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October 5 - 19, 2011 | www.sfbaytimes.com
The LGBTQ Newspaper and Events Calendar for the San Francisco Bay Area | July 28 2011
Support for Gay Marriage is Growing Fast
Rally to Celebrate DADT Repeal but Struggle for Equality is Not Over
PHOTO C OURT ESY OF GETT Y IM AGES
Attendee in costume is part of the performance at the Folsom Street Festival.
By Master Sister Dana Van Iquity
There were men with horns and horny men. I spied many cocks and cocks in socks. Also free range boobs. A group of people wearing gas masks held a sign alerting: “Spreading Santorum,” and warning of the disease that this Repugnican candidate would bring upon the citizenry with his abject homophobia. But the best outfit of all was created by Bruce Beaudette as a kind of metal robot with silver mesh body and a metal cage over silver painted face. Tee shirt sayings that stuck in my head were: “Gay is the new punk;” “When can I vote on YOUR marriage?” and “I’m not pretty drunk. I’m pretty fuckin’ awesome drunk.” For the bears: “You had me at WOOF!” In the age of iPods and iPhones, a shirt said simply “iPhuck.” Human Rights Campaign offered “Legalize Gay” tees to promote same-sex marriage. I liked the button with a big green marijuana leaf and the words: “The nuns made me smoke it.” Another pro-pot button questioned, “Can’t we all just get a bong?” Soooo many booths! Several booths offered free HIV and hepatitis B testing, which is always a good thing to be offered at these public fairs. The Freedom in Christ booth had a sign: “Christian + Gay = Okay.” They were selling sodas and water. I wondered if it was HOLY water, in which case if I got any on me, I would surely burn. Bare Chest Calendar Men were out in their special vests selling their hot calendars to benefit AIDS Emergency Fund and Positive Resource Center. (continued on page 6)
Recent surveys suggest that half of all Americans support gay marriage and that the numbers are increasing rapidly each year.
By Dayna Verstegen A new study released by the University of Chicago documents rapidly increasing support for gay marriage in the U.S. The General Social Survey (GSS), which is supported by the National Science Foundation, monitors societal change and the growing complexity of American society. The survey has been conducted every two years for 40 years. The 2010 study, completed in September, revealed that 45.9 percent
of Americans “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that same-sex couples should have the right to marry, up from 30.1 percent in 2004 and 10.7 percent in 1988, the first year this question was asked. This data is consistent with voter attitudes in Maryland, who are currently considering a bill to legalize marriage. According to a poll conducted by the Annapolis-based Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies, Inc., September 19 – 27, of 805 registered Maryland voters, 49 percent opposed the law, while 48 percent support it.
An ABC News/Washington Post poll of registered voters back in March found slightly better numbers, reporting that 53 percent of Americans support gay marriage, up from 32 percent in 2004. Only 44 percent opposed, down from 62 percent in 2004. According to Tom W. Smith, director of the GSS, the reason for the change is that younger people have a different attitude toward the gay community and gay marriage. “There is a large generation gap on the issue [of samesex marriage]. While 64 percent of (continued on page 4)
Ruth Brinker Memorial Celebrated a Life of Compassion
PHOTO BY R INK
The grand finale of Leather Week in San Francisco is always the annual Folsom Street Fair, a very adult affair for fans of leather, feathers, latex, and every kink but the kitchen sink – and all for charities. There is S&M in the form of Sadism & Masochism, as well as Stand & Model. Sartorially speaking, I saw many a fabulous costume at the 28th fair besides leatherwear. There was a man in a wolf outfit; there were angels, both dark and angelic; devils; bats; colorful caps and hats; Snow White; and Alice in Wonderland characters. The giant Happy Penis was there in leather gear, spreading joy and safer sex information from the San Francisco City Clinic, celebrating a century of sexual health.
