San Francisco Bay Times January 28, 2016

January 28-February 10, 2016 | www.sfbaytimes.com

/SF Bay Times

/SFBayTimes

Out at the Cliff House

POSTERS SOURCE: PARKCONSERVANCY.ORG PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLIFF HOUSE

See pages 13–16

In the News

By Dennis McMillan SF Lesbian Gay Freedom Band Marching & Pep Bands to Perform at Super Bowl City Two performances are scheduled for Sunday, January 31. The SFLGFB Marching Band will perform starting at 11:30 am, marching through Super Bowl City. At 12:30 pm, the SFLGFB’s Pep Band will perform at The Fan Stage located in the Fan Energy Zone at Justin Herman Plaza.

Super Bowl City will be open from January 30–February 7, offering Bay Area locals and visitors a free way to enjoy the sporting world’s biggest annual event.Mike Wong, SFLGFB’s current Marching Director and Drum Major, has been appointed the Band’s Artistic Director of Marching & Pep Programs. Wong joined SFLGFB as a teenager and has provided leadership through hundreds of parades, performances and community events.

He plays French horn in the Concert Band and also the mellophone. sfglfb.org SF LGBT Center Readies for Major Renovation The San Francisco LGBT Community Center will soon begin renovation of its building to ensure that the center is here for generations to come. Finding a job or accessing affordable housing is harder than it used to be—especially for LGBTQ youth and transgender people.

Nonprofits working to help the community are being priced out of the city today. The remodel, scheduled to begin in March, will include triple the amount of affordable nonprofit office space available, and will welcome new partner tenants, adding primary medical care, mental health, substance abuse, and legal services to the center’s existing programs. It will also create new community meeting spaces and upgrade the Rainbow Room, the largest multipurpose event space. It will further create longterm sustainability by designing a more efficient floor plan that allows the building to pay for itself, and will build a capital reserve fund to support future building needs. During the remodel, center programs and services will continue to operate. Visit sfcenter.org for ongoing updates.

Terry Beswick to Join GLBT Historical Society as Executive Director There continues to be progress at the GLBT Historical Society as the board welcomes Terry Beswick as Executive Director, starting in February. Beswick brings years of experience leading and building another Castro-based nonprofit, the Castro Country Club. He is a longtime AIDS activist, is enthusiastic about queer history and promises to bring a new era of growth and vision to the GLBT Historical Society.

The public is invited to meet Beswick at the GLBT History Museum’s fifth anniversary celebration on Friday, January 29, 7–9 pm. glbthistory.org HIV Testing Uncommon in Teens Despite Recommendations by CDC Fewer than 1 in 4 high school students who have had sex get tested for HIV, a troubling low rate that did not budge over eight years, government researchers say. Young adults fared slightly better, although testing rates have declined in black women, a high-risk group. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an influential preventive health panel recommend routine HIV testing at least once for teens and adults. They also advise at least yearly screening for high-risk patients including those with 2

BAY TIMES JANUARY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

AOF_BayTimes_halfV.indd 1

1/25/16 5:30 PM

multiple sex partners, gay or bisexual boys and men and injection drug users. The American Academy of Pediatrics has similar advice targeting teens only. edgemedianetwork.com Black Queer Liberation Collective Shuts Down Bay Bridge For the second year in a row, the Anti-Police Terror Project (APTP) put out a call for 96 Hours of Direct Action to reclaim Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s radical legacy and to take a stand against anti-Black racism and terrorism. In a display of solidarity and the spirit of MLK, Black.Seed, a Black, queer liberation collective of 50 protesters, shut down the Bay Bridge as a show of resistance to a system that continues to oppress Black, Queer, Brown, Indigenous and other marginalized people throughout the Bay Area. About 25 were arrested at the demonstration that was peaceful, but which caused traffic to stop and then be delayed for several hours. twitter.com/hashtag/blackseed Gay Widower Sues Union Pension Plan for Survivor Benefits The widower of a hotel telecommunications engineer in San Francisco sued the IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39 Pension Plan and its Board of Trustees for refusing to provide him with a spousal pension benefit required by the terms of the pension plan and federal law, solely because both spouses are men. Even though the couple was validly married, the plan refused to provide a spousal benefit by relying on the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional in June 2013. NCLR Senior Staff Attorney Amy Whelan said, “While DOMA has been the source of extreme discrimination against LGBT people and their families, it provides absolutely no defense in this case.” nclrights.org Welcoming the All-Gender Restroom Revolution This week, San Francisco joins Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Austin, Seattle, Santa Fe and New York City in requiring all businesses and city buildings to designate singlestall restrooms as all-gender. While transgender and gender nonconforming people have the legal right to use restrooms that correspond to their gender, this kind of legislation is still a relief for people with disabilities, trans and gender nonconforming people and families with small children—not to mention women simply tired of waiting in line for the women’s restroom while the single-stall men’s bathroom stands empty. transgenderlawcenter.org Pope States Same-Sex Marriage Is the Only Union God Wants The Pope is widely perceived as being at least somewhat liberal. Yet as the Italian senate plans to continue debating a bill that would legalize civil partnerships for gay people in Italy, Pope Francis has released a reminder of just how much the Catholic Church opposes gay marriage. The pontiff told Vatican Judges, “There can be no confusion between the family God wants and any other type of union; the family, founded on indissoluble matrimony that unites and allows procreation, is part of God’s dream and that of his Church for the salvation of humanity.” Italy remains the only (continued on page 26)

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

3

Black History Month

Michael Tate, Chair of the Performance Advisory Committee of The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Black History Month is February, but since February is the shortest month of the year, we are beginning this series now in January. The designation of February as Black History Month actually goes back to 1926. That is when historian and University of Chicago alumnus Carter G. Woodson (1875–1950) and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced that the second week of February would be Negro History Week.

Woodson never thought that Black history should be the focus of just one week, though. He desired that the week, as it was observed in schools, should reflect the teachings of the rest of the whole year.

He also established a Black Studies extension program to help achieve that goal. To read more about Woodson’s remarkable life and achievements, we highly recommend checking out the website of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, which turned Woodson’s week into Black History Month. http://asalh. net/blackhistorymonthorigins.html In this series, we will highlight local LGBT Black community leaders who are making a positive difference for all of us and are continuing the legacy of excellence that distinguished scholars like Woodson left for subsequent generations. Michael Tate, Chair of the Performance Advisory Committee of The San

4

BAY TIMES JANUARY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, more than fits that description and is one of our community’s brightest stars.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Tate graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in American Civilization and received his J.D. from the University of Virginia, where he was an active member of the Virginia Law Review. A San Francisco resident for nearly 18 years, Michael has been a member of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus since September 2002.

During his tenure in the Chorus, Tate has held numerous leadership positions including Secretary, Vice President and, for seven years, Board Chair. He was the first African American Chair of the Board of the Chorus, and is especially proud of the growth that took place during his tenure as Chair, including the hiring of current Artistic Director and Conductor, Dr. Timothy Seelig. Today, Tate serves as the Chair of the Performance Advisory Committee, as well as a Second Tenor section leader.

Through his engagement with and connections through the Chorus, Tate has had the amazing opportunity to serve as a guest auctioneer for numerous Bay Area organizations including Bay Area Discovery Museum, Face2Face Sonoma County, Out in the Vineyard, Smuin Ballet, Center

for Environmental Health, Ronald McDonald House, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates and New Century Chamber Orchestra. He always brings his unique and lively sense of humor and commitment to every event.

Tate has been moved and inspired by the writings of Langston Hughes and James Baldwin, who spoke to his experience as a gay man of color. They helped him find his voice in a community that may not always have been as accepting or understanding. On a more personal level, Tate has found mentors and friends in longstanding SFGMC members Cecil Johnson, Clint Johnson and Sanford Smith.

These are men who have generously shared their talents with the Bay Area community for many years and to whom he looks up to and respects.

He is especially proud to have the love and support of his partner, Simon O’Mahon, as well as his family in Ohio, including his father Willie D. Tate and nieces, DeOnne Garner and Savannah Payne. Tate paraphrased Langston Hughes, saying that while life has not always been a crystal stair, he has continued looking forward, seeking to make a difference in the Bay Area community.

2016 Supervisor Races, Dem Club Leadership Changes and City College Update Central Committee. The conventional wisdom is that with her high name recognition and proven strengths as a campaigner, she immediately becomes the frontrunner in the race.

A San Francisco Kind of Democrat Rafael Mandelman With Sandra Lee Fewer filing for the District 1 Supervisor seat on January 14 and Hillary Ronen officially kicking off her campaign for the District 9 Supervisor seat on the same day, following Kimberly Alvarenga filing for District 11 Supervisor last month, the 2016 progressive women’s slate many of us had been hoping for has, in fact, emerged. Interestingly, after a long absence of mothers from the Board of Supervisors, all three women also happen to be moms.

Alvarenga, who kicked off her campaign in December, probably faces the most formidable opponent of the three. Ahsha Safai has run for the job before, against John Avalos in 2008. In that campaign, Safai drew significant support from realtor and developer interests, as well as anti-rent-control activist Thomas Coates. He starts the race with higher name recognition and, with backers like those, will not lack for campaign cash. But Kimberly is off to a strong start, working the phones for campaign contributions and making the rounds of District 11 community events. The Harvey Milk Club will be voting on an early endorsement of Alvarenga, who would

Star Medal, the Purple Heart and the Air Force Combat Action Medal.

be the Board’s first elected lesbian member in more than 15 years, at its February general membership meeting.

Congratulations (or condolences) to Peter Gallotta, who will serve a second term as Milk Club president during the 2016 year. With copresident Laura Thomas (stepping down this year after two years at the helm), Gallotta guided the club through the challenges of 2015, which included bitter and heated internal divisions around the club’s position on Ross Mirkarimi’s campaign for re-election as sheriff.

The club survived, and from what I could tell based on the turnout for the January 19 organizational meeting, it’s stronger than ever, with a crew of talented and committed young, and older, activists ready to raise hell and save our city.

The Alice B. Toklas Club’s organizational meeting on January 18 was also well attended, with dozens of electeds, wannabe electeds and club members packed into the Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics to elect the club’s new cochairs and board. Outgoing female co-chair and fellow San Francisco Bay Times columnist Zoe Dunning passed the baton to incoming co-chair Lou Fisher, while male co-chair Brian Leubitz signed on for another year. Congratulations to all!

Groups like Alice and Milk are finding themselves looking for alternative locations for their monthly meetingwhile the LGBT (continued on page 26)

Do Ask, Do Tell Zoe Dunning Remembering Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen Last month I wrote about the military opening up all job fields to women. In that column, published December 17, I commented: “One of the strongest arguments for opening up all roles is that, in reality, women have been facing combat situations for years.” Unfortunately, that was vividly demonstrated when we heard the news four days later of the death of Air Force Major Adrianna Vorderbruggen at the hands of a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. She is the first openly lesbian U.S. service member to die in combat operations. She died one day before the 5-year anniversary of the signing of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) Repeal Act. Adrianna was an Air Force Academy graduate and a dedicated officer. She leaves behind her wife, Heather Lamb (a veteran herself), and their four-yearold son, Jacob. She was accorded full military honors during her interment at Arlington National Cemetery on January 19. Vorderbruggen was posthumously awarded three of the military’s most prestigious combat decorations: the Bronze

Adrianna and her wife were very active with the Military Partners and Families Coalition, and worked on the repeal of DADT and efforts to grant families of all service members the same rights and benefits. The loss of Major Vorderbruggen is a sad reminder that we still have service members, and LGBT service members, serving in harm’s way overseas. Let’s get them all home safely.

Lou Fischer Is the New Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club Co-Chair In local political news, my term as Co-Chair of the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club ended on January 11.

The new female Co-Chair of Alice is long-time board member Lou Fischer.

Lou has served on the board for over eleven years, and has held nearly every major leadership role—co-chairing the Field, the Finance, and the PAC Committees. She understands the club and San Francisco politics inside and out, and will bring her strong organizing skills and wicked sense of humor to her new role. She and Brian Leubitz have a big year ahead, as the club has already endorsed Scott Wiener for State Senate in what will be the biggest local race of 2016. Also in November there will be six Supervisor races following the DCCC elections on June 7.

DCCC ‘Double Dippers’ and a Loophole that Needs Addressing The DCCC race will be an interesting one. From all available information, it appears no incumbent is stepping aside, leaving no open seats. Already in Assembly District 17 there are 21 candidates that have filed their initial paper(continued on page 26)

TO LA BE B ST ST OO DA OF K O YS FE UR R

The luminaries showing up for Fewer’s noontime filing at City Hall included Assemblyman Phil Ting, current District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar along with his Board colleagues John Avalos, David Campos, Aaron Peskin and Norman Yee, plus School Board members Matt Haney, Rachel Norton and Shamann Walton. Fewer, a fourth generation Chinese American, was first elected to the School Board in 2008 and has also served on San Francisco’s Democratic County

Ronen’s kickoff event later that afternoon outside St. Luke’s was awesome, with huge turnout and an equally impressive list of elected officials and labor and community leaders. The chosen site highlighted Ronen’s successful efforts working with her boss, current Supervisor David Campos, to save the hospital that has been repeatedly threatened with closure or downsizing, but is a vital medical resource in a part of the City that is underserved by hospitals.

Although both Fewer and Ronen will face well-funded challengers in November, they are strongly positioned to win.

LGBT Service Members, Alice News, and a DCCC Loophole that Should Be Fixed

WHEREVER YOU GO, GO YOUR OWN WAY. MODERN LUXURY LIVES HERE.

IT’S OUR BEST OFFER EVER. For a limited time, choose two free perks for a savings of up to $2,150 * when you join us on any 2016 Europe cruise.

The perks include our Classic Beverage Package, Prepaid Tips, Unlimited Internet Package, $150 to spend on board.

Get all four perks free—with a premium beverage package upgrade— * for a savings of up to $3,130 when you book Suite Class.

Visit CelebrityCruises.com / Call 800 CELEBRITY / Contact your travel agent. * Visit celebritycruises.com for offer details. Offers apply to 4-night and longer cruises departing January 2016 to April 2017. Cruise must be booked January 4 to January 31, 2016. Choose Two Offer: First two guests in an ocean view or higher stateroom each receive two complimentary options, which include Classic Beverage Package, Unlimited Internet Package, $150 per person onboard credit (OBC), or Prepaid Gratuities. Savings amount is based on a 12-night sailing with selection of beverage and Internet options. Suites Offer: First two guests in a suite receive four complimentary options. Savings amount is based on a 12-night sailing with all four options. OBC is not redeemable for cash and expires on the final night of the cruise.

