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The LGBTQ Newspaper and Events Calendar for the San Francisco Bay Area | July 28 2011
Transgender Law Center Celebrates 9th Anniversary
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is History
National Organization for Marriage Tries to Circumvent Campaign Finance Law
Masen Davis, Executive Director of TLC.
By Dennis McMillan Joe Solomonese, President of HRC
Tita Aida returned as the always witty and wonderful mistress of ceremonies at the Transgender Law Center’s party on Sept. 16 at the EndUp with Josh Klipp and the Klipptones playing lively jazz and members of the Rice Rockettes dancing and lip-synching as 1940s Rosie the Riveters to “Sweet Sugar Candy Man” by Christina Aguilera. Masen Davis, TLC executive director, opened the event, explaining the function of TLC as a civil rights organization advocating for transgender communities. The Transgender Law Center champions the ideal that everyone should be treated fairly and equally. By working for and with transgender people and their allies to change laws, policies, and attitudes, TLC helps make it possible for everyone to be who they are and live safe and fulfilling lives. TLC uses the term “transgender” to represent all of the innumerable genders and forms of gender expression that fall within and outside of stereotypical gender norms. TLC also understands, acknowledges, and resists non-gender based oppressions that limit people’s ability to live in peace. NCLR staff attorney, Ilona Turner, said that TLC, begun in 2002 as a fiscally sponsored project of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, is California’s first fully staffed, statewide transgender legal organization. They were created - with early support also from the Pride Law Fund, and the Echoing Green Foundation - to respond to the overwhelming discrimination that transgender people and their families face in nearly every institution in California. In the spring of 2005, they became an independent, tax-exempt organization. Since they opened their doors in 2002, TLC has provided individualized legal information to between almost 1,000 community members and their families each year. Annually, they work directly with about 150 people who need more direct representation or advocacy. For example, they regularly work with clients who are: going to court to get recognition of their name and/or gender; filing asylum applications; trying to prevent or address workplace discrimination; protecting their families; accessing complete and competent health care; responding to discrimination in the criminal justice system; or f ixing problems at their school. (continued on page 5)
By Dennis McMillan
The ban on gays in the military has finally been lifted after more 13 year battle.
By Dayna Verstegen Monday night, September 19 was like New Year’s Eve in many gay bars around the country. At the stroke of midnight, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy was off icially repealed. Lt. Gary Ross was the first in the country to marry after the repeal. At the stroke of midnight he and his partner of eleven years tied the knot in Vermont. Justice of the Peace Greg Trulson said “This is Gary’s official coming out.” Ross told USA Today that the end of DADT, will improve some aspects of his military life. “It
[DADT] requires you to lie several times a day. Being in the military is extremely invasive. It becomes a web of excuses you make when you try to be honest as possible but you can’t be honest.” The celebration was echoed in San Francisco as well. At high noon in the blazing sun on Sept. 20 in front of the Veterans’ Building, over 30 LGBT and mainstream news media gathered for a press conference regarding the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” A banner stretched behind the podium stating, “Alexander Hamil-
ton Post 448 San Francisco American Legion.” Mayor Ed Lee said, “I am so proud of everyone who worked for this repeal, both in and out of uniform to get to this day. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is ended forever.” He said before this day, “there were people in the armed forces who could not serve in a unfetished, unbiased way, with obstacles in their path.” He added, “They can now serve in their full potential, not limited in any way.” (continued on page 4)
Activist and Writer Arthur Evans, 1942 - 2011
Community activist and writer Arthur Evans died on September 11 at his home in Haight-Ashbury.
Arthur Evans, one of the founding fathers of modern gay liberation, died of a massive heart attack last week. Months before his death, he emailed a copy of his own obituary he had written. Arthur played a key role in Bay Times history. In recent times, his acerbic and sarcastic letters to the editor on the state of city politics were regularly printed in the paper. But back in October 1979, the Bay Times (then called Coming Up!) was launched, specifically to coincide with Halloween, a big queer/pagan holiday. Arthur had written the book Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture, and that was the title of the lead essay he wrote for the first issue of Bay Times. Here is Arthur’s obituary, which he penned himself: - Kim Corsaro Arthur Evans, long-time San Francisco community activist and writer, died quickly from a massive heart attack in his Haight-Ashbury home early in the morning on Sept. 11.
Diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm in October of 2010, Evans refused risky surgery, opting instead to live out his remaining time on his own terms. This was consistent with a lifetime of challenging convention and honoring his own intuition. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Arthur played a pivotal role in the newly emergent gay liberation movement in New York City. A few weeks after the famous Stonewall Riot of June 1969 (which he missed), Evans and his lover, Arthur Bell, joined The Gay Liberation Front (GLF), a new group that proudly proclaimed itself to be gay, countercultural, and revolutionary. Within GLF, Evans and others created a cell called The Radical Study Group to examine the historical roots of sexism and homophobia. Many of
the participants later became published authors, including Evans, Bell, John Lauritsen, Larry Mitchell, and Steve Dansky. A number of GLF members, including Evans, soon became dissatisfied with the organization, complaining that it lacked a coherent, ongoing program of street activism. On Dec. 21, 1969, they founded The Gay Activists Alliance (GAA). Acting on the principle that the personal is the political, GAA held homophobes who were in positions of authority personally accountable for the consequences of their public policies. Evans and others developed the tactic of “zaps.” These were militant (but non-violent) faceto-face confrontations with outspoken homophobes in government, business, and the media. Evans was often arrested in such actions, participat(continued on page 17
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is a highly secretive organization believed to be largely funded by the Mormon and Catholic churches. During the country’s greatest economic decline in decades, NOM has amassed huge resources to stop marriage equality, whether at the ballot box or in court. NOM publicly projects rationality and tolerance, yet keeps company with zealots and long-time LGBTQ antagonists. Many of the leading Republican presidential candidates have signed NOM’s pledge calling for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. NOM has filed a slew of lawsuits to shield its donors from public disclosure. But courts and state election boards have consistently disagreed and rejected NOM’s challenges. Donor disclosure is uniformly required across the country for federal, state, and local campaigns, and the practice is widely accepted as a vital means to ensure that elections are conducted transparently and fairly. “For some reason, NOM thinks it doesn’t have to comply with the donor disclosure laws,” said Joe Solmonese, Human Rights Campaign president. “NOM’s aggressive legal strategy to keep its donors secret begs the question, what are they hiding? Is it that they realize it’s no longer popular to be openly antizzgay?” The latest in NOM’s string of legal defeats came when the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the group’s challenges in Maine and Rhode Island. On its Law Blog, the Wall Street Journal put the cases into perspective: “The 1st Circuit issued rulings in two cases that raise an important campaign finance issue: the extent to which states can require advocacy groups to report details about their expenditures in support of candidates or political causes.” Given the recent historical record, states do in fact take disclosure, and legal compliance, in earnest. NOM has unsuccessfully challenged disclosure laws in Maine, Minnesota, New York, California, Rhode Island, and Iowa. Each state has investigated the organization and found against them. (continued on page 17)
Two Political Candidates Speak Out for Medical Marijuana
San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Jadine Louie, Artistic Director
David Onek is running for district attorney in San Francisco.
SF Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi is running for sheriff.
By Dennis McMillan
rupt the state, and we can’t pay for all the services we need to keep people from going to prison in the first place.” He said statistics prove that seven out ten people come out from prison and return within three years. He said, “We need someone who has been reforming the system from the outside for the last 20 years, and that’s what I have been doing.”
Axis of Love SF Patient Advocacy Team presented “Dinner, Disco, & Dance!” as the theme of their last dinner and harm reduction service. These events, held every last Wednesday at 4:30 pm in the Women’s Building auditorium on 3543 18th St. #8, are a compassionate dinner and fundraiser for a community center for veterans, disabled, and low income medical cannabis patients of San Francisco. This was also a chance to hear from candidate for sheriff, SF Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi and candidate for district attorney, David Onek regarding access to medicine and sane treatment of medical marijuana patients. Axis of Love SF Executive Director Shona Gochenaur introduced the first guest speaker, David Onek, campaigning for district attorney, noting that the current district attorney is a former police chief who “was for the Sit/Lie Initiative, which affects every poor person in this city, singled out for arrest.” “We have a criminal justice system that is completely broken,” said Onek. “We are spending so much on our prison system that we nearly bank-
A FREE CONCERT FEATURING MUSIC BY: ERIC EWAZEN · RON NELSON · SAMUEL R. HAZO ALFRED REED · RYAN MAIN · THOMAS DOSS · BRIAN BALMAGES ANTONIO DE CABEZON · PERCY GRAINGER · DANIEL KALLMAN
Onek said he has worked for many community advocacy organizations such as Walden House Adolescent Facility and Legal Services for Children (helping kids stay in school and out of the criminal justice system). A graduate of Stanford Law School, he is founding executive director of the Berkeley Center for Criminal Justice, where he worked to develop criminal justice reforms and practices around the country. He has worked at National Council on Crime and Delinquency and the W. Haywood Burns Institute for Juvenile Justice Fairness and Equity, focusing on racial disparities. He has worked in past mayors’ offices and police commissions trying to modernize San Francisco enforcement. Gochenaur next introduced sheriff candidate Ross Mirkarimi, saying, “There is nobody else running that
Axis of Love SF is a 501(c)(3) organization offering a food pantry, harm reduction supplies, and personal hygiene items. Nobody is ever turned away for lack of funds. Meals are provided to all. Please call (415) 796-3672 or facebook.com/ axisoflove for more information. - Write to Dennis McMillan at BayTimesDennis@juno.com.
extremist “teabagger” politicians in Sacramento opposed to women’s rights. He said that they are eager to crush the labor movement and object to furthering LGBT equality. Ammiano then drew loud laughter from the 60 plus guests when he spoke about how much better Governor Jerry Brown is to work with, and how “the Terminator was no good in bed.”
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Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, past Milk Club president Debra Walker, and Supervisor David Campos at Ammiano’s re-election party at the Rebel bar.
By Rink
2 BAY TIMES SEPTEM BER 22, 2011
Hennessey, who is retiring, has endorsed Mirkarimi as “the independent choice with the skills to meet the challenges ahead.” Mirkarimi said, “It is important that we continue to push the envelope.” He said he cut his teeth 17 years ago as the chief legislative aide to then Supervisor Terence Hallinan, “one of this community’s most important allies.” He said, “I believe in legalization and not incarcerating for victimless crime, and certainly not using taxpayer dollars and the draconian tactics that have been used not just by the Bush administration, but also the Obama administration.” He said medical marijuana is “a right that has been blessed by the people of California through Proposition 215 and affirmed by Senate Bill 420.”
Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s Re-Election Party at Rebel Bar
Friday, September 23 · 8 PM
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has been willing and caring to help medical cannabis patients and poor people.” He has called San Francisco home for 27 years. A graduate of SF’s Police Academy, he served nine years as an armed SF district attorney investigator. Elected to the board of supervisors in 2004, he served twice as chair of the Public Safety Committee and passed landmark community policing, police reform, and re-entry legislations. He noted the current sheriff, Mike Hennessey, “is a brilliant sheriff and our longest serving elected official (eight consecutive times) in the history of San Francisco.” He said, “This man has stood for you on every single level and has innovated criminal justice from within the county jail system, with a progressive outlook, which took courage.”
High pressure politics and controversial comedy were featured at the Assemblyman Tom Ammiano reelection party at the new Rebel bar on Sept. 13. Ammiano is a longtime progressive activist who was one of the first openly gay teachers in San Francisco. His political work began when he worked with activists Harvey Milk and Hank Wilson to successfully stop statewide legislation that would have fired lesbian and gay teachers in 1978. While f ighting these battles, Ammiano also worked at his comedy craft at the Valencia Rose and Josie’s Cabaret nightclubs and around the
U.S. After two unsuccessful attempts in 1980 and 1988, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Education in 1990. He won his first seat on the Board of Supervisors in 1994. Ammiano’s biting sense of humor has alleviated tension in Sacramento since he was elected to the State Assembly in 2008, even when there was threatened violence between legislators. All through his political career he has been able to bring people of different cultures and backgrounds together. His ability to listen and then act for his constituents has endeared him to politically active citizens. He spoke passionately at the party about having to deal with right wing
Supervisor Scott Wiener’s proposed legislation to have towels placed under naked restaurant diners was the next comedy subject. Wiener’s proposal has been international news of late, and the assemblyman rose to the occasion to satirically foresee Wiener wearing a diaper to the next Folsom Street Fair, as an example of what the proper nudist should wear in public. Then Ammiano expertly and steadily worked his way through the throng, adding to the intense dialogues about the San Francisco mayors’ race, and also hugging and kissing his adoring supporters. The Rebel bar on Market Street is a large bar and lounge with an unusual interior. The pungent smell of pork belly sandwiches filled the space, which features banquettes and an open area with a motorcycle on display. The guests, who were described by Ammiano as his core group includ(continued on page 17)
Don’t Ask About Our Lead Story By Ann Rostow Six out of the first seven news stories on “Google gay” this morning concern the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. The other one, which naturally stands out by virtue of its original content, concerns basketball star Rudy Gay, who has been injured since the end of last season. Good news. He’s back! After seven months of re-hab for a dislocated shoulder, the Memphis Grizzlies forward was cleared for the court on Monday. Gay played in some special tournament on Tuesday, and looked pretty good, sports writers say. I’m not going back to the article to fill in the blanks.
happy kind of cheer rather than a crazy ecstatic top-of-your-lungs kind of cheer.
I’m sure there will be others, or may be others already that I can’t think of right this moment.
Backwards Christian Soldiers
In short, we’re in fighting form on the marriage front, where we also have a few defensive challenges ahead. As you may recall, Minnesota has put an antigay constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot, and North Carolina just put one on the primary ballot next May. Damn fools.
Moving on, I was struck by this quote in a Chicago Tribune story by a man named Mark Wathen: “I’m a white male in my early 40s and I’d never experienced discrimination in my life. When I came up against this, I was like ‘Woah, this is not the sixties.’”
Iowa Marriage In Jeopardy So what happened to knock Mark off the complacency perch so familiar to men of his race in this country? Turns out he and his civil union partner, Todd, decided to have a ceremony not long after Illinois signed its union bill into law last summer. But two of the
“There’s also a pro-gay ruling out of a state court in Alaska that has something to do with partner rights. But I’m not in the mood for Alaska. It’s so cold and far away. ” Oh, don’t get your knickers in a twist. Of course we’ll discuss the end of the military ban. That said, the demise of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is not “news,” per se. The news surrounding our inevitable arrival at the Sept. 20 deadline involves the happiness of gay soldiers, the relief of their families, and the overarching theme of how America can inflict injustice and then change its collective mind in the space of two decades.
wedding locations he and Todd contacted informed him that they would not host same-sex celebrations on religious grounds.
For the record, the notion that ending Don’t Ask was a political victory is wrong. This law met its demise thanks to one thing, and one thing only: the pro-gay 2010 federal court ruling by U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips that lit a fire under the seats of lawmakers and military leaders alike. The repeal bill that languished throughout the f irst two years of Obama’s presidency suddenly came alive and burned through the Democratic majority lame duck Congress in the nick of time.
Indeed, back in the day, a belief in slavery and white supremacy was once a tenet of Christian faith. But that did not allow Americans to ignore civil rights laws based on the “curse of Ham,” nor can homophobia take cover under the idea that gay bias is a mandate of Christianity. It’s not.
And speaking of Judge Phillips decision, one underreported side of this story is the fate of this ongoing federal lawsuit that is now pending a ruling at the U.S, Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Although the administration has asked the court to drop the challenge to Don’t Ask in view of the law’s repeal, our side has insisted that the legal process continue to a conclusion, hoping for a federal constitutional precedent in our favor. Not only would such a precedent improve our legal position in future gay rights cases, it could also support civil claims against the government by former gay servicemembers. Moreover, nothing in the repeal of Don’t Ask prevents another Congress from reinstituting a ban, and nothing in the repeal prevents another president from issuing an antigay executive order concerning gays in the military in the future. It’s not likely, but as long as the possibility of such a reversal exists, there’s an argument to be made for the court to continue its deliberations. Finally, don’t forget that nothing prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the military. True, we can no longer be discharged for being gay. But in theory, we could be harassed or singled out for some kind of disfavor under current law. Cheer, by all means, for the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Just make it a
The Wathens are now planning to sue, and will file complaints against both businesses next week. At issue is the increasingly familiar idea that a constitutional right to religious freedom should translate into a right to ignore anti-discrimination laws.
Yes, lawmakers have often carved out civil rights exceptions for churches and religious operations. But Ye Olde Country Inn is not a church. It’s a business, and it has to follow the law. If not, every store or restaurant in the nation could refuse service to blacks or gays based on an expansive notion of religious freedom. Fighting For Marriage on Both Sides of the Ball Hey. I’m l istening to President Obama address the UN, and he just said something nice about us. Actually, I’m not “listening” but rather “hearing” his familiar monotone in the background. My ears perked up at “gays and lesbians” but I didn’t catch the context. Anyway, thanks Mr. President. I got a fund raising call the other day from activists in Maine, who are collecting petitions for a marriage equality ballot measure. I must say that it’s nice to be on the offense once in a while. I gave them a few bucks at the expense of both my wallet and my journalistic integrity. But you know what? When it comes to supporting generic gay activists who are fighting for generic gay rights goals, I can live with the ethical conf lict. If the Maine activists get in trouble for election hanky panky, I’ll be happy to cover the story. Meanwhile, at least I’m transparent. Speaking of going on offense, look for lawmakers in Washington, New Jersey and Maryland to get into the marriage equality fight this year or next.
But the development that really struck me this week came out of Iowa, where one vote in the state senate has thus far saved us from possibly seeing our existing right to marry be stripped away in a public repeal. Thanks to the unanimous Iowa Supreme Court, Hawkeye gays and lesbians have had the right to marry since 2009. A Democratic legislature and a Democratic governor helped protect that right up until 2010, when Republicans took over the governor’s mansion, the house and came within a vote of taking over the state senate. For good measure, voters also ousted three of the seven high court justices who voted in our favor, the only court members up for voter review last November. Now, Republican Governor Terry Branstad has slyly appointed a Democratic state senator to some utility board or something, opening up a seat in a contested district that could go either way in next November’s special election. Note to Senator Dandekar? Did you really have to take that job? District 18, in suburban Cedar Rapids, is roughly split between Democrats, Republicans and Independents and could easily turn into an antigay seat just a few short weeks from now. (I’m thinking One Iowa could use a few bucks from us as well.) A defeat in District 18 could lead directly to a Prop 8-style marriage amendment that would leave current marriages intact while rolling back the right to marry for gays and lesbians in the future. On the flip side, I think federal courts have a hard time watching a majority remove constitutional rights from an unpopular minority, particularly rights that were granted on constitutional grounds by the courts themselves. Indeed, one of the issues in the federal fight over Prop 8 is not simply whether gays and lesbians deserve marriage equality. It’s exactly this question of whether voters can circumvent the courts by amending constitutional rights after the fact to target a specific group. And while we’re on the subject of Prop 8, you probably read that U.S. District Court Judge James Ware (who succeeded Judge Vaughn Walker) recently ruled that the digital recording of the Prop 8 trial can go public effective September 30. The Prop 8 side will appeal his decision, so you may have to wait longer for the video. If the video record isn’t dramatic enough for you, there’s a Broadway play on the trial, called “8,” that hit the stage for a one night reading on Monday. The play is based on trial transcripts, and apparently is pretty good. Other Things Let’s see what else we can discuss. Have you read about the male bisexual deep sea squids who can’t tell the difference between boy squids (continued on page 5)
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After We Save Our Youth, They Will Save Us Right Back Writing about Dan Savage (our Person of the Week) and his “It Gets Better” campaign today, I took occasion again to reflect on the sad losses that our country has suffered during the last few years when LGB (or perceived LGBTQ ) teens took their lives after intense bullying at school.
