Shifting continents for lesbian mag
Masterpiece theatre
San Francisco-based Curve magazine sold to Australian media company.
‘West Side Story’ returns to San Francisco in a new revival.
see Arts
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BAYAREAREPORTER
Vol. 40
. No. 42 . 21 Ocotober 2010
Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Garcia expects smooth transition
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by Lisa Keen
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Rick Gerharter
Controller’s review sought for Pride by Seth Hemmelgarn upervisors Bevan Dufty and David Campos are asking the board of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee to cooperate with the city controller’s office in an assessment of Pride. The move follows the resignations last week of Amy Andre, Pride’s executive director, and Mikayla Connell, the board president. The two left the organization with a deficit for this year that could be as much as $150,000. That figure includes an estimated $55,000 to $60,000 that is owed to beverage partners from this year’s event. The year saw controversy as beverage partners, typically community organizations who provide volunteers to work drink booths at the event in exchange for a portion of the revenue, received a letter saying that because of an “accounting error,” their cut of proceeds was less than anticipated. Several organizations received thousands of dollars less than they had expected. But Connell eventually said that beverage partners would receive the money after all, and that responsibility for what had happened lay with Andre and the board. Andre, who started with Pride last October, is set to leave November 19. Connell’s resignation was effective immediately. Dufty said Wednesday that he and Campos, the two openly gay members of the board, met with four Pride board members Tuesday, including new co-chairs Shawn Parker and Nikki Calma, to discuss the review. Campos and Dufty have offered to help Pride officials raise money and look for a new executive director. Dufty said that since they’ve offered to help restore Pride’s financial stability and community trust, “we requested the board’s cooperation with a controller’s review and assessment of Pride.” The city’s Grants for the Arts office provided $58,400 to Pride for this year’s events. According to Pride treasurer Belinda Ryan, the same amount will be awarded for fiscal year 2011 and should be available later this month. Dufty said he and Campos met with Controller Ben Rosenfield and his staff Tuesday. He
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Rick Gerharter
overnor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced this week he had tapped an openly gay deputy public defender for a vacancy on the Contra Costa County Superior Court. The selection of Christopher R. Bowen is the governor’s second out judicial pick for the East Bay bench. In February the governor appointed out lesbian Rebecca C. Christopher R. Bowen Hardie, formerly director and counsel for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, to the court. At the time only the second known openly gay person to be picked for a judicial post by the governor, Hardie hears cases out of the court’s Pittsburg courthouse. Bowen, an attorney with the Contra Costa County Public Defender’s office, is believed to be the first out gay man on the county court. He is also the fourth openly gay lawyer in the Bay Area to be given a judicial post by the governor. Last month lesbian lawyer Angela Bradstreet became the second out person appointed by Schwarzenegger to the San Francisco County Superior Court. In June 2009 Judge Ron Albers became the first known openly gay person to be selected by the governor to the state court system when he was appointed to the San Francisco court.
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SF Pride Board members Joshua Smith, Lisa Williams, and Shawn Parker (now board co-chair), former President Mikayla Connell, and board member Todd Torr (back to camera) looked over documents at a board meeting earlier this month, before Connell’s resignation.
said based on the city’s grant to Pride, “We requested the controller do a needs assessment and technical review that will consider some of the key financial issues, as well as governance.” Dufty said the four Pride board members at the meeting supported the request, but indicated they had to get approval from the three who weren’t at the meeting. “It was a good, candid discussion,” said Dufty. He said the controller’s office has a city services team that’s gone into other nonprofits, helped assess their needs, and provided technical support. “I’m not trying to do an A to Z audit,” said Dufty. “ ... We’re trying to get a big picture.” Dufty said that would include a review of the beverage situation and Pride’s deficit. He said the review would also give the controller the chance to ask Pride’s board and staff what they want to improve. He said he sees it as “a collaborative process.” “We expect a fairly short turnaround,” said Dufty. He said if Pride’s board approves the con-
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troller’s office involvement, he and Campos would have “an initial consultation” with the controller in two weeks “to help us understand the parameters and what the issues are.” Campos said Wednesday, “The Pride board, as I understand it, is considering our offer, which is an offer to assist them with the understanding that before that can happen, we need to have a needs assessment from the controller.” He said that he and Dufty “want to be as helpful as we possibly can, but in thinking about our involvement, we believe that before we start talking about specifics about what should be done, we need to have a better grasp of where Pride as an institution is.” Dufty is eager to start fundraising. “I don’t want to sit on my hands waiting for reports,” he said. “We need to move forward and bring in sponsorships and address the shortfall.” “Our goals are transparency, openness, and being honest with the community,” said Dufty. “... I think this process will engender communi-
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by Matthew S. Bajko
iz Angoff and Emily Goodman share a spotlight dance during Marriage Equality USA’s Dance for Equality fundraiser in Oakland Saturday, October 16 at Uptown Body and Fender. Nearly $3,000 was raised for the group’s efforts in achieving marriage equality. A similar dance was held in February and was such a success that they repeated it last weekend. Other entertainment included songs by Molly McKay and Sean Chapin, and a raffle.
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federal judge on Tuesday evening denied the federal government’s request that she stay her decision that the military can no longer discriminate against gay and lesbian service members. That prompted the Department of Justice Judge Virginia Wednesday to request Phillips from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals an emergency stay of the injunction against the anti-gay policy known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Also on Tuesday, Dan Choi, the gay Army officer who was discharged under DADT earlier this year, went to the military recruiting center in Times Square to re-enlist. He emerged from the center saying his paperwork was being processed. Choi was able to sign up because the
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Gay attorney to join Contra Costa court
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DADT is in limbo
Dancing A for equality |
by Matthew S. Bajko n picking Barbara Garcia to be the city’s next public health director, Mayor Gavin Newsom choose a wellliked insider at the Department of Public Health who is expected to oversee a relatively smooth transition Barbara Garcia when longtime Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz steps down in January. Katz has been hired to lead the Los An-
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