photos by Photography By Larry
The Wisdom Project’s 7th Annual Senior Pride was held at the City of Sacramento’s Hart Senior Center on April 27. The event was fun and informative with booths and speakers. Here are some pictures of the event.
In response to a rise in hate crimes and at the start of Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Governor Gavin Newsom, along with the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), today, announced the official launch of CA vs Hate, a new multilingual statewide hotline and website that provides a safe, anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate acts. CA vs Hate is in direct response to the rise in reported hate crimes in California, which in recent years, reached their highest levels since 2001 – jumping almost 33% from 2020 to 2021.
“Here in California, we are sending an unequivocal message that hate will not be tolerated,” said Governor Newsom. “We stand firm for a California for All and it is important that we hold perpetrators accountable for their actions and provide resources for those individuals victimized by hate crimes. Now, Californians have another tool to ensure that not only justice is served, but that individuals have access to additional resources to help deal with the lingering wounds that remain after such a horrendous crime occurs.”
“In California, our diversity is what makes the nation’s most populous state a beautiful and vibrant community,” said First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom at an event in Sacramento launching this new program.
“It’s horrifying that hate crimes are on the rise, and so let it be made clear: we stand with our diverse communities, and we are committed to ensuring they feel safe and heard. There is no room here for bigotry and hate-fueled violence.”
Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance) started the conversation to create a state hotline to report hate crimes in 2021 – this program will help individuals and communities targeted for hate including Asian Americans, Latinos, Black Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, religious minorities, and other communities that make up California’s diversity and strength. Hotline services are confidential and provided free, regardless of immigration status. These services are offered in a culturally competent manner and will help people identify options and next steps after a hate incident or hate crime has occurred. Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline.
“With the launch of the Ca vs Hate Resource Line and Network, we unequivocally state that there is no home or place for hate in California,” said Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “We are doubling down on our commitment to combat hate by embracing the strength of our diversity and empowering Californians with resources and support to prevent and end hate in all forms.”
“California is strong because of our diversity but hate-fueled violence remains a persistent and growing threat,” said CRD
Director Kevin Kish. “With the launch of CA vs Hate, we’re taking action to help put a stop to hate and to provide support for victims, survivors, and their families. In the face of hate across the nation, we stand united in declaring: California is for everyone. I urge all Californians to know their rights and to take advantage of these important resources.” The hotline will also be complemented by a multilingual outreach campaign, emphasizing community engagement. The campaign aims to support efforts that encourage reporting and access to resources through targeted public service announcements, direct marketing, and other activities. CA vs Hate also seeks to overcome reporting challenges – whether due to fear of retaliation, lack of trust, or other issues –by offering people targeted for hate a community-centered approach that does not require engagement with the criminal legal system.
The CA vs Hate Resource Line and Network is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time. For individuals who want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or who are in imminent danger, please call 911. For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.
Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) issued the following statement on the shooting death of Banko Brown, a young unarmed, unhoused, transgender man who was shot and killed by an armed Walgreens security guard in San Francisco:
“Banko Brown’s death serves as a reminder of the many ways our country and our community continue to fail our Black and transgender neighbors. His death is all the more tragic because it was preventable. While we are still awaiting comprehensive investigation results on what occurred that day, initial accounts appear to indicate Banko Brown was unarmed. Businesses employing private security must take appropriate safety precautions to prevent horrific tragedies like this one. That is particularly the case for companies employing private security guards who are armed but have not received the same level of training as law enforcement officers.
“The shooting death of Banko Brown reminds us how far our City has to go to live up to our ideals as the City of St. Francis. Mr. Brown spent many hours seeking housing and other assistance from San Francisco, but he was unable to access it. Our continued shortage of permanent supportive housing and shelter beds mean we continue to fail thousands of Banko Browns every day. Black and transgender people are impacted by violent crime, housing insecurity, and unsheltered homelessness at rates far higher than the average San Franciscan, and
the work to honor Mr. Brown’s life will not be finished until these disparities are eliminated. Although San Francisco has always strived to provide justice for its most marginalized, justice did not come soon enough for Banko Brown.
“I believe San Francisco can and will do better. Mayor Breed has made an unprecedented commitment to ending transgender homelessness by 2027, and this tragedy lends deeper urgency to that project. Our City is also in the midst of overhauling its entire approach to homelessness, aiming to house 30,000 people in the next 5 years by streamlining systems to improve accessibility and significantly increasing public investment in housing, shelters, and social services.
“San Franciscans are also closely watching how the investigation into this shooting death is being handled by local law enforcement. It is critical that the investigation proceed with urgency and transparency. I will be monitoring this process, and I have every confidence that District Attorney Jenkins and SFPD will conduct a thorough and transparent investigation.
“My deepest condolences go to Banko Brown’s family and to the entire Young Women’s Freedom Center community. I join them, and the many lives he touched, in remembering Banko Brown.”
In an unprecedented move yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass HR734, which would bar transgender girls and young women from participating in student-athletic programs of their choice. This is the first specifically anti-Trans bill to pass at the Federal level. parents in nearly every state – no state is immune. Hate does not recognize state lines. But neither does love. Together we can turn the tide. We have a collective duty regardless of our zip code to dispel misinformation, advocate for civil and human rights of all people and to make our voices heard. This country is ours. It is time to flex and claim it.”
