San Francisco Bay Times - August 9, 2018 by San Francisco Bay Times

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CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018) August 9–22, 2018 | sfbaytimes.com

On the Medical Front Lines of California’s Largest Wildfire A nurse’s personal account from the fire zone:

PHOTOS BY KURT BILSE

U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY AIRMAN 1ST CLASS DONALD C. KNECHTEL

PAGES 2–3

On the Medical Front Lines of California’s Largest Wildfire

Photos courtesy of Kurt Bilse Special to the San Francisco Bay Times

My Experiences as a Nurse Deployed to the Mendocino Complex Fire Lake County began to be evacuated one by one. I was deployed to Lower Lake High School, which served as one of the main shelters for the fire. As I drove in the dark through the Napa Valley and up into the hills, I could smell the smoke in the morning air become thicker and more pungent as I ascended.

By Kurt Bilse, RN, BSN, PHN Last year, like so many other Americans, I watched the hurricanes, fires and other natural disasters sweep across our country and wished that I could help in the aftermaths. As a registered nurse, I knew that my skills could be used. I made last minute calls to disaster aid agencies, only to get bogged down in unanswered voicemails and emails due to the fact that everyone was out working the field. I realized that if I wanted to be of any help at the next disaster, I needed to do my research and get involved “now” rather than “later.” After a lot of research, I registered with the American Red Cross (ARC) and my local Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). While many people are familiar with the ARC, few know about their local and national MRC. As the Corps holds: “The need for the MRC became apparent after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when thousands of medical and public health professionals, eager to volunteer in support of emergency relief activities, found that there was no organized approach to channel their efforts. Local responders were already overwhelmed and did not have a way to identify and manage these spontaneous volunteers, and many highly skilled people were turned away. As a result, the MRC was established to provide a way to recruit, train and activate medical and health professionals to respond to community health needs, including disasters and other public health emergencies. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, physi-

Kurt Bilse

cian assistants, pharmacists, dentists, behavioral health professionals, veterinarians and epidemiologists. Many other community members also support the MRC, such as interpreters, chaplains, office workers and legal advisors.” It is with the MRC that I was deployed to the Mendocino Fire Complex. As I watched the Redding Fires progress on the evening news, I knew that the activation call would be coming soon, telling us to prepare to deploy. This would be my first deployment to a disaster event, so I was a bit apprehensive to receive the call. I was already awake at 4 am when the automated call came asking me for my availability and prompting me to prepare to deploy. Within minutes I was packing my bag, checking electronics and gathering my medical equipment. Soon a text followed from our unit leader saying that we were going on standby to see how the Mendocino Complex Fire progressed and if we were going to be needed more locally. Within 24 hours, the fires around Clear Lake exploded and the communities around

Kurt Bilse (far right) with medical colleagues and volunteers on site at the shelter.

When I arrived at the campus, I saw tents covering the football field and lawns surrounding the classrooms. People walked through the campus as if in a stupor, walking their pets and trying to assess the events that had taken place. I walked in to the first of three gyms on the campus that was filled with a mass of people sleeping, or sitting, on cots. A look of bewilderment on those who were awake displayed the shock that they were still in from having to flee their homes so quickly. Eventually we would see all three gyms fill to approximately 450 people as communities around the lake were evacuated and then allowed to return in succession as the fire lines encircled the lake. Over the following week we heard countless stories of evacuation notices, police banging on doors, people having less than five minutes to grab pets, purses, wallets and shoes, and fleeing for their lives. Then followed the confusion of getting to safety: figuring out where to go, where to stay, how to get there and more. Those who did not have family or friends to stay with out of the area ended up at one of the ARC shelters. They were greeted with a cot, blankets, a meal and a pack of necessities including toiletries. The students and parents of Lower Lake High School were busy preparing breakfast for the evacuees (whom we often refer to as “clients”) and numerous ARC volunteers continued to register people, set up cots, feed, clothe, direct, comfort and fulfill a plethora of clients’ needs. The MRC set up a medical station in an office off one of the gyms. Our first task was to set up emergency medical supplies, first aid equipment and a myriad of over-the-counter drugs. Soon people were waking up and real-

izing the impact of their quick exodus from their homes. One of the first realizat ions was t hat t hey left t heir medications at home and/or did not have sufficient refills to get them through their stay at the shelter. Few of the clients that we saw from the fires had a list of their medications and/ or had saved any information in “the cloud” and could not remember the names and doses of their prescriptions. Many residents of the area used independent pharmacies (rather than chain stores) that were now closed and evacuated along with their employees. Also, many of their doctors and their medical offices were closed and evacuated. This is a common occurrence in a disaster. As a result, MRC nurses and local pharmacies are allowed emergency powers to case manage, order and provide emergency dosing of prescriptions for a 3–5-day supply. The task is much more complicated than one would assume. Many clients were still in PTSD and had great difficulty remembering names of drugs, doses and scheduling. Many were on public assistance and we had to arrange payments for some meds. Several did not have transportation and we had to arrange delivery and dispensing, once their meds arrived at the shelter. A majority of the clients at the shelter were elderly or the disabled, and several were dependent on in-home caregivers to administer their medications and to assist in their activities of daily living, such as toileting, eating, dressing, getting in and out of bed or a chair, etc. When the resident is forced to evacuate, so is the caregiver. In most cases, the caregivers themselves were forced to evacuate to a family member’s or friend’s home outside of the region, thus leaving the clients at the shelter with little help. While stretched to their limits, the Red Cross nurses and volunteers

About the Medical Reserve Corps

How to Prepare for a Natural Disaster and Staying in a Shelter

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises approximately 190,000 volunteers in 900 community-based units located throughout the U.S. and its territories.

Prepare a “Go Bag” filled with emergency items that you will need. Store it in a closet near the door that you will likely use for your exit. Keep the following in mind as you put your “Go Bag” together:

MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. They frequently contribute to community health activities that promote healthy habits.

Here in the Bay Area, we rarely need an ice scraper, but you might want a battery-powered fan. Add or subtract items from the list that you know you’ll need where you’re evacuating from.

Examples of activities that MRC volunteers participate in and support include emergency preparedness and response trainings, emergency sheltering, responder rehab, disaster medical support, disaster risk reduction, medical facility surge capacity, first aid during large public gatherings, veterinary support and pet preparedness, health screenings, obesity reduction, vaccination clinics, outreach to underserved community members, heart health, tobacco cessation and much more. For additional information: https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage

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Tailor it to the weather in your area.

Include items that suit your family. If you have kids or pets, you can add things like diapers, dehydrated food, dog treats or a water bowl. Water It’s recommended to have one gallon of water per day per person or pet. You should keep at least three gallons each per person or pet at home. The shelter will have plenty of water, but have water to sustain you until you get to a shelter. Food You should have at least three days’ worth of food. Concentrate on non-perishable food that doesn’t require refrigeration or much prep and water. Consider cereal, ready-toeat canned fruits (or canned veggies, juice and meat), or energy-rich snacks like trail mix and granola bars. Remember to have vi-

tamins and special supplies around for anyone with special needs, such as pets, babies and the elderly. Medication

filled in this gap and did a remarkable job. As the days progressed, we saw waves of people come and go as communities evacuated. Empty registration lobbies swelled with dozens of evacuees within minutes. As they filtered in, we bandaged multiple cuts, scrapes and blisters. We administered breathing treatments via a nebulizer for asthmatics and COPD patients. We held hands and comforted during anxiety attacks. We searched pharmacies for special infant formulas for newborns. We rushed juice and candy to diabetics who were hypoglycemic. We identified clients with behavioral health issues and/or the chemically dependent and addressed their issues by getting them their medications, meeting with our staff of professionals, or transporting them to facilities that could provide better assistance. Several calls to 911 were made for seizures, chest pains and other critical issues that required medical attention that we were not equipped to handle. (continued on page 26)

A volunteer cares for a child whose family was displaced from the fire zone.

If you are a diabetic, pack shelf stable juices, packed meals and hard candies in your Go Bag in the event you become hypoglycemic. Remember to evacuate with your meds and the necessary needles and testing equipment.

Have some extra medication on hand for times when disaster strikes and you can’t leave your home to reFirst Aid Kit fill your prescription. ReIt should have latex gloves, member to also store overgauze pads, a thermomethe-counter medication like ter, sterile bandages, Bandpainkillers, antihistamines, Aids, petroleum jelly, salve calamine lotion, Alka-SeltAn evacuation check list example for burns, antibiotic ointzer, laxatives, anti-diarrhea ment, adhesive tape, towmedication, sterile eyewash elettes, hand sanitizers, sunscreen, and inand contact lenses (if you use them). stant cold packs. (The shelter may or may not If you are dependent on medications, type have these.) out a list of them, the dose and how often Tools and Supplies you take them. Include the name and number of the prescribing doctor. Print this list This includes items such as candles, matches and include it in your Go Bag. Then email in a waterproof container, scissors, tweezers, it to yourself and/or a family member as a a sewing kit, a f lashlight, extra batteries, a backup. Take a digital photo of the list and/ small fire extinguisher, a manual can openor photograph the label of each of your med- er, a knife, a hand-crank or battery-operatications. Email them to yourself and/or save ed radio (with batteries) and a wrench to turn them to “the cloud” so that you can access off the gas and water. Be sure to also have a map of the area in case you need to look for them from a computer in an emergency. a shelter. Make a list of the pharmacies (mail order or (continued on page 26) local) and your doctor’s contact information that you use and back them up as you would your medications.

Top 10 Lessons Learned While Volunteering at a Shelter During Californiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Largest Wildfire 1. If you or a loved one depends on a caregiver, you need to have a discussion about what the expectations are during an evacuation. Is the caregiver expected to follow the client to the shelter? To where will the caregiver evacuate? 2. If the caregiver does not go to the shelter, disaster agencies will attempt to assist evacuees once they are settled into a cot. It is not guaranteed that they will have the manpower, resources or expertise to provide the same level of care that an in-home caregiver can provide. 3. Family or friends should be prepared to assist the evacuee at the shelter and/or host them in their own homes. In preparation to do this, family members should assess equipment needs, like renting hospital beds, commodes, lifts, etc., and locate providers in their area prior to a disaster event. 4. The American Red Cross (ARC) provides flat, very firm cots. If medically necessary, they can provide head and leg tilting cots with a thin pad. If you anticipate joint, back or general discomfort sleeping on cots, consider adding cushions, pillows or pads to your emergency bags to bring to the shelter. 5. Shelters will generally have first-aid supplies. If the Medical Reserve Corps is present, they will have a limited number of over-the-counter drugs like aspirin, Tylenol, anti-diarrhea meds and the sort. They will not stock prescription medications or painkillers, and are not allowed to administer them. Nurses on the team will be able to authorize emergency refills of non-controlled drugs once the governor declares an emergency. If a medical doctor is on-site with the team, he or she will be able to authorize emergency prescriptions of controlled medications as needed. 6. If you have a pet, it is advisable to store a collapsible pet cage along with a blanket and bowls in your car trunk if you are able. ARC will provide these items, but in the first hours and days of the crisis, they may be limited. Many pets are brought to the shelters and it is very stressful for them. It is much easier on them if they are caged and comfortable. 7. Usually there are grounds around a shelter and you are allowed to stay in your own tent if you have one. Consider including one if you are claustrophobic or feel stressed in large crowds. 8. If you are chemically dependent or on psychiatric medication, the middle of a disaster is not the time to quit cold turkey. 9. If you are chemically dependent, now is the time to deal with it instead of finding yourself in withdrawals in the middle of a disaster. If you find yourself as an evacuee and separated from your source, find a medical volunteer as soon as you are registered at the shelter. The volunteer will be able to assist you in seeking appropriate medical and/or social attention before a crisis occurs. 10. If you have psychiatric or behavioral health issues, the shelters usually have trained staff available to help in getting you medical or county service assistance.

As California Wildfires Blaze, Organizers of Climate March Hold Press Conference in SF As wildfires continue to devastate many parts of California, communities in the Bay Area held a press conference one month ahead of the Rise for Climate, Jobs and Justice Mobilization on September 8. The mobilization, expected to be the largest climate march ever on the West Coast, will take place just days before Gov. Jerry Brown hosts the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. The press conference, held on August 8 at Harry Bridges Plaza across from the Ferry Building, featured organizers behind the Rise march and community leaders facing impacts from climate change and fossil fuel extraction. A street mural capturing themes of the mobilization was drawn in real-time during the press conference by artists using charcoal and other materials from areas impacted by California wildfires. Organizers are planning to create the largest street mural ever for the day of the September march. The September mobilization in San Francisco is part of an international day of action, with hundreds of events planned around the world. These events will demand urgent action to address climate change, and to reshape an economy that supports workers, people of color, and all communities facing climate impacts. In California, groups are urging Gov. Brown and those attending his summit to commit to phasing out fossil fuel extraction and to begin a just transition to 100% renewable energy that centers around racial and economic justice. For more information: https://ca.riseforclimate.org/ Special thanks to Kurt Bilse, a friend of the San Francisco Bay Times, for his contributions to this issue. He managed to prepare the coverage under very challenging conditions and during breaks from working extremely long, hectic shifts. Thanks also to all of his colleagues at the Medical Reserve Corps and to first responders who continue to toil under harsh conditions at fire zones throughout the state. California is essentially ablaze now, with 25 major fires occurring as of this writing. Well over a month of dry summer weather lies ahead. This will be followed by what is known as the Santa Ana fire season, characterized by the hot, dry winds of autumn. The Oakland firestorm of 1991 reminds that those of us living in the Bay Area are not immune to events like the Mendocino Complex Fire. Now is the time to prepare as Bilse advises. S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY â&#x20AC;&#x2C6; T IM ES

AUGUS T 9, 2018

Homeless Gay Valedictorian Helps to Make the ‘Impossible Possible’ for LGBTIQ Youth And Owen revealed how he understood it was about much more than just him: “Since this story became public, I have had numerous people reach out to me and say that they are going through similar situations.” While Owen found that the “passionate response” to his plight “reassure[d]’ him that “Jacksonville (and our country) will not tolerate injustices towards the LGBTQ+ community,” he pleaded for all of his supporters to “continue to be allies in whatever capacity, not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for all marginalized groups.”

6/26 and Beyond Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis We, like many other LGBTIQ people, were heartened to learn of the outpouring of f inancial support from the community for the Jacksonville, Florida, high school valedictorian Seth Owen that will enable him to attend Georgetown University after his parents kicked him out of the house and refused to support him because he was gay. As Owen’s struggle received extensive national media coverage, over 2,600 donors contributed over $141,500 on the GoFundMe page that his high school biology teacher and mentor Jane Martin, other teachers and his fellow students organized—far surpassing the initial goal of $20,000.

