San Francisco Bay Times - May 5, 2016

May 5-18, 2016 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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In the News Compiled by Dennis McMillan Life Partners Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell Receive Nation’s Greatest Small Business Honor The U.S. Small Business Administration in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday named Brooke McDonnell and Helen Russell from San Rafael-based Equator Coffees & Teas the 2016 Small Business Persons of the Year. The occasion additionally marked the first time that an LGBT business has been named the National Small Business of the Year. The lesbian-owned beverage business, which started with a coffee roaster in McDonnell’s garage, is a member of the Golden Gate Business Association (GGBA), which is the nation’s first LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said, “Helen and Brooke purchased their own roasting plant using an SBA 504 loan.

They have worked diligently with their farmers for 17 years and were one of the first roasters to support the Fair Trade movement to gain better wages for growers.” sba.gov Mayor Lee Announces HIV/ AIDS Funding in City’s Budget Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced backfilling federal cuts to maintain the city’s current funding levels for HIV/ AIDS prevention and health services to protect essential services to the most vulnerable. The funding will maintain primary care services and critical support services for San Franciscans living with HIV/AIDS, including hospice, treatment adherence, case management and housing.

“San Francisco is a national leader in treatment, housing and compassionate care for people living with HIV/ AIDS, and we are fully committed to funding critical care and prevention services for those at risk,” said Mayor Lee. “Our investment provides hope to finding a cure, getting to zero and one day bringing an end to this epidemic.” sfgov.org Town Hall Held on Homeless State of Emergency A Town Hall discussion on what it means for our city to declare a Homeless State of Emergency was held Wednesday at St. Anthony’s Foundation. According to the city’s last biennial homeless count, there are more than 6,686 homeless people in San Francisco, with the numbers likely much higher and including many LGBT individuals. A few days before the Town Hall, Supervisor Scott Wiener said, “We need to work very hard to transition people off the streets into shelter, housing, and mental health and drug addiction services, and the last thing we should do is encourage, indeed legalize, the pitching of tents on sidewalks and other public spaces. It is already way too hard and takes way too long for our city departments to address these tent encampments and to get the tent occupants help. We should not be making it even harder to get people off the streets.” Supervisor David Campos, in an earlier statement concerning the issue, mentioned that the city has “spent millions of dollars on bad homeless policies that leave shelter beds empty; that there are long wait lists for drug treatment and detox programs; and that San Francisco, the city of innovation and tolerance has become known for our outdated, inhumane, and ineffective homeless policies, while cities like Salt Lake have solved theirs.” Co-sponsors of the Town Hall included AIDS Housing Alliance, Compass Family Services, Dolores Street Community Services, Drug Policy Alliance,

Episcopal Community Services, Eviction Defense Collaborative, The Gubbio Project, Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, Hamilton Family Center, Homeless Emergency Service Providers Association (HESPA), Homeless Youth Alliance, Hospitality House, Larkin Street Youth Services, St. Anthony’s Foundation, St. Francis Challenge, Swords to Plowshares and Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP).

Tenants Together Announces Counselor Trainings Tenants Together, California’s statewide organization for renters’ rights (based in San Francisco), seeks volunteers to become tenant’s rights counselors.

Tenants Together volunteers have worked alongside over 10,000 California renters as they learn and fight for their rights. Counselors help tenants fight against evictions, rent increases, uninhabitable living conditions and the wholesale displacement of their communities. Join their crew of volunteers as a hotline counselor, and get trained on tenant’s rights during the next training: May 31 and June 1 from 5:30–8 pm (both days required). tenantstogether.org

PRIDE

LGBTQ Citizens Urged to Take Community Survey 2016 The LGBTQ public is invited to take a new survey about their opinions and preferences, from an LGBT perspective. Participating in this study helps open doors and minds around the world, and influences positive changes for the community. Previous surveys have yielded 45,000 respondents from 150 countries. Take the survey at: http://survey.communitymarketinginc.com/se.ashx?s=359D342B515 CFBDF&CMID=170 San Francisco Police Required to Complete Anti-Bias Training San Francisco Police Chief Gregory Suhr recently announced that all San Francisco police officers must complete anti-bias training to help combat racism and homophobia. The department also now requires officers to document any time they point their weapons at someone. Measures were additionally announced “to create time and distance from a person with a weapon short of a firearm,” Chief Suhr said. Hunger strikers known as the #Frisco 5, who began their fast on April 21 and have been camped out at the Mission Police Station, believe that such measures are not enough.

They demand that Chief Suhr should be fired or resign, and repeated those demands at a protest march to SF City Hall on Tuesday. nytimes.com, #Frisco5 Lincoln High School in San Jose Installs Gender-Neutral Restrooms A San Jose high school is making a bold statement in the midst of a nationwide debate over gender rights.

Lincoln High School is changing some of its restrooms to be usable by any gender. District and campus officials said the change is part of a goal of taking a stand for what it calls “inclusive culture.” The idea of setting up the gender-neutral restrooms, in addition to the usual gender-specific facilities, came from a school-wide student recommendation. nbcbayarea.com/news D.C. Passes First Bill in Nation to Require School Suicide Policy to Address LGBTQ Youth The Washington D.C. Council passed (continued on page 24)

LGBTQ CHRONICLED: 1933-2016

Photos are from Saul Bromberger & Sandra Hoover Photography

Harvey Milk

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Improving Care for Pregnant and Parenting Foster Youth

Assemblymember Phil Ting Leeosha has been going through foster care in Alameda County since she was four years old.

Although repeat shifts from one home to another caused her to rebel and fall behind in school, everything changed when she became pregnant at age 17.

Determined to become a good mother, Leeosha crafted a plan with her high school counselor to graduate on time. She succeeded, but didn’t have family able to support her and her daughter. Fortunately, Leeosha’s social worker told her about a program that has helped her attend college and find work.

Unfortunately, the biographies of most pregnant and parenting foster youth do not end so well. That is why I have teamed up with First Place for Youth—the Oakland-based organization helping Leeosha—along with the John Burton Foundation of San Francisco and the Children’s Law Center of California, to author reform legislation to help young parents like Leeosha.

My Assembly Bill (AB) 1838 will help pregnant and parenting foster youth by reforming how we help them. It increases the monthly cash supplement available to parenting foster youth by nearly 70 percent, allows mothers to receive these payments six months prior to their due date in order to encourage prenatal care access, and develops a new infant supplement for youth in group homes.

Remove Cannabis Industry Restrictions and Criminal Records for Ex-Offenders

Out of approximately 60,000 foster youth in California, nearly 7,000 reside in the Bay Area and 850 are parents. Put another way, young women in foster care are two and a half times more likely to become pregnant by age 19.

Children of parents in foster care are also three times more likely than their peers to spend time in foster care.

“The War on Marijuana in Black and White,” between 2001 and 2010, there were over 8 million marijuana arrests in the United States, 88% of which were for possession; and African Americans are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than a white person, even though blacks and whites use marijuana at similar rates.

Growing up in foster care presents some tough challenges. Adding pregnancy and childcare on top of vulnerability to poverty, homelessness, and health care access makes transitioning out of foster care even more difficult at age 21. Our responsibility is to prevent a range of intergenerational socioeconomic disadvantages from taking root—notably inadequate nutrition, cognitive delays, poor physical health, behavioral issues, and low academic achievement.

California’s SB 643 states that California’s licensing authority “may deny the application for licensure or renewal of a state license if any of the following conditions apply: …The applicant or licensee has been convicted of an offense that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the application is made… includ[ing]…(a) felony conviction for the illegal possession for sale, manufacture, transportation, or cultivation of a controlled substance.”

In 2014, the California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study found that 20 percent of foster care mothers who became pregnant were not able to receive any prenatal care, increasing the likelihood that their children would be born with health problems or could be stillborn.

Additional studies found that over a third of foster youth who had their first child before the age of 18 had given birth again while in foster care.

These short-term birth intervals pose a risk to both mother and child because there is an increased risk of placental abruption, low birth weight, and pre-term birth.

As a society, we cannot choose whether children are born into challenging circumstances. Our choice concerns what we do to help them succeed.

AB 1838 is not going to end these challenges of our society, but it is a start. Pregnant and parenting foster youth like Leeosha need our help so that their children have a better life. That is what the American Dream is all about. Let’s make sure that our foster youth can dream too.

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

Out of the Closet and into City Hall Oakland Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan As Oakland’s Citywide Elected Councilmember, and an advocate for the taxation and regulation of cannabis, I have been actively involved in Oakland’s nation-leading work for over a decade, to provide safe and responsible cannabis facilities. But there is an issue that is of great importance in our community, as well as to justice and equity more broadly, which is to make sure that there is not racial inequity or injustice in excluding people from this growing economic opportunity.

Specifically, it is important to remove any impediments for employment to people working to turn their lives around after incarceration. That is why last week I sent a letter to California State Legislators requesting that they include removal of criminal records for ex-offenders and removal of restrictions to the cannabis industry in their regulation policies.

As many of us know, and as a former staffer to Richard Nixon recently confirmed, the “war on marijuana” has had both the effect, and had the intention, of disproportionately targeting people of color, especially African Americans, for disparate treatment including arrest and incarceration. According to the ACLU’s

It is unfair for people to be excluded from economic opportunities for engaging in conduct that is no longer widely considered illegal—under laws that have been disparately enforced. I therefore urged that the California State Legislature act to: 1) Authorize a system to expunge past arrests and convictions for cannabis-related offenses; and, 2) Remove past convictions as a reason, in itself, to exclude someone from participating in a permitted cannabis business in Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act (MMRSA).

The City of Oakland has a policy to encourage “ban the box” for employment (not only in the cannabis industry, but generally) to ensure that people who are working to turn their lives around are not denied the opportunity to do so. I urge that MMRSA be changed to remove barriers to opportunity, and that generally, California adopt a system to enable people to have cannabis related conduct expunged from their records.

Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 and was re-elected in 2012.

She is working for safe neighborhoods, for local jobs and for a fresh start for Oakland.

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Momentum Building as Presidential Primary Election Comes to California

Leslie R. Katz Now that the Presidential Primary Election is finally coming to California, we can be excited about the opportunity to have a say in who will be our next President. As we have watched the ups and downs that have hit both parties throughout this cycle, the outcome is finally starting to become clear. The race is about much more than who will eventually win the nomination. Rather, it is about the opportunity, for the first time, to have an immensely qualified woman represent our nation.

So many other countries have elected women as their leaders, yet the United States has fallen woefully behind. Now we not only have the most competent and qualified candidate at the top of a major party ticket, but we also have the opportunity to break the glass ceiling that has eluded us for so long.

In our community we know what it means to have somebody at the table, rather than just waiting for others to provide support. Having Hillary Clinton as our next President will send a message not only to those young girls growing up in the United States, but also to women everywhere, that we have equal opportunities. Having said that, it is not hard to turn around and see the misogyny that has beset this race. Just recently Donald Trump—a man who has never held public office, who has had multiple bankruptcies, who has attacked immigrants, people of color and women with thus far relative impunity—said of Hillary, “The only thing she’s got going is the woman’s card.” Beyond the obvious ludicrous nature of that statement, it does ref lect the underlying fear that many people may still have that a woman President is a frightening prospect.

PHOTOS COUTESY OF HILLARY FOR AMERICA

Ready for Her

Trump’s statement has backfired on him, though, resulting in renewed excitement over the prospect of a woman holding off ice. It has injected renewed vigor into Hillary’s supporters, and awakened those who previously had been lax responding to the overt misogyny. People are recognizing that this kind of attack on a qualified and competent woman is just plain absurd. You may disagree with Hillary, but it is ridiculous to say that she is not immensely qualified to lead the Democratic Party on the presidential ticket. I hope that this focus on the misogyny that has beset Hillary’s campaign will now pull in added supporters and show what kind of attacks have been going on against her for decades.

I believe that the majority of people that have supported Bernie Sanders are thoughtful and focused on certain issues, but that they will recognize those issues will be far better served with Hilary at the helm. The two candidates share so many of the same goals, but differ at times on how to accomplish them. She has espoused an approach that will allow success, perhaps not all at once, but that would actually accomplish something. Given her history, her extensive accomplishments, her passion for making a difference in the world, and her commitment to public service, I think that those people who have not fully embraced her yet will be very pleasantly surprised under a Hillary Clinton presidency.

In short, now is the time for all of us to get excited about the opportunity to have a caring, compassionate and dynamic leader for the Democratic Party. Those of us who have been supporting Hillary for longer than just this election cycle certainly share that vision. As a young lawyer, I looked up to her as somebody who was making a difference in the world with all of her activities on behalf of children. This was when she was selected as one of the top 50 lawyers in the country because she was making a real difference in the lives of those without a voice in the political process.

Many have not understood how excited supporters like myself are to see Hillary Clinton at the top of the ticket. She is a woman with such strong accomplishments, and who has been an advocate and ally for our commu-

nity. She has engendered the respect of leaders around the world, and has a history of getting things done. Here she is, finally being in a position to win the White House and to shatter the glass ceiling.

Change in hearts and minds does not come easily, but by having someone of Hillary Clinton’s caliber as president of the United States, we will see the change that we want to have happen.

Excitement is what will ensure victory in November. We all need to be motivated and inspired by this election and the democratic candidate, as well as excited about what a Hillary Clinton victory would mean for generations to come.

Leslie R. Katz is a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, was the co-author of the City’s Equal Benefits Ordinance, has served on the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee (as Chair, and as a general member), and serves on the California Democratic Party’s Executive Board. She is an attorney with a government law, policy and strateg y practice, with a focus on emerging technologies.

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Campaigning in New York, April 2016

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Slowing Down

City College Alex Randolph, Trustee City College of San Francisco Life always seems to be a little slower whenever someone you know dies or is very sick. You think about the last time you shared a moment together, the memories you created, and the things that still could have been.

You celebrate and remember their impact on you, society, or community. Recent deaths like David Bowie and Prince get national attention.

Others are more personal and low key. I sometimes turn to the obituary section in the newspapers and read about the wonderful, tragic, simple,

or adventurous lives people have had.

They were teachers, inventors, spies, daughters, friends, refugees, dictators and much more. Death is sad, but should also be a celebration of life.

For me personally, April was a particularly tough month. Two people I knew passed on too soon and unexpectedly. My dad is on life support and our family is doing our goodbyes. (Editor’s Note: Randolph’s father passed away shortly after this piece was filed.) I am not alone. Recently my Facebook feed was filled with sadness and news of loss and loved ones dying. It is a fact that we can’t live forever and that death is inevitable. A good friend of mine told me, “Live each day as if it’s your first and last.” I fully embrace this, and try to spend as much time with my friends and family who mean a lot to me. But it is easier said than done.

As our lives and work take over, it is much harder to follow this mantra.

Especially in today’s world, technology can make it much harder to focus on what is important and the people we love. We answer one last email

during dinner, or watch the Warriors game while at the playground with our kids. We assume that there will be another chance to hang out with our friends or loved ones tomorrow or next week. We figure it is not a big deal if we stay silent, or do not talk to them for a while.

Living in the moment takes effort, but the connections and memories we make with each other are what is so special about human life. As my life slowed down this last week, I hugged my husband a little tighter, talked to my mother a little longer, and spent time with my friends a little more.

Can that work email wait? Can the Warriors game be paused? Can we slow down? Can we just take a moment?

Alex Randolph is a Trustee for City College of San Francisco. He previously served in President Obama’s administration and as an LGBT advisor for Mayor Newsom. He lives in the Castro with his partner Trevor.

Follow him on social media: www.twitter.com/adrandolph & www.facebook.com/ AlexDRandolph

Memorial for Eileen Hansen, Community Activist and Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club Leader A memorial and gathering to honor Eileen Hansen took place this past weekend at Hibernia Beach in the Castro. Hansen, who remained politically active while bravely fighting cancer, was a long-time Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club member and leader. For decades she worked on a number of issues both here and in her place of birth, Salt Lake City, Utah.

