October 14, 2010 Edition of the Bay Area Reporter, the leading LGBT Newspaper in San Francisco

Nationally, Democrats are nervous

Jersey girl

Rep. John Boehner as House speaker?

It could happen if Democrats lose Congress.

Iconic pop star Connie Francis plays the Castro Theatre.

see Arts

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BAYAREAREPORTER

Vol. 40

. No. 41 . 14 October 2010

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

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Andre GetEqual again zaps Obama quits O SF Pride

by Seth Hemmelgarn my Andre, the embattled executive director of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, has resigned.

Board President Mikayla Connell also announced her res- Amy Andre ignation from Pride’s governing body, effective immediately.

Andre and Connell’s decisions to leave come after months of both women being

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Rick Gerharter

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(D-San Francisco), Congresswomen Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) and Lynn Woolsey (Dhen Equality California, Marin), and Congressman John the state’s largest LGBT Garamendi (D-Walnut Creek), all rights group, sent out its of whom are considered strong slate cards via e-mail last week, its list LGBT advocates. of endorsements included only eight Asked by the Bay Area Reof the state’s 53 House of Represenporter why so few congressional tative races. candidates had been endorsed, Six candidates seeking House seats EQCA Executive Director Geoff in southern California were listed as Kors said the group’s PAC only being endorsed by the group’s politiendorsed those candidates who cal action committee. Among them had turned in a three-page queswas openly gay Palm Springs Mayor tionnaire and scored a perfect Steve Pougnet, who is trying to defeat score of 100 percent.

Republican Congresswoman Mary “We don’t endorse people unBono-Mack, and Congresswoman less they are willing to go on record Loretta Sanchez (D-Santa Ana). with a signed questionnaire supIn northern California, the list conporting full equality,� said Kors.

Congressman Pete Stark sisted of only two people, one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi This is the first year EQCA has whom was Congressman Pete Stark endorsed in federal races, and Kors (D-Fremont). The other person listed said that could be part of the reaas having EQCA’s endorsement was Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) and son for the low response rate from congressional Ami Bera, who is trying to unseat incumbent Con- Congressman Mike Honda (D-Campbell), both candidates. The lengthy questions EQCA asked of gressman Dan Lungren (R-Gold River). of whom are vice chairs of the LGBT Equality candidates could also have been a factor, as most Missing from both the slate card and the Caucus in Congress. page 17 PAC’s endorsement list posted online where Also absent were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

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emocratic Senator Barbara Boxer contends LGBT voters have a clear choice in her re-election campaign this year, where she is fending off a tough challenge from her Republican opponent, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. “It is such a clear choice. My opponent opposes gay

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Jane Philomen Cleland

Steven Underhill

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On Monday, as Obama attended the Democratic Party fundraiser, activists called on him to stop DADT-related discharges. The protest included activists on boats, launching weather balloons that carried GetEqual banners, and standing

by Matthew S. Bajko

by Matthew S. Bajko

Senator Barbara Boxer

ly disclose many of the details on how it spends its money.

The group – known for tactics like blocking streets and holding sit-ins – has helped generate discussion, but it’s work so far hasn’t resulted in any major legislative changes.

Few CA House candidates seek EQCA endorsement

Boxer courts LGBT voters

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GetEqual protesters took to the water in Miami Monday to protest outside a Democratic fundraiser where President Barack Obama was in attendance.

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n National Coming Out Day, members of the grassroots group GetEqual launched an action by land, by air, and by sea at a star-studded Democratic fundraiser in Miami attended by President Barack Obama.

The activists, including GetEqual co-founder Robin McGehee, tweeted the October 11 action as they arrived by boat on the bay just outside former NBA star Alonzo Mourning’s estate, unfurling a banner reading, “Stop the Discharges!�

The zap marked what may be the next step in GetEqual’s young existence. The group’s leaders have staged many actions over the last several months – from chaining themselves to a White House gate to crashing pricey Democratic fundraisers where Obama was present – but it appears that the organization is working to broaden its fundraising base and with solicitations to LGBT community members comes a need for transparency.

GetEqual’s priorities have been working to have Congress vote on the Employment NonDiscrimination Act and repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell� policy. It has also started a new campaign urging LGBTs not to give money to politicians who have promised change until they deliver.

So far, GetEqual has declined to immediate-

Courtesy GetEqual

by Seth Hemmelgarn

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

COMMUNITY

NEWS

Quilt honors disabled lesbians

by Seth Hemmelgarn

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www.ebar.com

Karen Hampton talks about her memorial textile piece that features disabled lesbians during a program last week at the San Francisco Public Library.

Hampton, a trained weaver who lives in Washington, D.C., didn’t know any of the women personally – all of them are deceased – but she feels like she got to know them while working on the project.

Hampton said the work was “a very emotional piece to make.”

She was given some research material on the women and then did more background work on her own.

For about the first month, “all I was doing was compiling information

about the women,” she said.

Hampton isn’t herself disabled, but when she was a child, her primary caretaker was her disabled grandmother, who used a wheelchair.

“She was the most important person in my life, so I grew up seeing the world from the perspective of being with someone that was disabled,” said Hampton.

Hampton got involved with the project after Laura Rifkin, a founder of Fabled ASP, approached her. The two knew each other from a previous project.

She began work on the quilt in early February 2009 and finished it about three and a half months later.

Rifkin said Hampton “brought art to bear on something that is hard to tell on just a regular narrative, and she opens up a different channel of communication through her art.”

The sixth floor, which includes the quilt, contains the main part of the exhibition, which runs through November 21. The Hormel Center, which is on the third floor, includes photographs and other tributes to individual activists.

Tonight (Thursday, October 14) at 6 p.m. the library will play host to “Writing Our Word, Speaking Our Minds, Telling our Stories,” which is related to the exhibition. The program will be in the Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room.▼ For more information, visit www.fabledasp.com.

MEUSA to host ‘Dance for Equality’ compiled by Cynthia Laird arriage Equality USA will hold its “Dance for Equality” benefit on Saturday, October 16 from 8 to 11 p.m. at Uptown Body and Fender, 401 26th Street in Oakland.

MEUSA media director Molly McKay will serve as emcee and the event will help celebrate her 40th birthday. Fairy Butch, a.k.a. Karlyn Lotney, will be a special guest.

McKay noted that the dance party is designed to help raise much-needed funds for MEUSA’s chapters in areas across the country – including those in rural areas of California – as they engage in critical public education and outreach work.

Tickets are $35 and include complimentary pomegrigio, hors d’oeuvres, musical and dance performances, raffle prizes, and a dance lesson.

For more information, visit www.marriageequality.org.

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Benefit for night ministry The San Francisco Night Ministry will hold its annual fall benefit Saturday, October 16 beginning at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1101 O’Farrell Street.

The event, themed “A Little Night Music ‘Round About Midnight,” will feature The Brad Niven Group, a lively ensemble of local jazz musicians. Bay Area N EWS Reporter society columnist Donna Sachet will serve as mistress of ceremonies. The event will include a live and silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and dinner.

The night ministry provides care, counseling, referral, and crisis intervention to those who are lonely, anxious, or in any kind of trouble, every night of the year between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. It operates a crisis telephone line (415-441-0123 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily) and has night ministers working the streets.

Fairy Butch, a.k.a. Karlyn Lotney, will be the special guest at MEUSA’s “Dance for Equality” benefit.

Tickets start at $75 and can be purchased online at www.sfnightministry.org.

Blessing of animals at Hayward church Last year, one family brought ducks, rabbits, chickens, and a cat.

Since then, they’ve adopted an abandoned kitten, and there are more chickens. On Saturday, October 16, they will all gather again on Eden Church’s plaza, to be blessed.

Companion animals and their guardians will create a small peaceable kingdom at the B RIEFS second annual Eden Church Blessing of the Animals and pet food drive. All furry, feathered, and scaly pets are welcome.

The blessing will be held from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the church plaza at the corner of Grove Way and 12455 Birch Street in Hayward.

“Eden’s animal blessing is a great way to share our love of animals with friends and neighbors, and commit ourselves to caring for our environment and the creatures it nurtures –

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quilt honoring the lives of disabled lesbians is part of an exhibition at the San Francisco Public Library.

The memorial quilt, created by Karen Hampton for Fabled ASP, honors women such as Pat Parker, who was involved with the Black Panthers; Margaret Sloan-Hunter, a founding editor of Ms. magazine; and Mary Gennoy, who ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2000.

The piece is included in “Celebrating Fabulous/Activist Bay Area Lesbians with Disabilities: A 40-Year Retrospective,” and is located in the Skylight Gallery on the sixth floor of the library, 100 Larkin Street.

Fabled ASP, or Fabulous/Activist Bay Area Lesbians with Disabilities: A Storytelling Project, is putting on the retrospective with the library’s James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center.

Hampton, 52, is an out lesbian who created the quilt. But actually, she pointed out it “is not technically a quilt.” She said it’s more accurate to call the piece “a stitched textile.” The distinction is that a quilt has a backing fabric, a layer of filling, and a top layer that are stitched together.

In Hampton’s piece, which incorporates images of the women, the top portion is made from silk and lies directly on top of the back layer, which is linen. She estimated her work’s size at seven feet long by four feet wide.

Jane Philomen Cleland

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

OPEN

BAYAREAREPORTER Volume 40, Number 41 14 October 2010 eBAR.com PUBLISHER Thomas E. Horn Bob Ross (Founder, 1971 – 2003) N E W S E D I TO R Cynthia Laird A R T S E D I TO R Roberto Friedman ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko Seth Hemmelgarn Jim Provenzano CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dan Aiello • Tavo Amador • Matt Baume • Erin Blackwell Roger Brigham • Scott Brogan • Victoria A. Brownworth Philip Campbell • Chuck Colbert • Richard Dodds Raymond Flournoy • Brian Gougherty David Guarino • Liz Highleyman • Brandon Judell Robert Julian • John F. Karr • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • David Lamble • Michael McDonagh Paul Parish • Lois Pearlman • Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota Bob Roehr • Donna Sachet • Adam Sandel Jason Serinus • Gregg Shapiro • Gwendolyn Smith Robert Sokol • Ed Walsh • Sura Wood

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Jerry Brown for governor hese are troubled times for California, and only one candidate for governor has the experience and tenacity to start the process of getting the state back on track: Jerry Brown.

This race is about repairing our state. The budget has had continuous deficits. The pension system must be reformed. Funds must be found to restore at least some of the draconian cuts made by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Republican legislators who held the budget hostage in recent years unless education and vital social service programs were gutted.

This is no way to run a state.

Brown, a Democrat who served two terms as governor from 1975-1983, was, as he likes to remind voters, frugal. He also was forced to implement Proposition 13, which significantly cut property taxes and, as a result, dramatically reduced revenue sources to local governments.

Now, after serving two terms as mayor of Prop 8 and stated at the debate that he would not Oakland and one term as state attorney general, do so if elected governor.

Brown has a thorough understanding of the urIn short, there is absolutely no compelling gent problems local municipalities presently face reason for LGBT voters to cast ballots for Whitand plans to get the state moving again. Job creman. She has put $140 million of her own money ation is key, while at the same time the pension into the race so far. Such spending is unprecesystem is unsustainable and must be reformed. dented and disturbing. While she says it means Meg Whitman, Brown’s Republican opposhe won’t be beholden to special interests, we benent, is the billionaire former CEO of eBay. She lieve it’s a naked attempt to avoid scrutiny and likes to talk about running the state as a business. tough questions about how she would govern.

But that’s just not realistic. Schwarzenegger also This election is critical. With Brown and wanted to run the state like a business, and durWhitman running neck and neck in the polls, ing his seven years in office, the state’s financial every vote will count and we urge you to cast it stability only worsened. A state is not a Fortune for Brown.

500 company and should not be run like one.

The state has an obligation to its residents Boxer for Senate to provide basic services such as public Senator Barbara Boxer is once again safety, fund public education, and facing a tough re-election fight and the serve as a safety net for the most vulchoice could not be clearer. Boxer has nerable in our society. been a longtime supporter of the LGBT On the issue of immigration, Whitcommunity and has voted against federal man would abolish the designation of constitutional amendments to ban samesanctuary cities like San Francisco. She would sex marriage. She favors repealing penalize employers who hire undocumented “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” workers (even as she has acknowlDuring her tenure in the Senate, edged that she employed a domestic Boxer has been a champion of the E DITORIAL worker who was not in this country environment and women’s rights. legally). While Brown said during Like Brown, Boxer is facing a Tuesday’s debate that immigration is a federal wealthy former business executive, former issue (which it is) he also believes in a path to citHewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. But Fiorina izenship for the millions of undocumented has no experience in government and is best workers who are already in California, and we known for laying off workers and sending HP think that is a far more reasoned approach. jobs overseas. In these economic times, we need Regarding LGBT issues, a Governor Whitman a senator who will stand up for American workwould be disastrous. She opposes same-sex marers, and Boxer will continue to do that. riage and supported Proposition 8, the state’s same-sex marriage ban. She says she favors civil Harris for attorney general unions and implies that it’s available in the state, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Haroblivious to the fact that California has a regisris is also in a close race for state attorney genertered domestic partner system. She would defend al. Her Republican opponent, Los Angeles DisProp 8 in court (a federal judge’s decision detrict Attorney Steve Cooley, would be a disaster. claring Prop 8 unconstitutional is now wending As we wrote in our endorsement of Harris in its way through the federal appeals court) wherethe primary, one of the little-known jobs of the as Schwarzenegger has not. Brown, in his capacattorney general is approving ballot language for ity as attorney general, also has not defended

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initiatives. Should there be a campaign to repeal Prop 8, Harris’s office would oversee the ballot language and that is crucial. Harris is a longtime supporter of marriage equality and an unwavering ally of the LGBT community. From prosecuting hate crimes to convening a conference of district attorneys to tackle the gay and transpanic defenses often used by defendants in hate crime cases, Harris will continue to bring her “smart on crime” philosophy to the state.

Like Brown, Harris would not defend Prop 8 in court. Cooley would, and while he says he supports civil unions, in a recent interview with the Oakland Tribune he declined to discuss his own beliefs on same-sex marriage.

Harris supports reforming the Three Strikes law; and while Cooley also holds that position, he doesn’t think it is necessary because most prosecutors have set policies under the law. We think that reform should be part of the law so that there is consistency across the state.

Harris would be a strong attorney general and should be elected.

Newsom for lieutenant governor Yes, we know the office of lieutenant governor isn’t foremost in most people’s minds. But in this election we have an opportunity to make real change. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom would be an exemplary lieutenant governor and we recommend him for that office.

Newsom, as San Francisco residents – and many in the state – know, is an unwavering champion of equal rights for LGBTs and all other minority groups. He started the national debate for marriage equality in 2004 when he ordered city officials to issue marriage licenses to samesex couples. He was criticized for forcing the issue ahead of its time, but just six years later the tide has turned in his favor. Five states now allow same-sex marriage and in California we have about 18,000 same-sex couples who married during the brief period after it was legal in 2008 and before it was not by the passage of Prop 8.

Newsom has great ideas about expanding access to health care (Healthy San Francisco) and is concerned about protecting the environment. He has been a leader in “greening” urban. His Project Homeless Connect is an attempt to tackle one of the city’s most irretractable problems rather than doing nothing at all.

The lieutenant governor sits on many important state commissions, including the powerful State Lands Commission, the University of California Board of Regents, and the California State University Board of Trustees. Newsom, known as a policy wonk, could expand his innovative ideas to higher education and environmental concerns.

Newsom’s opponent, current Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, is an angry candidate who doesn’t offer any new ideas. Newsom deserves your vote.▼

Ballot measure endorsements CA PROPOSITIONS Prop 19: Legalizes Marijuana under California Law. YES. It is time that individuals age 21 or older be permitted to possess and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana for personal use. The state and local governments will be able to authorize, regulate, and tax commercial marijuana related activities. Many respected law enforcement officers and agencies support this measure. It will weaken drug cartels and generate billions in needed revenue.

Prop 20: Redistricting of Congressional Districts. NO. In 2008, voters approved the creation of a Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw state legislative districts, removing that authority from the Legislature. This proposition extends that commission authority to the state’s congressional districts as well. We agree that gerrymandered districts drawn by state legislatures result in fewer congressional seats than the party in the political minority would be otherwise entitled to and is consequentially undemocratic. But all the states do it. This needs a national solution not a state-by-state fix. It’s not fair to us in California to reform how districts are drawn but leave Texas, Mississippi, and Florida free to draw districts only favorable to Republicans.

Prop 21: Vehicle Registration Tax to Fund State Parks and Wildlife Programs. NO. We do not support budget set asides, and that’s what this is. We support additional state and local funding for parks and wildlife pro-

grams, but it should be done by the respective legislative bodies as part of their normal budget process.

Prop 22: Prohibits the State from Borrowing or Taking Funds Used for Transportation, Redevelopment or Local Government Projects and Services. NO. While we agree that the state should not balance its budget on the backs of the cities and counties, this Initiative Constitutional Amendment could severely limit the ability of the state to provide vital services.

Prop 23: Suspends Implementation of Air Pollution Control Law (AB 32) until Unemployment Drops to 5.5 Percent or Less for a Full Year. NO. California has led the nation in establishing clean energy and air pollution standards. This is a cynical attempt, principally funded by Texas oil companies, to turn back the clock on clean energy. It threatens public health with more air pollution, increases dependence on costly oil, and kills competition from job-creating California wind and solar companies.

Prop 24: Repeals Recent Legislation that Would Allow Businesses to Lower Their Tax Liability. NO. These tax measures were an integral part of the negotiating that led to budget agreements for 2008 and 2009. They should be respected. We don’t support special interests paying signature gatherers to put every legislative enactment that they don’t like on the ballot.

Prop 25: Changes Legislative Vote Requirement to Pass Budget and Budget Related Legislation from Two Thirds to a Simple Majority.

Retains Two Thirds Vote Requirement for Taxes. YES. The California budget process is broken. The current law requiring two thirds of the legislators to agree to pass a budget holds the majority hostage and often results in bad public policy provisions being agreed to in order to pick up a vote.

This will end the budget gridlock. And it does not lower the two thirds requirement to raise taxes.

Prop 26: Requires that Certain State and Local Fees Be Approved by Two Thirds Vote.

NO. This proposition broadens the definition of taxes to include many payments currently considered to be fees or charges. It would invite the same type of gridlock we currently have with the two thirds requirement for a state budget. It would severely limit the ability of state and local governments to provide essential services.

