San Francisco Bay Times - June 13, 2024

In Case You Missed It

Joanie Juster

Pride Month is finally here, and we are awash with rainbows. Looking around San Francisco (and my Facebook page), I see joy and pride everywhere. There are far more Pride events than anyone can possibly keep up with, and there seems to be optimism in the air.

I looked back at my last two years of Pride articles, written during a dramatic and unsettling rise in extreme conservatism and right-wing absolutism. There was an epidemic of antiLGBTQ+ legislation across the country. Bans on drag shows and drag story hours for children, and anti-trans hate crimes were sweeping the country. This year feels different, but what has actually changed?

They drew hope, strength, and inspi ration from seeing the festive images from San Francisco’s Pride celebrations. He reminded us that we bear a responsibility to be an example to the rest of the world of what freedom can look like.

So go out there and shine brightly. Our Pride celebrations are for people everywhere; the world is watching.

HIV/AIDS News

June 5 marked the 43rd anniversary of the announcement of a mysterious new set of syndromes that was affecting the gay community. At the time there wasn’t even a name for what was happening, but the syndromes soon became known to the world as AIDS, and the virus that led to AIDS was dubbed HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus.

The ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in the U.S.—and that’s after the previous three years also set records for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. AntiLGBTQ+ and anti-trans bias crimes have also shown alarming increases this year, according to the FBI’s annual crime report. Local school boards are fighting hard to keep as many LGBTQ+-friendly books off the school library shelves as possible, and bodily autonomy is under attack from small towns to the Supreme Court. It can be pretty grim out there.

And yet Pride seems stronger than ever. The community seems to have grown stronger in the face of resistance, adversity, and downright hate. Resistance to the haters and homophobes is a necessary daily battle, so you might as well look colorful and fabulous while you resist them.

Here in our San Francisco bubble, rainbow flags are flown publicly and proudly throughout the city, and diversity is celebrated, not shamed. Pride Month here is a welcome and necessary celebration. But it isn’t just for us.

In 2023, at Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s annual Pride Brunch for PRC, one of SF Pride’s Grand Marshals, Dr. Nas Mohamed, a proud gay man from Qatar, offered a global perspective on Pride. As an outspoken activist for LGBTQ+ rights everywhere, he has amassed a large following on social media, and he uses his platform to advocate for the rights of people throughout the world.

In his speech at the Pride Brunch, he talked about how his posts about Pride in San Francisco were being viewed and received by followers from all over. He read off a long list of countries where viewers were viewing his posts and commenting, and he shared with us some of their comments. It was sobering to hear queer folks commenting from their homes in

Not coincidentally, June 5 is also commemorated as HIV LongTerm Survivors Awareness Day. Why is this important?

The people who somehow survived the ravages of the early years of the AIDS pandemic have been living with HIV for decades, and are the first generation in the history of the world to find themselves aging with HIV. Since most of them never expected to live this long, and since the medical community has no precedents to learn from, the physical, psychological, sociological, and financial challenges that these longterm survivors face constitute a new field of study. Similar to the early days of AIDS, they often find themselves figuring out how to navigate these challenges on their own, as the medical and social services communities, as well as the government, haven’t quite caught up yet.

The long-term survivors I know have been working hard to fight for funding, studies, and support. Thanks to their advocacy and hard work, there are starting to be more studies, more symposia, and more attention to the particular needs of

(continued on page 22)

The Passing of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood Is a Tragic Loss to Oakland and the Nation

Out of the Closet and into City Hall

Oakland City Councilmember At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan

On May 10, 2024, the Bay Area, and Oakland in particular, lost two titans who were advocates, advisors, strategists, and friends who helped shape the political landscape of the

nation and Oakland. I am talking about the tragic and sudden deaths of Peggy Moore and Hope Wood. They lived, loved, and worked in Oakland for many years as powerful advocates for community health and LGBTQ rights and visibility. They helped elect Barack Obama to be the 44th President of the U.S. while building activism and community in Oakland.

Moore and Wood met and fell in love while campaigning for then Senator Obama in 2008. They were married at Lake Merritt in Oakland on July 29, 2013, a month after the fall of Proposition 8, which had blocked marriage equality in California.

Moore, who also worked for the City of Oakland, founded “Sistahs Steppin’ in Pride,” which celebrated the diverse queer women’s community in Oakland with pride and Black lesbian leadership. She was active

in Oakland’s East Bay Church of Religious Science. She also worked for the former Mayor of Oakland. Additionally, Moore successfully mobilized Oakland voters to vote “no” on statewide anti-gay ballot measures. Previously, she organized a community dance party by Lake Merritt to encourage people to come together in unity.

Wood was a former teaching fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Leadership Organizing Action: Leading Change course. She had been a political organizer across California and the nation for the past 20 years. In 2019, she and Moore founded Hope Action Change, a consulting firm focused on organization development and building diverse leadership.

Their contributions were significant and felt by all, as will be their loss.

Councilmember At-Large and Council President Rebecca Kaplan, who is the Vice Mayor of Oakland, was elected in 2008 to serve as Oakland’s citywide Councilmember; she was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. She also serves on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). Follow Councilmember Kaplan on Twitter @Kaplan4Oakland ( https://tinyurl.com/2dtjmazc ) and Facebook ( https://tinyurl.com/2p9dd5ta )

Join Me at the 2024 San Francisco Pride Parade

Happy Pride Month! Please join me in what will be my last San Francisco Pride Parade as an Assemblymember. Reserve a spot by June 21 to be part of my delegation by visiting my website ( https://bit.ly/3RnSkYR ). Invite your friends and family too because there’s so much to celebrate, and I thank you for being right there with me over the years, as I proudly sup -

ported and fought for LGBTQ+ rights throughout my public service career.

One of my first acts was back in 2008, as the City’s Assessor Recorder. I signed the first same-sex marriage license legally recognized by the state of California. The couple was Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. What a memorable and historic day that was.

Then as an Assemblymember elected in 2012, I brought that same fire to Sacramento. I championed laws that ensure California is inclusive, and that members of the LGBTQ+ community are treated fairly and equally. Among my legislative highlights:

AB 1792: All single-user restrooms in California businesses, government buildings and public spaces must be accessible to all genders. It helps reduce threats to transgender individuals who were harassed, denied access, or physically assaulted when using gender-specific facilities.

AB 783: Local governments must notify people who are applying for a business license that single-user restrooms must be open to everyone. This ensures great compliance with the aforementioned law.

AB 362: The Same-Sex Couple Tax Fairness Act ended a discriminatory state tax. At one point, health benefits in same-sex partnerships were taxed by the federal government as income, and when some California companies reimbursed that tax to their employees, the state taxed that reimbursement. That is no longer allowed.

AB 2448: The Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) is required to create a model training program for employees of businesses on how to spot, report, and properly respond to incidents of discrimination and harassment against their customers.

AB 449: Starting next month, all law enforcement agencies in California are required to have a hate crimes policy, so that such cases are properly recorded and victims can get the resources they need. Some jurisdictions have reported no hate crimes, which I find hard to believe. Standardizing procedure will give us accurate data, which will help us find solutions to prevent hate.

(continued on page 22)

Assemblymember Phil Ting

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 first and only LGBTQ newspaper in San Francisco to be named a Legacy Business, recognizing that it is a longstanding, community-serving business that is a valuable cultural asset to the city.

dr. Betty l. SullivaN

JeNNiFer l viegaS

co-PuBliSherS & co-editorS

Beth greeNe, JohN SigNer, Michael

Honorary Recognitions Presented to AGUILAS for 30

Years of Community Service

At the 30th Anniversary Celebration of AGUILAS providing services to the community, held on May 24,

2024, there was a large crowd of supporters who cheered as the organization received honorary recognitions from the State of California legislature and from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. AGUILAS staff and board members were thrilled to receive these recognitions, especially since AGUILAS is the oldest Latinx LGBTQI+ organization in all the Americas.

The celebration included food and drinks along with entertainment by Mexican drag queen Betty Fresas. The event was funded by the Horizons Foundation through a special grant. Three AGUILAS participants received certificates of completion for attending the

advanced training provided through the organization’s La Academia as funded by the ViiV HealthCare Foundation.

AGUILAS continues to provide all services in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is awaiting continued funding by the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. There are several grants under review that would allow AGUILAS to enhance and expand its services to the community.

Information about AGUILAS and services currently offered can be found at www.sfaguilas.org

J.h

carla

JuaN r davila

voluNteer coordiNator

CONTRIBUTORS

WRITeRS

Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Patrick Carney, Leslie Sbrocco, Kate Kendell, Gary M. Kramer, Joanie Juster, Robert Holgate, Eduardo Morales, Dennis McMillan, Tim Seelig, John Chen, Rafael Mandelman, Jewelle Gomez, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Elisa Quinzi, Liam Mayclem, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Derek Barnes, Marcy Adelman, Jan Wahl, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis

Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron, Randy Coleman, Howard Steiermann, Fernando Camino, David Landis

PhOTOgRaPheRS

Rink, Paul Margolis, Bill Wilson, Sandy Morris, Karina Patel, Abby Zimberg, Joanie Juster, Debra Reabock

aDVeRTISINg

Display Advertising

Standard Rate Cards

http://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

© 2024 Bay Times Media Company

Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

Ph.D. is a Professor Emeritus, retired Distinguished Professor, and current adjunct professor at Alliant International University. He is also a licensed psychologist and a founder and current Executive Director of AGUILAS, an award-winning program for Latinx LGBTQ+. Of Puerto Rican decent, he has received numerous distinguished awards and citations, including being named a Fellow of 12 divisions of the American Psychological Association.

HIV Advocacy Network (HAN) Rally & Day of Action

HIV Advocacy Network (HAN) members and community activists marched to San Francisco City Hall on Friday, June 7, where they spoke about the need for increased resources in the city budget for housing and healthcare for LGBTQ and HIV communities. Speakers included activists Joanie Juster, Paul Aguilar, Vince Crisostomo, and others.

The event was organized by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation HIV Advocacy Network, HIV/AIDS Providers Network (HAPN), GLIDE, the SF Community Health Center, and LYRIC.

Eduardo Morales,

Nuestra Voz

Eduardo Morales, Ph.D.

Photos by Rink and Joanie Juster

Photos Courtesy of AGUILAS

GLBT Fortnight in Review

Bucket All

It’s been so long, dear Readers. I’ve missed you! Mel is recovering from the six-hour back surgery, although she can’t really get around well enough to fix cocktails, take out the trash, or fetch me things from around the house. So, all these extra responsibilities fall on my shoulders. Plus, my writing duties! Wait one second while I get myself another cup of coffee, since Myrtille, my imaginary French maid, is taking yet another (paid) day off.

I see from my list that the federal appellate courts have been busy again. But first, the Million Moms have taken aim at Kentucky Fried Chicken, finding offense in a TV commercial that gives no rise to controversy whatsoever.

“Kentucky Fried Chicken’s new ‘$10 Tuesdays’ commercial includes insinuated profanity that conservatives are finding completely unnecessary,” the Moms complain. “The ad praises their food, of course, and also brags about their $10 Tuesdays deal as part of their ‘Taste of KFC Deals’ campaign. Then the commercial ends soon after the insinuated but obvious profane ending, ‘Son of a bucket, that’s a good deal!’”

“Foul language (or the implication of it) is not needed in this or any commercial, but that is obviously what KFC intended with their play on words. KFC chose to include a phrase that sounds like a curse word and to end the ad with viewers understanding exactly what was implied.”

Whatever the ad’s intention, it did not rise to the level of an “obvious

profane ending.” I also doubt that many “conservatives” are taking notice one way or another.

I always feel as if I’m wasting our time when I write about these pearlclutching Million Moms instead of important political or legal news. But there’s a degree of satisfaction in coming across a situation where “we” (you and me and other rational people) are so clearly in the right and “they” (insane anti-GLBT conservative lunatics) are so laughably in the wrong. I can’t pass it up.

I won’t even go into the full details of the “dinosaur cartoon” on Netflix, where Million Moms tells us we might encounter “a scene where female characters Yaz and Sammy confess their strong and intimate feelings for each other and share a kiss while embracing in a romantic hug.” Woah, Nellie!

Stay Tuned

Let me summarize a few of our appellate court gems. Do you remember a conservative judge who recently ordered some lawyers for Southwest Airlines to take some classes or something from conservative Christians as punishment for, um, whatever? I’m vague on the details here because I decided not to report on this story a few months ago, but I’m pleased to say that judge has been reversed by the normally far-right Fifth Circuit.

A First Circuit panel has backed a Massachusetts school district that told a middle school kid to take off his mean-spirited t-shirt.

And in a confusing ruling that I haven’t yet read, another Fifth

By Ann Rostow

Circuit panel has ruled that 8 out of 17 banned books must be returned to circulation at a rural Texas library. All this excitement lies ahead of us.

Rocky Mountain Hi

But first, it’s Pride Month. Years of gay rights progress at the end of the 20th century and the start of the 21st led to a corresponding decline in Gay Pride Exhilaration. Instead of politics, daring and non-stop parties, we fell into commercialized banality and family friendly “fun.” Now, things are changing again.

“God Hates Pride,” wrote the chair of the Colorado Republican Party, Dave Williams, in an email. “The month of June has arrived and, once again, the godless groomers in our society want to attack what is decent, holy, and righteous so they can ultimately harm our children,” Williams wrote. Over on X, nee Twitter, the State GOP urged readers to: “Burn all the #pride flags this June.”

Really? This isn’t some rogue farright pastor writing from a remote farm in the heart of the old confederacy. It’s the head of the Republican Party, presumably writing with a green light from his GOP colleagues in national positions and in other states. Not only does he accuse our entire community of sex offenses, but also his party advocates violent attacks.

Mel and I put our rainbow flag up the other day. (I took down the Hook ‘em Horns flag after the University of Texas women failed to win the softball world series.) Again, as I’ve admitted to my chagrin in the past, I felt a frisson of trepidation, a worry

that my rainbow colors might trigger a passerby with a gun or a brick. We will put up the stars and stripes for one day, flag day whenever that is, return to rainbow until July 4, move back to stars and stripes until July 14, put up the French flag, and go from there.

I’ve got a Ukrainian flag, a Scottish flag, a “party time” flag, a “Hate has no home here” flag, and, of course, a Kansas Jayhawk flag. I know! I’m a regular Martha Ann Alito. Although I will tell you, neither one of us could switch flags without the other person a) noticing and b) having the right to object. Our only problems arise when Texas plays Kansas and my Texas flag gets tied to a tree branch while the Jayhawk goes on the flag pole. Ooooh. Just thinking about that burns me up.

And before we move on from Pride, I just saw a story out of Spokane, Washington, where some teenagers rented electric scooters and did wheelies on a rainbow road display, leaving skid marks. Confronted by angry witnesses, one of the kids yelled an expletive followed by a gay slur. All three of them are now in court, facing jail time and fines for malicious mischief. There’s also a lifeguard in California filing suit because he had to raise a rainbow flag, and I’m sure I can find a ton of similar accounts of Pride-related vandalism and hate.

But we get the picture.

Arrogant Little Creature

To my credit, I did read all 70 pages of the First Circuit’s opinion in LM v Town of Middleborough, the contest between a conservative 12-year-

old student and the middle school authorities who enforced the school dress code, forcing LM to remove a shirt that read: “There are only two genders.” Supported, or perhaps goaded, by his parents, LM objected to the rules, which prohibited messages that denigrated fellow students based on gender and other characteristics.

LM announced that he would be returning to school on a particular date, wearing the offending shirt. The school, in turn, told him not to do so. On the day in question, our First Amendment champion came back in the shirt, but taped over the words “only two” and wrote “censored” on the tape. The school determined that the modified garment, known in court papers as “the taped shirt,” was just as bad as the original shirt given that there had been tons of publicity at this point and everyone knew the taped words. Once again, the school told LM to change shirts, and eventually the parents sued, with the help of some of our old buddies at Alliance Defending Freedom.