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It seems that only when our children become victims that we finally begin to pay attention to the violence that hate generates. My editorial today is to thank these teens and their parents and family and friends whose despondent outcries were heard around the world, and offer a caution. Thanks to these teens, state legislatures around the country are considering measures to curb antigay behavior in schools (I’ll keep my skepticism about creating tolerance through regulation to myself ). Perhaps more importantly, school boards, educational and teacher organizations are devising ways to educate themselves and model and teach tolerance in the classroom. Celebrities are using their enormous microphones to encourage their fans to treat each other with respect. Even the NBA did a series of public service announcements about hate speech. The world should never have lost Jamie Rodemeyer, Seth Walsh, Tyler Clementi, and thousands of others, but for this loss, our consciousness as a nation has been raised. Slowly but surely we will become (and are becoming) a more gay-friendly country. This next generation will see things differently, as our generation did before. My 17-year old son, for example, was eager to tell my wife and I about a gay marriage discussion in his history class. According to him, he and his classmates universally felt it was “no big deal.” Obviously, this is a small example from the
tolerant Bay Area from a kid with two moms, but it did not surprise me. I firmly believe that the worst of our days of discrimination are behind us, but here is where my optimism is replaced with great distress. 30 years ago, discrimination against gay and lesbian people was still tolerated, even encouraged in certain circles. Today, the transsexual community suffers as we did then. And once again, it is our young people that are
“30 years ago, discrimination against gay and lesbian people was still tolerated, even encouraged in certain circles. Today, the transsexual community suffers as we did then.” affected most dramatically. According to a recent report from GLSEN, a staggering 89.5% of transsexual youth feel unsafe at school. Other studies document that 32.2% of transgender youth have attempted suicide. 55% percent report being physically attacked. 74% report sexual harassment at school. As a result, the rates of homelessness, prostitution, HIV, and drug addiction among transsexual youth
(DON’T ASK/DON’T TELL continued from page 1) Zoe Dunning, retired Navy com- senators and house members, the momander, held back tears to say, mentum for repeal increased rapidly “Today is a milestone. We can now and earlier this year a date was set represent the democracy that we as- for lifting the ban. As the date appire to be.” She said she came out 18 proached, military commanders have years ago because most LGBT ser- carefully documented their efforts to vice persons couldn’t speak on behalf prepare for the repeal and the Penof equality; but today they can speak tagon has documented an increasing acceptance of LGBTQ service memopenly and freely. bers by their colleagues. In fact, acEstablished in 1993 by President Bill cording to a survey by OutServe, an Clinton, the policy was designed as a association of more than 4,000 gay compromise to the growing demands active troops and veterans, 67% of of our community to protect LGBTQ LGBTQ service people expect that service people from witch hunts and their fellow service people will treat dishonorable discharge. Instead it ac- them “universally” or “generally” celerated the rate of both. without discrimination. In recent years, thanks to the efforts of groups like SLDN and HRC, openly gay service people, and numerous
Despite all the good news, there remains much to do. Thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),
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Our transsexual youth are taking their own lives at higher rates than any other youth demographic and the outcry is not nearly loud enough. We didn’t see national news coverage when 18-year old Chloe Lacey took her life. In fact, it’s difficult to even find reported cases. There are plenty of deaths but the cases don’t have faces because of discomfort from family and disinterest from media. As I have been writing this afternoon, I looked up to see that Anderson Cooper was doing a piece on bullying. He showed clips of intolerant politicians attempting to stop antibullying efforts in the schools. He interviewed two authors that are experts on the topic. It was a positive segment that our community would appreciate. Cooper is an insightful journalist that I respect, but never once during this segment were transsexual kids discussed. He said “LGBT youth,” but all the examples were about lesbian, gay and bisexual teens. None of these thoughtful experts documented the dramatic problem for our trans brothers and sisters. Invisibility reigns. This is not an acceptable situation to me and this paper will do everything we can to increase the visibility of this remarkable, brave and vulnerable community. - Dayna Verstegen is the editor of the Bay Times.
Military personnel and officials at the Veteran’s Building on September 20.
LGBTQ soldiers still cannot provide their spouses with health insurance, and will not enjoy the same benefits of their heterosexual counterparts, including spousal relocation and ac-
cess to legal services. They also don’t have sufficient protection from harassment. (continued on page 5)
The “We Don’t F#*@ Around” Person of the Week - Dan Savage
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and young adults are also much higher (although the problem does not apparently merit significant study). According to experts, too many government programs and social workers that are assigned to help are not prepared or even willing to serve their needs. LGBTQ-friendly organizations are too often unwelcoming as well.
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I first met Dan Savage in Madison, Wisconsin in 1991. He was a political activist and as I recall, brought ActUp to the city. He organized AIDS protests when people would lie down dead in the streets. It was clear that he was a brilliant and instinctual organizer. He knew how to motivate people and handle the media. He was
4 BAY TIMES SEPTEM BER 22, 2011
a highly strategic radical who knew how to use the media to his advantage. He was also a shooting star and was quickly off to bigger challenges than the lefty (and already converted) city of Madison could provide. In fact, his ability to use the media to deliver his message has defined his
career, and he has used them all. He has published four books (Savage Love: Straight Answers from America’s Most Popular Sex Columnist, The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant, Skipping Toward Gomorrah, and The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage and My Family); written articles in queer magazines like Out; hosted a radio show; provided commentary on A BC, MSNBC , CNN and HBO and more; written and directed theater productions; edited a newspaper; and of course and perhaps most importantly, created a YouTube channel called “It Gets Better” to help save the lives of children and teens that are being bullied. Thousands of videos from all over the world have been added to this channel by everyone from bullied youth to celebrities like Ke$ha, Neil Patrick Harris, Adam Levine, Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Colbert, Lady Gaga, and even our own San Francisco Giants.
Dan Savage is also a dad. He and his husband Terry Miller adopted a son named D.J. in 1998. His book titled The Kid is an honest and very funny telling of that experience. Savage doesn’t pull any punches; he is honest about everything from their sexual habits and arguments to how he felt when they first adopted the child (guilty and not connected). He spoke the truth about parenting as he has about every subject in his fascinating career. For never compromising your authentic self. For challenging opinions from conservatives and your own community alike. For helping save the lives of LGBTQ teens, we name you, Dan Savage, our Person of the Week. - Dayna Verstegen
Castro Street Fair Is October 2!
(ROSTOW continued from page 3) its benefitting organizations. They will give you a sticker that entitles you to $1-off every beer you purchase at any of their six official beverage booths. Proceeds from the beverage booths go directly to the beneficiaries as well.
The annual Castro Street Fair attracts thousands for great food and music. By Sister Dana Van Iquity Always the first Sunday in October from 11 am to 6 pm, the annual Castro Street Fair is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Castro District, at the intersection of Market & Castro Streets and the surrounding area. The Castro Street Fair is a community street celebration that was founded by Harvey Milk in 1974. It is the oldest arts and crafts fair in San Francisco. Hundreds of local artists, vendors, craftspeople, and organizations line the streets and celebrate the diversity of the neighborhood. Four stages with live entertainment and dance stages can be found throughout the fairgrounds: Main Stage, Red Rock Stage, Dance Stage, and Sundance Saloon Country & Western Pavilion. When you tire of all the crafts and rainbow souvenir booths, join the Barnaby Brothers & Sisters in a day of play in Barnaby’s World of Wonderment. The hottest performers in town join forces with the coolest night
clubs ever with one goal and one goal only - to give you a 100 percent authentic, ol’ fashion carnival midway experience. Hurry hurry hurry! Step right up! Everyone’s a winner! And the prizes are guaranteed to leave you squealing with delight. Enjoy such fun as the Trikone Fantasy Lounge; Riley’s Furry Friends (human) Heavy Petting Zoo; Mitch Altman’s Brain Machine, Charlie Horse, Saviour Soul, The Sweet Trade, Show/Off, Duplicity Presents, Taylor’s Tonic, sfBoylesque’s Bohemian Brethren, Red Hot’s Burlesque, and Score! Barnaby says, “We ARE the Happiest Place in San Francisco, but we’re nothing without you. So, come out, come out, wherever you are, and spend the day playing with us!” The Fair is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and all proceeds go directly to charitable causes important to the Castro community. Additionally, the Fair funds the rainbow flag that flies over the intersection of Castro and Market. Donations at the entry gates go directly to supporting the Fair and
The 30 beneficiaries are AIDS Emergency Fund & Breast Cancer Emergency Fund (A EF/BCEF ); A IDS Housing Alliance; AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP); Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center; Bay Positives; Bears of San Francisco; Castro Country Club; Castro/Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association; Castro Lions Club Charities; Community United Against Violence (CUAV); The Family Link; The 15 Association; 440 BadBoys Softball Team; Golden State Gay Rodeo Association, Bay Area Chapter; Haight Ashbury Cooperative Nursery School (HACNS); Hartford Street Zen Center; Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy (HMCRA); Imperial Council; Instituto Familiar de La Raza, Inc.; Lyon-Martin Health Services; MCCSF; McKinley Elementary; MHRAIDS Support Group; Native American AIDS Project; Project Inform; Project Open Hand; Queer Cultural Center; San Francisco Fog Rugby; San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus; Shanti; Triangle Martial Arts Association; and Visual Aid. Taking Muni to the Fair is highly recommended. The K, L, M, and T lines all stop at Castro Station, which is located within the fairgrounds. See you at the fair! I’ll be the drunken nun.
(TRANSGENDER LAW CENTER continued from page 1) TLC has also increased the community’s capacity to respond to discrimination by holding more than 400 transgender law workshops providing legal information to community members and their families, attorneys, government employees, and other social service providers. TLC has produced one of the nation’s most complete libraries of original transgender rights and advocacy materials and distributed them in both paper and electronic form to thousands of community readers. Davis introduced TLC Legal Director Kristina Wertz who spoke of the discrimination by a radical fundamentalist state worker at a DMV office that harassed a woman for attempting to legally change her gender marking on her driver’s license, and the successful suit brought against him. She also talked about discrimination of transgender TSA workers patting down airport passengers.
Several awards were presented to deserving recipients. Gender Spectrum received the Community Partner Award for their work to make schools safe and welcoming places. The Ally Award was presented to Geoff Kors, former executive director of Equality California and to the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Kors as EQCA’s director has shown unwavering commitment to being fully inclusive in his work advancing LGBTQ rights and has forged meaningful partnerships with the transgender community, securing the nation’s most robust set of legal protections for transgender people. The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund has provided years of support for the transgender community. Their commitment to helping create a just society in which all people are able to live, work, and raise their families
with dignity has been critical in the movement for LGBTQ equality. The Vanguard Award was presented to Alexandra Byerly for her inexhaustible work as a fierce advocate for the Latina transgender community. Her advocacy work has helped El/ La Program Para TransLatinas to stay open so it can provide critically needed, culturally competent support services. The Vanguard Award was also given to Dr. Nick Gorton for his academic and medical contributions to the f ield of transgender health. In addition to being a strong advocate for his patients at Lyon-Martin Health Services, he has volunteered his expertise to support public policy efforts that improve the transgender community’s health and wellbeing.
and the girl squids thanks to lack of visibility and a certain, shall we say, androgynous squid physiology? Scientists sent some equipment down there to watch these creatures, for whatever reason, and they managed to identify some females and some males using their high fallutin’ scientific techniques. To their surprise, they noticed sperm deposits on both the males and the females, suggesting that the promiscuous male squids couldn’t care less about picking a mate and were more than happy to spray their sperm deposits on whoever was at tentacle, shall we say. There’s also a pro-gay ruling out of a state court in Alaska that has something to do with partner rights. But I’m not in the mood for Alaska. It’s so cold and far away. By the way, why are hurricanes called “typhoons” in the Pacific? Is there a meteorological difference between the two phenomena? I just went over to look that up for our joint edification, but I forgot what I was looking for and wound up reading about some columnist associated with Fox News, who compared Chaz Bono to someone who decides he or she is really an animal of some sort, not a human, and asks a doctor to attach a tail and fur. I. Kid. You. Not. Apparently Fox anchor Megyn Kelly repudiated Dr. Keith Ablow in an on-air spot, but still. Oh, and for all Baby Boomers out there: there’s nothing that makes us feel older than the sight of Ron Howard doing a television interview. What happened to little Opie? Yes, we all know that some time has gone by, What’s it been? Twenty years now? Ron has not aged well; that’s all I’m gonna say.
I also should tell you about the two gay women who d ied when the grandstand blew over in Indiana a few weeks ago. Their partners are now trying to sue the authorities for negligence and wrongful death. But unlike the husbands and wives who lost spouses, these partners are not considered legally entitled to file suit. Yet another inequity of marriage discrimination, an infuriating sideshow to the heartbreak these women are suffering. Finally, there’s a nasty bill to ban domestic partner benefits for Michigan’s unmarried public employees. That one passed the house the other day on a party line vote and now heads to the state senate. The situation is complicated by competing provisions that give power over employment policy to the state’s universities and the Michigan Civil Service Commission. Frankly, I haven’t examined these nuances and I’m hoping that the bill will die in the state senate so that I won’t have to delve into the tedious ins and outs of the Mitten State’s internal regulations. But I also must point out that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently overturned a very similar attempt by the state of Arizona to cut such benefits in order to “save money.” Cost cutting is also the rationale for the Michigan move, even though savings are negligible. Can you believe those squid? You know what they used to say. What happens at the bottom of the sea stays at the bottom of the sea. Guess those nosy scientists took care of that. - Write to Ann Rostow at arostow@aol. com.
(DON’T ASK/DON’T TELL continued from page 4) City Attorney Dennis Herrera noted that the repeal is final, he will be rethat many careers have been crushed turning to service. He said, “Hopebecause of DADT, and they should fully this will be the last time I will be restored. He said this is a victory, have to address this subject…I have “but just one more step in the struggle seen the hardships and dangers this for full equality. We need to move policy has put upon LGBT military forward on DOMA and marriage personnel. We will now finally see job equality. Today we have caught up security and human dignity in the in military policy with so many other armed forces.” countries that have allowed open ser- Field reporting by provided by Dennis vice.” McMillan. Write to Dayna Verstegen at Officer Rocha Joseph, an openly gay dayna@sf baytimes.com. Write to Denman who was in the Navy, became nis McMillan at BayTimesDennis@juno. very outspoken about DADT. Now com.
• See more News & Stories @ sfbaytimes.com •
ALL PH OTO S BY R IN K
Are you more likely to join the military now that DADT has been lifted?
Lehoi, 27 “That is not something that I would consider doing.”
Ava, 21 “I do not intend to do it, but it is fine for other people. It is good that it is happening. “
Brandon, 24 “I would sign up if I could be a peace keeper.”
BAY T IM ES SEPT EM BER 22, 2011 5
9/11 – Soothing the Ravaged Breast
Brass Tacks Heidi Beeler S o I ’ve got my nex t T- sh i r t a l l w or k e d out . B l a c k w it h w h it e block lettering that says “9/11/11: I survived the Media Blitz.” And on t he b a c k , “ N e v e r For g et… how can I when you won’t shut up about it?” Okay, I know. Depending on your prox imit y to the actual Septemb e r 11 a t t a c k s , t h a t c o m me nt ranges from a teensy bit to harsh on a cosmic sca le. Even w it hout hou r s of cover age, we a l l k now that 9/11 is the def ining horrif ic moment for our generat ion. Just as Boomers know where they were when J F K was shot, the day the Twin Towers rode into the earth with thousands of people onboard is frozen in t ime for t hose of us who watched it live. We couldn’t bel ieve, even happen i ng before our eyes, that anything like that wa s possible. T he col lect ive attention on this anniversar y is an ack nowledg ment of t hat sha red horror - a way to honor the lives lost and the people who stepped forward to contain it. Still, the non-stop bombardment of feat u res, photos, record i ng s, v ideos pl ay i ng on t he i nter net , t he rad io, t he telev ision t ur ned a day of shared mourning into a ratings game on the biggest of all
My memor y of 9/11 i s not h i ng like its 10th anniversar y. What I remember most about that day in San Francisco was the silence. As I drove to work, an NPR reporter descr ibed a sur pr ising plane accident in Manhattan. W hi le she spoke, t he second pla ne h it t he South Tower, and I remember her slow stammer as she began to understand this was no accident. By the time a third plane crashed in DC and a fourth in Pennsylvania, no one was sure who was targeted or where the attacks came from. T h e e nt i r e c ou nt r y w e nt i nt o lockdown. We were sent home; all f lights were grounded. As I drove home midmorning, the Financial Dist r ict was si lent. St reets were empty; stores, dark. We turned to our T Vs a nd absorbed hour s of news, desperate to understand. O n S e p t e m b e r 11, 2 0 01, S a n Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band was scheduled to play its fall concer t . By m id-a f ter noon, t he musicians began phoning to ask if the concert was cancelled. The San Francisco Symphony, the opera, all the theaters had called of f their performances –out of respect for t he v ict ims and because any public gathering was considered a safety risk. After hours of watching plane crashes and skyscraper col l apses , ou r a r t i st ic d i rector, Jad i ne L ou ie, made a d i f ferent choice. She sent an email say ing that rather than sit at home, she wanted to ma ke music toget her. She understood if anyone felt too unsafe to come, but she’d conduct anyone who wanted to join her. W hen Jad i ne took her place on the pod ium that night, all but a
P HOTO BY HEIDI BEEL ER
possible rea l it y T V shows. L ast week , it s eemed l i ke ever y ap pl iance had “ 9/11” spew ing out of it and I even began to eye my toaster with suspicion. Mourning becomes Electronica, indeed.
