San Francisco Bay Times - August 21, 2014 by San Francisco Bay Times

August 21-September 3, 2014 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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“The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected. Maybe they always have been and will be. Maybe we’ve lived a thousand lives before this one and in each of them we’ve found each other.” — Nicholas Sparks

PHOTO SOURCE: DUSTIN NON-CLEESHAY ANDERSON

(This passage was shared by Bryan “Feather Lynn” Higgins before he died last week. Our paths crossed many times with Feather, who was a gentle soul and a member of the radical faerie community. See story page 7)

Rest in Peace, Robin Williams, You Were Truly a Gay Icon In the movie The Birdcage, Williams portrayed the gay dad dealing with a hetero son, as well as the owner of a drag cabaret and same-sex lover of its star drag queen performer.

Everyone on the planet is mourning the tragic demise of comic extraordinaire Robin Williams, but none more than the LGBTQ community. Williams was definitely a queer icon.

Mrs. Doubtfire

My favorite personal moment with Williams was when I was dressed as Sister Dana Van Iquity in full-on nun drag and bumped into him walking down Castro Street. I joked to him, “Well, there goes the neighborhood,” and he laughed uproariously! At the time, I had no idea the effect that incident would have in the future.

PHOTO BY RINK

By Dennis McMillan

He was the gay daddy in drag in Mrs. Doubtfire—as the kind, elderly Scottish nanny, calling himself Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire after seeing a newspaper headline with the words “doubt” and “fire.” In the hilarious film, straight Daniel Hillard enlists his gay brother Frank (played by openly gay Harvey Fierstein), a makeup artist, and Frank’s partner Jack to transform him into Mrs. Doubtfire.

Then, months later on a talk show, Williams recounted that story and incorrectly called me “Sister Mary Boom Boom,” because he apparently only knew one nun name of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence—and even that was inaccurate. Actually, it was Sister Boom Boom who brought me into The Order. Good Will Hunting

Later, Williams did an interview in 1992, after being considered for a movie role as openly gay Supervisor Harvey Milk, and was asked whether he might be uncomfortable playing a gay character. “I grew up in San Francisco; I grew up around gay people,” he replied. “I remember walking down the streets one day and the Sisters of Indulgence, specifically Sister Mary Boom Boom, looked at me and said, ‘There goes the neighborhood.’ I thought that was wonderful.” And I thought Robin was wonderful. But at one of the many LGBTQ and

Good Morning Vietnam

The Birdcage

HIV/AIDS fundraisers he graciously attended, I got the chance to interview him. I was in male reporter “drag” as Dennis, and reminded him of that story — politely correcting him concerning the proper nun name.

He laughed, said it was one of his favorite SF moments, hugged me warmly, and said, “Well, it’s good to meet both of you!” Dennis McMillan, aka Sister Dana, is a columnist for the “Bay Times.”

By Karen Williams As the nation mourns our comedy giant’s untimely death, as the memories of his generosity wash over us, as we accept the loss of the comic genius that was Robin Williams, there is just cause to ref lect on the meaning of laughter and humor in our everyday lives…as well as our expectations of those who seem to be the very embodiment of chuckles, giggles, and raucous laughs. There is a reason that we reference having a “sense of humor,” because it is as important to human beings as our other senses. One who appears not to have a sense of humor may as well be among the living dead, for its absence lends a morbid sensibility and stock seriousness that separates and isolates. Many humorists and comedy masters live and thrive on that dangerous precipice of irony, fully understanding that that which makes us laugh may also cause us deep sorrow. That joy and pain live side-by-side is the stuff of rhythm and blues tunes and lies at the base of many a comic’s routine. Comedy is one of those transformational arts that permits its users to turn poison into medicine, a metaphor for changing that which will kill us into 2

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PHOTO BY PHYLLIS COSTA

Long Live the Laughter

your doubts and lack of confidence or experience. His role in the world of comedy is and will remain untouchable. Robin Williams is a true comedy icon.

Impromptu memorials at the “Mrs. Doubtfire house,” corner of Steiner and Broadway

And yet, it is the man who will be missed. May we continue to admire his work, to learn from the way that he lived his life, full of his own personal challenges that he fought with the prescription that works for so many of us. Do for others! Give of yourself to others! Open up pathways for others! And laugh, laugh, laugh!!! something that will heal. That is why so many comics, humorists, and character actors are able to take the tragic and challenging parts of their lives and share them with their audiences, fully frontal and with no holds barred. Every stand-up comic performing today owes their stage presentation to the late great Richard Pryor, whose stream-of-consciousness style is the foundation upon which all of our careers have been erected. Richie drank truth-telling serum and inspired us to do the same. We drank the ‘Kool-Aid’ and there was no going back.

Dead Poet’s Society

Robin Williams was no exception. Robin pushed the envelope even further—promoting his wild improvisational wizardry on television, in movies, and in comedy clubs. If you saw Robin Williams live, you knew you were in the presence of high-energy genius. When I saw him perform in a small club in Westwood, California, I felt the air in the room fizz with electric molecular brain energy and dynamism that stayed with me for days.

I wondered how the heck he could talk so fast, riff at lightning speed, and still leave time for us to laugh really hard with few breaths in between. There will be endless stories of the way that Robin touched so many people’s lives, especially comics in the San Francisco Bay Area whom he loved, supported and so generously nurtured. He set the bar high for himself and adjusted it for you to assuage

Thank you Robin…for all of the laughs that you shared with the world and me. I am proud to call myself a “comic” and to enjoy the comedy lineage that you so freely shared in the Bay Area. One of my goals at the beginning of my career was to be a “happy comic” and, with your passing, I will continue to keep that dream alive, savoring life’s journey and hungrily sharing all the laughs I can in the wake of your reign. Namaste! Karen Williams loves to laugh, though she cries from time to time…with good reason! http://www.hahainstitute.com/

Aging, Illness and the 5 Stages of Grief Bargaining

Aging in Community Judith Redwing Keyssar, RN Denial Who, me? Aging? So, I turned 60 in January 2013, big deal. “Oh, you’ll see. Being over 60 is different,” friends said. “Not for me” was my constant retort. I have tons of energy. I’m healthy as a horse. I love my work as the RN Director of the Palliative Care Program at Jewish Family and Children’s Services. I have a loving relationship, great friends, and I know how to take care of myself.

OK, God, Goddess, Buddha, Great Spirit, whomever you are, whatever you are, it’s me here, your humble servant. Listen, I know I’ve made some mistakes. I haven’t been perfect. I eat sweets now and then. I love almond croissants and scones. I love Bi-Rite salted caramel ice cream, and Delfina pizza. I don’t work out long enough most days. I work too many hours most of the time. But please, I promise: I will be better. If you could just spare me from chemotherapy and radiation, I swear I will stop eating sugar. I’ll stop taking on too many projects, and I’ll work out and do more yoga.

LGBT Resources for Seniors

• Family Caregiver Alliance: 415-434-3388 www.caregiver.org • Institute on Aging: 415-7504111, www.ioaging.org/ • National Resource Center on LGBT Aging www.lgbtagingcenter.org/

Depression

This cannot possibly be happening to me. I’m not the patient; I’m the nurse. I’m not the care-receiver; I’m the caregiver. I’m only 60. I can’t possibly have cancer. I teach people about dealing with serious illness and coping with death and dying. I’m not the sick person.

During chemo, I found myself so exhausted, so weak, so sick, and sometimes unable to walk up a f light of stairs or enjoy any of my favorite foods. My body hurt, my mind wandered to thoughts about death and dying and how it might just be easier than life with cancer. Some days, all I could do was stare out the window and cry. I cried for myself, for all those on the path of serious illness, for the insanity of a world where cancer has become an epidemic.

• Memory Clinic, Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center: 408 -5306900, mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/facilities/region/santaclara/area_master/ departments/memoryclinic/ index.jsp

My primary care MD suggests I read the book Breast Cancer, Let me Check My Schedule!

Acceptance I’m not a victim to illness or aging. I am simply living my life and even though I never expected that I would be the first one of my friends to confront “life limiting illness.” But cancer is not my predator or the snake about to strike. I cannot hold cancer as the potential ruin of the rest of my life, because then I will live my days in fear. Cancer is simply one of my spiritual teachers, and I’ve had many great ones along the way. But perhaps cancer is the first one to slow me down enough so that I really have time to listen to what it is saying. It has stopped me right in my tracks, quite literally, and made me do all the things that I have wanted to do for so long—breathe more deeply, move more slowly and consciously, love more fully.

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• SAGE: 212-741-2247 www.sageusa.org/about/

Enter stage left field: serious illness.

I really do not have time for this illness stuff. I have work to do. I have presentations to give, an online course to finish. And why should I have a genetic mutation? This really makes me mad. What the hell happened in my chromosomes that this little BRCA 1 gene got turned on? I am mad at life, at God, at a healthcare system that does not give anyone, including me, all the information that is needed to navigate the journey of a serious illness. I’m really mad about that. And I know how to navigate the system. I’ve been doing it for other folks for over 20 years. I am an advocate, so don’t tell me that the side effects will only last 3 days. That is a lie!

Richard Alexei

• Project Open Hand San Francisco: Nutrition Services, 415-447-2300 www.openhand.org/

• Shanti Project, Inc: HIV Services and Life Threatening Illnesses, 415-674-4700 www.shanti.org/

Anger

Pain Management Postural Realignment Balance Flexibility and Strength

• Openhouse: 415-296-8995 openhouse-sf.org/

OK, I know, I have to do chemotherapy, even though I have Stage 2 disease, because I am a nurse and I do know what the pathology report means. I know I don’t really have a choice here. But, I promise, if you get rid of the cancer in just one round of chemo, I really promise I’ll be good. Maybe even become a vegan. Please!

Not until now. Age 60+. Suddenly, I am a patient, and it’s much harder than I imagined. It’s horrendous.