Offers apply to new individual bookings and to staterooms in noncontracted group bookings, are nontransferable, and are not combinable with any other offer. Offers and prices are subject to availability, cancellation, and change without notice at any time. © 2016 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

5

Integrating Social Service and Healthcare Delivery in San Francisco Area LTSS Network was born, and implementation of the network is underway.

Aging in Community Michael Costa The fact that the environments we live in can impact our health status has been well known for many years. The challenge is to interact effectively with individuals with disabilities or chronic conditions, such as HIV, to improve or maintain those individuals’ health, and to allow them to live at home or in the community for as long as possible. It’s a puzzle that requires many types of interventions to solve. Policy wonks, activists, legislators and regulators have generally addressed this challenge on a piecemeal basis, focusing on one aspect of the puzzle or another.

In San Francisco we like to be at the cutting edge. In 2014, the Board of Supervisors funded a project to plan for integrating Long Term Support and Service (LTSS) delivery with healthcare delivery to reach beyond the piecemeal approach to problem solving. Planning took place through 2015 and involved a wide range of community and home-based service organizations, including On Lok, Meals on Wheels, Project Openhouse, and twelve other adult day health and senior service organizations. This past December, a new San Francisco Bay

This network in development will include many types of community service providers, including those organizations that participated in planning as well as those that join the network in the future. Together they will provide a wide range of services, including chronic case management that integrates social services and healthcare, helping transitioning individuals out of the hospital or nursing home back into the community, providing comprehensive assessments to determine the appropriate care path for individuals, and offering other services currently provided by each of the participating organizations.

The network has a lead agency, the Institute on Aging, which will contract with public and private payers and providers. That means Medi-Cal and Medicare beneficiaries, as well as private payer subscribers, will be eligible for services through the network, depending on the contracts that are signed and implemented.

The network is currently in the process of securing grants from the San Francisco Department of Aging and Adult Services, and various foundations to help fund further network development. It is also currently in discussions with potential sponsors for initial network pilot programs.

A number of state and federal program initiatives offer additional opportunities for the network. For example, the U.S. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has just announced an Accountable Health Communities initiative. This five-year project will promote clinical and community service collaboration and inte-

gration involving:

• screening to identify unmet health related social service needs; • referral and navigation services to assist high risk individuals living in the community to access community based services; • alignment of clinical and community-based services to make sure services are available and responsive to those living in the community.

The network is ideally positioned to participate in the initiative, and has begun initial conversations with CMS toward that end. Participation would further help build an integrated infrastructure servicing San Francisco that would last beyond the end of the initiative.

Ideally, the network holds the promise of helping LBGT individuals with chronic conditions, disabilities, or who simply need some help to remain at home and out of the hospital. It would be a great step forward in the evolution of service delivery to multiple LGBT populations, and deserves our community’s support.

Michael Costa is a healthcare consultant who most recently served as project director for the SF Bay Area LTSS Network Formation project. Please contact him at Michael@lmcosta. com for more details concerning the project and resulting network business plan.

Dr. Marcy Adelman oversees the Aging in Community column. For her summary of current LGBT senior challenges and opportunities, please go to: sf baytimes.com/ challenges-and-opportunties

SEEN IT ALL, HEALED IT ALL Our 30+ veterinarians treat more than 48,000 patients each year.

sfspca.org/hospital

(415) 554-3030 BOOK AN APPOINTMENT 6

BAY TIMES JANUARY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Round About -

Smack Dab at Magnet

Photos by Rink

MCs Larry-Bob Roberts and Dana Hopkins welcomed guests on Wednesday, January 20, to the first Smack Dab open mic event hosted by Magnet at its new location. Performers included comics Ali Littman and Baruch Porras-Hernandez, guitarist Theo Hull, Chris Walker and Bobby Blue of the Promise Kings, and entertainer Jesus U. Bettawork. Founded in November of 2003, Smack Dab is held monthly and welcomes performers to bring a five minute program of whatever they want to share.

Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse. You can quit.

CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

#CDCTips

HIV alone didn’t cause the clogged artery in my neck.

Smoking with HIV did.

Brian, age 45, California

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

7

Letting Go of Emotional Investing Patterns investments. This frame of thinking may lead you to make investment decisions based on your emotions, and in the long-term, emotional investing may prevent your portfolio from reaching its true potential.

Money Matters Brandon Miller, CFP When the Fed raised short-term interest rates in December, did you feel obligated to buy, sell or change your investing strategy solely on that knowledge? The urge to make an investment decision is often influenced by media reports and the sentimental value you apply to those

Focus on the long-term. Check yourself for news-driven fear or euphoria before you call your financial professional. Remind yourself of what your long-term financial goals are, and ask yourself if making a change would help you reach them.

If you still feel you need to make a change, ask your professional for their perspective.

Root out unfitting investments.

Do you still have your first stock certificate from mom and dad? Shares inherited from a favorite aunt? Stock from an early employer? There are all kinds of ways to acquire stocks over

the years, and over time, some investments may not “fit” with your overall investment goals. It can be hard to detach from stocks with an emotional connection, but like unruly branches in your backyard, portfolios need pruning on a regular basis to perform at their best. Portfolios and individual stocks should be evaluated periodically to determine whether they are still appropriate holdings given your time horizon, risk tolerance and overall portfolio. Keep in mind that sometimes no changes are warranted, but it’s a good habit to regularly review.

Strive for a balanced portfolio.

Portfolios often need to be rebalanced over time, as your individual circumstances and the individual holdings’ situation changes. Take an objective look at your portfolio and ensure you are comfortable with the level of risk.

If company stock options are available to you, make sure you’re aware of how that may impact your overall investment strategy. While it’s good to have confidence in your company,

having too much stock in one company may expose you to more risk than you intend.

Be consistent. Counteract impulse buying and selling with a consistent approach to investing. Automated investing makes it easy to implement a disciplined approach, such as investing a set amount at regular intervals. This systematic investing can be a way to help minimize the effects of market volatility in a portfolio; however, you will still need to review over time to make sure the strategy fits with your overall goals.

Embrace diversity. You’ll be in a better position to hang on to a sentimental favorite if the rest of your portfolio is diversified across a range of industries and assets. Diversity may provide balance in the event one or more sectors are down, but do keep in mind that diversity alone cannot protect against an investment loss.

Sell when the time is right. If you identify a loser that’s not likely to turn

around, it may be advantageous to sell it now. Many investors continue to hold an investment with the hope that one day it will pay off to hold it.

If you’re unsure about if you should cut your losses and move on, consult a financial professional who can give you an objective opinion.

Request a portfolio review. If you suspect your personal preferences and emotions are interfering with your investment decisions, defer to the experts. Ask a financial professional to conduct an objective review of your portfolio, with an eye to performance and your financial goals.

Together you can look for opportunities to grow your earnings through disciplined investing strategies.

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

Two Extroverted Sedans

2016 Buick Regal GS

Auto Philip Ruth The two sedans we’re checking out this week–the Buick Regal GS and the Toyota Corolla S Special Edition–aim to attract attention. That’s not the usual role of a practical car, which is typically more concerned with fuel economy and trunk space and the like.

But these hotter sedans from Buick and Toyota promise more excitement over the road and a stronger presence when you pull up to the curb, like a sport coupe.

The presence is stronger with the Regal, so much so that I had a real-life

2016 Toyota Corolla Special Edition

re-enactment of the commercials where an onlooker checks out a car’s contemporary lines and wonders, “Is that a Buick?”

it looks the part with black alloy wheels and colors that are limited to white, black and red. It caught more eyes than you’d think any Corolla would.

“It is,” I replied to the owner of my favorite Castro coffee shop, and he launched into an American-car rant, as he detailed the catastrophic unreliability of his Oldsmobile 98 and a friend’s Buick Century. He bounced to Toyota and never looked back. The Regal therefore ends up as an unconventional choice, which can be a way to further distinguish yourself. The Corolla occupies the opposite extreme; it’s the go-to for buyers wanting a car backed by a sterling reputation.

The Corolla S’s CVT transmission has a Sport mode, and you can run it up and down the rev range with paddle shifters. It has the same 132-horsepower engine as the regular Corolla, so while the S gives a sharper response, the engine’s coarseness indicates its core mission of economy. The Corolla S ends up feeling perky, and its 32-mpg overall EPA MPG rating keeps it frugal.

Both the Regal and Corolla compete in tight markets. The Regal sits in the gap between the mainstream and upscale, which means it’s fending off everything from Mazda 6s to Mercedes-Benz CLAs. It’s important that Buick has a version with performance and luxury credentials, and the Regal GS does.

The Corolla sits in a step lower in the compact-sedan market, and it faces stiff resistance from the sharply styled Honda Civic and Mazda 3. The Corolla continues as the sales leader, with volume in 2015 up seven percent over 2014, but Toyota recognizes that to keep people interested, you gotta have some flair.

That’s where the Corolla S Special Edition comes in. Base price with destination charge is less than $22K, and 8

BAY TIMES JANUARY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

In comparison, the Regal GS is ready for some good-ol’ American tuckus kicking, with an upgraded, 259-horsepower turbo engine (24 mpg EPA overall) and steamroller-wide tires.

The $31K GS’s sport seats hug your butt, and its handling feels dialed-in.

The Regal GS’s cool competence ultimately overshadows its personality, but the extroversion compensates; it was a unique pleasure to have a BMW M4 driver at the Market Street Safeway give the test car’s chromed 19-inch wheels a pointed double-take.

So if you’re looking for a little extroversion in your sensible sedan, these two are worth a look.

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant. Check out his automotive services at www.carstaging.com and www.gaycarguy.com

In Memoriam

San Francisco Loses a Gentleman Hero San Francisco lost one of its truly iconic figures and distinguished gentlemen, with the passing of Wilkes Bashford, 82, on January 15. His loss, felt by many, is especially poignant for those of us impacted by Wilkes’ support for the LGBT and HIV-positive communities and his life-long, fervent love for dogs and the human-animal bond.

2016 GS 200t

$399

Per Month Plus Tax Lease

1 at this offer.

ID 000541.

Wilkes, well known for his love of animals and his family of dachshund companions, was a pioneer in recognizing the importance of animal companionship for San Franciscans with AIDS. At a time when AIDS caused deep levels of stigma and fear, Wilkes stood up in 1987 and hosted the first fund-raiser–a dog fashion show–for the fledgling “Pets Are Wonderful Support for People with AIDS/ARC,” nicknamed PAWS. The dog fashion show brought publicity and awareness to the greater community about the unfilled and unique needs of animal guardians living with AIDS. This event symbolized the start of a movement, which eventually grew across the country.

PAWS-like groups sprung up in many major cities, especially those that were most ravaged by the HIV/ AIDS epidemic.

Originally founded by volunteers at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Food Bank, Wilkes’ dog fundraiser helped empower PAWS volunteers into creating an independent agency in the fall of 1987. At the same time, local veterinarians were collaborating with the Shanti Project, San Francisco SPCA, and local physicians to address the public health concerns about pet ownership.

These efforts evolved into the PAWS’ Safe Pet Guidelines and eventually into the Center for Disease Control’s Healthy Pets/Healthy People website in 2000. PAWS’ ongoing legacy, which will always be a part of Wilkes’ legacy, includes providing services to tens of thousands of San Franciscans

Wilkes Bashford and philanthropist Emily Scott Pottruck (pictured with him above) served as co-chairs of the PAWS 20th Anniversary gala benefit held in 2007.

and their animal companions, and many more throughout the nation.

on forever at Pets Are Wonderful Support.

Nearly 30 years later, the humananimal bond is the subject of a large scope of research, which demonstrates its tangible impact on isolated and sick individuals. Thus, animal lovers everywhere are grateful to see the human-animal bond being much more integrated into medicine and social work. Last year, PAWS merged with the Shanti Project to sustain its programs long-term and reach out to a greater number of San Franciscans who are in need of PAWS’ services.

We hope you will join us later this year when we offer a special tribute to Wilkes at PAWS’ signature event, Petchitecture–an event Wilkes and his dachshund companions always enjoyed immensely. In fact, a favorite memory for many long-time PAWS supporters was when Wilkes cohosted the PAWS’ 20th Anniversary Gala in 2007, and brought in his best friend, Mayor Willie Brown, as well as Robin Williams, who ended up stealing the show!

Wilkes met with Shanti and PAWS’ leadership before the holidays, and shared his trademark enthusiasm for the merged agency and PAWS’ vision for the future. We are heartbroken that Wilkes cannot continue to participate in the renaissance of the PAWS vision, but his spirit of generosity and love for animals lives

surrounded by 7 redwood trees.

Wilkes, we love you, we miss you, and we thank you for everything!

Ken Gorczyca, PAWS Founding Veterinarian Kaushik Roy, PAWS and Shanti Project Executive Director

Round About - Academy of Friends Party Photos by Rink

Come experience our hot tub

Sui Generis on Market Street in the Castro co-hosted the Academy of Friends Toast to the Nominees Party on Thursday, January 21. AOF board chair Gil Padia along with board members Amanda Watson, John Marino, Matthew Denckla, and Beth Feingold welcomed volunteers and friends. The event included shopping, socializing and fundraising in support of the upcoming 36th Annual Academy Awards Night Gala, with the theme “A Gathering of Royals,” to be held on Sunday, February 28, at the San Francisco Design Center.

WILLOWHAVEN Vacation Rental Russian River, CA

To reserve call (510)763-3850 or email: rkarobert@yahoo.com www.willowhavenhouse.com

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

9

I Can’t Stop Wanting to Use Crystal Meth 1. Understand that cravings are part of the process of recovery.

One of the most common causes of relapse is underestimating the difficulties. Recovery is a long-term process, and cravings can return months or even years after you stop using. But like all feelings, cravings arise, stay for a while, and then fade away.

Whenever the desire to use arises, remind yourself that, whether you use or not, it will pass.

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 Phone: 510-504-9255

Examined Life

E-mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com

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

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

The Bay Times is proud to be the only 100% LGBT funded and owned newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco.

Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

Abby Zimberg Beth Greene

Design & Production

Kate Laws Business Manager Jennifer Mullen

Q: I’ve been using crystal meth for years, and I know that I’m addicted to it. It’s hurting me mentally and physically. I lost a boyfriend because of it, and I’m pretty sure I’ll lose my job if I don’t stop using. All I’ve been able to do so far is go from using every week to using about every four to six weeks.

When the urge to use hits, I can’t think about anything else. Do you have any practical advice on how to fight it?”