Jadine Louie is the artistic director of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band. couple of the band’s 50 musicians sat before her, dressed in tuxes, ready for her dow nbeat. Twent y people sat in the audience. Jadine welcomed us, band members and audience alike, acknowledged the day’s shock. Then we played into the city’s silence. A l l us ba nd geek s w i l l tel l you t here’s somet h i ng specia l about m a k i n g l i v e mu s i c . S it t i n g i n a room w it h mu s ic i a n s a s t hey play, you feel the vibrations of the i nst r ument s i n your chest – t he woody hu m of cla r i net s, oboes, ba s s o on s; t he r i n g i n g met a l of trumpets, horns, tubas; the thrum of kettle drums, snares, cymbals. A chorus of any size is at its core mult iples of four voices. A w ind ensemble blends upwards of thirty distinct voice lines, each with
its own sound, timber and color, and it lifts those voices in various combinations through the course of a piece. On an average day, lending your instr ument’s sound to t hat complex hum is exciting. On September 11, when we’d come together to escape the day’s isolation, when we were shocked into awareness of every face, every sound in that r o o m , m a k i n g mu s i c t o g e t h e r was an amazing gift. Over its 34 years, the Band has performed for pr es ident i a l i n aug u r at ion s a nd for parades w ith a mi l lion spectators and for mov ie stars in an O sc a r-w i n n i ng f i l m. For m a ny of us, play ing for that tiny audience and each other was the most memorable of all.
T h is Fr iday, 10 years a fter t hat accidental 9/11 concert, the Band p er for m s it s f a l l c onc er t , c on ducted by Jad ine L ouie. A mong the pieces on a program that celebr at e s a l l of aut u m n’s c olor s , brilliant and somber, is a tribute to t he v ict i m s a nd su r v ivor s of the 9/11 attacks wr itten by Er ic Ewa zen. I n h i s prog r a m notes , he describes the enormit y of the shock and how N YC’s people then gathered to help each other. Ours is a remembra nce i n t he lowest of tech. - Heidi Beeler plays trumpet with the San Francisco L esbian/Gay Freedom Band (www.sf lg f b.org) and will play at it s fall con ce r t , B a n d O’Pl e nt y, 8 p m , S e pt e mbe r 23. Wr it e h e r at BrassTacks.SF@gmail.com.
The Practice of Heartfulness Are you on our own side? I don’t mean are you on your own side against other people, but rather: Are you consistently loyal to your own well-being and highest good? Are you self-forgiving and patient with your-
self when you make mistakes, or are you more inclined to be angry and self-punitive? When you go through difficult times do you respond to your own suffering with acceptance and self-compassion, or with self-blame
6 BAY TIMES SEPTEM BER 22, 2011
and guilt? Do you regard yourself as your closest friend, or are there times when you treat yourself as an enemy? These are important questions. Recently in this column I reported on research which suggests that self-
compassion is more important than self-esteem in creating resilience and emotional well-being. But the human mind has an amazing capacity to turn against itself. One of the effects of growing up in a competitive and individualistic society such as ours is that almost everyone in our culture seems to have an “inner critic” which relentlessly evaluates our performance in the tasks of life, and consistently finds it deficient. I believe that the attacks of this inner critic contribute to a myriad of problems – anxiety and depression, dissatisfaction and despair, addictions and compulsions, and on and on. In addition, when we turn against ourselves, we lose motivation to overcome our own suffering or protect ourselves from abuse at the hands of others. We may also feel that we aren’t worth the effort to try to meet our goals and achieve our dreams. It is also possible that gay people may be especially vulnerable to acquiring the habit of harsh self-criticism because so many of us have grown up with a conviction of our own “basic badness” – a sense that in some vaguely understood way we’re out of step and not who we’re supposed to be. Even for those of us who have long ago come to terms with our sexual orientation, our inner critics often continue the habit of telling us that we’re unlovable or unworthy of respect because we’re less valuable than others in some undefined way.
Examined Life Tom Moon But the good news in all of this is that, just as self-denigration is learned behavior, self-compassion is also a skill which can be taught and learned. I’ve become convinced that meditation and concentration techniques exist, which, when practiced regularly, can do much to make us friendlier to ourselves. I call these “heartfulness practices” because they all originate in the intention to hold oneself in one’s own heart, and to develop a loving acceptance of one’s own experience. All of the practices are based on the ancient Buddhist idea that we develop the kinds of qualities we want to have by deliberately “inclining the mind” in their direction. Here’s a brief description of a heartfulness practice that I have been finding especially helpful with anxious patients: (continued on page 17)
National News Briefs
Wisconsin - Tommy Thompson filing for Senate Run in Wisconsin
San Diego, CA - Melvin Dwork Record Cleared: Navy Changes Gay WWII Veteran’s Discharge from ‘Undesirable’ To ‘Honorable’ September 16 Nearly 70 years after expelling Melvin Dwork for being gay, the Navy is changing his discharge from “undesirable” to “honorable” – marking what is believed to be the first time the Pentagon has taken such a step on behalf of a World War II veteran since the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The Navy notified the 89-year-old former corpsman last month that he will now be eligible for the benefits he had long been denied, including medical care and a military burial. Dwork spent decades fighting to remove the blot on his record. Source: The Huffington Post
September 19 Iowa - Anti-Gay Religious Group in Iowa Uses Federal Funds August 29 Iowa has a complicated back-and-forth history with marriage equality. Iowa’s state Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2009, pioneering marriage equality in the Midwest. The ruling wasn’t necessarily representative of the will of the people (or the politicians), however — three of the judges responsible for the ruling were promptly removed from their positions.
Former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson (R) is taking another step towards a senate seat vacated by retiring Sen. Herb Kohl (D). Thompson plans to file paperwork on Sept. 19 so he can begin fundraising, but the former Bush Health and Human Services Secretary is not making a formal announcement yet. Although he is just getting in the race now, Thompson is already under fire from both Democrats and Republicans. Rivals in the state GOP and conservatives across the country see Thompson as too moderate. Source: The Washington Post
Since the Iowa Supreme Court ruled for marriage equality in 2009, there’s been a concerted effort to ban it, spearheaded by many of the same people who successfully removed those three judges — Iowa Family Policy Center. The Center is now accused by the Associated Press of having misused federal funds for its religiously motivated campaign. Source: Autostraddle
Arizona - Judges: Arizona Must Cover Gay State Workers’ Partners During Dispute September 17 Arizona cannot cancel the insurance benefits for the domestic partners of state and university workers who are gay, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday. In a unanimous opinion, the three-judge panel agreed with the state that it is not obligated to provide health insurance for its workers or their families. “But when a state chooses to provide such benefits, it may not do so in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner that adversely affects particular groups that may be unpopular,” Judge Mary Schroeder wrote for the court. And she noted that there is no other way for gay workers to get those benefits in Arizona, with a state constitutional amendment barring same-sex nuptials. Source: Capitol Media Services
North Carolina - North Carolina Legislature Passes Anti-Gay Marriage Amendment Washington DC - President Obama ReNominates Openly Gay Judge September 15 President Obama has renominated Edward DuMont to be a judge on the United States Court of appeals for the Federal Circuit. If elected, DuMont would be the first openly gay federal judge appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. DuMont currently is a partner at the law firm of WilmerHale and is from Oakland, California. Source: Autostraddle
September 14 Despite polls showing that North Carolinians don’t support the state’s ban on gay marriage and other gay unions, the legislature today approved the amendment. North Carolina is the only state in the Southeast without a constitutional ban on same sex marriage. State polling suggest that the referendum would not be a slam dunk “This nasty attack amendment is a tremendous blow to loving, committed same-sex couples across North Carolina who want to make a lifetime commitment to the person they love and to protect their families,” said Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director of Freedom to Marry. Source: 365gay
Local News Briefs Court Rules Proposition 8 Trial Tapes Should Be Released to Public - 9.19 U.S. District Court Chief Judge James Ware ruled that the video recordings of the Proposition 8 trial (Perry v. Brown) should be released to the public. Plaintiffs had asked the District Court to unseal the video recordings of the Prop. 8 trial, citing the strong presumption of public access to judicial records and the lack of any factual evidence by Proponents to keep the video secret. Prop. 8 was ruled unconstitutional in August 2010. Judge Ware agreed with Plaintiffs, stating, “Foremost among the aspects of the federal judicial system that foster public confidence in the fairness and integrity of the process are public access to trials and public access to the record of judicial proceedings. Consequently, once an item is placed in the record of judicial proceedings, there must be compelling reasons for keeping that item secret. In the course of the non-jury trial of this case, at the direction of the presiding judge, court staff made a digital recording of the trial. After the close of the evidence, the judge ordered the clerk of court to file that digital recording under seal. The trial record is closed and the case is currently on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.” Source: National Foundation for Equal Rights
Karen Golinski Trial: Congressional Republicans Block Move to Televise Same-Sex Marriage Trial - 9.13 CA Republicans have blocked a proposal to televise arguments in an upcoming San Francisco trial determining aboutgay couples entitlement to to share insurance coverage. Karen Golinski, a San Francisco lawyer working for the U.S. Court of Appeals, attempted to add her same-sex partner to a work-provided family health insurance plan in 2008. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management denied the request, citingDOMA. This hearing would have been the first to be caught on camera and posted online as part of a pilot program to increase public access to the national’s federal courts. During the contentious Proposition 8 trail that overturned California’s gay marriage ban, Judge Vaughn Walker attempted to broadcast the trial on YouTube, but his efforts were overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that “[the judge] attempted to change...rules at the eleventh hour to treat this case differently than other trials in the district.” Source: Huffington Post
Justice Ginsburg Calls for Gay Equality in San Francisco Speech - 9.13 Speaking to students at UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stumped for gay equality. The 78-year-old justice took part in a 90-minute question-and-answer session. Ginsburg said, quote, “We should not be stopped from pursuing whatever talent God has given us simply because we are a certain race, a certain religion, a certain national origin, a certain gender or gender preference.” The high court could confront the issue in a challenge to California’s same-sex marriage ban that’s currently waiting to be reviewed by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was born March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn. She graduated from Cornel University in 1954 and her law degree from Columbia Law School in 1959 where she graduated first in her class. She clerked for a U.S. District Judge and then taught at Rutgers and Columbia. In 1980 Jimmy Carter appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. and in 1993 she was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Clinton. Source: Frank Haley New Mexico News and Views BAY T IM ES SEPT EM BER 22, 2011 7
20th Annual Leather Walk Kicks Off Leather Week & Perfectly Prefaces Folsom Street Fair The 20th annual Leather Walk on Sept. 18 was a benefit for the AIDS Emergency Fund (A EF ) and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund (BCEF) that provide emergency financial assistance to low income men and women to help pay rent, telephone, electricity, medicine, and other vital needs. It is produced every year by Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt and founder Art Tomaszewski. The Leather Walk was preceded by the 11th annual raising of the Leather Pride Flag at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro, when the Rainbow Flag is yearly replaced with a giant leather f lag (made of black, white, and blue stripes and a red heart). Senator Mark Leno (looking fine in black leather pants) greeted everyone, saying how proud he was to be attending the ceremonies for his eleventh year. Leno presented a framed commendation to Mama “for all she does for the community.” He reminded the crowd that President Barack Obama had bestowed posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom the highest honor given to a civilian - to Harvey Milk with the remarks: “Pride unafraid. Pride unashamed.” And Leno concluded, “That is exactly what we are here today.”
Horizons Foundation’s Gala Dinner & Casino Party SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 • THE FAIRMONT SAN FRANCISCO
George Takei VISIONARY AWARD
CORNERSTONE AWARD
For tickets and information: www.horizonsfoundation.org
CASTRO
ruits f m o r “F s” to nut FARMERS’
MARKET
UPCOMING EVENTS Sept 28: It’s Kid’s Day! Bring the young’uns for face painting, balloons button making, and a magician! Oct 12: If you know the secret word, posted to our Facebook page before the market, you‘ll get a gift! Oct 19: Guess the weight of the giant pumpkin and win produce.
WEDNESDAYS
4PM - 8PM
OPEN THRU DEC. 21 NOE ST. BETWEEN
MARKET ST. & BEAVER ST. 1.800.949.FARM
pcfma.com/castro
8 BAY TIMES SEPTEM BER 22, 2011
The Leather Walk on Sept. 18 went down Market Street to kick off Leather Week.
er, Lenny “the cop” Broberg, Lance Holman, and the entertainers. The huge contingent of marchers, escorted by the San Francisco Police Department, made a two-mile stroll down Market Street, stopping at the Power House and Hole in the Wall bars along the way, ending up at the Lone Star bar. Folsom Street Fair Is the Crowning Glory Of Leather Week Folsom Street Fair is Sept. 25, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Folsom between 7th and 12th Streets. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc. and friends will be at the gates asking for donations to a lot of worthy beneficiaries. While they don’t have any age restrictions at the gates, they do inform attendees of the adult oriented nature of the event. Please leave the tiny tots at home. There WILL be naked peters and vajayjays! They also strictly enforce the 21 or over restriction on beer and liquor sales. Be sure to dress the part and have more fun than the lookie-looers gawking but not participating. Clothing ranges from leathers to feathers to PVC and everything in between.
Aside from the hundreds of thousands of fairgoers (400,000 is the record) enjoying the day in their kinkiest fetish garb, the other main attractions of the fair include world class entertainment at the stages and dance area, over 220 exhibitors, a women’s area, and an artists’ area. If you exit Muni at Van Ness, walk down to the 11th and Howard Street gate. That gate is less busy than the one at 12th and Folsom. If you exit Muni or BART at Civic Center, walk down to the 8th and Howard Street gate (or the 9th and Howard gate). Even better, the gates at 8th and Harrison, 9th and Harrison, 10th and Harrison, and 11th and Harrison are the least busy of all; so you can be in the thick of things even faster. Warning: the busiest gate is at 7th and Folsom Street, so avoid it, if you can. San Francisco usually has excellent weather in September and October, although be prepared for cool nights. Bring your leather jackets! The temperature on Folsom Street Fair day is usually warm. It can get as high as the mid-eighties to nineties; in 1997, it was close to 100 degrees! In 1998, there were rain showers, although (continued on page 17)
Pride Parade Committee Meets at W Hotel, Chooses 2012 Theme By Rink More than 70 people gathered at the elegant W Hotel in SOMA on Sept. 9 to work their way through a long agenda of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration Committee General Meeting. The Pride Committee has had its ups and downs over the last year, but this is nothing new for an organization that has worked feverishly all year to present an event that lasts about seven hours. The committee was riding high on the knowledge that they had handed out $169,000 to their community partners at an August event at the LGBT Community Center. And no one was waving a check and complaining that it had bounced at the meeting, so it was a better start than some other years. The W Hotel is elegant yet subtle in its décor, with stylish carpeting and wall coverings that absorb sound and also create a mood of openness in a space with few windows. This is in contrast to the dingy basements, squalid apartments, and seismically unsafe meeting halls that this journalist encountered in dealing with LGBT Parade organizers since 1970. The major business of the meeting was the voting for board members, choice of a theme, and an explanation of the finances of the committee. The voting was bizarrely complicated, and some of the officers seem to delight in its intricate detail, as the audience looked on with expressions of astonishment. The only procedure missing
P HOTO BY R I NK
TO SUPPORT THE LGBT COMMUNITY
Mr. San Francisco Leather 2010 Lance Holman was emcee of the event and also the newest board member of AEF/BCEF. He introduced Mama, who acknowledged people who helped make the event possible, including Sgt. Chuck Lambert of the SFPD, 440 bar, Scott Petersen from the Powerhouse bar, Daddy Mike Floyd of Steel Erections, Randy Schiller, Demetri Moshoyannis, Timur Muhrlin, Travis the ASL sign-
P H OTO B Y RIN K
By Master Sister Dana Van Iquity
The Leather Walk charity procession from Harvey Milk Plaza to South of Market.
was the dipping of a finger in ink to prevent double voting. Each of the people presented for the board were up for re-election, and the people in the audience were full of pointed questions, especially Audrey Joseph and the Faery contingent of Joey Cain, Jokie X. Wilson, and Jerry (The Faery) Berbier. Numerous theme choices were presented, and that voting process was more conventional. After much discussion, the choice for the 2012 Parade and Celebration is “Global Equality.” Some café types asked later why the word “queer” was not in the theme. They were told to join the Pride Committee to make their future opinions heard. The setting was wonderful, there were smiles all around, the coffee and cookies were first quality, but lurking in many minds was the question of whether the Pride board and officers had paid back people and groups
the overdue funds that they were owed. The ominous cloud of financial failure was lifted from the San Francisco Pride organization when Interim Executive Director Brendan Behan announced that money would be paid in full in the coming months. He was backed up, but with some caution, by the committee’s treasurer Bill Hemenger. As for Behan staying on as the interim or full-time executive director, that decision will be made soon at a future meeting. Whenever there was well- deserved praise for him, Behan modestly gave credit to Board Chair Lisa Williams. Williams will also find out soon if she is to continue as chair. A special benefit of hiring Behan is that his hard-working mother will probably join him again to work in the Pride office. The Behan family is an inspiration to anyone who meets them. There are only 280 more days to plan the next Parade and Celebration on June 23 and 24, 2012.
Arts&Entertainment Wow! San Jose Rep Scores Big with Spring Awakening Jeanie Smith San Jose Rep has opened its season with a brilliant winner of a show Spring Awakening, the hit musical based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 play by the same name. Don’t for a second think this must be old - focused on emerging sexuality and societal taboos, the show fairly leaps off the stage with vibrant relevancy and still pertinent questions for our society. Terrific acting, singing and dancing by an energetic and tireless ensemble; superb production values; and fresh, creative interpretation in the staging all add up to a magical evening’s entertainment. Wedekind wrapped up just about every taboo subject he could think of masturbation, homosexuality, sexual abuse, gender inequity, extramarital sex, suicide, abortion, and teen pregnancy - into one intense script about young people coming of age and going through puberty in a society hell bent on repressing their instincts and individuality. Banned in his own time, the play went on to enjoy later success, but really garnered attention in 2006 when Duncan Sheik (a driving rock music score) and Steven Sater (book and lyrics) brought their musical update to Broadway, winning numerous awards
and spawning several national tours. Their adaptation reveals the humor, retains the drama, and demonstrates how little has changed in 120 years. It also became a cult phenom; young people follow the show in droves, calling themselves the Guilty Ones. San Jose Rep’s version pays homage to the Broadway version, but veers into new territory with original staging by director Rick Lombardo and evocative, precise choreography by Sonya Tayeh - best known for her remarkable work on TVs “So You Think You Can Dance”. Lombardo and Tayeh must have gotten along great working together, because their work is seamless - all the movement is of a piece, both fascinating and consistent throughout, absolutely stunning and inventive. Their work is aided by a massive high-tech set by John Iacovelli that gives the show a smart, contemporary and epic feel; lighting and multimedia effects by David Lee Cuthbert; and a small onstage orchestra/band led by Dolores DuranCefalu. Perhaps all that would come to naught without an amazing ensemble of performers, and this show has that in spades. Jason Hite is outstanding as Melchior, the bright, precocious and inquisitive young man who encounters hypocrisy and tragedy at a tender age. He has the bravado and in-your-face gutsy rebellion, but also the tender vulnerability of young love and self-doubt. (continued on page 13)
PHOTO BY KEVIN BERN E
Theater Review
Melchior (Jason Hite) struts to the front as the rest of the teens dance in the background in Spring Awakening. .
