaching their fundraising goal and need the community’s help. People can donate online at http://bit.ly/2irSQnt or mail in a tax-deductible contribution to Councilman Abel Guillen’s Office, 1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Checks should be made payable to Family Bridges Inc. and add a note that says “Councilmember Guillen’s Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway.” Volunteers are needed for the giveaway. To sign up, visit http:// bit.ly/2isFE1H. For questions about donating or volunteering, contact Jessica Chen at clchen@oaklandnet. com or (510) 238-7022. See page 20 >>

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16 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

<< Queer Reading

VALENCIA Bio highlights trans VALENCIA VALENCIA VALENCIA CYCLERY CYCLERYcolumnist’s activism CYCLERY CYCLERY

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present at the back of her book. “I wanted to honor Gwen’s efor readers of the Bay Area forts and honor the people killed,” Reporter, Gwendolyn Ann she wrote. “Gwen’s work focuses on Smith, the longtime author of the remembrance and the power in acTransmissions column, needs no knowledgment; I wanted this book introduction. to reflect what I see as the thread She began writing the column through all Gwen’s work. I also in 2000, a year after she created hoped that readers would see the the Transgender Day of Rememlength of the list and begin to combrance, which is held to honor prehend the staggering amount those killed due to anti-trans vioof violence the trans community lence and is now observed around faces.” Hybrid/City Kid’s the world. One of the names on the list is Kid’s Smith’s audience will grow with Hybrid/City Hybrid/City Kid’s Gwen Araujo, a trans teen who was a new biography about her, “Trans/ brutally murdered in Newark, CaliActive,” written by Sophia Cecelia fornia in October 2002. Smith felt Leveque, published by Library an immediate connection because Partners Press, an imprint of Wake of their shared name. She attended Forest University. Leveque, 26, the trials of Araujo’s murderers studying for a master’s degree in and became close friends with library and information science at Araujo’s family. It took a personal Now Open Thursday to 7pm! University College Dublin in Iretoll on her, but the story made Road Mountain Road Mountain Mountainland, answered questions for the Road national news, with people paying Now Open Thursday to 7pm! B.A.R. via email, while Smith gave attention to a trans woman brutally Every Now Thursday April between 4 & 7pm Open in Thursday to 7pm! an in-person interview. murdered for seemingly no reason Brian Bromberger Now Open Thursday to 7pm! Thursday to 7pm! take 20% Now OFF Open all parts, accessories & clothing.* Leveque identifies as a hetother than being trans. Gwendolyn Ann Smith holds a Every Thursday April between & 7pm “It caused laws to be created, EveryinThursday in 4April between 4 & 7pm erosexual cisgender woman, and copy of her biography. *Salesbetween limited 4to&stock Every Thursday in April 7pmon hand. Thursday in April between 4 & 7pm discovered Smith through a Wikilike getting rid of the trans panic takeEvery 20%take OFF all parts, accessories & clothing.* 20%Thursday OFF all parts, accessories & clothing.* NowOFF Open 7pm! take 20% OFF to all & parts, accessories & clothing.*pedia edit-a-thon, writing an entry take 20% all parts, accessories clothing.* defense in California, and was piv*Sales limited to stock on hand. if that would have been better.” on otal as far as trans hate crimes are limited toher. stock on hand. *Sales to stock on hand. *Sales limited to stock on*Sales hand. limited By age 25, she became an activist “About a month after President concerned,” Smith said. “But once SPRING Every Thursday in April between 4 & 7pm when, signing up for a free trial on Trump’s inauguration, I was lookthe case concluded, I had to take a m got take 20% OFF all parts, accessories We’ve & clothing.* AOL, she discovered an embargo ing to fight the doom and gloom, step back. I needed time for myself ready to ride on the words “transgender,” “transto recenter, refocus, and reorganize *Sales limited to stock on hand. even if in a small way,” she wrote. sexual,” and “transvestite,” which “When I read about Gwendolyn’s my priorities and, frankly, to heal meant no chat rooms could be set work, I saw someone who conafter the trials.” up with those terms. She wrote lettributed to our world through (Araujo’s killers Michael Magters telling AOL executives “there is many small acts – researching and idson and Jose Merel are serving 1065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) • SF 10651065 & 1077 Valencia (Btwn 21st & 22nd St.) SF St.) •remembering a financial stake in treating people the victims of trans prison time. 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Jaron Nabors pleaded guilty SALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 one of the appealing aspects of story with everyone who shared to manslaughter and was dis1065 & 1077 Valencia 21st &Thu. 22nd 10-7, St.) • SF Smith’s story, “channeling frustracharged from prison.) Mon.- (Btwn Sat. 10-6, Sun. 11-5 my pessimism about the future.” tion and rejection into community Leveque picked the title as homSALES 415-550-6600 • REPAIRS 415-550-6601 Smith sees a complex relationand love.” age to Minnie Bruce Pratt’s book ship between the transgender and Mon.- Sat. 10-6, Thu. 10-7, Sun. 11-5 Road “Trans people, and anyone “S/he,” a pivotal work in her eduLGB communities. who doesn’t identify with the bication as a feminist and ally. “We still see, once in awhile, O Now nary genders, must use reserves of “The HAPPY title reflects Gwen’s idenpeople wanting to cut trans people strength to survive discrimination tity as a trans woman, her ocEver away, y to distanceThur them from the OFF and daily aggression20% toward them, cupation as an activist,take but also LGB community,” she said. “I think thus teaching straight people em‘transactive’ means exchanging that is a poor way to go. I have this pathy,” she wrote. or trading, which is what activist radical notion that a large part of Smith doesn’t want to teach work is,” Leveque wrote. “You can the discrimination and violence straight people that transgender only change culture and policy by against LGBT people is done not people are just like them. exchanging unjust practices.” because of what happens in the “Because we’re not,” she said, Smith said she had some resbedroom but how they appear “but I hope the 1077 book can teach ervations about a straight white in public and transgress gender 1065 & Vale them who we are and why415-550 we deSALES woman writing about her. norms. This is one of the places Mon.Sat. serve to be here. I want straight “Yes, I did a bit, but not only the I see our communities having a people to know that we are not trywhite straight issue but the fact strong common ground, so I’d like valenc ing to deceive them by being who that she was a quarter of a cento see us work together rather than we are. That when we transition tury younger than me,” said Smith. separate, which works better for or choose a new name or mode of “This was almost a cultural divide, hate groups.” clothing for ourselves, we are doing so I spent a lot of time telling her Smith plans to continue writing it to live our truth, not create a lie.” where I was coming from and and being a trans advocate. She also hopes young what life was like when I “Last year my father died after trans people can get a sense was growing up, helpwe were reconciled, and I started of the challenges older ing her to understand to think about what I have done trans folks experienced what it means to be in my life and where my life is in the 1990s and early transgender and what going. Probably turning 50 this 2000s. it’s like to experience it past July also has something to do Smith has been with through my eyes. with this, as well as participating her partner, Bonnie “However, it might in Sophia’s biography,” she said. Smith, whom she met have helped the nar“There is greater public acceptance long before she transirative to be writof us, as more people are educated tioned, for 25 years. ten by someone not about transgender people and have “About six months transgender, to give met us, changing their hearts and before we were going to different angles or perminds. get married, I came out to her and spectives I might not have seen or “However, the bathroom fight it wasn’t even a bump in the road,” glossed over,” Smith added. “After is part of the backlash against Smith said. “It was very surprising our first few interviews, I wasn’t marriage equality. These rightto me. I was taking her out to dinat all worried about her ability to wing groups need a scapegoat and ner, telling her there was something empathize with my life.” they’ve found a new villain,” Smith I had to tell her. I had photocopied said. “So I’m not giving up. Once the few books I could find at the Becoming an activist the initial Trump tweets came out library. I found a restaurant on the Smith was raised in the San Gabanning trans military soldiers, bus route straight home in case she briel Valley in southern California. my first reaction was, Damn, now ran out. When I told her, she said, “I had a pretty good sense what I have to defend the military.’ But ‘sounds like fun.’ The way she’s my gender identity was,” from an during my break after Gwen Arauput it to me, she fell in love with early age, she wrote in a recent jo’s trial, I realized I have a voice the person, not the parts. We both column. and want to pursue my activism identify as bisexual, which helps Her father was not supportive and my writing so to help people matters. She absolutely completes ,and when Smith later told him she walk a mile in my shoes and see the me and has given me the strength was transgender, he remarked, “I world from a trans perspective.”t and courage to be myself.” had worried you were going to tell Leveque includes a list of antime you had some sort of incurable “Trans/Active” is available at trans murders from the 1970 to the disease or something. I don’t know http://www.amazon.com.

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<< National News

t Blade to start alt weekly; popular news sites shutter 18 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

by Sari Staver

n the heels of the well publicized closure of a network of local news websites – including San Francisco’s lively SFist, as well as sites in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles – an LGBT media company has announced it will launch a new alternative weekly, the Baltimore Beat. Veteran gay journalist and publishing executive Kevin Naff, 47, coowner of Washington, D.C.-based BNP Omnimedia, which publishes the Washington Blade, said the decision to launch a new newspaper “is definitely unorthodox in 2017.” The Beat website says it will be a comprehensive guide to Baltimore,

covering local news and the arts “with its ears and eyes open to the community and a focus on longform storytelling.” It will not be an LGBT-specific paper, but will include coverage of LGBT issues from the Washington Blade, said Naff. Best Wedding Photographer The Beat replaces Baltimore City as voted by BAR readers Paper, which, after 40 years, recently closed. City Paper had been acquired by the Baltimore Sun, said Neff. “I think they closed it because they didn’t want the competition” for advertising, said Naff, who had worked at the Sun as a reporter years ago before joining BNP. The free paper will be distributed in bars, restaurants, gyms, and other locations.

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It’s the second time this year that BNP will launch a new newspaper. In March, the company launched the Los Angeles Blade, an LGBT paper. Naff said the publication is “already break-even-plus.” The first issue of the Beat will hit the streets November 15, said Naff. As far as its size, “We won’t know” until a few days before publication, he said. Naff explained his philosophy about newspaper publishing, including the gay niche. “Big cities need independent journalism,” said Naff. “There is still a lot of money in print journalism,” he added, noting that it has been difficult, if not impossible, for online publications to sell enough advertising to make a profit. “Maybe that will change some day but right now, that’s the case,” he said, noting that the popular political website, Politico, did not turn a profit until it began to publish a print edition. Naff said the launch of the new Baltimore newspaper has similarities to the debut of the Los Angeles Blade, which filled a void by the now-defunct Frontiers. In Los Angeles, said Naff, Frontiers, “a reputable source of news,” had ceased publication, “creating a void in the market.” When former staffers approached Naff about starting an LGBT newspaper, “we researched it and thought it might be a good move for us.” After six months, “the city has really embraced us” and the paper is “clearly a success” based on both readership loyalty and advertising, he said. Thanks to staffer Karen Ocamb and editor Troy Masters, “we have broken some really important stories” and during a recent visit Naff said he was “thrilled” to find the community was so enthusiastic about the new publication. There is another publication that covers the LGBT community, The

Shooting update

From page 3

When the Bay Area Reporter visited Oakwood Street November 1, residents described police swarming

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been called on by administration officials. While the LGBT community has in many ways assimilated into the community at large, Naff feels a niche for LGBT publications still exists. As many of the “hard fought gains of the LGBT community” are stripped away by the new administration, “our presence is more important than ever.” “We need to tell our stories through our own lens,” he said.

Popular news sites silenced

Pride LA, which Masters started in 2015 but left earlier this year. Naff hopes the Baltimore Beat launch will go smoothly. Several members of the former paper’s editorial and publishing staff have joined the new BNP publication, he said. “A great staff fell into my lap,” he said. “Every market is different,” he noted. “To be successful, a newspaper has to diversify sources of income to make a go of it in this industry.” At the Washington Blade, the staff has successfully “pursued grants” for projects and has launched a marketing business that provides new revenue streams, he said. Naff believes the Trump administration “has reminded people how important good journalism is” and has been one of the factors contributing to the Blades’ increasing readership and advertising. Naff believes the presence of a Blade reporter, Chris Johnson, in daily White House press briefings, “had brought attention to LGBT issues” that would not have surfaced without his presence, although Johnson wrote recently that he has not

In the meantime, the closure of New York-based online sites Gothamist and DNAinfo has left 115 reporters and editors looking for new jobs and dozens of freelancers looking for new assignments. DNAinfo, owned by New York billionaire Joe Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade, closed abruptly November 2, less than a week after the staff voted to unionize. Ricketts had purchased the Gothamist network in March, and closed it too. In a written statement, a spokesperson said, “The decision by the editorial team to unionize is simply another competitive obstacle making it harder for the business to be financially successful.” In San Francisco, Joe Kukura had been freelancing for SFist for several years. On November 2, when it abruptly ceased publication, Kukura said that 90 minutes earlier, an editor had just confirmed a new assignment. The closure “came as a total surprise” to the staff and freelancers in San Francisco, he said. Kukura said the San Francisco staff had not been involved with the drive to unionize. Kukura, 46, who also writes for SF Weekly, said he was “very disappointed” in the closure. “I thought we were doing excellent work, posting new stories every hour,” he said.t

the area, searching people’s homes for suspects. Black skid marks were left on the driveway of the building where neighbors say the cab had ended up. A resident of the building declined to speak to the B.A.R. Jose Vargas, who lives nearby, said he was asleep when, sometime between midnight and 3 a.m., several officers came onto his driveway and, with his permission, searched his roof and “every room of my house.” Vargas said that he later saw that someone had “forced open” the chain link gate to his driveway and at least one person had jumped over his fence into his neighbor’s

yard. He believes it was one of the suspects, rather than the police. Officers didn’t give him any descriptions of the suspects, he said. Leslie Chin, another neighbor, said Friday that police had found a gun in the area. Chin suspects the weapon had been tucked in somebody’s wheel well, otherwise it would have been spotted before. Police also found a cellphone near Vargas’ home, she said. Officer Robert Rueca, a police spokesman, confirmed that police found a firearm on Oakwood Friday, but he said it wasn’t clear whether it was connected with the Castro shooting. t

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Sports>>

November 9-15, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 19

Exciting, pivotal times for Gay Games by Roger Brigham

or the past 14 years, Gay Games organizers and activists have been distracted by a rival event founded to co-opt their brand and possibly kill it. Now that that appears to be over (see October 19 JockTalk, “Death of the Outgames, 2006-2017”), the Gay Games have an opportunity to emerge stronger than ever: the truly global engine of change that late founder Tom Waddell envisioned 40 years previously. A late challenge facing next year’s Gay Games in Paris is the confusion, anger, and disillusionment among some athletes created by problems with two non-Gay Games events: the last-minute cancellation this year of the rival World Outgames in Miami due to financial mismanagement and botched preparations; and the ongoing court battle over ownership rights in the Sin City Shootout in Las Vegas. Add on the canceled continental Outgames in Asia Pacific and St. Louis, as well as a slipshod organization of the EuroGames in Stockholm, and you have one jaded group of athletes to deal with. But none of those events had the unique mission focus, or the synergistic relationship, between a highly motivated host organization and a collegial working relationship with an experienced licensing body, that the Gay Games have. Paris has experience holding an annual multi-sport festival of its own, has solid government support, and says it is meeting its registration goals. Hong Kong, which was selected for the next Gay Games, doesn’t have that kind of LGBT sports background and does not have all of the legal protections and rights previous hosts have had – but it has the potential to take the Gay Games message into a region to which it has never ventured. The FGG and Hong Kong 2022 signed a preliminary agreement October 30 – two days before Waddell’s birthday – and talks began Monday, November 6. If the agreement is not reached by the end of January, the FGG is set to begin talks with whoever came in second in the voting: Guadalajara, Mexico; or Washington, D.C. FGG said it does not release vote totals for a year. “We will not announce the

