San Francisco Bay Times - June 8, 2017

June 8 - 21, 2017 | sfbaytimes.com

For this and other festival highlights, see pages 25–28

In the News Compiled by Dennis McMillan Senate Passes LGBT Seniors Bill of Rights for Long-Term Care Facilities On May 31, the California Senate passed SB 219, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California. SB 219 is the LGBT Senior Long-Term Care Bill of Rights for seniors in longterm care facilities. The bill passed by a vote of 26–12, and will now move to the Assembly for consideration. SB 219 protects LGBT seniors from discrimination in long-term care facilities, such as a facility refusing to use a resident’s preferred name or pronoun, denying admission to a longterm care facility, transferring a resident within a facility or to another facility based on anti-LGBT attitudes of other residents, or evicting or involuntarily discharging a resident from a facility on the basis of a person’s actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or HIV status. In addition, the bill requires that all long-term care facilities post a notice regarding this form of discrimination where its current non-discrimination policy is posted. “Our LGBT seniors paved the way for our community, and they went to hell and back to ensure our community’s survival and growth,” said Senator Wiener. “Ensuring these seniors can age with dignity and respect is the least we can do to support them, especially as they face discrimination, unique health challenges, and frequent lack of family support.” sen.ca.gov First Ever Gender-Inclusive Locker Room Planned for UC Berkeley UC Berkeley will become the first college in California to build a genderneutral locker room inside its campus gym. Currently at the UC Berkeley Recreational Sports Facility, there is a men’s locker room and a women’s locker room. But a planned 4,500 square foot addition will also make a place for gender nonconforming individuals, as well as disabled students who have assistance from someone of a different gender. “It will be gender inclusive. The idea is that it’s open to all,” said Andy Davis, Communications Manager for the UC Berkeley Department of Recreational Sports. “(It is also for) anyone who has an interest in an additional level of privacy.” The planned $2.7 million locker room is funded by a $54 student fee.

The locker room will include partitioned showers and private changing rooms. ​sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com Bill to Modernize Discriminatory HIV Criminalization Laws Passes Senate The Senate passed a bill authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Todd Gloria (D-San Diego) that will modernize laws that criminalize and stigmatize people living with HIV. Senate Bill 239 would amend California’s HIV criminalization laws, enacted in the 1980s and ‘90s at a time of fear and ignorance about HIV and its transmission, to make them consistent with laws involving other serious communicable diseases. SB 239 updates California criminal law to approach transmission of HIV in the same way as transmission of other serious communicable diseases. It also brings California statutes up to date with the current understanding of HIV prevention, treatment and transmission. The bill now moves to the Assembly for consideration. sen.ca.gov TLC Applauds Senate Passage of SB 179, to Enable Accurate Identity Documents San Francisco based Transgender Law Center (TLC) is proud to have

drafted and sponsored SB 179, legislation that will empower more transgender, intersex and nonbinary people to more easily obtain state-issued identity documents that accurately reflect their gender. The bill is being authored by Senators Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and is sponsored by not only TLC, but also Equality California. SB 179 will establish a third, nonbinary gender marker on California birth certificates, drivers’ licenses, identity cards and genderchange court orders. It also streamlines the processes for Californians to apply to the state for a change in gender on these identifying documents by eliminating the requirement that individuals obtain a certification from a physician and easing the requirement that individuals attend a court hearing. “This is a huge step forward for transgender and nonbinary Californians,” said Kris Hayashi, Executive Director of TLC. “It will help eliminate many of the barriers to accurate ID that people experience that exposes them to discrimination and harassment in so many arenas where we must show ID.” transgenderlawcenter.org HIV Long-Term Survivors Honored H I V L ong-Term Sur v ivors Day (HLTSD) was commemorated on June 5, the anniversary of the day in 1981 when the CDC reported the first cases among gay men of a mysterious illness that would later become known as AIDS. According to its website, HLTSD celebrates “those who have defied the odds by living with HIV for decades. June 5 is about coming together and realizing that we are not alone.” As of this year, nearly 60 percent of all people living with HIV in the U.S. are over 50 years old, and by 2020, this number is projected to increase to 70 percent. The theme of HLTSD 2017 was HIV-resilient. A statement from HLTSD explained, “Our focus is on ensuring that HIV long-term survivors are front and center in the current HIV dialogue.” edgemedianetwork.com Marching Out: District 10 Plans 1st Float for Pride Parade The Hunters Point Gantry crane— the largest in the world—was built in 1947 and was used to lift heavy ships and shipboard equipment between 1941 and 1974, when the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard was most active. Now it will be a symbol of Pride in this year’s Parade. Although several decades have passed since the shipyard closed, the 450-feet-tall, 8,400-pound crane remains in the area and is the largest crane in the world. Many consider the crane to be a historical landmark in the Bayview community. “We chose the crane because it is an ever-present sight in the community,” said float designer Lawrence Cuevas. “[It’s] as visible as other iconic San Francisco sights ... I believe it can also be re-imagined as a symbol of optimism for the [queer] community’s future.” The community group behind the district’s presence is being supported by the Merchants of Butchertown, which is comprised of residents and business owners who are craft food and wine makers. (Butchertown was an area in the neighborhood during the 1920s and ‘30s. Now part of District 10, the area historically spanned Third Street from Oakdale Avenue to Cesar Chavez.) hoodline.com 16th Annual S.F to L.A. AIDS/ Lifecycle Underway (continued on page 22) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Pride Reflections

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Ever since I was a college student back home in San Francisco for summer break, I have loved the start of June. Seeing the rainbow f lags pop up along Market Street was particularly wonderful twenty-plus years ago to a newly out young gay, but even today, all these years later, I still get a little thrill at the arrival of Pride month.

Pride seems to have been getting an early start since California established May 22 as Harvey Milk Day back in 2009. Getting Milk’s birthday recognized as a statewide Day of Significance was no mean feat back then. Notwithstanding the fact that the State has established Days of Significance to commemorate a ton of other people, events and causes—John Muir and the California poppy, just to name a few—former Governor Schwarzenegger actually vetoed Mark Leno’s first bill establishing the day in 2008.

But Mark persisted, as he does, and the following year he got the bill passed and signed. The intervening release of the movie Milk, and President Obama’s posthumous award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the slain Supervisor, might have had something to do with the Governor’s change of heart.

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In the short time since then, our community has come up with a few new traditions to commemorate Milk’s Day. For a couple of years now, the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club has arranged for commemorative showings of The Times of Harvey Milk at the Castro Theater. Windows for Harvey, sponsored by the Castro Merchants, is another developing tradition now in its second year. It affords local artists the opportunity to display works commemorating Milk’s legacy in windows throughout the neighborhood.

I find that recognized holidays are also an opportunity to mark changes from year to year. As we enter this Pride season, I have been struck by how much the political environment has changed over the last twelve months. A year ago, President Obama was in office, his Department of Education had issued guidance to schools ensuring the rights of transgender students, Antonin Scalia had died, opening the way for another Democratic appointment to the Supreme Court, and Hillary Clinton seemed certain to beat the laughably unprepared and unfit Donald Trump.

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Today, the unimaginable is reality. Trump is our president, his administration has reversed Obama’s guidance on transgender students, and Neil Gorsuch has taken Merrick Garland’s seat on the Supreme Court. Forty years ago, Harvey Milk talked about the need to give hope, not just to the gays, but to all of the Us’s—women, minorities, seniors, and the disabled, and to all of those who are struggling against oppression of one variety or another.

The election of Barack Obama in 2008 had been a great moment for the Us’s, and it allowed for rapid progress in a number of areas. The election of Donald Trump in 2016 was clearly a significant reversal, although I suspect we will not truly understand the extent of that reversal for some time.

It seems to me that it is in times such as these— when resistance and persistence are the necessary watchwords of the moment—that the example of Harvey Milk, his contemporaries and his successors are most necessary and useful. These individuals, after all, faced challenges far greater than the ones we face, not the least of which was that they did not know what progress the subsequent four (continued on page 22)

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Rally Held in SF to Commemorate International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia

By Dennis McMillan The San Francisco #IDAHOT rally in Harvey Milk Plaza on May 17 was one of hundreds of events occurring worldwide demanding justice for victims of LGBTQ persecution on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia (IDAHOT).

The event also celebrated the May 17 release of Chelsea Manning from federal prison. President Obama had commuted all but four months of the remaining prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, the Army intelligence analyst convicted of a 2010 leak that revealed American military and diplomatic activities across the world. As reported by The New York Times, “... the decision by Mr. Obama rescued Ms. Manning, who twice tried to kill

herself last year, from an uncertain future as a transgender woman incarcerated at the men’s military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. She has been jailed for nearly seven years, and her 35-year sentence was by far the longest punishment ever imposed in the United States for a leak conviction.”

People carried placards stating: “Welcome home, Chelsea!” “Chelsea Manning is our queer heroine!”

A large, red heart-shaped sign was inscribed, “We love you, Chelsea!”

Some wore pink stickers encouraging: “Arise! Love! Resist!” A large rainbow flag was draped across the banister, and, of course, the ever-present huge rainbow flag flew high above everyone. The date of Manning’s liberation coincides with the IDAHOT, which turns this decision into a much broader acknowledgement of the situation faced by transgender prisoners in U.S. jails.

IDAHOT was created in 2004 to draw the attention of policymakers, opinion leaders, social movements, the public and the media to the violence and discrimination experienced

by LGBTI people internationally, and to all of those who do not conform to majority sexual and gender norms. The date of May 17 was specifically chosen to commemorate the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder.

Organizer Gary Virginia (right) with Donna Sachet and Pink Triangle Project founder Patrick Carney for the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia Rally held at Harvey Milk Plaza on Wednesday, May 17.

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IDAHOT is now celebrated on May 17 in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal, with 1,600 events reported from 1,280 organizations in 2014. These

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mobilizations unite millions of people in support of the recognition of human rights for all, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

The San Francisco rally primarily focused on three subjects: 1. Demanding justice for victims of extreme LGBTQ persecution (e.g., the recent kidnapping, torture and killing of up to 100 gay men in Chechnya; the opening of a concentration camp there, and the continuing epidemic of transgender murders in the United States) 2. Resistance to the Trump administration’s threat to LGBTQ people and families, including impacts on immigration and asylum 3. The aforementioned celebration of U.S. whistleblower Chelsea Manning’s release from federal prison on May 17 with a show of solidarity for her continued wellbeing In addition, Patrick Carney, founder of the Pink Triangle Project, had installed a custom-made, 10-foot pink triangle hanging from Harvey Milk Plaza, bordered by little flags from every representation of queerdom, and spoke about the significance of remembering the LGBT Holocaust victims.

Over 100 people attended, first keeping a moment of silence to honor all victims of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia, especially recent victims in Chechnya. Gary Virginia from Gays Without Borders organized and emceed the event.

“This rally is needed now more than e ver — g i ven t he cr isis i n Chechnya with the government creating gay concentration c a mps i nvolv i ng torture and murd e r s ,” h e s a i d .

“We’re also drawi ng at tent ion to transgender murders in the U.S. and abroad, threats to the LGBTQ community under the Trump administration, L GBTQ i m m ig rat ion and family challenges, and the celebrated release of U.S. whistleblower Chelsea Manning.”

Photos by Rink

Rally participants gathered at Harvey Milk Plaza

The evening featured many eloquent speakers—including Carney, former California State Assemblyman Tom Amm i a no, Me l a n ie Na - Activist Melanie Nathan spoke while displaying a flag of South than from A frican Hu- Africa inscribed with names of LGBTQ women who are victims of man Rights Coalition, Lori hate crimes.

Nairne from Queer Strike, Faux queen Deana Dawn got us all to Jeff Patterson from Courage to Re- sing along with her doing “I Am What sist and the Chelsea Manning Sup- I Am” from La Cage aux Folles. Closport Network, Subhi Nahas of Spec- ing the event, The Chelsea Manning tra Project (Syria), and activist and Flashmob dancers performed their entertainer Donna Sachet. Each adrousing routine to Michael Jackson’s dressed subjects regarding LGBTQ “They Don’t Care About Us,” and crises in America, Chechnya, Africa or the Middle East. Mark Leno, can- got everyone enthusiastically clapping didate for mayor, sent his regrets, and hands or waving hands in the air. FiJanetta Johnson, Executive Director, nally, we all sang “We Shall OverLeadership Team of TGI Justice Proj- come” in unison and in hope for a betect, was also unable to attend. ter world.

Celebrating Pride as We Remember Orlando I was signing my tab, out of nowhere … [I heard rapid gunfire] … . [I]t got louder and louder … . He kept on shooting and shooting and shooting … . I could smell the ammo in the air.” And “[w]hen I dropped to the floor … [I] saw people crying and covered in blood.”

John Lewis & Stuart Gaffney As we mark the first anniversary of the Orlando massacre in which 49, mostly Latinx, members of the LGBTQ community were murdered and 53 others were wounded at the Pulse Nightclub, we find ourselves reflecting on how sobering the events in the early hours of June 12, 2016, were.

Stuart had gotten up earlier than John had that Sunday morning, and as soon as he heard John rustling awake, he rushed to him to tell him that something horrif ic had happened the night before. We watched Christine Leinonen, mother of Christopher “Drew” Leinonen who together with his partner Juan Ramon Guerrero were killed that night, desperately seek news of her son’s fate on live television and plea for an end to “the hatred and the violence” and to “do something with the assault weapons.”

A year ago, Janiel Gonzalez described what had happened inside the bar to the Palm Beach Post: “I was ordering a Red Bull at the bar … . As

We have been fortunate not to have suffered such brutal and sudden loss in our lives. However, our recent experiences losing close loved ones and consoling others who have lost life partners and dear friends heighten our sense of connection and empathy with all of those who lost loved ones in Orlando. Our hearts are with Orlando and all other victims of gun violence. We hold each other and those we love more tightly.

A year ago, we wrote in this column: “We cannot fully honor the lives of those lost in Orlando on June 12 unless we do everything in our power not just to reduce hatred, but to eliminate access to the firearms that provide the means by which people carry out these types of massacres and other gun violence.”

Today, we ask ourselves: are we doing everything we can? Shortly after the shooting, Lambda Legal’s Deputy Legal Director Hayley Gorenberg wrote that “we must step up and fight to end gun violence.” And we need to do it “now.” And the Human Rights Campaign announced a new “organizational position that the safety of LGBTQ people in the United States requires the adoption of common-sense gun violence prevention measures.” Since then, Donald Trump was elected President with strong support from the National Rifle Association, and today, gun control advocates search for the way forward.

In 1962, Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan pondered in song: “How many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry? How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died? The answer,

A collage of victims from the Pulse Night Club tragedy in Orlando on June 12, 2016

my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind.”

Bay Area LGBT community members and supporters gathered for a large vigil held in the Castro to remember the Orlando victims.

