San Francisco Bay Times - June 12, 2014 by San Francisco Bay Times

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Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet Invite You to Brunch! See Page 29

PHOTO BY RINK

June 12-June 25, 2014 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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Combine Politics with Pride lift the ban on gay military service. As recently as two years prior, I had been deeply closeted, fearing that discovery of my sexual orientation would result in losing my military career.

Do Ask, Do Tell Zoe Dunning Happy Pride Month! June is my favorite time of year. I love seeing the colorful pride flags up and down Market Street, catching new flicks at the Frameline Film Festival, and joining the tens of thousands of women (and men) who attend the Dyke March. And that is the tip of the iceberg of all the many celebrations and events going on this month in San Francisco. If you are local and have lived here for several years, it is easy to take this all for granted and forget the transformative power of Pride. It has played a critical role in my own personal growth and political awakening, just as it has for millions over the past 44 years. It may be old hat to us, but for many youth and those who travel here from remote corners of the country and globe, it is often a major life experience. My first Pride Parade was 1993. In January of that year, I had just “come out” publicly as a lesbian naval officer, at a political rally directed at then President-elect Clinton, demanding him to fulfill his campaign pledge to

That June day in 1993, I marched with the Alexander Hamilton Post 448 of the American Legion. For those of you not familiar with this group, they are the only American Legion post whose membership is predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered. Organized in 1984, the post is recognized locally, statewide and nationally for its activism pertaining to the welfare of all veterans and, especially, its efforts to end LGBT discrimination in the United States Military. I was proud to march alongside these activists and veterans, some of whom had served as far back as WWII. We each have our own journey as we learn to embrace all that we are, and feel pride and not shame in it. It begins with a personal realization, eventually moving to sharing the news with our friends and family, to eventually co-workers and even strangers. Most of these interactions are on a personal or small group level and, if we are lucky, we get more positive than negative reactions and become more comfortable in our own skin. But there is nothing that compares to marching down the center of Market Street and having throngs of people, strangers really, cheering you on and celebrating you! It sounds cliché, but the sheer energy of the crowd during my first Pride Parade was instrumental in my political awakening and gave me the courage to continue my activism toward ending the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. If you have not

actually marched in a Parade contingent, I highly recommend it. The experience is totally different than watching from the sidelines. As I remember the 20+ years of Pride weekends I’ve attended in San Francisco, I am struck by the dual role the Parade plays in bringing visibility to current day injustices while also celebrating our successes. We still have far to go in immigration rights, transgender rights, international LGBT rights, and finding a cure for HIV/ AIDS. Yet, we have come so far—especially in the past four years—with the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, the increased LGBT visibility in the media, and the growing number of out LGBT elected officials across the country. Rewinding again to 1993, I am reminded of Maya Angelou’s famous inaugural reading, her poem “On the Pulse of Morning.” One of its prime messages is how our country has terrible scars from our past and mistakes made too often, but each day is a new day. We must look forward, learn from those lessons and start anew. Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need For this bright morning dawning for you. History, despite its wrenching pain Cannot be unlived, but if faced With courage, need not be lived again. These words inspire me to recognize the pain our community has faced these past 44 years (and beyond)— discrimination, assault, neglect, lies, even death—and work to apply those lessons to secure equality as we move forward. Like the Parade itself, we (continued on page 16)

Primary Reflections, City College Graduation and Accreditation Update proving once again that big money doesn’t always win in San Francisco.

A San Francisco Kind of Democrat Rafael Mandelman Anyone who might have been hoping that the June primary would bring an early resolution to the Assembly contest between David Campos and David Chiu has by now come to grips with the reality that we are in for another five months of political trench warfare. After all the money had been spent, all the precincts walked and hit pieces dropped, the outcome of the primary was inconclusive. Chiu’s team is enjoying the satisfaction of having bested Campos in what was essentially a nonbinding poll of the electorate, but Team Campos can claim a win as well, having largely closed what started as a double-digit gap between the candidates and held Chiu’s lead to under five percent. I will admit to being happily surprised by Proposition B’s strong showing. Yes, the voters had killed the 8 Washington project last November, but this time the waterfront defenders were asking voters for a “Yes” rather than a “No,” generally a more difficult position to win. Moreover, changing politics on the Democratic County Central Committee (DCCC) had resulted in the local Democratic Party lining up with the real estate and development interests in opposition to Proposition B. In the end, though, the voters were not fooled,

In other news, Pride came early to City College this year, with Oscarwinning Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black f lying over from England to keynote our commencement ceremony on May 23. It turns out that Lance is not only a great writer, but he’s also a fantastic speaker as well. His speech was a witty and thoughtful celebration of diversity and difference, very appropriate for City College of San Francisco and a nice morale boost for folks at a great institution that has been going through very tough times. Many thanks are due to our Cleve Jones, a City College graduate and good friend of Lance’s, for making the connection. City College graduations are always a great reminder of how vitally important the college is to our City. Sitting in Rams’ Stadium, listening to graduate and recent alumni speakers recounting the challenges they had overcome—from poverty to drug addiction to other health challenges—to reach their academic goals, I was reminded that City College is a community of strivers, amazing individuals who may not have started life with many advantages, but are doing all they can to pursue their dreams. City College is here for them, and even after five years of recession and two years of an accreditation crisis manufactured by an out-of-control rogue accreditor, City College still makes miracles happen. The news on the accreditation front continues to be grim, with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) seemingly hell-bent on terminating City College’s accreditation by the end of July. In recent weeks, they have rejected pleas to give the College more time from a who’s who of im-

portant Californians, from the State Chancellor of community colleges to Mayor Lee to Congresswomen Pelosi, Speier and Eshoo. Even with the federal Department of Education repeatedly and publicly stating that the ACCJC can extend its timeline, the ACCJC has so far refused to do so. Having watched the ACCJC in operation for a couple of years now, I continue to be amazed by its hubris, its poor political judgment and its seemingly complete lack of interest in the real world consequences of its actions.

The good news is that, thanks to City Attorney Dennis Herrera, there is an injunction in place preventing the ACCJC from closing City College until the City’s lawsuit against the ACCJC is resolved. You may recall that when Herrera filed that lawsuit back in August, the Chronicle editorial board, Chamber of Commerce and others were critical of him for doing so, arguing that the lawsuit was, at best, a distraction from the necessary work of reforming the College. Few reasonable people are saying that now. Although it is possible the ACCJC may yet see reason and spare City College, time is short and, for now, the City Attorney’s lawsuit is the only insurance the College has against the ACCJC’s reckless actions. Rafael Mandelman was elected to the San Francisco Community College Board of Trustees in 2012. He is a partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP. BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

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Mazda CX-5 Is a Twink, While the Acura RDX Is More Lipstick Lesbian stylish it is in there. And outside, even after Acura has spent years making it its trademark, I still haven’t gotten used to the shiny guillotine that forms the front grille. But lipsticks do things their own way, and like the RDX, you wouldn’t expect her to be anything but popular.

Auto Philip Ruth It is not controversial in our community to date a partner of a very different age, either older or younger. Such a fuss is made of straight celebs who date outside their expected age range—that’s not the only thing we hear about Madonna, of course—but we LGBTers classify our age groups to winnow down the pursuit. This time, we’ll look at two crossovers and a minivan. Buyers have fled minivans for crossovers, but each of the three has personalities that fit into our classifications, and all three can be spotted all over the Bay Area. First, the twink: the Mazda CX-5. The tested Grand Touring model came in just over $30K with the larger 184-horsepower, 2.5-liter fourcylinder engine.

Details, given its pulled-together combination of contrast and zing. The grooved black plastic trim is impractical because it will certainly catch crumbs and dust, but hey, you’re only young once. The CX-5 keeps the fun high and the drama low. Then there’s the lipstick: the $40K Acura RDX. She’s the lesbian whose look appeals to both sides of the gender aisle but is really geared for the gals. She’s older than the twink, maybe late thirties, and she’s more substantial and refined. She’s powerful: the 273-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 goes like it had its chia-infused breakfast smoothie, though her near-middleage shows in the ride/handling balance that tips toward comfort. Inside, the RDX has f lowing lines and lots of surface shaping. If the knock against a lipstick is that she’s too focused on appearances, then maybe you’d be put off by just how

Silver daddies once had the popularity of twinks and lipsticks—they were like minivans in the ‘90s, when everybody wanted a piece. Now minivans are a niche item, which tend to sell with all the options. Kind of like a silver daddy, he isn’t for those chasing youth, but he has an enormous amount to offer. The tested Sienna Limited exemplified that, with a $48K sticker price that could be justified alone by the second row seats, which extended and reclined like La-Z Boys. Its V6 is about as powerful as the Acura’s, and even though the Sienna weighs a lot more, it can still move out. Nimble it’s not, but it is stable and relaxed, and you don’t have to be any particular age to appreciate that. Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant at www.gaycarguy.com. Check out his automotive staging service at www.carstaging.com

Twink fits the CX-5 because it feels young. Its lightness channels a twenty-something’s naturally athletic nature, with a willing engine up front and a responsive suspension underneath, along with a bit more noise than you’d expect. Inside, its fashion sense shows someone’s been reading

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National News Briefs Compiled and with commentary by Dennis McMillan

Fort Wayne, IN - Delegates to Indiana GOP Party Convention Overwhelmingly Approve Platform Opposing Same-sex Marriage - 6.7

Washington, D.C. - US Armed Forces Color Guard to March in Gay Pride Parade in D.C. - 6.5

The Indiana GOP voted at its state convention to declare marriages between a man and a woman the basis of strong families and the foundation of society, which some delegates found divisive.

