2013 10 03

The US Government has shut down (see Page 3) but musician Katharine Cole rocks on! Learn about her new CD that addresses some of our nation’s challenges head on (Page 13).

October 3-16, 2013 | www.sfbaytimes.com

/SanFranciscoBayTimes

/SFBayTimes

Welcome to the 40th Castro Street Fair!

The Bay Times, like the Castro Street Fair, is Castro-based and celebrates the diversity of our ever-growing LGBT family.

We are the oldest and largest Bay Area newspaper that is fully funded and owned

by LGBT individuals. We were the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and that of the Castro Street Fair!

Speaking of giving props, check out this year’s Legends Stage. Legendary DJ’s will be spinning tunes nonstop from 11 AM until closing. The list includes Stefanie Phillips, Rolo, Blackstone, Jim Hopkins, David Harness, Page Hodel and Pete Avila. Peaches

closes out the Main Stage with a 4 PM performance.

You can eat, dance, party and shop your way through the festival—not a bad way to spend a Sunday. You can also learn the latest from important local non-profits, such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Project Open Hand, Magnet, The Trevor Project and so many more. We additionally love to see the camaraderie of friends meeting each other- often by surprise- catching up with news and just enjoying the free time. Busy lives, moves to the burbs, the lousy economy, and other forces seem to keep us apart a lot these days. The Castro Street Fair provides us with a reason to come together— in community, in our neighborhood—and all for a good cause.

The First Castro Street Fairs Bay Times Photographer Rink Was There 1974 was a seminal year in our community’s history. Harvey Milk, then dubbed “The Mayor of Castro Street,” helped to found the Castro Village Association to support LGBT businesses. As president of the association, Milk organized the very first Castro Street Fair in an effort to draw customers to the Castro. More than 5,000 people attended, stunning members of the Eureka Valley Merchants Association that were not supportive of the gay community. Milk’s fair blew them away, since it broke sales records for businesses in the Castro.

Milk, who was running a camera store with gay rights activist Scott Smith, knew photographer Rink PHOTO BY RINK, 1977

and admired his work. Rink shares that Milk and Smith “invited me onto their apartment house roof to photograph the first Castro Street Fair in 1974.” Why the roof? “Because of permit obstruction by homophobic city supervisors, two lanes of Castro Street were open to traffic during the fair, which made Harvey furious!” Such City Hall grandstanding incited the young, politically charged activist to escalate his efforts toward building a stronger, more unif ied LGBT community.

Rink photographed subsequent Castro Street Fairs, noting how Milk and his colleagues would build momentum by (continued on page 12)

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Health News

US Government Shutdown Hurts HIV/AIDS Research, LGBT Livelihood According to a recent federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, at least 13,600 federal workers identify as LGBT, with10.8 percent of all federal employees preferring not to say. That means tens of thousands of people from our community are furloughed right now, with many living from paycheck to paycheck and worried about how they will pay their bills. At the Bay Times, we have several friends and family members who received the harsh furlough document late Monday night.

Government departments and agencies have “contingency staffing plans for operations in the absence of enacted annual appropriations.” Thankfully, such documents are usually just filed paperwork, put aside for a rainy day. That day has come, though, and the situation is dire, particularly where health care is concerned.

According to such documents, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “will continue minimal support to protect the health and wellbeing of US citizens here and abroad through a significantly reduced capacity to respond to outbreak investigations, processing of laboratory samples, and maintaining the agency’s 24/7 emergency operations center.”

PHOTO SOURCE: AR CHI T ECT OF T H E CA P I TOL

Members of our community are among the hardest hit from the US government shutdown that, as of this writing, continues.

The CDC is also “unable to support the annual seasonal inf luenza program, outbreak detection and linking across state boundaries using genetic and molecular analysis, continuous updating of disease treatment and prevention recommendations (e.g., HIV, TB, STDs, hepatitis), and technical assistance, analysis, and support to state and local partners for infectious disease surveillance.”

The Health Resources and Services Administration is now “unable to make payments for the Children’s Hospital GME Program and Vaccine Injury Compensation Claims.

Monitoring of Ryan White Grants – particularly AIDS Drug Assistance Program Grants, Emergency Relief Grants and Comprehensive Care would be insufficient to assure states, cities and communities are complying

with statutory guidance and necessary performance.”

As for all funding cuts, the poorest and most in need suffer the greatest.

Quarterly grants for certain senior nutrition programs, child welfare services, and community services have been discontinued. When national monuments and parks close, there is a domino effect, hurting small business owners in the area who service visitors.

We hope that, by the time you read this story, the shutdown will have ended. We agree with President Obama, who said, “Congress needs to keep our government open, needs to pay our bills on time, and never, ever threaten the full faith and credit of the United States of America.”

Our Queer Powerhouses, and the Ellis Act statewide, but Ammiano and the activists persevered, and this year they were able to deliver for some of the hardest working and most vulnerable workers in our economy.

A San Francisco Kind of Democrat Rafael Mandelman Over the years, San Francisco has graced our State Legislature with some extraordinarily effective and prolific legislators, and it should be a point of pride for our LGBT community that over the last two decades – ever since Carole Migden first cracked the glass ceiling for San Francisco LGBT politicians seeking higher office – three of these powerhouse politicians have been queer.

P H OTO B Y R I N K

Midway through his final term in the State Assembly, Tom Ammiano is, of course, still going strong, recently winning a major victory for California’s domestic workers with the enactment of AB 241, his landmark Domestic Worker Bill of Rights law. Governor Brown had vetoed Ammiano’s prior attempt to guarantee overtime pay and other protections to hundreds of thousands of nannies, cooks, housekeepers and other domestic workers

Over in the State Senate, Mark Leno has been pretty busy himself, chairing the Senate Budget Committee, and in his spare time battling to save local inclusionary affordable housing programs, reforming our State’s drug sentencing laws, championing industrial hemp cultivation, and urging California’s pension funds to disinvest in Russia until that country repeals its vile anti-gay laws.

One area where Leno has tried valiantly (but so far unsuccessfully) to make a mark is in the area of Ellis Act reform. The Ellis Act, you may remember, is the legislation that allows landlords to evict their tenants if they decide to go out of the landlord business. Now there’s a reasonable underlying rationale for the Ellis Act. Think, for example, of the aging small property owner who simply can no longer manage the maintenance of rental property. But in San Francisco, the Ellis Act has been used to alarming effect by speculators who purchase buildings, including large apartment buildings housing dozens of longtime tenants, and then use the Act to clear out those buildings and sell off the units as TICs. Leno, and former Senator Sheila Kuehl before him, have tried to address

this abuse of the Ellis Act through legislation that would prevent a buyer acquiring rental property from invoking the Ellis Act to evict tenants for the first five years following the acquisition. It’s a reasonable, common sense proposal to preserve the protections of the Ellis Act for longtime landlords, but to deny it as a tool for speculators looking to make a quick buck. Astoundingly, however, even with Democratic supermajorities in the State legislature, we are still told that Ellis Act reform is dead on arrival in Sacramento.

This is intolerable. There are few greater threats to the vitality of our City, and in particular the survival of its LGBT community, than the displacement sweeping our neighborhoods. Leno has demonstrated his commitment to pursue any realistic avenue to meet the challenge, and no one could question Ammiano’s willingness to pursue justice even against the longest odds. But as the next generation starts eyeing Ammiano’s and Leno’s seats, it is incumbent on anyone serving or seeking to serve in Sacramento to offer solutions to the Ellis Act challenge. And it is incumbent on the community to insist that our extraordinarily effective and prolific elected off icials, of whom we are so very proud, fight this fight until it is won.

Rafael Mandelman is a member of the San Francisco Community College Board of Trustees. He is also a partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP.

The 2013 Freewheeler Car Show, an annual benefit for the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, featured a 1953 Buick station wagon.

More News, Stories and Arts & Entertainment online @sfbaytimes.com BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 3, 2013

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National News Briefs compiled by Dennis McMillan

Springf ield, IL - Judge Allows Challenges to Illinois Same-Sex Marriage Ban to Proceed - 9.27 An Illinois judge has allowed two lawsuits challenging the state’s ban on same-sex marriage to proceed, possibly setting the stage for state courts rather than the legislature to decide whether same-sex couples will be allowed to marry in Illinois. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sophia Hall ruled that lawsuits brought by same-sex couples have a chance of succeeding, arguing that the state’s ban on gay marriage discriminates against them. The ruling is a boost for Illinois supporters of same-sex marriage trying to legalize gay nuptials through the courts because efforts through the state legislature fell short.

The Illinois state Senate voted on Valentine’s Day in February this year to legalize gay marriage, but the state House of Representatives never scheduled a vote.

Civil unions for gay and lesbian couples are legal in Illinois, but gay activists said this does not go far enough. Gay marriage supporters plan to hold a rally and concert at the State Capitol on Oct. 22 to pressure the state lawmakers to approve same-sex nuptials.

The judge was responding to lawsuits filed by The American Civil Liberties Union and pro-gay rights group Lambda Legal on behalf of 25 same-sex couples in May 2012.

“Loving same-sex couples in Illinois can’t wait any longer for the freedom to marry,” said Camilla Taylor, marriage project director for Lambda Legal. “We’re excited to get to the next step and make the case for equality.”

Opponents said they would continue efforts to block legalization of same-sex marriage in Illinois. “Marriage between one man and one woman is constitutional, and we are confident that Illinois’ marriage laws will ultimately be upheld,” said Paul Linton, a lawyer for the Thomas More Society, which is opposed to same-sex marriage.

Trenton, NJ - Judge Orders New Jersey to Allow Same-Sex Marriage - 9.27 A New Jersey judge ruled that the state must allow same-sex couples to marry, saying that not doing so deprives them of rights that were guaranteed by the United States Supreme Court in June. It is the first time a court has struck down a state’s refusal to legalize same-sex marriage as a direct result of the Supreme Court ruling, and with lawsuits pending in other states, it could foreshadow other successful challenges across the country.

The decision was a rebuff to Governor Chris Christie, a Republican who vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature last year that would have allowed same-sex couples to marry. His office said it would appeal to the state’s highest court.

“The ineligibility of same-sex couples for federal benefits is currently harming same-sex couples in New Jersey in a wide range of contexts,” Judge Mary C. Jacobson of State Superior Court in Mercer County wrote. “Same-sex couples must be allowed to marry in order to obtain equal protection of the law under the New Jersey Constitution.”

Legislators had responded to the 2006 court ruling by passing a bill to allow civil unions, but same-sex couples sued again, arguing that civil unions denied them many benefits, particularly in health care decisions and financial matters.

The same-sex couples in New Jersey pressed for a fast judgment after the Supreme Court’s decision. Judge Jacobson agreed with the plaintiffs. Legislative leaders, working with state and national gay rights groups, are pushing to override Mr. Christie’s veto, which they have until January to do.

Christie’s Democratic opponent, State Senator Barbara Buono, called the ruling “a stark reminder that Governor Christie stands on the wrong side of history.”

Especially if he ever wants to be President.

Source: nytimes.com

More is less.

Source: reuters.com

Hollywood, CA - Study Finds Bias Persists Against Gay and Lesbian Actors - 9.27 The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists study finds that, even as opportunities and conditions improve, discrimination persists against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender actors. The survey, based on responses from over 5,600 union members, showed nearly half of lesbian and gay respondents and 27% of bisexual respondents “strongly agreed” that producers and studio execs believe that lesbian and gay performers are less marketable.

The report also found that over a third of LGBTQ performers, as well as some nonLGBTQ performers, had witnessed “disrespectful” treatment toward these minorities.

And 16% of LGBTQ respondents reported they had experienced discrimination.

“Gay men were the most likely to report they have experienced some form of discrimination, with one in five reporting an experience,” the union said. “Bisexual actors were about half as likely to report discrimination as gay or lesbian actors.”