A: I applaud your commitment to get this dangerous and destructive substance out of your life. Recovering from meth addiction is challenging, but I’ve seen many people do it. Here are a few suggestions that might help:

crystal has had on your life, and read it back to yourself every time you feel tempted to use.

2. Make your motto “one day at a time.”

This is one of the wisest suggestions in the twelve-step programs. You may want to quit for “forever,” but all you can ever actually do is stay clean today.

Stay in the immediate present, and don’t dwell on fears about what might happen tomorrow.

4. Don’t do it alone!

Staying clean is much easier if you have people in your life who know what you’re going through. Don’t be afraid to get as much support from others as you can. It can really help to talk with others who have succeeded in staying clean for a year or more, because they’ll serve as visible proof that recovery really happens, and isn’t just a pipe dream. The twelve-step programs offer extensive support networks. Many people who are turned off by the spiritual approach of these programs and want a more secular process have found the program of LifeRing helpful. (http://liferingsf. org/)

3. Don’t “romance” your drug use.

Crystal memory is notoriously selective. When you want to use, you’ll tend to remember the peak of the high, and forget what it feels like to come down, the black hole depressions that follow, or the days when you feel like a walking corpse. To correct this cognitive bias, write out a description of everything you can remember about how you felt after the last time you used.

Make a list of all the negative effects

5. Identify your “triggers” and stay away from them.

A trigger is any person, place, or activity that has become associated with using crystal. Most people find that they have to stop hanging out with friends who get high, and especially that they have to sever relationships with sex buddies who use. For many people, their computers or cell phones have become triggers. It’s often important to stay away from hook-up websites, especially those where people are

looking to “party and play.”

6. Be honest with yourself about other drugs, including alcohol.

You may or may not have a problem with any other substances, but some people find that using alcohol and marijuana causes their resolve to fade away, so that they suddenly find themselves calling their dealer or trolling the Internet for a connection. Some people find it necessary to stay away from all mind-altering substances for some months, and in some cases, permanently.

7. Finally, if you do succumb to the temptation to use, get right back on the horse.

Most of the people I know who have overcome this addiction have had to make multiple attempts. It’s not what we want, but, realistically, in the process of recovery from any addiction, the possibility of relapse exists and must be taken seriously. If you do have a slip, see it as nothing more than a temporary setback, Beating yourself up for being “weak” or a “failure” won’t help you achieve your goal.

The most important thing is not to let passing disappointments become permanent resignation. Don’t give up!

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. To learn more, please visit his website at tommoon.net

wwCalendar Editor

Kit Kennedy Poet-In-Residence J.H. Herren Technology Director Jennifer Mullen Web Coordinator

Mario Ordonez Juan Ordonez Distribution

CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Alex Randolph, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Rafael Mandelman, Kit Kennedy, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Rebecca Kaplan, Thom Watson, Courtney Lake, Michele Karlsberg Photographers Rink, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Paul Margolis, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg

FONTS

Julius SansRuth Onecan help you:

• Understand a new diagnosis Quattrocento

R. Ruth Linden, Ph.D.

Call Today for Your Free Consultation (415) 776-5901

Custom ad sizes are available. Please inquire! The Bay Times reserves the right to reject any advertising at the discretion of the publishers.

Circulation is verified by an independent agency

www.treeoflifehealthadvocates.com

Your Vacation in Puerto Vallarta!

COSTA SUR RESORT

Reprints by permission only.

CALENDAR Event listings for consideration to be included in the Bay Times online or print Calendar section should be sent by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com. © 2016 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas

Available Now: TWO-BEDROOM SUITE Spacious, spectacular wraparound corner ocean views OCEAN FRONT SUITE 400+ sq ft, kitchenette, stunning views INQUIRE FOR DETAILS & RATE:

775.782.4523 10

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

or treatment plan PMS 7533 U PMS 557 U PMS 660 U PMS 652 U • Find the right doctors • Obtain second opinions • Identify a promising clinical trial • Select and manage a loved one’s care • Prepare or update your advance care directive

ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards are available online at sfbaytimes.com or calling: 415-503-1375

National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco.

Represented by Rivendell Media: 908-232-2021

COLORS

GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow Creating Chaos The GLBT movement’s youth-dominated left edge has lost its focus. That is, if it ever had any focus to begin with. I’m talking to you: the dozens of crazy hateful GLBT screamers who yelled insults, crowded out and terrified the participants in a Jewish reception at the National GLBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference last week in Chicago.

beginning of a new year: Are things getting better in this country, or worse?

I’m still talking about the gay rights movement, but I’m also talking about America in general. Huge majorities say we’re going in the “wrong direction.” If you listen to the Republicans, it would seem that we’re a broken nation in steep decline, threatened by unchecked illegal immigration, massive job losses, with armed terrorists prepping for massacres in big cities and small towns alike.

The GLBT’s right edge has always been something of an oddity, in my humble opinion. And as for the center, most people are still engaged, but our agenda isn’t as captivating as it was when the lodestar of marriage equality sparkled before us. Here’s a Title VII case. There’s a girl in a lesbian t-shirt. Here’s a municipal referendum. There’s a state legislative fight.

Here’s a custody dispute. There’s a mean bakery. It’s all important. It also represents the relentless slog that always underlies progress in the struggle for civil rights.

As for the GLBT community, the pundits are full of warnings about how the fight is not over and the coming year will be an unrelenting battle with antigay legislators. Marriage is great, many say. But we can still get fired and thrown out of our homes!

But who under the age of thirty wants to bother with this boring trudge when they could be protesting instead?!

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve done my share of protests and lobby days and rallies, mostly as a reporter rather than an activist. But all of them served a specific purpose. Now, it’s protest for its own sake. To be part of a group. To let loose an incoherent spray of anger, full of sound and fury signifying who knows what.

We have the strongest economy in the world. Unemployment is around five percent; we’ve added ten million jobs in the last six years. Illegal immigration has declined under Obama, from over twelve million to around eleven million. Plus, immigrants pay taxes and expand the economy, whether legal or not. Crime is down. The stock market, despite its recent dip, has soared. We have major longterm problems to deal with, including income inequality, intractable racism, stagnant wages, global warming and stability in the Middle East. But these require sustained effort and thoughtful policies, not crazy calls for bombing and border patrols. One hopes that general election voters will agree.

I refuse to believe that the two hundred or so anti-Israeli demonstrators who disrupted and effectively cancelled that reception truly believed that the state of Israel should not exist.

Even as some paraphrased Hamas, chanting: “Palestine will be free, from the river to the sea,” I give these kids the benefit of the doubt. They are not anti-Semitic. No, they are clueless. They have reached chronological adulthood without a sense of history or a mature grasp of complex thinking. Paradoxically, they also lack compassion, although that could just be an age thing.

And they’re mad! Whether on campus or at a conference, they are exploding with indiscriminate outrage at every injustice the world coughs up, whether serious or inconsequential. Unarmed black men shot by police? Now, there’s something worth protesting. An email on whether or not authorities at Yale should pontificate on Halloween costumes? Not so much. Palestinian rights? By all means. One of Israel’s leading GLBT activist groups holding a reception? Um, no.

I guess the most dispiriting aspect of this phenomenon for our community is its uselessness. There’s no particular goal, save to silence someone on the other side of something. There’s no political action. No effort to get out the vote for a candidate. No lobbying for legislation. No fundraising.

No campaigns, unless you count the campaigns for safe spaces at perfectly safe American universities. There’s just the anger.

At the risk of appearing less intelligent or smart, let me say that I’m stuck like a dope, with a thing called hope, and I can’t get it out of my heart. (That’s South Pacific! Guys, turn in your gay cards if you failed to recognize the line from “I’m Just a Cockeyed Optimist.”)

As for the gay community, we do indeed face draconian bills emerging in dozens of state legislatures. Some of these will fall of their own weight.

Others will be challenged in court.

I really don’t feel like going through the laundry list right now. But the gay community now enjoys record majority support from the American people across all demographics. The right to marry is far more than a steppingstone to equality. It is a bridge, which not only gives us a specific “right,” but knits our families into the fabric of America and destroys the stereotype of the lone gay pervert who thinks of nothing but his or her next sexual encounter. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

I read an interesting piece on Huff Post by Dana Beyer, head of Gender Rights Maryland, who faults our leading gay organizations and commentators for dark talk about how we can be fired or face bias in half the states.

The legal evolution of the last few years, she notes, basically means that transgender men and women, along with gays and lesbians, are indeed protected against discrimination under federal law, even though no one has explicitly added “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” to the text of our statutes.

Pink-colored Glasses

She is correct. And it’s hard to argue with the implication that HRC and others want to exaggerate the continuing risks to our community in order to keep the pressure on the grass roots and lawmakers. On the other hand, we need more than agency interpretations and court precedent to secure our place in federal law. While many courts may rule in favor of gay plaintiffs under Title VII, there will still be some who stick to the letter of the law or find a way to distinguish a case to our disadvantage. The fight does continue, and we cannot let the Equality Act languish ENDA-like for decades.

(The Equality Act will specifically add the GLBT community into a range of federal anti-bias laws.)

So here’s a larger question for the

But the arc of history doesn’t bend

Which reminds me of the Trump anger, which is also undifferentiated and uninformed—the flip side of the same coin.

Our community has always needed all of us to pull our weight in order and to get things done. Left and center and right. Young, middle aged, and old. Poor and rich. White and not white. Lesbian and bi; gay and trans. I’m thinking we don’t have that unity anymore.

So the question is: Have we made enough progress to coast forward through the next decade or two without a pragmatic contribution from the next generation? Maybe, maybe not.

towards justice like a sapling, ready to spring back at the first opportunity. Once it passes the apogee, gravity pulls it inevitably towards justice, as will be the case for us now that we are well on the downside of history’s ill treatment.

Sing with me! I have heard people rant and rave and bellow…That we’re done and we might as well be dead.

But I’m only a cockeyed optimist! And I can’t get it into my head.

Roy Moron at It Again You heard, I’m sure, that Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore issued a legal statement telling state probate judges that they are under no obligation to perform samesex marriages because the Supreme Court’s marriage ruling only applied to the four states under review.

Yes, this is like saying Court-ordered desegregation only applied to the schools in Topeka, but Roy Moore is the same man who defied federal authority when he refused to dismantle a two ton decalogue in the rotunda of the Alabama courthouse. He basically does whatever the hell he wants to do, regardless of legal niceties.

Nothing Roy Moore says or does will roll back marriage rights in Alabama, but his annoying proclamation clogs up the process, allowing fringe judges to buck the High Court based on the alleged “confusion.” Most judges have continued to follow the Constitution, but there are 13 counties where scofflaw judges still maintain that they are not bound by the Supreme Court.

They’re not alone. In Tennessee and in other spots around the country there are Kim Davis-like renegades, who have yet to be forced into court by gay couples. I’m not sure why. In truth, I have spent the last month watching football, and although I read about this or that bad judge, I haven’t read about any major lawsuits against them.

Back At The Bar But speaking of major lawsuits, we’ve had a few interesting cases since last we met. In one of them, a federal judge in California ruled that two lesbians could sue Pepperdine University for anti-gay discrimination under Title IX. This is exactly the sort of lawsuit we were referring earlier to when we noted that gays and lesbians are de facto covered by federal laws, including Title IX, Title VII, and the Fair Housing Act. Indeed, Lambda is relying on the Fair Housing Act to sue a homeowner in Colorado who refused to rent to a transwoman and her family. And the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just secured a six-figure settlement in a Title VII case for a transwoman who was harassed on the job at Phoenix-based check cashing company Deluxe Financial Services.

This is what the NEW ME looks like.

I got my life back.

When addiction and mental health conditions cloud your path, we can help find your way back to your authentic self.

(866) 494.7787 FoundationsSanFrancisco.com

We’ve also seen more victories in our war against unfriendly business owners, with a ruling by a New York appellate court against a farm that refused to let two women use its commercial wedding services for their marriage.

A month or so ago, cake baker Sweet Melissa and her husband Aaron Klein, were finally forced to shell out the $135,000 in damages they owed to the state of Oregon and the two women they dissed several years back.

The money will sit around through additional legal appeals, and lest you feel sorry for them, they’ve picked up half a million in crowd funding from their sympathetic co-religionists.

Meanwhile, the florist in Washington, accused of the same nefarious bigotry, is appealing her conviction to the state’s high court. Barronnell Stutzmann has also raised nearly $100,000 online, but claims her $1,000 fine will send her into bankruptcy. (continued on page 26) BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

11

NAPA REDEFINED ©2016 Napa Cellars, Napa, CA

At Napa Cellars, we’re putting a modern spin on classic Napa wines, combining Napa’s legendary

12

terroir with contemporary sensibilities to create delicious wines that possess all of the character you’ve come to expect from Napa, but with an attitude and price that we think you’ll find rather

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

refreshing. In doing so, we’re redefining what Napa wine can be. Cheers!

NapaCellars.com

PHOTO SOURCE: BROCKEN INAGLORY

Survive, Prosper and Thrive: San Francisco’s Historic Cliff House

2016 marks the centennial of the National Park Service (NPS) and thanks to the LGBTQ Heritage Initiative, there is renewed emphasis on identifying and celebrating places and important events associated with our community for inclusion in the parks and programs of the NPS. Thus far, The Stonewall Inn in New York and Chicago’s Henry Gerber House (birthplace of the first gay civil rights organization in the nation, The Society for Human Rights) are now designated as National Historic Landmarks. San Francisco’s own Cliff House, however, which is part of a designated NPS national recreation area, is often left out of such discussions, but it has been intertwined with queer history since its earliest days.

Looking Back The first Cliff House, built in 1863, was a favorite of at least three U.S. presidents and prominent families such as the Hearsts, Stanfords and Crockers.

But it also drew an early following from the Barbary Coast, a red-light district centered on a threeblock stretch of what is now Pacific Avenue in San Francisco. The district featured dance halls, concert saloons, bars, jazz clubs, variety shows, brothels and some of our city’s earliest gay residents.

In the decades that would follow, the Cliff House too gained a reputation for the “scandalous behavior” of its visitors. Consider that its location, perched at Land’s End above the Pacific Ocean, provided the ultimate getaway for gay lovers and others who could meet in relative privacy at the then modest structure.

Adolph Sutro, former mayor of San Francisco, built his estate atop nearby Sutro Heights overlooking the Cliff House location. He later purchased the Cliff House in 1883. Sutro leased the building to others, who worked to renovate the building. In 1887, however, the Cliff House experienced the first of a series of disasters that could have easily closed the place forever.