Dith Pran, the Cambodian journalist who overcame incalculable odds to survive the Khmer Rouge genocide and whose life was the subject of the movie The Killing Fields, years later opined: “What matters is that we remember and we keep talking and maybe someday we will mean it when we say about a holocaust: ‘never again.’” Shouldn’t that someday be now?

Today, we heed Pran’s words—we remember, we keep talking, and we renew our commitment of a year ago.

And this month, we celebrate Pride and all our community has done to reduce hatred, even as we remember all of those we have lost.

PHOTO BY HOSSEIN CARNEY

6/26 and Beyond

Shawn Roysten, who also survived the massacre, explained in the Los Angeles Times: “There were so many bodies, so much blood.” Eddie Justice lost his life that night when the gunman found him hiding in the bathroom. Shortly before he died he texted his mother: “Mommy I love you … . In club they’re shooting … .

He’s coming. I’m gonna die.”

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for over three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. Their leadership in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

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Ageism Isn’t Cute

Aging in Community Fairley Parson, LCSW As a clinical social worker working in the LGBT senior community, I have heard my share of ageist comments.

The most common reply I hear when I tell peers (I’m 38) what I do for work is, “Aw, how cute.” (Insert eye roll here.) Though dubbing older adults “cute” implies endearment, it’s more than irksome, and requires more than an eye roll to address. In reality, the community members I work with are astute, insightful, seasoned and fierce.

Cute just doesn’t cut it.

While seniors in our community live with significant health disparities when compared to their straight counterparts, differences within the cohort cannot be overstated. Plainly, if you’ve seen one LGBT senior, you’ve seen one LGBT senior. “Senior” itself is a contested and slippery term, used to describe people in a vast age range encompassing up to three generations. As one woman I work with said, “I’m seventy-one, poor, old, black, and I’m the lesbian daughter of a Baptist minister. When younger people see me, they probably see ‘a sweet old lady,’ not the radical boomer dyke I am—even if I am kind of sweet.”

And while “how sweet,” may sound innocuous, as Ashton Applewhite notes in This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, “‘Elderspeak’—the belittling ‘sweeties’ and ‘dearies’ that people use to address older people— does more than rankle. It reinforces stereotypes of incapacity and incompetence.”

In my work at Openhouse, I lead trainings with clinicians and senior service providers on LGBT aging issues and ageism. Most trainees remark that, while they have had trainings on oppression based on sexual orientation, race, and gender, they have never had any formal training dealing with ageism. I am continually struck by this omission, but maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.

For most of us who are not-yet-old, aging is something that’s joked about or “fought” (think of every skincare ad), but rarely seriously discussed. If we’re lucky, we will all get old, but the avoidance of engaging with aging and identifying with aging—let alone focusing our work on it—is pervasive.

Indeed, while 10,000 adults become Medicare eligible each year in the U.S., only 3% of social workers concentrate in gerontology. The U.S. currently boasts about 7,000 geriatricians, about 1 for every 10,000 patients seventy-five and up. As geriatrician Dr. Samir Sinha aptly notes, “A culture that devalues the old, places little value on those who work with them.”

Further, within psychotherapy, clinicians’ attitudes are shaped by the common misconception that older adults have little capacity for change.

In fact, older adults are shown to be as responsive to therapeutic interventions as their younger counterparts, and some research suggests they may have better outcomes because of our human tendency to make temporal goals. If you have less time, you don’t want to waste it. You want to do the work.

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Many of the seniors I know are doing such work— engaging in individual and group emotional support to deal with issues like grief and loss, and participating in social and political organizing to create and maintain support networks and to claim political power. As any LGBT senior knows, folks in our community have rich histories of activism, advocacy, and community building.

Richard Marino, 64, a member of Openhouse’s Gay Gray Writers, said, “These days in the Castro, you can feel ‘too old’ at a very young age! You have to say, ‘I belong.’ You have to bid yourself in.” Gary Garr, 70, a retired nurse commented, “In the ‘70’s, we invented our own politics; in the eighties, we invented our own health care, and now we are inventing our own aging.”

Some lesbians have reclaimed the word “old” and have organized their communities around aging and other intersecting social and political issues.

As proclaimed by Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC), a national group with over twenty chapters nationwide, “We name ourselves ‘Old Lesbians’ because we will no longer accommodate ourselves to language that implies in any way that ‘Old’ means inferior. We call ourselves ‘old’ with pride.”

This kind of identity politics can serve as a powerful organizing tool as well as a buffer to the injuries of an ageist society. At the same time, we hear from men experiencing ageism in the gay community starting as young as 40. As one man in the Openhouse HIV support group said, “I’m grateful to have a space where we’re all over sixty. We all ‘went through it,’ and there’s pride and comfort in that … even in the midst of a very ageist gay culture at large.”

So, how can we disrupt ageism in our everyday life? For starters, younger and middle-aged people need to think about their own “age identity”—what aging means to them and how it impacts how they relate with their community; notice when a meeting or community event is made up of people who are all around the same age, and seek out the feedback of elders to identify ways to make the space more inclusive. One seventy-year-old woman commented, “I’m probably not going to a meeting that’s only advertised through Facebook. I’m just not online that much. A phone call goes a long way.” Said another, “If I’m expected to stand for a meeting, or sit on the floor, I can’t go. At this point in my life, I need a literal seat at the table.”

Let’s then make room. We certainly won’t defeat Trump or create more equitable communities without participation and leadership that includes older adults, middle-aged, and younger adults in conversation. In a time when history seems to be repeating itself, elders’ perspectives are vital to our collective struggles for social justice.

Just as white people must confront white supremacy and men must disrupt misogyny, younger people must take on ageism— in themselves, in their work, and in their communities.

Real intersectionality must include age-identities. The time is now.

Fairley Parson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Manager of Community Engagement at Openhouse in San Francisco.

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-and-opportunties

22nd Annual Pink Triangle to Be Created Atop Twin Peaks

By Patrick Carney

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carney

A huge Pink Triangle, which is one-acre in size, is being installed for its 22nd time as a reminder that history repeats.

We again are in a situation where being Homosexual, Bi or Trans not only can get one arrested, but also lockedup, tortured, and even killed. For that reason, we need to remember horrific events, and yes, even remember repulsive symbols like the Pink Triangle. Sometimes the best way to keep a symbol pertinent is to “own” it, and to give it a new purpose.

This Nazi symbol of hate and persecution has been usurped, and is now a symbol of survival, defiance, courage, strength, and diversity. The timing of this year’s Pink Triangle with the 50th anniversary of San Francisco’s “Summer of Love” is perfect!

We, however, have to recognize that in many places in the world, conditions for the LGBTQ community are anything but perfect. Here are some examples: Chechnya Internment camps for gays have been established for the f irst time since WWII. Meanwhile, the president of Chechnya claims gay people don’t even exist in his state. At least one hundred have been locked up, and 26 have reportedly died during the horrifying purge of gays. The leader’s goal is “the complete cleansing

The view from Twin Peaks on “Pink Saturday” where the installation is underway prior to the annual Pink Triangle Ceremony led by Prink Triangle Project founder Patrick Carney with music by the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band and other invited performers.

of Chechnya from men of non-traditional sexual orientation.” As such, there are only 3 options for gays in Chechnya: • 1. They can leave the country.

• 2. They can kill themselves.

• 3. They can be killed.

Chechnya authorities have said: “Kill your gay sons—or we will.”

Indonesia A gay couple was arrested and caned after vigilantes, who were spying on them, broke into the house where the couple were staying and caught them

engaging in consensual private sexual relations. Hundreds of people showed up to watch and jeer as the two gays were f logged for breaking Sharia rules.

Brazil Men savagely beat a Trans woman to death while she begged for her life as the cameras rolled. Although Brazil legalized same-sex marriage in 2013 and has the world’s largest Pride celebration, such violent acts are not rare. In 2016, statistics showed one LGBTQ person was killed every 25 hours in Brazil.

Isis-controlled Areas The Islamic State (ISIS) has publicly executed men accused of homosexuality in both Iraq and Syria by throwing them off tall buildings or by burning them alive or stoning them to death. Men have been blindfolded and dropped head first from tall buildings in front of large crowds, including children. The accused are often shot if they survive the fall.

Iran Former President Ahmadinejad famously stated, “We don’t have homosexuals in Iran.” Yet Iran has publically hanged gays in public squares, as has been illustrated by heartbreaking images spread around the world of two terrified teenagers who were executed by hanging.

Iraq The power vacuum after the war has emboldened conservatives who are not only rolling back gains previously made by LGBTs, but they are also allowing, and some say perpetrating, heinous crimes against them.

The killers aren’t just executing their gay victims; they are “mutilating their bodies and torturing them.”

Russia President Vladimir Putin signed a bill making the “promotion of homo(continued on page 22)

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What Makes It Hard to Forgive?

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Tom Moon, MFT A few years ago, while speaking at a workshop on the subject of forgiveness, I asked how many people in the auditorium had never experienced deep betrayal at the hands of another person. Not one of the approximately two hundred people who were there raised a hand. It was a powerful moment for all of us, a dramatic confirmation of the reality that betrayal, loss, and abandonment are universal human experiences, and that none of us gets very far in life without experiencing them.

But this incident also underlined why it’s so important to be able to forgive others. If we can’t, we gradually become prisoners of the past, bound and

ness is, first and foremost, a gift we give to ourselves.

Yet most of us have found that it’s not so easy to do. In fact, many of us are adamant that there are some people we will never forgive for what they did to us. This feeling is both common and strange. What is strange about it is that grudges and resentments are painful experiences for the person who holds them, and most of us know that we feel better when we’re able to let go of them. Nevertheless, we’ve all held onto resentments, as if we need them. Why is that? I believe there are at least four reasons:

Forgiveness is largely a decision to renounce vengefulness, to let go of the impulse to get even. It doesn’t mean excusing or pretending that wrongs weren’t committed, or that they didn’t hurt us.

1. We imagine that holding onto resentments punishes others.

The idea that harboring ill-will toward others somehow punishes them, even when they have no idea that we’re doing it, is a common, but irrational, idea. I’ve heard people say that they won’t forgive a wrong from years back because “it would be letting him off the hook,” as if someone they haven’t seen in years is somehow living “on a hook” if they continue to think hateful and resentful thoughts about them, but would feel undeservedly better if they stopped. Forgive-

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg

3. If I forgive you, I have to let you back into my life.

This idea is based on the misconception that forgiveness and reconciliation are the same thing. They’re very different. Forgiveness involves letting go of the past. Reconciliation is about committing to a shared future. It means returning to some degree of friendliness, and for that to happen, trust has to be reestablished.

Unlike forgiveness, real reconciliation can’t be unilateral. If I’ve done you harm, the first step to reconciliation requires that I accept and acknowledge my wrongdoing. If I deny responsibility for what I did, deny that it was wrong, act as if your feelings don’t matter, or deny that you have any right to hold me responsible for what I did, you aren’t going to be able to trust that I won’t hurt you in the future. Genuine reconciliation can’t just be based on the desire for harmony.

4. We believe that anger, not forgiveness, keeps us in control.

Anger is an intense energy, and feeling it can make us feel safe and powerful. But the bottomless, self-righteous rage of those who are mired in victimization feels anything but strong.

Those who are caught in that mindstate invariably feel impotent and imprisoned in their own inner hells.

Finally, forgiving requires the maturity to accept some uncomfortable truths: that the past can’t be changed; that another person’s hateful actions are part of that unchangeable past; and that the people who wronged us may never see the error of their ways.

But the practice of forgiveness can also reveal another important truth: that at the end of the day, no one else has to change in order for us to find emotional freedom.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit his website http:// tommoon.net/

Keep Laughing! featured in books like Revolutionary Laughter (Crossing Press) and Out, Loud & Laughing (Random House). I am therefore well aware, as an artist and a scholar, that oppression takes many forms, and it is well-documented that when humor is repressed in any society, its peoples are in trouble.

Distribution

CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Kate Kendell, Alex Randolph, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Tim Seelig, Cinder Ernst, John Chen Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Thom Watson, Michele Karlsberg Lyndsey Schlax, Elisa Quinzi, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Wendy Ross, Howard Steiermann

2. Forgiveness means condoning bad behavior: We forgive actors, not their actions.

It requires a mutual commitment to shared ethical standards, and, where serious harm is involved, a meaningful process of amends and restitution.

We can choose to forgive someone who has abused us, while still recognizing that the person might continue the abuse if we re-opened the relationship.

From the signs warning us not to laugh about bombs at the airport after 9/11 to the humiliation and suppression of our nation’s comics and their First Amendment rights, we are called to look at the undercurrent of the repression of humor.

Living the Laughter Lifestyle Karen Williams, M.Ed. I taught the nation’s only 4-credit Senior Seminar in Stand-Up Comedy at Cleveland State University. I am the founder and CEO of the HaHA Institute, the International Institute of Humor and Healing Arts. I am

Humor is the language of the oppressed ... that’s what I teach, and that’s why the tradition of humor is so strong among Jewish people and Native people and People of African Descent and Gay and Lesbian People and Immigrant People and on and on and on.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN WILLIAMS

The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men.

We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community.

constricted by the increasing weight of our resentments and grudges. To try to get through life without forgiving is a little like trying to run a marathon while carrying a bowling ball.

I usually don’t give unwanted advice, but here goes: Keep laughing! Laughter is an expression of spontaneous joy.

We have a right to our joy! © 2017 Karen Williams You can contact Karen Williams at karenwilliamscomic@gmail.com

Karen Williams with producer Mimi Monzalez at the Go Girl!

Saugatuck 2017 Women’s Weekend held June 2-4 at The Dunes Resort in Douglas, Michigan

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National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021 Circulation is verified by an independent agency Reprints by permission only.

CALENDAR Event listings for consideration to be included in the Bay Times online or print Calendar section should be sent by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com. © 2017 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

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SF Sketch Randy Coleman Randy Coleman hails from New York, but has lived in San Francisco since 1975. Coleman shares that before moving to the Bay Area, he studied Art History and Architecture at Boston University while working as a resident artist for architectural rendering at a Massachusetts historical society. “All of my life I’ve been an artist,” Coleman says. “To know me is to know that I have a passion for art and architecture.

I love this project for the San Francisco Bay Times, and hope that you enjoy my sketches.”

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S J U NE 8 , 2 0 1 7

© Randy Coleman, 2017

GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow

Tennis Anyone?

Anchor Away

It’s raining in the Bois de Boulogne.

I can see it on my French Open TV coverage, which reminds me of a thing I want someone to install.

Wouldn’t it be cool to have huge outdoor screens set up in parks in Paris, in New York, in San Francisco, in Tokyo, and let people wandering around wave to each other or write to each other in real time? I also want restaurants to set up Skype systems so that you can have breakfast on the Pacific coast with your friend who is having dinner at a bistro in Normandy.