The lower court ruled that the shirt trespassed on the constitutional rights of LM’s classmates, and upheld the dress code. The First Circuit, in turn, noted that the school had a duty to protect the students against disruption or whatever chaos the nasty shirt might trigger. However they arrived at their conclusions, both courts agreed that, while a student does not shed his or her constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gates, nor does he or she enjoy unlimited Free Speech rights in (continued on page 22)

Happy

In the heart of San Francisco’s vibrant Castro district lies Harvey Milk Plaza, a historic site intertwined with the city’s LGBTQ+ heritage and the community’s ongoing struggle for civil rights. Now, a visionary initiative led by the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza (FHMP) is poised to revitalize this plaza through strategic coordination of public and private investment.

While the commemorative features celebrating Milk and the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement will be financed by private gifts secured during FHMP’s capital campaign, the essential infrastructure improvements will be supported by public allocations, including a $25 million investment included in the ballot measure proposed by Mayor London Breed and currently under consideration by the Board of Supervisors. Earlier this year, Speaker Emerita Pelosi secured $500,000 in funding for the project through the U.S. Congress. This public-private funding model not only leverages the strengths of both sectors but also ensures the project’s sustainability and long-term impact.

“The new Harvey Milk Plaza will preserve Harvey’s legacy, while also creating a new and dynamic space for the community to gather. It will drive visitor foot traffic to our Castro neighborhood and into the neighborhood’s small businesses,” said Mayor Breed. “The new plaza will celebrate Harvey Milk’s work, provide opportunities to lift up others from all backgrounds, and inspire everyone to continue to engage in the impor-

tant work left to do. Harvey Milk is a worldwide ambassador for our beautiful city, and visionary projects like Harvey Milk Plaza signal a resurgent and resilient San Francisco.”

At the core of the initiative is the ambitious goal of harmonizing commemorative features celebrating Milk’s legacy with essential transit and infrastructure improvements so that all improvements can be accomplished in a single, highly efficient project. This approach will streamline construction, minimize disruption, and ensure investment at the site is maximized. It will also ensure that the plaza serves as both a symbol of empowerment and a functional hub for the community.

“During conversations with community members, we heard their desire to see Harvey celebrated in a way that uplifted other contributors to the movement and provided space for ongoing engagement around social justice issues.,” shared Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza Executive Director Brian Springfield. “But we also heard from some that did not want the transit functions at the site to be compromised at all in the process. So, we worked with SWA Group to enhance and improve the transit functions at the site, allowing these improvements to act as the foundation for all the commemorative features that will follow. The coalition that has been formed between the

(continued on page 22)

San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band Changes Name to San Francisco Pride Band

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is now the San Francisco Pride Band (SFPB). The band is updating its name to emphasize that it welcomes all members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to make its support for its trans and nonbinary members clear. “This matters now more than ever, as politicians across the U.S. push transphobic agendas,” SFPB shared in a statement.

When Jon Sims founded the band in 1978, he named it the “San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Marching Band and Twirling Corps.” In the nineties, the band adopted the moniker of “San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band” to more explicitly include the lesbian women in the band’s membership. SFPB explained, “Lesbians had been a part of the band since the very beginning, and by this time their numbers and roles

in leadership had grown. Making their presence more explicit in the name of the group was a logical evolutionary move.”

Now the band is taking another step towards inclusivity. The band’s mission has always been to make the LGBTQ+ community more visible, and to use music and performance to forge bonds with the community.

“As the San Francisco Pride Band, we are committed to making sure that community includes everyone,” SFPB declared.

“We arrived at this name after almost a year of thought and discussion,” the statement added. “We wanted to choose a name that everyone in the band could feel proud of, and that meant making sure that we listened to feedback from band membership. We also looked to the other LGBTQ+ musical groups that are part of the global Pride Bands Alliance, many of whom have under-

gone similar name changes in the last several years.”

“This change dovetails with our other efforts to promote inclusivity, such as our commission program for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) composers,” the statement continued. “Since we established the BIPOC Commission Program, the band has commissioned and premiered two pieces from two talented composers, Roger Zare and Mattea Williams, with additional pieces in the works for later in 2024 and 2025.”

“We are more excited than ever to march in this year’s Pride parade under our new name, and to welcome the community to our fall concert and the Dance-Along Nutcracker ® later this year,” SFPB concluded. “Lastly, this summer we’re working on updating our logo and visual identity, so you can expect to hear more later in 2024 or early 2025!”

Castro Theatre Renovation 2024–2025

Castro Theatre Renovation Uncovers, Decodes Artistic Treasures

“Architecture is as much a response to place, a conversation with place, as it is a making of place.”

—Dr. Jeffery Malpas

The shapes, structures, and materials of a building can have a memory-like character, holding sensory properties that help imprint history and can impact us profoundly.

The Castro Theatre has this effect on many of us, such that no matter one’s opinion about the unprecedented renovation taking place now at 429 Castro Street, emotions tend to run high. This was evident at last year’s debate concerning the future of the over-century-old theatre. Now that the restoration is well into the initial phase of the “glow-up”—work on the ceiling and walls—the theatre is more exposed than ever, revealing artistic and architectural elements that had been lost for decades.

Rising Out of the Pandemic’s Darkest Days

Another Planet Entertainment (APE)

Senior Vice President Mary Conde is the Project Manager for the Castro Theatre renovation project. The only independent, locally owned and operated full-service concert production company in Northern California, APE emerged from the legendary Bill Graham Presents, with Conde and Sherry Wasserman being among the women in leadership who now help run APE, which is in the top three of the nation’s largest such companies.

Conde told the San Francisco Bay Times that, during the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, APE kept everyone at the company on full payroll when many other businesses were downsizing or shutting altogether. She said, “We wanted another venue in San Francisco, but this was at a time when people were even afraid to sit together in a car.”

Site visits were clearly challenging, but an APE real estate agent mentioned the Castro Theatre in a conversation. The agent shared that the families of Bay Properties, Inc., including the Nasser family whose ownership history goes back to the earliest days of the theatre, had since 2018 been working with experts on ways to modernize the building and make the business more financially viable. “They saw the writing on the wall, that the venue as it was could not be sustained,” Conde said.

In January 2022, APE announced that it had leased the Castro Theatre from Bay Properties. “It was kismet when everything came together,” Conde said. Fast forward to the present, when the estimated $15 million restoration is in the process of transforming the venerable theatre into a

state-of-the-art mixed-use space for films, music, comedy and other stage shows, and more.

Cliff’s Variety and Castro Theatre Connections

APE is working with the renowned firm EverGreene Architectural Arts (EAA), which is providing design, restoration, and conservation services. EAA has also done this for the Empire State Building, the Library of Congress, Radio City Music Hall, Oakland’s Fox Theatre (additionally run by APE) and other well-known historic places.

In April 2024 it was announced that the theatre’s theatrical arch or proscenium, known to exist in historic photos and building plans, was revealed for the first time since the 1950s–1960s, when it was covered by a wide screen and associated wooden scaffolding. Since then, other key design aspects of the theatre have been uncovered after removal of dirt, smoke stains, and layers of varnish that were likely applied after the theatre was damaged as a result of the 1989 earthquake.

Legend has it that someone from the theatre went to Cliff’s Variety after the earthquake to purchase varnish. The late great Ernie Asten (1947–2019), longtime fourth generation patriarch of Cliff’s, is said to have advised him against the purchase, stating that it was not appropriate for the project and could hurt the art and plaster work. It is thought that he reinforced this view with a letter. While his widow Martha Asten, now the CFO of Cliff's, could not fully confirm the story, she informed the San Francisco Bay Times that Ernie was known to offer this sort of advice to clients and write follow-up letters. The advice in this probable case was not heeded, the varnish was applied, and damage was done.

Drew Altizer Photography

The San Francisco Bay Times is grateful to Drew Altizer and Devlin Shand of Drew Altizer Photography for their exceptional work in recording this critical moment in time at the Castro Theatre. Shand is also the Co-Founder/Owner of Queer Arts Featured just steps away from the theatre at 575 Castro Street. Shand says, “Queer Arts Featured has worked with Another Planet Entertainment to salvage items from The Castro Theatre, including the film screen and some of the original floorboards, and turned them into the canvas for a living collaborative exhibition, Wet Paint. Every Wednesday night until July 24th, the exhibition is open space for anyone to creatively express themselves on pieces of history, and collaborate with works others have made before them.”

For more information: Drew Altizer Photography: https://drewaltizer.com/ Queer Arts Featured: https://www.queerartsfeatured.com/

As an aside, the first Castro Theatre—following a small makeshift space at 18th and Collingwood Streets—was upgraded in 1910 by the Nassers to a 600-seat venue at 485 Castro Street, which is where Cliff’s is today. Asten said aspects of the theatre are still present in Cliff’s, such as the rounded ceiling and projection window.

A Gay Man’s Vision?

Architect, interior designer, and architectural lighting designer Timothy Ludwig Pflueger (1892–1946) was the mastermind behind the Castro Theatre. In 1920, the three Nasser brothers William, Elias, and George gave Pflueger a free hand in designing their planned 2,000-seat theatre with a budget of about $300,000, which equates to approximately $5.5 million today. Pflueger grew up in the Mission District in a working-class family— working as in he and his 6 brothers were expected to contribute to the family income as youths. Pflueger started at age 11 as a picture framer and later forged his way up the career ladder, with minimal formal education, in the architectural field.

Pflueger would have passed by the Mission Dolores Basilica nearly every day of his formative years, so it seems fitting that the façade of his first major theatre project pays homage to the basilica with its great arched central window surmounted by a scrolling pediment framing. It is in the California Churrigueresque or highly ornamental Spanish Baroque style.

Pflueger was said to have been “wedded to his work” and never married or had children. He and Julia Morgan (1872–1957) of Hearst Castle fame were contemporaries. She too never married or had children, and rocked neckties, suits, and plenty of butch mojo. While both never came out, there has been speculation that the two were members of the LGBTQ+ community, which was beyond closeted in those days. Regardless, their legacies have intertwined with queer history over the decades.

Also key to the Castro Theatre was Faggioni Co. Studios, which served as the official decorator. A 1926 ad for Faggioni proclaimed: “Our aim

(continued on page 10)

Mary Conde, Project Manager for the Castro Theatre renovation project

Photos courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography

(continued from page 9) is, combining beauty and novelty of design thoroughly consistent with true art, in the decoration of theaters and large public edifices.”

Ceiling Restoration Confirms 1922 Account in the Motion Picture News

Various architecture experts and buffs over the years have speculated about the meaning behind the overall look of the Castro Theatre’s ceiling. The present restoration, however, confirms a story that appeared in the November 4, 1922, issue of Motion Picture News :

“The builders of the Castro, of which T.L. Pflueger was the architect, turned to the semi-exterior of court scheme in planning the interesting auditorium. It is suggestive of the Roman Amphitheatre, which consisted of stone walls, a cantilever roof over the stage, and a cloth canopy hung on ropes for the protection from the sun. Though the Roman design is predominant, there is a daring combination of Oriental and Spanish in detail ornamentation.

The canopied ceiling is the climax of the architectural effect. It is made entirely of plaster, but seems to be of some fine fabric of rich design. It is fringed with tassels, valances, and cords, and is hung upon great golden ropes, all of which is plaster.”

It also appears to confirm Therese Poletti’s theory, published in her 2008 book Art Deco San Francisco: The Architecture of Timothy Pflueger, which holds that Pflueger was inspired by the Kinema Theatre in Fresno, which was constructed in 1913 but was destroyed by a fire just 6 years later. Note the similar look to the Castro’s ceiling in the historic photo of the Kinema here: https://bit.ly/3x9dHGu

32 Dragons Uncovered at the Castro Theatre During the Year of the Dragon

The artwork within the interior of the Castro Theatre includes at least 32 dragons, according to Conde, who said, “It seems fitting that the restoration has uncovered the dragons during the Year of the Dragon, with the dragon considered to be the most auspicious zodiac sign.”

The dragons, in part, frame ovate shapes that surround a series of very striking figures. Their tales form curvilinear shapes, evoking both Asian art and the fanciful images within The Book of Kells illuminated manuscript dating to the 9th century. Originally painted in colorful hues of red, green, and other shades, the dragons are slowly coming back to visual life after being obscured.

Another influence on the theatre’s designers must have been the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. This immense fair— ”when the world came to San Francisco,” as a 2015 documentary of that same name reports—received nearly 19 million visitors during the months that the exposition was open. Its impact on art and architecture is still seen to this day.

Homage to the Aztec Deity Quetzalcoatl

One of the vivid figures appears to depict Quetzalcoatl, who is a deity in Aztec culture. He became “the god of the morning and evening star,” and was a symbol of death and resurrection. One myth shares that “he embarked upon a raft made of snakes and disappeared beyond the eastern horizon.” In the Nahuatl language, Quetzalcoatl means “feathered serpent,” and he was regarded as “The Dragon of the New World,” perhaps

Castro Theatre Renovation 2024–2025

helping to explain the many dragons within the theatre’s design.

Quetzalcoatl was also the god of learning, writing, and books. Another figure shows a pan flute player, clearly representing music. Yet another may show a half-human, halfgoat faun. A production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream was popular at the time of the theatre’s construction, so the faun “Puck" from the play would have been familiar to visitors to the Castro. Taken together, the figures in the ovals therefore appear to touch on many aspects of the arts.

National Geographic Influences and a Possible Political Statement

Excavations of Aztec and other historic sites were reported in the pages of National Geographic magazine, which was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal but over time became a very popular read for the general public. In 1905 it began publishing photos, and its first color photos began to appear in the 1910s. During the time of the Castro Theatre’s construction, the magazine was highlighting colorful images, including photos of individuals from different cultures around the globe.

The more realistic images of humans—not necessarily fantasy figures, but actual people—in the Castro’s interior are similar to the photos familiar to the public from the pages of National Geographic

The bare-breasted women might at first seem shocking, even for today’s moviegoers, but they were common in the magazine. This subsequently became controversial, and the magazine later admitted that the coverage was at times not respectful enough of different cultures.

Conde theorizes that, because Pflueger often used prominent Asian motifs in not only the Castro Theatre but also in many of his other projects, he might have been making a political statement during a time of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was not repealed until l943. She is not alone in supporting that idea.

The Art Deco Society of New York, after studying another iconic Pflueger building, mentioned the following about his work: “The references to Chinese mythology and other Asian themes were bold and unusual in an era during which the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banning Chinese immigration was still in effect. The ceiling and other Chinese and Asian touches in the building, now known as 140 New Montgomery, show a clear appreciation of a culture deeply engrained in San Francisco’s history.”

It would take volumes to describe the many decorative elements of the theatre, including cherubs, laurel wreaths, crowns, Roman helmets, leaves, geometric shapes, and much more. In addition to the Churrigueresque style, Beaux-Arts, Renaissance, and other artistic traditions are evident in the theatre.

Inextricably Tied to the LGBTQ+ Community

When the San Francisco Bay Times was founded in the 1970s, the Castro

District had become a beacon for the queer community. LGBTQ+ films were often presented at the Castro Theatre. During the HIV/AIDS crisis, the theatre became a refuge. Historian Gerard Koskovich told KQED, “It was a place to go after you got done with the two memorial services for people you knew that week. You could spend a couple of hours escaping to a movie, or a live show. You could bring people who were sick and they could sit calmly in a safe, secure, comfortable place and know they weren’t going to be excluded if they had signs [of AIDS], like Kaposi’s sarcoma lesions. That people weren’t going to pull away from them. They could remain part of the community that had been built there.”

The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, drawing from that tradition and more, held its first Home for the Holidays concert on Christmas Eve of 1990. The tradition has continued for over three decades, although the concerts will not be possible for 2024 at the theatre due to the ongoing renovation.