Prop 27: Eliminates State Commission of Redistricting. Consolidates Authority for Redistricting with Elected Representatives. NO. This proposition would repeal Proposition 11 adopted by the voters in 2008 establishing a Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw state legislative boundaries. One of the reasons the state Legislature is so dysfunctional is because the districts for state Assembly and Senate are drawn by the legislators themselves. A fairer drawing of districts would make the districts more competitive and, hopefully, a legislature that is more responsible. ▼

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

LETTERS

Supports Prozan in D8 I am supporting Rebecca Prozan for District 8 supervisor as a “straight E” candidate – effective, efficient, energetic – who happens to be a woman. I will feel very proud to see this district, which includes the Castro, represented by a woman supervisor for the first time. And I am concerned about the volume of independent downtown committees spending lots of money mailing us fliers for the candidate you endorsed first, Scott Wiener. For me, it’s simply time for the boys to support a great gal.

her to make unilateral decisions), we believe that Rebecca Kaplan could really “shake things up.” She appears to have the necessary energy and fresh ideas required to fundamentally change how Oakland is managed and to build both justice and opportunity for our future. Furthermore, and finally, we have personally observed her as she inspires newcomers and our youth to discover new ways to become engaged politically and, of course, to show their pride.

Thank you, Bay Area Reporter, for providing a much needed service and supporting our community; keep up the good work.

Charlie Spiegel San Francisco

M. Renee Huff, Oakland Pride Executive Board Frank Ciglar, Oakland Pride Treasurer

Think twice before voting for Wiener

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GENERAL ELECTION

State Assembly (Regional) Dist. 6: Jared Huffman Dist. 7: Michael Allen Dist. 14: Nancy Skinner Dist. 16: Sandre Swanson Dist. 21: Rich Gordon

Local races San Francisco Supervisors Dist. 2: Janet Reilly Dist. 4: Carmen Chu Dist. 6: Theresa Sparks Dist. 8: Scott Wiener, first choice Rebecca Prozan, second choice Dist. 10: Lynette Sweet Assessor-Recorder Phil Ting Public Defender Jeff Adachi San Francisco Board of Education Kim-Shree Maufas, Hydra Mendoza, Bill Barnes San Francisco Community College Board Anita Greer, John Rizzo, Lawrence Wong BART Board, Dist. 8 James Fang

Judges SF Superior Court Seat 15: Michael Nava Alameda County Superior Court Seat 9: Victoria S. Kolakowski CA Supreme Court Retain Chief Justice Tani CantilSakauye and Justices Ming Chin and Carlos Moreno

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Pelosi’s GOP challenger ignorant on issues Residents of the Castro should think twice before casting John Dennis, the Republican running against House a vote for Scott Wiener. Given the recent string of suicides Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), has already

by LGBTQ youth it is unconscionable that anyone could demonstrated his ignorance of LGBT issues, and he’s support a law that would subject homeless betting that we aren’t paying attention. His LGBTQ youth to more harassment and discampaign mailed out a flier this week, with an crimination. That is exactly what the Proposiobvious attempt at splitting the LGBT comtion L, the proposed sit/lie ordinance, would munity’s vote. do, and Scott Wiener supports it. Time and On the flier, Dennis grossly distorts the again, Wiener supports big business and big truth, “Pelosi made no attempt to make good landlords, and they support him back. It’s on her promise to promote gay rights ... untime to bring Harvey Milk’s progressive legapushed for the repeal of ‘Don’t cy of support and advocacy for LGBTQ youth M AILSTROM successfully Ask, Don’t Tell.’” The fact is that the House verback to the Castro. Do not vote for Scott sion of DADT’s repeal (House Vote #317, May Wiener.

27) passed by a stunning margin of 234-194, with a mere five Republicans in favor. Pelosi surpassed the critical 218Mark Daniel Snyder vote margin for a win, and credit is due to her leadership.

San Francisco The repeal of DADT eventually failed in the Senate, Thanks for supporting Kaplan where every Republican opposed the DADT amendment.

Pelosi is not a senator, so either Dennis is seriously confused As executive board members and volunteers for Oakor he is manipulating information to distort Pelosi’s sucland Pride 2010, we were extremely excited (and, admittedcess. Either is unacceptable for a congressional candidate. ly, a bit nervous) about ensuring that Oakland Pride’s celeDennis, apparently embarrassed to be a Republican, fails bration would be as successful as possible. Naturally, we to even mention his political affiliation on his flier. A simwere particularly thrilled about the September 2, article: ple Google search reveals Dennis’s real backers: the Tea Party “Pride returns to Oakland” that highlighted the cultural, and ultra-conservative Ron Paul. The New American Teaeconomic, and political benefits that an event like Oakland party’s website www.teapart.com and Paul’s website Pride brings to the city and our community. In fact, we bewww.dailypaul.com both point out how Dennis is atlieve and hope that the event was reflective of a positive new tempting to court the 8th Congressional District’s gay vote. direction for our city at-large. According to some sources, We’re delusional if we believe that this unknown freshapproximately 50,000 people attended the daylong celebraman can sweep into Washington and suddenly be an advotion that was filled with culture, fun, food, and music. cate in the repeal of DADT and the Defense of Marriage It is our understanding that Rebecca Kaplan – the first Act. The failure of progress on these issues was the result of out lesbian City Council member (currently running for overwhelming opposition by the Republican Party. A win mayor) – was instrumental in reigniting the Oakland LGBT

by Dennis would put the House of Representatives one step Leadership Roundtable and that she was also a major politcloser to a Republican majority, and this is certain doom ical ally and force behind the Oakland Pride 2010 celebrafor any advancement of our civil rights. tion.

My vote is, and will remain, with Nancy Pelosi.

On a personal note, we have found that Kaplan’s bold vision and style of leadership is inclusive and welcomes Todd McGregor everyone from straight to gay and from big to small busiSan Francisco nesses. If given the opportunity (and an office that allows

Other races Oakland Mayor: Rebecca Kaplan Berkeley City Council, Dist. 7: Kriss Worthington Campbell City Council: Evan Low, Rich Waterman

State races Governor: Jerry Brown Lt. Governor: Gavin Newsom Attorney General: Kamala Harris Secretary of State: Debra Bowen Treasurer: Bill Lockyer Controller: John Chiang Insurance Commissioner: Dave Jones Superintendent of Public Instruction: Tom Torlakson Board of Equalization (District 1): Betty Yee U.S. Senate: Barbara Boxer State Senate (San Francisco) Dist. 8: Leland Yee State Assembly (San Francisco) Dist. 12: Fiona Ma Dist. 13: Tom Ammiano State Senate (East Bay) Dist. 10: Ellen Corbett

State Assembly (Southern California) Dist. 44: Anthony Portantino Dist. 46: John A. Perez Dist. 50: Ricardo Lara Dist. 53: Betsy Butler Dist. 76: Toni Atkins

Congress (Bay Area) Dist. 1: Mike Thompson Dist. 6: Lynn Woolsey Dist. 7: George Miller Dist. 8: Nancy Pelosi Dist. 9: Barbara Lee Dist. 10: John Garamendi Dist. 12: Jackie Speier Dist. 13: Pete Stark Dist. 14: Anna Eshoo Dist. 15: Mike Honda Dist. 16: Zoe Lofgren Congress (Southern California) Dist. 45: Steve Pougnet

Seeking gay couples with children to participate in a SFSU study examining the impact of parenting on the health and wellbeing of gay men with children. Participation involves completing one face-to-face interview. Interviews take between 90120 minutes to complete. Participants are compensated $50.00 per person. Funds are available to help offset the cost of childcare while participating.

CALL NOW! 1-888-688-1777

Ballot measures San Francisco Propositions Vote YES on AA, A, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, N Vote NO on B, C, J, M California Propositions Vote YES on 19, 25 Vote NO on 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27

Remember to vote on November 2!

www.bartabsf.com

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

BUSINES S

NEWS

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‘Straighten’ up and vote

by Raymond Flournoy aul Miller, co-owner of the South of Market bar Truck (1900 Folsom Street) has a dream for Election Day. In his dream, Election Day is not a day for dreary civic obligations, but a reason for a citywide party (after the civic obligations are taken care of).

To that end, Miller has established the “Straight Up: Vote” initiative, a program in which participating bars will offer 50-cent drink specials on Tuesday, November 2, and all you need to qualify for the special is your voter stub.

Miller noted that bars usually shy away from politics out of fear of alienating any customers, but he feels that increased voter participation is something that everyone can support. “Especially in the gay community, if we can get a higher voter turnout, we can really make our voice heard on Election Day,” he said.

So far, Miller has only been targeting bars for the program, as opposed to retail or restaurants. “Bars are inherently social places, and I wanted to associate the act of voting with getting out into the community and meeting other people,” he explained.

This is the first year for Straight Up: Vote, and Miller has signed up approximately 15 bars across the city, including both gay and straight watering holes. His goal is to reach 30 establishments by November 2.

To see a list of participating bars, or for information on including your business in the promotion, visit www.straightupvote.org.

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Medium Rare Records is done It’s time to put a fork in Medium Rare Records (2310 Market Street) as the gay-owned music retailer has an-

Steven Kasapi

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Truck co-owner Paul Miller, left, and bartender Jeremy Wells get ready for Election Day. Miller is organizing local bars to offer drink specials after people have cast their ballots.

Castro (470 Castro Street, Suite 205).

Named SF Therapy Collective, the clinic is a collaboration between six mental health professionals specializing in issues significant to the LGBT community, such as trauma recovery, HIV/AIDS, gender identity, depression, and relationship counseling. Several of the therapists used to work at New Leaf: Services for Our Community, the LGBT mental health and substance abuse nonprofit that will close its doors Friday.

Although SFTC is a for-profit business, co-owner Kellyn Antolak noted, “We are dedicated to providing quality services to all members of our community. As a result we do have a sliding fee schedule.”

SFTC will have its grand opening on October 25. For more information and scheduling inquiries, visit www.sftherapycollective.org.

nounced that it will close its doors on October 24.

GGBA 2011 board election Co-owners Michael Williams and The Golden Gate Business AssociGreg Roberts bought the store seven ation elected its 2011 board of directors years ago, and next year would have at the organization’s September 14 marked its 20th anniversary. However meeting. The new governing members Williams said that the recession and are: Robb Fleischer (American Marhigh rents forced them to make the difketing Systems Inc.); Eric Goforth ficult decision to shutter the space.

(New York Life Insurance Company); Medium Rare was notable for its Jim Stewart (Wells Fargo Bank); Bryan distinctly gay sensibility, featuring a Lewis (Coldwell Banker); Shane mixture of retro disco, elecMaddox (Offbeat Productronica, Euro-pop, and tions); Rob Mills (Bay Area Broadway divas. For Real Estate Professionals); Williams, the pleasure of Giuseppe Salamone (Keepthe business was the ability ing Your Balance); and Juan to “share [their] passion for Torres (Pennbrook Insurmusic and introduce peoance Services Inc.) ple to artists that they GGBA was might not have B USINESS B RIEFS founded in 1974 and known otherwise.” bills itself as the first Medium Rare Records will contin“LGBT Chamber of Commerce” in the ue to operate as an online retailer at country. For more information, visit www.medium-rare-music.com after www.ggba.com. the storefront closes.

However, Williams declined to anCastro Country Club fundraiser swer questions about what his and The Castro Country Club (4058 Roberts’s long-term plans are for the 18th Street) is hosting a “Harvest Feast” business. on October 16 at 5:30 p.m. at Most Williams has tentative plans for a Holy Redeemer Church (100 Diamond clearance sale during the final week of Street). The four-course meal by chef operation, culminating in a closing celJimmy Jardine will also feature musical ebration to thank Medium Rare’s dedperformances and a silent auction. icated customers.

Tickets for the feast are $50, and the proceeds benefit the continuing “Keep Farmers Market extends run the Steps in the Castro” campaign. The The Castro Farmers Market has Castro Country Club describes itself as proven to be such a success that orgaa safe haven for LGBTs in recovery, and nizers are close to obtaining permits exis in danger of losing its Castro neightending the run of the open-air market borhood location unless it can raise until December. The market will shift funds to buy the Victorian it currently an hour earlier because of the shorter occupies. daylight hours and will now operate In the October newsletter, the orgafrom 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday. nization announced that it had raised In September the market had ap$88,000 toward its previously anplied for permits to shift operations to nounced goal of $700,000.

Saturdays, but the plan ultimately ran For more information about the into roadblocks and was abandoned, Harvest Feast, visit the Castro Country according to Steve Adams, president of Club or www.castrocountryclub.org. the Merchants of Upper Market and Castro.

Dine with Nine Vines

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Harvey’s recognized as community partner The Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District has awarded its latest Community Partner Award to Harvey’s (500 Castro Street).

CBD board President Dominic Campodonico presented Harvey’s general manager Steve Porter with the award at the October MUMC meeting.

Said Campodonico, “The award is to honor business owners who take pride in their property and their neighborhood. No one has done that more than Harvey’s.”

At the meeting, Porter also announced that Harvey’s will sponsor the first month of operation of the GLBT Historical Society Museum, set to open at 4127 18th Street in November.

Porter described the restaurant’s commitment to the neighborhood saying, “We know doing business at the corner of 18th and Castro comes with a lot of responsibility. We try to do that.”

Queer mental health services to open A new option for queer-positive mental health services is scheduled to open this month in the heart of the

Tonight (Thursday, October 14), 2223 Restaurant (2223 Market Street) will host a special dinner featuring wines from Nine Vines Wines (www.angove.com.au), with 30 percent of proceeds benefiting Project Open Hand (www.openhand.org).

Tickets are $75, and the dinner will run from 6 to 9 p.m.

For tickets and information about the Nine Vines Wines dinner series, visit www.ninevinesevents.com.

Ikes’ update On September 13, Ike’s Place shut down its contested location on 16th Street, and a week later it had moved around the corner to Lime (2247 Market Street). “The marriage between Lime and Ike’s is a short-term agreement to allow them to stay in the neighborhood, serve their wonderful sandwiches and keep the staff employed,” said Lime owner Greg Bronstein in an email to the B.A.R. Ike’s will be serving its trademark sandwiches from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and after 5 p.m.

Lime’s regular menu is also available.▼ Contact Raymond Flournoy at castroshopper@yahoo.com.

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

POLITIC S

LGBT groups concerned about redistricting, budget measures hey may not be getting the same attention as the races for governor and a U.S. Senate seat this fall, but four statewide ballot measures could have even greater impacts when it comes to LGBT issues than who wins the top-of-the-ticket positions.

Two of the measures would change how California draws its congressional and legislative district boundaries, while the other two would alter the threshold lawmakers in Sacramento would need to meet to pass a budget or impose fees.

LGBT groups have particularly focused on the redistricting measures, as many LGBT leaders fear the outcome of the two propositions could diminish the LGBT community’s political clout.

Proposition 27 would disband the state’s redistricting commission, which was created by the passage of Proposition 11 in 2008. It took control of the state’s legislative boundaries for Assembly and Senate seats out of the hands of state leaders and gave the power to a citizens’ panel.

Despite a push to see LGBT representation on the commission, there are no known out applicants who made the list of candidates for the 14 seats on the commission. And that has LGBT groups saying the commission should be disbanded.

P OLITICAL Both the Harvey Milk and Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic clubs support Prop 27. Equality California, the statewide LGBT advocacy group, is also urging its members to vote yes on Prop 27.

“The potential danger is lines will be drawn in a way that reduces the LGBT community’s voting power,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “If you take a current district that has a large LGBT population and split it in half, you dilute the representation of LGBT people in that district. It is less likely to have an LGBT candidate and less likely for the LGBT community’s voice to have an impact.”

All three of the groups are also opposed to Proposition 20, which would extend the redistricting commission’s power to include drawing the lines of congressional districts throughout the state.

“What is important for the community is right now, because the Legislature draws the lines, we have the ability to lobby and to make sure that our community isn’t split in half, which has been proposed in the past,” said Kors. “We are not against citizens’ commissions in theory. We are against them when we are excluded.”

In a statement e-mailed to the Bay Area Reporter, Alice Co-Chairs Bentrish Satarzadeh and Charles Sheehan criticized the commission members for lacking any qualifications on how best to draw boundaries for political offices. They also argued that the system would favor Republicans over Democrats.

“These randomly selected individuals do not necessarily have any real, hands-on, practical experience in political boundaries or districts. Furthermore, the commission is equally weighted between Democrats and Republicans despite Democrats constituting 44.5 percent of the electorate, while Republicans only constitute 30.8 percent of the electorate. That is hardly equal representation,” wrote the cochairs.

They added that Proposition 20, which they contend is meant to help elect more Republicans in California despite the state being overwhelmingly Democratic, particularly troubles them.

“It will strengthen the California

Rick Gerharter

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Courage Campaign Chair Rick Jacobs said some of the state ballot initiatives are as important as candidates running for office.

Republican congressional delegation and embolden the Tea Party movement,” wrote Satarzadeh and Sheehan. “Make no mistake, this is an unfair, Republican power-grab to stifle LGBT candidates, LGBT-friendly candidates and progressive causes throughout California.”

Opposition to the redistricting commission is by no means universal within the LGBT community. While the B.A.R.’s editorial board is opposed to Prop 20 it is not in favor of dismantling N OTEBOOK the commission. It is urging a no vote on Prop 27. [See page 4 for the reasoning behind the paper’s endorsements.]

The progressive Courage Campaign, whose members are both LGBT and straight, failed to come to consensus on Prop 27 but is against Prop 20.

Rick Jacobs, the group’s chairman and founder, said the reason for the seemingly disparate stances is that many people do not fully understand the two ballot measures.

“It is confusing to people” said Jacobs. “I think that people are confused on all of the ballot measures.”

Jacobs said he personally doubts that the redistricting commission would have that much of an impact on boundaries drawn in the Bay Area or be able to dilute the LGBT community’s electoral strength. Based on the criteria it has been given, the commission can’t easily split up communities, he said.

“If you look at the likely outcome, it is relatively little change,” he said.

“They are supposed to keep communities together. It is unlikely that the district lines in major metropolitan areas will be altered very much.”

Xavier Barrera, a gay man who is a Republican and lives in San Francisco, had applied to be on the redistricting commission but did not make the cut. Nonetheless, he disagrees with EQCA, on whose board he serves as secretary, about the need to scrap the panel. He is opposed to Prop 27 and in support of Prop 20.

“I am giving the process the benefit of the doubt,” said Barrera. “I think the benefit is that it is out of the Legislature’s hand. I think the 14 people on the commission is more diverse than having one party control what is going on.”

Budget issues Barrera, however, is in agreement with EQCA when it comes to the two budget-related measures. EQCA, Courage and the two local LGBT clubs all support Proposition 25, which would allow state lawmakers to pass a budget with a simple majority vote rather than the current two-thirds vote requirement.

All four groups also oppose Proposition 26, which would require the Legislature to come up with a

two-thirds vote to raise or impose fees rather than the current simple majority vote. The B.A.R. also endorsed Prop 25 and opposes Prop 26.

As it stands now, Republicans can hold the budget process hostage because Democrats, while holding the majority in both legislative chambers, are short of the two-thirds vote needed for a budget.

In terms of the simple majority vote needed for fees, Kors said that has been a way to secure funding for LGBT services, such as assistance for LGBT victims of domestic violence.

“If that required a two-thirds majority vote, it would have failed,” he said. “On the budget one, the present system allows a third of the members to block a budget. If we can do it like almost every other state does and make it 50 percent, we are much more likely to be able to protect funding for AIDS services and other critical social services for the LGBT community.”