Two days later, Martin on behalf of herself and Owen further underscored Owen’s prior message. Out of all the responses Martin received, “what sticks out most is the messages I have received from LGBTQ students from around the country whose stories are all too similar to Seth’s.” Martin came out herself in the post and spoke of the “ostracism” from her own family and community she experienced growing up in the South. She and Owen pointed out that “LGBTQ youth account for 40% of the homeless teen population.” And Martin and Owen explicitly acknowledged their “privilege” as “white, cisgender, middle-class individuals.” They highlighted how black LGBTIQ youth “have the highest rates of homelessness” and how “transgender people of color are getting murdered, misgendered, and also overlooked by the same media” that showered Owen with “immeasurable recognition.” They wanted “to use [their] privilege to shine light on the realities of this situation.” Late last week, Georgetown finally did the right thing and provided Owen the full financial aid he deserves. He and Martin now plan to use the additional money donated on GoFundMe to establish a scholarship fund for students in similar need.

Seth Owen

On the site, Martin described the struggle Owen faced:

In an NBC News video, Owen, who was also his high school’s swim team captain and leader of its gay-straight alliance his junior and senior years, described how his father told him that “biblically, we have the right to stone you” for being gay and forced him to go to a Christian conversion therapy counselor to “fix” him. Martin explained on GoFundMe that Owen was admitted to Georgetown for college, but the university based his financial aid on the erroneous assumption that his parents would support him. Even after Owen appealed the decision with extensive accompanying documentation, Georgetown refused to alter its decision, leaving Owen $20,000 short. As they continued to try to convince Georgetown to change its decision and policies, Martin and others initiated the GoFundMe fundraising appeal. Owen told NBC News: “I can truly say I felt unconditional love” from his teachers and fellow students— something his parents seemed unable to provide. As support poured in, Owen responded to his supporters with immense gratitude: “I simply cannot say thank you to you all enough ... . I am forever grateful to you all for making my lifelong dream of attending college possible.” 4

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SOURCE: GO FUND ME

“Earlier this year (after a year of attempted conversion therapy), Seth’s parents gave him an ultimatum. He would either continue to attend the church that outwardly attacked him and his sexual orientation or he would need to leave home. For his own well-being and safety, Seth chose the latter. He’s been living with friends and working to sustain himself since f inancially. His parents have refused to support him emotionally or financially because they deem his sexual orientation inconsistent with their religious beliefs. Throughout this all, Seth held his head high and continued to work almost full-time while finishing high school at the top of his class as the co-valedictorian.”

They also “implored” people to support homeless LGBTIQ youth in their own communities. “There are voices and stories that deserve to be amplified, uplifted, and supported just as much as Seth’s story. There are organizations working to provide resources, safe spaces and support to LGBTQ students who need funding and volunteers. Find those voices and organizations. Invest in them and help make our nation a little brighter and inclusive for all.” In her initial GoFundMe post, Martin acknowledged that the $20,000 “goal seems unrealistic and the circumstances aren’t ideal, but I also know communities can make the impossible possible.” That’s what the LGBTIQ activism is all about: making the “impossible possible” even when “circumstances aren’t ideal.” You can help to make the difference, through your own personal efforts to support queer youth directly and by supporting organizations such as Larkin Street Youth Services, Lyric, Trans:Thrive and the SF LGBT Center, just to name a few. And we hope that elected officials on all levels of government take note of Owen’s story as well. He, his classmates and many other teens like him will all be eligible to vote for the first time this November. You can visit Owen’s GoFundMe site at: https://www.gofundme.com/hoyaseth The SF LGBT Center publishes a terrific resource book for LGBTIQ homeless youth. It lists many local supportive services and organizations: https://www.sfcenter.org/sites/default/files/ SFLGBTZineWebVersion_1.pdf Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, 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 grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA contributed in 2015 to making same-sex marriage legal nationwide.

Hate Crimes in California Jump What We Can Do About It to have a hate crimes policy, the reporting of those incidents is inconsistent and leads to inaccurate data.

Assemblymember Phil Ting June is the month when we celebrate Pride, love and our common humanity. However, this past Pride Month also saw brutal, horrific attacks against members of the LGBTQ community. On June 9, globally recognized LGBTQ human rights activist Scott Long was walking down a street in Oakland when he felt a blow to the back of his head, followed by repeated strikes that broke his jaw and other facial bones. On the same day in San Francisco, Tim Tait, otherwise known as the drag queen Ginger Snap, was walking in South of Market when he was also struck in the head, kicked and punched. He sustained two black eyes, a broken tooth and a concussion. While to you and me these attacks sound like hate crimes, they are not always categorized as such. A hate crime is defined by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) as one targeting people because of their race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. Because California law does not require law enforcement agencies

California state auditors recently found that 14% of hate crimes go unreported. Even more disturbingly, Attorney General Xavier Becerra found that hate crimes jumped statewide by 17% in 2017 with a surprising 30% rise in San Francisco. Since 2014, they’ve spiked an alarming 44% statewide. Unfortunately, this increase is not surprising given President Trump’s rhetoric and how it emboldens hate groups. For the sake of victims like Scott, Tim and all of those who don’t come forward, we have to do a better job at addressing hate crimes. The first step is to get better numbers. Accurate data helps to solve problems. That is why I authored Assembly Bill (AB) 1985, which Governor Jerry Brown signed this summer. Starting January 1, any updated or newly adopted hate crimes policy must conform to the California Commission on Police Officer Standards and Training’s (POST) Model Policy Framework and include a protocol for reporting to the DOJ. We are fortunate here in San Francisco that our police department has had a hate crimes unit since 1990. Furthermore, in 1991, SFPD became a founding member of the Bay Area Hate Crime Investigator’s Association, comprised of officers from the nine Bay Area counties that work together to eliminate hate crimes. With AB 1985, police departments across the state will have to comply with uniform standards that will yield better data and outcomes. (continued on page 26)

Vacant Property Tax Would Fund Solutions to Address Homelessness, Illegal Dumping property tax, which would fund solutions to homelessness and illegal dumping. I am pleased to announce that City Council voted to place my vacant property tax proposal on the November 2018 ballot.

Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan Oakland—like many Bay Area cities—has been facing rising rates of homelessness, with the counts in our community increasing dramatically in recent years. This situation is causing widespread suffering, as people are living in difficult situations in underpasses and sidewalks, often without access to water, bathrooms and more. In addition, there are thousands of vacant properties throughout Oakland, such as vacant lots, homes and other buildings that are empty and not in use. Vacant properties add to the blight and abandonment of our neighborhoods, attract illegal dumping and deprive the community of the opportunity to have those vacant properties be used to house people and provide other productive uses. A s O a k l a nd’s C it y-w id e Councilmember At-Large, I teamed up with community members and my colleagues to propose a vacant 6

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Staff has estimated that there are at least 5,000 vacant properties in the City of Oakland. If the voters approve a vacant property tax, some of these properties will end up being exempted. Therefore, it may raise around $10 million per year. This can provide more resources for navigation centers, rapid rehousing, cleaning, sanitation, small homes, alternative housing structures, eviction prevention, rent assistance and other vital steps to improve this crisis. The parcel tax will be adopted as a Special Tax, and if approved by 2/3 of the voters, would be collected by Alameda County through the property tax rolls, unless the Council chooses to adopt a different collection method. In addition, this Measure directs the creation of a Community Commission on Homelessness to help direct the proper use of the funds, and to publish an annual report regarding how, and to what extent, the City Council and Mayor have implemented this Ordinance. Other cities, such as Washington, D.C., and Vancouver, Canada, have implemented taxes on vacant properties. This November, Oakland voters will have the opportunity to have their voices heard on this important measure, which will help to encourage people to put those properties back into use, thus, increasing the housing supply, and also generating revenue to fund the solutions we need to ad(continued on page 26)

Taking Attorney General Sessions’ Religious Liberty Task Force to Task Expectedly and right on point, the ACLU, GL A A D, and other civil rights organizations sounded the alarm that the renewed cause is nothing less than a push to justify discriminatory policies against women, LGBTQ people and non-white minorities.

Cross Currents Andrea Shorter Weeks after citing a passage from the bible’s Book of Romans to justify ripping migrant families apart at our southern border, U.S. Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III sidled up to the mic to announce the formation of a “religious liberty task force” at the Department of Justice (DOJ), adding more fuel to the fire of the Trump era culture wars. Evangelized by Sessions, the task force’s central aims are generally purported to combat “dangerous” secularism and to protect Christian beliefs and believers from persecution under civil law—like Christian bakers who don’t want to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples based on their beliefs, and later not be sued for discrimination. More specifically, the task force’s mission is to enforce a 2017 DOJ memorandum to align federal agencies with a broad interpretation of religious liberty when enforcing federal laws. For instance, it would relax (read: eliminate) the Johnson Amendment’s prescribed IRS enforcement of tax-exempt status of religious organizations that lobby for a political candidate, such as evangelicals for Trump for President. Sessions’ formalized extension and rebranding of the religious freedom battles that gained new breath during the George W. Bush administration and swept through during the remaining days of the Obama administration—primarily as it related to the eventual SCOTUS upholding of same-sex civil marriage equality as the law of the land—is an alarmingly more definitive push to erode the separation of church and state, and to essentially and undeniably establish Christian nationalism.

The establishment of the religious liberty task force under the auspices of the DOJ poses a direct threat to already tenuous and non-existent protections of the civil rights of LGBTQ identified Americans. Out & Equal Workplace Advocates was notably one of the first international LGBTQ rights champions to sound the bell on this alarming development and its implications. Out & Equal Workplace Advocates’ mission is to achieve LGBTQ workplace equality. For 22 years, it remains the leading non-profit organization working with Fortune 1000 multi-national companies and government agencies to develop and share strategies and best practices to create workplace equality inclusive of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. As a former associate of Out & Equal, I can personally attest to the import, impact and increasing urgency of the organization’s mission. It is still legal in 28 states not to hire, or to fire, persons in the workplace identified as, or even suspected of being, lesbian, gay or bisexual, and in 30 states for gender identity. Religious objection often serves as a primary basis for LGBTQ employment discrimination. Issuing Five Things You Need to Know About the DOJ’s Religious Liberty Task Force, Out & Equal’s advisory to its partner employers and employees is clear: 1. The task force is another unsettling step in the current administration’s movement against equality for LGBTQ individuals. 2. Sessions is doubling down on discrimination by citing the backlash against the Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple as rationale for creating this task force. 3. Religion is already a protected class under federal law, yet there is no federal law protecting LGBTQ Americans from discrimination in the workplace.

4. Religious freedom should never be interpreted as license to discriminate against anyone. 5. The majority of Americans support federal law protecting LGBTQ individuals from discrimination in the workplace, yet the DOJ continuously refuses to provide specific protections for the LGBTQ community. In conversation with Out & Equal’s Research Manager Madelyn Gelpi and Chief Operating Officer Rachel Rubin, the importance of such an advisory and engagement with corporate employers—especially during an administration that is definitively anti-LGBTQ—was further highlighted. Working with those employers based, or having significant presence, in those 28–30 without any protections for LGBTQ people, remains a priority for the organization. “We’re definitely hearing from more employee resource groups, managers and CEOs who want to do better and make clear that they are LGBTQ inclusive,” Gelpi told me for the San Francisco Bay Times. “Companies and businesses can step up and fill those gaps where people are at risk for discrimination, especially in those states where you can be fired for being LGBTQ. For example, we’re now working with employers and employees in southern states like Mississippi and Tennessee that are realizing the value and urgency to be inclusive and nondiscriminatory.” Having recently convened in June in Shanghai, China, at the largest LGBTQ inclusive forum of 80 multi-national companies, the organization is also soon holding similar forums with multi-national companies in Bangalore, India and Brazil, which is also facing a radical turn towards extreme right politics. Here at home, the potential impacts of the task force are certain to be a topic of discussion at its upcoming annual Workplace Summit in Seattle, Washington, in October. “Companies understand that discrimination is bad for business,” added Rubin. “Working with companies to include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in their nondiscriminatory policies and practices remains a top priority.” The policies and practices of LGBTQ inclusive, non-discriminatory multinational companies can send a more affirming message than what is being telegraphed from this administration. While other forms of protests and resistance hold strong against this administration’s posture towards overtly discriminatory attitudes, policies and practices, forward thinking corporate partners could very well prove critical frontline stewards and ambassadors of LGBTQ inclusion and equality within and beyond our national borders. Salesforce’s CEO Marc Benioff’s provided exemplary leadership in 2014 by rapidly firing back at then Indiana Governor Mike Pence’s eager readiness to sign into state law religiousbased discrimination against LGBTQ people: sign it, Mr. Governor, and we’re out of here. With the advocacy of change-agents such as Out & Equal, perhaps we will see similar corporate leadership and resistance to Christian nationalism sanctioned by religious-based discrimination that is not only bad for business and bad for America, but also just plain bad for the soul. Andrea Shorter is a Commissioner and the former President of the historic San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. She is a longtime advocate for criminal and juvenile justice reform, voter rights, and marriage equality. A Co-founder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

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GGBA Member Spotlight

Collaboration Business Consulting

Collaboration Business Consulting, a certified LGBT Business Enterprise, aims to inspire, educate and empower proactive leaders to achieve breakthrough performance. The company works with CEOs, company executives, leaders and inf luencers in a variety of industries, including technology, specialty manufacturing, large scale construction and software development.

trepreneur, I am choosy about whom I might do business with, to ensure our values align. I enjoy focusing on supporting other LGBTQ businesses and start-ups.

We interviewed Michael Gunther, founder of Collaboration Business Consulting. He is a self-defined “born entrepreneur with a knack for identifying issues that prevent organizations from growing” who has recently joined the GGBA as a Board Member.

Michael Gunther: I have developed sincere connections through GGBA and have taken advantage of the myriad of educational opportunities the organization provides.

Read the interview below for some very insightful thoughts and tips. GGBA: Please tell us about your business, its mission and values, as well what makes you different. Michael Gunther: Our mission at Collaboration Business Consulting is to inspire, educate and empower proactive leaders to achieve breakthrough performance. Our firm aids businesses in embedding scalable management and accountability structures while accelerating financial growth, with the average client reaching a 322% three-year growth in revenue. We create and execute customized strategies to boost profits and to build a sustainable business, and develop management infrastructure and growth strategies to reach financial and sales goals. GGBA: Why did you decide to create your business? Michael Gunther: Collaboration Business Consulting was created to impact the lives of entrepreneurs, giving them the tools that they need to succeed in making their vision a reality. Strengthening the community is my core ambition in life and I viewed starting a business consulting firm as a way to support others. I find great joy in sharing my entrepreneurial spirit and knowledge with others. It’s satisfying to see our clients develop their businesses and themselves, in turn, igniting the local economy and producing a new generation of leaders dedicated to achieving their full potential. GGBA: Do you have any specific policies in place that benefit the LGBT Community? Michael Gunther: As a company managed by an LGBTQ leader, along with a team of LGBTQ allies, we are dedicated to reinforcing diversity, inclusivity and equality—both in the workplace and in our communities as a whole. We support LGBTQ businesses in their growth and strive to give all of our clients the tools that they need to be authentic. Our company’s culture is based on inclusion— our team and our client roster all exemplify diversification in gender, sexual orientation and ethnicity. GGBA: How did you hear about the GGGBA and why did you decide to join? Michael Gunther: I learned about GGBA through our work with PG&E. I wanted to become a GGBA member to support our community and the work GGBA does for advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ business community.

