2013 06 27

June 27-July 10, 2013 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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PHOTOS BY STEVEN UNDERHILL

SOURCE: INTHESETIMES

Marriage Equality USA + Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir + Bay Times This Sunday!

S F B a y T i m e s i s pr oud t o announce that at this Sund a y ’s P r i d e P a r a d e , o u r contingent will be followed

by Marriage Equality USA, which includes our columnists Stuart Gaf fney, John L ew is a nd T hom Wat sona l l leaders of t he freedom t o m a r r y mov e me nt . We also will be presenting the awa rd-w i n n i ng Oa k la nd I nt e r f a it h G o s p e l C ho i r, wh ic h w i l l b e m a k i n g it s f irst Pr ide Parade appear-

ance. The choir w ill usher in these great leaders w ith heartfelt songs of joy, praise a nd g r at it ude. P r e c e d i n g the choir will be the contingent of Pride Parade Grand Marshal and Bay T imes co-publisher Dr. Betty Sull iv a n, who w i l l be joi ned by our ot her co -publisher, Jennifer Viegas.

T h e 2 013 P a r a d e m a r k s t h is h istor ic per iod, g iven t he S u pr e me C ou r t ’s r e -

c e nt l a n d m a r k d e c i s i o n s on P ropos it ion 8 a nd t he D efen s e of M a r r i a g e A c t ( D O M A ) . To q u o t e t h e O pi n ion of t he C ou r t on DOM A: “DOM A is unconstitutional as a deprivation of the equal liberty of persons that is protected by the F i f t h A mend ment…T here is a ‘careful consideration’ st a nd a rd: I n deter m i n i ng whether a law is motivated by improper animus or purpose, discriminations of an

u nu s u a l c h a r a c t e r e s p e cia l ly require careful considerat ion. DOM A cannot su r v ive u nder t hese pr i nciples…The federal statute is invalid, for no legitimate purpose overcomes the purpose a nd ef fect to d ispa rage and injure those whom t he St ate, by it s ma r r iage law s, sought to protect i n personhood and dignity. By seeking to displace this protect ion and t reat ing t hose (continued on page 14)

Love Wins in San Francisco

By John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney Marriage Equality USA The atmosphere inside San Francisco City Hall was electric as we received the historic decisions from the Supreme Court together with our friends, loved ones, and community. The shouts and cheers of joy as the rulings were announced rang out throughout the rotunda, as we learned of the landmark decisions.

The end of Proposition 8 and DOMA marks a great turning point in our movement, propelling us forward until we reach full equality in all aspects of our lives nationwide. While equality remains an unfinished business, the momentum is now truly unstoppable. As our friends start making their wedding plans, we are reminded that these cases are about our very lives and the essence of who we are. Love wins.

Statement by President Obama on the

Supreme Court Ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act I applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it. We are a people who declared that we are all created equal – and the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.

This ruling is a victory for couples who have long fought for equal treatment under the law; for children whose parents’ marriages will now be recognized, rightly, as legitimate; for families that, at long last, will get the respect and protection they deserve; and for friends and supporters who have wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and have worked hard to persuade their nation to change for the better.

So we welcome today’s decision, and I’ve directed the Attorney General to work with other members of my Cabinet to review all relevant federal statutes to ensure this decision, including its implications for Federal benefits and obligations, is implemented swiftly and smoothly.

On an issue as sensitive as this, knowing that Americans hold a wide range of views based on deeply held beliefs, maintaining our nation’s commitment to religious freedom is also vital. How religious institutions define and consecrate marriage has always been up to those institutions. Nothing about this decision – which applies only to civil marriages – changes that.

The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.

Generations of Pride from the law to marry the person she loved, simply because they were of different races.

PHOTTOS: STUART GAF F N EY

remained full of hope, but each night she told me that she would recite a Buddhist chant in favor of equality for all.

By Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA As we prepare to join hundreds of thousands of other LGBTIQ people for the iconic annual march down Market Street to show our pride, humanity and dignity to the world, we find our thoughts turning to one of the most meaningful Pride Parades for us as a family. A few years ago, our parents, now in their late 80s,

all of our brothers and sisters, and many cousins – four generations of our family – joined us to march down Market Street. I remember my mother was moved to tears when she saw the thousands and thousands of people in San Francisco standing up for who they are and their freedom to love. Every day that led up to the Supreme Court’s decisions this June, my mother called me to ask when the decision would be announced. She

Indeed my mother, who is Chinese American, was only able to marry my father, who is English and Irish A merican, because in 1948 the California Supreme Court became the first state supreme court in the nation to overturn a ban on interracial couples marrying. My mother still remembers the day when one of her friends in the Chinese Students Club at U.C. Berkeley had to leave the state to marry her white fiancée a few years before the Court’s decision.

My mom’s friend literally had to run

In its historic 1948 decision, Perez v.

Sharp, the California Supreme Court held that each citizen’s fundamental constitutional right to marry was really no right at all, unless it meant the freedom to “marry the person of one’s choice.” My parents married in the International House at Berkeley, the very same place they’d met. But as they moved to other states, they found that each state’s laws treated their marriage differently simply because of their races. While looking for a house in Missouri, they learned that Missouri law prohibited marriage between whites and “negroes” or “Mongolians,” the term then used for most Asian Americans.

When I was growing up, my parents didn’t discuss these discriminatory laws over the dinner table.

But it wasn’t until 1967 that the US Supreme Court overturned all such laws nationwide in the landmark Loving v. Virginia case. The court declared marriage is one of the “basic rights of man.”

My mother, John and I flew to Washington, DC, together as a family for events commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Loving decision. My mother spoke out at the Capitol for the rights of all loving couples to wed, including her own son and son-inlaw. Mildred Loving, who brought

the historic lawsuit before the United States Supreme Court, stated, “I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry.”

When John and I were able to legally marry in 2008, surrounded by our family and friends, it was a dream come true. As we exchanged vows and were pronounced spouses for life, we felt that for the first time in our lives that our government was treating us equally under the law, and treating our relationship with full dignity and respect. The day was so transformative that we have committed to do everything we can to secure the freedom to marry for all.

This year, my mom will not be able to join us to march in the parade because she is recovering from surgery, but we will be marching together with other family members, friends, and countless LGBTIQ people to stand together as a community – proud of who we are and whom we love.

Stuart Gaffney and his husband John Lewis, leaders in the freedom to marry movement, were two of the plaintiffs in the historic 2008 lawsuit that held that California’s ban on same sex marriage violated the state constitution. Together as a couple for 26 years, they married at San Francisco City Hall on June 17, 2008.

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Love Wins in San Francisco

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National News Briefs compiled by Dennis McMillan

Wausau, WI - Organizer Cancels Gay Pride Parade in Wisconsin - 6.21

New York, NY - Lesbian/Gay Service Members to Ring NYSE Closing Bell - 6.20

The organizer of the city’s first gay pride parade has canceled the event after what he says has been a backlash of ugliness from the Wausau community. Daxx Bouvier had planned to hold a gay pride parade, but he decided to cancel the event in the wake of negative response from a Wausau City Council member and in articles from several local media sources.

OutServe-SLDN announced that the co-chair of its board of directors, Air Force Officer Josh Seefried, who co-founded the OutServe network in 2010, will join actively serving gay and lesbian service members for an historic Closing Bell ceremony on Friday, June 28. The afternoon will begin with a panel discussion before the group rings the closing bell to end the New York Stock Exchange’s trading day. The Wall Street events will be followed by a Happy Hour to kick off New York City Pride Weekend.

He said he was disappointed in comments made in those articles by people he had never met. Bouvier also said people who had planned to participate in the parade told him they were concerned for their safety, so he decided to call it quits. “I do feel a great sense of loss for the (LGBTQ) community,” he said. “Canceling the parade has set Wausau back 30 years in the way people think about the gay community.”

OutServe-SLDN is the association of actively serving LGBTQ military personnel with more than fifty chapters and 6,500 members around the world. It works to support a professional network of LGBTQ military personnel and create an environment of respect in the military with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity.

“OutServe-SLDN thanks the New York Stock Exchange for recognizing the courage and sacrifice of America’s LGB service members in this way, and we are thrilled to be invited to ring the Closing Bell as New York City Pride weekend begins,” said Army veteran and OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Allyson Robinson.

City Council member Dave Nutting told residents at a council meeting June 11 to stay away from the parade or, if they did go, to turn their backs on “deviantbehaving individuals.”

At 2:30 pm EDT, the New York Stock Exchange will host a panel discussion in the Exchange’s board room, featuring Seefried and other actively serving LGB members of the armed forces, who will share their perspectives on serving following the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The panel will be introduced by NYSE Euronext COO Lawrence Leibowitz, and moderated by former Interbank Roundtable Committee Co-Chair and Citibank Director Andrew Sendall, who is a former US Air Force officer.

A similar, but unrelated, event taking place at the same time Saturday still will occur, rain or shine. The March for Equality, a walk from Marathon Park to The 400 Block, will be held. Organizer Shannon Thomas of Wausau said more than 300 people have committed to participating in the event. Thomas said she doesn’t think cancellation of the parade will have much of an effect on the march or on the people who likely will come to protest it.

At 4pm EDT, the group of actively serving LGB service members will ring The NYSE Closing Bell.

My! How far we’ve come since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!”

“No matter what event it was, the message always is to promote equal rights for all people in our community,” she said. Thomas encouraged people who attend the march to bring balloons to represent the colors in a traditional gay pride flag.

Source: outserve-sldn.org

“Deviant-behaving individuals” should take note!

Source: greenbaypressgazette.com Orlando, FL - Exodus International Closes, Apologizes for Anti-gay View - 6.20

Columbia, TN - Columbia State Professor’s Assignment about Queer Rights Sparks Protest - 6.20 A professor at Columbia State Community College wanted to teach her students a lesson about diversity. Instead, she is being accused of religious intolerance. At issue is an assignment in a class taught by psychology professor Linda Brunton. Students claim they were required to wear a rainbow ribbon and make public statements in support of LGBTQ rights. They were then assigned to write a paper about the reactions they got from other people.

Lawyers from the Phoenix-based (homophobic) Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group, said they received complaints from Christian students in Brunton’s class who oppose gay rights. Travis Barham, an Alliance Defending Freedom attorney, claimed in a letter to Columbia State that the assignment was illegal.

“Dr. Brunton’s assignment violates decades (of) clearly established law by compelling students to support in public views they either do not wish to advocate or find abhorrent,” Barham wrote.

But Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project, a friend of the professor, said the lawyer’s claims are untrue. He said the assignment was voluntary and is commonly used in psychology classes. It is designed to help students gain empathy for gays and lesbians, according to a teaching guide for the assignment, called “Promoting Increased Understanding of Sexual Diversity through Experience Learning.” That guide says that the assignment should be voluntary.

“Students were allowed to opt out, and some did,” Sanders said. “And students were told that if they felt uncomfortable, they could take off the ribbons.”

David Hacker of Alliance Defending Freedom said that teaching students to have empathy or to understand opposing views in the classroom is allowed. But students can’t be required to wear the ribbons outside the class.

Which begs the question: Are students allowed to think about civil rights outside the classroom?

Source: tennessean.com

Washington, D.C. - HUD Study Finds Same-Sex Couples Suffer Significant Housing Discrimination - 6.20

A controversial Christian ministry that was devoted to changing people “affected by homosexuality” had become “imprisoned” by its own world view and judgment against the queer community and had to close, according to a statement posted on the ministry’s website.

Same-sex couples experience significantly less favorable treatment than heterosexual couples in the online rental housing market, according to a study published by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Florida-based Exodus International announced it was closing its doors Wednesday night, a day after its President Alan Chambers apologized in a statement to members of the gay community for “years of undue judgment by the organization and the Christian Church as a whole.”

Based on 6,833 email correspondence tests in 50 different areas between June 2011 and October 2011, the study was the first large-scale, pairedtesting study to assess housing discrimination against same-sex couples in metropolitan markets in the United States. Each test consisted of sending two emails to the housing provider, each asking about an advertised apartment’s availability. The only difference between the applicants was the sexual orientation of the couple applying. Results of the study showed that heterosexual couples were favored over gay male couples in 15.9% of tests and over lesbian couples in 15.6% of tests.

“Exodus is an institution in the conservative Christian world, but we’ve ceased to be a living, breathing organism,” Chambers said in announcing the church’s closure. “For quite some time we’ve been imprisoned in a worldview that’s neither honoring toward our fellow human beings, nor biblical.”

“This study serves as evidence that there is a dire need to include protections for the LGBT community in the Federal Fair Housing Act. More enforcement of these laws is also necessary as discrimination continues at high rates even in states that have these protections for the LGBT community,” said Shanna L. Smith, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance. “The HUD study is ground breaking in both its scope and magnitude. While the discrimination statistics are no surprise, the study itself was a crucial first step that needed to be taken to better understand the extent of housing discrimination against people based simply on their sexual orientation.”

While the Federal Fair Housing Act seeks to prohibit housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status and disability, it does not include sexual orientation or gender identity as protected classes.

Chambers said that the organization’s directors voted to shut down Exodus after more than 30 years and start a new ministry that would work with other churches to create “safe, welcoming and mutually transforming communities.”

“We’re not negating the ways God used Exodus to positively affect thousands of people; but a new generation of Christians is looking for change - and they want to be heard,” Exodus board member Tony Moore said.

The announcement, which coincides with the organization’s annual conference in Orange County, is part of an evolution by the organization, which announced last year that it believed that the concept of gay “reparative therapy” didn’t work. Chambers told the New York Times in July 2012 that there is no cure for homosexuality, and that such therapy offered false hope.

Apparently the Federal Fair Housing Act is not so fair after all!

Chambers has served as president of the Orlando-based ministry for more than 11 years. “To pretend that Exodus is a wonderful organization that never caused anyone trauma is not true,” said Chambers. “We need to change the way we do things, the language that we use, the truth of our story and how we interact with each other as Christians.” Amen, brother!

Source: meltwaterpress.com

Source: latimes.com

Local News Briefs CalPERS - Nation’s Largest Pension Fund - Covers Transgender Healthcare

One-third of Homeless People in San Francisco Are Queer

Transgender Law Center praised the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERs) for voting to ensure that transgender CalPERS members have equal access to health insurance benefits. The vote removes exclusionary language in healthcare policies that both the California Department of Insurance and the California Department of Managed Health Care have deemed discriminatory.

In light of the recent biennial San Francisco Homeless Point-In-Time Survey that shows 29% of the homeless in San Francisco are queer, LGBTQ housing advocates are calling on the City and LGBTQ leaders to take immediate steps to address this crisis within the community. The study, released by the City on June 21, gathered information for the first time ever on the sexual orientation and gender identity of the city’s 7,350 homeless persons. The percentage of LGBTQ homeless may surprise City officials, but not those who have worked on housing issues within the queer community.

