LGBTQ San Diego County News | May 2024 | Vol. 4., Issue 39

Meeting the challenges of chan ge Barrel & Board adapts and uplifts in a safe space for our community

by Morgan M. Hurley | Editor

Moe Girton still has days where she relives the 18 months that Gossip Grill was closed down during COVID. There are a thousand little triggers that can take her right back to those days in an instant. It was a time when she was doing whatever she could to stay sane, regardless of a loathsome landlord, thoughts of bankruptcy, employee troubles, managing government bailouts, and more.

She kept her spirits up (no pun intended) by running the Hen House live stream, allowing viewers stuck at home to watch and learn while she made cocktails. Her own solace came from popular longtime local LGBT nightclub entertainer (and friend),

Don L, who was doing his own live streams.

“Those got me through COVID,” she said.

Today, things are much better for Girton, and it shows. When she thought Gossip was going to shut down permanently she was made an offer by the Cohen Group for a property down the street that held a trio of businesses: BoBeau/Tacos Libertad/and Cache.

“They closed on Sunday, March 15, 2020, but California shut down on March 17 and they never came back,” she said. It was a turn-key operation and the restaurant was still even set for service when they got the keys. That meant quite a bit of dust and refrigerator cleanup a year later, but it was an exciting opportunity to have at such a difficult time.

Now, Gossip Grill is back to thriving and with the new operation, Girton was able to expand beyond Gossip into a space that she said is for those who have “outgrown” Gossip and want a break from a loud nightclub.

“[Gossip] is what it is and we really need that, but we also needed something else for folks who actually wanted to have a conversation and not yell, or maybe have a great glass of wine, or a martini and be somewhere beautiful that our community deserves,” she said.

She’s referring to the Boardroom, which is the “sexy speakeasy” part of Barrel & Board (B&B). It opens a bit earlier than the restaurant and you can still

In Memoriam: Phil Collum (1970 – 2024) A trailblazing officer with true ‘heart behind the badge’

by Morgan M. Hurley

Phil Collum, 54, a much heralded member of the San Diego LGBTQ community as well as the local community at large, passed away April 12 from cancer, with his husband William by his side. Collum had served with the Chula Vista Police Department for 29 years, attaining the rank of second in command.

In January of 2023, this newspaper selected Collum as one of its “Persons of the Year.”

In the article that accompanied the announcement, author Nicole Murray Ramirez wrote, “The city of Chula Vista recently appointed new Assistant Police Chief Phil Collum who is now the highest ranking openly LGBTQ+ law enforcement officer in San Diego County and rightfully is one of our Persons of the Year.

“Though born in Washington DC, Phil was raised in San Diego and has lived here since he was six years old. He has been in law enforcement for almost 30 years. Phil Collum was a late bloomer and came out when he was 26 years old; his parents

LOCAL DEMS WIN BIG IN DELEGATE ELECTIONS

In advance of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), taking place Aug. 19-22 in Chicago, the California Democratic Party recently elected 496 Biden-Harris delegates and 35 alternates to the convention. During the selection period, the San Diego Democrats for Equality organization had a large number of its members win delegate and alternate seats.

According to Dems for Equality President Emeritus Doug Case, this is the first time the local political organization has elected LGBTQ+ delegates to the Democratic National Convention in every San Diego-area congressional district. The following Dems For Equality members were elected as delegates (and alternates) to the 2024 Democratic National Convention: District 48 (Rep. Darrell Issa, R): Ryan Darsey, Andi McNew; District 49 (Rep. Mike Levin): Kevin Sabellico; District 50 (Rep. Scott Peters): Shaina Tigar, Codi Vierra, Brian Polejes, and Gretchen Newsom (alternate); District 51 (Rep. Sara Jacobs): Nicole Crosby, Sabrina Bazzo, Ryan Trabuco; District 52 (Rep. Juan Vargas): Michelle Krug, Brenda Aguirre, Mike Thaller, James Moffatt.

Learn more about the San Diego Democrats for Equality at democratsforequality.org

HBA OPEN HOUSE MIXER

On Tuesday, May 21, from 5 - 7 pm, the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) is hosting its annual open house and mixer event at AWOL Bar, located at 1475 University Ave., just one block west of the HBA’s administrative offices.

Members of the community are invited to attend the mixer and enjoy drinks, bites, conversation, the opportunity to network, and most importantly, to hear about the projects the HBA has been up to so far and still plans for this year.

The HBA provides security, marketing and beautification services, and encourages economic development, through events and promotions of Hillcrest businesses.

For more information about the HBA, visit fabuloushillcrest.com

WOMEN’S CHORUS ANNUAL SPRING CONCERT

The San Diego Women’s Chorus, under the artistic direction of Kathleen Hansen, will perform two shows for their spring concert series, “In Harmony” – one Saturday, May 18, at 7 pm, and a Sunday matinee on May 19 at 4 pm.

Both concerts will be held at Herbert Hoover High School, located at 4474 El Cajon Blvd., in City Heights.

Cara expands her family

(l to r) Husbands William Lopez and Phil Collum march hand-in-hand during a San Diego Pride parade (Courtesy photo)

(l to r) Barrel & Board’s Executive Chef Mina Rosete and Owner/GM Moe Girton are launching a new menu and cocktail/ mocktail program this weekend. (Photo by Morgan M. Hurley)

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PHIL

have always given him their unconditional love and support. Phil is married to well-known San Diego businessman William Lopez, president of Alternative Strategies. They have been together for almost 15 years, and both had their parents at their wedding. Phil’s parents have always instilled in him to be a person of integrity and that has always been the core of his wellknown and respected reputation.”

The article also explained that Collum’s Chief of Police, Roxanne Kennedy, who was Collum’s mentor and had trained him early in his career, coined the phrase “heart behind the badge.” Collum obviously embraced that mindset when he established and ran the department’s Community Engagement division in 2022. Some say he was instrumental in sensitive negotiations that allowed the return of police officers marching in the Pride parade.

On April 13, when sharing the news of Collum’s passing, San Diego Union Tribune (UT) had this to say.

“In announcing his death, the [Chula Vista Police] department hailed Collum, 54, as ‘a true trailblazer,’ noting he had been tapped as the department’s first Black lieutenant in 2009, first Black captain in 2018, and first Black assistant chief in 2022. He was also the first openly gay male officer in the department.”

The UT also reported that his passing came after a 5-month

battle with a rare form of cancer; soft tissue sarcoma.

As news spread that weekend of Collum’s death, Facebook was inundated with posts and memories about the impact he had made and the void his death will leave behind.

Dozens and dozens of people shared thoughts of his smile, his kindness, his spirit, his generosity, his friendship, integrity and his ethics and professionalism. A common theme was also his passion for the Corazon De Vida Foundation,

that oversees 11 orphanages supporting nearly 500 children who were abandoned or orphaned in the Tijuana region. Their Facebook page describes them as “A for-purpose organization giving life-saving support to orphanages in Mexico and building futures for abandoned children through long-term education.”

Collum and his husband visited the orphanages regularly and embraced, mentored and loved the children there; and they loved them back. He

spent the better part of the last decade supporting the organization, especially with his time. He was also president of Missiongathering Church in North Park, which is where he first became introduced to Corazon De Vida.

At his celebration of life, held April 20 at Eastlake Church, attendees were encouraged to donate to the newly established Phillip Alonzo Collum Scholarship Fund, “dedicated to empowering the dreams of orphaned youth in Baja California,” and in just 10

days, $31,250 of the $50,000 needed for the launch has already been met.

If you’d like to honor Phil Collum’s memory by making a donation, visit bit.ly/4dk3pnb

To read the article announcing his 2023 Person of the Year award from LGBTQ San Diego County News, visit bit.ly/3UmJ1ZR

—Morgan M. Hurley is the editor-in-chief of this newspaper. You can reach her at editor@lgbtqsd.news ▼

Phil spent countless days in Tijuana impacting the lives of the children. (Courtesy photo)

PRIDE SEASON ROU N D U P

by Morgan M. Hurley

Pride season is upon us! The inaugural Pride marches in New York and San Francisco took place in 1970, a year after the Stonewall riots, and they have since evolved into annual civil rights demonstrations in small towns and big cities across the nation.

The intent and purpose of these marches has expanded over the years to encompass raising awareness about the fight against AIDS and honoring those we have lost to illness, violence, and neglect.

It is also a time for us to honor ourselves and take pride in our right and ability to live our authentic lives.

Below, we decided to share with you when and where Pride in all its forms is being celebrated in US cities both near and far this year.

June is the most traditional time to celebrate, but some locations, due to weather or other conflicts, opt for cooler months in the late fall. Some websites were still lacking in information at press time, so keep checking back. Regardless, these parties are getting started this month! Anyone up for a road trip!?

LONG BEACH PRIDE

May 18 & 19 (Sat & Sun)

“Rhythm of the Rainbow,” 41st annual, produced by the City of Long Beach and Long Beach Pride Pride Festival, Saturday & Sunday, 11 am - 10 pm, Marina Green, 386 East Shoreline Drive. One day General Admission (GA) $40 (+$5.10 fee); one day VIP $125 (+$8.93 fee); two day VIP $225 (+$13.43). VIP tickets include admission to festival, elevated bar experience, lounge area, luxury restrooms, chill zone. Ivy Queen, Queen of Reggaeton headliner

Parade, Sunday, step off at 10 am, E. Ocean Boulevard, between Lindero and Alamitos avenues. FREE

PRIDE BY THE BEACH (Ocean side)

June 1 (Saturday)

“Our Stories, Our Power,” produced by the North County LGBTQ Resource Center and pridebythebeach.org.

Pride by the Beach, noon - 6 pm, Pier View Way, Oceanside Civic Center. This “vibrant” street festival includes a community stage, main stage, more than 130 retail and resource vendors, a food court, etc. Free parking available. FREE NO parade.