According to the League of Women Voters, Hansen organized against the war in Vietnam, advocated for women’s and LGBT rights, international peace, and on behalf of disenfranchised communities throughout the country. Working in Boston in the early 1980s, Hansen was the Planning and Development Director for the largest multi-service agency in Chinatown.

In 1986, she turned her attention to HIV/AIDS and worked for 14 years to effect progressive public polices on behalf of people with HIV. Much of her work was focused on issues related to privacy and confidentiality, as well as the effect of federal policies on women and children. Her public policy work on health and HIV issues included the drafting of legislation and the training of women with

HIV to become public policy advocates. She presented at the International AIDS Conference in South Africa in 2000.

Working in electoral politics since moving to San Francisco in 1985, Hansen continued her community efforts. As a nonprofit organization consultant, she helped to build important coalitions. She held many positions in the city over t he years, includ ing Vice-President, Building Inspection Commission; Vice-Chair, Mayor and Board of Supervisors’ Joint Task Force on the HIV Epidemic; Public Policy Director, AIDS Legal Referral Panel; Community Mediator and Trainer, Community Boards of San Francisco; President, Board of Directors and Public Policy Director, Women’s AIDS Network; and numerous others.

At Hansen’s Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10001 0421293127&fref=ts), David Waggoner, Managing Attorney at Homeless Action Center, expressed the feelings of many when he wrote: “She was San Francisco’s own Supreme Court Chief Justice. A truly beautiful person in every respect. I am profoundly honored to have known her, even from afar.

What a remarkable human being.”

Foundation Established in Memory of Sergio Klor de Alva Family and friends of Sergio Klor de Alva have just established a 501(c )3 charitable foundation, “In the Interest of Justice.” The fund was set up to grant “Sergio Klor de Alva’s Live Your Dream Awards” to help young professionals with their living expenses so they can accept non-paid internships, with an emphasis given to those interested in politics and effecting social change.

A visitation and memorial took place earlier this week at the Chapel of the Chimes to honor Klor de Alva, who died after celebrating his 24th birthday in a car accident on Highway 1 just south of Devil’s Slide. Although tunnels between Pacifica and Montara were built at great expense ($439 million) to improve traffic safety in the area, the region has a long history of accidents, landslides and other problems. The tunnels opened in 2013.

According to information shared by Julie Goodson Lawes, Klor de Alva held local and congressional internships and volunteered on many cam8

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paigns he believed in, both for candidates in the Bay Area (former San Francisco Bay Times contributor Joel Engardio for D7 Supervisor, Scott Wiener for State Senate, Julie Christensen for D3 Supervisor, Dave Cortese for Mayor, Mike Honda for Congress, Cesar Zepeda for Richmond City Council) and for specific initiatives (Organizing for Action for healthcare access, California Clean Money Campaign).

He learned to canvas, coordinate and inspire volunteers, to write and speak eloquently about people and issues, and to manage the large and small details of campaigns.

Goodson Lawes wrote that K lor de Alva spoke often about the privilege he had in being able to follow his dream without having to worry about how he would pay the bills. He recognized how lucky he was to pursue his dreams, including interning at jobs with no pay, to grow his resume. When he transitioned from volunteer internships to paid staff, he realized this was only possible because

of the many hours, days and weeks he had spent working for free. He always thought it was a travesty that not everyone interested in political service and making change could afford that same luxury.

Information about the foundation and awards are to be posted at Klor de Alva’s Facebook page, which has now become a memorial to his life and achievements. https://www.facebook.com/itsalvababy?pnref=story.unseensection

For Anton

Weddings Howard Steiermann “Love has gathered us here today.

We are here to celebrate the love that the couple has for each other, as well as the love that each of you has given them throughout their lives.” I recite those two lines at virtually every wedding I perform. I sometimes wonder whether they are too hokey, or perhaps too traditional. Nevertheless, the lines encompass a sentiment I believe: love is central to a marriage.

Last month I had the opportunity to tell my closest friends and family that I loved them. Well, I actually created the opportunity, as we always have the ability to do this, but so many of us rarely state our feelings explicitly. The declaration was prompted by a friend’s unforeseen phone call.

The subject line of the e-mail I sent to my loved ones was: “Sending love–warning, heavy email.” I then wrote: “I just got off the phone with my friend Eric, who shared with me that his partner, Anton, lost his life to suicide. Eric was blindsided. He remarked that life can be so fragile, and to share with those dearest to me that I love them. So please know

that you are important in my life. I believe you know that, and I wanted to state it explicitly. Love, Howard” I composed that brief e-mail while sitting in a chair in the corner of my bedroom, numb from the shocking news. Reaching out to my loved ones allowed me to feel connected.

Also, it resulted in wonderful responses from them. My family and friends’ support was the comfort I hadn’t realized I needed. Additionally, sending love, a small yet huge gesture, helped me to feel that at least some tiny good could come from the devastating experience of suicide.

In preparation for Anton’s memorial, Eric wrote a poem, which he shared with me. I found it so moving that I asked for his permission to share it. He responded, “If your article can help one other person endure the loss of a loved one, I would be honored if you included the poem in your column.”

In Memoria Lacerated by thorns of grief The tumbling sky laments a torrential howl WHY ‐ the night calls to itself Silence, echoes a bereft reply Why was the distance immeasurable?

An ocean, unfathomable, that tenderness could not traverse How, must the play continue?

The stage absent its leading man The curtain never to rise for a final act

Coursing with fire, wind and water into ancient veins May you forgive my inability to unearth your deepest solitude and ever feel the love, forgiveness and gratitude for the time you have shared with us Though dwelling in the emptiness of your presence The joy and strength you shared, abides and comforts me You were my salvation through the vicissitudes and impermanence of life A steady companion, seeker of knowledge and consoling ally to one suffering poverty of body or spirit An engineer, an artist, accomplished photographer, a renaissance man Son, brother, uncle, friend, and partner Although you were much more than that You, were simply, my heart My bearski, Anton ‐ In memory of Anton, please tell your loved ones that you love them.

This land has reached its end

(Editor’s Note: People grieving from suicide, which is a very isolating form of grief, can find assistance at San Francisco Suicide Prevention: http://www.sfsuicide.org/, the Friendship Line of the Institute on Aging: http://www.ioaging.org/ services/all-inclusive-health-care/ friendship-line/about-the-friendship-line, and the Bay Area Jewish Healing Center: http://jewishhealingcenter.org/)

Bavarian roots entwined by distant sea and sky Aggregates scattered, returned to their fount

Howard M. Steiermann is an Ordained Ritual Facilitator based in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.SFHoward.com

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Spontaneous Gathering in Memory of JP Leddy, GGBA President An assemblage of nearly a hundred friends of Jon Paul “JP” Leddy gathered on April 27 at Castro & Market Streets aka “Hibernia Beach”/the Bank of America corner, dedicated to LGBTQ makeshift memorials. Leddy had been found unresponsive in his home the prior Monday evening by concerned Golden Gate Business Association board members after he failed to appear for a Board of Directors’ meeting that he was scheduled to lead. His death appears to have been from natural causes.

JP was appointed by the Board of Directors to lead the Golden Gate Business Association in November 2015.

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. Under JP’s leadership, GGBA grew its base of members and sponsors, hosted multiple gatherings and events for the LGBT business community, and received recognition from community organizations. The San Francisco Council of District Merchants Associations recognized the GGBA on April 7, 2016, as Advocacy Organization of the Year. On April 20, JP Chaired the GGBA’s 2nd annual Power Lunch program, where he delivered a moving address about the power of personal, social and economic freedoms championed by the GGBA.

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The improvised memorial site was festooned with bouquets, candles, and a large color photo of JP. A sign proclaimed: “Dedicated father, grandfather, passionate volunteer to many causes that were dear to him, a community champion who gave self lessly beyond measure and a friend to so many who will now have to heal from this tremendous loss. He was our Prince.”

GGBA Vice President of Com mu n icat ions Jack ie Cuneo and GGBA Board M e m b e r D aw n A c k e r man sponsored the gathering, noting that JP would be overwhelmed to see so many friends there. They called the announcement a shock and a great loss to all of the community. Castro District Supervisor Scott Wiener called JP “one of those fixtures that was so involved everywhere that will be hard not to have around.”

He said that at the next San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting they would be adjourning in his memory.

“God rest his soul,” he concluded.

Will Roscoe worked with JP at Openhouse for senior LGBT housing for two years, calling him “the best coworker you could have who brought whole new communities together.”

GGBA Past President Anna Damiani said it was a terribly sad occasion, but heartwarming to see so many true

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On May 6, a Celebration of Life for JP Leddy will be held at The Patio Café, 531 Castro Street, San Francisco, from 6 pm to 9 pm. A GoFundMe page (https://www. gofundme.com/2eqj7n6k) has been set up to help JP’s family fly to San Francisco from Guam and across the country, and to cover funeral costs.

Any excess funds will be divided equally and donated among JP’s favorite charities.

friends gathered. Interim President Paul Pendergast, Past President Robb Fleischer, and Treasurer Jay Greene also expressed their thoughts and memories.

Leddy’s housemate Steve Gaines said JP was “my favorite roommate ever” and noted it was a tragedy, but that JP had passed peacefully in his sleep.

Various other GGBA board members spoke, along with members of the Imperial and Ducal Court System, with which JP was heavily involved. The gathering dissembled, but not before giving a loud round of applause and cheering for JP and a big group hug in the spirit of his unconditional love.

Your Can Help!

Support the JP Leddy Memorial & Family Fund https://www.gofundme.com/2eqj7n6k

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Holding on to a Toxic Partner Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman, Co-Founders Randy Alfred, Founding News Editor 1978 Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

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Q: My close friend Mark (that’s not his real name)—fell in love with someone nine years ago—I’ll call him Sam. Sam has done nothing but harm to him. He can’t hold down a job, even though Mark spent a lot of money for schools and training programs for him. He got addicted to drugs, and Mark spent more money on treatment programs. Now Sam is in and out of sobriety. He cheated on Mark, and Mark found out. He promised he wouldn’t do it again, but everyone knows that he kept doing it.

On top of that, he’s bullying and in-

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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Alex Randolph, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Tim Seelig, Cinder Ernst. John Chen 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

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SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S MAY 5 , 2 0 1 6

sulting to Mark in front of his friends.

Recently he told Mark that he doesn’t love him and never did, and he moved out. I was relieved that it was finally over, but now Mark is begging and pleading and doing everything he can to get him back—and he’ll probably succeed! I can’t believe it. I went off on him. I told him he was acting crazy and that he should stop holding on to this toxic loser. He said that I just didn’t understand love and loyalty, and basically implied we couldn’t be friends anymore if I continued to say what I was saying. What can I do?

A: If I were in your situation I’d probably be as exasperated as you are. But as hard as it may be, I think it’s a good idea to have a personal policy not to give advice to people who don’t ask for it or don’t want to hear it. That doesn’t mean that you have to hide how you really feel, and you may have to keep some distance from Mark for a while to protect yourself from the pain you feel when you see him doing this to himself.

It’s natural to expect that when people find themselves in an abusive relationship, they’ll act in their own best interests and get out of it, but every therapist encounters people who do exactly the opposite. When repeated-

ly badly treated, they not only don’t walk away, but they also hold on even more tightly. They make excuses for the abuser, and they redouble their efforts to convince the person they love to love them back. Why do people behave like this?

Here’s one scenario that describes how some people get there: Imagine a young boy whose parents are basically, because of their own problems, unable to be competent parents. Maybe they’re chronically unemployed, or addicts, or maybe they’re incapacitated by depression or some other emotional illness. The boy lives in chronic terror because he’s not being taken care of. He grows up faster than he should, and he becomes “parentified”—meaning he learns to parent his parents—to get them off drugs, if that’s the problem, or to help them feel better if they’re depressed, and so on. Unconsciously, he develops what psychologists call a “reparative fantasy”—the sad belief that if he fixes his parents then they will turn around and finally love and care for him in the way that he needs.

When this hypothetical boy grows up, he continues to live out the same reparative fantasy. He deliberately, if unconsciously, seeks out people who

can’t take care of themselves, much less love him in the way he needs, and instead of walking away when he discovers this, he goes on a campaign to repair his partner so that the partner will grow up and finally love him. It’s almost always a hopeless quest, but as long as he remains unconscious of what’s driving him, he can’t see that.

I’ve worked with patients in therapy who have found their way out of this self-defeating pattern, but it’s usually a long and difficult road.

I’m not saying that this is what your friend Mark is doing. Obviously I don’t know him, and what I’ve described is only one way people get into the kind of trap he’s in. I describe it mainly to show how deep this kind of self-destructiveness can run. Seeing how complex, tangled and longstanding these issues can be won’t make your situation any less difficult, but maybe it will help you to remember to feel compassion for the depth of his suffering and confusion the next time you’re overcome with anger and exasperation toward him.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit his website http://tommoon.net/ or phone him directly at 415-626-1346.

GLBT Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow Who Watches the Watchers?

One of the under-reported aspects of the whole North Carolina fiasco is that the state’s new anti-trans law, HB2, contains no enforcement details. Yes, it’s now illegal to use the “wrong” bathroom in public buildings. But on the other hand, it seems no one is going to be patrolling the toilettes or handing out fines.

Really? I’m not so sure. With the new national focus on the recently discovered dangers of mixing genders in the john, we may wind up with a vigilante force of helpful bystanders prepared to take citizen action. In one Texas city, a man followed a 5’3” woman into the ladies room in a hospital, concerned that she might actually be a guy. The woman, who was wearing jeans and a baseball cap, was closing the stall door when she noticed this fellow had barged right in and was heading her way. She pulled out her cell phone to record part of the confrontation, in which he sort of apologized and told her he was just checking to be on the safe side, or something like that.

Say what? I know it’s just one anecdote, but you know it won’t be the last.

There’s no specific bathroom law in Texas that I know of, but when people start railing about the threats to innocent women and children from predatory men, are we surprised that a certain cohort of males would take it upon themselves to “ just check” that no one is violating female safe space?

Now Target is under f ire for announcing that customers can use the bathrooms they prefer. According to a story in the Huffington Post, the American Family Association has sent a few men into Target ladies rooms as a “test” to see (I suppose) if there were any guards to prevent such incursions.

Sandy Rios, the director of government affairs for the AFA, told the press: “The net effect will be that people will not be stopped. We’ve already had people testing this, going into Targets and men trying to go into bathrooms. There is absolutely no barrier.”

You read that right. The American Family Association ran experiments to see whether or not a man could walk into a women’s restroom in Target without being challenged by a paid security monitor. Sure enough, the retailer had not felt it was necessary to employ special guards for this purpose. There was no barrier! You could just walk right in, much as anyone can walk right into the opposite sex bathroom anywhere in the country if they want to do so. And guess what? No one wants to do so! Particularly transgender bathroom users.

Title IX to the Rescue?

The North Carolina legislature came back into a so-called “short session” on April 25, but it doesn’t look as if they’ll do anything to roll back HB2.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal’s recent ruling in favor of a transgender male high school student who seeks to use the boys’ bathroom at school, an array of GLBT legal groups have written a letter to White House counsel Neil Eggleston and Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging the administration to make clear that the law threatens North Carolina’s $4.5 billion in federal education subsidies. As the Fourth Circuit wrote in its opinion last month, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has interpreted Title IX’s ban on sex discrimination to encompass gender identity bias. Since a recipient of federal funds must follow federal law in order to be

eligible for the cash, North Carolina would seem to be in a quandary.