The report by SAG-AFTRA and UCLA’s The Williams Institute found one-third of survey respondents believed that casting directors, directors and producers may be biased against LGBTQ performers. The survey, released at the first-ever SAG-AFTRA convention, also showed over half of LGBTQ performers had heard anti-gay comments on set.

Respondents also said SAG-AFTRA members provide a supportive environment for LGBTQ performers. Additionally, many lesbian and gay respondents said they would encourage others to come out.

“We were pleased to see that our membership is overwhelmingly supportive of LGBT actors, and that many LGBT actors found benefits in coming out,” said Duncan CrabtreeIreland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief administrative officer and general counsel. “Nonetheless, coming out remains a significant and consequential decision for many performers, and we are committed to supporting our members in living honest and authentic personal and professional lives.”

Washington D.C. - National Poll Finds Huge Support for ENDA - 9.30 Atlanta, GA - New Report Finds Workplace Discrimination, Wage and Health Disparities for Transgender Workers - 9.16 A new report offers the most comprehensive analysis to date of the inequities facing transgender workers in the American workforce - from finding and keeping good jobs, to having equal access to job-related benefits, to obtaining adequate health insurance coverage. Out & Equal Workplace Advocates have acted as partners in producing “A Broken Bargain for Transgender Workers.” The report also offers specific recommendations for policymakers and employers to reduce and eliminate inequities for transgender workers and help restore America’s basic workplace bargain of fairness and equality.

“From our beginning, Out & Equal has been committed to creating more equitable work environments and more employment opportunities for the transgender community. We are proud to partner in releasing this report at such an important time in our movement’s history,” said Selisse Berry, founder and CEO, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. “An ENDA inclusive of both sexual orientation and gender identity, when passed, will be the prelude to our greatest work and our greatest challenge - creating cultures of inclusion that permeate all our workplaces.”

Recent polling shows that 73% of voters support protecting transgender people from discrimination in employment. Despite this strong public support, no federal law provides explicit legal protections for transgender workers based on gender identity/expression - and only 17 states and the District of Columbia offer these protections. As a result, transgender workers face higher rates of unemployment and are at greater risk of poverty.

In other words, stop acting straight!

“Transgender people face among the highest unemployment rates of any population in the United States,” wrote Maggie Stumpp in the anthology, Out & Equal at Work: From Closet to Corner Office. “To make change in this area it’s imperative to find ways to overcome the hurdles that transgender people face during the hiring process.”

Source: variety.com

Source: outandequal.org

New polling by a prominent Republican pollster shows a supermajority of voters – 68%, including 56% of Republicans – support a federal law protecting LGBTQ employees from discrimination in the workplace.

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on such a law – the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) - in the coming weeks. Currently, there are no state laws prohibiting an employer from firing or refusing to hire someone simply because he or she is LGBTQ in a majority of states.

“ENDA is common-sense legislation that rings true with the overwhelming majority of voters, including Republicans,” said Target Point Consulting’s Alex Lundry, one of the country’s leading experts on voter analytics who has worked for several Republican presidential candidates.

“The American people believe in the values of hard work and the Golden Rule – these are the reasons why support for ENDA is off the charts.”

In addition to the national poll, Lundry utilized new modeling techniques to estimate support for ENDA in all 50 states, finding majorities in each state back a federal law to protect LGBTQ employees.

Americans for Workplace Opportunity, which is the campaign to pass ENDA, and Project Right Side commissioned the national poll of 2,000 registered voters conducted by Lundry on Sept. 3-8.

The poll also found eight in 10 Americans believe it’s already illegal to discriminate against people simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he wants to bring the bill to the floor. ENDA passed out of a key Senate committee this past summer by a 15-7 bipartisan vote – with support from Republican Senators Mark Kirk (Ill.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Orrin Hatch (Utah).

It seems some Republicans DO have beating hearts!

Source: sdgln.com

Local News Briefs Street Wise Self Defense Seminar Offered

Activists Urged to Tell Governor Brown the Queer Community Counts

Many people in the queer community are concerned with rising crime and increasing reports of people being assaulted for their smart phones and valuables. A little more awareness, and some forethought about what people’s options are when faced with a difficult situation, can make all the difference. The latest self-defense seminar will offer some invaluable information and insights.

Various studies have shown that health disparities impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are real and costly, but they can’t be fixed until there are effective statistics about the queer community’s unique health needs. If they aren’t counted, they aren’t considered.

Castro Community On Patrol (CCOP) is working with the Metropolitan Community Church to present a community self-defense seminar at the church on Saturday Oct. 19 from 1pm to 5pm at 150 Eureka Street.

The seminar is open to anyone 18 years of age or older (no upper age limit) and is designed to be low impact, fun, information packed, easily accessible and suitable for everyone.

The seminar will cover important, intriguing topics such as: self-defense versus defending yourself; the BEWARE plan; street ”smartz” and awareness; pre-planning and preparing; recognizing and avoiding trouble; the importance of the Lizard Brain (CCOP says people will find out just what that’s about in the seminar); becoming a sheep dog; de-escalating situations; and simple physical defensive techniques if all else fails.

The seminar will be led by Ken Craig, who is a Grand Master ranked martial artist with more than 25 years of combined martial arts experience. Craig is also one of the original founding members of Castro Community On Patrol and holds the vice chair position with CCOP as well as serving as their director of Volunteer Training and Emergency Services Liaison.

Last week, the California legislature took an important step to address this by advancing Assembly Bill 1208, an incredibly important LGBTQ data collection bill authored by Assemblymember Dr. Richard Pan and sponsored by Equality California.

The bill is now on the Governor’s desk, so activists need to tell him that the queer community must be counted. The bill, which has bipartisan support, will result in valuable public health information by adding voluntary questions about sexual orientation and gender identity to applications Californians fill out for programs such as Medi-Cal and Obamacare.

AB 1208 will help California lead the way in addressing inequality in health care for the LGBTQ community. By including optional questions on standardized forms Californians complete for programs such as Medi-Cal and Obamacare, information will be collected that will help guide efforts to increase health care equality in California and nationally. Health departments leveraging millions and millions of federal and state dollars will be able to better target health disparities with the data collected. By investing a little in the way queer LGBTQ information is collected, a lot can be saved down the road by making sure that queer people get the care they need and want.

This event is a fundraiser for MCCSF hosted by Castro Community on Patrol, sponsored by MCCSF, and coordinated by Brian Stevens, Board of Directors. The suggested minimum donation is $25, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. To sign up, browse mccsf.org.

“Tell Governor Brown that we count, and urge him to sign AB 1208 because it’s important to the health of our community,” said John O’Connor, Equality California executive director.

“You can call his office at (916) 445-2841, send him a support email at governor@governor. ca.gov or tweet @JerryBrownGov directly at TinyUrl.com/TweetCAGov asking him to sign AB 1208.”

Story by Dennis McMillan

Story by Dennis McMillan

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Money and Finance Small Business Owners: Think About Your Personal Bottom Line ness helps your employees build a secure retirement while giving you the opportunity to save in a tax-advantaged way.

Protecting yourself and your business

Money Matters Brandon Miller, CFP & Joanne Jordan, CFP If you’re a small business owner, you probably devote most of your time to making your business successful and functioning well each day. You focus on the obligations you have to customers and employees, and you surely put considerable energy into maintaining a healthy bottom line.

All of these things are important, but with so much going on, it can be too easy to neglect your own finances.

It’s important to think long-term about your business, your personal f inancial future and how the two impact one another. As a business owner, you are in a unique position to address both business and personal needs together. Here are some important areas to consider as you work to keep your personal financial goals on track: Retirement planning Business owners typically have much of their money (and therefore their future financial security) tied up in their businesses. For that reason, it’s important to supplement that equity with a separate workplace retirement plan that is invested outside of the business. Setting up an employersponsored savings plan at your busi-

You take significant risks as a business owner. One is that the business relies on your continued presence.

It is crucial to determine how your business would keep functioning (and generating income for your family) if something prevented you from overseeing it, such as an untimely accident, illness or premature death.

Also consider the impact it would have on your business if something happened to your business partner or any of your most critical employees.

Providing protection for your family by having adequate life and disability insurance in place is the first step in helping secure the financial stability of your business and your family should something happen to you. A good policy can provide income for you and your family, and as a business owner, replace lost revenue and provide funds to help keep your business operating in your absence.

Life and disability insurance may also be purchased by your business to protect against an untimely incident affecting a key employee. Socalled “key person insurance” is often considered an important part of a business operation.

Managing cash f low As a business owner, you should consider maintaining a larger emergency cash fund than what might be required for people who work for a large employer. This is especially true if your business activity tends

to be unpredictable and you are forced to reduce your own income from time-to-time to meet business expenses. Having a cash cushion in your personal account will help you manage through difficult times.

Moving on from your business Assuming you ultimately plan to sell or turn over your business to a successor, your goal should be to have a succession strategy in place well in advance. If you own a family business, there are special considerations and unique ways you can structure a transition plan to your family members. If you have partners in your business, think about establishing a buy-sell agreement that is funded by insurance. This allows one or more partners to be in a position to purchase your share of the company at its true value if something should happen to you.

Building personal financial security was probably one of the reasons you started or acquired your business in the f irst place. Careful followthrough with a well planned, reasonable transition strategy is a logical step to achieve the ultimate reward from the years you dedicated to your business. Consider working with a financial professional who can help you develop and evaluate a personal financial plan that keeps your goals and dreams for your small business in mind.

Brandon Miller, CFP and Joanne Jordan, CFP are financial consultants at Jordan Miller & Associates, A Private Wealth Advisory Practice of Ameriprise Financial Inc. in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

Security Deposit Know-How Can Save You Money and Headaches

Tenant Law Nancy M. Conway, Attorney at Law

to repair things that were in disrepair when the tenants moved in.

At the inception of the tenancy, a landlord can ask for a security deposit. No matter what its nomenclature, be it cleaning deposit, last month’s rent, key deposit, or non-refundable application fee, the law treats payments above the first month’s rent as refundable security deposits, governed by California Civil Code Section 1950.5.

Inspect and document the condition of the rental unit upon move in, as well as at time of move out. Do not sign a paper saying the premises are in perfect condition when in fact they are not.

It might be uncomfortable, but it will save you time and money down the road when you move out. If you signed something that all was fine when you moved in just to get in the place, then a short note with the rent pointing out some problems that you noted upon move in, may protect you down the line and possibly get the conditions repaired. Keep the correspondence in a landlord tenant file along with your lease, your photos and all other communications. Be sure to keep a record of the security deposit payment.

A security deposit can be withheld only for specified reasons. It can be used to cover unpaid rent, to pay for repairs due to tenant caused damage, or to clean the premises. It cannot be used to repair ordinary wear and tear.

It cannot be used to pay for deferred maintenance. It cannot be used to clean to a level better than the unit’s condition at the time of the rental, or

Tenants who give the landlord 30 days notice, or are in receipt of a landlord notice to vacate of 30/60 days, are entitled to written notice prior to the turnover of conditions that the landlord believes need to be repaired.

Landlords must notify tenants that they have the right to an inspection.

If the tenant requests an inspection, it must be done within 14 days prior to

Security deposit complaints top the list of landlord tenant disputes year after year. A well-planned exit can ensure you get your deposit refunded in full.

A well-planned entrance will protect you in the future, and make it much simpler to get your deposit back.

the vacate date and the landlord must provide the tenant with a list of any conditions that need to be corrected in order to get the full deposit. These might include such simple things as replace the missing hardware on kitchen cabinets, repair and paint nail holes, remove crayon marks from the floor or clean the oven.

The tenant can choose to either fix or clean, or let the landlord to do it and take it from the deposit. Landlords can be liable for penalties of up to twice the amount of the deposit in addition to attorney fees and actual damages for bad faith retention of the security deposit.

San Francisco and some other municipalities require that landlords pay the tenant interest annually on the deposit. In San Francisco, interest rates vary and can be found on the San Francisco Rent Board website. (www. sfrb.org/Modules/ShowDocument. aspx?documentid=1938) If it has not been paid for a few years, you may have some money coming.