Shortly after Dykes on Bikes rumble across the starting line of the Capital Pride parade in Dupont Circle on Saturday, an expected 150,000 spectators will witness something never before seen on an American city street—a US Armed Forces color guard marching alongside rainbow flags in a gay pride parade.

The language officially adopted by the party emphasizes strong families are founded on marriages between a man and a woman. It also recognizes the value of diversity in family structures. It reads: “We believe that strong families, based on marriage between a man and a woman, are the foundation of society. We also recognize that some families are much more diverse, and we support the blended families, grandparents, guardians and loving adults who successfully raise and nurture children to reach their full potential every day.”

The Department of Defense has authorized what military gay rights groups and organizers of the Capital Pride parade say is a first nationwide—a color guard that will present the red, white and blue as well as flags of each branch of the military. The eight-member team is scheduled to help lead off the one and a half mile parade, immediately preceding the Capital Pride lead banner and Grand Marshal Chris Kluwe, a former National Football League punter and the author of the book Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies.

Those opposing the GOP’s decision to include the statement about marriage in its platform held up signs that read “GOP = Grow Our Party!” indicating they did not want a platform that excluded same-sex couples. Many who supported the original platform language wore stickers that read, “Pro Pence, Pro Marriage,” referring to Republican Gov. Mike Pence, who has supported a national ban on same-sex marriage.

While no policy has precluded a US Armed Forces color guard from participating in gay rights events since the 2011 repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, gay rights organizations from D.C. to Hawaii say they have routinely faced rejection from local military offices, saying the color guards were otherwise occupied on the days of pride parades.

But some delegates wanted to amend the platform and instead replace it with a statement indicating the importance of “strong families” but would not qualify marriage as “between a man and a woman.” Delegate Tom John of Marion County proposed such an amendment to the platform during the convention.

In D.C., the color guard will be provided by the US Army Military District of Washington, which presents colors for the president, members of Congress and countless official state functions. Bernie Delia, president of the Capital Pride board of directors, said he was thrilled to have the color guard participate; but members of OutServe and other groups warned Capital Pride officials that they might receive a rejection letter. “We knew we might get turned down, but we asked and they said yes,” Delia said. “I think that’s very significant.”

“This amendment is not about whether we support gay marriage or we don’t support gay marriage,” John said. “There are a diversity of widely held, very personal opinions in this room, all of which are valid. What this is about, is party unity.”

Yes, and it’s an act that the GOP (Grand Obstructionist Party) can’t prohibit!

His amendment was easily defeated in a floor vote, and the platform was adopted. Same-sex parents are apparently excluded in GOP diversity.

Source: washingtonpost.com

Source: indianapublicmedia.org

Los Angeles, CA - UC President Janet Napolitano to Appoint Advisory Group on LGBTQ Issues - 6.9 Janet Napolitano, the current president of the University of California university system, announced that she will appoint a President’s Advisory Group on LGBTQ issues to advise her on how best to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for queer students, faculty and staff across the UC system. A press release was issued through UCLA that stated: “The UC Task Force and Implementation Team on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Climate & Inclusion, a system-wide task force that has been meeting for two years and has just concluded its work, presented its recommendations to Napolitano. The task force made eight recommendations, ranging from collecting data to increasing cultural competency training, along with its call for a permanent, system-wide group to advise the president on LGBT issues and advance the well-being of LGBT students, faculty and staff.” “The task force recommendations are a concrete next step to advance UC’s efforts to create more welcoming and inclusive campus environments for members of the LGBT community,” said cochair Barbara J. French, UCSF vice chancellor of strategic communications and university relations. The task force was convened in May 2012 as part of efforts to enhance the campus climate. The task force includes representatives from the 10 UC campuses, the UC office of the president and the community. Campus participants include undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff and LGBT resource center directors. “The task force definitely feels we were heard,” said co-chair Ralph J. Hexter, UC Davis provost and executive vice chancellor. “The university is showing its commitment to being a leader in LGBT issues.” Many of the UC university system campuses—including Berkeley, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Riverside and UCLA—have regularly been given five stars, the highest rating, by the Campus Pride Index. As usual, California is the leader in LGBTQ education issues. Source: lgbtweekly.com

Fort Worth, TX - Texas Republicans Favor ‘Reparative Therapy’ Platform for Gays - 6.8 Texas Republicans have adopted a party platform that includes support for voluntary psychological “therapy” targeted at converting homosexuals to heterosexuals. Almost 10,000 attendees gathered in Fort Worth at the annual Texas GOP Convention to vote on a platform ahead of the 2016 race for the White House. Supporters of “conversion” or “reparative” therapy believe the treatment is effective in turning gays straight. Props to California and New Jersey for having banned the treatment for minors. The Texas Republicans’ measure states, “We recognize the legitimacy and efficacy of counseling, which offers reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy.” But an array of professional organizations oppose gay conversion therapy—including the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association. “The most important fact about these ‘therapies’ is that they are based on a view of homosexuality that has been rejected by all the major mental health professions,” said the APA. “To date, there has been no scientifically adequate research to show that therapy aimed at changing sexual orientation ... is safe or effective.” “I do not think homosexuals are born as homosexuals,” Cathie Adams, president of the conservative Texas Eagle Forum, said. “To say this is an unchangeable thing, there are too many people who’ve changed their mind about homosexuality. No one can change the color of their skin or change the place they’re born, but they can definitely choose their lifestyles.” New Jersey Gov. Christie noted the APA has found this “therapy” can pose critical health risks including depression, substance abuse, social withdrawal, decreased self-esteem and suicidal thoughts. One wonders, is there a reparative therapy to change some Republicans’ lifestyles? Source: cnn.com

Madison, W I - Severa l Clerks Deny Wisconsin Gay Couples Licenses - 6.9 Gay couples seeking marriage licenses were turned away in some Wisconsin counties, with clerks waiting for guidance from the courts or state government before accepting applications. Hundreds of couples married over the weekend in Milwaukee and Madison after a federal judge declared Wisconsin’s ban on gay marriages unconstitutional. County clerks in the state’s two largest cities extended office hours to allow couples to take advantage of what most believe will be a narrow window before the judge’s decision is put on hold. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb has scheduled a hearing on Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen’s request for an emergency stay to keep more licenses from being issued. Van Hollen also has appealed Crabb’s decision to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and asked it for a stay. Clerks in several counties said they would not issue licenses until they have received directions from the Wisconsin Vital Records Office, which keeps marriage records. Jennifer Miller of the Department of Health Services, which oversees vital statistics, said it would not issue any guidance until it received directions from Van Hollen. Brown County Deputy Clerk Justin Schmit turned away about 15 couples in Green Bay, and an employee in the Racine County clerk’s office said she had too. Crabb’s decision created some confusion among clerks, because she declared the ban unconstitutional, but also said she wanted the American Civil Liberties Union to tell her exactly what it wanted her to block in the gay marriage law. The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the ban in January on behalf of eight gay couples. “Phones have been ringing off the hook. We’ve probably fielded 20 calls from couples interested in applying for licenses,” La Crosse County Clerk Ginny Dankmeyer said. When will people finally realize same-sex marriage is no longer debatable? Source: edgeonthenet.com

Local News Briefs HealthRIGHT 360 and Lyon-Martin Health Services Welcome New Partnership

MCC-CP-USA-CCOP Collaborate on Pre-Pride Self-Defense Seminar

HealthRIGHT 360 recently announced that a proposed merger with Lyon-Martin Health Services is moving forward, following unanimous votes by the boards of both organizations in support of the partnership. Discussions have been ongoing since an announcement was made and published in the Bay Times outlining a vision for joining the two community health organizations. Since then, the alliance has been widely hailed as a positive step for both organizations, providing a pathway to sustainability for Lyon-Martin, which will maintain its name and identity, while presenting clients and patients with new opportunities for broader access to specialized medical care and behavioral treatment.

The Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), Community Patrol USA (CP-USA) and Castro Community On Patrol (CCOP) will once again collaborate to present a community Self-Defense seminar on Saturday, June 21, from 12:30pm to 5pm at the Metropolitan Community Church, 150 Eureka Street in the heart of the Castro.