Michael Gunther

GGBA: How has the GGBA helped your business so far?

GGBA: How has the LGBTBE certification helped your business? Michael Gunther: As a valued member of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, we have been exposed to new opportunities through an expanded marketplace and exposure to larger organizations. GGBA: What has been your biggest reward/satisfaction during your journey as an entrepreneur? And what has been your biggest disappointment or most nerve-wracking situation? Michael Gunther: I am thrilled to see my clients and team members achieve breakthrough performance, both personally and professionally. I have a knack for identifying issues that prevent organizations from growing and our team helps to build impactful, purposeful and authentic collaborations that result in sustainable and scalable businesses. When the recession hit, every business had to reevaluate. I am proud that we can consider ourselves Recession Warriors, as we reshaped and redefined our business and that of our clients to withstand economic downturns. GGBA: What’s the most important lesson you learned being an entrepreneur? Michael Gunther: Everything we do in business is based on building trusting relationships with our team, our network and our clients. Entrepreneurs must persevere in their pursuits, but also allow for flexibility and the ability to change plans as necessary. It’s important for every entrepreneur to find their “Why.” Why are you starting a business? What will you achieve? This gives a solid base to build upon as the business develops. GGBA: What advice would you give someone who is thinking of starting their own business? Michael Gunther: Do it! But first get clear on your purpose beyond making money. Money is just an output. Instead, take time to understand your personal drive for creating a new business. Then, lean on that drive as it will grow during the good times and will boost you up during the challenging times. GGBA: Is there anything else that you would like to share?

GGBA: Has being an LGBT entrepreneur affected your business’ path? If yes, how?

Michael Gunther: No successful business is developed alone. Be sure to build solid, genuine relationships with people and use the resources offered by them. Above all, enjoy the journey and have fun. This is your dream, so be sure to capture it!

Michael Gunther: I’ve found that being authentic and being myself have allowed me to be a more effective leader. As an LGBT en-

For more information and to contact Michael and his team, visit: https://collaboration-llc.com

GGBA CALENDAR

August Make Contact Tuesday, August 14 6 pm to 8 pm Art Attack SF 2358 Market St Ste #1 Stand Up & Speak OUT! Bi-Weekly Workshop on how to be a more effective Speaker and Communicator Featuring National Award-Winning Speaker, Gina Grahame Wednesday, September 5 3 pm to 5 pm Offices of the U.S. Small Business Administration 455 Market Street, 6th Floor September Make Contact & Annual Meeting Tuesday, September 11 6 pm to 8 pm GAP Headquarters 2 Folsom Street

EDGE Master Class for High-Performing LGBT Businesses Goal Setting for Increased Business Performance and Long-term Professional Growth Tuesday, September 18 1:30 pm - Registration 2 pm to 5 pm - Workshop 5 pm to 6 pm - Networking Reception Hosted at ZillowGroup 535 Mission Street, Suite 700 Stand Up & Speak OUT! Bi-Weekly Workshop on how to be a more effective Speaker and Communicator Featuring National Award-Winning Speaker, Gina Grahame Wednesday, September 19 3 pm to 5 pm Offices of the U.S. Small Business Administration 455 Market Street, 6th Floor

GGBA Empowers LGBTQ and Allied Businesses Membership has its benefits! The Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) is the world’s first LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce, and is now one of 65 around the globe advocating for positive economic, social and political change for LGBTQ businesses to prosper, create jobs and to have economic equality. Our mission is to champion opportunity, development and advocacy for our LGBTQ & Allied business community. We empower our small business entrepreneurs and professionals by creating opportunities for marketing, networking, procurement and referral-based business growth. We also collaborate with other non-profits and engage with business and civic leaders to support policies that foster a more inclusive and welcoming business community, thus creating greater opportunities for our member businesses. If you are an LGBTQ or Allied business person looking for a place to make sincere connections that can lead to greater success and a sense of community, the GGBA is the place for you. We encourage you to visit our next event to see for yourself. For more details: https://ggba.com/

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The Evolution of Gay Male Monogamy ly ridiculed, accused of practicing “couple-ism,” and aping heterosexual norms—especially if the couple was monogamous. Authentic gay liberation, it was frequently argued, meant overthrowing all of these “patriarchal structures”—and having lots of casual sex.

Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

2261 Market Street, No. 309 San Francisco CA 94114 Phone: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue Avenue Oakland CA 94610 E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community. The Bay Times is proud to be the only newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco that is 100% owned and operated by LGBT individuals. Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

Beth Greene Michael Delgado Abby Zimberg Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager Blake Dillon Calendar Editor

Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence J.H. Herren

Technology Director

Carla Ramos Web Coordinator

Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT In the years immediately after Stonewall, the new gay liberation movement was primarily about sexual freedom. Sodomy laws criminalized gay sex almost everywhere in the country, with penalties ranging from imprisonment for two to ten years and/or a fine of $2,000, so naturally enough, the first emphasis of the movement was about the freedom to have sex. Emblematic of the time is John Rechy’s 1977 book The Sexual Outlaw, which follows “Jim” (Rechy himself) as he cruises the parks, bars, bathhouses and beaches of L.A. His anonymous encounters are presented as subversive acts against an oppressive society. The new movement was often overtly hostile to gay relationships. I remember witnessing couples being open-

I n t he f irst st udy of gay ma le rel at ion sh ips , T h e Mal e C o u pl e (1984), authors David McWhirter and Andrew Mattison argued that t he ex pect at ion of monog a my, often identif ied with stability and intimacy in heterosexual couples, might actually be detrimental to gay relationships. Only 7 of the 156 couples in their study were monogamous. They wrote: “Sexual exclusivity among these couples is infrequent, yet their expectations of fidelity are high. Fidelity is ... defined ... by their emotional commitment to each other. Ninety-f ive percent of the couples have an arrangement whereby the partners may have sexual activity with others at some time under certain conditions.” It continues: “[A]ll couples with a relationship lasting more than f ive years have incorporated some provision for outside sexual activity in their relationships.” But by then, a slow sea-change was already under way. Some of it, no doubt, was a reaction to the AIDS epidemic, which convinced many gay men that having multiple sex partners was dangerous. In addition, as young-

er gay men started growing up in more accepting environments, where even marriage was becoming a realistic option, they were less likely to begin their sexual lives with furtive sexual encounters, and so they were less inclined to experience it as something that had to be anonymous. Whatever the reasons, by 2000, in one survey, 70% of gay men in relationships described themselves as monogamous. But it still surprised many when, in 2016, Blake Spears and Lanz Lowen (who had been together in a nonmonogamous relationship for over 40 years), released a study of younger gay men, aged 18–40. They found that a whopping 86% of the men in relationships were monogamous, and 90% of the single gay men were seeking monogamy. Even in a group of interview subjects recruited from Grindr, 81% of the 325 single men reported that they were seeking monogamy. Several of my older gay friends (over 55) were apoplectic when they learned about these f indings. Younger gay men, they raged, had sold out the promise of gay liberation for respectability. “They’ve all volunteered to go back into prison!” one of them lamented. But it does seem that monogamy has become the prevailing norm among younger gay men. In November 2016, Zachary Zane, who was himself in a polyamorous relationship, wrote in OUT Magazine that “when I even hint at the idea of not being 100 per-

cent monogamous, guys throw more than hissy fits; they have full temper tantrums.” He went on to ask: “Why does the mere mention of a non-monogamous relationship make these guys’ blood boil? Why do they feel that it’s important that everyone be like them, in a monogamous relationship, when it doesn’t affect them?” We’ve made a 180 -degree turn. Where once gay guys felt judged for valuing monogamy, now they feel judged if they don’t. But one thing that seems not to have changed at all, after fifty years of struggle, is how many gay men haven’t grasped the fact that to value freedom is also to value diversity. In the conclusion of their study, Spears and Lowen write that “we heard both monogamous and non-monogamous respondents complaining of the lack of support for their respective relationships ... . [A]s a community, let’s stop proselytizing our preference as ‘the right way’ and demonizing that which we don’t embrace.” “We need to create norms in the community where both monogamy and non-monogamy can be rationally discussed and considered. If we can do that, both monogamous and non-monogamous couples will feel supported by the larger community.” Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit his website http:// tommoon.net/

Mario Ordonez Juan Ordonez 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, Kin Folkz, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Peter Gallotta, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Michele Karlsberg Lyndsey Schlax, Randy Coleman, Debra Walker, Howard Steiermann, Andrea Shorter, Scott Tsui, Tom Temprano, Lou Fischer, Frankie Bashan, Karin Jaffie, Brett Andrews

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.”

Photographers Rink, Phyllis Costa, Jane Higgins Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg, Morgan Shidler ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards sfbaytimes.com or 415-503-1375 Custom ad sizes are available. Ads are reviewed by the publishers. 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 Submit events for consideration by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com. © 2018 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

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GLBT Fortnight in Review By Ann Rostow Hot Times Summertime. And the living is easy. (Sing with me!) Fish are jumping. And the cotton is high. Mel and I are heading out for a three-week spree, starting with a thousand-mile road trip and ending in an exhausted collapse as the Canicula fades into September. Then, we have college football, the midterm elections, the holidays and a whole new year of dangerous chaos. Can’t wait. I gather the Gay Games are underway in Paris, a beautiful location for an event that used to irritate me. Started in 1982 as the Gay Olympics, the idea was to showcase those gay athletes who were not allowed to compete openly in other venues. It was also meant to present a positive community image at a time when the GLBT popularity rating was not particularly high, if I recall correctly. The early organizers were obliged to fight a lawsuit over their name from the regular Olympics (even though there were no legal challenges fought over the Special Olympics or the Police Olympics), eventually switching the designation to Gay Games. After a time, it seemed silly to me. It wasn’t 1982 anymore. If you’re really great, why not compete in the actual Olympics? What’s the point of winning a gold medal for fastest swimmer in a bunch of random lesbians between ages 40 and 50 who decided to go to the Gay Games? By all means hold the event. But stop with the selfimportant grandstanding. Then, in the early 2000s, the Games became embroiled in an extended drama. Faced with poor f iscal planning by the would-be organizers of the 2006 Montreal-based Gay Games, the Gay Games officials reopened the bidding and awarded the event to a Chicago-based group, which only had a couple of years to prepare. The childish egos in Montreal couldn’t handle this situation, and instead of backing away gracefully, they organized their own rival sports thing, called “OutGames,” spitefully scheduled one week after the Chicago “Gay Games.” In the end, the OutGames lost a bundle, something like five million Canadian, while Chicago broke even and held a nice event. After that, we had some back and forth over the notion of producing not one, but two, worldwide GLBT athletic meets, held in different years. For reasons unclear, the flakey OutGames people refused to admit defeat or to disband, while the hard-working Gay Games people carried on as usual. The next thing that registered on my otherwise disinterested subconscious was a complete collapse of the 2017 “World OutGames Miami” last summer, a result of total financial mismanagement. I guess they raised a million or two, but spent most of it on consulting, administration and advertising, etc. In other words, they blew it on themselves and their buddies and had to cancel the opening and closing ceremonies and most of the events. Lawsuits followed. Meanwhile, it looks as if our Gay Games friends have chugged along in a responsible and successful manner, and are producing a lovely sports spectacle in the City of Light. Good for them. The Gay Games are now open to everyone, and have become the largest “come one come all” type of sports meeting in the world. So, I think I like them again. Courting Trump We have another victory in another of the four federal court fights over Trump’s attempt to ban transgender men and women from serving in the military. In our last column, we mentioned that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit refused to re-

move a federal court hold on Trump’s policy. Now, U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., has also refused a Trump administration request to lift a stay on implementing the horrendous policy. I guess Trump and company will appeal her decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and once again, that court will slap them down. After Trump’s bizarre and unexpected trans ban announcement last year, our side jumped into action with separate lawsuits from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the ACLU, Lambda and Equality California. We quickly won injunctions against the ban and are now fighting various attempts to have those injunctions lifted. So far, Trump has not asked the Supreme Court to review any of the appellate decisions. He is, no doubt, waiting for his fifth vote. Meanwhile, as I was going back and forth to track down the complicated transgender military litigation, I encountered a phenomenon called “peegasm,” in which some women are reportedly capable of reaching a sexual climax by avoiding the bathroom until their bladders are bursting and then letting it all hang out. Holy golden shower! What will these crazy Millennials think of next? I just spent ten minutes trying to think of the least sexy way to reach orgasm in order to make an amusing point, but I just can’t top this. Not only is it weird and grotesque, but doctors say it’s unhealthy to boot. New Zealand gynecologist Charlotte Elder told the New York Post that the end result is not worth the risk to your bladder health. “There are more practical and more pleasurable ways to have an orgasm,” she says. “My advice is to try something a bit more old-fashioned.” You said it, Doc! Let Some of Us Pray Speaking of a previous generation, I had not realized that the feud between certain lesbians and transgender women has not settled gently into the ash heap of discredited history, but still burns. This isn’t the most interesting of subjects until we learn that one of these pockets of anti-transgender lesbian politics has taken the form of the “Pussy Church of Modern Witchcraft,” which amazingly has been recognized as a legitimate “church” and thus granted tax exempt status by the IRS. According to the group’s website, church leaders and/or voting church members must be born female, live a “consistent lesbian life,” be born again in lesbian feminism, be willing to give money and accept “the Tenets of Faith as set forth in The Lesbian Heresy by Sheila Jeffreys, Gyn/Ecolog y The Metaethics of Radical Feminism by Mary Daly, Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde and other texts as designated from time to time by the Trustees.” Are you kidding me? I’m not a fan of organized religion in general with the understandable exception of my own faith, Pastafarianism, i.e.: the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. True, this religion is a joke, a parody of organized churches, but it was founded to make an important constitutional point. What is a church? Should any and all things labeled as “faith” be granted respect under the First Amendment? Pastafarianism has developed a complicated religious structure during its first 20 years and makes as much sense as any other religion. But although it wins recognition here and there, it does not have tax exempt status. Graciously, I’ve always accepted this second-class treatment by the IRS, but now I’m annoyed. Why should the pussy church get this kind of accred it at ion wh i le t he spaghet t i

church, which actually does have a faith-based raison d’etre, gets nothing? Not only is the pussy church advancing discrimination on several fronts, but it seems political rather than religious in nature. Doesn’t a religious order require an element of the divine? I guess not. Meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced a Religious Liberty Task Force at the Justice Department, focused entirely on conservative Christianity. The Task Force will remedy situations where vendors like Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop are forced to transact with gay customers, or perhaps where a pharmacist might be obliged to fill a morning after pill prescription. You get the picture. I wonder whether the pussy witches or the spaghetti monsters will be able to appeal to the Task Force, should their liberties be trampled. Jerk of a Clerk And speaking of religious discrimination, or “liberty,” depending on your point of view, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is outraged over the behavior of a Montgomery County town clerk, Laurel “Sherrie” Eriksen, who flatly refused to marry two men from Root, New York, on August 1. Dylan Toften and his now husband, Thomas Hurd, were obliged to hit the next county in order to tie the knot after uber-Christian Erikson told them to find someone else to file the paperwork. Later, after some hoopla greeted the news, the Root town attorney Robert Subik claimed lamely that Eriksen declined to process the marriage license because the men did not have an appointment. He acknowledged that Sherrie also had a religious objection and said a deputy clerk would have been available had the men pursued the matter. Governor Cuomo has asked the New York Division of Human Rights to investigate, and I hope they throw the book at Sherrie and Robert and the whole gang over there. I read somewhere that Eriksen may have been inspired by the Masterpiece Cakeshop baker, Jack Phillips, who managed to avoid punishment for discriminating against gay clients. The Supreme Court did not, however, rule that businesses had a right to ignore civil rights laws. Instead, they avoided the question, ruling that Phillips was mistreated by a commissioner during his lengthy legal challenge. The sooner courts and commissions start clearing up the misperception about this case, the better. Meanwhile, Eriksen is a public servant, not a business, which makes her self-centered holier-thanthou behavior even more despicable. Happily Ever After Did you hear about the high school valedictorian from Jacksonville who was effectively disowned when his parents told him to worship with them or leave the house? Seth Owen came out to his parents as a sophomore, but had to put up with the family’s strict church and conversion attempts. Lately, when Seth asked if he could switch to a church that did not denigrate gays and lesbians, his parents said no. Stick with the program or take a hike. Meanwhile, Seth had won a partial scholarship to Georgetown, although based on his parents’ income he was still obliged to pay a fairly big chunk of tuition. When his parents effectively disowned him, it seemed as if he had to say goodbye to his Hoya dreams. That’s when a teacher set up a Go Fund Me page which not only raised $129,000, but also led Georgetown to offer him a full ride. Seth will create a scholarship for other GLBT kids with (continued on page 26) S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