San Francisco-based attorney Nancy M. Conway specializes in civil litigation, tenant rights litigation, bankruptcy, family law, real estate and personal injury.

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Strengthen Your Mind By Opening Your Heart ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Where do you aim and why, Aries? You’re downloading deep thoughts about the direction of your dreams now. Revitalize career and reputation by committing to goals that authentically arouse you.

LEO (July 23 – August 22) Light up your life, Leo. Current boosts of energy are strong enough to stimulate soulful satisfaction.

Faith and knowledge are fodder for this new phase.

Feed on both.

better.

Astrology Gypsy Love French Buddhist Matthieu Ricard has been dubbed “the world’s happiest man.” After earning a PhD in molecular genetics, he veered from academia, moved to Nepal, and devoted his life to mind-based meditation. Over four decades later, Ricard facilitates collaborative research between scientists and Buddhist scholars, exploring the neurological benefits of meditating. The stars suggest we wield our wits in a similar fashion. Strengthen your mind by opening your heart.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Tend to the needs of your temple now, Taurus.

Subtle signals are shining a light on stressful situations that may emerge as health hazards. Bring balance back to your bod.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) Intimate relationships are deepening. While some important boundaries are firmly in place, many others are blurrier than ever. Go with your “gut,” Virgo.

Intuition is your ablest ally now.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Cosmic waves of inspiration are washing over your career sector now. Dive in, Gemini. Design an ideal work environment by infusing more imagination into your vocation. Unleash your creative power.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Newfound freedoms are bridging gaps that awaken the connection between you and others. Tune into your tribe, Libra. Orchestrate an alchemy that combines complementary differences with common ground.

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) “Far out,” Cancer! Your perspective is widening wonderfully now. The Universe encourages you to keep cultivating a curiosity for the fun and unusual. Break free from ordinary expectations.

www.AstrologyByGypsyLove.com

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Serve your spirit, Scorpio. External pressures provoke powerful realizations now – especially surrounding sacrifice and self love. Release obsolete obstacles that are renting far too much space in your head.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Sit back and let it sink in, Sagittarius. Celestial insights are abundantly available at this time.

Unseen forces will steadily support your efforts if you allow yourself to believe.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) Formulate your “dream team,” Capricorn. Recent rebirths have considerably altered the social landscape. Recognize whom you can clearly count on, and devise meaningful methods for constructive collaboration.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Soothe stirrings in your subconscious by nourishing your noggin with novel ideas. Your psyche aches for an awakening, Aquarius. Experiment with the malleability of your mental muscles.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) A profound evolution is taking place, Pisces. Planetary pulls are wearing down walls that have hindered your approach to higher learning. Pay attention, pronounce your purpose, and push forward.

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

As Heard on the Street . . .

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Cookie Dough

Joshua Devore

Kylie Minono

“Remaining humble and a worker among workers for the SF community.”

“My greatest accomplishment has been accepting myself for who I am, win or lose and perfectly imperfect.”

“Serving my community through various volunteer organizations. I am continuously inspired and energized by the incredible people I have met and will continue to meet.”

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PHOTO BY R INK

AL L PHOTOS BY RIN K

compiled by Rink What is your greatest accomplishment in life so far?

Harvey Milk enjoying the day with supporters at his last Castro Street Fair in 1978.

Dogs in the City

Do Ask, Do Tell Zoe Dunning Instead of Sex in the City, I’d love to start a new series called Dogs in the City – the search for loving companionship in a town that is making it increasingly difficult to own and exercise your pet. This is a result of two major trends: the constricted housing market and the threatened shrinkage of off-leash dog areas.

If you can overcome these obstacles, I have some recommendations for you on how to find an amazing canine companion or support an organization that does miraculous work here in San Francisco for “unadoptable” dogs!

It’s no news to anyone here, and especially those trying to rent, that the overall inventory of available units in San Francisco is disappearing (and affordable units? Forget about it!). The demand for apartments in San Francisco is so high, landlords know they can ban pets and still find tenants. It breaks my heart to hear of people surrendering or even abandoning their cats and dogs because their new rental unit won’t allow pets. But it is a reality. Landlords see a household with a pet as potential for damage and not an indication of a trustworthy tenant that has taken on the responsibility of caring for an animal.

My cursory research found estimates that show approximately 50% of SF rental units don’t allow any pets. The few that are “pet friendly” typically have limits as to the number or size and typically charge a significant pet deposit or additional rent. The size limit baffles me. As the guardian of an 11-year old, 80-lb. Golden Retriever that is the sweetest, quietest being on the planet (okay, I’m biased and you may challenge me on that), the weight of a pet seems such an odd proxy for their potential to damage property or annoy neighbors. Nothing against my friends with small dogs, but the propensity to bark, scratch or have accidents seems highly uncorrelated to the size of the animal.

Just sayin’ . . .

I hope the city is keeping an eye out for pet owners in this housing crunch and that we continue to look for ways to create incentives for landlords to allow pets (of all sizes) without extracting a king’s ransom.

If you do have a dog and enjoy taking your furry friend to many of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) open areas like Fort Funston, you should know that many of these spaces are currently scheduled to be closed to off-leash dogs. In 2011 GGNRA issued its Dog Management Plan proposing that dogs should be kept out of parts of San Francisco’s Crissy Field, Ocean Beach and Fort Funston. It proposed cutting where dogs could walk off-leash (and on-leash too) by 90% compared to where they can walk, both on- and offleash in the GGNRA today. GGNRA released a new version of its proposed Dog Management Plan last month and will be accepting public comment until December 4, 2013. Details can be found at www.sfdog.org. If you want to maintain these spaces for your pooch, let your voice be heard! Supervisor Scott Wiener has called for a hearing at the Land Use and Economic Development Commit-

tee meeting on Monday, October 21st at 1:30 PM in City Hall room 263.

If I haven’t scared you too much, and you still want to adopt a dog, I highly recommend considering a senior dog.

Two years ago, Pam and I adopted Harley. She was 9 years old, nearly lame with a torn knee ligament and dumped off at a shelter because the owner was moving to the east coast. With a lot of love and some great medical care, she is now a happy, fully mobile dog and a major part of our family. Senior dogs sometimes have special health considerations, but they are usually trained, housebroken, mellow and grateful for a loving home. I’m a huge fan of Muttville senior dog rescue (www.muttville. org). It was founded in 2007 by Sheri Franklin, a longtime animal advocate and rescue worker that created Muttville to change the way the world thinks about and treats older dogs and to create better lives for them through rescue, foster, adoption and hospice. I recommend you start there when looking for a furry friend!

Let’s say you can’t have a dog, either because your housing situation doesn’t permit it or you can’t take on that kind of responsibility right now. You can get your doggie fix by volunteering. Muttville and other adoption organizations are always in need of people to help walk the dogs, provide foster care, or help staff an adoption event. If you don’t have the time to do that, a donation of any amount helps. “Like” Muttville on Facebook. Pick a dog in need and post it to your Timeline! By doing so, the power of social media within personal networks encourages others to adopt, donate, volunteer, and foster. Your actions can make a huge difference in a dog’s life.

Zoe Dunning is a retired Navy Commander and was a lead activist in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She currently serves as the 1st Vice Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party.

PHOTO BY RIN K

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb From a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Pope Francis said the church has the right to express its opinions but not to ‘interfere spiritually’ in the lives of gays and lesbians, expanding on explosive comments he made in July about not judging queers. He also brushed off critics who say he should be more vocal about fighting abortion and gay marriage. In other gay news, Barilla pasta has made anti-gay remarks, resulting in a national boycott. Take action at glaad. org/barilla and petitions.moveon.org/sign/ no-barilla. Who knew I’d like the Pope more than pasta?!”

22ND ANNUAL LEATHERWALK raised $11,000 for AIDS EMERGENCY F U ND and BR E A ST CANCER EMERGENCY FUND. Former Mr. San Francisco Leather, Lance Holman, led more than 125 people down Market Street into South of Market, the traditional home of EssEff’s leather community. Walkers enjoyed performances along the route by Raquela, Emperor XXXVI John Weber, Mark Paladini, Kippy Marks, Olivia Hart, and Mr. Gapa 2012 Jethro. Walkers stopped for refreshments at BeatBox, Hole in the Wall, and Powerhouse bars, before concluding at the Eagle.

Prior to the walk, at noon in Harvey Milk Plaza, Mr. International Leather 2013 Andy Cross emceed and introduced Event Producer Holman who thanked Randy Schiller for sound and tech, Daddy Mike for truck driving, Lt. Chuck Limbert

2013 Leatherwalk benefitting AEF and BCEF

for permit and police support, Sandy “Mama” Reinhardt (founder of Mama’s Family), and all the performers and bar owners who supported the event, especially 440 Castro, which hosted the registration and pre-kickoff party, and the SF Eagle, which coordinated the Flag Raising. Senator Mark Leno sent a Certificate of Appreciation, and Supervisor Scott Wiener and Mr. San Francisco Leather 1990 Ray Tilton spoke.

Hundreds of black, blue, and red balloons (three of the official leather colors) were then released by attendees, some of whom held tiny leather flags that were distributed.

A I D S E M E RG E NC Y F U N D turned 31. Hosted by KINK.com in their opulent and theatrical grand salon in The Armory, AEF celebrated its 31st year with a grand gala, LEATHER AND FEATHERS, emceed by Donna Sachet and Sister Roma, featuring a special performance

by Billboard recording artist, Brian Kent. Raquela Singer and Kent sang a mash-up of “Without You” & “With or Without You,” “I Will Cover You” from RENT, “Stars and the Moon,” and “Don’t You Worry, Child.” The evening’s fashion wear?

Why, leather and feathers, of course!

E m p r e s s M a r l e n a ( G a r r y McLain,) who has been active in the community for nearly 40 years; Troy Brunet, outgoing president of the

Castro Lions, proud member of Mama’s Family; and Neil Figurelli has led AEF’s Christmas Eve for PWAs Dinner committee for 25 years.

Capping off Leather Week in EssEff was the 30TH ANNUAL FOLSOM STREET FAIR, where I attended as a “rough trade nun” sans makeup, with untrimmed beard, mirrored sunglasses, black & silver wimple and veil, a jeans miniskirt, camouflage tee, and a huge silver cross around my neck butch nun! As a jaded Sister, having been to these leather fairs from the very first one, I was on the search for something new under the sun (which was nicely warm to allow less clothing on attendees, and maximum flesh exposure (PTA = Peenies, Titties, Asses). Some stellar costumes spotted included an impressive leather dragon with leather body, head, scales, wings, and a tail; black leather cat from head to tail; several furries (living stuffed animals); and a man in rainbow-sequined bodysuit covered from head to toe. Alas, there was a dearth of drag queens other than Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

As a nun I was excited to see available Holy Water Lube, “Sanctus Orgasmicus,” with the slogan, “So blessedly good, even God uses it!” Unit K9 featured cages, water bowls, and chew bones for human dogs. I was amused to see that cheap blow-up sex (continued on page 18) BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 3, 2013

7

Grand Avenue Theft Auto What I didn’t know was that Park & Ride lots fall under California Highway Patrol (CHP), rather than Oakland Police Department (OPD), jurisdiction, so when I dialed 911, CHP picked up. What a difference a jurisdiction makes! A human being rather than a recording in 14 different languages answered. And once the dispatcher confirmed I was in the Park & Ride lot, a CHP officer was taking my report within 20 minutes.

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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, 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, Tippy Marks, Naomi Jay, Jamie Leno Zimron

Guest Editorial Heidi Beeler Nothing makes me feel my middle age more than when my Action Adventure car comes back from one of its zany Oakland escapades.

