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Fighting to Save San Francisco’s Diversity cisco. I’m honored to help carry its mission forward.

I will periodically bring up various public policy and political topics in my columns, and while I don’t expect my personal views to differ that much from the Alice B. Toklas club’s endorsed positions, I do want to be clear that this column represents solely my personal perspective and should not be interpreted as any official position of the club.

Do Ask, Do Tell Zoe Dunning Happy New Year to everyone! I hope your year has gotten off to a great start and that you haven’t broken too many resolutions so far . . .

One of the biggest changes for me this year is my recent election to become the new Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. Many of you have probably heard about “Alice,” or seen club members in our signature purple t-shirts around the Castro before elections days, or have attended our annual Pride Breakfast that we produce every June on Pride Sunday.

You might not know, though, that it was the first registered LGBT Democratic Club in the nation.

The club was founded in 1971 by Jim Foster, a gay rights activist who had been organizing with the Society for Individual Rights (SIR) to elect progay candidates in San Francisco for several years. Until that time, there had been some gay and lesbian advocacy groups, but gay political goals had never been incorporated directly into the platform of a major American political party. Foster chartered Alice to initiate gay advocacy within the Democratic Party and led the way for many more LGBT Democratic Clubs across the country. The club has a proud tradition and, of course, it all happened right here in San Fran-

One of the hottest topics right now in San Francisco, and the Bay Area, is the skyrocketing housing costs.

Home prices and rents have increased dramatically, as we have all experienced. According to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, San Francisco is the least affordable housing market, with only 16% of our homes considered “affordable” for families earning the area’s median income. It is also ranked by the National Low Income Housing Coalition as the second least affordable metropolitan area in the country for rentals, right behind Honolulu.

To help organize tenants and brainstorm solutions, a series of neighborhood Tenants Conventions are being held throughout San Francisco, put on by the San Francisco AntiDisplacement Coalition. These will all culminate in a citywide Tenants Convention on February 8th at SEIU Headquarters (350 Rhode Island). I attended the Castro Tenants Convention at the LGBT Community Center earlier this month.

What impressed me was that the meeting was focused on brainstorming ideas for solutions, both legislatively and from a grassroots organizing perspective, to increase the stock of affordable housing in the city and to help respond to Ellis Act evictions.

Since the Ellis Act is a statewide law, there are limitations as to what can be (continued on page 26)

City College Heroes, Campos Rising, Dem Club Chiefs, and Redmond’s Back!

A San Francisco Kind of Democrat Rafael Mandelman Early indications are that 2014 could be a very good year for City College of San Francisco. On January 2, we learned that Judge Curtis Karnow had granted a preliminary injunction preventing the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) from terminating City College’s accreditation, pending the outcome of the City Attorney’s lawsuit against the ACCJC. Big thanks are due to Dennis Herrera for having the courage to stand up for City College and for putting together such an excellent team of legal eagles -- Deputy City Attorneys Sara Eisenberg, Yvonne Mere and Tom Lakritz (gay by the way, and a super-sweet guy) did the heavy lifting.

Just a few days later, on January 6, House Minority Leader and our very own Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi took time off from battling Republicans in Washington to pay a visit to

the Chinatown campus, where several of us joined her for a press conference in support of City College. Pelosi expressed her deep commitment to the College and the work it does and echoed the concerns that have been raised by Herrera, Congresswoman Jackie Speier and others about the unaccountability of the ACCJC in general and its actions with regard to City College in particular. Pelosi’s visit had been in the works for a couple of months, but the timing could not have been better coming hot on the heels of the news from Judge Karnow’s court.

After the Karnow injunction and the Pelosi press conference, I am feeling more confident about City College’s survival than I have in months.

There’s still a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but I do believe we will keep City College open and that we may even succeed in reining in the ACCJC. In other news, hearty congratulations are due to Supervisor David Campos, running for the State Assembly, who has picked up the endorsements of the United Educators of San Francisco, the California Nurses Association and UNITE HERE Local 2. San Francisco may not be the labor town it once was, but having the teachers, nurses and hotel workers backing your campaign is nothing to sneeze at. Equality California has joined Team Campos as well. Nice work, David! (continued on page 26) BAY T IM ES JANUARY 23, 2014

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Round About – All Over Town – Photos by Rink

Masha Penkova and Toni Mendicino, organizers of an Olympics protest rally, shown at a meeting at the SF Main Library.

Bay Times columnist Zoe Dunning, the new co-chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club, with outgoing cochair Martha Knutzen and co-chair Ron Flynn at the SF LGBT Community Center.

City Terasurer Jose Cisneros, Remy Weiland and his mom Anne Kronenberg, and Bevan Dufty at the Castro Theatre for the screening of HBO’s Looking.

Photographer Nick Ice is surrounded by his sister Alee Ice (second from left) and models Lola, Camille Tow and Nikki Ferrari at the opening of Nick’s exhibit at Magnet

Donna Sachet, James Holloway and movie critic Jan Wahl at the Castro Theatre for the premiere of HBO’s Looking.

SF Chronicle columnist Leah Garchik with Diane Roby at a benefit for the Rainbow Honor Walk at the George Krevsky Gallery featuring works by artist Beth Van Hoesen.

Former Emperor John Weber and reigning Emperor Drew Director John Fisher (center) with cast members and crew of Theatre Cutler at the 10th Anniversary of Rhino’s production of Road Show at the Eureka Theatre. the reign of former Empress China Silk and former Emperor Fernando Robles.

The Amsterdam Quarterly literary magazine was the focus at Magnet’s Smack Dab event. Editor Bryan Monte (second from left) was joined by contributors Rink Foto — also of the Bay Times — along with Adam Comford, Andrea Rubin, Edward Mycue, Tobey Kaplan, Marvin Hiemstra and Don Brennan.

Cornelius Moore, Carl Stokes and Cleve Jones at the Castro Theatre for the screening of HBO’s Looking.

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Former Emperor Fernando Robles and former Emperor China Silk at the 10th Anniversary of their reign, a charity fundraiser, at the ARC.

George Krevsky Gallery’s Lori Sattile and Sister Saki Tumi admired the work of artist Beth Van Hoesen.

Money and Finance The Stock Market Reaches New Highs – Now What?

During the severe market downturn in 2008, many investors took money out of stocks, and not all of that money came back. Have you been a participant in this market rally to the extent you would like to be? Whether the answer is yes or no, you may want to meet with a financial advisor to talk about the steps you can take to make investment decisions based on your financial goals and risk tolerance.

This is always a concern for investors. Nobody can predict when the next market downturn will occur.

By the same token, few predicted that the stock market would soar in 2013. Surprises can happen in either direction. This is why you need to maintain a well-diversified portfolio designed to help you achieve your long-term goals. Although diversification doesn’t guarantee a gain or prevent a loss, it can help to mitigate the effects of volatility on a portfolio.

Markets will move up and down over time, and on occasion, significant events may cause more dramatic shifts in stock prices. A long-term plan is important to help you achieve your ultimate goals.

2. Should I consider selling my stock positions given the market’s recent strong run?

4. How do I know what’s the right move to make with my equity portfolio now?

This question is related to “timing” the market. Trying to choose the right time to buy or sell can be difficult, even for professionals who invest for a living. That said, because stocks have been performing well, you might want to consider rebalancing your investment portfolio as the recent surge could have increased the stock weighting of your overall portfolio. Stocks can be part of almost any asset allocation model, but how much and what type to own varies for everyone. The decision to make changes to your portfolio should be centered on your own needs, goals and risk tolerance. Think about your long-term goals and what you hope to accomplish before making any significant changes.

There is no single right answer for every investor. You need to assess your personal circumstances – most notably the amount of time you have to keep your money invested before reaching specific goals and the degree of market f luctuation you can live with in your portfolio. Making your decision based on what works for you in the long-term will make it easier to weather short-term concerns. It may be beneficial for you to consult with an investment professional to help you reach your financial goals.

consider, as you think about what to do with your investments in 2014: 1. Now that the stock market has reached a new record, am I happy with how much I have invested in stocks?

Money Matters Brandon Miller, CFP & Joanne Jordan, CFP If you had money invested in the stock market in 2013, you’re most likely pleased with the results. It’s rare that major stock indexes, like the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500, generate returns in excess of 20 percent in a single year, as they did in 2013. In fact, the S&P 500 reached a new all-time high, which is a major milestone.

Like many investors, you may be asking, can the upward ride that stock investors have enjoyed since 2009 continue? It’s a question that nobody can answer with certainty. We know that over time, stock markets are unpredictable and do move up and down, sometimes in dramatic fashion. As an investor, you always need to be prepared for periodic market swings. Even more important than determining what’s next for financial markets is to understand your own perspective as an investor.

Questions to ask today Here are some of the key questions you should ask, and issues you should

3. Couldn’t a major economic or world event cause a big decline in the stock market?

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

Tenants in Affordable SF Housing Are Under Fire

Tenant Law Nancy M. Conway, Attorney at Law Welcome new and old tenants alike.

In the roiling cauldron of landlord tenant relations in San Francisco, we need to review the rules of engagement.

First, do you have a rental agreement? Newer tenants almost always have written rental agreements or leases, especially as the business of renting apartments becomes increasingly a big business endeavor. Sometimes long-term tenants cannot find their original lease agreements, or only had a verbal agreement. Those folks often worry that they need a written agreement. Not true! A tenancy is automatically renewed on the same terms.

The most common oral agreements are month-to-month tenancies that automatically renew each month upon payment of rent. In San Francisco and neighboring cities with eviction protection controls, tenants are usually better off with a verbal agreement than a written agreement, unless you can secure a long-term lease.

Written agreements are full of terms that can form the basis for an eviction based on breach of a covenant of the lease. Such frequently breached

terms include no pet clauses, limits on roommates, and subletting and payment due date requirements.

With the recent increased rental property sales, many tenants have new landlords, who often seek to enhance their investment by ridding their newly acquired property of below market renters. One weapon in their arsenal is getting tenants to sign new rental agreements, which replace oral agreements or older lease agreements.

The new rental agreement is often presented as a benign document, which is needed by the owner and also for your protection. Beware!

These new shiny written agreements often provide tenants with no additional protections and are minefields filled with potential grounds for eviction. You want to get along with your new landlord, though, and you want to be compliant and to keep your home. Resist your impulse to sign the shiny new lease. Just say “no,” or say you need to get some legal advice before signing it. Under the San Francisco Rent Ordinance, tenants can be required to sign lease agreements with the same terms such as, for example, renewing your extant written one-year lease agreement for another year, but this is rare.

It is important to be vigilant in landlord tenant communications. Tenants in affordable housing in San Francis-

co are under fire. Long-term tenants are at the highest risk, because upon obtaining a vacancy, landlords can raise the rent to market rents.

The SF Chronicle reports newly constructed apartments at Market and Dolores in San Francisco’s Castro District rent from $2000 a month for studios to $8000 a month for three bedrooms. If your rent is significantly less, your landlord is likely having bouts of envy. Fueled by a desire to cash in on this rental gold rush, landlords are spending substantial sums on attorneys specializing in residential evictions. Your landlord’s seemingly innocuous communications may be setting the stage for your eviction that is directed and orchestrated by a skilled legal specialist.

Remain vigilant. Be proactive. Do not wait until you are facing an eviction. Join the San Francisco Tenants Union. Seek advice from the San Francisco Rent Board. Get legal advice from an experienced tenants’ attorney. It is a lot less expensive to pay for an hour of legal advice now than to defend an eviction later, or obtain replacement housing. Remember, forewarned is forearmed. You will not only sleep sounder, but you may also be able to secure your home for years to come.

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

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Business Outings

PHOTOS BY RINK

Mike Holland of the Castro’s Iconic ‘Worn Out West’ Store

Established in 1980, Worn Out West has been a Castro destination for 34 years. Although the original 582 Castro Street location was sold, the new store at 2352 Market Street retains all of the original’s unique selections and great service. At the helm is owner Mike Holland, who was chosen by founders Joe and Rob to carry on the WOW tradition. Holland added 2nd Generation to the name to mark the move and other additions.

A recent Bay Times visit had us perusing the store’s new clothing, leather, rubber, uniforms and more. WOW also still carries a fantastic selection of vintage clothing and other items on consignment. Holland tells us that the long, successful history that comes with Worn Out West allows customers to obtain the merchandise that they covet at reasonable prices.

Holland took time to chat with us a bit about WOW. BT: How did you personally get involved with Worn Out West and why did it interest you?