HealthRIGHT 360 CEO Dr. Vitka Eisen will lead the merged organization. “I am thrilled to welcome a shared future for HealthRIGHT 360 and Lyon-Martin Health Services,” said Dr. Eisen. “This partnership will benefit our clients who want the specialized services for women and LGBTQ individuals that Lyon-Martin offers, and we look forward to providing expanded behavioral health treatment options for the Lyon- Martin community.” Lyon-Martin Board Chair Dr. Marj Plumb has been a leader in this effort to craft a long-term solution. After the board meeting Dr. Plumb said, “Last night’s unanimous vote is a reflection of the thorough due diligence conducted by both organizations, the openness and transparency of our discussions, as well as the simple fact that this merger just makes good sense. We are excited to usher in a stable, bright future for Lyon-Martin.” HealthRIGHT 360 is completing construction on a new medical clinic in Los Angeles, and the specialized approach to care that Lyon-Martin has developed over the last 35 years will inform and expand the ability to provide culturally competent care at this new Sixth Street location. HealthRIGHT 360 currently provides the only residential recovery program for transgender individuals in California. Completion of the merger is expected by the end of the year. Lyon-Martin Health Services will remain at its current location, where it will operate as “Lyon-Martin Health Services, a Program of HealthRIGHT 360.”

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“Safety awareness is vital,” said Ken Craig, a Grand Master ranked martial artist who will lead the seminar and who also serves as Chief of CP-USA. Craig is also one of the original founders and serves as Deputy Chief of CCOP. Their motto states, “Safety is a Community Effort.” “With a huge influx of visitors to the City and the Castro neighborhood during this fun weekend, a little more awareness can go a long, long way to ensuring that Pride Weekend is the fun and memorable couple of days it should be—for all of the right reasons.” The seminar is fun, low impact and suitable for absolutely anyone. It will provide some simple thought process and ideas to help people recognize and avoid potential trouble, de-escalate and walk away from sticky situations and, in a worst-case scenario, hopefully provide a few simple techniques that anyone can use to help them escape trouble, said Craig. The seminar will be held in the MCC sanctuary with a recommended minimum donation of $25. However, no one will be turned away for lack of funds. As the sanctuary is limited in space, attendee spaces will also be limited, so pre-registering directly with MCC through their web site, mccsf.org, is strongly recommended. Story by Dennis McMillan

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P H OTO B Y DW IG H T C A RT E R

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Speak Up! Speak Out! Laugh Often! Karen Williams How st u n n i n g ! How m a g n i f i cent! How fortunate to bear witness in this lifetime to a wondrous human being like Dr. Maya Angelou! The deep resounding warm resonance of her voice rose up from an indomitable spirit that embodied the essence of living transformation. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is the chronicle of Maya Angelou’s youthful exodus from victim to victor. Written in 1969—the year I graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and was unknowingly four months pregnant—her autobiographical f ictional story fueled my own search for dignity in the midst of trauma. In simple terms, Maya Angelou was an African-American woman, brown like me, who found her voice not only in words but in truth. She eloquently, brilliantly, and with high sensitivity expressed the harsh reality of her life experiences yet infused her readers with power, strength, realization, and infinite hope. To say that I admire her is an understatement. It is truth that Dr. Maya Angelou helped save my young life. I was again fortunate to become acquainted with her family. Her brother’s daughter is a secret mentor and one of my dearest friends. When I encountered, or rather rushed, to meet Dr. Angelou alone at the elevator of the lobby where she’d just spoken at an HRC event, I stumbled over my words. I will never forget her smile as I mumbled through a hasty introduction where I mentioned that I knew her niece. “Ah, yes!” she said, and then proceeded to tell me a story as I stared at her. Maya Angelou was truly a sight to behold: luxuriously tall, and big, and broad…and that voice! That powerful radiantly soft and strong voice. I got to hear that voice again, on the Olivia Travel Equality and Leader-

ship Cruise to the Eastern Caribbean in February of this year. Dr. Angelou was the special guest on that trip, scheduled to appear on the first night of the cruise. However, due to her health issues, guests were treated to a telecast of Maya in her home. How mesmerizing to hear her stories of love, wisdom, compassion, and respect! She honored us, lesbians, and called us her children, her “sistas” and her “rainbows in the clouds,” which was a phrase she used several times throughout her time with us. I wept quietly, transfixed by this phenomenal woman, a living legend who will live eternally in the spirits of all of those she inspired. To let you in on some of the poetry, affirmation, and wisdom that is Dr. Maya Angelou, the world’s eternal poet, I share: In the course of staying alive, I always love to hear people laugh. I never trust people who don’t laugh or who act as if they put airplane glue on the back of their hands and stuck them to their foreheads.

If our children are to approve of themselves, they must see that we approve of ourselves. I like the person I am becoming. Someone was here before you, lost before you, ignored before you, and yet, miraculously someone has survived with passion, compassion, and humor and style. I am not competing with anyone other than myself. I want to be excellent at whatever I do. Each of us must care enough for ourselves to be ready and able to come to our own self-defense. I don’t ask anyone to win my freedom or to fight my battles better than I can. Life doesn’t frighten me at all. Not at all. Not at all. Life doesn’t frighten me at all. I’ve heard it said that winter, too, will pass and spring a sign that summer is due at last. See, all we have to do is hang on. You can neither free me nor bind me.

When you don’t like a thing, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.

I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.

Self-control is true power.

There is something gracious and graceful about serving.

Life is worth the living of it. Do it with your whole heart. To those who have given up on love, I say, “Trust life a little bit.” Living life as art requires a readiness to forgive. To have courage is not only admirable, it is inspirational. I would like to be known as an intelligent woman, a loving woman, a woman who teaches by being.

We can all be happier if we open ourselves to new experiences. The woman warrior who is armed with wit and courage will be among the first to celebrate victory. Since life is our most precious gift, let us be certain that it is dedicated to the liberation of the human mind and spirit…beginning with our own. Strong women—precious jewels all…We are able to enter into the spirit of these women and rejoice in their warmth and courage. Dr. Maya Angelou, I love you. Thank you! Karen Williams is a lover of words. Share yours with her at Karen@sf baytimes.org

PH OTO SO UR C E : W H I TE H O US E

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SF Civic Celebration for Dr. Maya Angelou, June 15 at 1 pm, Glide Memorial Church 330 Ellis Street glide.org Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from President Obama

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A single moment can change everything.

A simple ceremony. An approved adoption. A plan for retirement. These personal victories have a huge impact on our collective community. Each step toward equality, every milestone reached, is a big leap forward for all of us. However, we know there is still work to do. That’s why Wells Fargo teams up with HRC, GLSEN, NGLCC and other organizations to provide resources and financial guidance to LGBT communities. And as the first to offer financial advisors with the Accredited Domestic Partnership AdvisorSM designation, we are well versed on current laws to help you develop a solid plan for the future. Together, we move forward. Step by step, with individuals, in communities — we can make what once seemed impossible a reality. wellsfargo.com/lgbt

2014

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Compulsive Debting pulsion to spend, just consider the many symbolic meanings that we give to money:

Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

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Examined Life The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community. The Bay Times is proud to be the only 100% LGBT funded and owned newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco. Dr. Betty L. Sullivan Jennifer L. Viegas Co-Publishers & Co-Editors

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Tom Moon, MFT Q: I have an okay income, but I’m now so far in debt that I’m in real trouble. Last Christmas, I spent so much money on my friends that I’m now maxed out on my credit cards and can’t even keep up with the minimum payments. I’ll put myself on a pretty austere budget and keep to it for a few weeks. Then I’ll get resentful about the restrictions and say, “I have the right to have a life too,” and start spending again. I’m now so far into debt that bankruptcy is a real possibility. Why do people get addicted to spending, and how can I get over it? A: To begin to understand the many reasons that people develop the com-

To be able to buy expensive Christmas presents for your friends means that you’re generous. It means that you’re affluent, successful, and powerful. The easy availability of credit makes it possible for anyone to look and act wealthy and privileged—at least for a while. Money represents safety and security. Some people, when they’re feeling anxious or threatened, go on a spending spree in order to feel safer. Money represents love and care; spending money on your friends shows you love them. It represents self-worth; when people are feeling neglected or lonely, buying themselves gifts can temporarily soothe wounded self-esteem. Creating financial problems can also have many symbolic meanings. It can be a deliberate, if unconscious, act of self-punishment. Money worries make us feel threatened, out of control, diminished, and ashamed. Creating such pain is sometimes a way of atoning for guilt feelings. It may be a way of making sure that you’re not happier or more at ease than you ‘deserve.’ Sometimes creating money problems is a way of maintaining de-

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CONTRIBUTORS Writers Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Pollo del Mar, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Paul E. Pratt, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Rafael Mandelman, Kit Kennedy, David Campos, Leslie Katz, Karen Williams, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Jim Tibbs, Mark Penn, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller & Joanne Jordan, Kippy Marks, Naomi Jay, John Wesley, Jamie Leno Zimron Thom Watson, Shaun Haines, America Foy Photographers Rink, Dennis McMillan, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Cathy Blackstone, Robert Fuggiti, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto. Sandy Morris