OurAge Fitness

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Dr. Marcy Adelman oversees the Aging in Community column. For her summary of current LGBT senior challenges and opportunities, please go to: sf baytimes.com/challenges-andopportunties Our hardest lessons are so often our most profound. And what I have learned to accept and appreciate about the aging process, and about illness, is the truth of the serenity prayer: We have more ability to accept the things we cannot change, more courage to change the things we can, and more wisdom to know the difference. Judith Redwing Keyssar is a nurse, author (www.lastactsofkindness.com) and Director of the Palliative Care Program at Jewish Family and Children’s Services. redwing@jfcs.org

Round About - Silicon Valley Pride 2014 Photos by Jo-Lynn Otto Discovery Meadow Park in San Jose was the location on Sunday, August 17, for the South Bay’s annual Pride celebration. Now in its 39th year, the festival was rebranded as Silicon Valley Pride with the goal of becoming the most high tech Pride celebration in the nation. The name change also indicates that the event includes all of the communities throughout the valley area. Leaders of the festival board are working on plans to attract major Silicon Valley-based corporations to support and participate in years to come. Featured performers included Kristine W. Cazwell, Deepa Soul, Liz Primo, She and a host of others.

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20th Anniversary Gala

REAF: 20 Years of Providing Hope, Sustaining Lives The SF Bay Times congratulates REAF, the Richmond/ Ermet AIDS Foundation, on its 20th anniversary gala and concert. “Help is on the Way” is Northern California’s largest annual AIDS benefit concert. Primary beneficiaries of this year’s star-studded event include the Abzyme Research Foundation, Aguilas, AIDS Legal Referral Panel and Positive Resource Center.

“Doug was always there helping me, and countless others, reach their potential,” Seiler told the Bay Times. “He inspired me to use my creativity and to trust myself. He never asked for anything in return, and was very humble about his gifts. Doug also introduced me to the San Francisco cabaret scene, and to the amazing late singer Nancy LaMott, who performed in the very first ‘Help is on the Way’ benefit honoring Doug’s memory.” Peggy Ermet and Barbara Richmond, Founders

Posters Through the Years

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REAF and its volunteers have since raised millions for local AIDS service organizations. We need to keep fighting HIV/

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REAF

At the heart of REAF are Ken Henderson and Joe Seiler, who produce the REAF events and have been together as a couple for 32 years. REAF launched after the couple was approached by Barbara Richmond and Peggy Ermet, who asked them to put on a show to honor their sons, John and Doug, who both died of AIDS. Seiler previously worked with Doug Ermet at Macy’s San Francisco.

Ken Henderson, Executive Director & CEO; and Joe Seiler, Chairman of the Board

AIDS until the battle is won, so we hope to see many of you at this Sunday’s event. It will be held at the beautiful Palace of Fine Arts just as the first event was. Please also join us here, as we take a look back at two decades of “Help is on the Way.” For more about this important organization and its history, visit: www.richmondermet.org

20th Anniversary Gala THE RICHMOND/ERMET AIDS FOUNDATION PRESENTS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST ANNUAL AIDS BENEFIT CONCERT

Help is on theWay

The Music of JULE STYNE & HAROLD ARLEN – A Centennial Celebration

AUGUST 1, 2005 ★ 8:00PM

THE PALACE OF FINE ARTS THEATER, SAN FRANCISCO BENEFITING Center for AIDS Services • Meals of Marin • Positive Resource Center • Shanti • AIDS Health Project

TICKETS: 415.273.1620

or order online at www.helpisontheway.org

Performance only: $75 • Performance + Gala Pre & Post Receptions: $150

SUSAN ANTON

DEBBY BOONE

LAINIE KAZAN

JANE RUSSELL

LORNA LUFT

PAULA WEST

FEATURING CHRISTINE ANDREAS: Broadway (Oklahoma!/Scarlet Pimpernel) TV/recording star SUSAN ANTON: Broadway (Will Rogers Follies)/TV (Baywatch)/Film (Cannonball Run II) star DEBBY BOONE: Grammy & Academy Award winning recording star/actress CATE CAPLIN & GARY FRANCO: World champion theatrical dance champions MARY JO CATLETT: Broadway (Hello Dolly!, Pajama Game) TV (Diff’rent Strokes) star CAROLE COOK: Broadway (Radio Gals/42nd Street)/television star NANCY DUSSAULT: Broadway (Carousel, Into the Woods)/TV (Too Close for Comfort) star DORIAN HAREWOOD: Broadway (Two Gentlemen of Verona)/TV (Roots I & II/ Seventh Heaven) star TIM HOCKENBERRY: Blues/cabaret/recording artist SONY HOLLAND: Cabaret/jazz/recording artist LAINIE KAZAN: Broadway (My Favorite Year/Funny Girl)/Film (My Big Fat Greet Wedding) TV star LORNA LUFT: Broadway (Promises, Promises)/TV (The Judy Garland Show) star MEG MACKAY: Cabaret/recording star PAMELA MEYERS: Tony Award winning (Company!) Broadway star JANE RUSSELL: Movie legend (The Outlaw, The Paleface, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) MARK W. SMITH: TV star (Port Charles/Days of Our Lives), singer/actor/dancer KEVIN SPIRTAS: Broadway (A Chorus Line)/TV (Days of Our Lives) star PAULA WEST: Cabaret/ jazz/recording star

Directed by DAVID GALLIGAN ★ Musical Director: RON ABEL ★ Producers: KEN HENDERSON & JOE SEILER SPONSORED BY

O a k l a n d Tr i b u n e . c o m

Charles Schwab & Co. • Delta Dental Plan • Hilton San Francisco • Allstate Insurance• Saab Automobiles Elevation Salon & Café • 7x7 Magazine • Girlfriends Magazine • KGO Radio • PlanetOut Partners/Gay.com SF Station.com • Acme Scenery • Randall Schiller Productions • San Francisco Cuisine • MAX

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Bryan “Feather Lynn” Higgins’ Unforgettable Light At the Bay Times, we will never forget Bryan “Feather Lynn” Higgins. We saw this beautiful radical faerie often, at events, at the deli on Noe where Higgins worked, or just out and about on the streets of the Castro. We admire many of you as we go on our errands, but Feather Lynn really stood out. Not because of anything he wore or did, but perhaps because of his sheer life force. It’s hard to explain, but his inner light was somehow visible, palpable and unforgettable. We didn’t even know him personally, and yet he made a strong and very favorable impression on us.

was a member of our Castro family. Feather Lynn, who grew up in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, moved to San Francisco with his partner, Brian Hagerty. They later married at SF City Hall. The apparent brutal attack that took Feather Lynn’s life could happen to any of us. We are more connected than we realize, going about our daily business and affecting each other in some way, hopefully for the better. The cover photo on Feather Lynn’s Facebook page proclaims, “Be Love,” and he was. We will always miss him.

Now we are mourning his death, which was so violent. The “John Doe” of earlier news reports, showing this gentle angel beaten and bruised,

PHOTO BY RINK

In Memoriam

Reflecting on the Life and Death of Bryan “Feather Lynn” Higgins creative, free-spirited individual who has too soon left us. Feather Lynn fell victim to attackers on August 17, 2014. Feather Lynn was a member of the Radical Faerie community—a community dedicated to gentleness, peace and spiritualism. As I write this, questions remain as to the identity of his attackers and their motives. Police are unsure of the circumstances leading to the attack, and no arrests have been made.

Building a Coalition of Us-es Supervisor David Campos Images of intolerance and hatred filled the media this week. We have witnessed the militarization of a police force against its people in Ferguson, Missouri, as they rioted against perceived racial prejudices. Yet, as we scrutinize the violence steeped in hatred throughout the country that is seeping into the public eye, we must also acknowledge that a tragedy occurred in our own community this month. In a city celebrated for its diversity and in a neighborhood that stands as a beacon for tolerance and freedom, we witnessed a heinous act of violence. Today, I would be remiss not to remember and reflect on the death of Bryan “Feather Lynn” Higgins—a

Hundreds of friends and neighbors came together at Duboce Park to celebrate Feather Lynn’s life on Wednesday, August 13, when he was removed from life-support at San Francisco General Hospital. A second vigil organized by the Restorative Justice Ministry for Victims and Survivors of Violent Crimes of the Archdiocese of San Francisco was held on Monday, August 18, to bless the land—both to aid in the process of healing and to ask that no further violence occur. Our city is in the midst of enormous change but, as change occurs, we’re losing sight of what has made us special, what’s made us San Francisco. We are a city built upon difference. Ours is a place that embraces hope. I struggle with so many of the challenges facing our city. I see the immigrant children fleeing their countries to find refuge here, our sisters seeking reproductive health care despite facing demeaning protesters, and our elders in fear of losing affordable care. Each

day I ask myself, if we can’t fight for our most vulnerable here, then where will they find refuge, where will they find strength? It is here in San Francisco that we must transcend beyond race, gender, identity, sexual orientation and social class. We must be the example. We must embody the hope to which all other places can aspire. In the aftermath of this violence, my thoughts are with Feather Lynn, his family and friends, the Faeries, and the entire queer community. Out of this tragedy, we must reassert our commitments. Our work and movement isn’t over until everyone is safe in their communities and we can live our lives without threat of violence. Let us honor the lives of those lost to violence by reaffirming our commitment to equality and justice. No heinous act of prejudice will set us back. We must stand together and fight for our values, our communities and our City, or we all are at risk of losing the freedoms we have fought so hard to obtain. David Campos is a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors representing District 9. This column for the “SF Bay Times” was inspired by Harvey Milk’s efforts to build a coalition of what Milk termed “us’es,” meaning communities that value diversity and attempt to leave no one behind. For more information about Supervisor Campos and his work, please visit http:// www.sfbos.org/index.aspx?page=2117 BAY T IM ES AUGUS T 21, 2014

Real Estate and Design

Second Base

Real Estate Mark Penn As we approach the decline of summer, it’s still timely to discuss a subject that many of us dream about: vacation homes. The president of our company just sent us some data about this, and it’s pretty good stuff, so let me see if I can paraphrase. Vacation/second home sales have been surging recently as consumers take advantage of historically low mortgage rates and more affordable prices in many areas. In fact, interest rates just this past week have dropped again, largely due to the current global instability. We are once again near the record lows that we thought were a thing of the past. As these rates remain low or even close to this level, and as the economy strengthens, sales of second homes continue to grow. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, vacation home sales jumped 29.7 percent last year. We thought that a 13.1 percent increase in

owner-occupied purchases during the same time was good, but this is over twice that level. So, what are some things to consider in the purchase of a second home? Here are a few:

Be sure you are comfortable with the community.