I know you could do that now, but it would be better with a big display.

I know that by the time you read this, everything will, no doubt, be just fine.

But as I write, I’m worried about Rachel Maddow. How can she be sick for ten days? Why haven’t we received a reassuring report? Anyone who watches regularly knows that Rachel is doggedly pursuing all sorts of Russian shenanigans, so we have to ask, has Putin gotten to our favorite muckraker? (Editor’s Note: Maddow returned to her program on June 6 after the two-week absence.)

By the way, I googled “what’s wrong with Rachel” and the top entry was a headline that read: “What’s wrong with Rachel?” When I clicked on it, I got a screen that said something like, “What’s wrong with Rachel? She’s been sick for a week!” Well, thanks for nothing, Google. I wanted some information, not an Abbot and Costello routine. This is not the first time that Google has led me to two-sentence “articles” and the phenomenon annoys me.

Happy GLBT pride month everyone.

I note that Donald Trump has not issued a White House Pride Month declaration. But, then again, neither did George W. Bush, so it can be argued that issuing Pride declarations, as did Clinton and Obama, is a Democratic thing. That said, I’m not even sure I want a Pride month acknowledgement from Donald Trump. My disgust for this infantile pretender grows by the day. (That said, Kathy Griffin’s severed Trump head image was horrible and she deserved the opprobrium she received from all sides.

I mean, really.)

Harvard Schmarvard And speaking of GLBT pride, my cousin sent me a Harvard website that provides definitions for “BGLTQ terminology.” Since I am my extended family’s expert in all things gay and trans, she asked me to explain the latest letter sequence, and I was at a loss. Harvard’s version appears to be unique, and ironically, since it appears on a page dedicated to a display of community usage, there is zero explanation for this transposition, nor is it listed under “B.” Making matters worse, the section includes a definition of “LGBTQIA” under “L,” which the authors tell us is a “common abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual community.” A common abbreviation? Why then, pray tell, did you not use it in the heading of this dictionary? “The acronym,” they go on, “is used as an umbrella term when talking about non-heterosexual and non-cisgender identities, and does not always reflect members of the community. Sometimes the ‘A’ is used to reference Allies and the ‘Q’ is used to reference Questioning people.”

Ladies and gentlemen, as I’ve said before, an “acronym,” by def inition, must spell something you can pronounce. If you’re going to use the term in the context of a glossary, look it up first. Whether an acronym or an abbreviation, you can’t switch the letters around at will. It also helps not to have several meanings for the same letter. And finally, an abbreviation of this sort loses meaning when it does not always ref lect what it claims to represent!

Why do I care? Because there’s something alarming about our fixation on inconsequential distractions and it is personified by the person or persons who deliberated on whether or not “GLBT/LGBT” should be unilaterally changed to “BLGTQ,” and proceeded to do so without explanation.

Speaking of tennis, it’s great to see the tennis community coming together to condemn Margaret Court and everything she represents. This Australian champion is virulently antigay, and she also praised South Africa in 1970, opining that, with apartheid, “South Africans have this thing better organized than any other country, particularly America.” (At the time, South Africa had refused to allow Arthur Ashe entry to play the Davis Cup.) Court, who won a record 24 grand slam tournament singles championships back in the day, had some kind of religious conversion and became, well, crazy, if you will. A recent The New York Times article described Court leading the audience at her oddball church in speaking in tongues, i.e. making gibberish noises. “It is like picking up the phone to God,” she told the congregants at the Pentecostal church insanely. “The Devil doesn’t understand it, man doesn’t understand it, but God understands it.”

Lately, Court penned a public letter promising never to fly Qantas because they favored marriage equality (which remains illegal Down Under).

In the ensuing hoopla over that, she noted that women’s tennis is f illed with lesbians who take “young ones to parties.”

the Seventh Circuit has ruled that a school district in Wisconsin violated Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination when it refused to let a transgender male student use the boy’s restrooms on campus. The decision is the first to extend Title IX protections to transgender students using full legal analysis.

I know I know I know! I can hear you shouting at me. Ann! What about Gavin Grimm? Didn’t you write ten columns about how high school student Gavin Grimm made legal history under identical circumstances?

Well, it’s true that Grimm won a similar case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit last year, but that panel based its ruling on the Obama Education Department’s Title IX legal guidance. Grimm’s victory was then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, but by the time the justices had a chance to look at it, the Trump administration had pulled the pro-transgender legal policy for further review, so the Fourth Circuit’s entire rationale went up in smoke. At that point, the High Court sent the case back to the Fourth Circuit for reconsideration in light of the changed context.

Essentially, the Fourth Circuit is only now considering the underlying merits of Gavin Grimm’s claim under Title IX. So, the Seventh Circuit has skipped ahead, providing a roadmap for the Fourth Circuit and a f lashing red light to school districts and lawmakers who presume to relegate transgender kids to faraway single occupancy bathrooms, or force them to use the facilities of the opposite sex.

It has only been a few weeks since the full bench of the Seventh Circuit set new precedent by ruling that a lesbi(continued on page 22)

Speaking to an interviewer, Court went on incoherently: “You can think, ‘Oh, I’m a boy,’ and it will affect your emotions and feelings and everything else. So, that’s all the devil—that’s what Hitler did and that’s what communism did: got the mind of the children. It’s a whole plot in our nation, and in the nations of the world, to get the minds of the children.”

Woah, Nelly!

Normally, you’d just ignore someone like this, but unfortunately, as of 2003, her name is plastered all over the main court at the tennis center in Melbourne where the Australian Open is played. (For the record, the reason Court has so many grand slam titles is that she won 11 Australian Open singles championships at a time when no one else bothered to play there.) At any rate, Martina Navratilova and others are now calling for the powers that be to take her name off the court in question. Navratilova, who called Court “deluded,” said recently that she expects the Australian authorities to make some kind of decision soon. Meanwhile, John McEnroe pledged to team up with his good friend Elton John and stage a mass gay wedding on the court as soon as Australia changes its marriage laws.

And no, I’m not wading back into the political morass that is Australia’s continuing inability to join the rest of the civilized world by legalizing same-sex unions. I’ve lost track and don’t want to check up on developments.

Seventh Circuit Strikes Again In a huge development for transgender rights, a unanimous three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 8, 2017

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What Does Your Mood Have to Do with Your Success? for the day, sleep, and then come in refreshed and ready to do the very best job they could.

Guess what happened? The removal of the pressure created a relaxed team, one that could think outside the box. The project not only came in under budget, but it also came in on time. What could explain that?

Career Wisdom Julie Gleeson Many years ago, I heard about a project team that was struggling to accomplish their goals. They were over budget and behind schedule. They were anxious, frustrated and feeling pressured. With one simple insight, something extraordinary occurred.

The team leader knew that people who work under stress are much less creative, eff icient and productive.

He called a team meeting and told them the facts as he saw them. First, he took all of the blame for the state of the project. He told them that they were probably not going to finish on time, and were almost certainly going to be over budget. He informed the team that he would go to his supervisor and reset expectations, making sure it was clear that he alone was to blame. He then told them to go home

When people work in a tense, tight mood, they lose energy pushing the proverbial rock uphill. They are unable to hear fresh thinking or new, creative ideas.

When the team leader removed the pressure, the team was able to work naturally, and became curious about how to accomplish the mission. Suddenly, things looked different—and more fun—and people listened to each other because it was interesting.

Now, instead of blaming, they were attentive. They knew when to ask questions, and they listened more deeply to the ideas others offered. People enjoyed each other, and they were free to work because they loved it.

The only thing that changed was the mood of the team. And that is something you can always impact. Moods are like clouds, always coming and going. If you notice you are in a low mood, take a few deep breaths, or excuse yourself. Never try to work on anything essential until you feel relaxed and curious. A short walk to

GGBA Mega Make Contact 2017

another room or around the building usually allows the mood to go by.

Once it has, you can immediately feel the relaxation and creativity come back.

Never try to fix another’s mood. And never, ever take things personally.

Blame and labeling are some of the first signs of a low mood. Step back, breathe, and reconsider the situation.

If there is nothing wrong with you, your coworkers or the project, how do you accomplish what needs to be done? That is a much better place to look. When you are in a healthy state of mind, it becomes possible to lead, coach, mentor and accomplish, all while enjoying your work.

It starts with you to change the culture and feeling of your workplace. As you become known for an even frame of mind, people around you will relax and do their best work.

Julie Gleeson is the Co-founder of Career Wisdom Institute and the Founder of The Art of Living, Inc. She brings over 25 years of experience as a consultant in the fields of resilience, stress and overwhelm elimination, career designing, and couples mentoring. Julie also co-authored a best-selling book, “Inside Job, 8 Secrets to Loving Your Work and Thriving” (Bush Street Press, 2012).

photos by Rink

The multifaceted network event known as Mega Make Contact cosponsored by the Golden Gate Business Association and other organizations is held annually in celebration of San Francisco Small Business Week. Held on Tuesday, May 6, at the newly renovated LGBT Community Center, the program’s special guests were Justin Nelson, cofounder and president of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; and Helen Russell, cofounder of Equator Coffee & Teas, which was the National Small Business of the Year for 2016-17. Hosting along with GGBA president Dawn Ackerman were members of the organization’s Board of Directors.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 8, 2017

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The Benefits of Tax Diversification in Your Retirement Plan als. To achieve this, many people choose a Roth IRA. Strategic planning and dedicated saving in a Roth IRA during your pre-retirement years may give you more options to manage your retirement income stream in a tax-efficient manner.

Money Matters Brandon Miller Taxes are an often-overlooked aspect of retirement planning. While many Americans are saving diligently and are focused on accumulating the biggest “nest egg” possible, many investors may not be fully considering the impact that taxes will have on their monthly income in retirement. This is an important dynamic to understand, and will prevent any unnecessary surprises when you enter your hard-earned retirement.

In general, a Roth IRA may make sense for investors who anticipate being in a higher income tax bracket later in life (examples include marriage, progressing in your career or annual raises), or who prioritize having tax-free retirement assets. Direct contributions to Roth IRAs are only available to those who meet specified income limits (check with your financial advisor or tax professional for details). You invest after-tax dollars into a Roth IRA, but if certain requirements are met, all withdrawals can qualify for tax-free treatment. This is a unique advantage that few other vehicles offer. Your employer’s plan may also offer a Roth option, which is a way to save even more money that benefits from this distinctive tax treatment.

Know your retirement plans IRAs, 401(k)s, or other workplace plans are great ways to save and invest for retirement. Your contributions are generally made with pre-tax dollars, and you don’t pay taxes until you withdraw money. If you have access to a workplace retirement plan or an IRA, take the time to evaluate how your savings may be taxed in retirement. It’s important to factor this into your retirement income planning.

You can also convert dollars from a traditional IRA or workplace plan into a Roth IRA. This allows you to put a larger sum into the tax-free category for retirement. A Roth conversion can also create a sizable tax liability in the year the conversion is made, so you need to determine if this strategy is suitable for you. If you want to use this strategy, you’ll need to have enough money available outside of the IRA to pay the taxes incurred. Always consult with your tax professional before moving forward with this strategy.

One way to potentially minimize the impact of taxes in retirement is to accumulate savings in an account that gives you access to tax-free withdraw-

Tax-smart retirement spending Generally, it’s a best practice to allow money with more favorable tax treatment to stay invested for as long as

possible to extend those tax benefits.

The advantage of owning a tax-diversified mix of assets once you reach retirement is that it helps you to manage your tax burden on a year-to-year basis, per your personal circumstances. In any given year, your strategy may include: • Withdrawals from a workplace retirement plan or IRA funded with pre-tax contributions that are fully taxable

• Distributions from a traditional IRA where a portion is taxable • The sale of taxable investments where tax may or may not be due • Withdrawals from a Roth IRA that are not subject to tax and don’t add to your taxable income Managing income levels effectively in a particular year can help limit the amount of taxes due in that year. Depending on your income level, a portion of Social Security benefits may be subject to federal income tax.

Tax decisions should be one consideration in your retirement income strategy. Putting yourself in a position to have options as you draw income requires planning in advance. Investing with tax diversification in mind may help you to access income with different types of tax treatments in retirement. As you craft your strategy, be sure to discuss the potential tax treatment of your investments with your tax advisor.

Brandon Miller, CFP is a financial consultant at Brio Financial Group, A Private Wealth Advisory Practice of Ameriprise Financial Inc. in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

Choosing Size in Hybrid Crossovers

Auto Philip Ruth How much vehicle do you need? It’s a good question to ask as the summer road-trip season begins, and the answer is ultimately very personalized.

If you’re looking at luxury crossovers, such as this week’s compact NX 300h and midsized RX 450h, then chances are you’d appreciate the utility aspect at least as much as the elevated driving position and typically chic styling.

Maybe you’d then want to maximize that with a midsize.

Or maybe you’d prefer a compact if you park in San Francisco, or have a tight garage space. Maybe you’d simply prefer a lower car payment and higher gas mileage.

These two from Lexus have the last point covered—they’re both hybrids, and there’s not a lot of difference in their fuel use. Both are rated 30 mpg highway in their 2016 front-wheel drive forms, and adding all-wheel drive drops that figure on the RX to 28 mpg. Note that you’ll spend more at the pump with the RX, because it demands premium grade.

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SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S J U NE 8 , 2 0 1 7

Gas-powered crossovers have shown the widest gap in terms of reaching their EPA numbers, particularly as my press cars climbed San Francisco’s hills. But the trip computers in both the RX and NX hybrids usually displayed 25 mpg and above, whereas some non-hybrid compact crossovers had dipped to 15 mpg.

Hybrids aren’t known for performance, and both the NX and RX hybrids offer a mixed bag of responses, depending on which part of the gas-electric spectrum they’re engaging. The NX can feel lazy when pressed, while the RX feels lighter on its feet, which is remarkable, given its claimed 4,740-pound curb weight. The NX isn’t far off— it weighs more than two tons, making “compact” a relative term. Over the road, the NX’s poundage seems to register more than the RX’s.

Inside, the NX and RX evince different vibes. The NX aims for youthful and sporty, while the RX is more settled and classy. The NX’s angled center stack enhances its techie appeal, though the plastics seem more Toyota than Lexus. The richer RX has no such discrepancy, and it rewards its occupants with broad contours and supple textures.

Both crossovers are plenty useful, but the NX packs in more volume for its size. While the NX is just over 10 inches shorter than the RX, its cargo room gives up little to its bigger brother. The RX’s 55.9-cubic-feet to-

Lexus NX 300h

Lexus NX 450h

tal cargo capacity is just 2.2 cubic feet greater than the NX’s.

Styling brings the NX and RX closer together. They both have pointed examples of the now-signature Lexus grille, which can be described either as an hourglass or an angry alien, depending on your perspective. The RX is unique in offering an F Sport package, which gives the crossover a more serious look while adding handling upgrades.