Frameline, founded in 1977, is also deeply tied to the Castro Theatre. The theatre has been the hub of this festival, which is the longest-running, largest, and most widely recognized queer film exhibition event in the world. The theatre has even been featured prominently in certain queer films, such as the 2008 movie Milk about Harvey Milk.

Flame to Be Relit for Juneteenth Block Party

The theatre’s iconic vertical neon sign, also known as the blade or flame, is scheduled to be relit on Wednesday, June 19, for the first ever Juneteenth Block Party in the Castro. Taking place from 7–10 pm, the party will be held at the 400 block of Castro Street between Market and 18th Streets. Frameline will screen Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, and there will be live drag performances, music from DJ Die Wies, food and drink available for purchase, and more. Photos on social media show the blade beautifully lit during recent evening testing, with the neon shining through its protective cover.

The theatre will still be closed, because after the initial renovation phase, work will move to the lower level and to other phases involving the sound system, bathrooms, electrical wiring, ADA compliance, preparation for the new digital organ, mezzanine level bar, the often-mentioned and previously debated seating, and more. Of concern is the asbestos and lead in the building, which is primarily a health threat when disturbed and airborne. Conde said that some of these substances have already been safely removed, but that work is not finished yet. Conde herself has fond memories of the theatre, having gone to The Sound of Music, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and other singalongs there back in the day. “This is a legacy project with a lasting impact for the better that will long outlive me,” she said. Asten, who recently underwent a successful back surgery, is supportive of the work and looking forward to the theatre’s grand reopening in summer of 2025. She said, “I know that

(continued on page 11)

Castro Theatre Renovation 2024–2025

(continued from page 10)

change is hard but it is inevitable and we must look to the future.” Even at Cliff’s her team has been busy changing out lights to conform to California Title 20, which has been phasing out incandescent and halogen products in favor of light-emitting diode (LED) ones.

Support Neighborhood Movie Theatres!

The changes and temporary closure of the Castro Theatre are a reminder to support other neighborhood movie theatres, such as The Roxie, Balboa, and Alamo in San Francisco, the Elmwood Theatre in Berkeley, the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, the New Parkway Theater in Oakland, the Alameda Theatre & Cineplex, the Orinda Theatre, and others. The Fox and Paramount Theatres in Oakland are not showing films now, but they are architectural gems nonetheless, with the Paramount being yet another of Pflueger’s masterpieces.

As Malpas holds, “When we build we do indeed build memory, and every building carries memory within it. What this means, however, is that when we neglect the memorial character of building, and so the way memory must also enter into building construction and design, we neglect an essential element in what it is to build. We thereby misunderstand building, and we also misunderstand ourselves.”

We are hopeful that the restoration of the Castro Theatre will continue to preserve its artistic treasures and retain the essence of the space while also evolving the legacy of Pflueger and the many others who have contributed to its creation and maintenance over the decades. Doing so helps strengthen our own memories of moments spent at the theatre, in good times and in bad, but always feeling like it was a welcoming home away from home, and especially for the LGBTQ+ community.

For updates on the Castro Theatre renovation, go to https://bit.ly/3Vj73p6

Castro Theatre Renovation

Castro Theatre Renovation

2024 Business of Pride

The San Francisco Business Times on June 6, 2024, held its annual Business of Pride event, celebrating local LGBTQ business owners. The event, sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Times, this year took place at the Westin St. Francisco Hotel in the Grand Ballroom and adjacent rooms.

It began with a Welcome Reception, followed by the Awards Program. This year’s “OUTStanding Voices” honorees were:

Avantha Arachchi, Chief Operating Officer, A-Frame Brands; Marc Blakeman, President, AT&T California & Pacific States; Dr. Lukejohn Day, Chief Medical Officer, UCSF; Bevan Dufty, President of the Board of Directors, Bay Area Rapid Transit; Breonna McCree, Executive Director, The Transgender District; Alfredo Pedroza, Senior Vice President and Senior Director Government Relations & Public Policy, Wells Fargo; Meghan Rhea, Vice President Legal, AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah; Katherine Rice, Partner, GingerBread Capital; Jeff Riles, Director of Energy Markets, Americas, Microsoft; Maya Setchkova, Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield; Robbie Silver, Executive Director. Downtown SF Partnership; and Jake Stensberg, Director, San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

Short documentaries highlighting each of the award recipients was shown, followed by live acceptance speeches. They were followed by a Fireside Chat with Kara Swisher, who received the 2024 Selisse Berry Legacy Leadership Award. (Berry was in attendance.) Swisher is the host of On with Kara Swisher & Pivot podcasts. She is also the Editor-at-Large at The New York Magazine and is a New York Times best-selling author. Maya Lowe of 23andMe accepted the 2024 Corporate Pride award.

In attendance were also the owners and other representatives of businesses that made the Business Times top 50 list for the year. The 2024 list includes the following:

ACME Floral Co.

AF&Co. LLC

Allstate Insurance-Frank Mercado Agency

AMSI Real Estate Services

Ascend Real Estate

AWG Private Chefs

Bay Area PL Services dba BayPLS

Boichik Bagels

Bospar

Brenda’s French Soul Food

Brio Financial Group

Cactus Jungle

Canas Realty Inc.

Canela Bistro & Wine Bar

Coddington Design

Demonstrate

Desired Effect

Diakidi Fitness

Financial Connections Group Inc.

Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Harris & McSparran LLP

Hanke & Co. Wealth Management

Healthyish Republic

Heather and French Painting Inc.

Home of Chicken and Waffles

Hot Cookie

Hugh Groman Catering

IMC

Landis Communications Inc.

Laner Electric Supply Lookout

Manny’s Community Space

Mariposa Leadership Inc.

MCG Services Corp.

Noble Folk Inc.

Oasis Park Cafe Group

Phase2 Builders Inc.

Q.Digital Inc.

Revel Architecture & Design Inc.

RHP Inc. dba Got Light

SCCS Group LLC

Schoenberg Family Law Group PC

Sleep365

Steel + Lacquer

Studio 5 Learning

The Academy

The R3 Hotel

Timothy Adams Chocolates

Vanguard Properties

Veritable Vegetable

Vesta Asset Management

Wooden Table Baking Co.

https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco

Golden Gate Business Association 50th Anniversary

Celebrated at Power Connect 2024

The Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the annual Power Connect, which this year was held at the Rotunda of San Francisco City Hall on June 7, 2024. The San Francisco Bay Times served as a media partner for the event.

Born in the vibrant year of 1974, the GGBA made history as both the world’s first LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and the first business organization founded by LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. The GGBA has stood tall, weathered many storms, and has consistently bridged gaps in the business world. For the past 50 years, it has celebrated diversity, championed equality, and fostered a rich tapestry of businesses that spread across San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Marin counties, and beyond.

The GGBA does not just honor its past; the association is also enthusiastically looking toward the future. At Power Connect 2024, GGBA’s leadership honored the legacy of their forebears while also paving the way for the next generation of LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. They celebrated the successes of GGBA members, reminiscing about the milestones they have achieved together, and planning for bold ventures yet to come.

The evening kicked off with a Reception around the Grand Staircase at City Hall, made all the grander with its majestic rainbow-hued carpeting draped down the center. Most of the attendees took advantage of the photo ops atop the stairs.

After a buffet dinner, Mayor London Breed gave the opening remarks before GGBA President Tony Archuleta-Perkins gave an inspirational talk about his life and connection to the GGBA. Special guest Carson Kressley then took the stage, followed by Senator Scott Wiener, Ryan Weyandt, former GGBA President Gina Grahame, Lisa Orrell & Jill Osur, and a Drag Showcase. The night wrapped up with an After Party at The Academy SF at 2166 Market Street.

The San Francisco Bay Times congratulates Archuleta-Perkins, the GGBA staff, and board during this milestone year. We encourage all LGBTQ-owned businesses and allies to join the association, which provides valuable networking opportunities and much more. https://ggba.com

Pink Triangle Canvas Briefly Displayed at The Academy SF Before Installation on Twin Peaks

Photos by Michael Kirschner Photography ( https://mikek.photography )

Patrick Carney, the Founder of the Pink Triangle project, and his husband Hossein brought a canvas from the Pink Triangle display to The Academy SF for the “Eve of Pride Party” as part of the Divas & Drinks series of monthly events on May 31, 2024. The brightly colored pink canvas is one of 175 that is now part of the 29th Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks. This year’s Pink Triangle is larger than ever. It is outlined by three 5-footwide sheets of sailcloth, which are each up to 230 feet long. Hundreds of volunteers helped with the border installation on June 7 and the main installation on June 8.

DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy

It was therefore a rare and ephemeral moment to have part of the display at The Academy SF just hours before the start of Pride Month. Several guests at Divas & Drinks had their photo taken in front of the canvas by photographers Michael Kirschner and Rink.

As Carney explained in a piece last month in the San Francisco Bay Times, “The Pink Triangle of Twin Peaks is a highly-visible yet mute reminder of inhumanity and recalls one the darkest chapters in human history—the Holocaust. It is nearly an acre in size and can be seen for 20 miles and is a giant in-your-face educational tool. It’s a warning and a reminder of what has happened in the past and might happen again if we aren’t vigilant.”

Volunteers will be needed to take down the display on Twin Peaks on the evening of Sunday, June 30. To sign up to help with this effort, go to: https://shorturl.at/2E19H

For more information about the Pink Triangle of Twin Peaks: https://www.thepinktriangle.com/

DIVAS & DRINKS @ The Academy

Eve of Pride Party!

Divas & Drinks @ The Academy SF ‘Eve of Pride Party’ on May 31, 2024

The “Eve of Pride Party,” as part of the Divas & Drinks @ The Academy SF monthly series, helped kickoff Pride 2024 on the night of Friday, May 31. Among the special guests were San Francisco Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford, SF Pride Board President Nguyen Pham, SF Pride Social Media and Creative Services specialist Robyn Adams, and the following Grand Marshals: Rebecca Rolfe, Tory Teasley, Leslie Einhorn representing CASA (Children’s After School Arts), Nicole Adler, and Xander Briere. (Grand Marshal Xavier Davenport was away on travel for a graduation and could not attend, but was also celebrated.)

After a welcome from emcee and drag artist extraordinaire Donna Sachet, Joan Hammel of presenting sponsor Comcast spoke and warmly greeted guests while addressing the importance of Pride. Jon Koriel and other members of the Comcast/Xfinity team were also present.

The music was flowing that night, starting with a performance by TV/film actress Amy Meyers accompanied by award-winning percussionist Joyce Baker. Next was American Idol star Teasley and her talented band who literally had guests stomping their feet.

Special DJ for the evening was MANGO legend Olga T presented by Olivia Travel. She kept the energy going for hours with her mix of Latin, R&B, and other dance-worthy grooves. The party was so lit that not one but two news crews—from KTVU and ABC 7—showed up to capture the Pride vibes. When many thought the party was easing to a close, Mayor London Breed and friends crashed it, dancing the night away to tunes such as the “Cupid Shuffle.” (See the video at https://bit.ly/3VG6bMV )

The Dykes on Bikes were also in the house, and some guests won door prizes from Comcast, Bacardí, and more. The evening also debuted a new food menu at The Academy SF, featuring items such as freshly baked flatbread pizzas.

The San Francisco Bay Times, co-presenter with The Academy SF of the event, thanks all of the sponsors. In addition to Comcast, Olivia, and Bacardí, they include Extreme Pizza and the San Francisco Federal Credit Union.

Join us for the next Divas & Drinks @ The Academy SF on June 27 for our big Pride Party featuring the all-women supergroup Shake It! Booty Band, with its full horn section, lineup of singers, and more. Register and watch for more updates here: https://bit.ly/4ed4sG9

this population. On Friday, June 7, a group of activists and organizations, led by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s HIV Action Network, marched to City Hall and rallied to advocate for the HIV Community Budget Proposal, and to fight for critical funding for housing and healthcare for LGBTQ+ and HIV communities.

Hank Trout, a long-term survivor, writer, and activist, writes for the blog on SFAF’s website. For HIV Long-Term Survivor Awareness Day, he wrote an essay with a provocative title: “Why Are We Still Here When So Many of Our Friends and Lovers Died?” It is well worth reading: https://tinyurl.com/SFAFHIV Celebrating Pride

As I said before, there are so many Pride-themed events this month that no one can keep up with all of them. A few that I’m particularly looking forward to are the San Francisco Giants’ Pride Game on June 15, the People’s March on June 23, the premiere of the film Sally! about activist and queer icon Sally Gearhart (as part of Frameline on June 26), the Trans March on June 28, and the Dyke March on June 29. The Pink Triangle is visible on Twin Peaks through June 30 (and hey—they need volunteers to take it down on June 30). And, for the first time in several years, I’ll be marching in the SF Pride Parade. I’ll be looking forward to seeing you all at these events and more. Please stay proud, stay safe, and sparkle with all your heart. The world is watching!

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

(continued from pg 4)

On top of these laws, during my tenure as Assembly Budget Chair, I supported state funding for the following projects in San Francisco:

• National LGBTQ Center for the Arts: $500,000 to support a historic center that is also serving as an arts facility and public space to highlight the LGBTQ community;

• Harvey Milk and Eagle Plazas: $1 million for the renovation of Harvey Milk Plaza to become a place for reflection, not just a transit station; and $100,000 for the renovation of Eagle Plaza, the world’s first LGBTQ-leather public plaza;

• GLBT Museum: $250,000 to establish a permanent home for the proposed Museum of LGBTQ History and Culture, where stories and cultures of our diverse communities can be gathered, preserved, studied, and made widely available.

On a statewide level, we made health investments to ensure we had adequate MPX vaccine supplies, as well as robust programs for anyone in need of AIDS drugs or Hepatitis C services. California also made sure LGBTQ+ students have support centers at schools.

Let’s commemorate these accomplishments by marching together during the San Francisco Pride Parade. The route begins south of Market Street, close to the Embarcadero MUNI/BART station, and runs to San Francisco’s Civic Center. Anyone who RSVPs at my website will get an email about our precise meeting location, where we will gather at 10 am.

Marchers will receive a commemorative t-shirt and will take home great memories. Plus, a free lunch will be served at a nearby outdoor reception, co-hosted by your San Francisco delegation: me, Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Matt Haney. The venue will be provided at the end of the parade.

I look forward to seeing you all on June 30!

Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the west side of San Francisco along with the communities of Broadmoor, Colma, and Daly City, as well as part of South San Francisco and San Bruno.

ROSTOW (continued from pg 7)

the public school context, particularly the middle school context.

We’ll see if LM and his litigious parents try to send this case to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, don’t you hate it when children position themselves as avatars of philosophical mandates they don’t begin to understand? Gender, constitutional law, the First Amendment, diversity, civil rights, human nature, compassion. LM has everything figured out and he’s not yet a teenager!

Contemplating Contemptible Contempt

I know I teased those other appellate cases, but we don’t have to delve into the details if we don’t want to. The Southwest case was a bizarre one, though. It stemmed from a workplace discrimination case filed by a flight attendant who claimed the airline showed religious bias in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I’m not familiar with the underlying lawsuit, so ask me no further details.

Southwest lost the case, and in a very strange twist, the federal judge in charge of the matter ordered the airline’s attorneys to take a religious training course of some sort from the Alliance Defending Freedom, that very same far-right legal group that pops up in every instance of anti-GLBT litigation we face. It’s like ordering a bunch of Federalist Society lawyers to spend a weekend being lectured by Lambda and the ACLU after losing a gay rights case.

This was too much for even the uber-conservative Fifth Circuit, where an all-Republican, three-judge panel put a hold on the order and now has reversed it. For one thing, it wasn’t the lawyers who arguably stepped on the religious rights of the flight attendant. It was the airline people. For another, the order trespassed on the attorneys’ constitutional rights. Anyway, the crazy sanctions have been dropped.