Said the Executive Director of the National LGBTQ Task Force:
“There are so many ways to protect children and create opportunities for women and girls if our elected officials are truly trying to do so. HR734 is not it. This legislation is founded on transphobia and misinformation, pure and simple. This bill is an unnecessary and costly solution for a nonexistent problem, meant only to stoke fear and use trans youth as political pawns at a time when the so-called “culture wars” are being used to distract voters and are causing harm to the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities. Too many of us have been living with a false sense of security after years of progress for LGBTQ+ people but the pendulum has swung back, with extremists weaponizing religion and government to eradicate LGBTQ+ people from every state across the country. I hope this is a wake-up call for anyone who thought they could ignore what is happening in Florida and Texas. I hope we recognize that we are all Kentucky and Tennessee and that our fates are tied together. They are coming for children, teachers, doctors, and
In 2023 alone, there have been 400+ bills introduced that target trans youth and the wider LGBTQ+ community. If HR734’s companion bill is passed in the U.S. Senate it will bar participation in school sports by transgender, non-binary, and intersex youth; erode local authority over school policies about extracurriculars; and continue to undermine medical and social science understandings of sex, gender, gender presentation and expression.
The National LGBTQ+ Task Force is committed to building partnerships with other advocacy organizations on the ground as well as in congress to ensure that bills like this do not become law.”
For more information go to: www.thetaskforce.org
AGOP member of the Florida state House of Representatives recently admitted that people in his party hate gay people while defending a piece of anti-LGBTQ legislation.
Republican state Rep. Jeff Holcomb made the admission on Monday while arguing that opposition to a GOP bill to bar the U.S. military from implementing more inclusive policies was an attack on the military.
“I just can’t let our military be labeled as racist and discrimination [sic] without any, without a response,” Holcomb said.
He then claimed that the bill isn’t truly anti-LGBTQ because the Florida Republican Party is less hateful toward LGBTQ people than al-Qaeda or ISIS, describing the extremist groups as “folks that discriminate.”
“We bombed a building in 2017 like we never usually do. We bombed it because they threw homosexuals off that building,” Holcomb said.
“Our terrorist enemies hate homosexuals more than we do,” he went on, drawing audible gasps in the chamber.
Holcomb’s words come as Florida Republicans have introduced a barrage of anti-LGBTQ legislation over the past years, much of it under the guise of protecting children.
In April, Florida legislators expanded Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) discriminatory “Don’t Say Gay” law, restricting discussions on LGBTQ issues in K-12 public schools across the state. The state House of Representatives also
recently approved a bill that would allow state courts to intervene in custody disputes and remove children who are receiving gender-affirming care from supportive families with whom they live — a measure that LGBTQ advocates have said essentially amounts to legal kidnapping.
In recent days, LGBTQ lawmakers in Florida have spoken about the effect that laws targeting LGBTQ people have had on their mental health.
“I have enough tears in my car to fill a lake,” state Sen. Shevrin Jones (D), who is gay, said in an interview that was published last week.
“I’m literally trying to exist,” said state Rep. Michele Rayner-Goolsby (D), a lesbian in the state legislature, adding that “the harsh things [Republicans are] saying” in promoting their anti-LGBTQ agenda “are to prop up a governor’s political ambition, and their desire and quest for power.”
Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, and is based out of Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on the American people. He can be found on Twitter: @ thatchriswalker
Adisturbing new trend is emerging across the US of banning the Rainbow Flag, the global symbol of LGBTQ+ equality, on a community level and in local schools. The Gilbert Baker Foundation has responded with an aggressive multi-part national campaign.
The flag bans are part of a larger and insidious rise in American conservative censorship, including book banning, school curriculum changes, language shaming, and restriction of reproductive rights.
Addressing this dangerous development, “Save the Rainbow Flag” is a lifeline to those under fire, offering a dynamic tool kit to help push back against conservative groups who are trying to ban the public display of the flag. Since 2022, more than 15 communities and school departments across the country, bowing to right-wing group pressure, have passed regulations to remove all Rainbow Flags. They include cities and towns from NY to California including Cold Spring, NY; Stoughton, MA; Davis, UT; Newburg, OR; and Morgantown, WV. And Huntington beach CA
“Save the Rainbow Flag” provides First Amendment and LGBTQ+ rights supporters with tools to challenge this alarming censorship trend. At www. savetherainbowflag.com, concerned citizens will find fact sheets and tactics for how to challenge these homophobic efforts on the local level, through community hearings, media interviews, petitioning, and by mobilizing neighbors.
Clint Hopkins, of Pucci’s Pharmacy, here in Sacramento, has won this year’s title of Pharmacist of the Year, awarded by the California Pharmacist Association at their annual conference in Las Vegas, for his unwavering contribution to the profession.
Clint graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Memphis with his Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2007. He has worked across the pharmacy industry including as a pharmacy manager for several chain stores, a hospital staff pharmacist, OR pharmacist, informatics pharmacist, pharmacogenomics consultant, and EHR consultant. After years of being on the road consulting, he found his true passion was in providing compassionate, culturally aware, community-based pharmacy care and he found independent pharmacy to be the best place to make his impact on the profession. He and his husband Joel Hockman relocated to Sacramento in 2016 to purchase Pucci’s Pharmacy from Tom and Linda Nelson, who had already set the stage for providing outstanding care to the LGBTQ+ community as strong allies to the community since the early days of the HIV epidemic.
Clint and Joel pride themselves on expanding healthcare access to those who are underserved in the LGBTQ+ community. Clint is an advocate for pharmacists across California and the nation to be practicing at the top of their license in their communities and to be recognized by payors for pharmacists’ contribution to the health and wellbeing of our communities.
During the COVID outbreak Clint and Joel were instrumental in providing up to the minute access to the new vacines as they became available. Also, when Monkey Pox recently threatened the LGBTQ+ community, in particular gay males, or men who have sex with other men, Clint and Joel again stepped up in a big way to get as many vacinated as possible, as quickly as possible.