A Cliff House Mini Timeline 1887- The schooner Parallel, abandoned and loaded with dynamite, ran aground the rocks at Land’s End and blew large sections of the Cliff House to smithereens.

1894- The patched up Cliff House is destroyed by a kitchen fire.

1907- After an extensive rebuild, and after having survived the great earthquake of 1906, the Cliff House burns to the ground.

1918- Rebuilt yet again, the Cliff House is shut down due to military orders that held “all establishments within a half mile of military installations are to halt the sale of liquor.”

1937- The owners of the beachside amusement park Playland purchased the Cliff House. It was extensively remodeled yet again, and reopened in August of 1938.

1977- The Golden Gate National Recreation Area acquired the Cliff House in 1977. It is now part of the largest urban park west of the Mississippi River.

The Modern Cliff House Current Cliff House proprietors Dan and Mary Hountalas, in conjunction with the NPS, have overseen more remodeling and restoration. Hountalas family ties to the Cliff House go way back.

The family has been a part of the Ocean Beach community since 1906. The Cliff House connection began more directly in 1941, when six-year-old Dan started selling peanuts to visitors. As he grew older and continued working at the site in the food and hospitality business, Dan witnessed the aftermath of yet another major fire in 1966. The fire was so damaging that it leveled the Sutro Baths, leaving behind the familiar ruins that are seen next to the Cliff House to this day. Still other challenges followed.

Dan and Mary persevered, though, and their efforts speak for themselves. The most recent renovations saw the addition of the energy efficient Sutro Wing, which now houses an amazing two-story dining room with stunning panoramic ocean views.

The ceiling of steel beams recalls the Sutro Baths architecture, establishing a connection between

the past and the present. Skylights and grand picture windows accentuate natural light in all public spaces; spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean are emphasized in both the neoclassical design of the restored 1909 structure and the soaring modernist space of this latest wing.

Today’s Cliff House management team includes many out and proud members of our community.

Executive Chef Kevin Weber, who is Director of Food Operations, Restaurant Manager Bob Kovacs, Procurement Manager Arthur Bradley and numerous others have themselves celebrated important life occasions at the beautiful site. They note that 20–30 percent of all wedding receptions and related events there are now for LGBT couples.

Many such couples enjoyed some of their first dates at the Cliff House, which seems to spark romance.

Why is the location still so popular? There is even more to the Cliff House than its history, dreamy views and delicious food and drinks. The site is supposedly haunted by a few ghosts, including that of the handsome LGBT 1920’s movie star Rudolph Valentino, who was a breathtakingly attractive and single dancer at the Cliff House before his days on the silver screen. Other gay stars—some out, some not—are in the mix of celebrity photos on the walls of the Cliff House’s Bistro section located in what was previously the main dining room. Additionally, photographers affiliated with the Harvey Milk Photo Center continue to find inspiration at the Cliff House, particularly at night, when the sunset views give way to moonlight over the rocky shore and foam-capped waves.

During this centennial year of the NPS, when President Obama and others will kick off a second century of stewardship of America’s national treasures, San Francisco Bay Times staff have observed that our city’s own historic Cliff House should also be recognized as one of the crown jewels of San Francisco’s Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

2009 Built in 1863

1896

1907

1909 PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CLIFF HOUSE PROJECT

Like San Francisco and the LGBT community itself, the Cliff House is a survivor. It has overcome natural disasters, establishment threats to its free spirited ways and many other challenges. If the Cliff House has a theme song, surely it is the Gloria Gaynor disco anthem, “I Will Survive.”

Remodeled 1949

Executive Chef Kevin Weber Dishes on His Nearly Four Decades at the Cliff House

Chef Kevin is also a role model both at the Cliff House and within our community. With others, he has worked to create a family atmosphere at the restaurants for staff and visitors. The effort has extended to fundraising and other support for numerous organizations, including several LGBT non-profits and groups. Long before gay marriage was legalized, he helped to organize some of the first commitment ceremonies and receptions for LGBT couples. It is little wonder that a quarter, and possibly more, of all

Chef Kevin Weber: Some of the earliest and most memorable food memories are of fishing and gardening with my grandparents. While we fished we would rake up seaweed from the beach to throw in the compost pile back at their house.

All the fish scraps as well went into the compost.

This was long before the concept of umami had reached the culinary world and the produce they grew was some of the best tomatoes, raspberries and melons that I have ever tasted. Never did they use any chemical additives for the soil and this was 60 years ago, so the idea of organics came early and out of necessity; they grew food to live on.

wedding events at the Cliff House are now for such couples.

We recently caught up with Chef Kevin to learn more about his life and work. Our thanks go to him and to Lisa Bellomo, Bob Kovacs and Arthur Bradley of the Cliff House team for their help in putting together this special section.

S a n Fr a nc i sco Bay Ti mes: Please describe one of your earliest food-related memories and how such moments might have influenced your later work.

San Francisco Bay Times: Who were some of your early mentors and role models?

PHOTO BY BOB KOVACS

When Chef Kevin Weber joined the Cliff House team nearly 40 years ago, expectations were already incredibly high. As Mark Twain wrote in the San Francisco Daily Morning Call after a 1960’s visit, “the appetite is whetted by the drive and the breeze, the ocean’s presence wins you into a happy frame, and you can eat one of the best dinners.” Chef Kevin—who is now Director of Food Operations for the Bistro, Zinc Bar and Lounge, and Sutro’s—more than met those expectations. He is credited with helping to take the site’s restaurants to yet another impressive tier in quality while satisfying a variety of different tastes and budgets.

Chef Kevin Weber: I came out to the West Coast in 1976 to visit my two brothers who were already working here at the Cliff House. I have been here ever since. There is a special quality about working here that encourages longevity in our employees.

Even at almost 40 years, I am still not

the most senior employee here. My assistant has also been here almost 40 years, and as the employees grow and start families, the tradition continues. I was recently best man at one of our employee’s son’s wedding. He also is employed here at the Cliff House. He is the son of an employee from 41 years ago. We are very much a family driven employer.

San Francisco Bay Times: Are you from this area? When did you first visit the Cliff House, and what do you most remember about that visit?

Chef Kevin Weber: I have been very lucky throughout my working experiences and have always had managers who were passionate about the industry and hospitality in all its forms. Jean Michel from the Culinary Academy was a genius concerning the importance of service and the concept of hospitality as fine art.

Chef Robert Albert Tordejman was a Master Chef who was an inspiration simply to watch. The speed, precision and passion that he put into every dish was like watching a painter

paint a masterpiece. Every ingredient had a part to play in the whole dish.

Balance was the key and the quality of the food was of utmost importance.

San Francisco Bay Times: We’ve noticed that many quality local products, such as Acme breads and Peet’s coffee, are featured at the Cliff House restaurants.

Are most of your products and ingredients sourced locally?

W hat are some of the other qualities that you look for when purchasing such items?

Chef Kevin Weber: At the Cliff House we are very much aware of our footprint on the environment, and we try to act accordingly. As much as possible we buy local, whether that be fish, produce, bread, wine or even Peet’s coffee. We actively research our vendors and make sure that they utilize best practices. I have even gone down to Salinas to pick strawberries to check on that source with our produce. It was eye opening to experience what the pickers do each and every day. I now have a profound respect for what it takes to get the food that we sometimes take for granted to (continued on page 16)

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

13

14

BAY   TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Photos courtesy of National Park Service, the Cliff House Project, ebay.com, commonswikimedia.org and cliffhouse.com

PHOTO SOURCE: BROCKEN INAGLORY

Adolph Sutro

Sky Tram (1955-1966)

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

15

CHEF KEVIN (continued from page 13 ) the plate. Continuing education at the Culinary Institute’s Worlds of Flavors Conference every year helps keep us current on developing food trends as well as future directions for food to develop. Also, attending conferences helps to develop the importance of bringing pulses more to the center of the plate. Beans, grains and other vegetables will be vital sources of protein that we must develop to alleviate livestock’s effects on the planet. We have recently installed a wind turbine to the building to help offset our imprint on the grid. We have also worked with Washington to help bring awareness to the issue of light pollution in the world. We are situated in a beautiful natural environment and we want to keep it that way.

S a n Fr a nc i sc o Bay Ti me s: Please highlight some of your ow n favor ite d ishes on t he

menus and how those recipes were developed.

Chef Kevin Weber: As far as favorite dishes here at the Cliff House, we do have some dishes that our public simply will not let us change. Our popovers, clam chowder, Crab Louis and award-winning Bloody Marys are just a few dishes we must keep for our regular customers. They simply won’t let us change them! I think that is probably what guides my culinary direction the most; I am here to give the guest what they want. This is not about me or any single person here.

We want the experience here at The Cliff House to last a lifetime. Every table is treated like they are family and I hope that shows in the great service and cuisine that we provide.

S a n Fr a nc i sc o Bay Ti me s: Please talk a little about the

Clif f House’s long-standing, and continuing, connections to the LGBT community.

Chef Kevin Weber: We have been active in the LGBT community for years as it is so important to me on a personal level. The Cliff House has always provided a welcoming and accepting place both to work and be a guest. We have been celebrating commitment ceremonies here at the Cliff House long before we achieved our current status on gay weddings.

I am proud to say that many of our gay couples come back year after year, and it is great to touch base with them. I like to think that we create an environment that goes beyond their expectations, and from our feedback, I think we achieve that. Twenty years ago we celebrated a commitment ceremony for a Jewish lesbian couple complete with huppah on our pri-

A Destination Like No Other

By Misha Ruth Cohen, OMD, L.Ac., and Carla J. Wilson, PhD, DAOM, L.Ac.

It’s hard to give a percentage, but I would say 20–30 percent of our weddings are for the LGBT community.

We have also been active in community services and help fundraise for several LGBT organizations. Whether it be for services for gay youth, outreach to homeless youth or specific communities within the LGBT community, such as the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, the Cliff House takes pride in being able to help.

San Francisco Bay Times: It amazes us that so many tragic events have threatened to shut down the place forever, and yet it always comes back stronger than ever. To what do you attribute that enduring strength and appeal?

Chef Kevin Weber: The Clif f House is very much a living entity.

We are not static in our approach to the community and our place in the world. We have survived earthquakes, fires, floods and even a government shutdown, and each time we bounce back stronger than ever. It has happened more than once that a former employee has come back and told me that this was the best job they ever had. I don’t think you can get any better validation than that!

Cliff House Ceremonies

and warm setting. An additional plus, either before or after dining, is making time to hike along the Land’s End Trail that runs down to the Sutro Baths.

San Francisco Bay Times contributors Thom Watson and Jeff Tabaco celebrated their marriage in September, 2013, with a reception for family and friends on the Terrace Level at The Cliff House.

The Cliff House is truly a treasure to be experienced. See you there Thanksgiving 2016?

Misha Ruth Cohen is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and a Licensed Acupuncturist. She is the Clinical Director of Chicken Soup Chinese Medicine, Executive Director of the MRCE Foundation, and Research Specialist of Integrative Medicine at the University of California Institute for Health and Aging. Carla J. Wilson is Director of the Doctoral Program and Research at The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In 2012, Mayor Ed Lee awarded Wilson a Certificate of Honor for her work dedicated to improving the lives of patients with HIV/ AIDS, hepatitis, cancer and more.

PHOTO BY BOB KOVACS

Sutro’s has been our Thanksgiving dining tradition for many years, and we are never disappointed with our experience. The light on the water and the early winter sunset is a precious ritual for us. We love that Sutro’s offers excellent cuisine in such an elegant

PHOTO BY BOB KOVACS

PHOTO COURTESY OF CARLA WILSON

We love the timeless ambiance of the Cliff House. The view is exquisite and captures the magic and beauty of Ocean Beach like no other restaurant. We’ve been “regulars” there for many years, and have enjoyed the Bistro, the Zinc Bar and Lounge, and the beautiful Sutro’s for a variety of occasions. Some were especially important, like my postgraduation PhD celebration, and some were just because going there makes for a special occasion.

vate terrace overlooking the ocean.

The Terrace and ceremony are visible from our Bistro restaurants, and a family who was dining there strained to get a better look at the ceremony.

The wife commented how beautiful the bride looked, but she couldn’t find the groom. She asked her server, who explained the service, and the husband commented, “That’s right honey…We’re in California now.”

Cliff House Specials Each Wednesday, the Bistro at the Cliff House offers a prix fixe gourmet three-course meal for $28. It’s served from 4:30–9:00 pm.

On Tuesdays, bottled wines are half price all day with the purchase of an entrée.

On Fridays, jazz bands are often featured at the Cliff House.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THOM WATSON AND JEFF TABACO

The ultimate special, though, is the change of seasons and how that affects the local wildlife that you can watch right outside the Cliff House windows. Marine mammals, including multiple species of whales, come incredibly close to shore. Be on the lookout for rare seabirds and shorebirds as well, such as snowy plovers.

16

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Top Trends at the 2016 Winter Fancy Food Show

By Elaine Viegas What’s not to like about San Francisco’s annual Winter Fancy Food Show? You’re walking, sampling and schmoozing with some of the world’s best food and beverage purveyors, not to mention seemingly every gay caterer on the planet. The three-day event, which was held this year from January 17 to 19 at Moscone Center, is always exhausting, but enjoyable and rewarding. This year’s was particularly so, if anything for the sheer size of the event that took up every square inch of Moscone and then some.

Many of the vendors praised our local Rainbow Grocery, Bi-Rite and Berkeley Bowl stores for working with small food businesses and carrying their products. The Pasta Shop in Oakland and Berkeley also received high marks from the numerous vendors we spoke to at the show.

Below are a few highlights from our small team from the San Francisco Bay Times that went. Look for these products at local stores, such as the above, and others.

Republic of Tea Fine Wine Teas The Sonoma Chardonnay, Sonoma Cabernet and other teas in this line really are reminiscent of wine, and offer diners a tasty non-alcoholic drink option.

Collier’s Welsh Miners Cheese My father was a coal miner in Appalachia, and would have really appreciated this bold-flavored cheese, now sold in bags with snack-sized servings. Look for the distinctive black packages and wrappings featuring a Welsh coal miner on them.

Old Aunt Ada’s Watsonville Apple Cider Vinegar Speaking of Appalachia, apple cider vinegar was, and still is, a cure-all to promote good health, not to mention good dishes. Mix this with honey for an all-natural cough syrup.

Portland Pet Food Company Even Fido had an option at the event. A percentage of the profits of these homemade-style dog foods goes to charities helping animals.