Courtesy Facebook

Federation of Gay Games honorary lifetime member Brent Nicholson Earle, left, meets Hong Kong Gay Games leader Dennis Philipse at the FGG general assembly in Paris, where Hong Kong was selected to host the Gay Games in 2022.

second place city until then unless negotiations fail with Hong Kong,” a spokesman wrote in an email. In the FGG’s talks with Hong Kong, clarification will need to be made on what the Gay Games will be called in the presumptive host’s marketing materials. The FGG, headquartered in San Francisco, is required by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling not to market itself in any way as an Olympics, and the name Gay Games is required by the federation’s own bylaws. Suggestions in recent years to change the name have been fiercely opposed by Gay Games stakeholders. But how do you translate a name invented four decades ago in the heyday of queer politics in California that was meant as a bugle call for people considered society’s sexual outlaws and outcasts to come and express themselves through sports and arts, into modern Cantonese? And since so few in Asia have ever heard of the event, how do you find the words to describe the inclusive multi-sport competition without the forbidden and misleading reference to the elitist Olympics? As word of the selection spread last week, multiple media reports throughout Asia referred to or explained the Gay Games with variations of “Happy Games based (or modeled) after the Olympic Games.” Which they ain’t. They’re actually

much better than that. Let the lawyers and linguists work it out. One of the articles on a Hong Kong website (http://www.upower. com.hk) did a remarkable job of trying to explain what the term “gay” means beyond “happy,” what the games are, and what their goal is, although it used repeated references to the Olympics. It explained that the event is open to people regardless of orientation and how it was founded. One description though may alarm many Gay Games stakeholders, as it would appear to be lifted from a World Outgames playbook with its description of conferences as one of “three main elements,” along with sports and cultural events. Almost all previous hosts have held at least small conferences to help provide cover for registrants from severely repressed areas to attend when applying for visas, but since 2003 the

FGG has been operating with a direction that sports are supposed to be the overwhelming focus and conferences and parties are not to be major components, based on surveys of past participants. After the first three Gay Games were started in 1982-90 and held in San Francisco (twice) and Vancouver, FGG assumed the task of selecting and overseeing the quadrennial event. The next four LGBT cultural and multi-sport festivals were held in huge metropolitan cities that had large LGBT populations and strong local sports organizations: New York City, Amsterdam, Sydney, and Chicago. Each drew around 10,00012,000 athletes and artists. The first three also lost huge amounts of money with much of the expenditures going to lavish opening and closing ceremonies. Chicago was the first to operate under tighter fiscal requirements from the FGG, signaling a communal desire for the event to concentrate more on sports (the true focus of founder Waddell’s vision and the element that changes the life of its participants the most), and scale back on ceremonies and parties. Chicago was also the first Gay Games to have to deal with a rival event – the 2006 World Outgames, staged by a Montreal host that had been originally chosen to hold the Gay Games but bolted from talks in 2003 to escape the FGG umbrella. Chicago finished in the black. Montreal, with a full slate of conference and more fabulous ceremonies and parties, lost around $5 million, drew fewer athletes than it projected, and subsequent World Outgames continued to draw fewer and fewer registrants. The past two Gay Games were awarded to very hospitable cities with first class venues – Cologne,

Germany and Cleveland – that were smaller, not as widely known, and drew under 10,000 each. The games were a success for the athletes and artists who participated – but some within FGG circles have secondguessed going into smaller cities. Which brings us to Paris and Hong Kong. Paris has strong government support and great relationships with plenty of local LGBT sports clubs and tournament organizers. What scale event they will end up producing may be up for debate, but expected success there should do much to allay the nerves jittered by the failed Outgames. And then the new venture into Asia. The bid is incredibly well financed and the potential to reach athletes who otherwise would not make it is great – but there is little local experience in the hosting of major LGBT sports events, which are notably different than mainstream sports events. A solid working relationship with the member sports organizations in the FGG will be critical. But then, that’s how trails are blazed. In elections conducted at the FGG’s general assembly, Joanie Evans of Great Britain was re-elected as female co-president. Other officers elected to the board are Ben Keller, vice president operations; Bill McManus, vice president member services; Sophia Rodriguez, diversity officer; Doug Litwin, marketing; Gene Dermody, membership; Eddie Young, ceremonies; Jan Schneider, sports; Leviathen Hendricks, international development; David Killian, site selection; Daniel Holland, development; Julie Williams, human resources; and Jeff Sousa and Viv Woodcock-Downey, officers-at-large. t

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<< Community News

20 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

News Briefs

From page 15

SFPD kicks off holiday toy drive

The San Francisco Police Department, in collaboration with Walgreens, kicked off its holiday toy drive that will benefit the city’s children in need. Until December 19, SFPD will be accepting donations of new, unwrapped toys at more than 60 San Francisco Walgreens locations. The goal is to exceed last year’s toy drive,

Man found dead

From page 3

Paul Novales, the building manager, who described Harris as “absolutely nice” and “the kind of tenant that everyone wishes they had,” said that he got a call at about 2 p.m. Thursday because Harris hadn’t been seen in a couple of days. Novales said that he knocked on Harris’ door, but there was no response, so he unlocked it. When he opened the door, there were “big drops” of blood “on the floor and smears of blood on the wall and the door going into the bathroom,” he said. He immediately walked away from the door to the apartment and called 911. Novales said that there was an open door inside the one-room apartment that blocked the view of the rest of the unit, and he didn’t see Harris’ body. He said that a woman who lives next to Harris’ apartment heard “loud voices” coming from there at about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, November 1, but she couldn’t tell what was being said. Police, who have called Harris’ death a homicide, said that he’d suffered “stab wounds” and that a knife was used as the weapon. (The medical examiner’s office confirmed Harris’ identity, but the agency hasn’t released the cause or manner of Harris’ death.) Officer Giselle Linnane, a police spokeswoman, declined to share any more details about the case, and she wouldn’t say whether Alkoraishie Ali, Harris’ boyfriend, is a suspect. Novales said that he didn’t know Ali very well. He is also known as Ali

LGBT candidates

From page 12

place candidate in a runoff. Lesbian newcomer Liliana Bakhtiari almost won a council seat from an incumbent. At midnight, she was leading with 54 percent of the vote, but by morning, she had garnered only 49 percent and the incumbent had enough votes to avoid a runoff. Two gay male candidates, Bill Powell and Kirk Rich, fell short in their bids for Atlanta City Council seats. And Josh McNair came in third in his bid for a seat on the Fulton County Commission.

Cannabis

From page 12

require new dispensaries and stores selling recreational cannabis to be at least 1,000 feet away from a school. “If that passes, we have not succeeded,” he said, as such a proposal would make it very difficult for anyone to find a qualifying location. That policy “has no basis in reality,” he said, noting that stores selling alcohol or tobacco do not have to meet such criteria. Sheehy believes that people testifying that the sale of cannabis puts children in danger “is a reminder of the stigma” facing people who sell or use marijuana. About a dozen people testified in favor of this at the November 6 hearing and “it amounts to repeating the slogans” introduced by

that she’s leaving the organization at the end of the year. Susana Caceres, who’s led El/La for four years, said in a recent news release, “It has been my absolute privilege to do this work and I’m happy to leave the organization in a more grounded and fruitful place.” The San Francisco nonprofit, which provides HIV testing, leadership development, and other services for transgender Latinas, recently marked its 11th anniversary. “Personally, this position has brought me deep life lessons and humbleness as I’ve seen the

translatina community continue to be resilient and continue to support each other in any way they can,” stated Caceres, who’s been with El/ La for six years. “It has been a lesson of love. Fierce love that says you are home, we are family, you can be yourself here.” She added, “My plan is to stay connected to the organization and to support its growth.” Caceres declined to be interviewed, saying in an email that she’s “super swamped.” Marcia Ochoa, El/La’s advisory board co-chair and co-founder,

didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment. The group’s budget and other financial information wasn’t immediately available. A job description for the interim executive director, which didn’t specify a salary, said the successful candidate would start December 1.t

Holly Richards worked with Harris at Automotive Mastermind, where Harris was an engineering manager. Harris was “probably the best person you’ve ever met,” said Richards, who called him “very caring” and “very supportive.” Richards said that when she last saw Harris on Tuesday, October 31, “he was in good spirits.” When Harris didn’t show up for work after that, “We just thought it was really unlike him,” she said. Automotive Mastermind staff got in touch with Novales, the apartment manager. Richards said she never met Ali. Harris talked about him “from time to time,” and “I know they were causal partners,” she said. “They weren’t serious.” She didn’t know if the two had had any trouble with each other, and she didn’t know if she should discuss any details.

“I think they just had normal relationship quarrels here and there, but I don’t think Keith was ever abused,” she said. Ali “was troubled in his own life, but it didn’t have to do with Keith,” said Richards, adding that she didn’t know details of Ali’s troubles. Isaiah Carter, the manager at Body, said Ali worked at the Castro district clothing shop for “almost a month.” The last time he’d worked was Tuesday night, Halloween. He said that he’d only had “superficial conversations” with Ali, but his impressions were good. “He was a great guy,” said Carter, and “customers loved him, employers liked him. He was very business-orientated.” Ali, who has also worked as a go-go dancer and other jobs, left the shop just after it closed at about 8 p.m. He’d said that he was going to see a movie with Harris at the AMC Dine-In Kabuki 8 Theater, said Carter, who’d only met Harris briefly. Ali had “always talked very highly” of Harris, said Carter. The next day, November 1, Ali didn’t show up to work, said Carter. Since then, calls to Ali’s phone have gone straight to voicemail, and he hasn’t responded to text messages, said Carter. Police have been at the shop to ask about Ali, Carter said, but they haven’t shared any information with him. Ammar Aliraqi, Ali’s brother, who lives in Baghdad, said in an exchange of Facebook messages with the B.A.R. on Tuesday, November 7 that he didn’t know where Ali was, and the family hadn’t been in contact with him since three weeks ago, when

Ali said that he wanted to kill himself because he missed his mother. “We’re worried about him,” said Aliraqi, who also lists his name on Facebook as Al-muttalabi. Ali had performed as a go-go dancer the last weekend in October at the gay Radium club in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The club’s entertainment director, who goes by the name Jennifer St. James, said that Ali had seemed “if not depressed, a little out of sorts.” St. James said he thought Ali might have been tired from his flight from San Francisco, but he added that over the weekend, Ali had been talking to his sister in Arabic. “He kept talking about wanting to go home, but he couldn’t go home. ... He wanted to see his mom,” said St. James. Ali told St. James that “he was not feeling well” and “that when he got back home he was going to go to the doctor. ... He said something about medication,” but he didn’t say what kind. St. James didn’t press Ali for details. In a phone interview last week, Harris’ brother Steven Harris, 41, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, said Keith Harris “was a very loving person” whose “smile could light up a room.” “I’m glad he was my brother,” said Harris. Asked about Ali, Harris said, “I don’t give a shit about that guy you’re talking about,” and he said that he’d never met him. “He better hope I never do,” said Harris. Harris said that he wasn’t aware that his brother had had any problems, and he was “not speculating on anything,” but asked why talking

about Ali made him angry, Harris was incredulous. “Why do I feel angry about someone killing my brother? ... I’m angry at whoever did it,” he said. Longtime San Francisco party promoter Gus Bean, who was friends with Ali and Keith Harris, said that Ali, who’s in his early 20s, has frequently worked for him as a go-go dancer. “They seemed like a perfectly happy couple. ... Keith’s an absolute sweetheart, the sweetest guy ever,” and “Ali seemed like a really sweet guy,” said Bean. He said that he didn’t know of Ali having any trouble involving drugs or crime. “When he came to work at the parties, he seemed completely sober and always did a really great job and was definitely professional,” he said. Ali, who’s acted in at least one porn movie under the name Ali Liam, has a profile on the escort site Rent.Men on which he says that he’d “just moved” to the United States after leaving “his whole family to have his freedom.” “[I’m] here to make you feel better than ever,” said Ali to potential clients, referring to himself as a model, dancer, and trainer. There didn’t appear to be any signs of forced entry on Harris’ apartment door, which was sealed with a sticker from the medical examiner’s office when a reporter stopped by Friday afternoon, November 3. A man who lives down the hall from Harris’ apartment said he’d never heard trouble coming from Harris’ unit and his death was “a complete surprise to all of us.” t

In Boston, newcomer Mike Kelley, an aide to former Mayor Tom Menino, came within 500 votes of winning a council seat against the son of another former Boston mayor, Ray Flynn. The seat represents the district that includes heavily gay South End. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, longtime incumbent Denise Simmons, the first openly lesbian African-American mayor in the U.S., appears to have easily won re-election to her ninth term on the council. In Cincinnati, openly gay Ryan Messer was the top vote-getter out of 13 candidates vying for four seats

on the city’s board of education. Lesbian candidate Renee Hevia appears to have come in fifth place, just 100 votes behind the fourth place winner. (The vote is so close, there may be a recount after provisional ballots are counted.) In New Orleans, gay candidate Seth Bloom has won the right to a runoff November 18 against another challenger for a vacant seat. Bloom was the top vote-getter, with 40 percent of the vote. His runoff challenger garnered 27 percent, and four other candidates split the remaining 33 percent. In Lansing, Michigan, openly gay

school board member Pete Spadafore won an at-large seat on the City Council, while newcomer Jim McClurken lost a bid for a district council seat. And in Palm Springs, voters gave their two vacant City Council seats to a transgender woman and a bisexual woman. Lisa Middleton’s victory makes her the first transgender person to win a non-judicial elective office in California. Middleton and Christy Holstege, who is married to a man and identifies as bisexual, according to the Victory Fund, were the top two vote-getters in a field of six candidates. [See story, page 1.]

