2012 05 31

2012 AIDS LifeCycle Page 2

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Your Election Voter Guide Pages 9-11

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NAACP’s History-Making Vote

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Vote and Help Fix Democracy

PHOTO CREDIT: NORWOOD NEWS

By: Leslie Katz

Gwendolyn Williams and Karen Cofield as newlyweds in the Bronx, New York

By Andrea Shorter The f ight for same sex marriage equality recently gained two mighty allies over the past few weeks. Within a matter of days after President Barack Obama announced his support for same sex marriage in a television interview, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ‘s Board of Directors passed a resolution endorsing same sex marriage as a civil right.

At an annual leadership retreat in Miami, Florida, on Saturday, May 19, the historic organization held firmly to its principal mission to ensure political, educational, economic, and social equality for all, including LGBT Americans, as signified by the passage of the resolution.

“When people ask why the NAACP stands firmly for marriage equality, we say that we have always stood against laws which demean, dehumanize, or discriminate against any person in this great country. That is our legacy. For over 103 years we have stood against such laws, and while the nature of the struggle may change, our bedrock commitment to equality of all people under the law never will.

In a statement released by Roslyn M. Brock, Chair of the NAACP Board of Directors, she explains the NAACP’s historic responsibility towards supporting marriage equality:

One of the NAACP’s greatest leaders, Ella Baker, described this when she said and I quote: ‘Remember, we are not fighting for the freedom of the Negro alone, but for the

freedom of the human spirit a larger freedom that encompasses all mankind.’ End quote.”

Expectedly, numerous LGBT and civil rights leaders around the nation largely met the news of the NAACP’s declaration of same sex marriage as a civil right, as a matter of civil law, with elation and relief. “Finally” and “it’s about time” were among the more pedestrian responses peppered on Facebook walls, via Twitter, and through other viral sharing of the news. (continued on page 8)

PHOTO S OU RCE : FRAMEL INE

PHOTO S OU RCE : FRAMEL INE

My Love Affair with Frameline

Call Me Kuchu - June 19, 7:00 PM - Castro Theatre

By Catherine Brannigan It is that time of year again. I can’t believe that the Frameline Film Festival turns 36 this year and I have attended 26 of them. I am a longtime fan. It’s the highlight of June for me.

Twenty-six years ago when I f irst came to the festival, I would walk up to buy a ticket and watch a movie on a Saturday afternoon or evening. I had a great time viewing a film with likeminded moviegoers. After a couple of years, I noticed that, to me, it was more than just 2 hours spent in the

dark. It was the whole experience. I see films that will never make it to TV, unusual and sometimes painful documentaries, and stories that lift you up.

Fifteen years ago I decided to become a volunteer. I have taken tickets, picked up trash, helped people at will call, and have had filmmakers stay in my home from Canada, England, and France. The most fun I’ve had as a volunteer has been to take people to and from the airport. This is a real opportunity to speak to filmmakers

Keep the Lights On - June 20, 6:30 PM - Castro Theatre

about their movies and their other projects one on one.

The f irst f ilmmaker I drove was a woman from Toronto who was a little shy. I dropped her off at her hotel and every time she saw me from then on she came over to say hello or ask for help. I was the face of Frameline to her.

For the last 8 years, I have been on the film screening committee. We review all the shorts and some of the feature length films. It is a large commitment, one or two nights a week

for three to four months. Our same group has been meeting at my house for the screening and during that time we have become close friends.

Two weeks ago I joined the Board of Frameline. I am happy to say the Board and Staff are a very dedicated group that I am proud to be a part of.

The reason I am so passionate is, in the end, the images I see on the screen can help to connect us all. Please then come and enjoy a f ilm with us as we celebrate Fra mel i ne’s t h i rd decade and continue to strengthen community.

When asked to provide a piece on the importance of voting, the upcoming election generally, and why the Democratic County Central Committee (“DCCC”) matters, I immediately thought of a comment former Senator Bill Bradley recently made when talking about how to fix our democracy.

To paraphrase, he said that a big way to fix it is for all people to actually vote. There is so much truth in such a simple phrase. It is not just that “every vote counts”- they do. In fact, President Kennedy literally won by the equivalent of one vote per precinct.

Collectively, we can also help shape the direction of policy. So yes, when asked if your vote counts, it does, and not just for the specific election, but also to demonstrate who is watching the policymakers and what kinds of values and policies we wish to see reflected.

In terms of the Presidential race, look at what transpired in less than four years- repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, a sitting U.S. President expressed support for same sex marriage, a national health care bill, and more.

When thinking of why to vote in a Presidential race, it is obvious for all of the above, but also it’s the Supreme Court and the appointment of other Federal Judges where so many of our rights are eventually decided.

In this upcoming election, more is at stake than most people realize. We know the presumptive nominees, but the numbers and enthusiasm demonstrated by voter turnout does and will make an impact.

Californians are voting on Proposition 29, a measure to increase taxes on cigarettes in order to fund cancer research, and on Proposition 28, which will have a major impact on policy making. It limits the number of years a member of the state legislature may serve, but allows him/her to serve more years in one body- either the Assembly or State Senate, so that our representatives can focus on their office, will gain greater experience, and won’t have to focus on the next step. I am not a fan of term limits as we lose important institutional memory and experienced leaders, rendering (continued on page 9)

A Bicycling Novice Takes on AIDS/Lifecycle 11

up obscenely early on the weekend) in order to help riders prepare in the months leading up to the event. Consider also the cyclist reps, who help participants through the daunting task of fundraising, not to mention all the people who co-ordinate the logistics of moving all the gear, food and support staff down the coast. A kinship seems to form somewhere on that route, and it is a tie that brings people back to the event again and again.

As I prepare for my first ride, I look

P HOTO BY P HY L L IS C OSTA

forward to joining this family and to embracing the companionship and community it offers. Oddly, however, I also am looking forward to the solitary aspects of the journey ahead. As I have learned on the training rides,

AIDS LifeCycle participant Karen Bardsley

By: Karen Bardsley My massage therapist says I am ready, which is reassuring. Of course,

undertake. The question, “Why did I sign up for this?” runs through my head again and again. My girlfriend says I’m crazy, but then she also says

the fact that I desperately need the

she’s proud of me, sometimes in the

services of my massage therapist only

same breath. I guess I have to agree.

a week before the ride begins does

Biking from San Francisco to L.A.

not bode well. Still, she insists I will

to help fight HIV/AIDS is exactly

do fine. Since I am about to bike 541

the kind of completely crazy thing of

miles in one week, my standards for

which one should be proud.

“fine” are pretty low at this point. I’d like to finish the ride, and I’d like to be

The Aids/Lifecycle Ride is in its 11th

able to sit down again comfortably…

year. This will be my first year partic-

bicycling leaves you a lot of time with your thoughts. It is when I am most alone that I suspect I will feel the presence of others most clearly. I know I’ll think a lot about the family and friends who are supporting me. I’ll also think of the complete strangers who surprised me with donations when they found out what I was doing. Most of all, I’ll think of the countless millions whose lives have been shaped, and often sadly destroyed, by HIV/AIDS. In order to honor and help them, biking 541 miles doesn’t

well, at least in a few weeks’ time.

ipating. As far as I can tell, this event

Now that the training is almost over

some pretty dedicated and passion-

Tune in next issue for a diary of the trip. To

and the ride is about to begin, I feel

ate people. Consider, for example, the

support Karen Bardsley and the others on the

called upon to reflect on the value and

training ride organizers who devote

AIDS/Lifecycle ride, please visit: http://

importance of the task I am about to

their time every week (and often get

www.aidslifecycle.org/.

is a well-organized machine run by

seem far at all.

CWO Concert Benefits Women’s Cancer Resource Center ognized today than ever before, they are still severely under-represented by most orchestras.

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Dr. Kathleen McGuire On May 20th, the Community Women’s Orchestra (CWO) presented the final concert of its 27th season, my seventh season as its conductor. The occasion was bittersweet, donating 100% of box office proceeds to the Women’s Cancer Resource Center of Oakland due to the recent breast cancer diagnosis of a beloved member of the orchestra.

CWO, consisting of more than sixty volunteer musicians, presents three concerts annually: a family concert in November; an International Women’s Day concert in March; and a Spring Concert each May that is now dedicated to women’s health.

Women’s National Health Week is the third week in May. I am often asked: Why an all-women’s orchestra? From a purely artistic perspective, CWO programs at least one work composed by a woman on each of its programs. While there are certainly more female composers rec-

CWO is also devoted to uncovering gems from women composers of the past. The recent concert featured Sinfonia da Pacif ica by AustralianAmerican composer Peggy GlanvilleHicks. I met Peggy in our hometown of Melbourne in the mid-1980s when I was a composition student. She died in 1990 following an astonishing career, including an extended period in New York City in the 1950s where she earned her living penning reviews for the New York Tribune. 2012 marks her centenary year.

Resurrecting the Sinfonia was a labor of love for CWO. The rented music (conductor’s score and the various instrumental parts) was entirely in handwritten manuscript, so I set about creating a new, printed edition.

The music is a combination of traditional symphonic form juxtaposed with idioms of Eastern music. The result, sounding like “Bollywood,” is not so unusual today, but a bold move in 1952-1953 when it was composed.

The concert also included Richard Wagner’s Rienzi Overture, celebrating Wagner’s May 22 birth date (which I happen to share!). Max Bruch’s Romanze, composed in 1912, featured viola soloist Whitney Smith.

Smith, a CWO alumnus, is completing her master’s degree at San Francisco State University. Bill Rudiak, winner of CWO’s inaugural Conductor-For-A-Day auction, conducted (continued on page 8)

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Countdown to Election Day

Do Ask, Do Tell Zoe Dunning We recently observed Memorial Day. Sadly, many people think of Memorial Day as a three-day weekend marking the beginning of summer, rather than a day of remembrance for those who died for our country. Although there are still some ceremonies in honor of the fallen, I must point out LGBT service members and their families have historically received no recognition, no remembrance, and no benefits. While a mother, father or even minor child would be given a folded flag at a military funeral on behalf of a grateful nation, the partner or spouse of a gay or lesbian service member likely would have been ignored completely, forced to mourn in silence, with no support from the military.

This year’s Memorial Day marked the first opportunity since the repeal

In local LGBT political news, Supervisor Scott Wiener’s non-binding resolution in support of the naming of a Navy ship after Harvey Milk passed the full Board of Supervisors on a 7-2 vote. Supervisor John Avalos joked that he consulted a Ouija board, and Harvey spoke to him from beyond and said, “Good riddance, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!” – and so he voted in favor. I was very disappointed Christina Olague, a member of our LGBT community, voted against it.

The countdown continues to Election Day on June 5th. For me, as a candidate for the San Francisco Democratic Central Committee (DCCC), it means the campaign has kicked into high gear. The endorsement process is complete, most clubs and candidates have already designed and printed any final mail pieces to go out before the election, and the focus shifts to getting out the vote. I have walked precincts and spoken with a number of voters and

always enjoy the level of interest and questions. Many voters really don’t understand what the DCCC is and why it is important – that it is the governing body of the Democratic Party here in the city and holds the power to endorse municipal candidates and possibly help swing elections one way or the other. Most people have been very gracious and engaging. Some are one-issue voters and throw you questions like, “Are you pro-tenant or pro-landlord?” to decide their support. Some ask if I am endorsed by this elected official or another and my response determines their support for me – it seems Supervisor Scott Wiener and current DCCC Chair Aaron Peskin are the litmus tests for many. Whatever your political persuasion, I highly encourage you to get out and vote on June 5th – our democracy depends on you to keep it running!

Finally, if you aren’t aware of her yet, you need to get to know Tara Flanagan. She is running for Alameda County Superior Court Judge and is an out lesbian. I had the privilege of meeting her and was very impressed.

Her election is also coming up Tuesday, June 5th and if she receives at least 50% + 1 vote, she will win. If no candidate receives at least 50% and she is one of the top two vote-getters, there will be a run-off in the fall election. I encourage you to check her out at ht t p://w w w.t a ra f la naga n forjudge.com/.

HIV/AIDS News The expanded use of antiretrovirals, potent drugs used to treat retroviral infections such as HIV, has been linked to significant decreases in hospital mortality rates among severely ill HIV+ patients nationwide, primarily due to a decrease in opportunistic infections, according to a new study. Despite encouraging data, the study also revealed that in this population, chronic diseases and bloodstream infections are on the rise.

“The national expansion of antiretroviral programs has appeared to yield benefits well beyond the outpatient setting,” said study lead author Monica Bhargava, MD, MS, adjunct clinical instructor in Stanford University’s Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. “In the 1980s, HIV+ patients were often declined ICU admission because their prognosis was deemed far too grave. Our work shows that this has changed substantially since the advent of the antiretroviral era. The broader use of such medications is having a wide-ranging impact.”

A lthough prev ious studies have shown that the initiation in the mid-1990s of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the treatment of HIV has

led to sharp reductions in mortality across the United States, Bhargava said that until now, the effect on critically ill HIV+ patients had not been assessed with a nationally-representative sample.

“We found that, although nationally, the number of HIV+ requiring mechanical ventilation rose from 7,632 in 1993 to 10,775 in 2008, mortality in that population declined from over 63 percent in 1993 to 41.4 percent in 2008, with the sharpest decline occurring in 1996-1997, the beginning of the ART era,” Bhargava said.

This decrease is most likely due to the concomitant decline in the occurrence of opportunistic infections, which are less likely in those on antiretroviral drugs, Bhargava said. The study focused on one such infection commonly associated with patients on mechanical ventilation, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and found that among HIV+ patients who received mechanical ventilation, the rates of PCP infection nearly halved, from 29.2 percent in 1993 to 15.2 percent in 2008.

“It appears that the wider use of antiretroviral therapy has both decreased the percentage of patients with PCP

(CWO BENEFIT continued from page 2) the second movement of Beethoven’s environment. Orchestras tend to be 7th Symphony (composed in 1812). highly competitive, with players jockRudiak made history as the first man eying for position. In contrast, CWO ever to conduct CWO in concert; the is consensus-based. New members players elected to permit this unusual determine where they feel most comoccurrence because of the significant fortable playing, which may include financial contribution. joining the entr y-level ensemble While supporting women’s music called Strings Attached for women is central to CWO’s raison d’être, the who consider themselves “rusty” or most important element of CWO’s are perhaps new to their instrument. all-women membership is the rehearsal camaraderie – and con- CWO’s 28th Season will commence suming chocolate at break - each with an open play-along at the end Thursday in Oakland. We share a of August. For more information, passion for having fun making mu- visit w w w.community womensorsic together in a non-competitive chestra.org.

8 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

and reduced mortality in those patients who develop it,” Bhargava said.

“That is quite encouraging.”