Assess your goals.

Often when people think of a vacation property, they picture a cabin in the mountains or a house on the shore. But condominiums and townhouses in resort communities can be a great alternative when it comes to vacation homes. They may have a lower price tag, the maintenance and upkeep may be less, and they may provide recreational facilities, including swimming pools and barbecue areas.

Are you buying the home for vacation only or as a potential retirement spot? Consider how often you will use the home, and do the math as to the sensibility of owning versus renting or hotel-stays, etc. Buying a second home is a commitment, but there can be many advantages, if you do it right. And consider speaking with your CPA about tax and financial advantages and liabilities. Give a lot of thought to the location. Sometimes an area just calls you, and then it’s almost a no-brainer. Otherwise, try to find an area that matches your strongest interests, such as a beach resort, a ski area, or a place where you can play golf or fish. And try to keep in mind the logistics; your second home should be close enough to your primary residence that you’ll be able to use it often— maybe just a few hours away. Visit the destination frequently. Get to know it intimately. This will help introduce you to all the goods and the bads. Try to go at different times of the year and stay in different facilities or areas. Subscribe to the local newspaper and learn about the politics and the demographics.

Consider which type of property best suits your needs.

With mortgage rates historically low and prices still affordable in many areas, this may be a good time to buy that second home. Be sure to enlist the services of a knowledgeable and local professional. If you need some help finding a REALTOR® in the locale of your second home, there are lots of resources available, but nothing can compare to personal referrals. You can also always ask your hometown agent for a recommendation. Our network is far-reaching, yet still intimate enough to allow most agents to direct you to the right person who can help you make your vacation home dreams come true. A Bay Area native, Mark Penn has been a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker since 2004. He is also active in animal welfare, and is a former educator, facilitator, and air traffic controller. Mark can be reached at mark@MyHomeInSonoma.com.

Real Estate and the Homogenizing of the Bay Area Bridging Communities in the West and East Bay

Taylor Sublett

though some of this may be seen as a correction for the abuses of the housing bubble, rising costs, stagnant incomes and a drop off of younger first time buyers suggest that ownership may continue to fall in years ahead.”

America Foy

Where then are these people who are not able to buy supposed to live?

Real Estate America Foy and Taylor Sublett This is not going to be an article about how wonderful the East Bay is with its many charms versus how terrible the West Bay is with its high prices, spotty weather, and miniscule homes. The preceding sentence is about as biased as this article is going to get. This is really a serious look at prices, affordability, lifestyle and what we are willing to sacrifice to live in one of the most amazing places in the world.

Taylor Sublett Realtor, CalBRE # 01776075 510.301.9569 | 510.542.2600 taylor.sublett@sothebysrealty.com

America Foy Realtor, CalBRE # 01360255 510.473.7775 | 510.542.2600 america.foy@sothebysrealty.com

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San Francisco is an amazing city in so many ways. Renting or buying is out of the question for most single people, except the truly affluent. This is becoming a bigger problem for those that have lived in the city for a long time because as the neighbors get more aff luent, prices for everything else start going up. The problem is that as the aff luent come to artsy and established neighborhoods—let’s talk about the Castro and the Mission here—they begin to homogenize the area and ultimately destroy the charm and the character of the neighborhood. In an excerpt from Joel Kotkin’s new book The New Class Conf lict, available by pre-order from Thelos Press and in bookstores September 2014, he writes, “Homeownership, which peaked in 2002 at nearly 70 percent, has dropped, according to the U.S. Census, to 65 percent in 2013, the lowest in almost two decades. Al-

In San Francisco, the median price per square foot is rapidly going north of $1000.00. This means that living spaces are at such a premium that any available housing is commanding sky-high rents, and the aff luent are driving the people out of the city who truly make San Francisco San Francisco. But you already knew that. If you didn’t, look at your new neighbors and gauge for yourself how interesting they are versus the kids with blue hair who went to San Francisco State and drank cheap wine with their spaghetti and who used to live next door to you. Where are all of the interesting people going to live? A lot of them have turned up in Oakland in the past few years, and more refugees from San Francisco are showing up in East Bay communities every day. San Leandro, Castro Valley, Berkeley, Emeryville and even Richmond are seeing steep increases in housing prices because of the inf lux. Some of these people are interesting and artsy and taking advantage of the welcoming business climate to open restaurants and art galleries. Unfortunately, the sky-high prices in San Francisco are forcing even the affluent to look towards the East Bay as an alternative place to live. As a result, it’s quickly beginning to lose some of the character that made it so attractive to long-term residents.

The Elmwood neighborhood in Berkeley and the Lower Rockridge neighborhood in Oakland are prime examples of how the San Francisco inf lux is crushing the character of the East Bay, driving prices sky high and filling the available commercial spaces with yoga clothing stores and chain restaurants. The prices in these neighborhoods for available housing stock are skyrocketing, and the resulting ripple effect is slowly driving the people who make the neighborhoods interesting and a place where people want to live out to find greener, read here cheaper, pastures. In a perfect world, we would subsidize housing for students, artists, musicians, businesses and the talented. But since this isn’t a perfect world, it’s a mercenary one, we should change our perspective and put value on the people who make our neighborhoods interesting places to live. Here is the sales pitch: If you’re interesting and tired of wasting your uniqueness on the tech kids that live next door to you, own a home in San Francisco and feel like selling it to move to the East Bay, or are interesting and renting and want to buy, we want to talk to you. Contact us and let’s crab about how terrible, expensive and boring everything is in San Francisco and explore the East Bay together. America Foy and Taylor Sublett are top producing real estate agents with Sotheby’s International Realty in Berkeley. Call or email them if you want to buy or sell residential, commercial, or investment properties throughout the Bay Area. Bay Area natives, and recent East Bay residents, Taylor and America will help you sell in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties. America Foy: 510473-7775, america.foy@sothebysrealty. com; Taylor Sublett: 510-301-9569, taylor.sublett@sothebysrealty.com

Real Estate and Design

10 Common Pitfalls of Remodeling (Part Two) Out of Sync Get the decision makers on the same page before the project begins. Budget Denial Embrace the need for a detailed budget and accept that things will cost more than you think. Risk Aversion Recognize the importance of keeping a contingency fund for unexpected expenses. False Impressions Do your homework before signing on with a contractor or designer.

Project Remodel Jim Tibbs We are told at a very early age to learn from other people’s mistakes, good advice that some of us follow better than others. In remodeling, there are many things you can do to avoid the common mistakes that delay and sometimes derail projects. Last month I covered the first five of these pitfalls that included:

Foregone conclusion Remain open to new design solutions all the way through the process. This month I am covering the remaining five pitfalls on the list: 6. Fantasy Life Just because you are going to have a new kitchen, bathroom or family room doesn’t mean that your family is going to morph into the fantasy version of itself. Super-minimal interiors look great in magazines, but

Round About - Hard Rock Cafe’s BBB Celebration Photos by Steven Underhill stevenunderhill.com

Hard Rock Cafe SF Celebrates Beach Blanket Babylon’s 40th Anniversary In partnership with Glide Memorial Church and Steve Silver’s Beach Blanket Babylon, Hard Rock Cafe San Francisco is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of BBB by donating $1 to the Glide Foundation’s Daily Free Meals Program for every purchase of the Local Legendary™ Beach Blanket Babylon Burger! A kickoff party was held at the Cafe, located at Pier 39, featuring BBB cast member Ellen Toscano as Pineapple Princess.

don’t work for most active families. Design your new space for real life, not your fantasy life. 7. The Lowest Bidder When interviewing designers and contractors, make sure to get a detailed written summary of what’s included in their quotes. Take the time to compare and contrast the quotes to understand the differences and assess the value equation for each. If a contractor claims to operate with very low overhead, make sure that they are fully insured and that they have the resources to handle your project. A low bid at the start of the project does not always translate to a low cost when the work is completed. 8. Permit Phobia Permits are required for most remodeling projects, except for cosmetic changes like painting and new flooring. It is a very good idea to have construction work done in your home documented and inspected by the building department. Permits are a very good investment to help manage financial risk, protect your home and maximize the return on your remodeling investment. Remodels that are done with permits add more value to your house at time of sale than remodels that are done without them. 9. Are We There Yet? Patience is a virtue, especially in remodeling. Once you have made the decision to embark on a project, give yourself the time to explore options and make smart decisions. Typically, the more time and resources that you invest in the design and planning phase, the more likely you will avoid delays and costly overruns during production. 10. Perfection Anxiety As a homeowner and customer, you should expect quality craftsmanship that is commensurate with the investment you are making in the remodel. That said, you should also recognize that quality craftsmanship is not the same thing as perfection. The goal of remodeling is not to eradicate all of the idiosyncrasies that give your home its character. Nor is it to make the work of the craftspeople look as if it was done by precision machinery. Set and maintain high standards for the project, but be realistic about the finished product. Remodeling can be an expensive, complex and stressful endeavor. Hopefully this list will help you proactively avoid the common pitfalls and avoid the hassle and expense of learning the painful lessons first hand. Jim Tibbs is the creative director of HDR Remodeling. If you would like to learn more, please read his blog at http://hdrremodeling. wordpress.com or follow him on Twitter @ HDRremodeling1.

BAY T IM ES AUGUS T 21, 2014

Editor’s Note: Please inquire about how your social announcement can appear here free of charge or how your weddings service can be included too: 415-601-2113 or Publisher@ sfbaytimes.com

Life’s Crossroads in many of my columns, including last month’s piece. No surprise, as I am a life cycle officiant! Perhaps the following thought can shed a bit more light on what I am thinking.