A gay candidate for City Council in Cape Coral, Florida, found a flier on his front door in August, threatening him with a “nice visit” from the Ku Klux Klan. James Schneider, 54, said, “I’m a gay, Jewish, German man” and that he considers the flier a hate crime. The flier said, “We know where you live faggot ... quit now ...” He told the local News-Press that photos of him with gay slurs have also been posted on Facebook in the area. Meanwhile, another local paper, the Cape Coral Daily Breeze, endorsed Schneider’s opponent. The opponent won with 68 percent of the vote. t

the Pacific Justice Institute, which has held numerous news conferences at City Hall to protest the establishment of medical cannabis dispensaries in the Sunset. PJI has been labeled an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, though its leaders dispute that. District 3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who chaired the land use committee hearing, urged the supervisors to “get this done right rather than get it done fast.” Peskin said he was in favor of developing a comprehensive citywide strategy, rather than allowing neighborhoods to seek exemptions, although he has asked for a ban in Chinatown. District 6 Supervisor Jane Kim said that proposed restrictions on new dispensaries might not

be prejudicial but rather about the diversity of businesses in each neighborhood. For example, said Kim, there are already 72 liquor stores in the Tenderloin, which is part of her district. “I’d rather have a cannabis dispensary,” said Kim, because such businesses typically do outreach, have security, and bring jobs to the neighborhood. Wiener, a longtime cannabis advocate, posted his position on the controversy on his Facebook page, according to his Sacramento office. “If you support people having access to cannabis products in San Francisco, you should be deeply concerned about” some of the restrictions under consideration by the Board of Supervisors, he said. “San Francisco has long been a

world leader on cannabis,” Wiener stated. “We created the medical cannabis movement during the height of the HIV epidemic. Northern California is the cannabis cultivation capital of the world. Some truly amazing and innovative businesses are springing up right in our city, creating jobs and tax revenue and ensuring San Francisco’s place as a center of innovation and center of cannabis.” Wiener said the city has a “huge opportunity” to participate in the industry “in a major way,” including jobs, revenue, tourism, and creativity. “I am well aware of the pressures local elected officials face when a vocal minority demands that you not allow X, Y, or Z (be it housing, cannabis, or a new bus

line) in their neighborhood,” he added. “It’s hard to say no. Yet, in this situation, I am confident that a large majority of San Franciscans would not support such severe restrictions on cannabis establishments. After all, San Francisco voted 73 percent in favor of cannabis legalization”. Some of the suggested restrictions, such as a 600 foot radius around schools, “are simply over the top,” Wiener stated. The Board of Supervisors will continue its deliberations on cannabis next week at the Transportation and Land Use Committee meeting Monday, November 13 at 1:30 p.m. and at the full board meeting Tuesday, November 14 at 2. For details, check the agenda at www.sfbos.org. t

in which approximately 6,000 items were donated at the stores for distribution to local kids. “Something as simple as a toy can stir a child’s imagination and bring joy to youth in need,” SFPD Chief William Scott said in a news release. Donations can be dropped off at any San Francisco Walgreens that features a brightly colored and marked toy drive collection bin.

El/La director announces departure

The executive director of El/La Para TransLatinas has announced Liam and Othman Al Muttalaby. He hasn’t responded to Facebook, email, phone, or text messages from the Bay Area Reporter. However, Vivien Habeeb, a friend of Ali’s, told the Bay Area Reporter in a Facebook exchange that she heard from Ali Tuesday, November 7. “He called me from a hospital, and I was told by his social worker that police were questioning him right after he was out of some surgery,” said Habeeb, who lives in Davis, California. She declined to share more information, indicating that she was waiting for permission from police. Police spokespeople didn’t immediately confirm Habeeb’s statement.

Last seen

Seth Hemmelgarn contributed reporting. For more News Briefs, see ebar. com.

International News>>

t US deports Ugandan lesbian by Heather Cassell

23-year-old Ugandan lesbian, identified in the media only as L., a pseudonym to protect her identity, was deported by the United States. She arrived in the U.S. on a student visa at Washington Dulles International Airport August 25. She planned to attend a small university in the region. Prior to starting school, she decided to visit her cousin who lives in Seattle. She didn’t make it. The young woman was questioned by Customs and Border Protection authorities, who found a ticket to Seattle among her belongings. “They took away my phone, and I couldn’t call anyone who could explain. I tried to tell them what was happening with me, but they didn’t understand,” L. told the Intercept. L. was terrified by the authorities and couldn’t explain what happened to her and her girlfriend in Uganda. Instead, she told them that she wasn’t afraid to return to Uganda and agreed that she lied to get her visa, reported the Daily Beast. If she had requested asylum for her situation, she would have received special protection, according to human rights experts. Now her immigration attorney and cousin are fighting to get her back to the U.S. while L. lives trapped between the U.S. and Uganda in airport terminals and hotels.

Terrorized for loving a woman

In October 2016, L. and her girlfriend, who was only identified as E., checked into a hotel. They didn’t lock the door and men burst in. “We were naked and we were making love,” L. told the Beast. The men dragged the women out into the street beating them, throwing stones at them, and pouring paraffin gas on them. “They were planning to burn us,”

Middleton

From page 3

“This campaign is going to be a win campaign and it is all because of you. We are here tonight celebrating a victory, a historic victory, for our city and for our state,” Middleton told a cheering crowd at her election night party at 849 Restaurant. “I made a bet on Palm Springs that it would respond to a positive message, that Palm Springs wanted to move forward not backward, that Palm Springs was ready to deal straightforwardly with whatever issues we have in front of us by working together. Guess what? More people responded to that message than responded to the alternative.” Middleton, 65, moved to Palm Springs with her wife, Cheryl O’Callaghan, in 2011 and has been serving on the city’s planning commission. Her election was part of a wave of historic victories for transgender candidates on Tuesday night in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota. [See story, page 12.] The string of wins comes seven years after Oakland resident Victoria Kolakowski, the wife of Bay Area Reporter news editor Cynthia Laird, became the first out transgender elected official in the state by winning a judicial seat on the Alameda County Superior Court, on which she continues to serve. “In light of the repeated attacks on transgender people from the federal government, tonight’s wins by Lisa Middleton in Palm Springs and other transgender candidates in Minneapolis and Virginia are a beacon of hope that voters have embraced values of equality and inclusion,” stated Rick Zbur, executive director of the statewide LGBT advocacy organization Equality California. “By becoming the first out

The Ugandan

Lesbians in Uganda

L. said. Police showed up. They were arrested and charged with immorality. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, a throwback to British colonial era anti-sodomy laws. In 2014, the country passed an Anti-Homosexuality Law that carried a sentence of life in prison, a watered-down version from the so-called kill the gays version of the bill drafted in 2009. The law was struck down in August that same year. A quarter of the world believes homosexuality should be criminalized, according to a survey, “Minority Reports 2017: Attitudes to Sexual and Gender Minorities Around the World,” published by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and RIWI. The report also showed that knowing someone who identifies as LGBT makes a significant difference in terms of their level of acceptance. That wasn’t the case for these young women, who lived in one of the countries where so-called corrective rape is most prevalent. Uganda is noted, along with India, Jamaica, South Africa, and Zimbabwe for its rates of “corrective rape,” in which people are raped because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, Tarah Demant of Amnesty International told the Beast. The women were separated and transgender person to be elected to a non-judicial office in California, Lisa is paving the way for others to follow in her footsteps in California and across the nation. Her first place finish out of a field of six candidates demonstrates that a glass ceiling for transgender people who want to serve in elected office was not only broken, but was shattered in Palm Springs.” Winning the other council seat in Palm Springs was attorney Christy Holstege, 31, who identifies as bisexual according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, which like EQCA endorsed her and Middleton. According to the unofficial returns, Holstege received 5,810 votes or 30.08 percent of the total. Married to Adam Gilbert, a business owner and a third-generation resident of the city, Holstege noted the historic nature of the council race outcome in a message she posted to Facebook, shortly after the first election results were announced, thanking those who supported her candidacy. “I am especially honored to share this victory with Lisa Middleton, whose historic election makes her the highest elected transgender official in California,” wrote Holstege. “I want to commend all of the candidates for their willingness to serve and dedicate their time to the democratic process. I am incredibly excited about the future of Palm Springs. I’m looking forward to getting to work and build a Palm Springs that works for all of us!” Falling short Tuesday was another former resident of the Bay Area, Robert Julian Stone, a gay man who was the B.A.R.’s film critic in the 1990s and early 2000s, and worked as a real estate agent while in San Francisco. He placed fourth in the race with 2,313 votes, or 11.98 percent, based

beaten and tortured by police at their parents’ urging. The families hoped the women would be beaten straight, L. told the media outlets. Eventually, they were released. The couple met and fell in love in high school in their small town in southern Uganda. For five years, they kept their relationship a secret. Once exposed, they escaped to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, believing that they would be safer. The threats didn’t stop L.’s family from hiring a man who hunted her down and raped her when E. away from their flat. L. reported the rape to police, but instead of finding the rapist, she was jailed and charged in relation to sodomy and recruiting young people into homosexuality that her family filed against her, according to the court filing, reported the Beast. She was once again subjected to beatings by the police for two days in jail. A year later, she didn’t report what happened to her girlfriend. She’s now contacted her cousin, who contacted immigration attorney Hassan Ahmad, a legal advocate with the Dulles Justice Coalition, who agreed to represent L. Despite Ahmad’s efforts, CBP refused to allow him to speak with L. and denied his requests for a credible fear interview, the first step toward asylum, and told the Beast that the agency doesn’t plan on revisiting its decision on L.’s case. L. recently arrived in Kenya where she’s fighting to get back to the U.S. Earlier this year, Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) introduced a bill, the Access to Counsel Act 2017, to guarantee individuals detained at the border or port of entry access to legal counsel. t Read the full article online at ebar.com. Got an international LGBT news tip? Call or send them to Heather Cassell at Skype: healther.cassell or oitwnews@gmail.com.

on the unofficial returns. In an email to his backers Wednesday morning, Stone wrote that, “when you take on the entrenched political establishment of any city, the path to victory will always be full of obstacles and obstructions. I believe I remained true to my vision of a city government free of the taint of corruption. Now that the existing council successfully filled the vacant seats with the candidates they financed and supported, we must remain vigilant.” The victories by Middleton and Holstege mean that LGBT leaders will be serving in all five seats on the Palm Springs council. The two other council seats are currently held by gay men, as is the city’s mayor position, which has a voting seat on the council. Middleton and Holstege will be succeeding council members Ginny Foat, a lesbian who had endorsed both women in the race, and Chris Mills, who is straight. Both decided not to seek re-election. Their departures from the council will mark a changing of the guard at City Hall, as all four of the council members and the mayor will have entered office after the scandal involving gay former mayor Steve Pougnet. In 2015, after it was revealed that he had failed to disclose being a paid consultant of a local developer the City Council had sold a prime downtown parcel to, Pougnet announced he would not seek re-election. He was indicted earlier this year on bribery and other charges, and in early October, Pougnet and the two other defendants in the case all plead not guilty. The three defendants remain free on $25,000 bail and were expected to return to court Wednesday for a felony settlement conference, according to local media reports.t

November 9-15, 2017 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 21

Legal Notices>>

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037777900

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037797400

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037799100

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037800100

0CT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037800600

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036241800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WIN YEN COMPANY, 2747 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ANNIE YUEN. 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 09/28/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MYBIKESKILLS.COM, 431 ELLINGTON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JASON SERAFINO-AGAR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/29/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/13/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLUE SIGHT TOURS, 20 DESCANSO DR #1124, SAN JOSE, CA 95134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SEYED AHMAD MIRFAKHRAIE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/14/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/16/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037773100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SANFRANCISCOTIM.COM, BARBARY COAST PRESS, 37 ALPHA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed TIMOTHY P. KEEFE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/12/12. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/25/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037797900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AMSA BUILDING SERVICES, 1114 SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CYNTHIA PAREDES. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 05/31/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/12/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037800300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CLOUD GRAPHICS & PRINTING, 832A STOCKTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JING JIANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/10/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/13/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037798400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PONTE ROMA TOURS, 555 PIERCE ST #244, ALBANY, CA 94706. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARYAM ETTEHADIEH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/09/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/12/17. OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037769300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PSALM RES. CFE, 565 GROVE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed WILLIAM SACRO ENCARNACION. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/21/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/21/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037799000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: QUARTS N PINTS, 2434 NORIEGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed SUSANNA CUI CHEN & YU YING CHEN. 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 10/13/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037801100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SF SUPER CAB, 1407 IRVING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SF SUPER CAB (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/10/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/16/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037795200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BAIANO PIZZERIA - BH, 59 30TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BERNAL HEIGHTS PIZZERIA INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/10/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/10/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037772800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 5 DEGREE TEA HOUSE, 2527 SAN BRUNO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed LEE’S KITCHEN CHINESE FOOD INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 08/28/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/22/17. OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037776200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: TENROKU RAMEN, 3251 20TH AVE #250C, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed TENROKU RAMEN INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/26/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/26/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037798500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: THE WILLOWS, 1582 FOLSOM ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed THESE THREE TREES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 06/10/13. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/11/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PHRAME.COM, 75 BROADWAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed GOLDUBER LLC (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/13/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/13/17.

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: BERNAL HEIGHTS PIZZERIA, 59 30TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by a corporation and signed by BERNAL HEIGHTS PIZZERIA, INC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 01/09/15.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-553397

In the matter of the application of: MARIA VERONICA DE PAOLIS KALUZA, 50 CHUMASERO DR. #12M, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MARIA VERONICA DE PAOLIS KALUZA, is requesting that the name MARIA VERONICA DE PAOLIS KALUZA, be changed to VERONICA EVA LUNA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 7th of December 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-553376

In the matter of the application of: ALMA INFANTE REYES, 555 JONES ST #401, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ALMA INFANTE REYES, is requesting that the name SALMA REYES INFANTE, be changed to SALMA REYES INFANTE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 5th of December 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037812900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BLISSFUL ENCOUNTER, 33 WAVERLY PL, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HUI YING LU. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/20/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/20/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037813000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SHIELD101, 1788 19TH AVE, UNIT C1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed HIO-KIT LEUNG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/19/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/20/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037802700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OHANA, 3150 18TH ST #225, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIAL E. PALMER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/06/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/17/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037778300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PROPERTY RENOVATIONS UNLIMITED, 14 PRECITA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed STEPHEN SCHNEIDER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/28/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 09/28/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037806000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SAN FRANCISCO NEUROPSYCHOLOGY PC, 833 MARKET ST #809, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed SAN FRANCISCO NEUROPSYCHOLOGY PC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 08/02/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/18/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037798700

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AVICOMM, 1111 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed AVICOMM (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/12/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/12/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037801800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: JEFF SCHLARB DESIGN STUDIO, 636 POTRERO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed GREEN COUCH STAGING AND DESIGN (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 10/16/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037811900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DCOPPER+, 1017 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed DCOPPER+ LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/05/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/12/17.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: AGENCY ALL ABOUT CHILDREN, 1410 NORIEGA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a married couple, and is signed EDWARD Y. ROMANOV & JANET ROMANOV. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/20/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/20/17.

OCT 19, 26, NOV 02, 09, 2017

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017

<< Section

22 • BAY AREA REPORTER • November 9-15, 2017

Legal Notices>> FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037810400

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ORANGETHEORY FITNESS FINANCIAL DISTRICT, 343 SANSOME, #125, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94104. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SFFIT FD LLC, (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/20/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037810100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: ORANGETHEORY FITNESS - SAN FRANCISCO - MISSION BAY, 215 KING ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SFFIT MB LLC, (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/20/17.