Then it comes down to prices, with the RX 450h adding about thirteen grand to a comparable NX 300h.

Both have their appeal, but if the buyer were me, I’d spend the extra for an RX. Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant at www.gaycarguy.com. Check out his automotive staging service at www.carstaging.com

Love and Linens

By Diana Cardenas How can you transform an event space with color and texture? With linens, of course! Most couples are new to planning an event as large or important as a wedding is, and are not familiar with all of the linen options that are now available to them. If you add up the square footage of all of your tables, it will be the largest area of color you are adding to the room. Linens are not only inexpensive, but they also involve no added labor for set up, in most cases.

How to choose linens? Your linen is the canvas. Everything you place on top of it will pop! I always ask my clients: What is the main color that you want to see when you walk into that room? Do you have a theme?

What is the feeling that you want to create— romance, glam, bold, rustic? Your theme should reflect your personality and help to personalize your wedding.

The next step is to choose all of the linens within your theme, from satin to sequins and everything in between. I always give my clients swatches to take with them so that they can share these with their florist or any other vendor who may need to match the color(s).

Regarding set up, we deliver the linens a day or two before your event. The staff will place the linens on the tables when they prepare the room.

Our work is not exclusive to weddings. We also do parties of any kind, as well as corporate events. We purchase fabrics that are gender neutral and that are appealing to everyone and can work for any theme.

Napa Valley Linens has bee n in b u s in ess s in ce 2006 and is located in Emeryville. They deliver from Wine Country to Car mel, and ship nationwide.

Diana Cardenas has been with the company since August of 2010 as a Sales Representative and Director of Business Development.

She is always willing to go the extra mile to make sure your event is just as beautiful as you envisioned. For questions or to book an appointment, please contact her at dcardenas@nvlinens.com

J O H N S T O N, K I N N E Y & Z U L A I C A LLP

Diana Cardenas

Frederick Sullivan and Jaime Botello, who oversee the Weddings & Occasions page for the San Francisco Bay Times, are the talented wizards behind Sullivan-Botello Events (http://sullivanbotelloevents.com) and SnB Party Rentals (650-877-0840, www.snbpartyrentals.com). Both are Certified Wedding Planners with extensive experience in creating memorable, personalized events for special occasions. Their rental service is incredible, offering everything from beautiful gold Chiavari chairs to LED dance floors, and all at competitive prices. They are the creators of the Gay Vanity Wedding Show and are longstanding members of the Golden Gate Business Association, which is the nation’s first LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

With nine attorneys in two locations, we serve the LGBT community with expertise, experience and sensitivity.

We offer services in: • LGBT Families

• Tax Planning

• Estate Planning

• Family Law

• Trust & Probate Administration

• Elder Law & Benefits

• Beneficiary Representation

• Entity Formation & Real Estate

SAN FRANCISCO

SANTA ROSA

415.693.0550

707.237.7371

www.jkzllp.com | www.jkzllp.com/español S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 8, 2017

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NEWS (continued from page 3)

Roadwork at Jane Warner Plaza A lt hough San Francisco Publ ic Works completed work on the Castro Street Improvement Project a while ago, S.F. Department of Public Works has begun some repairs and renovations at Jane Warner Plaza (Castro at 17th-Market Streets) that will continue through this week and possibly for a few more days. The work will include repairs to the asphalt and color-

coating of the roadway at the Plaza.

There will be no interruption of Muni’s F-Line Historic Streetcars or other transit service. onesanfrancisco.org Old Site of Metropolitan Community Church Under Consideration as Historic Place The existing building at 150 Eureka Street in the Castro most recently housed the Metropolitan Community Church of San Francisco, which consisted of an LGBTQ congregation from approximately 1970 to 2015.

(The Church is now located at 1300 Polk Street.) The building, constructed in approximately 1922, is currently vacant. The building is considered to be individually eligible for listing on the California Register of Historic Places, due to its association with the City’s LGBTQ community. The proposed 150 Eureka Street Project, however, would result in the demolition of the existing two‐story, wood‐ frame church building. Written comments will be accepted until 5 pm on June 23. The comments may be sent to Jenny Delumo, Environmental Planner, San Francisco Planning Department, 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400, San Francisco, CA 94103. sf-planning.org

CARNEY (continued from page 12)

ROSTOW (continued from page 15)

sexuality” a crime punishable with fines and jail terms. The law spawned even more violence toward LGBTQs there. And the president signed a gay adoption ban, but Putin claims “there is no discrimination” in Russia. Also, the Pride Parade has been banned by law for 100 years!

an teacher could make an employment discrimination claim under Title VII’s ban on sex discrimination in the workplace. Courts tend to use similar logic and rationale when they examine cases of sex discrimination in public schools (under Title IX) and in the workplace (under Title VII).

In the process of analyzing the Title VII case, the Seventh Circuit then effectively overturned one of the most pernicious anti-trans precedents on the books, and paved the way for this latest victory.

Africa There are 34 African nations, including Uganda and Malawi, which criminalize homosexuality. In four of those—Mauritania, northern Nigeria, southern Somalia and Sudan— the punishment is death.

Those are just a few examples. There are 76 nations where same-sex relations are illegal. Eight of the countries impose the death penalty for homosexual activity, including those listed above plus Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran. My own husband had to flee his native Iran in order to survive as an “out-gay man.”

Examples like this are why the Twin Peaks Pink Triangle is still going strong after all of these decades—because education is the key for positive change. The Pink Triangle will soon be installed for its 22nd time atop Twin Peaks to inform people of the hatred of the past to help prevent it from happening again, and to illustrate that we aren’t “out of the woods” yet regarding hatred and violence— as Chechnya, Indonesia and many other places so vividly illustrate.

You can help to make the 22nd annual Pink Triangle a reality.

When: Installation: Saturday, June 24, from 7 am–10 am, with the ceremony starting at 10:30 am De-Installation: Sunday, June 25, from 4:30 pm–8 pm (after the parade) The 25th is the day with the fewest volunteers and it is therefore the hardest day. Please remember: “Many hands make light work.”

Even just an hour of help is great, either or both days!

Where: Top of Twin Peaks, San Francisco, CA Info: www.thepinktriangle.com Patrick Carney is the founder of The Friends of the Pink Triangle.

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The status of gay claimants and the status of transgender claimants under federal discrimination law are intertwined in numerous ways. But the main one is this: sex stereotyping has been ruled illegal many times. The question we are now facing in several cases is whether trans bias and gay bias are both variations on the same impermissible theme.

We also learned recently that the full bench of the Second Circuit will hear a Title VII case of gay bias, and the court has asked the Employment Equal Opportunity Commis-

Study Reveals a New Method to Address a Major Barrier to Eradicating HIV Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes discovered that an enzyme called SMYD2 could be a new therapeutic target for flushing out the HIV that hides in infected individuals. Overcoming this latent virus remains the most significant obstacle to a cure.

While drug therapy allows people living with HIV to lead a relatively normal life, it also comes with adverse effects. Patients must also stay on the drugs for life to prevent the virus hiding in their body from reactivating.

In the early stages of infection, HIV hides in viral reservoirs in a type of immune cells called T cells. This dormant, or latent, virus can then spontaneously reactivate and rekindle infection if drug therapy is stopped. To eliminate HIV latency, scientists are exploring a “shock and kill” strategy that would use a combination of drugs to wake up the dormant virus and then act with the body’s own immune system to eliminate the virus and kill infected cells. Previous research has had limited success in efficiently reactivating latent HIV, so scientists are working to find new, more effective drugs. edgemedianetwork.com

sion to file a brief on the matter. We know what the Obama administration’s GLBT-friendly Justice Department had to say about the scope of Title VII. What will we hear from Mr. Sessions and company?

Transwoman Can Sue Under Disabilities Act In another major transgender case out of Pennsylvania, a federal judge has ruled that a transgender woman can sue her employer for violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This ruling, which was somehow carved off from her main Title VII discrimination claim, recognizes that gender dysphoria does not necessarily fall under the exceptions to the ADA, which include homosexuality, “transsexualism,” and vague “gender identity disorders.” In this case, the judge ruled that gender dysphoria could include specific disabilities that would qualify under the ADA. As New York Law professor Art Leonard explained, a transgender worker would be considered disabled if he or she were blind. Likewise, being transgender would not

MANDELMAN (continued from page 7) decades could bring for LGBT people, not to mention the other Us’s. But that did not stop them. They imagined the radical transformation of our culture and politics, and by imagination, determination, and struggle they managed to bend that arc of history toward justice.

Our task today, even in these troubled times, seems far less demanding than theirs was, precisely because we can look back to their example for inspiration. We do not have to imagine social change; we have seen it. We can build on the advances made by prior generations, provided we can preserve the hard-won gains that have been bequeathed to us.

Black AIDS Institute Launches ‘30 Days of HIV’ Campaign Black AIDS Institute, the U.S.’s only national think tank focused on HIV impact in Black communities, has launched “30 Days of HIV,” a national, digital, community campaign to raise awareness, educate and mobilize around the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis in Black communities across America. “Even though it is not in the news as much as it was a few years ago, HIV/AIDS is an ongoing, and in among some sectors of the Black community, a tragically growing crisis,” said Phill Wilson, President and CEO of Black AIDS Institute. “Black gay and bisexual men in the United States have a 50 percent lifetime HIV infection rate. Black women still represent 61 percent of the new HIV infections among women.” Having been launched on May 27, it will continue through National HIV Testing Day ( June 27). This campaign has three core elements: an Online Community Calendar to promote HIV and health-related events serving Black communities; an Instagram storytelling series titled “In The Life,” featuring community-sourced life experiences of Black, gay/bi/trans men; and lastly, Daily Actions—once a day

calls to action to mobilize Black communities and those who serve them. edgemedianetwork.com

preclude falling under the ADA if the person had a disability, like clinically disabling stress, from gender dysphoria.

man, Leo Varadkar, is to be the next Prime Minister of Ireland. A nutcase who sued a Michigan health club because she met a transwoman in the locker room lost her lawsuit. (The health club revoked her membership after she made a scene.) The city of Madrid is celebrating International Gay Pride by switching its pedestrian stoplight images to show samesex couples getting ready to cross the street.

As far as I understand it, a transgender worker can’t simply announce that he or she is disabled by virtue of being transgender. On the other hand, disabilities related to a transition cannot simply be dismissed as an incident of “transsexualism” or “gender identity disorder.” The implications are significant, since—unlike Title VII—the ADA obliges an employer to find a reasonable accommodation for a disabled employee.

Get Political Animals Now Here’s something important: You can now buy “Political Animals,” the fantastic documentary about the wonder women who pioneered gay rights in the California legislature in the 1990s, through iTunes. Buy it and watch it. I would not have expected to cry at a political documentary, but this is so well done.

I have a dozen items I could discuss in my last 200 words. A gay

Besty DeVos Says State-Funded Schools Can Reject LGBTQ Students Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has said that schools receiving publicly-funded vouchers should be allowed to discriminate against LGBTQ students without risking their funding. During a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on the proposed federal school voucher program, DeVos told Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) in a tense exchange that “school choice” and state flexibility are more important than protecting vulnerable students’ right to an equal education. Clark presented the example of Lighthouse Christian Academy, a private Indiana school that currently receives $665,000 in voucher funds, but reserves the right to deny attendance to children from families “living in, condoning sexual immorality; practicing homosexual lifestyle or alternate gender identity; (and) promoting such practices.” ​lgbtqnation.com

Finally, the Supreme Court is still sitting on the scary Masterpiece Cakeshop petition, declining to either accept or reject the case of a Denver baker who refused to make a wedding cake for two gay men. I swore to myself I would not ramble on and on about this non-story, even as I obsessively return to it, and even as I sit silently monitoring the live feed on Scotusblog a couple of times a week whenever conference results are announced. What are they doing?

What are they thinking? And what’s wrong with Rachel? arostow@aol.com

SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE PARADE 2017 YOU ARE INVITED to join us on Sunday, June 25 in our San Francisco Bay Times & “Betty’s List” Contingent.

415-601-2113 or Publisher@sfbaytimes.com

So this Pride, as we celebrate the legacy of Milk and all of those who labored so hard to ensure that his life and death would not be in vain, let us say a word of thanks to Mark Leno, who ensured that there would be a Harvey Milk Day in California, on which our community would be able to honor that legacy and recommit to protecting and building upon it.

Happy Pride, everyone! May this queer holiday season help all of us find the strength to resist and persist, as long as we need to, until each and every one of us is free.

Rafael Mandelman is a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Oakland. He has served as a member of the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees since 2013, and is Chair of the Board of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center.

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PHOTO BY RINK

Now in its 16th year, AIDS/LifeCycle is a fully supported, 545-mile bike ride that raises important awareness about the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic, in addition to funding services such as HIV testing and screenings for other sexually transmitted infections, HIV medical care, prevention services, and more. In the seven days it takes the riders to reach Los Angeles ( June 4–10), more than 500 people in the United States will have become infected with HIV. One out of every eight people living with HIV nationwide is not aware of their status. Since 2002, when AIDS/LifeCycle first began, participants have raised more than $236 million and have completed more than 58,000 journeys on bikes from San Francisco to Los Angeles. ​edgemedianetwork.com

Rainbow flags are installed on Market Street every year in June.

National Center for Lesbian Rights 40th Anniversary Photos by Trish Tunney for NCLR and Rink for San Francisco Bay Times

San Francisco’s iconic Palace of Fine Arts was the backdrop for NCLR’s elegant and exciting 40th Anniversary Celebrating Dinner and Party held on Saturday, May 20. Emceed by political humorist Kate Kendell and featuring a celebrity guest appearance by tennis legend Martina Navratilova, the evening’s program featured remarks from founders Donna Hitchens and Roberta Achtengerg and a keynote address by the organization’s executive director Kate Kendell.

PHOTO BY RINK

To learn more about the importance of the organization’s evolution and on-going work, watch the 40th Anniversary video: youtube.com/watch?v=C9RquFYw_8U

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Frameline41 June 15–25

Welcome to Genre Queer Frameline41 the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival

Photos courtesy of Frameline41

The newly released restoration of Isaac Julien’s classic film Looking for Langston will be screened during Frameline41 at the Castro Theatre on June 19, 4:15 PM.

By Frances Wallace

O

n behalf of Frameline, we warmly welcome San Francisco Bay Times readers to Frameline41, showcasing the strength of LGBTQ filmmaking from around the globe.

Frameline41 Staff: Program & Hospitality Manager Kevin Schaub, Executive Director Frances Wallace, Director of Exhibition & Programming Des Buford, Senior Programmer Peter L. Stein, and Programmer Harry Vaughn

Frameline41, the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, unspools 147 films from June 15–25— eleven days of groundbreaking films that constitute the world’s longest-running and largest LGBTQ film festival.

