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January 9-22, 2014 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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BAY TIMES JANUARY 9 , 2 0 1 4

National News Briefs compiled by Dennis McMillan

Denver, CO - Supreme Court Puts Utah Equality on Hold - 1.6

M i n neapol i s , M N - P u nt e r C h r i s K luwe S ay s D i s m i s sa l Re s u lt ed f r om G ay R ig ht s Activism - 1.3

The Supreme Court has put same-sex marriages on hold in Utah, at least while a federal appeals court more fully considers the issue. The court has issued a brief order blocking any new samesex unions in the state.

The Minnesota Vikings have retained two lawyers to conduct an independent review into allegations made by former punter Chris Kluwe, who claimed in an Internet blog post the team released him because of his public stance in support of same-sex marriage.

The order grants an emergency appeal by the state following the Dec. 20 ruling by U.S. District Judge Robert Shelby that the state’s ban on same-sex marriage violates gay and lesbian couples’ constitutional rights. More than 900 gay and lesbian couples have married since then, but they were later deemed invalid. The high court order will remain in effect until the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decides whether to uphold Shelby’s ruling.

And Kluwe intends to cooperate: “I’m glad they’re taking it seriously,” he told USA TODAY. “This is something I wrote down, because it’s what happened to me, and I’m 100 percent confident in what I wrote, and there are witnesses that will back me up. Let the investigation begin.”

Eric Magnuson, the former chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and Chris Madel, a former U.S. Department of Justice Trial attorney, will lead the investigation.

The state’s request to the Supreme Court was filed with Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency appeals from Utah and the five other states in the 10th Circuit. Sotomayor turned the matter over to the entire court.

In an article posted to the website Deadspin titled “I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot,” Kluwe said Vikings owner Zygi Wilf supported his decision to speak out against the proposed Minnesota Gay Marriage Amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage and was voted down.

The action now shifts to Denver, where the appeals court will consider arguments from the state against same-sex marriage as well as from the three gay and lesbian couples who challenged the ban in support of Shelby’s ruling. Shelby and the appeals court had previously rebuffed the state’s plea to stop gay weddings pending appeal.

But Kluwe criticized coach Leslie Frazier – who was fired Monday – and general manager Rick Spielman for discouraging his activism and saved his harshest critique for special teams coordinator Mike Priefer, whom he claimed “would use homophobic language in my presence” during the 2012 season.

The 10th Circuit has set short deadlines for both sides to file their written arguments, with the state’s first brief due on January 27. No date for argument has been set yet.

“Mike Priefer also said on multiple occasions that I would wind up burning in hell with the gays, and that the only truth was Jesus Christ and the Bible,” Kluwe wrote in the Deadspin piece.

James Magleby, a lawyer for couples who sued to overturn the ban, said that while the halt to same-sex marriages is temporary - assuming the appeals court does not reverse Shelby’s ruling - it is disappointing because it leaves Utah families waiting to marry until the appeal is over.

Kluwe, 32, says he has no forensic evidence to back up his claims, and declined to name or reveal the number of witnesses he claims to have, saying he doesn’t want to drag former teammates into the situation unless it’s necessary.

“Every day that goes by, same-sex couples and their children are being harmed by not being able to marry and be treated equally,” Magleby said.

It should be noted that NCLR recently honored Kluwe for his activism and presented him with a trophy inscribed: “Bad Ass of the Year.”

We kind of knew it was too good to be true.

Source: usatoday.com

Source: edgeonthenet.com

Raleigh, NC - Will Gay Clay Aiken Run for Congress? - 1.3

Pasadena, CA - National Organization for Marriage Gay-Bashes Rose Parade Float - 1.627

North Royalton, OH - Is Duck Dynasty’s Robertson a Hero or Just a Quack? - 1.6

National Organization for Marriage president Brian Brown was one of the rabid religious right activists to attack last week’s Rose Parade in Pasadena and threaten a boycott for including a float featuring a same-sex wedding, lamenting that “once marriage is redefined to make it genderless, this perverse construct of ‘marriage’ is forced on everyone.”

Janet Porter believes that God is behind the uproar surrounding Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, who was temporarily suspended after making homophobic and racist comments in an interview with GQ. Porter told the conservative outlet CNSNews that the controversy was part of God’s plan to fight gay rights. She called Robertson’s reinstatement by A&E network cowards a “turning point,” adding that “the tide has turned against the homosexual agenda.” Whatever that is.

In a recent interview with “Voice of Russia” radio, Brown doubled down, saying that Aubrey Loots and Danny LeClair’s wedding had been “shoved in the face of families,” including those who had voted against marriage equality in their states.

Loots and LeClair planned to formalize their partnership of 12 years atop a float sponsored by the AIDS Health Foundation in this year’s parade.

This was all part of a plan to “target children” and use “a family event to sort of indoctrinate kids,” Brown asserted. “All along, we’ve been hearing from activists who support same-sex marriage, ‘Hey, if we redefine marriage, it won’t have any effect on you, this is about loving individuals, what they decide to do, it will have no effect on you.’ Well, lo and behold, it has to be shoved in the face of families - many of whom voted to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman – on a float at a family event.”

“God uses the unlikely to confound the wise,” she continued. “I love how God can use somebody – it doesn’t matter what area they are in.”

Indeed, it is pretty sad that Porter has to resort to talking about the plight of a reality TV show star to avoid actual polling data on gay rights.

Thanks to the Duck Dynasty star, Bible-believing Christians “ended 2013 on a victory,” says Porter, president of Ohio-based homophobic Faith2Action. “This is the turning point, thanks to the courage of Phil Robertson,” she said. “The tide has turned against the homosexual agenda, and the message is that the only way to keep our freedom is to use it.”

Brown concluded, “We know that teachers tell kids that folks who believe in this notion of marriage as a union between a man and a woman are discriminating, they’re the functional equivalent of bigots.” Yes. Bigots are as bigots do.

“This was the biggest breath of fresh air since Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day,” she added. Not so fresh for queers. Recall that Chick-fil-A is run by homophobic president and COO, Dan Cathy.

In a speech before the Russian parliament promoting anti-gay laws last year, Brown similarly warned that advances in gay rights would lead to “talking to children about homosexuality.”

“The biggest danger to Christianity is the spiral of silence,” Porter continued.

The homosexual lobby “seeks to silence us with name-calling and threats…

Phil used his God-given talent to come up with a duck call that leads to the # 1 cable show, and he suddenly has more prominence and influence and a bigger platform than any football star. And all America rises up to stand with him.”

When at the Russian Olympics, be sure to thank Brown for the terrible treatment of queers there.

Source: rightwingwatch.org

The last time Clay Aiken was in an election, he received around 12 million votes and lost. If the former American Idol contender runs for Congress from his native North Carolina, as he is considering, he’ll only need about 100,000 votes. The problem for Aiken, a Democrat, is that he’ll have a hard time getting them.

Aiken is considering running in North Carolina’s 2nd District, a deeply gerrymandered seat that manages to avoid both urban areas and significant concentrations of black voters. The seat is held by second-term Rep. Renee Ellmers, who won her first election by fewer than 1,500 votes. After Ellmers’ election, the district became significantly more Republican via redistricting.

The question is whether Aiken would be a competitive candidate.

While a Democrat does hold a similarly Republican district in the Tar Heel State, it’s Rep. Mike McIntyre, who has co-sponsored a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. In contrast, Aiken would have a difficult time transitioning from Broadway star to rural Blue Dog Democrat.

Even so, Aiken would still likely be the best candidate that Democrats could attract. He’d be able to raise a significant amount of money and draw a ton of national attention.

David Bergstein, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement to The Daily Beast: “Congresswoman Ellmers is responsible for the most unpopular and reckless Congress in history that’s put the middle class at greater risk; but it’s up to potential candidates to talk about whether they’re interested in running for Congress, not us.”

Aiken has plenty of time to decide. North Carolina’s two-week-long filing period begins Feb. 10. So far, national Democrats are staying out of the picture and letting gay Aiken make up his mind.

Well, not ALL America. For instance, not those with hearts and brains.

Run, Gay Clay, run!

Source: rightwingwatch.org

Source: thedailybeast.com

Local News Briefs Equality California Endorses SF Supervisor David Campos for Assembly

Rainbow Honor Walk Board Reveals First Plaque in Series Memorializing Queer Heroes

Equality California has announced its endorsement of San Francisco Supervisor David Campos, an openly gay Latino, for the 17th Assembly District. Campos is running for the seat currently occupied by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, who will be termed out of the Assembly in 2014.

The first completed bronze plaque of the Rainbow Honor Walk was unveiled to the public at the Human Rights Campaign Action Center & Store. It is in honor of Sylvester, naming him “visionary of queerness, music, and race.” The Rainbow Honor Walk salutes the groundbreaking achievements of noted LGBTQ and allied persons throughout history. The first 20 names were announced in 2011, and will have plaques along Castro Street dedicated in their honor by mid-2014, hopefully by Gay Pride Month, as part of the ongoing streetscape improvements taking place in that neighborhood. Supervisor Scott Wiener said the project would soon begin in the 400 block of Castro Street.

“Equality California is proud to support Campos - an extraordinarily talented elected official and dedicated champion of LGBT equality, whose leadership will strengthen the California LGBT Caucus,” said John O’Connor, executive director of EQCA. David Campos took office in November 2008 after his predecessor, Assemblymember Tom Ammiano, resigned from the Board of Supervisors in early December. Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed Campos to the vacant supervisorial seat on December 4, 2008. Campos was reelected to the post in 2012.

During his tenure, Campos has been a champion for the LGBTQ community. He has led efforts to protect HIV/AIDS funding, including restoring millions in federal cuts in Ryan White and other funding, helped to secure funding to keep the LGBT Community Center open, and led the effort to provide funding to prevent violence against the transgender community. If elected, Campos would become a member of the California LGBT Legislative Caucus, which is losing key members in 2014 due to term limits.

“I am honored to earn the endorsement of one of California’s foremost civil rights organizations,” said David Campos. “I look forward to working together with Equality California to carry on the unbroken tradition of LGBT leadership in Assembly District 17 that began in 1996 with Carole Migden and has continued with Mark Leno and Tom Ammiano.”

The 17th Assembly District encompasses the eastern 58.1% of the San Francisco City/County, including its central financial and governmental core. This district is a major focus of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Eventually, the walk will extend from the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy on 19th Street at Diamond, down to Castro Street - the LGBTQ community’s “Main Street” - and will continue up Market Street with additional extensions on 18th Street. On Market Street, San Francisco’s main thoroughfare, the Walk will continue to the LGBT Community Center at Octavia Boulevard. There will be a total of 500 plaques.

David Perry, Chair of the Rainbow Honor Walk board (an all volunteer nonprofit organization), introduced Carlos Casuso of Madrid, Spain - winner of the international competition to design the plaque – and updated the community on fundraising efforts, including the “Beth Van Hoesen: Portraits from the Castro” benefit exhibit on view now at George Krevsky Gallery through February 1. The idea has been 20 years in the making, Perry said, and noted the project had received the unanimous support of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. A slide show informed attendees of the first 20 honorees and their bios.

Each plaque costs approximately $5,000 and is financed by public donations. Donors can choose which honoree their donation goes to. The Board is selling handsome souvenir lapel pins (available at HRC), where $5 from each purchase goes to support the Honor Walk.

Story by Dennis McMillan

Story by Dennis McMillan

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

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Round About – Celebrating Two Eves in the Castro

P HOTO B Y ST E VE N UN DE RH IL L P HOTO BY ST EVEN UN DERHIL L

P HOTO BY ST EVEN UN DERHIL L PHOTO BY RIN K

PHOTO BY RIN K

PHOTO BY RIN K

P HOTO BY RIN K

P HOTO BY RIN K

P HOTO BY RIN K

P HOTO B Y ST E VE N UN DE RH IL L

Bay Times photographers were at the Castro Theatre for the 24th Annual SF Gay Men’s Chorus Christmas Eve show, Shine. Conducted by Dr. Timothy Seelig, the Chorus deftly presented a broad range of well-chosen songs that delighted the audience.

New Year’s Eve in the Castro found a diverse array of celebrants ringing in 2014. Thanks to photographer Steven Underhill for capturing the moments!

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BAY TIMES JANUARY 9 , 2 0 1 4

Health News

Alternative Health for Alternative Folks as private practices that offer holistic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, Ayurveda, Reiki, Feldenkrais, osteopathy, naturopathy and more.

Friends of Naomi Dr. Naomi Jay, RN, NP, PhD In the Bay Area, alternative approaches to health and healing are hardly radical. Even nationwide, nearly 40 percent of the population accesses non-traditional healthcare.

There is an array of potentially confusing terms, though.