FRESNO PRIDE

June 1 (Saturday)

“Rainbow Wave, Navigating Through the Current,” produced by Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade, step off 10 am, Tower District at E. Olive and N. Wishon avenues. FREE Festival, 11 am - 6 pm, Fresno City College campus, 1101 E. University Ave. FREE

Note: Special Kick-off event with Sandra Bernhard, May 11, Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave. $35 and up.

SEATTLE PRIDE

June 1, June 30 (Saturdays)

“Now! Seattle Pride 50,” produced by Seattle Pride Pride in the Park, Saturday, June 1, noon - 7 pm, Volunteer Park, 1247 15th Ave, Capitol Hill. Parade, Saturday, June 30, pre-show 10:30, step off 11 am, Westlake Park, 401 Pine Street, Downtown Seattle.

ALBUQUERQUE PRIDE

June 8 (Saturday)

“Gather, Dream, Amplify,” produced by abqpride.com PrideFest, Saturday, 2 - 8 pm, Balloon Fiesta Park, Balloon Fiesta Parkway, Northeast Albuquerque, New Mexico. NO parade.

BOSTON PRIDE

June 8 (Saturday)

Produced by Pride Committee of Boston Pride for the People Parade, step off at 11 am, Copley Square, march runs through South End to Boston Common. FREE

Festival, Boston Common after parade, FREE Block Party, City Hall Plaza, 21+ event, also FREE

LOS ANGELES (LA) PRIDE

June 8 & 9 (Sat & Sun)

“Power in Pride,” 54th annual, produced by Christopher Street West

Pride Parade, Hollywood Boulevard, time tbd, FREE Pride in the Park (festival), Saturday & Sunday, 1 pm, LA State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring Street; world class stage, exhibitors, food trucks, food vendors, 20 acres of lush garden space with view of DTLA skyline. Tickets GA tier 2, $99 (+ $12.25 fee); VIP tier 1 $349. Ricky Martin headliner

Pride Block Party, Sunday, mid-day to evening, adjacent parade route, includes performance stage, vendor village, food and beverages, FREE

SACRAMENTO PRIDE

June 8 & 9 (Sat & Sun)

Produced by the Sacramento LGBT Community Center Festival, Saturday, noon - 9 pm, Sunday, noon - 6pm. Sacramento Capitol Mall, extending from Seventh Street to Third Street between L and N streets. Entrance at intersection of Capitol Mall/Seventh Street. Tickets, GA single day advance $15, gate $18; GA weekend advance $25, at gate, $32. VIP weekend advance $150, at gate $175. Parade, Sunday, step off at 11 am, Southside Park (near Eighth and T streets) to Capitol Mall festival grounds. FREE

DENVER PRIDE

June 22 & 23 (Sat & Sun)

“50th anniversary,” produced by The Center on Colfax and denverpride.org

PrideFest, Saturday, 11 am - 7 pm, Sunday, 10 am - 6 pm, Civic Center Park, 101 14th Street.

Pride Parade, Sunday, steps off at 9:30 am, Colfax Avenue (travels west 14 blocks) to Civic Center Park festival grounds. FREE

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BRIEFS

Promotions about the event describe it as “inspiring,” and state, “Audiences can expect to hear a selection of compelling, moving, and uplifting songs, performed with the heart and soul that only San Diego Women’s Chorus brings to our audiences. From the poignant message of Cyndi Lauper's ‘True Colors’ to the rousing Twisted Sister anthem ‘We're Not Gonna Take It,’ this show is infused with passion.”

VIP tickets (premium seating) are $30, general admission is $25, and tickets for youth, military, disabled, and seniors are $20. A small processing fee will be added. Demand is expected to be high, so securing tickets in advance is strongly recommended.

SDWC is a lesbian-identified, feminist sisterhood of musicians that welcomes members from the vastly diverse LGBTQ and straight ally communities. It was founded 37 years ago with 14 lesbians around a piano. For more information, follow their Facebook page.

KARAOKE AT CANDY PUSHERS

Women- and LGBTQ-owned Candy Pushers, located at 1295 University Ave., Suite 1B, in Hillcrest, is not your typical candy store.

The “colorful candy shop known for its huge candy selection, fresh homemade fudge, specialty chocolates, ice cream floats and providing their community with a fun, friendly, and flavorful experience,” also identifies as an “all-inclusive sober safe space” for the community.

This means they offer a number of activities on different nights to support LGBTQ+ youth, sober/recovery folks and their families.

They recently announced the second Wednesday of every month will be Candy Karaoke and Open Mic night. Thursday, May 9, from 5 - 8 pm, will be one of those nights. While they claim to have more than 50,000 songs for karaoke sing-alongs, they also encourage community members to bring their musical instruments to share their skills with other attendees, and offer a platform for anyone who wants to recite their spoken word or family-style comedy.

So go in to purchase candy and “stay for the comradery with like-minded humans,” organizers stated on their event posting.

To learn more and keep tabs on future events, follow their Facebook or Instagram accounts @candypushers or visit their website, candypushers.com

CENTER CEO SHARES SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

In a message to the community on April 29, Cara Dessert, CEO of the San Diego LGBT Community Center, shared that she is pregnant with her second child and expecting to give birth any day now.

“My wife Lisa and I are overjoyed to be adding a new member to our growing family,” Dessert wrote. “Our firstborn, Sebastian, turns two this year, and he can’t wait to meet his new sibling!”

Dessert’s due date is May 12 – Mother’s Day – and she will begin her parental leave on Friday, May 10, which is Mexican Mother’s Day. During her leave, The Center’s Deputy CEO, Kim Fountain, will step into the role of acting CEO.

According to Dessert, “Kim brings immense dedication, experience, and heart to our community. I trust that under their leadership, our Center will continue to be a beacon of support, advocacy, and love. I look forward to reconnecting when I'm back from leave in late August.”

To learn more about The Center, visit thecentersd.org

IMPERIAL COURT INSTALLS NEW ROYALES

At the annual Royale Ball held April 28 at Rich’s San Diego, the Imperial Court de San Diego (ICSD) installed Kiki Tolson as Regent Princess Royale, and Mykl Loyer as Prince Royale.

The annual Royale Ball follows the annual Coronation Ball, held each year in February to install the current emperor and empress, thus the pair join the Court’s Reign 52, led by Jade Emperor Ajax and Emerald Leather Phoenix Empress Ivory, to round out the leadership of the current reign.

Royales Kiki and Mykl replace Prince Royale Donnie Vella and Princess Royale Shannon Diamond, who served Reign 51 of the Imperial Court de San Diego and performed their “step down” at Sunday’s ball.

The ball also included the investiture of the membership who will make up Reign 52.

The ICSD was established in 1972, seven years after the International Imperial Court was founded in San Francisco in 1965. Through a series of special events, drag shows, and other fundraisers, the local Court raises tens of thousands of dollars each year to support a variety of charitable causes within the LGBTQ community.

The San Diego organization serves the local community through a number of signature events, including the LGBT

Community Easter Egg Hunt, the Scott Carlson/Dan Ferbal Thanksgiving Dinner, Toys for Kids Drive, Winter Blanket Drive, Back to School Backpack Drive, a holiday turkey distribution, and more.

The newly installed Royales will be expected to create their own fundraisers and events throughout the year to raise funds and resources in support of ICSD’s charitable giving.

More information about ICSD can be found online at imperialcourtsandiego.com

NOMINATIONS FOR LOCAL STREET BANNERS

For years, the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) has sponsored banners along University Avenue recognizing LGBTQ celebrities, and now the HBA and the San Diego GLBTQ Historic Task Force want to put “local celebrities” on the banners.

Nominations are now being accepted for LGBTQA+ San Diegans to be honored on these banners, which will be displayed throughout the neighborhood.

City Commissioner Nicole M. Ramirez, chair of the San Diego GLBTQ Historic Task Force, presented a proposal to the HBA that local San Diegans be honored in observation of the 50th anniversary of the first Pride March Parade. Nominees can be either living or deceased and submissions should include a bio of the individual and a letter stating why they should be honored with a Hillcrest banner.

The deadline for nominations is June 10 and they may be emailed to bannersubmissions@hillcrestbia.org

WIN FREE TICKETS TO OUT AT THE FAIR

The annual San Diego County Fair is fast approaching. It kicks off June 12 at Del Mar Fairgrounds and runs through July 7 this year.

This year’s theme for the overall event is “Let’s Go Retro,” and they sum that up on their website this way: “With a nod to nostalgia and a focus on fun, the 2024 Fair will give our yesteryears another moment in the San Diego sun. Bop your way around the happy days of the ’50s. Twist, shout, and shake it into the bewitching ’60s. Move and groove through the disco nights of the ’70s. Moonwalk it back to the gnarly age of big hair, shoulder pads, and parachute pants of the ’80s. And enjoy the era of flannel and floppy drives of the ‘90s. When we look back on today, what will stand the test of time to be considered ‘retro’ to future San Diegans?”

The 12th annual OUT at the Fair, the LGBTQ day at the fair, takes place Saturday, June 22, from 11 am - 5 pm at the Paddock Stage.

Your emcees this year are Alexander Rodriguez and Landa Plenty. The welcome begins at 11:15 am, with the following schedule: 11:30 Cheer SD Extreme; 12:30 Matt Harkenrider; 1:30 KingQueen; 2:30 Mariachi Arco-Iris de Los Angeles; 3 pm Storytime with Landa; 3:30 Glam Show with the San Diego Kings Club, Keri Oki, and Shania Satisfaction.

The Del Mar Fairgrounds are located at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., del Mar. Tickets to Out at the Fair are included in your general admission price to the fair itself. You can win a free four-pack of tickets throughout the month of May. Winner will be announced June 1. To enter or learn more about the event, visit outatthefair.com

In addition, there are still some seasonal jobs available. For information on other aspects of the fair, or to apply for a seasonal or year-round job, visit sdfair.com and use the search box in the upper right corner and type in “jobs.”

CREST CAFE UNVEILS NEW MURAL

The Crest Cafe, a family-owned diner in Hillcrest that has served the community since 1983, recently commissioned a new mural to be painted on the wall just outside the cafe’s main entrance.