CalPERS is the nation’s largest public pension fund and is an administrator of health benefits for 1.3 million enrollees. In the past, all of the health insurance plans available to CalPERS members arbitrarily excluded transgender people from obtaining the same healthcare services that were available to non-transgender members. Now, transgender CalPERS members will no longer be singled out for denial of care and will be able to access medically necessary treatment on the same terms as their fellow employees.

The change could not come soon enough for transgender CalPERS members like Doug Heumann, a retired employee of Caltrans. “Not having access to hormone therapy made me feel like a second-class citizen. There are already so many barriers that transgender people face, and not being able to access medically necessary care has taken a toll on me,” he said.

For instance, 40% of homeless youth in San Francisco are queer, a statistic that has been consistent for years. And 15% of people with HIV/AIDS are homeless, while 80% are at-risk of homelessness due to extreme rent burdens. No one knows how many LGBTQ seniors are homeless, but anecdotally advocates know that many are. The first affordable housing project (110 units) for LGBTQ seniors, Openhouse, will break ground next year.

LGBTQ homeless people don’t feel safe in the City’s shelter system. A study done by the SF Coalition on Homelessness shows that transgender people experience abuse at three times the rate of other shelter residents.

Stephanie, a real estate analyst for the state, says the policy change will have a direct impact on both her health and her sense of justice. “I’ve had my insurance deny coverage for blood tests and doctors visits because I am transgender. I’ve been waiting 40 years to be free and treated with fairness. Now it will be a reality,” she said.

“Having one-third of our homeless population in San Francisco being LGBT shows a criminal neglect to the survival needs of the LGBT community,” Brian Basinger, director of the AIDS Housing Alliance/SF, said. “Our elected leaders must take immediate steps to aggressively fund existing LGBT- and HIV-focused programs to provide homeless prevention and rapid re-housing for the LGBT & HIV communities.”

This vote is a result of years of education and advocacy by a wide array of organizations and people - including Transgender Law Center and SEIU Local 1000 - consequential in coverage equal to that of non-transgender people.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca of the Housing Rights Committee emphasized, “What we’re doing now is not enough. Unless we do more, the numbers will continue to rise. This is a wakeup call. We have a crisis on our hands!”

Story by Dennis McMillan

Story by Dennis McMillan

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A Tale of Two San Franciscos

The Western View Joel P. Engardio It look s l i ke t he swa mpy soccer f ield r idd led w it h gopher holes in Golden Gate Park w i l l f ina lly get f ixed. But it will remain a battleground for San Francisco’s soul.

Tech newcomers versus ret irees.

Pa r ent s ver s u s no k id s . S p or t s players versus bird watchers. The r ou gh , g r a s s y a r e a b eh i nd t he Beach Chalet polarized them all.

W h i le ever yone t a l ked about a soccer f ield, the real debate was over identit y. Is San Francisco a cit y of apps or should it be preserved in amber?

For soccer moms a nd dad s, t he ne w f ie ld pr ov id e d mor e t h a n just sa fer play i ng cond it ions. It r e pr e s ent e d s omet h i n g f a m i l y-

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friendly to cling to while the city drives families away with a lack of neighborhood schools and middle class housing.

i n g. O t her s s aw a g at e w ay for block i ng more menaci ng developments on the downtown waterfront.

For preser vationists, the f ight to stop the sports complex was more than a disdain for artif icial turf, s pect ator st a nd s a nd n ight t i me lights. It was a fear that their city is unrecog nizable from develop ment. The old, grass f ield reminded them of what was.

M a rk s ay s mo st s o c c er pl ayer s prefer natural grass, like the pros use. But the current condition of the f ield makes him think grass is impossible – or too expensive -- to maintain given the constant turnover of games on a publ ic f ield.

That’s why Mark says he is willing to sett le for tur f, which w i l l allow for more play and consistent quality.

“ I ident i f y more w it h a bucol ic city of the past than a city that’s the driving f iscal engine of the future,” says George Wooding, 57, who bought a Westside home two decades ago. “I’m glad I moved here when I did. I wish San Francisco could stay the same.”

George’s son Mark Wooding, 24, says it is hard for him to understand why his dad led the charge against the new soccer f ield. Mark was a soccer standout at L owel l High School and still plays competitively. George cheered at ever y ga me before he was outcast by the soccer community for holding anti-turf meetings in his dining room.

A coa l it ion of i nterest s ca me to George’s t able. Some wanted to ma ke su re pred ator y bi rd s had enough cr itters to eat in a natural grass f ield. Some cared about keeping the sky dark for stargaz-

George says soccer isn’t his only concer n for t he f ield. It’s where he taught Mark to f ly a kite and kick a ball, and he wants that for his grandchildren. But Mark says he won’t r a i se a fa m i ly i n Sa n Francisco if the city doesn’t care enough about kids to build a better f ield.

When George says seeing nature is as important as playing sports, Mark reminds him Golden Gate Park was or ig ina l ly fu l l of sand dunes.

“My dad is the best in the world,” Mark says. “But this wasn’t about soccer or nature. This was about f ight ing Cit y Ha l l. My dad and h i s f r iend s t h i n k t h i ng s shou ld be a cer t a i n way, a nd t hey feel stepped on and neglected by city politics. They just saw this as an

Postcard distributed by activists in surrounding neighborhoods

issue they could use to get some power and respect.”

George ad mits he feels a “sense of powerlessness” over t he commercia l izat ion of t he cit y, especially the parks, w ith developers and venture capitalists calling the shots. “Regular people still have the right to speak at Cit y Hall,” he says, “ but not the r ight to be listened to by anyone.”

Mark is a graphic designer enjoying the tech boom in a very dif ferent San Francisco from the city he grew up in and his dad holds onto. “ W hen I c ome home f r om t he bars, I don’t call a cab. I use the

Ly f t app a nd a c a r w it h a big, pink mustache shows up,” Mark says. “One side of Sa n Fra ncis co is all about the next big app.

The other side is old school and doesn’t u nder st a nd . I show my d ad Facebook a nd Tw it ter, but things are moving fast. The soccer f ield represents change, and they’re afraid of it.”

Joel Engardio ser ves on the board of directors of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and Plan C , a San Francisco organization that advocates for moderate solutions and legislation.

T his essay is adapted from a piece Engardio wrot e for the “S an Franc i sco Chronicle.” Follow his blog at www. engardio.com

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AIDS Lifecycle 2013: Extraordinary and Full of Unexpected Moments of Kindness

By Scott Walton At Rest Stop 1, about 15 miles from the Cow Palace, as I stood in line at the port-a-potty, a woman emerged and held the door, waiting for me to go in. It was then that I knew that what I’d been told was true - that the AIDS Lifecycle was extraordinary and f illed with unexpected moments of kindness. I didn’t expect valet service at the port-a-potty!

I knew that Lifecycle’s staff and roadies were tireless in ensuring that everyone is well taken care of, and as the 2,300 riders snaked our way along the coast, I was struck by the outpouring of love, sometimes in the most unlikely places.

PHOTOS COURTESY SCOTT WALTON

At the top of Rte 92, drag queens and Mission boys ran alongside our bikes in the cold to feed us fresh strawberries. Children in towns like Lompoc handed us fruit, licorice, and other treats. The Cookie Lady made sure that none of us went without a home-baked cookie (or 3).

I loved the woman who perched herself nearly at the top of every hill, blaring dance tunes and shouting encouragement. Or the family that opened their lavender farm and handed out coffee and donuts. And the magical appearance of help in the form of my New Bear Republic team captain when I experienced a f lat tire right outside of the free ice cream social provided by the townspeople of Santa Barbara.

When I needed it the most, near the end of Day 2’s hot 108-mile trek in the Salinas Valley, love appeared in the form of the Otter Pops, who lit up an old mission with dance music, popsicles and general Burning Man- style glee. After a full day of riding in the hot sun, San Francisco was waiting for me in the middle of a lettuce field.

I asked some of my fellow riders to ref lect on kindness. Here are their stories: Donovan Whitehurst : There was an older woman, maybe in her 60’s, who I saw as we were riding

into Santa Cruz. She was holding a sign up high that said, “May your wheels (it was an image of a bicycle wheel) move with ease and grace, and your heart (an image of a heart) be full of love.” She stood alone that afternoon, with her car behind her, and a chair for her to rest on. It was clear that she was sitting there for some time, welcoming riders ever closer to camp on Day 1, after 80odd miles of riding. The words were so clear.

Terri Meier: There was a team of folks who stand at the top of the hill on Day 7, just after Zuma Beach, that nasty, bitchy, crappy, hill before lunch. I was so tired, and all my friends had pulled ahead, and

it seemed every slight uphill absolutely redlined the old “crotchometer”, but I knew they’d be there.

And when I rolled up, a wonderful man had a basket of chocolates. I just babbled, “Thank you, thank you so much for being here for us,” and nearly wept for joy.

John Edmund Harvey : June 6th was a special day for me. Three years ago, that day, my life shattered into a million pieces, the HI V hand grenade launched into my heart.

There were many who touched me, but Denise plucked me, as with delirium, emotional exhaustion, knees shot and heart and soul exposed; raw and open to be healed by the scorching sun and her healing

hands. I stumbled into the medical tent and I cried like a child. Into her.

And she made me better.

Daniel Yee: There’s the one lady who sits/stands on the route. I believe she held a picture of her brother. She’s been out there every year, since the beginning (almost). The sheer amount of support from town to town touches me every time, especially Bradley. There is still humanity left in this world.

Scott Walton is the founder of Scott Walton Group, a full-service communications and marketing firm specializing in integrated strategic branding, social media, marketing and promotions, community engagement, and public relations. For more information: scottwaltongroup.com

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Celebrating Dykes on Bikes 37 Years at the Forefront We fought for it. We earned it. We own it.

For the 37th year, the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent will lead off the SF Pride Parade! Over the years, our contingent has grown from a handful of riders to over 300 Dykes on Bikes®, their friends and supporters.

I r e me m b e r i n g w a t c h i n g t he Dykes on Bikes® from the sidelines, thinking, “One of these days …” Little did I know that not only would my dream come true, but that I would be the current President ( I was also President from 2003 – 2008) and I will be participating in my 13th parade with the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes®.

Riding in the parade is as exciting as the f irst time!

INSET PHOTO BY ROXY JONES

Happy Pride!

T he Trademark Of f ice in it ia lly rejected our application for a trademark in early 2004, on the ground that the name “Dykes on Bikes” is a l leged ly d isparag ing to lesbians. In response, Brooke Oliver and the National Center for L esbi a n R i ght s subm it ted more than two dozen expert declarations from scholars, linguists, psychologists, and activists showi ng how t he word “ dyke” ha s evolved to become a positive term and that lesbians view “Dykes on Bikes” as a symbol of pride and empower ment. The Trademark Of f ice t hen denied t he request two more times. After bringing in additional assistance from the law f irm of Townsend and Townsend and Crew, we appealed the denial.

In a decision issued December 6, 2004, the Trademark Of f ice reversed itself and granted the ap-

PHOTO BY LIZ SANTIE

By Vick Germany

Who are the SF Dykes on Bikes®?

PHOTO BY LIZ SANTIE PHOTO BY LIZ SANTIE

In 2003, the then organizers of the WMC voted to recognize our long and proud history of being Dykes on Bikes® by changing the name of the club to the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent (SF DOBW MC or SF Dykes on Bikes®).

Curious about the ®?

T he s a me y e a r w e o f f i c i a l l y cha nged our na me, we st ar ted the process to trademark Dykes on Bi kes®, ou r popu l a r na me since 1976. The need to trademark our name became ev ident when a woman in Wisconsin tried to trademark “Dykes on Bikes®” for personal gain. With the help of Oliver Crain PC, we succeeded in getting her to drop her trademark petition. We wanted to keep the name for non-prof it use by any group of women riders that wish to use it for non-prof it endeavors.

Therefore, we submitted a tradema rk pet it ion of our ow n. We thought we would have the trademark in 6 – 9 months. Wrong!

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plication. Now we would f inally get that trademark! Wrong again!

As part of the trademark process, the Trademark Board publishes a notice at which time anyone can f ile an objection to the issuance of a trademark. In February 2006, an individual f iled an opposition to the trademark, alleg ing the name “Dykes on Bikes” was disparaging to men, as well as wrongly accusing group members of misconduct toward him and men genera l ly. ( He obviously had not seen the men that ride with us in the Parade!) On September 13, 2006, the U.S. Trade-

ma rk Tr ia l a nd Appea l Boa rd dismissed the opposition ruling in citable precedent that he had no standing to oppose registration of the mark. Our opposer appealed to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals, which aff irmed the dismissal and held that registration of the mark “Dykes on Bikes” “would have no implications for a man” and that the individual who f iled the opposition had failed to show that “his belief is shared by others.”

Our opposer, however, was not done. He f iled a pet ition with the U.S. Supreme Cour t! A t rademark wou ld

PHOTO BY LIZ SANTIE

PHOTO BY ROXY JONES

GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY

L B Gu n n , K a l i n E l l iot- A r n s , Chr istine Elliot, Sabine Balden and Mel started the WMC; a name that was used to make the group appeal to all women motorcyclists.

However, in the press and LGBT culture, Dykes on Bikes® was the more popular name. The organizers of those f irst meetings met at a private home, later moving to an upstairs room at Amelia’s, a dyke/ lesbian bar. Since Amelia’s closed, we have meet at The Eagle Tavern, Center for Sex and Culture, a private home, and at the LGBT Center. We are looking for a place to call our own!

PHOTO BY GLENNE MCELHINNEY

In 1976, a small group of 20 - 25 women motorc ycl ist s g at hered at the head of the San Francisco Pride Parade and, unbeknownst to them, a tradition began. One of these women coined the phrase “Dykes on Bikes®” and the San Francisco Chronicle picked it up and ran with it. For the next several years, riders just showed up and rode—no formal organization or registration. It was this way until the middle to late 1980s. However, as SF Pr ide became more structured and our numbers kept growing, the need to organize the Dykes on Bikes® became necessary. Thus, the Women’s Motorcycle Contingent (WMC) was born.

put the def inition in the hands of a group of “thought police,” and contradict the “widespread documented understanding of the term ‘dyke’ as describing hy per-militant radicals hateful toward men,” our opposer wrote in his Supreme Court appeal. Who knew! I did not, and at that time, I had been with the club for 7 years! In January 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court denied to hear the petition. The trademark was f inally ours after f ive years! We fought for it! We earned it! We own it!

ty of diverse women through rides, charity events, Pride events and education. A sampling of our philanthropic endeavors includes donations to the San Francisco Bay Area Leather Alliance, Aids Life Cycle, Riders for Health United Kingdom, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the GLBT Historical Society’s 2008 exhibit on the SFDOBWMC “30 Years at the Forefront,” the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (in memory of Of f icer Jane Warner), and Eden Gay Prom.

B e c au s e w e t r a d e m a r k e d t he ph ra se D ykes on Bi kes®, on ly those groups that receive permission from the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® can legally call themselves Dykes on Bikes®.