Why We Have a Body: Why We Need Contemporary Lesbian Drama Theater Review
Lily Janiak
The play, about four women reeling from coming out, or being related to someone who has come out, doesn’t feel like a comedy. Clever as some lines are, it’s more a poetic investigation of underrepresented breeds of womanhood, the kinds of female characters who don’t fit neatly into categorized boxes, for whom traditional gender
socialization is preparation for a lifetime of “absurdity.” Purely on those grounds, the play, under the direction of Katie Pearl, stands the test of time as a brave, literary and poignant portrait of lesbianism and womanhood. In terms of “rocking San Francisco,” however, it shows its age.
investigator who finds out why men cheat on their wives by talking to the wives instead of following their husbands. There’s her sister Mary (Maggie Mason), who compulsively robs convenience stores in her too-literal quest to become a female warrior like Joan of Arc. There’s their mother Eleanor (Lorri Holt), a cotillion-bred safari addict who bails to Africa, less to escape her children than to simply not be with them. Then there’s Renee (Rebecca Dines), a paleontologist with a special interest in female dinosaurs who send signals to each other over long distances—and, not incidentally, Lili’s still closeted love interest.
The actresses imbue with force roles normally allocated to men. There’s Lili (Lauren English) a lesbian private
PH OTO B Y JE N NI F E R R EI LE Y
The Magic Theatre is advertising Claire Chafee’s Why We Have a Body, its 2011-12 season opener, as “the comedy that rocked San Francisco,” a reference to the play’s 1993 world premiere, at the same theater, which
went on to a national tour. But the phrase misleads.
Mary played by Maggie Mason and Lilli played by Lauren English..
These characters communicate mostly in monologue, using a rowboat paddle, a pay phone or a bucket of sand to create a temporary, localized world on Marsha Ginsberg’s expansive, hospital-white set. The next character always makes her entrance just as the last is about to depart, giving the illusion of continuous flow and of psychological proximity, even as swaths of geography and time divide. The characters remember more often than they interact - even going back to the womb, where “pictures play against the inside of my mother’s ribcage, those home movies of the heart” - which confers weight and urgency upon the moments when they do converse (it’s rare to leave a show wondering what would have happened if characters had spoken to each other more).
Eloquent as the play is on a poetic level, Why We Have a Body comes from an era in which our idiom for discussing lesbianism was markedly limited. The idea of the lesbian as a half-man haunts characters’ speech, even as the play itself is refreshingly utterly removed from the world of masculinity. In the end, the play that once rocked San Francisco mostly shows the need for a new play to rock San Francisco, one that would examine women and lesbian women with the same depth of feeling and seriousness of purpose, but reflecting the way we understand lesbianism now: a non-derivative identity, a sexuality in its own right. Why We Have a Body continues (Tuesday to Sunday, various times) until October 2 at the Magic Theatre, Building D, Fort Mason, San Francisco. Tickets ($30 - $75), call (415) 4418822 or at www.magictheatre.org. - Check out Lily’s blog at http://lilyjaniak. blogspot.com.
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BAY T IM ES SEPT EM BER 22, 2011 9
P HOTO B Y J E F F C RO O K
Eat the Runt is Full of Laughs
Vera Sloan-Canton, Robert Campbell and Keith Marshall appear in Eat the Runt in San Jose.
Theater Review Jeanie Smith Renegade Theatre Experiment in San Jose celebrates its Tenth Anniversary season with a reprise of a show t hat , back i n 20 03, wa s a smash hit, Eat the Runt, by Aver y Crozier. Judg ing by the way t he aud ienc e w a s r ol l i n g w it h laughter on opening night, Renegade has another suref ire hit on t heir hands. It’s a tota l ly wack y litt le play - nothing part icularly redeeming or thought-provok ing about it - just pure fun and merriment from start to f inish. Part of the appeal is that the aud ience get s to decide wh ich actor will play which of seven roles. Fi rst t he actors a re i nt roduced, very cleverly, and then the Emcee walks the audience through each cha racter descr ipt ion a nd rates audience applause on a meter to determine who gets the roles. One actor is sadly “sent home” for the night.
The play is written with no gender pronou ns, so a ny actor ca n play any role, and there are supposed ly over 4 0,0 0 0 possible combi nat ion s. T h i s mea n s t hat “cultural stereotyping” one night may become “sexual harassment” the next. The audience gets minim a l c h a r a c t er de s c r ipt ion s , s o realistic casting is futile - and of course none of us knows what relat ionships and dy namics are in the script. W hen t he show beg i ns, t he audience starts follow ing the stor y line, as the character of Merr itt ma kes t he rou nd s at a Ch icago museum, i nter v iew i ng for a key development posit ion. Merr itt is either brilliant or nuts, we begin to rea l i ze, as he adapt s h i msel f l i ke a cha meleon to each i nterv i e w e r ’s p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t s and st yle, and is not above brazen physical moves to secure his hiring. He has just about landed the job when all hell breaks loose; a surpr ise appeara nce, a nd sudden ly ever y t h ing we t hought we k new is turned on its head, and an ele-
ment of myster y is added to the story. Intermission f inds audience members happily spouting theories about who is who and what is what and what we will no doubt f ind out—and then Act Two continues the zany fun until delivering another delicious sur prise at the end. I can say no more. The ensemble of actors is terrif ic, especia l ly consider ing t hat t hey each have had to memor ize and r e he a r s e e i g ht d i f fer e nt r ole s . T here are even combat or f ight scenes that must be practiced repeatedly, presumably right before ea ch a c t , i n or der to g et t hem right with dif ferent actors. Knowing the number of possible combinations, one imag ines that there is some “seat of t he pa nt s” acting going on, and the fact that the cast keeps a cool head and pulls it of f so beautifully is amazing. The talented cast includes Mandy A r mes, Rober t Ca mpbel l, Sa r a L u n a , Keit h C . M a r s h a l l , B en Ortega, A lexander Prather, Vera Sloan, Dav id Scott, Va ler ie Valenzuela, and Katie Vroom. Kudos also go to director Sean Mur(continued on page 13)
OMD Plays The Warfield October 3 decades ago.
Music Paul E. Pratt “What is amazing for us is the huge percentage of our fans in America who are gay and lesbian,” says Andy McCluskey, lead singer of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. “It’s always been that way for us.” Well before career-def ining 1986 contribution to Pretty in Pink “If You Leave” introduced global audiences to the band and shot OMD into the U.S. Top 5, McCluskey says LGBTQ audiences embraced their music. Even more people, he recalls, wrote the trend-setting act off as a group only of interest to gays. “When English synth bands first arrived in America in the '80s, a lot of media and American rockers who were like, ‘What’s this faggot English music?’” shares the singer, who brings the group’s original line-up to San Francisco’s Warfield Monday, October 3, in support of their latest album History of Modern. “We were like, ‘You know what? The ‘faggots’ do love it,’” McCluskey says, laughing, “’So fuck you!’”
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After the success of “If You Leave,” and as other similar acts followed, OMD had the last laugh. Unfortunately, as the decade came to a close, so did that chapter in the group’s history. “In the mid-90s, nothing seemed more out-of-fashion and past its sell-by date than a group perceived as an '80s synth band,” McCluskey shares, giving insight into why members called it quits nearly two
After doing solo projects and producing for others throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, McCluskey and primary collaborator Paul Humphreys started to feel the time was ripe for a reunion. According to McCluskey, “the musical landscape was fertile” for OMD’s return. “As the new millennium dawned, electro music was starting to become fashionable again,” he shares. “A whole new generation had rejected the rock ‘n roll clichés of all the guitars which came back in the ‘90s. Other bands – young bands, a totally different generation – were citing us, using lovely words like ‘iconic’ and ‘seminal’ and ‘influential.’” In 2007, OMD’s “classic” line-up of McCluskey, Humphreys, Malcolm Holmes and Martin Copper reunited. While he admits the quartet was so rusty they often had to listen to their own records to remember how to play certain things, they were soon on the road, winning rave reviews, and considering a new CD. “All the European gigs had been brilliantly reviewed, even by journalists for a change!” he points out with a laugh, “We didn’t want to fuck that all up by making a crap album.” To the group’s pleasure, the resulting History of Modern arrived to impressive reviews in Sept. 2010. OMD has been on the road supporting the set ever since. After an acclaimed Oakland performance in the spring, McCluskey and crew return Oct. 3. Awardwinning Australian singer Washington opens.
Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys and OMD’s original line-up return to San Francisco’s Warfield Mon., Oct. 3.
Originally slated to play The Warfield the following day, the group moved its date back after audience outcry. It appears that even so many years later, OMD still values its LGBTQ fan base. “Until tickets went on sale, we had no idea who else was in town that night – Erasure,” McCluskey says with a chuckle. An outpouring of emails from frustrated fans, most LGBTQ, led to OMD’s decision to not go head-to-head with their ‘80s synth-pop compatriots. “We specifically moved our dates because, let’s face it, there are going to be an awful lot of gay people going to see Vince [Clarke] and Andy [Bell],” says McCluskey, “We didn’t want to lose half of our audience!” Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) Plays The Warfield, Mon., Oct. 3. 8pm. $32.50-$45. For Details, Visit: http://www.OMD.uk.com.
HOT TICKETS G r a m my “ B e s t New A r t ist ” Wi n ne r E SPE R A N Z A S PA L D I NG a t T h e Pa r a mount Theater - Esperanza f irst took the world by stor m i n 2 0 0 8 w it h her s e l f- t it le d Heads Up debut recording that spent more than 70 weeks on t he Bi l lboard Contemporar y Ja zz Cha r t. T he release was fol lowed by nu merous national TV bookings, magazine covers, fashion ad campaigns, two appearances at the White House, and an invitation from President Obama to per for m at both the Nobel Pr ize Ceremony a nd t he Nobel Peace Pr ize Concer t. Wit h t he Aug ust 2010 release of C ha mbe r Mu s i c S oc i et y, Spa ld i ng continues to push the boundaries of jazz and where it intersects w it h ot her gen res. Spa ld i ng wa s awa rded t he Gra m my Aw a r d for B e s t Ne w A r t i s t i n Febr ua r y. She is t he f i r st jazz musician to ever win this award. Co-produced by Spaldi ng a nd Gi l G old stei n, CM S spot lights a modern chamber music g roup that weaves elements of jazz, folk, and world
T ic ket s a r e $15 - $35 T hu r s day-Sunday thru Oct. 23rd at The Marsh SF. 1062 Valencia St . SF 415 - 826 - 5750 or t he marsh.org.
Marga Gomez's Not Getting Any Younger, plays at The Marsh in San Francisco through October 23.
Our 27th season!
Seeking new members!
email us at: info@communitywomensorchestra.org
immediate need for: trombones & double bass players
High School’s a Drag – But Doesn’t Have to B e - Fea- Smuin Ba llet - K icks of f its t u r i n g T he GL E E P r oje c t ’s season with a World Premiere E m i ly Va squez a nd R u Pa ul’s b y C hor e o g r a phe r i n R e s i D ra g R a ce st a r Jessica W i ld’. “This might sound funny, but I don’t just ‘like’ the gay community,” says Emily Vasquez. “I live for it. I realized today, I don’t even have many female fr iends,” says Vasquez, who headlines an Oct. 1 fundraiser at San Francisco’s Mission High School. “I have a whole bunch of gay friends, and my brother who raised me is gay. I just love t he com mu n it y.” Performing Saturday Oct. 1st at Mission High School Auditorium, 3750 18th St., 7:30p $15. Info: Queensofthecastro. com
Esperanza Spalding plays the Paramount Theater on Saturday, October 1 at 8 pm.
Amy Seiwert is the Choreographer in Residence at Smuin Ballet. Her new show is at the Palace of the Fine Arts through October 1.
music w ith classical chamber music trad it ions. Ex per ience t he br i l l iant v ision of Spa lding’s rising star at Paramount Theater – Saturday, October 1st. Stage time is 8pm. Tickets are $20 -$65. 2025 Broadw ay b et we en 2 0 t h a nd 21st Streets in downtown Oakland. For tickets call 510 -465-6400. Ma rga Gomez's "Not Getting Any Younger" - Gomez spills the beans in her 9th solo show - a comedy about l ies, vanity and the good old days. T h is ‘com i ng of m idd le age’ stor y beg i ns du r i ng a n idyll ic chi ldhood v isit to a da ir y cow ’s boudoi r i n t he Bron x . A f ter w a rd s , G omez endu res a youth marked by adult host i lit y and is forced to l ive by t he ma x i m “ch i ld ren shou ld be seen a nd not hea rd.” She perseveres through these soul crushing early years w ith the f a l s e h o p e t h a t w h e n s h e ’s older she ca n order ch i ld ren about. But i n 2011, ch i ld ren call the shots, adults shoot botox and Gomez has to put up with young salesclerks calling her m a’a m , d r i v i n g her t o ward murder at a Forever 21 department store. Lauded for her honesty as an out gay comedian before it was safe to be one, Gomez has actually been a master of deception in other way s. Now t he c agey mono log ist unburdens her sel f a nd br ings her r isk iest revelat ion to t he st a ge bec ause…she i s “ Not Gett ing A ny Younger.”
Fa l l i n g F l a g s - Fo o t l o o s e present s a sha red even i ng of dance and spoken word as part of t heir A I M: A r t ists in Mo t ion ser ies. Accla imed Butoh a r t i s t Jud it h K aji w a r a p er forms her solo homage to Iseei pioneers who immig rated to A mer ica. Awa rd w i n n i ng poet, Genny L im, fresh from t r avel s abroa d , s h a res new s a n d v i e w s o n he r j ou r n e y s away from a nd ret ur n home to the Bay Area. Genny f inds kinship with dancers, Frances Cachapero and Sharon Sato, and collaborates on words and movement to claim their collective and indiv idual identit ies as cit i zens of t he world. Fr id ay a nd S at u r d ay, S e pt . 3 0 a nd O c t . 1, at 8 p; Su n day, Oct. 2 at 7p at Shotwell St ud ios, 3252-A 19t h St reet, San Francisco, 94110 Tickets sliding scale $10 -15 brownpaper t ickets.com/event/195862 I n fo/ Res: 415 -28 9 -20 0 0 ; f tloose.org.
Emily Vasquez and Jessica Wild will perform at Mission High School in High School's a Drag.
dence Amy Seiwert, set to the music of Patsy Cline. The San Fra ncisco Bay Gua rd ia n declares, “[Seiwer t] has one of the Bay Area’s most intriguing voices . . . fresh, myster ious, and mesmerizing” and the San Francisco Chronicle calls her “sharply innovative” and “one of t he cou nt r y ’s most exc iting young dance makers.” In honor of the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, t he prog ra m includes St abat M ater, M ich ael Smu i n’s re sponse to the nat ional tragedy. Rounding out the program is Michael Smuin’s Tango Palace, a seductive fantasy of possession and passion, jealousy, loss, and love. Examining both the complexities of the human heart and the inventiveness of tango itself, Tango Palace creates a feverish vision of desire through dance. Performs September 23 - October 1 at Pa lace of Fine Arts 3301 Lyon St. at Bay St. SF. For single ticket s ($20, $49, $59, and $62), subscr ipt ions ($75 -$159), and more infor mat ion, t he public can call (415) 556 -5000 ext. 3 or v isit smuinba l let.org. Disc ou nt s a r e av a i l able for s e niors, students, and groups of 15 or more.
PanderFest 2011 - a comedy show scient if ica l ly ca librated to completely satisfy its audience by any means necessar y. Employing sketch, improv and mult imed ia, PanderFest 2011 is not a si mple comedy double-bi l l; rat her it is a si ngle, monol it h ic e vent c ol l ab or a tively eng ineered and executed in the unfathomably fertile sy mbiosis of bot h t roupes. PanderFest 2011, an “of f icia l pick ” of t he Bay A rea Comedy Ha l l of Fa me is t he f irst show at San Francisco’s newest t heater, St age Wer x 4 4 6, located at 446 Valencia Street. PanderFest 2011 kicks of f Friday, October 7th at 8pm, and - Compiled by Chr istine D umke. c o n t i n u e s e v e r y T hu r s d a y, Submit your events to Bay Times at Fr iday and Saturday through calendar@sf baytimes.com. October 29. Ticket s a re $20 and can be purchased online at panderexpress.com.
BAY T IM ES SEPT EM BER 22, 2011 11
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Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup — A Life in the Theatre
San Francisco’s Best Cafe Breakfast Lunch Dinner Cocktails
POP ROX By K. Cole
Full Service Bar Pastries Desserts Nicki Minaj Top of the World (Single) Nicki is getting ready to release a new album, but like many artists these days to keep on top of the heap, she’s released this sneak peak. In line with the woman-power themed songs of Beyoncé, this is an anthem for women, to women, and maybe preaching to the chorus.
2298 Market Street • San Francisco, CA (415) 621-8579 • www.cafeflore.com
Design & Photography
Location: Happy hour at the Midnight Sun. P HOTO BY K EVIN BERN E
BLACK RHINO
Best Cut: Top of the World
Rita Moreno in Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup.
Deborah Dennis
510.501.5947
deb@blackrhinodesign.com
Music Review
blackrhinodesign.com Tom Kelly Act ress, si nger a nd da ncer (a k a triple threat) Rita Moreno shares her life stor y at Berkeley Repertor y Theatre in Rita Moreno: Life Without Makeup. Her graciousness, humility and generosity make the 2-1/2 hour show an absolute delight. And her life story proves to be as much of an inspiration as a cautionary tale.
Da nc er Mor eno c aut iou s l y r e creates the moves that wowed aud iences year s ago, a l low ing her t wo sex y ma le back-up da ncer s ( Ray Garcia and Sa lvatore Vass a l lo) t o do t he mor e d i f f ic u lt choreography. The two dynamite d a nc e nu mb er s f r om We s t S i d e Story are wondrous reminders of the f ilm’s glorious moments (and here, Moreno graciously acknowledges that Chita Rivera originated the role of Anita in the Broadway production… forever joining them at the hip).