MH: I worked at the previous location just because I loved the store for many years prior, dating back all the way to 2004.

BT: Are there any differences between the “old” Worn Out West and the “2nd Generation” of the store that we should know about?

MH: Yes, we carry new and used merchandise now. We are also trying to re-establish relationships with our community.

BT: Is there anything about Worn Out West that is particularly tied to the LGBT community, in terms of groups you support or…?

MH: We support the Rubber community, the Bay Area Rodeo, Sundance Saloon, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, and more.

BT: What is it about Western wear and our community? It seems like there’s always been an attraction.

MH: Western wear is just a fraction of what we offer, but we have a huge Country Western Community that attends Sundance Saloon dancing each and every week. So we offer boots, clothing, and more to support them.

Well, let’s face it. Western wear is pretty sexy. If you Google phrases such as “gay men into cowboy boots,” you’ll see what we mean. It’s hard not to take on a powerful, seductive swagger while wearing cowboy boots. In terms of women, pining over Patsy Cline or kd lang back in the day probably sealed that fate. But, as Holland indicates, if Western garb doesn’t f loat your particular clothing boat, something else at the store surely will.

WOW is the right acronym.

Special thanks to Bay Times photographer RINK.

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Rainbow Honor Walk

P HOTO BY RIN K

ART IST: BET H VAN HOESEN

David Perry

But, none of this comes free. We need your help – and your donations! Now through March 1, a fundraising exhibition of artworks by Beth Van Hoesen, the late Castro district resident and nationally recognized artist, is on display at the prestigious George Krevsky Gallery (77 Geary (at Grant) near Union Square. Featuring more than 20 original works donated by the E. Mark Adams and Beth Van Hoesen Adams Trust, the exhibit will raise funds for the construction of the Rainbow Honor Walk. The works are also available for online viewing at www.georgekrevskygallery.com.

And, of course, you can donate online at www.rainbowhonorwalk.org.

ART IST: BE T H VAN H O E SE N

R I C K C AMAR G O PH OTO G R APHY

First Steps

An old Chinese proverb says that “every journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” The first steps in the public monument that will be the Rainbow Honor Walk started back in 1994, during the depths of the AIDS pandemic here in San Francisco. I remember walking down Castro, my home since 1986, and wondering how could we make sure that history remembered the contributions of our LGBT brothers and sisters. An idea came to me: a walk of fame. Of course, with a generation of our brethren dying from AIDS all around, priorities were – rightly so – about preserving “life” not “memory.”

Over the years, the idea ebbed and f lowed. Then supervisor (and my friend) Bevan Dufty told me, “David, it’s a good idea; keep at it. One day the time will be right.” That time came in 2011, when Castro businessman and community activist Isak Lindenauer had a similar idea. He called it “The Rainbow Honor Walk.” Bevan did what he did best; he introduced us.

The result – an all volunteer organization that is making a gift to San Francisco of The Rainbow Honor Walk.

The first phase of the Rainbow Honor Walk will be installed along Castro Street beginning this spring as part of the overall Castro streetscape improvements. Eventually, the walk will extend from the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy on 19th Street at Diamond, down to Castro — the LGBT 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 Center at Octavia Boulevard.

Over the coming weeks, I hope you’ll join us in learning more about the first 20 of the walk’s honorees. We owe them our thanks for having walked the walk when that walk was

ARTIST: BETH VAN HOESEN

Designer Carlos Casuso with David Perry and the first Rainbow Honor Walk plaque.

dangerous and often cruel. We walk in their footsteps.

David Perry is the co-founder and chair of the nonprofit/all volunteer Rainbow Honor Walk. He is also the creator and host of Comcast Hometown Network’s “10 Percent,” the longest running LGBT TV show in California.

PH OTO B Y R IN K

Last month, the first of the 20 plaques was unveiled: Castro’s own Sylvester, one of the early deaths from AIDS and a true Castro fixture. His music lives on, and now, so will his image and his history. Fittingly, the unveiling took place in Harvey Milk’s former camera shop, now the Human Rights Campaign Action Center & Store. There were many people there (including one of Sylvester’s former back-up singers) who have long walked the walk and talked the talk of LGBT rights, equality and expression. It was an emotional and inspiring day.

Honor Walk board members Alan Thomson, Ben Leong, Colton Windsor and Joseph Robinson at the unveiling ceremony.

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PHOTO BY RINK

Partners Carolyn Bivens and Sholey Malawa shared a happy moment at the Black Brothers Esteem Kwanzaa Celebration and Dinner where Sholey was honored. BBE is an SF AIDS Foundation project.

PHOTO BY COLTON WINDSOR.

Priya K (left) and Bay Times columnist Heidi Beeler celebrated their engagement during an evening at Martuni’s.

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEIDI BEELER

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.

Husbands of 5 years Robert Makowaka and Jay Dabbs celebreated New Year’s Eve at the Edge Bar in the Castro.

Lisa and Joelle Snipes-Sagehorn from Pasadena were delighted when HRC’s Castro store agreed to serve as the location for their wedding, the first ever held at the historic location that once housed Harvey Milk’s camera shop.

Love Is a Verb A few years ago, two dear friends asked me to celebrate their renewal of vows ceremony. I am including part of the homily here. For couples reading this, I hope the piece inspires some of you to look back and notice how you have lived your vows, your love, and your shared lives so far: Natalie and Rose, it is with joy and appreciation that I am here helping the two of you, dear friends, celebrate your 20 years together as a married couple! This renewal of vows represents not just a promise for the future, but also an acknowledgment of your long history, carrying out the vows and commitments you made to one another then. That is an accomplishment worthy of recognition and praise, and we are here to do just that!

I often say in wedding ceremonies that it is a sacred miracle when two people f ind one another —their soul-mate—and fall in love and join together in the path that is marriage. And it is every bit as much a sacred miracle to witness two people who have been on this journey for 20 years who have become each other’s best friend, gaining deep understanding of one another.

During your years together, you have learned patience, and that tolerance and understanding are important for a strong marriage.

You told me you’ve learned that marriage is never perfection; on the contrary, it’s messy and unpredictable! It’s a constantly growing and evolving relationship of compro8

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part of your future together where the “in sickness and in health” part of your vows will be truly put to the test. Through all of this your love has sustained and nourished you.

Along with, of course, huge doses of courage, humility, patience and your fabulous sense of humor!

Weddings Reverend Elizabeth River mise, communication and adjustment. You have this larger purpose that you turn to again and again, which helps you remain steadfast and faithful, facing challenges along with the joys: a union of two people who depend upon one another, look out for each other, and practice the fine art of saying “I’m sorry” and forgiving one another.

I acknowledge also the dark times you have faced; the losses, the grief, the injustices that have confronted you, which sometimes felt impossible to mitigate or redress. There have been times of distance and isolation between you that felt impossible to bridge. And you have lived through treatment by family members that were painful and even cruel. You have experienced loss of jobs and income and the frightening time of not knowing how the bills would get paid. And, of course, there have been health challenges, and you accept that those will be

I have witnessed the great devotion and dedication you have brought to becoming part of one another’s family. You’ve created a rich, loving community of support and encouragement for your children, grandchildren, and other relatives. Family is not something that people are easily or automatically good at. You two have pursued loving relationships with both your families, and, just as in your marriage, learned to give support and understanding even where there are differences of opinion or attitude (or even politics!).

This brings us back to the original theme of this homily: LOVE. Love is not just an emotion, a concept, a feeling in the heart. Love is a verb; it is action. It is what you choose to do or say, what you create and offer and receive and share. And it needs to go on day after day, year after year, steadily, patiently, faithfully, no matter what comes. And that is what you, Rose and Natalie, have done and do. That is who you are.

I thank you and bless you as you renew your vows today.

Rev. Elizabeth River is an ordained Interfaith Minister based in the North Bay. For more information, please visit www. marincoastweddings.com.

Keep On Keepin’ On for Marriage Equality One year ago, I described the 2012 election as the turning point in the struggle for marriage equality, as three states won or protected the freedom to marry at the ballot box and another fought back a constitutional ban. But, if 2012 marked a watershed, 2013 was the deluge over that divide, with a record number of states recognizing equal marriage, and more than half of those doing so legislatively.

In one year, the number of marriage equality states effectively doubled. Sixteen states, the District of Columbia, and several Native American tribal councils – representing over 38% of the population – now recognize the freedom to marry (with decisions in Utah and Oklahoma, representing an additional 2%, currently stayed pending appeal).

The transition from 2013 to 2014 also marks a decade of equality, as the 2003 Massachusetts Supreme Court equal marriage decision went into effect in May 2004. 2004 also saw the celebration and tragic voiding of four thousand marriages in San Francisco, in some ways teeing off the long, painful fight for marriage equality in California that resulted in In re Marriage Cases, Prop 8, Hollingsworth v.

Perry, and, finally, the restoration of the freedom to marry. As criti-

courts, or at least seemed to offer a chance to try to catch our breath.

Marriage Equality Thom Watson cal as 2004 was in the movement, though, it’s important to remember that the struggle for legal recognition of our relationships began more than three decades earlier.

There are potential drawbacks to both the seemingly rapid rate of success we’ve seen recently, and the long hard work needed to make such successes possible. A sense that the tide is unstoppable risks making us complacent, while the long hard work necessary risks burning us out, especially once our own state has won equality.

For many of us, for example, the sense of euphoria we felt in 2013 as marriage equality was restored to California largely erased the pain of the f ive years while the Prop 8 case made its way through the

Still, over half of us live in states with statutes or constitutional amendments explicitly denying marriage to same-sex couples. And those of us who may legally marry at home shouldn’t have to fear becoming legal strangers to our spouses as we cross state borders.

The work goes on, as long as even one of our lesbian and gay sisters and brothers still is denied the freedom to marry the person they love.

Though Marriage Equality USA has its roots and largest membership bases in states where marriage equality is now law, the organization is proud to be a strong and active player in the fight to win the freedom to marry for all Americans.

Thanks to our NEAT (National Equality Action Team) coalition, MEUSA has played a key role in winning marriage equality in states like Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. This year, we’ll be supporting efforts in Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Oregon, among others. Please help us help them win the same freedom and happiness we now have.

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

Brides Jamie Leno Zimron (also a Bay Times columnist) and Tamar Lavi cutting their wedding cake. Jamie’s brother Mark served as officiant of the ceremony in English and Hebrew.

Bay Times columnist Zoe Dunning and her wife Pam Gray enjoyed a tour of the White House during their recent visit to Washington, DC.

Wedding cupcakes from sugarruffles.com

Pink Triangle founder Patrick Carney, at the swearing-in ceremony led by Mayor Ed Lee, is now a member of the City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission.

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My Fight Against the Ellis Act to Save My Home

T

he front page of this week’s issue of the Bay Times is a protest poster. Several members of our team have been directly impacted by the housing crisis in San Francisco, and we all know someone who is currently under threat of eviction, or who has had to leave the city in recent months.

My story basically is that I’ve been living in a Castro rent-controlled apartment for almost 19 years. In 2001, I was diagnosed with full-blown AIDS and became home bound. In 2011, my old landlord, soon after I had just f lown my sister out for a month to help paint the place and put in a new sink and carpeting, decided he was going to sell the building. It took him a while to sell it. He finally, in March of the next year, sold it to 3 real estate speculators. I was in the hospital just getting out after a month and found out it was sold, and a month later started getting notices from the new owners’ lawyer saying that they wanted me to move and accept a low buyout offer. They gave me an ultimatum and said that if you don’t accept, we’re going to do an Ellis Act eviction.

As you read some of the personal stories here, you’ll see that housing goes far beyond financial issues. It affects mental and physical health, builds communities, impacts how children are raised and so much more.

The tide has to turn, because too many people are having their lives destroyed by, as Tommi Avicolli Mecca aptly puts it, a greedy and ruthless “real estate feeding frenzy that can only be described as out of control.”

PHOTO BY STEVEN UNDERHILL

I said, “Go ahead,” because I realized what they were offering would only give me a bit more than a year and I knew I’d have at least a year under the Ellis Act since I am a disabled senior.

So, I started the website Ellis Hurts Seniors.org to get my story out there and to try to get other people’s stories out. I had been talking with Tommi Avicolli Mecca at Housing Rights of SF and he suggested I get a lawyer at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic, so I did. Steve Collier is my lawyer.