We have national (e.g., Chicago, Detroit, Monterey, Sacramento) and international (e.g., Melbourne AU, Poland) chapters that must abide by specif ic guidelines.

What is our Mission?

T he S a n Fr a nc i s c o D yke s on Bikes® is open to lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women, including those that transition from male to female and those persons whose gender self-identif ication is other than male for all classes.

Cur rent of f icers are Vick Germany, President; Ezzy, Vice President ; S on i, S ecret a r y ; R aven, Treasurer. Kate, Mindie, Ranell,

We are an organization committed to creating a local, national and international community of women motorcyclists and friends of women motorcyclists. Our mission is to support philanthropic endeavours in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and women’s com mu n it ies a nd beyond, a nd reach out to empower a communi-

How are we organized?

Nicole and Melisa are members of the Board of Directors. Active Patch Holders include Kathleen and Jen; Laura is a prospect. The San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® is a 501(c)(3) organization.

We only organize the Parade, right?

What keeps me involved?

A lthough I have been w it h t he club for 13 years, I am only the second longest serving patch holder in the club. Soni, our Secretary, holds the distinction of serving in the organization from its early days. There have been good

We took the word ‘dyke’ from those who used it as an epithet and for 37 years have made it a symbol of pride and dignity, ref lecting our strength as women, as lesbians, as dykes. Every year around Pride, we receive emails from all over asking how to ride with the San Francisco Dykes on Bikes®. Oh, if only we could make those dreams

PHOTO BY SHELIA MALONE PHOTO BY BOB FOLLETT

come true so they can feel the tension build as the minutes tick down to the start of the Parade—you can feel it in the air. Then when its time, hundreds of bike engines roar to life, horns blowing, people are smiling, happy; every make/ model of bike stretches down Market Street with every make/model of rider. We own the street! As former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown said, “The Dykes on Bikes®

PHOTO BY ROXY JONES

times, especially in the rides rode, parades ridden, and friendships made. The icing on the cake has to be the winning of our nearly 5-year battle to trademark “Dykes on Bikes®.” There have also been some harrowing times where it felt like the organization and I were skidding out of control. Luckily, the shiny side remained upright.

PHOTO BY ROXY JONES

PHOTO BY ROXY JONES

For longer than I have been a part of The SF Dykes on Bikes®, we have hosted an annual Pre-Pride Parade Party. This year our party is at El Rio (3158 Mission St) from 12 – 5 PM, Saturday June 29. Allota Boutte is our Emcee, auctioneer, and songstress. She is a bawdy, brassy, juke-joint mamma performing with class and sass! Critical Bliss will be playing edgy rock, pop covers, and catchy originals, and just about anything else with awesome vocal harmonies! Food will also be available for purchase, so there will be no need to leave the party! We are also gathering some great prizes to auction off at the party.

PHOTO BY SHELIA MALONE

No. We have monthly rides (weather permitting). Every year between October and January, we hold a tshirt design contest for the following year’s Pride Parade commemorative t-shirt. We organize the motorcycle parking at the Folsom Street Fair.

The SF Dykes on Bikes® encourages the formation of Dykes on Bikes® chapters. We throw fundraisers for the club, and donate money back to the community.

are where it’s at. That’s what you want to see.”

What keeps me going is living a dream—a dyke on a bike.

V ick G er many i s P res ide nt of S an Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent.

BAY T IM ES JUNE 27, 2013

11

Beyond Marriage Equality: Empowering LGBT Global Equality specific local and national media networks, and the regular updates on sites such as purpleunions. com and Peter Tatchell, nearly every mainstream online media outlet from the Huffington Post, New York Times, The Guardian, to The Nation has a blog or section dedicated to LGBT issues. It appears that not to have an LGBT correspondent of some sort is increasingly more the exception, an anachronistic anomaly. Social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and even simple texting have made us more live ‘wired’ than at any time in history to learn in real time around the clock developments in the global struggle for LGBT civil and human rights.

Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

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Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Teddy Witherington, Kate Kendell, Pollo del Mar, Heidi Beeler, K. Cole, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Paul E. Pratt, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Joel Engardio, Rafael Mandelman, Scott Wiener, Shelley MacKay, Kit Kennedy, Leslie Katz, Karen Williams, Gary Virginia, Stu Smith, Zoe Dunning, Kathleen Archambeau, Jim Tibbs, Mark Penn, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller & Joanne Jordan

Andrea Shorter & Earl Plante Justice has prevailed!

San Francisco and the nation are celebrating the endings of Prop 8 and DOMA by the United States Supreme Court. At this very momentous occasion, nearly 1.2 million people from around the Bay Area, nation, and world are pouring into San Francisco for what promises to be the most epic Pride celebration in the history of the LGBT liberation movement!

The high court’s long awaited decisions to finally end these unjust laws will not only shape LGBT liberation history for our nation, but they will also potentially and indirectly impact the lives of LGBT people worldwide. While clearly the U.S. Supreme Court’s decisions on these matters have no jurisdiction beyond our own domestic or federal governance, its opportunity to render ‘separate but equal’ laws unconstitutional and unjust as it did in Brown Vs. the Board of Education can have a reverberating effect on the fight for LGBT equality beyond U.S. borders. It is a moral imperative whose time has come.

As media technologies evolve, our global connectivity with LGBT people around the world reshapes our sense of the universal struggle for freedom and equality. In addition to the LGBT-

Consequently, with the increasing volume and frequency of reported LGBT related developments around the world, in this type of commentary -- without in-depth account of each and every emerging issue at hand – one unintentionally runs the risk of appearing either to trivialize or

neglect the impact of both the singular and interconnectivity of each event. Yet, with encouraging news on marriage equality from Australia to Brazil and from France to Argentina, recent developments in the Russian Duma to ban adoption of children by same sex foreign couples as a stance against “liberal westernization” remind us all too immediately that the universal quest for full LGBT equality and human rights is far from over.

From Marriage Equality to Global Equality Recognizing SF Pride’s historical and ever-expanding role as a key leader for LGBT civil and human rights, community members last year elected “Global Equality” as the SF Pride Celebration 2012 theme.

Inspired in part by the harrowing anti-gay policy developments in countries such as Uganda — still facing the passage of what is known as the Bahati or ‘Kill the Gays’ bill to execute LGBT people — not only was the theme adopted, Pride membership went on to elect human rights champion Bishop Christopher Senyonjo of Kampala as Pride’s inaugural Global Pride Grand Marshal.

Soon afterward, Bishop Senyonjo was honored with the Clinton Global Citizen Award at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual meeting in September 2012 for his “outstanding work to support the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people through the St. Paul’s Reconciliation and Equality Centre in Kampala.” The award recognizes Bishop Senyonjo’s work in promoting the equal rights of LGBT people in Uganda and across more than 70 countries where being LGBT is illegal and often persecuted. This was the f irst time CGI recognized leadership on LGBT issues, “symbolizing the increasing need to mainstream LGBT rights as an important dimension of human rights and economic empowerment,” as proclaimed by CGI. This year, under the banner “Embrace, Encourage, Empower,” SF Pride is proud to honor Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Roger Ross Williams as Celebrity Grand Marshal. Williams’ latest film achievement, God Loves Uganda, provides an up close, provocative and disturbing look at the influence of fundamentalist American evangelicals on the ministry of African pastors and churches, the political landscape of the continent, and the resultant “Kill the Gays” legislative movement. While it is good news that last week one of the most horrific American-based fundamentalist organizations, Exodus International, shutdown its ‘gay cure’ program, Williams’ film is a clarion call for all manner of good reasonable people to acknowledge and redress the dangerous North American export of rampant, organized anti-gay persecution-ministries literally destroying the lives of our LGBT brothers and sisters, (continued on page 14)

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Businesses throughout the Castro and surrounding neighborhoods dress windows and create decorative displays offering variations on the rainbow and other themes during the Pride season. Bay Times photographer Rink spotted an array of birds in many colors at the A&G Merch store on Market Street and a similar line-up of colorful picture frames at the popular store Michael Bruno located nearby. (Photos by Rink)

Profiles of Courage and Compassion: Veronika Fimbres VF: Mother got me a job working in a nursing home at fifteen years of age. I loved working with people, and I was a natural nurturer!

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SS: Name one of your key mentors and explain how they inspired your work.

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(Editor’s Note: Veronika Fimbres, a 2013 Pride Grand Marshal, was the first transgender officer in the history of the city and county of San Francisco. She has served as Commissioner of Veteran’s Affairs for 14 years and was the first and only transgender woman to work at San Quentin Prison as a “safety nurse.”)

SS: How did you become involved in your work?

12

BAY TIMES JUNE 2 7 , 2 0 1 3

VF: I guess that would be my Mom! She would take me to her job, and I would watch her work, and saw how the patients loved and respected her! Her co-workers always sought her out for advice and other things.

I watched her go to school for nursing, when she would drop me off at nursery school, and pick me up afterwards. I loved the crisp white uniforms and the starched hats. She was proud of her job, and her uniforms, you could tell that, even in watching her iron them! She has always been my mentor, and inspiration!

SS: If you could fix or solve one major problem in the Bay Area, what would it be and why?

VF: I would open an LGBT Shelter and Transitional Housing place to help the youth that have been ostracized by their families for being true to themselves. It would be a true home, in the sense that it would be a warm, loving and nurturing environment. They would come down to eat a hot home-cooked breakfast, take homemade and packed lunches to school or work, and sit down to a home-cooked dinner, where the day’s events and things are shared and talked about as a family! I think it would nurture and help build the new LGBT leaders of the future!

SS: Among your many achievements, which one are you most proud of and why?

VF: While I am proud of raising the Trans Flag, it is not my greatest achievement. To me, my greatest achievement is having the AIDS Office address and list transgenders in their presentations and documentation when they talk about Surveillance and Epidemiology! Up until

PHOTO BY RI N K

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Veronika Fimbres

then, 1997, there was only the binary system that addressed men and women. To add insult to injury, they were counting transgenders in the category with the men! I instructed them to not present to the Ryan White Care Council again, until they addressed that issue. Dr. Sandy Schwartz did just that, and that is why transgender now appears on everything where gender is considered. This was a “behind the scenes move,” and people don’t really know that it was me that made that happen, and I am all right with that! The Ryan White Care Council knew it, and all who were (continued on page 14)

The Week in Review

By Ann Rostow We Survived SCOTUS Review Without Bad Things Happening!

I’m writing this column just an hour or so after the High Court released its DOMA and Prop 8 rulings. My first reaction? A big sigh of relief. Of the several bullets and indeed cannon balls that could have been aimed at our communal direction, we dodged them all. Or to keep the metaphor coherent, the ammunition was not fired.

There was no comment whatsoever on the merits of the Prop 8 case and, of course, the statute is basically dead, with marriage to resume promptly in the Golden State. Yes, there could be some legal hiccups, but nothing that can’t be cured with a teaspoon of sugar. Plus, even if some reactionary clerk tries to sue, his or her case will be a sideshow against a backdrop of marriage equality.

Some of you might be disappointed that the High Court declined to strike Prop 8 as unconstitutional, effectively legalizing marriage equality around the country. But that was never going to happen. Any commentary from the Court on the merits was bound to be negative. Even a ruling that killed Prop 8 on narrow grounds would have come back to bite us by its very narrowness. The only positive outcome was the one we got; a decision that the proponents of Prop 8 lacked standing to appeal under federal law. The only good ruling we could have expected was the one we got a tedious discussion of Article III with no reflection on the issue of marriage equality.

As an aside, let’s note that our legal eagles at Gay Law Inc. were right from the start. The fight against Prop 8 was a dangerous roll of the dice and as the decision approached, we were at the edge of our seats with anxious fear. Let’s also note that the daredevils who pursued the case succeeded in abolishing Prop 8, a magnificent accomplishment. Let the historians of the fight for gay rights make of that what they will.

Now for the Defense of Marriage Act. How could we not be elated at the demise of this horrible law? How could we not be thrilled that the Supreme Court of the United States has forced the American government to recognize legal same-sex marriages? Well actually, it would be churlish not to be elated and I am drinking Champagne at the moment. But I will drink Champagne at the drop of a hat so that’s not saying a great deal.

But I was disappointed. I have only read Justice Kennedy’s opinion once, and briefly at that. But like his opinion in Lawrence v Texas, it’s short on the kind of hard-nosed legal pronouncements that create lasting precedent. Was it an equal protection ruling? Sort of. Was it a due process ruling? Sort of.

Are gays and lesbians deemed worthy of more exacting court scrutiny when their rights are compromised? Um, maybe a little.

And what about DOMA itself? Kennedy wrote that Section Three (the part that denies federal recognition to gay couples) was “invalid” and that the ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (a broad one) was aff irmed. What could be clearer, right?

Not so fast. He also appeared to limit his ruling to married couples who live in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage. I say “appeared,” because this is another aspect of the opinion that remains cloaked in needless murk. Think about this for a second.

Personally, I live in Texas but got married in California in 2008. Are Mel and I recognized as married under federal law? Possibly not. But if not, exactly what federal statute remains to nullify our marriage? Not section three of DOMA, because that section is “invalid.”

Yet rather than make this clear, Kennedy concludes his opinion with a discussion of how states that have extended respect and equality to samesex couples cannot be undermined by a federal government that refuses to acknowledge those couples. In his final sentence, he adds: “This opinion and its holding are confined to those lawful marriages.”

What are “those lawful marriages?”

In his dissent, (which primarily focuses on a side issue of the U.S. government’s standing in this case) Chief Justice Roberts seems to think that the ruling does not cover any couple living in a non-marriage state. What if a married couple moves away from California or Massachusetts to Texas or Oklahoma? Is this a subject for some future litigation? It seems so, and that in itself illustrates the weakness of Justice Kennedy’s opinion. He came to the right result, but failed to back it up with tough, dependable jurisprudence. If the federal government violates equal protection by treating gay married couples in Massachusetts differently than straight married couples in Massachusetts, then surely it violates the same legal principles when it treats those same couples differently after they both move to Kansas. If not, why not? And don’t forget that the right to interstate travel is considered fundamental and indeed inviolate under the Constitution.

The bottom line is that we still await our landmark civil rights ruling. We still await the opinion that will go down in history along with Brown v Board and Loving v Virginia. That said, both those opinions were preceded by other less significant victories and indeed, you don’t get to the top of the mountain without ascending through the various base camps.

In his typically sarcastic prose, Justice Scalia indicates that we are now all waiting for the other shoe to drop. After accusing the majority of a muddled excuse for an opinion, he notes that the language barring federal discrimination works just as well to deny state discrimination. And he effectively repeats the observation he made in his Lawrence dissent, that the majority rationale leads directly to legalizing marriage for gay couples.

He’s right of course. In Lawrence, Kennedy implied that gay men and women have the same fundamental right to privacy under the Due Process Clause that protects the marriages of heterosexual couples against state interference. But as mentioned earlier, he glossed over that implication, and by doing so he managed to strike sodomy bans without putting a High Court stamp of approval on marriage.