“Alternative” refers to using a healthcare system outside mainstream Western or allopathic medicine. In practice, I believe most people use alternative care in addition to mainstream medicine, so it’s actually referred to as “complimentary.” The acronym for this is CAM, meaning complimentary alternative medicine.

Many of our local hospitals have “ integ rat ive centers,” includ ing CPMC’s Institute for Health and Healing, UCSF’s Osher Center, and St. Mary’s Dignity Health Center, to name a few. There are also individual providers within medical groups, such as One Medical, as well

If you ever question a practice or method, you can check out www. quackwatch.com, which is a selfdescribed “guide to quackery, health fraud and intelligent decisions.” Also, the very mainstream NIH sponsors the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, whose mission is to study the utility and safety of complementary and alternative medicines.

I recommend alternative approaches as adjunctive care, particularly for problems that Western medicine finds difficult to treat, such as autoimmune diseases. Alternative health systems might define the condition differently, but their approaches may help. Traditional Chinese Medicine will treat symptoms like fatigue or neuropathy while def ining the illness as a problem in the Chi. For dermatologic issues that defy the best Western care has to offer, try homeopathy. It views the skin as the first manifestation of disease. If you are suffering from intractable migraines, osteopathic manipulation may provide relief.

As for Western medicine, there are great, good, mediocre, and bad providers. It may be harder to navigate and find a great practitioner or to figure out if you are getting good care.

Ask what to expect and get second opinions if you aren’t sure. Be skepti-

cal if you are told to stop taking a prescribed medication. Likewise, if you are using an alternative medicine, be sure your Western provider accepts it as part of your health care. Your providers should work with each other.

Western providers should be aware of herbal supplements you use. Interactions with Western drugs can, and should, be researched at sites like the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

San Francisco’s Health Department dropped alternative medicine as a funded service several years ago, even though this form of medicine and remains quite popular. Medicare and Medi-cal did too. Acupuncture, however, is now a covered service in the new affordable health care act.

I’d like to give a shout out to two local clinics that have persevered serving our community for decades: The Immune Enhancement Project in the Castro and Quan Yin Healing Arts in the Mission. Both have acupuncture drop-in clinics that provide low cost care (or by donation). A weekly drop-in clinic designed specifically for HIV positive individuals is available at Quan Yin Healing Arts.

In San Francisco, where the alternative is normal, an alternative medicine center can be found on almost every block. Check your insurance to see what’s included, and take advantage of these often helpful, healing services.

Dr. Naomi Jay is a nurse practitioner in the department of Infectious Disease at UCSF.

Turning 2014 Resolutions Into Reality fall of resolutions, where most of our good intentions, and even new actions, don’t survive past the first few days or weeks of January.

Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to break old habits and create better new ones that actually stick?

The KiAi Way Sensei Jamie Leno Zimron Peak Performance Speaker and Trainer One of the nicest things about New Year’s is the sense of freshness and possibility, a clean slate, and renewed hope to accomplish our dreams.

Coming through the Season of Lights illuminating the darkest days of December, there’s been a lot of magic in the air. And now we head into the new year with expectation and resolve, buoyed by a brightened sense of opportunity.

So let’s tackle the topic of NYRs - New Year’s Resolutions! What are yours? What area/s of your life would you like to upgrade? What could change for you to be happier, healthier, more prosperous and fulfilled? Have you made a list? Written down your wishes so they’re not just swimming around in your head?

What are you planning to do to make your resolves real?

Statistics show that your chances of making positive lifestyle changes are higher if you make NYRs. Yet only about half of us bother, and then only a tiny fraction succeed in turning wishes into lasting better habits.

There’s this almost universal down-

when you consciously know something isn’t good for you, but can’t seem to stop what you say, feel or do.

When you’re attempting to learn new things or make a change, brain cells start growing new dendrites (little structures that conduct electromagnetic energy and convey messages between cells). The dendrites need to find each other and connect to make new neura l-muscular pathways.

These pathways are the brain-body underpinnings of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Building them takes some time, and explains why it takes practice, repetition, and 21-30 days to develop a new habit. It also explains why we all so easily revert to old habits. It’s hard for the fragile new pathways to compete with existing ones, which are so strong and fast in conveying brain-body messages.

Believe it or not, we are wired to develop healthier habits all the time, and inertia can be overcome. But we have to do our part! I once heard a Harvard brain-behavior researcher talk about ‘neuroplasticity’ – our innate capacity to learn and grow throughout life – in terms that I could comprehend. While terribly simplified, some very basic neuroscience has helped me understand why it’s so much easier to keep doing what we’ve been doing. These ideas can also help us set ourselves up for success to turn resolutions into reality.

Back now to your NYRs. Four main areas contribute to good health and fitness: Diet. Exercise. Rest & Sleep.

Self-Care. Sit down for 10-15 minutes with a pad of paper and pen (or Notes on your smartphone or iPad). Think about each area honestly, and then write 1-3 positive changes you’d like to make in each area. For example:

Try thinking about a habit as a pattern that is deeply wired into your brain cells and nervous system circuits. You’ve got well-established neural activity and mind-to-body pathways that kick in at the speed of super-highways. This mechanism creates your automatic responses.

This helps save you a lot of time and effort, but can also be frustrating

Rest & Sleep: 1) I will take more power naps. 2) I’ll go to bed earlier. 3) I plan to sleep more.

Diet: 1) Lose weight. 2) Stop eating junk food. 3) Try gluten-free.

Exercise: 1) I will strengthen my core.

2) I will do aerobic exercise. 3) I will stretch more.

Self-Care: 1) I’ll have more fun. 2) I will relax more. 3) I will be on time so I don’t stress so much. (continued on page 22) BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

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Top Tax Planning Tips for Same-Sex Married Couples The L esbian, Gay, Bisex ua l & Tra nsgender (LGBT) Practice group of Marcum LLP, a top national accounting and advisory f irm, has released its Top 10 Tax Planning Tips for Legally Married Same-Sex Couples. The guide provides a preliminary roadmap for samesex married couples in the first year they will file taxes since the federal government officially recognized same-sex marriage for tax purposes.

“Since the Defense of Marriage Act was invalidated by the Supreme Court in June, 2013 is the first tax year same-sex married couples will be able to file joint federal tax returns,” said Nanette Lee Miller, National Leader of Marcum’s LGBT Practice. “We are advising all our clients to take full advantage of the tax planning opportunities now available to them and to be proactive in lever-

turns to exclude previous taxable income, which was used to purchase job-related benefits for your spouse, such as health insurance, life insurance, and other fringe benefits.

Employer Spousal Benefits: Take advantage of all non-taxable fringe benefits available to your spouse.

Nanette Lee Mille, CPA

tax exposure. It is important to consider the full range of options for protecting their families and their assets.”

aging tax provisions previously accessible only to heterosexual families.”

“Estate planning is also an essential component of effective tax planning and wealth preservation,” said Janis Cowhey McDonagh, Co-Leader of the firm’s LGBT group and a trusts and estates attorney. “2013 is a brand new environment for same-sex married couples looking to minimize their

Marcum’s Top 10 Tax Tips for LGBT married couples is a companion to the Firm’s Top 10 Non-Traditional Family Estate Planning Checklist. The tax tips start with these basics: Married Tax Status: Determine if there is any benefit to filing amended income tax returns using “married” status.

Non-Taxable Fringe Benef its: Consider amending income tax re-

Retirement Accounts: To save taxes your beneficiaries will pay after your death and allow the pay out to be stretched out as long as possible, check your IRA/401K plan designations.

Social Security: Apply for social security marital benefits and the lump sum death benefit, if applicable.

Estate Taxes: If your spouse recently died and the estate paid estate taxes on the portion of the estate that you inherited, file a claim for refund.

Making Gifts: Consider the effect of transferring assets, gift tax free, to your spouse.

Estate Planning: If you reside in a state that has a death tax and recognizes same-sex marriages, establish a marital trust, Qualified Terminable Interest Property Trust (QTIP), or disclaimer trust for your spouse in your Will.

Payroll Tax Withholding: Update your Form W-4 with your employer to change your status to married and increase or decrease your exemptions.

Transitioning: Same-sex couples in a Domestic Partnership or Civil Union should consider getting married, as different laws apply.

To download the complete guide, or for more information about tax and estate planning services for samesex married couples, visit w w w. marcumllp.com. An interactive map providing state-by-state information on same-sex marriage unions is also available on the website.

In Memoriam Otis Charles, First Openly Gay Bishop April 24, 1926 – December 26, 2013 The Rt. Rev. Otis Charles died peacefully on December 26, 2013, at San Francisco’s Coming Home Hospice, following a brief illness. Charles was with family at his bedside at the time of his death.

Charles was the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah. Soon after h is ret irement in 1993, he came out as an openly gay man, making him the f irst openly gay bishop of any Christian denomination. He relocated to San Francisco, where he helped to found Oasis California, the LGBT Mini st r y of t he E pi s c opa l D io c e s e of Ca lifornia that seeks to open dialogue between LGBT commun it ies a nd t he cong reg at ions i n which they worship.

Fol low i n g h i s c om i n g out , Charles retained his vot ing seat in the 300 -plus member House of Bishops. Before and following his announcement, he was an active and forceful advocate on beha lf of LGBT communit ies. In 1979, Ch a rles wa s one of 17 d i s senting bishops when t he Episcopa l

••••••

REAF Co-Founder Barbara Richmond December 20, 1925 - January 4, 2014 REAF co-founder Barbara Richmond passed quietly in her home Saturday evening, January 4, 2014, from her battle with cancer. She is survived by her daughter Jeanne Goldman, son-in-law Scott Goldman and grandson Michael.

Barbara and REAF’s other co-founder, Peggy Ermet, were lifelong friends who both had sons that were diagnosed with AIDS in the mid 1980s.

Barbara’s son John died in 1990.

During a subsequent TV interview, Barbara recalled that “he died on Mother’s Day — and it was the nicest gift I ever received — because he was free. He was out of pain.” John had been an avid theater buff and worked as an artist, set designer, costume desig ner and had enjoyed close friendships with many local mem6

BAY TIMES JANUARY 9 , 2 0 1 4

bers of the theater and cabaret world.

Friends honored his passing with a benefit performance to raise funds for Visiting Nurses and Hospice, the agency that helped care for her son before he died.

Four years later, when Peggy’s son Doug passed, Barbara was one of Peggy’s main sources of support.

Rather than give in to their grief, the two women decided to take action.

They enlisted the help of friends Joe Seiler and Ken Henderson, who had been close friends of Doug Ermet, to produce a second benefit titled “Help is on the Way: San Francisco Cares,” also benefiting Visiting Nurses and Hospice of SF and Coming Home Hospice. “Help is on the Way: San Francisco Cares” was a sold-out show at the Palace of Fine Arts and raised a $57,000 profit.

With the success of this first benefit, Barbara, Peggy, Joe and Ken decided to officially create a non-profit to continue to raise funds for the kinds of agencies that took care of their sons before they died. They named it The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, and it is still going strong to this day.

When asked once why they choose to create a foundation like this, Barbara explained, “I took care of my son before he died and I took care of a number of his friends before they died. I can’t take care of any more dying boys,but this is something I can do. And it’s something John would have liked.”

A celebration of her life is being planned and will be announced soon.

Her family has requested that donations in her honor be made to The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, w w w.r ic h monder met .or g/ reaf10.1/index.htm.

C hu r c h’s G e ne r a l C on v e nt ion st ated t hat pract icing homosexua l clerg y were prohibited from ordination – a decision that continues to generate controversy to this day. In 1999, Charles was arrested and led away in handcuf fs for his civ i l d isobed ience at t he Church’s General Convention in Denver, Colorado, during a protest aga inst what demonstrators descr ibed a s t he Chu rch’s long history of oppression against gays and lesbians.

Charles married Dr. Felipe Sanchez-Par is on September 29, 2008. Sanchez-Paris died on July 31, 2013. The two appear in the do c u ment a r y f i l m L o v e F re e o r Die, testifying about a resolution d irect ing t he Episcopa l Church to create a provisional rite for the blessing of same-gender relationships.

Cha rles is su r v ived by h is f i r st spouse, f ive children, 10 g randch i ld ren, fou r g reat- g r a ndch i ldren, three children of SanchezPar is, a nd h is Sa n Fra ncisco family. Plans for a memorial service are pending.

Bay Times remembers fondly these beloved community leaders, and we extend sympathy to their families and friends.

Challenges and Opportunities we age as dear friends move away, become frail themselves or pass on.

Consequently, we are at greater risk for isolation and are less likely than heterosexual seniors to have someone to care for us as we grow older.

There is now a small, but expanding, network of LGBT senior and LGBT senior friendly programs that provide opportunities for friendship, recreation, education, mentoring and senior empowerment. Aging in community is a powerful resource to help us stay healthy and interconnected.