OCT 26, NOV 02, 09, 16, 2017 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-553388

In the matter of the application of: OTHEL LAMONT WEIR II, 1462 43RD AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner OTHEL LAMONT WEIR II, is requesting that the name OTHEL LAMONT WEIR II, be changed to MONTY GARCIA CANTERO. 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 5th of December 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037820900

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MARTITAS KITCHEN, 2560 MARIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MARIA GUZMAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/27/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/27/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037815000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PIKITOS, 2336 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed BRINDISSY GARCIA. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/23/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/23/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037793900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: MOMUMENTAL, 30 STEINER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SERENA SAEED-WINN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 09/30/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/06/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037807200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: LUMINOUS DARLINGS, 1521 GOLDEN GATE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA. 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHRISTOPHER G. DEWINTER. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/16/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/19/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037794400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PENPOINT MEDIA, 39 HARTFORD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SARAH E. ENOCHS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 08/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/06/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037809300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: O’CONNOR CONSTRUCTION, 719 38TH AVE #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JASON O’CONNOR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/10/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/20/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037814800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: OFF THE CHAIN, 1140 INGERSON AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124.This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CHARITIE BOLLING.The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/23/17.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/23/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037815100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: STUDIO NELUMBO DESIGN; STUDIO NELUMBO YOGA; YOGA NELUMBO, 1817 24TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed STEFANIE SCHUR. 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 10/23/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037819400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: DATADRIVEN SCIENCE, 4221 20TH ST #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JAN BELKE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/25/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/26/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037791600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: NATIVE BURGER, 3420 GEARY BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed KOBUKSON INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/05/17.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037800700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 5537 MISSION STREET HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, 5537 MISSION ST # 201, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an unincorporated association other than a partnership, and is signed 5537 MISSION STREET HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/16/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/16/17.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-035682500

The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as: MARTITA’S KITCHEN, 2560 MARIN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by YAZMIN GUZMAN. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 02/26/14.

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF ESTATE OF MICHAEL JONES AKA MICHAEL C. JONES IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES-17-301309

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of ESTATE OF MICHAEL JONES AKA MICHAEL C. JONES. A Petition for Probate has been filed by MARION ELLIOTT in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that MARION ELLIOTT 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: Dec 06, 2017, 9:00am, Dept. 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: LYNN A. DEAN, SBN 107729, SEASONS LAW, P.C., 3500 DOUGLAS BLVD., SUITE 250, ROSEVILLE, CA 95661; Ph. (916) 786-7515.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 2017

NOV 02, 09, 16, 23, 2017

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ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-17-553442

In the matter of the application of: ANXO MAXXUM FLYNN, 451 KANSAS ST #505, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107, for change of name having been ﬁled in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner ANXO MAXXUM FLYNN, is requesting that the name ANXO MAXXUM FLYNN, be changed to JEFFREY STEPHEN MARCUSJOHN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514, Rm. 514 on the 28th of December 2017 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037826800

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SHELLEY SKIN CARE, 81 LANSING ST #202, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94105. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHELLEY CONSTANTINI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 11/02/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/02/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037817300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: SHOPPER LOYALTY REWARDS, 1863 19TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RAFAEL ROMERO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/25/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037804000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: PASTRY ROOM, 2778 24TH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ADRIANA BEATRIZ PONCE. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/17/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/17/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A037827300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: HANDY HANDS, 529 NATOMA ST., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed CASEY LOGAN JINKS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 11/02/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/02/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037823900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: BREWSTER HISTORIC PRESERVATION, 141 PIERCE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed WILLIAM B. BREWSTER, JR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/31/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/31/17.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037820700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CYBER MAX WAREHOUSE, 420 BERRY ST UNIT #439, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94158. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ZHAO WEI HUANG. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/18/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/27/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037824200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: 9 VESSELS, 1063 MARKET ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ALFRED WU. 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 10/31/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037800000

The following person(s) is/are doing business as: GVBRIEL HANDPOKES, 530 STOCKTON ST #208, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94108. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed GABRIEL MAY. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/13/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 10/13/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037827100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: CIW AND SONS PLUMBING CO, INC., 1501 PALOU AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a corporation and is signed CIW AND SONS PLUMBING CO., INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 10/21/16. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/02/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037827900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: EMPIRE REALTY ASSOCIATES; EMPIRE EMERITUS, 1699 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a corporation and is signed PACIFIC UNION INTERNATIONAL, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on NA. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/03/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-037828400 The following person(s) is/are doing business as: WORKFORCE HEALTH SOLUTIONS, 7434 GEARY BLVD. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94121. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed OHANESSIAN PHYSICAL THERAPY, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed ﬁctitious business name or names on 11/01/17. The statement was ﬁled with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/03/17.

NOV 09, 16, 23, 30, 2017

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Vol. 47 • No. 45 • November 9-15, 2017

www.ebar.com/arts

by Sari Staver

Transgender lives on the Silver Screen

O Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Jenzi Russell stars in the new Macy Gray video “Stop Drop Roll,” directed by Collier Landry and Guido Fabris.

Jenny Anderson

n its 20th anniversary, the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival (SFTFF) will present its largest program ever, including an expanded international program with films from more than a dozen nations, and an opening-night anniversary gala with a new music video by singer Macy Gray. Opening on Friday night, Nov. 10, at the Roxie Theater (3117 16th St.), the three-day program includes documentaries, music videos, animation, and dozens of narrative short films. See page 29 >>

Pre-Frozen Party girl

by Richard Dodds

by Philip Campbell

he fourth offering of the San Francisco Opera’s fall season opened last week with a lush production of l’opera tres francais de Jules Massenet, “Manon.” The Belle Epoque saga of a party girl narcissistically travelling down the road to ruin fairly reeks of expensive perfume and French Catholic hypocrisy, but that only adds to our enjoyment of Vincent Boussard’s emotionally charged direction. See page 28 >>

Ellie Dehn in the title role of Massenet’s “Manon.”

Before Caissie Levy returns to Broadway as the star of Disney’s upcoming “Frozen,” she will perform songs from her Broadway resume at Feinstein’s at the Nikko on Nov. 16-18.

{ SECOND OF THREE SECTIONS }

aissie Levy was invited to a princess party a few years back, and the hosts asked her to sing that great princess anthem “Let It Go.” She was happy to oblige, but she wanted to do the Oscarwinning song from “Frozen” her way. And her way helped land her the coveted role of Princess Elsa in the hot-ticket Broadway adaptation of the animated feature. Starting in February, she’ll be singing “Let It Go” the Disney way for many months to come. She may or may not be singing it – more on that below – during her Nov. 16-18 cabaret show at Feinstein’s at the Nikko. See page 23 >>

Courtesy SF Transgender Film Festival

Rhino 'Heart'

<< Out There

24 • Bay Area Reporter • November 9-15, 2017 2pub-BBB_BAR_110917.pdf

10/23/17

4:21 PM

Through rose-colored glasses

by Roberto Friedman

ut There is a reluctant poster boy for red/green colorblindness. It’s a fairly common color-vision defect that’s genetically inherited on the Y chromosome, thus much more common among males than among females (8% of men vs. .5% of women). The common parlance, i.e., “blindness” is somewhat misleading, because of course we do see colors, we just can’t distinguish between certain spokes of the color wheel. That’s not “blind,” it’s just handicapped in a very particular way. We joke that color-blindness is the last remaining disability without its own dedicated support group. When OT was a young freelancer, we did a lot of writing for art journals, and our aunt protested, “But how can you write about art? You’re color-blind!” We tried explaining that writing about conceptual art required no coloring skills, inside or outside the lines, but she wasn’t buying it. That part of the family was always a bunch of philistines anyway. These days we’re often approached by companies that produce color-blindness corrective glasses and want publicity for them, and recently we took the bait and sampled a pair. We’re not going to identify the company that produced the glasses we tried on, because our comments are not limited to them. In a nutshell, the lenses did vivify colors for us, but they did not “cure” our condition. Although we got to keep them, we’ll probably never wear them again. To cite a commenter from an Amazon product review: “I am color-blind (diachromatic), and with the glasses I saw many colors that I can’t remember ever having seen, some interesting or even beautiful, and others just weird. Things like pink roses, the colors of cars and other painted objects, and foliage, all stood out more clearly from surrounding objects. All colors shifted in appearance toward shorter wavelength. Reds became orange, yellows looked green, greens looked blue.

CMY

You can find color-blindness corrective glasses available for sale on the Internet, but Out There isn’t a big fan of them.

All of this works because objects previously confused, due to their appearing to have the same brightness, come to have different brightness with the glasses on. Since the early days of vision research, brightness has been known to be an important cue to color discrimination.” Pepi, who was a great proponent of our trying out these glasses, had to admit that our opinion was what mattered, as we traded the shades on and off during a bright afternoon in Berkeley. Wilder found a website that simulates, for normalsighted folks, the experience of red/green deficiency. Points to him for working towards empathy. So we say to our fellow color-blind brethren: caveat emptor. You may be tempted by promises of corrective vision, but no glasses can “cure” color-blindness, they can only take the color wheel out for a psychedelic spin. Instead, embrace your difference! We’re here, we’re colordiscrimination queer, get used to us!

Hellenic Jane

The second visual that’s gracing this week’s column was sent to us from a friend currently visiting the ancient capital of Athens, Greece. He thought we’d get a kick of this theatre poster he found wheat-pasted to a wall there, which appears to be advertising for a staging of “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?” But with

Melina Mercouri and Irene Pappas both dead, who is slated to play the Joan Crawford and Bette Davis parts? It’s certainly Greek to us.

Lesbian reunion

Last Thursday night saw a nostalgic gathering of the tribe at one of the few remaining lesbian-centric spots in town, El Rio on Mission Street. The occasion was the release of a handsome new volume of LGBT history – with an emphasis on the L. “Game Changers: Lesbians You Should Know About,” brainchild of game-changing local publisher Robin Lowey, presents colorful profiles of two dozen inspiring women, complete with clever pullout lesbian baseball cards for each. Longtime local heroes showcased in the book and in attendance included: National Center for Lesbian Rights head honcho Kate Kendell, beloved playwright-activist Jewelle Gomez, Curve magazine publisher Franco Stevens, legendary lesbian club promoter Mariah Hanson and DJ Page Hodel, groundbreaking SF Superior Court Judge Donna Hitchens, comedian Monica Palacios, longtime community activists Jody Cole, Eleanor Palacios and Crystal Jang, filmmakers Cheryl Dunye and Jenni Olson, authors Carla Trujillo, Leslie Larson and Kathy Belge, historian Bonnie Morris and women’s music fixture and owner of Berkeley’s legendary lesbian Brick Hut Cafe, Joan Antonuccio. Get your hands on the book and the baseball cards at LesbianGameChangers.com.t

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On the web

This week, find film writer David Lamble’s round-up of the offerings at 3rd i Films’ San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival: Bollywood and Beyond, and the Cinematografo International Film Festival of Filipino-American films, online at www.ebar.com.

Theatre>>

November 9-15, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 25

Kramer vs. Kramer

the first fallen comrades who had been part of a joyous celebration of sexual freedom. Confusion, fear, anger, affection, heartbreak, and a central character with wisdom that his uncontrollable temper undermines: these ingredients make for enduring theatrical potency. Much of this potency emerges in Theatre Rhino’s production at the Gateway Theatre, where the cast isn’t afraid to ride an emotional roller coaster that leaves them shedding copious tears as the play moves toward David Wilson the final curtain. The play John Fisher, left, plays an activist during the early days of the AIDS crisis, and unfolds through a series of Jeremy Cole is his lover in the Theatre Rhino production of Larry Kramer’s short scenes taking place “The Normal Heart.” between 1981-84, as the body count grows while Weeks and his colleagues “The Normal Heart” was an angry by Richard Dodds chip away at the willful inattention call to arms, pitched to the moment, from politicians and the mainow not to win friends and but the reasons it has endured go stream media, as well as a dangerous influence people: Tell the beyond his scorching accusations complacency among gay men who mayor’s assistant that his boss is of a criminally slow response to an viewed promiscuity as a principal a closeted cocksucker who would emerging health crisis. political agenda. rather let gay men die than risk a The largely autobiographical play Director John Fisher has miscast hint of incriminating association. is also a portrait of a flawed leader, himself as Weeks, at odds both And for good measure, tell the assisa self-destructive streak that Kramer physically and in deportment with tant that he’s a secret member of the recognized in himself while never the cranky, craggy, and manifestly butt brigade as well. Larry Kramer doubting the righteousness of his Jewish character. While Fisher can was an AIDS activist before a myscause. Beyond the play’s polemics muster up the proper anger at key terious new disease had a name, and the dramatic dimensions of the moments in the first act, it often disand his sharp elbows were an asset Ned Weeks character, a stand-in for sipates into either a bland presence until they weren’t. His 1985 play Kramer, there are the depictions of

Arabian nights

Dean van Meer

Anthony Murphy plays the song-and-dance Genie in the hit Broadway musical “Aladdin” now at the Orpheum Theatre.

by Richard Dodds

nlike the animated feature on which it is based, no one in the stage musical “Aladdin” ever offers praise to Allah. As common a phrase as “Gracias a Dios,” “Dieu merci,” or “Thank God” in the years between the movie’s release (1992) and the live adaptation arrival on Broadway (2011), even a throwaway thank you to Allah will yank most American audiences out of their safe space. It’s harder now to set a lighthearted entertainment in the Arab world without current realities imposing on images of an exotic civilization of silks and spices and mythical wonders. But for its stage “Aladdin,” Disney has smoothed over most all ethnicity. It may still be hard to keep all thoughts of today’s troubles out of a story set in this make-believe past, but the musical now at the Orpheum Theatre does all it can to distract us with baubles, bangles, beads, and a magic carpet. And all the abracadabra largely works. A big demographic for “Aladdin,” of course, is the kiddie crowd, but it creators pump out a steady stream of references aimed at grownups – especially those grownups who

happily wear the title of theater queen. A few introductory notes of “Dance at the Gym” from “West Side Story,” or the way the Genie introduces himself with Baby June’s catchphrase from “Gypsy,” may not connect with casual theatergoers, but blatant anachronisms invoking Oprah, “Dancing with the Stars,” and for the local crowd, the Warriors basketball team, throw a much broader net. In the movie, Robin Williams’ largely adlibbed riffs for the Genie stole the show, and the stage Genie is a still scene-stealer with a persona that revels in fabulousness. Genies probably don’t have a sexuality, but this dude from a lamp acts as gay as a goose. Based on, but amped up from, James Monroe Iglehart’s already showy performance on Broadway, the tireless Anthony Murphy seems to be channeling the enormously flamboyant character that Titus Burgess plays on “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” And once again, it largely works. The musical can flag a bit when Chad Beguelin’s book is obliged to return to the love story between street-urchin Aladdin and headstrong princess Jasmine, but director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw

helps animate the surrounding stories with splashy song-and-dance numbers that read like an encyclopedia of the American musical theater. The original film score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice has been augmented with some new songs by Menken and Beguelin, and while there are several efforts at wink-free ballads, the best moments are when the music is unabashedly quoting everything from the Cotton Club to Disney’s own “Beauty and the Beast.” It also helps that the touring cast is vocally rich, and we are fortunate to have the original Aladdin from Broadway now playing the part on the road. Adam Jacobs is indeed vocally blessed, and although now in his late 30s, he easily projects a winning impishness as the teenage Aladdin. Proto-feminist Princess Jasmine, the object of Aladdin’s ardor, is brightly brought to life in Isabelle McCalla’s strong performance. Jonathan Weir is deliciously evil as the royal council Jafar, and as his diminutive sidekick, Reggie De Leon scores consistent laughs with his take on a dimwitted yesman. As Aladdin’s buddies in bazaar misdemeanors, Zach Bencal, Phillipe Arroyo, and Mike Longo are like a cross between the Three Stooges and a song-and-dance trio from a Cole Porter musical. And then there’s the magic flying carpet on which Aladdin and Jasmine sing the score’s hit song “A Whole New World.” It’s hard to concentrate on the song itself while trying to figure out what mechanism is keeping the carpet afloat. These steely eyes could not detect wires or other devices, and since it’s always best not to know the tools behind a magic trick, don’t tell anyone if you figure it out – that is, not until you drop me a note on the secret of the levitation.t “Aladdin” will run at the Orpheum Theatre through Jan. 7. Tickets are $55-$199. Call (888) 746-1799 or go to shnsf.com.