Here, Kennedy did not face the question of whether a state has the right to deny marriage equality to its gay citizens. He faced only the question of whether the federal government can turn away once a state has done so.

But even his somewhat vague rationale for striking the Defense of Marriage Act (which lacks any rationale based on anything other than the bare desire to harm) works just as well for any state. Indeed, the problem for the courts is that once you recognize the humanity of gay couples and the equal rights of gay individuals, you f ind yourself on a straight road to equality with very few off ramps.

Professional Services The good news is that just a decade or so ago, courts would twist themselves into knots in order to preserve the traditional definition of marriage.

Now, they are twisting themselves into knots in order to avoid the kind of opinion that their grandchildren will read with dismay. One of these days, and it’s already happened in several courts, judges and justices will be able to give themselves up to the relief and pleasure of writing a strong, coherent account of how and why gay men and women fit into our Constitution’s guarantee of liberty and equal rights.

Until then, we are left with partial victories, which are so much better than partial defeats. Pass the Champagne!

Oops. We’ve finished the bottle.

What Now? Let’s move on to the practical implications of these rulings for the future.

Leaving aside the question of whether or not the legal precedent has teeth, there’s no doubt that the decisions will have a huge impact on public opinion and political action.

California marriages will begin again almost at once. We will add the Golden State and its huge population to the list of free marriage states that will then cover a third of Americans.

In state legislatures across the country, serious efforts will begin towards overturning the constitutional amendments that now bar marriage in over 30 states. Once again we will likely go through years of state elections and public votes. Beginning in 2014 and continuing perhaps another decade until state after state rescinds discrimination.

Starting at once, the federal government will issue green cards to the legal foreign spouses of gay Americans.

Keep a close eye on whether or not they live in the state where they wed and whether or not that state recognizes marriage. It’s possible that the ambiguity in Kennedy’s opinion will be resolved by federal policy makers, who simply dictate that—for example—all married gay couples may file joint taxes regardless of their residence.

Gay spouses of those serving in the military will be granted housing and base privileges. Indeed, it won’t be long before the oddity will not be the state or company that recognizes gay married couples, it will be the state or company that does not. Corporations, which have actually been at the forefront of gay rights in many ways, will extend their policies further.

Fans of statistician Nate Silver may have already examined his trend chart of public attitudes towards same-sex marriage. The support for marriage equality increases at a higher rate each year until even Texas and Oklahoma throw off the chains.

There is simply no going back, and as frustrating as it may be to wait and wait for a national consensus on gay equality, and the national policies that go with it, it’s a comfort to know for sure that such a day is coming. No longer is it “if this happens…” or “if that happens…” This and that have happened. Now comes a lengthy, but inevitable final slog.

More progress lies directly ahead of us. A lawsuit in state court in New Mexico challenges the Land of Enchantment. Another freedom to marry case continues in Illinois. Oregon voters will likely overturn their antigay constitutional amendment next year. Other states will do so by legislative action. Rachel Maddow reports that efforts to repeal anti-marriage amendments are underway in every (continued on page 14)

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BAY T IM ES JUNE 27, 2013

13

(THIS SUNDAY continued from page 1) persons as living in marriages less respected than others.”

I n shor t , DOM A is dead. L ong live marr iage equa lit y! Proposition 8 was also struck down, with the Court holding that the backers of the proposition did not have the legal right to defend the gay marriage ban, since the governor a nd at tor ney genera l have bot h refused to press appeals of a federa l judge’s 2010 r u l ing f ind ing t he law unconst it ut iona l. Much w o r k r e m a i n s b e fo r e a l l U. S . cit i zens, no mat ter t hei r sexua l orientation, can legally wed, but the way is paved for marriages of LGBT couples to resume soon in California.

At Sa n Fr a nc i sco Cit y H a l l on Wednesday, Mayor Ed Lee said, “This is a histor ic day for all of us. We have struggled for many,

many years. I want to t hank a l l of you for shar ing t his moment.

Gosh, it feels good to have love t r iu mph over ig nora nce, equa lity triumph over discrimination.”

Over 60 Bay Area religious leaders in suppor t of same-sex marr iage and represent ing d if ferent fa it h s g at hered on t he steps of Grace Cat hed ra l a f ter t he Cit y H a l l ceremony. Jubi l a nt r a l l ies were held in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Concord, Mountain View, Redwood Cit y, Santa Cr uz, Va l lejo, Fair f ield, Guer ne v i l le a nd He a ld sbu r g- ju st t o na me a few of t he loca l gat herings.

The timing of the Supreme Court decisions is all the more relevant because it marked the tenth anniversary of the Lawrence v. Texas decision. On June 26, 20 03, the Supreme Court str uck dow n the

sodomy law in Texas and, by extension, invalidated sodomy laws in t hir teen ot her states, ma k ing same-sex sexual activ it y legal in ever y U. S . st ate a nd ter r itor y.

T he s i g n i f ic a nc e of Ju ne 26 i s now strengthened and forever associated with LGBT civil rights.

Clearly there is much to celebrate.

We invite you to come to the Parade and share the tradition of being in community with us. We are counting on you, in large part, to make this a peaceful, memorable and enjoyable event. Col lect ively, we have already worked ver y hard to achieve numerous gains.

Let’s make the next chapter of our epic journey together one that is loving, life af f irming and just as successful. We hope to see you all soon. Happy Pride!

(VERONIKA FIMBRES continued from page 12) present when I said it! I am just pleased that it was done! This is what I would consider my greatest achievement. I am now trying to do the same thing with the CDC! SS: What are your future goals and aspirations?

VF: My future goals are to have a wonder fu l mar r iage w it h my

husband, Randy Dolphin, whom I will marr y on the 28th of this month! Finishing my book, losing weight, and working until I decide to quit! Of course, continuing my activism for the trans community and our LGBT youth, who need to be supported and nurtured and k now t hat t hey a re loved, a nd matter!

Stu Smith is board chair emeritus of S hant i P roject , board chair of T he Paratransit Coordinating Council , a member of the Castro Country Club Advisory Board and the LGBT Senior Task Force, and producer and host of the public access T V program “T he Drag Show.” KQED has honored Stu as a 2013 LGBT Hero.

Canon Albert Ogle of the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation and Reverend John L. Kirkley of the San Francisco’s St. James Episcopal Church. Please email aogle@ cox.net for location and details.

San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Earl Plante (moderator), CEO of SF Pride. Date to be announced soon. For more information, please go to www.commonwealthclub.org/events.

Readers are also invited to attend an upcoming panel discussion, “What’s Next A fter Marriage Equality is Won,” at the Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco. Featured panelists include Rebecca Rolfe, Executive Director of the SF LGBT Community Center, Brett Andrews, Executive Director of Positive Resources, San Francisco Supervisors Scott Wiener and David Campos, Reverend Deborah L. Johnson, Innerlight Ministries, Neil Giuliano, CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, Joe D’Alessandro, President,

Global equality is not a passing fancy. SF Pride and Bay Area community leaders will heed the clarion call for the critical work with local, national, and international allies for LGBT civil and human rights to embrace, encourage, and empower our liberation movement towards global LGBT equality.

in order to preserve diversity. We are lucky that they ducked Prop 8 rather than come up with an antigay body blow, thinly disguised as respect for the state electorate.

Given the erratic nature of this Court, we may need a few more years of dramatic evolution before we can return with that kind of confidence. But keep an eye on the Ninth Circuit, and the Prop 8-type case that pits the states of Hawaii and Nevada against a group of same-sex couples. They argue that these states violate the U.S. Constitution when they deny marriage equality by state constitutional decree.

Sound familiar? It should. Our side lost both these cases in lower court, and they have been consolidated for review by the appellate court. I’m not sure where they stand because I’ve been obsessed by Prop 8 and DOMA for the last month or so, but I’ll check on them once I recover.

(EDITORIAL continued from page 12) their families, and friends beyond our borders.

Now that the North American fundamentalists have lost resoundingly on these monumental fights to suppress LGBT rights, we can be sure that their activities abroad will intensify. Our friends the world over will look to us for strength, resources, and solidarity to defeat these oppressive, draconian forces.

Uganda remains a major microcosm of the global impact of fundamentalist religious and politically sanctioned anti-gay atrocities. To learn more about developments in Africa, and how we can stop the war on LGBT people, readers are invited to a pre-Pride gathering on Thursday, June 27, co-hosted by the Reverend

(ROSTOW continued from page 13) single state, and I believe her. Here in Texas, such a measure has been introduced, and although my state will surely be one of the last to capitulate, such a development suggests that bluer states will lead the way. Most importantly, Mel has left to go purchase more Champagne.

In my view, we should be in no particular hurry to zip back to the High Court. This is a Court that operates in a sly and insidious fashion. Roberts and Company eviscerated the Voting Rights Act, pretending at the same time to maintain the edifice and send it back to Congress for an updated list of racial trouble spots. Spare us.

Affirmative action? It survives if and when a university can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that consideration of race is absolutely necessary

Check out

Keep in mind that such a ruling, a ruling that said California remains in control of its state marriage law, whether through popular vote or other means, would have set gay rights back decades. It would have been sweetly phrased. But it would have indicated that gay couples have no constitutional right to marriage and that discrimination was just a question of state policy. That was the worst case scenario that we avoided this morning, and the next time we bring our very lives before the nine justices, we have to make sure that such a scenario is not even in the picture.

Andrea Shorter is CEO of Atlas Leadership Strategies, and a member of the SF Pride Community Advisory Board. Earl Plante is the CEO of SF Pride.

arostow@aol.com

News, Entertainment and more in the

BayTimes CALENDAR & RESOURCE GUIDE at www.sfbaytimes.com

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HIV/AIDS News Age disparities exist in the continuum of care for patients with HIV, since people younger than 45 are less likely to be aware of their infection or to have a suppressed viral load, according to a report published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Early diagnosis, prompt and sustained care, and antiretroviral therapy (ART) are associated with reduced morbidity, mortality and further transmission of the virus. However, of the more than 1.1 million people living with HIV, more than 200,000 are unaware they are infected, less than 50 percent of people infected receive regular care and fewer than 30 percent have a suppressed viral load, the report concludes.

“Individuals, health care providers, health departments and government agencies must all work together to increase the numbers of people living with HIV who are aware of their status, linked to and retained in care, receiving treatment and adherent to treatment,” lead author H. Irene Hall of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, and colleagues write.

Among people infected with HIV who were 13 to 24 years of age, 40.5 percent had received a diagnosis and 30.6 percent were linked to care. Lower percentages of people ages 25 to 44 were retained in care, were prescribed ART and had a suppressed viral load than were people ages 55 to 64 years of age. For example, among patients ages 25 to 34 years, 28 percent were in care compared with 46 percent among those patients ages 55 to 64 years, the results indicate.

Overall, 857,276 patients with HIV had not achieved viral suppression, including 74.8 percent of male, 79 percent of black, 73.9 percent of Hispanic/Latino and 70.3 percent of white patients, the results also show.

In an invited commentary, Katerina A. Christopoulos and Diane V. Havlir of the University of California, San Francisco, write: “In 2011, the HIV field was shocked

to learn that only about a quarter of individuals living with HIV were successfully receiving HIV treatment.”

areas with different funding streams that often operated independently of one another,” they continue.

“The sobering numbers of those missing out on effective treatment because they did not know they were infected and those who knew their status but did not seek care spurred collaboration between the HIV treatment and prevention movements, two

“Already the HIV community has mobilized to further develop and study interventions that address bottlenecks in the cascade. Achieving an AIDS-free generation will be within reach if, and only if, these efforts succeed.”

Bay Times wishes you a happy and safe Pride 2013!

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Welcome to the 43rd Annual San Francisco Pride Celebration & Parade!

By Sister Dana Van Iquity of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

and remember to stay hydrated. Civic Center Plaza and UN Plaza are designated as of f icial smoke-free spaces.

Hundreds of thousands of v isitors from outside the Bay A rea w i l l attend San Francisco Pr ide t his year. I f t hat includes you, then make a trip to the on-site Information Booths for a copy of the Pocket Pride or Inside Pride magazi nes. T hese publ icat ions have t he most cur rent event map, information about the Parade and Main Stage, as well as information about the more than 20 communit y run stages and venues throughout the Pride Celebration area. For a fun, quick histor y lesson, check the last two paragraphs of this article.

Facilities & Accessibility

Celebration Location & Times

In an ef fort to be environmentally responsible as people continue to pioneer green event practices, San Francisco Pride provides disposal cans for recycling (marked blue), composting (marked green) and trash (marked black). A ll beverage cups used at the event are 10 0% compostable and are made from natural derivatives; please toss these into the compost bins.

O n Ju n e 2 9 a n d 3 0 , t he C i v i c C e nt e r i s t he l o c a t ion for t he Celebrat ion and a l l t he boot hs and stages.

O n Sat u r d ay, t he hou r s a r e noon to 6 pm. O n Su n day, the hours are 11 am to 6:30 pm, when you may be asked to ma ke a $5 donat ion to cha r it ies as you enter the gates.

Parade Route & Times The Pride Parade - with over 200 contingents - is Sunday, June 30, along Market Street w ith k ickof f at 10:30 am, star t ing at Bea le Street and end ing at 8t h Street. This year’s theme is “Embrace! Encourage! Empower!”

W it h over 30 0 ex h ibitor s a nd nonprof it boot hs at t he event, San Francisco Pride of fers a wide variety of artists, local and national businesses, nonprof its, artisans, food and beverages. SF Pride makes a special ef fort to make exhibitor booths af fordable to local nonprof its that often use their space to educate, raise much-needed funds and connect with the community. There’s something at Pride for everyone!

You can enjoy beverage discounts all day at Pride by making a minimum donation at the event entrance gates. In return for your generous support, you will get a donation sticker that earns you discounts on beverages at SF Pride designated beverage booths – all day long!

Throughout the site you’ll f ind booths selling water, soda, juice and other nonalcoholic beverages. If you choose to purchase a lcohol at the event, please dr ink responsibly

Free child-care facilities and a range of services for people with disabilities are available. With special parade-viewing areas and sign language interpretation at all performance stages, the aim is to make the event accessible to ever yone. For det a i ls about accessibi l it y, log on to t he website: sfpride.org/access.

Recycling and Composting

Parade Grandstand Tickets and Accessibility Info The Grandstands - located toward the end of the Parade route at UN Plaza, which is on the north side of Market Street between 7th and 8th Streets - are the perfect way to enjoy the San Francisco Pride Parade. Grandstand tickets are available online: grandstand@sfpride.org and at the Parade of f ice, 1841 Market St reet, Four t h F loor, (415) 8 64 - 08 31. Tickets are provided on a sliding scale to those with accessibility needs and their partners. Accessibility Seating is also available for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

The Civic Center MUNI/BA RT Station is located right next to the entrance to the Grandstands.