The mural, created by local artist Austin Gosswiller, incorporates a floral and fauna scene that intertwines the Crest Cafe and the local Hillcrest community. Gosswiller worked closely with the Crest Cafe’s owners, including Enrique Medina, to come up with the vision for the mural.

“It was important to us that we find someone local to bring [our vision] to life,” Medina said. “Austin did just that.”

The mural includes “Crest”ed cranes with rainbowcolored crests. The large colored dots in the background of the mural are a tribute to the pride flag, and it also includes a butterfly and hummingbird.

“We wanted something fun, exciting and beautiful, and he nailed it,” said Medina.

This isn’t the only mural on the Crest Cafe’s building. In 2012, in honor of the cafe’s upcoming 30th anniversary, the entire side wall of the cafe along the alley was painted with a mural that has a giant elephant as the centerpiece. The “elephant mural” has become a well-known spot to visit in the neighborhood, and is located just a block down from Hillcrest’s Mural Alley.

The Crest Cafe is located at 425 Robinson Ave., and can be found online at crestcafe.com

STUDIO DOOR CELEBRATES MILESTONE WITH EXHIBIT

Patric Stillman, proprietor of The Studio Door, recently announced an exhibition to honor and celebrate the art gallery’s 10th anniversary.

Taking place May 2 through May 29, the exhibition will commemorate “a decade of artistic excellence and community engagement,” Stilman stated in a press release.

Artists showcased during the exhibition include Hyacinthe Baron, Patrick N. Brown, Miguel CamachoPadilla, Kenda Francis, Brian Hicks, Maxx Moses, Andrea Overturf, Nancy Plank, Cassandra Schramm, and Chris Smith, whom Stillman described as “Ten exceptional artists who represent our past, present and hopes for the future,” adding that each artist “brings a unique perspective, highlighting the diverse and vibrant artistic community that The Studio Door has fostered over the years.”

The Studio Door opened its gallery in 2014 on 30th Street in North Park, and moved to its present location in Hillcrest in 2019.

To further involve the local community in celebrating the gallery’s first decade, Stillman and the in-resident artists of The Studio Door invite the community to a special

(l to r) new royalty on the Court: Kiki Tolson, Regent Princess Royale and Mykl Loyer, Prince Royale (Courtesy ICSD)

Honor your mentor and celebrate Pride. (Courtesy HBA)

Honor your mentor and celebrate Pride. (Courtesy HBA)

New mural at entrance of beloved Hillcrest restaurant (Courtesy Crest Cafe)

Writer/Director of ‘Eating Out’ dishes on film

by Benny Cartwright

FilmOut San Diego is presenting a 20th anniversary screening of the popular LGBTQ film, Eating Out, on Wednesday, May 15, at 7 pm, as part of their monthly screening series.

The film, written and directed by Q. Allan Brocka, was an unexpected hit when it premiered in 2004, and remains a popular LGBTQ classic today.

LGBTQ San Diego County News caught up with Brocka, who currently resides in Los Angeles, in advance of the screening, to hear his thoughts on the making of the film, how it holds up 20 years later, and other projects he has in the works.

Also, Brocka will be attending the screening in San Diego and participating in a Q&A session following the film, so fans can ask him additional questions.

The popularity of Eating Out turned out to be so great that it spawned four sequels including Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds (2006), Eating Out: All You Can Eat (2009), Eating Out: Drama Camp (2011), and Eating Out: The Open Weekend (2011). All of the films are sexually charged and celebrate LGBTQ sexuality, something that Brocka said was rare to see on screen when the original film in the franchise was released.

And that original Eating Out film was a surprise success! According to Brocka, the idea for the film was simply to play a joke on his film class while getting

his masters of film from the California Institute of the Arts.

“I had written all of the ‘important stuff’ for my degree program, so I wanted to write something fun, sexy, and super gay,” Brocka told LGBTQ San Diego County News. “In the middle of the final Eating Out script, there’s like a 17-page phone-sex scene, but I had first written that phone call script for class.”

Brocka said his goal was to have that phone-sex scene read in front of his class to humor his classmates and thought that would be the end of it. He had a variety of other scripts he still had to write for his masters program and continued to work on those.

But sometime later, Brocka met Michael Shoel of Ariztical Entertainment at a film festival, and a plan was hatched to turn Brocka’s little script into something bigger. At the time, Ariztical was a DVD distribution company that wanted to get into production, and Shoel told Brocka he believed they could make around $60,000 with a film, as long as it had “cute guys” on the cover, and two “fullfrontal” nudity shots.

Brocka’s script originally had no nudity incorporated into it, but they made it happen and produced the film for a mere $43,000. The film was shot over 10 days in the desert community of Tucson, Arizona, where Shoel lived and they ran with it.

“I thought it would screen at a few local film festivals and I would’ve been happy with that,” Brocka said. “But it ended up

premiering in 2004 at something like 100 festivals and grossing over $2 million in DVD sales.”

According to the website where tickets are purchased, the film, which stars Rebekah Kochan, Ryan Carnes, Scott Lunsford, Emily Stiles, and Jim Verraros – who took ninth place on season 1 of American Idol – follows the story of Caleb, a hunky poli-sci major, fresh off of a breakup with the aggressive Tiffany. Caleb is shocked when his gay roommate, Kyle (played by Verraros), lets him in on a little secret: gay men can get any girl they want.

Armed with this tidbit of knowledge, Caleb agrees to a plan hatched by Kyle, and finds himself pretending to be gay in order to woo Gwen, a smartmouthed cutie with a penchant for boys who like boys.

Soon Caleb realizes his plan is not as simple as he first thought and at Gwen’s urging, he finds himself roped into “eating out” with her hunky roommate Marc – who is, naturally, the object of Kyle’s affection. The story explores whether Caleb can find a way to reveal his true feelings for Gwen without hurting Marc, or if both Marc and Kyle will be left out in the cold.

That story line sat well with audiences, and Brocka and friends would joke about doing a sequel – a sort of “sloppy seconds” to the first movie. And once they saw the success of the DVD sales that followed the initial on-screen release of the film, they knew a sequel was in order and named it appropriately,

Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds, released in 2006.

Brocka recalled rushing to the local Virgin Megastore in West Hollywood on the day the original Eating Out film hit the shelves.

“I just wanted to see it on the shelf,” Brocka said, adding that he never expected the film to be one of the number one selling DVDs for over a month.

While the film received a mixed reception and won a variety of awards from various film festivals, Brocka said the film was remarkable because it gave people the opportunity to see queer people exploring sexuality with each other on screen in a positive portrayal.

“A lot of my work was influenced by what I call ‘American sex comedies’ – films like American Pie, Revenge of

the Nerds, and others,” Brocka said. “In films like these, anytime there was a queer character, they were the most disgusting thing that could happen. Gay characters were typically portrayed as completely asexual and laughed at.”

Brocka wanted to change that portrayal with Eating Out.

“I wanted [LGBTQ people] to be the heroes of that,” he continued, “we have sex and it can be amazing and funny all at the same time.”

Brocka, who is of Filipino descent and was born on Guam, noted that his identities have also shaped his film-making and storytelling voice drastically. He said he knew from the age of 12 that he wanted to be a filmmaker

Writer/Director Q. Allan Brocka will be on hand for a Q&A after screening. (Courtesy FilmOUT)

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Know your rights, San Diegans

San Diego has been known for being forward-looking in LGBTQ activism. In 2021, San Diego became the fifth city in the United States to use gender-neutral language in city laws and policies. While the city provides a welcoming environment for the LGBTQ community, it remains crucial for LGBTQ employees and employers to be aware of their rights in the workplace.

According to San Diego County, as of 2020, about 230,000 individuals, or approximately 8.8%, identify as LGBTQ in San Diego County, a figure that is fairly representative of the number of California residents who identify as LGBTQ. Notably, a significantly higher percentage of the younger population, specifically 30% of adults under 25, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer.

Despite the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County affirming that Title VII protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, workplace discrimination remains widespread. The Williams Institute found that 45% of employees report having heard antiLGBTQ remarks in the workplace, and 29.8% report not being hired or being fired due to their gender identity or sexual orientation at some point in their lives.

Protections for San Diego’s LGBTQ Employees

In San Diego, LGBTQ employees have several rights and protections available to them under federal and state law. On the federal level, San Diego residents can avail themselves of protections under Title VII against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Current state law also renders it illegal to

by The Stanford Heisler Sharp firm

discriminate based on sexual orientation. Notably, according to the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), it is illegal to discriminate based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression.

This protection can come in many forms. Employers may not prevent you from doing your job by harassing you based on your identity, especially through intimidation, development of a hostile work environment, and refusal to utilize your preferred pronouns. Employers may not request that an individual declare their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. You are also protected if you associate with LGBTQ individuals, via friendships, partnerships, or familial relationships. Ultimately, no employer in California may treat their employees less well because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

As of 2017, California passed Senate Bill 396, which expanded training for supervisors on how to identify and prevent harassment based on gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Now, current state law requires that California employers of five or more individuals must provide harassment prevention training to all employees every two years, and that posters regarding these protections be displayed in a prominent and accessible location.

In addition to state law, the City of San Diego offers protection to employees of businesses that work with prospective and current government contractors.

Specifically, Division 35, Article 2, of the Municipal Code confers the right to file an administrative complaint about the city’s

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Benny Cartwright community@lgbtqsd.news

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SENIOR COLUMNIST

Nicole Murray Ramirez

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mike Phillips | Neal Putnam

Frank Sabatini Jr. Veronica Zerrer

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Terry Sidie David Mannis

ASSOC. PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Nicole Murray Ramirez

NATIONAL SALES

REPRESENTATIVE

Charles Wellman charles@rivendellmedia.com 908-232-2021 EXT 225

prospective and current contractors if they engaged in unlawful discrimination against their subcontractors, vendors or suppliers, based on the latter’s employees’ or owners’ sexual orientation or other protected statuses.