I also went to the Tenants Union, which advised that I check into whether the landlords did everything right in terms of rent increases. So, I went back through all my records and found out every one of their increases over 16 years were illegal. The

The Castro Is Going Straight Mark my words: In 10 years, the Castro will be predominantly straight.

The signs of the changing Castro are everywhere. In the morning when I leave for work, I see niñeras pushing baby carriages down the street. I see as many straight couples holding hands as I do queer ones. I see that more and more of my new neighbors are not queer. A two-bedroom across the street from my apartment now rents for $4,200.

Back when I arrived here in 1991, the Castro was as queer as can be. LGBT organizations had offices above the shops. On weekends, there were rallies in Harvey Milk Plaza and political organizations set up tables at 18th & Castro. On Halloween, people came from far and wide to celebrate what then was considered a national gay holiday, a day to flaunt your wildest fantasy. And they came to push boundaries. Nudity abounded, as did displays of our sexuality.

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Starting in Christmas of 2012, I participated in my first rally at Market and Castro for people going through evictions. That was the first time I publically came out and said anything. Act Up SF had a rally where they stopped by my house and I spoke to the group on their Anniversary March in April 2013.

Then, in about June of 2013, Eviction Free Summer started up; it’s now Eviction Free SF. Tommi suggested I go and talk with them and they would confront the owners directly by going to their houses or businesses to plead my case and to change their minds about the eviction. So I started with them, and in July they went to (an address in) Atherton and in August to one, and then to 460 Noe Group LLC and they protested there. All along, we kept getting more publicity, and then we had a big rally at my house in October where we got Supervisors Campos, Avalos and Wiener to attend and speak.

There’s a level of anxiety. Part of me is saying, “Are they going to try some other way to get me out?” If they reEllis me. I’ll have a whole other year here, or are they trying to find some other maneuver to get me out? It’s a pretty high level of anxiety not knowing what’s going on with your future and at the same time dealing with my own health.

My cat, Dickens, has been diagnosed with cancer. With that and everything else, I’m going through the worst time of my life right now. I don’t like being in limbo. I like having some sense of certainty. Still, I have to fight this, to preserve what has been my home for so long and to serve as a rallying call for others going through similar struggles.

If you are facing similar housing challenges, the best thing is to get some people on your side, and that means getting involved with groups like the Tenants Union and Housing Rights SF and direct action groups like Eviction Free SF. Make the story public.

The citizens of San Francisco need to realize what’s going on.

By Rose Diaz

A Different Light bookstore, where I worked for almost a decade, served as our community center. It was located at 489 Castro. Space in the back yard or upstairs in the office was gladly given for free to anyone who wanted to hold a meeting or make signs for an upcoming rally. Famous and not so famous queer writers were featured every night of the week.

All of this changed in the late 90s when the dot-com boom sent rents skyrocketing and speculators salivating at the thought that they could flip properties under rent control and, by evicting all of the tenants, raise those rents to market value or sell the units as tenancies in common.

Countless gay men with AIDS, longtime tenants who came here in the early 70s in pursuit of a safe haven, were pushed out of their places. Some left the city; some ended up on the streets; some died. All took with them a piece of the fabric of the gayborhood.

That gayborhood is hanging on by a thread. It’s a shadow of what it used to be. Benches have been removed from

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

Activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca’s talents as a performing artist can be experienced at a free concert, This Boy Is So Strange, on Saturday, Feb 1, 8:00 PM and Sunday, Feb 2, 3:00 PM, at the Eric Quenzada Center, 518 Valencia Street in San Francisco.

Harvey Milk Plaza because homeless people (many of them queer) hang out and sleep on them. Nudity has been made illegal by the Castro’s gay supervisor. Halloween celebrations are forbidden because of violence at previous events.

While many in the community enjoy newly found acceptance and decent jobs, 40% percent of homeless youth are queer, and 29% percent of the homeless are LGBT. These are facts that most LGBT organizations ignore, just like they ignore the fact that the most recognizable queer spot on the planet is going straight.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca has been a queer activist and writer for over four decades.

He currently works for the Housing Rights Committee, where he does tenant and affordable housing advocacy.

The Mission is my community. My cousin Gloria lives downstairs, as does my brother. My daughter, granddaughter and sons also live here. We now all have to leave and are trying to figure out where to go. I don’t drive because I have cataracts and therefore I do not leave the city. I work over in Bernal Heights part-time and I also work taking care of my granddaughter.

I have been trying to locate affordable housing, but I’m being told I’ll have to wait for 3 years or I missed the date. When I found out about (city facilitated housing), I was told, “Oh, you missed the date.” And even that process was a lottery. It’s been rough.

Gloria has been in my building for 20 years and she has maintained the property. She’s painted. She’s a horticulturist, and she grew beautiful palms in the back yard. The landlord was always really nice about it. He didn’t have to do much maintenance, so he kept the rent low. He passed away 3 years ago, and his wife and her son wanted the building. Since then, my family and I have been fighting to stay here.

The new landlords offered us $5000, but it costs more than that to move out. We also went to the Tenderloin

PHOTO BY RINK

The Mission has been my home for 17 years, but my family and I are now struggling to stay here. We currently occupy a two-unit property plus an in-law space, but I’m pulling my hair out trying to figure out where we’re going to live soon because the whole building has been Ellis Acted.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TOMMI AVICOLLI MECCA

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAN FR ANCISCO TENANTS UNION

What these speculators and investors are doing is reminiscent of what Wall Street did to the country a few years ago: rape and pillage with no concern for the lives they’re destroying.

landlord ended up owing me about $12,000.

I was expected to vacate my home

by September 10 of that year, but my lawyer said we were going to put up a fight. I received an unlawful detainer notice with 5 days to respond and my lawyer did respond and said the owners didn’t do the Ellis eviction correctly. The judge agreed and basically threw out the eviction. The owners had the option to appeal, which they decided not to do. Or they can re-file for another Ellis eviction, so the case is now in limbo.

My Family Is Struggling to Stay in the Mission

By Tommi Avicolli Mecca

The culprit is greed. It’s mainly the greed of speculators and investors who are buying up and flipping properties throughout the gayborhood and the city in a real estate feeding frenzy that can only be described as out of control. In the process, thousands of tenants are being pushed out of their neighborhoods as tech workers from Silicon Valley become the new kids on the block.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY MYK AELS

By Jeremy Mykaels

Housing Clinic, which worked to get us some more time in our home, but we’ve been going back and forth with the landlords about it.

My family and I have stayed here, together in San Francisco, so we could help each other out. We’re here for each other. Now, with the high rents meaning we might not be able to afford a place together, we could have to all go different ways. It’s emotionally very hard, to the point that I’ve suffered from anxiety and depression that has required treatment. The situation is hard both financially and emotionally.

We’re also no longer young. We’re not in our 30’s and and can say, “I’ll sleep on this couch for a while,” and can somehow get by. I do my shopping here. I go to the local pool. I don’t have much. I’ve never had much. At least in the Mission I can walk and get groceries and get on MUNI. I don’t own a computer. I can’t afford it. I run over to the library at SF General.

I don’t even have a cell phone.

If my family and I cannot remain in our home, I just want to have a place to go.

Time to End the “Tale of Two Cities”

My plan to address this housing crisis, which I call “Affordable First,” starts by putting the little guy first.

We have had enough so-called “solutions” that are merely incentives to the real estate industry, speculators and landlords. They haven’t worked, and San Francisco deserves better.

My four-part plan focuses instead on protecting rent controlled units, building affordable housing NOW, signif icantly raising the minimum wage, and making sure San Francisco workers can purchase health insurance with the money their employers must spend under our local Healthy San Francisco law.

Our first priority must be to protect rent controlled housing, which makes up over 50% of the City’s price con-

Second, we must increase San Francisco’s housing supply – something almost everyone agrees on. However, while many argue that increasing market rate housing will trickle down and reduce prices for all of us, I disagree. This strategy hasn’t worked in New York and it won’t work in San Francisco. Instead, I believe we need policies that will tie market rate production directly to the production of affordable housing and that encourage developers to build affordable housing on-site of their luxury developments.

Third, we must significantly raise the minimum wage. Even with improved housing policies, San Francisco will never be an inexpensive place to live.

We must increase wages for the City’s lowest paid workers so they have a chance to live in the City they serve. I believe $15/hour should be the minimum, minimum wage.

Finally, I believe healthcare is directly linked to wages and has a tremendous effect not only on a worker’s physical wellbeing, but also on his or her pocketbook. While it is fantastic that Obamacare is finally in effect, because San Francisco is such a high cost City, even subsidized insurance will remain out of reach for many workers. Luckily, our Healthy San Francisco law requires employers to spend money – between $1.63- $2.44 per hour worked – on healthcare. I am working right now to close a loophole in the Healthy San Francisco law, so that all workers can use this money to purchase health insurance.

This way, San Francisco workers can meet their individual mandate under Obamacare without dipping into their wages that they desperately need for rent, food, transportation, and other basic needs.

The tale of two cities that is dividing San Francisco’s richest from the rest of us must end. I will not stop working to create policies that make it a real possibility for middle and working class San Franciscans to live here too.

David Campos is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He is running for the California State Assembly seat of Tom Ammiano.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID CAMPOS

Our housing crisis has reached epidemic proportions. The median home price in San Francisco is $1 million, and even the closet-sized “micro apartments” that are supposed to be affordable cost $2,000 per month.

Hundreds of tenants are evicted each year, and thousands of rent-controlled apartments have been lost in the last decade while luxury condos spring up in every neighborhood. San Francisco-born residents are being forced from their city, and seniors, disabled and the poor are enduring the largest burden of the pain. Beyond that, practically every San Francisco renter is just one eviction notice away from being forced to leave this city that we all love. No one is immune.

trolled housing that isn’t vulnerable to whims of the market. In Sacramento, I am working with Assemblymember Ammiano to change a State law called the Ellis Act that allows landlords to evict rent controlled tenants in order to sell those units off to individuals willing to pay high prices.

But we can’t count on Sacramento to solve our problems. That’s why I am working on two pieces of local legislation that will address the immediate crisis. I am working to require that landlords pay relocation assistance amounts that will allow tenants to actually continue living in San Francisco for at least two years when landlords evict using the Ellis Act. I am also working to regulate “buy-outs” – where landlords give tenants a lump sum of money to “voluntarily” leave their units.

Supervisor David Campos (3rd from Left) sits with tenants facing eviction in the Mission District.

PHOTO BY STEVEN UNDERHILL

By David Campos

Supervisor David Campos and City College Commissioner Rafael Mandelman join with protestors at the tenants rights protest held in the Castro on the anniversary of the night Harvey MIlk and George Moscone were killed at SF City Hall.

Homelessness Is a Major Challenge to LGBT Community

By Bevan Dufty

The results were staggering. Twentynine percent of homeless young people, adults and seniors identified as LGBT. For most major cities, 29% would not be a surprising number given that many LGBT youth leave their communities if they are rejected by family or face violence at school or elsewhere.

However, most of those cities see dramatic reductions to less than 6% in homelessness among their adult and senior populations.

When these numbers were released, Mayor Lee asked that HOPE (Housing Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagement) partner with city departments and Project Homeless Connect to respond. On October 7th, HOPE, Project Homeless Connect, AIDS Housing Alliance and the LGBT Center held LGBTQ Connect at the Center. Dozens of homeless service and LGBT-focused nonprofits participated alongside key city departments, such as Public Health and the Human Services Agency, among others.

LGBTQ Connect drew 425 participants and 350 volunteers. It was a watershed in terms of recognizing that homelessness is a priority LGBT issue.

We surveyed more than a quarter of participants and learned that many members of our community are a jobloss or housing-loss, or a combination of both, away from becoming homeless.

PHOTO BY STEVEN UNDERHILL

Every two years, cities that receive federal funding for homeless services are required to conduct a homeless count.

In 2013, for the first t i me, ou r su r vey asked if individuals identified as LGBT.

Protestors at SF City Hall

We also saw that a significantly higher number of homeless LGBT persons receive Social Security Disability (SSI). For many SSI recipients, there isn’t a defined path to housing. They have to compete for limited affordable housing resources. And these individuals face many barriers that limit their success at securing housing.

Currently, in order to apply for affordable housing, someone has to pursue each non-profit housing provider individually in order to apply.

This is burdensome for people who are already struggling with physical or mental health disabilities. Brian Basinger, Director of the AIDS Housing Alliance, has developed software whereby a caseworker can simultaneously file applications to 10 affordable housing providers simultaneously.