AUGUS T 9, 2018

Summer in the City chilly. No, Mark Twain did not say, “The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.” He could have, since he spent most of his time in Missouri, Mississippi, Nevada and Angels Camp, CA—all places where summer is a scorcher.

TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation Dr. Tim Seelig Are bears lazy? Is Dore an Alley? Is August freezing? Summer in the city. Everyone talks about the weather. Most people actually complain about the weather—all the time. They are like the first two bears in the childhood story. “This weather is too hot.” “This weather is too cold.” Very few people consistently say, “This weather is just right!” (unless you live in San Diego where they fired all the meteorologists because there is actually no weather to report. They just filmed one of them saying, “The weather is perfect,” and they run it each day.) But the weather is what it is. We can’t do anything about it. Maybe that’s why we complain so much. It just irks that little control freak inside that we are powerless over Mama Nature. Weather affects our mood, if we let it. But summer is a time when our schedules, while they may not change, just seem to relax a bit. Perhaps it’s leftover school days when we counted the days until summer arrived and frolicked in the sun for 3 months! Ah, those were the days. That timeless Gershwin song says, “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” In this fair city of ours, it is easy and there is an electric energy in the air from a large percentage of the 25 million tourists who visit annually. They come seeking that “California dream” seen on every postcard and travel ad. Beaches. Beach Boys. Surf Boards. Fun in the sun. Not pictured or mentioned: hoodie sales skyrocket. Summer in San Francisco is a delightful place to be. And, it’s deliciously

It’s funny that people in San Francisco try to “get away” to the warmth during the summer while the whole world is heading this direction hoping to find the same. I’ve accidentally done the same thing this summer with four very short trips. Three of the four were 100+ temps. One was a refreshing 97 for the high. 1. I began my heat-seeking jaunts visiting family in Dallas. The average temperature was a balmy 106. Dallas sometimes has over 100 days over 100. Plus, they have that humidity thing. After returning home, I just couldn’t help calling back to my son that I had just taken the space heater out of the closet and turned on the electric fireplace for ambience. 2. Next, Dan and I chose a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas in July for his birthday. What were we thinking? It was 112 degrees. I was sweatin’ like a whore in church. But it’s a dry heat—like Palm Springs. Whatever. It’s hotter than a blister bug in a pepper patch. It just meant we spent way more time inside at the nickel slots. We did see O, which cooled us down for 80 minutes. 3. Chris, my work husband, and I took a quick business trip down to beautiful Los Angeles. They were enjoying a record-setting hot spell of around 114 degrees. You could fry an organic, cage and antibiotic free egg on the hood of your car. It’s L.A. after all. Egg Beaters just won’t fry up pretty on your car. 4. My final trip was to Albuquerque on a book tour and guest conducting gig. It was only in the upper 90’s. I am going to be much more careful about my travel in future summers. Sure makes me happy to be home, though. The first time I experienced the chilly summer was back in 2005. I was here on business from Dallas. In typical Dallas (Dallitude) style, I brought a pair of starched khaki shorts and a polo shirt. I arrived in the Castro just as the wind brought the fickle fingers

Photos courtesy of Dr. Tim Seelig

of fog rolling over Twin Peaks, right through the legs of Sutro Tower and swooping down Market to Castro. I was freezi n g — s t a nd i n g t her e looking like the tourist I was. “That’s OK,” I thought. “I’m in the Castro where one can buy anything you need.” Except size 38 or larger long pants. Nope. Not a single pair for the sturdy boy from Big D. I purchased my first hoodie. Let’s face it. We really don’t have seasons. At least not the way that our friends in other places do. It’s cold here. That’s all there is to it. And, if you don’t like it, you can bop up to SacramenDan and Tim bundled up in the woods to or over to Livermore. You’ll be counting the minutes until you can get back here and watch the temperature drop 40 degrees. Summer is busy. There is no way to list everything there is to do. It really kicks off in June with A IDS L ife Cycle (for Dan, the rider, and me, the ALC widow). Then there is Pride, when a million BFF’s show up to celebrate with us. Then there are the street fairs and Off the Grid. Golden Gate Park is “busting out all over.” There are Clara at Splash Camp pianos scattered through concrete, we were just too pooped for the Arboretum, f lagging at the NaDore Alley. I’m sure we were missed. tional AIDS Memorial Grove and a beautiful carousel. There are short- Let me also say that summer in San er lines at restaurants during the first Francisco is heaven for a 7-year-old. week of August when most of the Clara has bopped around from one bears head to Guerneville. Bundle up week-long camp to the next. First it in those woods. was SPCA summer camp with lots of This year, the SF Marathon and Dore pet lovin’. Then there was Splash, a Alley happened on the same day. Talk camp that takes the kids to a differabout traffic gridlock. Someone asked ent water theme park every day (outif we were going to “do” the mara- side San Francisco, of course). Then thon. That was funny. But, we actu- Horse Riding camp and Angel Island ally did. We decided to support those camp, where she took a ferry to Angel who actually run. We were up before Island every day for a week. That is 5 am and passed out, oh, 20,000 cups not the way my summers went in Texof electrolytes and water! After al- as. Ropin’ and Ridin’ and Sweatin’. most seven hours of standing on the And lots of Bible.

Dan on the Golden Gate Park Carousel

San Francisco Marathon water station

In the end, we are so very lucky here in San Francisco. I can absolutely tell you that the cold weather is made up for by the warm hearts in this beautiful city of ours. Of course, we have our challenges. But at the end of the day, weather is really not one of them. With an average yearly temperature of around 65 degrees, who can complain? Not this one. I’m hanging with Bear #3. This weather is just right. Just one word of advice that all of the locals know. Layer. PS. We’re ending the summer season by participating in a Work Day at the National AIDS Memorial Grove. We’ll be doing the initial clearing for the new memorial dedicated to the almost 300 singers the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has lost, as well as all artists from around the world. Stay tuned for much, much more on this monumental effort. Or get a sneak peek: www.sfgmc.org/namg D r. Tim Seelig i s th e Ar ti stic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

Bay Area Staycation One of the perks of having family or friends visit is that locals can play tourist and rediscover many of the great locations and activities that Bay Area residents often take for granted. Here are just a few staycation ideas: • Let it all hang out, or not, at Baker Beach. • Meditate on life and the perfect photo op at the Japanese Tea Garden. • Watch the Pixar movie Up and then take the Arctic Tour at Fentons Creamery in Oakland (https://www.fentonscreamery.com/arctic_tour.php). • Sail on the Schooner Freda B (http://schoonerfredab.com/). • Go to a Giants game and catch up with BFFs. • See Vertigo later this month at the Castro Theatre. It’s the classic San Franciscocentric film’s 60th anniversary (http://www.castrotheatre.com/calendar.htm).

PHOTO BY PHYLLIS COSTA

• Chill with your dog or cat (on scheduled First Caturdays with felines on leashes: https://www.facebook.com/events/148315729222958/) at Dolores Park.

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Performing Arts Portal Planned for the National AIDS Memorial Grove By Dr. Tim Seelig Twenty-five years ago, through herculean efforts of San Francisco residents and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the National AIDS Memorial Grove (NAMG) was established in an area of Golden Gate Park. The site has become an international gathering place. The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus has long dreamed of a lasting tribute to the 300 singers they lost to the AIDS pandemic, as well as to all the singers, instrumentalists, dancers and supporters from all GALA Choruses (https://galachoruses.org/). Now, in celebration of SFGMC’s 40th birthday, they will break ground on a permanent memorial to all those artists, making the dream a reality. The new memorial will be situated at the west entrance of the NAMG and will serve as an arts portal to the Grove. It will stand in memory to the singers whose voices were silenced by AIDS, and will also honor all artists and organizations who share in that great loss. The memorial will be dedicated to musicians and artists from every discipline and will include the names of regional, national and international arts organizations that have also lost members. Structurally, the memorial is to be a gorgeous 8-foot-tall monolith housing a beautiful chime. Visitors may come

to the grove, speak a name and ring the bell. In this way, the sound will carry the memory of the loved one out into the atmosphere. The memorial will open to the public on December 1st, World AIDS Day. The section surrounding the chime will honor individuals with engraved names. The section in front of the benches will feature the names of organizations who also have experienced loss and who have joined the f ight against A IDS. GA L A Choruses will be the f irst organization engraved there. It’s a fitting tribute to chorus members, and it is fitting that LGBTQ arts organizations from across the nation have a place there. It is SFGMC’s hope that GALA member choruses will choose to have their names engraved in this beautiful place. The ground-breaking ceremony will take place at 11 am on Saturday, October 27, at the National AIDS Memorial Grove, and the ceremony will feature the first AIDS Requiem composed in 1991, “When We No Longer Touch.” The night before the groundbreaking, SFGMC is giving its 40th Birthday Concert at St. Ignatius Catholic Church (the very church it sued in 1981 when their concert there was cancelled. It will be the first time back there). All are invited to the entire weekend of activities.

Passion Fatigue, Digital Detox I’m exhausted. I admit it. Plus, most everyone I know is exhausted too. The nonstop “hive brain” of social media, the tweets too tart, the Facebooks too far, the TV ad infinitum: Instagram Instagram Instagram. It’s all just too, too much. I remember reading as a child that the average human only uses 10 % of his brain—even geniuses. That said, even if I approached that benchmark, my unused 90–95% is bone tired and the minority in use even more so. Like the android Data in Star Trek, if only I had an off switch. I love the power and beauty of words: the passions they express a nd t he w isdoms to which they aspire. Lately, however, I have fallen into the trap of (as the Emperor says to Mozart in the film Amadeus) “too many notes.” Too many words. Too many opinions. Too many outrages about which to be outraged. I’m worded out. Politics. Urban issues. “HIM” (you know...). It’s all just “too many notes.” How I long for

just 30 minutes—like that scene in The Day the Earth Stood Still—when everything and everyone everywhere just stops. And so, I am stopping for a while. I am tired of opining and opining about opining. I’ve hit my own self-constructed sparkle wall of “too many notes.” I think I’ll read a few books that don’t need a plug. Listen to music that doesn’t require downloading. Take in some advice from people I like vs. those I “like!” Putter more and Twitter less. Eschew Facebook for more Faceto-Face. Texts vs. texting. Write not writhe. I am a man of deep feelings and high ideals. I often make mistakes. That will never change. However, for a few months, you won’t have to hear me talk about it. Lucky me. Luckier you. RICK CAMARGO PHOTOGRAPHY

By David Perry

My digital detox begins. David Perry is the CEO and Founder of David Per r y & Associates, I n c . ( h t t p s : // w w w. davidperry.com/). S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

AUGUS T 9, 2018

IMES TThrowback AYPhoto BRink S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Are) a CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018

1980

tense moment at the Women’s Building in San Francisco was captured by Rink in 1980. On the far right is pioneering activist Robin Tyler, who in 2001 with wife Diane Olson was the first lesbian plaintiff in the California Supreme Court lawsuit that challenged the ban on same-sex marriage (Tyler et al v County of LA). Next to her in the photo is her former partner Torie Osborn, who is now a senior political strategist based in Los Angeles County. Looking concerned in front of the microphone is Rainbow Flag creator Gilbert Baker (1951–2017). When shown the image, Tyler told the San Francisco Bay Times: “I believe these men decided there was no need to have speakers at Pride (in 1980) because they didn’t feel it needed to be ‘political.’ I was asked to ‘intervene’ and Torie Osborn went to the meeting with me.” She added, “I believe that is the year they cancelled the speakers. However, with the help of a group of women who pushed through security, I got on stage and spoke. If only these men had known of the impending AIDS crisis that would finally politicize the entire movement.” Activist Gregg Day, who was also present at the event, recently said: “I remember this moment and later the Pride Celebration where Robin and women activists stormed the stage to gain access for women and people of color entertainers. Within a month after the 1980 parade, the male co-chair was voted out by the committee members and I was elected interim co-chair and then co-chair of ‘81 with Barbara Cameron of the newly formed Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Committee.” This challenging period in our community’s local history is reflected in the photo by Rink, who actually helped to stop the conflict. The flash of his camera resulted in a momentary distraction that seemed to calm both sides down, he later recalled. 14

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Round About - All Over Town - Mid Summer

Artworks from Melan Allen were displayed at the Spark Arts Gallery on August 2 during the Castro Art Walk.

A trio of members of the group United Jewel Tones performed at the Spark Arts Gallery on August 2.

Violinist Seth Byrd performed at Jane Warner Pla during the Castro Art Walk.

Artist Walker Dukes stood with his work at the Spark Arts Gallery during the Castro Art Walk.

Artist Joseph Maslov presented his work at the Spark Arts Gallery during Castro Art Walk on August 2.

Event communications specialist Rachel Ng (second from left) joined the team of volunteers staffing the welcome desk at the Chinese Music Festival held in Portsmouth Square on August 4.