Safety & Wellness The Parade’s volunteer Safety Monitors work hard to prov ide a safer Pride Celebration and Parade. Please make sure that your valuables and ef fects are secure by not leaving bags or personal items unattended. Report suspicious activity or unattended packages to the nearest member of the Safety Team or at the nearest Information Booth. You are also encouraged to protect yourself and your sexual partners by employing safer sex practices during the weekend and always. (continued on page 36)

WORDS FOR PRIDE

PH OTO C O URT ESY O F E LI ZAB E T H ST E WART

By Kit Kennedy Some words slip off the tongue all satin & sassy.

Some, proud & elegant.

Some shy, wistful.

Others, confident as sea splayed upon sand.

Same is true of body with body, luxuriating.

This deliciousness has no need for words, for clothes.

Doesn’t exclude lust or love.

Kit Kennedy is the Poet in Residence of the “Bay Times.”

Gilbert Baker created the rainbow flag 35 years ago this week. It has since become the most well-known iconic symbol of our community worldwide.

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Calling All Maudies and Movie Fans! share a laugh (without the cocktail calories or happy hour hangovers).

On Saturday, June 29th, we feel privileged to gather again as a group at the Victoria Theatre. Some of us are fatter, some thinner, some richer, some poorer, but all of us are twenty years older.

tography produced stunning visuals of Maud’s as it was shutting down.

And Karen’s knack for hunting down incredibly rare archives over the next four years made our film a true eyeopener. (So much so, that Last Call At Maud’s went on to play in over two hundred theaters around the world.)

By Paris Poirier and Karen Kiss Twenty-f ive years ago, the phone rang in our Venice Beach pad and our lives were permanently transformed.

Jill Ramsey, who had been Karen’s Camp (as in outhouse-in-the-woodssing-along-around-the-f ire) Counselor called with a top secret tip that Rikki Streicher was closing Maud’s – the longest running lesbian bar in the world - forever. Back in the 1970s when both of us had “come out of the closet,” dyke bars were our only tried

and true meeting places, so Jill’s news hit us hard.

For the record, we weren’t “Maudies.” We were never regulars, and by this time, we lived hundreds of miles away from The Haight. It was clear to us, though, that Maud’s special story needed to be told. Our memories of the little, old bar were tinged with a sense of the magical, the mystical (and not just because our very

first date came to a sweet close with a cheap nightcap there).

We’d never made a film before, so our first call was to Cheryl Rosenthal (a former student of Paris’ at San Francisco State). Without a moment’s hesitation, Cheryl rallied an army of professional production support for our project. Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, we burned up The Boss’s 800# phone lines (this was pre-Internet, pre-digital), calling lesbian luminaries to join bartenders and customers in saying goodbye to a San Francisco institution, and a longstanding way of life.

Our budget was tight, but Cheryl’s remarkable talent as Director of Pho-

Alice: A

lice proudly presents our Annual Pride Breakfast where we welcome

leaders from the full community. Our keynote speaker is Congressman Mark Takano, the first openly LGBT person of color in Congress. We also welcome the Golden State Warriors as Platinum Sponsors, a first for a national sports

Sunday, June 30th 8:00 AM Yank Sing – Rincon Center 101 Spear Street @ Mission Street Tickets/sponsorships can be purchased at www.alicebtoklas.org

Alice 2013 Pride BreAkfAst sPonsors

platinum level Hon. Ed Lee Hon. Mark Leno Hon. George Gascón Hon. Dennis Herrera Hon. Scott Wiener Golden State Warriors San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 San Francisco Police Officers Association

Gold level Ken Cleaveland Reese Aaron Isbell Recology

San Francisco Apartment Association San Francisco State University SEIU - United Health Workers West

Silver level Hon. Nancy Pelosi Hon. Jackie Speier Hon. Tom Ammiano Hon. Phil Ting Hon. José Cisneros Hon. David Chiu Hon. London Breed Hon. David Campos Hon. Malia Cohen John Cunningham & Kevin Slattery Greg Flores & Jack Song Bentrish Satarzadeh AT&T BayBio Barnes, Mosher, Whitehurst, Lauter & Partners BOMA San Francisco Coalition for Better Housing/Public Advocacy Partners The Committee on Jobs Golden Gate Restaurant Association Hospital Council of Northern & Central CA LIUNA! Laborers Local 261 Reuben Junius & Rose LLP San Francisco Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth

Bronze level Hon. Betty Yee Hon. Alex Padilla Hon. Carmen Chu Hon. Mark Farrell Hon. Katy Tang Juan Cerda Julian Chang Bob Dockendorff Zoe Dunning Joel Engardio Lou Fischer Ron Flynn & Neal Schwartz Martha Knutzen & Fran Kipnis Myong Leigh & Mark Haugen Mark Murphy & David Allen Scott Nielsen Alex Randolph & Trevor Nguyen Curt Robinson Christopher Vasquez Marjan Philhour Rodrigo Santos, SE Asian Pacific Democratic Club Emerald Fund Erwin & Muir Gay Asian Pacific Alliance (GAPA) Ground Floor Public Affairs Hanson Bridgett LLP Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club

Keshet and the San Francisco Jewish Community San Francisco Association of Realtors San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium San Francisco Pride San Francisco Young Democrats SFPD Pride Alliance dual level Hon. Rich Gordon Hon. Rafael Mandelman David Augustine, Rob Depew, & Kimaya Augustine Mark Dunlop Jim Illig Brian Leubitz & Brian Devine Meagan Levitan Jim Maloney & Andrew Nance 50% +1 IATSE Local 16 United Educators of San Francisco individual SponSor Hon. Dave Jones Kat Anderson Michael Costa Jim Haas Paul Hogan Mary Jung Town Square Consulting *sponsor list at press time

Become a part of our Alice community. Membership is only $35/year and includes monthly programs.

Our next membership meeting: July 8, 6:30pm, LGBT Center. More information/connections: www.alicebtoklas.org, @alicelgbtdems, facebook.com/ABTDems. And look for our endorsements soon for this upcoming November’s election.

Building Coalitions in San Francisco for Over 40 Years BAY TIMES JUNE 2 7 , 2 0 1 3

Paris Poirier and Karen Kiss are the producers of the award-winning f ilm “Last Call at Maud’s,” which Poirier also directed.

Somewhat to our surprise, thousands upon thousands of women from across the country and around the world flocked to see this funky movie about a funky bar. From Berlin to Boise, Halifax to Helsinki, Sydney to Saskatoon, our screenings invited women to converge, connect and

www.AliceBToklas.org

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A heartfelt thank you goes out to Frameline, Mandy Carter and the Maud’s Reunion Committee for making this once-in-a-lifetime event happen. For tickets and info go to: frameline.org. See you there!

Bringing everyone in the city fAmily together

franchise.

For over 40 years Alice has been building coalitions throughout the Bay Area. You can join us too:

At our 1993 premiere at The Castro Theatre, the cheers of the crowd told us that we had created a film that served a vital purpose for an underserved audience. With f ifty thousand dollars of debt looming over our heads, we taught ourselves the distribution game. Setting up shop at our kitchen table, we called theater programmers everywhere with a simple pitch: Do you have any lesbians in your town? If so, then we have a movie for you.

Immediately after our screening we’ll make our way to what was once Maud’s and is now Finnegan’s Wake on Cole Street. We’ll raise our glasses and toast to those no longer with us and celebrate with all who are.

Paid for by the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club PAC, FPPC #842018

The Pink Triangle

By Patrick Carney

promotion of gay-rights. “Listen, you’ve worn me out with these samesex marriages. Wherever you go! I went to Europe, they’re waving flags; I came here and again you’re nagging me about this.” Meanwhile it has been announced that Putin has divorced his wife of 30 years.

The Pink Triangle has been installed atop Twin Peaks for each Pride weekend since 1996, as a visible yet mute reminder of man’s inhumanity to man. It is almost 200 feet across, one acre in size, and can be seen for 20 miles.

It is an in-your-face educational tool for all to see. The Pink Triangle is one of history’s reminders of hate and intolerance. Part of appreciating and celebrating where we are today for Pride Weekend 2013 is understanding where we have been. That is why the Pink Triangle will be there this weekend, to educate others about the hatred of the past to help prevent it from happening again. The Nazis used the pink triangle in concentration camps to identify homosexual prisoners.

This symbol, which was used in an attempt to label and persecute, has been embraced by the gay community as a symbol of pride. However, we must not forget its tragic origins.

The test of any democracy is how well it treats its minorities. The Third Reich demonstrates how easily a government can devise minority scapegoats. Branding homosexuals as criminals let most Germans feel comfortable looking the other way while the Nazis went about their persecution. Germany is today one of the gay-friendliest places on Earth with true safeguards for LGBTs, however, tactics used there so long ago still occur today in other places. While most countries are continually progressing, and are ever more inclusive

P H OTO C O URT E SY O F PAT R I C K C AR N E Y

Why is it on top of Twin Peaks?

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi congratulates Patrick Carney at the Pink Saturday ceremony atop Twin Peaks.

with new-found understanding and humanity, a few—Nigeria, Uganda, Russia, Iran and a dozen others— are ever more oppressive, less and less tolerant and less inclusive, and are violators of human rights. Many LGBTs in those areas will spend the unforeseen future living in utter fear.

Examples: Nigeria: A proposed law would ban gay marriage and outlaw groups from advocating LGBT rights. Those who marry could face 14 years in prison.

Witnesses to a gay marriage could get 10 years. Any public display of affection by a same-sex couple could result in 10 years in prison. Even those who publically support gay rights could get 10 years in prison.

Uganda: Last year, Bishop Senyanjo spoke at the Pink Triangle

ceremony about pending legislation in his country’s parliament that not only discriminates against gays, but also could impose the death penalty.

As an important religious figure and LGBT rights activist in Uganda, he calls for tolerance and mutual respect in a nation where homophobia is on the rise.

Russia: The lower house of the Russian Parliament just passed a bill making the “promotion of homosexuality” a crime punishable with fines and jail terms. Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin says he will sign it as well as a proposed gay adoption ban, but claims there is no discrimination’ in Russia. When questioned about the adoption ban, the president indicated he is bored with the gay marriage issue, even as parliament voted to criminalize

IRAN: President Ahmadinejad famously stated, “We don’t have homosexuals in Iran.” Yet Iran has publically hanged gays in community squares. Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni are just two individuals who were tragically killed this way.

Iraq: The power vacuum after the war has emboldened conservatives who are not only rolling back gains previously made by LGBTs, but they are also allowing, and some say even perpetrating, heinous crimes against them. The killers aren’t just executing their gay victims; they are “mutilating their bodies and torturing them,” says fundamentalist Sunni cleric Sheik Mohammed al-Ghreri, who criticized the violence.

Conclusion: The Pink Triangle will soon appear on Twin Peaks again for its 18th display because, as the examples above illustrate, there is an ongoing need to still bring the message of the Pink Triangle to the world, the message being what can happen when hatred and bigotry become law.

Please Help!

Details for Volunteers: www. thepinktriangle.com Set-Up: will be Saturday June 29th from 7am - 10am.

Round About - City Hall Marriage Equality Bay Times photographer Steven Underhill snapped candid shots throughout the morning on Wednesday, June 26, as officials and participants responded to the SCOTUS decisions on

Take-down: will be Sunday June 30th from 4:30pm - 8pm after the parade.

Even an hour of help “setting up” or “taking down” is a benefit.

Volunteers: Bring a hammer and gloves ! ! !

Wear closed-shoes; sandals are not recommended. Wear sunscreen.

Fashionable Pink Triangle t-shirts will be provided to all who help.

Commemoration Ceremony: at 10:30 am Saturday June 29th with elected off icials and many grand marshals. Michael Tilson Thomas (11-time Grammy winning conductor and Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony) will tell the “History of the Pink Triangle” at the start of the ceremony.

Fiscal Sponsors of the 2013 Pink Triangle are Badlands; Toad Hall; SF Pride; The Apothecarium; The Steamworks; Powerhouse; Haus of StarFish; Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; The Castro Lions Club Charities; Hodgkins Jewelers. THANK YOU ALL!!!

Patrick Carney is the founder of The Pink Triangle. He is also the co-founder of the Friends of the Pink Triangle, the small group of organizers who, on a very tight budget, bring us the beautiful Pink Triangle every year during Pride.

Photos by Steven Underhill

DOMA and Prop 8. Mayor Ed Lee and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke from the podium in the Rotunda and welcomed honored guests, including legendary activist Phyllis Lyon.

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Real Estate and Design

By the Numbers

Real Estate Mark Penn Let’s take a break from all of the “advice” that we tend to throw out there and look at some recent statistics. Sometimes it’s best just to let the numbers speak for themselves. Clearly, the housing market has been surging back. The surge is not nearly as powerful as the riptide of the downturn was, but it’s definitely something that’s palpable. Here are some of the recent facts, as collected and distributed by the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®: • Statewide seasonally adjusted annualized Sales in May were at 431,370 units, up 1.9 percent from a revised 423,420 in April but down 3.6 percent from a revised 447,530 in May 2012.

• T he Bay Area median price of an existing, single-family detached home rose 5% from April’s median price, but up a whopping 30.7% over 2012.

Statewide, this marks 15 straight months of annual price increases and the eleventh consecutive month of double-digit annual gains.

• T he year-over-year statewide price increase was the highest since at least 1980, when C.A.R. began tracking this statistic.

But if you’ve heard me before, I’m much more interested in our own local markets. So, while our statewide average hovers around 25%, if we zoom all the way in to the Castro, for example, the number of properties with positive equity soars to 96%. We aren’t as fortunate in other parts of the Bay Area, but that’s a pretty high number.

So, then, what’s on the horizon?

While the news is expected to stay positive, the pace at which things have been improving is likely to moderate.

With the supply down, and demand up, prices have made some dramatic shifts upwards as well in many parts of our metro area. And while so many of us agents have been lamenting the low number of properties available for sale, that number is showing signs of loosening considerably. The first quarter of 2013 has seen more properties for sale, and that should slow price increases, as well as decrease the

chances of another “bubble” in the short term.

While the stock market recovers from its mini-fall this past week (after Mr. Bernanke suggested that the government might begin to slow its investment in securities), there could be a bit of a cloud out there once interest rates begin to climb back to realistic levels. If the Fed does indeed back away from those securities purchases, there are few who would argue that mortgage interest rates will rise, and in turn, the average purchaser’s buying power (when financing their purchase) will fall.

The one thing we do know is what’s happening today. For buyers, interest rates are still remarkably low, some inventories are rising slightly, and for sellers, prices and values are up. Stability may be just around the corner.

But – will “stability” be a good thing or a bad thing?

Sources: C.A.R.®, Zillow, CoreLogic, Default News Service A Bay Area native, Mark Penn has been a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker since 2004. He is also active in animal welfare, and is a former educator, facilitator, and air traffic controller. Mark can be reached at mark@MyHomeInSonoma.com.

PH OTO B Y R IN K

For those homeowners who aren’t selling, the news is also encouraging.

Over the last few (depressing) years, the number of properties with negative equity - the difference between the amount of the mortgage and the amount that the property is worth -

across the country had been growing.