Summers in San Francisco can be foggy and grey, particularly along the waterfront. So it was a special treat to have the morning fog lift as I was driving with my best friend to a wedding of mutual friends two Sundays ago. We arrived early, so we walked around the neighborhood. I wanted to introduce her to Crossroads Café. The café is a vibrant gift and bookstore, as well as a place one can get delicious savory or sweet treats. The frosting on the cake, metaphorically, is that it is run by the Delancey Street Foundation. As quoted from the foundation’s website: “Crossroads Café is a training school…for people who have hit bottom to completely rebuild their lives.” I love supporting the café, and I see a connection between principles espoused by the foundation and some of my thoughts on marriage. Let me quote one paragraph from its website: “ For ou r resident s, Dela ncey Street is the true crossroads of life. In choosing a new road—the one less traveled—they draw strength from each other and the community. Since our inception, Delancey Street has sought to keep alive the best traditions of America…an extended family, the work ethic, people joining together committed to

Weddings Howard M Steiermann change, to hard work and a ‘can do’ confidence, to discipline and dignity, to self-respect and service to others.” We talked about life’s crossroads as we strolled. My friend wondered how much people who are making wedding vows think about the 50% divorce rate. I replied that couples who join me under the wedding canopy are speaking from their heart. They are reflecting how they see their lives, their relationship at that moment. They are declaring to their partner, their guests and to themselves that they have chosen to travel down life’s road with the person standing beside them. But why even participate in an institution that only succeeds half the time? I have commented on the importance and relevance of marriage

I love abstract art. Oftentimes I can’t describe what it is about a piece that grabs me. By definition, abstract art doesn’t have a recognizable image. Fannie Allen, a local interior designer, was quoted in the SF Chronicle as saying, “Art speaks to you in some way. It’s always about some emot ion, something that strikes you—isn’t it?” Her comment about art is how I view love and marriage. People get together because they “speak” to each other in some way. The individuals complement (and perhaps compliment!) each other. And if their love appears to be sustainable long term, they may choose to get married. The friends who got married that sunny Sunday afternoon ‘speak’ to each other in a multitude of ways. I wish them years of health and happiness. Howard M. Steiermann is an Ordained Ritual Facilitator based in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www. SFHoward.com

On the Road to LGBT Equality in Japan Imagine living as an LGBT person in a country of over 120 million people where sexual expression between individuals of the same gender has essentially never been criminalized, where no conservative Christian political movement exists, and where violent crime is so low that gun ownership is less than one percent that of the United States. That country is Japan. For the last two years, we have had the honor of being invited to Japan to give public talks, participate in symposiums, and teach classes about the movement for marriage equality in the United States. We have also met with numerous LGBT leaders across the country to share our experiences, compare conditions for LGBT people in our two countries, and to talk about strategies for achieving full equality. We received the invitation to speak in Japan from a heterosexual Japanese professor of Asian American studies who heard us give a presentation in the United States. This professor has a three-year-old child and realized that her child could turn out to be LGBT, and that LGBT equality was not just an issue for which she could be an ally, but it was her issue too. She wanted her child to be able to grow up in a world where he could be free to be who he was without hiding and w ithout facing discrimination. 10

BAY TIMES AUGUST 2 1 , 2 0 1 4

Marriage Equality John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA Japanese society’s relative lack of public hostility to LGBT people appears to be a double-edged sword to Japanese LGBT people’s living their lives openly with full equality. Less adversity can reduce the sense of urgency to enact laws to protect LGBT people. Harmony is one of the most important societal values in Japan, and many Japanese LGBT people told us that coming out is particularly difficult in Japan, largely due to pressure to conform and to social expectations. Although Japanese LGBT people benefit greatly from the low risk of physical violence, many appear to fear losing their jobs if they come out. The issue of marriage equality is particularly complex in Japan. For many, Japan’s marriage law seems to be outdated, not just from its

exclusion of LGBT couples, but as it applies to heterosexual couples. For example, Japanese marriage law requires one of the spouses (in practice, nearly always the woman) to change her name. The law also taxes a second spouse’s income so severely that many spouses have no financial incentive to pursue a career. Japanese LGBT activists, as they work toward marriage equality, are developing a partnership law open to all couples that remedies these limitations and serves the needs of modern couples. Using marriage equality as a barometer of public attitudes on LGBT equality, recent polling revealed that 70 percent of Japanese people in their 20s and 30s support marriage equality. Although support among the population as a whole is not as high as it is in some industrialized nations, 40 percent of Japanese are still undecided on the issue, and those who have made up their mind overwhelmingly support equality. We believe that the future for LGBT people in Japan is bright. John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA.

Team SF Mega Medaled at Gay Games IX Photos Courtesy Of Gay Games IX Presented by The Cleveland Foundation and Federation of Gay Games

By Tony Jasinski Team SF did us proud at Gay Games IX in Cleveland, bringing back several well-earned medals. Here are just a few of the highlights: Michael Survillion from Team SF won a gold medal in the relay event. San Francisco’s Tsunami water polo team took home the gold. The Rockdogs, originally a San Francisco-based team that has become more global over the years, won its third consecutive gold medal in men’s basketball. Survillion helped with that effort too, since he’s a starting point guard for The Rockdogs. We bowled them over in Cleveland, as San Francisco’s Strike a Pose bowling team took the bronze in the B division. The team includes SF’s Doug Boy George performing at the White Party Litwin, who is on the Gay Games Federation board. Craig Davis and Jason Eller, first-time participants in doubles bowling, won gold. Team SF members additionally took the bronze in multiple divisions in bowling. The over 30 set proved they are fit and fab. For example, Rachel EmmonsBradley of San Francisco got a silver medal in the 5K over 35 bracket. The Rockdogs earned a silver medal with their over-35 division team. Other noteworthy happenings were a gay rodeo event, and an amazing 99-year-old woman from New York who ran the 100-yard dash! In figure skating, a blind male participant received rousing applause and recognition after skating well. The Gay Games takes place every 4 years, and the first two were held in San Francisco in 1982 and 1986. Since those events, the Games have grown in size substantially until this year’s event in Cleveland. There was a big drop-off in participation this year, although the event was very well organized with excellent local support and plenty of activities to choose from. There were 37 sports! In talking with local athletes, many people elected not to participate this year due to the location. The games require over a week’s commitment, and Cleveland was not seen as a city that players would find interesting enough. However, the event’s smaller size was not bad for organizers, who had a more manageable task. The facilities were considered impressive, and the weather was quite good nearly the whole week. The opening ceremonies, held indoors at the same arena that LeBron James plays in, were stunning and at capacity. There was a taped greeting by President Obama. Greg Louganis, Lance Bass, and the Pointer Sisters were all part of that opening night too. Cheer SF

Noteworthy happenings were a gay rodeo event, and an amazing 99-year-old woman from New York who ran the 100-yard dash! performed to the tune of “Heroes,” coming out of dress suits to turn into superheroes. They have really got their choreography solid.

“This might have been the best gay games ever!”

The city was apparently quite welcoming to the athletes, as there were no problems reported anywhere, and the press had many players commenting on how nice everyone seemed towards them. Many of the people of Cleveland, and Akron, were pleased about the event being held in their region. There was impressive local corporate support, and a related event at a Cleveland Indians baseball game. It’s understandable then that, even with the lower turnout, Doug Litwin said,

In other LGBT sports news, on Wednesday and Thursday nights in the Castro at the Eureka Valley Gym (behind Mollie Stones), the San Francisco Gay Basketball Association is signing up players for the fall league season, which starts in September and runs through December. The league has grown from 6 teams to an expected 10 teams this season. For more information, please go to www.sfgba.com

The next Gay Games, number 10, will be held in Paris, August of 2018.

Tony Jasinski is the former president of the San Francisco Gay Basketball League. BAY T IM ES AUGUS T 21, 2014

What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. It combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. • Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain. • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking STRIBILD, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. STRIBILD is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®®), triazolam, oral midazolam, rifampin or the herb St. John’s wort. • For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages. • Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, or the medicine adefovir (Hepsera®®).

What are the other possible side effects of STRIBILD? Serious side effects of STRIBILD may also include: • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with STRIBILD. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD. • Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines. • Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking STRIBILD. The most common side effects of STRIBILD include nausea and diarrhea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. • All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. • If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc). • If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in STRIBILD can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

BAY TIMES AUGUST 2 1 , 2 0 1 4

Ad Page Page 11 Ad

PALIO Date: Date:4.7.14 4.7.14 •• Client: Client:Gilead Gilead •• Product: Product:Stribild Stribild •• File File Name: Name:16873_pgiqdp_J_Drew_BAY_TIMES_SF_fi 16873_pgiqdp_J_Drew_BAY_TIMES_SF_fi.indd .indd PALIO Ad Size: Size:9.75” 9.75”xx 16.0” 16.0” (Non-Bleed (Non-Bleed Newspaper Newspaper Ad) Ad) Ad

Drew Drew Bay Times-San Times-San Francisco Francisco Bay

STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimenmedicine to treat HIV-1 in STRIBILD is a prescription used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines adults who have never before. STRIBILD does nottaken cure HIV-1 HIV-1 medicines or AIDS. before. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

I started my personal revolution

I started my revolution Talkpersonal to your healthcare provider about starting treatment.

Talk to your healthcare provider STRIBILD is a complete about starting treatment.HIV-1

treatment in 1 pill, once a day. STRIBILD is a complete HIV-1 treatment in 1 pill, once a day.

Ask if it’s right for you. Ask if it’s right for you.

BAY T IM ES AUGUS T 21, 2014

Ad Page Page 22 Ad

Drew Drew Bay Times-San Times-San Francisco Francisco Bay

Patient Information STRIBILD (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets ®

Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information. What is STRIBILD? • STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines. • STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses. • Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood. What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take STRIBILD or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • feel very weak or tired • have unusual (not normal) muscle pain

• If you stop taking STRIBILD, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking STRIBILD Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: • adefovir (Hepsera®) • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • oral midazolam • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort Do not take STRIBILD if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla®, Complera®, Viread®, Truvada®) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine, lamivudine, or ritonavir (Atripla®, Combivir®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Kaletra®, Norvir®, Trizivir®, Truvada®)

• have trouble breathing

STRIBILD is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old.

• have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting

What are the possible side effects of STRIBILD?

• feel cold, especially in your arms and legs • feel dizzy or lightheaded

STRIBILD may cause the following serious side effects:

• have a fast or irregular heartbeat

• See “What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?”