Pucci’s Pharmacy is a full service pharmacy that is located in East Sacramento at 3257 Folsom Blvd. For more information and to schedule COVID shots or boosters go to PucciRX.com.
Daydreaming about a summer getaway? Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to start planning your next escape. Sacramento International Airport (SMF) has new flights that will get travelers to two of the country’s hottest destinations – Nashville, TN and Austin, TX.
Southwest Airlines started flying nonstop to Nashville in March. The Saturday flight will get you to Music City around lunchtime, letting you get a head start on exploring and of course, listening. Live music can be heard throughout the city any day of the week, any time of year, but this summer there are additional festivals, events and exhibits to help your vacation hit a high note. CMA Fest in June is four days of music from hundreds of artists plus meet & greets, autograph signings and celebrity sporting events.
Nashville Pride Weekend (June 24 & 25) features two days of live music on two stages and kicks off with a parade through downtown on Saturday. Stop by Suzy Wong’s House of Yum, the home of Nashville’s original Drag’n Brunch for a menu of Asian favorites fused with Southern cuisine.
We all know Nashville is known for music and all visitors should check out the Honky Tonk Highway on Broadway. Rows of bars offer live music all day and night – with no cover charge! Don’t forget the bands play for tips. If you’ve had your fill of tunes, there are several diverse neighborhoods to enjoy. Check out places like Midtown/ Vanderbilt, Berry Hill, and The Gulch for great restaurants, and bars and plenty of places to stroll.
If Nashville is Music City, Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World (potato, poTAHto?). But it’s true, live music is everywhere in the Texas capital and American Airlines is starting new nonstop daily service on May 5, 2023. Music is in the air e from the airport to grocery stores to cafes and coffeeshops. The city hosts
seasonal live music series and at worldfamous festivals, like Austin City Limits and SXSW as well as smaller events like OUTsider Fest. Last year, more than 400,000 people attended Austin PRIDE and it expects to be even bigger when the event returns this August.
Austin is also home diverse neighborhoods and entertainment districts, where you’ll find trendy boutiques, hip restaurants, distinguished museums and galleries and surprising outdoor destinations. Downtown’s walkable Warehouse District has the largest number of LGBTQ+ nightclubs, bars, and lounges in the city center. South Congress is dotted with unique boutiques, vintage shops. You can beat the heat at Barton Springs Pool, which measures three acres in size, is fed from underground springs and has an average temperature of 70 degrees - ideal for year-round swimming.
Both the new Austin flight and Southwest’s Nashville nonstop are on sale now. For more information, visit sacramento.aero.
Spring has sprung and so has the fun! The Sacramento County Fair is pleased to announce tickets are on sale now for their full 2023 line-up of high-powered arena events!
Special pre-Fair pricing is also available for these arena events to be held Thursday – Monday, Memorial Day Weekend, May 25-29, 2023. Pricing does not include convenience fees, handling fees or fair admission which is required.
The first event in the line-up is MONSTER TRUCK MAYHEM on Thursday May 25th. Gates open at 6 p.m. and showtime is at 7 p.m. Regular price for those 4 years old and above is $25, while the pre-Fair discount price is $20. Children 3 years old and under are free.
The second event is the 4X4 TRUCK PULL on Friday May 26th. Gates open at 6 p.m. and showtime is at 7 p.m. Regular price for those 4 years old and above is $25, while the pre-Fair discount price is $20. Children 3 years old and under are free.
The third event is fan-favorite STARS AND STRIPES INVITATIONAL BULL RIDING on Saturday May 27th. Gates open at 6 p.m. and showtime is at 7 p.m. Regular price for those 4 years old and above is $25, while the pre-Fair discount price is $20. Children 3 years old and under are free.
Closing out the line-up with a bang is the MAYHEM DESTRUCTION DERBY on Monday May 29th. Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and showtime is at 12:30 p.m. Regular price for those 4 years old and above is $25, while the pre-Fair discount price is $20. Children 3 years old and under are free.
Fair General Admission (one-day) for the Sacramento County Fair is available from Thursday, May 25th to Monday, May 29th. Fair gates open at 10:00 a.m. and carnival gates open at 11:00 a.m. Regular price for adults 17 years old and above is $10, while the pre-Fair discount price is $8. Regular price for kids aged 13 to 16 years old is $8, while the pre-Fair discount price is $10. Children 3 years old and under are free.
What better way to spend the Memorial holiday than with the whole family, for not a whole lot of money at the Sacramento County Fair? These events sell out fast, so get your discounted tickets today at SacFair. com/tickets. For more information on the 2023 Sacramento County Fair, visit www. sacfair.com.
The Sacramento County Fair is excited to announce that the All-Alaskan Racing Pigs and All-American Duck Races will be performing at the 2023 fair. These popular events feature adorable racing pigs and ducks competing in high-speed races. The shows are suitable for all ages and are always crowd-pleasers. These events also offer a fun opportunity for Bart Noll, leader of the All-Alaskan Pig Races… crowd-watching. Says Noll, “I don’t even watch the races anymore. I watch and listen to the crowd. There’s no better sound than the kids’ excited laughter. And some of those kids are in their 80s and 90s!”
“We are thrilled to have both the AllAlaskan Racing Pigs and All-American Duck Races at our fair this year,” said Fair CEO Matthew Cranford. “Their shows are always a hit with our guests, and we can’t wait to see them in action.”