Jeweler Eko Wright displayed an array of her necklaces and earrings at the Local Take location during the Castro Art Walk.

A sign promoting gear for Burning Man greeted pedestrians on the sidewalk in front of Terasol Gifts on Polk Street.

AGUILAS volu pedestrians w STD info and lounge on Ma

During the Chinese Music Festival, decorations were visable around the neck of the The Goddess of Democracy statue in Portsmouth Square. The statue was inspired by a similar one that stood in Beijing’s Tianamen Square during the 1989 student protest there.

The Castro Theatre’s marquee announced the 38th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival during the ten days of programming included.

On August 4 at the Chinese Music Festival, a group of attendees spontaneously created a dance circle.

The Jewish Film Festival’s Lexi Leban spoke at the Castro Theatre just prior to the screening of a film entitled Shalom Bollywood.

BAY TIMES

Photos by Rink

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area

CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

Scopo DiVino Wine Bar in Pacific Heights celebrated the French team’s victory in the soccer World Cup competition by flying the French flag and offering discounts. The popular New Village Cafe on Polk Street introSongstress Leanne Borghesi was a guest performer at the San Francisco Lesbian/ duced a dessert Gay Freedom Band’s annual outdoor concert at Yerba Buena Gardens on taco featuring Saturday, July 29. strawberries and bananas with a chocolate swirl and a topping of whipped cream.

aza on August 2

Members of the band performed for a large appreciative audience gathered in Yerba Buena Gardens during their annual outdoor concert.

Onlookers applauded the performance by the United Jewel Tones at the Spark Arts Gallery.

items of the week Death Star ‘Circo’ Cheese Board & Tool Set by Picnic Time

A greeter welcomed all to the Mission Community Market where food samples from vendors were enjoyed by the appreciative attendees.

The Circo by Picnic Time is compact and convenient. The 10.2″ (diameter) laser cut chopping board swivels open to reveal four stainless steel cheese tools inside. Put a playful twist on your Opera in the Park experience.

The Beach Sounds portable radio and Bluetooth speaker by Sunnylife

Krewe De Kinque’s volunteer team gathered at The Edge Bar to enjoy the success of their benefit supporting future Mardi Gras parties.

Listen to the sweet sounds of summer with this tropical tune maker. Play your favorite radio station in full stereo or stream to the powerful speakers from any smartphone through Bluetooth or the included audio jack.

The San Francisco LGBT Center welcomed a quartet of performers from the San Francisco Symphony who presented the Community Chamber Music Concert in July.

Kelly Rose (second from left) welcomed a group form Minneapolis attending the Krewe De Kinque’s benefit during their summer visit to San Francisco.

unteers Rudy, Juan and Erick welcomed who stopped by the SF AIDS Foundation’s HIV testing van parked outside Beaux arket Street.

Volunteer Louai Sawah joined SF Community Center’s Rosemary Gardner in welcoming guests to the Community Music Concert presented by musicians from the San Francisco Symphony.

Oth Khotsimeuang, third from left, was congratulated by friends helping on August 3 to promote his work at the opening of his show at Strut.

As we ease into the balmy days of late summer, we look forward to some of our favorite weekend events. This year we’re enjoying the 2018 Film Night in the Park series. Lady Bird is next on Saturday, August 25, at Washington Square Park. The series ends at Dolores Park with Black Panther on September 22. Some other staff favorites are: Stern Grove Festival through August 19th Outside Lands August 10-12 Opera in the Park September 9th Hardly Strictly Bluegrass October 5-7

As Heard on the Street . . . What upcoming event are you most looking forward to? compiled by Rink

Felipe Flores

Lenore Chinn

Michael Huff

Christian Bryan

Bruce Beaudette

“The Folsom Street Fair. I am a member of the board of Folsom Street events.”

“The upcoming No on 6 Briggs Campaign Anniversary Show at the GLBT Historical Museum”

“The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation Gala on August 19”

“The event that I am most looking forward to is the Folsom Street Fair. It is the last of the big ‘gay holidays’ and it is always such an interesting time.”

“San Francisco Pride’s meeting just before the Folsom Street Fair, where there are votes on the 2019 theme and baord members”

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AUGUS T 9, 2018

From the Coming Up Events Calendar See page 24 Thursday, August 9 - A Sacred Beautiful - Natural Heritage Hair: An African Diasporan Photo Expose @ SF Human Rights Commission, 25 Van Ness Ave. Monday-Friday, 9am-12 Noon and 1pm-4pm. Through October 2. http://www.theblackwomanisgod.com

Saturday, August 18 -Drag Queen Over the Rainbow Storytime @ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Library, 150 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose. The family-friendly program features drag queens reading with children. 11am-12 Noon. http://www.sfpl.org/earlyeducation

Documentary Chronicles Life of a Former Hollywood Pimp for Closeted Celebrities take on the Scotty story, which is in some ways different than his own take on the story. I took a documentarian’s approach. What is on screen was something I inquired about or independently researched. I didn’t depend on Scotty’s memoir for anything other than a roadmap to the people and places.

Gary M. Kramer Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer’s naughty documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, opening August 10 at the Alamo New Mission, is an expansion of Scotty Bowers’ 2012 tellall memoir Full Service, about the author’s experiences as a pimp (for lack of a better word) for closeted celebrities. The film recounts Bowers’ experiences that began in the 1940s, when he worked at a Richfield gas station at 5777 Hollywood Boulevard. He arranged, and occasionally participated in, discreet hookups for men who like men and women who like women. Bowers got started “trying to help people out”—which is how he describes his particular work—when Walter Pidgeon invited the handsome young man to take a dip in his pool. Other offers soon followed, and Bowers eventually “hired” a coterie of attractive young men and women to provide services for celebrities for $20 a pop—or blow, as it were. Such was the enterprising nature of this Hollywood pimp. In a recent phone interview, Tyrnauer dished about Scotty and his documentary. Gary M. Kramer: How did you learn about Scotty Bowers? Matt Tyrnauer: I knew him before he published the book. I’d heard about the mythic gas station for years in the course of writing articles for Vanity Fair about old Hollywood figures who were gay men. I met him in Gore Vidal’s dining room when I came over and Scotty was there by coincidence. I had an eyewitness to history in the form of Gore.

Gary M. Kramer: You frame the story between an era when being gay was forbidden in Holly wood— it could end a career—and the era of AIDS, which was equally detrimental for actors. Can you talk about the atmosphere of the times—the morality codes and Confidential magazine—that resonate with social media and openly gay actors today?

SOURCE: WRAL.COM

Film

It’s a cinema verité film, so it was important to me to make the film about Scotty. He’s now 94. I started on his 90th birthday and shot for approximately two years. It [moves] back and forth between time frames. I catch him in the present and talk to him about the past. It’s Scotty walking down a mirrored hall of memories. He provided an alternate history of Hollywood, which I think is invaluable.

Matt Tyrnauer: Scotty was a really very helpful figure for this secret society that had to exist in Hollywood in the bad old days when the studios had moral clauses, which severely limited the public and private lives of stars in the town. In addition, the LAPD ran a fascistic sexual gestapo called the vice squad, which had, as its primary function, the hunting down, extortion and persecution in collusion with the press of anyone who [was gay] so it was a dangerous time to be openly or covertly gay in the city of L.A. Scotty was the protector of these extraordinary people’s lives and reputations. So, in order to live an authentic life if you were a gay/lesbian star who had to live in the closet, you needed someone who was trusted to facilitate the authentic lives of stars. He turns out to be a pivotal figure.

Matt Tyrnauer and Scotty Bowers

Gary M. Kramer: Do you think hearing this Hollywood gossip changes one’s opinion about the celebrities?

Gary M. Kramer: This film is the f irst time you adapted a book for a documentary. Can you talk about that process?

Matt Tyrnauer: There is a disturbing propensity of people to straight-wash stars’ lives, and they do it by dismissing the lives of stars as unimportant, or not relevant. Why is Katharine Hepburn having a lesbian affair dirt, when her affair with Spencer was not dirt? It is a curiously acceptable form of homophobia. The Hepburn/Tracy affair was adulterous romance, and under McCarthy, a great scandal—but that captured the imagination of the public and that became part of the publicity mix of the Tracy/Hepburn myth and legend. But the minute you hear that Hepburn had lesbian affairs that were perhaps adulterous, then it’s so-called dirt. There’s a strange discordance there that I think is tantamount to homophobia.

Matt Tyrnauer: I don’t consider the film to be an adaptation. It’s my

Gary M. Kramer: If you could have asked Scotty to hook you up with any celebrity, who would it have been?

KIT’N KITTY’S

QUEER POP QUIZ

Matt Tyrnauer: OMG! I don’t really think in those terms. I don’t think I could answer that. I don’t have those aspirations. © 2018 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” Follow him on Twitter @garymkramer

BIG BALLER Major League Baseball (MLB) player William Daro “Billy” Bean played outfield for all of these teams except for the: A) San Francisco Giants B) Detroit Tigers C) Los Angeles Dodgers D) San Diego Padres ANSWER ON PAGE 22

Karin Jaffie, aka Kit/Kitty Tapata, won the title of Mr. Gay San Francisco in 2011 and has earned many other honors since. Connect with Jaffie via Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ktapata

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Charley Parkhurst and the Women Who Worked in Pants

Photos courtesy of Dr. Bill Lipsky

years before women’s suffrage was granted by the 19t h amend ment. He may have been the first anatomically female citizen to cast a ballot in a presidential election in California.

Faces from Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky Everyone knew Charley Parkhurst. For some 15 years he was one of the most accomplished, fearless and celebrated stagecoach drivers in California. Described as having a “stout, compact f igure, sun browned skin and beardless face with bluish-gray eyes,” he was “the boss of the road” on the routes from Sacramento to Placerville, Oakland to San Jose and San Juan Bautista to Santa Cruz. Social and generous, he was “never intemperate, immoral or reckless.” Not until his death did anybody know that “Cockeyed Charley” had been born female. The d iscover y stunned a l l who learned of it. In Charley’s obituary in 1879, the San Francisco Call wrote, “The discoveries of the successful concealment for protracted periods of the female sex under the disguise of the masculine are not infrequent,” itself a revelation to modern readers. However, the paper, with a large whiff of disdain, added, “That she should achieve distinction in an occupation above all professions calling for the best physical qualities of nerve, courage, coolness and endurance ... seems almost fabulous.” Of course, Charley never would have been hired by a stage line as a woman, but after retiring as a driver, working as a logger, farmer and rancher, the state’s “crack whip” continued to live as a man. He even registered to vote in 1868, more than 50

C h a r le y w a s h a r d l y alone. During the Gold Rush and after, so numerous were the women who sought jobs dressed as men that businesses made it clear, “No young woman in disguise need apply.” How many of them were simply looking for work, or for financial or personal independence, and how many were also trying to express their authentic identity will never be known. Opportunities for women who wished for, or had to, work were extremely limited. They could support themselves as washerwomen, servants, milliners, seamstresses, and, in some cases, factory workers. They also might find employment as a teacher or governess, but very few had enough education to qualify. Clerkships in stores and offices went to men almost exclusively. Despite the admonition, determined women in California continued to seek work dressed as men for many years, including John Warren. He knew that a female would not be hired for his job at Fowzer’s Photograph Gallery on Market Street, where he was employed as a re-toucher in 1898, so he “adopted male attire to win a position for herself.” Warren “worked among men daily for months without any one suspecting her sex” until “the demon drink” ended his career. Asked one evening to the theater by three co-workers, a libation “to refresh the inner man” made her ill. She immediately “resolved that my disguise would have to be dropped.” She confessed to her

employer the next day, who surprisingly allowed her to continue working there, now as a woman, showing each and all that women could do “men’s work.” Unlike John Warren, San Franciscan Mabel Edison stated, “I always have wanted to be a boy,” when she was found out in 1902. “I can remember my mother telling me that when I was a year and a half old I always wanted to wear my little brother’s clothes. The wish has never left me.” Her health, she said, “is better when I am in—the other attire.” Changing her appearance was the easiest part of her transformation. “I got a suit of boy’s clothes and took them to my room. Then I went to a hairdresser’s and had my hair cut short. I went back to my room, changed my clothes and walked out.” Finished with her old gender identify, she left her dresses in her old room. “I never went back for them,” she said. Now Herbert Hoffman, she travelled from San Francisco to Los Angeles to find work in a hotel, which she did easily. “She was a very bright bell boy,” one of her employers said later. She seemed to know the business thoroughly and was quite smart. She was one of the smartest boys we ever had.” No one ever suspected she was “masquerading,” although “she had some ways that were rather effeminate.” After a month in Los Angeles, Herbert returned to San Francisco. “I beat my way up on a freight train on the brake beams,” an extremely dangerous way to travel. The day she arrived she was hired as a bell boy at the California Hotel, but soon went to the Langham, where she worked for the next two months as Theodore Hoffman. Eventually she was found out. Someone recognized her while lunching at the Third Street restaurant where she worked in female clothes before leaving for Los Angeles. He notified the police, who brought her to the Hall of Justice, where she confessed. Mabel/Herbert/Theodore was open about her past. Before her time in Los Angeles, she worked in San Francisco as a girl. She was less open about her future. Asked, “Will you go back to the other dress when you have a chance?” she answered, “That remains to be decided.” Probably we will never discover whether she or he did or did not. Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.