Speaking of dropping things, we can also drop the book banning story, because we’re tired of commenting on the long game between good and evil that we have now been forced to play

for the last decade. Time out for a minute, while I look for something more entertaining.

Jennifer Seagull

Here’s a reporter who speaks to me, a man named Jack Mirkinson who writes for The Nation, but in this case for Discourseblog. Mirkinson, with an amusing prose style reminiscent of my own, reveals the history of Lesbian Seagull Island, otherwise known as Santa Barbara Island, a Sapphic avian paradise where 14 percent of gulls are lesbians (as of the late 1970s) and many of the rest are (I’m guessing) in the closet as were quite a few human lesbians in the 1970s.

It seems the Island and its risqué inhabitants were the object of federal research funds back in the day, because Mirkinson has dug up a complaint from the Congressional Record of 1978, where California GOP Senator S.I. Hayawaka raises the matter of problematic National Science Foundation Grants:

“I believe the most responsive, sensitive thing we in Congress can do is to cut down on those programs that the general public knows little about, and can do without. As effective as the results of NSF studies can be, the majority of Americans have little need for or interest in a $62,300 study of homosexual sea gulls.”

Bite your tongue, Sam. If NSF studies were limited to topics that drew interest from a majority of Americans, I imagine our scientific progress would suffer greatly. And if we started cutting down on federally funded projects that the general public “knows little about,” I think, again, we would do so to our detriment, since few of us pay the slightest attention to the budget and the agenda of the various scientific research operations relying on taxpayer largesse.

As for whether or not we all “need” to dig down into the mysteries of lesbian sea gulls, dark matter time warps, deep sea tardigrade habitats, ancient Mayan cities, or other arcane areas of investigation, probably not. But while necessity may be the mother of invention, in my opinion it should bear no relation to NSF funding.

arostow@aol.com

grassroots of the community, transit stakeholders, and public officials to deliver the project is itself very much in the spirit of Harvey Milk.”

One of the primary challenges to be addressed by the project is the lack of accessibility at the Castro Muni Station’s underground entrance. Currently, the entry stairs fail to meet federally mandated ADA standards, posing significant barriers to mobility and safety. Also, the stairs’ outdoor location makes them even more unsafe when it rains. Through the allocation of public funds, the project will facilitate the construction of ADA-compliant pathways, new stairs, and an escalator, making the station more inclusive and safer for all. Both the new stairs and the escalator will be covered in the new plaza, making them safer to navigate in all weather conditions.

e-mail bettysnie@aol.com

Moreover, the new plaza tackles long-standing safety concerns by reimagining the original design, which was unveiled almost 45 years ago. By eliminating the recessed outdoor areas and improving circulation and lighting throughout, the new plaza aims to create a welcoming environment while mitigating issues of vandalism and illegal behavior. This holistic approach not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of the plaza but also fosters a greater sense of community ownership and pride.

Crucially, the coordinated investment extends beyond mere infrastructure upgrades to redefine the plaza’s role as a dynamic public space. Through the creation of an expanded transit plaza at the historic intersection of Castro and Market Streets and an occupiable park area with verdant landscaping near Collingwood Street, the project seeks to cultivate social interaction and civic engagement. By integrating amenities such as seating and improved boarding areas for bus lines, the plaza emerges as a nexus of activity and connection within the neighborhood.

“Fostering activity in a public space is one of the best ways to make it safe, healthy, and community-oriented, so thoughtful curation of the plaza’s operation will be key,” shared Drew Becher, CEO of San Francisco Parks Alliance, the fiscal sponsor of the Friends group.

The project transcends mere urban renewal— it embodies a once-in-a-generation opportu-

nity to celebrate the enduring legacy of Milk in the neighborhood he loved dearly and that lifted him up as a leader. By seamlessly blending commemorative features with essential infrastructure upgrades, this initiative will revitalize an important civic space, and in the process, address the deficiency of LGBTQ+ representation in our nation’s commemorative landscape. As the project unfolds, it stands as a testament to the power of collective vision and collaborative action in shaping a more inclusive and vibrant future for all.

“My hat’s off to the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza,” shared community leader and founder of the NAMES/AIDS Memorial Project, Cleve Jones. “They’ve managed to keep the project connected to the grassroots of the LGBTQ+ community while navigating through city approvals and securing funding. As someone who understands how difficult this can be, I commend them. They’ve delivered on an important project that will ensure the historical events that occurred in the Castro will continue to inspire and support future generations of our community leaders.”

Already, the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza have started turning their attention to the planning around the activation of the plaza once it’s open, and the role to be played by each member of the community. Said Springfield, “On the evening of the assassinations, Harry Britt stood outside City Hall and assured the mourners gathered there, ‘Someday there will be something special in this city, and it will have Harvey Milk’s name on it.’ This project is the fulfillment of the promise Britt made on that night in 1978.”

He added, “Decades of work by this community have finally brought us this close to seeing this vision realized. But, once the plaza is open and operating, each of us will have to take some ownership of the space to ensure that it remains vibrant with LGBTQ+ cultural expression and joy, and supports the ongoing work toward a real and lasting equality. Each of us has a role to play in ensuring the movement continues.”

https://www.harveymilkplaza.org/

TING

HARVEY MILK PLAZA (continued from pg 8)

JUSTER (continued

San Francisco Bay Times Official Sponsor of San Francisco Pride

By Donna Sachet

W“If you fall in love with a boy, you fall in love with a boy. The fact that many Americans consider it a disease says more about them than it does about homosexuality.”

— James Baldwin

ith only hours to go before Pride month began, Divas & Drinks celebrated SF Pride at The Academy on May 31. Presenting Sponsor Comcast, represented by Joan Hammel, Public Relations Manager, started things off with a couple of giveaways, followed by Patrick Carney who described this year’s Pink Triangle Project. (More on that later.) Then SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford and Board President Nguyen Pham took over, introducing the Grand Marshals of this year’s SF Pride Parade. (Even more on that later.) From there, it was a night of music with high energy singing and percussion by Amy Meyers and Joyce Baker and a soul-shaking set by Grand Marshal Tory Teasley, accompanied by guitar and percussion. Then DJ Olga T took over, calling everyone to dance into the night. As a final surprise, Mayor London Breed popped in to join the dancing and laughter, saying, in an aside, that she knew where the joy would be. The first day of June saw us at the Marine Memorial Theater hosting Heels for Hope, the annual fundraiser for Maitri, providing care for low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS and those seeking gender affirmation. On stage entertainment featured For Fou Ha, a hilarious and skilled circus drag ensemble, amazing comedian Allison Hooker, and from NBC’S The Voice Caleb Sasser, who sent the audience into ecstasy with his extraordinary range and sensitivity. In between, auctioneer Michal Tate once again drew enthusiastic bids for a host of packages, as well as leading a fabulous fund-in-need auction. Remarks from Executive Director Saturday, June 15

Michael Armentrout brought everything in focus for this wonderful organization that has served the underserved for 35 years.

Pride Month for the city officially kicked off on Monday, June 3, with the raising of the Gilbert Baker rainbow flag over City Hall. A festive ceremony followed on the Mayor’s balcony inside the Rotunda with speeches from elected officials and Pride representatives and recognition of all the Grand Marshals of the SF Pride Parade. From all indications, this promises to be the best San Francisco Pride Parade yet!

We returned to City Hall the next day to be honored along with Gary Virginia by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman and the entire Board of Supervisors for the 25-year success of Gary Virginia & Donna Sachet’s Pride Brunch. This event produced thousands of dollars for the important work of PRC, offered a chance for the Grand Marshals of the Parade to address their community, and provided a popular Pride event the Saturday before the Parade. After careful consideration, we decided with Gary to end the event after record-breaking attendance and proceeds last year. So, watch for the two of us at more and more Pride events this year!

Wednesday brought us back to the national stage as we joined a fundraising event honoring Vice President Kamala Harris, organized by the inimitable Manny Yekutiel. As loyal readers will remember, our relationship with the Vice President goes back years and included a visit to Washington, D.C., last year for her Pride Party at her home, the Naval Observatory. Naturally, it was a thrill to see her again in person. We joined Katya Smirnoff Skye in performing at a reception at The Chapel preceding the Vice President’s appearance, enjoying all the madness backstage with White House aides, Secret Service, SF Police, and more. Katya was a delight to perform with and to share such a special experience.

The following day started very early with an 8 am appearance in North Beach to debut Tony Gemignani’s rainbow bagel! This creation pays tribute to Pride Month in San Francisco, celebrating the return of Sunday’s a Drag to Club Fugazi in North Beach, produced by our friend Patrick Rylee, with proceeds going to the Rainbow Honor Walk. To serve your rainbow bagel “Sachet-style,” you must use the special sweet cream cheese topping with colorful sprinkles. Stop by Toscano Brothers Bakery or order your rainbow bagels today and join Tony in this unique effort to celebrate SF Pride city-wide.

That afternoon, we returned to City Hall for the third time that week for Supervisor Mandelman’s Pride reception. His office is currently decorated with artwork by two of his constituents, affectionately known as Two Bald Guys. Various District 8 citizens popped by, including our very own Peanut in her first City Hall appearance. She was understandably excited, but remained well-behaved. That night, we ended a very long day at the Westin St. Francis for the Business of Pride gathering, along with Bay Times Co-Publishers Betty Sullivan and Jennifer Viegas. The evening offered various awards and recognition of LGBTQ+ owned and operated businesses in the Bay Area. Outstanding Voices included Bevan Dufty, Breonna McCree, Jake Stensberg, Maya Setchkova, and Avantha Arachchi. The Selisse Berry Legacy Leader Award went to outspoken Kara Swisher and the Corporate Pride Award to Maya Lowe and 23andMe. Cocktails and an extensive buffet afterwards gave ample time for networking.

Saturday was the perfect conclusion to our first week of Pride Month with the Pink Triangle Ceremony atop Twin Peaks, attended by a score of elected officials and enthusiastic supporters of Patrick Carney who started and continues to champion this iconic project. Where else can one see from miles around this symbol of hatred and exclusion turned into a powerful statement of joy

Tuesday, June 18

All We Need Is Love SF Gay Men’s Chorus & SF Symphony Davies Symphony Hall 7:30 pm $99 & up www.sfgmc.org

Wednesday, June 19 Castro Theatre Blade Lighting Frameline kickoff with Another Planet 8 pm Free!

and inclusion, reminding us all to never forget the past, lest we repeat our mistakes? Stand-out speakers included Juanita MORE! and the Reigning Empress of San Francisco Linda Summers. The ceremony concluded with bottles of pink champagne exploding on Twin Peaks and drenching the pink triangle below.

Our final event of the week was the CD Release Party for Gypsy Love’s new song at Midnight Sun, produced by Gary Virginia. The bar was packed with friends and members of Gypsy’s family to celebrate the ongoing success of this much beloved local singer and big-hearted soul, providing a fitting conclusion to the week.

If, as you read this column, you have been counting exclamation marks, you will realize that we love this time of year and the many events it offers. Consider those punctuation marks representative of our enormous pride in the LGBTQ+ Community, its tremendous and beautiful diversity, and the many individuals who lead the charge. Never take for granted the incredible privilege of living in a place that celebrates all that we are and don’t miss your chance to join in the Parade and Celebration!

Donna Sachet is a celebrated performer, fundraiser, activist, and philanthropist who has dedicated over two decades to the LGBTQ Community in San Francisco. Contact her at empsachet@gmail.com

FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL Returns With World-Class Trans and Queer Performance

The wildly popular FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL of Trans & Queer Performance will be back this June 21–23 with world-class dance, theater, and live music. The 23rd annual festival will return to the Mission District’s gorgeous Z Space theater—and all performances are ASL interpreted.

What can the audience expect this year? “Voguing superstars, Deaf theater visionaries, queer Salsa champions, Trans-Americana music, taiko, hip-hop, comedy, South Asian contemporary dance, Bomba music and dance, and more!” says Artistic Director Sean Dorsey.

Dorsey adds, “We are also thrilled to present the world premiere of all-new works commissioned especially for the festival by our 2024 FRESH WORKS!

Commissioned artists: LBXX, Christopher Smith, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi and Mark Travis Rivera.”

Fresh Meat Productions’ Managing Director Eric Garcia says, “This year’s festival is incredibly exciting because it’s not just about showcasing outstanding trans and queer artists; it’s about queering art forms, queering narratives, and queering community.”

Dorsey shares, “Each act is a testament to our community’s creativity and resilience, providing gorgeous possibility models, and celebrating our community in all its forms. Not only is it a celebration of our collective journey and the power of art to inspire change, but it’s also a really good show!”

At a time of brutal attacks on trans and queer communities, the 2024 FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL is just the medicine our communities need.

Garcia adds, “The FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL has always been and continues to be about liberation. Through our art, we reclaim our voices, our bodies, and our dreams. We resist erasure and celebrate our existence unapologetically.”

Dorsey says, “These performances are acts of defiance and beauty, and declarations of our right to joy and freedom.” The full festival lineup is: Batey Tambó, Christopher Smith, Ka’Lonji Moschino Escada, Iman, Ishami Dance Company, Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi LBXX, Lottie Riot, In Lak’ech Dance Monarchs, Mark Travis Rivera Queer Taiko, Sean Dorsey Dance, Shawna Virago, and all hosted by femme-cee Churro Nomi.

Audiences will also be treated to music sets by DJ Dreams, and there will also be the popular FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL photo booth. The festival is produced by Fresh Meat Productions, which is co-led by Dorsey and Garcia.

T he FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL is the only event of its kind in the country, and is celebrated for its world-class artistry and sold-out crowds. The FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL’s celebration of trans and gender-nonconforming and queer artistry is especially powerful in the face of more than 550 anti-transgender bills in 42 states this year.

KN95 masks will be provided and required. ASL Interpretation will be provided at all performances. The Z Space theater is wheelchair accessible and has all-gender bathrooms.

“Lots of people consider our festival to be their Pride weekend,” Dorsey enthuses. “It’s like a huge family reunion—there is so much joy and celebration in the air at the festival. People look forward to it all year long.”

Check out this preview at YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Vygpie

2024 FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL

June 21–23, 2024

Program A: Friday, June 21 @ 8 pm + Saturday, June 22 @ 2 pm

Program B: Saturday, June 22 @ 8 pm + Sunday, June 23 @ 2 pm

Z Space (450 Florida Street, San Francisco 94110)

Tix/Info: www.FreshMeatProductions.org

Photos courtesy of Fresh Meat Productions

Shawna Virago

Lak’ech Dance Monarchs

Iman

Sean Dorsey Dance

Lottie Riot

Ishami Dance Company

Ka’Lonji Moschino Escada

Love Me Some Hacks!

Off the Wahl

Jan Wahl

Ever watched a show and never wanted it to end? I binge the ones I love. They are over too soon. That would include Ripley, Bridgerton, and Hacks. I am on the newest season, and it just gets better. I have heard they are shooting season three and just have to try and practice patience, which is challenging!

Hacks is loosely based on the life and career of Joan Rivers. I was lucky enough to know Joan, and there are similarities and differences. Unlike Deborah Vance (Jean Smart), the main character in Hacks, Joan was a loving mother to Melissa. She lived like a queen in Manhattan. Deborah lives like an empress in Las Vegas.

As for the similarities, Deborah is obsessed with having her own late night talk show. She once had one but lost it due to network politics, egos, and a lack of Lady Luck. She is totally connected to the home shopping channel QVC, and designs clothes, jewelry, and household goods for them. Joan was extremely successful this same way. I am wearing a yellow anchor Joan Rivers bee pin right now. Both Joan and Deborah had numerous face lifts and “refreshers.”