The state’s Log Cabin Republicans has yet to issue its endorsements on the ballot measures or statewide races.

Jacobs said that even though he personally hopes that Democrat Attorney General Jerry Brown is elected governor rather than GOP candidate Meg Whitman – Courage as a group does not endorse candidates – the outcome of the race would matter little should voters not make it easier to pass a budget or make it harder to raise fees.

“The ballot measures are more important than who wins the governorship. I am not exaggerating,” said Jacobs. “Imagine if Brown wins and is facing a two-thirds vote on the budget,

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by Matthew S. Bajko

page 19

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

ELECTION

2010

▼

A sinking feeling for Dems in House midterms he congressional midterm election for Democrats is beginning to sound like the Titanic. The gigantic wonder that was the Democratic-controlled Congress that set sail in January 2009 is now sinking and the passengers are in a state of panic.

T

Pollster Peter Hart, speaking to the Harvard Institute of Politics this month, put it in numbers. He said Republicans would emerge from November 2 with 230 House seats.

The New York Times’ political poll cruncher, Nate Silver of www.fivethirtyeight.com, predicts 226. Sure, it will be a much smaller majority than the 255 Democrats have now; but, almost no one is predicting it will be anything but a Republican majority.

And the odd thing is Republicans are less popular today than they were two years ago, said Hart. Two years ago, Republicans were reviled as the party of President George W. Bush, who led the nation into two wars, a crippling deficit, and today’s weakened economy.

Republicans will take over the House, and maybe the Senate, said Hart, because November’s vote will be the great anti-government vote.

If all that polling and punditocracy prove true, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), a longtime supporter of LGBT civil rights, will be replaced by Representative John Boehner (R-Ohio), whose Human Rights Campaign score is zero. And two other political

• Texas Democratic Representative Chet Edwards – HRC grade 60; HRC contribution $3,500. Edwards is not a strong supporter of equal rights for gays. He voted against ENDA in 2007 and this year voted against the repeal of DADT. The Dallas Morning News calls him “among the most conservative” Democrats in Congress. But political leanings are relative. Edwards’s Republican opponent, Bill Flores, says he believes “there is one definition of marriage and that is between one man and one woman” and that he will “stand firm against any effort to change this or force Texas to recognize ‘gay marriages’ in other states.”

Ohio Congressman John Boehner is in line to become House speaker if the Republicans take control.

Representative Patrick Murphy (D) is in danger of losing his re-election bid.

zeros will aid Boehner: Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia, and Republican Conference Chair Mike Pence of Indiana.

Representative Barney Frank (DMassachusetts) will lose his chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee, Representative John Conyers (D-Michigan) will lose his chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee, and Representative George Miller (D-Martinez) will lose his chairmanship of Education and Labor. All three had HRC scores of 100 in the last Congress.

Representative Ike Skelton (DMissouri), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, had a score of 45, which may not seem like such a loss. But his likely replacement, Representative Buck McKeon (R-California), had a zero.

Murphy (D-Pennsylvania). Murphy went to the mat for legislation to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy – and at a time when most political observers were saying there was little chance of success. He voted for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in 2007 and earned a 90 percent rating from HRC’s most recent congressional scorecard. HRC has contributed $8,500 in support of his re-election.

Silver’s analysis says Murphy’s race is a toss-up against Republican former Representative Michael Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick’s HRC rating, during his 2005-06 term, was 63.

While that is a significantly lower rating than Murphy earned, Fitzpatrick did vote against a federal amendment to ban same-sex marriage and for a hate crimes measure to include sexual orientation and gender identity. What cost him points was his failure to co-sponsor other legislation.

Of 37 House races that the Silver analyses identify as too close to call this week, Murphy’s race in Pennsylvania and five others involve incumbents with strong pro-gay voting records. Those other five incumbents, all Democrats, are Representatives Phil Hare (Illinois’ 17th Congressional District), John Hall (New York’s 19th), Michael Arcuri (NY’s 24th), John Salazar (Colorado’s 3rd), and Carol Shea-Porter (New Hampshire’s 1st). Hare earned a 100 percent score from HRC; Hall earned a 90, Arcuri an 85; and Salazar and Shea-Porter 80 each. Just as many toss-up incumbents have scores in and around the freeze zone; so, positive positions on LGBT-related issues do not, in and of themselves, appear to sink incumbents. (The majority of toss-ups are between newcomers fighting for a vacant seat or a first-termer who has yet to be scored by HRC.) The other toss up races involve candidates who earned an HRC rating of 70 or less, or have not yet been rated by the organization.

• Arizona Democratic Representative Harry Mitchell – HRC grade 70; HRC contribution $7,000.

Mitchell voted for ENDA in 2007. In response to a question from the Arizona Republic newspaper, Mitchell said he supports Arizona’s same-sex marriage ban but opposes a similar amendment to the federal constitution. His opponent, Republican David Schweikert, said only, “Traditional marriage is the basis for a functional society.”

• Iowa Democratic Representative Leonard Boswell – HRC grade 67; HRC contribution $7,000.

Boswell voted for ENDA in 2007 but hasn’t co-sponsored any pro-gay legislation. His challenger, Republican Brad Zaun, says on his website that he’s “committed to defending the sanctity of marriage and family” and “will continue to oppose all attempts to redefine marriage as anything other than the sacred bond between one woman and one man.”

Allies in danger While the overall seat count will be the focus of greatest concern for civil rights supporters November 2, there are individual races where the LGBT community stands to lose some important allies.

One is Representative Patrick

Log Cabin backing Log Cabin Republicans have endorsed 14 Republicans running for the House. Six of them are incumbents with HRC scores, but only one of those six has a score above 50.

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Florida’s 18th) earned a 70 during the last Congress.

Representatives Judy Biggert (Illinois’ 13th) and Mary Bono Mack (California’s 45th) each earned a 55.

Bono Mack is facing a stiff challenge from openly gay Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet (D). Representative Todd Platts (Pennsylvania’s 19th) earned a 45. Representative Charles Dent (Pennsylvania’s 15th) earned only a 30. And Representative Dave Reichert (Washington’s 8th) earned only a 25. All of these incumbents are expected to win reelection.

But Log Cabin Republicans have endorsed a few Republicans who are in close races – and in some cases, in races against Democrats who have also been strong LGBT supporters: Republican incumbent Joseph Cao of New Orleans (Louisiana’s 2nd) is polling behind Democratic challenger Cedric Richmond. Cao voted for the hate crimes bill in 2009 and co-sponsored Murphy’s bill to repeal DADT. Last month, Log Cabin presented him with the group’s “Spirit of Lincoln” Award.

But Cao’s tough race is probably not due to his pro-gay stance. He won his first term in 2008 with only 50 percent of the vote. And the Democratic challenger, Richmond, is also a strong supporter of gay civil rights.

In 2001, before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned sodomy laws, Richmond sponsored a bill in the Louisiana legislature seeking to undo that state’s “crime against nature” law.

Hawaii first-term Republican incumbent Charles Djou is in a tight race to hang onto his seat. He supports the Defense of Marriage Act and opposes even civil union recognition of same-sex relationships. But he voted for repeal of DADT and reportedly would support ENDA, although his name is not on the list of co-sponsors. He has earned the endorsement of Log Cabin and GOProud, a conservative gay group.

He’s up against Democrat Colleen Hanabusa, president of the Hawaii Senate, who has the endorsement of the GLBT Democratic Caucus of Hawaii and pushed to get a vote on a bill to provide gays in Hawaii with civil unions. (The bill was later vetoed.) Djou was harshly critical of that bill, saying it countered the majority vote to ban recognition of same-sex marriage. Hanabusa supports repeal of the federal DOMA and, in a survey by Progressive Democrats of Hawaii, said she would be a strong advocate in Congress for equal rights for gay and lesbian couples.

Nan Hayworth, the Republican candidate in New York’s 19th Congressional District, has the endorsement of Log Cabin, while Democrat John Hall has the support of HRC. Hayworth told voters she would leave the issue of marriage to the states.

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by Lisa Keen

page 18

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

NATIONAL

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NEWS

Supreme Court: Phelps clan argues for First Amendment protection in funeral case ing the funerals of service members, they staged similar demonstrations near the funerals of people who died of AIDS. And they showed up with anti-gay signs outside the funeral of Matthew Shepard, the Wyoming gay student who was brutally murdered for being gay.

Gays were not mentioned once during the oral argument, though Justice Anthony Kennedy noted that Phelps’s argument could be used to justify targeting just about anyone.

by Lisa Keen red Phelps’s followers say their hate-filled messages that “God Hates Fags,” “Semper Fi fags,” and “Thank God for dead soldiers” constitute a contribution to public discourse – or, as their attorney Margie Phelps put it, “speech on public issues.”

But, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday, October 6, attorney Sean Summers argued that these messages, when conveyed outside the funeral of a fallen soldier and repeated on the Phelpses’ godhatesfags website, inflict an injury for which the group should be made liable.

The case, Snyder v. Phelps, seeks to undo a ruling in favor of Phelps in the conservative 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel for that circuit ruled last year that Phelps’s anti-gay messages – on placards and a website – are protected speech.

The conflict began in March 2006 when the family of Matthew Snyder, a Marine killed in Iraq, held a funeral service for him in Maryland. Later that day, Matthew’s father, Albert Snyder, saw news reports of the funeral being picketed by Phelps and his followers carrying signs, saying such things as “Fag troops,” “Semper Fi fags,” “God Hates Fags,” and “Thank God for dead soldiers.”

The Westboro group has staged similar protests at the funerals of other service members – so many, in fact, that Congress passed the Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act in May 2006 to prohibit protests within 300 feet of any federal military cemetery within 60 minutes of a funeral.

But outside Snyder’s funeral, the Phelps clan reportedly positioned themselves 1,000 feet from the church where the funeral service was taking place. And they broke no law.

The First Amendment right to freedom of expression protects the right of all citizens to express their views, however objectionable those views – or simple remarks – may be.

But the high court has also, over the years, identified exceptions. For instance, a citizen cannot go into a crowded theater and shout, “Fire.”

One cannot make a false statement about another person that causes injury to that person. And one cannot utter “fighting words,” or words so caustic that would be expected to “incite an immediate breach of the peace.”

The question the court struggled with last week is whether a new exception should be made. Should a citizen be prohibited from making “outrageous” and hostile statements in the name of public discourse outside a private funeral and then on a website that no reasonable person would consider true but which inflict emotional distress on the family of the deceased?

Margie Phelps, representing her father and the Westboro Baptist Church, said the group’s actions outside the funeral of Matthew Snyder were within the law and constituted “people from a church delivering a religious viewpoint, commenting” on “public issues“ such as “dying soldiers” and “the morals of the nation. ...”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cut her off, asking why the Phelps protesters needed to “exploit a private family’s grief ” to participate in this

Rick Gerharter

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Supporters of Fred Phelps brought their anti-gay message to San Francisco in October 2008 for a charity event honoring the late Paul Newman.

discussion, “when you have so many other forums for getting across your message?”

Phelps said “There are some limits on what public places you can go to deliver words as part of a public debate.” But “if you stay within those bounds,” she said, “this notion of exploiting ... has no definition in a principle of law that would guide people as to when they could or could not.”

None of the justices seemed to be buying Phelps’s argument (and all participated vigorously in the case, except for Justice Clarence Thomas, who almost never does).

Justice Antonin Scalia said he doesn’t see a difference between an “outrageous statement” and a “fighting word.”

Justice Stephen Breyer said, “If you have an instance where the defendant has said on television or on the Internet something ... you show that it was intended to and did inflict serious emotional suffering, you show that any reasonable person would have known that likelihood, and then the defendant says: ‘Yes, I did that, but in a cause, in a cause.

And now – in a cause that we are trying to demonstrate how awful the war is.’

“At that point,” said Breyer, “I think the First Amendment might not leave this alone.”

Sean Summers, the attorney for the Snyders, compared what the Phelps group does to someone putting on a website that a particular person has AIDS. “Whether it’s true or not,” said Summers, “essentially, at some point in time, it might rise to the level of an intentional infliction of emotional distress.”

Important to the discussion was whether Matthew Snyder should be considered a private person or a public figure. That’s because, in a 1988 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Hustler v. Falwell, the court ruled that a public figure may not recover damages for the intentional infliction of emotional pain without first showing that the speaker made the injurious and but obviously false remarks with “actual malice.” (Hustler had published a parody of evangelical preacher Jerry Falwell that portrayed him as having had an incestuous relationship with his mother.)

Summers said the Hustler rule does not apply when the victim is a private person. But Phelps’s attorney said Matthew Snyder’s father made his son into a public figure when he placed an obituary with a funeral notice in the local newspaper.

Justice Samuel Alito noted that

www.bartabsf.com

racism is a public issue and asked whether that would give someone the right to target an African American on the street to berate them with anti-black remarks.

“I think the issue of race is a matter of public concern,” said Phelps.

But she said that “approaching an individual up close and ‘in their grille’ to berate them gets you out of the zone of protection, and we would never do that.”

Many in the LGBT community would, of course, disagree. The Phelps family has been very confrontational with members of the LGBT community. As early as the 1993 National March on Washington for gay civil rights, a band of Phelps followers stood on the curb, holding up hate-filled signs, cursing, deriding, and spitting upon protesters. Long before they began picket-

“All of us in a pluralistic society have components to our identity,” said Kennedy. “We are Republicans or Democrats, we are Christians or atheists, we are single or married, we are old or young. Any one of those things you could turn into a ‘public issue’ and follow a particular person around, making that person the target of your comments.”

No gay organization submitted a brief to the court concerning the case. ▼

BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

NEWS

▼

Matt Baume

COMMUNITY

People light candles during a vigil in Civic Center Plaza to draw attention to gay suicides and bullying.

Rally links rejection to LGBT suicides

by Matt Baume coalition of LGBT advocacy organizations organized a candlelight vigil in San Francisco on Friday to draw attention to a recent wave of suicides, hate crimes, and incendiary homophobic rhetoric.

A crowd of approximately 200 gathered at Civic Center as the sun set to light candles and proceed quietly up Market Street to the Castro. Participating organizations included the Trevor Project, Soulforce, the Human Rights Campaign, Equality California, the Family Acceptance Project, GSA Network, and Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons.

By varying accounts, between five and a dozen LGBT youth have killed themselves in recent weeks. Some victims, such as Californian Seth Walsh, were known to have suffered anti-gay abuse. Other victims are suspected, but not confirmed, to have killed themselves following similar harassment.

“I wish we weren’t here. But we have to be here,” said openly gay Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco). He recalled having to find different ways home from school as a child to avoid being assaulted, and called for the crowd to fight for protection from harassment.

State Senator Mark Leno (D-San

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Boxer ▼

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marriage,” said Boxer during a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter last week.

Fiorina not only touts her belief that marriage is between a man and a woman but also discloses on her campaign site that she voted for Proposition 8, the voter approved ban against same-sex marriage in California that a federal judge recently found was unconstitutional.

Boxer publicly came out against Prop 8 during the unsuccessful campaign to defeat the ballot measure in 2008. She also was one of the few senators to vote against the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and has called for the repeal of the anti-gay law.

The antigay National Organization for Marriage has tried to use Boxer’s support of marriage equality against her, running Spanish-language commercials denouncing her pro-gay stance and funding a recent bus tour in support of Fiorina’s campaign targeted at Latino communities throughout the state.

It remains to be seen if the tactics

Francisco), who is also openly gay, compared anti-gay legislation to antigay violence, and called upon his colleagues to ask themselves, “am I contributing to this hateful atmosphere?

Is there anything I might have said ... that could have led a young person to think that he or she was not of value?”

Walsh, 13, lived in Tehachapi, California, which is located in the district of retiring state Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield). For nearly a decade, Ashburn has voted consistently against LGBT interests, although he has grown more conciliatory since coming out earlier this year.

The suicides have coincided with harsh criticism of LGBTs by some religious and political leaders.

On October 3, Mormon official Elder Boyd K. Packer delivered a speech in which he called homosexuality immoral, impure, and changeable.

HRC called on Packer to correct his statement.

“Elder Packer, please end your silence,” HRC President Joe Solmonese wrote in a statement. “We are waiting and the kids are listening. Please let them know they are loved just the way they are.”

HRC, Affirmation, Equality Utah, and the Utah Pride Center delivered over 150,000 petitions to the Mor-

mon Church this week again asking Packer to correct his statement.

Suicide, homelessness, and drug abuse are among the potential consequences of anti-gay rhetoric, according to David Melson, executive director of Affirmation. The gay Mormon group held its conference in San Francisco last weekend.

“Particularly in the LDS [Latterday Saints] faith, we have a lot of teenagers who are thrown out on the street,” Melson said. “Most shelters, if you’re under 18, will not let you stay overnight. We’re taking the most vulnerable kids and we’re literally throwing them on the street.”

But some encouraging news came from Caitlin Ryan, Ph.D., director of the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University. Her research has identified behaviors that families can practice to reduce the risk of suicide, depression, and substance abuse.

The Family Acceptance Project is now producing training materials to help families demonstrate acceptance of gay youth.

As the march to the Castro began, Melson exhorted the crowd to remain visible and to speak out against hate speech. “We are not going away,” he quoted from Tony Kushner’s Angels in America . “We won’t die secret deaths anymore.”▼

will erode Boxer’s support among Latino voters. In a Field Poll released September 24 prior to the start of the bus tour and the latest TV commercials, Boxer held a six percentage point lead over Fiorina. Among likely voters, 47 percent said they supported Boxer while 41 percent backed Fiorina, with 12 percent undecided.

The poll found that Boxer is preferred by double-digit margins among Latinos and other ethnic voting constituencies. Latinos supported Boxer 48 percent, compared with just 29 percent in favor of Fiorina.

The poll of 857 registered voters had a sampling error of plus or minus 4.1 percent, while among the 599 likely voters in the poll the margin of error was plus or minus 5.8 percentage points.

Asked by the B.A.R. about NOM’s efforts to defeat her, Boxer denounced the homophobic attacks and said she was uncertain if they would have an impact on the race.

“It is hard to know; they just started,” said Boxer, 69, who has served in the Senate since 1993. “I do know they are misleading. I just think the people behind them are doing a disservice to people in the Latino community.”

The anti-gay group’s efforts have had one positive outcome, Boxer said.

“They are a very strong attack on me, but on the other hand, they are getting the LGBT community upset and excited about this race,” said Boxer.

Boxer last week touted her support among the state’s LGBT leaders in an e-mail to reporters. In it she not only thanked her endorsers but also noted her efforts on LGBT rights have included expanding federal hate crimes protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity; is a co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act; and authored the amendment to repeal DADT. And last weekend, her LGBT supporters organized house parties throughout the state where Boxer was joined by out actor George Takai for a live conference call.