Dr. Marcy Adelman There are 20,000 LGBT seniors in San Francisco, and that number is expected to double over the next two decades. This dramatic increase in our senior population will require new policies and programs to ensure the health and security of our community. The time has come to marshal our collective community resources.

San Francisco’s LGBT community is poised to respond to this significant increase in the senior population. The San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force, the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, LGBT senior organizations, and community leaders are working to improve the lives of LGBT seniors today and are preparing for future generations to come. Innovative services and new educational, cultural and recreational resources are now in place, or are in the development stage.

In this inaugural column I will introduce some of the unique challenges and opportunities LGBT older adults face as we age. Over the coming year, guest columnists will address these issues, provide information about new programs and policies, and identify opportunities for community members and our allies to volunteer and be more engaged. My hope is that this column will inform you about senior services and programs, and will inspire you to get involved. It will take all of us working together to make San Francisco a model city where people of all ages can live healthy later lives.

Challenges LGBT older adults and seniors are more vulnerable to becoming increasingly isolated.

As people grow older, their social networks may shrink. Heterosexuals rely on spouses and adult children to help them stay engaged and to remain as independent as possible in their own homes. But LGBT older adults who are 55 years of age or older are more likely to be single, to live alone and to have no children. Our families of choice, an important source of love and support, are often diminished as

LGBT seniors do not feel welcomed in mainstream senior services.

55 Laguna

LGBT seniors, regardless of income, remain critically underrepresented at every point in the long-term care system of senior services and programs.

Discrimination and/or fear of discrimination cause LGBT older adults to defer health and support services, or to go back into the closet when accessing assistance.

Over the last decade, LGBT aging cultural competency training and advocacy have created safer, more welcoming senior environments and services through out the Bay Area. But due to a lack of funding for cultural competency training, many existing programs and services continue to be unable to serve our community effectively. The increased need for services for LGBT older adults clearly points to the need for greater advocacy, outreach and availability of culturally competent services. There is much work to be done to ensure that LGBT older adults are met with respect and compassionate understanding in senior housing, senior centers and senior health and social programs.

Secure and affordable housing is the number one concern of LGBT older adults and seniors.

We live in one of the most expensive cities in the world with one of the highest housing costs in the country.

The demand for housing of any kind, senior housing, housing for people with HIV/AIDS, housing for people with disabilities, middle class housing, homeless shelters, etc., has simply outstripped supply.

LGBT seniors are not alone in struggling to secure affordable housing in San Francisco. But when LGBT seniors are forced to move from San Francisco and from beloved friends, they are not certain to find safe, gay friendly communities to live in.

SOURC E: OP EN HOUSE-SF.ORG

Aging in Community

izing existing in-law units, creating legislation that protects seniors from eviction, building LGBT senior welcoming housing with services, such as 55 Laguna, and making existing senior housing more LGBT friendly and responsive to the needs of LGBT seniors are all helpful and important steps towards greater housing security and affordability.

Effective and competent LGBT senior policies and programs require accurate information and current data.

But there is an absence of research on later life LGBT people. Most research has focused on gay men and lesbians.

There have been few studies on LGBT elders of color, bisexuals, transgender elders, and older adults and seniors living with HIV/AIDS. The San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services makes a good effort at collecting and analyzing data on LGBT seniors, but a broader and more comprehensive

There is no easy solution to this problem. We simply cannot build enough LGBT senior housing in San Francisco to meet the ever growing demand.

The city needs to allow construction of new, less expensive housing. Legal-

Hope into Practice - SF Bay Times ad • 4” w x 4” t • 12/27/2013 • 2

Hope INTOPractice jewIsH wOmeN cHOOsINg jusTIce desPITe Our fears

citywide effort is needed. The collection of more comprehensive data about San Francisco’s LGBT population is essential to understanding and meeting the needs of our diverse communities.

Opportunities In the 1970s, we stood up against discrimination that did not recognize our humanity. We fought for our rights and created out LGBT communities that ref lected who we are and not what others thought of us. In the 1980s and 90s, during the AIDS epidemic, we stood strong and fought hard for our lives and our friends. In this decade, we are winning the struggle for marriage equality and equality in the work force.

Right now, our aging community is at a new point of transformational change. The next unaddressed challenge for our community is to ensure that we age well with opportunities to live healthy, satisfying, meaningful,

long-lived lives. Most of us live vital, active lives. But most people need some kind of assistance as they age. It is not surprising then that the strongest predictor of good health and well being in later life is staying connected to caring people. We cannot age well alone.

Aging in community through a network of senior programs and services provides ways to stay engaged, receive needed support, and to give back to others. The opportunities for personal, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth are exponential as our community embraces aging, values the experience and wisdom that comes with age, and respects and prioritizes our elders. This is the path we are on.

Dr. Marcy Adelman, a clinical psychologist in private practice, is co-founder of the non-profit organization Openhouse and a member of the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force.

I still collect

art,

but not as

fast as I collect friends.

by Penny Rosenwasser

“A book for everyone, even recovering Catholics...

Hope floats throughout this book.”

–Kate Clinton, The Progressive Magazine

For a retiree, psychotherapist Dr. Lu Chaiken is pretty busy. She still sees clients. She attends seminars and parties at The Sequoias, goes to the opera and symphony, and dines with her many friends in the community. So what has Dr. Chaiken retired from? Cooking, cleaning and worrying about her future health care. If that sounds appealing, maybe it’s time for you to get busy, too. Call

Order from AKpress.org, or Amazon info at PennyRosenwasser.com

Candiece at (415) 351-7900 to learn more.

A Life Care Community 415.922.9700 sequoias-sf.org 1400 Geary Boulevard

This not-for-profit community is part of Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services. License# 380500593 COA# 097.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014 Rosenwasser-SF_Times4x4-ad.indd 2

12/27/13 1:16 PM

Job # / Name: NCPHS-997 SSF Chaiken BayTimes Jan 9

Date: 12/31/13

Publication: Bay Times

Issue date: Jan 9, 2014

Due at pub: 1/2/14

7

Real Estate and Design

How Can I Help You?

Real Estate Mark Penn Anyone who is in a career such as real estate is hopefully in the business because he or she wants to help people. I could probably write several columns about real estate “practitioners” who aren’t terribly skillful at providing genuine service to their clients, but let’s talk about what’s actually realistic. What should you expect out of me or any other real estate agent you choose to represent you?

To boil it down to the pure basics, a real estate agent is required to obey all laws, codes, etc. These state that an agent owes his/her clients the “fiduciary duty of utmost care, integrity, honesty and loyalty.” Those lofty words should almost be givens, but in this dog-eat-dog world they actually can fall below the horizon.

Legally speaking, that’s about it. But anyone who values his/her clients (and their reputation) will go much farther than that. Some of the ‘beyond-the-call-of-duty’ items might include meeting with clients after hours or on weekends, tailoring communications to a client’s preferences,

spending as much time as their clients need, and maintaining a 24/7 mentality in thinking about those clients. These are just a few qualities that might set one agent apart from another.

And there are a few other ‘behind the curtain’ items that you might not always think of. How well does the agent know their business? And note: That’s a different question from, “How long have they been in the business?” Knowledge and experience are not the same things. Is the agent up to speed technologically?

How is the agent thought of amongst his or her peers? That last one is a biggie. If you want to be considered in a multiple offer situation, you’d better have an agent who is respected by his/her colleagues, or you might as well not even bother.

Now, to be fair, let me f lip this over and let’s talk about what an agent would want to expect from his or her clients. There aren’t any codes or laws that govern this, although I’m sure that some agents wish there were. I think the one thread that I hear many times is, “I wish they would listen to what I say.” You can’t always blame the clients for this, because sometimes the agent just doesn’t communicate well, but if you are choosing an agent for the right reasons – not because she’s your mother-in-law, or because he’s the cheapest one around, etc. –

then you are choosing the individual because you respect his or her knowledge and advice.

And forgive my bluntness here, but just because you are following Zillow every day, unless you are out there doing the work, then you aren’t the expert. There is homework you can do, however, to help your agent to help you. Sellers, follow your agent’s advice in prepping your property for the market. Buyers, be very straightforward with your agent and yourself about what it is you can afford and what it is you are looking for.

A relationship between clients and agents can be fruitful in many ways. I don’t think anything is more rewarding than seeing my clients’ faces when I am handing them the keys to their new home, or following up with them and hearing how happy they are. Every situation isn’t perfect, nor is every agent a perfect match for certain clients. But if you do your homework in searching for the right agent, and the agent works hard to represent you, you are well on your way to success.

Next month: The dreaded topic“Real Estate Fees and Commissions.”

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

Home Seekers Have More Buying Power in Oakland

Real Estate John Wesley

ment throughout the city. The news

find that they have 50% more buy-

story for 2014 that few doubt is that

ing power in a more diverse, newly

entry-level buyers and the middle

expanding neighborhood when they

class in general are being priced out

come to JLS or Uptown from SF.

of the SF housing market. So what’s

When you consider access to BART,

taking center stage? Oakland, the city

ACT, the ferries and freeways, the

over THERE! But for those of us in the know, Oak-

taurants, bars, and coffee shops, the

As 2013 came to a close, my annu-

land has always been a welcome desti-

Paragon and Fox theaters, a world

al business synopsis pointed to the

nation. According to a NY Times arti-

class museum, and a creative culture

spring housing boom! That was when

cle on “The 45 Places to Go in 2012,”

that is committed to seeing the com-

we knew the housing market was defi-

Oakland placed #5 in the world and

munity evolve, Oakland gives buyers

nitely back in good health. Many of

was the #1 place in North America!

the best option to invest, live in, and

our neighborhoods have more than With big developers spending mil-

factors point toward an even better

lions of dollars refurbishing and cre-

spring for 2014.

ating new commercial, retail, and

I have helped buyers and sellers in

housing projects throughout Jack

these Oakland neighborhoods, and

and the possibility of action coming from Washington DC, the most exciting effect on the Oakland/East Bay housing market has been the high tech surge in San Francisco. Companies like Twitter, headquartered now on Market Street, and the ever portentous, curiosity-creating Google buses that roll through the streets of SF carrying thousands of employees and potential new residents, are the

BAY TIMES JANUARY 9 , 2 0 1 4

be a part of this exciting and often

recovered from the crash, and all

Now, with financial market stability

8

constantly growing list of new res-

London Square and the Uptown neighborhoods, the future looks bright for urban life on the bay. This is a great example of how people make the difference. First a chef has a dream and a restaurant appears, then an independent retail store or a small business opens and people want to be in an area that was once thought to be forgotten. Before you know it, vibrant neighborhoods are alive and growing.

soul-satisfying scene.

surrounding ones, since 1998. I believe in the resurgence of our downtown communities, and would love to share my passion with you! Contact me and let’s talk about your future in the best city by the bay!

John Wesley, a realtor at The Grubb Company, has over twelve years of real estate industry experience defined by exceptional professionalism and client service. He and

driving factors behind the notewor-

Even with year over year increases of

his partner Gene Boomer, along with dogs

thy increase in luxury condo develop-

over 20% in condo values, buyers will

Smokey and Coco, live in the East Bay.

Real Estate and Design

Remodeling Trends for 2014 recession drove prices down in most major categories, especially labor.

The resurgence in demand is reversing that trend and is driving construction costs up by 10-20 percent in the coming year. If you are considering a home improvement project, you will be better off financially to do it sooner versus later. The project that you postpone definitely will cost you more a year from now.

Water Conservation

Project Remodel Jim Tibbs

- faucets that emit more than 2.2 gallons per minute.

The implementation of this new code will undoubtedly vary from city to city. I recommend that you leave an allowance for these plumbing updates in your remodeling budget until you find out otherwise.

As most of you know, we are heading into a serious drought, so water conservation is going to be a hot topic in the Bay Area. A new California Green Building Code went into effect on January 1, 2014, which sets a new standard of compliance for resi-

Smart Home Systems

dential water conservation. The prior code required that you update the plumbing fixtures in any room that was being remodeled. Now you have to update all non-compliant fixtures throughout the house when making permit-related improvements. Noncompliant plumbing fixtures include:

early adopters, but is for anyone who is interested in using technology to help simplify their lives.

The integration of home systems and our hand-held devices is another trend that is really gaining momentum. This is not just for tech-savvy,

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JIM TIBBS

Have you noticed all of the construction sites appearing around the Bay Area these days? The pent-up de-

- showerheads with a f low of more than 2.5 gallons per minute

mand from the recession has resulted in a building boom that is projected to continue through 2014. These are some of the other key trends that will be impacting the market in the coming year: Prices Are Going UP↑ As the demand for remodeling and new construction increases, so does the cost of labor and materials. The

- toilets that use more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush

At the least-expensive end of the spectrum is the U-socket wall plug that has two built-in USB ports to power devices like iPhones, iPads, gaming devices, digital cameras and Kindles.