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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Terrifying Trump actually said regarding news reporters, ‘Just remember, what you’re seeing and what you’re reading is not what’s happening.’ Could he BE more fascistic?! Mussolini is cheering from his grave.” Sister Dana sez, “But thank you, Ivanka, for sort of disagreeing with Daddy T that the media is not the enemy of the people. What a brave stand to take?” So UP YOUR ALLEY FAIR happened on Sunday, July 29, 11 am to 6 pm on Dore Alley between Howard and Folsom, continuing on Folsom from 9th to Juniper and the adjoining block of 10th Street. And if rubber, sportswear, biker gear, skinheads, punks, or any variety of built, hairy men turned you on, then UYAF2018 had it! Located in front of the legendary Powerhouse bar, more than 15,000 fellow leather and fetish enthusiasts enjoyed participating in, or just watching, BDSM play at over 50 adult vendor spaces! But that event was only a “dress rehearsal” for the much bigger and badder FOLSOM STREET FAIR on September 30, same time but much larger perimeter. Hopefully the organizers will give back the usual authority of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence instead of cutting back on our duties. Big mistake. THE RED & ORANGE HOUSE (ROH) FOUNDATION, a nonprofit organization that believes in the power of art-making as medicine, presented AGAIN! AGE, SURVIVE AND THRIVE: Poems Created by Long-Term Survivors with HIV/AIDS (and those affected by the epidemic in San Francisco). This was a multimedia event at the SHANTI HQ in the Mission on July 26. It was poetry and visual artworks that honored the past, present, and future of these courageous BODYSCAPES artists who are members of HONORING OUR EXPERIENCE (HOE). They lived through the stigma, judgment, and terror of the epidemic AND the medical breakthrough! They told their stories of living for over 30+ years positive on their new journey—aging with HIV. During the opening night reception, Bodyscapes artists recited their poems aloud to create a powerful healing dynamic. The audience was asked to engage with the Bodyscapes artists, hearing the words of their poems that were specifically about living with HIV/AIDS, taking in those words, and sending positive energy and thoughts of healing directly to the artists’ bodies. While each poet recited their poem, the image of the their Bodyscapes drawings were projected on the wall behind them. The drawings typically depicted images of the human body. The mission of ROH Foundation is to help children, families, and the elderly living with illness by using patient-family centered artmaking experiences to speed healing. https://redandorangehouse.com JUANITA MORE & SPARC held a reception at Spark HQ in the Mission on July 27 to announce the arrival of THE 7 INCH. This record collaboration between Juanita MORE and Sparc is part of her annual Pride Party event, which has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for some of San Francisco’s neediest organizations. Juanita greeted me in her elegantly coiffed blue wig with a 20

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Side A—“Music to Beat Your Face to”—contains the sexy and sassy “Juanita’s Blues,” written for Juanita in 2003 and recorded by The Tammy L. Hall Trio. Side B—“Music to Put on Your Pumps”—contains a tune originally produced by David Beigel in 1996 and recorded by pop duo Tequila Gold. https://juanitamore.bigcartel.com/products The monthly CASTRO ART WALK sponsored by CASTRO MERCHANTS happened on August 2 from 6 to 9 pm at nine member businesses in the neighborhood that featured art displays (and activities at some). There was also live music that evening in Jane Warner Plaza (Castro at 17th-Market Streets). Participating in the Castro Art Walk (and most likely continuing to exhibit all August) were: Art Attack, 2358 Market Street; Spark Arts, 4229 18th Street; Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Drysdale Properties, 2324B Market Street; Blackbird Bar, 2124 Market Street; Ruby’s Clay Studio & Gallery, 552A Noe Street; The Artist’s Gallery, 4406 18th Street; Local Take, 3979 17th Street; Brewcade, 2200 Market Street; and Dog Eared Books, 489 Castro Street. I have to say that I am rather biased towards Spark Arts because the owner and curator, the enchanting Aviva Kanoff, always displays a massive number of artists on the walls and always includes incredibly talented live performers from drag to jazz to golden oldies and piano and other instruments. And second in my fave spots on the Castro Art Walk is Art Attack with dozens and dozens of different artists’ modes of expression on all four walls. LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE is the title of the current Art Exhibition at STRUT, the gay/bi men’s Castro center of health and social wellness at 470 Castro Street, by OTH KHOTSIMEUANG. For the month of August, Strut is exhibiting his work on its gallery walls. Oth is a freelance Illustrator & Visual Development Artist working in animation and children’s books. He was born in a refugee camp in Nong Khai, Thailand, outside of Vientiane, Laos. The show “LoveisLoveIsLove” is a continuing body of work about celebrating the small fleeting moments of life. The work is also about increasing visibility of positive gay imagery with tenderness, humor and emotion, which is often absent in the sea of overtly sexual/body shaming propaganda that targets gay culture. His several dozen sweet cartoons (none of them titled) express an almost childlike innocence of two grown adult gay men displaying lovely love and tender emotion. Now I need to mention that Strut is calling for artists to display their works—paintings, sculptures, photography, etc.—on their gallery walls for a month of exposure. Submit your work by August 31 for consideration. https://www.strutsf.org A protest was held at 1781 15th Street where two well-known drag queens, Alexis Miranda and Renita Valdez (AKA Fredy Miranda and Richard Padilla), are facing an ELLIS ACT EVICTION, part of what they feel is the de-gaying of a city known throughout the world as a refuge for LGBT people. Protesters demanded that the Ellis Act be withdrawn and Miranda and Valdez be allowed to stay in their homes. Miranda and Valdez are also suing their landlords, in part for what they say is unfair treatment based on “their sexu-

al orientation, sexual expression, and practice of dressing in drag.” That lawsuit is scheduled for trial in November. “Where are we supposed to go?” asked Miranda, who is a bartender/show director at Divas Nightclub and Bar, the only transgender night club in California. “We, like so many other LGBT people, are being pushed out of SF. The city that once welcomed us is now letting profiteers come in and kick us out.” “Alexis is Latino and I’m Filipino and Latino,” said Valdez. “The Latino and the Filipino communities are also being pushed out. What is SF going to be without the diversity that it has always celebrated? We want to stay in our homes. That’s all we’re asking.” Sister Dana sez, “I am both saddened and maddened that a new anti-liberal pro-Trump conspiracy group uses the capital letter ‘Q’ in its QAnon name. I love being Queer and am not anonymous about that. Meanwhile here are some cool Q events you can attend.” PUPPETS OF LOVE- GLOW IN THE DARK OPENING NIGHT PARTY is Friday, August 10, 6 to 9 pm at SPARK ARTS in the Castro, 4229 18th Street. The “Love Icon Show” features works that artist/creator Wolfram describes as “illuminated sculpturepaintings.” The pieces average six feet high and five feet wide, and are multidimensional with complex elements on multiple planes—all lighted with incandescent and LED light. Supporting the larger illuminated works is a series of “explanatory paintings” depicting scenes and themes from a children’s book version of Pupazzo Universo. The entire exhibit is shown in the dark, adding to the mystery and magic that Wolfram strives to create in his exhibitions. The exhibit features a Massive Love Altar—over 9 feet tall—and Wolfram has made a Call for Exceptional Lovers to be photographed with the Altar. And that is only the first part of this extravaganza of living art! https://www.sparkarts.com/specialevents/puppets-of-love-glow-in-thedark-opening-night-party NOB HILL THEATRE is going out with a BANG! NAKEDSWORD STUDIO is filming a 4 scene DVD about the Last Days of Nob Hill Theatre. CEO Tim Valenti, Sister Roma, the incredible mr.Pam, and her hunky and talented right hand Leo Forte, along with many others from the studio will be there Friday, August 17, 7 to 11 pm at 729 Bush Street to film the last Epic Scene. Reserved seating available along with General Admission Tickets. Doors open at 7 pm, filming begins at 8 pm. All participants will need to bring a valid ID and sign a release in order to attend this event. https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/nakedswordfilming-nob-hill-finale-tickets48335531877?aff=ebdssbdestsearch SEX AND THE CITY LIVE, the uproarious drag send-up of HBO’s (continued on page 26)

PHOTO BY RINK

warm hug. This year Juanita has chosen TRUTH - (TRans yoUTH) as beneficiary, a joint program between Transgender Law Center and GSA Network. This program seeks to amplify the voices of trans and gender nonconforming young people by offering a safe place to share struggles, learn empathy and build public understanding. This vinyl record project contains two original tracks that were written, recorded and inspired by Juanita.

Sister Dana, draped in SF Giants colors, joined event organizer Gary Virginia (left) at the Edge Bar on July 21 for the Krewe De Kinque benefit supporting the organization’s annual Mardi Gras celebrations.

Weddings, Occasions & Relationships Lesbian Dating: How to Talk About Money

The Lesbian Love Doctor Dr. Frankie Bashan I’m lucky to meet and work with many inspiring, career-driven women. One thing that often comes up as an issue in relationships is money. In an ideal world, money shouldn’t weigh on the connection you’re nurturing with your partner. Yet, even though we allow ourselves to be emotionally and physically intimate with our partner, it’s sometimes hard to be financially intimate. As you continue to date your partner, here are a few ways to incorporate healthy conversations about money in each phase of your relationship. Test the Waters I’m not necessarily advocating disclosing your net worth on the first date, but there are ways to casually talk about money with your date, aside from who pays. For instance, looking at a beautiful home while on a walk together is an opportunity to talk about saving for a house or dreams about living in a different city in the future. This is a simple way to find out if she too shares your aspiration. Similarly, planning a vacation together is a snapshot of how your partner budgets (or doesn’t). Asking your partner to help you weigh the pros and cons of switching to a new credit card or adding a new line of credit is another way to gauge their spending habits and values around money.

Come from a Place of Compassion

Be Honest About Your Feelings

As your relationship becomes more serious and you’re making more financial decisions together, it’s important to remember that people come from all sorts of financial backgrounds. As such, money might be a highly emotional subject. For instance, a person with the higher income might feel entitled to dictate financial decisions (“It’s my money; I’m paying for it”), but their partner with the lower income might become resentful if they feel like they don’t have a say in decisions, or are frustrated that they cannot achieve the same income level as their partner. Similarly, someone with a lower income cannot afford to live a lifestyle their partner is used to living, and this can be a cause of tension.

Big f inancial decisions, such as marriage or making a down payment on a home, are the moments we get triggered and when our real response to money emerges. Does your heart start to beat when you consider a mortgage? Do you feel scared or excited? Does the idea of a loan bring you a sense of relief or obligation? Defining your feelings in the moment is the first step toward being honest with your partner and is the place that you both can begin to unpack your financial beliefs. This honesty moment is the sweet spot. Stopping, unpacking your response and then working it out with each other allow you both to really begin making short-term and long-term financial goals as a couple.

In such times, it’s important for women to have compassion for their partner. The key to conversations about how one spends her money is establishing a rule up front that no one’s way of handling finances is the only way to handle them. This lays the foundation for productive conversations as you each find common ground. There should be some recognition of underlying insecurities and fears tied to money. Even if you have the same income as your partner, recognize the value of “spender” types and “saver” types. If a partner is deeply in credit card debt, it’s an opportunity to discuss how they got into so much debt and how they’re fixing it. If they don’t have retirement funds, it’s an opportunity to talk about finances in old age. Even though it can be embarrassing, remember that your partner’s finances will ultimately affect your own and vice versa. If both of you want to make a serious commitment, it’s important to go into it with a financial plan.

Even if you learn discouraging financial details about your partner, the only def inite f inancial deal breaker is whether your partner completely refuses to discuss money and shows no true desire to improve bad financial habits. At the end of the day, your relationship and commitment to each other are what matter most. The earlier you can become comfortable talking about money and having compassion for each other about money, the stronger your relationship will be. Dr. Frankie Bashan is a psychologist, matchmaker and relationship guru who has been using her psychology background combined with technology and personalized algorithms to successfully match lesbian couples nationwide. As the founder of Little Gay Book, the only exclusively lesbian/bi matchmaking agency in the U.S., she helps women in every state to find authentic, healthy, righteous, full-blown love and she knows what makes relationships tick. For more info: https://www.littlegaybook.com/

Norm & Bob’s Wedding Photos by Paul Margolis Bob Brown and Norm Lynde celebrated their vows with 100 friends and family at the Presidio Chapel on August 4. The sunny afternoon was capped by a toast and ringing of bells. Bob has lived in Glen Park for over 30 years, and Norm moved here from southern California late in 2017 after Bob’s proposal in 2016. The happy couple held a reception at their home on August 5. They are grateful that love knows no age limits and look forward to many years of happiness ahead!

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AUGUS T 9, 2018

Take Me Home with You!

How to Evaluate Fitness Trends to Your Advantage yourself are: Does this (trend) look interesting? Does it look fun? Would I like to try it? If you answer yes, then approach the new workout carefully. Unless you’re twenty, you will want to be extra careful. Listen to your body during the workout. If you have a feeling that could be expressed, “I’m not sure about this exercise,” then stop. Take a break. Find a way to modify. When you try anything new, give yourself 24 hours to see how your body responds. If all is well and you liked it, try it again!

Easy Fitness Cinder Ernst Angel & Princess

“Our names are Princess and Angel. We’re both 6 years old, and we’re best girlfriends! We’re known as social butterflies—we love to meet new people and to explore new places. Our biggest wish is to find a home that we can share together, like we did before we came to the shelter. You can adopt us together for one adoption fee and get double the fun! Come meet us!” Princess and Angel are 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 Princess and Angel. To meet Princess and Angel 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 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: www.sfspca.org/adopt

Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup

Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month Tony Galloway, Fitness SF SOMA There are 2 very important things to do while performing your Squat routine. Number one, look up! This will greatly help with your form & posture. Number two, don’t forget to breathe. Many of my clients will hold their breath while performing a move, and I have to remind them to utilize their breathing so they can lift heavier.

Have you noticed that there is always something “new” trending in fitness? I have been a personal trainer for almost thirty years, so I’ve seen lots of trends come and go. How do you evaluate a new trend or a new approach to exercise? How do you know what’s right for you? First, muscles are all pretty much where they’ve always been and they’re doing what they’ve always done. We humans haven’t changed our anatomy. Trends are always just another way of working out muscles. The Step Aerobics trend that started in 1989 was developed by an aerobics instructor named Gin Miller who hurt her knee. She noticed that she was doing step-ups to music for her knee rehab and it was fun, so she put a class together. Step Aerobics was a great trend when it began and it opened the door for much creativity in group fitness classes. The best thing about fitness trends is that they can keep some exercise veterans from getting bored with their workout. A new way of working out can keep you engaged. Maybe you like Zumba: the energy, the music? Maybe there’s a strengthening or a cardio pump class that gets you to the gym. When you’re evaluating a new exercise modality, good questions to ask

Science has attempted to give us better ways to manipulate our appearance and our health through fitness protocols and supplements. Trends are sometimes based, however loosely, on some such science or study. You can actually make a case for almost anything working, or not working. The point is that bodies are individual mechanisms, with each responding to input in its own way. Now throw in your thoughts and feelings, and there is almost no way to predict how some new protocol, supplement or scientific approach may or may not work. If you are evaluating a new fitness trend, I suggest leaving out the results you are supposed to achieve by using the new protocol. If it’s supposed to burn more calories or build more muscle or make you look like a model, there’s a good chance that you will not get those results from the new trend. Turn your attention instead to having fun and feeling good. Fitness trends help to keep your workout fresh. Just don’t fall for the hype of the results. Cinder Ernst, Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Extraordinaire, helps reluctant exercisers get moving with safe, effective and fun programs. Her book, “Easy Fitness for the Reluctant Exerciser” (http://cinderernst.com/easy-fitness-book/), is available in paperback and E-book. She specializes in fitness and rehab for plus-size clients, but her stress-free approach is suitable for all. Find out more at http://cinderernst.com

KIT’N KITTY’S QUEER POP QUIZ ANSWER (Question on pg 17) A) San Francisco Giants Bean, who never played for the Giants, publicly came out as gay in 1999. Since 2014, he has served as MLB’s first Ambassador for Inclusion.