The Specialty Food Association also had a “Trendspotter Panel” who selected the following top trends, each represented by particular products.

Southeast (Asia) Meets West Little Red Dot Kitchen: Bak Kwa meat snacks Saffron Road: Tandoori Seasoned Chicken Nuggets Wei Kitchen: Shallot Oil Hey Boo: Thai Iced Tea Coconut Caramels Grazing on Grass Organic Valley: Vanilla Grassmilk Yogurt The New Primal: Grass-Fed Beef Jerky Dahlicious, Inc.: Organic Cucumber Mint Lemon Lassi with grass-fed milk Steve’s Ice Cream: Made with grass-fed milk Pushing Protein Bitty Foods: Chiridos, snacks made with cricket flour Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods: Cinnamon Hemp Heart Bites Explore Cuisine: Organic Edamame Spaghetti Chicago Bar Company: Chocolate Sea Salt RXBAR By the Cup Ricebliss: Acai & Chia Brown Rice Snack Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods: Sweet Potato Kale Quinoa Salad Purely Elizabeth: Cranberry Pecan Ancient Grain Granola Plus Puffs LonoLife: Chicken Bone Broth in Recyclable K-Cup

Wurstkuchl Mustard This sweet-savory mustard has been crafted in Germany for over 500 years following the original recipe.

Purple Reigns Back to the Roots: Organic Stoneground Purple Corn Flakes

Numi Teas Always community oriented, Numi is now raising money to bring clean water to farmers who do not currently have easy access to water.

Lotus Foods: Purple Potato and Brown Rice Ramen

Harmless Harvest’s Coffee Coconut Water This organic drink is very delicious and refreshing. The coffee is harvested from a co-op nestled high in the Peruvian Andes, and the flavorful coconuts are the unique Nam Hom variety.

Taza Chocolate Taza has a Direct Trade program that ensures quality and transparency throughout the process, from growers to the finished products.

Aneto Broths and Paella Bases The richly-flavored broths are made in Spain out of all natural ingredients that are slowly simmered over low heat. Chefs cook the ingredients for at least 3 hours, resulting in homemade-tasting broths.

Effie’s Homemade Oatcakes, Corncakes and More We liked the spunky owner, who uses a family recipe.

Kara’s Cupcakes Kara herself was sitting at the table featuring California food business owners. Her food trucks often make the Bay Area rounds.

Jeremiah’s Pick San Francisco Coffee Jeremiah was there too, and he is a really nice fellow. The aromatic coffee delivered with bold roast goodness.

Verdant Kitchen from Savannah, Georgia Chosen for Oprah’s “favorite things list,” the products from this business were all excellent and health oriented. Look for the ginger dusted with turmeric, which many studies conclude is an effective anti-carcinogen. Oprah Winfrey has done a lot to promote small businesses across America, like this one. Many of the vendors proudly displayed their “favorite things list” honors.

Mancan Wine in a Can As the label answers, “Yes, it’s wine in a can.” The “fizz” version tastes like a nice prosecco. All of the wine comes from grapes grown in Sebastopol. The fully recyclable cans are 35 times lighter than a glass wine bottle, leading to easier transportation and less materials ending up in landfills.

Hammons Black Walnuts Black walnuts have a distinctive flavor that many of us from certain other regions of the country fondly remember. They will hopefully become more available in our local markets.

Kendall Farms Crème Fraiche A lot of well-known San Francisco chefs use this versatile creamy product. Kendall’s is recognized as being one of the best.

Chivers Marmalades and Preserves From tangy to bittersweet, these all natural jams and marmalades are full of fruit flavor.

Love Beets: Smoky BBQ Shredded Beets The Republic of Tea: Sonoma Cabernet Iced Tea The real take-away from this year’s show, in our opinion, was authenticity. Consumers these days are concerned about the business practices behind their foods. Information about how products are made, who made them, and whether an item was produced sustainably, humanely and organically are becoming more common. Transparency therefore is now emphasized more so than ever before.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with a recipe that was shared by a rep for Born Sweet’s “Zing” stevia baking blend. These brownies are some of the best that I have ever had.

They are really moist. The black beans magically blend in, with many snackers not even realizing the protein-packed beans are in the mix.

Black Bean Brownies 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup Zing™ Baking Blend (https://www.zingstevia.com/) 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips Instructions Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

Grease top of parchment. Set aside.

In a bowl, beat black beans, using an electric mixer, until smooth. Add the Zing Baking Blend and remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips. (Do not over mix.) Scrape down sides of the bowl. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into the pan and bake 30–35 minutes until the brownies begin to pull away from the side of the pan. Cool and cut into 16 squares.

This recipe was created in accordance with the 2015 meal planning guidelines published by the American Diabetes Association.

Yield: 16 squares Bay Area-based Elaine Viegas grew up on a small farm in Appalachia and trained as a chef.

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

17

An Important Civil Rights Black Activist Who Was Edited Out of History Teacher Lyndsey Schlax of the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts recently taught the nation’s first on-site high school LGBT course, according to district officials. She will resume teaching that groundbreaking class next fall. This semester, she is teaching a new Ethnic Studies course.

It is a popular elective among the school’s Social Science offerings. In this column, students from her class will be anonymously sharing with the San Francisco Bay Times their thoughts about related matters, and what they are learning.

History Has Its Eyes on the Nice Ones Student, 12th Grade It’s almost Black Heritage Month! So I thought we could maybe talk about one civil rights kid who is not often spoken about. Everyone knows the name Rosa Parks, an NAACP local chapter secretary and activist; we often credit her for starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Some of us might have heard of other women who refused to obey the Montgomery segregation laws prior to Parks’ case, but who did not become icons of the civil rights movement. One of these heroes, Claudette Colvin, a fifteen-year-old girl, refused to give up her seat in March 1955 and was handcuffed and jailed. Nine months later, Rosa Parks suffered the same consequences.

When: Wednesday, March 16, 2016, 6:30 PM Where: Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion You and your dog are invited to walk the red carpet and celebrate with us!

• Delectable food from McCalls Catering & Events • Live Auction • Music and Dancing

The city’s black leaders brought both cases to court. Since Colvin had become pregnant, E.D. Nixon, an NAACP leader, decided Parks would make a more appropriate icon for their cause and used the public’s sympathy to help start the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Fortunately, Colvin’s case did not die, and she filed suit with four other plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, which later overturned the segregation laws in Montgomery and Alabama. Being lower class, a teen-

For more information, please visit our website www.clawsf.org, phone 415.522.3535 or email info@clawsf.org

*Sponsored by Critter Lovers at Work (CLAW). Benefitting the Cinderella Fund of the SF SPCA

ager, and an unwed mother does not disqualify anyone from changing the world for the better.

Aurora Levins Morales’s essay, “Historian as a Curandera,” touches upon the many ways we narrate the past. We often strip our heroes of their humanity, by either “overlooking their failings, or feeling betrayed when we find that they have some.” Sometimes, the idealization of heroes segregates narratives itself, sending a perhaps unintentional messages that female heroes must only be middle-class, wellrespected, quiet and discreet people.

In 2005, President Bush signed legislation to establish a statue of Rosa Parks in Washington, D.C. In 2013, Parks’ memory was endorsed with words like “dignity and grace,” “quiet strength,” and “national hero.” Although I am glad to hear words honoring a great woman, I also feel that a less known girl is discredited in Park’s shadow. I am a little sad that we talk less about Claudette Colvin, whose bravery occasionally pops up as a ‘Did You Know?’ fact in history sources and blogs.

The idea of a hero is a strange one.

It suggests that individuals can single handedly change the world, but the truth is: we can only change ourselves, and perhaps hope that we inspire others to change as well. The icons of the civil rights movement stood for what they believed was right, when the rest of the world told them otherwise. They are indeed worthy of remembrance. But let’s not forget the girls who refused to leave their seats prior to Rosa Parks. Let’s not forget that long before her bold stance, Parks was part of the NAACP, a political organization, a community. Let’s not forget the white allies who supported the civil rights movement. We have to remember that we do not make changes on our own. Certainly well respected people are not the only ones fighting for justice. We do, however,

Student Voices achieve our ideals together. We need to remember who was part of the great collaborations of the past.

Why We Need Ethnic Studies Student, 12th Grade When I was a little girl, my dad would tell me stories about how he lived on the predominantly white East Coast, attended a boarding school for all of his life where he was separated from his family. He had no connection to really anything in his life, so he decided to enlist as a Marine after almost flunking out of high school. While travelling across the world on board a ship, my father met many different people during the end of the African-American Civil Rights movement, the middle of the gay rights movement, and the beginning of the AIDS pandemic.

Although my father was alive during these times of great change in America, his morals did not progress as society had. The train of same-love, love-wins, and equality left the station without him, and without many like him in his generation. My father was a product of the baby-boomers, and was not too keen on liberal ideas, gay rights, or accepting the existence of white privilege. I had not become aware of what kind of man my father was until I turned eleven. Your father is supposed to be your supporter and your teacher, but what happens when one day you’ve discovered that your moral compass directs you far from that of your father’s?

I can’t count the times I have tried to explain racism, discrimination, (continued on page 26)

A MONTHLY HIGHLIGHT FROM THE DE YOUNG AND LEGION OF HONOR

El Cid Campéador

We are proud to be nationally recognized by our peers and the media as the first national firm to launch a LGBT practice ‒ we make it our business to understand our clients’ unique needs.

www.marcumllp.com Nanette Lee Miller 415.432.6200 I nanettelee.miller@marcumllp.com International Member of Leading Edge Alliance

ASSURANCE 18

I

TAX

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

I

ADVISORY

PHOTO BY JO LYNN OTTO

Standing before the entrance of the Legion of Honor is this monumental equestrian statue depicting the Spanish hero, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (ca. 1040–1099). He was known as El Cid Campéador (The Lord Champion), the historic Castilian champion and conqueror.

Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876–1973) created the statue of El Cid, who is shown fearlessly astride his horse, raising his arm to the sky with a bannered spear in hand. Wearing mail armor and holding a large shield, El Cid turns his body to the right, perhaps to speak words of inspiration to his fellow soldiers before battle. This statue (1921, cast ca. 1927) may represent the warrior during the siege of Valencia in 1094.

Huntington was a notable, thriving figure in American sculpture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

She was one of the few women in the world who was engaged in this profession at the time. In 1923, she married Archer Huntington, stepson and heir to the fortunes of railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington, and an avid historian and enthusiast of Spanish history and culture. In 1897, he translated into English the famous Spanish poem “El poema del Mio Cid” (“The Poem of My Cid”), a likely inspiration for her El Cid Campéador.

Anna Vaughn Hyatt Huntington, “El Cid Campéador (Ruy Diaz de Bivar, 1040-1099),” 1921. Bronze on granite base. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Gift of Herbert Fleishhacker. Image courtesy of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

TERRA GALLERY & EVENT VENUE

Exciting Developments for LGBT Rights and Marriage Equality in Taiwan

6/26 and Beyond John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA On January 16, 2016, Tsai Ing-wen made history when she was elected Taiwan’s first female president.

Tsai’s election not only broke a glass ceiling for women in Taiwan, but it also could herald a long-awaited breakthrough for LGBT rights in Taiwan and the rest of Asia.

President-elect Tsai is an unabashed supporter of LGBT rights and marriage equality. During the presidential campaign, Tsai posted a promarriage equality video on her Facebook page to coincide with Taiwan’s 13th annual Pride Parade.

Taiwan Pride, which attracted nearly 80,000 participants, is the largest such event in Asia. In the video, Tsai proclaimed: “I am Tsai Ing-wen, and I support marriage equality.” She explained that “we are all equal” in love, and that everyone should be “free to love” and pursue happiness– as pink and red hearts and rainbow rings floated across the screen. It was a first for Taiwanese politics.

No county in Asia has marriage

equality yet. Tsai’s election, along with her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) winning an absolute majority in the national legislature, could mean that Taiwan will become the first. Tsai and the DPP defeated the ruling Kuomintang Party (KMT), which failed to advance LGBT equality while in power. In 2013, over 20 DPP legislators introduced a marriage equality bill, but the KMT has prevented the bill from moving forward.

We do not yet know whether the new government will have sufficient votes and political will to pass marriage equality and other LGBT bills. Tsai and her party have not committed to making marriage equality a legislative priority. As a candidate, Tsai stated that marriage equality is “something that society needs to tackle together as a whole, in which some are supportive while others are more reserved.” Indeed, Tsai has explained that her political “style” is to be “patient” and to work “steadily, practically, and accurately to achieve the ideal.” But the political landscape for LGBT rights in Taiwan has changed significantly.

In addition to legislative efforts, Taiwan’s vocal and assertive LGBT activists appear ready to seize the moment to pressure the new government to make legal equality a reality.

Taiwanese LGBT activists have been pressing for equality for years. As we did in America, LGBT couples in Taiwan have presented themselves to local officials to ask for marriage licenses, putting a human face on discrimination. In 2012, a couple filed a marriage equality lawsuit, which was subsequently withdrawn

for strategic purposes when it appeared that a positive ruling would not be forthcoming.

The cities of Taipei, Kaohsiung, and Taichung recognize partnerships for same-sex couples. Last year, hundreds of supporters marched on the Kuomintang Party Headquarters to protest the party’s inaction and threw rainbow water balloons at the building in an act of symbolic defiance. When the government’s Justice Ministry conducted an online marriage equality poll, approximately 60 percent of respondents voted in favor. A 2013 poll showed 53 percent public support for marriage equality, with a whopping 78 percent of people in their twenties in favor. Another 2013 poll showed that marriage equality did not then have majority support, but a 2014 poll showed support at 54 percent.

Contemporary • Elegant • Versatile Terra provides the perfect setting to make your wedding unforgettable

511 Harrison Street (at First) www.terrasf.com

•

•

info@terrasf.com

San Francisco •

415.896.1234

Voted Best Romantic Restaurant

In 2013, the China Post opined that “[l]egalizing same-sex marriage will be a huge step forward in the fight for universal equality akin to ending apartheid.” It’s hard to overestimate the importance of winning marriage equality in Asia, home to billions of the world’s population. Activists are fighting for equality in many Asian countries, and a victory in Taiwan would not only bring marriage equality there, but could also ignite a spark across the entire continent.

Chase Away the Winter Blues with Three Cliff House Favorites

The Bistro Wednesday Night Prix Fixe Three courses for $28.00

4:30 – 9:00 pm

$5 Moonlight Cocktails Featured Cocktail Changes Daily Sunday through Thursday 6:00 – 9:00 pm

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

Wine Lovers’ Tuesday Every Tuesday bottled wines are half price* all day with purchase of an entrée!