Despite the strength of these laws, there are employment contexts to which they do not apply. For example, if you work for a religious entity or work at a company with very few employees, you may not be entitled to protections under federal or state anti-discrimination laws.

San Diego maintains progressive anti-discrimination protections in the U.S. for LGBTQ employees. Yet, LGBTQ discrimination can still occur despite these protections.

Knowing your rights as a San Diego resident, educating yourself and your peers, is the first step to combatting this issue.

–This article is authored by Sanford Heisler Sharp associate Ting Cheung, senior legal assistants Serena Bernal and Xan Wolstenholme-Britt, and legal intake and operations specialist Erin Simard. Sanford Heisler Sharp is a national civil rights and social justice law firm known for its experience in employment rights. Visit sanfordheisler. com to learn more. The authors can be reached at tcheung@sanfordheisler.com

Editor’s note: This editorial is being provided as a public service to our readers. If you or your organization would like to share a public service editorial, please contact editor@lgbtqsd. news to submit your content for review and consideration. ▼

CALIFORNIA SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Scott Wazlowski advertising@ebar.com 415-829-8937

DISTRIBUTION

LGBTQ San Diego County News is distributed free monthly. © 2023. All Rights Reserved.

SUBMISSIONS / NEWS TIPS

For tips, stories, letters to the editor, or other media inquiries, email editor@lgbtqsd.news.

EDITOR’S NOTE

The opinions written in this publication’s advertorial, editorial and opinion pages are the author’s own and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the staff and/or publisher of LGBTQ San Diego County News. The newspaper and its staff should be held harmless of liability or damages.

Editor’s Note: We accept and encourage letters to the editor, and we curate our “letters” from emails, snail mail, Facebook, and comments on our website. However, we reserve the right to publish – or not to publish – any particular submission or comment, and if we do choose to publish, it does not mean that we align or agree with the writer’s intentions, assertions or allegations.

I’m going to pray for her family. I know she is in a better place now but I don’t want to see this happen to my sons. My sincerest apologies to her siblings, friends, cousins, and little Keanu. May the spirit of God envelope you in this time of terrible grief. –Veronica Sheridan, via Facebook

Family member loves learning history

[Ref: “The Shoulders I Stand Upon: What a group of bartenders did to help feel those with AIDS,” Vol. 4, Issue 35, page 9, or online at bit.ly/4a06qWK]

Le tters EATING

Concern about new ‘banner’ process

[Ref: “Nominations now open for Hillcrest Historical Banners,” Vol. 4, Issue 37, page 2, or online at bit.ly/4djl2mZ]

What will the selection process be? Is there a committee of community members or will there be a voting process?

Let’s not have “nominations” only to have the honorees selected by one individual.

–anonymous, via lgbtqsd.news

All hail Dolores Huerta

[Ref: “Harvey Milk Breakfast to honor civil rights icon Dolores Huerta,” Vol. 4, Issue 37, page 2, or online at bit.ly/3xT0zFv]

Can we get Chavez Day renamed Chavez/ Huerta Day?

–Nadine Scott, via Facebook

Boomer appreciation

[Ref: “Benny’s Beat: An ode to Baby Boomers,” Vol. 4, Issue 37, page 7, or online at bit.ly/3UimI7J]

Thanks Benny, it is nice to have someone recognize that us boomers are not all bad – and some of us are still pretty active and contributing in our community where we can.

–Michael Donovan, via lgbtqsd.news

Thoughts for Erica’s family

[Ref: “Obituary: Erica Miranda Flores (19772024),” Vol. 4, Issue 37, page 19, or online at bit.ly/3UmVAEH]

Just wanted to edit as Ruth’s granddaughter – the correct spelling of her last name is Henricks.

Thank you for sharing this! It’s stories like this that really inspire others and allow me to see the impact my Grandma had, even though I was too young to know about it.

I have been sending her your links and we’re following along!

–Jennifer Carranza, via lgbtqsd.news

Column brings back memories

[Ref: “The Shoulders I Stand Upon: A simple idea created a journey that changed lives,” Vol. 4, Issue 33, page 9, or online at bit.ly/3JJbfJi]

Great article Big Mike. Thanks for keeping our amazing community achievement alive in this piece. It’s crazy to think it’s been over 20 years ago, and where Ordinary Miracles would be today if we had kept it going.

It’s also a great reminder of how many awesome people were involved with our organization, who we couldn’t have done this without.

–Nigel Mayer, via lgbtqsd.news ▼

If you’re reading this on the day this paper hits the streets, Friday, May 3, it is my 44th birthday. Happy birthday to me! I’m entering my mid-40s and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

This is in stark contrast to a series of columns I wrote about 15 years ago at San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN) as I was approaching 30. In fact, our editor-in-chief here at LGBTQ San Diego County News, Morgan M. Hurley, was my editor at SDGLN and had to pick through months of my columns that counted down to the end of my 20s. Most of those columns reflected a sense of dread about “getting old” and somewhat alluded to the fact that I thought I had everything all figured out at that point in life. I can only chuckle recalling those columns today.

I’d love to link you to those old columns but unfortunately, the SDGLN site had a security breach around 2022 and all of its content was lost, according to its publisher Johnathan Hale. I did search through my Google Docs to see if I had drafts of those old columns, and while I couldn’t find any, it reminded me that

Come Celebrate Harvey Milk on May 24!

In the San Diego traditions of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. and Cesar Chavez Community breakfasts, you are all invited to the 16th annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast on Friday, May 24 at 7:30 am sharp!

The 2024 honorees are international civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black, San Diego equality advocate Devorah

I’ve reflected on that series several times over the years, so I extend my apologies to my regular readers who have heard all this before:

2015: “Right around this time 5 years ago, I wrote a series of columns on SDGLN.com sharing my thoughts about turning 30. And how time flies! In just over two weeks, I’ll be turning 35. I’ve been thinking since January about whether or not I wanted to document my ‘journey to 35’ in some sort of blog or column series, but this milestone just doesn’t seem to be as big of a deal for me.”

2016: “In 2010, as I was approaching 30, I wrote a series of columns in my former ‘Life with Benny’ column on San Diego Gay & Lesbian News about my fears of turning 30. For several months leading up to May 3 – the big day that year – I shared about my fears and excitements of ‘growing older.’ Looking back, I chuckle, because I have since certainly learned that my 30s have been absolutely wonderful.”

2020: “In late 2009 and early 2010 as I was approaching 30 years old, I was freaking out! They used to say something like ‘35 was basically dead in gay years’ because of the over-emphasis our gay men’s community can place on youth. I thought 30 was ‘old,’ I thought I should’ve been further along in certain areas of my life, and I just placed way too much emphasis on that number. Of course, now that I’m a decade older, 30 year olds are practically babies!” I do like marking my birthday and age each year because it gives me the opportunity to reflect on things I’ve learned, things I’ve experienced, and ways I still need to grow.

One of the biggest things I reflect upon every year as I get older is how much I have left to learn, and that I really don’t have much of anything figured

out. Like I said earlier in this column, at the end of my 20s, I really thought I knew it all. And sure, by the time I hit 30, I had experienced and done a lot!

I started participating in San Diego’s LGBTQ community around 1997, when I was just 17 years old, and when I turned 18 and started at SDSU, I really jumped head first into community affairs. In fact, when I was 27, after nearly 10 years of activism and work in the community, I was honored with the Lambda Archives “20 Years, 20 Heroes” award, along with 19 other very longtime community leaders.

I had a bit of what they call today “imposter syndrome” when I received that honor, as everyone else on the list of honorees had been doing really big things in the community for decades – greats like Robert Gleason, Carolina Ramos, Alberto Cortes, Chris Shaw, Tracie Jada O’Brien, Carla Coshow, and others. I thought, “How could I be among this group?” and when I privately asked one of the selection committee members that question, he told me that it wasn’t about years, but impact –and that the impact I had made, especially on the youth and SDSU communities – was notable. It felt incredible to hear that.

But even though I had done so much in those earlier years of my adulthood, there was so much more ahead. And I think for most people, when younger, it’s hard to realize how fast time passes as you get older. I can still remember what it felt like being in my 20s – the excitement, the passion, and the curiosity – like it was yesterday. And now, I’ve been out of my 20s for nearly 15 years, but it feels like it all happened in the blink of an eye. Being in my 40s is a strange time. Younger people in their 20s and early 30s think I’m “old” … In fact, I remember being an

indestructible 23-year-old when a friend asked, “What’s your age range for guys?” I replied, “The low end is 21, and the oldest I’d even consider is 27 – and that’s pushing it!”

And people older than me still say, “You’re so young!”

It’s sort of this middle-age, in-between kind of period, where I’m not young but I’m not old. And I see a lot of opportunity and responsibility in that. It seems to me that we are in a time where now more than ever we need to listen to each other and bridge the intergenerational gaps. Just last month, my column “An ode to boomers” touched on this, but mostly focused on spending time with those older than us and telling them we love them while they’re still with us.

Our LGBTQ community is changing faster than ever, with new terms, concepts, and identities coming into the mainstream all the time. The generations older than me, who fought some of the most difficult battles our community will ever face to achieve rights for LGBTQ people, aren’t often up to speed on terms and concepts that younger people in the community are using or identifying as. And instead of working together to educate each other –on past struggles and history, and current trends and issues –the generations just ignore each other.

People in their 40s are in the position to bridge those gaps. We are still “young” enough to connect with younger people (although I can’t say I’m up on Gen Z lingo, music, or trends, and I still find it jarring that they’re bringing back the fashions of the late ’90s and early 2000s that many of us were glad to put behind us) yet old enough to have a reverence for the older generations and be understanding of their history – some of it that we lived with them.

While I’m in this phase of my life, I want to do a better job of bringing us together and helping us all understand each other’s different life experiences. And that includes me too – I will be the first to admit that I have my own biases, especially as it comes to those younger than me – and I need to explore those and be more understanding myself.