Yet with the Senate’s recent stumble on trying to repeal the military’s anti-gay policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and Congress’ inability as a whole this year to pass federal workplace protections for LGBT people, some LGBT voters have questioned why they should support Democrats

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10

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

ELECTION

11

2010

by Heather Cassell little more than three weeks from Election Day the District 8 supervisorial candidates continue to captivate and draw an audience.

An estimated 80 people skipped the postseason Giants game Friday, October 8, to attend the “Filling Harvey’s Shoes” forum at the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy and listen to the four Democratic candidates – Rebecca Prozan, Scott Wiener, Rafael Mandelman, and Bill Hemenger – discuss issues affecting the city and their district.

“It is very exciting when there are so many talented people and so many people to choose from that are really good,” said Cheri Mims, a 37-year-old Castro resident. Mims came out to support Prozan, but was interested in learning more about the other candidates.

Like Mims, many audience members had already chosen their candidate. Curiosity about the other candidates in the race didn’t sway their decision come Election Day, said attendees who spoke to the Bay Area Reporter, but they appreciated getting to know all of the candidates.

The decision is close, in a race where three of the candidates – Mandelman, Prozan, and Wiener – have risen through the political ranks and have worked together for more than a decade and one, Hemenger, is a former business executive who is running as a political outsider.

The four share similar positions on most of the issues, though they differ on some, such as Proposition L, the civil sidewalks, or sit/lie measure.

Wiener and Hemenger support it; Prozan and Mandelman do not.

Hemenger, a former Oracle manager, is the lone candidate hailing from

A

a corporate background. He claimed he refused endorsements or financial support from special interest groups.

The three other candidates have legal backgrounds and experience working in government and public advocacy.

Wiener garnered endorsements from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (DSan Francisco) and Mayor Gavin Newsom. Prozan has the endorsements of California attorney general candidate and current San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris and mayoral candidate and current District 8 Supervisor Bevan Dufty. Mandelman received the endorsement This week from gay rights activist Cleve Jones and has the support of Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco).

(Jones also backed Debra Walker, the out lesbian candidate running for District 6.)

The tipping point Friday revolved around the candidates’ visibility in the community and demonstration to cut through bureaucracy to improve San Franciscans’ quality of life.

A very Milk-type platform framed the evening at the forum moderated

by B.A.R. news editor Cynthia Laird and the public school’s principal, Christina Velasco. The atmosphere was cordial as it has been throughout much of the campaign.

Nuts and bolts B.A.R.-endorsed Prozan and Wiener – Wiener is the paper’s first choice, Prozan is second under rank choice voting – touted their “nuts and bolts” approach and experience to working in government.

The candidates agreed that Milk’s shoes couldn’t be filled, but his spirit continued to inspire each potential supervisor vying to succeed Dufty and

Rick Gerharter

Milk-inspired leadership for the 21st century

Candidate Rafael Mandelman speaks at a District 8 supervisor’s debate at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, along with fellow candidates, from left, Scott Wiener, Rebecca Prozan, and Bill Hemenger.

oversee the Castro, Diamond Heights, Glen Park, and Noe Valley neighborhoods that make up District 8. Only part of the district is what Milk’s domain once was.

Prozan pointed out that the district was no longer the same district it was 30 years ago. The boundaries are different as well as the composition of the neighborhood and residents’ needs.

Prozan resisted resting upon Milk’s legacy, pointing to leaders that came from the Castro after him, such as state Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), Dufty, and former Supervisor Harry Britt. Elected officials she called “independent common sense leaders.”

“That’s the leadership that I will bring. I’m not going to be the tenants’ person. I’m not going to be the homeowners’ person. My allegiance is to you, the voters of this district,” Prozan said.

Wiener criticized current members of the Board of Supervisors for “getting caught up in ideological crusades, international affairs, toys in Happy

Meals” and other issues that bear no impact on “people’s day-to-day quality of life,” he said.

The basics of making the city run is the job, Wiener said. “I understand those nuts and bolts and how to get things done for this community ... my priority will be always getting things done for you,” he pledged.

“Nuts and bolts things comes second nature to me,” Prozan assured the audience.

Voters were interested in learning how the candidates planned to put ideas into motion, retaining the neighborhood’s character, and keeping it safe and welcoming for businesses, residents and visitors. Beyond the Castro, voters’ top concerns were circulated around the economy (jobs and the city budget), public safety, civil rights, health care, and education.

Hemenger was critical about the city’s ability to attract businesses and to encourage entrepreneurs, pointing at the obstacles businesses encounter in the city to simply get started. He

told a story about one business owner’s yearlong experience obtaining permits and the $60,000 sticker shock at the end.

“That’s no way to encourage entrepreneurship. That’s no way to encourage people to start moving businesses into San Francisco,” said Hemenger.

“We have such innovation here. We are such entrepreneurs.”

The other side of the coin, Hemenger admitted, is the lack of consumer spending power due to the economic crisis.

“It comes down to jobs. We have to make San Francisco more job-friendly, more business-friendly,” he said, but didn’t provide any specifics.

Prozan spoke about maintaining Castro traditions, such as Halloween and Pink Saturday, detailing deficiencies and strategies to keep the celebrations safe, among other community building opportunities. She said that police and other law enforcement agencies can work together on these large public events so that trouble does not occur. One person died at this year’s Pink Saturday after being shot.

Adam Cohn, who is supporting Wiener, pointed to the accomplishments already visible in the Castro with the 17th Street Plaza to Wiener’s work with neighborhood merchants.

Cohn touted Wiener’s visibility and supporting local merchants.

Mandelman’s civil rights record and work around health care resonated with Patrick Sosa, 36, and his partner of 25 years, who were impressed with their candidate’s “answers about important issues,” he said.

Mandelman, Prozan, and Wiener spoke in detail about plans and ideas to tackle affordable housing issues, securing basic health and transportation services, and in general about building a sustainable and welcoming city.▼

12

BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER 21

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CLASSIFIEDS

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LEGAL NOTICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Redevelopment Agency of the City and County of San Francisco (“Agency”) is seeking a qualified parking operator to manage and operate a 112-stall public parking garage located at 1300 Fillmore Street in San Francisco. A copy of the RFP and all its attachments can be found on the City's “Bids and Contracts” website, and on the Agency's website at www.sfgov.org/sfra.

A pre-submittal meeting and tour of the garage will be held at 2:00 p.m., October 21, 2010. The RFP submission deadline is 3:00 p.m., November 8, 2010. For more information, please call Ricky Tijani at (415) 749-2451 or Beulah Stanley at (415) 749-2495.

10/14/10 • CNS-1962538# BAY AREA REPORTER

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE LICENSE To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are : ZHENXUAN HUANG. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street,Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at:5045 Geary Blvd.,San Francisco, CA 94118-2813. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINE EATING PLACE OCT. 14, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are : BRAVA FOR WOMAN IN THE ARTS. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street,Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at:2781-2789 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110-4235. Type of license applied for:

64-SPECIAL ON-SALE GENERAL THEATER OCT. 14, 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are : LUISA A HANSON. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street,Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at:2241 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA 94123-2607. Type of license applied for:

48-ON-SALE GENERAL PUBLIC PREMISES SEPT. 30,OCT. 7,14, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033030400

STATEMENT FILE A-033026400

STATEMENT FILE A-033051200

STATEMENT FILE A-033049300

The following person(s) is/are doing business as OTTOVAL,768 Delano Avenue, San Francisco,CA 94112. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Nancy Otto. 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 09/16/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as 1.EPIDEMIC INTELLIGENCE, 2.EPINTEL, 3.EPIDEMIQ, One Sutter Street, Suite 600,San Francisco,CA 94104. This business is conducted by a corporation, signed Jeremy Alberga. 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 09/15/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ZEN DEN WEB SERVICES, 183 Franklin Street, #8, San Francisco,CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Chad Bell. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/09.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/29/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SAN FRANCSICO CAREER COLLEGE, 1167 Mission Street, Suite 420,San Francisco,CA 94103.This business is conducted by an individual, signed Margaret K. Lee. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/28/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/28/10.

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010

SEPT.23,30,OCT. 7,14 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033035200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as TOTAL COMFORT SPA,450 Jones Street, San Francisco,CA 94102.

This business is conducted by an individual, signed Kathy Nguyen. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/20/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/20/10.

SEPT.23,30,OCT. 7,14 2010 NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: MAD WILLS FOOD COMPANY INC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street,Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at: 399 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-4418. Type of license applied for:

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINEEATING PLACE OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033023600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as NAKARALI, 670 S. Van Ness Avenue,San Francisco,CA 94110. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed Carole Nericcio. 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 09/14/10.

SEPT.23,30,OCT. 7,14 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033051900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as DNA CUSTODIAL, 1160 Turk Street,San Francisco,CA 94115. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed Anthony Crecy. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA.The statement was filed withthe City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/29/10.

STATEMENT FILE A-033042800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as INN ON BROADWAY, 2201 Van Ness Avenue,San Francisco,CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Sangita Patel. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/31/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/24/10.

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033027800

STATEMENT FILE A-033057100

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FLYERS #437, 2690 3RD Street,San Francisco,CA 94107. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Thomas A. Dwelle. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/15/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD,910 Geneva Avenue, San Francisco,CA 94112.

This business is conducted by an individual, signed Faisal Fadli. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/01/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 10/01/10.

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033027700

STATEMENT FILE A-033048200

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FLYERS #430, 200 Toland Road,San Francisco,CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed Thomas A. Dwelle. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/15/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as COMFORT HOME CARE,2130 Fillmore Street,#262, San Francisco,CA 94115. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Vannessa Pelobello. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/28/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/28/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as 1.SERVO MARKETING, 2.SERVO MARKETING & DESIGN, 3.SERVO MARKETING AND DESIGN, 97 Caselli Avenue,San Francisco,CA 94114. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed J.Mattison Clark. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/28/05.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/23/10.

41-ON-SALE BEER AND WINEEATING PLACE SEPT. 30,OCT. 7,14, 2010

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

The following person(s) is/are doing business as LOTUS NOTES, 3318 California Street,Apt. #3, San Francisco,CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, signed Monaz Mehta. 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 09/15/10.

To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: CALUZ INC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street,Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at:524 Valencia Street San Francisco,CA 94110. Type of license applied for:

To Whom It May Concern: The name(s) of the applicant(s) is/are: KRAMPOUZERIE INC. The applicants listed above are applying to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control at 71 Stevenson Street,Suite 1500, San Francisco, CA 94105 to sell alcoholic beverages at:3108 16th Street San Francisco,CA 94103. Type of license applied for:

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CYNTHIA PERCY’S WAX GARAGE, 760 Market Street, Suite 942,San Francisco,CA 94102. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Cynthia Kanios. 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 09/30/10.

STATEMENT FILE A-033025600

NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

NOTICE OF APPLICATION TO SELL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

STATEMENT FILE A-033053800

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

47-ON-SALE GENERAL EATING PLACE SEPT. 30,OCT. 7,14, 2010

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033041600

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033051600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as C TWO ENTERTAINMENT, 345 Taylor Street, San Francisco,CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, signed Elizabeth Rosas. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/29/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/29/10.

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033026600

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BEAK, 1032 Irving Street, #924,San Francisco,CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, signed K.M.Ritchie. 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 09/24/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SKB PM I, A CALIFORNIA GENERAL PARTNERSHIP, 100 Pine Street, Suite 775,San Francisco,CA 94111. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed Robert Scanlan. 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 09/15/10.

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033039300

STATEMENT FILE A-033049500

The following person(s) is/are doing business as JUIJUA PUBLISHING COMPANY, 2595 Mission Street, #303, San Francisco,CA 94110. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Eddy A. Martinez. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/22/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/22/10.

The following person(s) is/are doing business as TREASURE ISLAND SOUVENIRS,1201 C Bayside Drive, San Francisco,CA 94130. This business is conducted by a general partnership, signed Chris Ziegler. 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 09/28/10.

SEPT.30,OCT. 7,14,21, 2010

OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033042600

BAYAREA REPORTER

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO STATEMENT OF DAMAGES(PERSONAL INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH) CASE NO. CGC-09-485504 TO: DEFENDANT R.A.H. CORPORATION DBA NATIONAL RENT-A-CAR, PLAINTIFF, JOHN D. LEVENHAGEN SEEKS DAMAGES IN THE ABOVEENTITLED ACTION, AS FOLLOWS. GENERAL DAMAGES: PAIN, SUFFERING, AND INCONVENIENCE: $50,000.00 SPECIAL DAMAGES: MEDICAL EXPENSES - $6,587.28 DATE: APRIL 12, 2010.

SIGNED -ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF:JAY CHAFETZ, ESQ. (SBN #95778)

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO. 400 MCALLISTER STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 OCT. 7,14,21,28, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033032300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as PRECOG SPORTS 189 Parnassus Avenue, #2, San Francisco,CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Brandon Markey. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/17/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033061900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as HANDS OF DUANE, 4077A 24th Street, San Francisco,CA 941143715. This business is conducted by an individual, signed Curtis Duane Gammill.

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 10/04/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033061800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as HANDS OF DUANE, 2120 Market Street,Suite 201, San Francisco,CA 94114-1375.This business is conducted by an individual, signed Curtis Duane Gammill.

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 10/04/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE# CNC-10547207 In the matter of the application of NFN ZERENWENGXU for change of name.

The application of NFN ZERENWENGXU for change of name having been filed in Court, and it appearing from said application that NFN ZERENWENGXU filed an application proposing that his/her name be changed to TSERING WANGCHUK DENMA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Room 218 on the 7th of December, 2010 at 9:00 am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033067200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as FALCON ENTERTAINMENT, 1177 Harrison Street,San Francisco,CA 94103.This business is conducted by a limited liability company, signed James Hansen. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/24/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 10/06/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033068100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as GOLDEN HANDS SALON,83 Duboce Avenue, San Francisco,CA 94103.

This business is conducted by an individual, signed Henadz Harbaruk. 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 10/06/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010

STATEMENT FILE A-033072100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as AKI FISH & DELI, 310 Bayshore Blvd.,San Francisco,CA 94124.

This business is conducted by a corporation, signed Chieko Nagata. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/08/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 10/08/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033072600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as HYBRYD WELLNESS COLLABORATIVE, 221 11th Street,San Francisco,CA 94103.This business is conducted by an individual, signed Patrick J. Tierney.

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 10/08/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033046100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as LET’S GET IT ON, 714 Page Street,San Francisco,CA 94117.This business is conducted by an individual, signed Maria Gallegos. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 09/27/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 09/27/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033077100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as CHAN LIMOUSINE,2142 42nd Avenue, San Francisco,CA 94116.This business is conducted by an individual, signed Chan Kwok Man. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/12/10.The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco ,CA on 10/12/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT FILE A-033066700 The following person(s) is/are doing business as EAGLE SECURITY SERVICE/CERNY’S LOCKSMITH, 26203 Production Avenue, Suite 5, Hayward,CA 94545.This business is conducted by a corporation, signed Zackery Mueck. 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 10/06/10.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTICIOUS BUSINESS NAME: #A-031583500 The following persons have abandoned the use of the ficticious business name known as KOHSHI, 1737 Post Street,#335,San Francisco, CA 94115. This business was conducted by a limited liability company, signed Jay Cowan. The ficticious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/21/08.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTICIOUS BUSINESS NAME: #A-030373200 The following persons have abandoned the use of the ficticious business name known as 1.JAPAN INCENSE, 2. SCENTS OF JAPAN, 2456 Chestnut Street,San Francisco, CA 94123. This business was conducted by a limited liability company, signed Jay Cowan. The ficticious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/06/07.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTICIOUS BUSINESS NAME: #A-031583400 The following persons have abandoned the use of the ficticious business name known as 1.SCENTS OF JAPAN,2.JAPAN INCENSE , 2370 Market Street,#321, San Francisco, CA 94114.This business was conducted by a limited liability company, signed Jay Cowan. The ficticious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 11/21/08.

OCT. 14,21,28,NOV. 4, 2010

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Truth: still stranger than fiction

‘Forum’ fitting

Imagine John Lennon

Some recommended highlights from the 9th San Francisco Documentary Film Festival.

42nd St. Moon’s revival of ‘A Funny Thing Happened... .’

Remembering the Prince of Peace during a season of bullies.

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

BAYAREAREPORTER

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Vol. 40 . No. 41 . 14 October 2010

? w o n y r r o s Who’s

Not

! s i c n a r F e i Conn Iconic pop star plays the Castro Theatre this weekend Vintage Connie Francis

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surgery that left her unable to sing in air-conditioned venues; being robbed, beaten and raped in 1974; nasal surgery that left her unable to sing for four years; being involuntarily committed to mental institutions (by her father) 17 times; and her brother George being murdered by the Mafia. Francis has been quoted as saying that she would like to be remembered “not so much for the heights I have reached, but for the depths from which I have come.”

When I recently spoke to Francis, I asked her why she’d like to be remembered this way. “A lot of people have reached heights,” she said. “But not too many have survived what I have. Surviving the 20th century was my biggest accomplishment.”

Viva Lennon!

Viva Ackerley!

What comes to mind when she thinks of Bobby Darin? “That he was the love of my life. One of the biggest regrets of my life was not marrying him. But when my father went after him with a gun at CBS, he had to climb out the men’s room window to escape.

Thank God it was on the first floor.”

Her Italian-American father had such a great impact throughout her life that Francis considered naming her recently completed autobiography Daddy’s Little Girl. (It’s now titled Among My Souvenirs.) I asked if he was overprotective, and she replied, “Controlling is more like it. I needed protection from him. But my only viable marriage was the one he chose for me. There were only two

Anne-Marie Duff and Aaron Johnson in Nowhere Boy.

Two films of special note, opening this Friday • by David Lamble owhere Boy When it comes to John Lennon and the Beatles, I’m an old dog, Pavlov’s dog at that, so when a certain chord is struck at the beginning of Sam Taylor-Wood’s Nowhere Boy, my auditory juices are primed for A Hard Day’s Night. I’m stuck in the wrong decade, for woman director Taylor-Wood’s tale (penned by Matt Greenhalgh, screenwriter of the Joy Division biopic Control) opens in 1955. The future rock star is acting more like a superstar juvenile delinquent – “Fuck off, Lennon, show us your cock!”

– clinging to the roof of a Liverpool double-decker bus to win a girl away from another bully boy, and generally playing the class clown at Liverpool’s middle-class-aspiring Quarry Bank High School.

He’s hauled up before the headmaster, accused of flashing a porno comic book on the bus. The exasperated official scowls, “You’re going nowhere, Mr. Lennon, and not only at

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lthough she was topping the pop charts when some of our parents were teenagers, Connie Francis has endured. Known for such hits as “Who’s Sorry Now?,” “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,” and “Among My Souvenirs,” Francis will be “Where the Boys Are” – the Castro Theatre – on Saturday night.