Dateline: Oakland, Monday, September 23. Nine commuters are robbed at gunpoint in a casual carpool line in the Rockridge neighborhood. Ten hours later, in another Oakland casual carpool lot five miles away, I step off the bus I take from my job in San Francisco and begin to circle the small patch of asphalt near Farmer Joe’s that is the Dimond District Park & Ride Lot. After three or four circuits, I cuss out the concrete parking stop reclining in the empty stall where I’d left my Honda and dial 911.

This was the second time my car had been stolen and – added to 6 house break-ins and a car window smashed – the ninth time I’d been burglarized within Oakland city limits in the past couple years.

So, there was a lot I already knew, such as it was fairly likely, though not guaranteed, that I’d get my car back in some condition within a couple weeks, that my insurance would cover the rental car, that my coin purse with parking quarters was a goner, and it was likely I’d be standing under the highway for another hour, waiting for an officer to confirm my parking stall was empty… if they sent one at all.

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Examined Life

(Editor’s Note: This is the first of a four-part series concerning exploring forgiveness.)

Q: I can’t stop hating my father. He was a violent man who beat, bullied and terrorized the whole family. He figured

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Last week, Mayor Quan told the 167th Academy graduates that Oakland residents want officers to smile more. Call my thoughts anecdotal, but what I want is a sufficiently supported police department to stop the unending series of crises here. That’d give us all something to smile about.

“Bay Times” columnist Heidi Beeler is a long-time Oakland resident. She has been a member of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band since 1991.

A: Can forgiveness ever be an obligation? Many survivors of childhood abuse seem to believe that their suffering confers on them a duty to forgive their perpetrators, but I don’t see how victims can have any obligations toward their perpetrators, except to avoid succumbing to the temptations of destructive vengefulness. There’s something psychologically unrealistic about the concept of forgiveness as a duty, because you can’t make yourself feel forgiving just because you think that you should. When forgiveness comes,

it seems to arrive on its own when the heart is ready.

I do sympathize with your desire not to nurse an ongoing grudge, because that’s a very painful way to live. The fact that you want to be free of this suffering is a sign of the love you hold for yourself, which brings me to this suggestion: If you want to forgive, begin with yourself. Stop making yourself wrong for being in pain. If you’re telling yourself that you should be over it by now, you’re treating yourself with a version of the same contempt that your father showed you. You, like everyone else, are a sensitive and vulnerable human being who can be deeply hurt by others. Accept and forgive yourself for that. If you find forgiving yourself a tall order at this point, don’t make yourself wrong for that either.

Part of what makes me ultimately optimistic about human nature is that when

abuse survivors do their inner work -- when they befriend themselves and come to deep loyalty to their own wellbeing -- then a warm compassion and genuine forgiveness for the perpetrators often flowers all by itself. But this opening of the heart can’t be forced.

When we try to force ourselves to forgive as a moral imperative we just wind up making ourselves feel guilty, and the “forgiveness” we offer reeks of the hypocritical sanctimoniousness of those who “love the sinner and hate the sin.”

If, as a by-product of taking good care of yourself, you come to forgiveness, that’ll be great, because your load will be lighter. But don’t try to force yourself to do something that, today, you can’t sincerely do.

Next Time: Misconceptions About Forgiveness Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. His website is www.tommoon.net.

Profiles of Compassion and Courage: David Campos

at 415-503-1386 #3.

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What statistics tell us is that crime is continuing to rise in Oakland. According to an article on SFgate about the Rockridge robbery, the city recorded

out I was gay years before I did, and thought it was funny to call me “the faggot,” even in front of strangers in public.

I left home twelve years ago and have never been back. My spiritual values have kept me going all this time, and they teach me that it’s my duty to forgive. I believe that, but I can’t do it. I just can’t let go of the anger and bitterness. How do I get to forgiveness?

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My Harvard-educated, statistics-teaching partner will be the first to complain that my evidence about the state of crime in Oakland and the relative effectiveness of the two law enforcement agencies is anecdotal. Yet, unlike Mayor Jean Quan, who claimed in an interview with Bay City News in June that Oakland crime “is beginning to level off a little bit,” at least I have some actual evidence.

To be clear, this is not a criticism of the individuals serving in the OPD. I’m returning to the anecdotal now, but every officer responding to a break-in has been sympathetic, offered useful advice and often mentioned some detail that hints at how Herculean their jobs have become – like the officer who told me it was best to call at the first sign of a problem because he was the only cop in a beat extending from my neighborhood above Mills College down to the Fruitvale BART station. Or the officer who was kicking himself because he’d trailed a suspicious car for an hour before they lost him and broke into my house. By the time I got home, he’d leaped over my 6’ fence to track their get-away in the grasses behind my yard. From what I’ve seen, these people are doing everything they can, but slashed staffing levels are effectively tying one hand behind their backs.

Exploring Forgiveness, Part 1

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Two hours later, I got a call that they’d found my car. I couldn’t claim it yet, because it was being used as bait at a stakeout, but I could pick it up at Pito’s Tow the next morning. When I picked it up, the ignition lock was broken and a case of cat food and 3 camper chairs were gone. The #1 radio stop had been changed from KQED to a hiphop R&B station, but in the plus column, they’d left my marching uniform, half a can of grape Shasta and a new screw driver, so all in all, not a completely unsatisfactory outcome.

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Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

3,856 robberies through September 23, up 24% from the same period in 2012. Despite a renewed emphasis on rebuilding the department, OPD is barely holding its own. In March, the 166th Oakland Police Academy (the first Oakland police training academy since 2008) brought in 38 new officers, increasing the force from 611 to 649. Last week, the 167th academy graduated 36 officers, increasing the force from 611 to 647. According to a KRON-TV piece, U.S. Department of Justice statistics show a U.S. average of 40 officers per 10,000 residents. With the 36 new officers, OPD has 16 officers per 10,000, not even half the national average.

District 9 Supervisor David Campos has, for nearly 5 years, represented Bernal Heights, part of Portola and the Inner Mission. A Harvard Law School graduate, Campos previously worked as a lawyer in private practice and then served as Deputy City Attorney for San Francisco. He now lives in Bernal Heights with his fiancé

BAY TIMES OCTOBE R 3 , 2 0 1 3

Phil and their English bulldog Winston.

running for State Assembly, in Tom Ammiano’s legacy seat.

SS: How did you become involved in your work?

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

DC: As a young, gay, immigrant growing up in South Central Los Angeles, it was not lost on me how blessed I was to have the opportunities I did. Despite not speaking English when I first arrived, I was able to work hard and secure scholarships to Stanford and Harvard, eventually becoming the public servant that I am today. I came to this work, and I continue to do this work, because I want every child to have the same opportunities that I had. I began my work as Deputy City Attorney for San Francisco, where I served as lead counsel for the San Francisco Unified School District. In my time there, I led the efforts to implement the school’s desegregation program. I then served on the San Francisco Police Commission.

Since 2008, I’ve been the Supervisor of District 9, which has been the greatest job of my life. I am now thrilled to be

DC: That’s too hard; I’ll have to name three. Growing up, my mother and father both worked two jobs to ensure that we had food on the table and quality educations, and they never complained. They taught me the power of hard work and humility. And, like so many of us in the LGBT community, I have long looked up to Tom Ammiano, and have learned much about leadership and tenacity from working with him over the years.

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

DC: The most pressing problem I see in the Bay Area is its increasing lack of affordability. Prohibitive cost of living doesn’t just mean that we lose

David Campos

people; we also lose their potential contributions. The Bay Area has always attracted and cultivated leaders, artists and change makers, and if we lose them, we lose their voices at the table. I want the Bay Area to keep its table rich with diversity.

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

DC: I am extremely proud of the coalition building that has come out of my campaigns and my office. I am (continued on page 18)

The Week in Review

By Ann Rostow Bigotonni Al Pesto There’s a lot to discuss this week, but first, I am sad to say that our latest GLBT boycott will require me to actually give up one of my favorite brands. Thus far, my loyal adherence to our community’s official corporate snubs has been relatively painless.

Romanian wine? Off the shopping list. Coors beer? I could never really tell the difference between Coors and the others, and indeed, my Coors boycott was so ingrained for so many years that I have trouble drinking the stuff even now when it has been sold to a friendly group and we are encouraged to buy it.

What else? I had never been to a Chick Fil-A in my life and so continue to avoid the franchise with the one exception of the kiss-in at our local branch. Never liked Domino’s to begin with. As for Exxon, I must confess that I have made a few exceptions when forced to choose between political correctness and stranding my car in the middle of, let’s say, western Kansas.

(By the way, Exxon just announced it would offer benefits to the spouses of its married gay staff. A small step in the right direction, but I don’t believe it absolves the company of their decision to strip Mobil staff of domestic partner benefits and discrimination protection after the acquisition.)

Now, however, I can no longer bring myself to buy Barilla pasta. Last week, President Guido Barilla himself told the press he would never market his product to the GLBT community, and observed that gays “can always eat another brand of pasta” if we don’t agree with his views on the traditional family.

After an outraged reaction from around the world, Barilla tried to backtrack, but it’s just too late. Pick another pasta? I always go out of my way to buy Barilla, but not anymore.

Never again! Bring on the one that begins with D. I don’t even know the names of Barilla rivals, but I will soon be well versed as I experiment with the competition.

Indeed, further research tells me that other pasta companies have started to take advantage of Barilla’s faux pas-ta, including Garofalo (“we don’t care with whom you cook pasta, the important thing is that you cook it al dente!”) and San Remo (“we’re totally spaghetti and gayballs!”)

Bertolli has a great new print ad with two women sharing a strand of spaghetti that has formed a heart in the middle, and Buitoni has one with various types of pasta arranged like gay symbols. Other companies on a HuffPo list of gay friendly makers include DeCecco (the one I was trying to remember before), Ronzoni, Aldiva, Delallo, al dente, Affreschi, Cipriani and Chef Boyardee. So much for Barilla. Take it off the shelves!

The strangest part of this whole incident is that I feel betrayed and almost hurt by Barilla’s cruel dismissal of my faithful custom. I suppose that because I liked Barilla, I assumed Barilla reciprocated my fondness. And yet, after all the hundreds of pretty pasta boxes I’ve purchased, I’m rewarded by a slap in the face? How many more of my emotionally charged commercial relationships are built on a house of cards? I don’t want to do the research, so I will simply suggest that homophobic CEOs keep their opinions to themselves in the future.

Jersey Licious By rights I should have some trenchant commentary on the extreme wing of

the GOP House majority, but I can’t bring myself to go there. Instead, let’s consider the possibility that New Jersey might become a free marriage state before the month is over.

On Friday, September 27, a lower court ruled that marriages must begin on October 21. As you know, New Jersey’s highest court ordered the state to give equal benefits to gay and straight couples back in 2005, but our brothers and sisters in the Garden State got stuck with civil unions instead of wedlock. These unions were never equal, but now that federal benefits are attached to marriage, they’re even less equal than before.

Chris Christie promptly asked the court to put a hold on its opinion until the state supreme court can review the case, but will it? In the past, these marriage rulings in lower courts have always been stayed as litigation continues up the ladder. But that was in the past.

Various brief ings on the proposed stay will be due by Monday, and the court will decide what to do with the October 21 deadline shortly thereafter. Whatever the outcome, it seems clear that the high court will take up the matter sooner rather than later.

It also seems clear that the court will rule in our favor. Even before the Supreme Court ordered federal marriage recognition last June, New Jersey’s civil unions had been exposed as a second-class status. That violates the New Jersey court’s own jurisprudence and cannot stand. Throw in the facts that the state legislature has passed a marriage law (vetoed

by Christie), that a majority support equality, and that most sister states on the top side of the East Coast respect our marriages, and the balance is not just tipped in our favor. We’re poised lightly on the top of the see saw, and the other side is holding down the bottom like a two-ton elephant.

The analogy pre-supposes that top is the good side and bottom is the loser. Now that I think about it, it’s not a very good analogy at all, but I’m keeping it because of my Omar Khayyam rule. The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on…

Mountaineers Next on Federal Marriage List We have another federal, Prop-8 style, marriage lawsuit to add to our growing list, in West Virginia of all places. I know you’re thinking, “West Virginia? Say what?” But remember, this is a federal case, and West Virginia reports to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, where I think we have a slight edge in Democratic appointments.