I’m excited to turn 44 and I look forward to what’s ahead of me. I can only believe and hope that the best is still yet to come, even though I’ve had a pretty good run of life up to this point.

One thing about being older is that many of the fears and concerns that many younger people have – like fitting in or looking a certain way –disappear as you get older, and I give very few “f—s” about what people think about me anymore. Sure, I want to be respected and seen as a valuable member of the community, but I don’t care about the petty issues people may have with me – or the issues I used to perceive/think people had about me. The best is yet to come?

What am I doing for my birthday this year? Not much! I’ll have dinner with family and then I’ve given Rick Cervantes a few ideas of things I want to do over the weekend. But next year, May 3, 2025, keep an eye out because I hope to have some sort of big bash to celebrate my 45th – or maybe I won’t. I’ve also learned to just live life as it comes to me – it leads to less disappointment. I look forward to seeing many of you around town this month, including at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast on Friday, May 24!

–Benny Cartwright is a longtime activist and community leader. Reach him at community @lgbtqsd.news. Follow him on Instagram @BennyC80.

Updates on local and national recognitions

Marcus, and the City of Palm Springs Mayor Pro Tem Ron DeHarte.

And this year for the first time, 50 LGBTQA middle and high school students will be sponsored to attend the breakfast and $6,000 in student scholarships will be presented with the assistance of GLSEN.

Also for the first time in the breakfast’s 16-year history, it is being organized by a LGBTQA+ community committee, with co-chairs well known civic leader Laurie Black, Attorney Bruce Abrams, and City Commissioner Rickie Brown, with vice-chair Ryan Bedrosian of Rich’s San Diego.

The general admission tickets have also been reduced to $85 and the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast will be at a new location: The Marriott Mission Valley, 8757 Rio San Diego Dr.

The inaugural presentation of the newly established Assistant Police Chief Phil Collum LGBTQA Leadership Award will be given to 2024 honorees Lt. Dan Meyer and Officer Akilah Coston, both of

the San Diego Police Department, along with Lt. Mike Gonzales of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, and Supervisory Special FBI Agent Brett Kalina.

The recent deployment of the USNS Harvey Milk vessel will also be celebrated at the breakfast, as San Diego has a long history with the legacy of Milk being stationed here while he served as a U.S. Navy Commander in the 1950s. San Diego is also the first city in the world to name a street after Harvey Milk, followed by Salt Lake City, Portland, Miami, and Paris, France.

The breakfast will benefit the San Diego AIDS Memorial, student scholarships, the Hillcrest Historic Banner Project, the San Diego GLBTQ Historic Task Force, and the Harvey Milk Foundation.

Sponsors of the 2024 Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast are the San Diego GLBTQ Historic Task Force and the Harvey Milk Foundation. For further information on tickets, tables, or sponsorship, call 619-241-5672

or 619-254-6372, or visit bit.ly/HMDB24.

Larry Baza to Receive National Honor

Latino/LGBTQ icon, the late Larry Baza, will become the first San Diegan to be inducted onto the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor, located at the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City. The induction ceremony will be held on June 27.

The prestigious honor will include five other national LGBTQ heroes being inducted as part of the 2024 class: the late David Mixner, Cecelia Gentili, Police Officer Charles Cochrane, Sakia Gunn, and ABilly S. Jones-Hennin.

The annual induction ceremony is sponsored by the International Imperial Court Council and the National LGBTQ Task Force.

I am proud to be the founder of this National LGBTQ Wall of Honor, as well as the San Diego LGBTQ Community Wall of Honor located at the San Diego LGBT Community Center.

GLBTQ Vote Endorses Kevin Faulconer

The local San Diego GLBTQ Vote Committee recently endorsed Kevin Faulconer for San Diego County Board of Supervisors, District 3. The committee stated that it endorsed Faulconer “because he isn’t afraid to take stances and tackle serious issues, and be a visible and accessible elected official.”

When Faulconer served as Mayor of the City of San Diego for seven years, he established an outstanding record of support for LGBTQ civil rights.

Faucloner will face off against incumbent Terra Lawson-Remer in the November 2024 General Election.

–Nicole Murray Ramirez is a lifelong Latino and LGBT activist and advocate, a longtime city commissioner, and is the Queen Mother of the International Imperial Court of the Americas. He can be reached at nicolemrsd1@gmail.com ▼

Happy birthday t o me!

Huh? ‘Queers for Palestine’? Really?

Editor’s Note: Connor Maddocks has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons, but in his stead will be local trans community leader, Veronica “Ronnie” Zerrer.

I recently attended a rally against anti-semitism. Since Hamas’ attack on Israeli concert goers and kibbutzim occurred on Oct. 7, 2023, I wanted to support Israel in general and my Jewish friends.

I knew there were LGBTQ people who side with Palestinians and Hamas, but one transwoman there, accented in a black-andwhite-checkered keffiyeh, and wearing a surgical mask, held a placard reading that “no trans woman would be free until Palestine was free.” She’s not alone. Go to any campus ruckus against Israel today and you will see the flag of Palestine accompanied by the rainbow banner and chants of “From the River to the Sea …” Lenin once described useful idiots but it takes a special kind of cognitive dissonance to ignore the evidence out there that Palestine is not a safe place for anyone LGBTQ.

I doubt that Queers for Palestine know very much about the history of the people they’re agitating for.

Do they know that Palestinians staged pogroms against Jewish immigrants from 1920 through 1929, burning

Brits and Jews along the way?

Do they know the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem (a relative of Yasser Arafat) toured concentration camps during WWII?

In a 2001 book entitled Hitler and the Holocaust the historian Robert Wistrich outlines the visit to Germany of the Grand Mufti, meeting with Hitler and the SS. You don’t really think they were exchanging falafel recipes, do you?

Do Queers for Palestine know of Arab nations and Palestinian rejections of peace offers in 1937, 1948, and 2000?

Speaking with many young transmen and transwomen today, I get the feeling they think history started once they were born. So many dismiss the idea that Jewish people belong in Israel as much as the Palestinians do. Queers for Palestine, however, conflate Zionism with colonialism, when in reality Israel is more a project of homecoming and national rebirth, a return that has been nearly 2,000 years in the making.

It is not just The Bible that articulates Judaism’s place in the region. One example, Empires of Trust, by the historian Thomas Madden, describes three major Jewish revolts against Roman rule in the years 66-79 AD, 115 AD, 132 AD, and numerous minor insurgencies clear up to the year 200.

With each revolt, more Jewish identity was stamped out. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed. Jews were thrown out of Judea by the Romans, provincial boundaries redrawn, renamed, and repopulated. But alienation from place did not stop the yearning for the homeland. Indeed so strong was the hope, the wish, the ache for Israel, that sometime in the 1300s Jews started adding L’Shana Haba’ah B’Yerushalayim (Next Year in Jerusalem) at the end of Passover Seders.

How are LGBTQ people really treated in the Palestinian Authority (PA) and under Hamas? According to the LGBTQ Human Dignity Trust, a colonial era British Mandate law remains in effect in the PA. Under those sections, sexual violations can be punished with up to 14 years in prison (for those wonks who want to get into the weeds, reference Sections 152 (1) (b) (c) and 152

celebration Saturday, May 18, from 2 - 5 pm, held in collaboration with the HBA.

In a separate posting about the event on Facebook, Stillman reflected on the past decade.

“The thrill of the past 10 years is the solid relationships that we have built and the good times that have been shared in the name of art,” he wrote.

“From the get go, The Studio Door has always been rooted in community. The studio artists, the exhibiting artists, the students, the nonprofit organizations, the businesses, local government officials and arts leaders, have all weaved their way into our story. What started as a dream became reality because of the people. In service of the arts, we humbly thank everyone who has joined us on this adventure, especially the art patrons for their support. Looking forward to celebrating with you this month and into the next decade as we continue to create the world you want to live in through art.”

The community celebration will take place both inside the gallery and outside in Mural Alley, located directly behind The Studio Door between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Small businesses, a DJ, and various festivities will be included in the fun.

(2) (b) of the British Mandate criminal code, as well as PA draft penal codes Articles 258 and 263).

While Human Dignity Trust reports the anti-LGBTQ laws remain in effect, they are not rigidly enforced. But Amnesty International reports that threats and attacks against gays receive scant investigation or adjudication. As late as 2019, the PA announced that LGBTQ groups were forbidden to meet in the West Bank when the Al-Qaws LGBT Palestinian group wanted to hold a conference in Nablus. The PA said, “[LGBTQ] are harmful to the higher values and ideals of Palestinian society.” And in October 2022, 25- year-old Ahmed Abu Murkhiyeh, a gay Palestinian, was beheaded after he was discovered to be seeking asylum in Israel. It’s pretty telling when a Palestinian is compelled to apply for asylum in Israel.

Maybe it is truly unsafe for Gays in Palestine. While only 8% of Palestinians approved of honor killings in a June 2019 poll conducted by the BBC Arabic News, it also revealed that only 5% of Palestinians accept LGBTQ people.

In his 2020 book, Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique, Professor Sa’ed Atshan of Swarthmore College links the LGBTQ struggle against homophobia and transphobia to the struggle for Palestine. Last November in an article in them, Dr. Atshan could only muster a tepid explanation of Hamas’s attacks of Oct. 7, explaining that while it was a horror, the Israeli dead should be seen in the context of the cumulative asymmetry of casualties between Israelis and Palestinians over the span of the conflict.

The article mentioned in them was entitled “Why Queer Solidarity with Palestine is Not ‘Chickens for KFC.’” I don’t know. It certainly sounds that way to me.