Her backstory is standup comedy, but on Hacks she really shows her acting chops. She is an out bisexual, but in the show is a vulnerable, lusty lesbian who gets her heart broken but never gives up. Her character is career driven, so she hopes her tumultuous relationship with Deborah pays off. Hannah has scenes that are beautiful to watch. She is a remarkable performer who is able to do both high comedy and drama.

Designing Women (1986–1993) was the show that made us all aware of Smart. Her role as Charlene was loveable and fun. But it was on the Frasier episode “A Day in May” that TV executives saw she could play caustic and tough. Whether playing a standup goddess, QVC shill, gay icon, or brokenhearted sister and mother, Smart really brings it.

The side characters are nothing short of wonderful. Come-

Though Joan had devoted assistants, I never heard of a devoted head writer, though I am sure she had them. Deborah’s head writer is a remarkable and feisty young gay woman, played magnificently by Hannah Einbinder. Einbinder’s actual mother is Saturday Night Live comedienne Laraine Newman.

dian/actress Megan Stalter plays deluded and hysterically authentic as one of Deborah’s assistants. The co-creator of the series is Paul W. Downs as the insecure but determined boss to Megan. There is also hunky Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Deborah’s overwhelmed right hand and Kaitlin Olson as Deborah’s wild-child daughter.

Guest stars show up playing themselves or relatable showbiz types. My favorite was an episode where Einbinder ends up in bed with a filthy rich golfer played by gorgeous Christina Hendricks (Mad Men). Imagine Einbinder’s horror when she finds out this beautiful babe is not only into kink but is also a Republican! Hacks streams on Max and is the reason I invested in the streaming service. Start the series from the beginning. It only gets better!

Jan Wahl is a Hollywood historian and film critic on various broadcast outlets. She has two Emmys and many awards for her longtime work on behalf of film buffs and the LGBTQ community. Contact her at www.janwahl.com

Joan Rivers

Leave Signs

Gothic fiction and horror are, unfortunately, often dependent on the damsel in distress trope: the mad wife in the attic; the beautiful virgin who becomes the object of the vampire’s obsession, and even the little girl in the red hooded cape bouncing through the woods. So, it’s not a surprise that it took a while for women and queer writers to find our way through the forest of (white) male writers to a place at the table.

I’ll never forget my favorite rejection letter from a commercial publisher after the editor read my novel, The Gilda Stories, more than thirty years ago. He felt that a Black, lesbian vampire was “too complicated.”

The truth that repelled him was that the female at the center didn’t need rescuing. Gilda was a power unto herself who repeatedly defeated the forces of evil patriarchy, whether it was rescuing herself from slavery or partnering with a widow to feed the hungry after World War 1, or outmaneuvering street thugs.

Thirty years after its publication, The Gilda Stories remains in print and

Goth for All

received a legacy award from the Horror Writers of America (HWA), which comes with the best-looking award ever: a small, perfectly etched gothic castle. This year at StokerCon, the HWA annual convention, I looked around to see how centered we from the margins actually felt now.

It was in the panel about the roots of gothic fiction that I heard a panelist, novelist Jo Kaplan—author of

Jewelle Gomez

an ingenious gothic western, When the Night Bells Ring —articulate why writing gothic/horror fiction would actually appeal to women and queer writers once the standard trope was removed. Gothic and horror’s pervading sense of anxiety as well as the imminent sensation of a looming precipice are feelings women, people of color, and queer people live with a good bit of the time.

There is also an underlying grief, which threads through the genre and that is also familiar to us. There have been, of course, some women, POC, and queers working in the genre for years. We all know Samuel R. Delany’s illustrious writing career, and I finally met Ellen Datlow, one of the renowned editors of horror anthologies in the business. But this year at StokerCon 24, I saw how strongly we’ve woven our thread through this tapestry.

In the panel on queerness and otherness, novelist Lindsay King-Miller (The Z Word ) observed how much of queer culture combines things that on first glance don’t seem to go together, but they

Top

of your stack

do fit. This was echoed in the panel featuring African American writers who speculated what a monster from Black culture would look like. Author Nisi Shawl (Kinning) saw the increased participation of those from the margins gives rise to new styles and concepts such as what she called “micopunk,” which is a style in which mushroom-type viruses infiltrate society. This is something I’ll have to consider for my next novella or next meal!

I didn’t turn into a bean counter, but noted that women, queers, and people of color were at StokerCon in reasonably healthy numbers. One of my faves was POC Justina Ireland, author of the spectacular zombie duo: Dread Nation, featuring the fiercest, scythewielding Black women in literature; and Deathless Divide, which has the hottest butch/femme cover ever!

of queers and people of color at the convention.

Linda Addison, an editor and author of horror poetry and a person of color, is always among the first to welcome new faces to the HWA. Unlike the editors who thought my main character was too complicated, she and others at StokerCon have helped create a place that welcomes

complexity of identity and storytelling. And if you want to discuss them in costume—cool!

Tananarive Due was a StokerCon winner in fiction for her new novel The Reformatory, a horror story deeply imbedded in a Black experience. Ridley Harker, whose novel Parasite was a Lambda Book award finalist last year, also attended, as did Sumiko Saulson, who put together a resource book of Black horror writers. They helped pull up the numbers

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOOK PASSAGE

The Guncle Abroad (fictionhardcover) by Steven Rowley

The beloved and fun-loving “guncle” returns, diving headfirst into the whirlwind of family drama at his brother’s extravagant Italian wedding. Amid the chaos of the groom’s cold feet, sibling rivalry, and moody teenagers, he is determined to ensure everyone finds their happy ending. Signed copies are available!

Free to Be: Understanding Kids & Gender Identity (non-fictionhardcover) by Dr. Jack Turban

Child and adolescent psychiatrist

Dr. Jack Turban follows three transgender and gender-diverse youths on their journey of self-discovery and gender-affirming care in a complex social and political climate.

Free to Be provides tools for caregivers and children to navigate gender identity and its societal implications. Signed copies are also available!

Canto Contigo: A Novel (fictionhardcover) by Jonny Garza Villa

When Mariachi star Rafael Alvarez transfers schools, he expects to be the lead vocalist in his new singing group, but he finds that the spot has been taken by a past romantic fling: the boy he made out with eight months ago. Now how will he prove himself as the greatest Mariachi his late abuelo believed in?

Upcoming Events

Thursday, June 13 @ 5:30 pm (freeFerry Building store) Sara Glass, author of Kissing Girls on Shabbat

Kissing Girls on Shabbat is a memoir about a young woman’s struggle to embrace her queer identity within a controlling Hasidic community while striving to protect her family. Sara Glass, PhD, LCSW, will discuss her book with author Cathy Rath on June 13. After the event, Glass will answer audience questions and sign copies of her book.

Saturday, June 22 @ 3 pm (free - Ferry Building store SF) Karl Dunn, author of How to Burn a Rainbow: My Gay Marriage Didn’t Make Me Whole, My Divorce Did

Karl Dunn’s How to Burn a Rainbow is a memoir detailing the abrupt end of his marriage and the ensuing journey of self-discovery. Follow along as Dunn discards societal expectations imposed by both the gay and straight communities, confronts his deepest fears, and carves out his own path to self-love. Dunn will answer questions and sign copies of his book.

https://www.bookpassage.com/

Jewelle Gomez is a lesbian/feminist activist, novelist, poet, and playwright. She’s written for “The Advocate,” “Ms. Magazine,” “Black Scholar,” “The San Francisco Chronicle,” “The New York Times,” and “The Village Voice.” Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @ VampyreVamp

and

This much-needed history of lesbian geographies is meticulously researched, incorporates multiple interviews, and can function as a how-to on building communities out of nothing.

Cinema Love by Jiaming Tang

This captivating novel explores the lives of queer men in rural China and the women they marry.

https://www.fabulosabooks.com/

Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg This road trip novel explores Big Picture Ideas about art, connection, friendship,

queerness.

P lace of Our Own:

Spaces That Shaped Queer

Culture by June Tomas

Jewelle Gomez

What to Watch at Frameline48

Without the Castro Theater as a venue this year, Frameline may feel a bit different, but there are still many great films to see. The festival opens with an outdoor screening of Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero , an entertaining portrait of the out Grammy-winning rapper, singer, and songwriter. Frameline concludes ten days later with the Bay Area premiere of A House Is Not a Disco, Brian J. Smith’s fabulous documentary about Fire Island.

In between there are plenty of shorts, features, and documentaries portraying LGBTQ+ lives. And several films are by or starring local talent, including Lady Like, about drag artist Lady Camden, and local filmmaker Don Hardy’s documentary Linda Perry: Let It Die Here,

landscape, as when Vincente takes his family to White Sands. What makes In the Summers so moving, however, is all that goes unsaid. This finely observed drama builds to a quietly powerful final sequence that may just prompt tears.

The Summer With Carmen is an enchanting comedy that opens at a queer beach in Greece where Demosthenes (Yorgos Tsiantoulas), a hunky gay man, and his best friend Nikitas (Andreas Labropoulos) discuss shooting a film about the summer Demos took care of Carmen, his ex-boyfriend’s Panos’ (Nikolaos Mihas) dog. The film has a meta quality to it as Nikitas and Demos make references to plot points, character development, and even list the six messages of the film. But the cleverness of these scenes is overshadowed by the copious nude and sex scenes. Tsiantoulas, in his debut film, is a find, truly comfortable in the beach scenes where he’s naked, or during his trysts with Thymios (Vasilis Tsigristaris). The actor also displays a heartfelt mix of anxiety and despair in his scenes with Panos or his demanding mother (Roubini Vasilakopoulou). And he is charming interacting with the film’s scene stealer, Carmen.

which chronicles the life of the former Bay Area singer.

Here is a rundown of more than a dozen films screening the first week of this year’s fest. In the Summers is a knockout feature debut by the queer writer/ director Alessandra Lacorazza. Set entirely in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the film chronicles two sisters, Eva (Luciana Elisa Quinonez as a tween, Allison Salinas as a teen, and Sasha Calle as a young adult) and the queer Violeta (Dreya Castillo/Kimaya Thais/Lio Mehiel), as they visit their father, Vincente (René Pérez Joglar, aka Residente), four times over an approximately ten-year period. The first summer is mostly fun and games, but things get more distant and awkward as various changes take place during or between visits. Violeta, in particular, becomes more defiant, and develops a crush on Camila (Gabriella Surodjawan as a teen, Sharlene Cruz as a young adult). Eva feels lonelier, and Vincente struggles with addiction. Every frame in the film is artfully composed, providing a real sense of place, from the clutter and deterioration of the house to the vast

and the farmer are saying.) Making matters worse, Zia’s son Massimo (Morgan Spector)—who does speak English—arrives, but his accent is very thick, causing more confusion. As Dom and Cole suspect homophobia, tensions escalate, and accidents happen. The high-strung performances by Rannells and Kroll are inspired, and the film gets funnier with each outrageous mishap.

From Argentina comes Underground Orange, a ramshackle comedy about an American (writer/ director Michael Taylor Jackson), who arrives in Buenos Aires and gets robbed of his money and passport before the opening credits. When he meets the members of a political theater collective—Paty (Sofia Gala Castiglione), her girlfriend, Goya (Bel Gatti), as well as Dante (Gianluca Zonzini) and Frida (Vera Spinetta)—he participates in their play about war criminal Henry Kissinger. There are

contemporary queer archive staffed by Kieran (Theo Germaine), as well as candid interviews with nearly a dozen transmen. There are also archival clips of interviews and letters to “transcestor” Lou Sullivan, who is “the first transgender man to publicly identify as gay.” Rosskam seamlessly interweaves each of these threads to comment on queer identity and sexuality. The subjects, both real and fictional, past and present, candidly express how they think of themselves, their experiences of dysphoria, and how they came to terms with their transness. But there are also valuable discussions about “desiring transness” and how these individuals actualize their desires, feel fetishized, feel alienated within

I Don’t Understand You is a darkly humorous but very funny comedy about miscommunication.

Married gay couple Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells) are celebrating their 10-year anniversary in Italy. During their trip, they learn they will become fathers as the pregnant Candice (Amanda Seyfried) has selected the couple to adopt her baby. However, this good news comes at an awkward time. Cole and Dom are in crisis mode having made a wrong turn on the way to a restaurant. Lost and stuck in the woods in a storm, they mistake a local farmer’s (Arcangelo Iannace) good intentions for evil. Likewise, when they do arrive at the intended restaurant, the owner, Zia Luciana (Nunzia Schiano), speaks in Italian, and they don’t understand her. (Subtitles reveal what Zia

tensions in the group when Paty robs a bank, or Goya objects to “the Yanqui,” but there is also same-sex and polyamorous love. Underground Orange has a playful, anarchic spirit that allows its cast to create and invent as the plot unfolds and the group find themselves in a series of unusual situations. Michael Taylor Jackson’s ambitious freewheeling experience has a scrappiness that is appealing, but the film also feels like empty posturing.

Written, directed, and edited by Jules Rosskam, Desire Lines is an illuminating docu-fiction film about transmasculinity. Several narrative strands are used to explore the topic, including episodes set in a fictional bathhouse in the 1980s, to scenes of an Iranian trans researcher, Ahmad (Aden Hakimi), visiting a

long stretches of the film depict Mariam’s courtship with Hassan in 1969 Pakistan, where Mariam lied to and defied her parents. Other scenes depict Azra as a pre-teen (Ayana Manji), to add another layer to the mamadrama. The parallels between mother and daughter are meaningful, but The Queen of My Dreams does not build its drama; instead, it features music and dance numbers to make connections as well as scenes of Azra resenting the archaic patriarchy that Mariam endures. Fawzia’s film offers a percipient look at South Asian women and culture.

The stylish and smart low budget “transgender holiday film” Carnage for Christmas is prolific trans writer/director Alice Maio Mackay’s most accomplished horror film to date. Trans podcaster Lola (Jeremy Moineau) returns to her small hometown for the holidays only to encounter a Santa-suited serial killer who is stalking members of the queer community. Because the local cops are useless—one identifies

the queer community, or feel objectified because of their race, gender, or sexual stereotypes. Additionally, Desire Lines provides overlapping storylines about trans experiences with HIV. This fascinating film is both experimental and ambitious, and it succeeds brilliantly.

The Queen of My Dreams, written and directed by Fawzia Mirza, has Azra (Amrit Kaur), a Muslim lesbian, grappling with her anger towards her traditionalist mother, Mariam (Nimra Bucha) especially after her father Hassan (Hamza Haq) suddenly dies. This comedy/ drama opens in 1999 Toronto, but

Lola as a person of interest in the case—Lola investigates the murders herself. The crimes echo on the town’s famous case of the Toymaker murders, which is recounted early on in a nifty animated sequence during Lola’s podcast. Mackay keeps the action nimble as the bodies pile up and Carnage for Christmas features some gory special effects along with plenty of queer positivity. Moineau makes an ingratiating protagonist, and viewers may hope Lola gets more mysteries to solve.

R ent Free is an amusing, shaggy comedy directed, edited, and

(continued on page 31)

Gondola

Film

Gary M. Kramer

In the Summers

The Astronaut Lovers

cowritten by Fernando Andrés, about two friends—the gay Ben (Jacob Roberts) and the bi Jordan (David Treviño)—who try to delay adulting and stave off homelessness in Austin after Ben’s horniness cost him an apartment in New York City, and Jordan’s girlfriend, Anna (Molly Edelman), breaks up with him. The guys try crashing with various friends for as long as possible, claiming it is a “social experiment,” but really, it’s their survival plan. Ben is a slacker who earns meager tips delivering food, while Jordan, a photographer, can’t find much work. As they move in with exes, a toxic gay couple, Ben’s dad, and even work for a housesitting app, the guys’ bromance shows signs of strain. The humor derives from Ben and Jordan’s self-destructive, codependent, selfish, and needy tendencies, and Rent Free generates its laughs from Roberts’ unselfconscious performance playing off Treviño’s not-sostraight guy. This comedy of manners is modest in its scale and ambitions, and, like its leads, it charms, though for impatient viewers, the film will likely wear out its welcome.