Though a cross-species race offers some interesting possibilities, attendees do NOT have to choose between which species to root for. Both the All-Alaskan Racing Pigs and All-American Duck Races will have multiple FREE performances daily. Don’t miss your chance to see these cute and talented animals in action and root your favorite on to victory. But even if your pick doesn’t win, you’ll delight in their hilarious defeat.
Adds Cranford, “So, that’s getting to watch and enjoy three species for the price of one. And the price is right. All free with your Fair admission.”
Mark your calendars for the 2023 Sacramento County Fair and come see the All-Alaskan Racing Pigs and All-American Duck Races.
For more information about the fair and to purchase tickets, visit www.sacfair.com.
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In an effort to celebrate and showcase the ever-enduring spirit of Midtown Pride, the Midtown Association will install 37 colorful and eye-catching banners along J Street this week. While Midtown proudly celebrates the LGBTQ+ community all year long, the month of June is Pride Month in Sacramento and the installation of these banners is in celebration of the upcoming occasion. The colorful Midtown Pride banners will remain up through June.
Each day, it is estimated that 17,000 drivers use the J Street corridor which equates to one million+ over the course of the 60 days (not including pedestrian count).
Note: these banners along J Street are in addition to 10 permanent “Midtown Love: No Exceptions, No Exclusions” banners on display on 20th between J and K Streets – including in front of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center.
The Midtown Pride banners are made possible by support from Western Health Advantage.
For more information about Midtown Sacramento visit: www.exploremidtown.org.
WEST SACRAMENTO 2101 STONE BLVD., SUITE 190 WEST SACRAMENTO, CA 95691
APPOINTMENTS: 916-371-4939
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Handsome Matt Maeson is just one of the talented musicians performing this spring and summer at a series of free concerts in Sacramento’s Cesar Chavez Plaza. The 30-yearold Virginia native is the singer-songwriter whose singles “Cringe” and “Hallucinogenics” both topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart a few years back. Maeson will headline the May 12th show, which also includes three other performers and begins at 5 p.m. Matt’s concert in Cesar Chavez Plaza will be followed by shows every Friday evening through July 28th. Other “Concerts in the Park” headliners this year include Cassie Vega, Rain City Drive, White Reaper, Island of Black & White, Wild Child, Arden Park Roots, Eric Bellinger, Blue October, and The Brodys. For more information, go to www.godowntownsac.com
Forget about it. Put it out of your mind, don’t worry about it. It’s likely nothing, so let it rest. Let it go and don’t be afraid because, as in the new book “Harley Quinn: Ravenous” by Rachael Allen, fear is how they make you scream. speak to her.
Being a First Year intern at Gotham University was going to be The. Best.
Having completed the University’s gap-year program last year, Harleen Quinzel was practically bouncing. She’d decided on research, possibly psychology, as a career and First Year program included mentorship and a chance to study some of Gotham’s worst, most notorious criminal minds. The Joker, Two-Face, King Shark, Mr. Freeze, she could be assigned to any one of them at Arkham Asylum.
First Year was also going to be a bit of a relief.
Sure, she’d still have to put up with classmates like the jerk who kept asking if she was «straight now» (nope, still bi, today, tomorrow, last week) and she’d have to try to fit in, which was hard to do after what happened at the end of last year. Then, some of Harleen’s friends were attacked with a fear spray that made them scream and scream, and her best friend died from it. There was gossip but Harleen had her research to enjoy, she loved her mentor, and she was fascinated by Talia al Ghul, who’d tried to assassinate Gotham’s mayor. Talia was a great study-subject – even though Harleen wasn’t technically supposed to ever
Until Talia said that she knew who made the fear spray. She needed information for information, tit for tat, and she hinted that she knew the truth about Straw Man, who was rumored to haunt Arkham and who had a hand in the fear spray, so...
So then Harleen woke up in the hospital, the victim of a bad accident and amnesia. But was it an accident? Were this guy, Win, and the adorable Ivy trustworthy? And the escape of Gotham City’s worst, most violent criminals... was Harleen at fault?
Let’s say a movie theatre mushed its film to a pulp and made a novel from the leftover cells. Or they used the mush to paint a Ben-Dot artwork panel, but in words. That’s kinda how you could think of this book. As a part of the “DC Icons” franchise, “Harley Quinn: Ravenous” almost screams graphic novel or comic book.
So what’s the problem?
Nothing, as long as you know that before you pick it up because that’s the sort of feel you’ll get in what only looks like a regular novel. Nothing, if you relish a story that starts with action and peppers it with chaos before dropping readers into a land of dark monsters and crime. Nothing at all, if
Rachael Allenyou’ve read author Rachael Allen’s novelbefore-this-one – otherwise, you’ll be awash in humor, feminism, superheroes, and scrambling to find your footing. Be warned.
Overall, love a funny, crazy-paced darkGotham novel with a feminist warrior, you’ll devour “Harley Quinn: Ravenous.” As for a bookmark...? Nah, forget about it.
To
by Collin R Lourenco - He/Him/His
June 10 – 11, 2023, the Sacramento Pride March and Festival will return to Sacramento’s Capitol Mall for a weekend of entertainment, education, and community. The twoday festival brings together 20,000+ community members to celebrate the colorful culture and community of Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ population.
The festival grounds boast three entertainment stages, DJ booths with dance areas, youth and family activities, hundreds of local vendors, food trucks, beverage stations with specialty cocktails as well as non-alcoholic drinks, and a 21+ VIP Lounge. One-day and two-day tickets are available, and are required for entry to the festival.