The researchers also found that median length of hospital stay declined in the HIV+ population during the study period, and this population also experienced a slower rate of growth in hospital charges relative to the general population. Black race remained the strongest independent predictor of in-hospital death.

“Our study confirms that major gains in in-hospital survival have occurred among HIV+ patients with respiratory failure, though there is still much more progress that needs to be made,” Bhargava said. “In addition, there has been a notable increase in the diagnoses of sepsis, chronic obstructive airway disease, liver disease and coronary artery disease.”

“Our work shows that our national efforts should focus more on managing chronic diseases and sepsis in this population,” she added. “Future studies should help clarify the reasons behind the surge in sepsis and why ICU survival remains poorer among HIV+ ethnic minorities.”

Source: American Thoracic Society

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PH OTO S OU RCE : NA A CP

of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell for the Department of Defense, actively serving military and the general public to fully acknowledge and honor gay and lesbian Americans who served and died in silence. Even though we have open service, we still do not have equal service. The mission is not yet complete — we must bring to light their stories and continue to f ight for equal benefits for their surviving spouses and families.

(NAACP continued from page 1)

NAACP’s Benjamin Todd Jealous As the news spread, it also raised questions among supporters of marriage equality regarding the timing of the resolution: why now? Where was the NAACP before Prop 8 was passed?

And, what does this support from this premiere historic civil rights organization mean moving forward?

The NAACP’s welcomed stance on the heals of President Obama’s announced support for marriage equality following a long, contemplative period of “personal evolution” on the matter has caused some speculation that the organization’s actions were hastened to give the nation’s first Black President some backing on this epic, controversial matter during his bid for re-election.

The timing of the resolution’s passage might suggest a political gesture to support the President. Still, the fact remains that well before Obama’s long awaited enlightenment towards pro-marriage equality, the NAACP opposed proposed ant i-marr iage equality laws and ballot initiatives on numerous occasions -- including opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act in the mid-1990s, and the definitively epic Proposition 8 in California.

California NA ACP President, Alice Huffman, and local NAACP SF Chapter President, Reverend Dr. Amos Brown, were actively engaged leaders in the fight against Proposition 8. Often at odds with members of local chapters, state, and national organization leadership, calls for their removal as respective state and local NAACP leaders mounted.

Their unwavering advocacy for same sex marriage as a civil right was often met with resistance by African American church leaders and congregants across the state who sought to adhere to long held, invested interpretations of religious doctrine prescribing marital arrangements as solely between a man and woman as cause to negate or deny the civil (secular) rights of same sex couples to marry. The intersection between the NAACP and the Black church is a crucial alliance, as some African American churches have historically served as local affiliate chapters of the NAACP, whereby churchgoers are often simultaneously NAACP members.

Standing firm on the NAACP’s legacy of advancing equality and protection under the law for all, staying on message that marriage equality is in fact a civil right extended by constitutional law, their leadership along with other key organizational leaders, such as civil rights icon and NAACP Emeritus Board Chair Julian Bond, steadfastly forged the path towards eventual passage of a resolution supporting marriage equality.

With the recent appointment of Benjamin Jealous as President of the NAACP -- a San Francisco native, with close ties to the LGBT community -- NAACP allies moved evermore aggressively towards an affirmative, national resolution.

Acknowledging same sex marriage equality as “one of the key civil rights struggles of our time,” and the legacy and responsibility of the NAACP to

speak up on the civil rights issues of our times, Jealous urges that “what has changed is that this is the first time that we have made a full statement on marriage equality that goes beyond the circumstances of any one proposed law or any one state. We feel it is important that everyone understand our commitment to equality under the Constitution and to marriage equality specifically.”

Citing the NAACP’s f ight for marriage equality dating at least as far back as the Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia in 1967, Jealous also notes that in the year before she died, Mildred Loving, who successfully sued to end legally sanctioned marriage inequality based on race, wrote a powerful piece which ended with the statement: “I am proud that Richard’s and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.”

Give them half a minute, and any long time social justice advocate will recount stories of seemingly small, but unforgettable, moments in their personal narratives about the importance of keeping faith in the quest for justice.

One such moment for me occurred while in a planning retreat with the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition on Saturday, May 19, 2012, when I received a phone call from Reverend Amos Brown. “Sister Shorter, I’m calling to let you know that the national board of the NAACP just passed a resolution in support of same sex marriage. So, please let the community know. We are about justice and equality for all.”

It was apparent that the Reverend made the call within a minute, if not seconds, of the resolution’s passage. He nearly spoke at a whisper, but the thrill in his voice was undeniable, and the message loud and clear: as its legacy and future relevancy demands, the NAACP simply did the right thing.

Moving forward, yes, the NAACP’s endorsement could give President Obama additional moral and practical support during his bid for re-election.

Regarding the specif ic impact on the Black churchgoer support for President Obama, Reverend Roland Stringfellow, Director the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations of the Bay Area, observes that “there are various Black churches who will remain steeped in tradition of being opposed to LGBT inclusion in our society and will not shift on this issue despite the growing support in our country. However, I do not believe it will have a strong impact on the election in November of African-American support for President Obama. Considering the alternate Republican candidate who would have very little benef it to African-American interests, I still see a strong support for our President from the Black church. It is my hope that these endorsements for marriage equality will prompt many Black churches to begin the dialogue about (continued on page 23)

Use the News Foundation Education Program with

Election Guide - June 5th Primary

Guest Commentary Jody Sanford About ten years ago I was looking for a way to volunteer my time and use my interest in politics to make a positive dif ference in the community. As I scanned the various g roups around tow n, I saw many good organizations devoted to a particular cause or issue, but rea l ly just one t hat championed t he ba sics of good gover n ment , i nc lud i ng equ a l r ight s a nd op portunity for all. That is when I

joined the League of Women Voter s of Sa n Fr a nc isco, a nd I a m proud to i nt roduce t hem to t he Bay Times community.

dential election in which we can all expect a huge number of issues to be placed in front us at the local and state level.

While I had often heard the name over the years, through work ing with the League as a member and later on its board I came to deeply appreciate what these committed women – and men – have stood for across nine decades. Above all t he L eag ue is inclusive, focused on wh at hold s u s tog et her a nd not what divides us. The League reaches out to all neighborhoods a nd d e mo g r a ph ic s a nd i nv it e s participation, giving people tools to understand what’s at stake on the ballot and how to make their voices heard.

T hes e d ay s we a r e b omba r ded w ith polit ica l T V and rad io ads a nd ou r m a i lb oxe s a r e st u f fe d w i t h f l y e r s s c r e a m i n g fo r a ttent ion. W h at I love about t he Leag ue of Women Voters is that t hey cut t hrough t he noise w it h simple and clear information created without an agenda by people just like you and me. They are a t r u st e d , non - pa r t i s a n r e s ou r c e that partners at a grassroots level w it h orga n i zat ions from t he SF LGBT Communit y Center to El Mensajero. They are of the community and passionately committed to ma k i ng Sa n Fr a nc i sco a better place.

Did you know the primary election is on June 5? This time of year the L eag ue’s volunteers a re ha rd at work boiling down complex ballot measures into clear summaries and visiting groups around town to explain the choices. They will be back in November – a presi-

About This Election Election Day is Tuesday, June 5 Polls open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM In 2012, voters will choose a President and lawmakers to represent t hem in nat iona l and st ate government. The results of Californ ia’s June pr imar y elect ion w i l l decide which candidates move on to the November general election.

Voters will also be asked to vote on two state propositions. One is about how many times state lawm a ker s c a n r u n for r eelec t ion.

The other is about a tobacco tax.

W hat Is New i n t h is Election?

• Dif ferent Election Districts Who you are voting for and where you vote may change. Which lawm a ker s r e pr e s ent you d e p end s on which “distr icts” you live in.

Ever y ten years the district lines get red r aw n ba sed on t he C ensus. In California, voters passed a law about a new way of setting up t he rev ised d ist r ict s. T h is is t he f i r st elect ion usi ng t he new district lines.

• Dif ferent Way of Choosing Candidates You will still choose a candidate for President based on your po litical party. But the other of f ices w i l l use a new “Top Two” votegetter system approved by voters.

For President: Voters from each pol it ica l pa r t y choose who w i l l

(KATZ continued from page 1) staff and lobbyists as the ones really in control, but this ballot measure is a step in the right direction.

One of the biggest changes this June is that we will be voting in an open primary. Rather than selecting the top candidate from each party, the top two vote recipients will face off in November. In San Francisco’s 19th Assembly District, it looks like two Democrats will face off in November.

However, in some parts of the state, we may see some rather strange results. In Solano County, a tradition-

be their nominee. The candidates w it h t he most votes f rom ea c h par t y r un aga inst each ot her in the November election.

For other elected of f ices: A ll voters will choose from the same list of candidates. The two candidates with the most votes will advance to the November election, regardless of what party they represent.

Four out of f ive Ca l i for n ia voter s a re reg istered w it h a pol it ica l par t y. For more infor mat ion about the parties, v isit w w w.sos. ca.gov/elections/elections_f.htm For more nonpa r t isa n i n for mat i o n a b o ut t h i s e l e c t i o n , v i s it these websites: w w w.ea s y voter g u ide.org Userfriendly information is in f ive languages for new and busy voters. w w w. s m a r t vot e r.or g L o ok u p your personal ballot and polling place. w w w. s o s . c a . g o v/e l e c t i o n s I n depth Voter Information Guide in dif ferent languages.

Propositions P roposit ion s a re proposed law s presented to the public to vote on.

This guide has short descriptions of the two statewide propositions being decided by California voters in the June 5, 2012 election.

28 – Limits on State Lawmakers’ Terms in Of f ice The way it is now:

ally solid Democratic district (11), we might see two Republicans (one of whom recently changed his party registration to run as an “Independent”) in November. So many Democrats are running that none of them may end up in the top two.

Finally, the most local of races, elections for Democratic County Central Committee (“DCCC”), are on the ballot. These are elections for selection of members to be the off icial voice of the Democratic Party (similar elections are held for the Republican and Green parties). In San Francisco, these races are hotly contested. The

Please check out the election resources that the League of Women Voter s of Sa n Fra ncisco ha s sha red w it h t he B ay T im es, a nd visit them at www.SFvotes.org to learn about the candidate forums,

In 1990, Californians voted to put l i m it s on how ma ny t i mes st ate lawmakers could be reelected for t he s a me of f ic e. A memb er of t he State A ssembly is l imited to three two-year terms. A member of t he State Senate is limited to t wo four-yea r ter ms. Genera l ly, the most a person can serve in the St ate L eg islat ure is a combined total of 14 years.

What Prop 28 would do if it passes: Decrease the combined total years a person could serve in the State Legislature to 12 years, but allow fut ure law ma kers to r un for reelection for the same of f ice more times. A person could serve those 12 years as six two-year terms in t he St ate A ssembly, t h ree fouryea r ter ms i n t he St ate S enate, or some split of time between the t wo houses. T h is cha nge wou ld on l y a p pl y t o me mb e r s of t he State Legislature f irst elected after this June 5, 2012, election.

Ef fect on the state budget: There would be no d irect ef fect on the state budget.

People for Prop 28 say: Prop 28 would decrease the combined total years a person could s er ve i n t he S t at e L e g i s l at u r e www.cafreshstart.com People against Prop 28 say:

v ideos, and elect ion g uides t hat the League will be producing now through November.

T he L eag ue a lso welcomes new volunteers to help with their important work. For me, the League has been a place where I have de-

• 29- Tobacco Tax The way it is now: California collects dif ferent kinds of taxes on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products. One of these is an 87-cent “excise” tax that raises money for specif ic purposes. In 2010 -11, this tax raised more than $900 million.

W hat Pro 29 would do if it passes: Add a $1 excise tax on a pack of cigarettes for a total excise tax of $1.87 per pack (with an equivalent a mou nt on ot her tobacco products). The money raised from the new tax would be used by a Cancer Research Citizen’s Oversight C om m it tee to f u nd c a ncer a nd tobacco–related disease research.

The new ta x wou ld a lso pay for prevention and stop-smoking programs, and would support a new tobacco law enforcement fund.

Ef fect on the state budget: I n 2013 -14, t he new t a x wou ld generate almost $800 million for t he a c t iv it ies des c r ib ed ab ove.

T he h igher pr ices of tobacco product s caused by t he new t a x wou ld i nc r e a s e st at e a nd lo c a l sa les t a x revenues by about $10 mi l l ion to $20 mi l l ion per year.

Future amounts could be lower as tobacco use continues to decline.

People for Prop 29 say:

Prop 28 would increase the years a person could serve in one hou se of t he St ate L eg i s l at u re. www.28noorg

Ta x ing tobacco saves l ives. The $1 tobacco tax w ill be paid only by those who choose to use tobacco. www.californiansforacure.org

DCCC takes the official position on candidates, propositions and resolutions, and sets up campaign headquarters to focus on voter education, registration and turnout. Those of us elected to the SF DCCC also become delegates to the California State Democratic Party where we take the official Democratic Party positions on State Candidates and ballot measures. We also get to provide input on the Party Platform under which all of the state Democratic candidates run.

and a new crop of LGBT candidates seeking a seat (vote for up to 10 or 14 candidates per district). In November, we have Supervisors’ races that can be impacted by the Party endorsement. In Alameda, we have a chance to elect an open Lesbian to the Superior Court- Tara Flanagan- a dynamic and experienced candidate. She has received the Alameda DCCC’s endorsement.

This year’s DCCC race brings potential for a number of changes. We have several longtime members retiring,

So, to bring it home, your vote at every level does matter. We can and do help shape policy by impacting who does or doesn’t get elected. Those who think politicians are all the same, or

veloped st rong leader sh ip sk i l ls and priceless friendships. So if you want to get off the sidelines and be a participant in this critical elect ion year, I can think of no better place to share your talent and passion than w ith the Leag ue of Women Voters of San Francisco.

People against Prop 29 say: C a l i for n i a c a n’t a f for d a ne w s p end i n g c om m it tee t h at l a c k s accountability. www.noon29.org Choosing to Vote “Yes” or “No” on a Proposition a “ Ye s ” v o t e m e a n s t h a t y o u suppor t t he way t he proposit ion would change things a “No” vote means that you want to leave things the way they are P r os & C on s G u ide – S a n Francisco Ballot Measures • P r op A – G a rba ge C ol lec tion and Disposal – Initiative Petition Placed on the ballot by Voter Initiative Petition The Question: Shall the Cit y use a competitive b id d i n g pr o c e s s t o aw a r d f i v e separate agreements for trash and rec ycl i ng ser v ices; requ i re t hat garbage processing and transfer fac i l it ies be ow ned by t he Cit y a nd lo c at e d i n S a n Fr a nc i s c o; require the Board of Supervisors to appr ove m a x i mu m r ates for ga rbage ser v ices; a nd a l low t he Board of Supervisors to make future amendments without further voter approval.