Valet parking every night after 5:00 pm. *Some restrictions apply. Promotions are not valid on holidays.

Two Newlyweds Reflect Upon Their Marriage

Weddings Reverend Elizabeth River Last October I had the privilege of marrying Karen and Kim Huckabee in Jenner, where the Russian River flows into the Pacific Ocean. It is a beautiful place that is sacred for these two brides. A mid-life couple, Karen and Kim had been in relationships before, raised kids, and met each other a few years back. As newlyweds, they are grateful for the great blessing that they found one another.

Kim describes Karen as kind and loving, beautiful and funny. She said, “I can just rest with her, and be still together; she is like an anchor that keeps bringing me home.”

Karen loves Kim’s boundless sense of humor. “She keeps me laughing even through the tough stuff,” Karen said.

“She’s also very nurturing and caring; I love everything we do together!”

Rev. Elizabeth River: What feels different for you, now that you are actually married?

Kim Huckabee: The long search is over; the piece of me that was missing

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ELIZABETH RIVER

1090 Point Lobos 415-386-3330 www.CliffHouse.com

Karen and Kim

that I’ve been secretly searching for is found! There is a deep connection in marriage that strikes at the very core of who you are. This love is slow moving–deep, committed, spiritual, flowing all the time. It feels like a special gift given just to us.

Karen Huckabee: We have sealed all the promises, thoughts and dreams–they are ours! We are finally building this strong foundation of loving and caring and a daily life together, for always.

Rev. Elizabeth River: How has your outlook on the future changed because of your spouse?

Kim Huckabee: It’s so nice to know that as we grow older, we have the other to share life’s journey. I wish we had met sooner, and would have another 50 or 60 years, but…I am so grateful we found each other now.

Karen Huckabee: The future is as bright as the loving embrace in which we both feel so safe. This strong committed love cannot be shaken or damaged by the world around us. We are a strong, united couple facing life

d

T REAT YOURSELF TO AN EXCITING C ULINARY ADVENTURE WITH M ICHELIN S TAR C HEF SRIJITH GOPINATHAN

hand in hand. We are where we are meant to be.

Rev. Elizabeth River: Have you had any new thoughts, new creative ideas, since your wedding?

Kim Huckabee: I recognize life’s gifts more than I did before and I can appreciate simplicity now. I want to earn more, so we can retire sooner and see and do more when the boys are grown. (Note: Kim and Karen are raising Kim’s grandsons together.)

Karen Huckabee: Our wedding was in October, shortly before the holidays. We had so much fun combining and blending Christmas ornaments and traditions and creating everything new our own way…so much fun! I love creating together in the kitchen and in the garden. We are faced with opportunities for creativity every day, it seems.

Rev. Elizabeth River: Any other comments to share, given that you are a couple who has been married now for a few months? (continued on page 26)

Spice Pot — Chef’s interpretation of traditional Indian street food with vegetables, tamarind chutney, and chickpea crackers.

Journey along India’s Spice Route by way of California at six-time Michelin star winner Campton Place. Chef Srijith’s cuisine masterfully blends the finest local produce with the richness of the region’s seasonal bounty.

Enjoy a six-course Spice Route menu or indulge in our nine-course Degustation menu. For those with lighter appetites we offer a three-course Theatre Menu and Vegetarian Tasting menu.

2016 Michelin Guide Two Star Winner! camptonplacesf.com for reservations | 415.781.5555 340 Stockton San Francisco | Union Square Open daily for lunch and dinner BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

19

Celebrating the Life of Ronnie Gilbert

Photos © by Susan Freundlich and Janne Watson

The late, great Ronnie Gilbert (1926-2015) had a long and colorful career as a singer, activist, actor, playwright, therapist, and independent woman. Her lifelong work for political and social change was central to her role as a performer.

On Thursday, January 21, friends, colleagues and family members gathered at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley for an evening of celebration. Performers included Bill Bowers, Barbara Dane, Melanie DeMore, Robin Flower, Barbara Higbie, Linda Hirschhorn, Redwing Keyssar, Libby McLaren, Holly Near, Timothy Near, Rhiannon, Judy Small, Linda Tillery, Sharon Washington and Adrienne Torf.

In addition to the musical performances, Ronnie’s friends read excerpts from her memoir, Robbie Gilbert, A Radical Life in Song, which was completed shortly before she died in June, 2015.

The production team for the evening, led by Elizabeth Seja Min, included Jill Davey, Adrienne Torf, Penny Rosenwasser and Ronnie’s life partner Donna Korones. Ginny Berson broadcast the show on KPFA. Thanks to photographers Susan Freundlich and Janne Watson, and to Donna Korones.

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

PHOTO BY JANNE WATSON

PHOTO BY SUSAN FREUNDLICH

PHOTO BY JANNE WATSON PHOTO BY SUSAN FREUNDLICH

PHOTO BY JANNE WATSON

PHOTO BY SUSAN FREUNDLICH

PHOTO BY JANNE WATSON

PHOTO BY SUSAN FREUNDLICH

PHOTO BY JANNE WATSON PHOTO BY SUSAN FREUNDLICH

20

PHOTO BY JANNE WATSON

PHOTO BY SUSAN FREUNDLICH

To view the concert on YouTube, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlgi_ej0Z2s

From the Coming Up Events Calendar See page 24 Saturday, Jan 30 - A 24-Decade History of Popular Music: 1776-1836 - Curran Theater. $75. 3 pm (443 Geary Ave) eventbrite.com

Wednesday, Feb 10 - Sips and Reflections with Michaela Rodeno - The Commonwealth Club. $20.

5:30 pm (555 Post St.) commonwealthclub.org

Out Writer/Director Andrew Haigh Talks About 45 Years, and Explains Why He Doesn’t Always Tell Gay Stories

Film Gary M. Kramer 45 Years is an incredibly affecting drama by out writer/director Andrew Haigh (Weekend, Looking). Kate (Charlotte Rampling in an Oscarnominated performance) and Geoff (Tom Courtenay) are forced to reevaluate their marriage in the week leading up to a milestone wedding anniversary celebration. The catalyst for this is a letter Geoff receives containing news from his past. How the information taints their lives–eating away at both characters in different ways–forms the basis for this intimate, absorbing drama. Haigh recently spoke to me for the San Francisco Bay Times about making 45 Years.

Gary M. Kramer: What inspired you to make this film and adapt this story? Have you had something from the past influence your current relationship?

Andrew Haigh: I think the past always influences our relationships.

We can’t escape our past no matter how much we want to. The story became lodged in my head. It’s a bookend to Weekend. That was a gay relationship looking forward, and this is a straight relationship looking back.

What appealed to me is that I could explore relationships, and our identities within relationships. I didn’t feel I had to put myself in the body of a 70-year-old to write it.

Gary M. Kramer: Your films Weekend and now 45 Years are also mostly two-handers; what is the appeal of that narrative strategy of charting the gulf between two people over time, be it a weekend, a week, or longer?

Andrew Haigh: My interest in relationships is that for most of us, the relationships we have are the most important thing in our lives. That’s fertile ground for exploring characters and looking at people. I’m interested in the relationship we have with other people, and I like the contained-ness of two character stories. I was telling 45 Years over the course of a week.

The couple is long lasting, but their relationship has this fragility to it; it could crumble and be thrown into doubt so quickly. We reassess our decisions and choices that can throw our lives off balance, or off course.

Gary M. Kramer: Was that a purposeful agenda in making a film about a straight couple?

Did you feel pigeonholed as a gay filmmaker?

Andrew Haigh: I don’t think so.

Before Weekend had even come out, I wanted to make 45 Years. It wasn’t a reaction to being classified as a queer filmmaker–I don’t mind that label, it doesn’t bother me. I have to ignore the boxes people put me in. I just want to tell stories that interest me. I don’t only want to tell gay stories. I want to tell different stories. Sometimes gay, sometimes not, but they will always have my perspective.

Gary M. Kramer: You create an incredible, intense intimacy in the film. Can you talk about that and how you created the film’s relentless tension?

Andrew Haigh: That’s the idea I like: it becomes a haunted house/ ghost story–the past has infected this house. There’s a strange growing tension, and like Kate, you are thrown off balance. In everyday life there are struggles, and they are small in scale,

but life is so difficult. I want to tell stories in a kind way, of us doing the best we can. I like to get up close and personal, and feel that, and bring kindness to the characters as I explore that and watch them.

Gary M. Kramer: What decision did you make in the casting of Charlotte Rampling?

Andrew Haigh: I wanted to make sure we had a strong female lead, and see her doubts and feelings crumble.

Charlotte had that inner strength, and she had a mystery to her, and I find that really interesting in a film–not really knowing people. The characters are trying to express their pain to each other, and Rampling can do that with a look or feeling. She has a mystery that draws you in and, you see this sympathy of emotion behind her eyes, and then she pushes you away.

Gary M. Kramer: Do you feel that the choices we make taint our lives? Do you feel a partner is someone you should tell everything to?

Andrew Haigh: Unfortunately, I

think it’s so difficult–the hardest thing is that we all have our individual pasts and feelings and doubts and fears and anxieties. Some things you shouldn’t articulate to your partner; you don’t want to risk that love or have them become unsettled or disappointed or broken by something you feel. In an ideal world you would be 100% honest with each other, but life doesn’t work quite that way. It’s impossible to put the past to rest. Every decision we make is based on our experience, despite self-help books promoting us to move on. The past will always come

back and cause issues.

Gary M. Kramer: Then let’s talk about the future. Can you report anything about Looking for an Ending?

Andrew Haigh: I’m shooting at the moment. You’ll have to wait and see. © 2016 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

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

21

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Scientists reported last Wednesday that 2015 was the hottest year in the historical record by far, breaking a mark set only the year before–a burst of heat that has continued into the new year and is shaking up weather patterns all over the world. In the United States, the year was the secondwarmest on record, punctuated by a December that was both the hottest and the wettest since record-keeping began. And yet the Repugnican idiots keep saying there is no such thing as climate change. Yeeeesh!”

Sister Dana was attacked for several weeks by the Horrible Bronchitis Demon, thus rendered incapable of attending events and doing his usual intrepid reporting. Therefore my column will be a bit flimsy–echoing the state of my health at this time. Cough!

Choke! Sigh.

KREWE DE KINQUE, the all-volunteer Mardi Gras-themed social club and fundraiser, held our members meeting to plan the upcoming BAL MASQUE XIII, a masked ball with the theme of “Saints & Sinners” to be held on Saturday, March 12, at Beatbox, 314 11th Street and Folsom: 5–6 pm VIP reception, 6–9 pm general admission. The Ball will benefit JAZZIE’S PLACE, the new LGBT Homeless Shelter operated by DOLORES STREET COMMUNITY SERVICES. It should be noted that 29% of San Francisco’s homeless population identify as LGBTQ , and finally have a unique, safe place for temporary shelter and services. For more info or to join our club (tell ‘em Queen VII Sister Dana sent ya) browse sfkinque.com PHOTO BY RINK

The GGBA (GOLDEN GATE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION) held their JANUARY MAKE CONTACT at the New Conservatory Theatre Center, providing the opportunity to network with friends and colleagues

Sister Dana celebrated with a model known as “Honey” at an event held jointly to mark his birthday and the opening of an art show by Thomasina DeMaio at the new SFAF location on Castro Street.

while having enjoyment to sample some of San Francisco’s great LGBTQ arts and theater offerings throughout SF. President JP Leddy spoke about GGBA. Founded in 1974, the Golden Gate Business Association is the nation’s first LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the first business organization founded by LGBT entrepreneurs. With members who live and do business across San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Marin counties, and beyond, GGBA proudly serves as the voice for the San Francisco/Bay Area’s LGBT business community. Their mission is to champion opportunity, development, and advocacy for the LGBT & Allied business community. The Make Contact event included food, drinks, and performances by Avenue Q (puppets singing the hilarious “If You Were Gay”), ManDance (with a lovely and very queer interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite), and Velocity Circus (with a scary sword swallower with no gag reflex) and a genuine whirling dervish, his twirling skirt forming something like the rings of Saturn up and over his head. ggba.com

We joined ACADEMY OF FRIENDS to TOAST THE NOMINEES OF 2016 at Sui Generis clothiers in the Castro. Academy of Friends has been in existence and evolving for nearly 34 years. Soon after the onset of the HIV epidemic,

they dedicated themselves to the mission of working to ease the burden of this disease through the raising of funds in support of direct care for those with HIV/AIDS and making available educational programs to prevent infection. As the pandemic grew, so did their scope; “to help…where the need is greatest, until the crisis has passed.” Through their annual Academy Awards Night Gala, they have raised over $8.6 million to support more than 72 HIV/AIDS service organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. At this event we toasted the nominees of the 88TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS. We enjoyed cocktails, delicious appetizers, and a Bowtie Tying Clinic (in case we wanted to learn), and shopped for our fabulous frocks for the 36TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS NIGHT GALA on February 28 at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria.

Vice Chair Matthew Denckla welcomed everyone. Board Chair Gil Padia spoke of the beneficiaries this year: AIDS LEGAL REFERRAL PANEL (ALRP), HIV/AIDS NIGHTLINE, MAITRI, PROJECT INFORM, PROJECT OPEN HAND, and POSITIVE RESOURCE CENTER. The Gala is a fabulous way to view the Oscars on big screens while helping out six deserving charities. academyoffriends.org ART SAVES LIVES Studio and Gallery gave us FACES OF THE CASTRO, a chance to check out recent oil portraits by renowned artist THOMASINA DEMAIO depicting over 50 people from the Castro community (and a few beyond) at the AHF San Francisco Men’s Wellness Center/ studio on 518 Castro Street. It was a give-back party to all of Thomasina’s sitters to take home their portraits. It was also a festive birthday party for Thomasina and a belated bday– January 1st–party for Sister Dana. I wore a custom-made red velvet minidress with bottles of red wine painted onto the gown by Thomasina.

Because Sister Dana LOVES red wine, that’s why. There were sexy ladies in costume distributing canapés throughout the night. Suddenly there (continued on page 26)

What’s More Important: Character or Plot? develop the plot and move it forward, not me. Any writer working like I do, without an outline, from the gut, knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Plot would not exist without my prime movers–my characters.

Vanda’s novel, “Juliana (Vol. 1, 1941– 1944)” will be published next month by Booktrope Editions.

Words Michele Karlsberg Michele Karlsberg: When writing, what is more important to you, character development or plot?