We are seeing a clear reversal of that trend, as in the first quarter of 2013, 850,000 properties actually moved from negative equity into positive territory. Currently, just under 20% of those properties with mortgages are actually in negative equity, down by approximately 2% over the past year.

John Weber spoke emotionally at a candlelight vigil for Spike Pierce at Castro and 18th Streets on June 21. A large group gathered for Pierce, who volunteered for the Imperial, Ducal, and church charities, and who died at age 27.

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Real Estate and Design

What Am I Marching For?

Project Remodel Jim Tibbs

In honor of San Francisco Pride, I am taking a break from the topic of remodeling and design to write about a topic that is even closer to my heart.

My partner Philip and I have accepted an invitation to join the San Francisco Bay Times contingent in the Pride Parade on June 30th. After living in the Bay Area for 32 years and attending countless Pride events, this is the first time we will be active participants in the Parade versus being passive on-lookers. Both of us are more excited about the opportunity

Jim and Philip circa 1979

fall of 1979. At the time, I thought it was more of a joke than a serious

commitment. The idea that gay marriage would be legal in our lifetime seemed out of the question. Well, our relationship is still going strong after 34 years and with Marriage Equality a reality in California, I think it is time to say “yes” to his proposal.

There are many compelling reasons to stand and be counted at the San Francisco LGBT Pride event. For me, it is the desire to make the painful and traumatic experiences that have impacted my life a thing of the past. It is about replacing feelings of shame and confusion with feelings of Pride in the truest sense of the word.

Take a moment to reflect on what Pride means to you. What are you marching for?

Jim and Philip today

than we expected to be. The newness of the experience has prompted me to pause and reflect on what I am marching for.

proposal. Our relationship was very new and hardly ready for a long-term

Jim Tibbs is the creative director of HDR Remodeling. If you would like to learn more, please read his blog at http://hdrremodeling. wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter @ HDRremodeling1.

1. I am marching for the young children who recognize that they are different from their siblings and classmates and need to explore their preferences in a safe and supportive environment. I am marching to help protect them from the psychological and physical harm that scarred my childhood growing up in a conservative town in Kentucky in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I want them to feel a deep sense of pride versus the deep sense of shame that so many of us experienced in our youths.

2. I am marching for the young lovers who discover the joy and excitement of their first relationship. I am marching for the rights of teenagers and young adults to fall in love and experiment with sex without being tormented by parents, teachers and pastors who want to run their lives or stand in their way. I fell in love with another boy from my high school at the age of 15 and briefly experienced the rapture that first love can bring.

Unfortunately, our relationship could not withstand the barrage of threats and lectures that ultimately severed the relationship for good. I don’t want others to live with the regret of missed opportunities.

3. Lastly, I am marching for the older lovers who have waited all of their lives to be married. My partner Philip first asked me to marry him in the

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Stretch Toward the Sun and Sing ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Homeward bound, Aries! Literally or figuratively, it’s time you set forth on a journey toward the center of your soul. Returning to your roots will raise your consciousness. Pack lightly.

LEO (July 23 – August 22) Icky inklings on the inside will manifest to the outside unless you live your truth, Leo. Both body and spirit benefit when you purge principles that don’t serve a purpose.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Surrender to your senses, Sagittarius. Restless rousings in your house of transformation are certainly unsettling – and that’s a good thing! Teach yourself to dance in the dark.

better.

Astrology Gypsy Love Damanhur is a fully functioning eco-society at the foothills of Italy’s Piedmont Alps. Founded in 1975 by peaceful pioneers to promote socio-spiritual values and worldwide sustainability, Damanhur has its own Constitution, currency, and school system.

Possibly Damanhur’s most fascinating feature is its choir of “singing trees,” whose melodic vibrations are captured with electro-sensory equipment.

Planetary rhythms push us to perform like plants now. Stretch sincerely toward the sun...and sing.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Enigmatic insights gleaned from friends and partners could produce positive effects on your brainpower now. Take it in, Taurus. Mind expansion is always more fun with a dash of mystery.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) Curious conflicts between heart and mind reveal volumes about current ambitions, Virgo. Explore the inner workings of your desires. Weigh the why’s and why not’s of what you wish for!

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Get deep inside your dreams now, Gemini. Verifying and validating what you value most will make you feel fabulous – and help you get back inside your financial comfort zone.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Look no further, Libra. Trying to keep up with the Joneses is useless now – and unnecessary. Explore the vibrant valuables that thrive within you. Be your own status symbol.

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) You’re eager for fresh experiences – preferably with an exotic edge. Create a roadmap of routes that render you joyful. Have some fun, Cancer.

Shape your fate by feeling great.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Keep the faith, Scorpio. Hidden truths are revealing themselves slowly, but surely. In the meantime, patience and optimism will dissolve needless worry and enhance your connection to the cosmos

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) Coupling is complicated, Capricorn. Some partnerships are made to last, while others merely linger.

Intuitive impulses shine a light on intimacy now. Your instincts will distinguish fact from fiction.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Feeling funny about money, Aquarius? Demystify fiscal foresights. The clearer your financial goals, the more accessible they’ll become. Build a blueprint, and don’t gloss over the details.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) What’s your pleasure, Pisces? Playful musings pluck at your heartstrings while romance, travel, and excitement round the nearest corner. Let go of harrowing hang-ups and hop aboard this love train.

www.AstrologyByGypsyLove.com

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

As Heard on the Street . . .

compiled by Rink

AL L PHOTOS BY RIN K

Asked at the Pride Kickoff Party at the Clift Hotel Redwood Room: What would you like to find in your Pride gift bag?

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Jane Cee

Janine Shiota

Corey Lambert

Lubov Smith

John Marez

“A coupon that would pay to clean all of the LGBT Center’s windows”

“Edible undies”

“Film actor Allen Silver”

“Chanel”

“One million dollars that I could distribute to my favorite charities”

BAY TIMES JUNE 2 7 , 2 0 1 3

Arts&Entertainment Bay Times Guide to Frameline, Final Week

Film

Gary M. Kramer Frameline 37 closes this weekend, but there is still time to see some films.

Beyond the Walls ( June 27, 9:30 pm, Castro) is a mesmerizing drama about Paolo (Matila Malliarakis), a slight-looking young man, who makes eye contact one night with Ilir (Guillaume Gouix), a handsome Albanian bartender. When Paolo gets drunk, Ilir takes him home to his bed, but he resists taking advantage of the young man. The guys meet again, and slowly give in to their attraction, eventually sharing an electrifying first kiss. Soon after, Paolo’s girlfriend kicks him out, and he moves in with the reluctant Ilir. The couple quickly become more intimate, and a scene of them lying in bed face to feet is quite sexy. Unfortunately, their relationship hits a snag. Beyond the Walls becomes a test of the couple’s love and what each will do—and give up—for the other. The film has moments that will rip viewers’ hearts out, but it is to the credit of director David Lambert, who employs masterful camerawork and artfully-framed compositions, as well as his two remarkable leads that this emotionally-charged romance is so damned affecting.

Born This Way ( June 28, 1:30 pm, Castro) This powerful human rights documentary focuses on gays and lesbians in Cameroon, where homo-

sexuality is illegal. The film profiles several brave members of the queer community, from Gertrude, who works at a center to help LGBT individuals, to Cedric, who cannot tell his mother that he’s gay. In addition, Alice Nkom, a lawyer, takes up the case of two women who are put on trial for being lesbians. Born This Way makes each of these case studies compelling as Gertrude decides to come out to the Mother Superior who raised her, and Cedric is forced to move after his life is threatened for being gay. What emerges from these individuals’ candor and courage is their refusal to betray their innate sense of self. Gay is not a choice, says Cedric who, like Gertrude, is incredibly inspiring. So is this important, impassioned film.

Beyond the Walls Wongyu’s hotel, and start to get intimate, Tae Jun caresses a scar on Wongyu’s back, abruptly ending their sexual assignation. As the men startand-stop their ‘blind sex’ (the film’s term for their pickup), a deeper theme of connection develops. Wongyu was the victim of a homophobic attack and he is out to get the men who harmed him. A chase sequence and its aftermath explore this subplot, and reconfigure Wongyu and Tae Jun’s growing bond. White Night, which unfolds

entirely at night, is a gorgeously made drama that emphasizes thought and emotion over sex. Director LeeSong Hee-il employs long takes and silences that create tremendous meaning for the characters. A scene in which Wongyu cries is palpable. While the film does have some bad translations, and can be inscrutable at times, for viewers who give themselves over to the film’s aching, moody vibe, White Night is quite rewarding.

White Night White Night ( June 28, 7:00 m, Victoria) Throbbing with sexual tension, this Korean import takes its time revealing itself to audiences.

The lengthy pre-credit sequence establishes Wongyu (Won Tae-Hee), a f light attendant, has returned to Korea for just one night. Off-screen and online, he arranges a meeting with Tae Jun (Yi Yi-kyung), hoping to spend the night with a hot guy. But upon meeting, their evening develops into something a bit more complex.

When Wongyu tries to suck off Tae Jun in a public men’s room, Tae Jun rejects him. When the men retire to

Test

Set in 1985 San Francisco, the lowbudget Test ( June 29, 6:00 pm, Castro) is a well-intentioned, but not uninteresting drama about the onset of the AIDS crisis. Frankie (Scott Marlowe) is a dancer whose unease about the disease is palpable. His concerns are contrasted with those of his fellow dancer, Todd (the magnetic Matthew Risch), who has a more reckless attitude towards life and sex. In Frankie’s eyes, Todd seems more likely to get “it” because of his behavior, but Frankie goes to get tested after a series of sexual encounters scare him.

Test conveys anxiety of the early days of AIDS, and the way young gay men grappled with their fears. If there is no surprise as to Frankie’s status, it is to the film’s credit that viewers care about what happens to his character.

While the long dance sequences— both rehearsals and performances— are nice to watch, they do seem to stretch out the rather thin narrative.

There is more to Disco music than meets the eye, posits the energetic documentary, The Secret Disco Revolution ( June 29, 9:15 pm, Vic(continued on page 36)

As Proms Go By

Brass Tacks Heidi Beeler Last Sunday, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band gigged in the realm of the meta. The Band played pep tunes outside the Roxie Theater for a Frameline Festival screening of Now We Can Dance, a new documentary about the Hayward Gay Prom that includes footage of, yes, the Freedom Band performing pep tunes.

When the Band was first invited to play at the prom, that invitation was a call for help – not from its organizers, but from the neighbors who lived near Hayward’s Centennial Hall where the dance was originally held.

In 1995, Project Eden announced it was holding a prom to provide a safe space for LGBT youth to dance together, and a crowd of religious-right protestors responded. When neighbors saw kids hurrying past clusters of “God Hates Faggots”-style signs, they started a phone tree and scribbled their own signs, welcoming and congratulating the kids. In 1997, they called the Band, asking for music that

would drown out the protestors and turn the event from a picket line back into a celebration.

We arrived that first year to find a line of supportive neighbors faced off by the religious-right protestors. Kids in cocktail dresses and suits hurried between the two ranks, their heads down and shoulders up. The protestors sported signs with nasty slogans that would grow familiar over the years: “Hatred of Parents - the Cause of Homosexuality,” “Gay = Perverts,” “You Don’t Have To Be Gay” and one of our favorites, “We Just Want You To Live Past 40.” Dressed in promesque tuxes and bowties, we stood beside the neighbors, and each time a student appeared, we played out parade and pep music as the neighbors clapped along and cheered. The kids lifted their heads and walked in the front door smiling, and we were hooked. Playing music over ignorance is this Band’s raison d’etre, and there’s nothing so worthwhile as making a space safe for kids to feel proud of themselves.

PH OTO C O URTE SY OF HEI DI BEEL ER

The Hayward Gay Prom, sponsored

by Project Eden’s Lambda Youth Project, has been one of the Band’s favorite Pride Season events for over a decade, and we’re proud to be a part of its story. On Saturday, June 15, we played for our 16th prom, and through the years, we’ve watched the event’s tone change in a way that ref lects a positive shift in mainstream attitudes toward our community.

The next year, the protestors added a bullhorn to shout over our music and a trifold pamphlet about gay sex and exposure to poisonous bodily f luids.

The prom organizers brought in their own “chaperones,” adult volunteers in ruffled tux shirts with walkie talkies who kept the religious right protestors confined to one area. With each successive year, the supportive crowd began to outnumber the homopho-

bic protestors. Gay clergy in rainbow vestments appeared to show the kids that not all Christians were homophobic. Parents and grandparents joined the receiving line. One year, Cheer SF showed up to cheer the kids on. Another year, some Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stood with the gay clergy. Kids began waving to (continued on page 37) BAY T IM ES JUNE 27, 2013

31

O 9:3 PEN 0 A JU M– LY 4P 4 M

When I Found Pride all over the world, countless others are fighting against external and internal constraints to find their way to authenticity. I offer this as encouragement, and as personal testimony that the struggle is worth it. There is no deeper joy than to stand in the sunlight of your own truth. Here’s what I wrote, in the summer of 1975:

Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT

June 1–October 13, 2013

Lincoln Park • legionofhonor.org Gustave Caillebotte, Regatta at Argenteuil (detail), 1893. Oil on canvas.

Private collection. Photograph © Comité Caillebotte, Paris

I’ve been privileged to live as an openly gay man in San Francisco for almost forty years. After so long on this progressive island, I sometimes become complacent and forget what a tremendous internal struggle it was to f ind my way so long ago. This week, I came across a journal entry that I wrote when I was still emerging from my homophobic conditioning.

When I wrote it, I was finally, and with intense inner conflict, allowing myself to feel love for another man for the first time. I share this part of my story because I know that right now,

These days my life is sharply divided between the night and the day. During the day I wander through the financial district, theoretically looking for work, while inside the battle rages.

Following me everywhere is an Imagined Other, who witnesses my sex with Mike with horror and disgust. I debate with him. I try to reason with him. I argue from ethics, psychology, history. But he remains unmoved, intransigent, and powerful. In the end, fearing checkmate, I offer my final defense. I plead with him to understand that I’m only trying to respond to a question that, while conspicuous in me, is a question that life asks of everyone: The question is “Do you or do you not have the courage to live the one and only life that is in you to live?”

I do -- because in the evening I sit with Mike, facing the window that overlooks the Bay. We watch the fog roll in, curled in each other’s arms.

Mike leans into me and smiles. He smiles for me! Here, in this quiet sweetness, is my victory.

He smiles for me, and the Imagined Other, unable to answer his smile, is silenced at last. Mike looks into me, and his clear, deep eyes speak the truth that no tongue has ever spoken.

His smile pries open the door to my heart, and I find the way back into myself, into that place in me and in him that no doubt, no shame, no suffering of any kind, can ever touch – the Deathless, the Evershining. The Sufis say that whenever a lost soul finds its way home a chorus of angels sings in the heavens. Oh my God, it’s true. I hear them.

He smiles for me! Now my heavy question, and all questions – and all answers – fade into irrelevance, becoming as empty and ephemeral as the fog in the streets below us.