With an expected attendance of 65,000 at its five venues, including a full week of programming in the East Bay, Frameline41 will draw film lovers, media artists, and LGBTQ communities from across the globe to discover the best in queer cinema. More than 19 countries will be represented, including Armenia, Cuba, Mexico, Philippines, South Africa, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The 2017 slate proudly comprises 40 percent of films from women directors.

Frameline41 has something for every appetite, including the phenomenal Opening Night Film, The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin; three strong Centerpiece Films, Chavela, Becks, and I Dream in Another Language; and an outstanding performance by 2017 Frameline Award-winner Alan Cumming in Closing Night’s After Louie.

A first for Frameline41 is our new section on Episodic content, featuring the freshest and most diverse content not found at a theater near you—until now! Whether it’s broad comedy, edgy drama, or of-the-moment nonfiction,

these stunning series tap into the zeitgeist with uninhibited queer perspectives often missing from mainstream film and television. #FramelineAndChill Frameline is a dynamic, year-round portal to bold, fresh, and thought-provoking LGBTQ content. This year, we proudly leap forward with a vibrant new website and membership/ticketing platform, improving your Frameline experience with added membership perks. Join the family; it’ll be enriching!

Whether this is your 41st or 1st year, there’s something for everyone at Frameline41. Visit www.frameline.org and come celebrate Genre Queer!

Frances Wallace is the Executive Director of Frameline.

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Coming-of-Age Films at Frameline41

Film

This year’s Frameline Film Festival opens June 15, with a screening of The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, a documentary on the local author, and concludes June 25 with a screening of After Louie, a drama starring Alan Cumming as a man who experiences romance years after his lover passed. In between there are more than one hundred shorts, features, and documentaries that celebrate and explore issues of LGBTQ life.

There are several examples of that festival staple—the coming-of-age film—playing at this year’s Frameline. Times have changed, thankfully, and these changes are reflected in the festival’s offerings. Queer youth are more accepted these days. There is less attention paid to the struggle to come out, and more to generating self-worth once out. Here are several highlights (and lowlights) playing the festival that address issues of love, sex, and heartbreak for characters old and young, as well as fictional and real.

Gary M. Kramer

Handsome Devil

Frameline gives audiences another chance to see the fabulous Irish import Handsome Devil ( June 17, 1:30 pm, Victoria; June 20, 9:15 pm, Victoria) by openly gay writer/director John Butler. This crowd-pleaser has two boarding school roommates, the wiry, red-headed Ned (Fionn O’Shea) and the athletic Conor (Nicholas Galitzine), learning more about each other—and about themselves—as their friendship is tested by outside forces. If the film puts a not-exactly unexpected twist on the familiar coming out/coming-of-age story, it nevertheless presents, with humor and grace, gratifying messages about pride, shame, and tolerance.

Just Charlie ( June 17, 1:15 pm, Roxie) is a well-meaning and even-handed British film about Charlie (Harry Gilby), a teenage boy with a promising football (soccer) career. Charlie, however, would much rather wear heels than cleats; he wants to express himself as a girl. When his father Paul (Scot Williams) discovers Charlie in make-up, he blows up, worried that his son is thwarting his chances at a football career and a better life.

Charlie’s mom, Susan (Patricia Potter), is far more understanding and supportive. She encourages Charlie in her difficult decisions to play football on a girls’ team, and even to attend school in female clothing, despite the drama that entails. Just Charlie addresses how family, friends, and strangers react poorly to Charlie’s gender expression as well as how some folks come to accept her as she is. The film can’t help but be preachy as it takes a pretty skin-deep treatment to the issues it raises, including family estrangement and violence towards people in the trans community. That said, Just Charlie could be useful to young viewers, were it not for the considerable profanity.

Dating My Mother ( June 16, 4:00 pm, Castro; June 24, 4:00 pm, Victoria) is writer/director Mike Roma’s slight coming-of-age comedy about Danny (Patrick Reilly), a gay, jobless, and uninspired college graduate living at home with his mother, Joan (Kathryn Erbe). They have a close, almost co-dependent relationship; they often share the same bed at night. But, when Mom meets Chester ( James Le Gros) online, Danny gets jealous. Sure, no one can replace Danny’s father, but his behavior is too self-centered and immature. It may explain why Danny is not having much success in his own romantic pursuits. He is crushed on his hot, pot-smoking buddy, Khris (Michael Rosen), but unsure what signals Khris is giving him. He has various (and chaste) sexual fantasies that suggest Danny’s inability to have a serious relationship is based on his own limitations, not others. Dating My Mother doesn’t make Danny all that likable despite Reilly’s tireless performance, yet Kathryn Erbe is winsome as Joan. Roma’s film proves the old adage: mother knows best.

Another disappointing coming-of-age film is the excruciating Prom King, 2010 ( June 19, 1:30 pm, Castro). Charlie (writer/director Christopher Schaap) is a college-age virgin who harbors romantic ideas from old movies, but suffers a series of heartbreaks. He loses his virginity to Ford (Frans Dam), a waiter he flirts with, and has a series of romantic encounters with various guys including Ben (Matthew Brown), who might just be “the one.” Charlie, however, is mostly irritating, insecure, and is rarely sympathetic. He is also rather self-loathing. He asks his friends if he “seems gay” to them, and tosses around the word “faggot” after an abrupt break-up. Schaap never makes his character, or the film, ingratiating. Prom King, 2010 is poorly written and directed, in part, because there is too little dramatic tension amid all the contrived situations. The sole redeeming factor in the film is Charlie’s best friend Thomas (the scene stealing Adam Lee Brown), who plays the voice of reason, and suffers Charlie far better than viewers might.

From Germany, Center of My World ( June 21, 9:15 pm, Castro) is an overstuffed romantic drama about Phil (Louis Hofmann), who returns home from summer camp and encounters a series of mysteries. First, he falls for Nicholas ( Jannik Shümann), a dreamboat who is new to his school. Phil swears he and Nicholas met before when they were much younger, but Nicholas denies it. While the teens have copious amounts of sex, Nicholas is emotionally closed off. This ultimately prompts Phil to determine if Nicholas loves him. Meanwhile, back at home, Phil’s twin sister, Dianne (Ada Philine Stappenbeck), is being enigmatic, heading out at night and getting into trouble, which causes a rift between her and the twins’ free-spirited mother Glass (Sabine Timoteo). Glass has her own secrets: she has kept the identity of Phil and Dianne’s father from them. It is a mystery that continues to intrigue Phil. Adapting Andreas Steinhöfel’s novel, writer/director Jacob M. Erwa makes each storyline interesting, despite his penchant for incorporating fantasy elements, stylized flashbacks, and other distracting visual flourishes. Even the casting is uneven. The strapping Shümann hardly looks like a teenager, which can be distracting, but he looks good sans clothes. Hofmann and Timoteo give the strongest performances, but that may be because their characters are the most developed. Center of My World is compelling, but the parts are greater than the whole.

From Austria comes writer/director Monja Art’s Seventeen, ( June 17, 3:45 pm, Roxie) in which Paula (Elisabeth Wabitsch) and her classmates feel all of the confusions of being a teenager. Everyone seems to have raging hormones and misplaced crushes. Tim (Alexander Wychoil) fancies Paula, but Paula is infatuated with Charlotte (Anaelle Dézsy). Charlotte is having second thoughts about her relationship with Michael (Leo Plankensteiner) because she is crushed on Paula. Meanwhile, Lilli (Alexandra Schmidt) fights with, and then kisses, Paula. As their relationship deepens, both Tim and Charlotte become jealous, but who is really in love with whom?

Seventeen keeps viewers engaged to see how these romantic relationships play out. A scene in 26

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Just Charlie

Dating My Mother Prom King

Center of My World

Frameline41 June 15–25

Seventeen

Quest

which Paula and Charlotte dance together is sweet and seductive, but mostly Art captures the heartbreak experienced by all of the characters at one time or another. Refreshingly, the sexuality of the characters never comes into question, nor is there any shame in the teens’ behavior. Full Disclosure: The “San Francisco Bay Times” is sponsoring this screening.

Screwed ( June 19, 6:30 pm, Victoria) is a poor title for a decent Finnish film about Miku (Mikko Kauppila), a teenager whose older brother Sebu ( Juho Keskitalo) throws a party while their parents are away. When mom Minna (Sanna Majuri) and dad Jaakko (Sami Huhtala) return home early and find the place wrecked, they take Miku off to the countryside, where he soon meets Elias (Valtteri Lehtinen), their neighbor. The boys quickly become fast friends, drinking beers and going skinny-dipping. Eventually, they act on what may be mutual attraction, but Miku, who is just coming to terms with his same-sex desires, is wary about the mercurial Elias, who seems to have left his ex abruptly. Are the teens seriously falling in love, or is Elias just on the rebound? Screwed is best when it focuses on the boys’ relationship, and the two handsome leads have an easygoing chemistry. Watching them kiss and cuddle is charming. Co-writer/director Nils Erik-Ekblom falters a bit with subplots about each boys’ slightly dysfunctional family, though there is a tender scene with Miku and Elias’s flighty mother, Veera (Mirja Oksanan). Screwed features some disjointed editing, which makes some of the narrative confusing, but viewers who see past the film’s flaws will appreciate this poignant coming out, coming-of-age romance.

Screwed The Wound

Not to be missed is gay director/co-writer John Trengove’s remarkable feature debut, The Wound ( June 19, 7:00 pm, Castro), which is a coming-of-age film of sorts. Xolani (openly gay musician Nakhane Touré) heads out to the mountains in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, where he will be a caregiver for Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini), a “soft” (read queer) initiate in a manhood ritual involving circumcision. Xolani is in love with Vija (Bongile Mantsai), another caregiver, and they have discreet sex, however, the observant Kwanda soon figures out their secret and creates a bit of a love triangle. The Wound builds to a powerful (though not entirely unexpected) climax as Xolani must make some difficult decisions and grapple with what it means to be a (gay) man in his Xhosa culture. Touré gives a magnificent performance, conveying Xolani’s fear and desire through his expressions and body language.

Jonathan Olshefski’s poignant documentary Quest ( June 18, 9:15 pm, Roxie) chronicles an African-American family living in North Philadelphia during the years of the Obama administration. The film is largely observational as Christopher, aka Quest Rainey, his wife Christine’a, their daughter PJ, and the son of Christine’a (William, from a previous relationship), eke out their lives. Quest shows their daily trials and tribulations, from William battling cancer and a tragedy that befalls PJ, to a leaky roof that needs fixing, or a friend dealing with addiction issues. The resilience of the characters is strong and affecting. While the film’s queer content is limited to a discussion of PJ’s sexual identity, Quest is compelling throughout; these people possess a quiet dignity that is truly inspiring. Olshefski captures the intimate moments with affection—Christine’a caring for her husband’s hair, or William taking care of his son. While he could have provided a better sense of time, given how many years his film covers, this is a minor flaw in what is otherwise a very impressive documentary.

Becks

The American indie drama Becks ( June 21, 6:30 pm, Castro) has the title character (Lena Hall), a lesbian folk singer, returning home to St. Louis after her girlfriend Lucy (Hayley Kiyoko) cheats on her. Becks’s mother, Ann (Christine Lahti), is an ex-nun, who is trying to accept her daughter’s reckless behavior. She is tolerant of her daughter being a lesbian, but is less pleased with Becks’ drinking, swearing, and general bad behavior. Becks’s worst decision is embarking on an ill-advised affair with Elyse (Mena Suvari), a married woman who takes guitar lessons from her. Apparently, no matter how bad Becks felt when Lucy was cheating on her, she doesn’t have any compunction about Elyse betraying her husband. Despite treading well-known dramatic territory, and offering few surprises—viewers will be waiting for the lovers to be caught in flagrante delicto. The undemanding Becks does feature some nice music and fine performances by Hall, Suvari, and Lahti.

I Dream in Another Language ( June 20, 6:30 pm, Castro) is a lush, romantic melodrama from Mexico in which Martín (Fernando Álvarez Rebeil), a linguist, travels to a remote village where two men, Isauro ( José Manuel Poncelis) and Evaristo (Eligion Meléndez), are the last speakers of Zikril.

The men, however, have not talked to one another in decades following an argument. The film flashes back to reveal what, in fact, transpired between young Isauro (Hoze Meléndez) and Evaristo ( Juan Pablo de Santiago) that caused their friendship to end. It involves same-sex attraction, of course, and the difficulties of being queer in rural, Catholic Mexico. Exquisitely photographed, I Dream in Another Language is a beautiful and sensitive late-in-life coming-of-age film. © 2017 Gary M. Kramer

I Dream in Another Language

Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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San Francisco Bay Times Is Proud to Present Seventeen and Apricot Groves at Frameline41

Apricot Groves The San Francisco Bay Times is sponsoring two films at Frameline this year: Seventeen and Apricot Groves. We hope that you can check them out. Look for our team at the showings! They’ll be handing out copies of the paper, which will also be available in the lobby of the Castro Theatre.

Apricot Groves @ the Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, SF Friday, June 16, at 9:30 pm A 2016 film from Armenia directed by Pouria Heidary Oureh, 80 minutes Plot summary: Older brother Vartan waits anxiously at the airport for his younger transmasculine brother, Aram, who is arriving from the United States where he has lived all his life. Aram has come to Armenia for just one day, to propose marriage to an Armenian girl he met in America. The handsome Armenian-Iranian brothers must shoulder all of the details themselves for the traditional ritual—the suits, the flowers, the cognac, the sweets—since their father is dead. The girl’s father is unenthusiastic, even suspicious, as he grips Aram’s hand in a testing handshake, one of many moments of awkward tension at the meeting. But, haunted by a past regret, he eventually approves of Aram and his daughter’s marriage. Still, the betrothed couple whispers cryptic farewells under her father’s gaze.

There are more stops and rituals for the brothers to consummate as they hit the road between Armenia and Iran, and the film skillfully layers subtle hints among their words, looks, and deeds. Whether the ending is a wonderful surprise depends on what you know and learn about these two countries, until now unlikely settings for a beautiful LGBTQ-inflected story about family, faith, brotherhood, and love. This debut feature was written and directed by Tehran-based Pouria Heidary Oureh, and reflects the endurance and complications of consummation amidst a plethora of conservative religious expectations.

Seventeen @ the Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, SF Saturday, June 17, at 3:45 pm A 2016 Austrian film in German with English subtitles directed by Monja Art, 104 minutes Plot summary: School is a hothouse of emotion, especially for 17-year-olds who tackle relationships as if love were a Rubik’s cube, trying new combinations, twisting, and turning until something clicks.

Everybody wants something from Paula—whether it’s sex, love, or simply attention.

Good girl Charlotte keeps eyeing her across the classroom, hormonal Ronald and nerdy Tim both try to date her, frenemy Lilli alternates between insults and flirts, and Tangler the teacher wants to enter her in a French competition. Paula makes her own tentative moves towards Charlotte, only to run up against Michael, Charlotte’s dull boyfriend. Awkward attempts to connect, missed signals, fantasies, heartbreak, and even helpless rage—this film captures adolescence in all its hormonal glory.