The Background Cur rent ly, per m its are required for a ny c ompa ny t h at c ol lec t s , d i s p o s e s of or t r a n s p or t s g a r bage in San Francisco. A single company cur rent ly holds a l l t he permits and is required to imple(continued on next page) your vote doesn’t matter, think again and reflect on how much we as a community have accomplished, and how we still have a ways to go. Please vote June 5- either at the polls or by voting absentee. As George Jean Nathan said, “Bad Officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.”

Leslie R. Katz is a former Member of the SF Board of Supervisors and a longtime member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee. She has her own Government Affairs consulting practice and serves on the Port Commission. You can reach her at lesliekatzdccc@gmail.com.

BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 9

(continued from page 9) ment the Cit y’s zero-waste goals for r e c yc l i n g a nd c omp o s t i n g.

Rates for collection are set by the City’s Rate Board for residential proper t ies a nd a re set by t he prov ider for commercia l proper t ies, genera l ly based on rate tables established by the Rate Board. The C it y do e s not ow n or lease the processing and transfer faci l it ies t hat a re located i n Sa n Francisco.

The Proposal T h is P roposit ion wou ld requ i re the City to replace its permit system for trash and recycl ing serv ices with a competitive bidding process for f ive sepa rate ag reements: Residential collection of trash, recyclables and compostables; Commercia l col lect ion of t rash, recyclables and compostables; Recovery and processing of recyclables and compostables; Tra nspor t at ion to d isposa l sites outside the City; and Disposal of remaining waste.

The measure would also: Re qu i r e e a c h a g r eement t o b e Citywide for a 10 -year term; Requ i re t h at t he C it y ow n t he pr o c e s s i n g a nd t r a n s fer f a c i l i ties used under these agreements and that they would be located in

San Francisco; P roh ibit a single compa ny from prov id ing bot h rec ycl ing recovery services and garbage disposal services; Require the competitive bidding pr o c e s s for g a r b a g e a n d recycl ing ser v ices to g ive pr ior it y to t he fo l low i n g f a c t or s : zero-waste goals t hat ma x i m i ze rec yc l i n g , c omp et i t ive rates, wel fa re of wor k er s i n t he industr y, and recover y of the Cit y’s costs for bidding and administrating the program; Give preference to bidder s t hat use small businesses and hire City residents; Allow the Board of Supervisors to make future amendments that ad10 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

vance the purposes of this ordinance without further voter approval.

Fiscal Ef fect The Controller states: Shou ld t he pr op o s ed i n it i at ive ord inance be adopted, i n my opi n ion, t here cou ld be cost s a nd benef its to t he C i t y. T h e i m pacts would var y depending on how the City i mplement s t he ord i na nce a nd on t he outcome of contracting and rate-setting processes for garbage collection and disposal.

The ordinance makes changes to how t he Cit y cont r act s for a nd reg u lates rates for ga rbage collect ion, rec ycl i ng, wa ste reduction and disposal. These changes include requir ing separate compet it ively bid contracts or franchises for f ive specif ied areas of waste serv ices, ad m i n ister i ng new rate-setting and compla int processes and conducting analy s i s . T he s e ne w r e quirements would sign i f ica nt ly i ncrea se t he Cit y’s cost s to ad m in ister garbage collection, waste reduction and disposal processes. However, the ordinance also generally provides that the City’s costs may b e r e c over e d t h r ou g h r e s iden t i a l a nd c om mer c i a l r at e s a nd t h rough f r a nch i se fees cha rged to garbage companies. The proposal’s intent is that competitive bidd i ng processes w ill reduce the costs and rates for garbage ser v ice.

The City currently pays Recolog y appr ox i m a t e l y $ 5 . 6 m i l l i o n a n nu a l l y for w a ste a nd re cycling ser vices in Cit y-owned buildings, parks and publ ic s pa ces . To the degree that the proposa l ach ieves rate reduction, t h e C i t y ’s c o s t s for t hese ser v ices would be lowered.

T h e p r o p o s a l’s most sig n i f icant cost s wou ld occur under a requirement for publ ic ly owned garbage collect ion, proc e s s i n g a n d t r a n s fe r f a c i l it i e s within the City limits by December 2018. The initiative specif ies that these facilities must be publically owned and privately operated under public-private partnerships. Until plans are developed, the f inancing methods, costs or revenues for such facilit ies cannot be est imated, however, t he range wou ld be in the tens of millions of dollars.

Specif ic costs or savi n g s c a n not b e det ermined at this time for other object ives under t he ord ina nce, such a s i ncrea s i ng compet it ion for garbage services, creating jobs a nd m i n i m i z i ng env i ron ment a l impacts. This statement does not add ress t he potent ia l i mpact of this proposal on the local economy or businesses.

The City’s Recreation • Prop B would protect Coit Towand Park Department er and its murals by limiting the manages Coit Tower commercial activities and private • This proposition a n d P i o n e e r P a r k . parties and prioritizing its maindoes not t a ke t he T h e C i t y ’ s A r t s tenance and preservation.

C i t y ’s t r a s h a n d C om m i s s ion i s re r e c yc l i n g s er v ic e s • Coit Tower i s a s pec ia l pl ace sponsible for mainaw ay f r om it s c u rthat is worth protecting. It is betaining the murals rent vendor. Instead, i ng ex ploited rat her t ha n bei ng inside Coit Tower, it pr e vent s t he c r e pr es er ved . T he mu r a l s i n C oit but has no ded iat ion of a monopoly Tower have long been neglected c a t e d f u n d s for that controls both rea n d a r e now d a m a g e d . Wa t e r t s doing so. h e F ir n, “T lea k s, peel ing pa int a nd broken cycl ing and trash d isa n a h Buc l i ght s ab ou nd . P ioneer Pa rk i s posa l a nd en su res t he Ja m e s e s id e n t ” Under a long-standing Pr selection of the most cost G a y agreement with the City, a private overg row n and in shamefu l d isef fective and environmen- t a l l y company runs concession opera- repair. Prop B would give muchsound vendor. t ions at Coit Tower that include needed funds to Coit Tower, the murals and Pioneer Park.

• San Francisco should follow the a food a nd beverage st a nd, g i ft model of ma ny ot her Bay A rea store, the elevator and the right to • The commercialization of Coit cities that have competitive bid- operate special events. The Cit y Tower is part of a pattern by the ding processes or franchise agree- allocates the money from conces- R e c r e at ion a nd Pa rk s D e pa r tments for waste disposal respon- sion operations to the Recreation m e n t , w h i c h u s e s p u b l i c a l l y and Park Department, but it is not ow ned open space and faci l it ies sibilities. required to do so. i nd i scr i m i nately for gener at i ng • A compet it ive bidd ing process funds. Prop B wou ld protect may faci l it ate t he relocat ion of R e c e nt l y, t he D e p a r t me nt C o it Tow e r f r om ov e r the City’s transfer station to pub- c om m it t e d t o m a k i n g a c om mer c i a l i z at ion by lic land at the Port rather than its $250,000 contribution to t he Recreat ion and current location near a residen- the A rts Commission as Parks Department. tial area. well as setting aside one A rguments Against A rg uments Against percent of a l l g ross revProposition B enues from the Tower for Proposition A mural preservation and res• Prop B wou ld l i kely • Sa n Fr a nc i sco a ltoration. t a ke f u nd i ng away from lo r e a d y e nj o y s a v e r ca l neighborhood park s because a g e or b e low aver - T here is no Cit y pol ic y aga i nst revenue generated at Coit Tower age rates for garbage renting our Coit Tower for private is now being used for beautifying ser v ices compa red to events. parks across the City. t he B ay A r e a m a r k et .

The Proposal • The Recreation and Parks DeIt was recent ly named the “Greenest Cit y i n Nor t h A mer- P r op o s it ion B wou ld m a ke t he p a r t me nt h a s a l r e a d y ple d g e d City policy: $250,0 0 0 for t he restor at ion of ica.”

• Strictly limit commercial activi- t he mura ls and 1% of t he funds • T h is proposit ion cou ld ties and private events at generated by Coit Tower a n nureplace Recolog y – our ally will be used for their mainteCoit Tower; Sa n Fra ncisco bor n nance. The SF Arts Commission, • R e s t r i c t t h e u s e which is responsible for maintainand based, employo f f u n d s t h e C it y ing t he mura ls, ag rees t hat t h is ee-owned garbage, receives f rom C oit amount is suf f icient. recycling and comTo w e r c o n c e s s i o n post ing company op er at ion s s o t h at • P r o p B wou ld s et a d a n g e r – w ith nat iona l t h e y c a n b e u s e d ous precedent, requ ir ing money garbage companies o n l y f o r p r e s e r v - e a r ne d at one pa rk f a c i l it y b e t h a t h av e no c on i n g t h e C o it To w e r spent exclusively at that facilit y. n e c t i o n or c o m m itmura ls, protect ing and Curtailing concessions and events ment to San Francisco. maintaining the Coit Tow- at Coit Tower cou ld potent ia l ly r e duc e r e venue s by mor e t h a n • Proposition A would fractionalize er building, and beautifying Pio$50 0,0 0 0. Since that revenue in neer Park around Coit Tower. an ef f icient system that provides part pays to support Coit Tower all phases of the refuse operation, Fiscal Ef fects and its murals, reducing revenues splitting services over as many as The Controller states that: wou ld sabotage t he stated goa ls f ive different uncoordinated comof Prop B. panies and resulting in duplication Should the proposed declaration of policy be approved by the votand raised costs.

R e p r i nt e d by pe r mi ss i on L ea g u e of ers, in my opinion, it would not Women Voters San Francisco.

• This proposition could result in af fect he cost of government.

E lect ion memorabi l ia images the Cit y needing to spend a sigA r g u m e n t s I n Fa v o r O f courtesy of Elizabeth Stewart. nif icant amount of money to repProposition B licate the infrastructure that the existing vendor owns. There is no cer ta int y t hat it would result in Election Activities for LGBTQ Families the transfer station being moved Families can enjoy many types of activities related to elections to the Port, as it is not required as and voting. Be sure to include kids of all ages, parents, neighpart of the measure. bors, friends and grandparents too! “Family” can include fami• Proposition B – Coit Tower ly-of-choice as well as biological members, and the circle can be Policy as large or as small as it needs to be.

Declaration of Policy • Conversation & Discussion - Be sure to talk about the basic P l a c e d on t he b a l lot b y vot e r concepts describing the democratic process. It is important to initiative petition make sure that ever yone has a chance to use the basic terms: election, vote, candidate, primary, general election, elected ofThe Question f ice, polling place, ballot, etc. Conversations that occur at meal Shall it be City policy to strictly t imes can be ver y meaning ful and bui ld t he bonds of shared l i m it com mercia l act iv it ies a nd time, interest and attention. private events at Coit Tower, and • Maps & Geography – Find a local map and use it to mark the t o u s e f u nd s f r om C oit Tower boundaries of your city, county, state or election district. Discuss concession operations to preserve the elected of f ices that apply to each region. Find out who the and maintain the Coit Tower muincumbent of f ice holders are, when they took of f ice and if they rals, building and Pioneer Park? were elected or appointed to f ill a vacancy due to an incomplete The Background term.

C oit Tower i s a Sa n Fr a nc i sco • Newspaper Activities – Locate copies of several dif ferent l a n d m a r k b u i l t i n 19 3 3 . T h e newspapers published in your area. If it is possible to get samples tower is located in P ioneer Park of papers published on the same day, take a look to see how each at t he top of Teleg raph H i l l. It has covered the same stor y. F lip through each newspaper and cont a i ns 27 h istor ic Depression use a felt tip marker to outline any photos or stories related to era murals painted by 25 artists, the upcoming election or local, state or national of f icials who many of whom were inf luenced by hold elected of f ice.

Diego R ivera. These murals depict California life and the socio• Photo Collections – Clip photos of elected off icials from newspolit ical issues that were imporpapers or magazines and create a collection that can be helpful in tant during the Great Depression. (continued on next page) A rg uments In Favor Of Proposition A

Website: www. davidcampos.com

Website: www. zoedunning.com

Matt Dorsey Appointed Incumbent Member of DCCC

Gabriel Haaland Incumbent Member of DCCC

Website: www. mattdorsey.org

Leslie Katz Incumbent Member of DCCC Facebook: www. facebook.com/pages/ Leslie-R-Katz

State Senate District 11: Mark Leno Incumbent, State Senator Website: www. markleno.com

Mark Leno

Tom Ammiano

David Campos

Matt Dorsey

Bevan Dufty

Zoe Dunning

Gabriel Haaland

Leslie Katz

Carole Migden

Rafael Mandelman

Scott Wiener

Christopher Vasquez

Stu Smith

Arlo Hale Smith

State Assembly District 17: Tom Ammiano Incumbent, State Assembly Member Website: www. tomammiano.com The Democratic County Central Committee is the governing body of the

(continued from page 10) learning the names and faces of elected off ice holders.

ALL PHOTO S BY RI NK

County Democratic Party as def ined in the California Government Code and Elections Code. It is comprised of local Democrats elected by voters in each Assembly District, as well as partisan-level Democratic elected of f icials and nominees (Ex-Of f icio Of f icers).

Cand idates you w i l l wa nt to consider i n m a k i ng cont r ibut ion s a n d v ot i n g d e c i s ion s i nc lude t he fol low i ng from our LGBTQ c o m mu n it y. N o t e : Tw o c a n d i d a t e s f o r D C C C D i s t r i c t 17, St u Sm it h and Zoe D u n n i ng, a re reg u la r columnists for the Bay T imes and L eslie Katz i s a l s o a c ont r ibutor.

Guest ed itor i a l s h ave appeared in t he Bay T imes by Bevan Duft y and Scott Wiener.

• Fa m i ly I nt e r v ie w s – M a ke a pl a n for you ng er members of t he fami ly and friends circle to interview older ones about their memor ies of elect ions. Be sure to f ind out if any of the fa m i ly member s have one or more campaign buttons, f lags, ribbons or other elect ion souvenirs that can be ta l ked about and enjoyed.

Ask if anyone has attended an inaug urat ion or swearing in ceremony where an elected of f icial takes of f ice.

San Francisco DCCC – District 17 David Campos Occupation: San Francisco Board of Supervisors Member

• Visit Civ ic O f f ices Find out where the of f ices of your loca l elected of f icials are and consider making a v isit to see the locat ion. Ta l k about why t he of f ices a re loc ated where t he y a r e a nd wh at for m s of transportation could be used to get there.

• Museum Visits - Plan a v i s it t o a lo c a l h i st or y museum and f ind out what exhibits or resources it may of fer about t he h istor y of elections, civ ic af fairs and government.