2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take STRIBILD. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. 3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take STRIBILD, your HBV may get worse (flareup) if you stop taking STRIBILD. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. • Do not run out of STRIBILD. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your STRIBILD is all gone

• Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking STRIBILD. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD if you develop new or worse kidney problems. • Bone problems can happen in some people who take STRIBILD. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones. • Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine. These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known. • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

BAY TIMES AUGUST 2 1 , 2 0 1 4

BS Page 1

PALIO Date: 4.7.14 • Client: Gilead • Product: Stribild • File Name: 16873_pgiqdp_J_Drew_BAY_TIMES_SF_fi.indd Ad Size: 9.75” x 16.0” (Non-Bleed Newspaper Ad)

Drew Bay Times-San Francisco

The most common side effects of STRIBILD include: • Nausea • Diarrhea Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. • These are not all the possible side effects of STRIBILD. For more information, ask your healthcare provider. • Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B infection • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. - There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take STRIBILD. - You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. - Two of the medicines in STRIBILD can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in STRIBILD can pass into your breast milk. - Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. • Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: - Hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc) - Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD

- disopyramide (Norpace®) - estazolam - ethosuximide (Zarontin®) - flecainide (Tambocor®) - flurazepam - fluticasone (Flovent®, Flonase®, Flovent® Diskus®, Flovent® HFA, Veramyst®) - itraconazole (Sporanox®) - ketoconazole (Nizoral®) - lidocaine (Xylocaine®) - mexiletine - oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) - perphenazine - phenobarbital (Luminal®) - phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) - propafenone (Rythmol®) - quinidine (Neudexta®) - rifabutin (Mycobutin®) - rifapentine (Priftin®) - risperidone (Risperdal®, Risperdal Consta®) - salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol when taken in combination with fluticasone (Advair Diskus®, Advair HFA®) - sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or vardenafil (Levitra®, Staxyn®), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). If you get dizzy or faint (low blood pressure), have vision changes or have an erection that last longer than 4 hours, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away. - tadalafil (Adcirca®), for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension - telithromycin (Ketek®) - thioridazine - voriconazole (Vfend®) - warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) - zolpidem (Ambien®, Edlular®, Intermezzo®, Zolpimist®) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider. Keep STRIBILD and all medicines out of reach of children.

- atorvastatin (Lipitor®, Caduet®)

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about STRIBILD. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about STRIBILD that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.STRIBILD.com.

- bepridil hydrochloride (Vascor®, Bepadin®)

Issued: October 2013

- Medicines to treat depression, organ transplant rejection, or high blood pressure - amiodarone (Cordarone®, Pacerone®)

- bosentan (Tracleer®) - buspirone - carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®) - clarithromycin (Biaxin®, Prevpac®) - clonazepam (Klonopin®) - clorazepate (Gen-xene®, Tranxene®) - colchicine (Colcrys®) - medicines that contain dexamethasone - diazepam (Valium®) - digoxin (Lanoxin®)

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Drew Bay Times-San Francisco

Choosing a Therapist

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman Co-Founders in 1978 Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

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Q: I’ve never seen a therapist before, but I’ve decided to do it. I got some names, but how do I know if someone is the right therapist for me? Which kind of therapy has the highest success rate?

Many people, especially if they’re new to therapy, feel on the defensive, or even a little ashamed, in an initial meeting. They sometimes don’t ask important questions because they’re too focused on what the therapist thinks of them. It’s important to remember that what you’re doing is hiring a consultant to help you resolve important issues in your life, and that you have as much right to ask questions as the therapist does. You

A: The most important thing to remember is that therapy happens in a relationship. It may be a professional relationship, but it’s still an intimate dialogue between two human beings. The factors that make it work are about the same as those

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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Pollo del Mar, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Paul E. Pratt, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Rafael Mandelman, Kit Kennedy, David Campos, Leslie Katz, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Jim Tibbs, Mark Penn, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller & Joanne Jordan, Kippy Marks, Naomi Jay, Jamie Leno Zimron Thom Watson, America Foy, Philip Ruth, Courtney Lake, Michele Karlsberg Photographers Rink, Dennis McMillan, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Cathy Blackstone, Robert Fuggiti, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit tommoon.net

Round About - Bay Times at Sunday’s a Drag Brunch Bay Times co-publisher Jen Viegas led a champagne toast in gratitude to staff, supporters and friends who contributed to the success of the Bay Times contingent in the 2014 San Francisco Pride Parade. Hosted by drag celebrity Donna Sachet, who also serves as co-anchor for TV coverage of the annual Pride Parade, Sunday’s A Drag Brunch is held each Sunday at The Starlight Room located atop the Sir Frances Drake Hotel at Union Square. Cast members of the show included Cassandra Cass, Holotta Tymes and Mahlae Balenciaga, in addition to Donna Sachet.

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Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas

Tom Moon, MFT

What kind of therapy is most effective? There are so many different schools of thought about how therapy should be done that it would be a full-time job to sort them all out. Professionals naturally tend to become partisans of their own approach, but there isn’t really very much evidence that decisively favors any one school over another. A Vanderbilt University study found that differences in theoretical orientations among therapists didn’t make much difference in their success rate. The study did find that some therapists were more effective than others, however. The ones who were more effective were those who provided clients with information, en-

There are also some client factors involved in success in therapy too. One of the most important of these is patience. Unless you’re seeking therapy for a discrete behavior change, like quitting smoking, therapy can be a time-consuming and, at times, frustrating process. Change is typically incremental rather than dramatic. The “a-ha!” experience that instantly transforms a patient’s life usually only happens in movies. Clients who are impatient or intolerant of slow change seem to benefit less that those who can tolerate careful exploration and a series of small changes over a period of time.

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Examined Life

couragement and opinions, made special efforts to facilitate discussions of problems, focused more on the hereand-now than on early childhood experiences, and encouraged the client to seek new social activities. Active involvement, rather than passive listening, appears to be more effective, regardless of the school of therapy to which the therapist belongs.

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may want to know about his or her education, background and qualifications. You may want to know how much experience he or she has had in dealing the kinds of issues you want to discuss. You may also have some personal questions. Therapists differ in how much personal information they’re willing to share, and it might be important to get a good idea of the ground rules and boundaries of the relationship before you commit to it.

that make any intimate relationship work—trust, mutual respect, a sense of safety, personal warmth, genuineness, and so on. One interesting study of the outcome of treatment found that the early reaction of a client to a therapist is highly predictive of the outcome. If you feel a “click” and sense that you’re talking to a person who respects you, and whom you can trust, then that’s a good sign that this person may be right for you. If you have an early negative reaction, you may ultimately get past it and be able to work together, but this is less likely than if the initial take is warm and positive. As in any intimate relationship, trust your intuition.

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Fortnight in Review By Ann Rostow You Got A Fast Car A huge news story might be breaking this week. In journalism, the professional term for such a situation is “hic sugit,” which is Latin for “try your best under difficult circumstances.” On the other hand, the big breaking story may turn out to be nothing much. You remember, of course, that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently ruled in favor of marriage equality in the case out of Virginia. Like many of you, I assumed the court would second-guess the Supreme Court by putting a hold on its decision. Ever since the High Court f lashed a red light on Utah marriages six or seven months ago, most other courts have stayed their own marriage rulings, figuring that the Justices want everyone to wait until they themselves can issue a decisive opinion. But guess what? The Fourth Circuit did not issue a stay. Instead, the appellate panel ruled that same-sex marriage could begin in Virginia on August 21. Woah, Nelly! That ruling has been quickly appealed to Justice John Roberts, who is assigned to handle emergencies from the Fourth Circuit. He is widely expected to consult with the other justices, and announce a decision shortly. Indeed, by the time you read this, you will know what happened. As I said, it could be nothing much. Roberts and company could issue another stay without comment, and that would be that. Alternatively, it could be a big deal. The parties, including the State of Virginia, have asked the Court to take review of the Virginia case at once, without waiting for formal petitions or long conferences. If the Court were to issue a stay, but go ahead and schedule the case for this coming session, they’d be generating a lot of headlines. Finally, the Court could drop a bomb by declining to halt marriages in Virginia. Such a move, which would require five votes, would signal that marriage equality is inevitable. Sure, we think that anyway. But wouldn’t it be nice to know? (Editor’s Note: On August 20, the Supreme Court granted a stay in the Virginia marriage equality case. LGBT couples likely will not be able to legally marry in VA until at least next June, according to Bay Times columnist and Marriage Equality USA activist Thom Watson.) For the record, the State of Virginia wants the High Court to issue a stay. Even though they refused to defend discrimination, they still think a stay would avoid confusion or something like that. Their brief to the Court explained that driving without a seatbelt in a speeding car is not a problem as long as you don’t have an accident. But if the car crashes, people could get hurt. The car crash, in this illuminating metaphor, would consist of the Court allowing marriage in Virginia and then reversing marriage law next year, not a happy prospect. But Virginia is not asking the Court to mandate seatbelts. They’re asking the Court to pull over by the side of the road for the next nine months. Still, we have to thank Virginia’s Democratic officials for supporting our cause and leaving the defense of state law in the hands of some conservative clerks. That helped. Storm Clouds It’s been a long time since we’ve had a negative story about marriage equality. But sad to say, the time has come.