Emphasis on “seem to be.” It’s hard to know how all of this will shake out, and I’m not sure the administration can simply withhold that kind of money based on its own determination. I assume it can’t. On the other hand, a stern letter informing state authorities that they are skating on thin ice might have an impact. And we have already challenged the state in a lawsuit that will likely be supported by the Justice Department.

And here’s something else. Ever since the Department of Education took their stand against trans-bias in schools, we have seen an increasing number of schools request a religious exemption to Title IX, a loophole that has always been available, but rarely used. Now, the Department is releasing the names of those schools online, the better to check to see whether or not your future alma mater is going out of their way to discriminate.

Finally, look for North Carolina governor Pat McCrory to be unseated this fall by state Attorney General Roy Cooper, who has opposed HB2 and refused to defend it in court.

Cock a Doodle Do So there was a giant, beautiful white rooster sitting in my front yard last evening, and it stayed there for hours, pecking and trying to hide in the hedge. I live in a city so I found this very unsettling and worried that it would be killed if left by itself. It was gone this morning, and I don’t see any feathers around. Still. I’m thinking the worst. Can you tell I’m not in the mood to write about GLBT-bashing in North Carolina or Mississippi?

I must say, however, that it was a little ironic to hear Donald Trump’s perfectly reasonable comments on the trans bathroom subject. How is it that the same guy who bashes immigrants, f lirts with white supremacists, condemns Muslims and verbally abuses women can appear, more or less, to support GLBT rights? It makes me a bit uncomfortable, frankly. It’s like being the only kid in detention who gets singled out for praise from the nasty proctor.

“Alright. The next voice I hear gets suspension. When I come back I want you all to be working on your assignments … like Ann is doing. Ann, are you working on your assignment?”

“Yes, Mr. Phipps.”

“I thought so. Keep it up.”

By the way, I’ve always wondered why suspension was considered a punishment. It’s like when a bad employee is put on “paid leave.” You stay home, watch Netflix and day drink. That’ll teach you!

Masterpiece Theater There is good news in the cake wars.

The Colorado Supreme Court has refused to hear the appeal of whichever baker messed with us in Colorado— oh, it was the Masterpiece Cakeshop—leaving in place the pro-gay verdict of the Colorado Court of Appeals. Masterpiece’s pro-bono right wing lawyers, the Alliance Defending Freedom, say they will be considering all further legal options, although I’m not sure what they have in mind.

The Supreme Court? That’s doubtful. A couple of years ago, the justices declined to hear the appeal of a New Mexico photographer who was nailed for refusing service in a case that went all the way to the state supreme court.

Why would they change their minds for this baker?

Meanwhile, Melissa and Aaron Klein of Melissa’s Sweet Cakes in Oregon are appealing an administrative court defeat to the Oregon Court of Ap-

peals. The pair, who moved their bakery to their home after bad publicity hit their business, recently had to pay $135,000 in damages to the lesbian couple they turned away. What really gets me is that their buddies from the very same Alliance Defending Freedom filed an oxymoronic 615-page “brief” to the court. Who is going to read that?

Oh, and lest you feel sorry for the Klein’s financial hit, they’ve raised something like half a million through crowd funding over the last few years.

Yes, these cases have been going on and on and on in part because they appear to illustrate the supposedly unfair pressures brought to bear on simple God-fearing folk who simply don’t approve of same-sex couples on religious grounds. In fact, all of these cases take place in states that outlaw anti-gay discrimination in public accommodations, requiring even the most devout or racist business owners to serve all customers regardless of their own personal bias.

The irony in the states that are now trying to put laws into effect to protect religious businesses is that these are the same states that do not have antidiscrimination laws to begin with. It’s already quite legal to refuse service to a gay couple in Mississippi, thank you very much, but that didn’t stop state lawmakers from making it even more legal.

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

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ADVISORY

Get Ready to Party Hey, are any of you San Francisco Bay Times readers one of the 75,000 C a l i for n i a n s who a c c ident a l ly registered to vote as members of the “A merican Independent Part y?”

Apparently, the vast majority of AIP registrants mistakenly believed they were signing up to be “Independents,” rather than “Republicans” or “Democrats.” In fact, if you really want to be independent of a party, you should have checked “no affiliation,” rather than checking the box for the white supremacist anti-gay AIP. Now, dear AIP member, you are not eligible to vote in any primary next month save your own party primary, when you can choose between Wiley Drake, Arthur Harris, Jim Hedges and the rest of the kooky crew who seek to represent the old George Wallace cohort.

Unaffiliated California voters can participate in the Democratic primary, but only Republicans can vote in the GOP contest, another reminder of the fact that party rules vary from state to state and govern how a particular party selects its delegates and its candidates. I think Sanders was complaining the other day about some state that only allowed Democrats to vote in the Democratic primary, and yet surely that’s not such a startling rule?

We Dot h Protest Too Much These Days I just went to check some political factoid and got sidetracked by the story of a high school football player who managed to display his junk during the team photo session and got away with it. The photo made it all the way to the yearbook because the student was one of a hundred or so jocks in the shot and he was standing in the second row. If you didn’t know what he had done, you would never spot the indecent exposure because the detail is too small for the photograph.

I mean obviously the yearbook publishers would not have ignored the offense if they had spotted it, right?

At any rate, someone figured this out, and the boy, Hunter Osborn of Mesa, Arizona, has been charged with 69 counts of misdemeanor indecent exposure and one felony count of “furnishing harmful items to minors.” A detective told the press that the incident is still under investigation and (continued on page 24)

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S A N F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES BAY T IM ES M AY 5, 2016

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Celebrating 20 Years of Advancing Women’s Health & Transforming Women’s Lives

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UCSF NATIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN WOMEN’S HEALTH

These and so many of the Center’s other achievements were merely dreams in 1996, when Dr. Nancy Milliken led a multidisciplinary team of women and like-minded men at UCSF in successfully competing for one of the first National Center of Excellence designations awarded by our country for Women’s Health. With this initiative, Dr. Milliken and her team were able to widen their focus on women’s health beyond reproduction to across a woman’s entire lifespan.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health. Some of the Center’s key accomplishments over the past two decades include: •

establishment of the UCSF Mission Bay campus’ Betty Irene Moore Women’s Hospital, which provides cutting edge treatment and services concerning reproductive health and fertility, gynecological conditions, cancer and more

•

creation of a Women’s Health Clinical Research Center, whose research findings on topics such as incontinence and menopause are being incorporated into clinical practices

•

founding a groundbreaking program on women’s health and the environment, studying the effects of environmental contaminants on reproductive health and fertility

•

forging a national model of academic community partnerships that has provided support and technical assistance to programs advancing women’s health at the community level in multiple states

•

filling the training pipeline with future clinical providers, researchers and educators with a passion for women’s health through the Center’s community outreach and multiple educational and mentoring programs

•

implementing a co-management model that integrates mental health specialists and clinical pharmacists into the primary care clinic in order to improve diagnosis and care of depression

•

expanding options for women’s care with less invasive treatments requiring less surgery for continence, fibroids, and breast and ovarian cancers

Since then, the Center has galvanized support for initiatives with impact locally, nationally and globally. Advances in women’s health research have overturned decades of bias and filled the gaps in our knowledge on prevention, screening, and treatment of common and chronic conditions for women.

“Historically, women’s healthcare has suffered from a lack of evidence on which to base treatments that meet women’s unique needs,” Dr. Milliken said.

“As a result, women have been at risk of harm from both under and over treatment. That paradigm has shifted with research that generates new insight into women’s health and yields ever more precise treatments.”

New innovative clinical models are now providing care for women of all ages in healing environments. In 2002, the UCSF Women’s Health Center was opened. In this 8-story building at 2356 Sutter St (at Divisadero), women can receive lifetime primary care along with comprehensive gynecological care and women’s imaging. The Center is known for its welcoming and peaceful environment. Adjacent to a beautiful and tranquil garden is an inspirational wall of handmade tiles made by patients, their loved ones and their providers.

Each tile has a botanical impression and a human story.

The Betty Irene Moore Women’s Hospital, opened at UCSF Mission Bay in 2014, provides outstanding care for women at every stage of life–from puberty to menopause and beyond. The state-of-the-art facility features rooms with natural light to promote healing, meditation rooms, and personalized multimedia systems. But the real heart of the hospital stems from its women-centered approach to caring for its patients.

Dr. Milliken, the Center’s Director, has helped to forge a strong team that includes Executive Director Dixie Horning, Assistant Director Judy Young, Program Evaluator Annemarie Charlesworth, Program Coordinator Anna Christie, Women’s Health Resource Center Manager Joanne DeLeon, and numerous members of the Center’s Clinical, Research and Education teams.

Special thanks to Horning and to Christie for their help in preparing this content.

Judy Young

Nancy Milliken, MD

2016 honorees: Villy Wang Patty Robertson, MD Rita Redburg, MD Laura Esserman, MD

PHOTO BY BARBARA RIES

Dixie Horning (center)

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You will soon get a chance to thank them in person as well for their numerous accomplishments. That is because a free street fair will be held this Saturday in celebration of the Center’s 20th anniversary. It will include multiple health booths, sports instruction, massages, live music, healthy food and drinks, a flash mob, and even San Francisco’s first all-female intergenerational poetry slam! Honorees are Laura Esserman, Rita Redburg, Patty Robertson and Villy Wang. The event happens on May 7 from 10 am to 3 pm at 2356 Sutter Street. For more information, please visit http://coe.ucsf.edu/coe/index.html

Mentoring a New Generation of Women Health Care Professionals

By Anna Christie

The Young Women’s Health and Leadership Programs are comprehensive, multi-faceted programs designed to meet and support the diverse needs of San Francisco’s young women early in their education and careers. The goal is to provide them with the information, skills, resources, support, relationships and opportunities necessary to realize their own potential, make wise decisions about their health and well-being, and impact the health of their communities.

Over 9,000 young women have participated in these programs so far.

One opportunity is to participate in the Youth Steering Committee (YSC). The YSC is a group of 15–20 diverse young women from San Francisco high schools who work together for 8 months to create a one-day health & leadership event for over 250 girls. The job includes conducting a community assessment; creating conference goals and a theme; researching and selecting speakers, workshop leaders and entertainment; and planning all details for the conference.

Two YSC members are Rochelle and Mandy, who recently shared their thoughts about what they learned and experienced.

Rochelle: “I grew up in a male dominated society as an Asian woman. I feel like I learned about women’s empowerment in the YSC, and this was especially important because it was not something I could learn in my family or in my regular community. I found through YSC that I became comfortable and close with people I would not have ever even talked to. That allowed me to become more comfortable with myself. It helped me to become a new person.

I learned that your bravery can be important and inspiring to others, too.”

Mandy: “One lesson I learned in the YSC was the value and power of having a voice. Having found my voice at the YSC, I initially thought that my voice would only help me share ideas. Over time, I realized that my voice was a voice for people from the communities I come from, people who have had the same life experiences as me, and, more importantly, people who have not yet found their voice. I learned that my voice, and others’ voices, had far greater value than just revealing thoughts. Instead, it could be used as a vehicle to interact with others and learn about different cultures, experiences, and lives.

PHOTOS BY ANNA CHRISTIE

One of the core missions of the UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health is the mentoring of women contemplating, or currently pursuing, careers in the health professions. The Center has supported widespread improvements in leadership development for women in research and academic programs, community education, and clinical care. As part of that effort, Dr. Milliken initiated a mentorship program to encourage young women to enter the field of women’s health and co-founded the annual Young Women’s Health & Leadership Summit in 2000 with now Congresswoman Jackie Speier.

During my clinical internship at a hospital in college, I was eager to use my voice to interact with the patients I see. Working in a surgical recovery unit at Ronald Reagan Medical Center, I saw patients ranging from young adults to the elderly. I heard many patients’ stories about the events leading to their admission to the hospital, and even more stories about the activities and adventures they hope to experience once they leave the hospital. It is from their voices, and the stories they shared, that I found my passion to become a doctor. I want to become a person that uses medicine to help people become healthy so they can live to see their dreams come true. I want to help people live life and experience all the wonders that it comes with.

Over the span of a year, I have grown into a more world-wise, confident, and driven woman. For this next year, I am hoping to learn more, experience more, and pursue my passion to become a doctor.”

For information about the Center’s YSC, Innovators in Young Women’s Health Program and the Young Women’s Health & Leadership Summit, visit http://coe.ucsf.edu/coe/internship/ intern_ysc.html Anna Christie is the Program Supervisor of the UCSF Young Women’s Health & Leadership Summit.

The Beauty of a Healing Environment Visionary visual artist Ann Chamberlain found a partner in her compassionate breast surgeon, Laura Esserman, MD, who directs the UCSF Breast Care Center. Together they created a unique, welcoming and comforting space within the building that houses the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at UCSF’s Mount Zion Campus.

The inspirational wall of handmade tiles (story tiles, shown to the left on pg 12) illuminates the voices and experiences of patients, health care providers and caregivers, and the wall is located adjacent to a beautiful and tranquil garden known as the Healing Garden. As documented in the popular blog “i heart san francisco,” each tile is made with a plant impression and a patient’s (or a surviving family member’s) personal story.

The understandings gained at the Mount Zion location are reflected in the new UCSF Women’s Speciality Hospital at Mission Bay. Design that features expansive two-story atriums, intimate meditation spaces, patient rooms that maximize the use of natural light, soft color schemes, exceptional exhibits of artwork, welcoming family spaces, and views of gardens from every bedside, all reflect the understanding of the importance of warmth and beauty in a hospital setting.

“In a time of crisis, no one should have to feel alone. The story tiles remind us that we are not alone, that we are more than our illness, that we are part of a community. The stories of the people we care for create a soul and a place of healing,” Dr. Esserman said.

S A N F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES BAY T IM ES M AY 5, 2016

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The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez, Excerpt 3

In which Gilda must force herself to have the courage to move on from a place and a woman she’s grown to love.

Gilda did not dare turn back toward Aurelia but continued out onto the road, Aurelia’s declaration ringing in her head: “Why would I look to anyone else? I’ve got you.” Once away from the farm, Gilda’s trembling began to lessen. She was certain that any restlessness she felt would be quieted if Aurelia joined with her. Although Aurelia was not fully sure what that meant, she was willing to take the step into a new life. Gilda looked for the key to her hesitation. She had never changed anyone, but was certain she knew the process: exchange of blood, two times taken, at least once given. She knew the method and the timing, but she drew back from the idea of bringing Aurelia into her family.

Why?

PHOTO BY RINK

Gilda quickened her pace away from her anxiety, arriving in town without remembering anything she’d passed. The swirl of life almost swallowed her. She stopped beside a bustling bordello whose sounds unfurled like a tapestry above her head.

She leaned into the music wafting from the windows, letting it wash over her like a spray of water. Her confusion and her hunger were not forgotten. For that moment, however, she was simply fed by the sound of the horn. The thinning blood inside her moved languidly, seduced by the tide of sound. Its abrupt ending left a piano tinkling in the silence, then applause. Beneath it all Gilda heard a quiet sob so close that, for a moment, she thought she had made the sound herself. Above her,

14

to the left at the corner of the building, a slightly open window was dark with a sadness that seeped out from under the curtains.

Gilda felt disoriented. Then her body was released from its stupor and spoke to her of its need. The fire of hunger ran through her veins.

The muff led sob reached not just her ears now, but all of her senses.

A woman lay immobile, sunk deeply into her pillow; the smell of sex clung to her linen.

In the girl’s head was a jumble of thoughts awash in resignation. Gilda rummaged through them, picking at each: the lost child, the need for companionship, shame, uncertainty about her status in this house.

There was little protection around her, simply guileless perseverance.

But most amazing was that the woman was devoid of dreams. She had no fantasy on which to affix her daily life: today barely existed.