Vanda: For me, character is everything. As a psychologist, I am fascinated by the varieties of people that exist in this world, what they do and feel, and how they came to be the way they are. My fiction reflects this fascination.

I love it when my characters completely surprise me.

When they have a quirk I didn’t know about, or a secret that suddenly pops out and shocks me. Once I get going, it is my characters that 22

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

Susan Wittig Albert: Nobody says it better than F. Scott Fitzgerald: “Character is plot, plot is character.”

Two sides of the same coin, two threads so tangled that it’s hard to separate them.

In addition to mysteries (usually fairly heavily plotted), I write biographical fiction, which has given me a new appreciation for the interweaving of plot and character. In Loving Eleanor, for instance, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok try to build an enduring relationship in spite of the forces that threaten to pull them apart. These two strong women have the force of character that allows them to create their own plots; the plots they create shape the even stronger women they become.

“Character is plot, plot is character.”

Thank you, F. Scott Fitzgerald.

I’m a believer in plot. As a reader, my favorite stories have a compelling forward motion that keeps me turning pages, wondering what’s going to happen next, unwilling to put the book down until “it” happens. As a writer, I’m most comfortable with plot that has a strong structure, a scaffold on which story events are built.

But in my favorite books, it is the compelling characters that carry the story forward. I don’t just wonder what’s going to happen (plot); I wonder what’s going to happen to them, to the characters I care about: people who love, hate, suffer, win, lose, live happily ever after—or not. As a writer, I want to create characters that are strong enough to build their own plots as they go along.

Susan Wittig Albert is the “New York Times” bestselling author of two biographical novels, “Loving Eleanor” and “A Wilder Rose,” as well as 50+ contemporary and historical mysteries.

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

Local Award-winning Filmmaker Teams with Canadian Singing Star for New Video Bay Area-based filmmaker Stacy Poulos is a one-woman dynamo. For the past 30 years, she has run her own production company, Playback.net Video Film Multimedia. She is also the creator of Girlpages Network, Postcard Travelers Adventure Magazine, and runs the website dyslexia.tv, which has helped countless other individuals with dyslexia.

Poulos is additionally well known to many members of “Betty’s List” and readers of the San Francisco Bay Times, who look forward to seeing the stylish Poulos arrive at events on her impressive motorcycle, which has been in more than one Dykes on Bikes San Francisco Gay Pride Parade contingent.

Poulos’ recent project was directing the new video, “Into the Light,” featuring Canadian singing star Sarah Smith. Smith, who was formerly the lead singer of the rock band The Joys, already has a number of awards and honors. Consider the following career highlights: 2015 Best Adult Contemporary at The Toronto Independent Music Awards 2015 Best Rock Artist at the London Music Awards 2015 Best Rock Artist at The JRMAs 2014 Fan Favorite at The JRMAs 2014 Best Singer/Songwriter at The London Music Awards 2014 Best Rock Group at the London Music Awards

PRIMARY CARE

2014 Top-10 Album by The London Free Press 2013 Best Singer/ Songwriter at The JRMAs 2012 Best Singer/ Songwriter at The London Music Awards 2012 #1 Album by The London Free Press Now a solo artist, Smith is, as her website says, “killing it on her own!” She and Poulos greatly enjoyed making the new video, which Smith admits caused her to shed tears out of intense emotion when she first viewed it. “I’m so blessed and so grateful; this is beyond my wildest dreams,” Smith said. “I’ve been performing this song for two years, and to see it turn out in a visual like that goes Filmmaker Stacy Poulos with Sarah Smith beyond my dreams.”

For her to contribute and collaborate Poulos was moved by the video and when the setting is established makes their work together too. She said, “I beautiful art.” love working with Sarah because she trusts me and the process…I was born Smith is now on a lengthy tour that is to do this. I’ve been a photographer taking her across Canada, the U.S. since I was seven. I was quite honored and Germany. We look forward to her to be trusted with this song.” hopefully future San Francisco conPoulos continued, mulling over one of certs. To see Smith’s full tour calendar the key scenes in the video. “Putting a and other information, please visit beautiful, talented woman in an ugly, http://www.sarahsmithmusic.com/ broken-down room to emphasize events/ rebuilding her life with great lighting is on me. Her loving the idea, having a “Into the Light” may be viewed ongreat song, and being in tune with the line at https://www.youtube.com/ concept is what makes us a good team. watch?v=L7ML_FMhKgo

INTEGRATED BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

TRANSGENDER HEALTH CARE

GYNECOLOGIC CARE

Sarah Smith

HIV-PRIMARY CARE

BREAST/CHEST HEALTH SERVICES

INDIVIDUAL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

GROUP THERAPY

We accept MediCare, MediCal, Anthem Blue Cross MediCal, San Francisco Health Plan MediCal, Covered California Anthem Blue Cross EPO, Covered California Blue Shield of California PPO, and many private insurance plans. We continue to provide quality services regardless of a person’s ability to pay.

Lyon-Martin Health Services provides excellent health care to women, lesbians and transgender people in a safe and compassionate environment, with sensitivity to sexual orientation and gender identity; all services are regardless of ability to pay.

Call to make your appointment: 415-565-7667 | Learn more at www.lyon-martin.org

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

23

See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

compiled by Jennifer Mullen Free. 5-7 pm. (1300 Market St.) Youth Meal Night is a safe space to meet with your LGBTQIA friends, have a free dinner, watch a movie and get connected to our community of resources. facebook.com/ sfcenteryouth?_rdr=p

• 28 : T HURSDAY

Star Trek Live!: “Mudd’s Women” - Oasis. $25-$35. 7 pm.(298 11th St.) The Drag Kings are taking over the stage at Oasis in Star Trek Live!, with one of the classic favorites, “Mudd’s Women.” Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through January 30. sfoasis.com

Conscious BEING book signing with TJ Woodward Books Inc. Free. 7 pm. (2225 Market St.) Inspirational speaker, awakening coach, addiction counselor, and spiritual author T.J. Woodward discusses his inspiring and enlightening guide. www.evite.com/event/

The Tenderloin Museum Presents Robert Zagone’s Drugs in the Tenderloin - The Roxie Theater. $12. 7 pm. (3117 16th St.) This documentary shot guerilla style by Zagone in 1966 captures the Tenderloin as it transformed into a center for young queers and drug users. ticketweb. com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?eventI d=6402365&pl=roxiesf&dispatch=l oadSelectionData

• 3 : W EDNESDAY

Free Outdoor Workout: Stairs, Core & Endurance Alta Plaza Park. Free. 6:30 am.

(Pierce and Clay Streets). Every Wednesday. Join these free halfhour workouts that vary each week. www.facebook.com/ NovemberProjectSF

• 29 : F RIDAY

11th Stanford Pride Tahoe Trip - Tahoe City. $250+. 4pm on Jan. 29 - Feb. 1. An event for members of LGBT Alumni Associations. Join this group for a trip filled with great lodges, games, fireplaces, hot tubs, camaraderie and fun. Friends and partners welcome too, even if not from Stanford. https://www.facebook.com/ events/195047377507157 A Cajun Midsummer Night’s Dream - Novato Theater Company. $27. 8 pm. (5420 Nave Drive, Suite C, Novato). A William Shakespeare play, adapted and directed

by Clay David. An adaptation of William Shakespeare’s comedy that adds Cajun-French expressiveness, music, storytelling, voodoo, a love of good cooking and festivity, set amidst the wild semitropi-

• 4 : T HURSDAY “A Cajun Midsummer Night’s Dream” will be at the Novato Theatre on January 29th. cal bayou. Through February 21. www.novatotheatercompany.org/ “I Love History” - GLBT History Museum. $10. 7-9 pm. (4127 18th St.) The GLBT History Museum celebrates its fifth anniversary with an after-hours fundraising party featuring drinks, bites, live DJs, loads of cute history buffs, and special guest hostess Juanita Moore. www.glbthistory.org/2016/01/03/ilove-history-glbt-history-museum5th-anniversary-party/

GROWLr Party - SF Eagle. $5. 9 pm–2 am. (398 12th St.) Collin Bass kicks off the New Year this month with his blend of beats. facebook. com/events/1632852366977271/

• 30 : S ATURDAY

D.I.R.T. Festival 2016- Dance In Revolt(ing) Times - Dance Mission Theater. $22-$25. ( 3316 24th St.) Dance In Revolt(ing) Times features eighteen cutting-edge dance makers that will come together to examine the social-political issues troubling our tumultuous times through choreography and performance. Saturdays and Sundays, times varied. Through Feb. 7. dancemisison.com A 24-Decade History Of Popular Music: 1776 - 1836 | Curran: Under Construction - Curran Theater. $75. 3 pm. (445 Geary Ave.) In Taylor Mac’s A 24 -Decade History Of Popular Music, Taylor takes the audience on a decade by decade journey through the American songbook, exploring how the hits of the day mirrored the sign of the times. http:/h/ www.eventbrite.com/e/a-24-decade-history-of-popular-music1776-1836-curran-under-construction-tickets-18888821975

Leroy F. Moore, Jr.– Black Kripple Delivers Poetry and Lyrics Book Launch - Modern Times Bookstore. Free. 3 pm. “In the tradition of History’s word warriors, Leroy Moore pens full frontal confrontations that blast away the last nasty vestiges of faith-based America’s biases against the poor, the disarranged, and the different.” – Wanda Coleman Read more on Leroy - See more at: http://moderntimesbookstore.com/events/

• 31 : S UNDAY

Hick: A Love Story; The Romance of Lorena Hickok and Eleanor Roosevelt - La Pena Cultural Center. $15-$35. 5-7 pm. (3105 Shattuck Ave. (Berkeley)) The SF Examiner called Hick, “A real love a story like no other - a compelling one woman show.” http://lapena.org/

• 1 : M ONDAY

One Night Only - Cast of Jersey Boys - Brava Theatre. $35-$55. 7:30 pm. (2781 24th St.) One Night Only benefit cabaret with the touring cast of the Tony Award-winning cast of Jersey Boys. https://www.facebook.com/ events/442991505905313/ Piano Bar 101 - Martuni’s. Free.

9 pm. (4 Valencia St.) Sing along to your favorite tunes with friends and patrons. 415-241-0205 Monday Night Marsh - The Marsh. $8. 7:30 pm. (1062 Valencia St.) An ongoing works-in-progress series, featuring local emerging solo performers, musicians, playwrights and entertainers. Happening every Monday. themarsh.org

“Hick: A Love Story; The Romance of Lorena Hickok” will be at the Novato Theatre on January 29th.

24

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

• 2 : T UESDAY

Queer Youth Meal Night - LGBT Center, Rainbow Room.

Lesbians of Color Discussion Group at Pacific – Pacific Center (Berkeley). Free. 7 pm.

(2712 Telegraph Ave.) This racially diverse group discusses anything and everything.

• 29 : F RIDAY

WTF Women/Trans/Queer Bike Night – SF Bike Kitchen.

Free. 6-9 pm. (650 H Florida St.) Learn how to fix a bike in a supportive space. bikekitchen.org

• 6 : S ATURDAY

Kimber Simpkins Presents, Author of 52 Ways to Love Your Body - Laurel Bookstore. Free. 6 pm. (1423 Broadway Blvd., Oakland) The book is divided into 52 chapters, so you could go through one per week, or just open it up and see what tugs at your heart. As a supporter of Health at Every Size (HAES) and the Yoga and Body Image Coalition (YBIC), Kimber welcomes students of all sizes and levels. laurelbookstore.com Karen Ripley Writes and Performs Oh No, There’s Men on the Land. $10-$20. 7:30 pm. (8996 Gratton Road (Gratton, CA) A one-woman show about her life as a lesbian comic.

Email karenripleycomic@gmail.com

• 7 : S UNDAY

Take 5 Cafe Presents: Spoken Word Sunday - Featuring Barbara Ruth of the Lesbian Women Writers Group - Take 5 Cafe. $3 - $10. 2:30 - 4 pm.

(3130 Sacramento St., Berkeley) www.take5cafe.net Unicorn: A Monthly Queer Party - Powerhouse. Free. 6 pm.

(1347 Folsom St.) Come celebrate 3 years of art at the Powerhouse. On the walls we have: Andres Vasquez, Ning Nong, Justin Sam, Grace towers and Uel Renteria. Beats by DJ Sergio Fedasze. facebook.com/ events/1701923466711783/ The Walt Disney Family Museum Presents Mel Shaw:

An Animator on Horseback - The Walt Disney Museum. 10 am - 6 pm. (104 Montgomery St.) This exhibition is the first-ever retrospective of the life and work of Disney Legend Mel Shaw (1914– 2012), an artist and storyteller. This retrospective features more than 120 works. Through September 12. waltdisney.org/mel-shaw

• 8 : M ONDAY

Absol utely Fabulous Tours

B ook a W in e T our Now! LGBT Owned 100% customizable Group/Private Tours

707-320-8043 Serving the LGBT community and their allies sue@absolutelyfabuloustours.com www.absolutelyfabuloustours.com

The SF LGTBQ Sangha LGBT Community Center. Free.

5:30 pm.(1800 Market St.) A weekly meditation sitting group. www. sflgbtsangha.org Bay Area Young Positives Drop-In Group. - Free. 7 pm.

(701 Market St.) Drop-in support for young HIV positive people. www.baypositives.org Dina Martina: Sitting Ovations - Oasis. $22. 7–11 pm.