The U-Socket also has a smart sensor that allows it to shut off when the device is fully charged.

There is a broad range of smart home systems that provide you with remote access from the touch screen of your phone or tablet and range in cost from about $5,000 to over $100,000, depending on the complexity of the system. The most common features available today include: - programmable lighting systems that allow you control the lighting throughout your house from your hand-held device - computerized thermostats that let you adjust the temperature setting remotely when you are leaving or heading home - security systems that call your smartphone if there’s an intruder and allow you to view the images from your security cameras remotely.

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

BAY   T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

9

Build Immunity to Guilt-tripping The idea is always that something I’ve done or failed to do has hurt someone else. We experience guilt because we’re social animals, hard-wired to feel concern and empathy for other people, and to experience pain if we believe we’ve caused them to suffer. The feeling element in guilt is a kind of depressive anxiety, which is so painful that most people will do almost anything to avoid it.

Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

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Examined Life The Bay Times was 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 the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

Ayana Baltrip Balagas Design Direction & Production

Abby Zimberg Design & Production Kate Laws Business Manager RJobert uan TF orres uggiti Advertising CalendarEExecutive ditor Juan .com K@ itsfbaytimes Kennedy

Tom Moon, MFT In every culture there are people and institutions that deliberately work to instill guilt in people. The reason is easy to understand. Those who feel guilty are easier to dominate, manipulate, and exploit. That’s why it’s in everyone’s interest to understand what guilt is, especially irrational guilt, and to be able to spot the techniques people use to instill it in others.

Every experience of guilt has an idea component and a feeling component.

Because guilt involves ideas, it can be taught, and is all-too-easily learned, especially by the young and the naïve.

The most basic method for making people susceptible to guilt is to get them to confuse pursuing legitimate self-interests with “self ishness.” If you can con others into thinking that acting on their legitimate rights, or pursuing reasonable personal goals, is “selfish,” or that it somehow causes harm to others, then it becomes easier to get them to relinquish their goals and induce them to serve your ends instead. Parents who use their children to meet their own needs, for instance, often use the “selfish” speech to make their children feel ashamed

for having independent desires. Maybe you’ve heard it? “You’re so selfish!

All you ever think about is yourself.

It’s just me, me, me…” etc.

I’m constantly amazed at how many of my patients who were subjected to this kind of treatment as children harbor, as adults, a deep dark secret – that if anyone really knew them they’d find out just how shamelessly selfish they really are. When people learn, early in life, to associate interest in their own welfare with selfishness, they can spend the rest of their lives being at the mercy of every unscrupulous person who crosses their path, all the while living with debilitating guilt.

Another effective method for instilling guilt is to belittle another’s pain and suffering. People who are hurting are naturally inclined to take action to relieve the pain, unless they’ve been taught to believe their pain is shameful. If you’re seriously depressed, for instance, you’re going to be far less inclined to seek help if you believe that you’re just feeling sorry for yourself, that you’re a whiner, that you’re

weak and full of self-pity, and that you should just get over yourself and get a life. Those who have learned not to respect their own suffering don’t act to relieve it.

A nother ef fective g uilt-inducing strategy is the “people are starving in Africa so shut up” argument. The irrational idea in this argument is that since somebody somewhere always has it worse, you have no right to try to make anything better for yourself.

When people who tell you to “count your blessings” really mean “ignore your needs,” it’s best to ignore their advice.

Recovery from vulnerability to guilttripping involves overcoming the conf lation of selfishness with legitimate self-interest. It involves getting clear that you have an inherent right to do all in your power to live and thrive. It requires seeing through the false claims that pursuing legitimate life goals somehow hurts or deprives others.

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

RPobert oet-In-RF esidence uggiti CJ.H. alendar Editor Herren Technology Kit Kennedy Director Poet -In-R Barbara B rust / esidence Lucille Design Barbara B Technical rust / L Aucille dviser Design Webmaster & Technology Director Jennifer Mullen eb Coordinator MWario Ordonez rdonez MJuan arioOO rdonez Distribution Juan Ordonez

Writers Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kendell, Rink, Sister Dana VanKate Iquity, Ann Pollo delKirsten Mar, Heidi Beeler, Cole, Rostow, Kruse, KateK. Kendell, Gary M. Mar, Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Pollo del Heidi Beeler, K. Cole, Tom Paul E.Dennis Pratt, Terry Baum, GaryMoon, M. Kramer, McMillan, Gypsy Love, Mandelman, Tom Moon, PaulRafael E. Pratt, Terry Baum, Shelley Kit Kennedy, Leslie GypsyMacKay, Love, Rafael Mandelman, Katz, Williams, Gary Virginia, ShelleyKaren MacKay, Kit Kennedy, Leslie Stu Smith, Dunning, JimVirginia, Tibbs, Katz, KarenZoe Williams, Gary Mark Penn, Marcy Adelman, Stu Smith, Zoe Dunning, Jim Tibbs, StuartPenn, Gaffney & John Lewis Mark Marcy Adelman, Brandon Miller &&Joanne Jordan, Stuart Gaffney John Lewis KippyMiller Marks, Brandon & Naomi Joanne Jay, Jordan, Jamie Leno Naomi ZimronJay, Kippy Marks, John Wesley, Jamie Leno Zimron Photographers

PHOTO BY RIN K

Distribution

Trikone, a non-profit group for LGBT South Asians, held a vigil and protest recently to condemn the Indian Supreme Court’s decision to recriminalize adult consensual relationships. The law was first imposed by the British Empire in 1876.

Profiles of Compassion and Courage: Scott Wiener munity Center, served as president of his neighborhood association, served on the national board of the Human Rights Campaign, and helped found Castro Community on Patrol. He became more involved in Democratic Party politics, co-chairing the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club and chairing the San Francisco Democratic Party.

Photographers Rink, Dennis McMillan, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Rink, Dennis McMillan, Cathy StevenBlackstone, Underhill,Robert Phyllis Fuggiti, Costa, Bill Wilson Cathy Blackstone, Robert Fuggiti, Bill Wilson

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Reprints by permission Reprints by permission only.

10

Don't Call It Frisco Stu Smith San Francisco supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents District 8, says, “My path in community work and political work eventually led me to run for the Board of Supervisors, which is the ultimate intersection of community and politics.”

The path was already underway in southern New Jersey, where Scott grew up in a small rural town that was transitioning to a suburb. In high school, Scott was one of only two Jewish kids in a class of 550. After attending Duke University, he went to Harvard Law School and spent a summer in San Francisco, which captured his heart. In 1997, aged 27 and out and gay, he moved here and has never looked back.

His first work in SF was at a private law f irm handling complex commercial litigation. Five years later, he joined the City Attorney’s Office as a trial lawyer defending the City.

Scott learned a lot about our local government - the good, the bad, and the ugly - during his nine years as a Deputy City Attorney. Additionally, he helped to build the LGBT Com-

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 9 , 2 0 1 4

Of his early career days, Scott says, “I went through my education with excellent grades and had a deep interest in the law and social justice. I realized, while in law school at Harvard, that there was much more than just practicing law with my education.”

He continues, “After moving to the city I most wanted to live in and be part of, I chose to move in the direction of political service and became very involved with local democratic groups. My commitment and consistency brought me an appointment to the Board of Supervisors.”

SS: Who have been your key mentors?

SW: My two primary political mentors are Senator Mark Leno and City Attorney Dennis Herrera. I met Mark when I was 27 and just beginning to volunteer for the future LGBT Center, for which Mark served as capital campaign co-chair. Mark took me under his wing and taught me a lot about getting things done here. When I was appointed to the Board of Supervisors in 1998, Mark Leno continued to mentor me, and still does today. Dennis Herrera hired me as a Deputy City Attorney, even though he didn’t know me at all. He took a chance on me and always supported my work in the office. He’s been a great friend and role model.

SS: If you could solve or fix a community problem, what would it be?

SW: If I could fix one major problem in the Bay Area, it would be our housing/transportation mess. For decades, San Francisco has more or less ignored the need for more housing, even as our population has grown.

This has been a profound failure of political will and is a significant cause of the unsustainable explosion in housing prices and evictions. Similarly, the city and region have dramatically under-invested in transit. As a result, we have a housing crisis and an emerging transit crisis for which we are unprepared. We are at risk of losing our middle class and our diversity. We’re also at risk of continuing to fuel housing sprawl, without supportive transit, which is terrible for the environment and our quality of life.

We must begin to be realistic about our growing housing needs and have the political will to address them.

Similarly, we need to stop ignoring our need for transit investment and expansion. These two issues - housing and transit - will determine what our city and region look like down the road.

SS: What achievement are you most proud of?

SW: I’m proud of the work I’ve done to help refocus policymakers at City Hall on the need to invest in transit.

When I arrived at City Hall, there was almost no focus on the needs of riders for a reliable system, not to mention the need for much greater transit capacity as our population grows. There was a lot of lip service, but not much action. I’ve worked very hard to change this dynamic. Thanks to the efforts of a great team, we’ve started to see some success. It’ll take time for Muni to improve, but we’re planting the seeds. I’m also proud that we are about to start the long overdue widening of the Castro Street

sidewalks. When I came into office, I announced that we were going to get this project done, as desired by many in the neighborhood for so long. Some thought I was crazy to think the project was possible. I decided to prove them wrong. I campaigned hard to pass the streets and infrastructure bond in 2011 and then pushed to get full funding for the sidewalk project.

Once the project is done in 2014, we will have dramatically improved streetscaping, sidewalks almost doubled in width, and an upgraded Jane Warner Plaza.

SS: What are your goals for the future?

SW: I look forward to continuing to work on the Board of Supervisors to address our city’s critical needs around housing, transportation, public spaces, and so forth. We are living in an exciting, yet challenging, time for San Francisco. Working together, we can meet the challenges.

Stu Smith is board chair emeritus of Shanti Project, board chair of The Paratransit Coordinating Council, a member of the Castro Country Club Advisory Board and the LGBT Senior Task Force, and producer and host of the public access TV program “The Drag Show.” KQED has honored Stu as a 2013 LGBT Hero.

Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow 2013 News Quiz

all due by late February. Oral arguments will follow, and a ruling should arrive a month or two after that.

It’s time again for our annual yearin-review news quiz! Unfortunately, that means I can’t comment on the exciting developments in Utah. However, you already know all the details, assuming you’re a conscientious community member. And the rest of the story will play out this year, when the 10th Circuit grapples with the question of marriage equality. Briefs are

The lesson of Utah is that no matter how closely we watch the news, we can still be caught off guard. In this case, the surprise was in the timing (which came just days after oral arguments), the bizarre delay in requesting a stay (which led to about a thousand marriages), and the remarks by the 10th Circuit (which seem to signal an edge for same-sex couples).

Professional Services With that in mind, who knows what awaits us in 2014? Will there be penguins? More victories in federal court? Perhaps a few conservatives caught with their pants down and a couple of cute rent boys in a budget hotel room? Maybe (National Organization for Marriage President) Brian Brown will get a divorce. To paraphrase Don Rumsfeld, the only thing we do know, is that we don’t know. So let’s get to our quiz, and let’s start with penguins:

#1 Q: In Odense, Denmark, two gay penguins were reported: a) trying to hatch a dead herring, b) having sex in front of a group of middle school children, c) appearing to line dance to a piped in recording of “The Hustle,” d) obsessively preening each other’s coats. #2 Q: How many states began offering marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2013? a) ten, b) eight, c) nine, d) seven. #3 Q: Who gave the worst service? a) the baggage handlers who taped “I am gay” on a man’s suitcase, b) the restaurant owner who gave a nasty letter to his lesbian diners after they paid their bill, c) the shuttle driver in Albuquerque who ejected two men because they were holding hands and singing, d) the bartender who emptied a bottle of single malt scotch over the head of a man dressed like Celine Dion. #4 Q: Which state or states does not allow gay couples to contract marriages, but will nonetheless recognize out of state marriages? a) Michigan, b) Colorado, c) New Mexico, d) Pennsylvania, e) Oregon, f) Utah, g) Ohio. #5 Q: Last February, how did the editors of the AP Style Guide insult the GLBT community? a) they included a definition of “gay” to mean “foolish or stupid,” b) they instructed journalists to replace the word “homophobe,” with “traditionalist.” c) they recommended calling gay couples “partners” rather than “spouses,” d) they approved of the use of “faggot,” but only when referring to a small stick or piece of kindling. #6 Q: Identify the following newsmakers: a) Walter Naegle, b) Kaitlin Hunt, c) Nick Gilronan, d) Alexandra Hedison, e) Scott Norton, f) Nicole Maines. #7 Q: In the Prop 8 case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor felt: a) that the lower courts were correct to strike the initiative, b) that the Court was obliged to defer to the opinion of the California Supreme Court when deciding whether or not the Prop 8 side had the right to appeal, c) that the Prop 8 side suffered no direct harm from the legalization of marriage and could not bring the case to the High Court, d) that the case was moot, e) that the issue of standing should not have distracted the Court from reaching the merits of the case, f) that the Prop 8 side had standing to appeal, and that the Ninth Circuit should reconsider the underlying question of marriage. #8 Q: A group called the Australian Cat Ladies won 15 minutes of fame in 2013 for: a) hijacking the website of the Australian Christian Lobby, b) stalking tennis star Samantha Stosur throughout the Australian Open, c) removing their shirts on the steps of the High Court of Australia during the marriage equality case, d) performing a Pride concert with a live tiger, which briefly escaped and knocked a stagehand into a steel pole. #9 Q: The High Court’s decision to halt marriages in Utah indicated: a) nothing more than a desire to proceed cautiously with a controversial issue, b) a belief that states must have the right to make and enforce their own marriage policies, c) frustration with the ineptitude of the state of Utah, where lawyers failed to request an immediate stay from the presiding judge, d) a recognition that Utah is too conservative for marriage equality at the moment. #10 Q: The biggest GLBT news story in 2014 will be: a) the Supreme Court’s decision to let stand a 10th Circuit ruling in favor of same-sex couples, b) a well-known American athlete, in either football, baseball or basketball, coming out of the closet, c) the Supreme Court’s decision to accept a marriage equality case for the 2014/2015 term, d) the discovery of a link between homosexuality and high IQ levels, e) undeniable proof that Abraham Lincoln was gay, f) visitors from another planet who convince the world to come together in peace and end prejudice in all contexts.