Gilda pushed into the room with her own thoughts infinitely more directed than those of the younger woman. She massaged her spirit, loosened the bonds that wound tightly around the woman’s chest to help her breathe easier then dropped a veil of sleep over her.

Gilda entered the back door of the establishment and heard the patrons and business girls in the front parlor still praising the piano player and cornetist. She slipped into the deserted kitchen and up the back stairway. Following her line of control holding the young woman in sleep, she passed the closed doors of the corridor. Behind some of them she heard grunts of impending and expended passion. Behind one she heard silence, no thoughts or dreams. She entered and was stunned by the loose air of defeat.

The mirror was smudged, clothes were strewn carelessly and the coverlet betrayed days of filth. It was a room in which no one really lived, not even the one who slept here.

As the blood left her body the woman’s psyche responded with a moment of terror, which Gilda used to further suffuse her dreams with urgency. She wrapped the fear around the edge of the dream, making it all the more compelling. Gilda did not stop taking the blood until she felt parts of her dream become the girl’s own. The young woman began to cling to life and experience the urge to project into a future. Her mind f illed with thoughts of the other women who lived and worked in the house—the smiles she had not acknowledged, the endearments and angry words yet to be shared, the music to be heard.

Gilda pulled back, comfortable with rooting a dream inside the girl. She loosened her hold so that the young woman’s breathing returned to normal. She then backed away from the bed looking down at the face now full of expectation. Her fists had relaxed; she’d reached one hand up to cover her own small breast, where it rested as if giving assurance to a lover.

The girl sighed, and Gilda slid the window open wider, slipped through, and silently dropped the two stories to the back alley. The sounds of Saturday nightlife continued to reverberate as she walked out to the street. She maintained a slow pace, moving south then west to the edge of the city, enjoying the evening air and the memory of the girl’s soft, pale skin.

She thought about an evening she sat with Sorel and Anthony before their fireside long ago. Sorel had quoted Lao-Tsu: “The bright path seems dim; going forward seems like retreat; the easy way seems hard.”

She was a girl, really; she lay on her back, a mass of auburn curls plastered to her damp head. Her face was set in grimness, her fists clenched by her side as if prepared to do battle with a world she cared little for. Gilda peered into the creamy white features, wondering where along the short path this one had traveled she’d lost her ability to dream. Even in the fearful hours of dawn, before Gilda could be certain there would be another night of life, dreams crept into her rest to stimulate her mind and heart.

In that moment she understood. Aurelia’s life was not as empty as Eleanor’s had been. And unlike the sleeping girl above, Aurelia was full of dreams and plans. She’d made a place among people she cared for; people she sustained with her charitable work and love. To pull Aurelia away from the ties she’d made, the commitment she felt would be cheating her. To claim Aurelia’s life—even for reasons of love— would be thievery.

Gilda held the young woman in sleep and pulled her gently into her arms. A small incision at the side of the neck. Blood seeping out slowly.

It reminded her of the wounds she

The sleeping girl’s world was shifted on its axis, as was Gilda’s. The resurgent dreams cast a new glow on Gilda’s life: in giving dreams, Gilda had recaptured her own.

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S MAY 5 , 2 0 1 6

PHOTO BY SUSAN MERRELL

Gilda put her lips to the trickle of blood and turned it into a tide washing through her, making her heart pump faster. Her insistent suckling created a new pulse and filled her with new life. In return she offered dreams. She held the girl’s body and mind, letting the desire for future life f low through them both. The woman absorbed Gilda’s desire for family, for union with others, for new experience. Through these she perceived a capacity for endless life.

With Phyllis Lyon and Diane Sabin

PHOTO BY RINK

Rosebud, Missouri 1921

and her sisters suffered on their tiny hands as they’d wrenched the cotton from its stiff branches on the plantation almost 100 years before. Lines of blood covered them until the flesh was hardened by experience.

PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG

(Editor’s Note: Over the course of three issues, we have presented excerpts from Jewelle Gomez’s groundbreaking novel, The Gilda Stories, in which the protagonist is a black lesbian vampire. The premise allowed Gomez to craft a timeless American odyssey addressing everything from 1850s slavery to 1960s lesbian life. It is little wonder that the book has become a modern classic since it was first published 25 years ago. This is the third and final entry in our series of excerpts. We encourage you to read the entire book, which was recently rereleased in an expanded anniversary edition. To purchase the book and to learn more, including about upcoming related events, please go to: http://www.citylights. com/book/?GCOI=872861000959 10&fa=details Please also check out the April 7 issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, which highlighted Gomez and The Gilda Stories: https:// issuu.com/sfbt/docs/bt_4.7.16_132_issu)

Library Commission President Jewelle Gomez, City Librarian Luis Herrera, James Hormel and his partner Michael Nguyen

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WOMEN’S BUILDING

Eight staff members of San Francisco Women’s Centers, led by Executive Director Teresa Mejia, took time for a photo in front of The Women’s Building.

San Francisco Women’s Centers Celebrates 45 Years of Service She added, “It also represents an historic, significant breakthrough in LGBT community organizing, allowing us to amplify the voice of lesbian and gay women’s concerns.”

Since those early years, The Women’s Building has seen a dramatic increase in the use of its services. Rising costs have put additional pressures on already struggling low-income women and their families. Women are coming in search of a second or third job, a safe place to live, and services to deal with domestic violence. In answer to this need, the Board of Directors is hosting the anniversary fundraiser so that they can serve even more women and families.

PHOTO BY RINK

San Francisco Women’s Centers is proud to announce the celebration of 45 years of service to the San Francisco community. As the founding organization of The Women’s Building, it is hosting a Gala fundraiser event on May 18, 2016, with co-founder Roma Guy, first Executive Director Carmen Vasquez, and current Executive Director Teresa Mejia.

The goal is to double down on the mission to empower women to lead their very best lives.

Roma Guy

Guy told the San Francisco Bay Times that, in founding The Women’s Building, she and others borrowed an idea from author Virginia Woolf (1882–1941). Woolf wrote the extended essay A Room of One’s Own. In this essay, which has inspired generations of feminists, Woolf famously mentioned that “a woman must have money and a room of her own.”

“Serving the San Francisco community has been an honor and great achievement to support the Women’s Movement,” said Teresa Mejia, Executive Director of The Women’s Building. “This fundraiser will celebrate all the great work we have done and plan to do in the future.”

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will emcee the celebration. Performances by Circulo Cultural, Rhythm & Motion, and Sweet Can Productions will take place.

Mejia shared that, all in all, it will be a night of local food, entertainment, and inspiration. Proceeds from the fundraiser will make possible additional Saturday hours for those seeking social services. They will also permit increased advocacy on behalf of San Francisco Women’s Centers’ clients.

For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/45th-anniversary-celebration-tickets-21693876970

PHOTO BY ABBY ZIMBERG

Echoing this timeless need, Guy said, “Our vision for the purpose of The Women’s Building was that we needed a room of our own in our own community.”

The Women’s Building is the first women-owned and operated community center in the U.S., and has been an integral part of the Mission District’s community.

Since 1971, San Francisco Women’s Centers has sponsored and incubated 170 emerging women’s organizations, opened its doors to more than 1,000,000 wom-

en, and has served as a beacon of hope and stability for San Francisco’s diverse community.

3543 18th Street, San Francisco

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WOMEN’S BUILDING AND ABBY ZIMBERG

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Tennis’ LGBT Following, Both on and Off the Court Take Me Home with You!

Sports John Chen 1960s: “Go Billie Jean!”

1970s: “Go Martina!”

1980s: “Go Gabriela!”

1990s: “Go Monica!”

2000s: “Go Venus!”

Today: “Go Serena!”

These names need no introduction for even a fringe LGBT sports fan.

Why do so many gay and lesbian athletes adore, admire and imitate tennis players, specifically top women tennis icons? Tennis is such an individual sport where you earn the fame of each glory, all by yourself, and suffer the agony of each fall, all by yourself.

The nature of the sport creates strong, independent men and women where players learn to manage their emotions, strategies, growth and choices on their own.

Tennis is the one sport where competitors face, not only their opponents, but also the conditions, the environment, the surface, their physical fitness, and, most importantly, themselves. For these reasons, former champion Arthur Ashe–Citizen of the World–truly believed tennis helps people navigate themselves and the globe by instilling such essential life skills. For these reasons, top professional tennis players are revered and are given national hero status in their respective nations.

“Gay men are naturally attracted to strong women, and women tennis players who make it to the top are some of the strongest women role models we know and love,” explained Mike Schement, a life-long tennis player and fan. This was especially true when the strongest of the strong were the very best, including social and equality trailblazer Billie Jean King, record-setting openly gay Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles (who survived an on court stabbing), and Serena Williams, who has broken

down racial barriers to become one of the best tennis players of all time.

one of the largest organized LGBT sports in the world.

Many LGBT admirers see a lot of themselves in these past and present champions. We see their rise to the absolute pinnacle despite all of the challenges and obstacles presented to them. They give us hope and strength. These champions have an incredible unwavering resolve, and somehow can draw even more strength from within when opponents and life knock them down.

Steve Scowden, the club’s Communications Director, proudly intimated “we are an all inclusive and [wallet friendly] tennis club.” Scowden added that “aside from leagues, tournaments, social play, beginner clinics and cups (unique competition format against other major West Coast cities), since 1980 SFGLTA annually runs the first and historic national gay open tournament USGO (United States Gay Open) during Memorial Day Weekend at Golden Gate Park.”

USGO offers competitive divisions at various levels and gives players a chance to meet LGBT tennis buffs from all over the U.S. and the world.

Everyone is encouraged to play, even beginners!

“This is what LGBT people look up to,” says Tim Thianthai, an avid tennis player for the last four years. When Billie Jean beat Bobby Riggs, we celebrated not just a tennis victory, but also a victory for women and equality. When Monica screamed in pain, we fell to the ground with her. When Martina cried alone, our own tears understood her. When Serena won, we stood taller, stronger and better!

Locally there are hundreds upon hundreds of Martina’s, Serena’s, and Monica’s in the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Federation of San Francisco (GLTF) who all faced many obstacles as LGBT people. But they’ve all come together for the love of tennis and their tennis icons. Led by Dennis Sanchez, GLTF President, the club is over 500 strong with players at the beginning level to the most advanced.

In fact, GLTF and the international Gay and Lesbian Tennis Alliance had their humble beginnings on the 15th Street Public Tennis Court (now known as ground zero of gay and lesbian organized sports movement) in San Francisco. Born out of realizing the importance of healthier living during the AIDS epidemic in 1980, Les Balmain and the first gay sports newspaper (The Gladiator) held a tennis clinic at the 15th Street courts to encourage LGBT tennis and sports participation. From there, gay and lesbian tennis has grown to become

You’ve admired Martina, Billie Jean and Serena from afar. And you’ve seen everyone—men, women, seniors, kids, transgender people, dykes, drag queens, bears, chickens, wheelchair-using athletes and more—at your local tennis courts chasing down a cross court forehand, giving a stern talking to themselves, grunting loudly as they unleash a fierce 20 mph serve, pumping a fist, and getting a great workout. Contact GLTF of San Francisco, info below, and get your tennis game on, and don’t forget to buy all those really trendy (Serena’s cat suit or Venus’s denim skirt), tight (or baggy) tennis outfits and accessories to go with your big colorful racket!

Inside Out Fitness Cinder Ernst One of the best small step exercises is a Get Up. That’s simply getting up from your chair a few times in a row.

But if your knees hurt when you stand up, then we have to solve that first.

Even if you don’t want to do Get Ups, it would be good to solve this problem.

I have been the leading expert in plus size fitness for more than 25 years.

As I helped hundreds of large women get active, I started to notice some patterns. I discovered that most of my clients dealing with health and 18

One of the things I hear a lot is “my knees hurt when I stand up.” This problem is easily solved with a little awareness and some directed f idgeting! First of all, most of us sit for way too long without taking a break.

Here’s where the awareness comes in: interrupt yourself, and stand up more often. Set an alarm, or create a buddy system where you support each other

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S MAY 5 , 2 0 1 6

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

To see Guppy and other pets seeking their forever homes, please visit: San Francisco SPCA 250 Florida St. San Francisco, CA 94103 415-522-3500

Dr. Jennifer Scarlett and Pup

Aside from major holidays, the adoption center is open Mon–Fri: 1–6 pm and Sat–Sun: 10 am–5 pm. Free parking is available for those wishing to adopt!

For more info about Guppy: https://www.sfspca.org/adoptions/pet-details/30617647

Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month Saul Herrera, Fitness SF SOMA

TRX Shoulder Press: This exercise is good for stabilization in the shoulders. Keep your core engaged thoughout the whole movement.

For more info on GLTF of San Francisco, including leagues, social play, beginner’s clinic, cup competitions and the USGO, please visit gltf.org or e-mail communications@gltf.org You can also request to join GLTF on Facebook.

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

Help! My Knees Hurt When I Stand Up

weight have knee pain. I studied what worked best to get their bodies stronger, and also what helped to alleviate the knee pain that was stopping them from enjoying life. From this research I developed a system of exercises and tools that transforms knee pain and helps people get their lives back on track.

“My name is Guppy, aka Gups! I’ve been swimming along through life, Guppy searching for my perfect match. Everyone keeps telling me there are a lot of fish in the sea, and that good things come to those who wait. But I’m just five months old, and have spent more than half my life at the shelter! I’m so, so excited to finally have a family of my own. Do you have room for a sweet, bubbly little puppy in your life?”

to get up and move around during your workday. Even just standing for a moment is a huge benefit. A word of caution: if you set an alarm and then ignore it, it will not work.

Here are two specific fidgeting exercises that you can do that will help your knees not hurt when you stand.

These exercises also help to strengthen your legs in a way that can sometimes heal your knee pain too! These exercises are done in your chair before you stand up. The starting position is sitting with your ankles under your knees so that your legs make a 90-degree angle. You should also maintain good upper body posture.

The Butt Squeeze: This is just what it sounds like! Squeeze your butt cheeks together and then release. Try it now 10 times. This exercise will wake up those muscles so that when you stand up, they will help. Your butt muscles are a primary mover in the get up ac-

Troy Macfarland of Fitness SF provides monthly tips he’s learned from his colleagues who are professional trainers at local gyms.

He can be reached at tmacfarland@fitnesssf.com tion. The Butt Squeeze will not only make getting up easier in the moment, but you will also be strengthening that muscle along the way, which is a bonus! There is a version of this exercise that also includes core strengthening; it’s called The Tush Tilt. You can find a video tutorial on YouTube if you’d like to try it.

The Heel Tap: Make sure you have the 90-degree angle starting position. Straighten your right leg while tapping your heel on the floor when your leg is outstretched. Bring your leg back to 90, and then do the left.

Repeat for 5 on each side. This exercise gets the knee joint moving in a friendly and useful way. When the joint moves in this manner, the body responds by lubricating with synovial fluid. Motion is lotion! There is a ver-

sion of this exercise on YouTube also.

Search for Heel Tap with Tiny Tilt.

Before you stand up, do 10 Butt Squeezes and 5 Heel Taps. These exercises will wake up your legs, so your muscles and joints will be ready to get up. Remember, these small step exercises will also be strengthening your leg muscles! If you’d like some more nifty knee tips, go to my website at http://lesskneepain.com As always, if you need help, email me and we’ll figure it out: coach@cinderernst.com Cinder Ernst, Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Extraordinaire, helps reluctant exercisers get moving with safe, effective and fun programs. Find out more at http:// cinderernst.com

There’s No Place Like (an Acronym for) Home, Especially If It’s CoPa!

Moving to San Francisco from deep in the heart of Texas (or anywhere, really) can be quite confusing. There is the liberating part of finally getting to be one’s authentic self–even if that means walking down Market Street naked! But perhaps the hardest part about moving to the “City by the Bay” is deciphering neighborhood acronyms and precious nicknames.