or one given to unconvincing comic mugging and pseudo-gay physical gestures. But the tables turn in the second act, as Ned’s anger, grief, and sense of betrayal become wall-towall, and Fisher is able to lock into a persuasive intensity. Many other performances are strong throughout, including Jeremy Cole as a New York Times style writer with a misplaced sense of invincibility, Benoit Monin as a charismatic but half-closeted leader of an organization that resembles Gay Men’s Health Crisis, and Tim Garcia as a particularly fragile member of the group. The overblown southern belle act of another activist doesn’t sit comfortably on Morgan Lange’s young shoulders, but as that persona evolves, Lange’s performance

becomes increasingly stronger. Leticia Duarte bristles with intensity as a committed-to-the-cause doctor (though her wheelchair agility needs work), and Robert Zelenka makes a big impression in the relatively small role of Ned’s straight-arrow brother. Played out on a set (by Gilbert Johnson) of chalkboard panels scribbled with incriminating statistics, Fisher’s production adds some mild stylistic maneuvers to a play that throws its punches in a straightforward manner. By the end of this rendering, those punches have largely found their target.t “The Normal Heart” will run through Nov. 25 at the Gateway Theatre. Tickets are $20-$40. Call (800) 838-3006 or go to therhino.org.

<< Fine Arts

26 • Bay Area Reporter • November 9-15, 2017

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could afford to be adventurous in their dress, and some elite woman discreetly followed suit. Based on “A Secret, Forbidden Outing at Night,” Shin Yunbok’s famous 18th-century painting of a courtesan violating curfew, the head-turning, highfashion winter ensemble, with a thick wrapped cerulean-blue skirt buoyed by undergarments exposed below the hemline, was likely part of a trend-setting courtesan’s wardrobe. The cross-pollination of East and West is explored through the pairing of Chanel’s creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, and Jin Teok, who spent several years working in Paris. Lagerfeld’s spiffy black-and-white ensemble with ruffled peasant dress and a slew of large shiny silver sequins attached to its wide ¾-length skirt was inspired by traditional Korean wear. Juxtaposing past and present, feminine and masculine, labor and luxury, Jin transformed an embroidered, red silk charmeuse bridal robe into a long halter top, and styled it with a skirt cut from a man’s vintage jean; a double layered vest in the same vein is mixed with a tobacco-toned, asymmetrical denim skirt tiered in lace and gathered so that it juts away from the hips like a bustle. Way cool, as long as the doorway is wide enough. Korean fashion hasn’t had the global impact of its Asian counterparts Japan and China, but two

stellar, cutting-edge talents, Im Senonoc and Jung Misun, are the wave of the future. They’re the focus of the show’s last part and its skimpiest content-wise. Gallery brochures contain a few pictures but no supporting information; displays of their garments aren’t labeled so you won’t know whose work you’re looking at, and though a lone text panel promises a dive into their creative process, a handful of transparency sketches, bolts of thread and photographs of scissors just don’t cut it. It’s as if the curators ran out of steam at the end; no fault of the designers, whose contemporary reinterpretations of historical Korean fashion in practical, onthe-go fabrics deserved better. Im is known for body-conscious, architectural styles and her exclusive use of eco-conscious neoprene (a nifty cropped vest in fire-engine red is a keeper), while Jung creates knitted jersey pieces combining Western aesthetics and sleek silhouettes with the construction and motifs of traditional costumes. I confess to falling for a black, ultra-slim pencil skirt with a band of motorcycle leather at the waist and a feminine, sheer organza overlay. It’s a reminder that the engine that really powers fashion – and has made it a billion dollar industry – is desire.t

rom meticulous recreations of royal finery of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) to the Korean-influenced, haute Parisian chic of Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld, and the daring of “master of deconstruction” Jin Teok, the Asian Art Museum’s new costume exhibition, “Couture Korea,” represents an ambitious undertaking outside its comfort zone. This, the last show launched before the institution undergoes its planned expansion next year, aims to look beyond the glamour of the catwalk to the historical context and cultural significance of clothing and what it reveals about Korea’s collective past and present. That’s a tall order for a museum which excels at historical subjects – the older the better – and unfortunately, the closer the show edges towards modernity, the more threadbare it becomes. Not surprisingly, the exhibition acquits itself most beautifully in its opening section, which features reconstructions of handmade traditional Korean ensembles for the elite or “Hanbok,” stunningly displayed and accompanied by substantive scholarship. During an extended period of cultural insularity in the mid-to-late Joseon dynasty, before Korea reluctantly opened to the West at the end of the 19th century, daily life Through Feb. 4. asianart.org. was dictated by strict adherence to Confucian ideology that advocated modesty, selfrestraint and scrupulous attention to detail. Those values also applied to modes of dress that differed for men, who were masters of the universe, ruling society and family life, and women, who rarely emerged from their domestic compounds. On occasions when noblewomen did venture out, they were expected to hide their faces under a coat. Men wore loosefitting pants and spacious robes made of translucent silks or coats lined in fur. Women’s fashions didn’t stint on fabric. Tight-fitting short jackets or blouses were partnered with voluminous skirts of fine linen, silk or cotton that anchored under the bust; in an elegant flourish, arm-warmers in contrasting material, lined with sheepskin, might extend from elbow to wrist. Styles were sedate, but colors were anything but. Take the pleated hotpink skirt or a full one in tangerine silk whose hem pools in a circle on the floor. The garments may not have been deliberately designed to quell female rebellion, but they certainly didn’t promote mobility or ease of use; no running for the bus or away from troublesome husbands in these getups. Assembling the required complex network of undergarments was a major operation in itself. A display accompanied by a touch screen goes through multiple steps and layers – I counted at least four – before one could put on what would be seen in public. Cumbersome, yes; and god help you if the temperaArumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation ture soared. Woman’s ensemble (2016), reconstruction based on an 18th-century painting. Courtesans, free from Ramie, silk, and polyester. Arumjigi Culture Keepers Foundation. the oppressive constraints of respectability,

Film>>

November 9-15, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 27

We’re all in ‘The Square’ by Erin Blackwell

he 2017 Palme d’Or at Cannes is a must-see for aesthetes who have lost faith in the power of art to surprise, enlighten, and transform. This reverent farce about the escapades of an art-world player is a 150-minute inquiry into the meaning of meaning, very open to interpretation, that will provoke discussion, reflection, and selfcorrection. Toggling seamlessly between Swedish and English, this serious comedy resists cynicism as it questions societal breakdown in Europe with sufficient largesse of spirit to implicate the effete elite globally. Be there for “The Square,” at Alamo and Embarcadero in San Francisco, Shattuck in Berkeley, or Rafael Film Center, starting Nov. 10. Our failed hero is curator of the X-Royal Gallery in Stockholm, which, like the Louvre, is an exroyal palace turned state-sponsored art museum. Tall, handsome, with a shock of dark hair and stubble offset by silly red glasses, Christian (Claes Bang) is a naturally weathered, bilingual Swede in his 50s. While overseeing The Square, an exhibit symbolizing “a sanctuary of trust and caring,” he’s ironically robbed in a public square. He gets his wallet and cell phone back, but

in the process places a young boy from a housing project in jeopardy. Christian’s hypocritical indifference to the boy’s plight is the crux of the matter, his cruel refusal to come to his aid a shocking transgression. Without letting his rich white male protagonist off the hook, director Ruben Östlund transforms the problem of social inequities into a highly diverting, deeply unsettling comedy of manners that ends not in disaster but with an invitation. Rich, poor, male, female, native, immigrant, we meet every day in shared social space bereft of the shared beliefs that once helped us bridge differences. Oppositional discourse only gets you so far. As the social safety net shreds, how do we defuse paranoia? Beautifully choreographed and filmed as a subtly absurdist fauxcumentary, tweaked but scathingly true to life, “The Square” articulates the daily existential conundrums we all face. Elizabeth Moss has a small but juicy part to play, bringing to this Swedish art-film a big American attitude, not to say ass, which is relatable, especially post-Harvey Weinstein. You don’t have to like her to appreciate her portrayal of an aggressively inept interviewer who opens the film questioning Christian about the power of context to define art.

Her gift for willful unattractiveness functions here as a pink-lipsticked hurdle. Christian reflexively beds her in a grueling onenight-stand. Moss later gives him a pseudo-feminist tongue-lashing about her hoped-for “emotional connection,” underscoring the gap between her erotic delusion and his reality. In a parallel tangent, Dominic West wears baby-blue PJs under a double-breasted coat to exemplify the contemporary artist as a fatuous cog in a self-perpetuating machine of display. Slouched on a chair across from the X-Royal’s 60-something bourgeois blonde director, he drawls vacuous replies to her obvious questions. Anxiety builds as an audience member erupts in odd noises and obscene words, until his wife apologizes: it’s Tourette’s syndrome. The artist’s talk drones on, despite its being thoroughly upstaged by a neurobiological tic that can’t be asked to leave the room because political correctness has paralyzed common sense.

A brutal variation on that thesis comes near the climax, when an apeman acts out at an opulent donors’ dinner. This artist’s performance, testing the limits of tolerance and good manners, makes a monkey out of everyone. Terry Notary, a motion-capture “Planet of the Apes”

behemoth, is all in-your-face mockery and menace in the time-honored tradition of primates without a cause. Finally, no takedown of the museum industry would be complete without social media presence. Two pompous young publicists, dead-set on wrenching media numbers from terrorists and natural disasters, produce a viral video promoting The Square by undermining what it stands for. Structurally, “The Square” is fresh, clean, innovative. Opponents square off in vignettes that play like selfcontained performance pieces, their spontaneous edge well-scripted and spliced, the conflict left open-ended. The pace is brisk but calm enough for the contemplative viewer to take everything in and come up hopeful. There’s inner logic at work that evokes Western anxiety but refuses to service our dread. Östlund walks a narrow knife’s edge between insecurity and faith, a line we all walk every day. It’s shocking to feel the optimism underlying all these displays of systemic dysfunction in a culture too often given up for dead.t

missed an episode, and never let the audience see her heartbreak. After the “Van Dyke” show ended, Marie worked almost continuously for another 45 years, including a 14year run on the game show “Hollywood Squares.” She never stopped, as her life became a history of show

business itself. Now, at 94, Rose Marie sits in a wheelchair, her mind sharp as a tack. She watches herself on film as a younger woman as she waits for that next gig, ready to work at any time. There have been few people in the entertainment industry who’ve had

the strength and staying power of Rose Marie. This film is a testament to that strength. Not only a riveting portrait of a fascinating woman, it’s a look, through her eyes, inside an industry which continues to intrigue. Here’s hoping that Marie gets a few more gigs.t

Show-biz trouper by David-Elijah Nahmod

ow 94 years old and confined to a wheelchair, Rose Marie is ready for her next job. Best-known for her role as the man-hungry Sally Rogers on the legendary sitcom “The Dick Van Dyke Show” (196166), Marie is said to have had the longest active career in show business history. “Wait for Your Laugh,” the new feature-length documentary about Marie’s extraordinary life and career, will open at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinemas in San Francisco and the Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley on Nov. 10. Marie is an old-school trouper. In her world you show up on time and give the audience what they came to see. The jobs might vary. Marie has been a nightclub singer, a comedian, she’s done radio, film, Broadway, sitcoms, and game shows. No matter what the gig, you give your all. Most of her fans know that her career began as Baby Rose Marie when she was 4. Marie took to the vaudeville stages and belted out numbers in a surprisingly adult voice. She became one of the biggest names in vaudeville and radio. It was a nomadic life, going wherever the work took her. Marie loved every second of it.

Much of the story in “Wait for Your Laugh” is told by Marie herself. She reveals many surprising tales. Her dad, for example, had strong ties to the Mob, and gangsters like Bugsy Siegel and Al Capone were among her biggest fans. She opened the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas for Siegel, and called Capone “Uncle Al.” They “took care” of her, and she adored them. But there were also the usual show-business heartbreaks. In 1951 she co-starred with Phil Silvers on Broadway in the hit musical comedy “Top Banana.” When the show was filmed in 1954, she was asked to reunite with Silvers, only to see herself relegated to second banana when all her numbers were cut. There was even some tension on the set of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” when she again found herself playing second fiddle, this time to co-star Mary Tyler Moore. It was during her run on “Van Dyke” that Marie showed her true strength as a performer. She lost her beloved husband midway through the show’s production. Musician Bobby Guy, the only man Rose Marie ever loved, died of a blood infection at age 48. Devastated, Marie didn’t want to work. Yet she never

Courtesy Rose Marie

Rose Marie is a star of show business history, in “Wait for Your Laugh.”