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pendency relationships with parents or relatives. Some adult men and women remain tied to their parents through a cycle of spending binges and family bailouts. In other cases, creating money problems can be a way of atoning for the ‘crime’ of being better off financially than one’s parents. I’ve noticed that some people who are doing well financially, but who come from backgrounds of poverty, feel compelled to sabotage their success because of unconscious guilt over doing better than their parents. But the immediate practical problem you’re facing is how to get some control over the symptom. You’re probably already aware of the steps you need to take: make a commitment to live within your means; stop buying on credit; maybe see a credit counselor; get rid of your credit cards, etc. Maybe you’ve already tried some or all of these things. The trouble with compulsive spending, as with any compulsion, is that once you stop acting on the compulsion, the underlying unmet needs come bubbling to the surface, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, moodiness, and more. This can feel very discouraging, because it seems as if taking better care of yourself only makes things worse. Good psychotherapy can in-

tervene at this point to help you identify and understand the real needs you’ve been meeting only symbolically. It can give you the insight and the support you need not to return to old and destructive patterns. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of trying to resolve the problem completely on your own. A resource that you might find very helpful is the program of Debtor’s Anonymous. This program has adapted the twelve steps of AA to the special needs of people who have problems with compulsive debting. What I admire about this program is that it’s a very practical, hands-on approach. Other members will sit down with you and help you draw up a realistic spending plan and a strategy for meeting your financial obligations, which will allow you to have a life while you’re paying off your debts. They’ll give you the support you need, and help you address your real needs in more productive ways. Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit tommoon.net

Fortnight in Review By Ann Rostow Out and Proud Hello dear Readers, and Happy Pride Month! I’m actually thinking that I might have done my duty after several decades of loyal Pride attendance. Here in Austin, we don’t even celebrate in June anymore because it’s too hot. We wait until September and have a parade at night. Is that even legal? We’re supposed to be marking the anniversary of Stonewall for God’s sake. It’s like moving July 4 forward three months so that we won’t be uncomfortable at the barbeque table. I think I may already have mentioned to you that I have a tendency to forget the exact date of Austin Pride because it shifts from year to year. Last year we accidentally missed the damn thing, and the year before we went too early, got bored, and went to an oyster bar. At least San Francisco does it right and on the correct day. I happened to be in D.C. last weekend, and stumbled into a Pride traffic jam. No, I did not get out and join the throng. We went to a gin tasting instead. Yes, I admit my priorities have changed from the days of yore, when going to Pride was actually a little thrilling. Even a little dangerous. But then, for many other years, it was more than a little boring. Have any of you had to sit behind a table handing out newspapers for hours at a time? Of course you have. Maybe not newspapers, but something. Key chains. Voter registration cards. Brochures. Rainbow hats, rainbow pens, rainbow candy, rainbow fans. And you can’t even drink because you represent “your GLBT organization here.” Still, it was always a little bit fun until the day came when I’d rather be eating oysters in a dark leather booth or visiting a distillery. That day will come for you too. The Window Is Open in Wisconsin Well, for all my cynicism, I will surely be going to Pride this year, whenever it may be, because this year will go down in our history. This is our annus mirabilis, a year of unstoppable progress which will culminate in marriage for all next year. Every fortnight we have a new mirabilis piece of news, and this week we celebrate the addition of Wisconsin to the short list of Dazed and Confused states, states where marriage is not exactly up and running, but where a bunch of gay and lesbian couples have taken advantage of a marriage window in order to wed. For our Badger brothers and sisters, the window has been open since Judge Barbara Crabb unlatched the locking mechanism with an 88-page ruling on June 6. But although Judge Crabb ruled in our favor, determining that Wisconsin’s ban on marriage was unconstitutional, she did not issue an injunction against enforcement of the antigay amendment. Instead, she scheduled a round of briefings, asking both sides to weigh in on the terms of a proposed injunction by the end of June. That left friendly clerks free to issue marriage licenses, insisting that the language of the decision was the only green light they required. Unfriendly clerks, in turn, were free to keep the window shut as they waited for clear instructions. In a nice twist, when the state asked for an immediate courtordered “stay” of her ruling, Judge Crabb noted that since she has yet to issue a formal injunction, there is nothing to “stay.”

The state went off and running to the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. But there again, the appellate court also seems stuck on Judge Crabb’s procedural anomaly. They have asked for briefs on whether or not they have jurisdiction. In other words, can the appellate court even consider a halt to marriages, if marriages have yet to be officially halted by an injunction? Don’t you love it? I can’t figure out if Judge Crabb is just proceeding with caution, or if she’s deliberately arranged a Kafkaesque legal conundrum that serves to let weddings go forward with no immediate recourse for the opposing side. There may well have been further machinations by the time you read this report. Perhaps the pleasant ambiguity will swirl around for weeks. Perhaps not. As you may remember, gay weddings took place for a time in Utah, and then again in Michigan. We also had a window after a state marriage victory in Arkansas. Attorney General Eric Holder has made it clear that the US government recognizes each and every one of these federally approved marriages, even if the states continue to turn their backs on their resident couples. There’s more litigation surrounding the window marriages in Utah, but you know what? I’m not getting into it. I think that the recognition issue is pending at the Tenth Circuit, along with the more fundamental question of whether states can ban marriage in the first place. Sigh of Relief for Oregon The other big news came out of the Supreme Court, where the entire Court declined to interfere with marriage equality in Oregon. No one stepped in to defend Oregon’s ban on same-sex weddings, so when a federal judge struck the Beaver State amendment last month, everyone from the governor on down was pleased as punch and no one appealed.

Professional Services in the aforementioned Oregon case, and in Pennsylvania, where the governor decided not to appeal. Good Lawyers You’ve read, of course, about the continual rise in public approval of marriage equality, a rise that feeds into the snowball effect of continued legal victories. But the rise in our popularity is more than just numbers. It’s manifested in dozens of heartwarming anecdotes from around the country. How about the Wisconsin couple that raced over to one of the friendly clerks to get married, and celebrated with dinner at a nearby restaurant? When the staff learned that the pair were newlyweds, they all pitched in and bought their meal. Hey, it would have been nice enough if the restaurant owner or manager had comped them. But waiters, cooks and bussers aren’t exactly rich. What a great gesture. I can’t think of another one off the top of my head, but I’ve had that heart-warmed feeling often in the last several months. Here’s the thing. Just as a hate crime is so insidious because it attacks our community as a whole, these kindnesses affect us all as well. As a news writer, I can’t count the times that I’ve felt sick reporting a hate crime. I’ve felt personally bashed, albeit in a small and indirect way. But lately, the sensation is reversed. Those restaurant workers would have done that for me and Mel. In theory, they did. I’m personally grateful. And there are other nice phenomena. I just read that the vast majority of top American law firms are simply refusing to represent antigay marriage clients. Don’t get me wrong. I believe NOM and the state of Wisconsin and the others have every right to competent attorneys. But I’m also quite happy to let them scrape the bottom of the barrel for the whacko evangelical lawyers. (Plus, they still have Paul Clement, so you can’t feel too sorry for them.)

That did not sit well with the National Organization for Marriage, an enemy faction that fortunately had no connection to the litigation. But (to simplify), just as you and I cannot file an appeal just because we don’t like some court ruling, nor can NOM come out of the woodwork to appeal a decision from the sidelines of a lawsuit. That hasn’t stopped NOM from asking to intervene in the case, and even though they’ve been told no, they’re still trying to stick their nose in Oregon’s business. As such, NOM went sniveling off to the Supreme Court, asking for an emergency hold on marriage while they continued their fruitless attempt to join the party.

Now, surely there must be something for me to grouse about. This column is getting saccharine.

Happily the Court refused. The emergency motion went to Justice Kennedy, who could have ruled on his own. Instead, he took it to the full Court, where the motion was denied with no explanation and no published dissent. The denial was expected, but it was still a relief.

The Sixth Circuit now has written briefs from all four states in its jurisdiction. That covers marriage and/or marriage recognition wins in Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio. Oral arguments in the Michigan case are set for August 6.

Don’t assume that the Court’s handsoff approach to Oregon signaled a softening of their hardhearted refusal to allow marriage to proceed in Utah. In the Utah case, where the justices did indeed slam the marriage window shut, it was the state that made the request. And unlike NOM, the state was obviously a party to the case. It was the defendant. That Utah decision has led most courts to put marriage rulings on hold, based on the obvious conclusion that the High Court wants to settle the matter on a national basis. In addition to the unusual situation in Wisconsin, the exceptions have come

Waiting for Whomever While I think of some reason to complain, I should fill you in on the status of our appellate cases. We have already argued marriage in the Tenth and Fourth Circuits, so you can expect our first appellate rulings from Denver and, um, Richmond? Wherever. Somewhere in Virginia. The Ninth Circuit has scheduled the Idaho arguments for September, and promised to schedule the Nevada case around the same time.

• • • • • • • •

The Fifth Circuit (cue first four notes of Bach’s Toccata in D Minor) has scheduled briefs for later this summer in the Texas case, but has not set a date for arguments. As for what you can expect in the next week or two, I’ve reached the point that I don’t know exactly which lower court federal cases are at the head of the line. I just wait around and check my email. Pop! Pennsylvania. Pop! Oregon. Pop! Wisconsin. We have pending cases in every state at this point. We have already won marriage in 19 states. And we have victories on hold in, what, eight states now? Nine? That leaves 22 or 23 states that could (continued on page 16)

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Taking Alzheimer’s/Dementia Out of the Closet that over 4,000 LGBT older adults and seniors will be living with some type of dementia.