Recently, Brian demonstrated this software for Mayor Lee’s Chief of Staff, Steve Kawa, and representatives of the Mayor’s Office of Housing. There was widespread support for making this accessibility the City’s

Most of all, our community needs to seek new models that can help people exit homelessness. One such model is North Beach Citizens, which for ten years has provided a neighborhoodbased response to homelessness. It offers case management, leading to housing, benef its and/or employment. I have long wanted to see their program expand to include a site in the Castro.

HandUp.us has also helped members of our community and neighborhood “crowd fund” to help individuals secure housing, dentures, etc. You can visit their profiles and see people you know from the neighborhood. Just donating $10-50 from your smartphone can help change someone’s life.

In February, we will be holding a policy forum following up on our findings from LGBTQ Connect. If you’re able to become involved, please email christine.keener@sfgov.org and we will include you in all information disseminated in advance of this forum that will be held at the LGBT Center.

As we work to advance civil rights, the LGBT movement can embrace activism for human rights to ensure that every person is able to have the dignity of housing, support and purpose in a life that isn’t led on the streets Bevan Dufty is Director of Housing Opportunity, Partnerships and Engagement (HOPE) for the City and County of San Francisco. He is a Member of the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee and previously was a Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

PHOTO BY STEV EN UNDE RHIL L

new standard. There is also an effort to develop part-time work opportunities for individuals on SSI that will not interfere or disrupt their existing benefits. This could enable a larger cadre of SSI recipients to afford housing.

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence members joined in the protest at SF City Hall.

Below Market Rate Housing Opportunities

By Bevan Dufty San Francisco has an inclusionary housing program that requires new market rate housing developments to set-aside 15% of units on-site or 18% off-site for affordable housing. These units are known as BMRs for below market rate, and include both rental housing and ownership opportunities.

Income ceilings vary based upon household size and the particular development.

By going to the City’s website sfgov.org/moh and accessing the Mayor’s Office of Housing, it’s easy to sign up to receive e-mailed notices when openings occur.

Oftentimes there are lotteries for new buildings.

The LGBT Center offers first-time homebuyer programs in conjunction with the City and County of San Francisco. Visit sfcenter.org/programs to access information about classes and financial preparation that are required to be considered for BMR ownership opportunities.

In an expensive housing market, BMR rental and ownership opportunities may enable you to find great housing at an affordable cost.

Resources San Francisco Tenants Union 558 Capp Street San Francisco, CA 94110 www.sftu.org Facebook: San Francisco Tenants Union Join the Tenants Union and receive the recently upadted 15th Edition Handbook. $45 Regular, $30 Low Income, $60 Household How to Volunteer: volunteer@sftu.org Citywide Tenant Convention-Saturday, February 8th SEIU, Local 1021 Offices, 350 Rhode Island Lunch at 12 Noon, Convention at 1:00 PM Housing Rights Committee 417 S Van Ness San Francisco, CA 94103 415-703-8634 info@hrcsf.org www.hrcsf.org BAY T IM ES JANUARY 23, 2014

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Home Is Where the House Is When I f irst visited San Francisco in the late sixties, I instantly knew it would become my home. A couple of decades later, in 1981, I came home to San Francisco to paint, join community here and ma ke my l i fe.

This city offered everything a politically active lesbian artist needed.

I was fortunate to come here when I did. I, like many artists, worked day jobs and did my art. I could live with roommates and make it work. I have been able to make my life here.

San Francisco has always inspired innovation. SF has been a boom and bust kind of place. There are no tepid passions here. The beginnings of movements, of technology, of beat, of rock...of so many intricate parts of our culture blossomed here. In the 90s it was the Internet. The 2000s was dot com. In 2014, social media and Internet “start ups” permeate everything here. Some of the most accelerated speculation on earth accompanies these booms. Real estate has increased as much as 35% in one year in some parts of town. Displacement, Ellis Act evictions, vilification and blame exist in all directions.

Many artists and others who are trying to make a life or are starting over or are just attempting to stay put are

struggling, and are often being forced to leave.

With a median home price of over $700,000 in San Francisco, someone earning the median income of $75,000 makes 48 per cent less money than they need to afford a medianpriced home. You need to be making 200% of median income to think about buying housing here, and there really is no help available.

So how did San Francisco become like this?

Every time someone gets elected in San Francisco, there are a slew of ritualistic events after the election and outside of public scrutiny, aimed at retiring campaign debt. Each and every sitting board of supervisor, the mayor, treasurer, etc. has benefited. And they reciprocate by entitling questionable development projects, by handing out tax breaks for wealthy tech companies and by giving special deals to the donors and their clients. The result is that long-time small businesses, nonprofits, artists, residents and families get displaced.

With this dynamic we get watereddown development mitigation (affordability requirements like 12% affordable or, if you add 3% more, you can do an in lieu fee so none of these high rises going up has to include affordable units within the project). We get some really affordable housing, but it is segregated and, effectively, there is no affordable housing built for middle-income individuals and families, meaning those who make over $30,000 and less than $200,000 a year. We also end up with underfunded transit, water, education, etc. Our leadership needs to be able to stand up for the right development, and make successful arguments for smart planning that includes reasoned density increases in all neighbourhoods. That is how we continue to fund infrastructure needs throughout town.

Some Solutions: 1. All city property (including Port SeaWall lots) should be prioritized for housing. All development on city-owned property should be required to in-

PHOTOS OF ARTWORK COURTESY OF DEBRA WALKER

By Debra Walker

clude 50% at variable levels of affordability from 30% up to 180% of median income (median 68k single, 98k family of 4).

2. We should fund, through permitting fees, a code enforcement assistance fund to help landlords renting out rent controlled units to maintain their buildings and, in return, landlords would agree not to displace tenants or increase rents beyond what is allowed by the city’s rent control ordinance.

3. A community land trust could buy an existing occupied rental building and not displace existing tenants, but take advantage of density bonuses for affordable housing to add allowable units. Doing so would avoid displacement and secure many units of housing for current and future residents.

Such a solution also comes with income potential to offset costs, keeping it affordable.

4. Do not give tax breaks to the wealthiest companies. To solve San Francisco’s housing woes, we need an investment of $100 million every year for ten years. Several years ago, the voters passed a Housing Trust Fund initiative that will eventually generate $20-30 million a year but a) it will take some time to get to that level, and b) the Mayor’s Office of Housing will be using the bulk of this money

for the first 4-6 years to rebuild public housing in Bayview Hunters Point, Visitacion Valley and Potrero Hill.

It will take leadership, but these tech businesses need to see that an investment from them will help to house their workers and keep a creative workforce here. Tech companies providing some housing would help to ease pressure on existing residents.

It’s a win win, and instead of gentrify-

ing our cities, they help their workers and the rest of us as they help themselves. Couple that with our city and state funding and we get closer to the $100 million a year we need. In the subsidy mix, we need to include consideration for folks making up to 180% of median income. That would take a huge amount of pressure off of the cities in the Bay Area.

5. Stop Ellis Act evictions. Support legislation at both the state and local level to limit Ellis Act evictions. Until then, attach fees galore to anyone wanting to invoke the Ellis Act to take units off the market, evict tenants and speculate on property. That kind of speculation is a huge cost to our community and we need to mitigate that affect.

6. Support SB391, State Senator Mark Desaulnier’s bill to create a permanent, dedicated source of state funding for affordable housing by creating a document recording fee of $75 per transaction. This would generate $500 million a year state wide and about $20-30 million for San Francisco.

Debra Walker, San Francisco Woman of the Year in 2010 and California Woman of the Year in 2009, is a well-known artist and a San Francisco Building Inspection commissioner. She is also an adjunct professor at the California Institute for Integral Studies, as well as being a tenant and housing activist.

See more of her artwork at debrawalker.com

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BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

P HOTOS C OURT ESY O F TO N Y JASIN SK I

Local Pro Hockey Team Makes History on Big LGBT Sports Night

By Tony Jasinski In recent years, there have been signif icant improvements in how our community is viewed in the larger world of sports. For example, it wasn’t that long ago that pro football players, such as Reggie White, were condemning our community publicly without backlash. Now, it seems that most comments of the same sort would garner a sizable negative response until the inevitable soft apology (note Evander Holyfield’s recent comments).

Now, for the first time in professional sports, a team has worn rainbow colors in support of our community throughout a game. The jerseys, worn by the SF Bulls- a minor-league hockey franchise affiliated with the San Jose Sharks- were auctioned off for the SF Pride parade, and thousands of dollars were raised. The gaythemed jerseys had player last names stitched on the back. The Bulls wore them on January 11 at their second annual LGBT night at the Cow Palace.

The SF Earthquakes, a local gay hockey team, played an exhibition match versus the Goaldiggers (another gay team) prior to the Bulls’ game.

It ended in a 3-3 tie. A player joked, “This one will have to be settled in the showers.” The Quakes- there were over 15 - really enjoyed themselves, but they did go civilian (street clothes) after their turn on the ice.

They have been playing since 1998, and they got the gold medal in the Sydney games. The team will be participating in the upcoming Cleveland games.

The SF Bulls hockey team became the first professional sports team ever to wear the rainbow images on their official jerseys. choral group also performed “America The Beautiful.” The SF Lesbian/ Gay Freedom Band played throughout the night from a stage near the ice.

There was a very nice video/scoreboard in the center of the arena, and its screens displayed regular reminders of the theme night. The crowd was probably in the high hundreds, and it seemed that half of the crowd had to be gay. Even the team’s cheerleaders and official mascot were in the rainbow colors for the evening. The mascot spent a lot of time posing with children during the game.

In my party of three, none of us had attended a hockey game before, yet all of us commented that we’d like to attend the same event next year. We felt completely safe throughout the evening, and the workers at the event were quite friendly. In fact, the en-

tire crowd clearly enjoyed the event, and there were smiles everywhere.

The food options and beer selection were equivalent to those at an Oakland A’s game. The facility looked a little old, but the arena was clean and comfortable. The seats were nicely cushioned. Parking at the facility was convenient and cheap, and tickets were reasonable ($20).

The headliner game itself was fastpaced, and the action was exciting.

The SF Bulls were playing the Alaska Aces, and the Bulls had beaten them the night before. Unfortunately, the team ended up on the poorer end of a 5 to 2 score. There wasn’t a single fight on the ice, which was a surprise to us, but there was a lot of body slamming.

Jason Breiter is the promoter and ticket sales manager for the SF Bulls, and he admitted that it was a chal-

lenge to work with the gay community, being that it is so broad-based and fractionalized. He was particularly proud of the musical component this year, as it was important to him to have both the SF Lesbian and Gay Chorus along with the East Bay Chorus, as well as the Freedom Band. He also said it was unusual to feature “America the Beautiful,” but it was a sleek way to use the choruses a second time.

Breiter said that the Bulls wanted to make a point of really connecting with the gay community in a way that had never been done by a professional sports team. He is particularly thrilled with getting people to attend a game when they had never previously enjoyed a hockey before. He made sure to add the Team SF and the Federation of the Gay Games to the beneficiaries this year, since their focus is on sports.

Besides thank you’s from the various beneficiaries and gay groups, Breiter did get an email after the event from Billy Bradford of Castro Valley Pride. Bradford wrote, “I need you to understand how important your support of the LGBT community is

for us. I am just an old hockey fan, but last night I had tears in my eyes when the Bulls took the ice wearing rainbow jerseys.” Bradford also mentioned that he is a proud Bulls fan, and that he wears his Bulls’ gear all of the time. He ended his note with, “It takes people like you ( Jason) standing up for people like us for us all to change the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Clearly, the SF Bulls worked very hard to make the evening successful, as they had spent a lot of money on promotions and those jerseys. This is a franchise that is working hard to earn our support, and their regular t-shirts and fan paraphernalia are of very good quality. The team colors happen to be the same as the SF Giants, so they mix in well with the local sport colors. Regarding the special jerseys of that evening, it is exciting to see an entire team (presumably consisting of primarily straight athletes) sport the colors in support of our community with no objection, nor discomfort.

Tony Jasinski is the former president of the San Francisco Gay Basketball League.

Kieran Flaherty of the Earthquakes said that the Bulls have worked collaboratively with the Quakes, such as both teams participating in “You Can Play.” You Can Play is a gaysupportive organization that promotes sports and tolerance. Flaherty also mentioned that he and his partner are season ticketholders of the Bulls, and they have cowbells to add to their experience.