As you know, our state cases argue only that marriage equality must be recognized in State X. Since any state with an antigay constitutional amendment need only point to their voter-approved amendment in order to defeat such a claim, we are running out of state court cases. We’ve got the one in New Jersey, another coming to a head in New Mexico, a slightly complicated case in Pennsylvania, a suit in Illinois, and I think that’s it.

Our main litigation strategy has now shifted to federal cases, the ones like the Prop 8 suit, arguing that state amendments violate the United States constitution. If another one of these cases reaches the Supreme Court and resolves in our favor, marriage equality will become the law of the land.

It was this happy outcome that the High Court ducked last June when it dismissed Prop 8 on a technicality.

Hey, we were pleased that Prop 8 died in the process, but we are still looking

Professional Services for the big win that will bring equality to Texas and Mississippi as well as Massachusetts and California.

Now, I’ve lost track of the number of federal cases we’ve filed. There are two in Virginia. There’s one in Pennsylvania (in addition to a state lawsuit contesting the power of a clerk to offer licenses). We’re suing in North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan and in a host of other states where individuals have taken action on their own.

But our most advanced federal lawsuits are claims against Hawaii and Nevada that are both pending before the Ninth Circuit. We lost both in lower courts, and our appeals were delayed during the High Court’s deliberations earlier this year. Now, the combined cases are back on track and should be briefed by the end of next month.

Let’s give the Ninth Circuit a few months to schedule and hear oral arguments, and a few more months to deliberate. In theory, we should have an appellate ruling on marriage by next summer. Remember that the Ninth Circuit has already sort of ruled in our favor in the Prop 8 case.

That said, the decision was cramped to say the least. Still, our position is promising and the big question is this: If the Ninth Circuit delivers a more coherent gay marriage victory next year, will the High Court accept review? Or will they simply allow marriage equality to sweep throughout the western states that fall under the Ninth Circuit and sit on their hands until another circuit rules? If the High Court decides to dither, one of these other federal lawsuits will rise to prominence. At any rate, it feels as if the High Court will have to take the gay version of Loving v Virginia before the decade’s end.

If that seems like a long time to you, look back to what you were doing in the year 2006. It was just yesterday.

Free Speech Has a Pricetag Oh. I read that Jodie Foster was going out with Ellen’s ex-girlfriend, Alexandra Hedison. I think she’s an actress, or maybe a photographer. Do you care? Whatever happened to the DeeJay she was seeing?

And I have to thank newshound Lisa Keen (who runs a great GLBT news service) for the heads up on an interesting case that may or not arrive on the High Court docket this session.

I was astonished that this case is still around since it stems from an incident long in the past, when Crystal Dixon, an HR director at the University of Toledo, took to the op-ed pages of her local paper to decry the false comparison between gay and black civil rights. You know how everyone bleats about “free speech” the minute someone else objects to their latest diatribe? Well, Dixon, who was fired for her opinions, was no exception.

Indeed, Dixon has the right to proclaim any opinion she likes, and the government or the state cannot stop her. But they can certainly fire her if her opinions clash with her job performance. So can a private employer for that matter. In this case, the university had a non-discrimination ordinance and some other gay friendly policies, and the powers that be decided it was inappropriate for a top hiring executive to make public antigay statements. Dixon sued, but she’s lost at the lower court levels and is now trying to get the High Court to take her case.

I’m not sure they will. But it will be interesting if they do. If you work for the (continued on page 18))

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Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Marriages, Anniversaries & Occasions section. Inquire how your social announcement can appear free of charge, or how your wedding services ad can be included at a special rate: Publisher@sfbaytimes.com or 415-601-2113.

Husbands Dan Joraanstad and Bob Hermann observed their 25th Anniversary and third marriage celebration for a “lovely fortnight” on the “Pastry Tour of Central Europe.” Together they visited Munich, the Bavarian Alps, Vienna, Prague, and Berlin.

NBC’s lesbian power couple, Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk, have been in the news welcoming their baby girl, Harper Estelle Wolfield Gosk. Stephanie tweeted the photo of Wolfe and babe, saying, “First Pic. We couldn’t be happier.”

Marriage Involves Conscious Effort to replicate what they observe more than they simply follow what they’re told to do. If we model the behaviors we would like from our partners, we are more apt to foster those behaviors in them.

In ever y wedding ceremony in which I officiate I recite this quote: “Success in marriage does not come merely through f inding the right mate, but through being the right mate.

A quote I recently came across from Erich Fromm’s book, The Art of Loving:

I don’t recall where I found this quote, although I do know that the attribution goes to Rabbi Barnett Brickner.

The quote reminds me that in marriage, as in life, the goal is not simply to reach a destination, but rather to travel the route in a thoughtful way.

For example, I have learned that the more I clearly communicate, the more it encourages those around me to communicate. A second example is when I am fully present rather than multi-tasking, I offer more of my complete self and, in return, others are more willing to be fully present for me.

I have learned that when I am leading a Sabbath service and let myself

Weddings Howard Steiermann be vulnerable or show emotion from the pulpit, my openness facilitates congregants to be more open. Crying in front of others (at least here in San Francisco) isn’t seen as a sign of weakness, but as a sign of emotional strength.

So to ‘be a right mate,’ we need to model those behaviors we would like to see. I think of how children tend

“To love somebody is not just a strong feeling - it is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise. If love were only a feeling, there would be no basis for the promise to love each other forever. A feeling comes and it may go. How can I judge that it will stay forever, when my act does not involve judgment and decision?”

I plan on incorporating this quote into future wedding ceremonies, as it encapsulates my understanding of marriage. Marriage involves conscious effort. Partners cannot be on autopilot and expect their relationship to flourish. Love and marriage are not like a business partnership.

As much as on-line dating sites try to standardize the process of human connection, a “strong feeling” is still involved. And, we have to be ready to commit ourselves and our lives to be inexorably linked with another.

That is what couples are doing when they stand before me, their family, and friends and say their “I Do’s.”

Howard M Steiermann is an Ordained Ritual Facilitator based in San Francisco.

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BAY TIMES OCTO B E R 3 , 2 0 1 3

More Love and More Marriage The latest California public opinion poll shows record support for marriage equality — 64% of likely voters and 61% percent of all adults. This news made us realize how wonderful it is when dreams really do come true, and when political goals that once seemed impossible are actually achieved.

When the U.S. Supreme Court rulings ended Prop 8 and Section 3 of DOMA this summer, we wrote a press release for Marriage Equality USA saying that there would now be “more love and more marriage” than ever before. Yet we didn’t anticipate fully just how it would feel, landing somewhere over the rainbow — where instead of rallying for marriage equality in front of City Hall, we were getting invited to weddings inside City Hall. And for the first time we started having a whole new relationship to these weddings – in addition to getting wedding invitations, we started being invited to officiate. There truly is no better reward for a marriage equality activist!

“By the power vested in me by the State of California, I pronounce you lawfully married spouses for life.” Those words have always held great meaning for us, not just because of the emotions we associate with weddings, but because they represent the first time we felt our government treating us as equal human beings, worthy of the full dignity and respect of the law. To be able now to say those words as officiants for couples saying “I do” is an amazing experience.

No two couples are alike, and no two weddings are alike. We remember how the thousands of couples and families who lined up all day and even overnight in the rain outside San Francisco City Hall in February 2004 represented one

Marriage Equality John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA of the most diverse gatherings of our community we had ever seen.

And the couples we have been lucky enough to marry have been young and old, rich and poor, sick and healthy – just like the words in the wedding vows they recite. And now, without the deadline pressure couples felt in 2004 and again in 2008, couples are planning their happily ever afters with the greatest of love, care and creativity. One couple designed their own avatars.

Another couple planned a fairytale honeymoon literally — at Disneyland. Yet another couple had feminist wedding cake toppers – “Sisterhood is Powerful” and “Viva La Revolucion.” And another had no money for rings, but still shared a very personal moment of commitment and equality. And so on — the creativity is endless, and the only constant is the joy — and tears of joy — in the eyes of couples who may have been together for 5 years or 50 years, but weren’t sure they would live to see the day when they could f inally hear wedding bells ring out for them.

As we perform marriages for dear friends and total strangers alike, it’s hard to imagine a political cause with a “happier” ending than the

movement for equal marr iage rights in California. But much remains to be done as we work to achieve marriage equality nationwide, to attain full equality in all aspects of our lives, and to stop homophobia and transphobia in all their manifestations. We were reminded of the work ahead when we recently performed a same-sex couple’s “conf idential” marriage ceremony, a legal marriage with no traceable public record of the names of the couple. The couple needed the confidential marriage because they had very real fears for their safety in their community if it became known they were married. But the love and affection they felt for each other, their joy at marrying, and their sense of dignity at being treated equally under the law was palpable as their eyes locked on each other as they said “I do.”

The substantive legal benef its of marriage were also very important to this couple with very limited income and financial resources. The world is changing right before our eyes — one wedding at a time.

The movement for full equality has been filled with an enormous array of emotions and will undoubtedly involve many more successes and challenges. As we move forward, experiencing and sharing the joy of success inspires us as a diverse community to reach even greater heights. As we celebrate with the newlyweds in San Francisco City Hall, there’s truly no place on earth we’d rather be.

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA.

Friends and family joined Bay Times columnist Thom Watson and husband Jeff Tabaco for their long-awaited wedding ceremony at SF City Hall, officiated by Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis.

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Donations at the entry gates go to support the following organizations: AIDS Emergency Fund/Breast Cancer Emergency Fund AIDS Housing Alliance AIDS Legal Referral Panel Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center Bay Positives Castro Community On Patrol Community United Against Violence (CUAV) Castro/Eureka Valley Neighborhood Association Castro Country Club Ducal Council of San Francisco The Family Link Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy Haight Ashbury Community Nursery School Hartford Street Zen Center

inviting their customers, neighbors and supporters. “He wanted an inclusive fair,” Rink says. “When I visited his Castro camera store to buy film and talk politics and the arts with Harvey, he introduced me to activists from other parts of the city who had never been to the Castro District.”

He continues that Milk “carefully listened to” representatives of all local groups, big and small, “and Harvey made it clear to them that he would work on their projects, in exchange for them considering his projects.”

“Harvey’s enthusiasm for the Castro Street Fair was infectious,” Rink recalls. “Many of the activists from other neighborhoods proposed similar fairs throughout San Francisco, after walking the fair with Harvey.”

On a lighter note, “Harvey was fully involved in the fair to the point that he agreed to be a target of the dunk tank for his friends and non-friends with a strong baseball arm.”

“He was also joyful in his booth and stage hopping, greeting everyone along the way, and making introductions. Harvey was quoted with his typical wit in a SF Chronicle Castro Street Fair photograph caption, saying that, ‘It was a good fair, and with none of those weirdo’s from Marin.’”

Milk invited Rink to place his photographs of the 1974 Castro Street Fair in the windows of his store. Milk referred to it as: “The first public display, on the street, of gay life in San Francisco.” Milk told Rink that “he heard positive comments about the photographs, and that people felt

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY CATHY BLACKSONE

(FAIR continued from page 1)

empowered. They were inspired to come out after seeing so many LGBT people obviously and openly enjoying themselves.”

Bay Times photographer Rink will be photographing the Castro Street Fair again this year for the event’s 40th Anniversary. Come out, and maybe he will snap a photo of you for the LGBT history books. Please also stop by the Bay Times booth to say hello to publisher and “Betty’s List” founder Dr. Betty Sullivan along with other members of our team. Be a part of this great tradition on our street and, as Milk first envisioned, show support for the local businesses that help to unify and enliven our community on this and every other day.