For one thing, a conservative state judge in Tennessee issued an antigay ruling in a gay divorce case, perhaps the first such defeat in the months since the High Court’s decision to strike Section Three of the Defense of Marriage Act. Please note, however, that a seven-page ruling by a clueless red state county judge does not even approach the definition of “setback.” No, the real downer looks like it might be heading our way from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Two weeks ago, a three-judge panel heard hours of arguments in marriage cases out of four states. As bad luck would have it, we wound up with two conservatives on the threejudge panel, and the arguments suggested that we might end up on the wrong side of a split ruling. We could still be happily surprised. But the “cautious optimism” that everyone used to describe the run up to rulings in the Tenth and Fourth Circuits has been replaced by “dimly hopeful pessimism.” With one judge for us, and one judge pretty clearly on the other side, we are looking at the man in the middle, Judge Jeffrey Sutton, a Bush Two appointee who appears to cherish states’ rights and the Democratic process. Why shouldn’t each state decide their own marriage policy for themselves? And what about the precious principle of majority rule that animates our republic? I’m putting words in Judge Sutton’s mouth, but let’s just say that the man in the middle is not in the center. As for the other Bush Two pick on the panel, most analysts gave up immediately on Judge Deborah Cook, whose questions appeared to bolster the antigay side. Personally, obsessed as I may be on this subject, I chose not to plough through the transcripts of the arguments, so I can’t give you a solid critique of Judge Cook’s colloquy with the various attorneys. Let’s just note that conventional wisdom says we will lose the Sixth Circuit cases. And before I leave this subject, let me register some annoyance with the pundits who insist that we “need” to lose a federal appellate case because the Supreme Court often waits until there’s a difference of opinion among the lower courts before they agree to accept review. Yes, this is basically true. The High Court is not going to review some arcane feature of federal procedure unless some confusion has arisen. But marriage equality is on another level. Once the Tenth and Fourth Circuits ruled that state laws and amendments were unconstitutional, the High Court was basically obliged to settle the matter. For God’s sake! The Justices put a hold on marriage in Utah! Would they have done so if they were not planning on deciding the underlying issue themselves? No. Can the High Court allow our marriages to be viewed as a fundamental right in some states, and a deviant sexcapade elsewhere? No. As such, we need a loss at the Sixth Circuit like we need a hole in the head. It won’t be fatal to our cause by any means. But there’s a difference between striding up to the Supreme Court with an overwhelming set of favorable precedents in our pocket, and walking in with a mixed bag. Sticks and Stones Here’s a confession. If some celebrity I’ve never heard of comes out of the closet, I don’t care and I don’t cover it. I’m not proud of this. It’s not very professional. But there you are. The older I get, the more people fall into

Professional Services this mysterious chasm, which is also home to fictional characters by the way. For example, I just read that Daryl Dixon might turn out to be gay on season five of The Walking Dead. If I were not in the process of telling you that I ignore people I’ve never heard of, you would not be reading about Daryl in this column because I disdain all things zombie and vampire. Nor would I be telling you about newly out Christian recording artist Vicky Beeching, because I also disdain Christian recording artists. And I would also skip a headline like: “Expendables 3 characters played by Arnie and Jet Li are gay, says director.” Even though the “Arnie” refers to Arnold Schwarzenegger, I am so oblivious to action movies that I did not make the connection until I clicked in pursuit of my current train of thought. These evasions sometimes lead me to race through the gay newsfeeds, dispensing with story after story in search of the ones that let a frisson of glee penetrate my rigid editorial filters. How about the 42-year-old father of three in Newcastle, who was fined the equivalent of $663 for a Facebook rant that targeted a gay pride celebration near his home. “If your parents were faggots,” wrote Paul Gair, “you horrible gay cu-ts wouldn’t (have) been born! Should be lined up and machine gunned, vile disgusting cuts!” We don’t have the same kinds of laws against offensive or threatening speech here in the U.S., which is good. But it’s still nice to see a man like Gair slammed in the wallet for his obscene tirade. Gair explained that he was not aiming to be homophobic, but that he had been having a bad day. I know that much has been written about the incivility that reigns online and sometimes on social media. For people like Paul Gair, I believe that living on this kind of venom, whether expressed or not, must be a certain kind of hell. What really depresses me, however, is the routine meanness and negativity that typifies our discourse. In general, I don’t read online comments. But our Austin newspaper has a section called “You Said It!” or something like that, where readers are allowed to opine on one topic every day. If it’s a skyscraper going up, people will say the city’s too big and too expensive. If it’s a new community college campus, people will complain about their taxes. If it’s a plan for light rail, people will wonder why the busses don’t run on time. A general theme is that Austin was “better” 20 years ago, and is being ruined by growth and tourist events like South by Southwest and Formula One racing. No matter what the topic, the section attracts naysayers and snipers. At any rate, I was going to write a letter to the paper about this, but then I realized I would sound just as negative as my targets, and I suppose that’s part of the problem. No one comments about things they like, do they? Personally, I like living in a city that’s vibrant and growing rather than one shedding jobs and businesses, but that’s just me.

• • • • • • • •

The Gay Place Speaking of Austin, you probably noticed that Texas governor Rick Perry was indicted the other day. You may also have noticed that everyone jumped to his defense, wondering what the big deal was about a simple veto. Executive officers can veto whatever they want, right? Just because you don’t agree doesn’t make it a crime. Now, I don’t like Rick Perry, (continued on page 26)

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#KateClinton2014 “Why does NYT columnist Maureen Dowd hate Hillary Clinton so much? Theory: Mo got drunk at a party and came on to Hill. Hill said no and big Mo has been pissed ever since.”

Arts & Entertainment Women’s Weekend on the Russian River Comes Full Circle

Photos courtesy of She She Productions and Women’s Weekend 2.0 Reinvented

“Women’s Weekend,” the classic women’s music and comedy festival that has been happening in the Russian River area for over 27 years, is being reinvented by its original founder. In September of 198 6, Carmen McKay was a worker at the West Coast Women’s Music and Comedy Festival near Yosemite when a large forest fire broke out, endangering the lives of the 150 workers setting up for the festival and, ultimately, cancelling the festival itself. McKay donned a Wonder Woman outfit she happened to have with her, and led the women out of danger on her motorcycle. She then diverted 600 disappointed festivalgoers to the Atlantis Resort in Guerneville, CA. In 1987, McKay began working with Eric Pariser, manager of The Woods Resort in Guerneville, to bring entertainment, a crafts faire and a large promotional outreach to build upon a smaller women’s gathering called “May Day,” which was started in 1982 by The Woods and Fife’s Resort. The resulting “Women’s Weekend” attracted 6000 women bi-annually to the area until the mid 90s, when McKay turned the festival over to the community. The festival eventually devolved into a smaller event, with the one last May in Guerneville attracting approximately 300 women. McKay is reviving and reinventing the festival this September 12–14 with her partner, Annie Albright. McKay and Albright own “She She,” a lesbian event production company located in San Diego, CA. “Women’s Weekend 2.0 REINVENTED” will be held at the outdoor Monte Rio Amphitheater in Monte Rio, CA, and will feature headlining act Beverly McClellan from NBC’s The Voice, as well as comics Julie Goldman of Logo and Bravo TV and Suzanne Westenhoefer. The event will also offer a golf tournament, crafts fair, f lash mob dance, wine tasting, a Sunday Jazz and Blues line up, childcare, and “The Largest Lesbian Singles Mixer in the World,” among many other activities. “I’m so excited to bring Women’s Weekend back to its full glory! This festival will be focused on diversity, fun and connection,” McKay told the Bay Times. “The festival will naturally attract the young market and we are marketing to include the lesbians over 35. Baby Boomers are welcome!

Women’s Weekend founder Carmen McKay

Many women call the festival ‘The Dinah Soar,’ referring to the large Dinah Shore festival in Palm Springs.” She continued, “The theme of the festival is, ‘Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty.’ The event is designed to give women permission to really connect—rather than hide out in cliques.” She added, “Ten percent of the festival profits will be donated to the National Center for Lesbian Rights.” Friday and Saturday night will offer DJ dancing at the River Theater in Guerneville, which will be transformed into a nightclub complete with a sound system and laser lighting purchased from George Lucas’s studio. Friday night will feature a surprise guest DJ from the Bay Area. On Saturday night, DJ Rockaway of the “Play” dances will be featured. Both nights will cater to all age groups as the DJs will be spinning old school tunes from 7–10pm (for the over 35 crowd) and hip-hop and r&b tunes from 10pm to 2am. Lorie Moore from the TV show The X Factor will be debuting her new hip-hop album on Saturday night at 10pm. “We really have created a place where there is something for everyone,” McKay said. “No matter what age you are or whether you are single or coupled, you will feel welcome, comfortable, and will have more fun than when you were a teenager! This event is designed for women to play full out.” Camping and hotel accommodations exclusively for women are available and listed on the Women’s Weekend 2.0 website. Carpool and room sharing information are also available on the site. Advance purchase tickets start at $15 for the evening events and $50 for a full-day pass. http://womensweekend2.com

BAY TIMES AUGUST 2 1 , 2 0 1 4

Mesmerizing Robert Hartwell of Motown the Musical Is Ready for the Spotlight Motown the Musical features all the classics we love from artists like Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5, but pay extra attention to performer Robert Hartwell as he is a star in his own right and then some. Hartwell’s vocal range will knock your socks off, and you can’t look away once he takes the dance floor. His mastery of the basics is so complete that he’s in the magic zone, taking audiences with him for the incredible ride. We are absolutely mesmerized, and believe Hartwell has the talent to become one of the greatest stage performers of this decade. The University of Michigan honors graduate is already a seasoned pro, having previously been in the shows Memphis the Musical, Nice Work, Cinderella and Dreamgirls. You might also

recognize him from his popular web series, “Broadway Quick Change,” where his interior design skills have him transforming the dressing rooms of some of Broadway’s hottest stars. He even redid the “Diana Ross Dressing Room” for Motown the Musical. Hartwell graciously took time out from the hectic tour for us. SF Bay Times: You are such a talented artist. What do you enjoy the most- performing, interior design or...? Robert Hartwell: Thank you so much! I truly love it all. I get the most joy in the world knowing that something that I created brightened someone else’s day. The process for both creating a space as an interior designer and working on a musical as an actor are completely the same. You work so hard to get the job, spend countless hours rehearsing or sourcing materials for a room, and then the show goes by in 3 hours and I put all of my rooms I create together in 2 days so it’s tons of hours of prep work for such a small window of “show time.” It’s absolutely thrilling learning new choreography and figuring out how to make it work on your particular body, whereas it’s just as much fun running to different fabric stores searching for the perfect shades of fabric when I’m making a collection of throw pillows. The process is definitely my favorite part. I believe anybody can put on a show, but handling yourself in rehearsal with creating a role and also directing a crew in the construction of one of my interior design projects I believe takes real heart, patience, and craft.