The night opened with the “Star Spangled Banner” sung by a blend of the SF and East Bay gay choruses. Between the last 2 periods, the

Members of the Lesbian/Gay Choir of San Francisco and the East Bay Chorus singing together at the game.

Members of the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band performing at the game.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 23, 2014

17

Materialism Is Misery Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-503-1375 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 Phone: 510-504-9255 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com 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.

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Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT The holiday spending orgy -- with its images of frenzied “consumers” fighting and trampling each other to get their hands on all that great stuff they had to have -- is finally behind us. But since it’s also a recent memory, this might be a good time to take a hard look at what our national addiction to stuff actually does to us. English writer and social activist George Monbiot recently reviewed the extensive research on the psychological effects of materialism, defined as “a value system that is preoccupied with possessions and the social image they project.” He reports in the Guardian that the science is clear: Materialism leads to a lack of empathy, is destructive to relationships and measurably reduces wellbeing.

He describes a series of studies published last year, which showed that

as people become more materialistic, their wellbeing (good relationships, autonomy, sense of purpose, etc.) diminishes. Conversely, if they become less materialistic, it rises. In one study, the researchers tested a group of 18-year-olds, then re-tested them 12 years later. They were asked to rank the importance of different goals – jobs, money and status on one side, and self-acceptance, wellbeing and belonging on the other. They were then given a standard diagnostic test to identify mental health problems. At the ages of both 18 and 30, materialistic people were more susceptible to disorders. But, if in that period they became less materialistic, they also became happier.

Another study followed Icelanders who were attempting to cope with their country’s economic collapse.

Some people became more focused on materialism, in the hope of regaining lost ground, while others became less interested in money and turned their attention to family and community life. The first group reported lower levels of wellbeing, the second group had higher levels.

One paper described a controlled experiment in which subjects were repeatedly exposed to images of luxury goods, to messages that cast them as consumers rather than citizens and to words associated with materialism (such as buy, status, asset and expensive). The subjects experienced imme-

diate, but temporary, increases in material aspirations – and also anxiety and depression. In addition, they also became more competitive and more selfish, had a reduced sense of social responsibility and were less inclined to participate in social activities. The researchers point out that, since we’re repeatedly bombarded with such images through advertisements, and are constantly described by the media as consumers, these temporary effects could be triggered more or less continuously.

Finally, a study which followed 2,500 people for six years found a two-way relationship between materialism and loneliness: Materialism fosters social isolation while isolation fosters materialism. People who are cut off from others attach themselves to possessions, and this attachment, in turn, crowds out social relationships. Monbiot concludes that materialism is “a system that eats us from the inside out,” and that the belief that having more money and more stuff enhances our wellbeing is, in fact, “a formula for mass unhappiness.”

We are vulnerable to destructive value systems like materialism, in part, because of the way we’re hard-wired.

When our brain’s built-in reward system identifies something it wants, it releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that propels us toward the reward.

This system is fairly indiscriminate. It

doesn’t distinguish between rewards that will make us happier from those that won’t. And, whenever we experience a dopamine rush, we’re prone to two cognitive errors: We tend to overestimate both the pleasure we’ll derive from gratifying our desire and the discomfort we’ll feel if we don’t.

When we buy into what the reward system tells us, then we are susceptible to the “hedonistic fallacy,” which is the belief that happiness consists of stringing together as many pleasurable moments as possible. Fortunately, there is more to our brains than the reward system. We have a neocortex which is capable of acquiring the insight that a life dominated by the imperatives of the reward system is unhappiness, and of understanding that pleasure and happiness aren’t the same thing.

We can acquire the insight that gratifying our immediate desires isn’t what creates happiness. True and lasting happiness instead derives from warm connections with others, a commitment to their wellbeing; and shared experiences of awe, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, joy, hope, and trust.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.tommoon.net or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TomMoonM F T. You can contact Tom directly via e-mail at examlife@aol.com or by phoning 415-626-1346.

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

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Recycle Your Life Frankly, I don’t believe that we are mentally and emotionally wired for the roller coaster rides that life sometimes offers us. However, all of us at a certain age can recall times in our lives when we managed to handle changes that we thought would undo us at the very core.

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Speak Up! Speak Out! Laugh Often!

Karen Williams Variety is the spice of life! At least, that’s the word on the street. For most of us, change is challenging to embrace and we sidestep it at every opportunity.

We also hear that the only constant in life is change. Why is it that knowing all of this good stuff doesn’t make it any easier for us to let go and let it happen?

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BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

For example, coming to grips with one’s sexuality requires deep change.

Yet, when we meet the challenge of being out and proud, we are likely to gain inner strength that will serve us in other situations. In other words, we gain confidence when we are able to embrace and learn from a difficult experience. We realize our inherent abilities and develop the wisdom, fortitude and resilience to lean into other circumstances that would otherwise cause us to run.

It is customary for many of us to face the new year with relief and resolve; to let go of “what was” and to get ready for “what’s up” with high doses of opti-

mism and determination. I am the proverbial goal-setter, consistently writing down my goals for the day, the week, and the year. I am always happy and fulfilled when I accomplish my dreams and desires, yet I can be perplexed by the many goals that do not come to fruition. That’s where recycling my life comes in…more specifically, making the necessary changes to my thoughts and ideas to visualize other uses for what life has in store for me.

With lots of prayer, meditation, and self-reflection, I am able to see that my needs and desires change, and that the goals that I set for myself earlier in the year do not have the same meaning or significance at year-end. Often, there are many pleasant surprises and unplanned happenings that work to my benefit. Along my journey, I am learning that while it is perfectly fine to have goals, I must continue to learn to live in the moment and try not to predict outcomes. There is something to be said for learning to go with the flow. There

is certainly more peace, tranquility, joy, and contentment.

I relate this process to recycling. I am avid about giving away items that I no longer use, finding other uses for objects, and sharing what I’ve outgrown.

This type of recycling is fun for me. I get joy out of living more simply, making space, and clearing the air. I liken this to making rainbows out of roughage. My challenge these days is to find joy in discarding some of my old habits and embracing new ways of being. Yet, with a heart full of gratitude and the willingness to try, I am able to recycle my life today with a smile on my face and a glint of hope in my eye.

Recycle your life! Your happiness is worth it!

Karen Williams is an avid recyclist…if there is such a word! Recycle your ideas with her at karen@sfbaytimes.com.

Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow Ninth Circuit Orders Heightened Scrutiny For Sexual Orientation Bias Our legal fight for marriage equality has exploded into dozens of state and federal cases, far too many for even the most organized GLBT reporter to track. As for me, I have been accustomed to juggling all our big lawsuits in my head, an easy trick back in the day when we had two or three major cases at any one time. Now, well, I am doing my best.

As I write, however, the most important legal news is an obvious pick. No, it’s not the federal opinion legalizing marriage in Utah. It’s not the federal marriage ruling in our favor out of Oklahoma. Indeed, it’s not even a marriage ruling at all. It’s a decision out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, written by our old friend Stephen Reinhardt, author of the weird Prop 8 opinion that was subsequently voided by the High Court on a technicality.

In this case, Reinhardt and his two (Democratically appointed) panelists ruled that gay men and women cannot be summarily dropped from a jury because of sexual orientation.

The High Court has already made it clear in two separate opinions that lawyers may not exclude jury candidates due to race or gender. Now, sexual orientation is added to the list on the left coast.

Well, that’s nice. But for many of us, it’s like the gays in the military debate. We don’t want to be excluded from anything on principle. But we’re not exactly doing backf lips in order to join the army or spend a couple of weeks reporting for jury duty. But forget jury duty. The significance of the opinion lies in the reasoning. Here, Reinhardt rules that courts examining cases of gay bias must put the burden of proof on the alleged offender, applying heightened legal scrutiny to the circumstances at issue. His decision rewrites the legal handbook to our advantage throughout the western United States.

If it stands, and is not reviewed and overturned by the full Ninth Circuit or the Supreme Court, we will win the marriage case against Nevada now pending in the Ninth Circuit.

Almost automatically.

Whither Windsor?

And now, let’s talk brief ly about the importance of legal reasoning. It’s normal to see a headline and skip the details. “Court Rules for Gay Couples.” Yay!!!! On to the sports page, where we can pore over the minute details of Kansas basketball.

But the real news is always in the details. Victory is important. But did Kansas win in a blowout? Or did their star player break a kneecap while the team fumbled its way to a one-point edge? What does the future hold?

A couple of years ago, as I mentioned, Judge Reinholdt wrote the opinion that struck California’s Prop 8 on appeal from Judge Walker’s court. And yet, our legal allies were baffled. The opinion never really grappled with the underlying question of marriage equality. Nor did it deal with the level of scrutiny that should be applied to equal protection cases involving sexual orientation. Arguably, it did not even leave a mark on gay rights jurisprudence. Instead, Reinhardt wrote that a state may not remove constitutional rights from a specific group of people, a guideline that could apply just as easily to dog walkers as gay people, and one which had nothing to do with marriage.

We had been hoping for a big juice gay rights precedent from a federal appellate court, and we got a dry saltine. Analysts thought Reinhardt might have written this nondescript opinion in order to keep the case from

exploding in our gay faces at a higher court. But whatever his motive, his ruling managed to kill Prop 8 without advancing the ball in our direction.

Now Judge Reinhardt has delivered the goods. But he has done so in a context that hardly ripples the waters in the mainstreams of society. Jury duty? Who cares! Marriage? Now, despite our progress, that’s still a difficult subject, to say the least. It’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Judge Reinhardt is a strategist at heart, looking ahead to the repercussions of his opinions and the end game of a civil rights movement that he clearly supports. He is not called the liberal lion of the Ninth Circuit for nothing.

Judge Reinhardt did something more. Instead of wading through the usual analysis that governs a debate on heightened scrutiny, Reinhardt examined Justice Kennedy’s opaque opinion in Windsor, and determined that, even though Kennedy did not come right out and announce that sexual orientation deserved special consideration by the courts (an announcement that would have generated shockwaves throughout the legal system), Kennedy’s approach to last June’s DOMA case nonetheless implied that heightened scrutiny was in effect.

If other courts pick up on Reinhardt’s reasoning, our victory against the Defense of Marriage Act would carry over to any and all cases of gay bias that reach the federal courts. Did I mention that we now have dozens of federal marriage cases in the pipeline?

That said, Justice Kennedy has always managed to rule in our favor without actually spelling out the type of hard legal reasoning that would force future courts to follow suit. At first blush, it looked as if Lawrence v Texas would do for gay rights what Roe v Wade did for abortion rights.

But, indeed, it proved fairly easy for conservative courts to sidestep Lawrence, as they did with Kennedy’s other gay rights decision, Romer v Evans.

When Kennedy delivered yet another vaguely reasoned gay rights decision last summer, I personally was afraid that, once again, the opinion was going to be up for grabs. Liberal courts would use Windsor to uphold our rights. Conservative courts would note that no special scrutiny was ordered, and nowhere did Kennedy dictate how states would define marriage.

And yet, this hasn’t been the case.

Courts in Ohio, Utah, Oklahoma and elsewhere have gone out of their way to interpret Windsor as broadly as possible. Now, the Ninth Circuit joins the party, delivering what might be one of the most signif icant gay rights rulings in history to date. Justice Kennedy may have hedged his bets with his semantic legerdemain all these years. But when you hold his rulings up to the light, the story they tell is becoming explicit.

Circuit Party So what now? It seems as if every state is now embroiled in a marriage equality contest. Pennsylvania has no less than seven active lawsuits. The National Center for Lesbian Rights has just filed in Florida. There are two in Texas. There are cases in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Oregon, Idaho, Michigan—you get the picture.

Indeed, rather than track cases by state, it may be more useful at this point to track them by federal appellate district. Our most important battles are arguably now being waged in federal court, so while it would be nice to see marriage equality spread through another state supreme court ruling, the critical decisions will be coming from the federal bench.

Professional Services At present, we have a case pending in the Ninth Circuit: the previously mentioned lawsuit against the state of Nevada that has been trudging along in a tedious fashion for a couple of years. Then, we have the Utah case, which has been fast tracked at the Tenth Circuit. Since Oklahoma is also under the jurisdiction of the Tenth Circuit, those cases may be combined. Will that slow down the litigation? We’ll see.

In Ohio, we have a marriage recognition case now proceeding to the Sixth Circuit. That case involved a somewhat narrow question of whether or not the state was obliged to list a samesex spouse on a death certificate. But, obviously, the issue on appeal will be whether or not the Buckeye State can ignore the general marital rights of those who wed outside Ohio borders.