Imperial Council of San Francisco Instituto Familiar de la Raza Metropolitan Community Church—San Francisco McKinley Elementary School—Parent-Teacher Association

PHOTOS BY CATHY BLACKSTONE

Most Holy Redeemer— AIDS Support Group Project Open Hand Queer Life Space San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus We hope to see you there!

Bay Times Wishes You a Safe and Happy Castro Street Fair!

Shopping, munching and people-watching are favorite Castro Street Fair activities every year.

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BAY TIMES OCTO B E R 3 , 2 0 1 3

Arts&Entertainment Katharine Cole’s Thought-Provoking New CD “There Is No God” Erases Constant Condemnation (Editor’s Note: Popular “Bay Times” music columnist Katharine Cole played to packed houses here in the Bay Area before recently moving to Atlanta. The OutMusic Award winner for best female artist has a new CD, “There is No God” (©2013 K. Cole/Crackerjill Music/BMI) which will be available for sale and downloads on October 13, 2013. It opens with the searing voice of judgment, “I say it in love…” the preacher begins, but his message is clear.

His god is not going to let any “homos” into heaven. “No, no NO!” he screams out – they are all going to hell! Then, like a voice crying in the wilderness, Cole calmly declares, “There is no god to hand down justice.

There is no devil by his side.” And so begins the musician’s trail past broken spirits, lust, anger, addiction, denial and guilt, and back into the light. We were lucky enough to catch Katharine last week, speaking from the front porch of her Georgia home, to answer some questions about her new CD.)

BT: “There is No God” is quite a catchy title, especially for someone who just moved into the Bible Belt!

KC: Yes, it is. And it is the first time I’ve had to call my parents ahead of time to warn them about the name of my new CD and the reasoning behind it (laughing)! When I wrote the title track, I just felt so sad about the constant condemnation of us as emotional beings, as spiritual beings, and human beings, even by the organized Church. Like many singers, I began my journey singing in my church choir and was extremely devout in my faith. My young prepubescent mind had no inkling that the god of love preached from so many pulpits was about to condemn me to hell, tearing my heart, innocence and spiritual faith away from me. I felt it was my time to send out a clear and calming rational prayer out that this fiction is really just that, fiction. When you see the stellar beauty, acceptance, and total lack of judgment in the natural world, you must come to the realization we are all a part of that world as well. I wanted to bring some clarity and peace to myself, and hopefully to others.

BT: Although most of the CD is your original work, your cover of Joan Armatrading’s “Weakness in Me” is an interesting choice, as well as the traditional folk songs you’ve revamped in this CD. Is there a method to the madness?

Katharine Cole

KC: Madness, yes! Some would think covering “Weakness” would be crazy after it has been covered by Melissa Etheridge and many other artists, but this album has an arc to it that runs parallel to my autobiography, and that song played a pivotal role in my ‘coming out’ story. So the choice is very personal to me. The traditional songs do the same. “Dixie” was my

high school pep song, believe it or not. The band would march out to it while they unrolled the confederate f lag. All white high school in Houston, you know! We were so childishly ignorant then! I’ve always had this love-hate thing about the song, and it seems the actual piece of music, which has so many verses, something like twenty, is a beautiful song. In fact, I sang the second verse, which I learned as a child from a record of Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Ah way down South in the land of traitors…” and my Southern grandmother, well, it was the first time she scolded me good for singing around the house!

The other folk song, “Young Girl’s Lament,” was written way back during the seventeen hundreds when if you wound up in jail, it was a death sentence as you were doomed to catch the plague for sure. And this gal loves to drink, and thereby signs her death warrant. I find it really telling how she describes with such egocentricity how she wants “three young ladies to carry her coffin.” Definitely delusions of grandeur going on there – and in my drinking days, well, let’s say I can relate to that!

BT: Do you feel your fans from your previous country western CD’s as “Kitty Rose” will be happy with these songs?

KC: I can’t tell you that this album is anything like the frolicking fiction that was Kitty Rose, but there is no way anything I write can come out without a twang to it and, in fact, the Phil Lee song “Just Some Girl,” with the pedal steel and country-inspired arrangement, is a definite Kitty Rose fan pleaser. After twelve years of performing as Kitty Rose – and I did enjoy her so – the songwriter in me just very simply stopped creating. It was clear those last few years that if I was

going to continue creating new music, I was going to have to “kill off Kitty.”

I can only hope my Kitty fans will be willing to listen to the woman behind the cowboy hat as well.

BT: So, down to details – where, when and how???!

KC: “There is No God” is available to listen to right now, streaming on several sites on the Internet, but you will only be able to download the title track until October 13th. Then the entire album will be available on iTunes and CDBaby and many online sources, as you might imagine.

I’ve got an app now (how totally 21st Century!), so if you download my app “Katharine Cole” on your iPhone, you can keep up to date with me, or check my website (w w w.katharinecole.com), wh ich I update qu ite a lot. I have a few videos on You-

Tub e, but w i l l b e doi n g a l ive v ideo by Christmas time, so like most artists, you can Google me, YouTub e me, a nd Tu mbl r me.

Oh, and my Facebook Artist Page is just a few shy of 1000 as of today, so please “like” me on Facebook, and I swear I won’t post a lot of cute k itten v ideos on your timeline!

BT: When can we see you live in the Bay Area?

KC: I m ight be doi ng a specia l house concer t t h rough “ B et t y ’s L i st ,” so st ay t u ned . I hope to perform the album live, of course, and would have promotional copies of the CD (shhh, don’t tell my record label!). It is sure to be a totally “ungodly” show and I hope it works out and that a lot of my fans and friends can come!

Smuin Ballet’s New Season and LGBT Night (Editor’s Note: Choreographer Darren Anderson, who was also an internationally acclaimed ballet dancer, created Smuin Ballet’s LGBT Night. Born in Edmonton, Canada, and trained on scholarship with both the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre, he danced with Cincinnati Ballet and as a soloist with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet prior to joining Smuin Ballet in 2008. He was featured in Michael’s “Dances With Songs,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Bouquet,” and “Songs of Mahler,” along with Jirí Kylián’s “Petite Mort.”

Prior to joining Smuin Ballet, he danced in works by George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Rudi Van Dantzig, John Cranko, Jirí Kylián, John Neumeier, Val Caniparoli and Stanton Welch. He retired from dancing at the end of the 2012 season, and Smuin’s Community Relations Manager. He has also continued to choreograph works for the Smuin Choreographer’s Showcase, and the company premiered his dance set to “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” in The Christmas Ballet 2012 edition. We recently caught up with Darren to learn more Smuin’s LGBT Night as well as the company’s new season.)

Darren Anderson

BT: What inspired you to create LGBT Night, and what are you most looking forward to at this year’s event?

DA: Smuin Ballet has long enjoyed a close relationship with the LGBT community, and we wanted to provide an opportunity for our supporters and fans to mix and mingle, and also to meet their favorite dancers. In four years, it has grown into a popular event and is a great way to combine a love of the arts with a chance to meet and have fun with others. This year’s

event will be very special, as we are tying it into Amy Seiwert’s Dear Miss Cline Ballet, set to the music of Patsy Cline. We are celebrating this toe-tapping, high-energy work with our 4th Annual LGBT Night October 10th, themed “Swing Your Partner”! Guests are invited to join us for a countrythemed post performance shindig with artists of the Smuin Ballet Company. There will be finger lickin’ appetizers, beer, wine, hard cider and the LGBT Foggy City Dancers giving a live square dance demonstration on the best ways to swing the night away!

BT: Share some of the other important connections between Smuin Ballet and the LGBT community.

DA: Smuin Ballet has participated in countless charitable fundraisers for the LGBT community over the twenty years of our existence. We have also donated a portion of tickets sales from some our own performances to important LGBT causes, such as Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, The Trevor Project, and many more.

Smuin Ballet has also been one of the few ballet companies that has enjoyed the opportunity of having a presence at past annual Castro Street Fairs.

BT: Tell us about the new season.

DA: We are extremely excited about our 20th XX Anniversary Season! It is going to be a fantastic showcase of some of our historic and best loved works, such as Michael Smuin’s Carmina Burana, Dancin’ with Gershwin, and our highly-anticipated holiday tradition, The Christmas Ballet, as well as impressive new works by worldclass choreographers. San Francisco’s very own Val Caniparoli will present a world premiere in our XXcentric program in the Spring, on the same program that our resident choreographer Amy Seiwert will create her own world premiere with the company.

The season launches in October at the Palace of Fine Arts, with our XXtremes Fall Program, when Smuin Ballet will proudly present the Northern California premier of renowned

choreographer Jirí Kylián’s timeless masterpiece Return to a Strange Land (a work that hasn’t been performed in California since 1994). This stunning ballet is a beautifully crafted response

by Kylián to the loss of his mentor and one of his greatest inspirations, Stuttgart Ballet’s late Artistic Director John Cranko. Return to a Strange Land is an eagerly awaited treat for fans of Kylián, whose Petite Mort was performed by Smuin in 2010 (the first professional Bay Area company selected to perform that iconic work). On the same program will be one of Michael Smuin’s most memorable, haunting ballets, Carmina Burana, and Amy Seiwert’s joyful, playful Dear Miss Cline.

Set to tunes including “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “Come On In,” “Triangle,” “There He Goes,” “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down,” and more, this high spirited and sentimental hit charms audiences with a rollicking trip through Cline’s country canon. It is a sure fire good time. (continued on page 18)

BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 3, 2013

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Turtle Hill, Brooklyn Presents Absorbing Story of a Gay Male Couple Seibert maintained that the film developed organically, but it is not autobiographical. “A lot of what happens in the film did happen, but more of the stuff is created for dramatic purposes. The issues Will and Mateo have are not issues that Ricardo and I have ever had.” Added Valdez, “A lot of the characters are a combination of our own imagination, but also other friends. One character represents three friends of ours.”

Film

Gary M. Kramer Turtle Hill, Brooklyn, out this week on DVD, is an outstanding independent queer f ilm that addresses issues of trust, communication and fidelity between two partners. Smart and savvy, it introduces two-dozen plus characters that viewers will come to know— and care about—as the film unfolds over the course of a single day.

Shot in eight days in the apartment where partners Ricardo Valdez and Brian W. Seibert have lived together for three years, the film chronicles Will’s (Seibert) 30th birthday party.

His partner Mateo (Valdez) invites their friends over to celebrate, but surprise guests, including Will’s sister, arrive and cause tension.

Interviewed in their Brooklyn home, Seibert and Valdez talked about making Turtle Hill, Brooklyn. The couple, who have been together seven years, star in the film, which they also wrote and produced. Valdez said they made it “out of necessity. We’ve been so frustrated with the acting business and the rejection level. We had seen enough gay films that were stereotypical. This was a good opportunity to do something that is pertinent to us.

It’s a slice of life of a couple that has a conflict.”

What makes Turtle Hill, Brooklyn so absorbing is that the characters are real.

Even folks who get just a few lines of dialogue come across as fully fleshed out individuals, such as a woman who married a gay man so he can have a green card and remains faithful to him, even though her husband lives in San Francisco, or a gay Republican who defends his political beliefs, citing he is more than just his sexuality.

Another character reveals having political asylum.

The range of issues is important to the writers. Seibert acknowledged, “This is our reality. We wrote this film because we wanted to reflect what our experience of being gay and living in New York, being political and activist-y, and being these ages. (Both are over 30). We wanted to write about that. The f ilm is representative of our gay life, which includes other gay people, but not only gay people.” He continued, “I think it’s hard to talk about life, or to write a movie without including any and/or all of these topics. They affect everyone’s lives. I am obsessed with them, which is why they pop up in most, if not every, conversation my friends and I have; they are completely interrelated to our lives.”

Valdez concurred, “We are picky about our friends. They have to be smart, cultured, and challenge us.

We’re always talking about books. ‘I

just read this book. You need to read it…’ We wanted to give a little bit of what someone in the ideology of our socioeconomic level in New York/ Brooklyn is like and what they talk about.” He continued, “One of the beautiful things about living in New York is the awareness of the racial and political cultures—it’s such a clash of cultures. When I came here from Mexico, I came to understand those differences and eventually to accept them and form my own opinion about them. We tried to put that in the movie.”