Writer-director Monja Art’s debut takes a relaxed view of these goings on, her tranquil camera and beautifully composed images showing the scope of the rural environment and capturing quiet moments as well as drama: a solitary swim, domestic chores, and a late-night discussion of Wuthering Heights and marriage.

Refreshingly, Paula’s unspoken, but obvious, preference for girls over boys is barely remarked on. When a woman teacher is assigned to chaperone Paula and Tangler to the French competition, Paula notes that the school worries about possible impropriety between her and her male teacher, but not between her and the woman teacher— and the woman teacher laughs and agrees. As this film demonstrates, whether one is gay, straight, bi, or questioning, 17 is an age best observed from the comfort of a theater seat. (Editor’s note: Be sure to check out Gary Kramer’s review of the film, also in this issue.)

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE DE YOUNG AND LEGION OF HONOR

Companions of Diana In the Legion of Honor, Permanent Collection Francois Boucher, the quintessential artist of the rococo, dominated the fine and decorative arts throughout Northern Europe in the eighteenth century. This oval painting belongs to a set of four over-doors from a suite of five pastoral scenes.

It was first documented in the collection of Gregory Gregory of Harlaxton Manor, Lincolnshire, England. He scoured Europe to furnish his opulent Victorian mansion. This canvas was displayed in an elaborate gilt-and-white frame, forming part of Harlaxton’s decoration from 1834 to 1937.

In their decorative schemes, eighteenth century artists drew inspiration from classical mythology to celebrate the glory of love and to weave charming fables that lent an air of gaiety and make-believe to the interiors of aristocratic residences.

Previously idealized, voluptuous womanhood was replaced with the slender, feminine forms that personify those featured of the Companions of Diana.

Boucher’s consummate skill as a decorator is evident here in his assured draftsmanship, imaginative treatment of landscape and still life, and rich, vibrant color harmonies. Boucher made a beautiful drawing of the reclining nymph in Companions of Diana, subsequently engraved, and several copies of this painting testify to the success of the composition. deyoungmuseum.org | @deyoungmuseum

Francois Boucher, “Companions of Diana,” 1745. Oil on canvas, 46 1/8 x 36 1/8 in. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Roscoe and Margaret Oakes Collection, 75.2.3

Every Month Is LGBTQI Book Month Michele Karlsberg: In this issue, author Carol Rosenfeld shares her thoughts as LGBTQI Book Month gets underway.

June is LGBTQI Pride Month, and it is also LGBTQI Book Month. If you’re a reader, however, every month should be LGBTQI book month.

Words

As the chair of The Publishing Triangle, and the coordinator of the Triangle’s poetry awards, I get to see an overview of what’s new in the LGBTQI literary scene. Finalists for our awards are usually announced in March, around the same time as the finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards. While I’m always interested to see where the finalists for the two organizations overlap, I’m happiest when they don’t overlap all that much, because it means that more LGBTQI books will receive recognition.

Michele Karlsberg

I am a regular at the Saints & Sinners Literary Festival and the Golden Crown Literary Society Conference. I also go to readings throughout the year. Because of the conferences, I am friendly—on Facebook, at the very least—with a lot of writers. I therefore have a decent sense of what’s being published and who is publishing it.

PHOTO BY SIGRID ESTRADA

I think I’m more of a reader than a writer, although on the rare occasions when ideas are popping like popcorn in my mind, I love writing.

But I spend much more time reading than I do writing.

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If I could spend every day of the year reading, I would still not have enough time to get through all of the books in my to-be-read pile. It keeps growing, because I keep buying more books! I am easily enticed: an author I admire writes something new; I go to a reading and hear an author I don’t know read something fantastic; a friend recommends a book to me; I read a good review. I have dozens of post-its with book titles scribbled on them. (continued on page 38)

San Francisco Bay Times Columnist Michele Karlsberg Named Lambda Literary’s Publishing Professional Award Winner

San Francisco Bay Times contributor Michele Karlsberg (left) with friends and colleagues Kate Clinton and Lily Tomlin

Lambda Literary, the global leader advancing LGBTQ literature, has announced that the recipient of the 2017 Publishing Professional Award is publicist, publisher and San Francisco Bay Times columnist Michele Karlsberg. The award honors a distinguished individual in our community whose innovative work in the publishing industry promotes and promulgates LGBTQ literature.

The Publishing Professional Award is selected by Lambda’s Board of Trustees.

“I have been impressed by Michele’s contributions to the LGBTQ publishing world for many years,” said Board of Trustees Vice President Amy Scholder. “It’s not only her commitment to her authors and our community, which puts her in mind for Lambda Literary’s Publishing Professional Award, but the way she inspires us with her passion and dedication to social justice for all.”

Karlsberg’s list of clients has included Katherine Forrest, Felice Picano, Kate Clinton, Stephen Fry, Jewelle Gomez, Assotto Saint, Dorothy Allison, Martin Duberman, Judy Grahn and Minnie Bruce Pratt, to name a few. She has represented many International Publishing companies: Spinifex Press (Australia), Second Story Press (Canada), Bruno Gmunder (Germany) and Creation Books (U.K.). She generously speaks at many conferences about the business of publishing, publicity and marketing. When she gets to share what she knows about marketing and publicity in the world of publishing, she is a very happy woman. (continued on page 38)

Fresh Meat Festival Offers the Artistic Antidote to Trump

Jaw-dropping vogue dance, transgender opera, boundary-breaking hiphop, world champion gay ballroom, queer bomba music and award-winning bachata dance hit the stage at the Fresh Meat Festival of transgender and queer performance, June 15 through 17 at San Francisco’s Z Space theater.

For three nights only, the Festival offers Bay Area audiences the artistic antidote to Trump—with exquisite, unapologetic transgender and LGBT performance that is insightful, sexy and soul-feeding. The Fresh Meat Festival is the only event of its kind in the nation, and is celebrated for its world-class artistry and sold-out crowds.

BY LUNA MERBRU JA

song writer Shawna Virago, folk hearthrob StormMiguel Florez, trans/queer trailblazers Sean Dorsey Dance, queer bachata by Jahaira Fajardo and Angelica Medina, contemporary R&B and soul music by Tajah J, same-sex ballroom world champions Robbie Tristan and Ernesto Palma, hiphop dance theater by Embodiment Project, award-winning theater by Rotimi Agbabiaka, and emcee Annalise Ophelian.

PHOTO

Artistic Director Sean Dorsey explains that this year’s 16th annual Festival is jam-packed with world premieres and all new work as a special treat for Trump-weary audiences. Dorsey is an award-winning trans choreographer, and his company Sean Dorsey Dance will perform every night.

Embodiment Project

Accla i med humor iststoryteller Devi Peacock says, “This current political climate is devastating.

Our people—trans and gender non-conforming people of color—already go through so much, already have the world against us. But when I’m in my inRose tense moments of despair, Elena that’s when I turn to art.” Peacock adds, “Dreaming a reality better than this, this act of creation, then sharing that art in community: that’s what makes Fresh Meat so special.

The art is always fresh, on-point, innovative, and always, always community-focused. Fresh Meat Fest is a love fest. I need that right now!

The Fresh Meat Festival is a longtime Bay Area favorite: “Our audiences look forward to this remarkable event all year long—the energy in the theater is palpable, positively buzzing,” says singer-songwriter Shawna Virago. Every performance is followed

by Fresh Meat’s famous lobby afterparties with DJ Frida Ibarra, go-go dancers, photo booth and a free reception. Advance tickets are recommended.

Accla i med si nger- song w r iter StormMiguel Florez says, “In the era of Trump, where so many would happily see our humanity disappear, we need this platform for trans and queer artists to express ourselves, whether our message is one of resistance, resilience, heartbreak or love.”

Emcee Annalise Ophelian shares, “Fresh Meat is my sanctuary and my art therapy every year. The talent that Sean curates is astonishing. Having a showcase where these top tier artists perform on a stage that is by and for queer and trans folks is liberating and revolutionary.”

Ophelian continues, “It is exhausting for our communities, the fight for survival. So, every year I go to the Fresh Meat Festival and get energized and recharged, but this year in particular, it feels incredibly important. We need the Festival to stay centered, we need that joy … and that kind of joy is also a great way of saying f *ck Trump. Like, we’ll be back in the streets tomorrow fighting for our rights, but tonight we’re going to dance and sing and celebrate who it is we’re fighting for.”

Tajah

Fresh Meat’s Production Coordinator Eric Garcia says, “Vogue, oper a, moder n da nce, bomba, hip hop, bachata, theater, live music … there is literally something for everyone at this year’s Festival.

Young or old, LGBT or straight, hip or traditional, there’s something for everyone at Fresh Meat!”

T h is year’s Fest iva l feat ures soul-stirr ing opera by Breanna Sinclairé, cutting-edge humorist storyteller Devi Peacock, sweet-talking trans mestiza Elena Rose, Bomba dance and music ensemble Taller Bombalele, jaw-dropping vogue by House Of Energi, anthemic Americana singer-

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Breanna S

Check the Fresh Meat Festival website for each nightly lineup. Saturday night features a special Gala Reception, and Friday night is ASL interpreted.

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Trans opera trailblazer Breanna Sinclaire says, “At the Fresh Meat Festival, the audience goes on a journey of queer liberation.” She adds, “Every time I sing on the Fresh Meat Festival stage, feeling love from my queer/trans brothers and sisters, I feel empowered and grateful.”

Founded by Dorsey in 2002, Fresh Meat Productions is the nation’s f irst arts organization to create, present and tour year-round transgender arts programs. Fresh Meat’s award-winning programs include the annual Fresh Meat Festival, resident dance company Sean Dorsey Dance’s home season and national touring, national LGBT Community-Engagement Residencies, and free workshops.

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Dorsey says, “I curated this special powerhouse lineup as a love letter to D our LGBTQ communities—to give us evi Peacock much-needed spiritual nourishment, comic relief, sass, mood elevation, love and power in the face of the Republicans’ continued attacks on our communities.”

FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL of transgender and queer performance Z Space (450 Florida Street at 17th, San Francisco) Thursday–Saturday, June 15–17, all shows start at 8 pm ASL interpretation: Friday, June 16 Gala Reception: Saturday, June 17

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Tickets: $15+ sliding scale (advance tickets recommended) www.freshmeatproductions.org S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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Exercising Consistently and Without Struggle Can you imagine exercising consistently and without struggle? In the last few columns we’ve been looking at you being your own personal trainer. (That is the crux of my book, Easy Fitness for the Reluctant Exerciser.) So far, we’ve identified two keys to help you exercise with ease: 1. Nothing behind, everything is front

Easy Fitness Cinder Ernst

2. Don’t give a damn about what anyone else thinks We’ve also looked at the Easy Fitness Success Formula, originated from Dr. Maria Nemeth’s work as author and

Take Me Home with You!

Kodiak

“Hi there, my name is Kodiak! Unlike my namesake bear, I’m no loner. I especially love hanging out with other pups, and my ideal new den would have a doggie companion for me. After a long play session, I love to curl up, cuddle, and hibernate with my favorite people. Does that sound good? If so, I’d love to meet you!”

Kodiak is presented to San Francisco Bay Times readers by Dr. Jennifer Scarlett, the SF SPCA’s Co-President. Our thanks also go to Krista Maloney for helping to get the word out about lovable pets like Kodiak.

To meet Kodiak, as well as other pets seeking their forever homes, please visit: San Francisco SPCA Mission Campus 250 Florida Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-522-3500

Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup

Aside from major holidays, the adoption center is open Mon–Fri: 1–6 pm and Sat–Sun: 10 am–5 pm. Free parking is available for those wishing to adopt! For more information: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/pet-details/35206820 sfspca.org/adopt

financial/life coach), which is: Doing what I said I would do about exercise consistently and without struggle.

In the previous column, you discovered that the secret to doing what you said you would do about exercise is simply starting with a small step, smaller than you even think is small. Today you’ll learn an easy way to take that small exercise step, consistently and without struggle. Can you imagine exercising regularly with ease?

The secret to being easy with fitness is to re-boot your brain about exercise. Here’s why: Everything you already know about fitness comes pretty much from fear-based marketing.

Even well-meaning health professionals are caught in the fear, and make their recommendations from there.

Motivation is always required when you are taking a fear-based action; and, habits that you try to build from a place of worry or fear will never be easy to maintain. There is lots of struggle in the fear-based approach.

What to do instead? Try a completely different approach so you can re-boot your brain about exercise. In Easy Fitness for the Reluctant Exerciser (available on Amazon), I detail the AAA system that we use to implement that different approach. Here I will give you the basics. The three A’s stand for Alignment, Action then Appreciation.

Alignment is the first, and most important, aspect to making exercise easily doable. Alignment is a mental process. Alignment means getting in sync with your own well-being.

You know you are aligned with your own well-being when you feel positive emotions, such as good, happy, serene, joyous, satisfied, eager, willing, exhilarated, optimistic and hopeful, to name a few. You find your positive emotion on purpose by thinking a thought that feels good.

Nature, pets and grandkids make great fodder for thoughts that feel good to think. My spiritual teacher Abraham-Hicks, found on YouTube, says, “You are only a baby or a puppy away from Alignment.” You can get more detail and coaching about this in my book. Finding Alignment is a practice. A great side effect is that you will find yourself feeling good more often!

When you are in your momentary good mood, take your small step. The small step is the second A: Action.

The step must feel friendly and easy as you begin this Easy Fitness system.

To find your small step, search for me, Cinder Ernst, on YouTube. Or, you can take a strengthening exercise, or stretch that you already like, and plug it into the A A A system.

Start slowly. When you are aligned with your own well-being, there is no rush. Nothing is wrong; there is no hurry, worry or pressure. Relax, all is well.

The third A, Appreciation, is the icing on the cake. Appreciate yourself for trying this Easy Fitness system.

Appreciate yourself for purposefully feeling good and aligning yourself with your well-being. Appreciate yourself for exercising, every little thing counts! Appreciating yourself makes this whole exercise thing feel good. If something feels good, it’s easily repeatable. No motivation or accountability is necessary. It’s just you feeling good!

Who needs a personal trainer when exercise is easy to do and feels good?

AAA, relax and repeat!

Cinder Ernst, Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Extraordinaire, helps reluctant exercisers get moving with safe, effective and fun programs. Find out more at http://cinderernst. com

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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “June 18 is Father’s Day, so may I be the first to wish all you daddies a happy day; and that includes leather daddies! Rrruff!”