(moment), I get to see their bright smile and joy immediately. So I love both of them equally, but I will definitely say that to see a client’s reaction to a space over applause in the dark has a totally different feeling. SF Bay Times: Please tell us a bit about your background, who “Nana” refers to (Hartwell always thanks her in his bios), why she’s important, and how you first became interested in performing. Robert Hartwell: I’m originally from Raleigh, NC. When I was 7 years old, my mom took me to see a community theatre production as part of our Boy Scout programing. That day changed my life. Sitting in that theatre was the “a-ha!” moment of a lifetime. I knew in that moment that I was watching my life’s calling before my eyes. The following week, my mom signed me up for Raleigh Little Theatre’s creative drama camp and I haven’t stopped ever since. In Raleigh, I trained at the North Carolina Dance Institute under my mentor Kirstie Tice-Spadie. Kirstie is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts, and encouraged me at a young age to take my training to the next level. When I was 14, I moved away from home and went to boarding school at the North Carolina School of the Arts where I was a classical ballet major. I then went on to the University of Michigan, where I earned my BFA in Musical Theatre and graduated summa cum laude while earning the Willis Patterson Diversity Graduation Award. I moved to NYC upon graduation, and booked the Dreamgirls National Tour. After a year on the road, Dreamgirls closed on Christmas Day 2010, and the following day I started rehearsals for my Broadway debut in Memphis the Musical. I have also performed on Broadway in Cinderella and Nice Work If You Can Get It, where I was nominated for a Fred Astaire Award for Best Male Dancer in a Broadway Show before joining Motown the Musical. My first best friend in life was my Nana. My Nana was my mom’s mother and is my constant source of inspiration. She was an extraordinarily fabulous woman. She was the mother of her community in Brooklyn, and to be in her arms was the safest and sweetest feeling in the world. My Nana believed that I could do anything. We had a very special connection and there isn’t a day that I don’t feel her smiling down on me. Our ancestors paved a path for us to live out our dreams, and to do anything less than our best would be a slap in their faces, so for that reason I dedicate every performance to her. Of all of the amazing blessings life has brought my way, I truly think that she would’ve enjoyed Motown the most! When I’m onstage playing Tito Jackson singing “I’ll Be There,” I look into the audience and the way the lighting glows on us it feels divine in some sense. It’s very hard in that song not to think about Michael Jackson not being here anymore, but mainly in that moment every night gazing into the warm lights I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, Nana. We made it; we really did it!”

We are all imperfect people trying to make perfect products, whether that’s onstage or an interior design job site, so with that I think you learn the most about yourself and those around you during the creative process. It’s so revealing, and if you take it always as a set up for growth, you will always come out with more joy than when you came in, and that’s truly why we do it.

SF Bay Times: Please describe your role in Motown and what it’s like to perform such iconic songs. And who are your own Motown favorite artists, either past or present?

When I’m on stage sometimes after the show, I will walk through the lobby afterwards just to hear the audience buzzing about how great they are feeling after experiencing our work. However, when I’m designing a space for someone and we get to the reveal

Robert Hartwell: My role in Motown is like being shot out of a cannon eight times a week! This show is a triple-threat dream because you get to do everything. Not only do we sing, dance, and act, but also everyone in the show has a moment where they get

to step out and be featured. My role takes me through 25 costume and wig changes! I play: Paul Williams, the original founder of the Temptations; Robert Gordy (Berry Gordy’s younger brother); I sing with The Contours; and also end the show each night playing Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5. When the show opened on Broadway, I was still in Cinderella, so I remember seeing the show as an audience member for the time and completely “fangirling” out! I always tell my friends that you have to walk in the building 110% healthy and ready because what we are each required to produce in this show is a different level of inten-

were absolutely incredible but, if you really think about the Motown sound, it comes down to the background vocals and the instrumentation. So, I’m gonna take one for the underdogs and vote my favorite Motown artists as the Funk Brothers for music and The Andantes for background vocal session singers. The Andantes are on nearly every Motown recording, lending their voices and, without them, the sound would not have been filled out, and without the Funk Brothers there would be no beat. But also, I can’t get enough of Marvin Gaye. He just had it all. That’s a legend. SF Bay Times: Do you think that LGBT artists helped to shape the Motown sound, even if they cannot be acknowledged as such today? And what do you think of the civil rights gains that have affected the music industry over the years? We’d like to think that if a Motown artist were LGBT, he or she would not have to be closeted. Robert Hartwell: I absolutely think there had to be LGBT artists that helped to shape the Motown sound. I am now a part of the Motown family, and am carrying on the legacy of Motown, but every character I portray on stage is straight. If any of the people I portray were, in fact, LGBT, they would not have been able to be openly LGBT in the Motown world nor the mainstream music industry.

sity than I’ve ever experienced before. I love working hard, but this show requires a very fine-tuned focus. We aren’t just out there singing and dancing, but we are carrying on the legacy of the Motown brand that changed America. But, most importantly, we are honoring these iconic legends, some of whom aren’t with us anymore, so there is a great respect and desire in doing it right nightly. This show is much bigger than all of us onstage and to remember the political and social climate that these songs were birthed out of reminds you how important it is for us to tell this story with truth and full, passionate commitment. As far as my favorite Motown artists, I definitely have to say I always root for the underdog. What most people don’t realize is, yes, the lead vocalists

One of my favorite lines in Motown is when Berry Gordy says, “I don’t make race music. I make music for all people...and pop means popular.” His goal was to get his music out there to all people, not just black people, and he did that not only with a revolutionary product, but also with impeccable branding. The acts that all went through Motown had charm school lessons and were expected to represent the brand in a certain way. Being openly LGBT at that time would have gone against everything that the brand then was trying to accomplish. We were fighting politically to be able to drink from the same water fountains and sit wherever we wanted to on the bus; as a nation we weren’t at the fight for LGBT rights yet. We are at that fight now as a country but, sadly, I still don’t think the mainstream music industry is ready to put LGBT artists on their labels in the same way they do their other artists. SF Bay Times: Have you been to SF before? If not, what are you most looking forward to visiting/doing? If you have been here before, please share your

thoughts about SF and what you most enjoy doing when you’re here. Robert Hartwell: I have been to SF before! My first visit was in 2010 when I was on the Dreamgirls National Tour. Sadly, I was so busy with the show that I had no time to explore. I am determined to change that this time around! I’m most looking forward to biking across the bridge and visiting Alcatraz with my sister when she comes to visit! SF Bay Times: We are big fans of “Broadway Quick Change.” Have you re-done the dressing rooms of anyone in the Motown cast? If so, whose, and how did you transform the room(s)? Robert Hartwell: Thank you so much for watching! I recently just finished filming our 8th and final episode of “Broadway Quick Change” Season One on BroadwayWorld.com the day before I f lew here to San Francisco! We’ve got some incredible things in the works and can’t wait to get started on our next season. I actually got the chance to makeover the Diana Ross dressing room at Motown on Broadway. When Krystal Joy Brown took over the role, I came in to bring fresh (energy) to the space. When the show hit its one-year mark, the producers and creative team invited me back to do a “Broadway Quick Change” on their green room. Both spaces were so much fun! I love it when a room reflects the greater goal of the space. Basically, I wanted you to walk into both spaces feeling the vast and rich history of the Motown family. Between the two rooms there are over 150 rare photographs from the Motown archives. The rooms are very special to me, and to see the cast taking them on and living in them and showing them off to friends and guests makes me so happy! You can watch both episodes on our website www.BroadwayQuickChange.com SF Bay Times: Please mention anything else that you’d like our readers to know. Robert Hartwell: Mr. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, and I share the same birthday, November 28th! I actually ended up getting the call that I booked the job on our birthday on Thanksgiving Day! Motown the Musical is at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco through September 28. For tickets and additional information, please visit: https://www. shnsf.com/online/motown

BAY T IM ES AUGUS T 21, 2014

Planetary Influences Suggest We Will Be Tugged in Two Different Directions love that you have ever experienced. Now think about the greatest uncontrollable loss you ever known. Now remember that in our humanness, one is intrinsically linked to the other. Mania is to uninhibited life, as depression is to inevitable death.

Astrology Linda Amburgey Since the death of the icon Robin Williams, the highs and lows we humans are capable of experiencing are fresh in our minds and hearts, and possibly our direct personal experience too. The planetary influences suggest we will all be tugged in two seemingly different directions of our human capacities. Big, abundant expansion of our generous hearts and self-expression battles with our deep, dark, intense side, and what Ekart Tolle calls “our pain body.” As these two polarities duke it out, it will serve you well to acknowledge both without over-analyzing or criticizing either. Think of all the ways you can humbly master your most authentic self by being large enough to hold both ends of the stick at the same time. If you are not sure what I mean, think about the greatest moment of

ARIES (March 21–April 19) Measuring your appearance with a mythical yardstick will not serve the deeper essence of your being. Your fantasy self versus your true self may battle for mirror time like a couple getting ready for an evening out on the town. Master your daily habits without holding yourself hostage to cultural normative standards of beauty.

on the walls with their little hands. Keep in mind that there are very creative and humorous ways you can tell your emotional truth to yourself right now.

CANCER ( June 21–July 22) If you approach others with humility and the intention to serve, you are likely to channel and language the divine and mystical realm of non-ordinary reality. If you overanalyze every moment and every detail, you will instantly close the portal as well as the ears of everyone around you. People are drawn to you. Stay humble, and relax a little around the details.

better. TAURUS (April 20–May 20) Dig for the deeper layers under your emotional skin to find a glowing child ready to be liked by you. Serve and treasure that little being until you fully and completely realize that this is you! While you can help yourself master the currents of your creativity, do not be overly critical, or you may become depressed and block the channel.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Have you ever been around a child who playfully and innocently tells the truth that no adult in the room would dare to tell? It’s as if such children simply channel the forbidden shadow like they are making bunny shapes

LEO (July 23–August 22) Under the circumstances of ironclad domestic drama, your self esteem is remarkably high right now. This grand sense of yourself is spilling into the mastery of your worth, and is measured by your fierce attention to gathering the resources you need to promote and grow this new and confident you. Stay centered in your heart.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22) The mystery of relationships is like the fog on the bathroom mirror after a hot shower. You keep wiping it down to see your reflection, and it keeps fogging up again. In and out of this misty vision is the

relationship vibe that surrounds you now. Let yourself be lost in the mist of another in order to see yourself more clearly.