Tony Bennett Body and Soul (Single) Our fascination with artists who can no longer contribute to the world due to early demise might be fueling this duo release, but that’s not to say it is totally without merit. Thanks to Tony and his open support, Amy Winehouse’s amazing voice and personality is heard at perhaps an artistic peak, but we can only guess. Best Cut: Body and Soul
“I want so bad to be somebody… s o m e b o d y s p e c i a l .” I n 19 3 6 Moreno and her mother left Puerto Rico and arrived in N YC, certif iably impoverished. Her talent as a dancer (and her sheer determ i nat ion) get s her not iced, a nd by t he t ime she t ur ns 16, she is sig ned up for a 7-yea r cont ract w it h MGM st ud io. T he ex a lt ations and dregs of success ensue.
from the director of milk and good will hunting “RESTLESS sets itself apart from the rest. Mia Wasikowska is captivating. Henry Hopper makes an impressive debut.” -A.M. Homes, VANITY FAIR
henry hopper mia wasikowska un certain regard opening night
A c t r es s Mor eno ho st s t he e ve n i ng w it h st yle a nd sen s it iv it y. O pen i ng i n a n at t ract ive da rkred pantsuit and matching seedpearl necklace (simple yet elegant costuming by A nnie Smart), she displays a relaxed conf idence and welcoming nature. She keeps the p a c e mo v i n g w it h d e t e r m i n a tion, yet takes the time needed for more dramatic moments. Life on the wicked stage (as well as on the “big screen”) ain’t no place for a you ng g i rl, a nd Moreno sha res some s ho c k i n g moment s (nea rr ap e at a Hol ly wo o d pa r t y) a s well as her heart’s true love (and heartbreak)… the “romantic sinkhole” known as Marlon Brando.
Si ng er Moreno ex h ibit s a n excellent pitch with sweet tones. A toronto woma n of incred ible ra nge, she film festival WWW.SONYCLASSICS.COM 2011 sings a variety of songs, including ALSO STARTING AT: CINEARTS SANTANA ROW “The Hate Song” (which she sang LANDMARK SHATTUCK CINEARTS PLEASANT HILL RD in the television show T he Electric CENTURY REGENCY CINEARTS PALO ALTO Company), an hysterical recreation VIEW THE TRAILER AT WWW.RESTLESSMOVIE.COM of Googie Gomez’s show-stopper 4” X 3.5" THURS 09/22 from t he f i l m T he Ritz, “Ever ySAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES t hing’s Coming Up Roses,” and DUE MON 5PM mor e. M a ny L GB T Q aud ienc e @sfbaytimes. members will remember that crazy gay f ilm when gay f ilms were com and follow us on and find us not “t he craze” (note: Moreno’s AE: (circle one:) Artist: (circle one:) ART APPROVED on over-the-top performance in The Angela Maria Josh Heather Staci Freelance 2 Ritz garnered her a Tony award). AE APPROVED 12 BAY T IMES SEPTEM BER 22, 2011 Tim McCool Jay Steve Philip CLIENT APPROVED
JASON LEW PRODUCEDBY BRIAN GRAZER RON HOWARD BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD GUS VAN SANT DIRECTEDBY GUS VAN SANT
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Written by Tony Taccone (Berkeley Rep’s A rtistic Director), this world prem iere cou ld do w it h a bit of jud icious ed it ing. Perhaps one number from West Side Story, instead of two. Perhaps a bit less t ime in Act One about her early ch i ld hood. But Taccone i s a shrewd theatre professional, and following the audience’s responses night after night will certainly guide him to trim it to the f inest moments. St a g e d a nd d i r e c t e d by Dav id Galligan w ith a sk illful simplicit y, t he aud ienc e fo c u s e s c om pletely on Moreno a nd her l i fe stor y. Back-wall projections (video and lighting by A lexander V. Nichols) instantaneously prov ide locations as well as feature various snippets from her f ilms. César Cancino conducts the superb onstage (behind the back curtain) ba nd , wh ic h fe at u r e s C a nc i no ( piano), Sascha Jacobsen ( bass), A lex Mur z y n (reeds) a nd Dav id Rokeach ( percussion). R it a Mo re n o: L ife W it h o ut Ma k eup of fer s Bay A rea aud iences a un ique oppor t un it y to meet t he woman who earned herself an Oscar (West Side Story), a Tony (T he R itz), t wo E m my s (T h e R ock ford Files and T he Muppet Show) and a Gra m my (T h e El ect r i c C ompa ny). But all those accolades aside, the show is terrif ic! R it a Mo re n o: L ife W it h o ut Ma k eup cont inues unt i l Oct. 30 at Berkeley Reper tor y Thea t r e ’s R o d a T h e a t r e , 2 015 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets ($29+), call (510) 647-2949 or at berkeleyrep.org.
Location: Last call at Bubble Bar.
Jasper James It’s On (Remixes) Not the famous photographer of the same name, but this Jasper James is a dynamic up-out-and-coming rapper, DJ and electronica artist worthy of more than just a NBA or KIA theme song. It’s nothing new to the well-endowed dance scene, but for sheer gumption and uppity-ness, we’re impressed. Best Cut: Vocal Remix Location: Midnight Sound Factory basement.
RuPaul Glamazon RuPaul, well, of course we’re going to listen to this at least once, but unfortunately this release will probably stay within the LGBTQ community as another disco-dripping pop release from our drag icon. Best Cut: Click Clack ( Make That Money) Location: Rage afternoon dance party, West Holly wood.
Sister Dana Says . . .
Travel to Gitane For Your Next Meal
Sister Dana Prescribes the “Don’t Miss” Events in the Bay Area
T h a n k s for a l l t he lovely comment s ab out t h i s ne w c olu m n , dear readers. Here are some news views you can use. A L L T H E R AGE - ST OR I E S F RO M T H E A B101 V E T O R IOT: T hu r sday, S ept . 29, 7-9 pm at the GL BT Histor ical Museum, 4127 18th St. near Castro Street, glbthistory.org, $5 for general public; free for members. At the height of the A IDS crisis and i n t he m id st of a wave of queer militancy in the early 1990s, California Governor Pete Wilson vetoed A B101, a statewide gay and lesbian rights bill. San Francisco's queer community responded with outrage, and thousands joined a massive protest on Sept. 30, 1991. Mo der at e d b y vet er a n a c t i v i s t Laura Thomas, the program will feature a new documentary short about the riot, as well as a livinghistor y panel with Lito Sandoval and Ingrid Nelson of fering inside stories about organizing the veto protest and eyew it ness accounts of the uprising in the streets. A lso taking part will be contemporary composer Bob Ostertag and f ilmmaker Steve Elkins. S I N G - A L ON G T H E L I T T L E MER M A ID: Walt Disney’s 1989 cartoon with songs by A lan Menken a nd How a r d A s h m a n. Fr iday, Sept. 23 to Sunday, Sept. 25 at C a st ro T he at r e, 42 9 C a st r o
Street, (415) 621- 6350 or castrotheatre.com. A mermaid princess m a kes a Fau st i a n ba r g a i n w it h a n u n scr upu lous sea-hag i n order to meet a hu ma n pr i nce on la nd. T h is interact ive present ation of the f ilm has been customized with on-screen lyrics for all t he son g s so t h at t he aud ience can sing a long. Your hosts L aurie Bushman and Leigh Crow will introduce each performance and wa r m up t he aud ience’s voices. G oody-bag s w i l l be ha nded out to ever yone to be used at appropr iate t imes w ith g uidance from the hosts, and audience members can add to the fun by dressing up as t heir favor ite cha racter from the f ilm. BA N D O’P L E N T Y - A M USI C A L F E A ST C E L E BR AT I NG T H E SE A SON OF H A RV E ST: S a n F r a n c i s c o L e s b i a n /G a y Freedom Band per for ms Fr iday, Sept. 23, 8pm, 678 Portola Drive, Ebenezer Lutheran church, (415) 255.1355; s f l g f b.or g. C onduc te d by A r t i st ic D i r e c t or Ja d i ne L ouie, t his Communit y Concer t s e a s o n o p e n e r fe a t u r e s a r i c h va r iet y of music st yles a nd colors – from Renaissance dance to woodwind tone poem, from brass fanfare to moder n var iat ions on the cakewalk dance. Program includes “Cour t ly A irs and Dances,” “ Hen nepi n Count y Daw n,” “Metamor phosis on A n Orig inal Cakewalk,” “7th Suite – A Centur y of F light and Hymn for the Lost and L iv ing.” Reception follows in A Woman’s Eye Galler y. Free park ing. W heelchair accessible. Admission free. G E O RG E TA K E I , G O O G L E TO BE HONOR E D BY HOR IZ O N S F OU N DAT I O N: A c t or George Takei will receive the Vi-
sionar y Award at Hor izons ga la celebrat ion on Saturday, Oct. 1, the Fairmont San Francisco, 950 M a son St reet , hor i zon sfou nd a t ion.org/g a la or (415) 39 8 .2333 x115. Best k now n for his role as M r. S u lu on “ S t a r Tr e k ,” M r. Takei has been deeply involved in civ ic af fa irs t hroughout his l ife, i nc lud i ng L GBTQ r ight s , pol itics, and Japan-United States relations. While he had been out for years, Takei spoke publicly about being gay in 2005 after then-Gover nor S chwa r zenegger vetoed a marriage equality bill in California. He and his long-time partner Br ad A lt ma n ma r r ied i n 20 0 8 . The evening w i l l a lso recog nize G oogle w it h t he Cor ner stone Awa rd for it s out st a nd i ng work on behalf of the LGBTQ communit y and its LGBTQ employees, for instance, participating in the “ It G et s Bet ter” project, g iv i ng in-kind and f inancial support to a range of LGBTQ nonprof its, and publicly opposing Proposition 8. Fol low i ng t he d i n ner, at tendees will enjoy a decadent dessert buffet and casino-themed after-party in the legendary Tonga Room. TR A NN YSHACK L A DY GAGA T R I BU T E: Hek l ina’s d rag part y fe at u r e s s p e c i a l g ue s t L a d y B u n n y, Fr id ay S e pt . 2 3 , D N A L o u n g e , 375 E l e v e nt h S t r e e t , d na lounge.com, 9:30 pm – 3a m, show at 11pm. $15 advance, $20 a t t h e d o o r. Pe r fo r m a n c e s b y Precious Moments, Coco Canal, K i m B u r l y, M i s s R a h n i , Hol y McGra i l, Rot issa r y Et h n icit y Ja c k s on Hou st on - Ro s s , C o ok ie Dough, L indsay Slowhands, Serenity Heart, and more! Enter the Gaga Look-A-Like Contest. Help Precious Moments celebrate her birthday! DJ MC2 and visuals by Vis-à-Vis.
I wasn’t looking back. If you are g oi n g t o d i n ner w it h s ome one and aren’t quite sure how you will keep t he conversat ion a l ive, t he dé c or a nd a mbi a nc e of Git a ne will g ive you inspiration. Simply point out ever y nook and cranny of the restaurant and you will be sure to f ill any gap with another discovery of the detailed design.
Food Review Melissa Myers S ome t h i ng s a re bet ter lef t for special occasions - Gitane is one of t hem. It is an escape. A s you pass through the chaos of downtown San Francisco and turn the corner on to Claude Lane, you instant ly leave your world and are transported into a chic European alley. A place like this deserves to be t reated a s a n event. Hu ng r y and want to grab a quick bite to eat? Grab some street food. In the mood for a night out of f ine dining and lu xur y? Ta ke your wa llet (make sure it’s full) to Gitane. This Iber ian inspired restaurant w i l l a l low you to t ravel w it hout booking any f lights. This was a special night; my mom was treating me to a birthday present of a fancy dinner followed by a play, Billy Elliot, at the Orpheum. I rarely splurge on expensive dinners, so this was def initely a treat a nd Git a ne’s u n ique a mbi a nc e provides the perfect spot. As you walk up to the restaurant, you are g reeted by a trendy and colorful patio of brightly colored cha irs, ar t pa inted on t he br ick wall, and subtle lighting. At f irst, I was look ing for ward to sitt ing outside on a lovely San Francisco night, but as the doors opened –
W het her you wa nt a S ex and th e City evening out or a date night, t his place of fers a ver y int imate s et t i n g. T h i s i s a p er fe c t d at e place if you want to impress, but it was a lot of fun w ith my mom too. T he space is coz y w it h so ph ist icat ion, w it h dark inter ior, chandeliers and romantic details spr ink led among the restaurant. For the entire dining experience, I felt as if I were on vacat ion in Europe. The moment you walk in you are treated as a guest, rather than an average Joe. To begin, we ordered drinks. My mom g ot her st a nd a r d g l a s s of chardonnay while I opted to tr y a cocktail. The menu itself has a classic look and prov ides foreign and fun names which adds to the over a l l ex per ience. I ordered a Hem i ng w ay ’s Ne phew wh ich i s compr i sed of w r ay a nd nephew over-proof r um, marasch ino, g rapefr u it mar ma lade, a mont i llado sherr y, mint infused orange bitters, and lime. I took a risk, because it sounded like it could taste way too sweet, but to my surprise it was not. It was refreshing and had a calm taste that was easy to sip on, or gulp – however you prefer to drink. I don’t have a nephew, but if I ever do I hope he is as nice and mellow as this drink. Disappointment did lie though in the fact that it came in an average round a nd shor t glass. For such (continued on page 17)
(SPRING AWAKENING continued from page 9) Eryn Murman, the only veteran of the Broadway production in this cast, partners well with Hite as the curious Wendla, performing with nuance and nerve. Her voice has a liquid velvet quality that carries surprising strength. The seduction scene with Wendla and Melchior was superbly and tastefully done, filled with all the necessary conflicting emotions. Miguel Cervantes delivers charm and humor in the otherwise sad role of Moritz, the misfit who can’t please his father. His rock solo has power and punch.
All the ensemble performers are excellent - not a weak link on stage. In particular, Zarah Mahler shines as the outcast Ilse, Kristen Majetich gives a solid portrayal as Martha, and Monique Hafen shows both comic and serious skills as Anna. It’s rare for me to gush about a show, but this one deserves all my gushes and then some. If you haven’t already picked up the phone to order tickets, do it now. Even if you saw the show on tour, or in New York, you’ll love this impressive version and its reminder of why the show is a huge hit.
(EAT THE RUNT continued from page 10) phy for what must be a daunting rehearsal process. Set design by David Powell manages to create t he i l lusion of a whole lot of d i f fer ent of f ic e spaces on a relatively tiny stage, and Caroly n Foot’s l ight ing design helps to isolate actors as they move through various areas. Costumes, by Michelle Earney, are a tad generic, bef itting a corporate yet artistic environment, obviously serving each actor over a range of characters. A l l t he product ion elements are
f i ne, su it able to t he act ion, but it’s rea l ly t he ver ve a nd energ y brought to t he st age by t he ensemble t hat ma kes t he show so much fun. They’re clearly having a blast t hemselves, and t hat communicates good times to the audience. A great show if you’re in the mood for some madcap entertainment and hilarity. W hat , W he n & W here: Runs t h rough Oct . 1 at t he H i stor ic Hoover Theatre, 1635 Park Ave., Sa n Jose, C A 95126; 4 0 8 - 493 0783 or renegadetheatre.com for tickets.
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2011
Women Healing Women Conference Saturday, October 22, 2011
8:30 AM To 6:00 PM Joseph A. Nelson Community Center Suisun City, CA www.womenhealingwomenconference.com
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BAY T IM ES SEPT EM BER 22, 2011 13
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
compiled by Christine Dumke
PHOTO BY EDWARD RUIZ
THE BAY AREA’S ARTS AND EVENTS CALENDAR FOR THE LGBTQ COMMUNITIES
"Doktor Bordello" an appealing and appalling evening, Saturday October 1 and Sunday October 2.
22 Thursday
Pam & Jeri - Double Bill with The Jill Knight Band- This concert offers listeners a rare treat—Jill Knight and duo Pam Delgado & Jeri Jones reunite on the Freight stage for an evening of nonstop rollicking, soul and blues. The three forged musical ties in the ‘90s when singer-songwriter Jill, already a California central coast favorite, toured with Pam & Jeri, shortly before the two became founding members of female powerhouse quartet, Blame Sally. 8p (doors open at 7:00 pm) soulful, folkrock double bill $20.50 advance / $22.50 at door. The Freight and Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley. Thefreight.org. Short Films Rising Film Festival-A night of short films by emerging San Francisco cinematic storytellers. Tony Wilkins (Zelma's Spirit/The Mo Diaries/ Sand and Water) Bryan Irwin (Anya, Automn Rose) and Roger Hill (Salaaam, Think of them and be scared, Lost in the land of the American, Tree of Life). 7pm at the LGBT Center 1800 Market St SF. Special screening of Donnan Sutherland's short " My Mom's plea to President Barack Obama regarding DOMA" Tickets are $10 online, $15 at the d o o r. eventbrite.com/ event/1838558177.
23 Friday
Trannyshack Lady Gaga Tribute with Special Guest Lady Bunny! Trannyshack continues its series of superstar tributes, once again honoring the woman recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the #1 celebrity in the world….Lady Gaga! Unlike other wannabe pop tarts, Lady Gaga smartly fuses art and fashion into her musical tapestry, making her the only worthy heir to the Madonna throne. Her songs also scream out for huge production numbers, making a Trannyshack tribute to her full of delicious possibilities. Featuring performances by Heklina, Coco Canal, Kim Burly, Miss Rahni, Holy McGrail, Rotissary Ethnicity Jackson Houston-Ross, Cookie Dough, Precious Moments, Lindsay Slowhands, Serenity Heart, and more! Also featuring a special appearance by Lady Bunny (Wigstock). DJ MC2 will be spinning before and after the show, and visuals will be supplied by Vis-à-Vis. Don’t miss the Lady Gaga Look-A-Like Contest! 9:30p-3a, 11p Show. At DNA Kounge 375 11th St. SF. Tix $15 in adv, $20 at door dnalounge.com. Music Concert - Rev. Rachel Hollander, Aletha McGee and John Niec get the party started. Cross street is Cole. #21
bus goes by front door. #5 and #33 busses are nearby too. Begins at 7pm. Tickets are $10. 2118 Hayes Street, SF.
24 Saturday
Falling In Love with Brunch! - This popular monthly brunch for Singles is a great way to meet and greet remarkable women while enjoying scrumptious food and drink. Our menu, to be announced soon, is being planned by Chef Gloria Swanson, well-known in our community for her dedication and creativity. Mix and mingle, share a toast and favorite music selections. Make new friends and contacts. Each one leads to another one and the universe does its work. Just a bit of guided discussion, sparks may fly! No one leaves hungry. 11:00am - 1:00pm HOSTED BY THE "BETTY'S LIST" TEAM LOCATION: Upper Noe Valley San Francisco (Address Details Provided with Reservation Confirmation) Tickets $35 at http://bettyslist.com/blpage. php?id=4259.