• Election Day Plans – Election education leaders recommend that parents take

Bevan Dufty Occupation: San Francisco Housing Opportunity Director Facebook: www. facebook.com/ BevanDufty Zoe Dunning Occupation: Small Business Owner

Rafael Mandelman Incumbent Member of DCCC Website: www. rafaelmandelman.com

Carole Migden Incumbent Member of DCCC Stu Smith Occupation Community Volunteer Website: stusmith4dccc.com/ dccc-info Christopher Vasquez Occupation: Community Relations Consultant Facebook: www. facebook.com/ VasquezForDCCC

their youngsters to the polling place and allow them to participate and interact in the process. Mock elections have become a ver y popula r way for st udent s from e lement a r y t h r ough h i gh school to have t he chance t o e x p e r i e n c e ho w c a m paigns work and what happens on E lect ion Day. It’s ea sy to orga n i ze a si mple mock elect ion w it h fami ly members and friends. Plans ca n be more or less comple x , de p end i n g on wh at words best for you.

Scott Wiener Incumbent Member of DCCC Website: www. scottwiener.com/dccc DCCC – District 19 Arlo Hale Smith Other: Candidate for Judge in A lameda County Tara Flanagan Website: www. taraf lanaganforjudge. com

Tara Flanagan

• Media Search Time – Be sure to check Internet sites t hat of fer elect ion education resources.

As Heard on the Street . . . by Rink

A L L P H OTOS B Y RI NK

Your favorite politician and why?

Keith

Gladys

Empress Galilea

Mauricio

“Milton Marks was special and he attended every gay event.”

“Mark Leno from day one has helped the gay community.”

“I have always been impressed with Dianne Feinstein.”

“Frank Jordan because he cared about people with AIDS.”

Empress Alexis Miranda “Mark Leno is terrific and he gets it done”

BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 11

Around About - Photos by Rink

Harvey Milk Academy leader Marcus Stevens, activist Cleve Jones and playwright Dustin Lance Black at the Castro Theatre on Harvey Milk Day for a screening of “Milk.”

Senator Mark Leno with Harvey Milk Day benefit fashion show models at Infusion Lounge.

GLBT Historical Society’s Paul Boneberg with students touring the Society’s Castro neighborhood museum.

Miss GAPA Lychee Minnelli, Mr. GAPA Mike Nguyen and Estee Longah at API Wellness Center’s Bloom 25 Year Anniversary Gala.

Bay to Breakers runners in costume having fun on the Castro Street sidewalk.

The Ronnie Reddick Dancers at the API Wellness Center’s Gala held at the Galleria.

MUMC (Merchants of Upper Market / Castro) Sidewalk Sale.

Supervisor Scott Wiener with Canadian tourists Ivan Steele and Rouard Aviles at the reinstallation of the Harvey Milk plaque in Harvey Milk Plaza.

12 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

Empress I Jose Sarria, founder of the Imperial Court System, surrounded by well wishers at a High Tea in his honor at Twin Peaks Bar.

17th Assembly District Primary: ▼

Democratic County Central Committee 17th AD DCCC

Tom Ammiano State Assembly

19th Assembly District Primary:

John Avalos

Phil Ting

Matt Dorsey

Petra DeJesus

Jamie Wolfe

Chris Alix Gembinski Rosenthal

Gabriel Haaland

State Assembly 11th Senate District Primary: ▼

Mark Leno

Rafael Mandelman

State Senate Local Initiatives:

Carole Migden

Justin Morgan

David Campos

David Chiu

Democratic County Central Committee 19th AD DCCC

Prop A .................................... NO Garbage Collection and Disposal Needlessly overhauls our system that has helped earn the “Greenest City in North America” ranking.

Prop B .................................... YES

Mike Alonso

Coit Tower Policy

Wendy Aragon

Kelly Dwyer

Peter Lauterborn

Hene Kelly

Preserve historic murals.

Statewide Initiatives:

Prop 28 ................................. YES Limits on Legislators’ Terms in Office

Arlo Smith

Improves accountability and focus in Sacramento.

SFBayTimes10x8 Week 5:Layout 1

5/18/12

10:24 AM

Trevor McNeil

Chuck Chan

Please take this slate to the polls or use it when you vote by mail.

Prop 29 ................................. YES

Additional Tax on Cigarettes for Cancer Research Cigarette tax for tobacco prevention programs and cancer research.

Eric Mar

milk club

Page 1

Kevin Bard

Leah Pimentel

“Four years ago … a slate of candidates wrenched control of the local party from the folks who call themselves 'moderates' but who, on critical economic issues, are really better defined as conservative.”

SF Bay Guardian, 5/25/12 The Milk Club has chosen these 23 candidates for the fight to keep the Democratic Party progressive.

Find out more at:

www.milkclub.org Listed in ballot order.

Indicates LGBT candidate ▼

Official June 5th 2012 Election Endorsements

Paid for by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club PAC 342 London St. San Francisco, CA 94112 FPPC ID# 921683

“VOTE NO ON PROP A because it would let multinational garbage companies bid to take over our garbage and recycling service, and risks nearly 900 local jobs.”

Assemblymember TOM AMMIANO

Paid for by Keep San Francisco Green; No on Prop A, A Coalition of Recology, Labor, Business, and Environmentalists. Major Funding by Recology, A Resource Recovery Employee-Owned Company FPPC #1344802

KEEPSFGREEN.COM BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 13

14 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 15

16 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

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BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 17

Stop the Bullying! Vote YES on Prop. 29 No on 29 campaign, has run in The Advocate. This ad uses a theme that resonates with the LGBT community: freedom, which anyone struggling to break free from nicotine knows is double-speak.

The ad reads: “Freedom. To speak. To choose.

To marry. To participate. To be. To disagree. To inhale. To believe. To love. To live. It’s all good.”

This exploitation and bullying of the LGBT community needs to stop!

Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

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Guest Editorial Gloria Solis On June 5, we will have the chance to prevent tens of thousands of queer youth from ever taking up smoking. On June 5th, we have the unprecedented opportunity to fund cancer research in California and to save lives. A Yes vote on Prop 29, the California Cancer Research Act, is vital to all Californians, and especially for our LGBT community.

We know from a recent Surgeon General’s report that 88% of adult daily smokers in the United States started smoking before the age of 18. This is why the tobacco industry spends its advertising dollars marketing to the most vulnerable and susceptible among us. They use LGBT-targeted ads to target our youth, particularly our youth of color, whom they take for easy targets. And their marketing tactics are working: smoking among 18-24 years olds in California who self-identify as queer or LGBT is an astounding 44%. Take, for example, the American Spirit ad that RJ Reynolds Tobacco, one of the major financial backers of the

In San Francisco, several thousand LGBT people have become nonsmokers through their participation in The Last Drag, a free stop-smoking program for LGBT and HIV + people. In my two decades with the program, many moving stories come to mind, including a comment from one gay man who had been smoking 3 packs a day. On his graduation night he said to me, “Gloria, I really didn’t have any intention of quitting smoking, but I did it!” At another graduation night, a 40-something university professor looked at the certificate of completion we gave her, and she said, “I paid more for this (certificate) than for my doctorate.”

And just last week, another Last Drag graduate posted on his Facebook page, “Still smoke-free!

469 days. I’ve saved $3,216” If we vote Yes on Prop 29, we will all save. We’ll save California valuable health care costs. We’ll be able to invest in cancer research and tobacco control programs in California so that we are funded at the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. Compared to other states, California’s tax—currently at 87 cents a pack—is surprisingly low; thirty-two states have higher tobacco taxes. Why is it so important to raise the tobacco tax? Because we know that when the price of tobacco goes up, the rate of smoking among youth goes down.

Wouldn’t it be better if our community didn’t have to quit smoking because we never started in the first place? If we vote Yes on Prop 29, we have the chance to make this happen. You may be wondering, where will the money go if Prop 29 passes?

Approximately $585 million each year will go towards cancer and tobacco-related research, facilities and equipment in California, while another $117 million per year will go to tobacco prevention and cessation programs in California. Since our LGBT community suffers disproportionately from cancer, our community stands to benefit greatly from Prop 29.

Californians know a bully when they see one. The tobacco companies are spending tens of millions of dollars to try to confuse voters because they know Prop 29 will work and will hurt their profits. But, we’re smarter than this, and well aware of the dangers of tobacco and cancer. Our Yes vote in support of Prop 29 will speak volumes on June 5. Join me, the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, LIVESTRONG , The National LGBT Cancer Network, Courage Campaign, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano and State Senator Mark Leno, the Alice B. Toklas and Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Clubs, the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance and AGUILAS (partial list). All support Prop 29 because they know it will save lives, prevent more youth from smoking and may lead to a cure.

Gloria Solis is a tobacco education, policy and treatment specialist who founded The Last Drag, a free stop-smoking program for LGBT and HIV + smokers, in 1991. For more information about Yes on Prop 29, go to www.californiansforacure.org.

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Pastor Charles Worley, Providence Road Baptist Church, North Carolina, on video preaching against lesbians and queers. See “Person of the Week” story below for details.

Person of the Week: Catawba Valley Citizens Against Hate the group is responsible for making known the words of North Carolinabased minister Charles Worley, who pronounced he has figured out how to get rid of the lesbians and queers.

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Some of us who have ties to deep South rural culture will find familiar the intonations and regionalisms of Pastor Worley who heads up the Providence Road Baptist Church in the town of Maiden. He declares himself in the video to be “agin’em” and says you should be too.

Calendar performers, clubs, individuals or groups who want to list events should mail, e-mail or fax notices so that they reach us by 5 p.m. the Thursday prior to publication. Please e-mail items to be considered for the Calendar to calendar@sfbaytimes.com. We cannot take listings by phone.

Lock up the gays and let them “die out” is just about the gist of Pastor Worley’s message. Be sure to check this “sermon” on YouTube and prepare to shake your head.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR If you would like to write a letter to the editor with comment on an article or suggestions for the Bay Times, email us at editor@sfbaytimes.com. © 2012 Bay Times Media Co, Inc. Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas Reprints by permission only.

18 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

Our Bay Times Person of the Week,

organization that has hit the news in

for the first time, is not a person at all,

the past two weeks. Known as the Ca-

but rather a previously little-known

tawba Valley Citizens Against Hate,

This past Sunday, thanks to the bravery and organizational efforts of the Catawba Valley Citizens Against Hate, more than 1,000 people protested the minister’s fire-and-brimstone speech. They gathered in front

of the Justice Center in Newton waving signs with messages such as “Will God judge me for loving or hating?”

Entire families chanted “Preach Love, Not Hate.”

Some of the protestors came from other Southern states, sacrificing their holiday weekend plans to stand up for what should be basic civil rights in this country. Locals risked backlash from the pastor’s supporters, but summoned the courage to take a stand nonetheless. As Sonya Briggs, a dance teacher in Hickory, North Carolina, told Reuters, “My brother, now deceased, lived an alternative lifestyle.

If he were here today, he would have to worry about being targeted and put into a concentration camp.”

Catawba Valley Citizens Against Hate is the little organization that could and did make a positive difference for all of us.

The Week in Review

By Ann Rostow Another Federal Court Slams DOMA Last Friday, Oakland-based U.S. District Court Judge Claudia Wilken delivered yet another blow to the Defense of Marriage Act, ruling that the 1996 federal marriage ban violated the equal protection rights of several gay employees of the state of California.

I know what you’re thinking. How many damn marriage cases are going on out there, and how do we keep them straight, so to speak? Well, that’s what you get for skipping over my semi-regular gay marriage case summaries, now isn’t it?

Let’s make it simple. There are now four main cases at the federal appellate level. One, the challenge to Prop 8 (waiting for full Ninth Circuit to decide whether or not to take appeal); two, the Massachusetts DOMA case (fully argued and waiting for ruling from three-judge First Circuit panel); three, the Golinski DOMA case (Ninth Circuit three-judge panel will hear arguments in September); and now number four, the Dragovich case just decided by Judge Wilken, which will soon be appealed to the Ninth Circuit as well.

In addition, we have two DOMA challenges at the trial level in federal courts that could be decided any time.

Those are the Pedersen case in Connecticut and the Windsor case in New York. Both these lawsuits will wind up before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit once opinions are announced.

Finally, we have a whole bunch of recently filed federal cases. One case challenges the Defense of Marriage Act on behalf of married gay servicemembers. Another DOMA case was filed on behalf of binational couples.

And Lambda Legal just filed a Prop 8-style case against the state of Nevada, arguing that the state’s antigay constitutional amendment violates the U.S. Constitution.

A couple of observations, if you will: First, we are batting a thousand. We have won all four of these cases at the trial level, and we’ve won the Prop 8 case at the appellate level as well.

Our success is due to our superior arguments, the backing of the Obama administration in the DOMA cases and our choice of courts.

Second, make note of the difference between the DOMA cases and the challenges to state law in California and Nevada. Both types of litigation involve the right to marry, but the legal issues are distinct in many ways, and the DOMA cases will be easier to win at the Supreme Court.

As for our most recent victory, Judge Wilken had already signaled her distaste for the Defense of Marriage Act in previous case rulings. In this lawsuit, the state of California was blocked from offering long-term care benefits to gay spouses and partners due to federal rules linked to the Defense of Marriage Act. Not only did Judge Wilken trash DOMA as unconstitutional, she also struck a related federal tax statute.

That’s a new development, involving a bureaucratic intricacy that I have not bothered to research in detail.

Ergo, we will leave it vague. But it sounds like a good thing, doesn’t it?

Illi-Noise As if our federal cases weren’t hard enough to track, Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union

have just filed twin freedom-to-marry suits in Illinois state court.

Say what?

Back in the day, prior to our explosion into the federal courts, our legal eagles deliberately focused their efforts on state court cases. We filed suit in Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, California, Iowa, Oregon, Washington; we filed suit just about everywhere where we thought we had a good chance of winning marriage equality.

Professional Services different version of the marriage ban, but my point is this: We won one. So here’s a message to the media. Stop saying that the gay community has never won a statewide vote on marriage! It’s inaccurate.

Doesn’t that bug you?

Wither Washington?

But, it’s been a while since we’ve gone this route. Now, we’re back in the state court game, seeking rights in the Land of Lincoln. Illinois allows civil unions, and it is one of the 28 states that have not passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage.

Over in Washington State, where marriage equality was also passed in the last legislative session, antigay groups are reportedly very close to gathering enough signatures to force a repeal vote this fall. They don’t seem to have quite the momentum of their bad buddies in Maryland, but our side nonetheless believes that they’ll collect the magic number by their June 6 deadline. If not, marriage will become legal in the state on June 7.

Like their counterparts in the federal courts, these cases take a long time.

All the briefs, all the arguments, the lower court, the appellate court, the state supreme court. Years go by. Still, it’s interesting to see that our community’s legal guns are firing on all cylinders.