Answers: #1 a. They also tried to steal eggs from heterosexual penguin couples. #2 b. Illinois will not start issuing licenses until June of 2014. California did not begin offering licenses, it resumed doing so. Utah still counts, even though marriages have been halted. Maryland legalized marriage in 2012, but began licensing in 2013, so it also counts. The other six new states are Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, New Mexico, Hawaii and Minnesota. #3 b. It’s really a judgment call, except for the bartender story which didn’t actually happen. I think the restaurant incident is the most hurtful. #4 e. Only Oregon. The federal court ruling out of Ohio does not immediately translate into statewide recognition policy, but it should in time. #5 c. The AP suggested that reporters only use “husband” or “spouse” if the gay couples themselves insisted on the terminology, regardless of whether or not the couple was legally married. They also discouraged the use of “homophobe,” but they never offered a replacement. As for a), that was the Apple Dictionary. #6 a) life partner of Bayard Rustin who received Rustin’s posthumous Medal of Freedom, b) Florida teen jailed for her affair with a younger teen girl, c) winner of 2013 smallest penis contest, d) ex-GF of Ellen D’s who is now linked with Jodie Foster, e) national bowling champ who kissed his partner after televised victory, f) trans teen who sued school district before Maine’s top court. #7 b. Sotomayor joined the minority (with Justices Scalia and Thomas) in Justice Kennedy’s dissent. The majority ruled that the Prop 8 proponents lacked standing to sue and that Judge Walker’s decision to strike Prop 8 would be the final word. #8 a. Check out the group at australianchristianlobby.org. #9 The question is irrelevant, since this is a 2013 quiz and the High Court acted in 2014. But it likely indicated a), a pragmatic attempt to calm the waters as the case proceeds quickly through the Tenth Circuit. As for c), although we all were pleased to see marriages conducted for a week or so in the Saints State, the Utah Attorney General’s Office appeared bewildered by standard court procedures. #10 c. arostow@aol.com

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BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

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Use the News Education Program The Girls in the Band “They wiggled, they jiggled, they wore low cut gowns and short shorts, they kowtowed to the club owners and smiled at the customers...and they did it all, just to play the music they loved.” This is the synopsis of the hot new film The Girls in the Band, a documentary that reveals the poignant, untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their fascinating, groundbreaking journeys from the late 20s to the present day.

“Lez Jazz Hot,” our headline for this issue of the Bay Times, was inspired by the song “Le Jazz Hot” from the 1982 film Victor/Victoria starring Julie Andrews as a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman.

We would add that many such jazz artists from back in the day, and now, come from our own LGBT community. They were butch, femme and everything in between.

Harlem in the 1920s saw a veritable explosion of LGBT jazz artists, many of whom were women. We include the names of some of these talented individuals on our front page: Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, Moms Mabley, Mabel Hampton,

Clora Bryant

Ma Rainey and Ethel Waters. There were many more.

Songs brazenly included words such as “sissy” and “bulldagger.” One song even included the lyric, “If you can’t bring me a woman, bring me a sissy man.”

Books could, and have, been written about their often-colorful love lives. For example, saxophonist and bandleader Peggy Gilbert, famous for appearances at well-known spots such as the Cotton Club and the Cocoanut Grove, met contortionist Kay Boley one night and fell madly in love. Billy Tipton, born Dorothy Tipton, lived as a man and settled down with nightclub dancer and stripper Kitty Kelly.

And then there is the music: the unforgettable melodies that can take us from the lowest of bluesy lows to the most ecstatic highs of Ellen Seeling’s trumpet blasts. Seeling, featured

on our cover, is the Director of the Montclair Women’s Big Band. She founded the band in 1998 to provide greater visibility to Bay Area women, including LGBT women, jazz artists.

They have performed at the Kennedy Center, the Grammy Foundation in L.A. and at numerous other venues. They are still going strong.

The Girls in the Band, produced, directed and written by Judy Chaikin, celebrates women jazz artists and screens January 17-23 at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema in San Francisco and at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael.

Chaikin, Seeling and others will be at the latter on January 18 for a panel discussion immediately following the evening showing of the film. As Chaikin says, “Our greatest satisfaction will come if this film can inspire a new crop of young female jazz musicians to stand on the shoulders of those early pioneers and to reach for the stars.”

Joy Cayler

Rita Rio and Her Rhythm Girls The International Sweethearts of Rhythm

Te re

Mary Lou Williams Anna Mae Winburn

The Sax Section of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm 12

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Tiny Davis

Melba Liston

Use the News Education Program Women in Jazz

By Melanie Berzon As Bird said, “Now’s The Time”...to honor our Jazz Sisters!

We at KCSM, The Bay Area’s Jazz Station, do just that on a regular basis throughout ou r broadc a st day. Nevertheless, for the past 20 years, on March 8th, International Women’s Day, we’ve feat ured women instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, arrangers, managers, producers, promoters and businesswomen all day and all night.

But why highlight women? Well, in the best of all possible worlds, we wouldn’t have to. However, Women in Jazz are still one of this country’s best-kept secrets. Despite the progress that’s been made, women’s visibility on the bandstand, at jazz festivals and on the airwaves (particularly non-vocalists) still doesn’t do justice to the vast array of female talent that exists.

The history of Women in Jazz, no matter how hidden, is a rich and extensive one. In fact, ever since 1619, when the first black woman, an indentured slave named Isabelle, was brought to America, women have participated in the creation and evolution of black music, out of which jazz was born.

es e Ge ne cc o, rig ht , wi th Sh ay ne e Ra in bo lt

Truth is, women have been making and playing jazz since the black all-women brass bands of the early nineteenth century played in Congo Square in New Orleans and the women’s big band has a long and illustrious history in the annals of jazz.

In fact, the first “Ladies Orchestra” as they were called back then, was formed in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in 1884. The Roaring 20s gave birth to bands like the Parisian Redheads, later known as the Bricktops. The Swing era produced bands like the all black Dixie Sweethearts and the Harlem Playgirls. Ina Rae Hutton and her Melodears, a somewhat integrated band, actually had to fudge the identities of their women of color band members, and pass them off as white, due to segregation.

With many men overseas, the war years afforded womens’ big bands the opportunity to proliferate, and that they did. One of the betterknown groups was the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, under the baton of Anna Mae Winburn.

Sally Placksin, in her book American Women in Jazz, writes: “Despite the prevalence of all-woman bands, … the individual ‘woman as musician’ remained a subordinate and practically nonexistent consideration compared with the overall look of a band and with the strong commercial appeal of a sexy, usually nonplaying leader up front ‘selling’ the show. Photographs of the day offer

blatant proof of the emphasis on appearance, glamour, and sex appeal, particularly when it came to vocalists and leaders. Instrumentalists, though, were by no means exempt.

Maintaining the ‘feminine’ image was so important that in one band the brass and reed sections applied Mercurochrome to their lips, because lipstick would have come off while they were playing.”

Well, the end of the war, the return of the male troops and changing tastes put an end to all that nonsense. And in the late 40s, women’s big bands began to disappear. But women never go away for very long.

By the 1970s, with the 2nd wave of feminism, groups like Maiden Voyage, Alive and The Jazz Sisters were back on the scene.

Today, orchestras like the The Montclair Womens’ Big Band and Diva continue this resurgence. They and others like them honor the past by carrying on the tradition of their musical foremothers; acknowledge the present by putting their own modern day stamp on the music; promote the visibility of women musicians by providing them with opportunities to perform and network; and inspire the future, by being role models and encouraging young girls to follow in their footsteps.

So, have things changed? You betcha!

Consider this: In 1958, photographer Art Kane had an idea. How about a group photo of a whole

bunch of talented jazz musicians?

The editors at Esquire Magazine went for it and the photo that turned into the documentary “A Great Day in Harlem” was born. Fifty-seven musicians were gathered together on the steps of that brownstone in Harlem that day. Basie, Dizzy and even Monk dragged their bodies out of bed and somehow got themselves to a 10AM early morning photo shoot.

Of those 57 musicians, guess how many were women?

Three! That’s right...3! Mary Lou Williams, Marion McPartland and Maxine Sullivan were the only women there, representing the talented pianists and vocalists of the day. But what about Saxophonist Vi Redd, who played with Max Roach?

And Guitarist Mary Osborne, who performed with Coleman Hawkins?

And Trumpeter Clora Bryant, who spent time with the Lionel Hampton Band? And Vibraphonist Marjorie Hyams, who played with Woody Herman? And Trombonist Melba Liston, who recorded with Dizzy Gillespie? And Drummer Dottie Dodgion, who played with Benny Goodman?

The history of Women in Jazz was not a history we knew very much about until about 40 years ago. We weren’t taught it in school. We didn’t read about it books. We couldn’t view it on TV or in the movies. And we couldn’t listen to it on records or the radio.

Many of us growing up in the 50s and 60s saw limited images of what’s possible for Women in Jazz. Oh sure, we saw vocalists. We might have even seen pianists and an occasional guitarist. But by and large, the women bassists, drummers, vibraphonists, brass and reed players were obscured from our view. But thanks to the efforts of pioneering women like Sally Placksin, Linda Dahl and Rosetta Reitz, all that has changed.

But by how much? Is there more we can do to ensure the visibility of our jazz sisters and foster future generations of female jazz talent?

Here are some suggestions: Remind our jazz festivals to include women in their lineups.

Purchase women’s recordings.

Attend women’s gigs.

Hire women for your celebrations and events.

Lend a helping hand to the educational projects women are involved with.

Women are the unsung heroines of Jazz. They continue to make their voices heard to this day. Our foremothers have done their part. Now it’s our turn!

Melanie Berzon is the Operations Director at KCSM Radio, 91.1FM, and is the host of “Jazz in the Afternoon.”

For more information: www.kcsm.org.

Ta m m y H al l

Azu car Con Ach e

y Li nd a T ill er Mo ntc lair Big Ban d

Dee Spe ncer

Me lan ie De Mo re

Mary Watkins BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

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Editor’s Note: Welcome to our Weddings, 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.

LGBT Celebrities Tie the Knot Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis and Johnny Chialott were married at Geoffrey’s in Malibu.

Longtime couple Lily Thomlin and Jane Warner were married on New Year’s Eve.

PHOTO BY GREG GORMAN

Newlyweds Dot Marie Jones (Glee) and Bridgett Casteen visted Disneyland.

Robin Roberts recently came out via this Facebook post: Flashback 12/29/12....Hard to believe this was 1 year ago today..when I reached a critical milestone of 100 days post transplant...and KJ was finally allowed to come back home.

Reading this comforts me and I hope the same for you: “If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

At this moment I am at peace and filled with joy and gratitude.

I am grateful for my sister, Sally-Ann, for being my donor and giving me the gift of life.

I am grateful for my entire family, my long time girlfriend, Amber, and friends as we prepare to celebrate a glorious new year together.

I am grateful for the many prayers and well wishes for my recovery. I return every one of them to you 100 fold.

On this last Sunday of 2013 I encourage you to reflect on what you are grateful for too.