<< Film

28 • Bay Area Reporter • November 9-15, 2017

Italian scenarios by David Lamble

he 2017 edition of New Italian Cinema continues Thurs.-Sun., Nov. 9-12, at San Francisco’s Vogue Theatre. The film culture that pioneered what we now call art-house films – Mastroianni, Loren, Fellini, Antonioni, De Sica, Gerini – returns with compelling dramas presented by a new generation of actors and filmmakers. “Indivisible” (2016) In Edoardo De Angelis’ family drama, two sisters, twins conjoined at the hip, Daisy and Viola, protest their stern Papa’s plan to cash in on their condition. As the girls go about their day, they encounter creepy guys who want to touch them for luck. One day an older surgeon offers them a free operation. The girls are delirious, but their papa quietly seethes at the prospect of losing his meal ticket. The catch is their need to come up with 20,000 euros for the trip to Switzerland and hospital expenses. First-rate performances from real-life twin actors Mariana (Daisy) and Angela (Viola) Fontana, in a drama that will remind some B.A.R. readers of “Brothers of the Head,” the 2006 launching pad for twin actors Luke and Harry Treadaway. (11/11) “Castro” For more than 10 years, an occupied building in Rome has provided living space for many families. Directed by Paolo Civati. “Husband & Wife” In Simone Godano’s film a couple, married for 10 years, are in full crisis, thinking about divorce. But following a failed scientific experiment, they find a new zest for each other. With Pierfrancesco Favino and Kasia

Manon

From page 23

With Lithuanian associate director Gediminas Seduikis (SFO debut), he creates a timeless background to make a melodramatic point: everyone loves to watch the rise and fall of a celebrity. We wallow vicariously in their excesses, but ultimately demand their comeuppance. Boussard has also designed the opulent costumes, recalling the elegance of Massenet’s 19th-century Paris. They pop against Vincent Lemaire’s strikingly minimal set design, and the stage is evocatively lit by Gary Marder’s color palette of blues and purples. Boussard’s vision proves less effective in crowd scenes, where he gives either too much or too little direction. He also ends

Courtesy New Italian Cinema

Scene from director Edoardo De Angelis’ “Indivisible.”

how relations between the Allies and the Mafia during WWII shaped the fate of Sicily in years to come. “No Country for the Young” In Giovanni Veronesi’s romantic comedy, a young couple, Sandro and Luciano, get to know each other by working together. Sandro wants to be a writer, while Luciano dreams of opening a restaurant in Cuba. (all 3, 11/11) “Walking on Water” from Giacomo D’Agostino. The 1966 flood in Florence through the eyes, camera and creativity of Beppe Fantacci, who helped the city’s artisans survive the devastation. A forgotten story of desperation and recovery, the film features unreleased 16mm color footage and memories of the flood by families such as Ferragamo and Pucci. “The Young Pope”: Paolo Sorrentino directs Jude Law as the young, charming, newly elected Pius XIII, aka Lenny Belardo. The first American to be selected, Pius XIII proves to be a mysterious and contradictory figure who relies on an American-born nun, Sister Mary (Diane Keaton), as his chief adviser. “Friends by Chance” Francesco Bruni’s dramedy features a volatile young slacker and a former poet, Giorgio (Giuliano Montaldo), in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. “The Duel of Wine” Nicolas Carreras tells the story of famous sommelier Charlie Arturaola, who falls from grace after temporarily losing his taste buds. The idea of “a sommelier without an informed palate” destroys his career. (all 4, 11/12)t

Smutniak. “There Is a Light” In Fabio Mollo’s drama, Paolo is a skeptical 30-year-old who works unwillingly as a sales clerk in a Turin department store, while Mia is a back-up singer in a band and is practically homeless. “After the War” Annarita Zambrano’s first fiction feature comes fresh from the 2017 Cannes Film Festival. In Bologna, 2002, the murder of a judge reopens old political wounds between Italy and France. Marco, a former left-wing activist sentenced for murder and exiled in France for 20 years, is ac-

cused of having ordered the attack. The Italian government seeks his extradition. Forced to flee with his 16-year-old daughter Viola, his life will change forever. (all 4, 11/9) “First Try” In Enza Negroni’s film, young inmates become part of the prison rugby team in Bologna. “Pure Hearts” Roberto De Paolis’ film focuses on profoundly different young lovers Agnese and Stefano. She’s 17, lives with her mother, and is about to take a vow of chastity until marriage. He is 25, with a violent temper and a difficult past, and works as a warden in a car park that borders a gypsy camp. When they

make love for the first time, Agnese’s illusion of purity is shattered. (both, 11/10) “Bozzetto non troppo” Marco Bonfanti’s film is about what’s inside, behind, before, beneath and in the pockets of Italian animation legend Bruno Bozzetto. “At War for Love” Pierfrancesco Diliberto’s love story is set in July 1943, when Allied forces landed in Sicily. Arturo loves Flora, but she has been promised in marriage to a Mafia boss. Arturo joins the Allied Forces and returns to Sicily, which he had left in search of fortune in America. It’s a clever narrative of

the first two acts somewhat anticlimactically. Both are cleverly done, but lack punch. His practice of letting things happen offstage is most frustrating in the first scene of Act III, when everyone sings about a ballet to be performed on Manon’s whimsical demand, and which then proceeds to cut the music and the dancers. One audience member wondered if they weren’t in the budget, but if the director had wanted them, they would have been there. He most likely didn’t want to slow the flow. For an opera comique, there is an awful lot of music in “Manon.” Alternatively, Boussard pulled all the stops out for the famous second scene of Act III in the seminary of Saint-Sulpice. It gave new meaning to a bodice-ripper romance, and

proved he can bring a curtain down with impact when he wants to. The titular heroine first appears as she makes her journey to a convent school. Her parents hope it will cure her disturbing desire for material pleasures, but she is much too eager to contain. Naïve and clever is a dangerous combination. Enter handsome and fervent Chevalier Des Grieux, and Manon seizes on his instant enchantment. They escape to an intimate life of sin in Paris, but bigger and more sinister forces are in play. The manic beauty is willingly seduced onto a bigger stage of extravagant living, and she leaves her lover without understanding the consequences of her actions. Pop celebrities have a limited shelf-life, but Manon becomes the undisputed toast of the town. Her downfall seems all the more swift and devastating. It is a plum assignment for a soprano who can handle Massenet’s huge vocal demands. The composer also provides a potential tour de force for tenors who can embody the intense Chevalier. Making their highly anticipated role debuts, Ellie Dehn and Michael Fabiano thankfully fulfilled expectations, and often surpassed them. Supporting roles were also wellcast, and Ian Robertson’s reliable SFO Chorus sounded great whenever they could sing without being herded inelegantly on or off stage. Baritone David Pershall was sympathetic as Manon’s cousin Lescaut, and tenor Robert Brubaker, making his third appearance in a production this season, was amusing as the debauched old Guillot de Morfontaine. He is enjoying his opportunities creating memorable character parts. Finnish-American baritone Timothy Mix was a convincing De Bretigny, the man who launches Manon’s dizzying social spiral. Bass James Creswell, as Des Grieux’s cautioning father the Comte, has a sonorous voice and imposing stage presence.

Supporting females are given less to do, but mezzo-sopranos Laura Krumm and Renee Rapier still commanded attention as the “actresses” Javotte and Rosette. Soprano Monica Dewey made her successful SFO debut as their charming cohort Pousette. The trio earned laughter and applause. One laugh that may or may not have been intentional exploded at the end of Act III, when hunky Fabiano tore open his cassock to reveal his heaving, manly chest. It also got one of the night’s heartiest rounds of applause and underlined Boussard’s canny understanding of the genre. Des Grieux’s throwing his cross to the floor and mounting Manon was as startling a moment as her Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera descent to the stage floor by balloon earlier in the Michael Fabiano as Des Grieux in act. It’s great show busi- Massenet’s “Manon.” ness; little wonder Massenet and his librettists Despite the obvious commit(and the author of the ment, her acting seemed detached original novel, Abbe Prevost) had to when compared to Fabiano’s punish them both in the end. overwhelming passion. We are no Conductor Patrick Fournillier longer calling him a rising star. His led the orchestra in a wonderfully early career has already placed him persuasive reading of the score. He in the ranks of world-class tenors. is a noted champion of Massenet’s With big international debuts and intoxicating music and he proved prestigious awards to his credit, the it, adding notable weight and transthrilling and confidently out young parency. singer (he tweeted, “ENGAGED For Ellie Dehn, Fournillier’s supto the love of my life, Bryan Mcport was crucial. She has a good Calister” last August) still returns range and lovely clear tone, but I to SFO as a spiritual home-base, was glad to hear her stratospheric and he gives his Northern Califorhigh notes emerging so clearly nia fans increasing reasons to be above the orchestra. Her Gavotte, thankful. Singing Des Grieux has the famous self-praising ode to been a dream for him. We got to youth and beauty in the Cours-lasee him ace it here.t Reine scene, was achieved effortlessly. She grew in stature through“Manon” continues in repertory out the night to make her pitiable through Nov. 22. sfopera.com. death scene effective.

newitaliancinema.org

DVD>>

November 9-15, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 29

Icelandic idyll by Brian Bromberger

hen one character says to another, “Just stop being weird and everything will be fine,” every LGBTQ person will sigh with recognition because someone in their lives has uttered this disparaging line to them. This irksome familiarity in the new DVD “Heartstone” from Iceland (Breaking Glass) will strike a nerve with viewers. The universal confusion, guilt, and emotional turmoil of discovering one’s sexual identity are reflected in this drama from a remote part of the world. “Heartstone” also adopts an opposite perspective on the unrequited love a gay boy feels for a straight friend, invigorating an often-tired theme.

Transgender Film

From page 23

SFTFF, the world’s first transgender film festival, screens “stories told by and starring transgender and gender non-conforming people,” said artistic director Shawna Virago in a telephone interview with the B.A.R. “Hollywood is still getting it wrong” by making films with cisgender people playing roles of transgender people, said Virago. “We started at a time when most film festivals would not screen films about transgender people, and we are proud of our history of supporting transgender and gender variant filmmakers. We were founded by D.I.Y. queer punks,” and have kept that D.I.Y. quality. “We are committed to having a counternarrative to the increasingly assimilationist world of transgender reality stars.” STIFF will never screen a film “with cisgender people playing transgender people,” she emphasized. “We are here to give opportunities to transgender and gender

Backstage

Thor (Baldur Einorsson) and Kristjan (Blaer Hinrikson) are 14-yearold best friends living in an isolated fishing village far from cosmopolitan Reykjavik. The cherub-like, immature Thor is still physically developing, despondent that he has no pubic hair. Kristjan may look like an Aryan god when he reaches adulthood. Both boys come from troubled families. Thor’s father abandoned his mother Hulda (Nina Dogg Filippusdottir) for a

younger woman, leaving her alone to raise Thor and his two older sisters, who tease him unrelentingly. Kristjan’s father is an alcoholic, physically abusive, and homophobic. Thor and Kristjan find refuge in each other as they are bullied by a redhaired classmate. Thor becomes romantically interested in Beta (Dilja Vasldottir), who is sexually more experienced than him, which in turn helps Kristjan see that despite trying to drum up feelings

non-conforming filmmakers and actors.” On opening night, Virago said she is “thrilled and excited” to screen the new music video by Macy Gray “Stop Drop Roll,” the story of a gender-fluid choreographer named Jenzi Russell. “It’s a beautiful music video all about accepting yourself regardless of what other people say,” said Virago. Other films on the schedule include “The Gold Fish Casino,” “a queer musical that tells the story of a plucky salmon forced by a lack of water to gamble her eggs to get upstream,” according to the program. “Sununú: The Revolution of Love” is the story of trans dad Fernando Machado becoming an international news sensation when he announces he’s pregnant with his trans woman partner Diane Rodriguez. According to the program, the film “is an intimate portrayal of a couple getting to grips with parenthood while they challenge ideas of gender roles. With access to the new family in its earliest days, we see how

this remarkable duo balance parenting with a career in activism.” “Limina” is about a “curious gender-fluid child named Alessandra, who embarks on a path of kindness that will forever change the lives of the townspeople in a quaint and picturesque village. The protagonist, Alessandra, is a male-bodied, gender-fluid eight-year-old who demonstrates compassion towards fellow townspeople” (program notes.) “After the Date” is about the relationship between Emma, a trans woman, and a new romantic interest, Nate. The two are brought together by Emma’s interest in photography. Emma fears rejection from her new boyfriend. Their bond is tested after Emma experiences harassment by a police officer. The film depicts a loving relationship between a trans woman and a cisgender, straight man. “My Femme Is a Reflection.” Directed by Jai Lei Yee, this experimental short highlights a survivor’s journey in learning to lean into “femmeness” while staying vulnerable, tender, and fierce.

engagement, which will include songs from a Broadway and touring resume that includes “Rent,” “Hair,” “Les Miserables,” “Ghost,” “Wicked” and “Hairspray.” Whatever songs she performs from these shows will not be like they were done on stage. “I’m sort of an unconventional Broadway actor in that my sound isn’t the sort you would assume should be on Broadway, so I like to bring my pop-rock sensibility to theater songs, and make them cool and offbeat,” she said. “I’ll be doing plenty of high belting, so hopefully that will satiate some of the folks coming to the show.” She’ll also be performing some songs from the shows she almost did. “In this business,” Levy said, “you start out thinking you’re going to play one role, and something comes from out of the blue and knocks you in a new direction.” She declined to give any examples, wanting to keep her set list a surprise, but the Broadway hit “Waitress” certainly fits the description

she laid out. “I had just been offered the chance to replace Sara Bareilles in ‘Waitress,’ and that was all coming The 2015 tiara to-do was the first together, and then I got a call sayedition of the Broadway Princess ing that I was offered ‘Frozen.’ It Party, now an annual tradition at was one of the beautiful but hard Feinstein’s/54 Below in New York, moments when you get two jobs at with a roster of distaff stage peronce and you have to choose, but formers singing songs fit for a royal it’s better than getting no jobs with highness. “When they asked me to nothing to choose, which sucks all sing ‘Let It Go,’ I didn’t want to just around.” sing it straight because at the time A native of Hamilton, Canada, every belter in the city was singing Levy was 22 when she got her Actors it. I wanted to do something offbeat, Equity card as a standby in a sumand we came up with a mash up of mer-stock production of “Smokey ‘Let It Go’ and the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be,’ Joe’s Cafe.” As Levy recalled, “I was and who knew people would love it covering for all the women but I so much?” never went on, thank God. They Among the hundreds of thouwere, like, 30 years older than me and sands of YouTube clickers was seasoned Broadway divas, and I was, someone who sent it to someone at like, this kid out of school who was, Disney. “Even though no one was ‘What’s happening?’” worrying about who was going to Her Broadway debut came a few play Elsa at that time,” Levy said, “it years later when she took over the found its way to the powers-that-be, role of Penny Pingleton in “Hairand that certainly helped me get an spray,” and she has been a regular audition.” visitor to Broadway ever since. Levy was speaking from a bench Without a doubt, “Frozen,” in Manhattan’s Riverside with an enormous built-in fan Park, with her almostbase and Disney machinery 2-year-old son in her lap, behind it, will be the crown “trying to dodge all the jewel in Levy’s tiara. birds that are eating and So, she was asked, will she pooping everywhere.” This be singing any songs from is a downtime for the cast “Frozen” at Feinstein’s? “That’s of “Frozen,” as the creative a question mark,” she replied. team works on changes after “Disney really wants to presa summer tryout in Denver, ent the show in its entirety at with rehearsals resuming the right time, so it may not in January. “My schedule be the right thing for me to be is only crazy now because I singing those songs now.” have a small human I’m reBut how about her mash up sponsible for,” she said. “But Dean van Meer/Disney of “Let It Out” and “Let It Be,” with this downtime, I’m able which wouldn’t be revealing to do some concert work, The SF-bound Caissie Levy starred as Elsa in anything new? “I’m not sure and they asked me if I could the pre-Broadway Denver run of “Frozen,” and that’s something we can do, come out to San Francisco.” she’ll be playing the role on Broadway starting but I’m still working on it. So Levy is putting together a in February. never say never.”t new show for the Feinstein’s

From page 23

for Hanna (Katla Njalsdottir), he’s really in love with Thor. There are camp trips, sleepovers with experimentation, and working on a sheep farm. Kristjan attempts to make his feelings known to Thor, who initially is obtuse, but is later bothered by them. This is one of those close-knit towns that know everyone’s business. Kristjan has trouble processing his apprehension over his sexuality, which will lead to a crisis for him and Thor. With its volcanic coast, Iceland is itself a character in “Heartstone.” The boys take out their frustrations by bashing fish on rocks, or smashing up car wrecks. First-time writer-director Godmundur Arnar Gudmundsson is empathetic to his characters, having grown up in

a similar town. But “Heartstone” has flaws, including its two-hours length and dawdling pace. Most of the movie is centered on Thor and his burgeoning sexuality, but his struggles aren’t as compelling as the painful emotional arc Kristjan must travel. We’re more invested in Kristjan’s emotionally charged battles, so viewers will mourn his lack of screentime. Still, “Heartstone” has intelligence and sensitivity, with expressive, naturalistic performances from the two leads and a few sympathetic female characters. The film is a mixed bag, but with its sensuality, physicality. and phenomenal cinematography by Sturla Grovlen, intriguing enough that we look ahead to Gudmundsson’s next feature.t

Courtesy SF Transgender Film Festival

Scene from director Sarolta Jane Crump’s “The Gold Fish Casino.”