The f ilm is an excellent showcase for the partners’ friends, many of which are actors and appear in Turtle Hill, Brooklyn. While it was tricky to shoehorn over two-dozen people into the couple’s four-room apartment—which is less than 1000 square feet—the space looks inviting on the big screen. The bedroom windows overlook the street, and lights were placed outside to shoot day for night and sun for rain. The patio and back garden, where much of the action occurs, still has Christmas lights strung on the walls, a gnome with a rainbow flag, and a street sign that were incorporated into the film’s set.

gether every night. We got up together and made breakfast for the crew and the actors.”

“I am not a maid!” he reminded his partner with equal parts mockery and sincerity at the mention of that spat.

Valdez interjected, “We were producers, and it was our home. There was no time to [fight]. We had to be in this together, because if we failed, the film would fail as well, and that would not serve our purpose.”

But on screen, the situation is much different. The future of the couple’s relationship hinges on issues of trust, communication, and commitment.

While they admit to having minor disputes about their cat Emilio (who appears as himself in the film) sitting on the kitchen table, or decorating the

“That was the idea,” Valdez explained, “Why do you do what you do to hurt the other person—accidentally or purposely? It’s out of need of something that you’re missing in your relationship. Mateo is frustrated and unsatisfied. He has this relationship he values, but he’s so conflicted with himself, he creates all these problems.”

Turtle Hill, Brooklyn, artfully shows how the characters grapple with their issues. It is a fantastic debut of two bright talents. © 2013 Gary M. Kramer

But did the couple—who fight in the film—fight during the making of Turtle Hill, Brooklyn? One might suspect, but Seibert insisted, “We worked really well together. We went to bed to-

apartment when they moved in together, the partners’ fights last about as long at it takes for Valdez to clean up a floor sticky from Seibert’s recent impromptu cocktail party.

Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” You can follow him on Twitter @garymkramer.

THE WOMEN’S BUILDING 35th ANNUAL

CELEBRATION OF

CRAFTSWOMEN SAVE THE DATE November 9th 10th & 11th 10am-5pm FESTIVAL PAVILION FORT MASON FOOD - ENTERTAINMENT CONNECT WITH YOUR COMMUNITY w w w.ce le brat ionof c raf t swome n.org w w w.wome nsbuilding.org

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BAY TIMES OCTO B E R 3 , 2 0 1 3

Singer, Dancer Marco Middlesex Sends Out Positive Energy Atco, New Jersey. He is an only child.

When Marco was two years old, his father received orders that he would be stationed overseas in Europe.

What was supposed to be just a fouryear tour of duty expanded into sixteen years, with Marco experiencing an extraordinary cultured life and education in England, Scotland and Ireland.

Gems of The Bay Kippy Marks I am excited to introduce performing artist Marco Middlesex to you. Marco is a glorious mix of Irish and Italian decent, and is a person of strength and wisdom. He has a humorous nature with a positive attitude for living.

And who could forget his dimples?

They tend to draw audiences comfortably into the loving and spiritual web that he spins.

Born into a Navy family to parents Lorraine and Michael Diamambro, Marco’s earliest years were spent in

Check out extra

While attending school in Europe, Marco excelled in the arts. He says, “I have always had an extreme passion for music and creative writing.”

When his father retired in 1986, the family returned to the United States and relocated to the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA. After years of working and living in Philadelphia, Marco moved to San Francisco with his then partner Steve in 1994. They lived in the Western Addition. Both created a home and lived happily together for several years until Steve died. After the death, Marco poured his energy and emotions into his other great love: entertaining people. Marco explains, “I live for, and I love to, sing, dance and

perform, and to promote and express feelings of affection, hope and fun for everyone who will share and listen.”

In 2010, Marcos’ career began to take an upward swing. He found himself performing for many charitable fundraisers throughout San Francisco.

These performances caught the attention of P.A. Cooley, who was casting for a new short-run musical called “Bearlesque.” Marco subsequently was featured in the musical.

In 2011, Marco founded a production company, MXM Artisan Agency.

With the company, Marco pays it forward to his fellow artist and entertainment groups. He says, “I am a stoic believer in the universe’s ultimate justice, Karma. I always endeavor to put out good and positive energy into the universe and to treat others with respect and courtesy; everyone deserves this.”

Marco has recorded three original songs: “Free Yourself to Love,” produced by Leo Frappier of Hit Save Music and featuring Raquela and Xavier Toscano; “In Deep and

Marco Middlesex Dance” [Independence], also produced by Leo Frappier and Hit Save Music; and “All that I Am,” which is scheduled for release in October 2013. Marco has recorded two cover tunes that charted well on the Reverbnation dance charts, “Frozen” by Madonna and “Touch Me” by Ryan Tedder and Bonnie McKee. Marco is also an avid lover of animals and works for a non-profit, caring for Chihuahuas and searching for homes for them.

For more information about Marco and his music, please visit: w w w. r e v e r b n a t i o n . c o m /m a r c o m i d d l e s e x , w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / M X M A A , w w w.facebook .com/ M A RC O M I D D L E S E X , w w w. soundcloud.com/mxmaa.

Violinist Kippy Marks entertains audiences worldwide with his inspirational compositions and lively performances that draw from classical , jazz, blues and dance. www.kippy marks.us

News, Entertainment and more in the BayTimes ONLINE at www.sfbaytimes.com

BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 3, 2013

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compiled by Robert Fuggiti

See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

Smuin Ballet kicks off its 20th Anniversary Season with its “XXtreme Fall Program” (Photo: Keith Sutter).

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.

Throwback Thursdays – Q Bar. Free. 9 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) www.qbarsf.com.

Playing dance and house music from the ‘80s and ‘90s with 2 for 1 drinks all night.

Bear Coffee – Café Flore. Free.

6 pm to 8 pm. (2298 Market St.) www.cafeflore.com. A monthly meet-up and social for bears in the Castro.

Dolores Claiborne - $23-$239.

8 pm. (SF Opera, 301 Van Ness Ave.) www.sfopera.com. An opera

by Tobias Picker and based on the novel “Dolores Claiborne,” by Stephen King.

Smuin Ballet 20th Anniversary Kick-off – Palace of Fine Arts. $25-$72. 2 pm and 8 pm. (3301 Lyon St.) www.smuinballet.org. Smuin Ballet will kick off its 20th Anniversary Season with its “XXtremes Fall Program.” Through October 12.

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.

Horizons Foundation Annual Gala – The Fairmont Hotel. $300+. 5 pm (950 Mason St.) www.horizonsfoundation.org.

Support Horizons Foundation and

the LGBT community while enjoying dinner and silent auction along with live entertainment by Terry Bradord.

It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman – Eureka Theatre. $25$75. 8 pm. (215 Jackson St.) www.42stmoon.org. Kick off the 2013-2014 season with Man of Steel’s 75th Birthday with the daffy 1966 musical It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman. Through October 20.

La Bota Loca – Club 21. $5. 9 pm to 4 am. (2111 Franklin St.) www.club21oakland.com. A weekly Latino dance party with hot go-go dancers and strong drinks.

Castro Street Fair – The Castro. Donation. 11 am to 6 pm.

(Market St. and Castro St.) www. castrostreetfiar.org. Celebrate the 40th annual Castro Street Fair with a special performance by Peaches on the main stage.

To Sleep and Dream – Z Below. $15-$35. 8 pm. (470 Florida St.) www.therhino.org. A father and son confront each other about the past and their hopes for the future in this play about coming out and facing the truth.

“Super Man” will be at the Eurkea Theatre through October 20 (Photo: David Allen).

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BAY TIMES OCTO B E R 3 , 2 0 1 3

Swim a Mile for Women with Cancer – Mills College. Donation. 9 am to 3 pm. (5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland) www.wcrc. org. Join an estimated 600 women, men and children at the Swim A Mile for Women

with Cancer, a fun, non-competitive fundraising event.

David Perry’s Ten Percent – Comcast “On Demand.” Free.

11:30 am and 10:30 pm. (Comcast Cable Network) www.comcasthometown.com. David Perry sits down with Marconi Calindas coauthor of the children’s book Of Petals and Hope: Sonny Sunflower Triumphs Over Bullying.

LGBTQ Support Group – Petaluma Health Center. Free. 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. (1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma) www.phealthcenter.org. A positive support group for the LGBTQ community in Petaluma. Meetings happen every Monday.

Radical Vinyl – El Rio. Free. 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf. com. A revolving cast of well known record collectors spin the most eclectic mix of vinyl you’ll find in San Francisco.

Songs from Serbia – Berkley. $160. 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

(Location upon RSVP) kitka@kitka. org. Caitlin Tabancay Austin and Elizabeth Setzer offer a fall re-run of their summer workshop series to share songs collected during their recent travels.

Funny Tuesdays – Harvey’s.

Free. 9 pm. (500 Castro St.) www. harveyssf.com. An LGBT comedy night hosted by comic Ronn Vigh.

Meow Mix – The Stud. Free. 9 pm. (399 9th St.) www.studsf.com.

A weekly cabaret variety show with drink specials.

Shanti’s 39th Annual Benefit – Hilton Union Square. $185+. 5:30 pm. (333 O’Farrell St.) www.shanti.org. Shanti’s 39th Annual Dinner, Compassion is Universal will be a client and donor focused fundraising event to recognize the services Shanti provides and the remarkable strength of their clients.

Warrior Class – Theatre Works. $25-$52. 8 pm. (1100 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto) Winner of the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award, Warrior Class offers insight into the cutthroat world of hardball politics with a taut, topical saga of backroom engineering. Through November 3.

Cocky Wednesdays – The Edge SF. Free. 7 pm to 2 am. (4149 18th St.) www.edgesf.com. A weekly underwear contest with cash prizes.

Randy Roberts Live – Alcove Theatre. $40. 9 pm. (414 Mason St.) www.randyroberts.net. Gender illusionists Randy Roberts performs several entertaining shows.

Through November 2.

Action Speaks Louder Than Pink – SF80. $125. 6 pm to 9 pm.

(80 Missouri St.) www.bcaction.org.

The Action Speaks Louder Than Pink - Food for Thought event presents breast cancer advocates and the general public with high quality cuisine and an alternative to pink ribbon activities.

How To Do Business with PG&E – Pacific Energy Center.

Free. 9 am to 12 pm. (851 Howard St.) www.ggba.com. An event targeted towards LGBT architecture and engineering companies.

St., Oakland) www.ellenrobinson. com. Enjoy two set performances with beer and wine bar and small plates of food available.

The Voice – Exit Theatre. $15-$25.

8 pm. (156 Eddy St.) www.theexit. org. A ground-breaking solo theater piece on sex addiction and recovery.

Also October 25.

30th Anniversary Leap Sandcastle Contest – Ocean Beach. Free. 10:30 am to 4:30 pm.

(Ocean Beach, San Francisco) www. leaparts.org. A sandcastle sculpting contest with 28+ teams.

Hella Gay – The Uptown. $5. 9:30 pm. (1928 Telegraph Ave.) www. facebook.com/hellagaydanceparty.

Oakland’s largest gay dance party with something to please everyone.

Midnight Show – Divas. $10. 10 pm. (1081 Post St.) www.divassf. com. The premier transgender club in San Francisco, with live DJs and performances.

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.

Glamazone – The Café. Free. 9 pm to 2 am. (2369 Market St.) www.cafesf.com. Enjoy drink specials during the day and drag performances through the evening.

Jack the Ripper – The Hypnodrome. $30-$35. 8 pm. (575 10th St.) www.thrillpedlers.com.

An evening of horror, madness, and song to commemorate the 125th anniversary of “Jack the Ripper.”

Through November 23.

Jock – Lookout. $2. 3 pm to 9 pm.