Queer movie lovers have great news, because June 15 begins the 2-week series of excellent LGBTQ flicks with FRAMELINE FILMS! I got a taste of this at the Frameline launch party at Oasis nightclub. (See special section in this issue.) The Festival celebrates the spectrum and intersection of identities that make up the worldwide LGBTQ community. With an expected attendance of 65,000 at its five venues, including a full week of programming in the East Bay, Frameline41 will draw film lovers, media artists, and LGBTQ communities from across the globe to discover the best in queer cinema among its 147 films. Opening Night Film and Gala, Thursday June 15, 7 pm at the Castro Theatre will screen THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN with party after at Terra Gallery in SoMa. frameline.org K REWE DE KINQUE, EssEff ’S charitable MARDI GRAS CLUB, held our THIRD SATURDAY MONTHLY BEER & SODA BUST BENEFIT at The Edge. Each third Saturday, 4–6 pm, we celebrate with a Mardi Gras theme and enjoy the $10 Beer/Soda bust with proceeds going towards our new charity organization of 2017–2018. KdK is in the process of selecting our next beneficiary. Beats were by DJ Jack Rojo. We enjoyed a fabulous show with KdK members & special guest performers such as Royal Baby Kelly Rose; Imperial King and Krewe de Kinque King VII John Weber; Miss Chief; Empress XXXIII Alexis Miranda; Minora; and Grand Duke XXXX and Krewe de Kinque X Kippy Marks.

Queen VII Sister Dana served as do’ ho’—collecting the donation dollah$.

Mark yer calendars for the next Third Saturday, June 17. sfkinque.com Sister Dana sez, “I’m so proud of our Governor Jerry Brown for standing up against Darn Old Trump and the orange ogre’s outrageous climate change denial! #covfefe!?”

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

The SAN FR ANCISCO LESBIA N/G AY F R E E D OM B A N D presented their second annual special sing-along “SPOTLIGHT ON BROADWAY” concert fundraiser at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel Empire Room. It was a not-to-be-missed show where we, the audience, got into the act and showed how well we can belt out some of our favorite tunes. The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is a community-based concert and marching band in San Francisco. It is the official band of San Fran-

Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) enjoys a glass of wine at the Frameline41 Launch Party on Tuesday, May 23, held at Oasis Lounge.

Look for him when you attend a screening during the upcoming Festival!

cisco. Founded in 1978, it was the first gay-oriented musical organization in the world. But we all got to be singing members—whether we could carry a tune or not (note: we COULD!).

A rtistic Director Pete Nowlen led the fun as the Band musically transported us to the bright lights of Broadway with tunes from classics such as My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Hairspray, Chorus Line, Shrek the Musical, Sound of Music, and so many more.

Special guest artists Donna Sachet and Leanne Borghesi femceed the evening and sang some of my favorite tunes. Joining them were popular vocalists Jesse Barrett and David Horn.

The DRAG QUEENS of COMEDY - 2017 TOUR (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City) included a stop at the Castro Theatre for a politically incorrect evening of dishing and hilarity—dragstyle. It featured the standup comic geniuses of Alaska, Willam, Bob the Drag Queen, Sasha Soprano, Coco Peru, Lady Bunny, Jackie Beat, Peaches Christ, Heklina, and Lady Red Couture.

I look forward to this every year, and this one did not disappoint. Hysterical!

The SF LGBT COMMUNIT Y CENTER held an opening art reception for the finalists in an LGBT photo contest held each year in Amsterdam highlighting LGBTQ lives. The Dutch delegation unveiled a gorgeous photo art exhibit now hanging in the gallery. It was also the official SF/Amsterdam joint celebration of HARVEY MILK DAY. Speakers included Stuart Milk (co-founder and board president of the all-volunteer HARVEY MILK FOUNDATION), SF Supervisor Jeff Sheehy, the Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam, and Mark Leno. Sister Kitty Catalyst and Sister Dana led the attendees in a blessing/ cheer session.

K PIX CH A NNEL 5/CBS held their annual PRIDE RECEPTION at their downtown HQ with event MC and CBS reporter Jackie Ward— who wore a stunning rainbow heart necklace, and was introduced as a proud lesbian. Past General Manager Bruno Cohen, who hired the out and proud reporter Hank Plante, spoke of how they both dealt with complaints about “extensive” AIDS pandemic coverage back in the day.

The new General Manager, Kevin Walsh, also spoke. Kippy Marks provided beautiful entertainment on his electronic violin.

Sister Dana sez, “The bad news is the BUDGET OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT—also known as ‘A New Foundation for American Greatness’—is anything but great for the poor and middle class; but the good news is all these great June events you can attend to keep your mind off the bad news!”

Just in time for Pride Month, “PRISCILL A QUEEN OF THE DES ERT: THE MUSICAL” has rolled into town on the infamous pink bus—on stage through July 1 at T H E AT R E R H I NOC E ROS (longest running LGBT theatre anywhere, celebrating its fortieth fantastic year). The musical (superbly directed by John Fisher) follows two drag queens and a trans-woman— Tick (played by Rudy Guerrero)— Adam (Charles Peoples III), and Bernadette (Darryl V. Jones), who buy a run-down old bus (they christen it “Priscilla”) and set out on a rocky road trip across the Australian Outback. Tick is invited by his ex-wife to perform his drag show at her far-away resort. If for no other reason than the more than 20 disco hit numbers, you (continued on page 38) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 8, 2017

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Speaking to Your Soul

Astrology Elisa Quinzi Now is the time for disciplined optimism. We can receive divine guidance via our hearts, and would do well to look for synchronicity and allow it to guide us toward where we want to go.

ARIES (March 21–April 19) You’ve got enough information. Now you can discover meaning in it all. Trust your feelings and take concrete action toward a dream of yours in faith.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You can grasp information more wholly and cohesively right now. First impressions are accurate. Keep your mind open to learn as much as you can.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) Don’t fall into despair if you find yourself in a serious tone. There’s great opportunity to make a significant finding in your own deeper waters. Wisdom follows.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It’s a good time to sit and write a mission statement for your life as your values have matured. The most fulfilling goals are the ones based on what is truly meaningful to us.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You can open your heart wider if you want to. The clouds part and you catch a view of the path to greater joy in intimacy.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) It’s your half-birthday, Sag! You won’t turn a year older for six more months, but you can honor yourself now by contemplating your vision for the rest of this year. Outline practical actions toward that vision and then get to work.

CANCER ( June 21–July 22) Utilize the positive, expansive energy available to fuel a disciplined effort toward what you really want. Stay grounded to bring your ideas into form.

LEO ( July 23–August 22) Real progress can be made in creative endeavors as you keep showing up to the task of it. Inspiration will strike as you’re in action.

VIRGO (August 23–Sept. 22) You could receive significant insight, or reach understanding now, around family matters and your core identity. Stay optimistic to be led on the path ahead.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan.19) Ask the universe to show you how to have more joy. Feel the response in your heart, and give yourself permission to make course corrections.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20–Feb. 18) What’s next on your manifestation list? You’re encouraged to make any necessary course corrections to better align your goals with your deepest values.

PISCES (Feb. 19–March 20) Your challenge is to move forward from a more optimistic outlook on your life purpose. The direction of your life is determined by both sweat and faith.

Elisa has been enjoying the art of astrological counseling since earning professional certification many years ago. In addition to astrological knowledge, she brings a high degree of conscious presence to her work, and creates a safe, comfortable atmosphere for sessions to unfold organically. Contact her at futureselfnow@gmail.com or 818-530-3366 or visit www.ElisaQuinzi.com

As Heard on the Street . . . What is your favorite movie and why?

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compiled by Rink

Alexandra Alznauer

Simon Kong

Jackie D

Jason Brock

R. Ruth Linden

“Desert Hearts because of the scene when an actress said, ‘She reached in and put a string of lights around my heart’”

“Kiki is fun and provocative and entertaining”

“Desert Hearts because it is a very romantic love story. My favorite scene is the first kiss at the hotel when a character says, ‘Lock the door. Come here.’”

“The Color Purple, since Alice Walker’s creation was inspirational and helped me to come out and accept myself”

“Casablanca because of Ingrid Bergman”

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S J U NE 8 , 2 0 1 7

Professional Services

LAW OFFICES OF MILES & TORRES Estate Planning 1393 Noe Street, San Francisco, CA 94131 (415) 308-2307 www.milestorreslaw.com

PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS

NewPer specti ves Center for Counseling

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JUNE 8, 2017

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Compiled by Blake Dillon

8 : Thursday In Conversation with Armistead Maupin @ Macy’s Union Square, 170 O’Farrell Street.

Frameline presents the renowned Author in conversation with filmmaker Jennifer Kroot, who is coeditor of the new film The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin. 6-8pm. framelinesf.org Gilbert Baker Memorial Celebration @ Castro Theatre, 428 Castro Street. A community celebration of the life of Gilbert Baker, creator of the Rainbow Flag.

Admission; free but registration is requested and donations can be made to the Gilbert Baker Fund to continue Gilbert’s vision and advocacy. 7pm-10pm. diversitysf.org

9 : Friday Dueling Duos – Nina Gerber & Chris Webster vs Pam & Jeri @ Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley.

8pm. throckmortontheatre.org Priscilla, Queen of the Desert – The Musical @ Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street at Battery.

Directed by Theatre Rhino’s John Fisher, the musical performance includes trannies, drag shows with thematic focuses on Down Under and what we do for love. Continues through July 1. 8pm. therhino.org

10 : Saturday 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition @ Area Theaters Daly City 20, Redwood City Century 20, Walnut Creek 14 and Dublin Regal Hacienda Crossing Stadium 20 & IMAX. A big screen concert by six finalists culminates the 17-day competition of the world’s best pianists. fathomevents.com Ladies Go Biking – “Betty’s List” @ Ride out from Rockridge Bart Station and continues for 28 or 35 mile routes with leader Jackie Eaux. Betty’s List Ladies Go Biking Facebook Group (request to join).

10am.

Kingdom! Pride! Studs At The Stud @ 399 9th Street. Sexy drag kings perform with host Alex U. Inn. 9pm-1am. studsf.com Pride Month Celebration with SONiA disappear fear @ St Cyprian’s Church, 2097 Turk Street. Cyprian’s Women in Music Series presents the artist described as the “female Dylan.” 8pm. sflivearts.org

11 : Sunday National Pride March San Francisco @ San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. Marching in solidarity with cities across the globe during National Pride Month. 1-5pm.

SF Peace and Hope 2017 Fest @ ANEW Gallery, 678 Portola Drive. San Francisco Bay Times contributor Kit Kennedy emcee’s a program of poets, visual 36

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artists and musicians. 1-3pm. herchurch.org OurTownSF.org Beverage Bust at SF Eagle @ SF Eagle, 398 12th Street. Supporting the OurTownSF Nonprofit Expo in October. 3-6pm. ourtownsf.org

12 : Monday Cary Leibowitz: Museum Show @ Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street. The first comprehensive career survey And solo exhibit devoted to contemporary Artist Cary Leibowitz.

Contineus through June 25, 11am5pm, closed Wednesdays. cjm.org National Queer Arts Festival Brouhaha: Trans People of Color Comedy Festival @ Eastside Arts Alliance, 2777 International Blvd., Oakland. 7pm. qcc2.org/brouhaha-2017 #HonorThemWithAction @ Hibernia Beach, Castro & 18th Street Intersection. A quiet and respectful vigil remembering the Pulse massacre one year later. 6:307:30pm. honorthemwithaction.org

13 : Tuesday GGBA June Make Contact @ The Tenderloin Museum, 398 Eddy Street. The Golden Gate Business Association’s popular monthly business networking event. 6-8pm. ggba.com Perfectly Queer’s Queer Mysteries @ Dog Eared Books, 489 Castro Street. Featuring Michael Nava, Katie Gilmartin and Jon Wilson. 7-8pm. dogearedbooks.com/castro

14 : Wednesday Castro Farmers’ Market @ Noe & Market Streets. On-going outdoor market in the Castro featuring fresh and organic foods from local vendors. 4pm-8pm, every Wednesday through Nov. pcfma.org Some Things You Lose @ African American Art & Culture Complex, 762 Fulton Street. Hosted

by Queer Cultural Center, comedian Heather Gold and others present multimedia performances on queer lives, loss, healing and change.

7:30pm. qcc2.org

15 : Thursday Orgullo Latino – Latin Pride 2017 @ Rainbow Room, SF LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. Sponsored by Aguilas and others, the event features music, food, dancing and HIV testing on site. 6-8:30pm. sfaguilas.org Fresh Meat Festival of Transgender & Queer Performance @ Z space, 450 Florida Street. A trans opera featuring same-sex ballroom champs and more modern dance presented during FMF’s 16th year. 8-10:30pm. zspace.org Katya, Live from the Continental Baths @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko, 222 Mason Street. Cabaret with a disco beat

revisiting Katya’s final performance at the famed Continental Baths forty years later. 8-10pm. feinsteinsathtenikko.com

16 : Friday Paws & Claws 13th Anniversary Celebration @ Paws & Claws, 3435 Diamond, Oakland. Event features door prizes, goodie bags, music, pet training, photography, snacks for humans, pets and more. 6-8pm pawsnclawsoakland.com Have A Poet for Lunch with Sherilyn Connelly @ Contemporary Jewish Museum, 736 Mission Street. The SF-based writer, librarian and film critic reads from her first non-fiction book Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony. 12:30-1pm. thecjm.org Spencer Day @ Feinstein’s at the Nikko, 222 Mason Street. A popular Bay Area-based LGBT artist performing since 2007, Day performs Friday June 16, 8pm, and Saturday June17, 7:30pm. feinsteinsatthenikko.com

17 : Saturday Spahr Center Pride Picnic @ Marin Civic Center Lagoon Park. A fun, family focused event, where you can bring your own picnic lunch, and enjoy live music, popcorn and treats for kids with special guest Rev. Jane Spahr. 11:30am-2pm. thespahrcenter.org 2nd Annual LGBTQ Senior Prom @ Weinberg Auditorium, Institute on Aging, 3575 Geary Blvd.

Celebrating Pride 2017, the Senior Prom is a free event featuring a live band and other live entertainment, line and free style dancing. 4-7pm. ioaging.org Celebrate Community! 2017 LGBTQ Pride Opening Reception & Event @ Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott Street.

Curator Dave Christensen collaborates with Nicola Bosco-Alvarez to present the Harvey Milk Photo

Center’s 2017 Pride exhibit with an opening night featuring a runway show and live entertainment.

5:30pm. harveymilkphotocenter.org Bay Area Rainbow Symphony Pride Concert @ SF Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak Street. With Dawn Harms, music director & conductor, the Symphony presents a program of classics including Rossini, Mendelssohn, Assad, Ravel and more. 8-10pm. bar-sf.org Cha-Cha And Salsa in the Castro @ Jane Warner Plaza, Market and Castro Streets. Hosted

by Emily Coles Dance SF, the event features cha-cha demos by samesex competitors and open social dancing to cha-cha and salsa plus info about the upcoming documentary film Hot to Trot on the history of competitive ballroom dancing.