Venus Loops - Hear the Trumpet in a new way Aaron Priskorn explores many genres of music, delving into an eccentric experimental mix that creates a symphony of emotional and moving trumpet music. 8-10p at The Lost Church, 65 Capp St. SF. $10 Info: aaronpriskorn.com. The Graceland Girls - Lots of new songs & "schtick" comedy Come rewrite your adolescence the way you wish it had been! Dance ~ Dance ~ Dance Laugh ~ Laugh ~ Laugh Or simply sit and enjoy our 50's rock satire show B There Or B Square. 8 pm 11:30 pm. Rooster's Roadhouse 1700 Clement Ave., Alameda Good Food, Good Prices, Full Bar Doors Open At 7:30 (510) 337-9190 All Are Welcome! Art RockX! Celebrity Round - Winning artists from past episodes of Art RockX!
Are coming together, this time teamed up together, in the first Celebrity Round of Art RockX! The theme is San Francisco. Team "Twin Peaks" features Richard Smith the body caster and Mariya Milovidova Body Painter and artist, along with beautiful Crystal Jane Kingston Chung vs Team "Alcatraz" with Brino Ism and nude model Darla the Distraction and Burning Man artist winner Michelle Carnes, and the final team is "Dancing Fog" with Shaun Oertwig spray can assailant artist and Fely Tchaco artist, model, singer, and winner of Sausalito Show. Come be a part of the scene, the cameras roll, and everything will happen. 6:30p-9:30p at The Cellar 685 Sutter St. Get on the guest list at the http://ArtrockXsept24. eventbrite.com. Writing Group for Senior Women - All women are invited to join an ongoing writers group presented by New Leaf Outreach to Elders for self-expression,
Go BANG! Atomic Dancefloor DISCO Action!- Folsom Fair Weekend- wear your Leather! San Francisco has a diverse disco scene that often crosses over but not often enough! The goal of Go BANG! is to bring the crews and their devoted dancers together in a mixed, diverse, exciting environment, with a nod to the diversity and freedom of the 70's/80's San Francisco/New York/Chicago disco nightlife!
1 4 BAY TIMES SEPTEM B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 1
25 Sunday
FemBar - By Popular demand Fem Bar returns to Harlott! A Flirtatious Sunday afternoon Tea-Dance for Women. 5-10p at Harlot 46 Minna St. SF $7 before 6p $10 cover 21+. Kitka Performs Sanctuary: A Cathedral Concert - invites audiences to be immersed in uninterrupted flow of meditative and ecstatic songs from Eastern European spiritual traditions whose haunting melodies and rich harmonies soar in resonant space. This concert will invoke the rich and varied musical cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Jewish, Islamic, and naturecentered traditions that coexist throughout the region. Kitka's program features traditional and contemporary Balkan, Slavic, and Caucasian (Georgian and Armenian) repertoire sung in more than twelve languages. Listeners will be transported by a continuous unfolding of songs expressing a dynamic range of emotion that flows seamlessly from ethereal, contemplative pieces to tunes that rouse with their earthy rhythms. FREE at 2p at Wheeler Auditorium - UC Berkeley Campus. Info:calperfs.berkeley.edu.
26 Monday
Disco freaks, art school boys & girls, drag queens & kings, boogie-heads, fierce dancers, flashy dressers, sexy girls, hot boys, DJs, dancers, photographers, artists, fashionistas; gay/ straight/bi/tri/whateva! Bring your flashiest, trashiest, classiest, sexiest, craziest style; but bring an open mind, big smile, and shoes that will allow you to dance from opening to last call! We will start with fire and end with fire! 9p til LATE at Deco Lounge 510 Larkin & Turk $5 + free before 10pm! Tribute to MOTOWN - Willows Theatre Company in conjunction with Esses Productions presents a Tribute to MOTOWN featuring the songs of Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, and more. It’s the second of the Sing for Your Supper Concert Series Benefiting the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. One show only at 8:00p on Willows Mainstage, 1975 Diamond Blvd., Concord. (In The Willows Shopping Center.) Tickets are available at willowstheatre.org or 925798-1300.
creativity, supportive feedback and great company. Drop-ins welcome. The group meets every 2nd and 4th Saturday, 11am-1pm at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., Rm 305, SF. Info: newleafservices.org or ligaletto@ earthlink.net
TradeOFF - for male-identified sex workers-Coming together to build community, support one another and share the tricks of the trade. Porn stars, strippers, models, phone ho's: come out to talk about the real shit that affects you - drugs, sex, cops, asshole tricks and bosses. Or come learn how to be a massage pro, make a hot ad, S&M techniques and more. This is a nonjudgmental, harm-reduction based space. Come as you are. All ages and experience levels welcome. Transguys welcome. Every 2nd and 4th Monday. Free, 5p-6:30p at St. James Infirmary, 1372 Mission St., SF. Info: 415-341-6438 or stjamesinfirmary.org.
27 Tuesday Trannyshack puts on a pokerface with a tribute to Lady Gaga Friday September 23.
Eve at Grace - V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls, will present an evening with Tony Award-winner and V-Day Founder Eve Ensler hosted by the world renowned Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. “The evening will be a gathering calling up the outrage, cour-
age, tenderness and wisdom that lives in the body which is the body of the world,” stated Ensler. “It will look at how surviving cancer, violence or suffering is the pathway to connection, transformation and revolution. It will be a call to our second wind, to the woman spring.” Tickets are $20, $75 and $150 (Student discount tickets are $15) on sale now at City Box Office or cityboxoffice.com/ e v e n t p e r f o r m a n c e s . asp?evt=1668&c=19&pg. Proceeds from the evening will benefit V-Day and Grace Cathedral. Female Artists with Rainbow Colored Wings Live Model Painting Salon! Female Artists/Musicians for Live Model Drawing..All free! San Francisco, close to bart/muni/street park. Live Music provided by 'Laura! .Great Model. Creative, open and fun! Kick back and relax sketching live model while listening to live music! Any level or medium welcome and free to bring friend! FREE! 8p 286 Valencia St. SF 415 235 3721 789joe@gmail.com.
28 Wednesday
The Gray Panthers, Berkeley/East Bay - is having its monthly meeting at 1:30p, North Berkeley Senior Center, corner of MLK Way and Hearst. Program: Nancy Skinner, Assembly Member 14th District. Subject: To Tax or Not To Tax? Where Is California Going? Wheelchair Accessible. Free. Everyone welcome! 1403 Addison St. B e r k e l e y, 5 1 0 - 5 4 8 - 9 6 9 6 . GrayPanthersBerk@aol.com. Networking 101 Workshop and MixerRelating Better, It's Easier Than You Think; Your safe and interactive setting to learn various aspects of networking and connecting. Increase your confidence with meeting people. Become comfortable with the process of growing your network. Learn from an experienced “connector” of over 15 years, Kristy Rogers Silicon Valley Accounting Solutions, 5201 Great America Pkwy., Suite 229, Santa Clara $10 in adv $15 at door: eventbrite.com/ event/1997844607/eorg.
29 Thursday
All the Rage: Stories From the AB101 Veto Riot - Moderated by veteran activist Laura Thomas, the program will feature a new documentary short about the riot, as well as a living-history panel with Lito Sandoval and Ingrid Nelson offering inside stories about organizing the veto protest and eyewitness accounts of the uprising in the streets. Also taking part will be contemporary composer Bob Ostertag, whose piece "All the Rage" for the Kronos Quartet includes sound recorded at the riot, and filmmaker Steve Elkins, director of the short about the riot and of a new feature-length documentary, "The Reach of Resonance," which discusses Ostertag's work. 7p-9p at the GLBT History Museum, located at 4127 18th St. (near Castro Street) in San Francisco. Info: visit glbthistory.org or call (415) 621-1107. $5 for the general public; free for members.
1 Saturday
Drift, SF - A T-Dance-featuring House/ Funky-Tech Women Who Love Women Who Love House. Fundraiser for Charlotte Maxwell: Free holistic cancer clinic for homeless women.6-8p DJ Michelle Sanz [Housewives SF, ilovehousemusic.com] 8p-10p Denise & DJ Loryn [Mizumo Music] Club Percussionist: C. Flava [Drift SF] at Club Harlot: 46 Minna Street @ 2nd Street SF. $10. An Appealing & Appalling Evening with Doktor Bordello - Trans-sational Gender bender extraordinaire, Doktor Bordello, brings you a one(wo)man cabaret show filled with delightful horrors, and horrifying delights! Table seating available by reservation! Saturday October 1st 9:30p, and Sunday October 2nd at 7:30p FREE The Box Factory 865 Florida Street, SF More info and table seating: Doktorbordello@gmail.com. Geoff Berner, Sour Mash Hug Band and Rhubarb Whiskey play the Starry Plough -The amazing accordion playing Whiskey Rabbi himself, Mr Geoff Berner, will be including Berkeley on his whirlwind world tour this October 1. With songs that are sure to cover all of the vices you will be woo-ed right off of your barstool. Playing with him will be the immensely impressive Sour Mash Hug Band - a true treasure of the Bay
Area - that has toes tapping and people dancing for miles around. Also featured is that hellbilly goth drunken murder ballad band known as Rhubarb Whiskey. This is Rhubarb's last show in the Bay Area for about six months or so - catch em while you can! 9p $10 at the Starry Plough 3101 Shattuck, Berkeley. Family Builders - Is a non-profit, licensed foster care and adoption agency, serving children and youth in the foster care system. Family Builders by Adoption is predicated on the belief that every child has the right to grow up in a permanent, nurturing family. Orientation session 1st Saturday of the month 10a-noon at 401 Grand Ave., 4th floor, Oakland. Info: 510-272-0204 or familybuilders.org. Please call to RSVP your attendance and complete a brief inquiry before attending. Cowgirl Round-Up-A lesbian country western event. The fun starts at 7:30p beginning country western two-step lesson, 8:15p line dance lesson, 8:4511:30pm country western dance party! Every 1st Saturday of the month at the Metronome Ballroom, 1830 17th St., SF. Info: 252-9000 x151. T-Dance for the Ladies! - Join them to celebrate the Castro’s longest running T-dance for the Ladies!! The producers of Delicious have launched another Saturday ladies T-Dance. Club Mami hits The Café’s roster every 1ST Saturday of the month giving the ladies who love ladies an all Latin T-Dance. Lady DJ'S Val G & Chili D rock the house! Seven super hot lady go-go’s work the boxes with free shot giveaways. $5 before 5p, $8 after. The Cafe, 2369 Market St. Info: Christopher Berini, 415-359-6061 or Christopher @ djchristopherb.com.
2 Sunday
A Token of Our Friendship - Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) presents an irreverent talk by historian John Silva that sheds light onto a seldom seen aspect of gay Asian history. Featuring over 140 rare archival images of Filipino men from the first half of the 20th century, these endearing photographs reveal how male comradeship and love were sustained, together or apart, in the Philippine provinces, in urban Manila, and in the fields and cities of America. 1 p.m., Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, 730 Polk Street, 4th floor, San Francisco. FREE Admission. Info: gapashow@yahoo. com. Cabaret Showcase Showdown #9: Best Female Crooner - Katya Ludmilla Smirnoff-Skyy and Mrs. Trauma Flintstone are proud to continue the individual contests for the 3rd Annual Cabaret Showcase Showdown. In 2011, this contest will find the best new voices in the local cabaret scene. With professional judges from the industry, each category contest will seek to find the best individual (or act) of that particular genre. At the end of the season, a final showdown contest will bring all previous winners together to compete for the title of Best New Cabaret Performer. Contestants should bring in sheet music for two (2) songs. Our guest judges for this contest are Amanda King and Michael Grossman. Ms. King is a critically acclaimed vocalist of the Ella Fitzgerald style. Mr. Grossman is an accomplished musical director and pianist, most noted for his work with Frank D'Ambrosio. Our guest entertainer is Sheelagh Murphy, winner of the 2010 Best Female Crooner contest and first runner-up in the Final Contest, 2010 at Cafe du Nord. 7p at Martuni’s, 4 Valencia St., SF, $7 cover.
3 Monday
Qcomedy Showcase - Our Monday Oct. 3rd show features the hilarity of Dana Cory, Nick Leonard, your Femcee Sandra O. Noshi-Di'n't and special guests TBA. Stay for the legendary Martuni's piano bar with Joe, for no additional charge. San Francisco's favorite spot for queer and queer friendly comedy, now at the fabulous Martunis 4 Valencia St @ Market SF $5-15 Sliding Scale, NOTAFLOF. Qcomedy.com.
4 Tuesday
Weapons of the Future - Atomic Mama - Penthouse (Rock) - Weapons Of The Future - loud dance retro rock. Atomic Mama - Hop. Penthouse - retro industrial, dance New Wave. $5 at El Rio a
neighborhood bar with a heck of a lot to offer. 3158 Mission St. (@ Cesar Chavez), SF (415) 282-3325.
5 Wednesday
Red Hots Burlesque - Come with your sense of humor and get ready to ogle, hoot and holler. Every show features hot bods, pasties, outrageous costumes, a lot of humor and, of course, bumpin' and grindin'! With a rotating cast of over 500 people all over the world. This show includes local and visiting talent! A show with out boundaries including bizarre beauties and senseless sideshow. Not for the faint of heart or weak of humor. 7p $5-$10 at El Rio a neighborhood bar with a heck of a lot to offer. 3158 Mission St (@ Cesar Chavez), SF (415) 282-3325.
On Stage
GYPSY - Broadway By The Bay, the Peninsula’s premiere musical theatre company, presents the delightful Broadway classic Gypsy at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, running Thursday, September 22 through Sunday, October 9. This award-winning masterpiece is based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, but primarily focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with “the ultimate show business mother.” Gypsy follows the dreams and efforts of “Mama” Rose as she does her best to raise two daughters and maintain a personal life, while secretly dreaming of an onstage career for herself. With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Gypsy boasts a wealth of iconic songs including “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “You’ll Never Get Away From Me,” “Some People,” and “Let Me Entertain You.” Theatergoers are sure to be entertained by Gypsy’s compelling story and show-stopping musical production numbers. Sept 22-Oct 9 at Fox Theatre 2215 Broadway Street (between Middlefield & Winslow Streets) Redwood City, CA Tix $22-$44 at 650-579-5565 or broadwaybythebay. org. Cabaret at San Jose Stage Company“The Stage’s production of Cabaret is a piece of radical art that reflects the body politic,” said Randall King, Artistic Director of The Stage Company. “In the case of the Weimar Republic and the German social scene it is relevant to today’s culture of xenophobia, political corruption and moral bankruptcy.” The classic Broadway musical, set in the smoky, seedy Kit Kat Klub, reflects the sentiment in pre-World War II, 1929 Berlin. Based on the book “The Berlin Stories” of 1945 by Christopher Isherwood, who set the foundation for the subsequent renditions, from “I am a Camera” to the 1972 movie Cabaret to the Roundabout version at Studio 54. Tickets are $25 - $50 and are available at thestage.org or by calling the Box Office. Cabaret seating is available for the front row of the theatre. Please call the box office at 408.283.7142 to purchase these seats. Plays September 28 – Oct 23. The Stage is located at 490 South First Street at William Avenue in the SoFA area of downtown San Jose. Night Over Erzinga - Golden Thread Productions announces the world premiere of Night Over Erzinga, a powerful and soul-stirring play by award-winning playwright and actor Adriana Sevahn Nichols. Ms. Sevahn Nichols is the first recipient of the Middle East America: a National New Plays Initiative. Night Over Erzinga is a deeply moving story about the immigrant experience in the U.S. and the endurance of the human spirit. The central characters, Ardavazt and Alice build a new life in the U.S. in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide but the past comes to haunt them in very different ways. Inspired by Ms. Sevahn Nichols’ personal heritage as a Dominican – Armenian American, this story explores how a man can lose two families in one lifetime, but not lose his heart; and how a grandmother can reach through time, to unearth the untold story, and bring her children “home.” Performs Sept. 22 – Oct. 9: Thursdays at 8:30p; $20 advance, paywhat-you-can at the door, Fridays at 8:00p and Sunday matinees at 2:00p, $28; Saturdays at 8:00p, $36 Box Office: goldenthread.org and (415) 345-7575.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Parents & Kids Mamas & Papas - San Francisco Families: Expand your circle of LGBTQ parents, swap parenting tips, and explore concerns shared by all parents as well as those of special interest to our families. Help your kids build lasting friendships with other children growing up with LGBTQ families. RSVP to Julia at julia@ ourfamily.org or 415-981-1960, and please indicate if you need free childcare. At The LGBT Center, 1800 Market at Octavia, SF. Families with Child(ren) ages 0-5 meets 2nd & 4th Saturdays. Childcare and kids activities begin at 9:30a, adult discussion begins at 10a. Families with Child(ren) ages 5-12 meets 3rd week of the month. Formal parent discussion and COLAGE programming for children ages 8-12: 3:45-5:15, dinner 5:15-5:45. Info: www.ourfamily.org/ events/calendar for dates.