The gay community won a statewide election in Washington in 2009, when voters refused to repeal the state’s domestic partner law by a 53-47 margin. We can only hope and pray that the “m” word doesn’t cost us those critical three or four points this time around.

Lambda also has a state case in New Jersey, where we are essentially relitigating the marriage case that we half won and half lost back in 2005.

Back then, the feckless New Jersey Supreme Court ducked its responsibility by ruling that gay couples deserved equal treatment, but that the word marriage wasn’t essential to that equality. Now, Lambda is forcing the state court to decide whether or not the state’s second-class civil union status comports with that 2005 ruling.

The answer will be “no,” but it looks as if we’ll have to wait until 2013 or 2014 to hear it.

Adding to the excitement is a parallel effort to qualify a constitutional amendment for the ballot that would def ine marriage as a union of one man and one woman. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, if this atrocity also qualifies, voters will have to vote yes on one of these things and no on the other. I know that this challenge appears well within the grasp of a small child, but these are the tricky little details that seem to perplex our fragile electorate. Personally, I’m hoping that our community and allies can deploy their intellectual advantage to positive feck in this context.

Had enough of legal news? Me too!

(I’m not sure that worked. But I had to try.)

Feck It All For the record, I looked up “feckless” in order to check on the word “feck,” which would be fun to use. Turns out that “feck” is an old Scots word for “effect.”

I was hoping for something more arcane. But while I was searching, I did stumble upon the word “femerell,” which refers to the “lantern, louver, or covering placed in the ridge of a hall roof for the purposes of ventilation or letting out the smoke of a fire kindled on a central hearth.”

I was about to write “moving on,” but I am wondering something. Why would a “lantern” or a “cover” act as a ventilator? A cover would keep the smoke in, and a lantern would serve no related purpose whatsoever. Who came up with this confusing definition?

Moving on, it looks as if the bad guys in Maryland have amassed enough petitions to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal our marriage rights. Our despicable foes submitted twice the requisite number of names, crowing and patting themselves on the backs all the while. Miserable crumbs of humanity.

I know, it was expected, but it’s still irritating. Our side is happy about polls that indicate some 57 percent of Crab State denizens approve of same-sex marriage, while 37 percent oppose equality. That said, I’m not falling into the optimism trap based on those numbers, considering our much-ballyhooed history of defeat at the ballot box.

This seems a good moment to remind everyone that we won a statewide marriage vote in Arizona in 2006 by a three-point margin. Arizona came right back at us in 2008 and passed a

The amendment petitions are due at some point in July and require over 300,000 signatures, so there’s a chance we’ll wind up with only one antigay measure on the Starbuck ballot. We’ll see.

Hate Mea ns Hav i ng to Say You’re Sorry I just read that several thousand protesters come out to scold North Carolina preacher Charles Worley, the guy who suggested that gay men and women be put in separate concentration camps for the rest of their lives, thus ensuring that none of us have any progeny to carry on the gay gene.

Talk about the intelligence gap between antigay activists and everyone else. Did Mr. Worley really believe all our parents were gay like us?

I suppose Worley’s Mother’s Day suggestion was half in jest, but still. The man deserves all the protesters we can muster. I would still have preferred that our North Carolina civil rights energies had revved up for the April amendment vote rather than this.

Too late now.

And in other news updates, we got an apology from Rutgers webcam spy Dahrun Ravi, who is about to start his 30-day prison sentence for the homophobic antics that helped trigger the suicide of his gay roommate, Tyler Clementi, in late 2010.

“I accept responsibility for and regret my thoughtless, insensitive, immature, stupid and childish choices,” Ravi said in a statement. “My behavior and actions, which at no time were motivated by hate… were nonetheless the wrong choices and decisions.

I apologize to everyone affected by those choices.” (continued on page 27

Read more @www.sfbaytimes.com and check us out on Twitter and Facebook.

BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 19

National News Briefs compiled by Dennis McMillan

New Brunswick, NJ - Rutgers Webcam-Spying Defendant Sentenced to Mere 30 Days – 5.21

Wa s h i ng ton D.C . - M a r r i a ge E qu a l it y Not a Fa c t or i n P r e s ide nt i a l Election – 5.22

A New Jersey judge sentenced Dharun Ravi to just 30 days in jail for using a webcam to spy on his roommate having sex with a man, a punishment that angered prosecutors and did little to quiet the debate over using laws against hate crimes to f ight anti-gay bias.

His roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in September 2010, t wo days after discover ing that Rav i had spied on him in their room at Rutgers University, galvanizing national concern about suicide among gay teenagers.

A recent NBC News/WSJ poll shows voters are relatively unaf fected by President Barack Obama’s suppor t for mar r iage equa l it y, and t here is g row ing suppor t for marriage equality in key constituencies – including among Republicans. 62 percent of voters said the posit ions of President Obama and Romney on marriage equality would not af fect their vote. The poll also found nearly 50 percent of Republ icans under t he age of 35 suppor t mar r iage equa l it y in t heir home states, while 68 percent of all those polled under the age of 35 support marriage for loving, committed same-sex couples. This new data reinforces previous polling that shows as marriage equality enjoys increasing majority support, it is less of a wedge issue – with voters more concerned about the economy, jobs, and the budget def icit.

Ravi had faced up to 10 years in prison after a jur y convicted him of all 15 counts against him, which included bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and tampering with a witness and evidence.

Prosecutors vowed to appea l, and t he sentence sur pr ised even many who had called for leniency, as it came after an extended scolding by Judge Glenn Berman in Superior Court in Middlesex County.

“I heard t his jur y say g ui lt y 288 t imes — 24 quest ions, 12 jurors, that’s the multiplication,” the judge told Ravi, recalling the questionnaire jurors f illed out in arriving at the verdict. “A nd I haven’t heard you apologize once.” Excuse me for editorializing, but shouldn’t the queer community be up in arms?!

“These numbers illustrate what we already know: in increasing numbers, Americans support marriage equality and an array of rights and protections for LGBT people,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Grow ing numbers of A mericans know and love their openly LGBT family members, neighbors, and coworkers. As a result, many see marriage equality as simply commonsense. People are rightfully focused on the economy and jobs - tr ying to play politics with the rights of an entire segment of the American population isn’t going to f ly in this election.”

Source: Human Rights Campaign newsletter

Source: New York Times

Baltimore, MD – Many Prominent African Americans Now Agree with Mar riage Equality – 5.21 Before their astounding 62-2 vote by their national board, the NAACP had not taken a national position on same-sex marriage, which radical wingnut bigots have tried to use to turn blacks against gay marriage. NAACP President Benjamin Jealous on MSNBC news, choking back tears, said, “When we get it wrong, it gives permission for bullying kids.” He said we can’t let states codify discrimination.

Jealous hopes the group’s resolution supporting same-sex marriage will encourage blacks to support marriage equality as a civil right if the question is put to voters on the ballot in Maryland or other states. The civil rights group’s resolution was significant, as only 39 percent of blacks favor gay marriage, compared with 47 percent of white Americans, according to a Pew poll conducted in April. Much of the opposition stems from churches, which have long been important institutions in the black community.

Jealous said, “There is a game being played right now to enshrine discrimination into state constitutions across the country, and if we can change that game and help ensure that our country’s more recent tradition of using federal and state constitutions to expand rights continues, we will be very proud of our work.”

Source: ABC News

Tupelo, MS - DC Comics and Marvel Superheroes Come Out of the Closet – 5.26 DC Comics recently announced that one of their most popular but, as of yet, unnamed prominent characters will soon be coming out of the closet. Gasp! DC Comics, owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, has decided that one of their beloved superheroes will be queer.

Who will they choose? Batman, Superman, Flash, Green Lantern, Plastic Man, or another one of their characters “that children look up to?” worries American Family Association and One Million Moms, who are now in a total tizzy. There’s not only THAT scary homo news, but “to make matters more shocking,” Marvel, now owned by Disney, followed DC Comics’ announcement with a surprise of their own. Northstar, Marvel’s first openly gay hero, is going to tie the knot with his boyfriend in the current issue of “Astonishing X-Men.” This is the first same-sex wedding in a superhero comic book. AFA and the Moms whine, “Children desire to be just like superheroes. Children mimic superhero actions and even dress up in costumes to resemble these characters as much as possible.

Can you imagine little boys saying, “I want a boyfriend or husband like X-Men?”

Maiden, NC – Supposed Christian Pastor Wants to Get Rid of Gays - Per manently – 5.22 In a sermon blasting President Obama for his same-sex marriage support, Pastor Charles L . Worley of Providence Road Baptist Church in Maiden, North Carolina, of fered a novel — and horrif ic — solution to the so-called “gay scourge”: build an electric fence and let lesbians, queers and homosexuals die out.

“I f igured a way to get rid of all the lesbians and queers,” this loving bigot says in his sermon. “Build a great, big, large fence — 150 or 100 mile long — put all the lesbians in there... Do the same thing for the queers and the homosexuals and have that fence electrif ied so they can’t get out… And you know what, in a few years, they’ll die.” Worley fails to understand that gay people are born, not made, and that there would just be more queer folk coming down the line.

T he not- so -holy ma n concluded , “G od have merc y. It ma kes me pukin’ sick to think about — I don’t even know whether or not to say this in the pulpit — can you imagine kissing some man?” Throughout the sermon, many of his equally loving congregants could be heard ca l l i ng out “A men.” Wel l, not just a ma n, but ma ny men, Pa stor darling!

Source: MS NBC New

Yes, actually I can imagine that, and actually delight in it!

Source: American Family Association newsletter

Local News Briefs Full Budget Restored for HIV/AIDS Care in San Francisco

AB 2312 Impedes Safe, Affordable Access; SB 1182 is More Workable Law

Mayor Ed Lee, joined by Supervisors Scott Wiener, David Campos and Christina Olague, have announced a total $6.6 million full budget restoration for HIV/AIDS care, treatment and prevention funding in FY 2012-13 to protect essential services to the City’s most vulnerable despite major federal funding cuts. Mayor Lee has also committed to cover half of the federal funding shortfall in his proposed FY 2013-14 budget, and met with the HIV/ AIDS community and supervisors to commit to collaborating in the coming year to identify budget solutions.

In reaction to US Attorneys’ threats on California to shut down all medical cannabis collectives, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano introduced Assembly Bill 2312, the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Control Act, which imposes a regulatory system that impacts all areas of the State that have not yet implemented a local medical cannabis ordinance. Collectives in cities such as San Francisco and Oakland may be grandfathered.

“San Francisco will continue to maintain investments in HIV/AIDS care, treatment and prevention, which reflect our values to care for our most vulnerable populations and prevent the spread of infection,” said Mayor Lee. “Despite continued budget challenges, we remain committed to funding critical care services for those living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco. Our City will continue to be a model for the rest of the nation, and we will continue to work collaboratively with our local community partners to build greater efficiencies in providing services to protect against future destabilizing federal cuts.”

AB 2312 is an example of a bill that takes-away-your-freedom-in-order-to-protect-you, says Patient Advocacy Network. “Assemblymember Ammiano will have you believe that this law will appease federal authorities and end the attack on our State’s medical cannabis laws,” they say. (It didn’t work for Colorado.) Unfortunately, AB 2312 creates a large bureaucracy of non-elected, non-voter-accountable, politically appointed individuals that will decide the fate of collectives across the State. Collectives pending consideration must close, pay yet-to-be-determined fees, and attend an unknown number of hearings prior to any potential approval.

$8 million of HIV federal funding was being stripped away from SF, but the mayor called HIV community members and leaders to deal with this challenge. “Mayor Lee’s commitment to the HIV community is rock solid,” said API Wellness Center Executive Director Lance Toma. “So the City’s HIV community will be served.” Lee noted that the day before, demonstrators had protested on City Hall steps for HIV services. “We will sail ferociously through our next 25 years,” concluded Toma.

Senate Bill 1182 introduced by State Senator Mark Leno simply proposes to adopt the currently non-binding “Attorney General Guidelines” as law and protects patients from prosecution for “marijuana commerce” as long as all activities are compliant with the guidelines.

Many collectives argue that they already comply with the current AG guidelines: maintaining a nonprofit, private, closed-loop organization made up only of legally qualified patients and caregivers. Senator Leno states SB 1182 is a “focused solution,” which is true enough when compared to the convoluted approach of AB 2312.

Source: Interview by Dennis McMillan

Source: Interview by Dennis McMillan

20 BAY TIMES MAY 31, 2012

Arts&Entertainment Frameline Preview: What to Watch, What to Avoid

Film

Gary M. Kramer

Gayby, [ June 16, 7:00 pm, Cast ro] is w r it er/d i rec t or Jonat ha n Lisecki’s hilarious feature, which originated as his fabulous short of t he same name. Jenn ( Jenn Harris) is a yoga instructor who asks her gay best friend Matt (Matthew Wilkas), a comic book artist /store clerk, to impregnate her—the oldfashioned way. A fter some comica lly awkwa rd procreat iona l sex, Gayby focuses on Jenn and Matt’s exper iences dat ing va r ious men.

Each comica lly st r uggles w it h t hei r erot ic desi res i n t hei r new relat ionship(s) because t hey have to save sex for baby-mak ing purposes. T h is ter r i f ic f i l m, fu l l of sma r t sit uat ions a nd sma r t ass one-liners, benefits from Lisecki’s w it t y script a nd Ha rris’ brillia nt and deadpan comic timing.

Another amusing film is Love or W h a t e ve r [ Ju ne 2 0, 4 : 0 0 pm , Castro], a sweet when it isn’t stu-

PHOTO SOURCE: F RAM EL IN E

I n t wo week s, Fr a mel i ne3 6 b e gins, bringing hundreds of queer shorts, features and docs to area screens. Here is a roundup of ten t it les to screen (or avoid) at t his year’s fest.

Our Paradise

pid romantic comedy. Corey (Tyler Poel le) is a t her apist whose sup erhot b oy f r iend Jon ( D av id Wilson Page) leaves him for Mel i s s a ( J e n i c a B e r g e r e), o n e o f Corey’s clients. Corey event ua lly finds solace with Pete ( Joel Rush), a gorgeous, poetry-reading, pizzadelivering g rad st udent he meets on Grindr. Insecure Corey is bolstered by his new relationship, but things become strained when Jon

tries to reinsert himself back into C orey ’s l i fe. L ove or W h at e ve r is charming whenever the attractive Rush or bubble-butted (and often bare-assed) troublemaker Jon are onscreen. And Jennifer Elise Cox lends solid comic support as Co rey’s quick-w itted, foul-mout hed, a nd hor ny lesbi a n si st er. A l a s , Poelle strains to be funny, and the lame script hinders him.

A not her f ilm t hat mixes gay and lesbia n cha r act ers is S t u d L ife [ June 17, 7:00 pm, Castro and June 18, 9:30 pm, Elmwood].