There are 12 federal appellate courts, which are one rung down from the Supreme Court, and each of those courts makes binding law for all states in their jurisdiction. (That’s why Judge Reinhardt’s gay rights ruling was so important. It will become law for seven western states, plus Alaska and Hawaii.)

Marriage is already legal throughout the First and Second Circuits, with the exception of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia circuit is also a free marriage area. So that leaves six other appellate circuits where marriage litigation might appear.

You can certainly single out the “good” circuits and the “bad” ones.

But, in truth, it’s something of a crapshoot. Three-judge panels are selected by lot so, in theory, we could end up with two or three conservative judges even in a court dominated by Democratic appointees and vice versa. That said, a panel decision can be reviewed by the entire bench of any circuit court so, for example, were we somehow to win a marriage case in the Fifth Circuit, the full bench would slap us back into our corner in a heartbeat.

Check out the Wikipedia entries for the various courts to count the number of Democratic or Republican appointees. And keep in mind that Reagan and Bush One picks are not necessarily all that bad.

San Fran on the Small Screen Is it wrong to pass judgment on a TV show that you’ve never watched or a book you’ve never read? Of course not! That’s why I have no problem deciding not to watch the new HBO show, “Looking.” From what I’ve read, the show is a bore, and trades solely on the hackneyed notion that gay men are just like everyone else, looking for love in all the wrong places and trying to live an average American life. Yawn.

That said, if I still lived in San Francisco, I’d probably watch it just out of hometown pride and satisfaction.

I stopped watching The Mentalist for a long time because I got sick of Red John. Now, the show is based in Austin, where I live, and I’m back, if only to see my own skyline and city streets.

One pet peeve about The Mentalist: When they were based in Sacramento, they were always flitting down to LA or up to the Napa Valley, only to be back in their office a few hours later. Hello? It’s a six-hour drive to LA, and they weren’t seen in an airport. Now I watch them hop over from Austin to Corpus Christie (four hours), get someone, interrogate them at headquarters (another four hours), and continue their beachfront investigation the next day. Ditto Houston, about two and a half hours by car.

C’mon writers. A little realism.

Looking For A Topic I was just surfing for a good short item to end this column, when I noticed a sidebar titled “25 Most Common (continued on page 26)

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

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 23, 2014

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The Fundamental Gateway to Enlightenment Is Silence ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Cosmic catalysts call attention to your career now, Aries. Intense interactions with professional partners are compelling you to purge patterns that prohibit your success. Be willing to make the necessary adjustments.

LEO (July 23 – August 22) Live and learn, Leo. Listening to lessons that linger from the past will prepare you for profound changes that await in the near future. Look back before you leap forward.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Go for the gold, Sagittarius. Astral energies add fuel to your ambitious activities now. Set a goal, and summon the support of people in your community who share your passion.

better.

TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Learn by doing, Taurus. Skills you long to master will manifest promptly when you put them into practice. Perfection isn’t a priority. Moving through the motions means more now.

Astrology Gypsy Love Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) is considered to have been one of the most preeminent Indian gurus of modern times. His teachings maintain that, by focusing intently on inner awareness, we liberate from physical pain and bond in higher consciousness with the Universe. Maharshi contends that enlightenment is the natural condition of humankind, and that its fundamental gateway is silence.

Current astro-insights concur. Set aside some silent time to set your soul free..

Visit www.GypsyLoveProductions.com

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) As old constructs come to a close, a brand new blank canvas is being brought to light. Design wings for your dreams, Gemini. Now is the time to convert concepts into creations.

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) Take a closer look at your intimate connections, Cancer. Central relationships reveal much about self-worth. Reduce your dire dependence on the endorsement of others. Sincere strength must stem from within.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) Veer from the norm, Virgo. Innovative impulses are instrumental as you set important intentions now. Do not fear the unfamiliar. It’s still possible to be sensible and adventurous. Stay focused.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Lighten up, Libra. Strip away heavy layers that hinder your heart now. Your soul yearns for freedom.

Let go of trivial temptations, and take hold of what’s truly valuable.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Sail amidst the sea of your subconscious, Scorpio.

Significant visions are unveiling now. Draw your mind’s eye inward to extract the extraordinary information the Universe has made available to you.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) Bring it, Capricorn. Projects you plan now could make a powerful impact on your public appeal.

Pump up your prestige and pad your pocketbook by putting your best face forward.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Open your mind’s eye, Aquarius. Nowadays, the Universe urges you to explore unpaved pathways to enlightenment. Liberate from external expectations, and expand your channels of divination.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) Put it in perspective, Pisces. Celestial aides advise you to step back a bit and behold the big picture. Retreat to a quiet place, and peacefully piece your thoughts together.

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

As Heard on the Street . . .

AL L PHOTOS BY RIN K

compiled by Rink What LGBT artist would you like to see performing at a half time show of a future Super Bowl?

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Jamie Awad

Larry-Bob Roberts

Greggy Carey

“Ricky Martin”

“Big Freedia of New Orleans”

“Ricky Martin”

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

Arts&Entertainment The World Premiere of HBO’s “Looking” at the Castro Theatre grammer looking for sex and/or love; Agustín (Frankie J. Alvarez), an artist moving to Oak land to live with his boyfriend; and Dom (Murray Bartlett), a long-time waiter approaching forty and def lated the first time his sexual charms fail him.

Michael Denison The world premiere of HBO’s new series, Looking, took place January 14 at the Castro Theatre. The gay dramedy is set in San Francisco, where it was also filmed. Creator/Co-Executive Producer Michael Lannan says Looking is about “looking for authentic ways of being in the world.”

The show centers around three gay friends: Paddy ( Jonathan Groff ), a twenty-something video-game pro-

PHOTO BY ST EVEN UN DERHIL L

Guest Contributor

Before the screening, the cast posed on the red carpet for photographs.

Those attending included Grof f (whom I spotted taking selfies in the row behind where my partner Phil and I sat), Raúl Castillo, who plays Richie, the object of Paddy›s affections and fumblings; and O.T. Fagbenle, who plays Frank, the boyfriend with whom Agustín cohabitates.

The world premiere showcased the first two half-hour episodes of Looking’s eight-part, first season.

I was delighted Director/Co-Executive Producer Andrew Haigh captured the look and tempo of three friends living today in San Francisco, which is so very unlike New York or

Frameline’s K.C. Price with the creator and cast of Looking on stage at the Castro Theatre.

Los Angeles, where too many film and television productions seem to shoot stories supposedly taking place here.

PHOTO BY RIN K

I love all kinds of gay characters from fabulous Stanford Blatch in Sex and The City to bewitching Jonathon in Were the World Mine - but as a gay man living in San Francisco, I especially enjoy the authenticity of Lannan’s characters struggling here to define themselves as friends, lovers and individuals.

Actors Raul Castillo, Jonathan Groff and O.T. Fagbenie at the Castro Theatre for the premiere of HBO’s Looking.

When Dom tells a co-worker he dislikes arrogant techies today as much

as he did in 1999, I f lashed back to my life then. It was a fantastic, rarely dull and sometimes grim era for my friends and me. I regret there’s no gay-themed film or television series set then in San Francisco to remind me of that time.

After my partner and I left the Looking after party, we crossed Castro Street and I looked back at the Castro Theatre. The red carpet was put away. Its marque was updated with the next night’s entertainment. And I was already feeling sentimental about that first hour spent with Paddy, Augustín and Dom.

I wanted to know what happened next to them in San Francisco.

Looking airs Sundays on HBO. For more information, please go to www. hbo.com/looking.

San Francisco resident Michael Denison p rodu ces v i d e os for t o p fa sh i on a n d l ife st yl e bra n d s , a n d h a s be e n screenwriting for 10 years. He maintains a blog , “Male Models V intage Beefcake ,” featured on the S undance Channel’s website, as well as the blog “Mike the Content Producer,” http:// mikethecontentproducer.blogspot.com/.

The Last Match Is Sexy and Compelling, Even If the Ending Disappoints knows that Juan can provide him with a much needed income stream. As such, Reinier tries to spend as much time with Juan as possible—to earn as much money as possible—so he can buy the motorcycle he dreams about owning and one day leave Havana.

Film

Gary M. Kramer The Last Match, opening Friday at Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema, is a sexy and affecting drama about two young men who fall in love amid poverty in Cuba. Reinier (Reinier Díaz) is a handsome soccer player who pawns his mother’s electronics and frequently bets on a shell game. He also earns cash prostituting himself to gay foreigners like Juan (Toni Cantó), a Spaniard he picks up on the Malecón.

Reinier claims he is straight, refusing to have anal sex with Juan, but he also

Reinier shares his dreams with his friend Yosvani (Milton García), the future son-in-law of Silvano (Luis Alberto García), a local loan shark. Reinier buys clothes—which symbolize status—from Silvano, who sees him as a good customer until Reinier is increasingly late with payments.

The Last Match chronicles the relationship that develops between Reinier and Yosvani that begins after a drunken kiss one night. They soon give in to their unspoken desires, and before long, start meeting on the sly for passionate trysts on rooftops and in restrooms.

Writer/director Antonio Hems artfully, tenderly shoots Reinier and Yosvani’s nascent romance. He captures the secret love that they share in

the simple affections they exchange.

However, where Yosvani falls deeply in love, Reinier seems to be keeping his options open. Juan seems to be the reason for this—Yosvani does not mask his jealousy towards the Spaniard—but it is Silvano’s discovery of the relationship between the guys that causes things to come to a head.

While the intense romance between Reinier and Yosvani form the backbone of The Last Match, writer/director Antonio Hems adds details that flesh out the lives of these characters to create an affecting drama. For example, Reinier’s mother, Teresa (Mirta Ibarra), approves her son’s relationship with Juan, encouraging her son to go to Spain and get married so they can get money to leave Cuba. Likewise, a scene that reveals Juan’s profession is introduced in a clever way that explains how he was able to help Reinier attend a local soccer academy and possibly make a national team.

How Reinier and Yosvani construct and compartmentalize their sexual identities explains much about the macho culture of Cuba. When Silvano tells Yosvani that he needs to earn respect—“The world isn’t made for faggots”—it is a telling moment.

Moreover, that Hems films the three central male actors’ nudity so casually also belies the film’s raw emotions.

But it is the attention Hems pays to themes of masculinity and sexuality that make The Last Match resonate.

Hems’s f ilm certainly conveys the economic and romantic despair of Reinier and Yosvani, and The Last

Match benefits from the casting of the attractive García and Díaz. But the film’s melodramatic climax, however realistic, feels both forced and clumsy.

It is a weak finish for an otherwise compelling film. © 2014 Gary M. Kramer 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.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 23, 2014

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Q&A with Darren Stein, Director of G.B.F. their share of smart and funny jokes.

G.B.F. is full of teen-speak, pop culture references, and queer/bitchy f lamboyance. The f ilm’s costumes are fierce, but the most fabulous part of G.B.F. is how the film spins some stereotypes on its head—but also shrewdly equates being in the closet with being in high school.

I recently chatted with Stein about making his feel-good film.

Film

Gary M. Kramer

GMK: In high school, were you more like Tanner, Brent or the clique queens?

DS: [Laughs] In high school, I was an outsider. I was a combination of Tanner, Brent and a clique queen. I had a bit of Brent’s queeny-ness, Tanner’s introverted qualities and the aspirations of a clique queen [laughs]. I went to an all boys’ school. It was a harder experience if, like me, you didn’t fly under the radar, and play sports and blend in. I escaped through movies.

The teen movies of John Hughes presented a high school experience that could have happened—a fantasy world I preferred.

Darren Stein Turning the drama of coming out into high comedy, G.B.F., opening January 24, is a bright—and brightly colored—high-energy romp. Tanner (Michael J. Willett) is a high school senior who is inadvertently outed.

Rather than becoming a social pariah, he is wooed by the school’s three teen queens who want him as their “sexless accessory,” even though he wants to maintain a low profile. His newfound status as the Gay Best Friend (G.B.F.) happens at the same time he has a fight with his BFF Brent (Paul Iacono). Yet bigger problems occur when Tanner is denied the right to take a dude as his date to his prom.

Hijinks ensue when Tanner gets involved with an alternative prom and Brent butches it up to put an end to Tanner’s popularity.

Director Darren Stein ably provides the laughs as the characters each get

GMK : W hat sim ilarit ies do you see between being in high school and being in the closet?