Sac Pride’s three stages include: the Q-Spot Live youth stage (ages 20 and under), the Stonewall Pavilion community stage, and the central Thunder Valley Pride Stage – all hosted by Sacramento-favorite drag performers. Saturday’s lineup of entertainment will include incredible performances sourced from Sacramento’s creative economy, and conclude with a sunset showcase of the festival’s headlining act: Rebecca Black with opener Bronze Avery.
Sunday morning brings the most anticipated event of the weekend to life, the Sacramento Pride March, a parade beginning at South Side Park (where Sac Pride began!) and concluding at the California State Capitol building and entrance to the festival. Sac Pride March will bring 5,000+ spectators and is free to the public. After the Sac Pride March, return to the festival for a showcase of Drag Entertainers including Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Naomi Smalls, and Plastique Tiara from Rupaul’s Drag Race.
Sacramento Pride Weekend events are produced by the Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Our mission is to create a region where LGBTQ+ people thrive. We work to support the health and wellness of the most marginalized, advocate for equity and justice, and building a culturally rich LGBTQ+ community.
For more information, purchase tickets, or to sign up to volunteer and receive free entry please visit: www.sacramentopride.org
If you were alive in the late ‘70s, you couldn’t escape Donna Summer’s music, and why would you want to? Only the most disco-phobic music fans dismissed her talent, but everyone else was listening to her music on the radio, dancing to her music in queer clubs (and non-queer clubs), skating to her music at the local roller rink -- or making love to her music with the guy they just picked up at a gay bar.
I was in high school in the late ‘70s, when Summer reigned supreme as The Queen of Disco, and I vividly remember her songs being played at school dances and rallies, and wishing I was old enough to go to nightclubs and dance to the iconic music the singer made with her brilliant producers, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte.
Summer was a complex individual whose career and life are worth revisiting for several reasons. Like other great pop singers from the 20th century – such as Prince, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Madonna – Summer’s music often fused sexuality and spirituality, sometimes in the same song.
In Summer’s case, her very private personal life was 180 degrees from her suggestive songs and sexy stage persona. She was a devoted mother of three successful daughters and was married to the same man (singer-songwriter Bruce Sudano) for 32 years, until her death in 2012 at the age of 63.
Contradictions make for interesting documentaries, and so it should be
fascinating to see how a new HBO documentary premiering this month handles the ironies of Summer’s life and career (a career that paved the way for the electronic dance music of today).
She has a large gay following to this day, and yet Summer was a “born-again Christian” who learned to sing in church as a child and held bible study in her home as an adult, and then transformed into the disco queen on stage, singing about sex in hot hits like “I Feel Love,” “Love to Love You Baby,” “Hot Stuff,” “Bad Girls” and “Dim All the Lights.”
Controversy followed Summer from the beginning of her career, when a rumor started that she was actually a man, until her lung cancer diagnosis, which the singer (who was a non-smoker) attributed to toxic air she ingested after the twin towers fell in New York City, on 9/11.
There was also the debacle that almost ended her career, which involved Summer telling a gay joke on stage that would probably get a performer canceled today.
(The singer apologized for any hurt she caused, but some fans never forgave her.)
Summer’s alleged homophobia, which she repeatedly denied, is reportedly tackled head on in “Love To Love You, Donna Summer,” the HBO documentary that debuts on May 20. The almost-two-hour movie was directed by Brooklyn Sudano (one of Summer’s daughters) and writerdirector-producer Roger Ross Williams, the first African-American director to win an
by Chris Narloch
Academy Award.
The documentary also includes interviews with Summer’s family and friends, as well as home movies and other archival footage that has never been seen publicly before.
As a fan of the singer for almost fifty years now, I hope the documentary will demonstrate that Donna Summer was a very underrated vocalist and songwriter who could sing pop, rock, gospel, soul, and of course dance music – and did.
by Chris Narloch
Fans of R&B like me are in hog heaven upon news that a quartet of queens – soul queens, to be exact – are scheduled to surround Sacramento, each with their own live concert experience, coming soon to different corners of Northern California.
Closest to home, tickets are still available for Lizzo’s show at Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center, on Sunday evening, May 28th. The famous flutist and singer is so popular now that she already has her own comic book biography, available at https://tidalwavecomics.com
You will have to drive over to Mountain View to see Janet Jackson’s latest tour (with Ludacris), which touches down at Shoreline Amphitheatre on Friday evening, June 16. It’s been eight years since Ms. Jackson had a studio album out, but she has been teasing new music, so who knows? Maybe she will preview some of it live.
The very next night, you can catch the original Motown diva, Diana Ross, on Saturday evening, June 17, at Hard Rock Live in Wheatland. Diana will bring all her hits to the Hard Rock as part of The Music Legacy Tour.
Last but certainly not least, you will have to wait until August 30 to bask in the brilliance of Beyonce, who brings her Renaissance World Tour to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on that Wednesday evening. Expect an epic dance party, as Queen B brings new music from her groovalicious current album to the concert stage.
MAY 14, 2023
DOORS 11:00 AM •
SHOWTIME 12:00 PM
by WellYourWorld.com
Well Your World has a Fiesta Mexican spice blend that will take you well beyond Cinco de Mayo. It is a blend that elevates any Mexican dish like tacos, salsa, fajitas, rice, and beans without adding salt. Well Your World has shared two recipes that take advantage of two of their spice mixes, Chili Lime and Fiesta Mexican Blend. The first is a Sheet Pan Fajita recipe as well as their famous Refried Beans. Give the recipes a try, give the spice mixes a try, and let us know what you think.