Finding your way around San Francisco neighborhoods is as confusing as trying to learn a second language, like English. You would think, to quote an ancient equine-themed sitcom (please sing along), “An s is an s, an s, an s.”

But that’s not true. An “s” can be pronounced many different ways: see, sure, rose, pleasure–to name a few.

Navigating is on a par with the oneway streets, steep hills and lack of street signs. Whoever thought one street sign per crossing was enough when there are 4 stops?

Where are these mysterious places of which people speak with varying degrees of pride, joy or, sometimes, disdain?

When I learned that I was coming to San Francisco, I started looking at websites to find a place to live. Oh, my! Inner or outer–Sunset or Richmond? Or upper or lower–Haight or Pac Heights? I knew I wanted to live in the global “epicenter of gay,” the Castro. So I looked at places in Castro Valley. Surely that was the lovely valley at 18th and Castro known as Hibernia Beach. I had no way to know it was actually a distant land 26 miles away and across a bridge! But rent prices were certainly attractive.

And, can you see Lake Merced from Merced?

Should I embrace being a socalled “bridge-and-tunnel” person and go all the way to the East Bay? Having lived in both Austria and Switzerland, I thought that Twin Peaks, known locally as the “Swish Alps,” sounded heavenly. I wondered what kind of exotic cheeses and delectable chocolate, politically neutral neighbors and pacifists would be there. Maybe we could enjoy a lovely evening over fondue, snow falling outside, and a cow or two strolling by? Not to generalize or stereotype…

I thought about the suburbs, but couldn’t get all of the San’s and Santa’s straight: Santa Rosa, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Bruno, San Jose, San Mateo, San Rafael, San Leandro.

What’s a gay to do?

I actually lived in several of these SF neighborhoods, as do many who come to the city. I lived in Duboce Triangle, the Inner Sunset, Oakland and San Bruno. I know. It’s a lot. Trust me, I have neither an insatiable wanderlust, nor am I running from the law.

They stopped chasing me when I hit the Texas/New Mexico border 5 years ago. I was just trying to find a home that fit. Moving that much did help me to pare down the belongings I had dragged here from Texas. I reduced the number of cowboy boots, hats, saddles and spittoons with each move.

Well, it happened. After only 5 years as a nomad, my husband Dan and I have purchased a place of our own.

I just can’t wait to tell you where it is.

Wait for it.

It’s in the highly rated, desirable CoPa (or COPA, if you prefer all caps). We felt that CoPa was not wellknown enough to stand on its own

P HOTO C OURT ESY OF T IM SEE L IG

Dr. Tim Seelig

and needed one more word. Cabana just seemed too gay. So, we’ve decided that we now live in “CoPa Heights.”

Where is that, you ask?

Well, it is a little-known treasure at the crossroads between San Francisco and Daly City, now known as Cow Palace Heights, or CoPa Heights.

It’s just awesome. We have a place we can truly call home. And we can also enjoy weekends by going to the hemp, tattoo or gun conventions mere steps from our front door! Each June the AIDS/LifeCycle ride departs from the palace of cows, and we’ll be there volunteering. Dan has participated in 10 ALC rides thus far! I support in other ways. I no longer pedal anything.

We are confused no more. And we will “surely have the pleasure of seeing roses, too!” Oh, and “you can take the boy out of Texas, but…” our address is Saddleback Drive. So much for getting rid of the saddles.

We have found a little slice of CoPa Heights heaven.

PS. Disclaimer: CoPa did not really exist until this article hit the newstands. The phrase was coined by friends, Jim and Joe, over a fabulous dinner with copious amounts of California wine overlooking the city from DH (Diamond Heights) or was it more TP (Twin Peaks)? Perhaps it’s really DHTP. Dr. Tim Seelig is the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.

DE SI G NS BY I RI N A BLO K

TLC: Tears, Laughs and Conversation

Then the real trouble began. I learned that SoMa and NoPa were cool. I wasn’t sure about SoCha (South of Cesar Chavez) or SOMISSPO (SoMa meets Mission meets Potrero–they obviously left the “t” off of the end: SoMissPot). There were some that just didn’t make any sense at all such as LORI (Lower Outer Rincon Hill).

Should I try to live in the Tenderloin, Nob Hill or inbetween–on the Tendernob?

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Spotlight on Broadway: Two Divas, One Counter-Tenor and a House Full of Hams

East Side Stories Heidi Beeler Life is a cabaret, they say, and if you’ve ever wanted to be the life of a cabaret, here’s your big chance.

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band is renting a ballroom, carting in a duo of delicious divas and revving up a song book of show tunes that covers more than a half century of Broadway gems so you can sing your heart out and live your Judy Garland fantasies in style. Come drink the wine; come hear the band, indeed. Spotlight on Broadway features Donna Sachet and Leanne Borghesi under the crystal chandeliers of the Empire Ballroom at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Saturday, May 14, at 8 pm.

The Freedom Band’s Artistic Director, Pete Nowlen, wrote that this sing-along is a new concert inspired

by The Dance-Along Nutcracker™, the Band’s beloved Christmas production. It’s another chance to get the audience into the act, which is at the heart of what this community band is all about.

“We wanted a parallel fun show to bookend with the Dance-Along with a more adult focus,” Nowlen wrote in an emailed interview, “and we want to build an annual benefit concert so that [the Freedom Band] can keep doing all that we now do—and even more. The two fit perfectly together, so this event was created … with the audience being a third featured performer.”

By now, we’ve all sung along to the Sound of Music, and yes, here you get another great big opportunity to dust off your lederhosen and head for the Alps. There’s more than Rodgers and Hammerstein’s lush symphonic-style soundtrack here, though. Fifties-style doo-wop of Grease, hard rocking Rocky Horror Picture Show and whimsical melodies like “Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers and the title track from Avenue Q all make an appearance here.

“The Bright Side of Life” from Spamalot naturally offers the audience a chance to whistle along. Dance music from jazzy West Side Story and klezmer-infused Fiddler on the Roof are spotlighted. A little La Cage Aux Folles and a touch of Cabaret make an evening of Broadway show tunes just that much more gay.

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Framing the event with their golden pipes and comic repartee are two pros familiar with San Francisco’s cabaret scene. Donna Sachet hosts the weekly drag revue, Sunday’s a Drag, at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Crowned Empress XXX by the Imperial Court of San Francisco, Sachet has performed at innumerable events and fundraisers over the past 20 years. Her annual variety show Songs of the Season has raised funds for the AIDS Emergency Fund for 18 years running. A San Francisco celebrity with national exposure, Donna has co-anchored live television coverage of the June SF Pride Parade for almost a decade.

Joining Sachet to co-emcee is Leanne Borghesi. Leanne performs in NYC, San Francisco and Los Angeles. A California native and graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts ( P C PA), B or ghe si most recently encored her solo show “Lush” at Feinstein’s at the Nikko last fall.

Her alter ego is the infamous Ms. Anita Cocktail, and she’s an original founding member of the comedic cabaret trip “B.O.O.B.S” (Busty Outrageous Over-the-top Broads Singing). She has performed not only at Feinstein’s at the Nikko, but also at the Rrazz Room, Mbar Hollywood, Herbst Theater, Marines Memorial, the Palace of Fine Arts, and at the Metropolitan Room and The Duplex in New York City.

“As we started building the event, Donna and Leanne were the two artists we identified as desired headliners,” said Nowlen. “We approached them both, hoping to get one of them–and both were extremely excited to perform and loved the idea of performing together… . It’s amazing to be working with two fantastic artists.”

The two cabaret divas have lent Nowlen a hand in choosing the numbers. Along with leading the singa longs, t hey’l l teach you t he Time War p and the Hand Jive, and they’ll sing a few feature duets and solos themselves.

Of course, laying the music down for the singers, both featured and audience, is the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band, the first openly LGBT band in the world. Singing with the lavish sound of a 60-piece, symphonic band is a treat for cabaret pros and wannabes alike. Subtitled “A SingAlong Concert Fundraiser,” the concert is a benefit for the Band complete with raffle prizes and auction items.

A cash bar is on hand if you need a little singing courage.

“This show will be fun, even if you don’t want to sing-along,” Nowlen said. You’ll have a gay old time!

Trumpet player Heidi Beeler has been a member of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band since 1991. She is also a founding member of the Dixieland Dykes +3. For more information, please visit www.sflg fb.org or www.facebook.com/ sflg fb

THEATER

Kinky Boots’ Angel Sam Rohloff Adds Sassy Seductiveness to Show’s Unforgettable Drag Numbers

Helping to bring the show to dragalicious life is Sam Rohloff, who plays one of the shows Angels. The Angels are the talented ensemble cast members who perform the show’s incredible drag numbers. We had a blast connecting recently with Rohloff, who exudes palpable joy and positive energy, which are perhaps a ref lection of this wonderful production’s great life-affirming story.

San Francisco Bay Times: The show debuted in 2012, and yet the production still seems so vibrant and relevant today. Why do you think the story and songs hold such timeless appeal?

Sam Rohloff: I think Kinky Boots holds such an appeal because of its message and the way it’s told. Kinky Boots talks about accepting someone for who they are, no matter their outward appearance, and believing in yourself and being true to you. I think the show is so successful because of its perfect formula for a new, original

musical. [It is] aesthetically beautiful, with Cyndi Lauper’s pop flair, awardwinning costumes and choreography, and a heart that beats through to the final bow.

Kinky Boots National Touring Company

Sam Rohloff

S a n Fr a nc i s c o Bay Ti me s: P lea se sha re a ny memorable moments from the tour so far. Has anything happened on stage or with the audiences that took you by surprise?

Sam Rohloff: There are many moments in this show that are always exciting because we are sharing a story so many people across the nation have never heard. One specific moment is in the Finale when (spoiler alert) Don, a principal factor worker, arrives in a pair of his own custom made kinky boots. The audience reacts profoundly when they get to feast their eyes on a bearded man wearing a fabulous pair of red leather boots.

When I get to enjoy that specific reversal onstage, during the show, it is overwhelming. To me, that is a crucial point for the audience members’ journey. They see someone take a step outside of their boundaries to better someone else. Quite a simple but important lesson.

S a n Fr a nc i s c o Bay Ti me s: Please share a bit about your background and how you were first introduced to Kinky Boots.

Sam Rohloff: I was born and raised in Michigan. Studied and received a BFA in Musical Theatre at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. After graduation, I went on tour with the West Side Story national tour. A year and some gigs after that, I was offered the opportunity to join the fantastic show that is Kinky Boots.

Oddly enough, the first time I was in-

troduced to Kinky Boots was winning the lottery to see the show in New York. I enjoy it so much, and thought maybe I could be in it one day, but honestly didn’t think too much on it.

And here we are now, enjoying every second of it!

San Francisco Bay Times: Have you been to San Francisco before? What are you most looking forward to visiting/revisiting while you’re here?

Sam Rohloff: I have! I spent a week of vacation once before. I am really excited to get to see the city again.

Also, my mother is visiting for Mother’s Day, so I’m looking forward to enjoying good food and times with her!

San Francisco Bay Times: We’ve heard that Cyndi Lauper identif ies with drag queens. How do you identify with your character, and what aspects of your own life come through the most?

Sam Rohloff: Well I guess Cyndi and I share that! Being an Angel is truly exciting. I love being able to completely transform my everything and to go out onstage with pure joy, (continued on page 24)

PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

Kinky Boots, we have missed you, and we are so glad you are back! The exhilarating Broadway musical, with its Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper and book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein, returns for a short yet sweet run from May 11–22 at SHN’s Golden Gate Theatre. The inspirational story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. Together, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible, proving that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world.

J. Harrison Ghee in the National Tour of Kinky Boots

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Viva Vividly Depicts Queer Life in Cuba wasn’t in any other drag performance I’d seen. It immediately impressed on me that that was something I wanted to see more of.”

Film Gary M. Kramer The crowd-pleasing Viva, directed by Irish filmmaker Paddy Breathnach (Blow Dry), is set in the world of Cuban drag queens. The film, opening May 6, features Jesus (Héctor Medina), a Havana hairdresser who works for Mama (Luis Alberto Garcia), a performer at a local gay bar. One night at the club, Jesus unexpectedly reunites with his long-lost father, Angel ( Jorge Peruggoría), a former boxer now out of jail and harboring a secret. As father and son try to find a common ground–Angel is not too keen to have a son who is a maricón–Jesus is determined to pursue work as a performer for Mama.

The Art Of Aging Gracefully COLORS Resource Fair

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R. Ruth Linden, Ph.D.

Quattrocento Thursday, April 7, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Jewish Community Center Francisco PMS 7533 U PMSof 557San U PMS 660 U PMS 652 U 3200 California Street, San Francisco

This free event will feature lectures

by UCSF experts, informational booths, yoga, meditation, chair Pilates, mindfulness-based stress reduction, Brain Boot Camp and more!

Viva was written by out screenwriter Mark O’Halloran. Breathnach came up with the idea for the film after visiting Cuba in the 1990s. He took Mark to a drag show “in the middle of nowhere on the far side of the island,” he said over the phone from Ireland.

“It struck me quickly that the performances had this raw, emotionally authentic bare quality to them that

www.treeoflifehealthadvocates.com

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana Sez, “Mother’s Day is May 8. Happy Mother’s Day to all you mothers, and that includes drag mothers as well!”

Sister Dana also wishes you a Happy Cinco de Mayo—even if you aren’t personally commemorating the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862! Drink tequila anyway!

GOODBYE TO STEVE GIBSON was a bittersweet going away party for the wonderful STEVEN GIBSON, who after nearly 13 years as director of MAGNET, the Castro-based health, social wellbeing center and community space, announced his resignation at Magnet (now relocated two blocks away and renamed STRUT) to become the HIV Prevention Branch Chief at the State Office of AIDS in Sacramento on May 16. The HIV Prevention Branch funds initiatives to assist local health departments and other HIV service providers to implement effective HIV detection and prevention programs. Several months ago Magnet had merged with San Francisco AIDS Foundation to become Strut, combining the services of Magnet, Stop AIDS, Stonewall, Bridgemen, Positive Force, Dream Project, and the Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network.

Longtime AIDS activist Matthew Denckla acted as emcee for the festive bon voyage party upstairs at Strut. He joked, “I have known Steve since childhood.” Denckla intro-

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Jesus is trying to find his individual identity, but in the course of that process, he is disempowered at times, such as when he goes along with his father, or resorts to prostituting himself. The filmmaker believes, “He is not subjugated by his shame. He’s bearing terrible things, and doing things that may destroy him, but you still feel his inner goodness is present.

It’s through his performance he can find more fundamental, greater, and deeper truth and fulfillment.”

How Jesus finds happiness, and helps other characters do that same, is part of what makes Viva so satisfying. “There’s a selflessness in Jesus,” Breathnach observes. “I suppose one of the great things is that while it can be seen as a weakness, Jesus turns it into his power. He can be true to himself, and enable others to find the truth in themselves. Not only does he make his own transformation, but others find themselves as well. Suddenly he has an opportunity to have a father—and he wants to preserve that–but he does it on his own terms.

For Angel, he wants to love his son, but doesn’t know how to do, or express, that. Mama cares for him, and yet Jesus is wary of her help.” (continued on page 24)

Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

Learn more: jccsf.org/aginggracefully

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

The shows were impressive, in part, because as Breathnach said, “It was all clandestine discovery. They were in a run down, working-class Havana suburb— in someone’s back yard, basically. They put out a red sheet and one spotlight and the transformative power of that—a realm of dreams, and the realm of the possible. The intense quality and power of the songs struck me as something very interesting and so rare. To make something transformative out of so little—that was a remarkable thing.