DS: That’s one of the big themes in the movie. Everyone is in the closet in high school about their insecurity.

By exploring the gay closet, we use it as a metaphor for every closet—the science nerd’s, the Mormon slut’s or the kinky girl’s. You live in fear in high school. Everything seems so insurmountable. Once you get out, you can make your own decisions.

GMK: The film turns stereot y pes on t heir heads, from Tanner’s coming out being celebrated to queeny Brent butching it up in one sequence.

DS: Paul came out two years ago, so it was fun for him to play Brent, who was closer to his truth—especially after he played a straight boy on MTV’s The Hard Times of RJ Berger. You have to skewer every stereotype to make it universal. We want teenagers to see

G.B.F. It is a gateway movie—one where being gay is not an issue.

GMK: Tanner fights to go to his prom. Did you go to your prom?

DS: I went with this cherubic redheaded girl who flew in from Gainsville, Florida. It was me and a fellow closeted gay kid and his equally clueless date. My mom did my date’s turquoise eye shadow to go with her frilly dress. The evening was pretty much as tragic as the make-up. I really don’t know why I bothered going, but I guess in high school, you want to affect some semblance of fitting in.

GMK: What can you say about all the teen-speak and pop culture references in the film?

DS: That was the charm of the script.

The language was current and funny and out there and absurd. It was like Heathers and Clueless, where they invent language and words, and those terms sink into pop culture. We live in a culture where kids text and tweet, so we riffed on acronyms throughout G.B.F. Language is metamorphosing.

GMK: G.B.F. also looks fabulous, with bright colors and f lamboyant costumes. How did you create the film’s look?

DS: G.B.F. was similar to Jawbreaker (Stein’s last feature) in that it’s contemporary, but you don’t have to give it a time or place. You create a style that goes with the language. I like movies where you are immersed in a world, or on another planet.

Teen films are a great place to explore fashion. Our fashion designer was from Project Runway. She really brought a massive amount of style to the film. The characters had to wear the most outrageous fashions because we were skewering trends, such as a G.B.F. being the must-have accessory. © 2014 Gary M. Kramer 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.

Sizzling Sheena Rose

Gems of The Bay Kippy Marks The rhythm of Sheena Rose’s music keeps me dancing, and the vision of her working the stage puts a smile on my face. She is an 80’s goddess with a modern flair. She is a blond bombshell with a tale to tell. If you aren’t yet familiar with her, then it is my honor to present to you the Sizzling Sheena Rose.

Check out the new Bay Times website: sfbaytimes.com 22

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 3 , 2 0 1 4

Sheena most recent ly relea sed “Queen of Clubs,” a hot track with DJ MDW and the amazing VButterfly La Mariposa. There are a million mixes of it available on iTunes and Amazon. Sheena is currently in the studio working on two steamy new tracks. First up, Sheena will be featured on Marco Middlesex‘s new single “Sexation,” which will be released in the coming weeks. Then Sheena will be releasing a new house track with LFB and VButterf ly La Mari-

Shena Rose posa in June, with epic mixes just in time for Pride.

Sheena, aka Jacob Paiva, loves the way dance music makes her feel. She says, “It makes you feel good and can be very inspiring and uplifting; it’s soulful at times too. I love creating music that makes people want to dance and have a good time.”

Sheena’s a Bay Area-born goddess, having been raised in Martinez by parents Kent Paiva and Terrie Ausmus. She’s the oldest of three children and has two younger brothers. She attended Alhambra High School in Martinez.

When asked what her first experience with music was, Sheena replies, “I re-

member when Tina Turner came out with her comeback hit ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It,’ and my mom went and bought it. I remember when my mom first put that record on, and I was like, ‘Whoa!’ Even at that young age, I thought Tina was something special. Like my mother, she inspired me.”

Sheena adds, “When I was five or six, I remember my mother and father playing their rock records from the 70’s.

Music from the Beatles, Rod Stewart, Janis Joplin…I was an 80’s kid, so by the time I was in grade school, it was all about MTV. I loved the music of Cyndi Lauper, Boy George, Madonna, Prince, George Michael and, of course, Tina Turner.” (continued on page 26)

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb From a Fun Nun

In other repugnant news, New Jersey Republican Guv Chris “Bridgegate” Christie did no favors to the transgender community when he vetoed a bill. While Christie navigates scandals about blocked bridges and misused hurricane-relief funds, he vetoed Assembly Bill 4097, which would make it easier for transgender people to obtain amended birth certificates.

Passed by the legislature in recent months, it would allow trans people to change their gender identification without undergoing gender reassignment surgery. VETOED!!!

Better transgender news: A City Council member in Shreveport, La., had abandoned his effort to repeal an LGBT-inclusive antidiscrimination ordinance, following outcry from the public, including a transgender woman who dared him to stone her to death. The council passed the ordinance in December by a vote of 6-1, following a successful campaign by a pro-LGBTQ coalition known as Be Fair Shreveport. The ordinance, which bans discrimination in housing and employment within city limits on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, received its lone “no” vote from Councilman Ron Webb.

During the council’s debate last December, Webb voiced his opposition, saying, “The Bible tells you homosexuals are an abomination,” adding that he does not socialize with LGBT people. Webb drafted a proposal designed to repeal the nondiscrimination policy. Pamela Raintree, a transgender woman called out the Bible-thumping councilman, daring him to stone her to death, quoting the notorious anti-queer Leviticus 20:13.

Webb withdrew his repeal measure just minutes later, without calling for a vote. Amen!

Move over, Queer As Folk, because it’s time for LOOKING, the new HBO gay slice-of-life dramedy TV series based in our own San Fransissie! Looking had its world premiere at the Castro Theatre. It’s the story of three best friends on different paths in their gay journeys. Patrick (played

by Jonathan Groff ) is a 29-yearold video game designer recovering from his ex’s recent engagement announcement. 31-y-o aspiring artist Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) questions whether monogamy works when suddenly moving into his boyfriend Frank’s (O.T. Fagbenle) Oakland home and possibly ex per imenting with consensual three-ways and more. The older friend, 39, longtime waiter Dom (Murray Bartlett) is facing gay middle age (shriek!) and an unfulfilled romance/career.

At the VIP after-party catered by Taste Catering at The Cafe, I spoke with Frankie J. Alvarez, one of the leads in the triad friendship. I told him I hoped the show would go more than the eight in the can, presently, and he urged my readers to flood HBO with social media bombardment to renew the series - which comes off more as smartly segmented cinema than a

Approximately 150 people crowded into the SF LGBT Community Center for the CASTRO TENANTS CONVENTION with Castro-area tenants and their friends as part of a series that will lead to a citywide convention in February. The objectives: develop a municipal ballot initiative and proposals for local and state legislation to address EssEff ’s affordable housing crisis and epidemic of evictions driven by real-estate speculators. Among the sponsors of the conventions are the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, the AIDS Housing Alliance/SF, and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club. The next Castro-centric meeting is February 25th, 2pm, LGBT Center, first floor.

The CITYWIDE TENANT CONVENTION is on February 8th, 1-4 pm at the SEIU 1021 Union Hall, 350 Rhode Island (entrance on weekend on Kansas near 17th).

It’s M A R DI GR AS season, and K REWE DE K INQUE held our annual 12TH NIGHT PARTY at the home of Queen Cockatielia as a celebration and a revelation of the newest King and Queen of Mardi Gras (a secret to be revealed at the masked ball). Queen Tilly made killer jambalaya and cornbread, and other Krewe members brought typical N’awlins cuisine, including King X K ippy Marks and Queen X K itty Tapata, who will be stepping down in February. It was a lovely night and we got a lot of business out of the way, including planning our yearly fundraising BALL M A SQUE X I, M A R DI GR AS MAGICK, on Saturday, March 1st, possibly at Beaux bar. Details are coming soon. This year the beneficiary we chose was Night Ministries, providing middle-of-the-night compassionate nonjudgmental pastoral care, counseling, referral, and crisis intervention to anyone in any kind of distress. Meanwhile if you’re curious about Krewe de Kinque, come to our every first Wednesday night FULL MOON CONTEST at the Edge, 9pm, where some lucky a-hole will win the bare butt competition. Just answer clever questions from judges (Queen VII Sister Dana is head judge) and show yer hiney. Bottom line is the $100 prize. Next contest is February 5th. Come participate or just watch the fun! sfkinque.com.

CUMMING UP! Every Monday, 7:30 to 10:30pm is DRINK ‘N DR AW at Moby Dick

bar, 4049 18th Street and Castro, hosted by famed artist THOMASINA DEMAIO, providing a different live model each week for artists and even newbies like me to sketch, paint, or use whatever media they choose to bring.

SAFE SEX BANG: THE BUZZ BENSE COLLECTION OF SAFE SEX POSTERS is now exhibited at the CENTER FOR SEX AND CULTURE, 1349 Mission Street. In addition to the gorgeous posters Buzz gave to CSC, they have borrowed a few items from the GLBT Historical Society, including a pamphlet from The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence made in 1982 and one from the 90’s. Always setting the standard and the trends, ours is one of the earliest sex positive safer sex items around.

Friday, January 24th, 7-10 pm is the Catalog Release Party and Buzz Bense’s Birthday Party. Saturday, January 25th, 6-8 pm is the Closing Reception co-sponsored by Magnet SF. Both events are free. sexandculture.org.

The 3rd annual BAY AREA AMERICAN INDIAN TWO - SPIRITS POWWOW is Saturday, February 1st, where they expect over 1,000 people to gather (including Native American two-spirits and supportive members of the Indian and non-Indian community) at SOMArts Gallery on 934 Brannan Street. To volunteer: powwowvolunteering@gmail.com.

For more info: baaits.org.

Pornucopia: This week’s flick pick is a tie between Shagged and Soaked both from titanmen.com.

GOING DOWN WITH YOU is the title of the exhibition of art by NICK ICE currently on display at Magnet, the health and wellbeing hub for gay/ bi men in the Castro. Attending the reception at Magnet were his sister, Alee, and several drag queens portrayed among his pieces: Camille Tow, Nikki Ferrari, and Lola.

Ice’s artist’s statement says, “This body of work is about angst, passion, survival, and celebration.” He continues, “We get so caught up in the distractions, the fear, and the product of faux individual we’ve been trained to believe. This is where perception and intention comes into the picture.

Most will follow, happy to find a place amongst the others. Some will rebel, refusing to contribute to a culture with an undefined incentive. The rest of us, however, know when to throw our hands up, surrender to the machine, and celebrate anything and everything. We know the world doesn’t owe us anything and that the only thing we have to fear is ourselves.”

But we are not alone: “You may very well be on your way down, but I’m going down with you.” I preferred his full frontals.

Sister Dana sez, “Repugnicans need to win just six seats to take control of the U.S. Senate from Democrats and give it to Mitch McConnell, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and the Tea Party. Aaaak! Think of the damage McConnell would do as Senate Majority Leader, with Cruz, Paul, and Rubio in ascendance. Or think of what might happen if Repugnicans control the Senate Judiciary Committee - and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, or another Supreme Court justice, steps down.

Yikes! Concerned activists should check out democracyforamerica.com!”

Sister Dana (second from left at the microphone) speaks at a tenants rights protest rally in the Castro.

PH OTO BY R I NK

Sister Dana sez, “Senate Repugnicans voted against a bill that would have reinstated long-term unemployment benefits for 1.3 million Americans - including more than 200,000 military veterans - even after Democrats agreed to offset the costs to meet RepubliCAN’T demands. Harvard economist Lawrence Katz says that the denial of these benefits will cost the economy up to $1 billion a week. Yep, billion with a B!”

TV sitcom. Frankie complemented me on my navy and black checkered Vans, saying he had an identical pair of shoes, and then kissed me full on the lips. Sigh. He’s a cutie. As is the rest of the trio. Looking was created

by Michael Lannan and is executive produced by Sarah Condon (Bored to Death) and Andrew Haigh, who wrote and directed the criticallyacclaimed Weekend, shown last year at the SF International LGBT Film Festival. Looking is just what you’re looking for - fast-paced (30-minute slots) with lots of local EssEff color and scenery, and so far avoiding any stupid stereotypes, but rather depicting real life queers. And the gay sex is raw - just short of avoiding porn, but far from sanitized. It’s about time!

I’m so OVER TV’s pristine gay pecks on the cheek! Looking airs Sundays, 10:30pm. Take a look at it!

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compiled by Robert Fuggiti

See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

“Thinking Outside the Bottle” is an art exhibit reflecting upon the creativity of wine makers. Photo courtesy of Napa Valley Museum.