“Socorro.” This short film by Maria Breaux tells the story of lonely musician Socorro, who exists in a faraway time in a desolate place where money has been replaced by obsidian stones. When a beautiful femme fatale provides an opportunity for revenge, Socorro can’t resist.

The full line-up and ticket information are available at SFTFF.org. According to Virago, advance tickets are “definitely recommended” because many screenings are expected to sell out. Tickets are $12-$15, and nobody will be turned away for lack of funds.t

Leather

On the Tab

www.ebar.com V www.bartabsf.com

Shining Stars Vol. 47 • No. 45 • November 9-15, 2017

remember thee. ome see, come see, medy, theatre, Arts events in co sual arts should dance, music and vi stes. ease a variety of ta

C pl

Listings on page 32 >>

Fri 10 Alfonso Cervera & Irvin Gonzalez at Rest/Unrest @ Dance Mission Theater

Arts Events November 9-16

Collectivo Multipolar

Gavin Rayna Russom LCD Soundsystem band member & composer on trans visibility by Jim Gladstone

hen LCD Soundsystem appeared as musical guest on Saturday Night Live this past May, there was a distinctive shift in the mise en scene. With his 6’ 1” frame, graying hair, and lumbering blazer-clad stage presence, founder and frontman James Murphy has always been the band’s Dad-dancing visual hallSee page 31 >>

{ THIRD OF THREE SECTIONS }

Gavin Rayna Russom at a recent solo DJ gig.

Feature>>

November 9-15, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 31

Playmates or soul mates, you’ll find them on MegaMates Always FREE to listen and reply to ads!

San Francisco:

(415) 692-5774

www.megamates.com 18+

Gavin Rayna Russom.

Gavin Rayna Russom

From page 30

Russom’s mind for most of her life. Now 43, she grew up in Providence, close to the open-minded campuses of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design. “I come from an academic background and both of my parents are pretty hardcore nerds. So I inevitably have an intellectual bent, and that has value in terms of finding different ways to think about things.” But growing up in a largely progressive, feminist, socially conscious environment added elements of complexity to Russom’s path toward transition. The difference between gender roles as a social construct and the personal nature of one’s gender identity can be challenging to parse. “One of the very sad things for me about navigating a transgender experience has been that our culture didn’t have a framework for it. Twenty years ago, if you talked about being transsexual, it was taken to mean wanting to change from being a man to being a woman in that society. “That idea was one of the obstacles I struggled with. I have a letter about it I wrote to my Mom in 1997, after moving to New York with a suitcase full of women’s clothes: For 22 years I’d had this very complex inner experience of my gender. To suddenly try to have to subscribe to very traditional societal ideas wasn’t

working. “For many years I created instability in my life, through moving, mental health crises, using substances, to avoid the feelings I had. But I do think, largely as a result of work that trans women of color have done, that the way we see trans experience is changing and developing. I can retain the complexity of my own experience, not just becoming a woman, but becoming who I am.” In retrospect, Russom believes that her attraction to music as an art form has been closely tied to her evolving understanding of gender. In addition to working sporadically with LCD for more than 15 years, Russom has become well-known in the electronic music world for designing and building electronic synthesizers. She’s also released solo work under names including Black Meteoric Star, Black Leotard Front, and Crystal Ark. “The fascinating thing to me about music,” Russom says, “is that it creates structure over time, using sound. A painting has an objective presence in the world. Music is like gender. It only exists within the realm of experience.”t

mark. But during the SNL performances, it was hard to keep from shifting focus to the intense energy emanating from synth-player Gavin Russom, dancing with a sense of abandon. Abandon, thoughtful and decidedly unreckless, was indeed underway. “The whole SNL thing was a really interesting moment for me. I wasn’t out yet, even to the band,” recalls Russom. “But I’d been feeling very uncomfortable presenting as male. I knew that this performance was a high visibility situation. And it was going to be documented, a permanent record. I knew that a year from then, I’d be able to look back and see myself on that night. I realized that the performance had the potential to be a real platform for trans visibility. But as much as I knew it could be a situation for activism, I also needed to feel safe. So there was a lot of nervousness for me. That may have come through in my movement.” Russom changed into a trans rights T-shirt for SNL’s closing LCD Soundsystem performs at Bill group shot. Graham Civic Auditorium, NovemNow, just months later, followber 14 & 15. $85 and up. 7:30pm. 99 ing years of therapy and time spent Grove St. gavinrayna.com with transgender women at home lcdsoundsystem.com in New York, she introduces herself billgrahamcivicauditorium.com as Rayna Russom and has opened up as transgender to friends, family and the press. Currently on a breakneck fall tour with LCD, Russom is experiencing the latest phase of her transition while literally in transit. When Bay Area Reporter reached her by phone, she was in Austin, Texas heading to catch a flight to Detroit. “It’s pretty intense. I find myself tireder than normal. I’m moving forward, but I have to deal with logistical things. Going through airport security over and over and still having to use my legal name is NBC a real identity challenge.” Notions of gender fluid- Gavin Rayna Russom (3rd right, back) in a Saturday Night Live promo shot for ity, and a sense of herself LCD Soundsystem’s May 2017 appearance. as female, have been on

<< Arts Events

32 • Bay Area Reporter • November 9-15, 2017

Day), and Richard Wilde Lopez ( For Love and Resistance) read from their new fiction books. 8pm-9:30pm. 470 Castro St. beautifuldreamerpress.com

Fri 10

Ingrid V. Wells @ Glass Rice

The Bridge Project @ CounterPulse Radical Movements: Gender and Politics in Performance, Hope Mohr Dance’s 7th annual festival of diversely-themed pointed performance works by more than a dozen artists, with performances and discussions. $20-$100 (full pass). Fri & Sat 8pm (some 6:30pm & 4pm). Thru Nov. 12. 80 Turk St. hopemohr.org counterpulse.org

Deal With the Dragon @ NCTC Kevin Rolston’s acclaimed solo show explores his unique life experience. $25-$50. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Dec. 3. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. www.nctcsf.org

Ingrid V. Wells @ Glass Rice Opening reception for the local artist’s exhibit of bright candy and toy paintings with a more serious feminist subtext. 6pm-8pm. Thru Dec. 16. 680 8th St. #240B. glassrice.com

Edited for space. For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/arts

Thu 9 Les Arts Florissants @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley The French early music ensemble performs in semi-staged productions of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s pastorale Actéon. $40-$86. 8pm. Bancroft Way at Dana, UC Berkeley campus. www.calperformances.org

Black Rider @ Ashby Stage Shotgun Players’ production of the Williams S. Burroughs, Tom Waits and Robert Wilson adult fairytale musical about a lowly clerk who must prove himself to his fianceé’s father by riding through a mysterious forest. $25-$40. Previews; opens Nov 17. Thru Dec 31. 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. www.shotgunplayers.org

Classic & New Films @ Castro Theatre Nov 9: Reel Rock 12 (7pm). Nov 11: SF International South Asian Film Festival opener, with Nari (3pm), An Insignificant Man (5:30pm) and Om Shanti Om (8:15) (www.thirdi. org). Nov. 12: all-day new Planet of the Apes trilogy screenings, plus an onstage talk with Apes actor Andy Serkis. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (12pm), Dawn... (2pm), Serkis talk (6pm), War… (7pm). Nov 13: Stand By Me (7pm) and IT (8:45). Nov. 14: Disney’s Moana sing-along (4pm), and a Harry Dean Stanton double feature, Lucky (7pm) and The Straight Story (8:45). Nov 15: The Force (7pm) and Detroit (8:45). Nov. 16: Amplify Her world premiere (7:30pm). $11-$16. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Cyberotica! @ Oasis Revival of the hilarious 1999 Y2K drag musical by Peter Fogel and Kelly Kittell. $25-$35. Thu 8pm. Fri & Sat 7pm. Thru Nov. 18. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Goin’ Home: The Gay Porn Soundtracks of Patrick Cowley @ CounterPulse Special celebration of the late DJ and composer, with his classic disco scores, screenings of a few porn flicks, Fox Studio’s John Colletti interviewed by The Magazine owners, Michael Zodorozny singing two Cowley songs, plus Juanita MORE! and Brontez Purnell reading from Cowley’s diaries; pop-up shop and ephemera installation, too. $5$20. 7pm-11pm. 80 Turk St. www.counterpulse.org

Imaginary Comforts @ Berkeley Reprtory Subtitled The Story of the Ghost of the Dead Rabbit, Daniel (Lemony Snicket) Handler’s deliciously dark comedy celebrates the manic phase of family grieving with a lapine hallucination. $22-$89. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed 7pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Thru Nov. 19. 2025 Addison St., Berkeley. www.berkeleyrep.org

Strange Ladies @ Berkeley City Club Susan Sobeloff’s drama about the early 1900s women activists who fought for the right to vote. $15$30. Thru Nov 19. 2315 Durant Ave., Berkeley. www.centralworks.org

Fri 10 Beautiful Dreamer Press Authors @ Strut Gay authors David Pratt ( Wallaçonia), Lewis DeSimone ( Channeling Morgan), Mike McClelland (Gay Zoo

Monster Drawing Rally @ Minnesota Street Project Southern Exposure’s annual festive and fun fundraiser, where dozens of artists make art-on-demand and for sale. $20-$25. 6pm-10pm. 1275 Minnesota St. www.soex.org

Rest/Unrest @ Dance Mission Theater FLACC’s fourth annual Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers, with political and queer-themed works by Alfonso Cervera & Irvin Gonzalez, Violeta Luna, Vincent Chavez, Zarina Mendoza, Davalos Dance Company, Caleb Luna, Piñata Dance Collective, and Zoë Klein. $18-$25. Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 6pm. 3316 24th St. http:// www.flaccdanza.org/

Day of the Dead @ Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts In Heaven as on Earth, the 31st annual exhibit of installations and artwork commemorating Day of the Dead. $2-$7. Tue-Sat 10am-5pm. Thru Nov. 17. 2868 Mission St. missionculturalcenter.org

The Eva Trilogy @ Magic Theatre Julia McNeal’s lyrical Irish epic in three parts (staged together). $35$80. Tue 7pm, Wed-Sat 8pm, Sun 2:30pm. Thru Nov 12. Bldg D, 3rd floor, Fort Mason, 2 Marina Blvd. magictheatre.org

Lucha Libro @ The Park Gym Radar Productions’ new event, where queer, trans and Latinx writers are given words with which to speed-write a short story, then read before the audience, in competition for being published in FogLifter. $10. 3:30pm. 1960 Harrison St. radarproductions.org

Tue 14 Various Events @ Oakland LGBTQ Center Social events and meetings at the new LGBTQ center include film screenings and workshops, including Bruthas Rising, trans men of color meetings, 4th Tuesdays, 6:30pm. Film screenings, 4th Saturdays, 7:30pm. Game nights, Fridays 7:30pm-11pm. Vogue sessions, first Saturdays. 3207 Lakeshore Ave. Oakland. oaklandlgbtqcenter.org

Wed 15 Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet @ YBCA The acclaimed local dance company performs King’s The Propelled Heart, with vocalist Lisa Fischer reinterpreting songs by Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and other groups. $35-$90. 7:30pm. Thru Nov. 19. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 700 Howard St. www.ybca.org

Godless Perverts Book Club @ Borderlands Café

Sun 12 David Sedaris @ San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, War Memorial Opera House The bestselling author reads from and discusses his work. $67, $77. 7pm. 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose. Nov 13 in SF, $83-$98. 7:30pm, 301 Van Ness Ave. DavidSedarisonTour.com

Vanessa Bousay @ Martuni’s The elegant drag chanteuse performs Come On a My House!, a cabaret concert of food-themed classics; proceeds benefit Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners. $10-$25. 7pm. 4 Valencia St. vanessabousay.com

The kink, queers and atheismfriendly group discusses Rachel P. Maines’ The Technology of Orgasm. 6pm-8pm. 870 Valencia St. borderlands-books.com

Smack Dab @ Dog Eared Books Award-winning essay writer Wifredo Pascal is the featured artist at the monthly open mic literary/talent show cohosted by Larry-bob Roberts and Dana Hopkins. 8pm. 489 Castro St. dogearedbooks.com

Stitch Fetish SF @ Center for Sex & Culture Group exhibit of more than two dozen artists’ works in crotchet, stitch, embroidered and fabric art, all with a kinky theme. Thru Dec. 2. 1349 Mission St. sexandculture.org

Transgender Film Festival @ Roxie The 20th anniversary festival of transgender-themed and produced short and feature films. $12-$15. Nov 10: 8pm opening night gala. Nov 11: 7pm, 9pm closed-captioned program. Nov 12: 2pm, 4pm, 6pm. 3117 16th St. www.SFTFF.org www.roxie.com

Transgender Remembrance Shabbat @ Jewish Community Center Keshet honors the Day of Remembrance, with a gathering, talks, and performance by opera singer Breanna Sinclairé. 3:30pm. 3200 California St. jccsf.org

Sat 11 42nd Street @ Alcazar Theatre Bay Area Musicals’ new production of the classic Broadway musical. $20-$75. Thu-Sun various times thru Dec. 10. 650 Geary St. bamsf.org

Barbeque @ SF Playhouse Robert O’Hara’s biting play about suburban bliss, racism and family interventions gets a Bay Area premiere. $20-$125. Tue-Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sat 2pm, Sun 2pm. Thru Nov. 11. 450 Post St. sfplayhouse.org

Before Homosexuals: From Ancient Times to Victorian Crimes @ GLBT History Museum Nov 11 screening og John Scagliotto’s new documentary about historic same-sex romances. $12-$15. 4pm. Nov 16: Queerness in Flux: Shifting Lesbian, Trans & Genderqueer Identities, a panel discussion about gender identities, culture and politics; 5pm. 7pm. $5. 4127 18th St. www.glbthistory.org

Mon 13 Gay Husbands of San Francisco @ Oasis

Mon 13 The Gay Husbands of San Francisco @ Oasis

Thu 16 Savage Jazz Dance @ Malong Casquelord Center Theater, Oakland

Premiere screening and party for Adam Sandel’s new locally-produced web series comedy about gay Castro life, with a cast of hunky gay guys in person, event hosts Heklina, Donna Sachet and Skye Paterson. $10-$25 (VIP). 7pm-11pm. 298 11th St. revry.tv sfoasis.com

Sketches of Oakland, performances of new works by Reginald RaySavage, with music accompaniment by Leslie La Barre, Emily Tian, and Justin Ouellet. $5-$25. 8pm. Thru Nov. 19 (3pm). 1428 Alice St., Oakland. www.savagejazz.org

Jeffrey Braverman @ LGBT Center

Women @ Scott Nichols Gallery

The photographer’s new exhibit David, in Brief. Thru Dec. 5. 1800 Market St. www.sfcenter.org

Perfectly Queer @ Dog Eared Books Authors Lucy Jane Bledsoe (Thin Bright Lines), Peter Gajdics ( Inheritance of Shame), and Julia Serano ( Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism) read from and discuss their new works of non-fiction; with Wayne Goodman and Rick May. 7pm. 489 Castro St. dogearedbooks.com

Exhibit of fine art prints of female nudes and famous women by photographers Dorothea Lange, Imogen Cunningham, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Edward Weston, Irving Penn, Mona Kuhn, Ruth Bernhard, André Kértesz, others. Reception Oct 12, 5:30-7:30pm. Thru Nov. 22. 49 Geary St., 4th floor. scottnicholsgallery.com To submit event listings, email events@ebar.com. Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication.