2 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
1 red onion, sliced into strips
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 jalapeño, diced (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons WYW Chili Lime Seasoning
1 tablespoon WYW Fiesta Mexican Blend
1 lime, juiced
This one is so easy! Just add all of the ingredients, except the lime juice, to a large mixing bowl and toss well to coat everything with seasoning. Spread evenly on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes. Pull the sizzling pans out of the oven and squeeze on some lime juice. Serve with warm corn tortillas, your favorite salsa or guac, and of course refried beans!
Beverage
Last time out, Capital Stage presented a political play that I found preachy and unpleasant, but I am happy to report that the successful midtown theatre company is back on track with its latest effort, a subtler and far more satisfying dramedy entitled “The Hombres.”
1 onion, chopped roughly
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 jalapeños, chopped roughly (or mild bell pepper)
2+ tablespoons WYW Fiesta Mexican Blend
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups veggie stock
2 cups dry pinto beans (no soaking needed)
Toss all of the ingredients into your pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Let this one naturally release. We love this in our little 3 quart instant pot; it fits perfectly! When you’re ready to eat, grab your immersion blender and process for 2 minutes until nice and smooth. Of course you can also transfer this in batches to your standard blender as well. We’ve even used a potato masher for a coarse texture, anything goes! For more recipes and to check out, and buy, the rest of their spice blends, visit: WellYourWorld.com
A five-man cast portrays three construction workers, a yoga instructor, and a new student whose interest in the instructor may be more than friendly. The construction workers are all Latinos and apparently “straight” while the yoga teacher, also Latino, is decidedly gay.
The action is set in motion after the rowdy construction workers outside the yoga class are asked to quiet down because they are disturbing the peace and tranquility of the affluent, mostly female clientele (whom we never see) inside the studio.
The one student who is shown takes a definite interest in his single, gay instructor, although the guy turns out to have a wife and a baby on the way. Is the student’s flirting intentional, or is he clueless, and why are the construction workers so curious about what’s going on in the yoga studio?
By the end of the play, those construction workers have all taken up yoga, and the instructor and his new student are sharing intimate details of their personal lives with each other.
The play explores homophobia, machismo, and even immigration in ways that are sometimes funny and often moving without being heavy-handed.
I didn’t buy every twist and turn in “The Hombres,” but I enjoyed the fact that the plot kept surprising me, and I had no idea where it was going. Not every question raised by the play gets answered, but those questions are all intriguing.
“The Hombres” continues at Capital Stage through June 4th. For tickets and information, go to www.capstage.org.
by Chris Narloch
New films currently in theaters include the third and final installment in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise and a film adaptation of one of Judy Blume’s most beloved books.
If you see one movie this month, I recommend this funny, faithful, and fantastic big screen version of Judy Blume’s classic novel about an eleven-year-old girl who moves to a new school in a new town and begins to have questions about faith and her family history. The filmmakers found the perfect Margaret in Abby Ryder Fortson, and Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates are also outstanding as Margaret’s mother and grandmother. As a 59-year-old gay man, I wondered if I would relate to a movie about a pre-teen girl, but the film’s themes of adolescent angst, sexual curiosity, and spiritual crisis are entirely universal. The movie somehow manages to be very funny without being crass, very sweet without being cloying, and very moving without being melodramatic. Currently in wide theatrical release.
Sacramento’s historic Tower Theatre is offering one free admission the first week of this movie’s engagement if you bring a friend to see the cross-cultural rom com about a Pakistani man who surprises his British best friend when he opts for an arranged marriage over dating apps and then allows said bestie (a female filmmaker) to document the process. Unless you’ve never seen a romantic comedy, you’ll know in the first fifteen minutes how the story ends, but both lead actors are very appealing, and the film also has a terrific supporting cast that includes the indispensable Emma Thompson. The movie opened on May 5th.
I wish I could report that the third time’s the charm, but the final installment in the Guardians franchise is my least favorite of the trio of films about a misfit gang of superheroes who team up to defend the universe. There are flashes of the original movie’s saucy charms, but at two-and-a-half hours long, Vol. 3 suffers from the Marvel bloat that has begun to plague a lot of superhero cinema. The cast is game, and the action is often exciting, but there are elements of the script involving children behind bars and animals going to heaven that I found painful to sit through. Save your money and watch the first film again. Currently in wide theatrical release.
Michelle Williams is a very talented actress, but she tests her fans patience with this slow-as-molasses story about a stressed-out sculptor who anxiously prepares to open a new show despite myriad problems that include her dysfunctional family, an injured bird, and no hot water. The movie’s gifted director, Kelly Reichardt, specializes in moving tales of ordinary people, but she lost me this time. The only thing I learned from “Showing Up” is what a bummer it is to spend two hours in the company of a character who appears to be clinically depressed and in need of medication. The film was still playing at Sacramento’s Tower Theatre as we went to press.
Ever since Hamburger Patties closed, there hasn’t been a place in Sacramento that the community could know that they were welcome, and could be comfortable and gay. Of course there are lots of community-friendly places here in town, but it’s just not the same as an LGBTQ+ owned and operated business. But, now we can say hello to Roscoe’s.
Taking over the old Hot Rods location, as well as G-Spot and even Sidetrax, Roscoe’s makes the most of the space, feeling both chic and comfortable, with room to relax and socialize.
I had a chance to sample some of their menu items, but have not experienced a full service meal. I tried the mac and cheese with pulled pork, a burger with bacon and fries, and even a
words
and photos by Ron Tackitt
small bite of the fried chicken with mushroom gravy that comes piled on a thick round waffle. Everything I sampled was really good, and the portions were quite generous. I look forward to going to Roscoe’s for brunch sometime soon. They will be open regular hours as well as late night, and I can just imagine how great a good burger will be at the end of a fun evening.