Aging in Community Dr. Marcy Adelman Most of us know someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia (Alzheimer’s/dementia). The individual could be a beloved life partner, a family member, a friend or a neighbor. Many in our community are living with Alzheimer’s/dementia, or are caring for a loved one with the disease, yet we hardly speak of it. It is time to bring Alzheimer’s/ dementia out of the closet. The silence in our community around Alzheimer’s/dementia is one of the greatest barriers to care. Our community knows too well from the AIDS epidemic that we need to speak up and out if we are to empower ourselves and care for our loved ones. If we don’t do this, we put ourselves at risk for isolation and early and unnecessary placement in nursing homes or dementia care facilities. LGBT older adults and seniors are not necessarily at greater risk for this disease, at least as far as we know, but we are significantly underrepresented in dementia care services. Dementia care services, providers and care facilities continue to be challenged in providing LGBT senior/dementia capable service. We are living longer, and this increase in life expectancy will mean that many more people will develop Alzheimer’s disease. The risk of developing the disease rises with advancing age. The Department of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) estimates that, over the next 15 years as the city’s population ages, the escalating senior population and, in particular, the growing percentage of people living in their 80’s, will bring a 49% increase in dementiarelated illnesses. By 2020, 37,470 San Franciscans will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s/dementia. According to the LGBT Aging Policy Task Force report, our community can expect

We savored Budapest, Paris, Prague, and coming home to The Sequoias.

Heterosexual seniors often depend on spouses and adult children, meaning family members legally recognized by the health care system, to provide care and to access needed services. LGBT older adults and seniors are less likely to have children or to be married, and are more likely to live alone and depend on families of choice, or a friend, to provide caregiving. But LGBT caregivers lack legal recognition, and are therefore at a prejudicial disadvantage when interacting on our behalf with senior services. Also, as we age, our friendship networks are aging along with us. As friends and partners pass away or become frail themselves, our support networks can become frayed. Unlike other age related illnesses, such as arthritis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a person with dementia cannot be the one arranging for their care. The lack of a reliable support network is a major barrier to accessing needed services and puts LGBT people living with dementia at great risk for being removed from their homes and placed in care facilities. Legal, financial and healthcare planning is especially important for LGBT seniors to ensure the rights of their informal caregivers to advocate and care for them and the ability to implement their wishes. Advance planning makes it possible for an identified person—perhaps a partner, a friend or a trusted elder law attorney—to make decisions when the person with dementia is no longer able to do so. The Care and Aging with Pride: LGBT Older Adults in San Francisco study reported that more than one third of the LGBT senior participants did not have a durable power of attorney for healthcare or a will. We can and must do better than that. Available resources, such as The Horizons Foundation, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Openhouse, can provide referrals to LGBT elder law attorneys. Openhouse also offers workshops and events about advanced planning tools and resources. It is well documented that LGBT seniors are reluctant to access services and programs, or to disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity because they legitimately fear discrimination and are concerned for their safety. In turn, few service providers have received LGBT senior/ dementia capable training and are therefore unskilled in creating trusting relationships with, or safe environments for, their LGBT clients. These concerns keep caregivers from fully utilizing dementia support and educational services.

Wouldn’t it be comforting to travel to exotic places knowing that someone’s taking care of your home? Morris Bol and Lewis Crickard do this all the time. They live at The Sequoias, where they enjoy the people, the gardens and the food, which is so good, they rarely cook. They also love the location, which is close to everything San Francisco has to offer. Does this sound like your kind of place? Call Candiece at (415) 351-7900 to learn more.

Recent research at the School of Nursing & Center for Aging at the University of Minnesota reported that early detection of Alzheimer’s/dementia and psychosocial counseling for Alzheimer’s/dementia caregivers re-

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• Openhouse: 415-296-8995 openhouse-sf.org/ • Family Caregiver Alliance: 415-434-3388 www.caregiver.org • Institute on Aging: 415-7504111, www.ioaging.org/ • National Resource Center on LGBT Aging www.lgbtagingcenter.org/ • Project Open Hand San Francisco: Nutrition Services, 415-447-2300 www.openhand.org/ • SAGE: 212-741-2247 www.sageusa.org/about/ • Shanti Project, Inc: HIV Services and Life Threatening Illnesses, 415-674-4700 www.shanti.org/ Alzheimer’s Association Programs and Services: • 24/7 Helpline: 1-800-2723900, www.alz.org/norcal/; Online Community: www. alzheimersblog.org/lgbt-forum • Memory Clinic, Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center: 408-530-6900, mydoctor.kaiserpermanente. org/ncal/facilities/region/ santaclara/area_master/ departments/memoryclinic/ index.jsp

duce caregiver stress and depression, and significantly delay admission to residential care settings. Caregivers are better able to continue providing home care when they receive psycho/ social support and are educated about the progression of the disease, know what to expect and are given skills to manage health and behavioral changes. Openhouse, in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, provides an LGBT caregivers support group. The memory clinics at both UCSF and Kaiser Permanente are LGBT welcoming. The Family Caregiver Alliance’s programs and services are LGBT affirming. The task force recommendations call for more LGBT senior/dementia capable training and services to ensure we receive respectful and appropriate care and an LGBT community targeted Alzheimer’s/dementia education campaign to empower LGBT people living with Alzheimer’s/dementia and their caregivers by identifying, and/or developing, the tools and resources we need to ensure that we, and our loved ones, have access to the best care and are able to keep people living with Alzheimer’s/dementia living in their homes and in their community for as long as possible. The task force Alzheimer’s/dementia team, Tom Nolan, Bill Haskell and I, are currently exploring ways to implement these recommendations with the San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara Departments of Adult and Aging Services. It is time to speak out. Dr. Marcy Adelman, a clinical psychologist in private practice, is co-founder of the non-profit organization Openhouse and is a member of the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force.

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Money and Finance Landing Your Dream Job…In Retirement

Money Matters Brandon Miller, CFP & Joanne Jordan, CFP Many retirees choose to work in retirement. Americans in general have a strong work ethic, so a life of extended leisure doesn’t appeal to everyone. And with the average U.S. life expectancy estimated at 80.1 years, there’s no reason why you can’t pursue meaningful work in retirement, especially if your health is good and your mind is sharp. The desire for activity and income are other important reasons you may decide to return to the workforce and stay there well beyond age 65. If you need to or want to work in retirement, there are many options.

ized field, you take a wealth of experience and knowledge with you that cannot be easily replaced. Many retired professionals turn their past into thriving consulting businesses, often providing services to their former employers. Others gain clients by blogging about their fields of expertise. Speaking engagements, seminars and webinars are additional ways you can share your knowledge, which can bring in income and provide you with the professional and intellectual stimulation your former work life provided. Get a part-time job. If your former field offers part-time opportunities, you may be one of the lucky ones to land a less-than-full time job with better-than-average compensation. Some seniors go back to school to get another degree, training or certification that will qualify them for a challenging part-time job in a field of interest. Or, you may decide to take a low stress, entry-level job simply to remain active—bagging groceries, working a cash register or becoming a barista to stay busy for a portion of the week while lining your pockets with a little extra cash.

What kind of “second career” is plausible for a senior citizen? Retirees today can consider a number of opportunities, such as turning special expertise into a consulting gig, taking a part-time job, starting a small business or volunteering for non-profit work. Let’s take a closer look at the possibilities for working in retirement.

Start your own small business. Many sellers on sites such as eBay and Etsy are people who have turned their hobbies of collecting or crafting into thriving businesses. In your former work life, you may not have had as much time to devote to your hobby as you would have liked. Now you can pursue selling your collectibles or handmade treasures and enjoy the rewards of a small business.

Become a consultant. When you retire after many years in a special-

Volunteer. Many retirees take advantage of their open calendars to

ramp up volunteering for organizations they wish to support. And while giving your services freely to your favorite nonprofit won’t pad your pocketbook, it can be extremely rewarding and meaningful. Whether you choose to help your favorite church, hospital, professional organization or animal shelter, volunteering your time can enrich your life and benefit your community in important ways. It’s up to you to create a rewa rd ing ret irement. If you choose to continue working for a paycheck, your financial advisor can help you examine how additional income will impact your overall retirement finances. If you do decide to return to the workforce, remember this: The point of a work commitment in retirement is not to replicate your former 40-plus hour work week—you’ve been there and done that. Ideally, your retirement career is about staying active and engaged in ways that keep you young. Whether or not you pursue a new line of work in retirement, be sure to leave room for activities and interactions that will make your golden years as rewarding as they can be. Brandon Miller, CFP and Joanne Jordan, CFP are financial consultants at Jordan Miller & Associates, A Private Wealth Advisory Practice of Ameriprise Financial Inc. in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

The Bay Times is proud to be an official media sponsor of San Francisco Pride 2014. You are invited to join the Bay Times contingent in the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29. Call for information: 415-601-2113 or e-mail Publisher@sfbaytimes.com

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(DO ASK, SO TELL continued from page 3)

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must acknowledge our past, both the good and the bad, and move forward so that others that follow will not relive that discrimination. One way to help move forward is to get active politically. If you want to combine politics with Pride, there is no better way than the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club’s annual Pride Breakfast. The event typically brings over 600 people together to celebrate Pride with a huge breakfast featuring some of the state’s most in-

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joining Alice to kick off the Sunday Pride Parade.