12-1:00pm. emilycolesdancesf.com

18 : Sunday Mountain Play presents Disney’s Beauty And the Beast @ Mt. Tamalpais State Park.

The Disney classic will be performed in the outdoor Amphitheater at Mt. Tam.

Gates 9am. Show 2pm. mountainplay.org Broadway Bares F II Manustript Literary Tales with Happy Endings @ DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street. REAF presents a program benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS & REAF (Richmond/Ermet Aids Foundation). Program features Steve Grand, Cassandra Cass, Mercedez Munro, touring cast members from Hamilton,Velocity Circus and more.

8-11pm. dnalounge.com

19 : Monday Music Mondays @ Mission Pie, 2901 Mission Street At 25th. A cozy woman-owned business featuring all sorts of pies, sweet and savory, made from scratch, and other locally sourced foods too.

6pm-8pm. missionpie.com Jezebelle’s Army Presents: LITHIUM @ The Stud, 399 9th Street. Performances pay tribute to those who have survived experiences with depression. 7-10pm. studsf.com

20 : Tuesday Fighting Back: When the Dykes Went Marching In @ GLBT Historical Society Museum, 4127 18th Street. A GLBT Historical Scoiety’s Fighting Back Series event celebrating 1990s lesbian activism in a multigenerational conversation. 7-9pm. glbthistory.org OutLoud’s Storytelling’s “Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves” @ Oasis, 298 11th Street. Peaches Christ presents the show dedicated to and starring the SF Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

7:30-9:30pm. oasissf.com

21 : Wednesday Spill the Tea w/Juicy: Pride Edition @ OMG!, 43 6th Street.

A monthly “Share Your Truth” themed event presenting A discussion of topics affecting the LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander community. 6-8pm. clubomgsf.com 2017 Trevor Runway: #YouAreLove Benefit for Trevor Project @ Twitter Headquarters, 1355 Market Street, Suite 900. An evening of celebrity entertainment, socializing, fresh cocktails, delicious food and more raising funds to support The Trevor Project. 7-10pm. trvr.org/youarelove Author Achy Obejas Reading & Book Signing @ City Lights Books, 261 Columbus venue. The Cuban writer reads from her latest story collection, The Tower of the Antilles. 7pm. citylights.com

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KARLSBERG WORDS (continued from page 30) I try to spread the wealth by supporting LGBTQI bookstores like the Bureau of General Services, Queer Division, or independent bookstores, like Book Culture in my hometown of NYC. There’s a local Barnes & Noble, and if I attend readings there, I will buy the book there.

When traveling, I always look for a bookstore to visit, such as Glad Day Bookshop in Toronto, Ontario; Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Missouri; Powell’s Books in Portland, Oregon; and Women and Children First Bookstore in Chicago, Illinois. (Editor’s Note: For a list of just some of our great bookstores here in the Bay Area, check out: http://sf.cityvoter.com/best/bookstore/shopping/bayarea) And, of course, public libraries are a great source for readers—whether you’re on a budget, or don’t need to keep a book once you’ve finished reading it.

I read a lot of LGBTQI books, but I do not read only LGBTQI books. I read whatever appeals to me at any giv-

KARLSBERG AWARD (continued from page 30) en moment, regardless of the author’s gender or how they identify, or how the book is categorized. I am trying to read more books by LGBTQI writers of color, as well as books by writers who identify as trans or gender-variant.

If I am passionate about a book I’ve read, I buy additional copies and give them to friends. Right now, I am compiling my annual summer reading list, and I have been thinking that this summer I really should focus on reading books that I already have, plus the mysteries I have pre-ordered. What are the chances that I will be able to stick to that plan?

Carol Rosenfeld is the author of “The One That Got Away.” She is currently working on her second book.

Michele Karlsberg Marketing and Management specializes in publicity for the LGBT community. This year, Karlsberg celebrates twenty-eight years of successful book campaigns.

She is one of the founders/publishers of Amethyst Press, home of groundbreaking authors Dennis Cooper, Kevin Killian, Mark Ameen, Stan Leventhal and Patrick Moore. She is a strong advocate for independent booksellers and worked with Carol Seajay on the Feminist Bookstore Network. She is a curator of Outspoken, a nationwide LGBTQI literary series that helps new and established voices reach a wider audience.

As publisher at Bywater Books, she published many award-winning authors. She is an innovator as well. In 1989, she launched the Lesbian and Gay Book Month. Along with Michael Denneny, Karlsberg was the

first co-chair of the Publishing Triangle and is still active today. She worked with The Book of The Month Club/Quality Paperback Books to launch their LGBT Book Club InsightOut along with the Triangle Classic series.

Michele will be recognized as the w inner of the Lambda L iterar y Publishing Professional Award at the 29th Annual Lambda Literary Awards ceremony on June 12 in New York City. Please join all of us at the San Francisco Bay Times in congratulating her on this well-deserved honor.

For more information: www.lambdaliterary.org

SISTER DANA (continued from page 33) just gotta get on this bus! Also, there are a bazillion different costume changes. The ensemble cast is just incredible! But audience beware: you might get dragged up onto the stage to do a country western dance number! And those in the front row are in danger of f lying ping pong balls popping out from one of the ladies on stage. It’s all fast-paced and fabulous, and, in my opinion, far outdoes the movie! Tickets are at TheRhino.org or call 1-800-838-3006. Get onboard at 215 Jackson at Battery. Don’t miss the bus ride of your life!

There will be a very special CELEBRATION OF LIFE for Rainbow Flag creator (and so much more!) Gilbert Baker (1951–2017) on Thursday evening, June 8, starting at 7 pm (doors open 6:30 pm) at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street. Admission is free, but you must RSVP in advance. The event is being presented

by Tom Taylor and Dr. Jerome Goldstein and THE DIVERSITY FOUNDATION. diversitysf.org/give/ The girls are back in town in the uproarious drag send-up of HBO’s beloved series SEX AND THE CITY. Get your fix, with two fabulous episodes that pay loving tribute to the iconic show. Laugh and gasp out loud as these four young “women” search for the perfect relationship in between plenty of cosmopolitans. The show features four of San Francisco’s most fabulous drag stars: D’Arcy Drol l inger, Sue Casa, Lady Bear and Steven LeMay playing homage to Carrie and the gang. With special guest star, Drag King legend,

Leigh Crow as Mr. Big. Darren Star (creator of the HBO show) described this version as “funnier than it was on TV,” so you know you’re in for a delightful night. Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, June 8 through July 1 at Oasis, 298 11th Street. I’m a Samantha! sfoasis.com A RTSAV ESLI V ES, the art studio/performance space at 518 Castro Street, is presenting the monthly free reception, this time entitled SAN FR ANCISCO PRIDE PAR ADE PA IN TINGS L IV E GA L L ERY JUNE SHOW —on Friday, June 9, 6–9 pm—featuring works by Alan Beckstead (alanbeckstead.com) and many other local artists. This prideriffic exhibit, curated by studio manager/artist Thomasina De Maio, will remain up now through Pride Weekend, June 24–25. sfartslave.com Be sure to attend “HONOR THEM WITH ACTION” in remembrance of the Orlando tragedy at Pulse nightclub a year ago, a quiet commemoration to be held at Castro and 18th Streets on Monday June 12, 6:30– 7:30 pm. Expect to see members of the Castro Community on Patrol, Castro merchants, Latinx and Trans folk and clergy—as well as the general public who have not forgotten. Nothing formal and no speakers planned—but renewed commitment to take action, both individually and collectively, to help end anti-LGBTQ bias and bigotry in our community, our country, and around the world. honorthemwithaction.org For the month of June, STRUT is having a very special art opening

for an artist coming all the way from Venezuela for Pride month. Strut is exhibiting the work of visual artist, activist, writer and international gay rights advocate DANIEL ARZOLA! The Art at Strut program has been exhibiting the work of a local Gay or Queer artist once a month for over 13 years. It has always been an important part of Magnet, and Strut is especially thrilled when they get to exhibit the work of an international artist and connect further with the global gay community. Arzola’s work has been reviewed by press from countries all over the world including Al Jazeera, The Huffington Post, Out Magazine, and The Advocate. Arzola participated in Madonna’s project “Art for Freedom,” and was the only artist to have five of his works selected for the project’s global release; two of those works were selected by Katy Perry.

Arzola won the Human Rights award 2016 at the International Queer and Migrant Film Festival of Amsterdam for his theory of ARTIVISM and the impact of his work. For the reception, Baruch Porras-Hernandez, Community Organizer, introduced Arzola, who confessed his life was a telenovella of drama. He said, for instance, he had survived a hate crime in which all his works had been viciously destroyed. His passport had been frozen, but just a few weeks ago it was reinstated.

My three favorite pieces are “I Am Not a Joke” with the translated Spanish phrase: “No Soy Tu Chiste,” showing someone in a shirt that reads (as in “reads your beads”): “Nobody has the right to hurt you for being different.”

Another has the person’s shirt snap-

ping: “My sexuality is not a trend; your ignorance seems to be!” Still another, “New York City Boy,” is a man with a beard made of many many colorful butterflies, with just a single butterfly on his eyebrow—as if a piercing. strutsf.org “THE GAY KITCHEN SINK” is just what it sounds like—a delightfully spirited playlist of LGBT anthems, current hits, and huge production numbers sung by THE SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS at the Nourse Theatre, 275 Hayes Street. You’ll absolutely revel in music by iconic performers including Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Sara Bareilles, Destiny’s Child, Robyn, Taylor Swift, and Patsy Cline. With special guests, The Kinsey Sicks—”America’s Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet.” Of course, the Chorus will throw a little Broadway in the mix, as well as a tribute to the 50th Anniversary of The Summer of Love. Friday, June 16, 8 pm; Saturday, June 17, 2:30 pm and 8 pm. sfgmc.org Come to t he H A RV EY M I L K PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER for their 2017 Pride weekend celebration show, “CELEBRATE COMMUNITY! 2017 LGBTQ PRIDE EXHIBIT & EVENT.” This year’s exhibit is in collaboration with the wishes of Gilbert Baker, designer of the international symbol to the world of gay pride, the iconic RAINBOW FLAG, says Dave Christensen, Director/Curator of the Harvey Milk Photo Center. In addition to Gilbert’s choices, they have invited artists, writers, and photographers from

Themed “ El Corazon de San Pancho/ The Heart of San Francisco,” this year’s Carnaval paid homage to San Francisco’s enduring legacy as a place that has always opened its heart to people from around the world. More than 65 parade units filled the streets during the Carnaval Grand Parade on Sunday, May 28.

In addition to the Parade, Carnaval included a two-day Festival featuring booths, exhibits, food and music throughout the weekend. San Francisco Bay Times was proud to participate this year with our booth staffed by Juan Davila and friends.

Legendary photographer Rink was there to capture an array of images portraying the diversity of costumes, dance and float artistry from many cultures and nations.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN DAVILA

39th Annual Carnaval - May 27-28, 2017 El Corazon de San Pancho/The Heart of San Francisco

throughout the community to share their diverse talents for this special show—running June 17–July 23, with Opening Reception: June 17, 5:30 pm. Entertainment begins on the 2nd Floor at 7:30 pm. Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott Street, San Francisco, reception hosted by Mistress of Ceremonies, Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy. The Runway Show will feature Verasphere. Live entertainment provided by Peaches Christ Productions—so ya know it’s gonna be fierce! harveymilkphotocenter.org New York’s hottest benefit strip show is Now in San Francisco’s hottest fundraising show, “BROADWAY BAR ES SF II: MANUSTR IP T: Literary Tales with Happy Endings” on June 18, 8 pm at DNA Lounge, 375 11th Street. It will feature a series of dances based on literary tales where someone (or everyone) gets stripped by the end. It’s fun, its sexy, it’s funny, it’s provocative and so much more.

It raises funds for REAF (RICHMOND/ER MET A ID FOUNDATION) to support HIV services, hunger programs, and programs for homeless youth, and BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS to provide funds for HIV services nationwide. reaf-sf.org/broadway-bares Sister Dana sez, “The absolutely best anti-T-rump quote of the month: Nancy Pelosi told the Repugnican Congressbozos after the terrible Trumpcare vote that ‘you will have every provision of this bill tattooed on your forehead ... you will glow in the dark on this one.’ You GO, Nancy P, while they GLOW!”

Photos by Rink

Round About - All Over Town

Runners along the route near Davisadero and Hayes Streets were dressed as classic Star Trek characters for Bay to Breakers 2017.

Photos by RINK

Staffers Sonia and Kana served donuts on National Donut Day (June 2) at Bob’s Donuts on Polk Street, which was rated in a recent poll as #6 on the list of top donut shops in the U.S.

Choreographer AeJay Mitchell with Theatre Rhino director John Fisher at the opening night party for Priscilla Queen of the Desert held at the Eureka Theatre on June 1

Actor Diogo Zavadzki and choreographer AeJay Mitchell at the June 1 opening night Champagne Celebration of Theatre Rhino’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Eureka Theatre

Christian, Geoff and Caesar serving at Bob’s Donuts on Polk Street, a popular location for LGBT diners since 1959

The cast and crew of Theatre Rhino’s Priscilla Queen of the Desert celebrating on Opening Night, June 1

Artist Mary DeLave exhibited her work at Jane Warner Plaza in the Castro on June 3.

Charlie, Kate Rosenberger and Hazel at the Dog Eared Books table at the Castro Theatre during the Silent Film Festival on June 3

Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom on stage at the Equality Califronia Equality Awards at the St. Francis Hotel on May 6

Volunteer coordinator Rory O’Conner (right) with volunteer Dagny on June 3 at the Castro Theatre for the 2017 SF Silent Film Festival SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band members Janice, Sally, Justin and Gary in front of the Harvey Milk camera store site on Castro Street where the Band performed to celebrate Harvey’s birthday.

Steve Adams and Rafael Mandelman at the SF Lesbian/ Gay Freedom Band performance on Castro Street in front of Harvey Milk’s camera store location (now the HRC store) celebrating Harvey’s birthday.

Members of the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band performing on Castro Street celebrating Harvey Milk’s birthday

Hon. Mark Leno, candidate for Mayor of San Francisco, with Castro Merchants president Daniel Bergerac at the celebration of Harvey Milk’s birthday held a day early on May 21

Castro on Patrol members and friends in front of the sidewalk plaque honoring Harvey Milk in front of the site of his camera store (now the HRC store) on May 21.

Featured speaker Molly Merryman, Kent State professor of Women’s Studies, with festival director Carol Leigh outside the RoxieTheatre on May 27 during the 10th Biennial SF Bay Area Sex Worker Film and Art Festival

Visitors from all over the world can frequently be seen reading the plaque and other historic documents on display at the Harvey Milk Plaza Muni station.

S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

JUNE 8, 2017

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