Demons at Dawn is the latest hypnotic drama from Julián Hernández.

flirts with her—they play chess, and share food (even in mid-air), and play music. Nino also elaborately designs her gondola and wears costumes (e.g, an astronaut going to Mars), or performs a nighttime striptease to attract Iva. Their love language is charming. Gondola is slight and gentle, and like Nino’s seduction of Iva, hard to resist.

Duino depicts an intimate friendship that develops between two teens, the shy Argentine Matias (Santiago Madrussan) and the extroverted Swede, Alexander (Oscar Morgan), who meet at the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy, in the 1990s. When Alexander invites Mathias to stay at his family’s villa over Christmas, the unspoken desire between the teens intensifies, but Alexander’s sister, Kathrine (Julai Bender), falls for Mathias, creating some conflict. Duino recounts all of this decades later in a film-within-a-film being made by the adult Matias (out actor Juan Pablo Di Pace, who co-wrote and co-directed with Andrés Pepe Estrade). As Duino tells parallel stories it becomes an absorbing, sensi-

Here Orlando (Luis Vegas), a dancer, falls at first sight for Marco (Axel Shuarma), who is studying to be a nurse. Their romance is sweet as they move in together and declare their love. Hernández films this all in his patented style; a kiss the guys share is shot in 360-degrees segueing to Orlando and Marco in bed making love. But around the film’s midpoint something forces both Orlando and Marco to recalibrate their relationship. Hernández depicts how each guy processes the change and its impact, but despite the leads’ efforts, there is more moodiness than palpable emotion. The overlong Demons at Dawn is gorgeously made, and Hernández showcases their bodies artfully, but it also feels underwhelming.

Gondola is a sweet, wordless lesbian romance from Georgia. Iva (Mathilde Irrmann) arrives in a mountain village and gets a job working as a conductor in a gondola. Her colleague, Nino (Nini Soselia),

getting too deep into his work? Mollica’s high-wire performance blurs the lines—he is sexy and confident one minute, and full of anxiety the next. Sebastian may not add anything new to the sex worker narrative, but the film remains captivating because Mollica exudes charisma, and makes viewers care about Max even when he is at his worst.

The Astronaut Lovers, the latest bromance by Marco Berger, has the gay Pedro (Javier Orán) reconnecting with the straight Maxi (Lautaro Bettoni), years after they knew each other at summer camp. The guys talk trash, flirt, and tease each other until Maxi loses a bet—which involves sucking the other guy’s finger—and must pretend to be Pedro’s boyfriend. Maxi participates eagerly in the charade, which both pleases and threatens Pedro, who may be falling for Maxi. Berger keeps the sexual tension percolating in his typical low-key, slow-burn style, but he amps up the heat when Pedro and Maxi kiss (and kiss). If The Astronaut Lovers gives Berger another opportu-

nity to address sexual fluidity, this film borrows heavily from the filmmaker’s 2009 debut, Plan B. Devotees of the writer/director may feel déjà vu all over again. Even so, the leads are attractive, although their behavior is juvenile.

tive drama about Matias’ first love. This personal film may be more subtle than explicit, but its most moving scene is a speech by Matias’ mother (Araceli González) that comforts her son during a time of heartbreak.

The excellent character study Sebastian has Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a writer, secretly working as Sebastian, an escort. He is performing sex work as research for a novel he hopes to publish. Of course, his side hustle (no pun intended) distracts from his freelance work for a magazine, and it is only a matter of time before his two worlds collide. Writer/director Mikko Makela includes a line that acknowledges that a sex worker is a “stock character in queer literature” (and film). Even so, Sebastian remains interesting because of how Max handles the personal and professional conflicts he faces. Is he being self-destructive and feeling shame about living a double life? As he gets more involved with one particular client, is Max

1-800-On-Her-Own is a loving documentary showcasing Ani DiFranco, the bisexual folk singer and feminist icon who created her own independent record label, Righteous Babe Records, back in the 1990s. Director Dana Flor follows DiFranco on tour, at home (during COVID-19), and as she tries to produce a new album. The interviews as well as DiFranco reflecting on life and career are compelling—she worries about life/work (im)balance, has doubts and insecurities, and yet also inspires with her activism and fight for equality. 1-800-On-HerOwn, of course, features a handful of songs performed by DiFranco, which will please die-hard fans, but it is her observations about the changes in the music industry and her own aging and aspirations that resonate. For tickets, showtimes, and more information about Frameline48, visit https://www.frameline.org/

© 2024 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

Carnage for Christmas

Queen of My Dreams

I Dont Understand You

Inaugural Rainbow Fair Oakland

Photos by Sandy Morris and Juan Davila

Grammy Award-winning R&B artist Thelma Houston (“Don’t Leave Me This Way” and more) headlined the main stage at the first Rainbow Fair Oakland held at Splash Pad Park at Grand & Lake Park Avenues on Sunday, June 9, 2024.

Throughout the day, attendees enjoyed strolling along the fair’s lanes lined with exhibit and information booths, food and beverage vendors, and entertainment stage areas. The free celebration featured drag performances, dancing, a kids play area, elders area, and DJs spinning tunes from the 1970s, ‘80s, ‘90s, and beyond.

The San Francisco Bay Times, a media sponsor for the event, had a booth staffed by Bay Times volunteer coordinator Juan Davila and his team. In trademark Pride wings, Davila was invited on one of the stages and became part of the entertainment, coordinating his moves to the music of a few of the DJs. The beautiful, not-too-hot quintessential sunny East Bay day had many others, young and old, stopping to spontaneously dance with newly made friends.

Organized by the Oakland Community Center in conjunction with the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District, Oakland Pride, and the Stop the Hate campaign, the event was featured broadly by local media outlets whose reporters, photographers, and videographers made their way around the grounds.

To inquire about future related events, contact Joe Hawkins: joe.haskins@oakalndlgbqcenter.org

TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation

Dr. Tim Seelig

Life is a journey marked in years and filled like a grocery cart at Walmart. The closer you get to checking out, the more you ponder the things you selected. My life’s cart has been filled with copious amounts of music, family, friends, food, activism, and, of course, religious indoctrination. From time to time, you may have seen photos of my husband and me. You may have noticed an age difference. If you didn’t notice, I love you, but you might need to check your eyeglass prescription. You might also be one of those rare people who “doesn’t see age.” Bobby and I are in what many like to call a May to December relationship. In case there was any confusion, he’s May, I’m December. For simplicity, we’ll call it a M2D relationship.

There has been a lot of research done on M2D relationships, but there is only one article that we could find that mentions same-sex relationships. Katie Bishop, of the BBC, wrote an article titled “Age gaps: the relationship taboo that

May to December

won’t die.” She provides these fascinating statistics: “In Western countries, around 8% of male-female couples have an age-gap of 10 years or more, rising to 25% in male-male unions and 15% of female-female relationships. In the U.S., only 1% of relationships are 28 years or more.”

I never imagined I would be in the 1%—of anything!

She continues, “These days, even as most societies embrace increasingly progressive views on love, relationships, and the rich variety of ways they can present, couples where one person is much older than the other still face judgement. Rather than assume people are happily together, there’s a tendency to worry about possible power imbalances. There’s even specific vocabulary to aid that judgement.”

She lists “sugar daddy,” “gold-digger,” “cougar,” “boy toy,” or victim of “daddy issues.” We’ve heard them all and more.

While Bobby and I don’t think about our age difference much, other people do. When I first laid eyes on Bobby at a San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus concert, I didn’t think, “Wow, he’s young.” I replaced young with hot and off we went. A few weeks ago, we visited M2D friends in Palm Springs.

They shared that they had moved from San Francisco because they found themselves in too many uncomfortable situations from people staring or mumbling under their breath. They don’t experience the judgement in Palm Springs. We have not experienced it in Portland, Oregon, either. I guess we’re just helping “keep Portland weird.”

We do occasionally get asked if I’m Bobby’s father or he is my son. It’s always the straights who ask. It gives us immeasurable delight responding, “Nope, we’re husbands!” Bobby is likely to reach over and kiss me on the lips as extra punctuation. Public displays of affection can be generational. I absolutely love the freedom younger folks have.

The term May to December was first used in a song from around 1818 titled, “An Old Man Would Be Wooing.”

“An old man, an old man, will never do for me, For May and December can never agree.”

That is not an auspicious beginning for M2D. The most memorable reference is in the haunting song by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson

titled, “September Song.” It was composed in 1938 for the Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday. It has been recorded by countless artists: Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Johnny Mathis, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and more.

“But it’s a long, long while from May to December.

And the days grow short when you reach September.”

The final song on the topic is one I recorded on my first solo album. You can hear it on YouTube. It is “Somebody Older” from the musical Steel Pier. The first time Bobby and got together, he sang and played for me. I played my recording for him. We were both smitten, and we liked the music, too!

“Somebody older can teach you things

Someone who’s seen it all can help you get through What you’re going through now Listen and hear what somebody older might say Someone who’d probably be someone a lot like me.”

Accept the differences of where you are in your lives.

We have the best of all worlds. Bobby is doing 80–90 concerts a year. I go along when he sings in pretty places. The rest of the time, I sit by the Columbia River in Portland. I pet Tater Tot, volunteer at the humane society, and marvel at geese who can eat and poop simultaneously.

Consider your role as caretaker. Bobby proved to be a great nurse when I had rotator cuff surgery. I am anticipating having other body parts replaced soon. He is incredibly patient. I, on the other hand, am a terrible patient. I’ll work on that.

Know that maturity is relative. If you know me, I am really a 13-yearold mischievous imp. Bobby, on the other hand, is the one who is focused and filled with deep thoughts that fall out in spectacular poetry and lyrics.

Psychotherapist Marni Feuerman, LCSW, LMFT, has compiled “8 Ways to Bridge the Age Gap in Your Relationship.” They sound like good advice for any couple. I’ll share 4, along with our personal experiences.

Identify mutual interests. Our lives have similar mission statements: changing the world through music. Our carts are filled with the same items: family, friends, food, animals, activism, long walks on the beach, and no-matter-how-hard-youtry-to-make-it-go-away religion.

Bobby and I have not experienced much disconnect due to the age gap. We don’t know each other’s generational soundtrack, of course, but we can sing any song in any hymnal. And boy, do we. Television references are completely different. I’m terrible at video games. He can program a

(continued on page 40)

This Month at the Farmers’ Market Summer Squash

By Debra Morris

ZUCCHINI BREAKFAST MUFFINS (keto)

1 green onion, trimmed and sliced thin

1/3 cup yogurt or mascarpone

4 eggs (large)

2/3 cups grated zucchini or summer squash

2 egg whites (from large eggs)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3-1/2 tablespoons melted butter

2/3 cup almond flour

1 cup grated cheese (cheddar or parmesan work great!)

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 jalapeño, diced (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill muffin tin with liners; these muffins will not come out of the pan without them. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until fully combined. Fill the liners and bake. Rotate pan in oven after 12 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Round, long, crooked neck, straight, dark green, light green, yellow, multicolor, twotone—the varieties are endless! Summer squash has names like pattypan, zucchini, zephyr, crook neck, straight neck, Italian, globe (eight ball), Tatuma, and chayote squash, all with the mild squash flavors we have come to love. The farmers’ market has even more varieties than you’ve ever seen!

Test muffins in the center at 22 minutes, to see if a knife or toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Bake a bit longer if needed.

R aw: Chop or slice any variety of summer squash and add to salads and cold pasta dishes. No need to cook!

T hese summer varieties only need a short time to cook, require no peeling, and can be eaten with the seeds. Here are some tasty ways to use them this summer:

G rilled: Slice zucchini in half, brush with olive oil, and toss on the grill for 10 to 15 minutes with a bit of salt and chipotle powder. Hot and heavenly!

Spiralized: Transform raw zucchini or yellow squash as low-calorie “noodles” in salads, side dishes, and your favorite “pasta” dishes.

A dd to Pasta: Dice and add to any pasta sauce, marinara, or Alfredo. Add healthy veggies. Add to the filling in lasagna instead of meat or noodles. Slice thin to recreate lasagna noodles, or chop and use in place of meat. Kids will never know they’re eating vegetables!

Stuffed: Take a globe squash and stuff it. Add chopped vegetables, onions, breadcrumbs or rice, and cheese, and bake. Family-friendly!

Roasted: Slice any way you want—in discs, logs, slices, chunks. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 400°F for 20 to 30 minutes. Easy!

(continued on page 40)

Bay Times Dines

Picky Is as Picky Does

I decided to serve Waldorf salad for the first course at a dinner party we had some years ago, when there were 10 or so guests seated around the dining room table. As I remember, this particular recipe included apples, walnuts, grapes, celery, parsley, and a dressing made of lemon juice, mayonnaise, and yogurt. I’d dished it out on small plates I’d stacked on the dinner plate that was at the center of each place setting.

When the most dawdling eater had put down his salad fork—and isn’t there always someone at the dinner table who’s been so busy making an oration that when the fastest eater is using a chunk of bread to wipe up the last of the dressing, he hasn’t even picked up his fork?—my helpful mate collected the small plates to pile them in the sink.

But first they had to be scraped. He started doing that job. About 30 seconds after clearing those plates from the table, and by the time I returned to the kitchen to ready the next course, my man had taken the trash can out from under the sink. He was standing beside it, holding each used dish, one by one, in his

By Leah Garchik

left hand, and in the right a knife he was using to scrape that dish clean.

With all those ingredients in the salad, every plate removed from the table was a final resting place for at least one rejected ingredient. As he worked, he rapped, sotto voce, a singsong ditty he composed as he went along: “This one doesn’t eat this,” scrape scrape, “That one doesn’t eat that.”

As he made his way through the pile of 10 plates, the chore settled into a steady rhythm, and his language got stronger. By the last two plates, and the last two verses, sung over the scraping of a bunch of celery bits and then walnut halves, “S-face doesn’t eat this ” and “Ass- doesn’t eat that.”

This kitchen performance is remembered with delight and gravity. It was a teachable moment. Around our house, that’s what we think of picky eaters.

I confess, Count 1: I am the mean old lady who at Thanksgiving, when one adored grandchild refuses any of the offerings on the buffet table, refuses to make her a sandwich. I am the suspicious host who,

upon noticing that the pants of the woman who has just proclaimed herself gluten-free are tight around her backside, wonders if her fauxceliac is a cover-up for dieting (and the woman has been unable to convince her insurance company to pay for Ozempic).

And I confess, Count 2: To make matters worse, I am not only mean, but hypocritical. For 55 years, I have been a vegetarian, causing other people the same oh-god-whatdo-I-feed-her grief that I so reject when it comes to my presiding over the kitchen.

I never miss eating meat. My stomach turns at the juicy Impossible Burger, and I much prefer chowing down on soy-based hockey puck-like substitutes. But I can’t ignore that, for all this time, the real down side of going vegetarian is that it’s a pain in the neck to other people, particularly the people who are hosting you in their own homes.

I have actually made inquiries to professionals—in my former job at The San Francisco Chronicle, I came face to face with Dear Abby—about this. Is it polite to tell the host about your food preferences beforehand? If you do that, doesn’t that indicate that you expect someone to prepare something special for you?

In my experience, if the vegetarian shows up in a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals t-shirt, propounding in favor of chickens’ natural life spans, the host, panicked, may feel compelled to run into the kitchen to whip together an omelet.

The host is uncomfortable; the guest is uncomfortable. This is not necessary, I have said; I’m perfectly willing to eat around the meat part of the meal. If I am served a plate that includes a piece of fish, for example, I might suggest before I tuck into the broccoli that the host might want to remove the fish from the plate, so that someone else can eat it.