Wishing you a Healthy and Happy New Year.

I am grateful to God, my doctors and nurses for my restored good health.

Peace, love, and blessings to all..XO

Multiple Marriages, Same Spouse!

I combined this 18th century custom with a contemporary ritual that has been used by many of my couples: a blessing of the rings. The couple gives me their rings to pass around to all those present. Each guest then holds the rings while bestowing blessings (typically silently) they wish upon the couple.

If someone says they’ve been married more than once, in mainstream US culture the listener would assume the speaker got married, divorced, and then married someone else. Sure, there have been cases where people remarry the same spouse, most notably celebrities. Generally, other than renewing vows, most people don’t have more than one wedding with the same person.

For queer couples, however, it is not unusual to have had multiple marriages to the same spouse. Some friends of mine have had more than a half-dozen ceremonies: one religious not legal, one legal not religious that was then voided by the state, a big ceremony in their hometown for friends and family who couldn’t travel, and then, recently, another legal ceremony.

I thought of this because my friends Alan & Steven recently asked me to officiate their legal ceremony. They had a big synagogue wedding nearly three years ago where friends and family fêted them during a beautiful ceremony and later at a delicious bay-side dinner reception.

Our rabbi had officiated for their first wedding but, for this ceremony, they wanted something simpler with a few close friends present. I was honored and touched that they asked me to make their very real and very loving relationship legal in the eyes of all governmental agencies.

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Weddings Howard M Steiermann I started in with my standard questions such as: Which rituals, if any, would you like to include? Do you have any favorite readings? Would you like for me to mention the name of someone who is no longer living or can’t be present? And so on.

They replied that there was no reason to include typical rituals, since they’d already done all that the last time. Their instructions to me were “simple and legal.” Perfect, I thought, and some ideas immediately started coming to mind.

In many, if not most cultures, the communit y gathers to support brides and grooms on their way to the altar. I included a touching hundreds-year-old Jewish tradition in which the town keeps a wedding ring that is used by all couples. This way, even if the couple cannot afford a wedding ring, they have one for use during their wedding ceremony.

After the ring circulated amongst the guests, I asked Alan & Steven to face each other and join hands. I then had them place the communal ring, which was now imbued with loving blessings, on their beloved’s finger, as I had them repeat after me, “I give you this ring, in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love. With this ring, I thee legally wed.”

I’ve always found it quite queer (in the old sense of the word) that there is no separation of church and state in matters of weddings. But it is certainly to my benefit, as I love the rituals, traditions and other religious aspects I can bring to a wedding ceremony as clergy. My goal is always to make a ceremony relevant and touching to both the couple and their guests.

Steven and Alan broke glasses under their chuppah the last time... and there’s no reason not to exclaim “Mazel Tov” this time!

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

For more information, please visit www.

SFHoward.com.

In-Lawful Marriage When Jeff and I married this past September, we expected that we would recognize a difference in our lives and in our relationship after tying the knot.

of our relationship now ask when or if we’re planning to have kids; yep, just like opposite-sex couples, that’s now the expectation for what follows marriage. My mother told my nephew’s new fiancées that they have Jeff as an example of how to survive marrying into my loud, overwhelming, overly protective family, and how to deal with one’s in-laws.

There are tangible differences, of course, as with our health insurance coverage and taxation. The differences most often have been subtler, but they clearly exist. Marriage matters.

Even in silly little ways we notice it.

We delight in referring to each other as “husband,” and it feels more truly descriptive and honest to do so now. And, though we’d been living together a decade before our marriage, and had a registered domestic partnership for nearly half that time, we recently began only half-jokingly commemorating “our firsts,” though they were firsts only in a qualified sense: our first Thanksgiving “as a married couple,” our f irst Christmas “as husbands,” our first New Year “as legal spouses.”

What I don’t think we fully expected, though, was just how much our marriage meant to other people, and how it would change the way even our friends and families relate to and about us. Those changes run the gamut from trivial to significant. A great many of our friends, for example, have congratulated us on our first Christmas as a married couple.

Marriage Equality Thom Watson More subtly, friends and family members who treated us with respect before we were married, who saw us as a committed couple even without a license, nevertheless seem to see and speak of us differently now. Our mothers provide perhaps the most poignant examples. Early in December, Jeff introduced me at a party to an old friend of his mother’s as his husband. Jeff’s mom jumped right in and said, “Yes, I now have TWO sons.” Our Christmas card from her ref lected the same sentiment, as she had used a pen to change the card’s pre-printed “My Son” to read “My SonS.” Similarly, my mother addressed Jeff’s Christmas card this year to “My Son-in-Law.” Friends and family who rarely, if ever, intruded into the particulars

Marriages matter, not just for spouses, but for their families and indeed for the larger society in which they live and move. When we marry, our families, friends, and neighbors more clearly understand – and, what’s most troubling to our opponents, increasingly respect and embrace – that families, communities, and societies benefit, and are strengthened, when marriage makes possible the time-honored and express relationship not just with your daughter and son-inlaw, but with your son and son-inlaw, too.

Mothers-in-law may be fodder for comedians, but understanding that Jeff’s mom is my honest-to-goodness mother-in-law – and that she believes it, too – is about as serious as it gets.

Thom Watson, a leader in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA, lives in Daly City with his newly wed husband, Jeff Tabaco.

SFPD inspector Lea Militello with her partner Annamarie enjoying her retirement festivities.

Lea completed a long, successful career in law enforcement.

Danny Leclair and Aubrey Loots were the grooms comprising the first same-sex couple to marry atop a float in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena.

Shannon and Marcus Koon, right, with a friend, celebrating their recent marriage in SF. The couple resides now in San Diego. Above, their wedding cake.

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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb From a Fun Nun Rainbow; King VII John Weber lipsynched a sacred carol; current reigning Queen X Kitty Tapata lip-synched Millie Jackson’s hilarious “Eff You” while continually giving the bird to the audience; and current reigning King X Kippy Marks played a lively electric violin solo, while Mr. SF Leather 1990 Ray Tilton did an Irish jig.

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Sooooo, have you already broken your New Year’s resolutions? Lose weight?

Stop boozing? Change your drag?? Fuhgeddabouddit! Do like Sister Dana does with this fool-proof resolution: ‘I resolve to be the best me I can be.’ Happy Queer New Year, everybuddy!”

There is some holiday stuff I need to get out of the way - events I did not have room to write about last time, which deserve mention. So here we go: DANCE-ALONG NUTCRACKER was the annual fundraiser for and by the LESBIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND, entitled NUTCRACKERS OF THE CABIBBEAN, with a pirate theme. ARRRRR!!! Led by Pirate Pete aka Conductor Pete Nowlen, the musical adaptation of the Tchaikovsky classic starred Joe Wicht as Captain Jack Drosselmeyer, Tina Sogliuzzo as Queen Rattannia, Ruby Noto as Clara, Jack Goldfield as brother Fritz, and Flynn DeMarco as director and father Stahlbaum and Emperor Norton - as well as the L/G Freedom Band and members from the Lesbian/ Gay Chorus of San Francisco. In addition to listening to delightful special songs prepared for the show (we even got cannon balled during the 1812 Overture), we wannabe ballet stars got to dance along to the nine movements of the Nutcracker Suite. Sweeet!

16TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY LEATHER BRUNCH was a festive fundraiser produced by King I Gary Virginia and hosted by members of KREWE DE KINQUE for POSITIVE RESOURCE CENTER with PRC Managing Director of Development Leigh Illion handling the door donations.

The annual SANTA SCIVVIES RUN, with over 100 Santas and elves in their undies, ran right past the Edge, where the brunch was held, as we inside the warm bar cheered the brave runners out in the cold. KdK King II Mark Paladini sang “Somewhere Over the

WOR LD TR EE OF HOPE was produced by RAINBOW WORLD FUND, the LGBTQ and friends humanitarian service agency, as a gift to the queer community and friends. The public was invited to the official tree lighting in the Rotunda of City Hall where the huge fir remained through the holidays for viewing. There were performances by the SF Boys Chorus, the Chinese American International School Chorus, Veronica Klaus, and Josh Klipp. Donna Sachet emceed with informative speeches by Rainbow World Fun Executive Director Jeff Cotter, board member Karen Kai, Mayor Ed Lee, Consul General of Japan Masuto Watanabe, author Anne Lamott, and Dr. Clarence Jones, civil rights pioneer, advisor, and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The reading of some of the wishes written on the thousands of folded white crane decorations was conducted by Annie Wong and the San Francisco Bay Times co-publishers Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas.

QUEER LIFESPACE, 2275 Market Street #7, is a nonprofit counseling agency that was formed in July 2011 by four clinicians who met and worked together at New Leaf Services. These clinicians have a combined 35 years of nonprofit experience. Queer LifeSpace seeks to bring low-cost, sustainable, culturally competent and affirming mental health and substance abuse services to the LGBTQQI communities of the Bay Area. Executive Director Nancy Heilner threw a donor/volunteer appreciation party at board member Brian James’ home. Info: (415) 358-2000, queerlifespace.org.

THE SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE held their SATURNALIA 2013 GRANT DISTRIBUTION PARTY at Toad Hall, combined with a SO YOU THINK YOU CAN GO-GO BOY DANCE CONTEST judged by host Cory and Sisters Selma Soul, Rosemary Chicken, Roma, and yours truly - with the winner being dancing Dale. Mistress of Grants Sister Eden Asp presented

funds raised at Sister events to the following grantees: Lesbians Organizing for Change = scholarships for low income participants to attend the 25th Anniversary National Gathering; Earth Abides Land Trust = sliding glass door replacement for pay-what-you-can retreat center for PWAs; Topsy Turvy Queer Circus = queer/trans/gender variant circus performance - funds go to pay for the performance venue; HIV Story Project = video recording of AIDS storytelling project - outreach to under-represented communities; CSC (Center for Sex and Culture) = supporting pro-bono use of facilities. Atmosqueer = event production costs for “Get Involved” community fair; CLGS - Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion = publish curriculum on trans/gender variant issues within communities of faith; St. James Infirmary = funding for “D-SINE,” a program to help sex workers develop skills in apparel construction/design; and Tenderloin Tessie = holiday meals for poor and sick people.

CUMMING UP! The Obie Award winning, off-Broadway ROAD SHOW is a fast-paced musical comedy by Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods) and John Weidman, now playing at THE EUREKA THEATRE, 215 Jackson Street at Front/Battery, through January 19, produced by THEATRE RHINOCEROS. From the Alaskan Gold Rush (the multi-syllabic “Gold!” song and reprise) to the Florida real estate boom (bouncy “Boca Raton”), Road Show is the story of two brothers (one, Addison, a practical, fairly honest, lovable, gullible soul; and the other, Wilson, an impractical, charming, scheming, dis(continued on page 22)

Doing what he does best, Sister Dana gets out and about incognito as Dennis. Here he is ready to raise a toast at the Academy of Friends Holiday Party at Gump’s.

University of San Francisco Hosts First LGBT Sports Event

By Tony Jasinski The University of San Francisco hosted an LGBT event as part of its men’s basketball program game against Pepperdine University on Saturday, January 4th. It’s believed that this is the first time a Catholic university has hosted such an event, and it seemed to be well received by the light crowd of 1,100 people.

The show started with a contingent from the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus opening with the “Star Spangled Banner,” which attendees enjoyed. A large group from Cheer 16

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At halftime, two representatives from the gay and lesbian organization at the university spoke for a little bit about their campus efforts. This organization orchestrated the historically significant event, and its members clearly did a lot of work to make it successful.

Later in the game, during a time-out, representatives from the San Francisco Gay Basketball Association (SFGBA) were brought to center-court to wave to the crowd while an announcer mentioned the organization and its website.

The lighter-than-normal crowd was due to students being on holiday vacation. The game, however, was especially enjoyable. The USF team was behind at halftime, but they roared back to a double-digit win over the Malibu-based team that has been one of the best teams in the conference.

PHOTO COURTES Y OF TON Y JAS INS KI

SF performed throughout the game, eliciting regular applause for their amazing acrobatics.

Is this event part of a continued thaw in the chilly treatment of gay people by the church? The SF Chronicle covered the game in a normal-sized article in the sports section, but did not mention the LGBT connection, so it did not get widespread press.

Other questions remain. Will this event be repeated in the future, especially at a game where the students would be present? Will there be any heat within the church over this and similar events, given the Archbishop’s poor history with the gay community? Will right-wing Catholic groups or some alumni raise any stink?

Only time will tell...

Tony Jasinski is the former president of the SFGBA.

Arts&Entertainment

49er Fever!

Photography by Steven Underhill Our hometown football heroes are in the quest - they call it the “Quest for Six” - for another Super Bowl win.

The hope is to add yet another to the collection of five trophies we saw once on a visit to their headquarters.