It’s the need to do it; it’s more intense.

It’s about finding your voice.”

duced some of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to give a similar blessing to the one given more than a decade ago at the opening of Magnet.

The nuns dubbed him “AIDS Hero” and presented him with a golden scepter. Prior to that title, long ago he had been “sainted” by the nuns as “Saint of Love and Latex.” Magnet opened at 4122 18th Street on July 9, 2003, and merged with Sister Dana and friend at the recent Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence 2016 Easter celebration.

SFAIDS in 2007. Gibson was hired in 2001 to begin work on did not raise his hand, because, the groundbreaking model of comgosh, how much more can I do? I munity sexual health in the glass laughed when Steve pretended to storefront that became Magnet. Sisgive me shade with a fake scowl, and ter Dana was in on the beginning we joked about it afterwards. We all stages when it was only a vague conscreamed three loud “thank you’s” to cept. In fact, way back in the day, Steve and helped ourselves to a piece I attended spontaneous Stop AIDS of the celebratory cake. By the way, meetings in private homes facilitated for Steve’s farewell, the clouds outby Gibson. Magnet opened in 2003 side were dark and gloomy, but when to tremendous success and has since Steve took the stage, the clouds debeen studied and replicated around parted to reveal a full moon glowing the world—providing 15,000 clinin all its glory. So totally apropos! ical visits just last year. Gibson has also extended the work with expanTHE SAN FRANCISCO MAIN sions to the mobile testing unit, the LIBRARY turned 20. So did The expansion of HIV and HCV testJAMES C. HORMEL LGBTQing, as well as launching an extreme- IA CENTER, the gateway to the ly successful PrEP program. Anna Main Library’s broader collections Damiani recalled the early days of documenting lesbian, gay, bisexual, Magnet and presented Gibson with transgender, queer, questioning, ina Certificate of Recognition from tersex and allies’ history and culture, Senator Mark Leno. Supervisor with an emphasis on the Bay Area.

Scott Wiener rattled off Gibson’s In addition to books, periodicals many accomplishments and presentand archival collections, the Center ed him with a Certificate of Reccollaborates with other library deognition from the Board of Superpartments and community organivisors, declaring it officially “Steve zations to sponsor a diverse array Gibson Day in San Francisco.” Steof exhibitions and public programs. ven Tierney, former director of The Hormel Center Reading Room HIV prevention, spoke of the early at the Main Library houses non-cirdays of Magnet as the very first gay culating materials. Celebrating the men’s health and wellness facility– birthday was a show in Koret Audiopen without shame through the all torium, QUEEREST.LIBRARY. glass front. Interim Chief Executive EVER! HORMEL @20. City LiOfficer Tim L. Jones and Execubrarian Luis Herrera welcomed tive Director, Gay & Bisexual Men’s everyone and acknowledged SenaHealth & Wellness Tim Patriarca, tor Mark Leno and Commisalso spoke. When asked who among sioner Zoe Dunning. Herrera said us has been inspired by Steve to do (continued on page 24) more for the community, Sister Dana

PHOTO BY PAUL MARGOLIS

Meet Ruth Linden at

He emphasized that what made the scenario emotionally resonant was that, before the show began, he saw that the woman next to him was crying. He recalled, “I asked her why, and she said it was her brother and this was the only time he was happy.”

The Lavender Laureate and His Sewing Circle

Faces of Our LGBT Past Dr. Bill Lipsky

The passing years have been unkind to Charles Warren Stoddard (1843– 1909), who first published under the pen name “Pip Pepperpod” when he was 19. Contemporaries like William Dean Howells found his stories “delicate and charming,” but now they seem like f lowers pressed into a fussy and cluttered Victorian album: fragile, faded, sentimental, easily shattered. Yet for all the purple embroidery in his prose, its lovely homoeroticism remains.

Readers at the time seemed not to notice it in his writing, but friends and associates knew all about Stoddard’s sexual interests. Mark Twain, whose secretary he was for a time in London, described him as “such a nice girl.” Rudyard Kipling advised him about his autobiographical novel, which described how like-minded men in San Francisco met each other. He called the book “rummy, queer, original, fascinating,” but still encouraged its publication.

Even Ambrose Bierce, who hated everything and everybody–and certainly did not approve of Stoddard’s sexuality–warned him to “avoid any appearance of eccentricity” on a trip to London. Stoddard understood what he meant: he risked prison for following his heart there. Only after Stoddard died did Bierce explain that he came to dislike the author because “he was not content with the way that God had sexed him.”

“The love that dare not speak its name” could not be discussed in public then, but it could be intimated.

Writing of his departure to Hawaii in 1881, the San Francisco Chronicle described Stoddard’s emotional farewell to his friends: “‘Kiss me, oh kiss me once more before I part from thee forever,’ he sighed, and was carried aboard weeping the hysterical tears of esthetic desolation.” Newspapers often winked at such “eccentric gentility” with great enthusiasm.

When Oscar Wilde visited the City the next year, the paper compared him to Stoddard, “whom he so greatly resembled in manner and sentiment that [some] could scarcely believe [he] had not come back in disguise to greet them with a poetic and tender embrace.” No one could mistake Wilde, at 6’ 3” and 195 pounds, for Stoddard, a “wispy youth with a delicate manner.” Only their sexuality was the same, which was precisely the point.

Stoddard himself believed that men loving men “would not answer” even “ in California, where men are tolerably bold,” but he often ig-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL LIPSKY

Looking out from a photograph taken a century and a half ago is a young swell who almost certainly was the first openly gay San Franciscan. He would not have used that term for himself, which then had a different meaning, or understood the concept “sexual orientation,” which did not yet exist. He knew who he was, however. As he wrote to Walt Whitman, who appreciated such awareness, “I act as my nature prompts me.”

nored his own advice. In San Francisco, he belonged to several informal, overlapping social networks of sexually like-minded men, meeting kindred spirits at part ies, through mutual acquaintances, by chance, or as he later wrote, “under covBayard er of darkness Taylor [where] a fellow can do a lmost anyt h i ng.” S ome became life long friends.

Three years younger than Stoddard, Theodore Dwight (1846–1917) came to San Francisco in 1869. The two men found that they had a great deal in common, including a passion for collecting pictures of nude young men.

Unless they were provably art studies, such works were illegal in the United States, but Dwight, who eventually became head of the Boston Public Library, simply smuggled t hem t hrough customs. In 18 9 2 , w h e n he brought i n 337 pho t og r aph s , he wrote to Stoddard, “When you see my spoils you will comprehend my dangers.” They remained friends for decades.

Plympton’s “robust masculinity and confidence” soon earned him leading roles on the New York stage as a “handsome, virile leading man.”

In later years, Stoddard often visited him at his estate in Massachusetts, “to wh ic h i nt erest ing men of var ious t y pes” were invited.

Songwriter, singer, and “confirmed bachelor” Stephen Massett (1820–1898), who gave the first public performance in San Francisco, was another of Stoddard’s friends.

They had a mutual acquaintance in Bayard Taylor (1825–1878), whose last novel, Joseph and His Friend, was dedicated to those “who believe in the truth and tenderness of man’s love for man, as of man’s love for women.” Taylor apparently believed in both.

Eben Twice married, Plympton as he pursued roLord Travers mance w it h in Hazel Kirke ca a number of 1879 men . S t o d dard thought him unhappy because, pulled between two worlds, his life “left his heart unsatisfied.”

In 1885 Stoddard became “Instructor of Belle Lettres” at Notre Stoddard met actor Eben Plympton (1853–1915) in the early 1870s. The Dame University. He believed himtwo men had a passionate affair “too self well qualified. “I am fond of the intense to last,” Stoddard wrote later. society of young men and lads,” he wrote the administration. “I nearly always win their conStephen Massett f idence and attract them to a rather unusual degree.” He resigned in 1886, then moved in with a former student and his parents, who accepted him simply as their son’s friend; the affair lasted two years. From 1889 to 1902, he taught at the newly founded Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Wherever he went, he hoped of finding friendship, romance, intimacy, and love with like-minded men.

Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors.

S A N F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES BAY T IM ES M AY 5, 2016

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THEATER: Kinky Boots (continued from page 21)

ROSTOW (continued from page 11)

NEWS (continued from page 3)

confidence, excitement and so much more! I take everything from my life and put it into my show. Whether it’s fun, puppy-excited Sam or sassy, seductive Sam, I get the chance to dance through all of that for people to enjoy!

the number of charges might actually increase!

that specifically addresses the needs of LGBTQ youth, who are at greatly increased risk of suicide. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 2012, nearly 15% of the District of Columbia’s students ages 11–17 had contemplated suicide at some point, with statistics more than doubling for the LGBTQ population, ages 11–13. thetrevorproject.org

San Francisco Bay Times: Our paper is by and for the LGBT community in Northern California. This musical is infused with so much queer culture, and mentions that “you change the world when you change your mind.” At this politically contentious time, how might others be inspired by, or learn from, that advice?

Sam Rohloff: I honestly believe that message of “you change the world when you change your mind.”

It’s simple really, and we hear it all the time, but it’s true. Whether you’re dealing with same-sex marriage, or taking cream in your coffee, when you take a second and allow yourself KRAMER (continued from page 22) Jesus’ happiness is dependent on peforming as Viva, and Breathnach makes the journey of novice to diva worthwhile. Héctor Medina who plays Jesus had never done drag before, but it was part of the character to learn that process. Moreover, the drag performances in the film are fantastic.

However, the filmmaker deliberately (and wisely) does not subtitle the song lyrics so viewers can concentrate on the pure emotion of Jesus and Mama performing. Breathnach defended his decisions. “It’s difficult. The lyrics are fantastic–particularly in the final song. They are evocative, and have meaning. But as soon as you start reading, you are no longer engaged in the visceral experience of seeing someone on stage. I think it takes you out of the experience. I wanted those scenes to overtake viewers with their emotional power in a direct, primal way. That’s when film works best, and I wanted to preserve that. “

to change your mind, you are opening and expanding your knowledge about someone or something else.

And knowledge can be very powerful.

San Francisco Bay Times: Do you have your own pair of kinky boots, or some other item of clothing that you wear when you want to make such a confident statement?

Sam Rohloff: I wish I had my own pair! I don’t have anything too crazy, but I take a lot of pride in my hair. If that’s done well, that’s my confident statement!

As Cyndi Lauper says, Kinky Boots is a fun machine. If you’re looking for a fantastically fun time, come check us out in the factory!

For tickets and more information, please visit: https://www.shnsf.com/Online/default. asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::per malink=kinkyboots&BOparam::WSconten t::loadArticle::context_id=&gclid=CInl-_ OgvMwCFQepaQodfsgD6w Ultimately, Viva shows how the characters cope with the harsh reality of their hardscrabble lives. Breathnach acknowledges, “There’s a truth in Cuba that you are always very close to poverty and falling into prostitution. So the degree of self-interest comes into that situation, but there’s also a sense of solidarity. ‘None of us are savages yet,’ says one character who can’t pay Jesus [money] for a haircut, but pays him with food. In the hard moments, they rally and support one another.”

Audiences should rally and supportt Viva. © 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

SISTER DANA (continued from page 22) catfight. Toni Newman, Develop“The Center has become one of the ment Manager, was our host. Addihallmarks of the Library and one tional entertainment was provided by of the legacies that makes this instiOakland jazz singer Branice McKtution great.” He presented a short enzie (“I Believe I Can Fly”), acdocumentary telling the story of the companied by Tammy Hall, ballet Hormel Center and some of its hightroupe Man Dance Ballet Comlights created by staff video artist pany, vocalist and guitarist Andre Rich Bartlebaugh. He then inMorgan, spectacular flagging by troduced author Jim Van BusCentrifugal Force, and Heiwa kirk and program manager KarTaiko Drummers. Pure bliss! en Sundheim to speak about the Center and introduce Ambassador HOLLYWOOD HITS THE CASJames Hormel. There followed en- TRO. Midnight on May Day found tertainment by the Rising Rhythm the Castro between 17th and 18th Queer Teen Dancers Project.

Streets overrun with Hollywood proThe program concluded with a bless- ducers, directors, writers, actors, ing by The Sisters of Perpetual script girls, prop-masters and, of Indulgence and a reception includcourse, craft services. The throng of ing a tour of the Center.

Hollywood folks were filming for an On May Day, MAITRI, residential care for people living with AIDS, presented the annual BLISS GALA fundraiser at UCSF Mission Bay Conference Center. Attendees enjoyed free massage by SF School of Massage and a delicious sitdown gourmet dinner. “This year’s theme is all about the healing power of laughter,” said Executive Director Michael Smithwick. “Through laughter, we share the bond of humor that is such an important part of our community.” We were treated to the laughter of Emmy award winning actor, Will & Grace comedian Leslie Jordan, film and television performer extraordinaire with roles in The Help and The American Horror Story.

Jordan was our hilarious emcee, recounting among other amusing tales his being incarcerated with a dopesick Robert Downey Jr. in the homo tank. He also revealed how he beat out Joan Collins for his role on Will & Grace, because the diva would not allow them to rip off her wig in a 24

upcoming When We Rise series. The streets had been cleared of all vehicles; cops patrolled on foot and on motorcycles while anxious Tinseltown fans lined the curbs in awe.

WHAT’S UP, SISTER DANA? Sister Dana sez, “Don’t miss these coming events” CASTRO STREET ARTSAVESLIVES STUDIO AND GALLERY presents WOMEN’S ART SHOW IN THE CASTRO at 518 Castro Street curated by renowned artist Thomasina DeMaio as a free reception, exhibition, and pop-up entertainment. Art work by 30 women from San Francisco.

Friday, May 6, 6 to 9 pm, delicious food and refreshments. This show hangs for the entire month of May. The gallery is open on weekends at noon and Monday through Friday 12 to 4 pm. facebook.com/sfartslave SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS (SFGMC) and the SFGMC DIVAS announce the 5th Annual DRAGATHON event on

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S MAY 5 , 2 0 1 6

Someone representing Mesa Public Schools said the district was “dismayed” by the student’s behavior, which “does not reflect the values of Red Mountain High School or Mesa Public Schools.

“Upon learning of the photograph,” they continued, “school administration immediately contacted police and is cooperating fully with the investigation. Disciplinary action will follow policy and may be based on the outcome of the police investigation. While the small size of the photograph as published makes the details difficult to discern, the yearbook has been recalled so the school can make a minor, but critical, edit for the inappropriate content.”

Really? The first thing you do is call the police and subject this kid to a felony rap? You know me. I spent a good ten minutes trying to see something sexy, and I couldn’t make anything out even when I knew exactly where to look. Hunter, who looks terrified in his mug shot, reportedly dropped trou on a dare, and I must say I have to hand it to him. That takes balls, both literally and figuratively, and while I suppose the school had no choice but to recall the yearbooks, that should have been the end of it. Why not charge the adult yearbook supervisor with a felony? He or she was in ultimate charge of the content. Oh, and do you think any student who has a yearbook is going to voluntarily return their copy? It’s a collectors’ item!

I know this has little to do with GLBT news. Nothing in fact. But, in the larger sense, it’s a commentary on our society. When did we turn into humorless, litigious prudes who call for the cops or the lawyers at the slightest offense? Our community must lead the fight against the thin-skinned hysterics, for everyone’s sake!

Chant with me: Free Hunter!