T h is Br it ish i mpor t feat u r i ng a black butch, J. J. ( T’Nia M i l ler), and her gay male best friend Seb (Kyle Treslove), is strictly amateur hour. J.J. is a jaded wedding photog rapher who fa l ls i n love w it h Elle (Robyn Kerr). But Seb thinks E l le is bad news; he doesn’t get

along with her. The lesbians’ relationship takes a turn for the worse when J.J. discovers something unsavory about Elle. The film’s best moment s have J. J. t a lk ing in direct address in podcast segments about dildos, lesbian sex, and bei ng on t he dow n low. T h is lowbudget f ilm present s wor t hwhile issues- -being torn bet ween a best friend and a girlfriend, and queerbashing—but Stud Life is too superficial to make viewers care about t he characters or t he resolut ions to their simplistic situations.

P H OTO S O URC E : F RA MEL I NE

T he mu mblecore p or n ent r y, I Want Your L ove [ June 17, 9:30 pm, Cast ro] offers part ing glances of San Franciscan Jesse ( Jesse Met zger), a n x ious about h is i m pending move to Ohio. Jesse tries to combat his despair through sex with a pickup and saying goodbye to h is ex, Ben ( Ben Jasper) a nd his roommate/ best friend Wayne ( Wayne Bumb). I Want Your Love is compelling because Jesse’s a nxiet y is pa lpable, especia l ly when he’s bored. Viewers, however, will be stimulated during the copious (a nd leng t hy) explicit sex scenes t hat show rea l int imacy bet ween various couples. The cast of ordina r y-look ing g uys g ive bold performances. W hile writer/director Tr av is Mat hew ’s f i l m mea nders a bit in search of a point, I Want Your Love still manages to be both impassioned and poignant.

Unconditional

I n it s f i rst scene, t he pret t y, lu rid, and ludicrous, Our Paradise [ June 23, 6:00 pm, Cast ro] asks, “ W hat g ives us a ha rd- on?” For most v iewer s, it m ay b e w a t ch (continued on next page) BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 21

P HOTO SOURC E: F RAM EL IN E

Frameline Preview continued

Four

ther the love between Angelo and Vassili nor the various plot twists believable. Never t heless, R ideau is fascinating as the aging hustler with murderous intentions and the film looks gorgeous.

There is no nudit y in Naked As We C a m e [ Ju ne 2 4 , 4 : 3 0 pm , Castro], only naked honesty as Elliot (Ryan Vigilant) and his sister Laura (Karmine A lers) visit their dy i ng mot her L i l ly (S . L ue McWillia ms). L illy is a bad, br it t le mo t her, w ho ap olo g i z e s t o her children for mistreating them, and tries to guide them before she dies.

Laura is an uptight, bitchy divorcee, while Elliot is a needy young ma n who i nappropr iately beg i ns an affair with Ted (Ben Weaver), a writer who is staying with Lilly.

E a r ne st ly m a de , a nd wo o den ly acted, the stagey Naked As We Came urges its characters to embrace responsibility for their actions in be-

tween arty shots of nature and episodes of pot smoking and archery.

None of the actors have chemistry with one another, and Elliot’s relationship with Ted feels particula rly forced. T he dra ma consists mainly of waiting for Lilly to die, so ever yone — v iewers i ncluded — can get on with their lives.

A n out st a nd i ng cha racter st udy, b a s e d o n C h r i s t o p h e r S h i n n’s play, Four [ June 21, 7:00 pm, Cast ro] dovet a i ls t he stor ies of t wo couples t hat meet up for sex on t he Four t h of July. June ( E mor y Cohen) is a shy, gay teen who arranges a hook up over the Internet w it h Joe ( Wendell Pierce) a g rega rious ma rried ma n. T he sma ll talk between these strangers—who go to a movie before retiring to a hotel room— deft ly captures t heir awkw a rd ness a nd st r a i ned i nt i macy. Joe tries to coax the visibly uncomfort able June to rela x, but

t heir encounter gets increasingly tenser. Meanwhile, Abigayle (Aja Naomi K ing) reluctantly meets up with Dexter (E .J. Bonilla) and allows him to smooth talk her. Four boast s a qua r tet of br illia nt performances—w ith Pierce in particu la r a st a ndout— a nd a seduct ive rhy t hm t hat w ill r ivet v iewers as the characters come to terms with themselves and each other.

I n cont rast , Four play [ June 17, 9 :3 0, Rox ie] i s a m i xed ba g of unrelated shorts. The f irst ent ry, “Skok ie,” is t he wea kest — a les bian’s fant asies are unexpectedly realized by some zoophilia. “Aust in” t akes t he realit y of a couple t r y ing to have a baby into fa nt asyla nd a s t hey couple up i n a n adult video store, while “Tampa”

Not to be missed is Beauty [ June 18, 9:30 pm, Castro], a potent and u nset t l i n g cha r act er st udy f rom Sout h A fr ica. Fra nçois ( Deon L ot z) f i xa t ed on t he sp el lbi nd ingly handsome Christ ian (Charlie Keega n), his fr iend’s son. A s Beauty unfolds, François’ closeted sex ua l it y a long w it h h is bigot r y (aga inst “faggots” a nd “colored”) comes to light. Bored by his marriage and irritated by life, François seeks out Christian, routinely spying on the irresistible young man i n creepi ly ef fect ive scenes shot mostly without sound. Frustrated, hor ny, a nd r u n n i ng out of t i me, Fra nçois dist urbingly acts on his pent-up desires. And Beauty builds its tension inexorably as François wa its a nd plots before pouncing.

PHOTO SOUR CE: FR AM ELI N E

ing angelic A ngelo (Dimit ri Durdaine) and his young, soft f lesh in various stages of undress. For the devilish Vassili (Stéphane Rideau) a hustler on the wrong side of 30, it seems to off ing t he older men who h i re a nd /or reject h i m t hat excites him. Writer/director Gaël Morel films the violent killings in Our Paradise more artfully than the copious sex scenes, which adds to the film’s perverse qualities. The st or y ha s Va ssi l i sav i n g A n gelo from deat h, becom i ng h is lover, a nd pi mpi n g h i m out to cl ient s uninterested in threesomes. Event ua l ly t he Va ssi l i’s cr i mes force him and A ngelo to f lee gay Paris for Lyon where they take up with A n na ( B éat r ice Da l le), Va ssi l i’s old friend, and her young 10 -year old son . A t h i rd ac t places t he boys at Victor’s (Didier Flamand) remote count r y est ate. Our Paradise gets increasingly more ridiculous as it goes along, making nei-

A risky film about characters that take unusual risks, Unconditional [ Ju ne 22 , 9:3 0 pm Cast ro] is an unconventional love story that starts out seductive before it turns sinister. Twins K risten and Owen ( Ha r r y McE nt ire) a re ca r ing for t heir disabled mom when a loa n off icer, L ia m (Christ ia n Cooke,) arrives at the door of their towerblock. K r isten fa ncies t he ha ndsome Liam, but Liam has designs on Owen —litera lly. A fter get t ing t he yout h d r u n k one n i g ht , he d resses t he b oy up i n women’s clot h i ng a nd t a kes “her” out on the town. Owen is drawn to Liam, who confesses love for Owen—but on ly i f/when he’s wea r i ng a w ig.

W h i le t hei r secret rela t ionsh ip put s a st ra i n on K r isten, t h i ngs t a ke a t u r n for t he worse when L iam shows his darker side—bully i ng ot hers a nd dema nd i ng u ncond it iona l love from h is “g i rl.”

Un co n d i t i o n a l h a s some not able moment s, but once L ia m st a r t s acting violently toward Owen, the f i l m st r a i ns a l l cred ibi l it y. T he f i l m w i l l work b est for v iewer s t hat completely buy into t he fa rfetched plot. Both McEntire and C o oke g ive rem a rk able p er formances, but it’s hard to care about the characters once they—and the plot—go off the deep end.

Gayby

• See more Stories @ sfbaytimes.com • 22 BAY TIMES MAY 3 1, 2012

is lewd, cr ude a nd r ude comedy about bat hroom sex, overf low ing w it h semen. The most int rig uing shor t is “Sa n Fr a ncisco,” wh ich depic t s t he i nt i m a t e encou nt er bet ween A l iya ( Pau l S oi leau), a t r a nsvest it e prost it ut e a nd Tom ( G a r y C h a son ), a st r a i g ht m a n “looking for something a little different.” Their evening culminates in a sex act that will either amaze or disturb viewers, much like all of the shorts in this collection.

A scene of François- -anxious, env ious a nd breat h ing heav ily in a car—is particularly intense. Lotz is magnificent as François, but Beauty’s real magic is its slow burn approach t hat yields harsh violence a nd a qu iet ly devast at i ng (open) ending. © 2012 Gary M. Kramer

Read more @ sfbaytimes.com

Sister Dana Sez t ro, (where a not her pl aque h a s been installed) for more speeches and music.

Sister Dana Van Iquity thinks May is soooo l a st month , a nd wel com es th e way kewler June month of Queer Pride!

A L L T H I NG S M I L K i nc lud e d t he u n v e i l i n g c e r e mo n y o f t he new Har vey M i l k plaque i n Milk Plaza and the MIL K mov ie screen ing on Har vey M i l k Day, May 22nd. The plaque had been stolen, but it has been replaced and well secured. For the ceremony, the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom B a nd pl aye d “ C a l i for n i a Her e I C ome” a nd “ Sa n Fr a nc i sco,” among other tunes. State Senator Mark L eno (who got leg islat ure t o of f ic i a l l y de c l a r e e v e r y M ay 22nd as M i l k Day), Super v isor s Scott Wiener, David Campos and Christina Olague, Milk’s speechw r it er Fr a n k Robi n s on , M i l k ’s c a mpa i g n m a n a g er A n ne K r o nenberg, and Stuar t M i l k ( Harvey’s nephew) gave lively speeches. T he L esbian/Gay Chor us of SF sang par t of T he Har vey Milk Cantata . I won’t quote the whole plaque, because I want people to read it for themselves; but I w ill reveal the very meaningful words

by Milk on it: “I am all of us.”

We t hen ma rched to M i l k’s old camera store locat ion, 575 Cas(NAACP continued from page 1) becoming welcoming congregations to LGBT individuals and their families.”

Yes, the NAACP might also experience some turbulence in membership, should disgruntled members choose to leave, But, it can also enjoy a new generation of members from a diversity of backgrounds. Hint: you don’t have to be African American to join and support the NAACP, no more than you must be LGBT to support the Human Rights Campaign or the other like organizations.

Yes, the nation’s most storied, historically renowned civil rights organization’s endorsement of same sex marriage equality can go a long way towards dispelling the misguided notion that African Americans are uniformly opposed to marriage equality. While the work must continue to build understanding of the importance of LGBT civil rights among populations of African Americans -- just as there is among several other racial, faith, age, and geographical demographics -- let’s hope that the divisive notion that African Americans are somehow more homophobic than any other racial population is nearing a resting place.

BR I NGI NG T H E I N T E R N A TIONA L A IDS CA NDLE L IGH T V IGI L BACK HOM E: The f irst A IDS Candlelight vigil in 1983 was orchestrated by the Sisters of Per petua l Indulgence, led by t he ba nner “Fight ing for o u r L i v e s .” O n e o f t h e m a n y speakers to the weeping and ang r y c r owd w a s S i st er F lor enc e Nightmare (aka Bobbi Campbell).

She wa s not on ly a hea lt h ca re professional, but an advocate for PWAs and was herself HIV positive and “poster boy for A IDS” on national magazine covers. A small g roup of us marched from M i l k Plaza to M ilk L ibrar y this year.

Mike Shriver, a board member of the National A IDS Memorial Grove, was guest speaker.

Wellness Center with 25 years of health, hope & home. Entertainment began with Gregangelo and Velocit y Ci rcus, a nd Cat her i ne Zir i l los pa inted a g reen d ragon on my c he e k . ( pu p p et g r a m a @ gmail.com: she’ll paint U2!) Tita A i d a l i p - s y n c h e d “ I ’m E v e r y Wom a n” a s ten m a cho Men of Asia/SF danced. Later the Ladies of Asia/SF danced and lipped to “Burlesque.” Execut ive Director L a nce Toma t ha n ked t he ma ny volunteers and staf f who serve the clients “w ith our own San Francisco values.” Toma emphasized, “ We a re t r u ly a n i nclusive a nd diverse community taking care of each other.” Former Mayor Willie Brown presented the A lly Award to Mayor E d L ee, who helped avert a potential crisis related to H I V/A I D S s er v ic e s a s fe der a l dollars to SF were drastically reduced. “T h is is one of t he most i mpor t a nt prog ra ms we’ve ever had in our city,” said Mayor Lee. “ It w i l l cont i nue to be so, a nd t h is is a ref lect ion of ou r commitment.” Newly installed Health C o m m i s s i o n e r C e c i l i a C hu n g presented t he Grassroots Award to Tita A ida (Tagalog for “Aunty A IDS”) aka Nikki Calma, “a central force in our communit y,” as Toma extol led. She ha s worked at A&PI Wellness Center and its predecessor, Asian A IDS Project, for 18 years. She is currently the Trans:Thrive program supervisor at the Center.

GA PA BLOOM was a celebration of the Gay Asian/Pacif ic Islander

M A M A T U R N ED 70 at her big bodacious Beatbox bir t hday

We attended the incredible docudrama, MIL K , the mov ie at the Ca st ro T heat re a s a f u nd ra i ser for the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in the Castro with guest speakers Cleve Jones (good fr iend of Har vey and founder of t he Na mes P roject A I DS Qu i lt) a n d A c a d e m y Aw a r d - w i n n i n g MIL K screenwr iter Dust in L a nce Bl ac k. Dr ag queen Iv y Dr ip, t he fat her of t wo adopted children attend ing the Academy and a chief fundraiser and parent teacher association leader for the school, acted as emcee.

party with Mama’s Family and leat her-lov i ng f r iend s i n at tendance. Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt did not look a day over 40, having “mothered” several hundred memb er s of her m i l l ion - dol l a r A IDS/ breast cancer fundraising leat her fol k. A big ca ke w it h her image preceded the entertainers: us nuns ( I am of f icially “Mama’s N u n” ) , E m p e r o r J o h n We b e r, Grand Duke Carlos Medal, Empress Tiger Lily, American Leather Woman, Bobby A shton, Bebe Sweetbr iar, Empress A lex is M iranda, and Eric Hansen – all doing “mama” themed tunes. Senat or Ma rk L eno g ave M a ma a certif icate of recognition.

PAT R I K G A L L I N E AU X , fundraiser and fun-raiser extraordinaire a lso celebrated a birthday (at T he Ca fé) - where t he Stol i f lowed freely. Hot ‘n Sticky was t he t heme regard ing t he Pepper Stol i a nd Honey Stol i cockt a i ls s er ved by hot hone y b ee b oy s .