–Veronica Zerrer is the author of “Memoirs of a Cold Warrior, a Novel.” She is retired from the US Army and active in the local LGBTQ community. In 2023, she was appointed to the California Veterans Board by Gov. Newsom. She can be reached at vzerrer@gmail.com ▼

The Studio Door is located at 3867 Fourth Ave., in Hillcrest. For more information, visit thestudiodoor.com

To submit a news brief or press release, contact editor@lgbtqsd.news ▼

RuPaul Doesn’t Rue the Day

The way we word

1 Knight job for Alec Guinness 2 Middle name of “Viva, Las Vegas” singer

Chelsea Pines and others

Rub someone the right way, with these 5 Dark reddish brown

Comes across as

Sports car, briefly

Nick Adams in “Rebel Without a Cause”

Bowie collaborator

“ ... ___ evil”

Come out correctly

Free, to Rimbaud

Scratched, as the paint on a car

Almost the color purple

Bit spit out by a computer

David Hyde Pierce and peers

Unload loads 26 Pet plant 27 Phallic swimmers that need no lube? 28 “The Boys ___ Brazil”

Frizzy hair style

Chicago Bears wear them on their knees 32 Morning coffee, for one

How to do premature ejaculation 34 Top drawer

Hot stuff 39 Hi-___ graphics

Gentle touch 43 Unresponsive to a come-on

Where they yell “Cut!”

Red Bordeaux

Human Rights Campaign fundraisers 48 Ready for action, in the men’s room

Queen topper 51 Keys of the Phantom of the

Put on the staff

Colorado, to Cocteau

Highsmith’s “The Price of ___”

Old Queens location

Young lady coming out

Humble thanks to the women who helped me become the man I am today

Women are the most incredible form of life on the planet; they are the ones who bear the pain, suffering and joy of giving life to the world. They nurture us, love us, adore us, feed us, hug us, and most of all, they show us how strong they truly are just by carrying us in their bodies for nine months and delivering us into this world. Remember every birthday you have, call your Mom and say thank you, never forget she was there, as well.

I don’t know why, but I have always had an amazing relationship with the women in my life; many have been straight, and many have been lesbians, but each relationship I’ve had (and still have) with so many of these women have inspired me to become, I believe, a better human being just by having them in my life.

In this column I am going to mention and share the names of many of these women and offer a few words so you will know how and why I have been so blessed by each one of them.

As so many of you know, I came here by way of San Antonio, Texas, and there are so many women just from there, before my time here in San Diego, that impacted me, but I am only going to mention one; my friend,

When I first moved to San Diego, I worked the day shift at the Brass Rail, and it was then I met Laurie Leonard, founder of Mama’s Kitchen. Laurie and Gary Cheatham, founder of Auntie Helen’s, were very close friends and would come in after work a few times a week to have a drink during happy hour.

She told me many stories about the things she had witnessed during those times, feeding so many of her neighbors, men dying of AIDS, her brother being one of them. Laurie established Mama’s Kitchen in 1990, and 34 years later, earlier this year, I was honored to accompany her to Alberto Cortez’s retirement party, to say “thank you” for his 25 years of service as its executive director.

“I never imagined at the time it would grow to serve so many people, all because I wanted to make sure my brother could eat a good hot meal,” she said to me. “Never in my life did I figure I would have so many other brothers to feed. But I am glad I was there.” We are too. Thank you Laurie.

Around that same time, I became very friendly with a woman by the name of Barbara Cruzberg, whom I also met at the Brass Rail. I’ll never forget her raspy voice (she smoked a lot). She was a leader in our LGBT community and owned a printing shop in Hillcrest, right next door to San Diego

sister, teacher, and mentor, who taught me how to bartend in 1975, Priscilla Williams

Because of her, I learned a craft that would open so many doors in my life, especially here in San Diego. These skills provided me with a very good living and an opportunity I never ever imagined. We are still very good friends to this very day. Thank you, Priscilla. I will have to use the next few upcoming columns to share with you more about these extraordinary women who not only helped shape my life but that of an entire community.

Pride’s office at the time, in the small strip of businesses off Robinson Avenue, where the road forks to Park Boulevard, heading toward the zoo.

She was so much fun and played an instrumental part in the success of Ordinary Miracles by helping us (and so many other nonprofits) with free printing in those early days when we were raising money for AIDS. She was always there 100%. We could not have gotten the word out without her help. Thank you, Barbara.

I must giggle a little bit as I mention the one and only Gloria Johnson, a small lesbian woman with a huge, powerful personality in our community, especially within the Democratic Party. She was a no-nonsense woman who was serious and determined to accomplish everything she did. When I met Gloria, she just flat out did not like me at all. I never knew why, but I still admired her and how she got things done. I am very happy to say I did win her over during the 2008 election, when her shero Hillary Clinton was running for President of the United States.

a few. Alongside Gloria Johnson, she was also a huge advocate for shaping the local Democrat party in those early days, inspiring change that allowed LGBT members to run and serve in every position of elected offices to this very day. She also did not care for me at first, but over the last 15 years or more, we always made it a point to come and give each other our big hugs. We just lost Jeri this year, our community came out in large numbers to say goodbye and tell so many great stories of her life among us. Thank you, Jeri.

Mandy Schulz, to know her was to love her. She had a dynamic personality and was a force that our community was truly blessed with. I met Mandy when I was bartending at Bourbon Street in the 1990s. We hit it off from the very beginning. She was loud, funny, so much fun, and always working to bring our community together. Every

The California Democratic Convention was in San Diego that year and I decided to go down to the Convention Center to see if I could capture some of the candidates who were running with my camera, and I was able to get photos of all of them. One event that day was just for women to meet Hillary Clinton, but I was able to get in because I had my camera. When Hillary walked in the room, she took a few pictures with folks, but it was the photo of Gloria sitting right next to her I was able to capture that changed our friendship for the good. I took the photo, got Gloria’s address from a friend of hers, had it enlarged to a 5 x 7, put the photo into a frame and mailed it to her home as a surprise. After that you would have believed we were the best of friends from the beginning. In fact, Gloria was being honored for Pride that year, which included a photo banner of her on one of the street poles. She called and asked if I would take her photo for that banner, which I was honored to do. It brought joy to my heart knowing I was able to share those moments for her until her death. Thank you, Gloria.

Jeri Dilno, another pioneering woman in our LGBT community, who was there in the beginning as part of the fabric of our community’s growth. She played a big part in the beginning of Pride and was the first woman to serve as executive director of the Gay & Lesbian Center, just to name

week, like clockwork, we would have a meal together and she would always give me such great advice. She supported me at work and loved my Madri Sour drinks.

It was when Andrew Cunanan (who was from San Diego) was on his killing spree around the country that she was executive director of San Diego Pride. She became the spokesperson for our community on a national stage and made us all proud, especially her interview on CNN, when she told people that it was safe to come to San Diego to celebrate our Pride weekend. Sadly, Mandy went missing a few years later for about three weeks, and was later found dead in her vehicle in a deep ditch off the side of Highway 67 in Lakeside. She still brings a smile to my heart to this very day. Thank you, Mandy.

I invite you to follow my column in these next few issues to learn more about the many incredible women that I have known and still know that are still with us, that I share a friendship with who have helped shape our community.

These are the shoulders I stand upon.

–Big Mike Phillips is a local photographer, bartender, and longtime LGBT activist and fundraiser. You can reach him at bmsd1957@gmail.com. ▼

Mandy Schultz and me

Me between Misty Williams and her mom Priscilla, who taught me how to bartend in 1975, at my very first job after I got out of high school.

(l to r) Hillary Clinton and Gloria Johnson (Photos courtesy Big Mike Phillips)

Laurie Leonard with Alberto Cortez at his retirement

GOSSIP GRILL ARSONIST

A man who is on probation for setting fire to Gossip Grill has been arrested again on charges of damaging another business, but his attorney doubts he is mentally competent to stand trial.

Ryan Scott Habrel, 39, is back in jail without bail, and charged once again with felony vandalism. He had initially been free after being released to a drug treatment program in January.

Habrel pleaded not guilty to the new charge and a San Diego Superior Court judge will evaluate his mental competency on May 9, after reading a psychiatric evaluation conducted on Habrel in jail.

Habrel is well known in the community, having formerly worked at Urban MO’s as a bartender. He had been ordered to pay Moe Girton, owner of Gossip Grill, $5,849 in restitution for the damages from the Oct. 20 fire.

Judge Rachel Cano suspended a 4-year state prison sentence for Habrel on those charges, which he may end up now having to serve if his probation is terminated.

A MURDER IN EAST VILLAGE

A man has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the horrific murder of his neighbor, a gay man who was killed only because he left his front door open on a hot August night.

Andrew Holland, 38, apparently did not know Maxwell Thomas Logan, 25, before Logan killed him on Aug. 9, 2023. Logan lived one floor above Holland at 699 14th Street in East Village.

Holland’s boyfriend contacted Holland’s roommate after he had failed to pick the boyfriend up from work, according to testimony in Logan’s preliminary hearing. Holland was stabbed approximately 45 times.

Police officer Andrew Ozeroff testified Holland’s roommate discovered his body covered in blood on the apartment’s balcony. Officer Ozeroff said paramedics pronounced Holland deceased at 10:57 pm.

Police officers testified they found strange notes outside the apartment complex and in a hallway saying that Logan

was dangerous and noting the apartment where he lived. It turned out they were written by his girlfriend, Lori Erickson, 23, who said she was frightened of him after he tried to choke her and threatened to hurt her cat.

Logan was arrested after he returned to his apartment and officers noticed he had blood on him. Detective Christopher Murray said Logan admitted to hearing voices in his head often and that he was part of “a digital simulation” and was “trying to break it.”

Logan told Murray he was walking in the building and noticed that Holland had propped his door open because it was so hot. He walked inside as Holland was looking at his mail, and stabbed him to death, Murray said.

The alleged killer told the detective his “consciousness was driven by a digital being.” Logan also said he suffered from “extreme psychosis,” but also realized that he had hurt Holland.

Deputy District Attorney Miriam Hurtado urged San Diego Superior Court Judge Lisa Rodriguez to order Logan to stand trial for the “senseless, callous, unprovoked attack on Mr. Holland.” She also urged Logan to be held to answer for the false imprisonment of his girlfriend.