Toast to the Nominees – Bubble Lounge. $20. 6 pm to 8:30

pm. (714 Montgomery St.) www. aofsf.eventbrite.com. Join the Academy of Friends on January 23 to toast the nominees of the 2014 Oscars.

Thinking Outside the Bottle – Napa Valley Museum. $10. 7 pm. (55 Presidents Cir.,Yountville) www. napavalleymuseum.org. Thinking Outside the Bottle, explores the multi-talented people behind our region’s celebrated wine.

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

A weekly cabaret variety show with drink specials.

Gloria - Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center. $11. Check times. (1118 Fourth St., San Rafael) www.cafilm.org. Gloria is middleaged, intelligent, attractive and outgoing, but also lonely and trying to navigate the network of nightclubs and dances that are populated by single adults.

Ryan Hemsworth – The Independent. $15. 8 pm. (628 Divisadero) www.theindependentsf. com. Ryan Hemsworth is a young producer from Canada with a remarkably productive output in the past two years and a totally unique approach to hip hop and R&B production.

27th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards – The Westin. $95+. 11 am. (50 3rd St.) www.westinsf.com. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area hosts the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards luncheon.

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Screaming Queens - Artists’ Television Access. $7-$10. 8 pm.

(992 Valencia St.) www.atasite.org.

“Screaming Queens” tells the story of a little known but critical moment in San Francisco history that everyone should know about.

Lunar New Year Celebration – San Francisco Botanical Garden. Free. 9 am. (1199 Ninth Ave.) www.sfbotanicalgarden. org. Enjoy special performances and hands on activities in celebration of the Year of the Horse and the many magnolias from China in the Garden.

Noises Off – Shelton Theater. $38. 8 pm. (533 Sutter St.) www. sheltontheater.org. Noises Off reveals the hilarious backstage happenings during rehearsals and performances of a play dubbed Nothing’s On.

San Francisco Fine Print Fair – The Golden Gate Club.

Free. 11am to 5 pm. (135 Fisher Loop) www.sanfrancisco-fineprintfair.com. The annual San Francisco Fine Print Fair presents an array of affordable fine prints from various artists.

Treasure Island Flea – Treasure Island. $3. 10 am to 4 pm.

(Treasure Island) www.treasureislandflea.com. Shop art, antiques, clothes, furniture and more at this popular monthly flea market.

Jock – Lookout. $2. 3 pm to 9 pm.

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

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

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.

Ryan Hemsworth performs at the Independent on January 24.

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.

Mommy Queerest – Exit Theatre. $15-$25. 8 pm. (156 Eddy St.) www.divafest.info. This new comedy chronicles the coming out of a lesbian daughter and her closeted lesbian mother.

Funny Tuesdays – Harvey’s.

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

Movie Night at the Center – LGBT Community Center. Free. 4 pm. (1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter.org. Enjoy a free LGBT-themed movie screening on the last Thursday of every month.

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.

Freddy Clarke & Wobbly World – Yoshis. $20. 8 pm. www. yoshis.com. (1330 Fillmore St.) www.yoshis.com. A refreshing mix of international musicians and traditions.

Red Hot Burlesque – El Rio. $5. 7 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www. elriosf.com. A hot, outrageous women’s burlesque show.

SF Suicide Prevention – LGBT Community Center. Free. 7:30 pm.

(1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter. org. San Francisco Suicide Prevention offers training and education on the topics of suicide prevention, crisis intervention, how to get help, and provide resources for the LGBTQ Community.

Healthier Living – LGBT Center. Free. 10 am. (1800 Market St.) www.openhouse-sf.org. A free 6-week workshop series for LGBT adults ages 55+ with chronic illness and conditions Sexuality Tomorrow – The Center for Sex & Culture. $10. 7 pm. (1349 Mission St.) www.sexandculture.org. Sexuality Tomorrow, will feature porn intellectual Nica Noelle, sexologist and founder of the Center for Sex and Culture Carol Queen.

Untitled Feminist Show – Lam Research Theater. $30. 8 pm. (700 Howards St.) www.ybca.org.

Untitled Feminist Show the latest experiment by Obie Award-winning playwright and directorYoung Jean Lee. The Pain and the Itch – Gough Street Playhouse. $15-$35. (1620

Gough St.) www.custommade.org.

A hysterical, insightful look at suburban hypocrisy. Through February 9.

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

This Boy is Just so Strange – Eric Quezada Center. Free. 8 pm.

(518 Valencia St.) www.518valencia. org. A free concert of original songs & monologues featuring Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Joel Mark and Diana Hartman 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.

Secret Improv Society – Shelton Theater. $17. 10 pm. (2255 Sutter St.) www.sheltontheater.org.

The Improv Society’s theatrical shows are a raucous blend of improvised sketches and songs: a fast-paced, interactive improvisational revue.

Affinities – A Woman’s Eye Gallery. (678 Portola Dr.) www. awegallery.com. Affinities is a collaborative photo show. It is a playful and challenging exhibit, conceived as an experiment in image presentation.

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.

Beer Bust – 440. $8. 3 pm to 8 pm. (440 Castro St.) www.the440. com. Drink or bust!

electronic music along with $2 drink specials.

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

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

Chip Conley: Happiness and Hospitality – The Commonwealth Club. $7-$40. 6:30 pm to 8 pm. (595 Market St.) www. commonwealthclub.org. Conley will discuss the inside scoop on his business model that combines human happiness and hospitality with economic success and growth.

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

The News – SomArts. $5. 7:30 pm to 9 pm. (934 Brannan St.) www. somarts.org. A monthly spotlight of queer performances and artists.

Beach Blanket Babylon – Club Fugazi. $25-$150. 8 pm. (678 Green St.) www.beachblanketbabylon.com.

The longest running revue with hilarious pop culture references and celebrities.

Secret Lovers – Lexington Club.

Free. 9 pm to 2 am. (3464 19th St.) www.lexington club.com. Featuring guest DJ’s Katie Duck, Ponyboy, and Durt playing the best of oldies, R&B, soul all evening.

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

Visit our new web site www.sfbaytimes.com

Skrillex – The Independent. $35.

9 pm. (628 Divisadero) www. theindependentsf.com. The electronic DJ Skrillex delivers a high energy set.

Wanted – Q Bar. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) www.sfwanted.com. Enjoy a night of dance and

“The Pain and the Itch” will be at the Gough Street Playhouse through February 9.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 23, 2014

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(DO ASK, DO TELL continued from page 3) done at a local level, but there is still his State of the City Address, laid out some room for preventing unlawful a seven-point plan to create 30,000 evictions and assisting those impact- new and rehabilitated homes in the ed. Ideas ranged from giving tenants city by 2020, with a third of those first right of refusal to purchase their made affordable to low- and moderproperty when converting to condos, ate-income families. The mayor also to increasing relocation allowances, advocated for building housing faster, to offering subsidies for teachers and not only prioritizing construction of nonprofit workers to live in the city. affordable housing, but also buildThe idea that got the largest laugh ing market-rate housing so those with was “making Silicon Valley more the money to purchase a home don’t attractive!” – obviously an acknowl- face a continually tight market and edgement that many Silicon Valley instead go into the rental market and workers would rather live in SF and drive rents up. commute to their tech jobs than live There is no doubt this will be the issue down the peninsula. of 2014 in San Francisco, and we will It’s a complex issue with no easy solu- be keeping a close eye on various protions. Last week Mayor Ed Lee, in posals in City Hall, on the ballot, and (SF DEMOCRAT continued from page 3) Congrats also to a fellow Bay Times When he is not busy organizing San columnist and colleague on San Fran- Francisco’s queer left, Tom can be cisco’s Democratic County Central found throwing great parties at El Committee: Our own Zoe Dunning Rio and other venues or managing has been elevated to co-chair the Al- his new bar at 3152 Mission, Virgil’s ice B. Toklas Club. She will be join- Sea Room. And, as if that weren’t ing the brilliant and delightful Ron enough to keep the guy occupied, Mr. Flynn, entering his second year as co- Temprano has also started a column chair. Meanwhile over at the Harvey in longtime Bay Guardian editor Tim Milk Club, Tom Temprano will be Redmond’s new online publication staying on as president for another 48hills.org. For those who have been year. As a past prez myself, I well missing Redmond’s byline since he know that leading that particular fi- and the Guardian’s new owners partery group of activists has its challeng- ed ways last year, he’s landed on the es, but it also has its rewards. Wishing interwebs and you can now get your Tom more of the latter. daily fix of Redmond’s insights on lo-

in Sacramento. The ultimate goal will be to keep San Francisco’s wonderful diversity and keep it a place where families and people from all walks of life – artists, teachers, non-profit professionals, janitors, tech workers, cooks, nurses - can call our city home.

Zoe Dunning is a retired Navy Commander and was a lead activist in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She currently serves as the 1st Vice Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.

cal politics. That’s after you read your latest online edition of the Bay Times, of course!

Finally, a shout out to my good friend (also a Bay Times columnist) Stu Smith, who is battling health challenges. Stu’s column includes the line “Profiles in Courage and Compassion,” which is fitting, because Stu demonstrates both characteristics in abundance. We love you Stu! Rafael Mandelman was elected to the San Francisco Community College Board of Trustees in 2012. He is a partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP.

(ROSTOW continued from page 19) Passwords.” The top password was “123456,” and the second most common was “password.” First of all, it’s the 21st century people. You have to do a little better than that. Second, how does anyone know what the most common passwords might be in the first place? Disturbing.

So, I was torn between Putin (saying Russia must discourage homosexuality in order to keep birthrates up) and the Bachelor (saying homosexuals are more perverted than others and, in essence, give him the creeps).

But then I stumbled onto yet another review of “Looking,” in which a gay (GEMS continued from page 22) Sheena moved to San Francisco in the spring of 2004, and has been working diligently to increase her visibility here. Sheena says, “Living here in San Francisco has been such a great experience for me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would become a drag queen entertainer and international dance recording artist. It’s been very surreal.”

See more

Stories @sfbaytimes.com Twitter, and find us Facebook.

and follow us on on

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Interesting! My impression of “Looking” was based on a New York Times piece by A lessandra Stanley and another report on Slate by J. Bryan Lowder, who is gay. Both of them trashed the show for lack of interesting content, and although Stanley isn’t gay, I trust her judgment implicitly. So, without reading Esquire, I’m inclined to agree with the straight guy and charge the gay guy with reverse homophobia, the tendency to assume that a gay show or idea or comment must be worthy and that criticism of

artists such as Leo Frappier, Michael Cerchiai, William Umana, Amanda Lear, Boy George, RuPaul, Jeanie Tracy, Raquela, Amoray, Nina Flowers, and even you, Kippy Marks.”

You can see Sheena Rose perform weekly with the Hot Boxxx Girls at Aunt Charlie’s lounge and every 2nd and 4th Wednesday with the Dream Queens revue at Aunt Charlie’s. Her music is available on iTunes: itunes. apple.com/us/artist/sheena-rose/ id406451218 and Soundcloud www.

said show or idea or comment must show bias.

I have decided to watch the show and read the Esquire review so we can pursue this topic in future columns.

Oh, and I went to early grade school with Alessandra Stanley, whose father gave me a dollar when I lost my tooth during an overnight visit. That was huge back then. I’ve never forgotten it. arostow@aol.com

soundcloud.com/sheenarose and at Reverbnation w w w.reverbnation.com/sheenarose. You can also friend Sheena Rose on Facebook at w w w.facebook.com/sheena. rose.395?fref=ts. Get your feet ready to dance as Sheena Rose puts you in a trance!

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

PH OTO B Y RI N K

When I inquired who her musical influences are now, she replied, “In the house/dance genre my influences are

guy slams Esquire because a straight guy wrote that “Looking” was dull.

A high energy flag dancing performance was included on the program at the Dancing Queen T-Dance at Beatbox, benefiting the AIDS Emergency Fund.

Round About - Premiere of HBO’s “Looking” at The Castro Photos by Steven Underhill

HBO pulled out the stops - the stars and the blue carpet runway - for the premiere of Looking, the new show bringing the story of Patrick, played by Jonathan Groff, and his new life as an out gay man in San Francisco. Joining Groff on stage at The Castro were cast members Murray Bartlett, Frankie J. Alvarez, O.T. Fagbenle, Raul Castillo and creator and writer Michael Lannan. Looking runs Sundays on HBO. (See related story–Page 22).

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