As for my dinner, I have such a hearty appetite—something like that of a bear awakening from hibernation—that I can make a meal out of the salad or the succotash, or a plate of lettuce, a bowl of nuts (particularly useful because the delicate sucking and slurping removal of the nut chunks that have lodged between one’s teeth provide busywork for the time everyone else is cutting up their salmon).

If it’s something like a lasagna that is served, I will push aside most of the chopped meat and just gobble the rest. I am sure that bits of cow flesh have made it down my throat, but I don’t much care. It’s the thought that counts, and I don’t want to plant the thought that Leah needs special treatment into anyone else’s head. In a restaurant that serves asparagus soup, I do not make inquiries to patient waiters about whether chicken stock is used.

As long as there are neither chunks of meat nor feathers in the soup, I’m ready to gulp it down. And if there are those in the soup, I push them aside and gulp away.

But here I find myself facing the third count of the hypocrisy indictment: I eat kosher salami. I probably wouldn’t take a big bite of my hard salami on rye in front of a hostess whose veal marsala I have rejected on principle, but, in fact, and usually in private, I eat salami. I know, this is like a diabetic revealing that she’s a closeted fiend for Baked Alaska, but hey, I’m trying to be truthful here.

Here in Northern California, I’m more apt to find myself at a sushi soirée, short rib rumpus, or shrimp social than a kosher salami-fest. But if the occasion arises, especially if hot-and-sweet mustard is on the table, I have a ready response to any dining companion who, upon seeing me piling slices of salami on fresh rye bread, questions the sincerity of my devotion to all things cruciferous, broccoli and cauliflower, for example.

“I thought you were a vegetarian!” they say indignantly, as though I’d told them I loved my mother and then they came upon me standing over her prone body with a bloody knife in my hand. “What’s with the salami?”

For such occasions, I have over the years perfected an adorable little shrug, accompanied by a self-knowing rolling of my eyes and a punchline. “I am not the Taliban. I can have exceptions.”

Leah Garchik is a former “San Francisco Chronicle” columnist, who joyously picked her way through many gala dinners.

Leah Garchik

Bay Times Dines

Restaurant Grants Available: Applications Now Open!

We are excited to announce that applications are now open for a series of grants for local businesses celebrating LGBTQ & Allied business resilience as part of the return of the NGLCC (National LGBT Chamber of Commerce) Community Impact Grant Program in 2024, in partnership with Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA) and supported by the Grubhub Community Fund.

These grants, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, offer funding for various purposes, such as enhancing security measures, acquiring new equipment, engaging in community initiatives, marketing, and PR efforts, bolstering digital and e-commerce presence, procuring products, implementing staff training programs, supporting employee wages and incentives, maintaining or upgrading existing infrastructure, and more.

For some historical context, in 2023, GGBA was able to award $80,000 in grants to fifteen local eateries thanks to NGLCC and the Grubhub Community Fund! Our goal for 2024 is to increase the award amounts to over $100K for the San Francisco Bay Area.

This West grant application is open now through June 25, 2024.

By Tony Archuleta-Perkins, MBA, MS

For more information and to apply: https://bit.ly/3XjjlRd

You can also contact the NGLCC team with any questions at nglccgrants@nglcc.org

Tony Archuleta-Perkins is the founder and owner of Ide8 Real Estate. He has worked in finance for 25 years, ten of those years specifically as a fractional CFO. He has two master’s degrees: an MBA and a Master of Science in Real Estate. In addition to his educational and professional pedigree, Archuleta-Perkins has a passion for advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. He proudly volunteers and serves on two boards here in San Francisco: President of the Golden Gate Business Association and Treasurer of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, SF Chapter. He and his husband enjoy international traveling and scuba diving.

Castro LGBTQ Cultural District Unveils Progressive Pride Flag at Fisch & Flore

The staff and advisory board members of the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District donated a progressive pride flag to Fisch & Flore, located at 2298 Market Street at Noe. It was unveiled on Friday, June 7, at 4 pm with speakers who included Mayor London Breed and Senator Scott Wiener.

The restaurant is in the space that was previously Café Flore, which closed in 2019. The newly refurbished restaurant represents a substantial investment by the new owner, Serhat Zorlu, making the space ADA accessible and modernizing the restaurant’s features and menu. Since this is a key business in the neighborhood, the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District is keen to support the endeavor, especially now that it is open for lunch and dinner service.

“I’m thankful for the donated flag by the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District. The flag signals that we love the community and are eager to be a fabulous part of this great neighborhood,” said Zorlu, who added, “I’m very excited that we have community support.”

Tina Aguirre, Cultural District Director, shared, “I want to make sure we give love to Fisch & Flore because it is so welcoming to us as LGBTQ community members. Donating this progressive pride flag is important to the district’s work to center LGBTQ people, places, and culture and that includes supporting economic vitality in the neighborhood. We are proud that our friends at Fisch & Flore see us and welcome us. And we’re happy that this space is open for business and has such delicious food!”

Castro LGBTQ Cultural District: https://castrolgbtq.org/ Fisch & Flore: https://www.fischandflore.com/

Photos by Rink

David Landis, The Gay Gour met for the San Francisco Bay Times, is on vacation but will return in the next issue!

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity

Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all you Daddies, Gay Dads, adoptive fathers, drag king fathers, father figures, and Dads of all kinds! You have raised some very fine children!”

FATHER’S DAY is June 16 this year. It is a holiday honoring one’s father, as well as fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. In the United States, “Father’s Day” is on the third Sunday of June. It celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children’s lives. Father’s Day is not a federal holiday. Organizations, businesses, and stores are open or closed, just as they are on any other Sunday in the year. Public transit systems run on their normal Sunday schedules. Restaurants may be busier than usual, as some people take their fathers out for a treat.

And speaking of fathers, the worst dad ever, DarnOld Trump, got convicted GUILTY on all 34 felony counts. Sister Dana sez, “Celebrate! Celebrate! Dance to the music!!!”

FRAMELINE a nnounced its full lineup for THE 48th SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL

LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL at a “filmtastic” preview party at Oasis on May 21. Frameline48 will run June 19–29 in theaters across the SF Bay Area. Free booklets are available everywhere or go to https://www.frameline.org/

AGUILAS El Ambiente held their 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION on May 24 at the Rainbow Room in the SF LGBT Center. The festive event featured food, drinks, entertainment, and brief presentations. AGUILAS was founded in 1991, and began providing funded services in the spring

of 1994 targeting Latinx LGBTQ individuals. AGUILAS is the oldest Latinx LGBTQ organization in all the countries in the Americas for empowering and serving the Latinx LGBTQ community. At the celebration, AGUILAS received Certificates of Recognition from the SF Board of Supervisors and Resolutions from the State Senate. On stage and giving inspirational speeches were AGUILAS Executive Director Eduardo Morales, PhD (a fellow Bay Times columnist); Chief Program Officer Renato Talhadas, MFT; and Operations Director Angel Reynaga—plus so many more. We were delighted to witness a very special performance by Latinx drag queen extraordinaire Betty Fresas lip-synching some super sexy Spanish songs with equally erotic dance moves. “Fresas” is Spanish for “Strawberry,” and she was a bowl of refreshing, fresh berries indeed. She did a complete costume change for a sweet second show. I got to take a photo with Betty in front of the AQUILAS banner! Yummy!

B RITE NITE , sponsored by Manny’s “The Civic Joy Fund” and supporting LYRIC, was on May 25 in Harvey Milk Plaza and main street Castro. We nuns lit the night and asked for donations to LYRIC. What is LYRIC? The mission of the Lavender Youth Recreation & Information Center (LYRIC) is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities. LYRIC’s vision is a diverse society where LGBTQ youth are embraced for who they are, and are encouraged to be who they want to be. By working towards social justice and supporting young leaders, their families and allies, LYRIC is building a world that honors, respects and appreciates LGBTQ youth and their contributions. Sister Dana kept flashing his big, light-up changingcolors cross. Bars, businesses, dancers, windows, and nuns were all aglow that BRITE NITE!

Was anybody else surprised when Nikki “Birdbrain” (Trump’s Nikki nickname—not mine) Haley announced she was voting for Trump? I was shocked, and let’s do

a little Haley History Lesson from statements she made during her campaign. Feb. 26 = “Trump is turning the Republican Party into his own playpen”; Feb. 20 = “He’s gotten more unstable and unhinged”; Feb.12 = “He’s not qualified to be president”; Feb. 4 = “He won’t win the job”; Jan. 27 = “No matter what Trump thinks, he can’t bully his way into the White House. It’s not gonna work!” And back to the surprise, Haley took it all back and revealed, “So I will be voting for Trump.” Whaaat?! Sister Dana sez, “President Biden would be wise to convert Haley’s never-Trumpers into totally-Bideners! This huge block of vital Haley voters should surely switch away from their fear of autocracy to their love of democracy!”

The Cockettes Nouveau were back in San Francisco for just three nights at Oasis SF with their fun, new musical revue DIRT! SEX! PASSION! on May 29, 30, and May 31. We delighted in original Cockette Scrumbly Koldewyn and Angel of Light Carl Linkhart , and the new generation of Cockettes Nouveau including Noah Haydon, Birdie-Bob Watt, Bonni Suval, Ellie Stokes, Matt Bratko, Steven Satyricon, and Yaadi Erica Richardson celebrating the music created by Scrumbly, Link Martin, Martin Worman, Peter Mintun, and others. Classic numbers included “Endless Masturbation Blues,” “Banana Song” (with giant cardboard bananas), and “A Crab on Uranus” (featuring Birdie in lobster drag). Brava, Cockettes Nouveau! Drag queens visit small towns across America in a show that will bring you to tears! HBO TV’s “WE’RE HERE ” uses drag to teach acceptance in states with some of the harshest anti-LGBTQ legislation. The season opens with a drag performance from all-new hosts Priyanka, Sasha Velour, and Jaida Essence Hall (whom you may recognize from Canada’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race —all three queens having won their respective seasons).

Sister Dana sez, “Yay! Trump got BOOED on May 25 at the Libertarian National Convention at Washington, D.C.! The fool tried to lure Libertarians into his autocracy! Three jeers for dictator DJT! Boo! Hiss! Boo!”

THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN (HRC), one of the largest LGBTQ rights groups in the country, has pledged to spend $15 million in six swing states to reelect President Joe Biden. The push to get the vote out will be targeting 75 million “equality voters,” those focused on LGBTQ rights as their primary issue in this election. But HRC notes that about one-third of these voters may not vote at all. An additional grouping of voters is likely to instead support a third-party candidate, something the HRC hopes to prevent.

Sister Dana sez, “Joe Biden is the Equality President of the Century! He strongly believes in equality for ALL!”

We kicked off Pride Month with MAITRI’s HEELS FOR HOPE , a variety show to raise funds for Maitri’s compassionate care for people living with HIV/AIDS and those recovering from genderaffirming surgeries. Maitri is Sanskrit for “compassionate friendship.” They provide compassionate residential care for people in need of hospice, respite, or 24-hour medical care. It was hosted by the iconic Donna Sachet , on June 1, Marines’ Memorial Theatre. We were head over heels enjoying the incomparable talents of Punchline’s comedian Allison Hooker;

(continued on page 40)

Dennis McMillan (aka Sister Dana) with Birdie-Bob Watt at the Cockettes show on May 30, 2024

Happy Pride Month!

Dykes on Bikes ® Tales From Two Wheels

By Kate Brown, Ph.D.

Happy Pride Month, everyone!

San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® got off to a roaring start this Pride!

On June 1, 2024, our patch-holders participated in both Sonoma and Pacifica Pride and on Sunday rode in the Clayton Pride Parade. All the parades were wonderful celebrations. SFDOB has previously ridden in Sonoma and Clayton Prides and this was our first year joining Pacifica for their celebration.

This year the California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Caucus selected Soni Wolf to be a 2024 Pride month honoree, posthumously, at the California Legislative LGBTQ Pride month ceremony at the California State Capitol! Attending were openly LGBTQ+ members of the California State Senate and State Assembly from the Caucus, whose purpose is to expand and protect the rights of our community through legislation.

Soni, one of the founding members of San Francisco Dykes, was recognized by the CA Legislative LGBTQ Caucus for advancing representation and being an inspiration in the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Reflecting on accepting the presentation on her behalf, I can think of no better year to honor Soni, who helped create, define, and defend a unique space within the LGBTQ+ community; her dedication to and endeavors in the LGBTQ+ community were recognized under the 2024 theme of “Outlaws and Trailblazers.”

The day began with a Dykes on Bikes motorcycle procession, across the Sacramento bridge, through downtown Sacramento to the California State Capitol building. Members of the LGBTQ Caucus and their honorees rode with us between a mix of motorcycles and convertibles. Engines roared and our passengers waved Pride flags. It was loud and proud, and I’m certain there were more than a few “once in a lifetime” experiences had that morning while we made our way to the Capital Mall. After a press conference and some amazing photo ops, we made our way into the Capital building.

As part of accepting the award on Soni’s behalf, I witnessed firsthand the presentation and passing of House Resolution 101 and Senate Resolution 96 on the California Assembly Floor and California Senate Floor, respectively. On both the Assembly and Senate floors there was wonderful, positive support from the California Legislative Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, Native American, and Women’s Caucuses, who shared their affirmations to supporting LGBTQ+ Pride month, highlighting the intersections across caucuses

and the LGBTQ+ community. We also heard from individual assemblymembers and senators sharing their stories of personal lived experiences as members of, or allies to, the LGBTQ+ community.

We did hear from a Republican Senator who spoke to their reasoning for voting against the Pride Month resolution (and they then simply abstained from voting!).

As Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman noted on the Senate

floor, it’s important to recognize the noise from those who seek to oppress us as just that—noise. We can never let our guard down as we seek to ensure equality for all the LGBTQ+ community. While this is always true, it is highlighted this year, as our rights are under attack from no less than 515 different bills and resolutions across the U.S., in an election year with profound consequences for the LGBTQ+ community, and especially in consideration of the impact many of these legislative efforts will have on trans, non-binary, and intersex youth.

Three Pride Parades, one motorcycle procession with California assemblymembers, senators, and their honorees as passengers on our pilons through Sacramento to the State Capital, accepting honors on behalf of Soni, one of our founding members ... what a start!

With that, we turn to activities for the San Francisco LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations. This will be our 48th year leading our Pride Parade and we are excited to be a part of the 54th annual San Francisco Pride Parade on June 30. We welcome both participants and volunteers to come ride with us! To register to ride with us, please go to https://bit.ly/3VkNwVl

And we are always grateful to our incredible team of volunteers of riders and non-riders alike. More information, including how to volunteer with us, can be found at www.sfdykesonbikes.org

Lastly, we want to warmly welcome everyone to attend our annual Pride Saturday Fundraiser on Saturday June 29, from 12:30 pm–3:30 pm at The Academy SF. This social club has been so welcoming of the entire LGBTQIA+ community, and, of course, it is the location for the fabulous Divas & Drinks party every month. Come join us at The Academy SF (2166 Market Street) for dancing (music from DJ Rockaway), auction prizes, and more! You can also register to ride with us at the Parade and pick up our limited-edition t-shirts and Dykes on Bikes® merch. Our midday event puts you right in the heart of the Castro and allows for plenty of time to experience all the activities on Pride Saturday.

K ate Brown, Ph.D., is the President of San Francisco Dykes on Bikes® Women’s Motorcycle Contingent. https://www.dykesonbikes.org/

Kate Brown (2nd from right) accepting recognition on behalf of Soni Wolf (deceased) at the California State Assembly Floor as part of the Pride Month celebration

The group on the steps of the California State Capital with Senator Susan Eggman (center, podium) and others

San Francisco Dykes on Bikes at Pacifica Pride, June 1st

San Francisco Dykes on Bikes at Sonoma Pride, June 1st

Kate Brown in the CA State Capital beneath a picture of Soni SHS Wolf, who was reconginzed posthumously for their work in the LGBTQ Community by the CA LGBTQ Congressional Caucus

universal remote. I cook Southern food and delight him with Texanisms. He cooks Northern California fare and delights me with just about everything.