Attorney Jack Temple, who represents Logan, said his client is diagnosed with schizophrenia and was having a manic episode at the time.

“He has since learned how to control these hallucinations,” Temple said.

Noting that Logan’s mother, sister, and brother attended the hearing, Temple suggested he could be released to a mental health program with supervision and an ankle monitor.

“He is an absolute danger to the community,” responded the prosecutor, adding, “he stabbed a victim close to 50 times.”

Judge Rodriguez said there were not sufficient protections to the public for such a release and denied bail. Logan remains in the Vista Detention Facility and will next return to court on June 6 to set a trial date.

–Neal Putnam is a local crime reporter. You can reach him at nealputnam@gmail.com. ▼

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FROM PAGE 3 ROUNDUP

HOUSTON PRIDE

June 29 (Saturday)

“You Won’t Break Our Pride,” 46th annual, produced by My Gay Houston and Pride Houston 365.

Festival, noon - 6 pm, Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby Street. GA $5 advance, $10 at gate; main stage admission $25.

Night Parade, 7:30 pm, Houston City Hall. FREE

SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE

June 29 & 30 (Sat & Sun)

“Beacon of Love,” 54th annual, produced by San Francisco Pride Celebration (festival), Saturday & Sunday, 11 am - 6 pm, San Francisco Civic Center Plaza, 335 McAllister Street. Billy Porter headlines, FREE Parade Sunday, step off at 10:30 am, Market and Beale streets near the Embarcadero, ends at Market and Eighth Street, near the Civic Center. FREE City Hall Party, Sunday, 1 - 5 pm, inside San Fran City Hall with hosted bar, bites, art exhibit, live music, and three rooms of non-stop entertainment. $150

NYC PRIDE

June 30 (Sunday)

“Reflect, Empower, Unite,” produced by New York City Pride Parade, Sunday, step off 11 am, 25th Street and Fifth Avenue, FREE PrideFest, Sunday, 11 am, Greenwich Village, festival includes a street fair with a day of exhibitors, food, entertainment, and activities in the name of equality, FREE

SAN DIEGO PRIDE

July 19, 20 & 21 (Fri, Sat & Sun)

“Making History Now,” produced by San Diego Pride Spirit of Stonewall Rally, Friday, 6:30 pm, Hillcrest Pride Flag, 1500 University Ave. Pride 5K, Saturday, 6:45 am, University Avenue and Centre Street, Hillcrest Parade, Saturday, step off 10 am, Hillcrest Pride Flag, University Avenue at Normal Street, march to Upas Street and into Balboa Park.

Festival, Saturday, 11 am - 10 pm, and Sunday, 11 am - 9 pm, Marston Point in Balboa Park, Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street. Tickets GA (two day ticket only) $38 (+ $7.34 fee); VIP (two day ticket) $219 (+ $9.72 fee). VIP includes full weekend access, branded VIP credential & wristband, exclusive entrance, expanded VIP lounge, enhanced views of mainstage, upgraded VIP restrooms, catered food from 1 - 7 pm in VIP lounge, four hosted drinks per day, redeemable at any festival bar. Todrick Hall, Rico Nasty and Sheila E. headliners.

PORTLAND PRIDE

July 20 & 21 (Sat & Sun)

“Feast and Love, celebrating 30 years,” produced by Pride Northwest pridenw.org and portlandpride.org

Festival, Saturday, noon - 8 pm; Sunday, 11:30 am - 6 pm. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito Parkway. $10 suggested donation. Jinkx Monsoon (two-time RuPaul Drag Race winner) headliner.

Parade, Sunday, step off 11 am. Begins at North Park Blocks, ends at Naito Parkway festival grounds.

PAGE 5

– his uncle was Lino Brocka, a well-known film director in the Philippines.

“On Guam, only major release films were screened there,” Brocka said. “Steven Spielberg films were big there, so he was the biggest inspiration to me, but it led me to believe that all films had to be major Hollywood productions.”

It wasn’t until he got to college that someone showed him some films by John Waters, often referred to as “one of the grandfathers of cult cinema,” that he realized films could be about anything. (By the way, Mink Stole, one of just three actors who has starred in all of John Waters’ films to date, was featured in all of the Eating Out films except the original one).

“I don’t have to make a Hollywood film,” Brocka said. “Films can be about me, and that’s how I found my voice and started telling queer stories.”

But being able to share his own stories didn’t always mesh with studio executives.

“Most of the scripts I wrote in the early days had queer Filipino leads,” he said. “But I had many studio execs sit me down and basically tell me to pick one –

why do they need to be Asian and queer?”

Ironically, Brocka found it was these same executives who had also told him to “Write what you know” – and being queer and Filipino was what he knew! He realized, however, what they meant was, “Write what you know about straight, white people.”

This was incredibly disappointing for Brocka, so when Eating Out came along, he tried hard to cast people of color for the lead roles.

“Unfortunately, back then, people of color already had a hard enough time finding lead roles,” Brocka said. “And then asking actors who were queer and/or of color to participate in a film that had sex scenes and full frontal nudity was really risky for them.”

These actors who already had the odds stacked against them, just couldn’t afford to have those sorts of roles on their resume, if they wanted to get other work in the future, Brocka explained.

“In the early 2000s, people were still not out of the closet like they are today,” he said. “Big stars like Ricky Martin and Neil Patrick Harris were even still in the closet then.”

Brocka was disappointed that the first Eating Out film featured an all-white principal cast and

RENO PRIDE

Sept, 7 (Saturday)

Produced by Northern Nevada Pride. northernnevadapride.org

Parade, Steps off at 10 am, Virginia Street, from “under the arch to over the river” to festival grounds. FREE

Festival, 11 am – 11 pm, Wingfield Park, Downtown Reno, S. Virginia and Cross streets. FREE

LAS VEGAS PRIDE

Oct. 11 & 12 (Fri & Sat)

“Come Out With Pride,” (National Coming Out Day weekend), produced by Las Vegas Pride.

Night Parade, Friday, pre-show 6 pm, parade steps off at 7 pm, begins at Fourth Street & Gass Avenue, ends at Fourth Street & Bridger Avenue in Downtown Las Vegas (near Fremont Street Experience).

Festival, Saturday, noon - 11 pm. Tickets, early bird online $15 (+ $2.03 fee), til Aug. 31, VIP online $80 (+ $4.30 fee), $100 at the gate. Includes open bar, light bites, exclusive seating and viewing for entertainment.

ATLANTA PRIDE

Oct. 12 & 13, (Sat & Sun)

Produced by the Atlanta Pride Committee.

Each year there is a separate trans march, bi and pan march, a dyke march and the all inclusive Pride Parade

Pride Parade, Sunday, step off at noon, Atlanta Civic Center MARTA Station, down Peachtree Street to festival grounds.

Pride Festival, Saturday & Sunday, Piedmont Park, 1320 Monroe Drive, NE, (Morningside – Lenox Park neighborhood)

PHOENIX PRIDE

Oct. 19 & 20 (Sat & Sun)

“Support, Engage, Empower,” 42nd annual, produced by phoenixpride.org

Parade, Sunday, 10 am, Third and Thomas streets, marches down Third to Indian School Road and Steele Indian School Park festival grounds. FREE

Festival, Saturday & Sunday, noon – 9 pm, Steele Indian School Park, 300 Indian School Road, price tbd, pay at gate. Seven stages, 300 exhibitors, arts expo, dance pavilion, kids area. Grammy winner Ashanti is the headliner.

PALM SPRINGS PRIDE

Oct 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 2 & Nov. 3 (Thurs, Fri, Sat. & Sun)

Produced by Greater Palm Springs Pride Festival, Thursday, 5 - 10 pm, Arenas District Stage Friday, 3 – 11:30 pm, Arenas District Stage 3 pm, Pride Stage on Palm Canyon & Amado 6 pm; Saturday (times vary by stage), Arenas District Stage 11 am – 11:30 pm, Palm Canyon Dr (between Amado and Baristo and side streets) 11 am – 9 pm, Pride Stage at Palm Canyon and Amado 11 am – 10 pm; Sunday, La Crema Wines Pride Parade Stage 9:30 am - 1:30 pm, Arenas District Stage 11 am – 7 pm, 0ther stages 11 am - 5 pm.

Parade, Sunday, steps off at 10 am, Uptown Design District at Tachevah and Palm Canyon Drive, and travels south through downtown, ending at the entrance to the Pride Festival at Amado.

Links to each Pride organization will be active online.

—Morgan M. Hurley is the editor-in-chief of this newspaper. You can reach her at editor@lgbtqsd.news. ▼

told himself he would never do that again. Since that first film, Brocka has always worked hard to ensure he includes characters of color to his scripts. In fact, his 2006 feature film, Boy Culture, originally was scripted to have an all-white cast, but Brocka wanted to change that to reflect the world he knew and included a black lead character.

By the time Eating Out 3 was released in 2009 – just five years after the original film – Brocka said that things in the Hollywood landscape had changed drastically. It was much easier to cast openly LGBTQ people for these types of films, and Brocka noted that Eating Out 3 featured a cast of all openly LGBTQ leads, including the actor who played the straight identified character.

When asked if he felt the film still holds up today, 20 years later, Brocka admits that it’s “not the best looking film as it was made with very little money.”

He also noted that not all of the comedy holds up, as comedy has changed over the last two decades, but he feels the film still resonates well with people.

“People still talk and think fondly about the film – including several podcasters who have done Eating Out rewatch episodes that poke fun at the film,” he said.

What’s next for Brocka?

The filmmaker is currently working on a new movie called Love & Lockdown, featuring an all-Filipino cast. The film was shot in the Philippines last summer and Brocka calls it “a trans romantic comedy.” Love & Lockdown follows the story of trans horticulturalist Danny who finds himself stranded by the COVID-19 lockdown in the Philippines, where his family is from. While there, Danny and his British Indian girlfriend Neisha are unwillingly outed to Danny’s estranged family – who still thought Danny was a woman living in Toronto. Instead of the inevitable rejection he expects, he has no idea how to navigate the radical acceptance he finds.