Are you dusting off your pride for Pride season yet? I sure am! I’m feeling as fabulous as Lil Nas X’s Met Gala costume! I don’t know how he did it. I would have sweat all that off in 5 minutes. Another thing to be proud of is how many amazing community events there have been this last month! Let’s hope May can measure up to the bar set by April!
The Mr. Bolt Leather 2024 contest on Apr. 30 was so much fun and what an awesome, diverse turn out! A wonderful cross section of the community came out to support contestants Jayy Wonder, Mike Ryder, Aaron Thomas Piccirillo and Timothy Salyer. Piccirillo was announced the new titleholder at the end of the evening which had Taryn Thru-U as the emcee and included an ASL interpreter. Congratulations to the new Mr. Bolt Leather 2024! Sacbolt.com
May 18 is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day which offers us a chance to remind people about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine research. Also May 19 is National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. The API community often gets overlooked in the discussion about HIV/AIDS even after the first NAPIHAD was observed in 2005. To learn more visit HIV.gov
Join us Friday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. for the Outword & Badlands Liquid Therapy Happy Hour at Badlands Sacramento, 2003 K St. You never know who might make a surprise appearance. Enjoy drink specials, music videos, giveaways and of course friends!
The annual 20-Twenty exhibit is Sacramento’s most anticipated yearly art show. This year some of the finest new collections have been brought together to grace the walls of Kennedy Gallery. The «20-Twenty» exhibit runs May 11 - July 2, Noon - 6 p.m. at Kennedy Gallery, 1931 L St., and features works from over 20 resident artists inside three floors of open studios in the heart of Midtown’s entertainment district. Kennedygallery.net
Anything called FoodieLand has my immediate attention! FoodieLand Night Market is a yearly foodie-inspired multicultural food and entertainment event at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd. With over 150 food and merchandise vendors FoodieLand promises a variety of amazing foods, arts, crafts, games and entertainment for the whole family. May 12 - 14. Foodielandnm.com/sacramento
The Hombres at Capital Stage, 2215 J St., takes a look at the intimacy of male relationships through the point of view of Latino culture. The production runs through Jun. 4. Capstage.org
The Lavender Library, 1414 21st St., has extended its hours to be open Mondays and Fridays. Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers this is the first time the library has expanded its hours in three years. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer visit their website. Lavenderlibrary.com
From May 25 - 27 Punch Line Sacramento, 2100 Arden Way, will host Steve Furey who is said to be one of the sharpest young stand-ups in the comedy world. Furey is a regular at The World Famous Comedy Store and can currently be seen on E! as a co-host of Dating#NoFilter. Punchlinesac.com
Prepare for May 20 to be a drag of phenomenal proportions! Scream Queens Gorelesque is presenting the Twisted Dolls Cabaret at The Colonial Theater, 3522 Stockton Blvd. at 8 p.m. The event is 18+. Lovehorrorevents.com
The 2023 NorCal AIDS Cycle gets underway Saturday, May 20, kicking off a two-day weekend ride which will allow cyclists and crew to come together while raising funds for Northern California’s HIV/AIDS organizations. To donate to this year’s event go to Norcalaidscycle.org
East Sonora Theatre, 13891 Mono Way in Sonora, will be playing Sondheim’s Sunday In The Park with George through June 11. The 1984 Pulitzer Prize drama follows George who finds himself burnt out and in search of what artistic path to follow, but he finds the answer to his future in the past. Sierrarep.org
Events, birthdays, announcements? Send them to matthew@hengemedia.com.
To Sponsor this Page with a Page Header, Contact Fred! 916-329-9280
SaMo PRIDE Returns with First-Ever SaMo PRIDE Festival, “Colors of PRIDE” Installations and Community Events. The month-long PRIDE celebration unites the community and LGBTQ+ supporters of all ages. SaMo PRIDE returns in June with activities and experiences that honor the LGBTQ+ community. SaMo PRIDE is a citywide partnership between Santa Monica Place, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. and Santa Monica Pier, in collaboration with the City of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Travel and Tourism.
On Saturday, June 3 the first-ever SaMo PRIDE Festival will turn the entire downtown district, from the Third Street Promenade through Santa Monica Place to the Santa Monica Pier, into a PRIDE zone. All ages are welcome to enjoy live musical performances, PRIDE-related treats, free swag, games and much more. The Santa Monica Public Library will share queer books for kids, featuring a special Drag Queen storytime, suited for all ages and abilities. Local service providers and community groups will offer support and resources for the LGBTQ+ community throughout the event along the Promenade. Presented in partnership with Cayton’s Children’s Museum, the Santa Monica Place family zone will provide kid-friendly PRIDE activities, transforming Center Plaza into an interactive space for kids to play and learn about inclusivity and acceptance.
“Colors of PRIDE” photobooth installations, designed by LGBTQ+ artists, will be placed throughout the SaMo PRIDE Festival with fun, interactive props. Photos from the installations will be assembled to create a photographic mosaic, bringing the three districts together in a rainbow of colors that make up the LGBTQ+ Progress PRIDE flag.
The celebration continues throughout the month with events that bring together the community including the Made with PRIDE Marketplace, a unique retail pop-up hosted every Friday through Sunday in June at Santa Monica Place on Level One. Hosted in partnership with Streetlet, the Marketplace showcases over a dozen LGBTQ+ business owners, highlighting their stories and featuring local goods and services made, conceived and
curated in Southern California. Santa Monica Place will also host a live DJ spinning every weekend throughout the month where guests can enjoy music under «Lanterns of Love,” an overhead colored lantern installation that spans across Center Plaza.