FDA Launches Public Education Campaign to Prevent and Reduce Tobacco Use Among LGBT Young Adults The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the launch of an historic public education campaign aimed at preventing and reducing tobacco use among LGBT young adults ages 18–24. Of the 2 million plus LGBT young adults in the U.S., more than 800,000 smoke occasionally. The “This Free Life” campaign is designed to specifically reach the occasional or “social” smokers in the LGBT community to help prevent tobacco-related disease and the loss of tens of thousands LGBT lives to tobacco use each year. fda.gov House Amendment Threatens LGBTQ Protections for Federal Contractors The U.S. House Armed Services Committee passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4909) intended to overturn an executive order by President Obama that prohibits LGBT discrimination in the employment practices of federal contractors. The amend-

ment creates a broad religious exemption that would allow federal contractors to discriminate against LGBT workers, effectively rescinding protections for 28 million Americans. The executive order this amendment targets generated little controversy and was implemented with no major problems. Pride at Work Executive Director, Jerame Davis, stated, “Apparently, the Republican majority on the House Armed Services Committee has not been paying attention to the outrage generated by these thinly veiled attacks on LGBTQ Americans.” prideatwork.org Lawsuit Seeks Records Tied to Eisenhower’s Anti-gay Orders A gay rights group sued the Justice Department for failing to produce hundreds of pages of documents related to a 1953 order signed by President Dwight Eisenhower that empowered federal agencies to investigate and fire employees thought to be gay. The suit in U.S. District Court accuses the government of conducting an inadequate search for the material and of groundlessly withholding some records on the basis of national security. Executive Order 10450 allowed broad categories of federal workers, including those with criminal records, drug addiction and “sexual perversion,” to be singled out for scrutiny and termination as threats to national security. Suspicions of homosexuality led to the firings of between 7,000 and 10,000 workers in the 1950s alone, according to a 2014 report from the Merit Systems Protections Board. lgbtqnation.com

Hillary Clinton to Visit Oakland School, SF on Friday Hillary Clinton will be in the Bay Area this Friday. She will hold an organizing event at an Oakland School in the Lake Merritt area in the afternoon before heading to a fundraising event in San Francisco. Ticket prices for the now sold-out SF event started at $45. Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Elizabeth Banks and Cheryl Strayed are scheduled to be at the event as well.

arostow@aol.com

Saturday, May 14, 5 to 8 pm at The Café, 2369 Market Street, raising much-needed funds for the SFGMC Financial Assistance Network (FAN).

Admission is free. “Five years ago, the idea of “Dragathon” was born at a Chorus member’s birthday party,” says SFGMC Divas leader, Richie Perez. “The Divas banded together to figure out how we could turn it around to benefit the Chorus. Our inaugural event launched in 2011, and it has grown in both size and funds raised every year!” This year’s Dragathon theme comes from Jennie Livingston’s legendary 1990 documentary Paris Is Burning, which focused on ball culture in New York City in the mid-to-late 1980s. The film looks at the LGBT experience (with a focus on African-American and Latino communities) through a multitude of lenses–race, class, sexuality, gender and performance–and has been critically acclaimed since its release for its humanity and candor. The film is a vital chapter in LGBTQ history. Dragathon is a fiveweek crowd-funding campaign where individuals compete for the “coveted” title of Ms. Dragathon 2016. sfgmc.org Warm up those vocal chords and get ready to belt out some of the bestloved show tunes from Broadway hits through the decades in the beautiful Empire Room of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Under the baton of Pete Nowlen and the SAN FRANCISCO LESBIAN/GAY FREEDOM BAND, SPOTLIGHT ON BROADWAY will transport you to the land of glitter and spotlights with familiar melodies from Grease, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, La Cage Aux Folles and more.

Don’t know all the words? No worries, they’ve got your back with lyric sheets! Festivities will include a nohost bar, hors d’oeuvres, raffles and a live auction to conduct the Band!

Emcees will be celebrity artists Donna Sachet and Leanne Borghesi. As a special treat, guest artists will perform a couple of tunes. Saturday, May 14, 8 pm, Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Empire Ballroom, 450 Powell Street. (See story on page 20 too.) sflgfb.townalive.com OUR FAMILY COALITION, advancing equity for LGBTQ families with children through support, education, and advocacy, presents 20th anniversary NIGHT OUT 2016 on May 13, 6 to 9 pm at InterContinental San Francisco, 888 Howard Street. Co-hosted by Senator Mark Leno & Bishop Evette Flunder with emcee Micia Mosley and entertainment by MK Nobilette. ourfamily.org TENANTS TOGETHER 8 YEARS: RAISING THE ROOF FOR RENTERS, “Communities Thrive with Rent Control!” is having a fundraiser on Tuesday, June 14, from 6 pm–9 pm, Make Out Room, 3225 22nd Street. Cash bar, delicious food, $30 in advance, $50 at the door.

NOT sponsored by Big Banks, Mega Landlords, or Real Estate Speculators. tenantstogether.org ABOVE AND BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE ULTRA SHOWGIRLS playing now through May 14, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7 pm at Oasis in San Francisco. Written by D’Arcy Drollinger along with the post-punk art band Enrique (in which Drollinger was a member) with a mini-stadium rock

spectacular, complete with a five piece live band. Fame, sex, gratuitous nudity, drug addiction, prostitution, live go-go girls, rock-n-roll, cat fights, murder, seduction, betrayal. Imagine Russ Meyer, Liberace and Charles Manson collaborating on a rock musical. sfoasis.com Join The Air Mail Salon for a glittering and graceful afternoon salon celebrating Remy Charlip on May 15, 2 to 5 pm, in an event that will delight the senses and lift the spirits.

This very special Sunday affair will bring together a rainbow of local artists, scrumptious slow-food, and elegant wines to support the creation and world premiere of Seth Eisen’s new show about the magical life and work of Remy Charlip. Inspired by Remy’s famed AIR MAIL DANCES, (choreography illustrated and sent to artists around the world to interpret) and hosted at a gorgeous Victorian home, the salon will spotlight whimsical works by Remy’s friends and collaborators with artists working on The Charlip Project. They’ll also be featuring a unique exhibit of Remy’s books, photos, memorabilia and artwork. eventbrite.com/e/airmail-salon-tickets KINKY BOOTS, the Tony-winning Musical with Music & Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper is at SHN Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor Street, limited tix May 11–19, shnsf.com/online Sister Dana sez, “They say even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Donald Trump’s record of being correct corresponds more with the frequency of a lunar eclipse; but go figure: he actually believes people should use the restroom of their choice. Amazing!”

Speaking to Your Soul We’ve entered a period of quieting unnecessary chatter. In the stillness we can access deeper parts of ourselves longing for attention, and focus on what matters most.

Astrology Elisa Quinzi

ARIES (March 21–April 19) Name yourself owner of distinct gifts and talents.

Rather than waiting for confidence to come, it’s your responsibility to the universe to make effective use of such gifts. Confidence will follow.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) The stardust that composes you is vibrating in magnetic harmony with the symphony of the spheres. Do not be lulled to sleep. Come further alive.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Consider the meaning of the cycle now coming to a close. Find the value of your experiences of the last twelve months. The realizations you reach become the

substance from which the upcoming cycle next month births.

CANCER ( June 21–July 22) A new window is open that lets you look out beyond the familiar landscape. With humanity’s survival depending on you, what are you doing to contribute? You must be willing to give up the good for the great.

LEO ( July 23–August 22) Success produced by ambition alone fails to give the joy Leo seeks. As you come to know the joy within, people support and cooperate with you. Your power grows as others trust in your integrity.

VIRGO (August 23–Sept. 22) You r i ntel lect qu iet s down long enough now for you to intuit a deeper understanding of the meaning and significance of your relationships, both past and present.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Handle relationships responsibly, whether a onetime intimate exchange, a longterm commitment, or a business deal. Where you are, so is the ultimate creative power of the universe.

Show up fully. Act with conscience.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) 1 + 1 = 3 when love is mutually giving. Such is the vehicle through which you can experience the creative force that put you here. It’s a lovely time to step out of self and know that you are not alone.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Assess the ways you’ve held yourself back from actualizing your full potential. Use this evaluation period as a plan for resurrection. You’ve a greater destiny.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan.19) Potent creative energies are available to you. Align them with your truest purpose and you have the capacity to leap forward in your evolution.

AQUARIUS ( Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Plunge deeper to the bedrock of all foundations. At the center lies a secret pocket of crystalline rarified air you long to breathe.

There, you will know that you belong.

PISCES (Feb. 19–March 20) Poetry, music, and touch, are just a few of the apt ways of spontaneously expressing your thoughts now. They can help break up any idea patterns that have crystalized, and also promote greater creative freedom in your life.

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

As Heard on the Street ... It’s hard to believe we’ve lost both Prince and David Bowie this year. What are your favorite songs by these artists? compiled by Rink

Mr. Pam

Stephen Dorsey

Tea

Bill Crissman

Larry Nelson

Prince “Erotic City” David Bowie “Fame”

Prince “Purple Rain” David Bowie “Space Oddity”

Prince “17 Days” David Bowie “Let’s Dance”

Prince “Little Red Corvette” David Bowie “Space Oddity”

Prince “3121” David Bowie “Let’s Dance”

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See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

compiled by Jennifer Mullen

• 5 : T HURSDAY

• 9 : M ONDAY

Gene Russo Teaches OutWest Dance Classes Near Dutton Ave in Santa Rosa (address provided upon registration). 6:30-7:45 pm Beginning Swing Class, 7:15-8:30 pm. Intermediate Swing Class Dance Instructor Geno Russo. $45 for the series of four classes, May 5-26. outwestdance.org

Perfectly Queer - Books Inc, Castro. Free. 7pm. (2275 Market Street). Avery Garland Cassell, an older genderqueer San Francisco writer, poet, cartoonist, and artist who grew up in Iran, reads from his debut novel, Behrouz Gets Lucky. .

• 10 : T UESDAY

Dying Words: The AIDS Reporting of Jeff Schmalz The GLBT Museum. $5 suggested donation. 7-9 pm. (4127 18th St.) Presenting from their book and related radio documentary, Dying Words, the authors Freedman and Donahue will describe how AIDS outed Jeff Schmalz, a rising star at The New York Times. facebook.com/ events/1708421676095593

The Boy from Oz - The Great Star Theater. 8 pm. $25-$50. The Tony award-winning musical based on the life of the songwriter and performer Peter Allen. awardbrownpapertickets.com/ event/2533530

• 6 : F RIDAY

Yes to Everything - Exit Theater. $15-$20. 8 pm. (156 Eddy) Written and performed by Ady Lady and directed by David Ford, this solo comedy features Candace Roberts, who is a singer/songwriter, filmmaker and performance artist. Fridays and Saturdays through May 7. brownpapertickets.com/profile/593

• 7 : S ATURDAY

HGH - Era Art Bar and Lounge. $5 cover. 5 pm. (19 Grand Ave.) DJ, dancing, and drink specials. oaklandera.com/ Korie’s Card Party - Coffee Catz Cafe, Gravenstein Station, Sebastopol. Free. 12-2 pm. Korie Shokmalli is a skilled healer and teacher; bring your favorite oracle cards for show and tell. healingsalon.wordpress.com

PHOTO BY AMY SNYDER

Celebrity Trash Opening - 111 Minna. Free. 5 pm. (111 Minna St.) See Jason Mercer’s new series of work and celebrity portraits. jasonmecier.com

Free day at the Exploratorium in SF on Mother’s Day, May 8 “Teens and Queens” - James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center in the Koret Auditorium, Main Library. The 20th Anniversary of the James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Center Exhibition. Exhibit takes place in four library venues and includes an online exhibition. Through Aug. 7. facebook.com/James-C-Hormellgbtqia-Center-of-San-FranciscoPublic-Library-146487331384/

• 8 : S UNDAY

Last Day to See Howard Brenton’s Anne Boleyn - Marin Theater Company. (397 Miller Ave,

Mill Valley) $10-$58. 2 pm. This play catalogs the downfall of King Henry VIII’s second wife Anne Boleyn and. her rise into the household of the King of England during the reformation of the Catholic Church. marintheatre.org

Last Day to See The How and the Why- Aurora Theatre Company. $35-45. 2 pm. (2081 Addison St., Berkeley). Two women of different generations clash over what it means to be female.

Auroratheatre.org.

Queer Youth Meal Night LGBT Center, Rainbow Room. Free.

5–7 pm. (1300 Market St.) Youth Meal Night is a safe space to meet with your LGBTQIA friends, have a free dinner and more. facebook. com/sfcenteryouth?_rdr=p

• 11 : W EDNESDAY Floor 21: More and Rudy Valdez Present a New Downtown Happy Hour Starlight Room. Free. 5 pm. (450 Powell St.) Every Wednesday.

• 12 : T HURSDAY

Devoured - Singles Experiential Dinner Party - the Armory. $93.67 – $217.27. 7 pm. (1800 Mission St.) An interactive four-course, gourmet experiential dinner party at the Armory’s 4th Floor. eventbrite. com/e/devoured-couples-experiential-dinner-party-tickets-20908500889

• 13 : F RIDAY

Sonoma County LGBT Francofile Dinner Meetup.

Free. 7 pm. This group shares wine and food in a comfortable home, and speaks French. Takes place the second Friday of the month. Join Meetup then RSVP here: meetup. com/Sonoma-County-LGBTFrancophile-Dinner-ConversationMeetup/ Dancers We Lost: Honoring Performers Lost to HIV/AIDS Photo Exhibit - GLBT History Museum. $5 donation. 7–9 pm.

(4127 18th St.) Photographs and more presented in a dance-history project honoring performers who died due to complications of HIV/ AIDS. dancerswelost.org/exhibit/ Through August 7. facebook.com/ events/570571539782901/

• 14 : S ATURDAY

Jan Steckel and Joan Gelfand Read Poetry - Kehilla Community Synagogue. Free. 6:30-8 pm. (1300 Grand Ave., Piedmont).

At the Allen Price Photography exhibit, “Vision Interrupted.”

Paula Poundstone - The Kanbar Center at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center in San Rafael. $29-$69.50. 8 pm. (200 N San Pedro Rd., San Rafael). The comedian from the NPR News Quiz show per26

SA N FRANCISCO BAY T I ME S MAY 5 , 2 0 1 6

Geoff Hoyle’s newest solo show Lear’s Shadow - The Marsh. $25-$35 sliding scale, $55$100 reserved. 5 pm. (2120 Allston Way, Berkeley). Lear’s Shadow tells a fool’s story in a solo performance.

Also on Thursdays at 7:30 pm.

Through June 18. themarsh.org

• 15 : S UNDAY

Agents of Change Premiers at the Castro Theater Castro Theater. $16.82 – $32.6.1-4 pm. This powerful documentary is about the black student-led protest movement on college campuses in the 1960s. eventbrite.com/e/agentsof-change-bay-area-film-premieretickets-23117066769

THIS MAY AT THE MARKET WINE WEDNESDAYS Every third Wednesday of the month is Wine Wednesday at the Castro Farmers’ Market!

Explore the market to find the best treats to pair with a local wine; this month’s featured wine is Domaine Anderson’s Chardonnay.

Seasonal recipe cards will also be available at the market, with suggestions from local vendors as to what to pair with the wine!

PRIZE DRAWING MONTH! Win gift certificates to local businesses and events. Enjoy family-friendly activities or a night on the town, on us! To enter this May, use Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to post photos geotagged at the market, or use the hashtag #castrofarmersmarket! The winner will be drawn at the end of the month; make sure to stay tuned for the grand prize!

PCFMA.ORG

1.800.949.FARM

fb.com/castrofarmersmarket

DESIGN : LOGOMAN : logomantotherescue.com

forms. marinjcc.org/

PHOTO BY CHARLES MARTIN, 2014.

Paula Poundstone appears at Marin JCC the 14th.

Atmos Queer Building Community - Strut. Free. 1-5 pm.