Along with Love & Lockdown, Brocka said he is seriously considering a final Eating Out film he’d like to make to end the series. While hopeful that this year’s 20th anniversary of the original film will spark great interest in that, he’s still trying to figure out if it will make financial sense.

Unlike 20 years ago, Brocka noted, DVD sales, which were really the success of the film, just aren’t a thing anymore, and the streaming companies today don’t pay very well.

Maybe the San Diego audience at the 20th anniversary screening can give Brocka some encouragement to follow-through with his idea for a sixth and final Eating Out film!

He’s looking forward to visiting San Diego for the screening and said it was an honor to be invited.

“It’s kind of a dream that still resonates with me 20 years later, and I’m so pleased that somebody still finds my film interesting,” he said.

Brocka said that he actually attended the original San Diego screening of Eating Out in 2004 when it was presented at the FilmOut Festival, and he’s very excited to come back 20 years later – although he said he has visited San Diego many times over the years and loves it here!

FilmOut’s will screen Eating Out May 15 at 7 pm at the Landmark Hillcrest Cinemas, located at 3965 Fifth Ave. Tickets are $12 online or $15 at the door. Visit bit.ly/4dnU0uJ for tickets or more information.

–Benny Cartwright is a longtime activist and community leader. Reach him at community@ lgbtqsd.news. Follow him on Instagram @BennyC80 ▼

Cha ri ta bl e tota l f rom b re ak fas t r ep ubli C

LGBTQ BAKERS ON THE RISE

Two notable bakeries are on the horizon in San Diego, with each of them headed by members of the LGBTQ community.

Calling all T V dinner buffs

Visions of Salisbury steak, whipped potatoes, hot apple slices and the like are fueling a one-day TV dinner cooking contest at this year’s San Diego County Fair

The contest is a culinary nod to the fair’s 2024 theme: “Let’s Go Retro.” It welcomes participants to create TV dinners on microwave-friendly plates, which can contain any number of breakfast or dinner items.

The contest will be held July 5. Participants must drop off their refrigerated dinners with microwave instructions between 11 am and 1 pm at the west end of the Exhibit Hall. The winners will be announced that same day as soon as judging is complete, based on how many entries are received across three divisions: Adult; youth (5 to 7 years old) and “create with me,” which welcomes one adult, and one child (ages 2 to 4).

“This is the first time we’ve ever had a TV dinner contest,” said Elena Liu, supervisor of the fair’s “home made” exhibits.

“We’re letting people get creative with their dishes, which must include two of the same dinners because of multiple judges,” she added.

Winners in each division will earn ribbons and bragging rights. Entry forms can be found at sdfair. com by entering “home made” in the top search bar. 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.

–Frank Sabatini Jr. has been writing about food in San Diego for over 35 years. He launched his own food blog during the pandemic, called, “The Hash Star,” which you can follow at thehashstar.com. He can be reached at frank.sabatini92108@gmail.com ▼

Photographer-turned-croissant master Jeffrey Brown will reopen his wildly popular Izola bakery in the East Village in the coming month, but at a different location. Brown sprung into the baking scene at the onset of the COVID pandemic in 2020, when he operated Izola from a cozy loft in the Ratner Building on 13th Street. In a matter of months, the self-taught baker became famous for his expertly crafted croissants and sourdough loaves — not to mention his Tahitian vanilla knots that he sold during Pride week of 2021 to raise money for The San Diego LGBTQ Community Center. Several months ago Brown shut down Izola, only to regroup with plans to resurrect the business within roomier digs at 1429 Island Ave. For updates, click onto Izola’s blog from izolabakery.com

Also coming to the downtown area is Knead, a bistro and bakery that will be run by accomplished pastry chef Adrian Mendoza. The breakfast-lunch venture debuts this summer on the ground level of Symphony Towers, where Mendoza will show off his skills acquired from heading up the pastry operations at Wayfarer Bread & Pastry in La Jolla, Herb & Wood

For this year’s Dining Out for Life that was held on April 25, Breakfast Republic in Hillcrest (3685 Fifth Ave.) pledged 100 percent of its sales toward the cause, and announced that it raised $3,458.49 from the event. The money generated by participating restaurants help fund The San Diego LGBT Community Center’s HIV/AIDS services and prevention programs. More than 90 restaurants took part countywide.

Breakfast Republic has multiple locations locally and falls under the Rise & Shine Hospitality Group, which also operates Fig Tree Cafe. The company ranks among San Diego’s leading philanthropists of LGBTQ charities. riseandshinerg.com

‘Righteous chicken’ that isn’t preachy

Move over Chick-fil-A. The new Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken in Rolando originates from a company that was founded in 2012 in Durham, North Carolina, by the late Tom Ferguson, an alum of the Culinary Institute of America. Its recent San Diego debut in Rolando marks the chain’s 23rd location nationally.

What makes the chicken “righteous?” The breaded tenders are antibiotic-free, brined in buttermilk and served on fluffy scratch-made biscuits, which ranked among “the best biscuits in the U.S.” by Food & Wine Magazine several years ago. Sandwich options feature the chicken with honey and chili pepper; smothered in pimento cheese with bacon; or in classic form with pickles and house sauce. Ham and vegetarian choices are also available.

6464 El Cajon Blvd., 858-810-6255, risebiscuitschicken.com

A vast selection of bruschetta boards are proving to be an ideal come-on to the hefty selection of wines sold at the new indoor-outdoor Postino, which was founded in Arizona about 20 years ago. The brand has since branched into several states, with another coming soon to One Paseo in Del Mar.

The wine list features a “main line up” of seasonal wines made exclusively for Postino. During happy hour, which runs generously from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, they sell for $6 a glass, with 32 oz pitchers of beer for $6 as well. The wines are also available anytime for $20 a bottle, when taking them “to go.”

Postino’s bruschettas incorporate a variety of ingredients ranging from artichokes and Mexican street corn, to figs, pistachios, smoked salmon and more.

The cafe’s décor beckons to the days when the space served as a British Motors car dealership, hence the 5,500 mechanic name tags displayed on an art wall. 2100 Kettner Blvd., 619-241-4700, postinowinecafe.com

Nostalgia descends on a food contest at this year’s county fair. (Courtesy photo)

Jeffrey Brown cranking out the goods in the early months of the pandemic (Courtesy Izola)

Get a ‘rise’ from this chicken sandwich with pimento cheese. (Courtesy Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken)

Assorted bruschetta at Postino (Photo by Morgan M. Hurley)

FROM PAGE 1

BARREL & BOARD

order food, but it's a totally different vibe. The focus here is on queer, women, and POC.

Out front of the speakeasy, “next door” to B&B along University Avenue, there is &Bar. That vibe is open to everyone with its raucous music and red lights, and according to Girton, is “the cheapest and the best bang for your buck in Hillcrest.”

Barrel & Board is the restaurant aspect of the trio and Girton, along with her Executive Chef Mina Rosete, just launched not only a new food menu, but menus of new cocktails and mocktails that will be available to diners and those who just want to grab a quick drink in the Boardroom.

Since opening in 2021, B&B has served high-end charcuterie boards and does a mean catering business with 8- and 10-foot boards on the side. While Rosete

and her five-person crew have taken the boards to new heights and put out some gorgeous and creative presentations, the chef missed the ability to show her skills on a plate.

Rosete, who comes from an artisanal and indigenous Mexican tribal family in New Mexico (Chichimeca on Mexican side, Pueblo on the U.S. side), pushed for expanding the menu beyond the boards.

The new menu will not only be more her style, but more about her culture and the plants, herbs, vegetables and seafood that are native to the area. But what she really wanted was something different to serve on, and that’s now happening.

“For me, having a white canvas to plate on is everything; there is a whole lot more versatility there,” she said. “I want my food to be beautiful, I want it to taste beautiful. I want to make food more playful and approachable and give the guests something to talk about.”

Girton, who previously launched the cocktail program at InsideOUT, has decided to let her bartenders create the craft cocktails and mocktails they have on the new menus.

As much as possible, Girton purchases her wine and spirits from queer-owned, womenowned and POC-owned wineries and distilleries and she has five new cocktails kegged – yes, kegged. They aren’t your mom’s cocktails, either.

Girton has also fully embraced the new mocktail craze, “upping” their game to craft mocktails, to satisfy not only those who don’t drink, but those who prefer edibles and microdosing, which don’t match well with alcohol, or even those who have a one-drink limit for driving but aren’t done chatting or ready to go home.

An important thing to note is her wine program. Girton has an extensive wine list – 75 labels – and 55 of those are available by the glass. That is unheard of. She is able to do it through her

participation in the CORAVIN wine program, which consists of a hand-held device with a needle that goes into the cork, argon gas creates a barrier to protect the wine, the glass is poured, and when the needle slips out, the bottle is sealed again.

“With every glass you pour, you lose one year,” she said. “So after the first glass, you have three glasses left, the bottle is good for three years; you pour it again, you have two years left.”

That’s incredible knowing the shelf life of a bottle of red is three days, with five days for white. But it makes sense when you think about how few glasses are generally available at restaurants.

“Say you want a nice bottle and you just want one more glass of that same wine, we can do that,” she added. “It’s a buck more and allows me to have a fabulous wine collection.”

Her last Wine Club event (last Saturday of each month and hosted by Mariam T) had 72 attendees. “We are a wine tasting

club that likes to have fun,” she said.

Girton was clear what her intentions are for the space.

“I'm trying to protect our [LGBTQ] community and culture,” she said. “We are still a meeting space; we are still a community space; we are still a safe space; we are still a space to gather to celebrate, and gather to mourn when we lose someone in our community.”

Adapting to all the changes of the current world is a must to stay relevant, and Girton and her team of employee-owners are making it work.

“If we can get through COVID, we can get through anything,” she said.

Check out their new menus at barrelandboardsd.com

—Morgan M. Hurley can reached at editor@lgbtqsd.news. ▼