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

Anita Lofton’s “Neo-Black-Folk” that day forward, she knew the guitar would play an extensive role in her life. When asked about her musical influences, Anita says, “I grew up listening to Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens and Tammy Wynette.”

Gems of The Bay Kippy Marks

This week, I’d like to introduce you to the incomparable folk music artist Anita Lofton.

Anita was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Carolyn and Luther Lofton. In Cleveland, she was introduced to music at the young age of 10. Her greatgrandmother Gussie Wesson was the woman who inspired Anita to appreciate the authentic and bright sounds of country-western and folk music.

Anita’s father encouraged her to play as many instruments as possible. “I would have an idea of an instrument I wanted to play, and the next day it would be there for me to try,” says Anita. After experimenting with many different instruments, Anita was presented with a guitar. From 32

BAY TIMES JUNE 2 7 , 2 0 1 3

In 1991, Anita moved to San Francisco, where she began her DJ experience under the teaching of Page Hodel at the well known ‘Box’ nightclub. She continued to DJ for over a decade, until she felt the market was completed saturated. Anita then focused herself on composition and performance, and assembled an all black girl rock-n-roll band called The Sistas of the Pit. With the group, she

focused on songs that showcased her unique sound and innovative talents and proceeded to tour China and Europe, before being invited to go on tour with the iconic band Iggy Pop and the Stooges.

Neo-Black-Folk is Anita’s debut album.

It’s black folk music with a contemporary f lair. For this project, Anita fused inspiration from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Amos Lee, and Ben Harper. I had the pleasure of playing violin/fiddle on several of her brilliant compositions. Anita’s style is refreshing and inspirational. She truly possesses a special gift for expressing words that paint pictures – much like her songwriting heroes, Tom Petty and Neil Young. I highly recommend making The Anita Lofton Project’s

Neo-Black-Folk a part of your music library.

Anita closes with a gracious tribute to her artistic community: “I’d like to thank all the amazing musicians (Zhalisa Clarke, Kippy Marks, Sharon Williams, Fran Curtis, Amina

Michele, Savannah Grace Harris).

Thanks to Erin Schroeder, the best graphic designer a musician could ever have, and many thanks to Byron Mason who always takes the money shot. I could have not completed this project without you all.”

Visit TheAnitaLoftonProject.com for concert dates. The CD is sold at Streetlight Records, 2350 Market St., San Francisco, CA, 94114. You can also find it on Itunes.com and cdbaby. com. On July 3, there will be a new video release on the band’s website and YouTube channel.

Sister Dana Sez

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “I have such an overabundance of gay pride; maybe I should be just a little ashamed - to balance things out?

As if!”

PHOTO BY RIN K

BE SCENE was a Pride kickoff party for the Parade Committee where attendees were seen being FABULOUS and taking a stand for the pride movement. The Embrace, Encourage, Empower Fundraiser was presented by the SF PRIDE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. We got to know the Community Grand Marshals and

6TH A NNUA L PR IDE K ICKOFF PARTY - by presenting sponsor PG&E, gold sponsor AT&T, and hosted by Mark Rhoades - was held in the elegant Redwood Room and Velvet Room at the Clift Hotel to fundraise and honor the SF LGBT Community Center and its Pride thru Action Campaign to support its cultural programs and services for youth, the unemployed, and everyone who visits the Center to celebrate and connect. “Special thanks to all who attended and helped bring pride season to a vibrant start,” said Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe.

John Marez, Donna Sachet, Richard Sablatura and Christopher Vasquez

P HOTO BY RIN K

the executive director Earl Plante, who was excited about being “on the precipice of marriage equality.” He added, “The Parade is in the strongest financial position we’ve ever been in the history of SF Pride.” He further announced with pride that L’il Kim will be performing on Pride Sunday.

Awesome!

Alex Randolph, Trevor Nguyen, Rebecca Rolfe, Susan Mooney, Aubrey Howe and Amanda Keton

Prior to that, the SF LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER’s board of directors held their first annual OPEN HOUSE. The SF Center is the first in the nation that got built from the ground up, and is also the youngest of the queer community centers worldwide. We took a tour of the Center’s state-of-art facilities, which include a childcare center, auditorium services and equipment, and a public Cyber Center; we met the Center’s diverse staff and board; we learned more about the Center’s programs and services for youth and families. Every month more than 5,000 visitors come to The Center. We toured the newest part as well as the attached older Victorian that survived the 1906 earthquake, including the Psychiatric Survivor Skylight honoring those who suffered electroshock and other

cruel treatment to “cure the queer.”

The second floor is also home of the giant pink “Q” letter leading to the Rainbow Room where entertainment can be found. Rebecca Rolfe welcomed us, saying The Center is a home for everyone - with the mission to connect our diverse community to opportunities, resources, and each other to achieve our vision of a stronger, healthier, and more equitable world for LGBTQ people and our allies.

AIDS WALK SAN FRANCISCO threw a CHAMPAGNE PARTY FUNDRAISER at Bubble Lounge to promote the July 21st 10-kilometer (6.2 mile) walk in Golden Gate Park.

AIDS Walk founder/producer Craig R. Miller welcomed everyone and introduced ABC-7 news anchor Dan

Ashley. “It’s gonna be a magical day,” said Ashley, “as it is every year.”

He added, “Thank you for supporting a community who needs these AIDS services.” Register today or get more info at aidswalk.net or (415) 615WALK. FR A MELINE 37, THE SF INTER NATIONA L LGBT F IL M FESTIVAL opened with the feature film, CONCUSSION. And as is the custom, we viewed all the past trailers for the festival - including the 23rd annual one, “Jesse Goes to Heaven,” where Sister Dana is briefly seen on the right in purple habit, helping another nun skip rope. Frameline Board President Jim Stephens welcomed the enthusiastic audience, joking that the festival is like “summer (continued on page 37)

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sharing our joy of dance with our community

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San Francisco Ballet in Possokhov’s The Rite of Spring (© Erik Tomasson)

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SF BALLET SALUTES SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE 2013

BAY T IM ES JUNE 27, 2013

33

compiled by Robert Fuggiti

See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

Volunteer for the Pink Triangle Installation Saturday June 29 and Take Down June 30. Contact: Patrick Carney 415-726-4914 or friends@thepinktriangle.com.

Pride Nightlife – California Academy of Sciences. $12. 6 pm to 10 pm. (55 Music Concourse Dr.) www.noisepop.com. Juanita More!, Heklina, Peaches Crhist and Glamamore host a Pride edition of Nightlife, with drag performances and live music.

Swallow Your Pride – Starlight

Room. $15-$50. 8 pm to 10 pm.

(450 Powell St.) www.helpisontheway.org. Celebrate the 2013 Pride community Grand Marshals and enjoy delicious food, cocktails and lively entertainment.

I am Harvey Milk – Nourse Theatre. $25-$65. 8 pm. (275 Hayes St.) www.sfgmc.org. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus proudly celebrate their 35th season with the world premiere of “I

am Harvey Milk.”

American Heritage Awards – Hilton San Francisco. $200. 6:30 pm. (333 O’Farrell St.) www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org. The American Immigration Council celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of immigrants from the LGBT community.

Colossus Pride Weekend – Ten15. $90. 10 pm. (1015 Folsom St.) www.ColossusPride.com. Kick off pride weekend with Colossus’ Matinee Pride Party and various other parties continuing through the weekend.

Bearracuda: Gay Pride SF – Public Works. $12. 9 pm. (161 Eerie St.) www.bearracuda.com. A party for bears with an impressive DJ line-up and hot dancers.

Maud’s Reunion 2013 – Finnegan’s Wake. Free. 12 pm to 6 pm. (937 Cole St.) www.facebook. com/maudsreunion. Celebrate the long history of Maud’s, the longest running lesbian bar in the United States before its closing in 1989.

WE Party VOGUE: SF Pride – The Regency Center. $85+. 9 pm.

(1300 Van Ness Ave.) www.masterbeat.com. Masterbeat and XOXO are excited to present the triumphant return of Spain’s hottest party to San Francisco for the main event of San Francisco Pride.

and continues to Market and 8th Street.

15th Annual Pride Brunch – Hotel Whitcomb. $75+. 11 am.

(1231 Market St.) www.positiveresource.org. Join Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet as they honor the Grand Marshals of San Francisco Pride.

Pride Breakfast – Yank Sing Rincon Center. $65+. 8:15 am. (101 Spear St.) www.alicetoklas.org. Join the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club for their Annual Pride Breakfast.

Dyke March – Dolores Park.

Free. 12 pm. (Dolores St. & 18th St.) www.thedykemarch.org. Join the San Francisco dyke community as they march from Dolores Park to the Castro.

San Francisco Pride Parade – Downtown San Francisco. Free.

10:30 am. (Civic Center) www. sfpride.org. The 2013 Pride Parade begins at Market and Beale Street

Juanita More! Pride Party 2013 – Jones. $30. 12 pm. (620 Jones St.) www.juanitamore.com.

Celebrate Pride at Juanita More!’s legendary party, sure to deliver an experience you won’t want to miss.

Official SF Pride After Party - Mezzanine. $15-$18. 8 pm. (444 Jessie St.) www.mezzaninesf.com.

The Official Pride After Party with music from Nina Sky, KELEA, DJ Rapid Fire and Ari Kyle.

Blake Tucker’s Show Yourself: The Exhibit – SF LGBT Community Center. Free. 6 pm. (1800 Market St.) www.blaketucker.com. A unique collection

The Pink Triangle Installation – Twin Peaks. Free. 7 am. (Twin Peaks) www.thepinktriangle.com. Help with the installation of the annual Pink Triangle, which commemorates the gay victims of the Holocaust and serves as a reminder of the on-going inhumanity to repressed minorities around the world.

Pink Party – The Castro. Free. 5 pm. (Castro and Market St.) www. sfpride.org. An annual street party in the Castro to celebrate San Francisco Pride.

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BAY TIMES JUNE 2 7 , 2 0 1 3

The Run or Dye 5k is Saturday, July 6.

of over 60 pieces of work, that will be on display through July 21.

Gay Geeks – Wicked Grounds.

Free. 7 pm. (289 8th St.) www. groups.yahoo.com/group/sfgaygeeks. A new monthly meeting for gay men to discuss all things geekrelated.

Karaoke Mondays – Lookout.

Free. 8 pm to 1 am. (2600 16th St.) www.lookoutsf.com. KJ Paul hosts a weekly karaoke night.

Red, White & B.O.O.B.S – Martuni’s. $10. 7 pm to 10 pm. (4 Valencia St.) www.facebook.com/ boobscabaret. Join B.O.O.B.S Cabaret for a night of singing and celebration in anticipation of Independence Day. Sister Bingo Benefit – San Francisco Marriott Marquis. $30+.

7:30 pm. (780 Mission St.) www. thesisters.org. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence host a night of bingo and live performances, with proceeds benefitting All Join Hands and The Sisters.

Block Party – Midnight Sun. Free. 9 pm. (4067 18th St.) www. midnightsunsf.com. Enjoy weekly screenings of your favorite music videos.

Play with BeBe – Harvey’s.

Free. 8 pm. (500 Castro St.) www. harveyssf.com. BeBe Sweetbriar hosts a weekly trivia game night with drink specials and prizes.

Meditation Group – San Francisco Public Library. Free. 12 pm to 12:45 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.sfpl.org. A weekly meditation group to find inner calmness and peace.

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

San Francisco Symphony with Fireworks – Shoreline Amphitheatre. $23-$47. (1 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View) www.shoreline.org.

Celebrate Independence Day in style with a fabulous display of entertainment and fireworks.

Gym Class – Hi Tops. Free. 10 pm. (2247 Market St.) www. hitopssf.com. Enjoy a night of fun at Castro’s only gay sports bar.

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

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

Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma – The Hypnodrome Theatre. $15$35. 8 pm. (575 10th St.) www. thrillpeddlers.com. “Tinsel Tarts in a Hot Coma,” is a new full-length, restored version of The Cockettes’ 1971 musical extravaganza.

Extended through July 27.

Friday Nights at the De Young – De Young Museum. $11.

6 pm to 8:45 pm. (50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.) www.deyoung.famsf. org. Enjoy the museum in a fun, festive and dynamic atmosphere with live music and cocktails.

Boy Bar – The Café. $5. 9 pm to 2 am. (2369 Market St.) www.guspresents.com. The Castro’s hottest weekly party with go-go dancers

and early drink specials.

Chaos – Beatbox. $5 before 11 pm/$20 after. (314 11th St.) www. facebook.com/clubchaosSF. A late night dance party with DJ Bryan Reyes and DJ Tristan Jaxx.

Run or Dye San Francisco – Candlestick Park. $45. (Candlestick Park) www.runordye.com. A colorful 5k race, celebrating life, friendship, fitness and fun.

Jalwa – Club OMG. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (43 6th St.) www.clubomgsf.com. Enjoy a night of dancing at this unique, Bollywood themed gay bar.

In a Daughter’s Eyes – Brava Theater. $15. 3 pm. (2781 4th St.) www.brava.org. A powerful story of two women fighting to protect their father’s name. Through July 14.

Trivia Night – Hi Tops. Free. 10 pm. (2247 Market St.) www. hitopssf.com. Test your trivia knowledge at this popular sports bar.

Karaoke Night – Toad Hall.

Free. 8 pm. (4146 18th St.) www. toadhallbar.com. Sing your heart out on stage at Toad Hall’s weekly karaoke night.

Openhouse. Free. 2 pm. (225 30th St.) www.openhouse-sf.org. Enjoy an evening of LGBT-themed films every 2nd Wednesday.

Booty Call - Q Bar. $4. 10 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) www.qbarsf. com. Juanita More! hosts this weekly party with hot guys, strong drinks and fun dance mash ups.

More listings @

www.sfbaytimes.com

Easy – The Edge SF. Free. 7 pm to 2 am. (4149 18th St.) www.edgesf. com. Enjoy $1 well drink specials and a fun-loving crowd.

Candlelight Flow Community Yoga – LGBT Center. Free. 7 pm to 8 pm. (1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter.org.

Replenish your energy level with this weekly “Candlelight Flow” class.

Wednesday Matinee –

Jock – Lookout. $2. 3 pm to 9 pm.

(3600 16th St.) www.lookoutsf. com. A weekly fundraising party for Bay Area LGBT sports groups.

Honey Soundsystem – Holy Cow! $7. 10 pm. (1535 Folsom St.) www.honeysoundsystem.com. An eccentric Sunday dance party with strong drinks and fun mash-ups.

Comedy Returns to El Rio – El Rio. $7. 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/409865. Now in its 5th year, this monthly comedy show features the best of Bay Area comedians and beyond.

Motown Monday – Madrone Art Bar. Free. 6 pm. (500 Divisadero St.) www.madroneartbar.com.

Dance the night away to favorite Motown songs and remixes.