The team won twice in exciting Wild Card games, one of them in the Lambeau freezer zone. The resulting drama this week is palpable, with red and gold going up all over town.

We heard a rumor about the chef and kitchen staff down at Waterbar, 399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, a hot spot with a great view of the light show on the Bay Bridge. The rumor was that they created a gingerbread rendition of “The Stick.” So we checked in with general manager Rick Troyiani who said, “Yes! Come on down and see it!”

Big thanks to Waterbar’s handsome staff member Joel Martinez who welcomed Bay Times photographer Steven Underhill and gave two thumbs up for the amazing gingerbread and our 49ers.

Thanks to Steven, we can all admire the chef ’s sweet Candlestick Park recreation. Share it with your 49er fan friends who might have missed it.

Go Niners!

SF’s Winter Fancy Food Show

By Elaine Viegas

Heidi’s Salsa, Los Angeles – artisan salsas

For professional foodies, San Francisco’s Winter Fancy Food Show is like Christmas, Chanukah and birthdays all rolled into one. Since the countdown is now on for the January 19-21 event at the Moscone Center, attendees are already tweeting things like “getting excited!!!” and “can’t wait!”

Laughing Giraffe Organics, Lafayette –cookies, granola Praline Patisseries, San Diego – artisan caramel sauces Taste Nirvana, Walnut – coconut water Three Twins Ice Cream, Petaluma – organic ice cream

A team of us from the Bay Times went last year, and let’s just say that we happily spotted more LGBT people than are probably on Castro Street right now. It’s a sign of literal and figurative good taste! Food truck folks, caterers, food artisans, entrepreneurs and more all religiously come to this annual event, now in its 39th year.

Wallaby Organic Yogurt, American Canyon – organic low-fat kefir Savor California, a show exhibitor, will bring together 30 niche producers to offer a statewide sampling of specialty foods, including from these show newcomers: Cocoa Parlor/Tonic Scene, Dana Point – organic raw chocolate bars

The show is the largest marketplace devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages on the West Coast.

It features 13,000 exhibitors from across the U.S. and around the world.

California boasts the largest state showing, including 40 specialty food producers making their show debut.

The state brings nearly four times the exhibitors as the next largest showing from New York, followed by New Jersey, Washington and Illinois. More than 18,000 buyers from top names in retailing and restaurants are expected to attend the event to discover the new products and trends for their

Fava Life, San Francisco – fava bean hummus Meyenberg Goat Milk Products, Turlock – milk, butter, cheese menus and stores from both domestic and international exhibitors.

“Their culinary creativity will be evident throughout.”

Among the California exhibitors are: Bucha Live Kombucha, Torrance – flavored kombucha teas

“California food makers continue to pave the way with distinctive food products crafted with premium ingredients and flavor profiles,” says Ann Daw, president of the Specialty Food Association, which owns and produces the Winter Fancy Food Show.

The show is very inf luential, and largely helps to decide what new products you’ll see in the months to come at grocery stores, restaurants and practically anyplace else where food and beverages are served.

Califia Farms, Bakersf ield – almond milks Fresh Origins, San Marcos – micro-greens, herb and flower crystals The Good Bean, Berkeley – roasted chickpea snacks

P*de*Q , Fresno – tapioca cheese bread Silk Road Soda, Roseville – f lavored sodas Tapioca cheese bread? I’m curious about that! But even more funky and fabulous foods will be offered at the event, which showcases some 80,000 products. Additional information is at specialtyfood.com.

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Feast on the World’s Wow Factor ARIES (March 21 – April 19) The pressure is on, Aries. Power struggles pertaining to relationships and career could cause you to question current motives. Take this time to clarify what it is that you really want..

LEO (July 23 – August 22) Let it go, Leo. The stars suggest you discard superficial distractions that are weighing down your body, mind, and spirit. Focus energy on situations that better suit your well being.

better.

Astrology Gypsy Love In the book Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers, Bay Area-based novelist Anne Lamott defines “Wow” as a vital prayer of wonder. This sacred three-letter word praises the sheer beauty of creation – like the mesmerizing magic of a starry night or the stunning sky at dawn. Astro-waves awaken us to nature’s nourishing nutrients now. Feast on the wonderment of our world’s Wow factor.

Visit www.GypsyLoveProductions.com

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Walk the talk, Taurus. Are you sidestepping soulful desires for the sake of satisfying the status quo?

Align your actions with genuine beliefs. Others will appreciate your authenticity.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) Value your creative vision, dear Virgo. Seedlings you sowed several years ago are just starting to sprout.

Revisit and refine the treasure chest of talents you bring to the table.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Enjoy the sweet solace of surrender, Gemini. You’ve lined up a lovely framework for your foundation to flourish. Loosening your grip a little will open more opportunities for sustainable success.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Revitalize your root system, Libra. Release attachments that no longer relate to your soulful purpose.

If it conflicts with your character, cast it aside.

Prioritize your personal integrity.

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) Consult your emotional core, Cancer. Touchy topics that pull your heartstrings are penetrating through the surface now. The keen foresight of your feelings can bring balance where it’s needed most.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Call upon your communication skills, Scorpio.

Celestial circumstances shine a spotlight in your speech sector now. Iron out ideas and convey them clearly. Interested onlookers are anxious to learn more.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Be strategic about your spending habits, Sagittarius.

As you currently confront complex financial decisions, consider capricious consequences before you take any lofty leaps. Try paring down before you build up.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) Substantial shifts are shaking up your house of selfimage, Capricorn. It’s a fine time to set some new ground rules. Recalibrate your give-and-take with friends and partners.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Subconscious signals are sounding, Aquarius. Tap into psychic channels seeking to serve you now.

Enhance the harmony in your head and heart by facing fears that flow beneath the surface.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) Nurture the needs of your network now, Pisces. Social connections could generate joy and abundance.

Showcase your creative gifts with energy and enthusiasm. Your community craves you!

Gypsy Love Productions is dedicated to inspiring love and unity with music, dance, and astrology.

As Heard on the Street . . .

compiled by Rink

AL L PHOTOS BY RIN K

What will you miss most about Candlestick Park?

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Jane Morrison

Lenore Chin

Marc Solomon

Eleanor Palacios

Rafael Mandelman

“Opera in the Park there.”

“I enjoyed lots of games there.”

“I went there with other queer actvists to kiss each other at a fundamentalist homophobic Christian rally.”

“I was there to see sports teams compete.”

“I had fun there as a student at sports events, and I came back as a teacher with students.”

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 9 , 2 0 1 4

Bromance Develops in the Heat of Una Noche becoming more secretive since he met Raul. Queer viewers will probably guess that Elio is gay and has a crush on Raul, who is both charming and easy on the eyes. The two friends share a camaraderie that is more brotherly than lover-ly, and Una Noche does not overplay their bromance.

Instead, Elio’s sexual conf lict is discreetly addressed. His expression in a scene in which his friends taunt an effeminate boy on the street—calling him “faggot”—speaks volumes.

Film

Gary M. Kramer The poignant Cuban drama Una Noche, now out on DV D, is narrated by Aris Mejias, who voices the thoughts of Lila (Anailían de la Rúa de la Torre). Lila is a teenager who describes the experiences leading up to, and after, her efforts to escape Havana for Miami. She travels with her twin brother, Elio ( Javier Núñez Florián), who plans to travel the 90 miles via a raft with his friend Raul (Dariel Arrechaga). Raul, as it turns out, has an urgent need to leave Cuba.

The f ilm, which premiered at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, made headlines at the time because the two actors playing siblings “disappeared” upon arriving in America. Yet this real-life incident should not overshadow the strengths of writer/director Lucy Mulloy’s absorbing film. Una Noche makes palpable the heat and gritty conditions of Havana, as well as the various reasons that would compel teenagers like Lila, Elio, and Raul to escape.

In Lila’s early voice-over, she observes that her twin brother has “changed,”

Raul, it is revealed, is aggressively straight. He often trades sex with women for favors, as when he uses his good looks to charm a young woman to give him the inner tubes he needs to cross to Miami. Another woman he flirts with provides him with a camera he trades to get the HIV medicine he needs for his mother (Maria Adelaida Mendez Bonet), a prostitute.

This subplot is interesting, as it reveals the black market underground that Elio and Raul must negotiate to get the necessary drugs that are unavailable to the poor in Cuba.

Raul’s situation with his mother is part of what motivates his need to leave Havana. Catching his mother orally servicing a foreign client, a physical altercation causes the john to suffer an injury, for which Raul becomes legally culpable. In his efforts to stay one step ahead of the law, Raul enlists Elio (and by extension, Lila’s) assistance to sail to America.

That said, given his mother’s situation, it is a bit peculiar that the horny young Raul unknowingly comes on to a transgender prostitute, only to become incensed when he discovers “her” penis. But perhaps this scene is meant to demonstrate Raul’s ho-

mophobia, and foreshadow his reaction when Elio kisses him.

Una Nocha makes it clear how sexuality is presented in this country where, one character acknowledges, that all there is to do is sweat and have sex.

Lila becomes determined to follow her brother to America when she discovers her father is having an affair.

Elio, for his part, knows that being gay will be difficult in Cuba; besides, he wants to be alone with his attractive friend Raul.

Despite its vivid sense of place, this fine film is f lawed, in part, because the narration by Lila is unreliable.

She could not know firsthand about many of the episodes involving Raul and/or Elio as she was not privy to them. In addition, there are also various symbols—from a bird in a cage to a bird in f light, or a fish that is deliberately dropped on a f loor and kicked away—that comment, sometimes clumsily, on the characters’ situations.

creates tension, as does a nifty chase sequence.

How these dramas play out in the film’s final third, which takes place almost entirely on the water, may not be surprising, but the extended sequence is gripping. Mulloy makes viewers care about the film’s complex characters, who have big dreams, however unrealistic.

But most of Una Noche feels authentic, such as a scene where Raul and Elio visit a witch doctor. Mulloy duly captures the oppression, both literally and figuratively, as it informs her characters’ lives. When the law pursues Raul, the tightening of the noose

© 2014 Gary M. Kramer

In the film’s pivotal role, Arrechaga gives an ingratiating performance.

If his co-stars’ characters are underdeveloped, this may be a function of how the story plays out. Queer viewers may not be entirely satisfied by how Elio’s story unfolds, but Una Noche, which is based on actual events, remains moving nonetheless.

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.

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compiled by Robert Fuggiti

See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

“Shen Yun 2014” will be at the War Memorial Opera House through January 12.

Shen Yun 2014 – War Memorial Opera House. $60-$280. 7:30 pm.

(301 S.Van Ness) www.tickets. shenyun.com. An extraordinary journey across 5,000 years of Chinese civilization!

History Talk – GLBT History Museum. $5. 7 pm to 9 pm. (4127 18th St.) www.glbthistory.org.

Explore vintage comics that depict the transformation of the 1950s nuclear family into icons of 1960s radicalism.

Tubesteak Connection – Aunt

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

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

That 90’s Show – DNA Lounge. $15-$30. 9:30 pm. (375 11th St.) www.dnalounge.com. All the fun, music, and dot-comedy from those fabulous 90’s returns for one burlesque-filled night.

Gay Date Night – Pisco Latin Lounge. Dinner RSVP. 6 pm. (1815

Market St.) www.gaycouplesintitute.org. A fun date night for couples, with dinner, games, prizes and complimentary drinks. RSVP required within 24hrs of event.

Daft Punk vs Radiohead Tribute – Public Works. $10. 9 pm. (161 Erie St.) www.publicsf. com. DJ Motion Potion and Matt Haze seamlessly meld a mix dance hits for a night of indie fun.

Kagami Kai – Asian Art Museum.

Free. 12 pm to 1 pm. (200 Larkin St.) www.asianart.org. Celebrate the Japanese New Year with Kagami Kai, an acclaimed group that celebrates the New Year tradition of mochi pounding.

Pardon My Invasion – Phoenix Theatre. $14. 8 pm. (414 Mason St.) www.phoenixtheatresf.org. A hilarious comedy about a pulp fiction writer whose character comes to life in the body of her 13-year-old daughter. Also January 26 & February 2.

Non Stop Bhangra #99 – Public

Works. $10. 9 pm. (161 Erie St.) www.publicsf.com. Celebrating Lohri & a New Year, Non Stop Bhangra returns to its monthly dance ritual.

The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box - Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center. $11.

Check times. (1118 Fourth St., San Rafael) www.cafilm.org. A mysterious and dark thrilled about a boy who risks everything to find his missing family.

Resilient – OMG. Free. 5 pm. (43 Sixth St.) www.clubomgsf.com. A new monthly dance/social event by and for HIV+ guys and allies.