Fabulous entertainment was prov ided by Ca ssa nd r a Ca ss, DQs Paju Munro, Gi l let te T hebest amancanget, Tar y n-T hr u-U, and Miss Rahni!

M A R IEL A CASTRO, a sexolog ist and the daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro, spoke at t he L GBT C om mu n it y C enter a nd v i s ited t he GL BT H i s tor y Museum for a pr ivate tour of the galleries. Castro was joined by her husband, Ita l ian photographer Paolo Titolo. A lso tak ing par t was Jef f Cotter, d irector of the Rainbow World Fund, an or-

ganization that promotes LGBTQ philanthropy in the area of global hu ma n it a r ia n rel ief. “Our m is s ion i s to i n for m v i s itor s of a l l k inds about the diverse histories of GL BT people a nd about t he importance of social respect and acceptance,” said Paul Boneberg, director of the GL BT Histor ical Societ y, the inst itut ion that created the museum. “Ms. Castro’s visit is very much in keeping with those goals.”

SE X IN THE CIT Y w i l l be rev i s ited Ju ne 5 onw a r d w it h a n all-drag cast. The show revolves a rou nd t he l ives of fou r you ng professiona l women in search of t he per fect rel at ion sh ip ... a nd orgasm! Carrie Bradshaw ( Hekl ina) wr ites a column about sex a nd rel at ion s h ips i n New York c it y w it h t h r e e o f h e r c l o s e s t friends: Samantha Jones (D’A rcy Drollinger), who owns her own PR f i r m a nd is more i nterested i n excit i ng “one-n ighter s” t ha n long-term relationships; Miranda Hobbes ( L ady Bea r), a cy n ica l l aw yer who pr ior it i z e s her c a reer over her erratic love life, and Charlotte York ( Tri x xie Carr), an art gallery curator who is a bit prudish when it comes to sex, but hasn’t yet lost her fa it h in f inding t r ue love. Feat ur ing Cook ie D o u g h , J o r d a n W h e e l e r, a n d L eigh Crow a s M r. Big. Rebel, 1760 Market Street. Info: brownpapertickets.com/event/245268.

Sister Dana hopes everyone burned the candle at both ends for the Memorial Day wick-end.

Finally, and perhaps above all, the NAACP stood f irmly for a fundamental cause in the fight for same sex marriage equality: the protection of the separation of church and state as set forth in the Constitution.

The NAACP recognizes that we live in a democracy, not a theocracy. The President is sworn to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. He or she is not sworn in to uphold the interpreted commandments of the Bible, or other articles of a theocracy.

Reaff irming and clarifying in no uncertain terms that same sex marriage is a civil right, a matter of civil law -- while respecting the various, often complex, contentious religious views on marriage even amongst it’s own membership -- is a much welcome, reasoned resolution from the NAACP. It was simply the right thing to do. And, it is never to late to do the right thing.

Andrea Shorter is a long time advocate for LGBT rights, past director of Marriage Equality and Coalitions at EQCA, and the And Marriage For All, a public education campaign for African American communities regarding the importance of same sex marriage equality as a civil right

BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 23

Gay Men and the Love/Lust Split

Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT Despite our pol it ica l and socia l gains, for many gay men the f irst thing they realize about their sexuality is that it’s dangerous to let a nyone k now what t hey’re feeli ng. To protect t hemselves t hey learn to “quarantine” it so that it never intersects their social lives.

Sex becomes con f ined to secret ive fa nt a s y a nd m a st u rbat ion, long i ng s f rom a fa r, f u r t ive sex with strangers. Sometimes an internal quarantine also develops.

Sexual feelings separate from affectionate feelings and develop on an autonomous track so that love and lust come to reside in separate psychological spaces.

According to San Francisco psychot herapist a nd sexolog ist Dr. Jack Morin, this is the root cause of the “ love//lust split” that becomes problemat ic i n t he adu lt lives of some gay men. Mor in is t he aut hor of T he Erotic Mind , a ground-breaking study of the na-

t u re of sex ua l a rousa l. W hen I spoke w ith him about this issue, he told me that men with this issue are, typically, experts at having high intensity, fantasy-driven sex – but often only with strangers or casual buddies. Sometimes t h a t ’s b e c a u s e t h e i r f a nt a s i e s are edg y and socially forbidden.

They may enjoy act ing on t heir fantasies with relative strangers, but feel inhibited with loved partners. T hey may f ind it d if f icu lt to b ecome sex u a l ly a rou sed i n intimate relationships, a frustration that leads some to avoid relationships altogether, and to feel ch ron ic a l ly emot ion a l ly u n f u lf illed, even while having intense sex lives.

Mor i n bel ieves t hat a com mon pit fa l l i n at tempt i ng to resolve this issue is to make the lust part of t he equat ion i nto a n enemy.

“If you f ight with your sexuality, you w i l l lose,” he says emphat ically. “Struggling with a turn-on on ly ma kes it more compel l ing, bec au se you r des i re h a s to be come even stronger to overcome t he i n h ibit ion. I n add it ion, t he act of f ighting against the desire gener ates i nten se emot ion t hat joins w it h t he tur n- on, increasi ng it s power.” W hen f ight i ng lust involves shame, anxiety and g ui lt, we r isk sett ing up a “sin/ repentance” cycle. “Guilt, shame and anxiety are paradoxical emot i o n s ,” M o r i n s a y s , “ b e c a u s e while they inhibit sexual arousal they also intensify it when the energ y of the emotions joins up with the turn-on.” A w iser approach,

POP ROX

he believes, is not to go on a campaign against your sexuality, but to a c c e pt a l l of it , even i f you choose to conf ine acting on some of it to fantasy.

On the relationship side, it’s important to understand that there are dif ferent “ f lavors” of sexualit y. Lust f u l sex, for i nst a nce, is t y pic a l ly fa nt a s y- d r iven, head based, genitally focused, high intensity and “hot.” Lovemaking is more often body-based, sensua l and “warm.” For those who are used to high-intensity sex, warm s e x m ay b e a n a c qu i r e d t a st e.

When guys explore its subtleties, t he y m ay m i s s “ hot ” i nten s it y, and may f ind that erections and orgasms are less reliable. It’s important to take these experiences in stride rather than see them as fa i lures. L ea r n i ng a new f lavor r e qu i r e s r e a l i s t ic e x p e c t at ion s and patience with oneself.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is tommoon.net.

Queer and Loathing on the Campaign Trail

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Stu Smith God knows what prompted a demur, innocent hipster like me to decide to run for an elected of f ice, a lbeit a seem i ngly u n i mpor t a nt one like The Democratic County Central Committee, but I did. So what is involved in this decision, once made? For starters, you go to t he Depa r t ment of E lect ions and register. They then give you a mountain of paperwork to f ill out a nd a s ig n at u re pet it ion where you ask registered Democrats who live in the district you’re running

By K. Cole

No cr it icism i ntended, but t hat t r a i n i ng wa s com ic a l when t he f ive Ethics Commission employees lea r ned t hei r presenter was unable to ma ke it a nd t hey cou ld n’t do muc h of a ny t h i n g.

U lt i mately, t hey took our ques tions and said they’d email us the answers. They had a team of f ive staf fers there who really couldn’t answer cand idate quest ions, but poop happens to all of us.

GOSSIP “A Joyful Noise” This long awaited release from the Gossip is polished and pop - and that has some people pretty darn mad. Is this a blatant attempt to crash into the gay dance scene, or truly an inevitable evolution? I’m more likely to think the latter.

If I erase the past Gossip and just listen to Joyful Noise with clean ears, I wind up having a smile on my face and bopping my head, yes, downright bopping. It’s the voice that sells this collection of shiny happy face music, but wasn’t that what sold the Gossip in the first place?

Best Cut: “Move in the Right Direction” Location: Around the pool, Palm Springs

T hen st a r t s t he g r uel i ng f un of ca mpa ig n i ng because t here a re more than 30 Democrat ic Clubs sanct ioned by The Count y Central Committee and you want or need t hei r endor sement s to get elected, so they say. A s a queer candidate who is also a disabled senior liv ing on litt le more than fumes, it is a challenge, but also great fun.

The Milk and Toklas Clubs came out of t he gate ea rly a nd, of course, I d idn’t score w ith them because t hei r da nce ca rd s were already f illed. When I entered the race I had lots of opinions, right a nd w rong, about t h is pol it ica l position and the folks who run for it and, as it turns out, I was wrong.

A lthough I’ve been strongly chastised for my position that elected of f icials, like Supervisors, should not serve on the Central Committee, most of my fellow candidates are already elected or appointed, so are pretty much pre-endorsed.

I ’ve m a d e s ome g r e at f r iend s , s u c h a s M a t t D o r s e y, R a f a e l Mandelman, Zoe Dunning, Chris Vasquez, Jo Elias-Jackson, Dean C l a rk , t he br i l l i a nt D r. Ju s t i n Morg a n, A l i x Rosent ha l, Ch r is Gembinsk i, R ick Hauptman, Pet r a D eJe s u s , K at A nd er s on , (continued on page 25)

JAPANDROIDS “The House That Heaven Built” (Digital 7”) Proving once again that you don’t need a lot of bodies to make a body of work, Brian and Dave of the Japanoids have created a wall of sound exploiting all that technology can muster, and lo, it is good. After touring through over twenty countries in so many months, this hard rockin’, smash duo have created something of a flash buzz due to their high energy live shows and incredible blatant disregard for the status quo. Get your converse sneakers and geek glasses on and pogo around the room already!

Best Cut: “The House That Heaven Built” Location: The Independent, June 14th

ROYAL THUNDER “Mouth of Fire” Go back, way back, back to the Haight and the sixties, back to the time of Grace Slick, Led Zeppelin and what we used to call rock. Royal Thunder has been hiding under a rock somewhere for the past thirty years and now appears as a vision of what used to be. But is that so bad? This is a welcome slice of ginger for a pallet too used to sicky sweet. We’ve had “Lez” Zeppelin and AC/DShe cover bands to feed this hunger, until now. Come on in all you hard rocking queers and feast on this!

Best Cut: “Mouth of Fire” Location: Remember the Nightbreak?

Ah, I suppose I’ll have to hang at Thee Parkside.

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SCISSOR SISTERS “Magic Hour (Deluxe Version)” Jake is back with the fourth album release from our favorite gay pop icons. Is it because they are outloud and proud? Or was it the B52 fashions we love more? Rated explicit and well, it really is, I’m sure you will be hearing this (if not already) on every dance floor in town. Is it house, electropop, a George Michael rip off, or just drag queen catwalk music, we can’t be so sure. Take a listen though, even if this album doesn’t last through the end of summer you’ll be singing “Let’s Have a Kiki” in your sleep by the end of pride.

Best Cut: “F***K Yeah” Location: Castro Dyke March pink party.

Heart Is Where Your Home Is LEO (July 23 – August 22) Your fearless leadership skills sometimes set you apart from the pack, Leo. This, however, is not the time to fly solo. Unite with your tribe, and realize power in numbers.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Are your personal aspirations drawn from your innermost desires, or do you constantly strive to fulfill someone else's needs? Commit to your cause, Sagittarius. Honor the importance of your destiny.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) As you re-stitch holes in your weathering safety net, remember, Taurus – true security comes from within. Start by creating a sustainable system that's primarily fueled by your authentic passions.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) You're highly self-motivated to succeed, Virgo, and succeed you shall. Now it's important to reflect on what you've learned, so you can clarify what you still genuinely wish to attain.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) How do you wish to be remembered, Capricorn?

Now's an ideal time to polish professional goals.

Think seriously about what you're currently doing to create a loving and lasting legacy.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Ask yourself, Gemini... Where have you been devoting the majority of your attention lately? Are you smiling at the answer? Redirect your consciousness to align more with what enlivens you.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Go deep, Libra. Re-examine qualities you've used to define yourself all this time, and liberate from oppressive expectations that no longer serve you.

Renew your identity from the inside out.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Creative impulses are plentiful now, Aquarius.

Supercharge your senses by summoning spiritual guidance and plugging wholeheartedly into the collective subconscious. The entire world is your amusement park. Play.

ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Your heart is weighing options while your mind is racing to keep up. Enjoy this newfound variety, Aries, but be selective about who rents space in your head. better.

Astrology Gypsy Love What we value and what we pay for are often vastly different. This distinction is important to consider now, as the Universe presents our cosmic palates with a celestial smorgasbord of tasty options. As power structures evolve, it's vital that we demystify personal passions if we expect to ride this exciting wave of transformation.

What attracts you? Do you harbor hidden desires? Reacquaint yourself with the beauty of your dreams.?

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) They say, “Home is where the heart is.” I say, “Heart is where your home is.” This rings true especially for you now, Cancer. Make “love” your sanctuary.

www.AstrologyByGypsyLove.com

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Fear of the unknown is subconsciously undermining your path to soulful living. Remember, Scorpio – most of the galaxy's brightest stars aren't visible in daylight. Surrender to the dark side.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) When chaos abounds, where do you retreat for peace, Pisces? Determine which environments are most compatible with your pleasure zone, and stake claim. Reserve space for precious ideas to thrive.

PHOTO BY STEVEN UN DERHIL L

Gypsy Love’s astrology readings have helped 1000’s of people attract what they authentically desire.

Hot fun in the sunshine at Dolores Park on a recent Sunday afternoon.

(FRISCO continued from previous page) Joaquin Torres, Arlo Hale-Smith and ot her tr uly fascinat ing men a nd women. At t he sa me t i me, I nod a nd somet i mes get a nod b a c k f r om t he e s t a b l i s he d b i g g u n s l i k e S u p e r v i s or s Av a l o s , Mar, Campos, Chiu, the rock star Carole M igden, bossman A aron Pesk in and L eah P imenta l. I’m deeply impressed w it h t he commitment and passion of all these ca nd idates a nd bemused by t he somewhat glib words coming from the mouths of the pro’s. I’m told that most campaign f inance rules don’t apply to DCCC races and t hat t he powers t hat be decided in the last couple years to have already elected players run so they can raise more unrestricted campaign funds for their own future election “ banks” and to contribute to others they support.

A l l told, t hough, it’s been a rewarding and educational experience, one that can’t be taught in a political science class or learned from a t utor ia l, so meet i ng a nd lea r n i ng about t he people who sacrif ice their time and resources to do t h is g r uel i ng work ha s been a rea l tr ip. It reminds me of the old Hollywood Star system where t he st ars have it made in the shade, and the bit players and extras work their butts of f hoping to eat cake too!

fruits m o r F “ s” to nut

CASTRO

FFARMERS’ MARKET FAR

WEDNESDAYS

10 is good.

10 after 10 is better. $10 food specials $10 specialty cocktails Thursday thru Saturday from 10pm to midnight

4PM - 8PM

June 6: Enter to win tickets to the Castro Theatre.