LIBRA (September 23–October 22) Find time to close the curtains and rest in the spirit of your soul. This gives you time to release any guilt and need for atonement that have built up over the past year. I suggest a daily routine that suites your definition of a spiritual practice, and enough down time to balance your active social engagements. Like an electric car after a day on the road, you need to go to the garage and plug in.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21) You have a golden opportunity to assert yourself as the authority while your social status is that of a king or queen. Please respect your rise to the top by humbly knowing and serving your tribe. If your followers detect ego-driven grandiosity, you will be the object of nit-picking and jealous retaliation.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22– December 21) Hi ho, hi ho, it’s back to work you go…Finding and keeping the rhythm of your public routines may be less exciting than the darker delicious fantasies of your hidden desires. There will be a time and a place for you to binge and indulge, but now you must devote the skills you have mastered to your role at the tribal table.

As Heard on the Street . . .

CAPRICORN (December 22– January 19) Take a vacation immediately! Today’s technologies assure that you are never completely disconnected from your duties, and we know deep down that this makes you happy. Enjoy some dirty indulgence and try not to call the office too many times while you are playing down under. AQUA RIUS ( January 20 – February 18) Sometimes there are rules and standards for good reason. I don’t expect you to love this concept, however, try to add a dash of conservative embodied ritual to your work and play this month. I’m certain you will enjoy some quirky twists and turns, as well as alchemical delights that will please your rule breaker. PISCES (February 19–March 20) Okay, it’s time. No more fantasies about your remarkable availability for intimacy, while focusing on the other’s shortcomings. If you tend to do the reverse, don’t do that either! Nit-picking and romantic fantasy create the same smoke and mirrors, blocking your clear sight into yourself and that elusive soul-mate feel. Experiencing the divine oneness with another demands that you stay centered in the vulnerability of your own heart. Linda Amburgey has owned Crystal Way Metaphysical Center for 11 years, and has been an Intuitive Reader for 20 years. To book readings, counseling for couples or individuals, events and parties, please e-mail her at ConsciousCounsel@ gmail.com or call 415-218-5096.

compiled by Rink

What three high-tech devices would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

Cookie Dough “Solar panels for electricity, an iPhone loaded with my music, and a short-wave radio to call for help to get off the island.”

Derek Speckalmeyer “Solar powered batteries, a solar powered stove, and a smart phone.”

Peter Wong

Jeffrey Lilly

Nicholas Renoult

“A laptop loaded with at least a word processor, some video games, a solar battery and a solar oven.”

“An iPhone, a MacBook Air, and a solar generator.”

“An iPad Air, a MacBook Pro, and an underwater camera.”

Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com (continued on page 26) 20

BAY TIMES AUGUST 2 1 , 2 0 1 4

Wistful Love Is Strange Depicts the Seasons of Life strategy that keeps the audience engaged. A series of lovely scenes depict how George, Ben, and their friends and family members interact. An opening sequence of Ben borrowing money from George, their search for a lost pair of glasses, and the couple’s reminiscing about their lives together in a gay bar are just some of the film’s many authentic moments that will resonate with viewers.

Film Gary Kramer Love Is Strange, director/co-writer Ira Sachs’ thoughtful, wistful film, concerns a couple—George (Alfred Molina) and Ben ( John Lithgow)—who have been together 39 years. The men marry in the opening moments, but spend most of the rest of the film apart. After the wedding, George is fired from his job at a Catholic school, which causes them to lose their apartment. As a result, George moves in with his downstairs neighbors, Roberto (Manny Perez) and Ted (Cheyenne Jackson), while Ben goes to live with his nephew Elliot (Darren E. Burrows), his wife Kate (Marisa Tomei), and their son, Joey (Charlie Tahan). Watching these men who love each other, but who must live apart, forms the emotional core of this authentic, observational drama. “It’s a film about intimacy, and about the possibility of love to grow with time,” the soft-spoken Sachs declared over tea last month at the Marlton hotel in New York City. “It’s called Love Is Strange for a reason: every intimate relationship is different from the next. Every stage of our lives, we experience love in a different way. This is a film about three generations. Each has a different perspective of love based on their experiences. You have the older couple, the couple in the middle of their lives, and this young boy ( Joey) finding out about love for the first time.” The writer/director emphasizes character and mood over plot, a narrative

Love Is Strange is a personal, but not autobiographical, film for Sachs. On January 7, 2013, he married painter Boris Torres. They had twins a week later. He identifies more with the character of Kate than with either Ben or George.

He explained, “She’s me in the sense that she’s in the middle of her life, trying to figure out what the parameters are, and what is possible and what might have to be let go.” Sachs described his drama as “a film about family, and learning to accept the limits of our own lives.” He acknowledged, “That we are not here forever is comforting, not depressing. Love Is Strange recognizes and values my parents’ generation. It’s very much a middle age film, a film about my parents— the people I see who are disappearing.” Sachs beautifully depicts what he calls “the seasons of life” in his film, and he expresses empathy for all his characters. Ben is forced to share a room with Joey, which creates some awkward moments between them (especially when George visits), and leads to a subplot about stolen books that prompts a dramatic episode. Kate also becomes irritated by Ben’s presence and the burden of living with him. “These are good people who can still manage to hurt each other,” Sachs ob-

served about his characters. “That is the texture that I am most interested in, the nuance of intimacy. All my previous films are about the nature of relationships and the likelihood of relationships destroying everyone involved. A lot of my films have been about lies and what is hidden and, for the most part, this is not that film.“ He continued, “Love Is Strange is more about responsibility and what we choose to do with other people. How much we are there for the people we are closest to. I really try not to judge anyone in the film, nor myself, for the complicated questions: Whom do we take care of ? Whom do we take in? What is our responsibility?” Sachs’ points about caring and responsibility extend to the depiction of George and Ben’s marriage in the film. Gay marriage here is used more to define the couple’s union and their lives together, and less as a legal act, despite the conflict caused by the Catholic Church. “Love Is Strange is about two people who face conflict and thus grow stronger together. It’s a drama of separation,” Sachs insisted. “What they were separated from was being in bed together: physical intimacy in private space. So when you do see them in bed together, it reveals the history more than anything else.” He concluded, “It’s a film about the beauty of love. I wanted the audience to get a laser sharp view of the history of this relationship, and understand in a moment that it had its passages and its acts. The heart of the film is about intimacy, the structure of building a life together with another human being. Love is not simple, and intimacy is complex.”

THE RICHMOND/ERMET AIDS FOUNDATION PRESENTS Northern California’s Largest Annual AIDS Benefit Concert & Gala

AUGUST 24, 2014 PALACE OF FINE ARTS

BENEFITING Abzyme Research Foundation ★ Aguilas AIDS Legal Referral Panel ★ Positive Resource Center

FEATURING Singer/actor (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Singin’ In The Rain)

WESLEY ALFVIN TV (The X-Factor) / cabaret star

JASON BROCK

Film / TV (Dr. Kildare, The Thornbirds, Shogun) star

RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN

Broadway (42nd Street, Radio Gals) star

CAROLE COOK

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

Composer / singer (Help is on the Way) / producer

DAVID FRIEDMAN Broadway / TV (The Brady Bunch) star

FLORENCE HENDERSON Broadway (3 From Brooklyn) recording star

ROSLYN KIND Cabaret star

MEG MACKAY

Broadway (Little Women, Nine) / recording star

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

S i s t e r D a n a sez , “ C o n g re s s i o n a l RepubliCAN’Ts are nattering nabobs of negativity. I long for the good ol’ days when partisan politics ended at the foreign shores.” TH E H A RV EY M I L K LGBT DEMOCRATIC CLUB held its annual DINNER AND GAYLA at City College of San Francisco’s Mission Campus, which they chose as a small gesture of solidarity with City College of San Francisco and the 90,000 students who depend on it. Many are low-income, queer, people of color, immigrants, seniors, English language learners, disabled, ex-offenders, or military veterans. City College has served our community faithfully for seventy-nine years. I cannot imagine a San Francisco without it and am proud to continue to stand by our college. Dinner was catered by CCSF Culinary Program graduates. The Milk Club proudly honored our City College champions: Congresswoman Jackie Speier, City Attorney Dennis Herrera, City College Trustee (and Bay Times columnist) Rafael Mandelman, Student Trustee Shanell Williams, and Former President AFT 2121 Alisa Messer. The Keynote Speaker and Bayard Rustin Civ-

il Rights Award Recipient was CeCe McDonald, who spoke emotionally of her experience as a political prisoner incarcerated for defending herself against a racist, transphobic assault, but who was supported nationwide, leading to a reduction in her sentence. She was freed in January. Milk Club Co-Presidents Tom Temprano & Laura Thomas introduced outstanding Harvey Milk Club Honorees as follows: Hank Wilson Activist Award to Housing Rights Committee & Anti-Eviction Mapping Project; Bill Kraus HIV/AIDS Activism Award to Tita Aida; Sylvester Pride In The Arts Award to Juanita More!; Harry Britt Lifetime Achievement Award to Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (who hugged me and said to me, “We’re still alive, and that’s wonderful”); Community Ally Award to Supervisor Jane Kim; and the Howard Wallace Labor Leadership Award to Gabriel Haaland.

Mama Dora, Dakota Pendant, and Viv vi the Force. Deicious dance beats were by DJs Pete Avila (Club Uranus + Your Mamas House), Steve Fabus & Sergio Fedasz (Go BANG!), Bus Station John (The Tubesteak Connection); and Tisdale Fry (What Wednesdays). Sitting in the front row, I got the old Uranus treatment with f lying liquids and mashed vegetables! playajoy.org GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY, San Francisco’s “queer Smithsonian” at 4127 18th Street, held a reception (continued on page 26)

MAUREEN MCGOVERN TV (Glee, The Glee Project) star

ALEX NEWELL

Singer, dancer, actor (Anything Goes, The Full Monty)

JEFFREY SCOTT PARSONS Broadway (Fosse) / film (Jumping the Broom) / TV star

VALARIE PETTIFORD Comedian/ TV star

CRAIG SHOEMAKER

Star Search Grand Champion / recording star

JAKE SIMPSON

Broadway (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miz) / recording star

LISA VROMAN Cabaret / jazz star

PAULA WEST

World champion same-sex dance champions

JOHN NARVAEZ & ANDREW CERVANTES And Cast Members from

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Tickets: 415-273-1620 or www.helpisontheway.org

Director DAVID GALLIGAN