PFLAG Meeting – St. Francis Lutheran Church. Free. 2 pm. (152 Church St.) www.pflagsf.org. Hear from Ellen and Harold Kamaya who share their adventures that occurred during the past 25 years.

Radical Vinyl – El Rio. Free. 8

pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf. com. A revolving cast of wellknown record collectors spin the most eclectic mix of vinyl you’ll find in San Francisco.

Karaoke Mondays – Lookout.

Free. 8 pm to 1 am. (2600 16th St.) www.lookoutsf.com. Sing along to your favorite songs at this weekly karaoke.

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

Lesbians Who Tech – Slate Bar. Free. 6:30 pm. (2925 16th St.) www.slate-sf.com. A networking event for women who work in or love the tech industry.

LGBT MLF Meeting – Commonwealth Club. Free. 5:30 pm. (595 Market St.) www.commonwealthclub.org. Join program organizer Stephen Seewer as the discuss the sea of change in public opinion regarding various LGBT issues.

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

Smack Dab Open Mic Night – Magnet. Free. 8 pm. (4122 18th St.) www.magnetsf.org. Featuring Amsterdam Quarterly and hosted

by Larry-bob Roberts and Dana Hopkins.

“The Drowsy Chaperone” will be at the Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre January 18.

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BAY TIMES JANUA RY 9 , 2 0 1 4

Road Show – Eureka Theatre. $15-$30. 8 pm. (215 Jackson St.) www.therhino.org. Spanning 40 years, Road Show is the story of men and women willing to take risks to grab their piece of the American dream.

Last Drag – LGBT Center. Free.

7 pm. (1800 Market St.) www.lastdrag.org. A free 7 session stopsmoking class for LGBT and HIV positive community.

Creative Play – Good Vibrations. $20. 6:30 pm. (1620 Polk St.) www.goodvibes.com. In this wild and provocative seminar with M. Christian, participants will explore new sexual techniques and expand their imagination.

Nightlife – California Academy of Sciences. $12. 6 pm to 10 pm. (55 Music Concourse Dr.) www. calacademy.com. Enjoy a fun evening of science, cocktails and live music.

Comedy Bodega – Esta Noche.

Free. 8 pm. (3079 16th St.) www. estanocheclub.com. Enjoy the weekly comedy variety show happening every Thursday.

The Pornographer’s Daughter – Z Below. $32. 8 pm. (470 Florida St.) www.zspace.org. The story of Liberty Mitchell, daughter to Artie Mitchell, of the Mitchell Brothers, famous for pioneering the porn industry in the 70s. Through February 16.

The Girls in the Band – Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center. $11. Check times. (1118 Fourth St., San Rafael) www.cafilm. org. This music-rich documentary tells the poignant, inspiring and untold stories of female jazz and big-band instrumentalists.

FOG Design + Art – Fort Mason Center. $15. 11 am to 7 pm.

(Fort Mason Center) www.fortmason.org. A dynamic weekend lineup of lectures and interactive discussions with leaders in the design and art worlds.

The Drowsy Chaperone – TriValley Repertory Theatre. $38. 8 pm. (2400 First St., Livermore) www.tri-valleyrep.com. A 1920’s style musical that is sure to delight.

Bleaux – Beaux. $3. 10 pm. (2344 Market St.) www.facebook.com/ beauxsf. Lindsay Slowhands hosts this weekly party that you don’t want to miss.

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.

The musical documentary “The Girls in the Band” will open at at Landmark’s Opera Plaza and the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center January 17 Motown songs and remixes.

Piano Bar 101 – Martuni’s. Free.

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

Karaoke Night – Toad Hall.

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

Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABA – Yoshi’s. $30-$40.

7 pm. (1330 Fillmore St.) www. yoshis.com. Arrival From Sweden is the only group who has the exclusive right to copy ABBA’s original outfits and the closest you ever will get to see ABBA!

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

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

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

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

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

A weekly cabaret variety show with drink specials.

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

Visit our new web site www.sfbaytimes.com

Frankye Kelly – Empress Theatre. $15. 5 pm to 7:30 pm.

(330 Virginia St.) www.vallejoJazzsociety.com. The Vallejo Jazz Society presents Frankye Kelly with Glen Pearson, Fritz Burden, Michael O’Neil and Ranzell Merritt.

Jock – Lookout. $2. 3 pm to 9 pm.

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

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.

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

Dance the night away to favorite

Orphan Andy’s waiter Ricky White serves a healthy steak platter with cottage cheese, pineapple, and sliced egg to a long-time, happy customer.

Orphan Andy’s in the Castro is open 24-hours.

Photo by Rink BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

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(THE KIAI WAY continued from page 5) Now, pick one item in one area and and drinking only what you know are get really specific about what you’re healthy choices. going to do. For example: Focus on that one goal and action E xercise N Y R : St reng t hen My for a minimum of one month. Make Core! NYR Actions: 1) Learn coreachievable weekly mini-goals. Lots strengthening exercises (from a trainer, a class, or the Internet). 2) Create of small short-term successes do add a 10-20 minute routine. 3) Do it 4-6 up to lasting, long-term change! Notice the benefits you feel along the times a week. way. Keep a Daily Success Journal.

Diet NYR: Stop Eating Junk Food! Buddy up with a partner or friend NYR Actions: 1) Identify what junk for extra support, encouragement foods you’re eating. 2) Refuse to buy and accountability. Be sure to make them at the grocery store or to order them at a restaurant. 3) Identify your new actions fun. Nothing is as healthy alternatives (fruit, vegetables, rewarding as success, not to menprotein bars, water instead of soda or tion enjoying how much better you’re alcohol, etc.). 4) Start buying, eating looking, feeling and doing in your life.

One last guideline to insuring new and lasting success in 2014: Take it one NYR at a time! Give your brainbody ‘road-crews’ a chance to do a really good job of building each solid new neural pathway. And remember – it takes time and energy to practice new thoughts and actions, and at least 21-30 days to develop them.

Keep concentrated and committed as you enjoy building each new pathway.

You’ve got 12 months ahead, with the potential to create a dozen better habits as you reach for your goals and realize your dreams in 2014.

For more information about Jamie Leno Zimron and her work, please visit http:// www.thekiaiway.com/.

(SISTER DANA SEZ continued from page 16) honest scoundrel) willing to take risks to grab their piece of the American dream and strike it rich. Spanning forty years (1890-1933), Road Show specifically focuses on the manic Mizner brothers (the story is semi-biographical) and their ups and downs. They are on the road (thus the title, Road Show) to find their destinies, and we follow our wanderlusting travelers from Benicia and San Francisco to the Klondike, Hawaii, India, China, Guatemala, New York City, Palm Beach, and Boca Raton - picking up souvenirs at each stop. The play opens as a sort of autopsy of the dead Addison and the amazing people he met in life - not every one a fan. Eventually art meets architecture, resulting in millions for all - for a while. Schemes can only be stretched so far, ya know.

CASTRO. For more than forty years, Beth Van Hoesen (1926-2010) and her husband, artist and designer, Mark Adams (1925-2006), lived in an old firehouse on 22nd Street at the top of the Castro Street hill, where they hosted weekly drawing sessions and captured on canvas Castro district regulars. Artworks of Castro personalities range from leather-clad, dyed, and tattooed punks and queers, to well-known figures such as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and the late Jose Sarria, known as The Widow Norton. Thanks to this generous gift from the artist’s estate, these portraits are now available to benefit the Rainbow Honor Walk, creating sidewalk monuments featuring bronze plaques honoring noted personalities in LGBTQ history. The opening reception at the gallery (77 Geary Street, 2nd floor) is January 9, 5:30-7:30 pm, and the exhibit runs through March 1st. georgekrevskygallery.com.

GEORGE KREVSKY GALLERY is honored to present BETH VAN HOESEN: PORTRAITS FROM THE

Sister Dana sez, “RepubliCAN’Ts need to make a New Year’s resolution to stop blocking progress for equality for all Americans!”

PHOTO BY KOLLI N HUTCHISON

Addison and Wilson - brilliantly played

by Bill Fahrner and Rudy Guerrero respectively - are the leads. The extremely talented seven-member ensemble cast of Michael Doppe, Kim Larsen, Justin Lucas, Kate McCarthy, Ae’Jay Mitchell, Kathryn

Wood, and Sarah Young (in alphabetical order) play numerous varying roles (lover, doting mother, disapproving father, minister, bookkeeper, businessmen, revolutionaries, prospectors, loose women, well-to-do socialites, schnooks, real estate agents, and more) in constantly changing sets (courtesy of a rolling, rotating box-like alternating platform, coffin, bed, ship’s bow, and more) with elaborate period costume changes and an assortment of bizarre props. The songs probably don’t translate to mainstream use, but nevertheless are Sondheim hidden gems. Particularly touching is the romance between two men and the love song, “The Best Thing That Has Ever Happened,” which could easily be sung outside the confines of the theatre. John Fisher brilliantly directs.

Musical direction by Dave Dobrusky.

And, hey, it’s Sondheim for gawd’s sake! Wednesdays - Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays - 3pm. TheRhino.org.

The Red Velvets

P H OTO B Y ST EVE N U NDE R H IL L

The Red Velvets began as an acapella singing group to carol around the Christmas Holiday season and was originally founded by Judea Eden and Sally Magness in the early 2000’s. The group came together as Amy Meyers, Judea Eden, Sally Magness, and Pam Delgado with a performance at Dolores Park Cafe. They reunited again in 2009 and performed a few afternoon shows in coffee shops in San Francisco and a big Holiday Show at Angelicas in Redwood City. In 2010, The Red Velvets original members Judea, Amy, and Sally brought in Ana Escobar and Blair Hansen and released a Red Velvets CD and performed at El Rio’s Holiday Party. They also caroled on the streets of San Francisco.

Entertainer Mahlae Balenciaga expresses delight upon seeing herself featured on the Bay Times front page in the Drag Queens on Ice cover photo in the December 19, 2013 issue, our final for the year. Thank you, Mahlae and thanks to photographer Steven Underhill.

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BAY TIMES JANUA RY 9 , 2 0 1 4

The Red Velvets were back again this year with Amy, Judea, and Ana and 2 new members, Janet Rachel and Diana Drips. As with the previous incarnations of The Red Velvets, the group is musically collaborative and many of the arrangements have come together organically. The current group has a great balance of skills combining a strong knowledge of music theory with the added ability of being able to hear and improv various parts that the songs require. This Quintet improved on previous arrangements of the songs from earlier groups and added many new ones that helped to fill out the set and provide a wide variety of style and dynamics. In December 2013, they performed at Woodpark Eldercare in Oakland as well as a sell-out dinner show at The High Street Station in Alameda. Wrapping up the holiday season, they performed again at El Rio’s Holiday Party in San Francisco. Although, they have mainly identified as a holiday choir during the Christmas season, there is talk of expanding their repertoire to include other holidays to perform throughout the year. www.facebook.com/pages/The-Red-Velvets/162227813812606

Round About – All Over Town — Photos by Rink

Spanish designer Carlos Casuso with project coordinator David Perry at the unveiling of the first Castro Honor Walk plaque at the Human Rights Campaign Store.

Trevor Nguyen, Joesph Robinson, Alex Randolph and Ben Leong displayed the new coffee mugs created for the Castro Honor Walk.

Elmer Ray Knowles lit a holiday candle at the Black Brothers Esteem Kwanzaa Celebration and Dinner.

Honor Walk board members Alan Thomson, Ben Leong, Colton Windsor and Joseph Robinson at the unveiling of the first Castro Honor Walk plaque of Sylvester.

Accompanist and singer Earl Gadsen and singer Diane Bennett performed at the Black Brothers Esteem Kwanzaa Celebration and Dinner at the LGBT Center.

Jonathan Goldman displays the Kick Ass t-shirt at the organization’s Solstice Party at the LGBT Center.

Volunteer supporters of the BBE program who served at the Black Brothers Esteem Kwanzaa Celebration and Dinner.

Sisters Marie and Angie Rodin at the Rodin Farms booth during the final Castro Farmers Market for 2013.

Novelist and poet Trebor Healey, author of A Horse Named Sorrow, with Angus Whyte at the Magnet Book Club.

Poets and writers Jamie Cortez, Joel Tan, Marvin K. White and Lorenzo Herrerra y Lozano performed at the Sylvester tribute at the Main Library.

Host Eileen Hanson welcomed guests at the Support Modern Times Book Store Party.

California Music and Culture Association founder Terrance Alan with Supervisor David Campos and Entertainment Commissioner Audrey Joseph at CMCA’s toy drive at Mezzanine.

Alex Joseph, manager at the Good Vibrations Polk Street store, at the GV Customer Appreciation Night.

Shanti Project’s Matthew Simmons with Sister Timothy at the Kick Ass group’s Solstice Party.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 9, 2014

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