(3600 16th St.) www.lookoutsf.com.

A weekly fundraising party for Bay Area LGBT sports groups.

Ellen Robinson – The Sound Room. $25. 6 pm. (2147 Broadway

Forbidden Fruit – The Garage. $20-$25. 8 pm. (715 Bryant St.)

www.715bryant.org. A tale of two married gay men and their lives before they met.Through October 18.

Piano Bar 101 – Martuni’s. Free.

9 pm. (4 Valencia St.) www.dragatmartunis.com. Sing along to your favorite songs with friends and patrons.

Mahogany Mondays – Midnight Sun. Free. 8 pm. (4067 18th St.) www.midnightsunsf.com.

A live drag variety show with $5 drink specials all evening.

Switch – Q Bar. $5. 10 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) www.qbarsf. com. A weekly lesbian dance party.

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

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

Beautiful: The Carol King Musical – Curran Theatre. $55$210. 8 pm. (445 Geary St.) www. shn.sfcom. Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. Through October 20.

Smack Dab Open Mic Night – Magnet. Free. 8 pm. (4122 18th St.) www.magnetsf.org. An open mic night for all with host Larrybob Roberts.

Castro Farmers Market – Noe St. at Market. Free. 4 pm to 8 pm. (Noe St. At Market) www. pcfma.com. Enjoy fresh produce and local made foods and delicacies. Happening every Wednesday.

“Randy Roberts Live” will be at the Alcove Theatre through November 2 (Photo: Barry Fitzgerald).

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(ROSTOW continued from page 9) IRS, you can be fired for announcing that the income tax is unconstitutional. If you work for a butcher, you cannot claim your religious views prevent you from touching a cow. If Crystal hates gays so much, she can go work for Barilla Pasta. No one’s forcing her to work for a public university pledged to fight bias. And no one forced her write an op-ed for that matter. Now, she wants to have her cake and eat it too.

Speaking of analogies earlier in this column, I have never understood that cake expression. Why can’t you just eat half the cake and save the other half ? Wouldn’t that be having your cake and eating it too?

Wikipedia has provided the translations for this core idea as expressed in foreign proverbs. From Switzerland: “You can’t have the five cent coin and the Swiss bread roll.” From the Persian: “You can’t have the donkey and the sugar dates.” From the

Portuguese: “You can’t have the sun shining on the threshing floor while it rains on the turnips.” From the Danish: “You can’t both blow and have flour in your mouth.” And my favorite, from France: “You can’t have the butter and a smile on the face of the girl who makes the butter.”

I have the same problem with the French version as the American.

Why can’t you have the butter and the smile? arostow@aol.com

(PROFILES IN COMPASSION AND COURAGE: DAVID CAMPOS continued from page 8) in awe of the diversity of my support- DC: My most immediate aspiration nities are safe, respected, and repreers, and inspired by how many com- is to make sure Assembly District 17 sented, and I want to do that work. munities I’ve been fortunate to work continues to lead the way for our comwith throughout the years. We’ve Stu Smith is board chair emeritus of Shanti been able to bring so many differ- munities in the State Legislature. I Project, board chair of The Paratransit Coent constituencies with such different want to ensure that LGBT commu- ordinating Council, a member of the Casbackgrounds together to accomplish nities, immigrant communities, and tro Country Club Advisory Board and the our shared goals, and that is a lasting families who are struggling to stay in LGBT Senior Task Force, and producer and accomplishment.

San Francisco have a continued voice host of the public access TV program “The SS: What are your future goals and in Sacramento. We still have a lot of Drag Show.” KQED has honored Stu as a work to do to make sure our commu- 2013 LGBT Hero. aspirations?

(SMUIN continued from page 13) BT: Are you doing work as a choreographer now for Smuin?

DA: I am really looking forward to our choreographer’s showcase in the Spring, which I will likely choreograph a piece for. I also choreographed a piece for The Chrismas Ballet last year.

It has been delightful to transition from dancer to choreographer and I am looking forward to doing more.

It is important to note, as we enter our 20th Anniversary season, that Smuin

Ballet has confidently demonstrated that we have stood the test of time.

Given all the trials and tribulations faced over the years, such as the tragic loss of our founder and leader on the cusp of the economic downfall, we have remained standing and stronger than ever.

I always like to express to people that our performances truly have something for everyone. The majority of our performances are mixed repertoire, and we have historically been

(SISTER DANA SEZ continued from page 7) dolls have upgraded into $5,500 super Join SHANTI on October 9th, 5:30realistic, fully articulated, life-size, 9:30pm to celebrate their 39th annisilicone, anatomically correct mani- versary dinner and awards with their kins by SINthetics.com. Tita Aida annual signature event, COMPASwas lookin’ fierce in her fetish wear, SION IS UNIVERSAL, presented taking photos of me and my escort, by The Honorable James C. HorSt. Rory, behind a cardboard wall of mel & Michael P. Nguyen, and two hot cartoon leathermen with our Nordstrom. Hilton Union Square, heads sticking out. The 8-foot high 333 O’Farrell. shanti.org.

Happy Penis from SF Dept. of Health was available for a photo op, and at PEACHES CHRIST PRODUCthe Alliance Health Project, FFIST- TIONS wants you to put on your FUL of FFUN, you could stick your best outf it for TO-DAY and grab hand through a cartoon man’s faux your ticket NOW to the world prefur-lined beehole to pull out an egg miere of R ET U R N TO GR EY with a question inside about safer sex GARDENS, an original, all-new, to win a prize. And on that note, I will pre-film musical entertainment featuring season 5 winner of RuPaul’s end. Get it?!

Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon as Li›l Reminder: Castro Street Fair is Oc- Jinkxy and Peaches Christ as Big tober 6th.

Peachy with special guest star Mink Stole (of John Waters movie fame).

CUMMING UP! Castro Theater, October 12th, with shows at 8pm and a matinee at 3pm.

LADY BUNNY gets hopping crayThe original stage-show, written cray in THAT AIN’T NO LADY! at and directed by Joshua Grannell, Rebel, 1760 Market Street, October is set forty years into the future to 4th and 5th, 7:30 & 10pm. Unlike her position on RUPAUL’S DRAG U on document the lives of an aging drag LOGO as the Dean Of Drag giving mother and her bitter drag daughter contestants “Lady Lessons,” Bunny’s who continue to perform for an empty deliciously bawdy brand of humor is house at the now dilapidated and rundown Castro Theatre. How did this far from ladylike. happen? What will become of them?

The raunchy, demented drag diva of Will their famous and successful royal Wigstock fame presents her first Es- drag cousin Lady Bear step up and sEff full-length one wo-man show help out? Then the audience will be in almost half a decade. For mature whisked back in time to see the reality audiences who enjoy irreverent hu- of the infamous Beales with a screenmor and a lot of hysterical pop music ing of GREY GARDENS, the wacky parodies. Info (415) 431-4204, tix at 1975 documentary. If you’re feeling the door (if not sold out), brownpaper- like Jackie-O, VIP admissions are available that include early seating tickets.com. Hop on over! and drinks in the Dead Kennedy’s Are you ready for A PERFECTLY Lanai aka the Castro’s mezzanine.

SUITED EVENING? Honoring peacheschrist.com.

Ambassador James C. Hormel, philanthropist, U.S. Ambassador to LET ME BE PERFECTLY QUEER Luxembourg (1999-2000), HORI- is an event at MAGNET, the CasZONS’ ANNUAL GALA DINNER tro health and wellbeing hub, which & CASINO PARTY is October 5th, Magnet and BRIDGEMEN are proThe Fairmont Hotel San Francisco, ducing for a coming out extravaganza 950 Mason Street. 5:30 pm reception in conjunction with NATIONAL & silent auction, 7pm dinner & COMING OUT DAY (October 11th) program, 9pm dessert buffet & Casino on Saturday, October 12th, 7-9pm, in The Tonga Room. horizonsfounda- 4122 18th Street. Submit your story tion.org. via email to comingout@magnet.org 18

BAY TIMES OCTO B E R 3 , 2 0 1 3

known to push the limits and, by doing so, provide the audience with an emotional experience; after all, isn’t that what attending the theater is all about?

Smuin Ballet’s XXtremes Fall Program plays October 4-12 at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. Single tickets ($25-$72) and 20th Anniversary Season subscriptions ($120-$174) are available at w w w.smuinba l let. org or by calling (415) 912-1899.

with your name and age. It can be ANY coming out - from your first to your latest (funny, sad, silly or shocking). magnetsf.org/coming-out.html.

Igniting their 36th season with a decadent champagne brunch and entertaining performances, CRESCENDO: THE NEXT 35 is presented by SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS, October 13th, noon-3pm, Four Seasons Hotel, 757 Market Street. sfgmc.org/ crescendo.

AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL is holding their 30th annual catered hors d’oeuvres and great wines reception, JUSTICE FROM THE HEART, October 16, 6-9pm, Julia Morgan Ballroom, the Merchants Exchange, 465 California Street. ALRP is honoring Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi - House Democratic Leader - for her leadership, dedication, and support of HIV/AIDS services. alrp.org.

On October 17th, the campaign to elect DAVID CAMPOS to the State Assembly will kick off its fundraising efforts with a party at Blackbird, 2124 Market Street. The party will start at 6:30pm, and a cocktail reception from the host committee will precede it at 6pm.

Bullying is a real issue facing today’s young people, and every year millions of people come together to go purple in support of LGBTQ youth and teens on SPIRIT DAY. Since 2010, GLAAD has helped spread this message, involving people from all walks of life - even the White House went purple! Pledge to go purple on October 17th. glaad.org/spiritday.

Adult f lick picks: RESORT from Titanmen.com and BREAKIN’ THE SEAL from Nextdoorstudios. com.

Sister Dana sez, “Repugnicans jammed devastating cuts to food stamps through the House - leaving more than 3.8 million hungry Americans to fend for themselves - in these thugs’ latest outrageous attack on seniors and the poor. Nice going, heartless ones!”

Round About – All Over Town

Performers Joe Wicht, Veronica Klaus, Chave Alexander, Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, and Mike Young at Hotel Nikko for the launch of Bay Times columnist Kippy Marks and Sister Pat N Leather Feinstein’s Broadway Bingo Wednesdays. were crowned Grand Duke and Duchess at the 40th (Photo by Steven Underhill) Anniversary Grand Ducal Coronation at Hotel Whitcomb.

(Photo by Rink)

Ten Percent host David Perry and his husband Alfredo Casuso with Bishop Otis Charles at the Four Seasons Hotel for the annual Chinese Historical Society of America Gala.

Honoree Helen Zia and her wife of nine years (Photo by Rink) Lisa Shigemura at the Chinese Historical Society of America 50th Anniversary Gala.

(Photo by Rink)

Under One Roof ’s Tony Hart, Alison Madden and JD Schulz at the volunteer appreciation party held at the Castro Street Store where preparations for the holiday season are underway. (Photo by Rink) R&B star Jermaine Jackson signs in the concrete of the Diva sidewalk of fame in front of San Francisco’s Hotel Diva. (Photo by Steven Underhill)

Folsom Street Fair volunteers at the Cheer San Francisco beverage booth. (Photo by Rink)

Honorees Troy Brunet, Cynthia Hester, Empress Marlena and Neil Figurelli at the Leather and Feathers benefit for the AIDS Emergency Fund held at the historic SF Armory. (Photo by Steven Underhill)

Magician David Miller performed at Magnet’s Smack Dab event where he announced his website, paradoxmagic.com, and his upcoming show at Sweet Inspiration. (Photo by Rink)

Jessie Mueller, star of Beautiful - The Carole King Musical with Bay Times photographer Steven Underhill outside the Curran Theatre during the Yarn artist Olek’s crocheted Doggy Diner Heads pre-Broadway world premiere run in San Francisco. on display at the Castro Theatre.

(Photo by Steven Underhill) (Photo by Steven Underhill) BAY T IM ES O C TO BER 3, 2013

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