In past years, the breakfast has featured Congressmen Mike Honda and Mark Takano, Senator John Edwards’ wife Elizabeth Edwards, State Attorney General Kamala Harris, Mayors Gavin Newsom and Ed Lee, and dozens of other local and state officials. This year, Alice’s featured guest is CA State Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins. The first lesbian to hold this important position, she will be

Happy Pride everyone—I hope to see you there, to celebrate our past and inspire us to create our future!

ENDA, I’ve long been irritated by the mindless ENDA fans in the official gay community. Every week we’re called to support ENDA! President Obama promises to pass ENDA! Give money to fight for ENDA! Now, at long last, two big major GLBT groups have come out against the bill, citing one of its major weaknesses.

ingly interpreted to cover some forms of sexual orientation discrimination and most forms of trans discrimination. But guess what will happen if Congress passes a special GLBT bill? Courts will refer to ENDA and GLBT plaintiffs will have no access to Title VII whatsoever. Further, any effort to add sexual orientation to Title VII would be set back for years and years.

Zoe Dunning is a retired Navy Commander and was a lead activist in the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. She currently serves as the 1st Vice Chair of the San Francisco Democratic Party and is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club.

(ROSTOW continued from page 13) pop and I’m just going to let the next one be a surprise. ENDA Nother Thing

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f luential elected officials and candidates.

Finally, here’s something I can complain about. Long time readers will recall that I have little patience for the much hyped Employment Nondiscrimination Act, a piece of legislation drafted at a time when crumbs from the Congressional table were the most we could hope for. Yes, it’s been somewhat improved over the years, but still. The rest of the country is protected from job bias by a powerful federal law that covers discrimination based on race, national origin, sex and religion. Why the hell should we get stuck with a less effective gay-only bill at this stage in our movement? OK OK. I won’t go on the entire rant. Just let me say that, given that I hate

According to the Washington Blade, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the Transgender Law Center say they will not back ENDA until someone closes some of the religious loopholes that riddle this obsolete proposal. Thank you. ENDA has so many exceptions (both religious and procedural) that it arguably would actually hurt us if it passed. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (the aforementioned law that includes everyone else) is increas-

Pull it. Wait until next year. And introduce a bill to add us to Title VII, a statute that is enriched by half a century of case law. It is where we belong. Oh, and don’t say it’s too hard. The same people who won’t support it won’t support ENDA either. And vice versa. arostow@aol.com

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Look for the SF Bay Times table at GGBA’s annual Pride Expo. We look forward to seeing you! 16

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Taking On Conversion Therapy in Texas When Ryan Kendall, a young gay man living in Denver, heard the news back in 2008 that the California Supreme Court had ruled in favor of the freedom to marry, he was so excited that he had to participate personally in the movement. He reached out to us as leaders of Marriage Equality USA, and we soon learned that Ryan as a 14-year-old boy had survived brutal so-called “conversion” therapy to change his sexual orientation. When Ryan’s parents had learned he was gay by secretly reading his journal, they shipped him off to a conversion program in Southern California. In 2010, a witness was needed at the Prop. 8 trial to testify about the fact that people can’t change their sexual orientation, and Ryan did something heroic. He testified about the most vulnerable aspects of his life with a hostile opposition attorney poised to try to destroy him on cross-examination. That attorney failed, and Ryan’s testimony had a profound impact on the trial. Judge Vaughn Walker, who presided over the trial and decided the case, stated recently that Ryan’s testimony was “the most touching” of the entire trial. Right now Ryan lives in Texas, and last Saturday the Texas Republican Party enshrined a pro-conversion therapy plank in its party platform.

Marriage Equality John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA After testifying at the Prop. 8 trial, Ryan has testified before legislatures across the country and has been instrumental to passing state laws protecting LGBT youth from conversion therapy. Here’s his reaction to Saturday’s news: I began today like any other: I woke up, went to the gym, and afterwards I decided to relax at home with a good book. Then I learned the news of the Texas GOP’s repugnant actions. It felt like a hot knife slicing through my soul. The pain of this act was visceral, and it is all too real for too many LGBT children and adults. As a young teen, the vile practice of so-called conversion therapy destroyed my life, tore apart my family, and nearly killed me.

I have spent the majority of my life working to overcome the horrific consequences of conversion therapy, and I have dedicated my professional life to eradicating this terrible practice. Let me be perfectly clear: Conversion therapy is junk science that kills children. Often, those of us who advocate against conversion therapy struggle to find survivors to speak out about their experiences because people subjected to the therapy are either too emotionally damaged to bear it, or worse yet, they did not survive. Put simply, conversion therapy is a very real threat to the lives of countless LGBT people in Texas, the United States, and abroad in places like Uganda and elsewhere. We will not sit silently while Texas and its officials abuse members of the LGBT community. This must stop. With voices like Ryan’s, it will stop, and we as a community will achieve both legal and lived equality. John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA.

PHOTO BY R INK

Magic Johnson’s openly gay son EJ, as reported by Gay Star News, credits his parents support for him as a teenager for his ability to be a confident man today.

Tasmin Plater and Cory Woods are preparing for their fall wedding in November to be held at Vila de Felicita, in Tyler, Texas. Their theme is: “Love has no boundaries. Equality is for all.” For updates of Cory and Taz and their plans, follow Tumblr: http://woodscory@tumblr.com and IG: flyguyrn

PHOTO BY R INK

Marriage Equality USA’s Brian Silva, honoree Judge Vaughn Walker and presenters Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis at the organization’s recent Awards Reception at Chambers.

The Bay Area’s Melanie DeMore performed on June 8 at the Comin’ Up Shoutin’ Concert of the Trinity Youth Chorus & Neighborhood Outreach Choirs in New York City.

Husbands Bobby Heacock and John Blackburn knew Harvey Milk and met during the 1979 White Night Riot. They’ve been together ever since. BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

THERE’S POWER IN OUR PRIDE

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Taking an annual pulse on market trends through surveys helps demonstrate the LGBT community’s growing power, and influences positive change. Everyone who completes the survey by June 30, 2014 may enter into a drawing to win one of five US $100 cash prizes, or designate a non-profit charity to receive the prize. CMI Community Marketing & Insights Community Marketing, Inc.

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Invite Your Shadow to the Coming Out Party ARIES (March 21 – April 19) Your tribe is a possible source of emotional stress this month. You will navigate and clear old grievances that are blocking your true path. Take extra care to review, reconsider, and tenderize your delivery.

LEO (July 23 – August 22) Journaling may be your best method for expressing yourself this month. Although without an audience applauding you, it may be difficult for you to see the value in this private world, but rest assured that the standing ovation is contingent upon the quality of this time spent behind the curtain.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21) Take inventory of your relationships this month. Reconsider who you feel elaborates your existence. You may find yourself letting go of those who do not mirror the home inside your own skin and bones. Remember to be gentle with those you release.

better. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20) Communicating the underbelly of your emotional being is rarely easy. This month you will be given ample opportunities to give voice to that soft spot of your deepest longings and biggest fears. Choose worthy witnesses!

Astrology Linda Amburgey “No one will listen to us until we listen to ourselves,” Marianne Williamson once said. While Mercury is retrograde for most of this month, it is imperative that we open our ears to our inner voice, and listen deeply. Resist any temptation to articulate your insights in any official arena for now. Let your being work and rework the information channeling through your psyche until it lands solidly as your Truth. All feelings and repressed thoughts have been coming out through distorted behavior, and it is time to take responsibility for those power struggles you have been involved in. Peruse your family and relationship scrapbooks, and take an honest inventory of your defenses and reactions. You know you have found the buried treasure when you feel a healthy sense of humiliation, and you can see your own shadow mirrored in “the other.” Revise, update, and renew your relationships from this place of wholeness..

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20) Although your thoughts are clear in your own head, you may be surprised and frustrated to find that others are not following your train of thought. Keep a sense of humor as you allow communication chaos and breakdown to have its way with you. Consider it a training in patience.

CANCER (June 21 – July 22) You are the boss this month! You are in your element as the world around you struggles with the disorientation of chaotic communication. Although you are not immune to this, your first language is Feeling. Teach your clan the basics of your native tongue.