COLAGE - Children of Lesbians & Gays Everywhere, Community and Activism by and for kids, youth, and adults with LGBTQ parents. 1550 Bryant Street, Suite 830, SF. Info: 861-KIDS. Info: colage.org
Transracial Adoption Support Group Relevant and living resources tailored to LGBTQ parents at a highly-participatory monthly discussion group providing candid perspectives and opinions. At the SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., SF. Info: ourfamily.org Adoption SF/Family Builders By Adoption - Informational gatherings every 2nd Wednesday of every other month about adopting a waiting child from the SF Foster Care system. Free pre/post adoption support. 6:30p at the LGBT Center,
1800 Market St., SF. Info: 970-9601 Transgender Parent Support Group - An opportunity to connect with your peers and get mutual support. This group meets every third Saturday of the month and is comprised of a time for socializing and a group discussion. Drop-ins welcome but ongoing attendance is important to establish group rapport. 10a-12p at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., SF. Info: RSVP for childcare: 415-865-5553 TeenZone Gay Straight Alliance in Oakland - This group of folks age 13-17 is a space for LGBTQQ youth and their straight allies to hang out, watch films, talk about books and plan fun activities. Every second Wednesday of the month, (continued on page 16)
BAY T IM ES S EPT EM BER 22, 2011 15
(PARENTS & KIDS continued from page 15) 5p-6p at the Oakland Main Library, Rm 219, 125 14th St., Oakland. Info: oaklandlibrary.org Mamas & Papas - San Francisco Families: Expand your circle of LGBTQ parents, swap parenting tips, and explore concerns shared by all parents as well as those of special interest to our families. Help your kids build lasting friendships with other children growing up with LGBTQ families. RSVP to Julia at julia@ ourfamily.org or 415-981-1960, and please indicate if you need free childcare. At The LGBT Center, 1800 Market at Octavia, SF. Families with Child(ren) ages 0-5 meets 2nd & 4th Saturdays. Childcare and kids activities begin at
9:30a, adult discussion begins at 10a. Families with Child(ren) ages 5-12 meets 3rd week of the month. Formal parent discussion and COLAGE programming for children ages 8-12: 3:45-5:15, dinner 5:15-5:45. Info: www.ourfamily.org/ events/calendar for dates. COLAGE - Children of Lesbians & Gays Everywhere, Community and Activism by and for kids, youth, and adults with LGBTQ parents. 1550 Bryant Street, Suite 830, SF. Info: 861-KIDS. Info: colage.org Transracial Adoption Support Group Relevant and living resources tailored to LGBTQ parents at a highly-participatory
EVERY WEEK Thursdays
Café Poz Lunch - Ready for a new routine? Make a date with other HIV positive men at Café Positive, a social support event open to everyone. Gab with the guys and have a feast compliments of Café Poz and STOPAIDS Project, usually on Thursdays. 12-1:30p at the Castro Country Club, 4058 18th St., SF. Info: stopaids.org. Transgender / Gender-Variant Social and Discussion Group - Every Thursday from 5p-6:30p at Spectrum LGBT Center. A safe and friendly space to meet new people, share ideas, and have fun! 1000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd. #10, San Anselmo, CA 94960. No cost; call 457-1115 x 203 for more details www.spectrumLGBTcenter.org. Clair’s Drop-in - Free, one-on-one counseling to help transgender community members on their personal evolution, including an overview of TEEI services. It is recommended that you call ahead to verify your walk-in time beforehand. Contact Clair Farley at clairf@sfcenter.org or call 415-8655632. Visit the Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative (TEEI) website teeisf.org - Matching dynamic people with sustainable jobs in safe workplaces - for more info. 1p-4p at the SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market at Octavia St., SF. Out In The Bay and This Way Out Weekly program of LGBTQ issues, includes a weekly AIDS update. Every Thursday, 7:30p on KALW, 91.7. Followed by This Way Out, the international lesbian and gay newsmagazine. Info: www.kalw.org. Blur - Transgender & Gender-Variant Support Group Every Thursday 6:30p-7:30p Free food! Come and chat with other trans & gv people, facilitated by trans counselors. For 18-25 y.o. youth. At Dimensions Clinic, 3850 17th St. SF. www.dimensionsclinic.org. You are invited to a night of SNAP Talk!, a free group every Thursday where young gay and bi men who are new to San Francisco can talk about sex, jobs, boyfriends, roommates, STDs, and anything else about getting settled in S.F. SNAP Talk! is a drop-in group specifically for gay and bi men in their 20s and 30s who are new to San Francisco. Come to get support, some to talk, come to just meet people. The group is facilitated by David Gonzalez of SNAP!, and Ryan Horvath, a counselor from the REACH Program of the UCSF AIDS Health Project. Show up at The LGBT Center (1800 Market at Octavia, SF) and look for the sign for the SNAP Talk! group, or, call 415-865-5614 to learn more. L.O.C. (lesbians of color) is a peersupport group for women 21 years of age and older. L.O.C meets every Thursday at Pacific Center 7p-8:30p. Join them to carry on the tradition of providing a positive space for women of color to engage in pertinent lively discussions, exchange support and information, and to have fun and celebrate each other! Info: contact Randy Page, L.O.C. primary facilitator, at rap1on1@sbcglobal.net, or leave a message for her at (510) 595-8294. Out of respect for people with environmental illnesses, please do not wear fragrance or scented products of any kind at L.O.C. See you there! Men’s Coming Out Support Group every Thursday 7pm - 8:30p, for men who are questioning or coming to terms with their sexuality. This is a welcoming and supportive atmosphere to talk about what can be an uncomfortable subject matter. This is also a multi-cultural support group, where all ethnicities are welcomed. Drop in group, no intake necessary. Suggested donation $10, no one turned away. At New Leaf Services For
Our Community, 103 Hayes Street (near Market St..), SF. Info: 415-6267000, ext. 452. One Struggle, One Fight General Meeting - One Struggle, One Fight is an anti-oppression direct action group with two missions: Organize peaceful escalation of the LGBTQ movement by participating in and supporting direct action and civil disobedience. And to raise awareness of where our struggles intersect within the LGBTQ community and other oppressed groups. http://onestruggleonefight.com. Every week at the Unitarian Church at 1187 Franklin at Geary, SF. 7-9 pm. Sundance Saloon Thursdays - The fun is on THURSDAYS! Line-dancing and two-steppin twice a week, every Sunday and Thursday for the queer communities! Every Thursday 6:3010:30 pm $5 at 550 Barneveld Ave, SF.
Fridays
LGBTQ Self Protection classes Self Protection training specifically for the LGBTQ community! Gain survival skills, security, confidence and peace of mind in a supportive learning environment for people of all sexual orientations, genders, ethnicities, and nationalities. Ju Trap Boxing is an effective blend of Small Circle Jujitsu, boxing, Contemporary Jeet Kune Do, and Filipino martial arts. Rapid Assault Tactics is a no nonsense approach to street survival. Every 4th Friday from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm UMAA Defensive Tactics Training Academy 4348 Third St., SF, (415) 671-2055, umaacademy. info/content/lgbt-self-protection. Trans Yoga & Meditation at TRANS: THRIVE Every Friday alternate between Yoga and Meditation. Wear comfortable clothes, THRIVE provides mats and cushions. All trans-identified and gender nonconforming folks of all abilities and experience are welcome. Wheelchair accessible. 10:30 am noon, 815 Hyde St.., 2nd floor, btw Sutter/ Bush. Info: www.transthrive.org, or 415-409-4101. Transgender Support Group for anyone who is transgendered, transsexual, or has gender issues. Beginners welcome. Fridays from 8-9:30 pm Pacific Center, Berkeley. Info: 510-548-8283. Shake: America’s LGBTQ Talk Show a live weekly call in show about the LGBTQ community. 9-11 pm on Green 960 AM (The Quake) This used to be known as Queer Channel Radio. Info and podcasts at www.queerchannelradio.com. Free Your Mind: Queer Youth Arts and Crafts Fridays from 4 pm - 7 pm The Center’s Youth Program fosters a weekly arts and crafts night for LGBTQ youth ages 24 and under. Come and get involved in planning our “Free Your Mind” art exhibit that aims to deconstruct stigmas around homeless and transient LGBTQ youth. Oil painting, wood burning, origami, stenciling and spray painting, jewelry making, stitch ‘n’ bitch, screen printing and fashion fun! Free pizza and snacks provided. Earn $150 stipend for your time (space is limited). If you are interested please feel free to drop in and should you have any questions, contact Beck at 415.865.5560 or beck@sfcenter.org. The Center, 1800 Market at Octavia, SF.
Saturdays
Faerie Coffee East Bay - Check in with the faerie fam every Saturday! Cum whistle with these witches. 12p- 2p(ish) at Celtic Coffee Company, 142 McAllister between Leavenworth & Hyde. Faerie Coffee - Radical Faeries get together for a nice brunch and delightful conversation. Around noon every
monthly discussion group providing candid perspectives and opinions. At the SF LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., SF. Info: ourfamily.org. Adoption SF/Family Builders By Adoption - Informational gatherings every 2nd Wednesday of every other month about adopting a waiting child from the SF Foster Care system. Free pre/post adoption support. 6:30p at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., SF. Info: 970-9601. Transgender Parent Support Group - An opportunity to connect with your peers and get mutual support. This group meets every third Saturday of the month and is comprised of a time for socializing
Saturday and Sunday at the Celtic Coffee Company, 142 McAllister btw Leavenworth and Hyde. Info: www. radfae.org. Cockfight at Underground SF – First and third Sat. DJs Earworm, MyKill, and DCNSTRCT. $7,9p-2a. Underground SF, 424 Haight Street, SF, (415) 864-7386. Gay Shame is a Virus in the System. They are committed to a queer extravaganza that brings direct action to astounding levels of theatricality. They are not satisfied with a commercialized gay identity that denies the intrinsic links between queer struggle and challenging power. They seek nothing less than a new queer activism that foregrounds race class gender and sexuality to counter the self-serving “values” of gay consumerism and the increasingly hypocritical left. Gay Shame meets every Saturday in the Tede Mathews Reading Room of Modern Times Bookstore @ 2919 24th St.,SF. 5:30p. Info: http://www.gayshamesf. org. Shootin’ with Care - slide show hosted by Terry and the Peer Educators of the Speed Project. Get the skinny on circulation basics, what happens when a vein collapses, avoiding abscesses, tracks, bacterial infections; the pro’s and con’s of different spots; tips to avoid sharing hepatitis and HIV when partying in groups; alternatives to injecting for folks who want to take a break. Come share what you know; the only real expert in the room is you! All welcome to this free slideshow. Come high, come low, come as you are! Drop by any time between 7p-10p at 117 6th St. (the 6th street exchange btw Mission/Howard), SF. www.tspsf.com Events Line: 415 788-5433. Same-Sex Ballroom Dance Program! 4:30p-5:30p mixed level Salsa. 5:30p-6:30p beginning American Rumba. At Cheryl Burke Dance, 1830 17th St. @ De Haro, SF. $15 per person drop-in, cheaper when you buy in bulk! Instructor: Emily Coles, www.emilycolesdance.com. These classes are geared toward the LGBTQ community. No partner or experience needed! A variety of ongoing classes. 415-3058242 balboabattle.com. 3rd Saturday Swing and Salsa Dance - Meet new people and learn dance for FREE with no partner or experience! 7-11 pm Magnet at 4122 18th at Castro. www.queerjitterbugs.com. Hayes Valley Follies - Marlena’s hosts a weekly revue of the most titillating Bay Area talent featuring drag, singers, syncers, dancers, impersonators and more. 10p at 488 Hayes St., SF. Info: marlenasbarsf.com or 864- 6672. Wilde Chats – A loosely structured community-driven group get together every Saturday morning to discuss specific issues affecting us as gay men and our gay community. The group is lead following a “Socratic” model; rather than talk about solutions and answers to problems, the idea is to expand on the days topic by analyzing it and breaking it up into other questions. The discussions typically focus on the hidden/unspoken assumptions, generalities and concepts that we as gay men make, and the differences that our various points of reference imply. 1st, 3rd, 5th Sat, 11:30a-1p. Thai House Restaurant at 2200 Market Street @ Sanchez. Info www.isparksf. com.
Sundays
Bad Movie Night - Every Sunday, come on out to The Dark Room in the Mission to see a crummy movie, scarf down popcorn, and listen to the hilarious ravings of special rotating hosts chosen from the brilliant comedic flock of freaks circling our fair city. $5, 8p at The Dark Room Theatre, 2263 Mission St., SF.
and a group discussion. Drop-ins welcome but ongoing attendance is important to establish group rapport. 10a-12p at the LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., SF. Info: RSVP for childcare: 415-865-5553. TeenZone Gay Straight Alliance in Oakland - This group of folks age 13-17 is a space for LGBTQQ youth and their straight allies to hang out, watch films, talk about books and plan fun activities. Every second Wednesday of the month, 5p-6p at the Oakland Main Library, Rm 219, 125 14th St., Oakland. Info: oaklandlibrary.org. Adopt or Foster a California Kid - AASK invites you to an informational session
Info: darkroomsf.com. Jock Sundays @ Lookout is a weekly Sunday afternoon/ early evening, highenergy jump fueled by a rotating cast of superstar DJs, including: Stefanie Phillips, Luke Fry, Pornstar, Joseph Lee and Pam Hubbuck. Packed every Sunday with hot, sweaty, jocular boys - and girls - JOCK is ALL-STAR! Every week proceeds benefit an LGBTQ sports group. 3p, $2 door. At Lookout, 3600 16th St. at Market, SF. Info: 415431-0306 or lookoutsf.com. DECO’s Amateur Strip Night - The audience at the Deco Lounge every Sunday will vote to award one lucky amateur stripper a CASH PRIZE. Join emcee Nick Parker, DJ Lambchop, hot strippers and good tippers(hopefully) At The Deco Lounge, 510 Larkin St., SF. Every Sunday, sign ups at 9p, showtime at 10p. No cover. Info: decosf. com. Sunday’s A Drag - Harry Denton’s Starlight Room hosts a weekly brunch featuring San Francisco’s finest drag performers and hosts Donna Sachet and Harry Denton. Two shows every Sunday, 12p and 2:30p. $30 for brunch and show at Sir Francis Drake Hotel, 450 Powell St., SF. Info/res: 395-8595.
Mondays
Bay Area Young Positives drop-in group. Drop-in support group for young HIV positive people. 701 Oak St., SF, 7p – 9p. Info baypositives.org, (415) 487-1616. Duplicate Bridge - QuickTricks Bridge Club, 7p, ACBL duplicate open and 299’er events. Meets in Ellard Hall of Most Holy Redeemer Church, thru gate on Diamond St. at 18th Street. Lesson series too. Info: www.quicktricks.org. Monday Night Knit - Knit-Knit-Purl-Purl! Knit-Knit-Purl- Purl! If you haven’t gotten your fixin’ of stitchin’, knittin’ and purlin’, come on down to the LGBT Center where knitters and crocheters will be bonding over coffee. Every Monday, 6:30p at 1800 Market St., SF. Info: 235-4821. Gay Mondays at the Etiquette Lounge - A weekly social to benefit the SF LGBT Center with DJs Jeff Stallings and Luke Fry. 7p-12 a at 1108 Market St., SF. Info: etiquettelounge. com. Shooting with Care Slide Show - If you or a friend injects, you are cordially invited to join a conversation about safer injection, vein care and harm reduction hosted by the Speed Project. The Ivy street needle exchange is open 7p-9p and is a great exchange for those concerned with privacy. Drop by anytime between 7p-9p at Tom Waddell Garage, 50 Lech Walesa/Ivy Street near Polk and Grove, SF. Free! Come high, Come low! www.tspsf.com. Ten Percent - LGBT-TV for Northern California Mondays - Thursdays, 11:30a & 8p on Comcast Hometown Network Channel 104 in Northern California.
Tuesdays
New FTM/transmasculine group @ TRANS: THRIVE. Groups are open to female-to-male (FTM) people, transguys, butches, studs, genderqueers, two-spirited, third-gendered, questioning folks, trannyfags, trannyboys, boydykes, transmen, papis, transmasculine folks and whatever else you call yourself. About once a month we have a special event. Every Tuesday from 6p-7:30p Check online calendar for details. TRANS: THRIVE, 815 Hyde St., 2nd Floor/ Info http://www.transthrive.org. Youth Meal Night - Tuesdays from 5 pm-8:30 pm at The Center (1800 Market at Octavia, SF) - this weekly
addressing topics related to the foster care system and adoption processes and legalities. Every first Tuesday of the month except for July 11, 7p-9p at 7700 Edgewater Dr, Ste 320 Bldg B, Oakland. Info/reg: Andrea at 510 553-1748 x12. Support Group for Pregnant Lesbians An on-going group for pregnant queers, lesbians, dykes, bisexuals, genderqueer people and their partners led by Laura Goldberger, MFT. This group costs $45 per session (sliding scale may be available), and is held every Thursday night, 6:45p-8:15p in Berkeley. Info: 510-5245565 or lauragoldberger@sbcglobal.net.
program provides homeless, marginally housed and foster care youth up to 24 years with a nourishing meal, welcoming environment, film screenings, art projects, discussions and a wide array of different community building activities. For more info please contact Beck at 415-865- 5560 or beck@sfcenter.org Renowned Buddhist Teacher, Tessa Logan, teaches drop-in meditation classes on Tuesday evenings, 7-8:45p at the Kadampa Buddhist Temple, 3324 17th St.., SF. Everyone is welcome. $10 donation. NOTAFLOF. www.meditationinnortherncalifornia.org or 415503-1187. Gay Men’s Sketch - a weekly male figure drawing group. Professional, yet intimate and relaxed. Classical nude modeling by a gay male model. Five 2 minute gestures, one 15 min pose & four 20 min. poses. 6:30p - 9:30p. Intimate South of Market home studio, open drawing session, no instruction. A nice group of gay guys - friendly, supportive and non-competitive - who loves drawing the male nude in gay male company. The group is open to men and women of all persuasions . To reserve space, call day of the group that you want to attend: Mark - 415621-6294. Weight Watchers LGBTQ Meeting registration and weigh-in starts at 6p, discussion at 6:30p. At the Finnish Brotherhood Hall, 1970 Chestnut St., Berkeley. Questions? jeanne.obrien@ weightwatchers.com . Newly diagnosed? Just coming to terms with your diagnosis? This group is for you to help you with your HIV diagnosis. Positive Force hosts a weekly drop-in group for you. It’s a great place to get emotional support and information. For info contact Ramon Martinez at 415-575-0150 ext 219 or rmartinez@stopaids.org. Drop in every Tuesday 7p- 7:30p at STOP AIDS Main Office , 2128 15th St., btw Sanchez and Noe, SF. St. James Infirmary for Sex Workers offers free, confidential, non-judgmental medical care, massage, acupuncture, peer and substance use counseling, legal and social service referrals and a food/clothing bank. You can check your email, get a chair massage, or face acupuncture while you wait and talk to other sex workers. If you get a treatment, its not just a clinic, you can hang out with all your friends who you never knew were hookers, too! Tuesday 12p-3p, Wednesday night from 6p-9p, Thursday 6p-9p. Transgender Health Clinic. Current and former sex workers as well as their partners and families are welcome to drop in. Donations of food, money and clothing welcome. Info: 554-8494. “Harvey’s Funny Tuesdays” Ronn Vigh and Nick Leonard present the best in Gay and Gay friendly comedy in the heart of the Castro. 9p sharp at Harvey’s, 500 Castro Street (at 18th), SF. FREE Admission, one drink minimum. Every week new funny acts!
Wednesdays
Fruity Wednesdays Queer Youth space at Larkin Street. Drop-in Larkin Street Youth Services offers a safe space to Queer Youth every Wednesday. Each week, youth are served a meal, offered showers, peer counseling and a structured program meant to keep the focus on community building. The First Wednesday of the month kicks off with an Open Mic event for youth to perform and get tested for HIV. The second and third Wednesdays are for cultivating the creative process, with the help of Larkin’s Art Department. The last Wednesday youth are offered workshops on relevant and important issues peers in their community currently face. Drop-In. Larkin Street Youth Services, 1142 Sutter St., SF, 6p-8p. Flyers www.
There’s waaaay more...