June 13: Enter to win a basket of blueberries.

June 20: Gay Pride week featuring flamenco and Hawaiian dancers.

NOE ST. BETWEEN

MARKET ST. & BEAVER ST. 1.800.949.FARM • pcfma.com/castro

2223 Market Street San Francisco (415) 431-0692 jakesonmarket.com BAY T IM ES M AY 31, 2012 25

Historically speaking, the Bay Times began in 1979 as a Calendar for the LGBTQ community. The title was Coming Up!

See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

compiled by Robert Fuggiti

Cubanas! Book Reading – Mission Cultural Center Theater. $10. 7pm to 9pm. (2868 Mission St.) www.missionculturalcenter.org.

Mirta Yanez and Nancy Alonso will share readings from Yanez’s Havana is a Really Big City, and Alonso’s Disconnect/Desencuentro, with a short Q&A afterwards.

Comedy Bodega – Esta Noche.

Free. 8pm. (3079 16th St.) www. estanocheclub.com. Weekly comedy show featuring Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, Shawn Robbins, Simone Campbell, and Marga Gomez.

Mix, Mingle and Give – Postrio Café & Bar. $30. 5:30pm to 8pm. (545 Post St.) www.outandequal.org. Support LGBT Equality in the workplace and raise money for 3 charities: Project Open Hand, Larking Street and Out & Equal

Critical Bliss – High Street Station Café. $10. 7pm to 10pm.

(1303 High St., Alameda) www. highstreetstationcafe.com. A new San Francisco rock band, playing edgy rock, catchy originals, and just about anything else with awesome vocal harmonies.

Queer the Art Exhibit – Show & Tell. Free. 6pm to 9pm.

(500 12th St. #139, Oakland) www. showandtelloakland.com. A gallery show curated by LGBTQ Youth and Family Advocacy.

17th Annual Valencia Cyclery Bike Sale – Valencia Cyclery. 10am to 6pm. Thru June 10. (1077 Valencia St.) www.valenciacyclery.com. The biggest bike sale of the year, with many markdowns. 10% of all proceeds will benefit Project Open Hand.

San Francisco Symphony’s 2012 Black & White Ball – Davies Symphony Hall. $250+. 8pm.

(201 Van Ness Ave.) www.sfsymphony.org. Featuring the legendary Paul Simon performing some of his greatest hits along with co-headliners Cyndi Lauper and The Wallflowers, and special guest performer Janelle Monáe.

Margaret Cho – Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. $45/$65. 8pm.

(50 Mark West Rd., Santa Rosa) www.margaretcho.com. Grammy Award nominee Margaret Cho holds nothing back in her hilarious, raunchy comedy show.

Bay Area Rainbow Symphony – SF Conservatory of Music. $15-30. 8pm. (50 Oak St.) www.bars-sf.org. BARS will feature Conte’s Fantasy for Orchestra, Mihaud’s Scaramouche featuring David Henderson on saxophone, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures.

Montclair Women’s Big Band – Coventry Grove. $35$55. 3pm. (500 Coventry Rd., Kensington) 510-225-5665. Enjoy 2 6 BAY TIM ES M AY 31 , 2 0 1 2

Cathy Richardson will perform live at Biscuits & Blues on Friday, June 8. Photo: Johnny Grace the music of this 16-piece all woman’s band. Complimentary beer, wine and snacks provided.

100 Saints You Should Know – Thick House. $10-$30. 3pm. Thru June 17. (1695 18th St.) www.therhino.org. A comedy-drama penned by one of America’s most sensitive playwrights, 100 Saints touches on family love, homosexuality and adolescence.

SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Concert – Lake Merritt Bandstand. Free. 3pm. (699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland) www.sflgfb.townalive.com. An outdoor summer concert to kick off pride month.

Entrepreneurship: From Stanford to Startup – Stanford University. $20. 6pm to 8pm. (401 Quarry Rd., Palo Alto) www.startoutstanfordentrepeneurs.eventbrite.com. This special evening devoted to entrepreneurship will cover the phases of starting and building a business from the viewpoints of five successful entrepreneurs.

Free to Be Exhibit – I’ve Been Framed Shop. 10am to 5pm. (411 Ferry St., Martinez) www.martinezarts.org. An exhibit that explores the emotions, dreams, and challenges of those living an alternative lifestyle in today’s ever-evolving, diverse society.

Monday Musicals: Superstar Edition – The Edge SF. Free. 7pm to 2am. (4149 18th St.) www.edgesf.com. Enjoy clips from classic movie musicals and Broadway shows.

The Freeradical Projekt Live – Moe’s Alley. $5. 8pm. (1535 Commerical Way, Santa Cruz) www.moesalley.com. The Freeradicals are an explosive 7-piece band delivering a blend of

funk, soul, jazz and hip-hop.

Radically Gay: The Life of Harry Hay – SF Main Library.

Free. 9am to 8pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.sfpl.org. Exhibit continues: Curated by Joey Cain; explores the life, ideas and contributions of Hay, who is considered the founder of the modern Gay Movement.

Lips Together, Teeth Apart – New Conservatory Theatre Center. $25. 8pm. Thru July 1. (25 Van Ness Ave.) www.nctcsf.org. A gay community on Fire Island provides an unlikely backdrop for two straight couples who try to divert themselves with food, cocktails, and fireworks, all while a group of gay men party on next door.

Mike’s Men: Sex, Guys and Videotapes – Magnet. Free.

11am to 6pm. Thru June 30. (4122 18th St.) www.magnetsf.org. A solo exhibit of drawings and videos with limited edition prints and posters.

Smart Women – The Bellevue Club. Members free/$10 non-members. 5:30pm to 7:30pm. (525 Bellevue Ave., Oakland) www.bettyslist.com. Featured guest speaker, Pat Mayfield, GGBA executive director. Optional dinner afterwards.

Deviations: A Gayle Rubin Reader – GLBT History Museum.

7pm to 9pm. (4127 18th St.) www. glbthistory.org. Gayle Rubin discusses her latest collection of essays, which focuses on her involvement of queer public history in San Francisco and the importance of LGBT archives.

Tubesteak Connection – Aunt Charlie’s. $4. 10pm. (133 Turk St.) www.auntcharlieslounge.com.

Dance the night away to great music and a fun crowd at one of the best SF dive bars in town.

Ladies Night – Café Flore. Free.

5pm. (2298 Market St.) www.cafeflore.com. An evening of networking, cocktail specials and a great menu with great pricing.

Cathy Richardson – Biscuits & Blues. $20. 8pm. (401 Mason St.) www.biscuitsandblues.com. Enjoy the musical styling of Cathy

Richards, with influences of jazz, blues, and American Rock.

Chely Wright: Wish Me Away – Rialto Cinemas. $11.

Various times. (2966 College Ave., Berkeley) www.rialtocinemas.com.

A film that follows the struggle and triumph of Chely Wright, the first Nashville country music star to come out as openly gay.

Queer Women of Color Film Festival – The Yerba Buena Center. Thru June 10. (700 Howard

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Gloria Swanson- Personal Chef, Cooking Demonstrations. Call 415.552.3232 to discuss your next menu! www.chefforhiresf.com, glofriasws@aol.com

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

Dating Service

Pets

Catering

New Free Dating Website.

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Financing

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.

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

Legal Services B. Scott Levine 510-763-2300 bscottlevine@gmail.com

Massage El Cerrito Swedish by Rick www.rickoz2.com 510-932-5478 11-11 Daily

SURF DOG large dog boarding at Ocean Beach. Queer Owned. sfsurfdogs.com.

(415) 637-7717 DOG TRAINING in Your Home Cindy Gehring, Dog Trainer 408-238-1540, DogHelpNow@gmail.com, www.cindygehring.com

Self Defense

Soko Joshi Judo & Self Defense Club for Women. 415-821-0303 phdshelley@sbcglobal.net

Tax Preparation The Lesbian Tax Mom 510-653-4323 taxmomsusan@yahoo.com

Therapy

Experienced Psychologist - LGBTQ Issues - Castro - Sliding Scale - Diana Gray, PhD (PSY10607) 415-309-4729 Barbara A. Adler, LMFT. PsychotherapyConsultation- Education- Training. barbaraadlerLMFT.com, 415-990-9137.

Gay-Latino Fiction

www.BellicoseBoys.com features two Mexican-Americans: An academic Harvard and an athlete Matt-the-jock.

St.) www.qwocmap.org. Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP) creates, exhibits and distributes new films that authentically reflect the lives of queer women of color and address the vital social justice issues that concern multiple communities.

Youth, Faith, and Family Conference – Mount Diablo UUC. 12pm to 5pm. (55 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek). www.californiaforequality.org. This conference provides tools for attendees to make their congregations, schools and communities more welcoming by supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and allied youth.

Pink and Purple Grand Opening Party – Café Cocomo. $10. 1pm to 7pm. (650 Indiana St.) www.cafecocomo.com. A new outdoor dance party with drink specials and free BBQ. Marga Gomez: Not Getting Any Younger – The Marsh Berkeley. $15-$35. 8pm. (1062 Valencia St.) www.themarsh.org.

Gomez spills the beans in her 9th solo show—a comedy about lies, vanity and the good old days.

Pride Kick-off Party - SF LGBT Center. $30-$60. 1pm to 4pm. (1800 Market St.) www. sfpride.org. The official launch party of Pride season! Rooftop margaritas on the deck, along with a silent auction, live performances, food and more.

Riding Fury Home Book Party – Hotel Whitcomb. 4pm to 6pm. (1231 Market St.) www.ridingfuryhome.com. Author Chana

Wilson reads selections from her book, Riding Fury Home: A Memoir.

The Beef Cake Comedy Show – Deco Lounge. $10. 8pm.

(510 Larkin St.) www.decosf.com.

Enjoy a night of laughs as hunky guys tell jokes, shirtless! Featuring Anthony Medina, Rajeev Dhar and many more.

Bell the Cat Concert – Occidental Healing Arts Center. $5.

4pm to 6pm. (3692 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental) www.bellthecat.biz.

Melodic, danceable, upbeat, mixed genre music with a message.

Gay Bowling! – Mission Bowling Club. $15. 5pm. (3176 17th St.) www.missionbowlingclub.com.

Meet new faces and make friends.

Bowling alley features a full bar and restaurant. Ticket price is good for one round of bowling and shoes.

Documents – SOMArts Main Gallery. 6pm. Thru June 26. (934 Brannan St.) www.pietronigro.com.

Frank Pietronigro’s Documents is an ephemeral installation that employs homophobic words stenciled into the gallery floor and through audience participation, destroys and transforms the words into something new.

Wheelhouse – TheatreWorks. $19-$59. 7:30pm. Thru July 1. (500 Castro St., Mountain View) www. theatreworks.org. A traveling rock band cuts back on expenses, hitting the highway in a well-worn Winnebago: When their plan backfires, it threatens the sweet harmonies that hold them together.

Marriage Equality Plays – BATS Improv’s Bayfront Theater. $25-$50. 8pm to 10pm. (B350 Fort

Mason Center) www.marriageequalityplays.org. An evening of short, original plays by prominent Bay Area playwrights, benefiting the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Benefit for Linda Tillery – Freight & Salvage. $44. 8pm. (2020 Addison St., Berkeley) www.freightandsalvage.org. A health services fundraiser with performances by Keith Terry, Wayne Wallace, Faye Carol, Tony Lindsay, and more.

Alive and Active – Rainbow Community Center. Free. 7pm.

(3024 Willow Pass Rd.) www.rainbowcc.org. A weekly support group for HIV positive men.

Same Sex Dance Class – Boogie Woogie Ballroom. $16. 8pm to 9pm. (551 Foster City, Blvd., Foster City) www.boogiewoogieballroom.com. Each month covers a different dance starting with beginner material working up to intermediate.

Wine Time for Women! – Jake’s on Market. $15 online preevent/$25 door. 6pm to 8pm. (2223 Market St.) www.bettyslist.com.

Enjoy great company and fabulous wine.

BINGO – The Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center. $15 to play. 7pm. (938 Alameda, San Jose) www.defrank.org. Early game starts at 6:30pm.

Transwomen’s Support Group – Rainbow Community Center. Free. 7pm to 9pm. (3024 Willow Pass Rd.) www.rainbowcc. org. Weekly support group happening every Wednesday.

(ROSTOW continued from page 19) As far as Ravi is concerned, I’m satisfied. The stupid kid is only 20 years old. As for the sustained, systemic social pressures on gay youth that led Clementi to jump off the George Washington bridge, not so much.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

H e r e ’s s o m e t h i n g : J e n n i f e r Chrisler, head of the Family Equality Council, has invited Family Research Council head honcho Tony Perkins to dinner at her house.

Last week, Perkins told a CNN host that he had never been to the home of a gay couple, in part because no one had ever invited him. Up jumped Chrisler, who asked him to join her wife and twin ten-year-olds around the family dinner table.

Perkins and his wife accepted the invitation, and the gang is planning to set a date.

Meanwhile, Seattle-based activist Dan Savage invited National

Organization for Marriage chief Brian Brown over to his house for a family dinner and videotaped debate. Brown also said yes.

Could this be a trend?

Dan Savage was the instigator of the viral “It Gets Better” project, a huge collection of encouraging YouTube videos directed at bullied gay youth. Maybe Dan and Jennifer will inspire a national series of dinner parties where far right activists break bread with Ozzie and Harry gay couples.

Austin, Texas, is not exactly f lush with antigay leaders, but I suppose I could find one to ask to dinner if I looked hard enough. But who in North Carolina has the balls to invite Charles Worley over for an evening of GLBT family fun?

C’mon! Someone has to step up to the dinner plate.

Finally, with only a few words left, I was going to tell you about the

church in Indiana where a fouryear-old sang a song with the line, “Ain’t no homos gonna make it to heaven,” to the delight of the cheering crowd. Someone caught it on a cell phone video. It makes your skin crawl.

But instead, let’s end our column on a high note, with news that a ten-pound Pomeranian who fell off a boat into the Chicago River was found safe and sound at a city intersection. The dog, “Tank,” was wearing a life jacket when he took a dive during a weekend boating trip.

His disconsolate owners asked the public for help, and sure enough the plucky pup made it to shore, where a Good Samaritan saw that he was returned home, refusing a $500 reward in the process.

Life is good.

—A new version of Ann’s column is available every week at sfbaytimes.com.

You can reach her at arostow@aol.com.

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27

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numer

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THE WHOLE ENCHIHUAHUA Who Will be Numero Uno?

Could it be your Perro?

All Dogs Welcome.

Many Will Enter, Only One Will Win. Enter the Catwalk Costume Contest Dolores Park, 1pm June 2, 2012 Event 12-4pm www.7x7.com/ thewholeenchihuahua2012

2 8 BAY TIM ES M AY 31 , 2 0 1 2