Tore Kelly, Director of Creative & Social Media for Fitness SF, provides monthly tips that he has learned from professional trainers. For more information: fitnesssf.com

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The Most Demanding, Essential and Thankless Job in Sports

Sports John Chen We’ve seen it on live TV for as long as sports have been televised: players, managers, coaches, fans and even team owners chastising, complaining, berating and even charging the men and women whose job it is to act as fair and impartial mediators to the games we love. How often have we seen baseball managers kicking dirt at various home plate umpires, followed by a barrage of expletives, and then get thrown out of the game? Even fans have perfected mean-spirted chants directed at the men and women in blue, black and white stripes. Being an umpire, referee, linesman or official is truly a thankless job. Everyone complains and there are very few appreciative affirmations. But these hard-working men and women are a necessary and integral part of just about every sport from the professional ranks to the local recreational league. Softball Alex Alexander has been a fast and slow pitch softball umpire for local colleges, high schools, San Francisco Parks and Rec as well as the LGBT leagues since 2000. Somewhat of a superwoman, Alexander was a fire-

Photos courtesy of John Chen

fighter for the city of San Francisco for 16 years—responding on her first day to a fatal shooting. Throughout her career she fought countless fires, including a destructive 5-alarm blaze at Fisherman’s Wharf. Her tremendous ability to handle pressure-filled and lifethreatening circumstances made Alexander the perfect candidate to deal with hysteria, mania, incoherence, inexorabilit y and drunken stupor exhibited by, you guessed it, players, coaches, managers and fans. A lexander loves to play softball, and on a faithful day in 2000, she questioned an umpire’s strike zone, which was clearly erroneous, wink, wink. A little hot under the collar, that umpire issued a challenge to Alex: “You think you know the game? Why don’t you become an umpire?” The rest is history! Game official Luke Tao makes a call during a volleyball match. matches at North America Gay VolArmed with an intense yet calm and cool personality, Alexander leyball Association (NAGVA) tournahas quelled many heated challeng- ments. Unlike Alexander, Tao never es from players, coaches and fans. wanted to be a referee. He just wanted “Straight men often test me because to play, but volleyball is the one sport I am a female umpire,” she told me where competing teams are required for the San Francisco Bay Times. “But to officiate other matches in the touronce they realize I know the game nament. Imagine having to officiate and can stand toe to toe with them, against teams that you just lost to, they pay me respect, and that’s re- teams that previously did a poor job warding.” Having seen Alexander in calling your match, or teams of your action, I can tell you this: she is one friends as well as teams of players that umpire you do not want to mess with! you are not particularly fond of. Tao tells me it is easy to be vindictive, to Volleyball favor your friends or to punish your Luke Tao, a nursing student, recent- foes, but at the end of the day, it is ly became a certified up-ref (i.e., the about sportsmanship and fair play. lead referee) for volleyball officiating The key to being a good ref is being calm, consistent and sticking to decisions. Football

Umpire Alex Alexander tosses out a player who kicked up dirt at home plate.

Brad Oleson loves the game of football. Becoming an official gave him the opportunity to be close to the game long after his playing days. Starting out by officiating f lag football in 2004, Oleson eventually forayed into calling high school and youth tackle football games. Oleson explains that coaches oftentimes lose their cool and will repeatedly get in his ear for the same things. With a sly grin, he has some clever verbal comebacks. This infusion of humor often does the trick, allowing the officiating crew to get back to “administering the game as smoothly, efficiently and effectively as possible,” according to Oleson. Now the head referee of the San Francisco Gay Flag Football League (SFGFFL), he teaches his crew to always remain calm, to not be intimidated and to stay within reason. Sports is a funny thing. It brings out the best in us and sometimes the worst. Without dedicated people like Alexander, Tao and Oleson to officiate and calm us down, there would be hourly fistfights, minute by minute verbal expletive exchanges and utter chaos on the field. So, let’s take a minute to thank them for administering our games and for keeping us in line, rational and humanly behaved, even if we may not always agree with their egregious calls favoring our opponents that not only cost us the game and bragging rights, but also somehow that we are better than the other guys!

Referee Brad Oleson (left) throws a yellow flag in during a football game.

John Chen, a UCLA alumnus and an avid sports fan, has competed as well as coached tennis, volleyball, softball and football teams.

Check Out the New Personals Section for LGBTQ Singles: BayTimesDating.com S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

AUGUS T 9, 2018

BAY TIMES S

LGBTQ News & Calendar for the Bay Area CELEBRATING FOUR DECADES (1978–2018)

COMING UP

Compiled by Blake Dillon

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS http://sfbaytimes.com/

9 Thursday

11 Saturday

14 Tuesday

17 Friday

AIDS Memorial Grove Volunteer Day with JFCS & Sha’ar Zahav @ National AIDS Memorial Grove, Golden Gate Park. Meeting point will be at the intersection of Bowling Green Drive and Nancy Pelosi Drive for this annual day in a beautiful setting where volunteers will weed, plant and renovate the grove. http://www.shaarzahav.org

QTPOC Soul Stroll: Ocean Beach @ Fort Funston Parking Lot meeting point. Spectrum Media founder Kin Folkz hosts this event, which began in 2010, for QTPOC (Black, Brown and/or Indigenousidentified) who wish to connect with others in nature to recharge and refuel. http://www.spectrumqueermedia.com

LITQUAKE SF’s Poetic Tuesday @ Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, 760 Howard Street. A free lunchtime performance event featuring invited poets and musicians sharing their work in the great outdoors. 12:30-1:30pm. http://www.litquake.org

A Sacred Beautiful - Natural Heritage Hair: An African Diasporan Photo Expose @ San Francisco Human Rights Commission, 25 Van Ness Avenue. The Black Woman Is God presents this exhibit featuring eighteen images by photographers KaliMa AmiLak and Nye’ Lyn Tho. Monday through Friday, 9am-12noon and 1pm-4pm through October 2. http://www.theblackwomanisgod.com

Preparedness Workshop and Lunch @ North Oakland Senior Center, 5714 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Oakland. The Oakland Fire Department and Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies present this free workshop, co-hosted by Lavender Seniors of the East Bay, to prepare neighbors to help neighbors. 12 Noon-2pm. http://www.oaklandcore.com

De Colores: Embracing the Diversity of Immigrants @ LYRIC, 127 Collingwood Street. This free event will showcase the “undocuqueer” community and explore the diversity of immigrants through the beauty of food, art, curated music and positive energy. 5-7pm. http://www.lyric.org

Gays Against Guns SF @ MCC San Francisco, 1300 Polk Street. Meetings every 2nd and 4th Thursdays are held by this direct action group of LGBTQ people and allies. 6pm. http://www.gaysagainstgunssf@gmail. com SV Pride Kick-Off + Happy Hour @ SOFA Market, 387 S. First Street, San Jose. Co-sponsored by the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center, BAYMAC and HRC, the event will feature Supervisor Ken Yeager. 6-8pm. https://www.defrankcenter.org/ Queer Slam August @ San Francisco LGBT Community Center, 1800 Market Street. An intergenerational discussion will explore storytelling through literary elements and artistic expression. 6-8pm. http://www.sfcenter.org King of Cuba @ Central Works Theater, Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berkeley. Marga Gomez stars in this new work by Christina Garcia presenting a colorful portrait of Cuban cultural and political life. Through August 19. http://www.centralworks.org

10 Friday LGBT Performers Emily Lois and Shake It Booty Band @ Sonoma Country Fair, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. Emily Lois performs at the Hall of Flowers Stage, August 10, at 7pm, 7:45pm and 8:30pm. Shake It Booty Band performs at the Park Stage, Sunday August 12, 6pm, 7:15pm and 8:15pm. http://www.sonomacountyfair.com Washed Up on the Potomac World Premiere @ The Custom Made Theatre, 533 Sutter Street, 2nd Floor. San Francisco Playhouse presents the world premiere of Lynn Rosen’s play based in a D.C. proofreading office where it’s hot and proofreaders ponder their futures after a costly mistake. Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through September 1. http://www.sfplayhouse.org Superhero Night @ Cat Club, 1190 Folsom Street. A monthly late night party for guys organized by Boy Division. 9:30pm-3am. http://www.sfcatclub.com

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Works in Progress Open Mic for Women @Plymouth Jazz and Justice Church, 424 Monte Vista, Oakland. Featured at this event in the bi-monthly open mic series for poetry, prose and music will be poets Linda Zeiser and Carolyn StullZeiser. 6:30pm potluck/7:30-10:15pm show. Works in Progress on Facebook

12 Sunday Summer Mutt Love - Senior Prom @ City View at Metreon, 135 4th Street #4000. Muttville Senior Dog Rescue’s annual celebration and fundraising gala supports the organization’s work to improve the lives of senior dogs through rescue, foster, adoption and hospice. 6:30-11PM. http://www.mutville.org Imperial Chili Cook-off @ Cinch Saloon SF, 1723 Polk Street. Members and friends will gather for this evening of fun, hosted by Mr. Cowboy and Miss Cowgirl 2018, featuring a drag show, jello shots and raffle prizes at a favorite bar on Polk Street. 3-7pm. http://www.imperialcouncilsf.org Janet Jackson at Outside Lands @ Golden Gate Park. The diva headlines the 11th annual Outside Lands three-day festival of music, art and comedy plus more than 200 food menu items from Bay Area restaurants beginning on August 10 and continues through the weekend. 8:05-9:35pm. http://www.sfoutsidelands.com

13 Monday LGBTQ Chat Group by Telephone @ Organized by Openhouse in conjunction with Senior Center Without Walls. Held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays, the group invites community members to participate via phone or computer and is open to all LGBTQ seniors who are interested in building community over the phone. sylvia@ openhouse-sf.org Alice B. Toklas Democratic Club Monthly Membership Meeting @ The Eric Quezada Center for Culture & Politics, 518 Valencia. Meetings are usually held on the 2nd Monday of each month. 6:30-8pm. http://www.alicebtoklas.org

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GGBA August Make Contact @ Art Attack SF, 2358 Market Street, Ste #1. This month the Golden Gate Business Association’s longstanding business networking event will be held in the heart of the Castro. 6-8pm. http://www.ggba.com Perfectly Queer: Queer Authors Read Other Queer Authors @ Dog Eared Books, 489 Castro Street. Queer authors Jim Provenzano, Margo Perin, Baruch Porras-Hernandez and Nona Caspers will read from their favorite queer authors. 7pm. http://www.dogearedbooks.com

15 Wednesday GGBA’s Stand Up & Speak OUT! @ Small Business Administration, 455 Market Street. A new workshop series, with meetings on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month, designed to help entrepreneurs, business professionals, community leaders and elected officials become more confident speakers. 3-5pm. http://www.ggba.com Golden Gate Gaymes Game Night @ Lookout, 3600 16th Street. Mr. and Miss Golden Gate will host this monthly board game night to benefit San Francisco Suicide Prevention. 7-10pm. http://www.lookoutsf.com Gay B-I-N-G-O @ Billy DeFrank LGBTQ Center, 938 The Alameda, San Jose. Bingo on Wednesday nights is a tradition at San Jose’s LGBTQ Center and you are welcome to attend. 6;30pm Early Games/7-9pm. http://www.defrankcenter.org

16 Thursday HRC SF Summer Happy Hour @ Papi Rico SF, 544 Castro Street. All are welcome at this monthly happy hour where you can find out about the organization and meet members, friends, community allies and more. http://www.hrc.org Lesbian/Bi Single Mingle (Ages 20-39) @ Forgery Bar, 1525 Mission Street. A lesbian/bi speed dating event hosted by Dr. Frankie Bashan of Little Gay Book, the event is open to all women looking for a woman lover. 7-9pm. https://www.littlegaybook.com/lesbian-events/ Free Frameline Film Screening of Chedeng and Apple @ Landmark’s Piedmont Theatre, 4186 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland. The event is one in the ongoing Frameline Encore series hosted with community partners Center for Asian American Media, Cinematografo Internatioal Film Festival and Spectrum Queer Media. 7pm. http://www.frameline.org

The Pitcher and the Dictator Book Launch @ Laurel Book Store, 1423 Broadway, Oakland. Mayor Libby Schaaf will host this book launch welcoming author Ace Smith who will read from and discuss his new book. 6pm. http://www.laurelbookstore.com Game Night @ Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, 3207 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland. Free night every Friday for older teens and adults in the common ground community room. 7:30-10:30pm. http://www.oaklandglbtqcenter.org

18 Saturday Drag Queen Over the Rainbow Storytime @ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 150 E. San Fernando Street, San Jose. After successful launches in San Francisco and Oakland, this family-friendly program featuring drag queens reading with children has reached the South Bay. 11am-12noon. http://www.sfpl.org/earlyeducatio Krewe de Kinque August Benefit @ The Edge, 4149 18th Street. Diana Wheeler hosts the monthly benefit, featuring a “Back to School” theme with proceeds benefiting the Bal Masque XVI charity fund. 4pm. http://www.qbarsf.com/edge Annual Empress Tea @ Twin Peaks Tavern, 17th and Castro Streets. Hosted by Misty Blue and Galilea Avila, this annual event honors and remembers Absolute Empress 1 de San Francisco Jose on the five year anniversary of her passing. 6-8pm. http://www.imperialcouncilsf.org Summer of Love Dance Party @ Kenneth C. Aitken Community Center, 17800 Redwood Rd., Castro Valley. Castro Valley Pride, Lavender Seniors and DJ Billy Bradford present a dance party for LGBTQ, allies and friends. 6-10PM. http://www.haywardrec.org Erasure After Party @ Cat Club, 1190 Folsom Street. The event will feature dancing to the history of Erasure in music and videos plus the best of New Wave with DJ Shindog and DJ Andy T. 9pm-2:30am. http://www.sfcatclub.com

19 Sunday Sunday’s A Drag @ The Starlight Room, Powell Street. Hosted by Donna Sachet, the event features a brunch and a troupe of entertainers. Described as “The Greatest Drag Show in San Francisco,” we agree that it is great! Two shows every Sunday at 11am and 2pm. http://www.startlightroomsf.com Shake It! Booty Band and Adelante Mujeres @ Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Avenue, Albany. The popular crazy disco-funk dance band will be joined by the Bay Area’s

newest all women’s salsa band. 2:30pm. http:// www.ivyroom.com Through the Heart Fundraiser @ Aunt Charlies Lounge, 133 Turk Street. A benefit hosted by Misty Blue and Stephen Dorsey, the event supports the San Francisco Night Ministry. 4pm. http://www.auntcharlieslounge.com Erasure - World Be Gone Tour @ The Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California. Erasure will appear with the duo Reed and Caroline. 7pm. http://www.livenation.com

20 Monday VAMP - Fine Female Dance Party @ Beaux, 2344 Market Street. A weekly ladies night every Monday with featured DJs and drink specials. 9pm-2am. http://www.beauxsf.com

21 Tuesday 1st and 3rd Tuesdays Castro Rotary Club @ The Sausage Factory, 517 Castro Street. Join LGBT Rotarians on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays and learn about current projects and volunteer opportunities. 6:30–8pm. http:// www.portal.clubrunner.ca/13807 Increasing Access to Dementia Capable Care for the LGBT Community @ Institute on Aging, 3575 Geary Blvd. A program of the San Francisco LGBT Dementia Care Project, the event is a three-hour training designed to increase access to dementia-capable care for the LGBT community through sessions addressing selected topics. 12:303:30pm. http://www.ioaging.org Harvey Milk Club General Membership Meeting @ The Women’s Building, 3543 18th Street. Held on the 3rd Tuesday each month; the meeting is open to the public. The Club is an LGBTQ democratic club with progressive views. 7-9pm. http://www.milkclub.org