Lesbian Vegetarians, San Francisco Boys of Leather, Gay Men’s Basketball, Queer Armenians, Women Poets, Sex Addicts, Dykes on Hikes East Bay, Questioning Youth, Au Cercle des Amis Franco phones, Creative Philosopher’s Club, Let It All Hang Out, MAX (Men’s Associated Exchange), Barbary Coast Boating Club, LGBTQ Alcoholics Anonymous, Bodybuilding Group, Freewheelers Car Club, Nudes In Art, QuickTricks EasyBridge! Gay Architects & Designers, Lesbian Entrepreneur Club, Rainbow Toastmasters, All Girls Roller Derby Training, Heart of San Francisco Aikido, Crystal Meth Anonymous, Caring Kinksters Munch, and much, much more!
sfbaytimes.com - click on Resource Guide
1 6 BAY TIMES SEPTEM B E R 2 2 , 2 0 1 1
(AMMIANO continued from page 2)
(LEATHER WALK continued from page 8) rain is very unusual in late September and early October. You might ask if you can be nude at the fair. There is no federal law against nudity, but neither is it a guaranteed right. This means that state, county, and local laws can take precedence. Nudity, per se, is not a crime in California unless a person is lewd.
The San Francisco District Attorney’s off ice has consistently discharged public nudity citations because “being naked in San Francisco is not a crime” (said D.A. spokesperson Debbie Mesloh, September 2004). Folsom Street Events maintains local community standards, such as at Bay to Breakers and the Castro Street Fair. The fair organizers do draw the line
with public sex. Lewd behavior in second and third story windows on the fairgrounds will be referred directly to SFPD for intervention. If you see me at the fair, buy me a cocktail. No one wants to see a sober Sister Dana! And may I just wish a very hot and very happy f@ckin’ Leather Pride, every buddy!!!
ed San Francisco Democratic Party Chair Aaron Peskin, Supervisors David Campos and John Avalos, former Milk Club presidents Debra Walker and Cris Romero, and activists Maggi Rubenstein, Tim Durning, Rafael Mandelman, David Smith, Derrick Tynan-Connolly, James Kennedy, Howard Wallace, and Bob Dockendorff. Ammiano’s campaign manager Esther Marks was the coordinator of the well-managed event, from the checkin process on the sidewalk, to the serving of trendy sandwiches, and the timing of the assemblyman’s remarks. The biblically handsome bartenders
were almost overwhelmed by the demanding celebrants, but all seemed satisfied by the stiff drinks. In an era of tightening budgets and new financial oversights, Ammiano relieved donors enjoying their cocktails and each other to say that they will be receiving full value for their contributions, and he said that the progressive issues that they hold dear will be reinforced with their checks. For people who want to experience more of Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and support his re-election: www. tomammiano.com.
(EVANS continued from page 1) ing in disruptions of local business offices, political headquarters, local TV shows, and the Metropolitan Opera.
In order to raise money for TV ads in Iowa, NOM promised to protect donor identities.
(NOM continued from page 1) Throughout 2009, NOM provided $1.8 million to oppose the ballot referendum on marriage equality in Maine, but it illegally failed to disclose where the money came from. Maine law requires that any funds raised to support or oppose a ballot question be made public. In June 2011, the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board ruled that groups advocating for or against a ballot measure on gay marriage are subject to certain disclosure requirements under state law. NOM had falsely argued that supporters of marriage equality would harass and intimidate their donors, and cause property damage if they were made public. NOM wanted to run ads in support of Carl Paladino for Governor in 2010 but didn’t want to make donors’ names public. Under New York law, running ads in support of any candidate could classify the group as a political committee.
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In January 2009, NOM sued the California Secretary of State in federal court to avoid disclosing donors to the Proposition 8 ballot initiative. California law requires campaign committees to report information for any contributors of $100 or more, which is then made publicly available. Rather than follow the decades-old California Public Records Act, NOM suggested that it was entitled to a blanket exemption. Last September, NOM sued the state of Rhode Island to keep its donors secret, arguing the state’s restrictions on political advertising and campaign finance disclosure requirements were unconstitutional and overly broad. In 2009, NOM fought to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would reverse the Iowa State Supreme Court’s unanimous decision recognizing marriage equality. NOM asked its supporters to contribute to the Iowa campaign in a nationwide email by saying that “…best of all, NOM has the ability to protect donor identities.” The e-mail and sub-
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(EXAMINED LIFE continued from page 6) Sit in a relaxed posture and close your eyes. bodily experience of self-compassion Imagine that, behind you and slightly above they can evoke that felt sense at will, your head, are beings who love you and wish and once that skill is developed, it beyou well. These beings can be family or comes possible to take regular heartfriends; they can be spiritual figures; they fulness pauses throughout the day. can even be purely imaginary beings or pets This simple practice involves briefly who have a special love for you. These be- stopping whatever you’re doing, takings have your back. Imagine them radiat- ing a few deep breaths, noticing whating love and compassion into you. Bask in ever you’re sensing and feeling right that warmth like a puppy lying on a rug in now, and then deliberately holding it the sunlight. Once you’ve evoked feelings of in compassion and acceptance. This comfort and safety, bring to mind a specific simple practice can do much to lower worry you may be currently having, such stress, clear the mind, and reset our as concerns about your health or finances. intention to live with self-compassion. Imagine that your loving beings are sending love in the form of compassion into the I am so convinced of that value heart of your worry. You might go through of heartfulness practice that I am several worries in this way. If your brain starting a heartfulness skills trainpairs the worry with the experience of be- ing group with my colleague and ing loved and cared for, you will find that intern, Mark Sponseller. The group the intensity of the anxiety diminishes. At will meet on Thursday evenings, and the end of the practice, let go of visualizing in each session we’ll introduce and both your worries and the loving beings, and practice a new heartfulness practice. spend a few minutes basking in the soft glow Anyone who feels they might benefit of compassion and safety which the practice from being a part of this group should feel free to contact me. has evoked. Regular practitioners find that, once they are intimately familiar with the
- Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is www.tommoon. net.
sequent complaints prompted a letter from the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Finance Board stating that state law requires disclosure of political contributions solicited for the Iowa campaign. Why NOM doggedly fights donor disclosure is unclear. NOM has argued that complying with campaign f inance laws is burdensome and unconstitutional. It has also argued that gay rights advocates and their supporters will harass, intimidate, even damage property of the donors should their identities be known. Serious scrutiny of these claims has revealed only isolated incidents, questionable reports and, more often than not, legitimate acts of public criticism typical of any hard-fought campaign. John Lewis, Marriage Equality USA legal director added, “Public debate is for those with the courage of their convictions. NOM is instead showing the cowardice of their convictions, by seeking to shroud their activities in secrecy.” (GITANE continued from page 13) a spunky place, I expected more presentation to the drink. But, I’ll let it slide since the drink was so satisfying. Now that we’ve covered that this place is a beautiful sanctuary, on to the food. Perhaps, we ordered wrong, but the food did not live up to the spectacular ambiance. We star ted w it h t he bacon bonbon s , pr u nes st u f fed w it h goat cheese a nd w r apped i n smoked bacon f i n ished w it h a spiced p or t g l a z e. T he f l avor s m i xe d toget her were plea sa nt a nd not overwhelming, with a perfect balance of sweet and salty. However, the mixed textures left me a little unsatisf ied, along with the bleak temperature. Next up, we shared t wo entrées, t he M a r i sco – stea med mussel s and clams with chorizo, peppers, a nd ci la nt ro i n a lobster brot h. T he i ng red ient s were fresh a nd cooked to per fect ion, but aga i n something was missing – a litt le more spice wou ld have added a nice kick and added f lavor. A long with the Marisco, we had the Tajine — spiced chicken breast in a saf fron broth mixed with green olives, summer vegetables, almonds and couscous. This was the winning dish. This was quality chicken. A fter l iv ing of f of Safeway’s ch icken f ingers in col lege, I am reminded about what rea l pou ltry tastes like when I returned to
In effect, GAA created a new model of gay activism, highly theatrical while also eminently practical and focused. It forced the media and the political establishment to take gay concerns seriously as a struggle for justice. Previously the media treated gay life as a peripheral freak show. The new gay activism inspired gay people to act unapologetically from a position of gay pride. This new model inspired other gay groups across the county, eventually triggering revolutionary improvements in gay life that continue to this day. In November 1970, Evans and two other activists appeared on the Dick Cavett Show. They were among the first openly gay activists to be prominently featured as guests on a national TV program. In 1974, Evans moved into an apartment at the corner of Haight and Ashbury Streets in San Francisco, from which he never moved. In the fall of the 1975, Evans formed a new paganinspired spiritual group in San Francisco, the Faery Circle. It combined countercultural consciousness, gay sensibility, and ceremonial playfulness. In 1976 he gave a series of public lectures at 32 Page St., an early San Francisco gay community center, entitled “Faeries,” on his research on the historical origins of the gay counterculture. In 1978 he published this material in his ground-breaking book Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture. It demonstrated that many of the people accused of “witchcraft” and “heresy” in the Middle Ages and Renaissance were actually persecuted because of their sexuality and adherence to ancient pagan practices. At this time, Evans also was active in Bay Area Gay Liberation (BAGL) and the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club, which later became the vehicle through which Harvey Milk rose to political prominence. He and his best friend Hal Offen opened a small Volkswagen-repair business, which they named “The Buggery.” In the late 1970s, Evans became upset at the pattern of butch conformity that was then overtaking gay men the world of f ine dining. It tasted fresh, spilling with f lavor, cooked with a seasoned skin, and mixed with warm and f illing couscous. W h i le some couscous ca n t a ste bla nd a nd cont r ibute l it t le to a d ish, t his was ful l of f lavor and wa s a g reat complement to t he vegetables and chicken it accompanied.
in the Castro. Adopting the nom de plume “The Red Queen,” he distributed a series of controversial satirical leaflets on the subject. In a 1978 leaflet entitled “Afraid You’re Not Butch Enough?” he facetiously referred to the new, butch-conforming men of the Castro as clones, initiating use of the now widely used term “Castro clones.” As AIDS began to spread in 1980s, Evans became active in several San Francisco groups that later morphed into ACT-UP/SF. Evans was HIVnegative. With his good friend, the late Hank Wilson, he was arrested twice while demonstrating against the drug-maker Burroughs-Wellcome, accusing them of price-goug ing, and once against a local TV station, charging them with defamation of people with AIDS. In 1988, Evans began work on a nineyear project on philosophy. It was published in 1997 as Critique of Patriarchal Reason and included artwork by San Francisco artist Frank Pietronigro. The book is a monumental overview of Western philosophy from antiquity to the present. It shows how misogyny and homophobia have influenced the supposedly objective fields of formal logic, higher mathematics, and physical science. Evans’ former doctoral advisor at Columbia University, Paul Oskar Kristeller, called the work “a major contribution to the study of philosophy and its history.” Offen said “There may be others who were as instrumental as Arthur in launching the modern gay liberation movement, but very few more so. He was a brilliant strategist, forcing the establishment to yield to our demands for justice by making it easier for them to give in than to refuse. He was also a compelling orator, inspiring that first generation of gay activists after Stonewall.” He is survived by his brother Joe Evans of Durand, Michigan, his best friend Hal Offen, and a host of long-time friends and admirers who are grateful to him for his pioneering vision and leadership, wit, delightful companionship and loving nature. A memorial service is being planned for mid-October. See these pages for details or contact Offen at lamda23@ yahoo.com
Un for t unately, we d id not have time for dessert, but I get a sense from a place like this that it would serve rich and tantalizing treats. So if you are in the mood to travel, but don’t care to f ly or take a road trip, escape to Gitane.
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Web-Sites Development, Marketing, Management, and Hosting for small businesses. Affordable. E-Commerce, database, and more. Will work with existing sites. Call 415-885-2978 or www.digitalcloud9.com.
Joni & Dayna Verstegen Dayna Verstegen and Joni Schaeffer (Verstegen) met in 2010 and were legally married on Saturday, July 30, 2011 in West Townshend, Vermont at the Wyndham Hill Inn. The couple was joined by 40 guests from around the country for a weekend of activities. The newlyweds honeymooned in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Jay Villanueva, Kyla Ferguson & Maren Ruby Villanueva Jay and Kyla have been together for three years and always knew that children would be a part of their future. They were overjoyed at the birth of their daughter, Maren Ruby Villanueva, born on March 29, 2011. “Being Maren’s moms is amazing. We feel so lucky and are completely in love with our beautiful baby girl!”
Verstegen is the editor of the Bay Times newspaper based in San Francisco. She previously held a variety of marketing and public relations roles at Internet companies, including Conduit and GlobalEnglish. Schaeffer is in her 18th year of teaching elementary school in the East Bay. The couple has two children, Michael Schaeffer (17) and Maddie Schaeffer (13). Ms. Verstegen was born and raised in Wisconsin. She received her B.A. in Communications from Beloit College and her Masters in Journalism from the University of WisconsinMadison. Ms. Schaeffer was born and raised in the East Bay. She earned her B.A. with a double major in Science Psychology and liberal arts from St. Mary's.
Insurance COVER YOUR ASSETS: Insurance for YOUR community. Life, Disability, Final Expense. Aaron Van Arsdale 415-7174984. aaron.insure@gmail.com. Life Agent Lic # 0G10774
Volunteers The UCSF-AIDS Health Project is looking for volunteer HIV test counselors and phlebotomists. Phlebotomists must have current California Phlebotomy License. Contact Francis at 415-476-6443 or fsalmer@itsa.ucsf.edu. The AIDS/HIV/Hep C Nightline needs sensitive, caring, nonjudgemental listeners to support those living the daily challenge of HIV and Hep C. 415-984-1902. W.O.M.A.N. Inc. needs volunteers for 24 hour crisis line; bi-lingual/cultural. L/Bi/TG women encouraged to get involved! 415864-4777, Ext. 308.
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Mike Miller and Lee Martin were married on September 2, 2008 in Napa, California and are now celebrating three years of marriage and 13 years together. The marriage was witnessed by Janet and Bud Miller. Mr. Martin is the Business Intelligence Manager with Coupons.com and Mr. Miller is a Senior Network Engineer with Iteon Consulting. The couple lives in Daly City with their dogs Pinky and Sierra.
You want children, so do I. Let's talk. For more information about me, visit http://sites.google.com/ site/mike949h/ Gay Man Looking to be a Known Donor for a Lesbian/Couple. 5’10’’, excellent health, HIV neg., with high fertility numbers, educated (Masters), athletic, attractive, and descend from two loving and long-lived Spanish families. www.gayfamilyoptions.com/ item/221
Known Donor / Co-parent of Color Wanted. Single bi vegan Jewish woman, 37, healthy, seeks grounded AfricanAmerican, Latin or Arab man or gay couple. Reply via e-mail to coparentwanted@yahoo.com. Bisexual Jewish woman seeking African-American, Latin or Middle-Eastern known donor / coparent. Coparentwanted @ yahoo.com Maia Midwifery and Preconception Services: Innovative methods of fertility awareness, connections between sexulality and fertility, exploring donor options, increasing insemination effectiveness, and step-bystep guidance. Conception support groups also offered. Call 925-253-0685. Rainbow Flag Sperm Bank: Identity released when child is 3 months old. (510) 763-7737.
Entertainment Terry Photo Real Hot Musclemen Backstage Pump & Oil. DVDs at “The Magazine,” 920 Larkin, SF. Tues/Sat 12-7pm. Order online www.terryphoto.com Free Erotic Photos: Seeking models to participate in erotic photography. You get CD-Rom at hi-res b&w photos. See narrative.com/ epp for examples.
Pets SURF DOG large dog boarding at Ocean Beach. Queer Owned. sfsurfdogs.com. (415) 637-7717 Didgeridog Doggie Daycare & Overnights. Where small dogs play while you're away! www. didgeridog.com
Gay Softball Team- Powerhouse hustlers need experienced pitcher and players for 2006 season. Please call (415) 826-6858 or email coachmark10@yahoo.com
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Discover the secret spots of Bahia/Brazil with Leo. Visit www. TravelingwithLeo.com
Is a Reverse Mortgage for You? Are you at least 62 years of age and own your home? Get paid a monthly amount, line of credit or a lump sum payment. You always retain full ownership. Call Lauren Dunlap, Nova Mortgage. (510) 540-7911 / (415) 753-2272.
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TRAVEL WITH US. Our members, gay men over 40, have been staying in each others’ homes, having good times, making new friends and saving $$$ as they travel for over 10 years. Travel Lambda Connections Club. www.TLCclub.net
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Upcoming Events Thursday, September 22nd – Ladies Night - New Location! Thermidor, 8 Mint Plaza @ The Old Mint San Francisco 6:00 PM - Until.
Wednesday, October 12th “Wine Time!” San Francisco Women In Wine Series @ 2223 Restaurant, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Damas Vineyeards
Wednesday, October 7th Smart Women / East Bay The Bellevue Club @ Lake Merritt, 525 Bellevue, Oakland. 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Saturday, October 22nd - San Francisco Bay LGBT Sail Classic Schooner Freda B - Final one for 2011 with “Betty’s List” group - 6:30 PM 9:00 PM
PHOTO BY PHYLLIS COSTA
PHOTO BY PHYLLIS COSTA
Cheryl & Judy at Giant’s Night Out
Wednesday, September 28th Smart Women / San Francisco Monthly @ Catch, 2362 Market Street 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Battlin’ Bluebirds’ Maria Stanford
Saturday, September 24th – Saturday Singles Brunch “Fall In Love with Brunch!” 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Thursday, September 29th – “Wine Time!” East Bay Women in Wine Series – Bodegas Aguirre Winery and Vineyards 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Lake Chalet Restaurant, 1520 Lakeside Dr., Oakland.
Having fun aboard the Freda B.
Saturday, October 1st - Ladies Go Biking – 5th Annual Angel Island Bike Ride & Picnic No cost. Bring picnic or purchase food at Cove Cafe.
Classic Schooner Freda B on San Francisco Bay
Sunday, October 30th - Halloween Party - Luscious Live! East Bay Live Band Dance Bench & Bar, Oakland - Time TBA Featuring Stephanie Teal Band. More details to come.
Information: www.bettyslist.com or 415-503-1375
LGBT Retirement Community
The community you’ve imagined...at last.
Now 50% Reserved Reserve your new home on our gorgeous ten acre campus with golf course, oak grove and mountain views in the heart of Sonoma County. Fountaingrove Lodge provides quality and comfort and a continuum of care with five star services and amenities. Gourmet Dining
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Cocktail Lounge
Private Movie Theater
Swimming Pool
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Entrance Fees ranging from: $295,500 - $925,500 Monthly Fees starting at $2,545
4210 Thomas Lake Harris Dr. Santa Rosa, CA 95403
707-576-1101 fountaingrovelodge.com
RCFE Pending
BAY T IM ES S EPT EM BER 22, 2011 19
Pelican Art Gallery & Custom Framing Custom Framing, Quality Preservation & Presentation
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Donna, Jill Ravitch, Betty & Linda Smart Women Business Networking North Bay, Thursday, October 20, 2011 Featuring Kim Masucca of 10000 Degrees
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Pelican Art Gallery & Custom Framing 143 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, CA 94952 www.PelicanArt.com • 707-773-3393