Despite a major recording career in the late 1950s and early 60s, and years of concert success in Las Vegas and around the world, her personal life has been a stormy one. In fact, the biography on her website www.conniefrancis.com reads like a litany of woe. Some of the highlights (or lowlights) include: an early love affair with Bobby Darin that her father ended at gunpoint; four short-lived marriages (some of which included abuse); cosmetic

by Adam Sande

BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

OUT

THERE

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Next stop, Halloween!

by Roberto Friedman t’s that time of the year when you can feel the heat of Indian summer slide into autumnal chill at sundown. Even the pulchritudinous parade of international models who pose for Bay Area photographer Steven Underhill are putting their clothes back on! Here’s a nice photo of photogenic Michael Murray, up from Down Under in New Zealand, captured recently around Twin Peaks way.

Soon the fall rainstorms will be here, and we’ll promptly lose the first of our rainy-season umbrellas to the Fox Plaza wind tunnel. We’ll turn back the clock; evenings will suddenly get dark much earlier. Impish seamsters will get cracking on tricking up their new trick-or-treating costumes – but we love our 50something friends, really we do. So bring on the scary season, we can take it. We’re already toughened up by the horrors of real life.

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Reports have surfaced that British comic Sacha Baron Cohen will play the late outrageous Brit rocker Freddie Mercury in a biopic about the Queen frontman set to film next year.

Mercury, known for his soaring vocals and flamboyant stage presence, helped make Queen one of the biggest bands of the 1970s and 80s with hits like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You.” He died from AIDS-related complications at age 45 in 1991.

But Bay Area fans need not wait for the movie to get their fix. Local chanteuse Carly Ozard will present her show Someone To Love: My Freddie Mercury Tribute at the Rrazz Room on Fri. & Sat., Oct. 22 & 23, at 10:30 p.m. Her special guest star is set to be Katya Smirnoff-Skye, with musical direction by Joe Wicht. More info can be found at www.carlyozard.com.

Over in Las Vegas, the Liberace Museum is ready to close its doors for good on Sun., Oct. 17, after a 31-year run. But for the gay radio show Out in the Bay, there’s a Swarovski crystal lining, as the closing gives them an excuse to revisit the O UT late Mr. Showmanship’s fabulous life and legacy, and his outrageous costumes, cars and pianos, in a half-hour audio documentary produced by Out in the Bay founder Eric Jansen, and told with love

Steven Underhill

Queen biz

New Zealand model Michael Murray in San Francisco.

by the museum docents, a Liberace impersonator, and Liberace’s own voice and music. It airs 7 p.m. tonight (Thurs., Oct. 14) on kalw.org and 91.7 FM in the Bay Area. After the broadcast, you can find the archived show at www.OutintheBay.com. Meanwhile, the Liberace Foundation lives on as the steward of Lee’s glittery costumes, cars, jewelry and pianos. A touring exhibit is being planned: will it come to SF? And now an advance tip for all you nouvelle Voguers. A strong union at the Ford Factory in Dagenham outside London in 1968 immeasurably helped women’s struggle for equal pay. The stories of these brave strikers is poignantly told in Made in Dagenham, which will have a T HERE free screening at 11 a.m. on Nov. 6 at the Vogue Theater in SF. Sally Hawkins (Another Year) heads the cast as a British version of Norma Rae. Bob Hoskins is a sympathetic union boss, and Miranda Richardson (the thriller Rubicon) appears as the minister of labor. For free tickets, e-mail voguersvp@gmail.com and put Made in Dagenham in the subject line. There is a two-tickets-perperson limit, and you must claim your tickets by 10:45 a.m. on the day of the screening.

“Left Leg” (2010), LightJet Print by Catherine Wagner.

Visualize arts City College of San Francisco will present SF photographer Dan Nicoletta in a talk about his storied photography career, on Mon., Oct. 18 at 6:30 p.m., in Conlan Hall, Room E-101, on the Ocean Campus, 50 Phelan Ave., SF. Nicoletta on the record: “I have always been interested in people, and in particular, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. I shoot my portraits in a studio. I’m intrigued by what occurs when a sitter’s environment is minimized, such as in a studio context.” The lecture is free and open to the public; find info at (415) 2393580.

Stephen Wirtz Gallery will present Reparations, new photographs by Catherine Wagner, Oct. 20-Nov. 27, at 49 Geary in SF. The series addresses ideas of reparation and repair through a sort of topology of the splint as medical device, ranging from basic wooden slabs to high-tech casts made of polymer materials.

Splints were developed in response to battlefield injuries, and it’s easy to see these photographs as an artistic response to the perpetual presence of war imagery in our warrior-obsessed society. They’re a much better symbol of how military power robs us of our common humanity than, say, cowboy combat pilots roaring their obscenely expensive penile-projections against the Golden Gate sky.▼

Courtesy Stephen Wirtz Gallery

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

THEATRE

mildly funny thing is now happening at the Eureka Theatre under the auspices of 42nd Street Moon. The revivalist company is opening a new season with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a slam-bang musical that goes through its paces here in a consistently steady fashion. The opening song promises “comedy tonight,” but I kept hoping for some signs of anarchy.

Zero Mostel, star of Broadway’s original Forum in 1962, became an anarchist who regularly re-devised his role and, by extension, the show around him, to both the surprise and consternation of his colleagues. This is not necessarily recommended behavior in a scripted show, but Forum’s stylistic roots set down by librettists Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart draw on vaudeville and burlesque that call out for at least the flavor of comedy that occasionally looks colored

A

outside the lines.

The casting suggests this could be the case, with comic lesbian performer Megan Cavanagh taking on Mostel’s role of the scheming Roman slave Pseudolus. But Cavanagh doesn’t do much with the cross-gender casting, playing the role straight. That would be an insignificant factor if, rather than the tempered competence that Cavanagh is offering, an abandon that clutches at the audience might help rattle the production from its smooth tracks laid by director Greg MacKellan.

It’s hard to find much fault in any of the performances, though a bit more rubber-faced hysteria from Michael Rhone as fellow slave Hysterium could gain him a few more laughs. Luke Chapman and Megan Ihle are properly pretty as the young lovers, while Bob Greene and Elmer Strasser are fine as a couple of frazzled elders. Chris Macomber does hit the right comic notes as Senex’s harridan

Blood & guts x 3

by Richard Dodds he subject of violence on television was once a growth industry, with studies, councils essays, panels, organizations, foundations, and congressional hearings producing reams of paper and stacks of statistics.

“The average child who watches two hours of cartoons a day may see nearly 10,000 violent incidents each year,” concluded one study funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Teens and adults were also being studied for anti-social behavior incurred by prime-time bullets being shown leaving a gun and entering a body.

A lot of the indignation arose when we had but three networks projecting their broadcast signals into every home. Now we have hundreds of stations, many that you have to pay for, and if folks are taking to the streets because the hero of Dexter is a gleeful serial killer or because the head cop in The Shield liked to beat up suspects, I haven’t heard about it.

This roundabout has been leading to the phenomenon of Grand Guignol theater, and how obviously fake blood and violence can elicit stronger reactions in a live setting than much more realistic bloodshed can on a screen. At the opening-night performance of Thrillpeddlers’ Shocktoberfest!!! 2010, a studly-enough theatergoer blurted out, “Oh, shit. Gnarly,” when a character chopped off an obviously fake stand-in for his hand.

The most famous purveyor of the blood-and-horror theater was Le Theatre du Grand Guignol, which operated in Paris from 1894 to 1962. It’s definitely a niche market, but it endures thanks to tenacious proponents such

davidallenstudios.com

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as the Thrillpeddlers group that will soon celebrate its 20th anniversary. Is its appeal akin to a theme-park thrillride that we know will safely give us the sense of a near-death experience?

Does it tap into latent sado-masochistic urges? Maybe it’s just juvenile fun to see lots of messy stuff, like fake blood, get squirted all about.

Thrillpeddlers has strayed a bit from its plasma-phantasmagorias with the runaway success of Pearls Over Shanghai. The annual Shocktober programming has been integrated into a rotating repertory with the revival of the old Cockettes show. The trio of short plays making up the current Shock roster includes something new, something old, and something refurbished.

By far, the best of the lot is the something old. Kiss of Blood (Le Baiser du Sang) was presented in 1929 in Paris by the original Grand Guignol theater, and it proves a much sturdier work than the two plays that precede it. Its Grand Guignol-ness drips with authenticity.

Translated by Daniel Zilber, it layers horror upon horror. The opening scene takes place during a messily unsuccessful brain surgery, which is closely followed by a seeming madman invading the operating room demanding that his right index finger be amputated. When the doctor can see nothing wrong with the digit, the intruder begins the de-fingering himself.

A third scene puts his hysteria into context with still more horrific happenings.

As the crazed patient, Eric Tyson Wertz provides the best performance of the production by managing to take realism to the edge of absurdity, and negotiating that tightrope with finesse.

Eric Tyson Wertz plays a patient who insists on amputation to a skeptical doctor (Flynn DeMarco) in Kiss of Blood, one of three plays in Shocktoberfest!!! 2010.

davidallenstudios.com

Roman charges

by Richard Dodds

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Megan Cavanagh, as Roman slave Pseudolus, schemes to unite young lovers played by Megan Ihle and Luke Chapman in 42nd Street Moon’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Eureka Theatre.

Flynn DeMarco projects a kind of silent-movie melodrama as the surgeon, and he and most of the cast members play multiple characters throughout the evening.

The opening play, Lips of the Damned, was inspired by one of the Paris troupe’s plays centered around a guillotine. James Toczyl has an appropriately wax-museum persona as the curator of an exhibition of torture devices, which thrills an upper-class matron (Kara Emry) who suggests that she and her secret lover (Daniel Baken) smooch after she ties him up and has him stick his head into the guillotine stocks. Her husband (DeMarco) bursts onto the scene, and straps a harness over his wife’s head that includes a studded gag that draws

blood from her mouth. Rob Keefe’s script isn’t very scary nor is it much fun, except, perhaps, as an icky S&M fantasy.

Fun is the main intention of Keefe’s second piece, which must wait for a cheery but unnecessary song about the benefits of gagging your wife in a “scold bridle.” The Empress of Colma stars Thrillpeddlers’ leader Russell Blackwood, who directed all three plays, as the reigning drag queen of a tatty social organization. Blackwood can be quite jolly as the imperious Crystal, and Birdie-Bob Watt is a ditsy delight as the unfortunately intelligence-challenged Sunny. Wertz, so good in the final play, is first seen here in an entirely different persona: the bitter first runner-up in the empress

of a wife, and can get a laugh just by scowling her way onto the stage.

Rob Hatzenbeller gives good swagger as the macho-plus army general who demands his store-bought bride despite her sudden unavailability.

Rudy Guerrero runs that store, also known as a brothel, and his inventory includes Janine Burgener, Sophia Rose Morris, Christine Bagube, and Kate Paul. As Proteans and eunuchs, Isaiah Boyd, Tyler Costin, and Jack Sale complete the cast.

Musically, especially in the choral work, there are some fine interpretations of the Stephen Sondheim score emerging under pianist Dave Dobrusky’s musical direction, and choreographer Tom Segal comes up with some cute and clever dance steps for the company. All this production needs is, to put it indelicately, a big goose.▼ A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will run at the Eureka Theatre through Oct. 24.

Tickets are $24-$44. There will be an LGBT performance and reception at 6:30 p.m. Call 255-8207 or go to www.42ndstmoon.org.

competition. Keefe gets off several good laughs in his drag-ball satire, though its swerve into Grand Guignol horror seems more dictated by the theme of the evening than the characters themselves.

If you do head down to the Hypnodrome for this year’s Shocktoberfest, be sure to stick around after the intermission if any inklings of cutting the evening short arise. Kiss of Blood, the final piece, will give you a good idea of what Grand Guignol is really all about.▼ Shocktoberfest!!! 2010: Kiss of Blood will run at the Hypnodrome through Nov. 19. Tickets are $25$35. Call (800) 838-3006 or go to www.thrillpeddlers.com.

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MUSIC

by Philip Campbell he first weeks of the San Francisco Symphony’s new subscription season have been marked by a certain travelogue approach to programming. At least, the publicity seems to be pushing an international theme. Early on, there was an all-French program, and that was easy to get, but last week’s odd blend of Latin American showpieces and the Old World of Beethoven’s Vienna really seemed to be stretching the point.

There is no purpose in trying to make a program seem more cohesive than it is if the esoteric pieces hold the promise of discovery or the familiar repertoire is likely to attract an audience. Of course, selling the unknown at premium prices cannot be easy, and in this economy, tagging a surefire crowd-pleaser onto a risky bill is probably a wise decision. At least the seats initially are filled for the more adventurous stuff, and the patrons are likely to return to them after intermission if the closing item is an old favorite. So I found myself grumping all the way to Davies Hall for a program that looked more, on

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paper, like a marketing strategy than an artistic statement.

There was an air of grab-bag pandering that did persist throughout the night, but it would take a heart of stone to say the sum of the parts was anything less than satisfying. It was actually quite stimulating when all was said and done. Each piece gleamed with individual excellence and was executed with breathtaking performance skills. The program may have been all over the map, but Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas is one masterful cartographer, and I joined with the happy (and full) house at concert’s end in an exultant ovation.

The pieces from the New World that comprised the first half of the night included the irresistibly rhythmic Sensemaya of Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, the predictably limpid and melodic little concerto for bassoon and strings Ciranda das sete notas by Heitor Villa-Lobos, and the thrilling and overpowering soundscape Ameriques by Edgard Varese.

The shadow of Stravinsky falls heavily across all of these works, but

Courtesy SFS

New World meets old-school

San Francisco Symphony bassoonist Stephen Paulson.

perhaps most notably in the asymmetrical beat of Sensemaya (think Petrushka in Puerto Vallarta). It is a stirring and delightful albeit short exercise in orchestral bravura that makes us want to hear more Revueltas and more Mexican music.

Bassoonist Stephen Paulson made

the most of the Villa-Lobos with a wonderfully controlled and perfectly audible performance. Over many years, Paulson has proven himself a star member of the orchestra, and it is always a special treat when he is afforded a solo moment. Since the Villa-Lobos is based on the seven notes of the C Major scale, one might have expected a little more minimalism in the score. Instead, there is a sort of barrage of notes that are spit out during the opening pages, followed by a lovely cool-down in the middle section, and a quick conclusion marked by more rapid-fire playing. Paulson dispatched the difficult parts with ease, and imparted a gentle melancholy to the prettier moments.

Ameriques is another story altogether. Varese will probably never get the full credit he is due, but his fabulous creations for huge orchestral forces never cease to amaze whenever they actually get performed live. In one of his trademark introductions, MTT cautioned the crowd to fasten their seatbelts. He might have warned the hearing-impaired to turn down their listening devices as well.

There is a remarkable flow to the score that is made apparent with little moments of exquisite tranquility.

A melody for the flute that starts the piece and threads its way through the vast waves of sound that follow adds cohesion. Robin McKee played the solo flute beautifully.

After intermission, the surprisingly game Saturday-night audience returned for a bright, tight and thoroughly engaging performance of Beethoven’s Seventh. The first half of the bill had met with unexpected enthusiasm, and now it seemed the Beethoven was more than a mere lure. It was practically a reward.

It was also being recorded for a rather vaguely described future project involving the SFS and their stateof-the-art “live” performance recording equipment. (Oh, now I get it!)

Whatever the ultimate reason for having Ludwig in the house that night, it turned out to be a terrific performance. MTT has always had a way with Beethoven, and if he is actually contemplating an SFS cycle of the symphonies following the hugely successful Mahler project, well, why not?▼

dropout who tends bar and lives in Boston with an older, tattooed female roommate. An ongoing parental dialogue about how they failed Bea is interrupted by the arrival of Rebecca’s much younger brother, “Mizzy,” for an open-ended visit.

The beautiful 20something Mizzy is a drug addict and grand mal manipulator who spends his time living off the kindness of strangers and family members. He soon has a drug dealer stopping by to deliver crystal meth. Peter discovers this and must decide whether or not to tell Rebecca. She and her sisters would put Mizzy back in rehab immediately if they knew he was using again. But Mizzy short-circuits the disclosure by appearing nude in the Harris’ kitchen one morning and begging for Peter’s silence – sealing this request by kissing Peter on the lips.

By this point readers will already have identified Mizzy as the agent of change, but now he assumes a role similar to that of Tadzio in Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. (Mizzy even carries around a copy of Mann’s The Magic Mountain.) How will the staid, predictable Peter – whose profession requires him to evaluate and market beauty – handle the intimations of Mizzy’s alluring presence?

Cunningham’s sophisticated and elegant prose asks all the right questions. He presents the dilemma of a married, middle-aged professional suddenly confronted by a new way of being and a chance to throw out personal and professional ties in favor of reinvention.

Despite a plethora of intriguing supporting characters, the author’s omniscient narrator focuses almost exclusively on the inner workings of Peter’s brain, to the detriment of developing other characters’ feelings, desires, and motivations. This choice throws the story somewhat off-balance, but it allows Cunningham to

The road not taken

by Robert Julian

By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, $25

ike many novelists, author Michael Cunningham (A Home at the End of the World, The Hours) probes the human condition

L

by asking difficult questions and providing no answers. This is particularly true in his latest work, By Nightfall, which centers on a cornucopia of unexpected possibilities that clutter the brain of his protagonist, Peter Harris, a 44-year-old, married Manhattan art dealer. The comely presence of Peter’s brother-in-law provokes an existential crisis that could topple

Peter’s orderly universe.

Peter and his wife Rebecca are the sort of sophisticated New Yorkers one would expect to find living in a SoHo townhouse on Mercer Street.

They are white, educated, responsible, and given to the kind of obsessive-compulsive introspection that borders on neurosis. They have issues. Their daughter Bea is a college

provide a twist at the end of the novel which – almost too neatly – clarifies the motives behind Mizzy’s and Rebecca’s actions.

The upside of Cunningham’s focus on Peter is his thorough exploration of how one must constantly deal with the implications of inertia.

At some point before our metaphorical nightfall, before bucket lists are compiled and checked off, most individuals will have to determine when personal growth is best served by changing paths and letting go vs. staying the course and holding on. ▼

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

OUT&ABOUT Fri 15 >>

11:30am & 5pm. Thru Nov. 21. www.weplayers.org

Alonzo King Lines Ballet @ Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

TV and film actor (Making Love, LA Law) reads from and discusses his memoir, Full Frontal Nudity. 1pm. 1344 Park St. (510) 522-2226. www.booksinc.net

Accomplished local choreographer presents a new version of ancient Persian tale of Scheherazade, with live tabla music by Zakir Hussain. $40-$60. Gala dinner Oct 14, 7pm.

Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru Oct. 24. Novellus Theater, 700 Howard St. 978-2787. www.linesballet.org www.ybca.org

Brian Christopher Williams’ play about a young gay teen in the late 1970s dealing with tumultuous events around and within him. $24-$40. Thru Oct. 24. 25 Van Ness Ave, lower level.