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22) Your obsessive thinking style is merely your way of attempting to master the physical Universe. This month you will experience a payoff for all of those frustrating moments spent tearing out your hair. You will be given a V.I.P. priority pass in the social arena, and it is well deserved!.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22) Spend some time on the mountaintop reviewing the things that truly inspire you and give your life meaning. Meditation and prayer are the necessary precursors to your coming out party, as you are soon ready to reap the well-deserved success in your career.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21) Your capacity to express the deep, creative side of your soul is on fire right now. Do spend a day or two out in nature communing with your inner animal. This will open that spirit channel that your frequency is vibrating with this month.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19) Consider how you can give away your ideas and skills in service to others this month. Relationships will be fulfilling and sweet if you hang in there for the rough communication and edgy projections.

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18) Express yourself to the world and do not over edit yourself! Your playfulness is infectious, and will potentially bring a spreading wildfire of life force to the tribe. Do be aware of your health, and support your physical vehicle with the utmost care.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20) You are in your element this month as the collective vibe is far less rational, and much more dreamy. This is a magically romantic month for you, so seize your fantasy lover and enjoy! There will be a time for the realities required for deepening later.

Linda Amburgey has owned Crystal Way Metaphysical Center for 11 years, and has been an Intuitive Reader for 20 years. To book readings, or on-going counseling for couples, individuals or parties, please e-mail her at ConsciousCounsel@gmail.com or call 415-218-5096.

As Heard on the Street . . .

compiled by Rink

AL L PHOTOS BY RIN K

Name three items that you think are carried in Donna Sachet’s purse.

Donna Sachet

Gary Virginia

Galilea

“Cell phone, reading glasses, and lipstick”

“Her green card, her red appointment book, and her red lipstick”

China Silk

Aaron Baldwin

“Tic Tacs for food on the go, a “Red lipstick, diamond ring, and red iPhone with her contacts and red nail polish” gentlemen callers, and 2 dollars for bus fare”

Steven Underhill

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#KateClinton2014

“Happy Pride Month, the month formerly known as June.”

Arts&Entertainment Pride Month Do’s and Dont’s

By Courtney Lake

Don’t Forget To Get Physical

(Editor’s Note: In this issue we introduce Courtney Lake, Principal and Owner of Courtney Out Loud as well as Monogram Décor, which is a Bay Area-based full-service design firm. Lake, a Stanford University graduate, walks the style talk, living his life out and proud with both passion and compassion. He is sharp witted too. It is little wonder that his bright star is on the rise.)

While I am sure that the gyms will be awash in a sea of muscle bunnies getting pumped for their strut across the dance floor, think outside the box and look at the multitude of physical activities that will pop up for Pride Weekend. From the Pride Run to Pride Kickball, there will be more opportunities to see more hot sweaty bodies in motion than you would have on a packed dance floor. Grab your sneakers and get physical because you never know when breaking a sweat will leave you panting.

It would be a bit of revisionist history to say that my first Pride was an elegant and stylish affair. As I remember, the day was filled with affirmations of my own queer empowerment and my fellow Stanford students. We laughed. We cried. We held hands and felt as one. In reality, it was a chaos that included dehydration, vindictive f lirting and an unfortunate wardrobe choice of overalls sans shirt or undergarments. Let me just pause here and provide a public service announcement— chafing will occur when you opt to walk in a parade sans any protective layer between your bits and denim. Learn from my years of experience attending Pride and following this short (albeit) important list of Do’s and Don’ts for an event that is full of sass but with a wee bit of class as well. Do Party …Within Moderation I am by no means a teetotaler, and a cocktail (or three) have been known to find their way down my gullet on many an occasion, but I tend to find Pride most enjoyable when I am not nursing a hangover the next day. However, if you must imbibe, then I suggest you try this signature cocktail created exclusively for me by the resident mixologist at The Ivy Room. The crane has always been a symbol of longevity and prosperity that is a perfect sentiment to kick off Pride!

Do Dress To Impress As much as I love a handsome man in chaps or a sexy lady in short shorts, Pride is about showing your support for the LGBQT community, not your arse. Besides, more times than I can shake a thong at, those who wear the least amount of clothing are those who should wear the most. So while I am not saying that everyone should be like me wearing a tux and top hat, I do think that putting your best foot forward will put you leaps and bounds ahead of the masses in skinny jeans and tight tees. Don’t For get t he Cu lt u r a l Events Stop being narrow minded and thinking about Pride as simply being the parties before the parade and the parties after. San Francisco becomes awash in cultural activities directly aimed at the community. Love music? Then check out the Pride Concert that showcases community music and dance groups. Or embrace your cinephile and attend Frameline 38, one the largest film festivals celebrating LGBQT cinema. Skip the lines and get a pass to see dozens of films running the gamut from romantic comedies to heart-wrenching documentaries. And honestly, is there any better way to impress the

hot someone you have been dying to ask out than striking up a heady conversation about the great dance troupes and documentary you saw during Pride? Do Be Inclusive Gay Pride gets a bad rap for being all about the boys and believe me, I do love me a cute man. However, our community is diverse, so why not take a moment during Pride to acknowledge the diversity and attend some other events like two of my favorites: The Dyke March and the Trans March. Both marches are a celebration of joy and community, and provide a wonderful reminder of our community’s diversity. Don’t Forget to Ref lect Pride is a time to celebrate, but it also is a time to reflect on the giant progress that has happened in the LGBQT community. So take a moment to have a bit of quiet solitude. I love attending the Pink Triangle Installation above the Castro. Looking down into the valley and seeing the twinkling lights is a beautiful reminder that we are much bigger than just a “gay ghetto.” We are a community as wide as we are deep and Pride is our chance to ref lect, celebrate and embrace. Now get out there and keep it classy! Courtney Lake is the interior designer and lifestyle expert behind Monogram Décor (www.monogramdecor.com) and his celebrated blog, Courtney Out Loud. He and his work have been featured both in print and on television, including coverage by “The Wall Street Journal,” “The Nate Berkus Show,” the “San Francisco Chronicle,” “Life & Style Magazine,” “RUE Magazine” and “7x7 Magazine.” BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

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Live: 9.75” W x 15.5” H

10 Frameline Highlights various dance sequences that break up the narrative that truly form the story. Chip and Theo’s relationship is best depicted without words, in a highly erotic nude pas de deux. And give Five Dances extra credit for not making the gay male dancers stereotypes. Steele gives a remarkable performance as Chip, but the entire film is impressive.

Film Gary Kramer Showcasing more than 100 features, documentaries, and shorts, Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, opens June 19. The opening night selection is the local area premiere of The Case Against 8, a documentary about marriage equality in California. The festival closes ten days later, on June 29, with the premiere of I Feel Like Disco, a disarming German film about a gay young man who escapes from his drab life in imaginative ways. With all there is to see at the festival, here are ten hand picked highlights: Oakland resident Cheryl Dunye’s Black Is Blue (part of the Realness & Revelations shorts program on June 20, 7:00 pm, Roxie) is an intimate, engaging, and insightful drama about a FTM apartment security guard named Black (trans actor Kingston Farady) who discusses his worldview for the camera in direct address. He mentions how people are suspicious of him, his anxiety about showering at the gym, and, in the most poignant expression of his emotions, wanting to “clap against everything around me, like lightning.” As Black considers dating, past relationships, and encounters homophobia, his past catches up with him, leading to an intense confrontation. Dunye’s short, shot in her trademark “Dunye-mentary” style, is so captivating, it deserves to be a feature. The exceptional Five Dances ( June 20, 7:00pm,Victoria), set in the modern dance world, is a hypnotic drama that showcases four performers and a choreographer working on a routine for an upcoming show. The story, which alternates between narrative and performance, benef its from the actor/dancers’ assured body language. Filmed largely in a Soho studio, Five Dances has Chip (Ryan Steele), an 18 year-old from Kansas, living his dream of dancing in a company. His mother wants him to return home, but he prefers to stay in New York—even though he is, it is revealed, homeless. A fellow performer, Katie (Catherine Miller) offers to take care of Chip, while Theo (Reed Luplau), another member of the company, initiates a sexual relationship with him. Writer/director Alan Brown makes these dramatic interactions involving by shooting Five Dances in an almost documentary style. Yet it is the

Broken Heart Land ( June 21, 11:00am, Victoria) is a poignant, inspiring documentary that shows how Nancy Harrington transformed the grief she experience after her gay son Zack’s suicide into activism. The film chronicles the efforts to speak out about her son, join a PFLAG-like group, MOM—Mothers of Many— and campaign for equal rights for LGBT citizens in Norman, OK, including supporting a City Council race for the openly gay Jackie Farley. This moving film gets up close and personal with the Harrington family and their supporters and detractors as it even-handedly shows the impact that one gay young man’s death has on the Bible belt community. (NOTE: If you miss this at the fest, Broken Heart Land will screen on PBS June 24, check listings). Pelo Malo ( June 21, 1:30pm, Roxie) is an absorbing drama, set in Caracas, Venezuela. In it, 9 year-old Junior (Samuel Lange Zambrano) is determined to straighten his unruly curly hair for his school photo. Junior’s mother, Marta (Samantha Castillo), however, disapproves of her son’s constant primping. The temporarily unemployed Marta, who is raising Junior and his infant brother on her own, also does not like that her elder son is not particularly masculine: he sings pop tunes, and dances with his eyes closed, waving his arms in the air. Marta tells a doctor that she fears her son is gay and that he will suffer. (She also wonders if it is her fault). Junior, meanwhile, aggravates his mother by learning new songs, putting mayonnaise in his hair, and developing a crush on Mario, a handsome local grocer. Pelo Malo is a gritty, absorbing film about Junior (and Marta) wanting to escape from their hardscrabble lives only to have to face the reality their difficult situation. The film’s authenticity makes each character sympathetic, right up to the powerful, provocative ending. Like the clothes made by Yves Saint Laurent, Jalil Lespert’s biopic of the fashion designer is a stylish and elegant production. However, the runway scenes are more successful and entertaining than the relationship drama between Yves (Pierre Niney) and his lover/business partner Pierre (Guillaume Gallienne). Yves Saint Laurent ( June 21, 7:00pm, Victoria) offers some insights into his thoughts about life and fashion, but a lousy voice-over narration by Pierre, and clunky moments—his drink/drug/ sex binges—dilute the film’s power. If Yves Saint Laurent does a commendable job of presenting the life and clothes of the designer, it unfortunately feels glossed over at times.