(298 11th St.) Don’t miss the acclaimed singer/dancer/gymnast Dina Martina, whom John Waters claims, “ goes way beyond drag into some new kind of twisted art.” brownpapertickets.com/ event/2460521

• 9 : T UESDAY

Hysteria Feminist and Queer-Friendly Comedy at Martini’s - Free. 6 pm. (4 Valenica St.) Hysteria feminist and queerfriendly open mic. https://www.facebook.com/hysteriacomedy 13 Licks Tuesdays at Q Bar - Free. 9 pm. (456 Castro St.) Natalie Nuxx and guest DJs Lezzie; Queer manic dance party. http://13licks.com

• 10 : W EDNESDAY

Sips and Reflections with Michaela Rodeno - $12 $20. 5:30 pm. (555 Post St.) Join the Commonwealth Club for a book signing and wine tasting with author and vintner Michaela Rodeno as she shares reflections from her pioneering career at the forefront of the wine industry in Napa Valley - See more at: http://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2016-02-10/ sips-and-reflections-michaelarodeno#sthash.JXt0a3C8.dpuf Pussy Riot with In Conversation - The Warfield. $37+.8 pm. (982 Market St.) https://seatgeek.com/pussy-riotwith-in-conversation-tickets/sanfrancisco-california-the-warfield2016-02-10-8-pm/concert/297183 4?bing=1&aid=10655

As Heard on the Street . . . What is your greatest challenge or obstacle in life now? compiled by Rink

Amanda Watson

Todd Creel

Matthew Denckla

Beth Feingold

“Helping the Academy of Friends Gala sell out”

“To make sure to give back whenever possible”

“To keep an open heart and an open mind despite setbacks and losses”

“Helping develop new young board members and helping them learn fundraising” BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

25

Supervisor Wiener Introduces Ballot Measure to Streamline Creation of Affordable Housing The city’s Land Use and Transportation Committee held a public hearing on Supervisor Scott Wiener’s legislation to expedite the construction of affordable housing to address San Francisco’s housing crisis. The ordinance would exempt all 100% affordable housing projects from conditional use authorizations, which can add months on to the entitlement process and increase costs for projects, even if the project has no opposition. These projects would still be required to abide by existing height and bulk limits. Affordable housing projects are comprised of units affordable to people of low or moderate income, which is defined as 0–120% of area median income. San Francisco area medium income is $71,350 for a single person and $101,900 for a family of four.

February 1 Deadline for 2016 Equality Scholarships Approaches The deadline for submitting applications for the Horizons Foundation 2016 eQuality Scholarships is fast approaching. It is on Monday, February 1. Again this year, eQuality expects to award one $12,000 scholarship, in addition to more than ten $6,000 scholarships, to high school graduates, community college transfer students, and nursing and medical students who have demonstrated service to the LGBTQ community.

Applicants of all sexual orientations and gender identities are eligible to apply for scholarships to assist with post-secondary educational expenses. equalityscholarship.org horizonsfoundation.org

Secretary of Defense to Make Final Decision on Transgender Military Ban by Spring The American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation’s largest organization of LGBT military families, responded to the news that the Pentagon is expected to announce its decision on whether to lift the ban on transgender service members by this spring. The secretary will take whatever time he needs to analyze, evaluate and discuss the Working Group’s findings with his immediate staff and the senior leadership of the department. There are an estimated 12,500 transgender service members currently serving in silence. militarypartners.org Public Meeting Held to Discuss Crime and Safety in District 8 Over 100 residents of District 8 chose to forgo the Republican presidential debate to attend a safety meeting aimed at addressing concerns over crime and quality-of-life issues in the Castro, Duboce Triangle, Mission and Noe Valley. Organized by D8 Supervisor Scott Wiener, the panel included a trio of police captains: Dan Parea (Mission Station), John Sanford (Park Station) and Joe McFadden (Ingleside Station). Also in attendance were SFPD Chief Greg Suhr, representatives from the DA’s office and adult probation, and surprise guest Mayor Ed Lee. Both Suhr and Wiener noted that the SFPD is still operating at a 300-officer staffing deficit, though those numbers are slowly improving.

According to Wiener, the meeting was convened to also address the fact that there is “too much crime [in the district], particularly auto break-ins and burglaries.” Mission Station’s Capt.

26

MANDELMAN (continued from page 5) Center undertakes a full-scale renovation that will triple the amount of affordable non-profit office space in the building and add primary medical care, mental health, substance abuse and legal services to the Center’s existing programs. The Center remains open by appointment and will continue to offer its programs and services

over the next year, but the meeting spaces will not be open again until late this year at the earliest.

Meanwhile over at City College, the teachers’ union has announced that it believes the parties have reached an impasse in contract negotiations. The union will be asking the State Public

Employee Relations Board to send in an outside mediator to try to bring the parties together. Nearly a year into negotiations, the teachers have been working without a contract for months, and after eight years without a raise, they are seeking significant salary increases. The problem for the College is that during that time enrollment has

taken a dive and the College is facing the consequent loss of tens of millions of dollars during the term of the contract.

Let’s hope we get a good mediator.

without triggering a Brown Act violation. They had to plan for one of them not to show up!

hibit city and county elected officials from serving on party political committees, but it was defeated. It may be time to relook at this after we see how this summer’s race unfolds.

Rafael Mandelman is an attorney for the City of Oakland. He is also President of the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees.

DUNNING (continued from page 5) work for the 14 seats. In District 19 there are 11 filers for 10 seats and we still have until March 11 for additional candidates to enter. Some of the more notable new names are Supervisor Norman Yee, Cindy Wu (the Rose Pak handpicked candidate for D3 who did not get the Mayor Lee appointment), City College Trustee Brigitte Davila, and Arlo Hale Smith (who has been on the DCCC for many, many years but had to step down when he moved from AD19 to AD17). Since the long list of candidates on the ballot is essentially an exercise in name recognition, both the moderate and progressive camps are reaching out to well known current and former elected officials and asking them to run. Rumors are swirling about who will throw their hat into the ring.

Which brings up a complaint I hear, and one I share. Fundamentally, the STUDENT VOICES (continued from page 18) Islamophobia, war, or love to my father.

Every argument becomes less successful as he grows older, and more rooted in his outdated ideas, but I do recall the moments where he has admitted he was wrong in his ways of thinking.

The modern age has locked us in an era where the modern “man” fears for offending people, creating confrontations, or even being confronted. I think that this is absolutely not how we should be living. Although every argument hurt more and more to explain to him, I can guarantee that I at least put one idea into that man’s head that he had never even thought to ponder before: The changing world can be filled with stubborn people fixed in ideas that are no longer relevant or even tangible in today’s society.

After beginning my Ethnic Studies course at the School of the Arts, I have become aware of omissions in American history. Not everyone’s voice is always heard when everyone is speaking at the same time, but just because you can’t hear them, does not mean that their opinion matters less than yours. The world needs to be woken up by the real truths in life that all people should live by: everyone is created equal; it even says so in the Declaration of Independence if you don’t believe me. Until our future generations instill this truth for all peoples, the world needs Ethnic Studies to reveal the honest truth about the complexity of our world and the societies within it.

Please visit http://www.sfsota.org/

DCCC is supposed to be about local Democratic Party activists who dedicate time and energy to strengthen the party—voter registration, fundraising, volunteering for key state and federal campaigns to do phone banking and precinct walking, and endorsing candidates that represent “Democratic Party values.” Unfortunately, in San Francisco it has become all about the power to endorse. As a result, elected seats on the DCCC are increasingly being filled with well-known current and former elected officials who can easily get elected to the DCCC, but often don’t have the time to do anything other than show up for the monthly meetings (if that). In fact, there was a period of time when we had six current supervisors on the DCCC this last term, and they couldn’t have all six show up for any meeting

Another benefit to the “double dipper”—someone who runs for DCCC and holds another elected position—is they can use their DCCC campaign funds as a sort of marketing slush fund. It’s no coincidence that many of those running for office in the fall are also running for DCCC. There are no fundraising limits for DCCC campaigns. This means someone running for Supervisor in November can accept a $10,000 check for their DCCC race and use the publicity from the DCCC campaign to help elevate their visibility and name recognition in their district before the Supervisor race. It’s a loophole that should be addressed. In 2010, Mayor Newsom put a proposition on the ballot to pro-

SISTER DANA (continued from page 22) appeared a guy in gold–waving gigancies. helpisontheway.org tic sweeping gold wings and envelopBEACH BLANKET BABYLON, ing several of the bystanders to their the hilarious long-running parody delight; and then he became a literal musical, has announced the latest whirling dervish—skirt gradually cast of characters getting razzed: twirling up over his head! Sister Dana Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, posed almost endlessly before portraits Adele, Bill Cosby, Hillary & of him and of his alter ego journalist Bill Clinton, Kim Kardashian, guy, Dennis. There was an abunLady Gaga, President Barack & dance of wine and food and music Michelle Obama, Jeb Bush, Sia, and a toast to a great neighborhood!

Taylor Swift, Vladimir Putin, Thank gawd for this studio–a jewel Orange is the New Black, Nicki in the Castro! Long will it live there!

Minaj, Princess Leia & Darth Facebook.com/sfartslave Vader, Caitlyn Jenner, Kim I’m thrilled to share this news about the results of SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS’s 2015 holiday fundraiser.

Volunteers raised $30,378.32 for the HARVEY MILK CIVIL RIGHTS ACADEMY, a local K-5 public elementary school in the Castro neighborhood. You saw us with our buckets begging for donations, and it paid off !

Thanks so much for contributing!

COMING UP! The RICHMOND/ERMET AID FOUNDATION (REAF) presents a special ONE NIGHT ONLY BENEFIT CABARET with the Tony Award-winning cast of JERSEY BOYS in an evening of music, dance, and comedy on Monday, February 1, 7:30 pm at Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street (at York Street). Songs from Jersey Boys will not be performed, but the cast will show us their talents with other great numbers. The Richmond/ Ermet Aid Foundation has worked with over 45 touring casts to date to produce “One Night Only Cabaret” events. To date, REAF has distributed over $3 million to AIDS service agen-

Davis, Empire’s Cookie, Oprah and the Golden State Warriors.

BBB’s Special Super Bowl schedule: Tuesday, February 2–Thursday, February 4 at 8 pm, Friday, February 5 and Saturday, February 6 at 6:30 & 9:30 pm, but no performances on Super Bowl Sunday, February 7. Regular performance schedule: Wednesdays–Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 6:30 & 9:30 pm, Sundays at 2 & 5 pm. Come for the music, and enjoy the elaborate giant head pieces!

BeachBlanketBabylon.com Due to popular demand and sold-out houses in the Summer of 2015, the THRILLPEDDLERS hit musical, CLUB INFERNO, returns for 16 performances. It’s a Glam Rock Musical–based on Dante’s THE DIVINE COMEDY playing February 4–March 5, (Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays, 8 pm), plus a Special Valentine’s Day Performance–Sunday February 14, 8 pm. hypnodrome.org

Lyndsey Schlax has been a teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District since 2008. She is uniquely qualified to address multiple areas of LGBT and Ethnic Studies, having also specialized in subjects such as Modern World History, Government, Economics and U.S. Politics. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and earned her M.A. in Teaching at the University of San Francisco.

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6

State attorney general Bob Ferguson just filed a 64-page brief defending the Washington anti-discrimination law and urging the court to tell Barronnell what’s what.

This is not all, by any means.

We won a t-shirt case in Tennessee.

We won a federal court ruling January 4 in California in the case of a widow denied her wife’s pension by FedEx. And we won a significant victory in Massachusetts, where a state court judge said that a Catholic girls’ school could not rely on a First Amendment right to freedom of religious expression to justify the dismissal of a gay

Have your voice heard! Make sure your voter registration is up to date, in case you have moved recently. You can do it online or by mail. It’s one of the most important, and most underutilized, rights we have.

Zoe Dunning is a retired Navy Commander and was a lead activist in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She recently served as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club. She currently serves as the 1st Vice Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and as a San Francisco Library Commissioner. home of STRUT (formerly Magnet), will be the final flourish of the SF JACKS, celebrating the group’s 33 years of providing a hands-on safer sex alternative, while commissioning great art. Bay Area artists represented include Seth Eisen, Jack Davis, Dan Becker, Lord Huckleberry, Dogtor Woof !, Lou Rudolph, and Jim James. On display now through the end of January at 470 Castro Street. strutsf.org The GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM celebrates its FIFTH ANNIVERSARY with an after-hours fundraising party featuring drinks, bites, live DJs, loads of cute history buffs, and special guest hostess JUANITA MORE! What better reason for queer history lovers to mingle with local glitterati in the galleries?

Five special guests will lead a very short tour, with each picking a favorite object in the museum and telling a five-minute story about why it caught their eye. And everyone who attends will be invited to engage in a bit of queer-history speed dating by posting photos of their own favorite objects to social media. The party is Friday, January 29, 7–9 pm at the GLBT History Museum, 4127 18th Street.

Admission: $10 general, $5 for members. glbthistory.org/museum

THE ART OF JACKS is 33 years of Erotic and Celebratory Art. The Inaugural Art Exhibit in the new

Sister Dana sez, “Cheers to singer/actress/ gay icon Cher for donating more than 180,000 bottles of water to the residents of Flint, Michigan, as the city struggles with a drinking water crisis linked to lead contamination. Jeers to Republican’t Governor Rick Snyder for knowing in advance of the danger and not acting accordingly.

Hisssss!”

food service worker. If the guy was a teacher, it might be a different story.

But the presence of a gay catering employee does not undermine the school’s capacity to represent its religious views. Notably, the school in question, Fontbonne Academy, did not limit itself to Catholic students.

WEDDINGS (continued from page 19) Kim Huckabee: I had no idea that there was such a wealth of love that I would get to share with someone. I was so upset when my previous partner left, but Karen has helped me realize I am worth loving. And now I’m so glad that other woman walked out, because look at what I have now–this beautiful amazing woman: Karen, my wife.

ROSTOW (continued from page 11)

PHOTO BY JO LYNN OTTO

NEWS (continued from page 2) major western European state not to recognize civil partnerships or samesex marriage. lgbtqnation.com

So, our marriage equality lawsuits may be settled. But as you can tell, our adversaries are not finished with us quite yet. At the same time, our court precedents have given us an arsenal of powerful legal weapons and our lawyers are all seasoned veterans. Bring it on, as George W. would say. arostow@aol.com

Read more of our new issue online @sfbaytimes.com

Karen Huckabee: Yes, the best is yet to come. We are growing together as a couple, as a family, and I can truly say Kim is that missing piece I wished for with every coin tossed in a fountain, every time I blew out the candles, every time I wished upon a falling star. I am blessed and honored to be the wife of this woman I so cherish.

Rev. Elizabeth River is an ordained interfaith minister and wedding officiant in the North Bay. Visit www.marincoastweddings.com or look for Marin Coast Weddings on Facebook.

T H E RI CHMOND/ERMET A ID FOUN DATION PRE SE NTS

★

★

BEST MUSICAL

JERSEY BOYS An evening of music, dance & comedy

Monday, February 1, 2016 • 7:30 pm

★

Brava Theater

★

2781 24th Street, San Francisco 94110

Benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS & The Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation

★ www.helpisontheway.org TICKETS & INFORMATION

★

or 415.273.1620

Tickets: $35, $45, $55 A limited number of tickets are also available for the dessert party with the cast in the theater lobby following the show for an additional $20/person. (includes complimentary cocktails, wine & desserts)

SPONSORED BY

BAY T IM ES JANUARY 28, 2016

27

28

BAY TIMES JANUA RY 2 8 , 2 0 1 6