861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Sundance Stompede

Ripening

Hung @ Eros Closing reception for artists in a group exhibition of male nude drawings from the Naked Men’s Sketch group. Free. 7pm-9pm. 2051 Market St. 255-4921. www.erossf.com

Jerry Springer, the Opera @ Victoria Theatre Ray of Light Theatre’s production of the West Coast premiere of the award-winning farcical musical about the trashy daytime TV show (for mature audiences). $20-$36. Wed-

utumnal celebrations, pre-Halloween parties, and cowboy/girl carousing prove that October’s ripe for a harvest of homo-friendly fun.

Sundance Stompede, the annual four-day Country-Western dance event, features social dancing, competitions by LGBT devotees from around the U.S., and lots of fun. Kickoff Dance is Oct. 14 at Space 550 (6:30pm-11pm, 550 Barneveld Ave.); Welcome Dance Oct. 15 at the Holiday Inn (7:30pm-1am, 1500 Van Ness Ave.); a Hoedown Oct. 16 at the Regency Ballroom (7:30pm-1am, 1300 Van Ness Ave). The Stompede Ball’s Oct. 17 at Space 550 (5pm-11pm, 550 Barneveld Ave). Dance workshops throughout the weekend are for all skill levels. Prices vary.

Weekend packages available. Thru Oct. 17. www.stompede.com Let your imagination run wild at Alternative Press Expo at the Concourse Exhibition Center. Hundreds of small presses and publishers of comic books, graphic novels and other stuff showcase their works, artists and authors. Special guests include Lynda Barry, Renee French, Megan Kelso, Rich Koslowski and more. $10-$15. Oct. 16, 11am-7pm.

Also Oct. 17, 11am-6pm. 636 8th St. www.comic-con.org/ape/ The Great Pumpkin lives! And he moved to Half Moon Bay! And he Lynda Barry at APE serves beer at the Art and Pumpkin Festival, the annual pumpkin-palooza, with food, live music galore, beer, pies (pumpkin, of course), pumpkin-carving contest, kids’ costume contest, arts and crafts by 250-plus artists, pie-eating and giant pumpkin-weighing contests and more. Free. Oct. 16 & 17. 9am-5pm.

Main St. between Miramontes and Spruce. (650) 726-9652. www.miramarevents.com For an artistic interpretation that’ll get your gourd, the Glass Pumpkin Garden at Cohn-Stone Studios, in Richmond, exhibits and sells beautiful glass sculptures made in the shape of pumpkins and autumnal produce, with free glassmaking demos, too. Sat & Sun 10am-5pm. Thru Oct. 560 South 31st St. (510) 234-9690. www.cohnstone.com ▼

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TV and film actress Megan Cavanagh (A League of Their Own, Robin Hood: Men in Tights) stars in 42nd Street Moon’s production of the hilarious Stephen Sondheim/Larry Gelbart musical farce set in ancient Rome. $24-$44. Wed 7pm, Thu & Fri 8pm, Sat 6pm, Sun 3pm. Thru Oct. 24. 215 Jackson St. 255-8207. www.42ndstmoon.org

Habibi @ Intersection for the Arts Sharif Abu-Hamdeh’s drama about three generations of Palestinian immigrants. $15-$25. Thu-Sun 8pm. Thru Nov. 7. 446 Valencia St. at 16th. 626-2787. www.theintersection.org

Hamlet @ Alcatraz Island We Players’ innovative sitespecific staging of the classic Shakespeare play on the former prison-turned state park. $40-$80. Sat & Sun

Second annual group exhibit celebrating the bosom, while raising awareness for breast cancer prevention efforts. Thu-Sun 12pm6pm thru Oct. 31. 2199 Market St. at Sanchez. www.feminapotens.org

Compulsion @ Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Connie Francis @ Castro Theatre Veteran singer whose ‘60s tunes are classics, performs with a 21-piece orchestra. $49-$99.

8pm. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Dandelion Dancetheater @ Shawl Anderson Dance Center, Berkeley

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum @ Eureka Theatre

Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu, Patrick Makuakane’s local acclaimed hula company, performs a large-scale retrospective of popular and traditional works, including a disco tribute to a fabled Hawiian gay bar. $10-$85. $150 gala. 8pm. Also Sundays at 3pm. extra matinee Oct. 24 at 12pm. Thru Oct. 24. 392-4400. www.naleihulu.org

Tony Award winner Mandy Patinkin stars in the world premiere of Rinne Groff’s fascinating play about a man’s discovery and struggles to adapt The Diary of Anne Frank into a theatrical production. $14.50-$73.

Tue, Fri, Sat 8pm. Wed, Sun 7pm. Thu Sat Sun 2pm (no show on some nights; check schedule online). Thru Oct. 31.

2025 Addison St. (510) 6472949. www.berkeleyrep.org

Actors Theatre SF’s intimate staging of the classic Tennessee Williams play. $26-$38.

Wed-Sat 8pm. Extended thru Oct. 22. 855 Bush st. 345-1287. www.actorstheatresf.org

PICK OF THE WEEK

Halloween gets rolling early at two fun club nights this weekend. Superheroes & Villains at Bench & Bar gets comically sexy as guests, bartenders and gogo studs don the Spandex, masks and capes and unleash their superhero and villain identities at the Latin-hiphop dance night.

Cash prize for best costumes. $5 off the $15 cover before 11pm if you’re in costume. Friday, Oct. 15. 9pm4am. 510 17th St., Oakland. (510) 444-2266. 21+. www.bench-and-bar.com Prepare to be splattered at Wet & Wild at Club Eight, a pre-Halloween Blood Bath with Hostess Lady TaTas, acts by Lady Bear and Cousin Wonderlette, and twinktastic gogo guys. DJs Kidd Sysko and Grind stir up murderous mixes at this special pre-Halloween night, where costumes with a horror theme are very welcome. $3-$8. Saturday, Oct. 16. 10pm-3am.

1151 Folsom St. at 8th. Superheroes & Villains at Bench & Bar (Friday) and www.eightsf.com Wet & Wild (Saturday)

Trolley Dances (above) and 25 years of Hula , both Sat.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof @ Actors Theatre

Opening night of SF Indie’s documentary film festival. After-party at DNA Lounge.

Films screened daily from about 5pm9:30pm. $10- $20 per film to $160 for full festival pass. Thru Oct. 28 (Star Wars cantina-themed Halloween closing party at Cell Space). www.sfindie.com

25 Years of Hula @ Palace of Fine Arts

BustED II @ Femina Potens

Tarell Alvin McCraney’s drama about two New Orleans brothers who try to reconnect. $30-$60. Thru Oct. 17. Fort Mason Center, Bldg. D, Marina Blvd. at Buchanan. www.magictheatre.org

DocFest @ Roxie Cinema

Sat 16 >>

Month-long festival of theatre (Rent, Disney’s Aladdin), music (jazz, country, classical), visual art displays, art walks, orchestral concerts, Halloween parties and more.

Free-$50. Various venues. Thru Nov. 14.

(707) 257-2117. www.nvarts.org

The Brothers Size @ Magic Theatre

Kimiko Guthrie and Dandelion’s Mama Love Ensemble perform women’s takes on myths, love attachment and affection. $12-$15.

8pm. Fri-Sat 8pm Sun 7pm. Thru Oct. 24.

2704 Alcatraz Ave. (510) 654-5921. www.dandeliondancetheater.org

Resident Artist Workshop showcases new dance works-in-progress by Ashley Burnett, Abby Crain, Jessica Damon, Aura Fischbeck, Margit Galanter, Gretchen Garnett, Natalie Green, Paul Larey, and Leigh Riley. $10$20. 8pm. Also Oct. 16. 975 Howard St. www.975howard.com

Arts Festival @ Napa Valley

Birthday Benefit @ Mark I. Chester Studio Veteran photographer of leather and kink communities celebrates his 60th birthday, with readings and performances by Carol Queen, Tom Orr, Seth Eisen and other guests. View his retrospective exhibit, Doing Time on Folsom St. Donations. 7pm-11pm. 1229 Folsom St. 621-6294. www.markichester.com

Show and Tell @ The Garage

Exhibit of masks, costumes, sculptures and objects from ancient Africa, which shows how they’re used in rituals and contemporary settings. Thru Jan. 16, 2011. 685 Mission St. 358-7200. www.moadsf.org

14th annual festival of Arab films, screened at several Bay Area cinemas, including the gay-themed Tunisian film The String, starring Claudia Cardinale, with hottie Salim Kechiouche (Oct. 15 at Embaradero Cinema, and Oct. 23 at Shattuck Cinema, Berkeley). Thru Oct. 24. 429 Castro St. www.arabfilmfestival.org www.castrotheatre.com

by Jim Provenzano

Join GLBT hikers for an after-work, 3-mile hike in Redwood Regional Park. After the hike, enjoy spectacular night sky viewing through massive telescopes at Chabot Space Center. Meet in front of the Chabot Space Center entrance at 6pm or carpool from the Safeway sign at Market and Dolores Sts. at 4:45pm. Also, Oct. 16, an 8-mile hike to Mount Tamalpais. www.sfhiking.com

Art/Object @ Museum of the African Diaspora

Arab Film Festival @ Castro Theatre

David Wong

Tim Wong

Anita Bryant Died For Your Sins @ New Conservatory Theatre Center

Harry Hamlin @ Books Inc., Alameda

SF Hiking Club @ Redwood Regional Park

Sat 8pm. Thru Oct. 16. 2961 16th St. at Mission. (800) 838-3006. www.roltheatre.com www.jerrysf.com

Dance for Equality @ Uptown Body & Fender, Oakland

Kiss of Blood @ Hypnodrome Theatre

Marriage Equality fundraiser, with food, music and dance performances, raffle prizes complimentary wine and bubbly. $35 and up. 8pm-11pm. 401 26th St. at Broadway. www.marriageequality.org

Thrillpeddlers presents three “Shocktoberfest” one-act plays with macabre comic themes; Aragny/Neilson’s 1929 Kiss of Blood, and Lips of the Damned and The Empress of Colma, new plays by Rob Keefe. $25-$35. Thu & Fri Thru Nov. 19. 575 10th St. at Bryant. (800) 838-3006. www.thrillpeddlers.com

Midnites for Maniacs @ Castro Theatre The monthly triple-feature film night presents new prints of three classic horror comedies; Fright Night (7:15), An American Werewolf in London (9:30) and The Evil Dead (11:45). $13. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Performing Diaspora @ CounterPulse Mini-festival of performers who blend traditional forms in Taiko, Flamenco, Indian, Thai and African dance-theatre with a modern perspective multimedia. $14-$24. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Oct. 17. 1310 Mission St. at 9th. www.counterpulse.org /performing-diaspora/

Scapin @ American Conservatory Theater Comic clown extraordinaire Bill Irwin directs and stars in a hilarious update on the Moliere farce, about a servant who capriciously helps two young lovers. $10-$90.

Tue-Sat 8pm. Wed, Sat, Sun 2pm. Thru Oct. 23. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Harvest Feast @ Most Holy Redeemer Enjoy a delicious four-course dinner prepared by chef Jimmy Jardine, a silent auction, and live flute and piano music. Proceeds benefit the Castro Country Club, the LGBT sober space. $50. (advance tickets required; on sale at CCC, 4058 18th St. 5:30pm. 100 Diamond St. 552-6102. www.castrocountryclub.org

Iph @ Brava Theater African-American Shakespeare Company’s production of Colin Teevans’ adaptation of Euripides’ Trojan War epic Iphigeneia at Aulis, about heroism, war, and celebrity. $15-$35. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Oct. 16. 2781 24th St. 647-2822. www.African-AmericanShakes.org www.brava.org

Japanesque @ Legion of Honor Exhibit of Japanese prints from 1700-1900, and its relationship to Impressionism. Thru Jan. 9. Also, Very Postmortem: Mummies and Medicine, an exhibit of the scientific exploration of Egyptian mumies and artifacts.

Thru Oct. 31. $6-$10. Tue-Sun 9:30am5:15pm. 100 34th Av. at Clement, Lincoln Park. www.legionofhonor.org

14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

JumpstART @ ODC Theater Day-long event full of free dance and theatre performances to celebrate the renovated performances space; dance jams, ragas and clogging, to ballet, bhangras and poetry. Included in the roster are Scott Wells & Dancers, Robert Moses’ KIN, Killing My Lobster, Youth Speaks, ODC/Dance and more. 12pm-11pm. 3153 17th St. at Shotwell. 863-9834. www.odctheater.org

tertainer, told my museum docents, impersonators and Liberace himself. Re-broadcast on-demand online thru 2010 at www.outinthebay.com

Wed 20 >>

Marvin Hamlisch @ The Venetian Room

Alexis Lekat @ Magnet

Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prizewinning composer performs at the grand reopening of the ultra-classy nightclub; with guests Maria Friedman and J. Mark McVey. $90-$175. 7pm. Fairmont Hotel, 900 Mason St. 927-INFO. www.bayareacabaret.org

Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Benefit @ Westin St. Francis 30 year anniversary gala benefit for the acclaimed African American theatre group, with a silent auction full of fashion, travel, theatre, and fine art items. $175 and up.

6pm. 335 Powell St. www.LHTSF.org www.regonline.com/bravo30.com

Montgomery Clift Films @ Castro Theatre The handsome gay actor stars in From Here to Eternity (2:30, 7pm) and Wild River (4:50, 9:15). $7-$10. . 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Mary Stuart @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley

Sunday’s a Drag @ Starlight Room

Shotgun Players presents an adaptation of Friedrich Schiller’s play about the royal intrigue between Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I, with strikingly modern perspectives on terrorism and politics. Opening night (Oct. 8) includes post-show drinks and nibbly things ($30). $15-$28. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thyru Nov. 7. 1901 Ashby Ave. (510) 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org

Donna Sachet and Harry Denton host the fabulous weekly brunch and drag show. $45. 11am, show at noon; 1:30pm, show at 2:30pm. 450 Powell St. in Union Square. 395-8595. www.harrydenton.com

Exhibit of paintings and video by the sexy Israeli painter whose homoerotic art has an iconic rough edge. Exhibit thru Oct. 4122 18th St. at Castro. www.alexislekat.net www.magnetsf.org

Frank D’Ambrosio @ ArtHaus Broadway singer (Phantom of the Opera) showcases his expressionist paintings. TueFri 11am-6pm. Sat 12pm-5pm. Thru Dec. 23. 411 Brannan St. www.arthaus-sf.com

Smack Dab @ Magnet Larry-bob Roberts and Kirk Read cohost the eclectic, often queer reading and open mic night; special guest, Brooklyn performer Yolo. 8pm. 4122 18th St. www.yolothepoet.com www.magnetsf.org

Alonzo King Lines Ballet and Mark I. Chester’s Birthday Benefit, both Fri.

Pearls Over Shanghai @ The Hypnodrome

Mark I. Chester

Thrillpeddlers’ revival of the comic mock operetta by Link Martin and Richard Koldewyn, performed by the gender-bending Cockettes decades ago, and loosely based on the 1926 play The Shanghai Gesture; with an all-star cast. $30-$69. 18 and over only!

Extended, Sat 8pm, Sun 7pm, thru Dec 19.

575 10th St. at Division. (800) 838-3006. www.thrillpeddlers.com

Sesame Street: A Celebration @ Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Classic, rare, and never-seen footage f the amazing longest-running children’s show in TV history, and its adorable Jim Henson Muppets. Inside the Sesame Street Vault (Oct 16, 2pm); Music of Sesame Street (Oct 21, 7:30pm, Oct 23, 2pm); Muppets History 201 (Oct. 28, 7:30pm, Oct. 30 2pm). $6$8. 701 Mission St. 978-2787. www.ybca.org

Liz Dale and Ken Gorzyca lead a class in finding your power animal, via drumming and meditation. Bring a drum, rattle, eyecover and mat to sit on. 10am-12pm. 1800 Market St., Room 300. www.sfcenter.org

All About Evil @ Victoria Theatre Peaches Christ and the Midnight Mass Players bring you a creepy hilarious 4D in-person showing of the indie hit horror flick. Dress up in “Gore Couture” for a chance to win prizes. $20.

8pm. Thru Oct. 24 (also at 11pm).

2961 16th St. www.peacheschrist.com

RJ Muna

Shamanism Class @ LGBT Center

Thu 21 >> April Martin Chartrand @ Green Arcade

Trolley Dances @ Muni Trains 7th annual dance concert on the N Judah Muni train, with Kim Epifano’s Epiphany Productions, Joe Goode Performance Group, Sara Shelton Mann, Ensohza Minyoshu, Christine Bonansea-2x3 Project; Sunset Chinese Folk Dance Group and others. Free with Muni ticket ($2). 11am2:45pm. Also Oct. 17. Harvey Milk Center, Scott St. at Duboce. 226-1139. www.epiphanydance.org

Mon 18 >>

Vintage SF Movies, Goofus & Gallant @ Oddball Film

Ten Percent @ Comcast 104

Vintage home movies shot in San francisco, including 1976 Flame: San Francisco Drag Queens and pre-1906 footage! $10. 8pm.

At 10pm, hilarious collection of short films about bullies, sports, Personal Hygiene for Boys, The Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy. $10. 275 Capp St. 558-8117. www.oddballfilm.com

Writers With Drinks @ The Make Out Room Authors Marcia Clark, Ken Scholes, Jamie Freveletti, Stephen O’Connor, Kirya Traber and Daniel Allen Cox, with host Charlie Jane Anders. $5-$10. 7:30pm. 3225 22nd St. www.writerswithdrinks.com www.makeoutroom.com

JB Higgins @ A Different Light Exhibit of erotic black and white male nude photos.Thru Oct. 15. 489 Castro St. www.adlbooks.com

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

Will Durst @ The Rrazz Room Smart comic takes on political controveries with deft humor. $25. 8pm. Also Oct. 25 & Nov. 1. 2-drink min. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 468-3399. www.TheRrazzRoom.com

Tue 19 >>

Author and illustrator of Angel’s Destiny discusses her work, also Imani M. Harrington discusses her anthology Positive/Negative, a collection of plays about HIV/AIDS by women of color. 7pm. 1680 Market St. 431-6800. www.TheGreenArcade.com

Celebrating Fabled Asp @ SF Public Library Fabulous Activist Bay Area Lesbians with Disabilities: a 40 Year Retrospective, an exhibit of photographs, ephemera, and related events. Exhibit thru Nov. 23, 6th floor Skylight Gallery. 100 Larkin St. www.fabledasp.com www.sfpl.org

Jo Scott-Coe @ Books Inc. Author of Teacher at Point Blank discusses her work in high schools and the frustrations of the profession. 7:30pm. 2275 Market St. at Noe. 864-6777. www.booksinc.net

The Kids Are All Right @ Castro Theatre Annette Benning, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo star in the feel-good movie about lesbian parents and a donor dad. $7-$10. 2:30, 4:45, 7pm, 9:10. 429 Castro St. www.castrotheatre.com

Dame Cleo Lane @ The Rrazz Room

Moises Kaufman @ Jewish Community Center

Dancing in the Streets @ Castro Plaza

Enjoy a concert with jazz royalty, one of the finest singing voices in the genre.

Jacqui Dankworth opens. $42-$50. 8pm thru Oct 23. Oct. 24 at 4pm. 2-drink min.

Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 4683399. www.TheRrazzRoom.com

Free partnered dance lessons with music by Emily Anne’s Delights. 1pm-4pm. Noe St. at Market. www.QueerJitterbug.com

Daniel Allen Cox @ A Different Light

Writer-director of the acclaimed The Laramie Project, the stage play about the Matthew Shepard murder, discusses his work with Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Tony Taccone. $10-$20. 7pm. (The Laramie Project, Ten Years Later, an Epilogue, performed Oct 22 & 23, 8pm).

3200 California St. at Presidio. 2921233. www.jccsf.org

Sun 17 >> Happy Hour @ Energy Talk Radio Interview show with gay writer Adam Sandel as host. 8pm. www.EnergyTalkRadio.com

Holly Near @ La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley Singer-activist performs a rare local concert in a benefit for Educación Popular en Salud of Chile. $23-$25 7pm. 3105 Shattuck Ave. (510) 849-2568. www.lapena.org

Liberace and his Spectacular Crystal Closet @ KALX Out in the Bay producer/host Eric Jansen’s audio documentary about the flamoyant en-

Reading and discussion with th author of Krakow Melt, a Lambda Literary Award nominee, about two Polish gay radical pyromaniacs. 7:30pm. 489 Castro St. www.adlbooks.com

Funny Tuesdays @ Harvey’s Ronn Vigh hosts the weekly LGBT and gay-friendly comedy night. One drink or menu item minimum. 9pm. 500 Castro St. at 18th. 431-HARV. www.harveyssf.com

Suggestions of a Life Being Lived @ SF CameraWork Group exhibit of contemporary photos visualizing queer activism, gay communities, and homos in public spaces, including works by Steven Miller, Killer Banshee Studios, Gay Shame, Kirstyn Russell, Jeannie Simms and others. Tue-Sat 12pm5pm thru Oct. 23. 657 Mission St. 2nd floor. 512-2020. www.sfcamerawork.org

Yoga Classes @ The Sun Room Heated, healing weekly yoga classes in a new location. Suggested donation $10-20. 12pm1pm. Tue & Thu. 2390 Mission St, 3rd floor.

794-4619. www.billmohleryoga.com

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

Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication.

www.ebar.com

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

FILM

Documentary inclinations Highlights from the 9th San Francisco DocFest

by David Lamble ancel your cable or Direct TV! Seriously, the San Francisco Documentary Festival (Roxie Theatre, Oct. 14-28) offers a variety and quality of reality TV that put the 500-channel universe to shame.

Sometimes the titles alone provide hard clues: I’m into seeing Miss Landmine, focusing on an-only-inCambodia “Miss Landmine pageant” (10/16, 18), and OC87: The Obsessive Compulsive, Major Depression, Bipolar, Asperger’s Movie (10/16, 20) – how can this movie possibly disappoint? For those films whose titles don’t sell them sight-unseen, here’s a guide to some of my personal favorites. As is usually the case with the folks at SF IndieFest, there are special parties and after-film drink-a-thons galore. Info: www.sfindie.com.

May I Be Frank Brace yourselves for a “feel good” doc that earns its good vibrations. This is the hard-tobelieve, heartfelt story of how a grotesquely overweight, multiple-addicted, divorced, 54-year-old, bornin-Brooklyn wreck of a guy finds salvation at a SF vegan restaurant under the watchful eyes of four 20something sweethearts: Conor Gaffney, Gregg Marks, Cary Mosier and Ryland Engelhart. This quartet of amigos operate the Café Gratitude, where, to their surprise and delight, Frank Ferrante stumbled in out of the sun, needing a total makeover.

“The Boys” loved Frank for his hyper-profane, Sicilian-influenced wit. The Boys had an offer Frank didn’t refuse: empty his fridge, toss out his microwave and eat all meals for 42 days at the café – plus agree to a daily 12-step-style affirmation that alone would have kicked in Frank’s gag reflex if the morning glass of slimy green stuff didn’t do the trick.

42 days later and 110 lbs. lighter, Frank, the brutally candid star of his own recovery, has kicked hepatitis C, undergone three colonics and found forgiveness from his long-suffering family. It’s not all sunshine and lollypops, but May I Be Frank succeeds in portraying the vegan lifestyle as something beyond the punchline to a New Age joke. (10/17, 22, 25) Coming Back for More Dutch doc-maker Willem Alkema achieves his dream: spotlighting the nowreclusive one-time Bay Area rock star Sly Stone, who agrees to his first interview in more than 20 years.

(10/17, 28) Adam Blank Gets a Vasectomy The doc-maker concludes that three kids is enough, and decides to treat his frau and us to the blow-by-blow account of getting his sperm ducts

Marc Willighagen

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Reclusive rock star Sly Stone is interviewed in Coming Back for More.

snipped. We’re spared nothing, including a buddy’s description of the turbo-charged orgasms he’s experiencing after the change. From the All Kinds of Love program. (10/17, 20) Family Affair Chico David Colvard turns a harsh light on the issues of molestation and pedophilia that have affected two generations of his family. This is a modern classic that’s sure to be tough viewing for survivors of hardcore dysfunctional families. Colvard’s family is an especially pertinent model because of its unique composition. It begins when an African-American GI weds a German woman and they proceed to have a large family.

Colvard finds a unique hook for his story in the most memorable moment from his childhood, when he accidentally shoots one of his sisters with one of his ex-soldier dad’s guns.

The resulting tumult reveals a shameful family secret: that dad has been serially molesting his three girls since each was about five. The ensuing scandal puts dad in jail for a year, but the fallout convinces mom that her daughters are bizarrely attached to her husband’s dastardly affections.

Mom abandons the family, and three decades later, Colvard returns home with his camera and a determination to track the story of his clan’s downfall, however painful. It’s a story that unflinchingly tackles race, abuse and family, in a manner that you’ll appreciate once you’ve recovered from the queasy feelings evoked. (10/15, 18) Eat the Sun This thorough study of the strange network of folks who live to gaze straight into the sun benefits from its cast of compelling oddballs. Doc-maker Peter Sorcher likes to tease us with possibly unreliable

statements before catching some of his witnesses in the logical contradictions of their solar worship. Compellingly shot, but I wouldn’t abandon conventional wisdom on this subject just yet. (10/14, 18, 20) Dreamland The fall of Iceland – including the destruction by the Alcoa Co. of some of the world’s most valuable natural spaces – due to homegrown greed and corruption is imaginatively and exhaustively explored in this lyrical doc from Thorfinnur Gudnason and Andri Snaer Magnason. (10/24, 27) Requiem for Bobby Fischer Bobby, we hardly knew ye. Igor Stevanovic provides a Serbian spin on the late enfant terrible American chess champ, illustrated with newly uncovered archival footage of Fischer during his brief heyday. You may tire of the format as I did, but the sincerity of these aging Serb chess veterans is palpable. There’s much to be said for their belief that Bobby Fischer was a victim of cold war politics whose legacy includes making chess the big-money world game it is today. (10/24, 25) American: The Bill Hicks Story Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas’ UK doc explores the late “outlaw” American comic with performance footage, animation and chats with friends and fans. (10/15, 19) Bas! Beyond the Red Light Wendy Champagne probes the lives of 13 girls sharing a dorm after being removed from Mumbai brothels, in reputedly the world’s largest red-light district. (10/23, 25) Giants Jim Dever gets you closer than you may have wanted to get to those record-breaking pumpkins in Half Moon Bay. (10/21, 24, 27)▼

Scene from Eat the Sun.

Courtesy SF DocFest

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

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TV

Imagine no bully boys W

tunity to remind people that there’s a child next door somewhere like she once was who is gay, lesbian or transgender (or who maybe isn’t, but people think so because a boy is too effeminate, or a girl is too tomboyish), who is getting the physical and emotional crap beat out of them. And no one is stopping it.

A host of celebrities spoke out about the Clementi suicide. Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard. Tim Gunn, top fashionista and one of the gayest men on TV. A very pregnant Alicia Keyes, who once got her share of bullying by people insisting she was queer because she had a lesbian affect. Queer-friendly Kathy Griffin. Oprah. Hillary Swank, who won an Oscar for playing murdered transwoman Brandon Teena. So many others. Even New Jersey’s Republican Gov. Chris Christie spoke out about the tragedy, choking back tears as he did so. Let’s hope he remembers Clementi when he thinks about signing anti-gay legislation.

Notably absent in the lineup of national names eager to lend their voices to the anti-bullying campaign: anyone from the Obama Administration, or the First Lady, who is, after all, a mother. So much for that selfproclaimed “fierce advocate of LGBT people” in the White House.

Nightline also devoted attention to the issue, and made the important point that Clementi’s roommates were very regular kids. These kids were not the ogres we think of when we think of bullies. These were not Nelson on The Simpsons, but Molly Wei, a very pretty young woman, smiling out of her high school graduation photo, and the handsome young Dharun Ravi, both 18. Neither looked mean or frightening or like they had any axes to grind. They

A prince of peace: musician and poet John Lennon in the 1970s.

looked totally normal, which is the point: it’s become the new normal to bully other kids to death.

One voice we were glad to hear was that of the Silver Fox, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, whose own brother committed suicide by jumping from the window of the family’s apartment right in front of Cooper’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. Cooper rarely talks about the tragedy, but felt this was a time when mentioning it was apropos.

In his interview with Ellen, Cooper took actor Vince Vaughan to task about a line in Vaughan’s upcoming

film The Dilemma , in which Vaughan’s character says at a meeting, “Electric cars are gay.”

Anderson told Ellen that the use of “gay” as a pejorative had to stop – that this was the most basic form of bullying because it created an us vs. them scenario, thus made the bullying of queer kids and students easier.

Cooper did not use this occasion to come out on Ellen’s show, however.

We couldn’t agree more with Cooper, or with Ellen. We are what we speak. And when we speak hate, bad things happen. Clementi is dead, and Wei and Ravi are now universally reviled. We’re pretty sure they’ve gotten threats themselves now and are on the other side of the bullying scenario. It’s a vicious cycle that can only end when the bullying stops.

We’d like to see the First Lady take on this issue, as she seems to have a great deal of free time, and since she has two young children, she knows firsthand that bullying can touch any child at any point.

Another big queer TV news story this week had bullying at its core: When do hate speech and bullying cross a legal line? That was the crux of the argument before the US

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and/or tears in everyone but the terminally hard-hearted, as Oscar Wilde once noted. When one is sick, TV is e celebrated what would right there to either comfort or make have been the 70th birthday things a whole lot worse, depending of John Lennon on Oct. 9. on what one is watching. There was a Lennon first hit the US TV screens on lot of worse this past week on the The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and he tube, and most of it had to do with appeared on the tube with both the the fact that bullying has become a Beatles and solo, and on talk shows national (and international) pastime. like Dick Cavett’s over the years. His Our own national leadership, and we last TV appearance was on the news, mean both sides of the aisle, seems to when he was murdered in 1980. be setting the tone for everyone else.

Lennon never won the Nobel If the people in office and people Peace Prize, but he did dedicate himrunning for office are doing it, how self to peace, and to a nonviolent can we complain when kids do it? world in which bullying of Who are they learning from? all kinds was anatheCase in point: We’re no fan ma. Network news of Meg Whitman, but callwas full of appreciaing her a “whore” is totally tions of Lennon on out of line from the his 70th, with attenMoonbeam team. And we tion to the mamdon’t mean to single out moth celebration in Jerry, we just expect New York’s Central so much more from Park and Washinghis side.

L AVENDER T UBE ton Square. We We were heartimagine Lennon ened, if such a terriwould have spoken ble event can be seen to have any out about Tyler Clementi’s suicide positive side to it, that the suicide of and what drove him to it. And that Tyler Clementi, the 19-year-old Ruthe would still be speaking out against gers student and violin virtuoso who the wars and against torture. We jumped off a bridge after being bruimagine that he would still be repristally outed by his roommates via the ing one of his most famous songs.

Internet, received so much attention We just wish others would imagine on the tube. We aren’t sure exactly the same: “Imagine, A brotherhood why this suicide vs. many others over of man./ Imagine all the people, the past few years was so compelling sharing all the world./ You may say to TV news, pundits, tabloids and I’m a dreamer,/ But I’m not the only talk shows, but we are still grateful one./ I hope someday you’ll join us,/ for the coverage. Because the bullyAnd the world will live as one.” ing has to stop, and TV is our best We’ve been pretty sick this week medium for that message. (get your flu shots, and no, you can’t As usual, our gal Ellen was frontget the flu from the shot!). We tend and-center on the issue because, well, to be both crankier and more prone she does that. She knows what her to tears when we feel ghastly. Some role is as America’s most likable lesthings bring out the crankiness bian, and she never misses an oppor-

by Victoria A. Brownworth

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

SOCIETY

Steven Underhill

Fleet Week on the Embarcadero last weekend.

October surprises pearance, was assisted by her small dog outfitted in a tiny goat costume, to the delight of the lunch-hour auast Thursday, Swiss Internationdience. al Airlines and the Swiss tourism We have known Paula West for industry teamed up to host a quite some time and have always adHeidi Look-Alike Contest at Justin mired her incredible vocal talent, Herman Plaza. Over 25 entrants comstage presence, and unique styling peted for the first prize of two busitechniques, so we were thrilled to ness-class tickets to Zurich and varjoin Joe Mac at Herbst ious gift certificates, judged Theatre last weekend for by a panel which included a concert there with her Joe D’Allessandro of the and the George MesterSF Convention & Visitors hazy Quartet, part of San Bureau, Hooman of Alice Francisco Performances’ 31st Radio, and this humble reseason. She performed beauporter. Popular radio persontifully many selecalities Fernando tions from her Ventura and Greg top-selling CDs, O N T HE T OWN Sherrell did an exand seemed cellent job of runamused to be tryning the contestants through their ing out new material on an attentive paces. Most were authentic-looking, audience. West is off this week to a wholesome Heidi look-alikes, but prestigious and well-deserved gig at AEF/BCEF executive director Mike the Michael Feinstein cabaret room Smith surprised everybody by apin New York City. pearing in drag as the modern-day Saturday afternoon we joined a Heidi, now in her 80s, with a walker, small group at a private home for a glasses, and other signs of aging. Anface-to-face with Senator Barbara other stand-out was Mitch Koonce, Boxer, facing a tough reelection camwho created a Swiss horizon on his paign. As the Blue Angels began their bare shoulders, complete with farm annual roar over crystal-clear skies, animals, and a colorfully painted skySenator Boxer tried to rally the line across his face. The winning controops to get out the vote in Novemtestant, much more traditional in apber. Notable faces in the room were

by Donna Sachet

L

C

Leslie Katz, Jim Hammer, Bill Hemenger, Rebecca Prozan, Richard Morehead, Julian Chang, and Will Whitaker.

We frankly had no idea what to expect of Drag Queens of Comedy at the Castro Theatre, but we certainly admired Sasha Soprano for courageously assembling a stellar cast in a fabulous venue on a Saturday night.

As soon as we arrived, this event had success written all over it! The line extended down the block, and the audience already inside was boisterous. To say that there were no holds barred would be an understatement, as performer after performer challenged the boundaries of socially acceptable humor and kept the nearcapacity audience in stitches. Charisma Glitterati’s opening number was full of sass and attitude. Sasha Soprano lived up to her reputation for bold, unapologetic humor. Heklina demonstrated new vocal skills and fresh comedic timing, Lady Bunny delivered her irreverent and crowdpleasing musical parodies, Coco Peru performed flawlessly and confidently, Nikki Starr brought her high-energy Gospel message, Shangela channeled her darker twin sister, and Jackie Beat wrapped things up with a

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Coming up in leather & kink >> Thu., Oct. 14: Underwear Night at The Powerhouse (1347 Folsom), 10 p.m. Wet undie contest and drink specials. Go to www.powerhouse-sf.com.

Thu., Oct. 14: Edges Wet Munch at Renegades Bar (501 W. Taylor St., San Jose), 7 p.m. Happy hour for the sexpositive and alternative communities, 4-7 p.m. Go to: www.edges.biz.

Thu., Oct. 14: First Hand: a Spanking and Paddling Playshop at the SF Citadel (1277 Mission St.). Doors open at 7 p.m., workshop 7:30-10 p.m. Admission is $15-$25, sliding scale. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Fri., Oct. 15: Backpack! Hot Buns contest/entertainment at The Powerhouse, seeking the “best buns in San Francisco.” Winner takes $100, backside becomes the model for next month’s poster. $5 suggested donation, money raised goes to the AIDS Emergency Fund and Under One Roof. Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com.

Fri., Oct. 15: Rope at Chaps Bar (1225 Folsom). Hosted by Jorge Vieto of the Leather-Kink Network from Stop AIDS . Go-go studs at 10:30 p.m., free coat check. Go to: www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com.

Fri.-Sat., Oct. 15-16: Octoberfist Weekend hosted by Hell Hole and Fist Ffest at the Cathedral City Boy’s Club in Palm Springs, CA. Go to: www.fistfest.com.

Fri., Oct. 15: Open Play Party at the SF Citadel, 8 p.m.1 a.m. $25 per person. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Fri., Oct. 15: Exiles Monthly Program: Letting Your Beast Out - Conscious Sadism with Cleo Dubois at The Women’s Building (3543 18th St.), 8-10 p.m. Admission: $4 members, $10 guests. Go to: www.theexiles.org.

Fri., Oct. 15: Exiles Post-Program Coffee Social at the Wicked Grounds (289 8th St.). After the program, come hang out with Exiles attendees, 10:15 p.m.-close. Go to: www.wickedgrounds.com.

Sat., Oct. 16: Back Bar Action at The Eagle Tavern (398 12th St.). Back patio and bar opened to all

gear/fetish/leather. 10 p.m. to close. Go to: www.sfeagle.com.

Sat., Oct. 16: Boot Lickin’ at The Powerhouse, 10 p.m.

Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com.

Sat., Oct. 16: Uniforms at Chaps Bar. Lots of drink specials. Go to: www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com.

Sat., Oct. 16: Open Play Party at the SF Citadel, 8 p.m.1 a.m. $25 per person. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Sun., Oct. 17: Castrobear presents the launch of a new monthly party: Sunday SCRUFFy Sunday at 440 Castro, 410 p.m. Go to: www.castrobear.com.

Sun., Oct. 17: PoHo Sundays at The Powerhouse. DJ Keith, dollar drafts all day. Go to: www.powerhousesf.com.

Mon., Oct. 18: Dominant Discussion Group (DDG) at the SF Citadel. Doors open at 7 p.m., discussion 7:30-9:30 p.m. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Tue., Oct. 19: 12-Step Kink Recovery Group at the SF Citadel, 6:30-8 p.m. Go to: www.sfcitadel.org.

Tue., Oct. 19: Ink & Metal followed by Nasty at The Powerhouse, 9 p.m. Celebrate your tats and piercings, then have some nasty fun! Go to: www.powerhouse-sf.com.

Wed., Oct. 20: Underwear Buddies at Blow Buddies (933 Harrison), doors open 8 p.m.-12 a.m., play til late.