“If you find that you have a strong connection with someone who is 10 years older than you, don’t let statistics deter you from building upon that bond and building a life together,” says Theresa E. DiDonato, PhD, a social psychologist at Loyola University.

Thanks, Dr. T. We took your advice and got married. From here we plan to enjoy being in the 1% and continue kissing in public to frighten straight people.

Finally, what you’ve been waiting for. How many years between our May and December? Bobby is 38. I am 43 in spirit and 73 in body. Yes, Bobby is younger than my son, who thinks Bobby is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Most delightful of all, the younger Grand Girls don’t care as long as Bobby sits on the floor and plays with them and talks to the 13-year-old about her rock band. Their judgement is nonexistent. If Bop Bop is happy, they’re happy. And Bop Bop is very happy.

Of all the names I’ve been called in my life, “cradle robber” is definitely the least offensive! Don’t stop yourself from falling for someone with an age difference—large or small. We all have wonderful things to learn from each other. We hope you’ll try an M2D, too. Dr. Tim Seelig is the Conductor Laureate of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus. http://www.timseelig.com/

FARMERS’ MARKET (continued from pg 35)

Baked: Try a squash casserole with sliced summer squash, any variety, olive oil, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Add tomatoes and/or onions if you like. Simply delicious. Ratatouille: This is a vegetable dish with tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, or whatever soft vegetables you have on hand. They cook down and make their own sauce!

Sweet Treats: Then there’s the ever-popular zucchini bread or zucchini muffins! Grate a cup or two of zucchini, squeeze the moisture out, and add to your favorite bread or muffin recipe.

Head to your farmers’ market and explore all the vibrant varieties of summer squash. With their endless culinary possibilities, these versatile veggies will become a staple in your summer kitchen.

D ebra Morris is a spokesperson for the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association. For more information and recipes: https://www.pcfma.org/

soulful singer Caleb Sasser, recently seen on the 24th season of NBC’s The Voice ; and Fou Fou Ha! who are an ensemble of cartoon couture clowns who create an otherworldly interactive performance experience. This was a night of community, a night of iconic drag, and a night of incredible stories of how our compassion has helped people in need. We truly kicked up our heels with Maitri!

Mayor London Breed attended the 4th Annual JUNETEENTH on June 1 on the Waterfront at The Ferry Building. “Juneteenth” is on June 19, but is celebrated in SF all month long! JUNETEENTH marks the day in 1865 when a Union Army general arrived in Texas with 2,000 soldiers to inform over 250,000 Black Americans enslaved in Texas that slavery had been abolished following the conclusion of the Civil War. This was two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln’s “Emancipation Proclamation” had declared that “all persons held as slaves ... henceforward shall be free.”

Gov. Ron “Don’t Say Gay” Duh Santis has required bridges in the Sunshine State to only use red, white, and blue lights from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Florida Director of Transportation Jared Perdue prevents cities from lighting up bridges to celebrate holidays like JUNETEENTH or PRIDE MONTH. “Sister Dana sez, “Let’s hear it (NOT!) for diversity in Florida. We gotta QUEER the VOTE everywhere!”

On June 3, 1:30 pm from her balcony, Mayor London Breed joined LGBTQ elected and community leaders including State Senator Scott Wiener, Supervisors Rafael Mandelman, Matt Dorsey and Joel Engardio, SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford, Drag Laureate D’Arcy Drollinger, a nd newly appointed Director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives

(OTI) Honey Mahogany to kick off San Francisco’s 53RD ANNUAL PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION with the magnificent raising of the Rainbow Flag. The festivities will culminate in the PRIDE PARADE on Sunday, June 30. This year’s theme for SF Pride is so appropriately “BEACON OF LOVE.” Sister Dana sez, “Congratulations to all the Pride Grand Marshals—especially the fabulous Billy Porter!”

We were also invited to kick off Pride Month at A LRP’s Major Donor Thank You Party in the Belvedere Room, 28th floor on June 3, From the Heart 40th anniversary celebrating AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL’s dearest friends and key supporters. Board CoChairs Scott A. Zimmermann, Esq., and Jaclyn “Jackie” Gross, Esq., welcomed us and introduced Incoming Executive Director Matt Foreman , who gave a truly inspirational speech and spoke of how former E.D. Bill Hirsch was such a hero in his leadership (2000–2023). Capping the evening was presentation of “The James C. Hormel Philanthropy Award” to Barry Graynor, Esq. https://www.alrp.org/ SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE & THE TENDERLOIN MUSEUM also kicked-off PRIDE SEASON with a festive party at the museum on June 7 that celebrated the legacy of the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria Riot and anticipated the upcoming production of THE COMPTON’S CAFETERIA RIOT play in the TL. I was thrilled to see the powerful transgender rights activist and artist Donna Personna (who is gloriously portrayed in “TCCR”), Senator Scott Wiener —as well as SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford and Pride Board President Nguyen Pham

That same night, THE GLBT HISTORICAL SOCIETY

MUSEUM opened a new exhibition that preserves the memory of the city’s bohemian past and its essential role in the development of American adult entertainment. The exhibition, EROTIC RESISTANCE: PERFORMANCE, ART, AND ACTIVISM IN SAN FRANCISCO, will be on display through fall 2024. https://bit.ly/3RoBJ7j

For their season finale concert, ALL WE NEED IS LOVE , SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS has been reflecting on the many facets of love—the joy, the heartbreak, and the resilience. Join them at Davies Symphony Hall on June 18 for a night that celebrates love in all its forms! https://www.sfgmc.org/

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is now the SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE BAND to emphasize that they welcome all members of the LGBTQ community and its allies across the spectrum of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The EQUALITY CALIFORNIA (EQCA) official SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE PARTY is Tuesday, June 25 at El Rio, 3158 Mission, 6–9 pm. Their theme is “Be Proud, Loud, and Bold!” https://www.eqca.org/

Rest in peace and power and queer quips, my dear friend Strange de Jim , whose madcap persona took over his birth name of Jim Riffe. I treasure your signed, gifted 2007 memoir, BILLIONS OF VIRGINS IN ECSTASY ! Who would ever forget this lovable humorist who sometimes wore a “Nobody Knows I’m A Lesbian” t-shirt?! Strange dearest, I just know you are keeping the angels in heaven laughing hysterically at your wit! Sister Dana sez, “HAPPY FLAG DAY—especially The Rainbow Flag—on June 14! Fly your flag freely! But not YOU, inJustice Alito!”

Astrology

Elisa Quinzi

Our consciousness is invited to see beyond the illusion of separation. We are peeking behind the curtain of our current paradigm and discovering we have been living in a Truman Show-like theatre. Princeton professor and theoretical physicist Nima ArkaniHamed asserts, “Spacetime is doomed,” and therefore not fundamental to reality as here-tofore accepted. Turns out we are using a data structure insufficient for a complete understanding of the nature of reality, keeping ourselves in a perpetual loop. For the breakdown of corrupt societal structures to birth something better in their place, that breakdown must include our very patterns of perception, and of what we’ve thought we understood reality to be. As humanity evolves, our perspective expands, otherwise we circle around and around on the same track.

Speaking to Your Soul

ARIES (March 21–April 19)

A lot is wrapping up for you—the end of a long cycle, generational in scope. Most important for you are the kernels of truth learned and carried forward into the light of a new era.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20)

You can break free from limitations that hold you hostage. The future is created by your present. Upgrade your expectations of yourself. A hero is reborn into the larger life.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

There’s so much more than meets the eye. Some Geminis might find it challenging to reorient themselves to an entirely new framework of reality, especially if it is as yet without description. But quick-study you are, it won’t be long before you’re savvy with the new operating system, living multiple lives at once, in true Gemini fashion.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

With your concern for the past, for memories, and for roots, it is especially difficult for your sensitive temperament to let go. But you are also gifted with shrewd intuition of the future and the awareness of other realms of existence, which greatly aid your progress onward. Your heart knows the way

LEO (July 23–August 22)

Your powers aren’t gone; they are buried under your beliefs about yourself and about what’s possible. Leo is the hero and the hero discovers that they are the Creator. Answer the call. Trust the path to lead you.

VIRGO (August 23–September 22)

The control you seek stems from your love of order. Ironically, if you’d loosen your grip and zoom out, you could see the precision with which the Universe operates. Give yourself permission to relax long enough to notice if you’re enjoying your reality. You can pick a new one.

LIBRA (September 23–October 22)

Let go of any illusions around suffering. Stop sacrificing yourself. Focus your attention not so much on other people, as on the source connecting all of us. Then you will intuitively know how to harmonize with your surroundings with the least effort.

SCORPIO (October 23–November 21)

Your deep soul is readying itself for awakening. You’re in the chrysalis stage. Unfold your beautiful wings when the impulse comes. You can emerge into an entirely new world anytime you like

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21)

You might be letting go of beliefs you’ve held for years. In their place you make room for greater understanding. As you continue to follow the breadcrumbs, you are led.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19)

Pierce through illusions. Get away from the clamor and glamour of the world so you can tune into your innate wisdom. Seek not security, but a better view.

AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18)

You might be questioning your ability to stand alone. Sure, Aquarius is notoriously independent, but will you step up your game to do what it takes to support your true gifts? If you don’t believe you can, you won’t do what’s necessary. Aim for your north star and course correct as needed.

PISCES (February 19–March 20)

As you surrender self-pity and take bold imperfect action that is in alignment with your raw gifts, you are led by, and learn to trust, your instincts

Elisa Quinzi is a certified professional astrologer who brings a strong spiritual perspective, as well as over 20 years of experience, to her work with clients. Contact her at futureselfnow@gmail.com or at 818-530-3366 with your exact birth time to schedule or to ask questions. For more information: www.elisaquinzi.com

Take Me Home with You!

Meet Blissy, the dog who has us all feeling blissful! This energetic young adult has a boundless love for training, and her intelligence shines through every day. Though she can be excitable, Blissy quickly remembers, “A sit gets me a treat,” and will eagerly offer a perfect sit before you even finish the command. Just be sure to have that tasty reward ready!

Blissy is also mastering foundational cues like Look, Touch, and 180 Turns. Like humans, she needs both mental enrichment and physical exercise, and her enthusiasm for learning makes her a joy to train. (We’re hoping her future family gets her some of those fun talking buttons!)

If you’re ready for a rewarding journey of positive training, trust, and love, Blissy is the perfect adventure companion. Adopt her today and experience the joy of getting to know this sweet, beautiful girl!

Foster-to-Adopt!

Think you and Blissy might be a match, but want to try a trial run first? You can foster Blissy for a week with the intention of adopting her. If things don’t work out, you can always bring her back to us. Interested? Visit us or contact us at adoptions@sfspca.org to learn more. Visitors are welcome from 11 am–6 pm (Wednesday–Sunday) and 1 pm–6 pm on Tuesdays. The SF SPCA is closed on Mondays. https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/

Let’s Go Home!

Here are two of the many pets now available for adoption at Oakland Animal Services (OAS): Adorable Wallaby is a 3-month-old kitten who loves to play and explore. Wallaby is bonded with her sibling Dingo and they are available for adoption as a pair. Raising kittens as pairs helps them develop better social skills!

Meet Tansy! This friendly girl is about a year old, and ready to go on adventures with you. Tansy is a smart pup who would love a home where she can enjoy lots of daily mental stimulation and exercise.

The OAS adoption process focuses on matching you with a pet who is a good fit for you and your family. Come by during open adoption hours Thursdays 12–7 pm and Fridays/ Saturdays/Sundays 12–3 pm to adopt your new best friend, or to learn more about the OAS adoption process. Please see the OAS website to learn more about how you can help by adopting, fostering, volunteering, and donating: www.oaklandanimalservices.org

Blissy

Wallaby

Tansy

Round About - It’s Pride All Over Town

Photos by Rink

San Francisco Bay Times lead photographer Rink is extra busy this Pride month, capturing images at events, businesses, and more.

Rainbow Flag in front of the SF LGBT Center

Block Party at the SF LGBT Center

Block Party at the SF LGBT Center

Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony

Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony on the Mayor’s Balcony

Frameline Launch at Oasis

Frameline Launch at Oasis

Frameline Launch at Oasis

PO Plus Display

Pride at Cliff’s Variety

Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony

Block Party at the SF LGBT Center

29th Pink Triangle Commemoration Ceremony

Photos courtesy of Patrick Carney and Juan R. Davila

The Pink Triangle Commemoration Ceremony for 2024, marking the installation of the 29th such display, was held on Twin Peaks on the morning of Saturday, June 8. The Friends of the Pink Triangle was founded by visionary LGBTQ community leader Patrick Carney. He and his husband Hossein Carney—who juggles work in the community with being a Principal Financial Analyst at BART—along with hundreds of volunteers, began this year’s Pink Triangle installation the day prior.

The San Francisco Pride Band performed at the ceremony, as they have for earlier years. Another beloved repeat performer was powerhouse singer Leanne Borghesi.

Officials attending included Mayor London Breed, State Senator Scott Wiener, San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros, City Attorney David Chiu, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, Commissioner Debra Walker, SF Pride Executive Director Suzanne Ford, SF Pride Board President Nguyen Pham, Honorary Consul of Monaco and philanthropist Tom Horn, LGBTQ+ activist and former Pride Board member Bruce Beaudette, and denizen of the limelight Juanita MORE!, who spoke eloquently about the history of the Pink Triangle.

Sister Vina Sinfurrs (Mike Woolson), representing the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, canonized Carney as “Saint Patrick the Pink, Transcendent Trailblazer of the Transmogrified Triangle Tradition.” Carney, after being sainted, said, in part, that it “is a great honor which I will always cherish. Each of The Sisters work tirelessly to do much good for our community and they have been a sponsor of the Pink Triangle for decades.”

San Francisco Pride 2024 Grand Marshals also attended the ceremony, as did San Francisco Bay Times columnist, fundraiser, and drag artist Donna Sachet and Bay Times volunteer coordinator Juan Davila.

During the day, the Pink Triangle can be seen from Cam 2 of the Castro Street Cam: https://sfbaytimes.com/castro-street-cam/ While that allows viewing from anywhere in the world, seeing the Pink Triangle up close and in person is one of Pride’s unforgettable annual experiences in San Francisco. The display can also be seen from other parts of the Bay Area, and even while driving into the city from the East Bay over the Bay Bridge.

https://thepinktriangle.com/

Dirt Squirrel Clack Fan

Express your deepest desires with this loud, durable, and fortified fan by Dirt Squirrel. This fan is made from sturdy bamboo and nylon poly fabric that result in a loud “clack” when flicked open. It is the perfect accessory for keeping cool when you’re breaking a sweat, soaking in sun rays, dancing, relaxing, or simply making a point. Live your best life and be the life of the party with this signature Dirt Squirrel fan! $22.99 each.

Cliff’s Variety Gear Got layers? Be prepared for summer like a true San Francisco local in a Cliff’s Variety tank, tee, or hoodie. The Cliff’s man is here for you in any weather! Available in a rainbow of colors and inclusive sizes. $19.99–$34.99

ince our founding in 1936, Cliff’s Variety has been constantly growing and evolving in response to the needs of our customers. Our buyers strive to keep our selection fresh, on-trend, and competitive. We carry the best of everything from hardware & tools to cookware, garden supplies, toys, crafts, and gifts.

We also offer re-keying and lock repair, knife sharpening, glass, acrylic & wood cutting. Light fabrication, pipe threading, and cable crimping are among the many other services we offer at Cliff’s Variety. If your project has gone a little beyond your abilities, we’re here to help.

https://cliffsvariety.com/