22 Wednesday Photo Exhibit 2018 @ Harvey Milk Photo Center, 50 Scott Street. Each year the Center holds an exhibit featuring the work of its members, volunteers and staff with a wide range of subjects. http:// www.harveymilkphotocenter.org Perfectly Queer East Bay @ Laurel Book Store, 1423 Broadway, Oakland. Queer authors read other queer authors featuring Natasha Dennerstein, Gar McVey-Russell, Arand Vedawala, Vernon Keeve III and Luiza Flynn-Goodlett. 7pm. http://www.laurelbookstore.com

23 Thursday Men’s Drop-In Social Hour @ Openhouse, 55 Laguna, Community Room. All maleidentified community members are invited for coffee, snacks and informal socializing. 1-3pm. peter@ openhouse-sf.org Women’s Equality Day @ San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. The SF Commission on the Status of Women and the League of Women Voters of San Francisco will launch the “W Challenge” program aimed at increasing the voter participation of women with a discussion on how to get appointed to city boards and commissions. 5-7pm. http://www. bit.ly/wchallengepledge or http:// www.sfgov.org/dosw Bonnie Morris: Editor of The Feminist Revolution @ Laurel Book Store, 1423 Broadway, Oakland. Local author and professor Bonnie Morris will discuss and read from The Feminist Revolution. 6pm. http://www.laurelbookstore.com S AN F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES

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BILSE (continued from page 2) We also provided education to clients about their medications, health issues, diseases and resources that they could use during the evacuation and once they returned home. The fires progressed so fast that we had to remain adaptable at all times. On my first day at the shelter, we sent a team to a newly opened shelter in Kelseyville. Within an hour of arriving at the shelter, an evacuation order was given for the town and the shelter. The team had to assist with the evacuation of the shelter and get them resettled at the Middletown shelter. As the nights progressed, we became experts in smelling smoke and assessing if the fires were progressing or regressing from our area. One night, after a 15-hour shift, my team lead and I had just finished eating dinner when she received a call from our command. We were warned that the winds and the fire had suddenly changed and were heading to the city of Clear Lake. We were to be prepared for a highly probable call later in the evening for orders to evacuate the town and the shelter. I watched as a look of alarm flushed across her face as the complexity of evacuating hundreds of people, animals and a medical unit (via buses and ambulances) ran through her head.

We went to bed that night not knowing what the following hours would bring, hoping we could steal enough sleep to be functional once the call came. As the night progressed, I would open my eyes, check my phone log to make sure that I hadn’t missed “the call,” sniff the air to assess the smoke and direction of the f ire, and drift back off to sleep. In what seemed like merely 15 minutes, my 5 am alarm was sounding, waking me for my day shift. I smelled the air and looked up to see blue sky. Overnight prayers were answered, winds shifted and the fire changed direction once again. We proceeded to head down to the shelter for our usual shift. As the day progressed, smaller communities around the lake were evacuated. In the late afternoon, though, the evacuation orders for the largest community of the north shore, Lakeport, were removed, and the majority of the evacuees in our shelter returned home. By the end of my shift, the shelter seemed empty in comparison. I was able to return home that evening. As an oncology nurse, I am accustomed to working with patients who have suddenly had to deal with lifechanging events. The newly discovered lump, the positive test result, or the doctor’s office visit confirm-

ing a diagnosis can bring turmoil to the soul and change a life in an instance. In almost all circumstances, however, there is always home to retreat to from the storm: home to retreat, home to regroup, home to shelter and hide away from the world and its problems at least for a moment. The innate need for a sense of home is one of the basic foundations we each use to cope with life’s greatest struggles to accomplishing even the most mundane tasks. This past week I’ve been immersed in a sea of people caught in the frustration of not being able to return home and the fear of losing that home to fire. I’ve had to perform major nursing interventions like administer CPR and assist an epileptic during a seizure while calling 911. It’s the little tasks, though, that can be the most satisfying at the shelters, like helping an elderly lady open a pill bottle because she was too stressed and confused from evacuation to twist the lid, rubbing the back of someone listening to fire updates and hearing spot fires are sighted on the ridge above their house, walking a caged pet because the owner can’t, and holding a crying child because her mom is too exhausted and needs a quick respite.

HOW TO PREPARE (continued from page 2) Hygiene Products Include toilet paper, feminine products and toiletries. Cleaning Products Consider packing garbage bags, dish soap, bleach and disinfectant. Clothing Rain gear, at least one outfit, work boots or durable sneakers, and thermal underwear should all be included. Important Documents and Related Items You should bring cash, your driver’s license, passport, social security card, family records, bank account numbers and a list of important and emergency phone numbers. Make sure you have a copy of your will, insurance policies, and other contracts and deeds. Miscellaneous Items These may include blankets, sleeping bags, paper cups, paper plates and plastic utensils.

Remember that you are evacuating for a time period of 24 hours to two or more weeks. Consider the everyday items you use that you will need that aren’t stored in your Go Bag. These are the items often forgotten in the rush to evacuate. Think of the 7 to 10 most important items that you need to function and to remain sane in the shelter or hotel. Prioritize them and type them out in a list. Tape this list on the door frame of the door you will evacuate from or the closet you store your Go Bag in. This will be your final check list that you can quickly check before you flee to make sure you have everything. It might look something like this: Go Bag Pet, pet bed, leashes Medications Tablet, laptop, Kindle, cell phone Charging cables Glasses, sunglasses, hat Therapeutic pillows, cushions Any needed mobility equipment

Assess Your Home Insurance (If Applicable), Research Hotels Frequently, home insurance will pay for policy owners to stay in hotels while they are evacuated. Assess your policy to determine your coverage. If you have special needs like pets, ADA accessibility or the like, research what hotels in the area can accommodate your needs. Hotels fill up instantly in a disaster and very, very long lines develop. Identify three or four hotels you would prefer to evacuate to and put their phone numbers or their app on your phone. As soon as you know that you are evacuating from your home and are in a safe location, call ahead and make a reservation for the room(s) you need. Do not wait until you arrive at the hotel, as rooms will probably already be gone. If rooms are already booked at most locations, look for casinos, conference centers and resorts outside of the immediate area.

As we have seen all too often this past year, home and all of the tangible and intangible security it provides can disappear in a matter of minutes. While we live in one of the most affluent countries in the world, our social safety net is fragile and has gaping holes in it. The events of the past year have often shown the devastating results of when that safety net fails. It is dependent on neighbors caring for neighbors in the direst of times to hold it up. You, the reader, have skills your community needs. Don’t wait until the next disaster hits before you act. Research the available organizations and take a step to get involved today! You will meet some of the nicest, giving people you will ever meet along the way. As of this writing, the rest of our local MRC team is returning to their homes

and another county’s MRC is coming to assume the medical responsibilities at the shelter. We will be busy restocking our emergency response bags, the oxygen tanks and medical supplies so that we are ready for the next crisis. No one looks forward to another disaster, but I can’t wait to meet up again with the fantastic people I’ve met and worked with at my local MRC! Kurt Bilse is a Bay Area-based registered nurse specializing in oncology. Before volunteering with the American Red Cross and the Medical Reserve Corps, he provided medical services to underserved communities in Nicaragua with the non-profit humanitarian organization Global Medical Training.

TING (continued from page 6)

KAPLAN (continued from page 6)

As Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee, I made sure that our latest state budget included money for POST to update the Model Policy Framework. It’s my hope that with AB 1985 and new model policies we will have a more accurate picture of hate crimes in California and, in turn, will bring down the number of these incidents.

dress illegal dumping and the homelessness crisis.

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma and Daly City.

Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to s e r v e a s O a k l a n d’s c i t y w i d e Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation C o m m i s s i o n ( AC T C ) . F o l l o w Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland (https:// twitter.com/Kaplan4Oakland) and Facebook (https://www.facebook. com/Kaplan4Oakland/).

ROSTOW (continued from page 11) the extra cash. (See page 4 for more on Seth Owen.) Watching I’ve got other items on my news list. Marriage equality may be coming to Costa Rica, we had a transgender student ruling in our favor from an Indiana federal court, and some antigay shenanigans in Russia, or as Trump might call it, “Rusher.” God, I hate that man. I have been out of touch with my buddies at Lambda Legal, but Executive Director Rachel Tiven just resigned after a couple of years of running the place into what sounds like an increasingly depressing state. Lambda reportedly has seen high staff turnover, discontent, and anger at topdown management and benefit cuts, according to the Washington Blade.

Sounds like a good reporter could get an earful with a few well-placed phone calls. (I did learn that Tiven is Michael Bloomberg’s niece. Fun fact.) Finally, it sounds like The Miseducation of Cameron Post is well worth the price of a movie ticket. According to a review in the Atlantic, the story of a teenaged lesbian sent to conversion camp in the mid-1990s is a “graceful coming of age tale,” and is the winner of this year’s Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize. Oh, and Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/) gave it three and a half stars. And speaking of recommendations, have all of you seen, or at least heard of, Nanette, Hannah Gadsby’s onewoman show on Netf lix? It is indescribably good. arostow@aol.com

SISTER DANA (continued from page 20) beloved series Sex and the City, has returned to the Oasis stage with two new episodes. Relive your favorite moments during this loving tribute to the iconic show, which finds four “young women” in search of the perfect relationship while looking gorgeous and knocking back plenty of cosmopolitans. The show features four of San Francisco’s most fabulous drag stars—D’Arcy Drollinger, Sue Casa, Lady Bear and Steven LeMay—playing homage to Carrie and the gang. Darren Star (creator of the HBO show) described this version as “funnier than it was on TV,” and I agree! For more info and tix (tell ‘em Sister “Samantha” Dana sent ya), go to http://www.sfoasis.com

benefit at The Edge on Saturday, August 18, 4–7 pm, 4149 18th Street and Castro! Will you get spanked or sent to the corner? Or perhaps earn a star on your forehead? The Rev. Diana is bringing a paddle, so you’ve been warned! Come join the summer fun with the $10 beer/soda bust, a talented open show, DJ Jack Rojo, lunchtime Jell-O Shots, adult raffle prizes (wine, Stoli crushed, Fellow Barber haircut, Giants Bobbleheads, and more!). And, of course, you must have discipline with the “students,” so Sister Dana will be the typically angry nun with a ruler—and a donation box to be filled for charity. https://www.facebook.com/ events/274122510011430

THE SAN FRANCISCO TRANSGENDER FILM FESTIVAL (SFTFF) seeks entries for their 2018 Festival (November 9 to 11). SFTFF accepts narrative, documentary, experimental, animated films and music videos. All work should be created by transgender/genderqueer people. They prioritize short films, but accept all screening lengths. Only submit ONE film. The absolute deadline is August 15. www.sftff.org

Their Most Imperial Majesties Emperor Leandro Gonzales and Empress Pollo Del Mar and the Court of Tamales con Pollo invite you to a beer/beverage bust benefit with net proceeds to benefit OURTOWNSF Nonprofit Expo 2018 at the SF Eagle from 3–6 pm on Sunday, August 19. In its 3rd year, OurTownSF Nonprofit Expo 2018 is free to attend and is “The largest SF LGBTQ resource fair ever!” with over 100 groups serving the SF LGBTQ community connecting them with new volunteers, donors and clients. The Expo is brought to you by OurTownSF in

It’s “BACK TO SCHOOL” time with our favorite school teacher Diana Wheeler hosting the KREWE DE KINQUE monthly 26

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partnership with Eureka Valley Recreation Center & TurnOut. https://www.facebook.com/ events/1876234716011975 THE RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) presents HELP IS ON THE WAY 24 Concert and Gala Celebrating Music, Legends & Icons, Northern CA’s largest annual, star-studded show. It’s a festive benefit for MEALS ON WHEELS SAN FRANCISCO and AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL on Sunday, August 19, 6 pm at the Herbst Theatre (VIP at 5 pm), 401 Van Ness Avenue. Scheduled to appear are Leanne Borghesi, Eileen Bourgade, Carole Cook, Davis Gaines, Debby Holiday, Eric Krop, Kimberley Locke, Valarie Pettiford, Jai Rodriguez, Paula West, Top Shelf Classics, Eric Rosenberg & Yelena Vayn and Mary Wilson. This is a fabulous evening and helps two truly worthy charities. https://www.reaf-sf.org Tickets are on sale for LEFT COAST THEATRE CO.’s world-premiere production of COME HERE OFTEN? by LCTC Company members Erica Andracchio, Terry Maloney Haley, Neil Higgins, Rita Long and Chris Maltby and directed

by Chris Maltby. You can’t live in the past. But if you don’t remember the past, you’re doomed to repeat it. What’s a minority community to do? With the world premiere of “Come Here Often?” Left Coast Theatre Co. tackles that question with the dedication of a gay man trying to get backstage at a Joe Jonas concert celebrating the fags, dykes, barflies and drag queens who blazed the trail for the rest of us and are cheering on the next wave of queer pioneers who are ready to make history. “Come Here Often?” drops in on the patrons of a mythical Castro neighborhood bar, The Parlour, at three pivotal periods in the struggle of LGBT people not only to gain equal rights and protections but also to literally become visible beyond the kitschy walls of bars like The Parlour: 1977, as Harvey Milk became the first openly-gay member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors; 1998, when Ellen DeGeneres came roaring out of the closet on TV just before Matthew Shepard was beaten and left to die on a lonely Wyoming fence because, well, that just happens in small towns; and 2018, when the world is seeing gay marriage legalized and LGBT people advancing across the board followed by another outbreak of senseless violence intended to push them back toward, if not into, their

closets. Heavy stuff! “Come Here Often?” runs Wednesdays through Sundays, 8 pm at Exit Theater, 156 Eddy Street, from now to August 18. Tix and info at http://comehereoften. brownpapertickets.com TOMFOOLERY: THE WICKED WORDS AND MISCHIEVOUS MUSIC OF TOM LEHRER is now playing at the Shelton Theatre at 533 Sutter Street through August 24. Tom Lehrer epitomized the era of satirical humor in the 1950s and 1960s, writing songs that were wickedly naughty yet not X-rated by today’s standards in any way. What is most amazing about Lehrer’s music is how timeless it has remained, dealing with subjects such as religion, love and nuclear weapons, without in any way dating the material. Turned into a musical revue by the producing genius behind Cats and Phantom of the Opera, Cameron Macintosh, Tomfoolery still is one of the most bitingly hilarious two hours of music you will ever hear. https://www.landmarkmusicals.com Sister Dana sez, “I cannot believe terrible Trump threatened a total shutdown of the government if he doesn’t get his stupid, costly, unnecessary Wall! The only shutdown we need is to shut down Trump!”

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