Leather>>

November 9-15, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 33

Intersexualities We’re not one community, and that’s okay

Rich Stadtmiller

Stopping at Oasis along this year’s annual Leather Walk, this couple blended SM, pup kink and faux-queen realness.

hen some of you read the title of this column you got a little pissed off. Inside of you might be a voice wanting to scream “Yes, we are one community, damn it!” But hear me out. There is value in recognizing that what we typically refer to as the leather community or kink community is indeed a set of loosely affiliated communities. This isn’t a bad thing. Really. My stance comes from a desire to ensure that what we do and who we are thrives, grows and fosters the kind of robust and fun scene we all want. I sincerely hope it doesn’t come off as divisive. That’s not the intention. In fact, my intention is quite the opposite. What we kinky folk are is a set of many groups that are loosely affiliated, sometimes quite loosely. We’re connected by our ubiquitous rebel and maverick sexualities and erotic identities that percolate throughout the various realms of what we do and who we are, but the connectors that bind us vary in strength considerably. Leather and kink are big umbrella terms under which a wide range of kinksters get categorized. This umbrella concept is how we’ve functioned for years. It’s useful, but deceptive. It’s less useful today than it used to be. Heresy? To some, yes. While it’s convenient, and sometimes perhaps even appropriate, to refer to the leather commu-

nity or kink community as an entity unto itself, setting up such a pervasive mindset that we are a monolithic and single-minded community can impede us in certain ways. At the inception of the modern leather community it indeed felt more like a single community. It was inherently gay identified and replete with gay male imagery. The leather women and small cadre of heterosexuals and bisexuals that gay men mingled with usually dressed, thought and socialized much the way gay leathermen did. We mostly kept to separate spaces, but it truly felt like we were a community. And when we did mingle, we shared a similar collective ethos and definition. In short, we identified, interacted and played quite similarly. Fast forward to today, just a few decades later, and the landscape has changed a lot. If a leatherman from 1970 were to happen upon a recent pansexual kink conference or event, he would barely recognize what he’s seeing as a descendant of his leather experience.

Race Bannon

by Race Bannon

I’ve used the Venn diagram imagery in the past to explain this concept, and it works here too. Venn diagrams are those labeled circles that intersect to varying degrees, their position and overlap indicating the relations among the labeled categories. Back in the day, let’s say the ‘60s to ‘80s, the leather scene had a few labeled circles (leather, BDSM, role-based dynamics, and so on) and those Venn circles mostly overlapped one on top of the other. Over time, our scene has segmented and sometimes balkanized into a collection of more granular subsets. The Venn circles have increasingly overlapped less. Sexual and erotic interests such as rubber, pup play, watersports, fisting, master/slave, sports gear, and a whole lot more, began to segment into their own camps. Add to this that some camps kept mostly to their own sexual orientations while others chose to mix more often with other orientations and the entire architecture of the leather and kink world got rather complex. So, why does this matter? Why am I pointing this out? For me, this all gets to the crux of why we sometimes see so many disagreements, misunderstandings and, frankly, drama amid our kinky ranks. We see it at events, in discussions, and we really see it on social media. I believe so much of what seems to tear us apart and cause angst and consternation boils down to not understanding our differentness within our supposed sameness. Let me illustrate this with an extremely simple example, gay men who are into BDSM or part of the pup crowd. I’m restricting the orientation to gay men in this example because orientation adds another layer of intersection complexity that might muddle the example. Just because a guy is into BDSM does not mean he truly understands the mindset or issues of someone who identifies and plays as a pup. Likewise, a pup may not understand at all how a BDSM guy thinks or acts. However, there are guys who are into both manners of erotic expression. They understand both camps. Are they both part of a single community? Well, sort of. But they are also part of entirely separate communities that have their own clubs, parties, events, literature, and so on. One can function entirely within the BDSM ranks and only occasionally encounter those within the pup ranks, and vice versa. And even when the two camps commingle, that doesn’t mean they entirely understand each other. We don’t necessarily have to completely understand another human being to hang out with and enjoy them. What I’m hoping people realize is that while it’s certainly nice if we can understand other kinksters better, we should never assume we do. Our values, priorities, social structures, sexualities and erotic identities may at face value seem the same, but might be quite different. A gay man who moves entirely within the fisting world might barely understand the inner workings of a bisexual woman who identifies as a slave. That’s okay. It’s simply not reasonable to expect us to be able to put ourselves in other people’s shoes entirely. But the problems arise when we have the bizarre expectation that we do or can fully understand each other and hold each other to the same sets of expectations. That gets us

Rich Stadtmiller

Top: BDSM and Pup play; some people like one or the other, some like both. Below: An August SF Eagle beer bust included rubber-clad slaves, casual bears and exhibitionist kinksters.

into the messes we sometimes find ourselves in. Just because members of one community think a certain way, identify a certain way, play a certain way or socialize a certain way doesn’t mean another community will. Even within the same community there will be those who don’t think exactly like their community peers. It’s a difficult pill to swallow sometimes, but people, individually or collectively, are not here to meet your expectations. As Shakespeare said, “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”

The next time someone tells you what they need or want to have the most fulfilled and happy kink experience, believe them. Don’t try to impose your expectations on them, and don’t let them impose theirs on you.t

For Leather Events, visit www.ebar.com/bartab Race Bannon is a local author, blogger and activist. You can reach him at www.bannon.com

<< On the Tab

34 • Bay Area Reporter • November 9-15, 2017

Wine Country Rising @ Private Home

Underwear Night @ Club OMG

Philanthropist John Newmeyer opens his elegant home for Out in the Vineyard/Rainbow World Fund’s benefit, with wine, food, silent auctions, and entertainment, benefiting Sonoma/ Napa fire victims. $100-$1000. 4-7pm. 2004 Gough St. rainbowfund.givezooks.com/events/wine-country-rising

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

Mon 13

Comedy Showcase @ SF Eagle

Gin & Comics @ The Stud

Sun 12 Danielle LoPresti at Rise Up! @ Ivy Room, Berkeley

On the Tab Nov. 19-26

elebrate with friends, or make new ones at benefits that help local causes. Tip performers, waiters and bar staff generously, because money is like butter. It only tastes good when you spread it around.

Edited for space. For full listings, visit www.ebar.com/bartab

Thu 9 Comedy Night @ Ashkenaz, Berkeley Mark Pitta, Emily Epstein White, Sid Singh, and host Lisa Geduldig will make you laugh, at the new monthly comedy night. $10-$20. 8pm. 1317 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. Koshercomedy.com

Lady Rizo @ Feinstein's at the Nikko The stellar and funny Grammywinning singer returns to the intimate upscale nightclub. $18-$45. 7pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. feinsteinsatthenikko.com

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

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

Fri 10 Ariela Morgenstern @ Feinstein's at the Nikko The Broadway star ( Next to Normal, Light in the Piazza, Man of La Mancha) and Bay Area native performs a new autobiographical cabaret concert about homecomings, and motherhood. $17.50-$40. 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. caissielevy.com feinsteinsatthenikko.com

Boy Division @ Cat Club The New Wave LGBT dance night, with DJs Xander, Starr, gogo dancers, retro gaming and more fun. $5-$10. 9:30pm3am. 1190 Folsom St. sfcatclub.com

Cubcake @ Lone Star Saloon Big boys and men, bears and cubs, and treats, plus DJ Spaz. $5. 9pm2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Friday Nights at the Ho @ White Horse Bar, Oakland Dance it up at the historic (and still hip) East Bay bar. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave. whitehorsebar.com

Latin Explosion, Club Papi @ Club 21, Oakland Hip Hop and Latin grooves event, with 3 dance floors, gogos, drag acts, and special retro DJed grooves. $10-$20. 9pm-4am. 2111 Franklin St., Oakland. www.club21oakland.com

Lipstick Lesbians, Uhaul @ Oasis Happy hour for women (7pm-10pm), followed by Uhaul, the popular women's dance night. $20. 10pm2am. 298 11th St. sfoasis.com

Sat 11 Fauxgirls @ Encore Karaoke Lounge Farewell show for the year with the long-running drag act ensemble. 8pm. 1550 California St. fauxgirls.com

Honey SoundSystem @ Public Works Ten-Year Anniversary Rave with the cool DJ collective (Danny Daze, Kim Ann Foxman, Justin Cudmore, Octo Octa, Jason Kendig, Joshu Cheon, Bezier, Jackie House and surprise guests). $15-$40. 6pm-4am. 161 Erie St. publicsf.com

Lumbertwink @ Lone Star Saloon Break out your plaid flannel at the bear bar, with DJs Jimmy Swear and Spaz. $5. 9pm-2am. 1354 Harrison St. www.lonestarsf.com

Post 448 Beverage Benefit @ The Cinch Saloon

New monthly queer comedy show. 8pm-11pm. 10pm-2am. 388 9th st. www.studsf.com

No No Bingo @ Virgil's Sea Room Mica Sigourney and Tom Temprano cohost the wacky weekly game night at the cool Mission bar. 8pm. 3152 Mission St. www.virgilssf.com

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

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

Tue 14 Dragula @ Oasis New weekly screenings of LA's Boulet Brothers dragtastic TV show of ghoulish glamour. No cover. 7pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

GGBA @ Oasis Golden Gate Business Association's networking event for LGBT busienss people, with food, drinks and local business info. 6pm-8pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Hysteria Comedy @ Martuni's Open mic for women and queer comics, with host Irene Tu. 6pm-8pm. 4 Valencia St.

Wed 15

Mugshot Realness @ Oasis Ember Alert & Mike Castro's daytime disco party, with DJs Steve Fabus and Sergio Fedasz. $10. 2pm-7pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com

Rise Up! @ Ivy Room, Berkeley Momma's Boyz, Alex U Inn, Danielle LoPresti, Alicia Champion perform and DJ Page Hodel spins grooves at a benefit for UndocuFund, the fire relief organization of undocumented Sonoma workers and families. $10 and up. 3pm-6pm. 860 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley. www.undocufund.org www.ivyroom.com

Queer Latinx Social Club @ SF Eagle Latino/a/x LGBT folks' monthly gathering. 5pm-8pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Stung, Temptation @ Slim's

Girl Scout @ Port Bar, Oakland

Thump @ White Horse, Oakland

The weekly women's happy hour and dance night with DJ Becky Knox. 6pm-10pm. 2023 Broadway. www. portbaroakland.com

Out in Tech @ Oasis Social and networking event for LGBT people in technology. No cover, but RSVP required. 6pm-10pm. 298 11th St. outintech.com sfoasis.com

Weekly electro music night with DJ Matthew Baker and guests. 9pm-2am. 6551 Telegraph Ave, (510) 652-3820. www.whitehorsebar.com Want your nightlife event listed? Email events@ebar.com, at least two weeks before your event. Event photos welcome.

Thu 16 Comedy Returns @ El Rio Karen Ripley, Joe Nguyen, Bob McIntyre, Angie Krass, and Lisa Geduldig share their laughable stand-up talents. $7-$20. 8pm. 3158 Mission St. www.ElRioNov16. brownpapertickets.com

The Dong Show @ Oasis Fudgie Frottage and Tweeka Turner's monthly talent show. $10. 10pm. 298 11th St. sfoasis.com

Nice Jewish Boys @ Evil Eye Keshet's happy hour gathering for Jewish gay men and their pals. 7pm. 2937 Mission St. keshetonline.org evileyesf.com

Thu 16 Joe Nguyen at Comedy Returns @ El Rio

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PoleSexual @ The Stud The queer variety show, with live pole dancers drag, and fun. $5-$10. 10pm2am. 388 9th St. www.studsf.com

Adult content only at the sexy sexinfo-filled quiz show. 7pm-10pm. 388 9th st. www.studsf.com

Kollin Holtz hosts the open mic comedy night. 5:30pm-8pm. 398 12th St. at Harrison. www.sf-eagle.com

Sun 12 Weekly Latin night with drag shows hosted by Vicky Jimenez and DJ Carlitos. (Comedy Open Mic 5:30pm). 7pm-2am. 43 6th St. clubomgsf.com

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The Police and New Order tribute bands, plus Bang On, perform at a benefit for NorCal Fire relief efforts. $16 and up. All ages. 8pm. 333 11th St. slimspresents.com

Beer and soft drink bust for the LGBTinclusive veterans group, with a new leather jacket rafle from Mr. S. $10 includes food. $2-$5 Jell-O shots, too! 4pm-7pm. 1723 Polk St. post448.org

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November 9-15, 2017 • Bay Area Reporter • 35

Shining Stars

Photos by Steven Underhill

Picante @ The Cafe P

atrons of Picante, the weekly Thursday Latin dance night at the popular Café, added a bit of Dio de los Muertos style to the night on November 2. Host Lulu and DJs Marco and Luisio keep the vibe fun and fierce each week. 2369 Market St. cafesf.com See plenty more photos on BARtab’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lgbtsf.nightlife. See more of Steven Underhill’s photos at StevenUnderhill.com.