(470 Castro St.) Food, drinks, djs and prizes. www.atmosqueer.org

• 16 : M ONDAY

HOEisLIFE- El Rio.8 pm. $3 with password Carmen Miranda. (3158 Mission St.) With DJs Sailor Saturn and Laterbby. facebook.com/ events/721335847968762

• 17 : T UESDAY

HRC SF Bay Area Pride Kick-Off Party - Human Rights Campaign Action Center and Store.

6:30-8 pm. (575 Castro St.) facebook.com/events/ 1153142248042908 International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. This day aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.

The Doctor is In: CROI Update - Strut. Free. 6:30-8:30 pm. (470 Castro St.) The Doctor Is In offers twice-monthly opportunities to ask for guidance from HIV specialist Dr. Joanna Eveland of Mission Neighborhood Health Center, the Positive Force co-facilitator, and members of your community. Email pforce@sfaf.org to RSVP. strutsf.org/event/the-doctoris-in-croi-update/?instance_id=5611

• 18 : W EDNESDAY Mommy Queerest, Starring Heklina and Peaches Christ - Oasis. $25-$225. 7 pm. (298 11th St.) Aging drag star Peaches Christ must do something to boost her public appeal and so, in a desperate attempt to attract attention, she adopts a brand new drag daughter, Hek-tina. sfoasis.com/mommiequeerest

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SF Bay Times on Facebook and Twitter S A N F R ANC IS C O BAY T IM ES BAY T IM ES M AY 5, 2016

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San Francisco Bay Times and “Betty’s List” are proud to partner with Feinstein’s for the new Feinstein’s Women Series!

On June 2, the mighty Montclair Women’s Big Band, under the direction of trumpet player Ellen Seeling, will blow the house down with their addictive grooves, powerhouse arrangements, and inspired solos.

On August 5 and 6, Leanne Borghesi returns to Feinstein’s. Richard Connema of “Talkin’ Broadway” said of Borghesi: “This first-class talent takes on the music of legendary divas such as Bette Midler, Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, Barbra Streisand and Patti LuPone in a very stylish revue…Leanne has terrific vocal chops that blend marvelous strength, tremendous musicianship and gorgeous tonality” On September 22 and 23, pop/jazz/blues phenom Suede takes the stage! From astounding a cappella, incredibly intimate ballads to “bring down the house” belting blues, Suede delivers it all with warmth, wit and musical artistry.

NCLR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 2016 San Francisco

Don’t Miss the LGBT Party of the Year on May 7

By Danielle Siragusa

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NATIONAL CENTER FOR LESBIAN RIGHTS

You don’t want to miss the National Center for Lesbian Rights Anniversary Celebration–known as the LGBT party of the year–set for May 7th in San Francisco at City View at Metreon. Tickets are selling fast for our signature event that celebrates progress made in the movement for LGBT equality and recognizes those who have stood up for themselves and our community, becoming role models to millions of people across the country in the process. We always try to outdo ourselves each year, bringing you–and 2,000 others–the best party you have ever attended, with a mix of fun activities, carnival-like entertainers, amazing music, and dancing. And this year, we’re upping our game once again, bringing you DJ Rockaway, Shake Your Booty Band, and so much more. We’re also excited to celebrate our honorees–Black Lives Matter cofounders for their commitment to justice, a lesbian mother who would not sit idly by when her rights as a parent were challenged, and a deaf transgender young boy whose courage has shaped the national conversation around transgender youth.

The Awards & Honorees: Justice Award

Black Lives Matter Co-Founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Kahn-Cullors, and Opal Tometi Garza, Kahn-Cullors, and Tometi co-created #BlackLivesMatter and the Black Lives Matter National Network as a call to action following the acquittal of George Zimmerman who brutally murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The Network, which was catalyzed by organizers and activists in Ferguson, MO, spurred a broader movement and promulgated an international conversation about anti-Black racism, American democracy, and the experiences of Black people across the globe. Black Lives Matter “is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression,” Garza says.

Courage Award

Ryland Whittington and Family NCLR worked closely with Ryland, an 8-year-old transgender boy, who won the hearts of millions when his supportive parents, Jeff and Hillary, shared his inspirational journey through a YouTube video that went viral. When Ryland was about a year old, Jeff and Hillary learned that Ryland had profound hearing loss, and made the decision to obtain cochlear implants for him. As their child grew, they provided him with unconditional love and support, ensuring that Ryland knew he was just like any other child and his hearing did not make him any different. When Ryland began to talk, some of his first words were, “I am a boy,” prompting Jeff and Hillary to research the issue. But, like many parents, they realized unconditional love is what their child needed most, providing him with the support he needed to become a happy, healthy, and well-adjusted boy. The family—who NCLR helped through Ryland’s transition—has since shared their courageous story with millions, including in a new book, in hopes that their story will help other transgender children and their families. If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, don’t wait much longer. It will be a night you’ll never forget.

Liberty Award

Tiara Yates and Family Tiara and Sheena Yates were high school sweethearts. They became civil union partners in New Jersey in 2011 and married three years later. They conceived their youngest child, who is now nearly 3, using a known sperm donor through at-home insemination. Since they were civil union partners when their son was born, they are both listed on his birth certificate.

But they had to fight to both be recognized as legal parents. When their son was about 1, the sperm donor sued them for custody and visitation. The trial court wrongly held that he, rather than Tiara, was the child’s second legal parent even though he had barely had any contact with the child. New Jersey generally recognizes a man as a sperm donor only if the sperm is first provided to a doctor. But for many low-income families like the Yateses, going to a doctor or clinic for inseminations can be too expensive. In March 2016, with the help of NCLR and Lowenstein Sandler, LLP, Tiara and Sheena succeeded in having the sperm donor’s lawsuit dismissed and his paternity order vacated.

What: National Center for Lesbian Rights Anniversary Celebration When: 8:30 pm to midnight on May 7 Where: City View at Metreon, San Francisco Tickets: Tickets are $100 and are available online at www.NCLRights. org/2016Anniversary until end of business May 5.

Tickets can be purchased at the door beginning at 8:00 pm.

Danielle Siragusa is NCLR’s Corporate Relations & Events Manager.

NCLR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 2016 San Francisco

NCLR Timeline

1977—Lesbian Rights Project founded (renamed National Center for Lesbian Rights in 1989) 1980—NCLR wins landmark victory in California for Denise Kreps, denied a job as County Sheriff because of her sexual orientation 1981—NCLR brings groundbreaking case on behalf of a woman discharged from the National Guard solely for being a lesbian 1985—NCLR represents two gay men in one of the first cases in the country to seek equal health benefits for same-sex partners 1986—NCLR represents Annie Affleck and Rebecca Smith as they become one of the first same-sex couples to jointly adopt in the U.S. 1987—NCLR wins one of the first secondparent adoption cases in the country and begins promoting second-parent adoption as a legal strategy for protecting same-sex parent families 1988—NCLR wins one of the nation’s first court custody battles for a parent with AIDS on behalf of Artie Wallace, a gay dad whose son was kidnapped by his ex-wife 1993—NCLR is the first national LGBT legal organization to launch a groundbreaking advocacy program on behalf of LGBT youth 1994—NCLR dramatically expands its advocacy on behalf of LGBT immigrants with the launch of its Immigration Project, becoming the first national LGBT legal organization to do so

bia and transphobia in sports with the launch of its Sports Project 2001—NCLR wins a landmark wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Sharon Smith against the owners of two vicious dogs who killed Sharon’s life partner, Diane Alexis Whipple 2002—NCLR wins a victory on behalf of a lesbian mother in Mississippi who lost custody of her child to her former husband who had physically abused and padlocked her in their home 2002—NCLR represents Michael Kantaras, a transgender dad in Florida, in a landmark custody and divorce case televised on Court TV 2003—NCLR litigates and wins the first school harassment case to involve both lesbian and gay students who were subjected to years of anti-lesbian and anti-gay harassment 2005—NCLR wins the first round of the California marriage battle when the San Francisco Superior Court rules that excluding same-sex couples from the right to marry violates the California Constitution 2006—NCLR successfully defends the marriage of a Cherokee lesbian couple before the Cherokee Supreme Court 2006—NCLR launches the Family Protection Project to improve access to family law services for low-income, same-sex parent families, with a focus on serving families of color

1996—NCLR represents a lesbian mother in Florida in a precedent-setting case holding that courts must not base custody decisions on stereotypes about lesbian and gay parents

2007—In the first lawsuit to shine a public spotlight on pervasive homophobia in women’s sports, NCLR represents Jennifer Harris, a former college basketball star, in a discrimination case against Penn State and former coach Rene Portland

1999—NCLR is the first LGBT legal organization to launch a permanent Elder Law Project as the first wave of baby boomers become senior citizens

2007—NCLR represents a gay couple in a landmark victory against an Internet adoption business that discriminates against same-sex couples and single parents

2000—In a powerful decision that adopts many of the arguments put forward by NCLR in an amicus brief, the Ninth Circuit awards asylum to a gay man from Mexico and holds that sexual orientation is an immutable characteristic

2007—NCLR and California Rural Legal Assistance launch another first-of-its-kind project, Proyecto Poderoso/Project Powerful, to improve legal services for low-income LGBT farm workers and people in rural California

2001—NCLR becomes the f irst national LGBT legal organization to launch a Transgender Law Project 2001—NCLR is the first national LGBT organization to tackle the rampant homopho-

2008—NCLR is lead counsel in the historic case in which the California Supreme Court rules the state can no longer exclude samesex couples from marriage, including holding that LGBT people are entitled to the highest level of constitutional protection, the first time any high court has ever done so

2008—The day after passage of California’s Proposition 8, NCLR files a legal challenge with the California Supreme Court 2009—NCLR wins a case that establishes that Florida must give full faith and credit to all adoptions, including second-parent adoptions, granted to same-sex couples by other states 2009—NCLR’s Legal Director Shannon Minter testifies in the first-ever congressional hearing on gender identity discrimination 2010—NCLR represents Clay Greene, an elderly man forcefully removed from the Northern California home he shared with his long-time partner after he was hospitalized, eventually settling the case for $600,000 2010—NCLR wins U.S. Supreme Court case upholding the right of colleges and universities to enforce non-discrimination policies that protect LGBT students 2011—NCLR client Vanessa Adams settles with Federal Bureau of Prisons, establishing major changes in transgender medical policy for those in federal facilities 2011—NCLR prevents state officials from separating and denying health care rights to an elderly lesbian couple in rural Florida 2011—NCLR successfully settles a federal case on behalf of two lesbian high school seniors in Minnesota, enabling them to walk together in “royalty court” procession 2011—NCLR wins 20 asylum cases on behalf of LGBT people facing unspeakable discrimination, harassment, and violence in their countries of origin 2011—NCLR drafts comments on behalf of over 30 organizations successfully persuading the Department of Housing and Urban Development to include LGBT people and families in their housing benefits and programs 2011—NCLR convinces Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in the new state healthcare exchanges 2012—NCLR’s 35th anniversary 2012—NCLR drafts and helps pass California’s Senate Bill 1172, the first law in the country to protect LGBTQ youth from the dangers of conversion therapy 2012 – NCLR wins a case in New Mexico establishing that unmarried non-biological mothers can be recognized as parents under New Mexico’s parentage statutes

2013—NCLR works with New Jersey leaders to pass the second bill of its kind in the country protecting LGBT youth from conversion therapy 2013—NCLR wins New Mexico marriage equality case; files marriage cases in Tennessee and Idaho; and begins representing plaintiffs in Utah 2013—Along with members of NCLR’s National Family Law Advisory Council, NCLR staff helps draft legislation in Delaware and Nevada allowing all intended parents, including unmarried parents and intended single parents to conceive through surrogacy 2014—NCLR launches its #BornPerfect campaign to end conversion therapy nationwide by 2019 2014—NCLR drafts and helps pass California’s Senate Bill 274, the first comprehensive statute in the country explicitly allowing children to have more than two legally recognized parents in limited circumstances 2014—U.S. Supreme declines review of NCLR Utah marriage case, resulting in marriages beginning in the state and several other states within days of decision 2014—Washington, D.C., is the third jurisdiction in the country to protect LGBTQ youth from conversion therapy; #BornPerfect leaders testify before the UN 2015—NCLR represents marriage plaintiffs in Alabama, Idaho, Florida, Tennessee, Wyoming, South Dakota, and North Dakota 2015—#BornPerfect helps pass laws protecting LGBTQ youth from conversion in two more states, Oregon and Illinois 2015—U.S. Supreme Court grants review of NCLR’s Tennessee marriage case, along with cases from three other states 2015—History is made when the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality nationwide after hearing NCLR’s Tennessee marriage case and cases from three other states 2015—NCLR launches the #Equality4Families campaign to raise awareness about the need to update family laws across the country to fully protect LGBT parents and their children 2016—U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reverses an Alabama Supreme Court decision refusing to recognize our client, a lesbian mother, and her prior adoption of her three children in Georgia

What a Difference 20 Years Makes

This year marks my 20th anniversary as the Executive Director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Every year has been filled with joy, heartbreak, elation, passion, and resolve. Every year, I have spent almost every day grateful that this is my job. Every year, I have been surrounded by the most talented and committed staff, board, and donors. Every year, I have been reminded how important and critical NCLR is in the lives of so many. And as we wind down the first half of 2016, I’ve never been more convinced of how needed our work is than this year.

As you all know, our community is under attack. So far, more than 100 bills have been introduced to roll back, degrade, stigmatize, harm and target lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender folks in dozens of states. The worst of those bills have become law in North Carolina and Mississippi.

Much of the current backlash is focused on the most vulnerable, and also most resilient, in our community. Transgender women of color and trans people generally are under savage attack and the subject of toxic lies and misinformation. LGBT folks living in rural areas or in parts of the nation with few or no legal protections or security are particularly vulnerable to the new wave of hate and intimidation. But what we’ve been witnessing over the past few weeks is remarkable. We are seeing an outpouring of support and virtually universal condemnation of these laws and other efforts to roll back or limit our progress.

In their broad overreach to attack our community, the fear and hate mongers have ignited a conversation about trans lives and gender that we’ve desperately needed. And that conversation has accelerated the understanding of trans lives in a way nothing else could have. While much work remains, in some ways our fiercest opponents have done us a favor. It’s now up to us to capitalize and capture this momentum for all those who still fear for their lives and futures.

It has been an honor for NCLR to work closely with so many others in our community (and it has really felt like a community) to help coordinate a response to the cynical and toxic effort to deny our humanity and our progress in

winning greater security and belonging in this country. We know we are far from finished and that we will yet see more efforts to do damage to us. But we are nothing if not up for the challenge.

For 39 years, NCLR has been here precisely for moments like these. When I took the job as Executive Director in 1996, there was very little national conversation of our lives.

LGBT youth suffered mostly in silence, almost everywhere were lost jobs and family, few states allowed us custody or adoption of children, the idea of marriage seemed fanciful, and most popular culture depictions of us were as sick or a threat. And now look where we are.

We are here for the long haul and we are here for everyone still terrified or targeted because of who they are or whom they love. I’ve seen a lot in 20 years, and I know how far we have come. But I also know how much more there is to do.

Stay connected, stay involved. We only got here because of you and this work will not be finished without every LGBTQ person owning our movement.

Kate Kendell, Esq., is the Executive Director of NCLR.

PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS

We are in the middle of a ferocious backlash. But what is also true is that our community and those who value equity, fairness, and justice have shown up in numbers I could have never imagined. We have allies and friends who are CEO’s, friends who are Hollywood stars, friends who are sports icons, and friends who are The Boss. And we are coming together for one simple message: We are never going back and we are not leaving anyone behind.

By Kate Kendell, Esq.

May 5-18, 2016 | www.sfbaytimes.com

/SF Bay Times

/SFBayTimes

UCSF National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health Pages 13-14 LGBT Women Continue to Advance Human and Civil Rights

The Women’s Building Pages 15-17