The City of Santa Monica is dedicated to increasing visibility and understanding of the broad spectrum of gender identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ community. The City celebrates PRIDE with the month-long lighting of City Hall in rainbow colors and a series of educational, uplifting events during the month of June. Community events include the City’s PRIDE Proclamation on May 23; live music, theatre and dance performances by SORORITY: WAVES on June 4; Rainbow Family Storytime at the Santa Monica Public Library on June 6; an AIDS LifeCycle Ride finish line celebration on June 10; Queer Prom for LGBTQ+ youth on June 12; Drag Queen Storytime on June 16; PRIDE sunset swim at the Annenberg Community Beach House on June 23; Sapphic Poetry Workshop on June 24; Party with a Purpose mixer and fundraiser on June 29; and much more. The Santa Monica History Museum, in partnership with the OUTWORDS Archive, will feature the exhibit “Coming Out West”, a videobased collection of oral histories of Santa Monica Bay area LGBTQ+ elders, opening June 1.
For more information and the full calendar of SaMo PRIDE events visit smpride.com.
For sponsorship inquiries please reach out to DTSM, Inc. Director of Marketing & Partnerships Ariana Gomez at ariana@downtownsm.com.
ADULT STORES
L’AMOUR SHOPPE 2531 Broadway, 916-736-3467l
AUTO DEALERS
ELK GROVE ACURA
ElkGroveAcura.com
866-345-7984
ELK GROVE AUDI
AudiElkGrove.com
866-345-7984
ELK GROVE DODGE, CHRYSLER, JEEP 877-399-4262 ElkGroveDodge.com
ELK GROVE SUBARU
877-360-0259 ElkGroveSubaru.com
ELK GROVE VOLKSWAGON
ElkGroveVW.com 888-427-5431
BARS / CLUBS
BADLANDS 2003 K St., 916-441-6823 SacBadlands.com
FACES 2000 K St., Sac, Faces.net
THE DEPOT 2001 K St., Sac, 916-441-6823 TheDepot.net
CHIROPRACTORS
HEALING TOUCH CHIROPRACTIC Dr. Darrick Lawson, 1919 21st St, Ste. 101, 916-447-3344 www.FixMyBack.com
COUNSELING
WEAVE 916-920-2952 (24/7) www.weaveinc.org
BANKS / CREDIT UNIONS
TRI COUNTIES BANK www.tricountiesbank.com
WELLS FARGO www.wellsfargo.com
DENTISTRY
ERIC GROVE, DDS KENDALL HOMER, DMD 9216 Kiefer Blvd., STE 5 916-363-9171 • grovehomerdentists.com
DINING/BEVERAGES
SCOTT’S SEAFOOD - ON THE RIVER 916-379-5959 ScottsSeafoodontheRiver.com
DMV SERVICES
QUICK & EZ TITLE AND TAGS 3100 O Street, Sacramento 916-452-7777 • www.eztitleandtags.com
FINANCIAL PLANNING
MIDTOWN FINANCIAL Al Roche, 1750 Creekside Dr. Suite 215, 916-447-9220 MidtownFinancial.net
STEELE FINANCIAL PARTNERS Judy Steele, Financial Advisor 916-846-7733 www.steelefp.com
HEATING & AIR
PERFECTION HOME SYSTEMS 916-481-0658 www.HotCold.com
HEALTH SERVICES
CAPITAL CITY AIDS FUND 1912 F Street, 916-448-1110 PlayButPlaySafe.org
ONE COMMUNITY HEALTH 1500 21st St., 916-443-3299 onecommunityhealth.com
RIVER BEND MEDICAL ASSOC. www.rbmafamilydocs.com
INSURANCE
STATE FARM INSURANCE Ryan Maguire, Agent 916-572-0090
www.ryanmaguire.com
LIBRARIES
FRIENDS OF THE SAC. PUBLIC LIBRARY 8250 Belvedere, Ste. E, 916-731-8493
MUSEUMS
CROCKER ART MUSEUM 916-808-7000 CrockerArt.org
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
CAL HOPE CALHope.org
OPTOMETRY
CAMERON YEE, O.D. 6407 Riverside Blvd., 916-395-0673 DrCameronYee@aol.com
PERFORMING ARTS
BROADWAY SACRAMENTO Safe Credit Union Performing Arts Center 916-557-1999 BroadwaySacramento.com
CREST SACRAMENTO 1013 K Street crestsacramento.com
MONDAVI CENTER UC Davis mondaviarts.org
SBL ENTERTAINMENT Sofia/B St. Theatre bstreettheatre.org sblentertainment.com
PEST MANAGEMENT
EARTH GUARD PEST SERVICES 916-457-7605 contact@earthguardpest.com
PHARMACY
PUCCI’S PHARMACY 3257 Folsom Blvd., 916-442-5891 www.puccirx.com
REAL ESTATE
COLDWELL BANKER Mark T. Peters, 916-341-7794 www.MarkPeters.biz
DUNNIGAN REALTORS Steph Baker, 916-775-3447 SacramentoDigs.com
LYON REAL ESTATE Tanya Curry, 916-698-9970 TCurry.GoLyon.com
MCMARTIN REALTY Brian McMartin, 916-402-4160 brian@brianmcmartin.com McMartinRealty.com
WEDDING VENUES
GRANITE BAY GOLF CLUB Granite Bay, CA 916-791-7578 www.granitebayclub.com
SCOTT’S SEAFOOD - ON THE RIVER 916-379-5959 ScottsSeafoodontheRiver.com