Gay Bowling – Mission Bowling Club. $15. 5 pm to 8 pm. (3176 17th St.) www.missionbowlingclub. com. Mix, mingle and meet new friends at this weekly bowling social. Full bar and restaurant inside club.

BAY T IM ES JUNE 27, 2013

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(WELCOME from page 21) Getting to Pride SF Pride is one of the largest outdoor events in t he nat ion in t he he a r t of a m ajor met r op ol it a n a rea. Plea se do not t r y to pa rk your car any where near t he Parade and Celebration site during Pa rade weekend. Sa n Fra ncisco has an excel lent (usua l ly) transportation system! Both the BA RT a nd Mu n i t ra nsit s y stems ser ve Civ ic C enter st at ion nea r bot h the Celebration and Parade, making access to the event easy. Bicycle parking is located on Hastings Plaza on the northeast corner of Hyde and McA llister. Check out the comprehensive transportation guide at sfpride.org.

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Performing on the stages, among others, are L’il Kim, X Factor’s Jason Brock; American Idol’s Kimberly Ca ldwel l; comic Shann Carr; s o n g w r i t e r/s i n g e r L o v e C h a risse; queer cheerleaders CHEER SF; sel f-procla i med “ k i nda-g i rl g roup” DW V; a n i mated per forma nce t roupe Fou Fou Ha; h ip hop fusion dance company Freeplay Dance Crew; “desert-spacerocktronica” singing group Gram R abbit; singer/song w r iter/bel ly d a ncer (a nd B ay T i m es a st rolo ger!) Gy ps y L ove; B oxca r T he at re’s He d w i g a n d t h e A n g r y In ch cast; jazz/cabaret singer Veronica K laus; jazz band Josh K lipp and the Klipptones; unapologetic rock/pop group Lovesick Radio; host L ia m Mayclem of CBS 5’s Eye on the Bay; iconic sing ing couple Peaches & Herb; R aquel R o d r i g u e z a n d h e r s i x- p i e c e ba nd ; Reg g ae -i n f u sed ja m mer s Nina Sk y; pop dance col laboration Bowsy Bosch and worldwide Pr ide favor ite singer X av ier Toscano.

Grand Marshals and Honorees T h i s y e a r ’s L e a d C ont i n g e nt s consist of t wo strong allies: PFL AG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays ( plfagsf.org), and marching for their 37th “straight” year is Straights for Gay R ights (st ra ight sforgay r ight s.com). Org a n i zat iona l Gr a nd M a r sha l i s B ay A r e a Yout h S u m m it , e m power ing L GBTQ yout h a nd their allies to help stop bully ing in schools. Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal is activist/philanthropist A lvin H. Baum.

Celebrity Grand Marshals are reality T V’s hair stylist maven Tabatha Cof fey; actor/singer/songwriter Cheyenne Jackson; GLEE ’s A lex Newel l ( play ing t rans teen “ Un ique”); M SN BC a nchor T homas Rober ts; Oscar-w inning documentarian Roger Ross Wi l l ia ms a nd Mex ica n-A merica n fa sh ion desig ner A r ma ndo T hom a s “ Mondo” Guer r a who appeared on Project Runway.

Com mun it y Gra nd M a r sha ls selected by t he Pr ide Board are a ct iv i st/fa sh ion show producer M a r io B ent on ; L at i n DJ C h i l i D; t ra nsgender act iv ist Veron ik a Fi mbres; act iv ist s for people of color, Perr y Lang & Kenneth Monteiro as a couple; California Attorney Kamala D. Harr is and Bay T im es co - ed itor s/publ isher s Dr. Betty Sullivan with her partner Jen n i fer Viega s. E lected by Pr ide Genera l Membersh ip is Chinese-A merican activist Cr ystal Jang. Public Choice is Empress M a r le n a (a k a G a r y M c C l a i n).

Elected by the Electoral College of Com mun it y Gra nd M a r sha ls (since 1999) is activ ist/fundraiser Miss Gay San Francisco 2008 Bebe Sweetbriar.

Receiv i ng t he Jose Ju l io Sa r r ia H istor y M a ker Awa rd a re ma rriage equality activists, The Leffew Family.

A nd Now For A Little History Lesson Ever y ye a r I r e a d a n ed itor i a l ask i ng for t he “ frea k s a nd d rag queens” to please step aside and not r u i n it for L GB T Q r i ght s .

And I need to remind those naysayers that it was drag queens and transgenders, way back at the end of June 19 69 in New York Cit y, hanging out at their local gay bar, t he Stonewa l l I nn, who decided they would no longer put up with da i ly pol ice harassment and arrests that were part of “normal” homosexual life for these people.

At t hat t ime it was i l lega l to be gay, so t here was no open ly gay pride, no openly gay politics, and most certainly no gay parade.

O n t h a t p a r t ic u l a r n i g ht , t he Stonewall patrons initiated local action that was to eventually lead to nat iona l gay liberat ion. They fought back. For several days and n ight s t he Stonew a l l Rebel l ion raged on, and the so-called sissies beat the men-in-blue in a rather violent uprising (and I don’t mean just w it h pur ses). So you see, it w a s a ver y abnor m a l g r oup of “ f r e a k y p e o ple we a r i n g f u n ny clot hes” back t hen who made it possible for us today to cocktai l and cruise undisturbed in the gay or lesbian bar of our choice. And walk down Market Street holding hands. And for that matter, those nelly fellas paved the way for every one of our civil rights marches. So when you see a drag queen or “ freaky person,” g ive ‘em the thumbs-up and thank ‘em for the le g a c y t h a t c ont i nue s . F l a m e ON, freaky people!!!

(FRAMELINE continued from page 31)

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Secret Disco Revolution toria). Director Jamie Kastner argues that the music was a form of protest—not unlike folk during the Civil Rights era of the 50s, or Woodstock during Viet Nam. The 70’s revolution was against sexism, racism, and homophobia as women, African Americans, and gays were liberated by Disco music and exerted their influence in society. However shrewd Kastner’s perception may be, the director insists on using a tacky framing device in which three silent “masterminds” explicate the “manifesto” that made disco the pop culture sensation it was.

Such a clumsy approach detracts from what is otherwise an interesting film for anyone who has warm and fuzzy feelings about the polyester decade. While there is little “new” knowledge provided in the film—Saturday Night Fever catapulted disco to its mainstream heights, and Studio 54 was the nightclub for celebrities and cocaine—there is an appreciation for the era that gave birth to the Village People. The interviews and archival footage are the strongest elements in the film, and when The Secret Disco Revolution traces the impact of music on society, it is very compelling. This documentary provides an affectionate trip down memory lane for any36

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one who enjoys disco music—secretly or not.

Fun in Boys Shorts ( June 30, 2:00 pm, Castro) features six narrative shorts that deal with awkward comic situations. From Housebroken, which has a heartbroken guy getting involved in a threesome that is two times worse than his breakup, to Spooners, a broad, silly film about a gay couple buying a mattress, to P.D.A., about a gay couple debating about holding hands in public, the entries are all amusing. Both Yeah Kowalski! and Jackpot, are sweet comedies about teenage anxieties. In the former, a teen is eager to embrace puberty, while the

latter concerns a gay boy confronting his bullies with the assistance of a gay pin-up fantasy man. Fantasy and bullying are also featured in what is by far the best short in the anthology, the dramatic Alaska Is a Drag, about a f lamboyant African American man making an unexpected new friend in the cannery where he works and imagines a different life for himself.

This one begs for feature treatment.

Rounding out the collection are two imported shorts. dik, from Australia, creates a heated debate about sexuality between a married couple and ends with a funny punch line. The only outlier is Cuki Colorinchi Evolution, a Spanish-language documentary about an obsessed crochet artist that, while impressive, fails to connect to the other titles in the program. Still, this is a mostly strong anthology. © 2013 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of the forthcoming “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.”

You can follow him on Twitter @garymkramer.

Born this Way

(PROMS from page 31) the cheering crowds like it was Oscar night and formed conga lines to dance back out to thank us. Two years ago, the prom was moved from Centennial Hall, where public sidewalks run up to the front door of the building, to Chabot College, where protestors are restricted from displaying signs on campus.

This year, when we arrived, there were only two religious right protestors left near the entrance to the campus parking lot. Standing beside their freshly printed “Gay = Perverts” sign was a young woman holding a sign of her own over her head: “This Guy Is An ASSHOLE”.

Nothing like seeing LGBT youth standing on their own two feet. You guys make us proud!

(SISTER DANA continued from page 33) camp for grownups.” He said many of the films will be available in DVD and online. Executive Director K.C. Price said they received over 800 submissions from 29 countries, and he thanked the 400 volunteers. I found Concussion to be visually stimulating and filled with sensual woman-onwoman eroticism; but the film’s exposition was weak, and overall it seemed slow and uneven. I much preferred its predecessor, John Waters’ hilarious 2004 A Dirty Shame, with sudden, similar sexual addictions arising from concussions.

I heartily recommend the charming, funny, delightful closing film, G.B.F., because OMG it’s AOK, GSA, A-gay, BFF, BJ & HJ - with the three differing high school bitch clique goddesses competing for the only Gay Best Friend available on campus - that they know of. Especially after the makeover montage. There’s an inclusive, nontraditional prom. Plus an extremely overly-accepting mother (Megan Mullally) and a horny, closeted Mormon. What more could you want?! frameline.org.

CUMMING UP! On June 27th, The RICHMONDERMET AIDS FOUNDATION, William Grant and Sons, and The Starlight Room proudly present the return of SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE at the legendary Starlight Room high atop the Sir Francis Drake hotel. Mermaid-in-residence Cassandra Cass greets you from within her dazzling shell while from 8-10pm VIP guests enjoy scrumptious appetizers and complimentary cocktails. Producers are honoring our community Pride Grand Marshals including the legendary Marlena, Bebe Sweetbriar, Bay Times copublisher/editor Dr. Betty L. Sullivan with her partner/co-publisher/ editor Jennifer L. Viegas, and Grand Marshal nominee Randy Schiller for his years of support of REAF. Empress XXX Donna Sachet welcomes guest host Miss Gay USA 2013 Mercedez Munro and GL A A D’s national spokesperson Wilson Cruz. Enjoy live performances by Bay Area and beyond Broadway, cabaret, and recording superstars Leanne Borghesi and Brian Kent as well as SF Pride 2013 Main Stage artists Gypsy Love with Kippy Marks. TV’s Top Chef star Tim Nugent will be at the VIP reception. After 10pm the dance floor heats up with internationally acclaimed DJ Pornstar.

Check out

One hundred percent of ticket sales goes directly to REAF. Tix and info: helpisontheway.org.

THE SF GAY MEN›S CHORUS presents HA RVEY MIL K 2013, June 26th - 28th at Nourse Theatre (at Franklin & Hayes Streets). Act I features a variety of media curated from a global call for artistic submissions. Act II is the world premiere of I Am Harvey Milk as a 60-minute oratorio, with words and music by Tony Award-nominated Broadway composer Andrew Lippa (The Addams Family, Big Fish). It’s directed

by Noah Himmelstein, produced

by Bruce Cohen (Milk, Silver Linings Playbook), and features an all-star cast including Tony Award-winning soprano Laura Benanti (Gypsy) and the 300 singers of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. Tix: sfgmc.org or call (415) 392-4400.

Get up close and personal with the 2013 Grand Marshals on June 29th, 11am, at Hotel Whitcomb, Market and 8th Streets during the 15TH ANNUAL PRIDE BRUNCH benef iting POSITIVE RESOURCE CENTER. Hosts Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet are making this gourmet brunch the biggest and best ever. Enjoy The Dixieland Dykes + 3 band and the three-hour open bars by Barefoot Winery and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. positiveresource. org/pridebrunch.

THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE present a (“Not Your Gra nd mot her’s”) B I NGO BENEFIT, July 2nd, 7:30-10:30pm, Marriott Marquis – Yerba Buena Salon 7, 780 Mission Street. Sisters Bingo combines traditional bingo with live performance and the zany (and quite often raunchy) antics of these fun nuns. It’s a benefit for All Join Hands and The Sisters. $45 for VIP seating and $30 for regular seating.

Must be 18 or older.

Also, THE SISTERS present LATE NIGHT COUNTRY WESTERN DANCE, July 6, 11pm-2am, Marriott Marquis Hotel - Golden Gate Salon, 780 Mission Street. Two-step, cha-cha, East & West Coast Swing, and line-dance the night away to the hottest country western and contemporary tunes. Join hundreds of square dancers from around the world for the International Association of Gay Square Dance Clubs convention. Tix: $10 at the door. Contact (415) 238-7984.

ABC 7’s Dan Ashley spoke at the AIDS Walk Champagne Party at Bubble Lounge

Due to audience demand and sold-out houses, TINSEL TARTS IN A HOT COMA extends through July 27.

Thrillpeddlers present this new, full-length, restored version of The Cockettes’ 1971 uproarious musical sensation, complete with glitter, tacky cardboard sets, elaborate costumes, and nudity - just like the original.

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 8pm at The Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street. thrillpeddlers.com or (415) 377-4202.

SAN FR ANCISCO’S BIG GAY BIRTHDAY PARTY is June 28th, 8pm-1:30 am, Old Mint, 88 5th Street, offering music, drag performances, carnival fare, photo booth. Tix: thebolditalic.com.

FAIROAKS PROJECT is a fascinating photography show curated by Gary Freeman about a bathhouse in SF existing from 1976-79, owned and operated by a gay commune. It is open through Pride Sunday at the Center for Sex and Culture, 1349 Mission. sexandculture.org, fairoaksproject.com.

Check out the COLLAGES at Magnet - the 18th and Castro Street hub of health and social wellbeing - by Paul Jermann entitled MIRRORS. I noted a slight paganism theme. I really enjoyed “Mirror 7,” perv that I am, for its phallic symbols. pauljermann.com.

Adult flick pick: Heretic by ragingstallion.com.

Sister Dana sez, “Check me out in the ‘Bay Times’ contingent in the Sunday Parade as a rainbow nun, and blow kisses back at me! ”

News, Entertainment and more in the

BayTimes CALENDAR & RESOURCE GUIDE at www.sfbaytimes.com

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Round About – Be Scene! Pride Reception Bay Times photographers Rink and Steven Underhill were there at the famous Clift Hotel for SF Pride’s fundraising reception with dot429 on Wednesday, June 12. Pride’s Board of Directors and staff presented an evening of music and entertainment featuring BeBe Sweetbriar and a line-up of Grand Marshals kicking off Pride 2013 and this year’s theme: Embrace, Encourage, Empower.

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Round About – Frameline37 Opening Night & More Thursday, June 20, saw a capacity crowd at the Castro Theatre for Frameline37 Opening Night. The debut feature of the evening, produced by Rose Troche and directed by Stacie Passion, was Concussion, an award-winning f ilm telling the story of a lesbian mom destined to make life-changes that dramatically affect her inattentive partner and her son. Following the screening, the Opening Night Gala event was held at Terra Gallery with a plethora of cuisine choices, libations and desserts.

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