Ruth Brinker founded Project Open Hand in 1985 after cooking The Ruth Brinker Celebration of a Life of Compassion at City Hall, meals in her kitchen for a dozen friends. with Open Hand ED Tom Nolan and Mayor Ed Lee.
By Dennis McMillan A memorial service was held for Project Open Hand Founder Ruth Brinker who passed away on August 8. The service took place in the North Light Court of City Hall to celebrate her good works and giving spirit. Three dozen photos of Brinker had been set up on easels along one wall, and there were large blown-up photos of her on an altar-like setting with a white floral spray. An overhead projector gave a continuous slide show of Brinker’s life with Open Hand. There were blank pages throughout the room where people could write their personal memories of Brinker, to be bound into a book and eventually given to her family members. Brinker’s original typed request to start Open Hand was framed with her famous slogan: “A nutritious meal, prepared
with care and visually appealing, is an act of love. The love symbolized in a superb meal is in itself healing and should be reflected in every meal that leaves Open Hand’s kitchen.”
city’s most needy,” said Nolan. “She served nutrition with compassion.” Nolan then introduced Mayor Edwin Lee who spoke of Brinker’s self less service to a grateful community.
Guests took their seats as members of the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony played “Emperor Quartet in C Major, 2nd Movement.” Executive director of Open Hand, Tom Nolan, acted as master of ceremonies, welcoming everyone who came to hear about a retired grandmother who had been a volunteer with a Meals on Wheels program and realized malnutrition was making people with AIDS even sicker, eventually starting her own meal program with just a dozen friends as clients in her kitchen, growing it to the organization it is today with over 34,000 volunteers over the years. “She opened her heart to our
Members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus sang a traditional number, “Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal.” Later they would sing “Irish Blessing” by Robert Seeley. Wendy Johnson, friend and supporter of Brinker from the early days of Open Hand, gave her personal experiences, including the fact that Brinker always wore fancy dresses when she cooked and served her clients to make them feel special, and also revealed that this meek and mild grandmother when she needed food or volunteers could be much less than meek and mild about her requests. Johnson (continued on page 5)
P HOTO BY RIN K
P HOTO BY ST EVE UN DERHIL L
Folsom Street Fair was Fetishy Fun in the Sun!
A protester at an intense DADT Day Rally at Harvey Milk Plaza that stressed the need to include transgender citizens.
By Dennis McMillan GetEQUAL, a national organization that works to secure LGBTQ equality through direct action, held a lively rally in Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro. Dennis Veite, an activist with GetEQUAL, acted as emcee for the rally of approximately 60 attending. The official GetEQUAL banner and a rainbow flag served as a backdrop. Demonstrators held printed signs stating, “We are here to recruit you;” “Still not equal;” and “DADT is gone. Now fight on!” The rally both celebrated the repeal of DADT and called attention to the fact that transgender soldiers are not allowed to serve openly, and that there are no protections against discrimination afforded to LGBTQ soldiers. “The main purpose of this event is to not let this singular victory inspire complacency and apathy within our community; and to get the message out that our work is still not done; and that there is much more we need to do to continue to win the rights we deserve as human beings,” Veite told Bay Times. Veite called the repeal’s f inalization “a huge milestone in our fight for equality in this country, and we thank the individuals and organizations who worked so tirelessly to make this happen, not the least of which was my own GetEQUAL who organized action after action to bring the repeal to fruition.” He added, “But this fight is far from over,” and he had volunteers circulate the crowd to sign up activists to continue fighting for civil rights. “The repeal abandoned an entire segment of our community - transgender individuals were once again sacrificed in Gay, Inc.’s struggle for progress - and did not include nondiscrimination policies or recourse for LGBT people who experience such things,” said Veite. “Our message is clear: celebrate for a moment, but realize that we have more work to do; so join the movement, and help us fight for our equality!” He said, “We call on Congress to move forward with legislation that would allow transgender persons to serve openly in our military,” and he asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence “out of respect for our transgen(continued on page 6)