Go to: www.blowbuddies.com.

Wed., Oct. 20: Busted! at Chaps Bar, 9 p.m. This week’s edition: Pits (if you love men’s aromatic pits, this is the place for you). Go to: www.chapsbarsanfrancisco.com.

Wed., Oct. 20: SoMa Men’s Club. Every Wed., SoMa clubs (Chaps, Powerhouse, Truck, Lone Star, Hole in the Wall, The Eagle) have specials for those who have the Men’s Club dogtags. See your favorite SoMa bar for details.

Send listings to: leather@ebar.com. ▼

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14 October 2010 . eBAR.com . BAY AREA REPORTER

KARRNAL

Sexpertise panel

by John F. Karr t’s pretty much a Power to the People sort of thing. Except in this instance, it’s Porn to the People. It’s the annual Good Vibrations Indie Erotic Film Festival, which in the middle of September concluded its fifth year at the Castro Theatre with a clutch of independently made hetero films. For the first time this year, the event had a specifically gay evening.

On one special night at the Nob Hill Theatre, a couple of entries were screened, a panel of the evening’s filmmakers augmented by little ol’ me waxed eloquent about gay sexography, and, as a boner bonus, a pretty thrilling live performance capped the evening.

All thanks to the Nob Hill management for hosting the evening. I hadn’t known until I arrived at the Bruno Bond and Steve Cruz have a real connection. theatre that this year is its 40th anniversary. Pretty impressive. The news made me nostalgic. Back in the friends who not only contemplate tured were disarming and hot. late 70s, the auditorium of the Nob making it with each other, but then, Panel moderator Dr. Carol Queen Hill Theatre is where I learned a very in a sweet, jocular and nonetheless jovially posed three questions to the special skill: how to take notes in the sexy way, end up Making It. We saw panelists. First, what makes good dark. Here’s the secret: you won’t actual spontaneity, with true and not porn? The illusion of spontaneity have to look down if you use your manufactured pleasure, as their sex aland connection, as well as the perthumb as a line-marker, and slide it ternated with and ultimately comformers’ erotic chemistry and, espedown the page as you write. bined fun with serious, whimsy with cially, that rarity, emotional connecAt any rate, this time I wasn’t butch. Though inadvertently, it also tion (illustrated particularly well in there to take notes (although I did), let us see how packaged a commodity the accompanying photo of Bruno but to see some indie erotica, and mainstream porn has become.

Bond and Steve Cruz). Answering voice an opinion or two. If I hadn’t It was unfortunate that why porn is important, the panelists been brain dead after an unsome health problems concurred in its educational aspects. usually taxing work week, I prevented the project enIn a country that will not touch gay would have been cowed visioned by Titan from sex education for young adults, porn about chatting with the being completed. So fills the gap. We all, as well, felt refilmmakers before the some of their trailers sponsibility to our audience. Represcreenings began. I diddemonstrated how the senting gay sex in a positive way gives n’t initially realize the company takes risks in demeaning to our careers. status and creativity of parting from standard When asked what would I like to the group. I was unfafare. This had a side efsee in porn, I knew my answer pronmiliar with the fect, too – it proved that to. I want it to be more film-like. The panel’s lone lady, K ARRNAL all things that were once laughed when I mentioned Shine Louise HousK NOWLEDGE deep, dark secrets of sex- directors being impressed recently by a sexo ton, and I’d met Titan uality have been pretty that actually used dissolves. They also director Brian Mills much mainstreamed. wanted varying body types, less formany a time. But if I’d been less brain Then came something truly promula, and, most of all, more creative dead, I’d have been nervous to meet gressive and provocative. Shine options. Which made me wonder, some mighty well-known guys. Tim Louise Houston was known for makHow tightly are the boundaries selfValenti and Jack Shamama repreing lesbian erotica, but recently foimposed? Why don’t they just do it? sented Naked Sword; Paul Wilde has cused on masculine porn. This “realbeen directing Titan Media’s Rough And then, someone Did It. Right in ity porn” features some biological line of fetish films; and Titan behindfront of us. Live sex, just like live theguys as well as some transmen. I was the-scene wiz Patrick O’Connor has atre, with its palpable sweat and skill so intrigued by the short films that I had an impressive career in front of and energy, is mighty special. This was immediately checked out her webTitan’s cameras. My god, I’ve redemonstrated by the evening’s MC, site, HeavenlySpire.com, and will reviewed these guys! the redoubtable Michael Brandon, port on it soon. It’s a curious thing, They didn’t hold that against me, who wrapped things up by getting out to watch two guys with pussies makthough, and all-too-soon we were there with his very hot boy, Gabriel, ing out – it’s an entirely new sort of watching the event’s entries. Up first and having some sizzling sex right in masculine energy. The two guys feawas Tim and Jack’s movie about two front of us. Yow.▼

Courtesy Raging Stallion

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On the Town no-nonsense, scalding ridicule of the current state of entertainment. We would be remiss if we did not mention the clever cameo appearances of Sandra O. Noshi-D’int and Turleen.

With so much talent, such an involved audience, and a great location, Drag Queens of Comedy was a great success that warrants a repeat performance soon. Don’t miss the next one!

Our weekend ended at the old Trocadero for Remember the White Party with DJ Jerry Bonham, featuring classic disco music and a silent auction of Donna Summer musical memorabilia benefiting Under One Roof. You can always count on this dance party to bring out a happy crowd reliving the halcyon days of disco!

Tomorrow night, Fri., Oct. 15, the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund once again hosts This Old Bag, an annual auction of unique, luxury, and celebrity handbags during a festive evening of cocktails and appetizers at the St. Regis Hotel from 6:30-9:30 p.m. A limited live auction will pair handbags with travel packages, including trips to Zurich, Paris, and LA. American Idol season 9 winner Lee Dewyze will make a special appearance.

On Sat., Oct. 16, you’ll have to select from two major fundraisers. The

Steven Underhill

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Biutiful director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is besieged by entertainment journalists at a screening at the Mill Valley Film Festival last week.

first is Round About Midnight, SF Night Ministry’s annual fundraiser at Urban Life Center on O’Farrell St., featuring entertainment by the Brad Niven Group, dinner, and extensive live and silent auctions. This is always a lively evening, enabling Night Ministry to provide care, counseling, referral, and crisis intervention to many troubled individuals. Night Ministry deserves your generous support.

Also on Sat. night, the Lorraine

Hansberry Theatre hosts a fundraiser at the St. Francis Hotel celebrating 30 years of theater focused on African American playwrights and youth development. After suffering the sudden loss of its home theatre several years ago, then the tragic death of its leaders Stanley Williams and Quentin Easter earlier this year, the LHT is working hard to move forward. This dinner benefit will ensure that this historic theatre group continues its mission.▼

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BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com . 14 October 2010

ARTS

Connie Francis ▼

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men who he allowed to come within a 10-mile radius of me. One was about to be ordained as a priest, and the other was a homosexual.”

That marriage, to Joe Garzilli, lasted seven years, and ended during one of her all-time low periods. “After the rape, my brother being murdered, and losing my voice, I was a shell of my old self. Being with me at that time was not on anyone’s bucket list.“ Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in the ItalianAmerican neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey, which arguably makes her the original Jersey girl. How does she feel about the current media craze for all things Jersey?

“Jersey Boys was the best Broadway show I’ve ever seen, but I only watched the first 15 minutes of Jersey Shore. I think it’s a disgrace that this is the kind of garbage we’re letting kids watch,” she said. “I’ve never seen The Real Housewives of New Jersey, but it couldn’t be any worse.”

After nine years of her father committing her to mental institutions, Francis eventually reconciled with him before his death. The silver lining of that experience is that she’s now the national spokesperson for Mental Health America (www.nmha.org). “With Obama’s health care program, you can now receive mental health coverage the same way that people are covered for physical disorders,” she said.

When she’s not performing or volunteering for worthy causes, Francis is a political-news buff and a pas-

– Connie Francis Connie Francis today.

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Lavender Tube ▼

and the Times) or the drunken, knockabout months of their madcap Hamburg days (Backbeat), Nowhere Boy reveals the childhood scars of a boy yet to be “more famous than Jesus.” Before he learned to translate his poetry into lyrics, the lad is torn between riotously incompatible mommy figures. Kristin Scott Thomas nimbly shows us what a drag a good role model can be, then neatly subverts her uptight aunty with a searing peek at a strong woman who saved a fragile boy from the train wreck of recklessly flighty young parents thrown together while Liverpool was under German bombing raids.

Duff, who’s got the showy, awardbait part, captivates in an emotionally punishing role. She’s the seductress refusing to act her age who treats her only son as her secret lover, only to

drop him when the stress of this unnatural highwire act causes her to retreat into clinical depression.

Once you get over the fact that none of the talented actor lads playing Lennon’s first band, The Quarrymen, bear much of a physical resemblance to the soon-to-be fab moptops John, Paul and George, the backstage fistfights between a bullying, cocky Lennon and smooth, pretty-boy, girlmagnet Paul (Thomas Brodie Sangster) are an intriguing dress rehearsal for the band that will soon rock our worlds. Warning: the Quarrymen’s skiffle-influenced tunes are mainly interesting for the glimpse of an embryonic sound nurtured by young musicians who got off to showing off for friends and the hometown crowd.

To his credit, Johnson resists an Ian Hart-style mimicking of the

Lennon we thought we knew, instead basing his character on a boy’s sly attempts to turn his real pain into the grist for perhaps the most iconic of 60s rebels. Johnson is deft at capturing an uptight lad who could punch Paul’s lights out one minute, and the next minute hug him like a brother for the shared pain of their messy mama issues.

I’ve often reflected that the Beatles, as seen in the Marx Bros.-influenced Hard Day’s Night, were the nihilistic pop incubator for my homo love. Nowhere Boy is the story of that incubator’s construction, and an odd owner’s manual for re-imagining your re-mastered Beatles discs.

My Dog Tulip Christopher Isherwood hailed J.R. Ackerley’s memoir of the decade-and-a-half he spent all-but-married to his Alsatian bitch Queenie as a classic animal book.

Paul and Sandra Fierlinger use a hand-drawn animation style that produces images with the texture and subtlety of watercolors. It’s a kind of interactive Ackerley, the drawings cleverly supplemented by the author’s text to flesh out the story of an openly gay bachelor, resigned to never finding his human “perfect friend,” who learns to his amusement and chagrin how to satisfy a very demanding canine companion.

The Fierlingers’ palette, seamlessly shifting from muted to robust color depending on mood and location, is amplified by stellar voice work. Christopher Plummer provides a wry, witty view of a literary man’s struggle with dog poop, the hi-

all American soldiers are dying because the US supports and tolerates homosexuality. Right. Apparently they haven’t heard of DOMA and DADT. Watch the video. It’s enlightening. And very much part of the national debate on bullying.

the political radar screen and the American TV news (because BBC and European news are still reporting what we do, even if we do not).

So the Peace Prize was more carte blanche to maintain and ratchet up the most egregious elements of the Bush Administration than it was impetus to actually, you know, doing something peaceful. Need we remind the faithful that Obama has also filed briefs to eviscerate Miranda, extend warrantless wiretapping (which he voted for as a senator) and tap into the Internet trails of Americans? So much for Mr. Peace.

Our unalloyed outrage (in which we were far from alone) at the inappropriateness of last year’s award (and remember, we voted for the guy) was mitigated by the appropriateness of this year’s award. Chinese writer/literature professor/dissident Liu Xiaobo is what the Peace Prize is supposed to be about: The 54-yearold was a leader of the Tiananmen Square revolt in 1989, and in the years since has spent repeated periods in prison at hard labor for “offenses against the state,” more time than he has with his wife, whom he always refers to as his “sweetheart.”

In December 2009, he was convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” for writing things much like what we wrote above about President Obama. He is currently serving an 11-year sentence. Lui Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel for “his long and nonviolent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.”

When the award was announced, Chinese TV went black for eight minutes, the length of the announcement. China expressed outrage at the award, and responded that Liu Xiaobo was a criminal and the award an insult to China.

Two years, two prizes, two very different perspectives. It seems to us, looking over past winners, that personal suffering and loss go with this award. Or should. And that the Nobel Committee must make it a point to never again give a warmonger or bully the award, but to reserve it for people like Liu Xiaobo, whose concern for freedom for all has superceded everything else in his life.

When we think of Liu Xiaobo in prison and separated from his “sweetheart” at this most difficult time in his life, we can’t help but think of all the men and women in the US military dealing with a similar level of separation due to DADT. Maintaining DADT is bullying at an institutional level. Every single person involved in keeping DADT in place is a bully. Especially our “fierce advocate.”

Bullying has long been an issue that Oprah has dealt with over the years. She’s done groundbreaking shows on the ostracization of people with HIV/AIDS, and on the hell queer and transgender kids go through. She’s taken her show to the schools to deal with bullying firsthand. In her farewell season, she’s revisiting some of her past “big” shows, and this week she brought back the

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Quarry Bank,” to which a cheeky Lennon replies, “There’s no room for genius, sir.”

At the outset, Aaron Johnson’s Lennon shows precious few signs of genius. A virtual outcast at school, the gangly 15-year-old is most at ease scribbling small poems into a notebook, or lying in his room, feet splayed up on the wall listening to England’s man of a thousand accents Peter Sellers, and BBC Radio’s surreal Goon Show with his Uncle George, while prim and proper Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) grimly haunts the front parlor with her gramophone. One night, Lennon’s world is shattered when Uncle George falls over dead while they’re listening to the Goons. Shortly after the funeral, Lennon is shocked when a school pal takes him to visit his sassy birth-mom Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), who gives him a guitar, then embarks on what almost reads like an extra-marital affair with him.

Inevitably, Julia’s return threatens and angers Mimi, who eventually spills the beans on Lennon’s twisted birth-story: how he wound up with two moms and a sailor dad who ran away to New Zealand after first threatening to make off with the terrified five-year-old.

While other films have covered the ambiguous shoals of Lennon’s relationship with his tortured, closeted manager Brian Epstein (The Hours

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Supreme Court when it opened for business on the first Monday in October. The hate-mongering Westboro Baptist Church group and their leader, Fred Phelps, are no strangers to the queer community, but now straight people are getting a taste of the Westboro message of anti-gay hate. In recent years, the monomania of the group has begun to transmogrify from the funerals of gay men and those who died of AIDS, which Phelps and his inbred familial gang had been picketing for years, to the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The father of one soldier, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, filed suit against Phelps and his crew, citing infliction of emotional harm when the group picketed the funeral of his son, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2006. A federal court found in favor of Albert Snyder, the father of the dead soldier, but Westboro appealed the ruling.

The case brought new attention to the creepiness of the Phelps brigade. ABC did a series of in-depth interviews with the group for Nightline, which is well worth watching (ABCnews.com/Nightline). It’s unclear why the Phelps family is so focused on homosexuality as the root of all evil, but it does seem to be their modus vivendi. Snyder was not gay, but it is the Phelps’ contention that

sionately born-again progressive. “I was a staunch Republican; I campaigned for Nixon and Reagan, but not any more. I did a 180-degree turnaround, because the Republican Party is not what it used to be.

“This is a very important election coming up in November, and all the people who voted for Obama need to remember we were in far worse shape before. He’s accomplished a great deal of what he set out to do, and the last thing we need is for the GOP to take over again. That would be a disaster.”

So what would Connie Francis have us do? See her in concert on Saturday – and vote in November.▼

‘Jersey Boys’ was the best show I’ve ever seen, but I only watched the first 15 minutes of ‘Jersey Shore.’

I think it’s a disgrace.”

Nowhere Boy Scene from My Dog Tulip.

Nobel news In the News You’re Not Seeing, and speaking of bullies, we were glad that the Nobel Committee regained their rational minds and awarded this year’s Peace Prize to someone actually working for peace. Last year the Committee went a little nuts and awarded the Peace Prize to Barack Obama. At the time, and still, Obama was prosecuting three wars (Pakistan is a third country) and had not lifted a finger to end torture or unmanned drone planes killing civilians in Pakistan. The claim by some members of the committee was that they thought Obama would do peaceful things in the future.

The award seems not to have been too much of an impetus, however, since just last week 24 civilians were killed by US planes in Pakistan, Guantanamo is still open, extraordinary renditions are still taking place, Administration-ordered assassinations are happening, DADT is still operative, and no matter what shell game the Pentagon and White House are playing, 200,000+ troops in Afghanistan and Iraq is still two wars the way we see it, even if the destroyed economy and the upcoming elections have knocked all of this off

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Connie Francis – The Legend Continues at the Castro Theatre, Sat., Oct. 16 at 8 p.m. Tickets ($49-$99) at www.CityBoxOffice.com or (415) 392-4400.

larious saga of looking for Queenie’s perfect mate, and the existential question: Is this all there is?

For those new to Ackerley, this celebrated if minor British writer embodies the tribulations and paradoxes of queer men in the first half of the 20th century. Born out of wedlock to a father who was later discovered to have kept a second family, aware of his sissy disposition but uncomfortable with the messy specificities of sex, served honorably in the Great War but was forever haunted by the death of his brother, got uncomfortably close to a gay Indian prince, he was wildly promiscuous but seldom content. Finally, at the end of his life, he found a measure of literary fame and enough money to kill himself on an “oceanic” diet of gin.

For those leaving My Dog Tulip with the feeling that Ackerley found a compensatory doggy nirvana, this passage from his only novel, We Think the World of You, should give some pause.

“I have lost all my old friends, they fear her and look at me with pity or contempt. We live entirely alone. Unless with her I can never go away. I can scarcely call my own soul my own. Not that I am complaining, oh no, yet sometimes as we sit and my mind wanders back to the past, to my youthful ambitions and the freedom and independence I used to enjoy, I wonder what in the world has happened to me and how it all came about. But that leads me into deep waters, too deep for fathoming, it leads me into the darkness of my own mind.”▼

issue of black men on the down-low, which she first discussed over a decade ago. At the end of the show, a man who had been on her first show about the issue – but who had been backlit and had his voice altered, and who had refused to call himself gay – stepped out of the shadows and onto the stage, and declared himself an out gay man.

He said he feared reprisals, but he had to be honest. A grown man, still having to fear bullying from his peers. That’s where we are as a nation.

So let’s review: this week on the tube we had a TV black-out in China where free speech is disallowed when a national hero was honored, we had celebrities coming out against the bullying of queer kids, and we had Oprah opening the closet door for tortured gay black men.

So when you see bullying, be it on the tube or in your own neighborhood or own government, speak out.

So many have died hoping someone would just say, “No,” stop the violence and live up to the protocols of peace. Tyler Clementi is dead, John Lennon is dead, Liu Xiaobo and so many nameless others are in prison, ordinary queers are being forced by our own government to live a lie even as they risk their lives for this country. Bullying is all around us, it’s institutionalized here just like it is in China, just in a different way. And because of that, we must be vigilant, and we must stay tuned.▼

14 October 2010 . BAY AREA REPORTER . eBAR.com

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