Five Dances

In the arresting Swedish film, Something Must Break ( June 24, 1:15pm, Castro), Sebastian (Saga Becker) is a feminine man who falls in love with Andreas (Iggy Malmborg), a man who saves him from a beating in a men’s room one night. The way these two men look at each other captures them falling in love. When Andreas checks Sebastian for ticks, it is an extremely erotic encounter, complete with rimming and splatters of cum. Their relationship grows more intense when Sebastian spies on Andreas and follows him. But Andreas soon asserts, “I’m not gay.” “Me either,” replies Sebastian, who wants to be known as Ellie. Sebastian claims he must destroy himself to become his “dream sister” (Ellie), and these moments are quite powerful, as is a stunningly beautiful, if slightly shocking, slow-motion scene featuring Ellie being pissed on as Peggy Lee plays on the soundtrack. The

candid, graphic, eroticism certainly elevates this romance, but it is the presentation of issues of gender and sexual identity that truly resonates. Another must-see film is The Dog ( June 25, 1:30pm, Castro), a dazzling documentary about John Wojtowicz, a man who robbed a bank to pay for his lover’s sex change. Wojtowicz’s crime was the inspiration for the classic film, Dog Day Afternoon. Using interviews with the late subject as well as testimonies, film clips, and photographs, filmmakers Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren tell a story that is truly stranger than fiction—and far more complicated that what the Al Pacino film depicted. Wojtowicz is quite a character; he obviously enjoys the opportunity to tell his story. It’s a whopper, full of hilarious and headspinning revelations.

Yves Saint Laurent

Something Must Break Broken Heart Land

Lilting ( June 25, 6:45pm, Castro) is a subtle chamber drama about the communication gap between Richard (out actor Ben Whishaw) and Junn (Pei Pei Cheng). Both are mourning the loss of Kai (Andrew Leung), Junn’s son and, unbeknownst to his mother, Richard’s lover. But Richard doesn’t speak Mandarin, and Junn does not speak English, so Richard hires Vann (Naomi Christie) to help translate, and bridge the gulf between them. Lilting is a bit stagy given the construct of Junn and Richard each talking to Kai—Junn imagines her son; Richard remembers him in f lashbacks. And the film is a little static with Vann translating much of the conversations. But the film deftly addresses the loss both mother and lover suffer. Junn feels lonely and suffocated, while Richard copes with survivor’s guilt and navigating the prickly Junn’s jealousy. Lilting builds to a powerful climax, and the performances by Whishaw and Cheng, especially, are very affecting. What It Was ( June 25, 9:00pm, Roxie) is a poetic meditation on longing and desire as Adina (Arlene ChicoLugo) faces her fears and searches for love and self-worth in New York City. The story hopscotches back and forth in time, chronicling Adina’s relationships with Toni (Deirdre Herlihy), Hilary (Melissa Navia), and Mondi (Brandon Smalls)—each of whom offers affection and complications. The film is beautifully shot, with lovely scenes of Adina in the city, on the subway, bridges, and streets. An especially intimate sequence has Hilary painting Adina’s body. If What It Was feels pretentious at times with Adina’s poignant voice-overs, such moments only contribute to the film’s ephemeral quality. Open Up to Me ( June 25, 9:15pm, Castro) in an intriguing Finnish film about the transgender Maarit (Leea Klemola), a cleaning woman who is mistaken for a therapist by Sami (Peter Franzén). Sami asks Maarit for intimate advice regarding his marriage to Julia (Ria Kataja). Maarit soon initiates an affair with Sami, which eventually causes some ripples. Meanwhile, Maarit learns she is a suspect in a criminal investigation. If Open Up to Me gets contrived as many of the characters and situations connect up, the film is buoyed by a strong performance from Klemola, who never makes Maarit pitiful, only sympathetic. She is a wise, well-meaning woman, and even if she crosses boundaries, all of the film’s main characters act inappropriately. This is part of what makes the soapy Open Up to Me so enjoyable. © 2014 Gary M. Kramer

Black is Blue

Pelo Malo

Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” You can follow him on Twitter @garymkramer BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO

Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay to Open at the de Young June 14, 2014 - January 11, 2015

A ll images: © Anthony Friedkin

Anthony Friedkin, Drag Queens at the Mirror, Long Beach, 1971. Gelatin silver print. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Exclusive to the San Francisco Bay Times

Coinciding with the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall riots is the exhibition Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay, which opens Saturday at the de Young. The photographic series includes more than 75 vintage prints chronicling the gay communities of Los Angeles and San Francisco from 1969 to 1973.

For more than 40 years, American photographer A nthony Fr iedk in (b.1949) has documented people, cities and landscapes primarily in his home state of California. The Gay Essay, created during the culturally tumultuous years of the late 1960s and early 1970s—a turning point in the

history of political activism in the gay community in the United States—offers an expressive visual chronology of a vital moment of historic change in our culture. “We are proud to present The Gay Essay in its full depth and range for the first time. It accords with our goal of bringing to light important, and sometimes neglected or overlooked, bodies of work that enrich the history and study of photography, a medium that is central to art and society today,” said Colin B. Bailey, director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “We are delighted that 94 vintage prints from The Gay Essay are now part of our permanent collection, thanks to the generosity of donors Dan and Mary Solomon and Nancy Ascher and John Roberts.” A native of Los Angeles, Friedkin began taking photographs at age 8 and was developing film in a darkroom at age 11. The artist formed a deep connection to the medium, and

later sought to combine a photojournalistic tradition with an individual statement. In the spring of 19 69, when Friedkin was 19 years old, he embarked on T he G ay Essay as a self-assigned project. His goal was to create the f irst extensive record of gay life in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and to chart the emerging and shifting visibility of the gay communities in California. Influenced by the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész and Josef Koudelka, among others, Friedkin found his place in an approach that retained the outward-looking spirit of reportage combined with individual discovery. As an extrovert with an avid curiosity, he developed close relationships with his subjects that enabled him to create portraits that are intimate and devoid of judgment.

He did not aim to document gay life in Los Angeles and San Francisco slavishly, but rather to show men and women who were trying to live openly, expressing their individualities and sexualities on their own terms, and improvising ways to challenge the dominant culture. Whether photographing in city streets, motels, bars or dancehalls, Friedkin approached his subjects with an open and inquiring mind to achieve empathic portraits that celebrate pride, dignity and the expression of love between people of the same gender. “More than four decades after this work was created, T he Gay Essay stands as both a record of historic change in our culture and an eloquent testimony to Anthony Friedkin’s passion for the art of photography,” said Julian Cox, curator of the exhibition and chief administrative curator and founding curator of photography at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “We are left with a beautiful, sensitive record fit for the ages.” While selections from The Gay Essay have been on public display in museums and galleries in the past, the entire scope of the series will be shown for the first time at the de Young. Accompanying the original full-frame black-and-white prints will be contact prints, documents and other materials from the photographer’s archive and loans from the San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Historical Society that provide valuable historical context and insight into the conception and execution of the work.

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BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

Round About - AIDS/Life Cycle 2014 AIDS/Life Cycle 2014 cyclists traveled more than 40,000 miles on the 7-day ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Funds raised support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV-related services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. The event is the world’s largest fundraising effort to fight AIDS.

All photos courtesy of AIDS/LifeCycle

Remembering Edna FloresLagunte

In Memoriam

Long-time AIDS/LifeCycle supporter Edna Flores-Lagunte passed away after suffering a cardiac event during this year’s ride. It was her 13th year participating, for which she ra ised wel l over $50,0 0 0 throughout her years of involvement. Flores-Lagunte devoted significant time and resources to other organizations as well. For example, she was named Volunteer of the Month by The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture. On her A IDS/LifeCycle page, Flores-Lagunte looked forward to the day when “there will be no more AIDS.” She continued, “The San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the HIV services of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, beneficiaries of AIDS/LifeCycle are working hard to make that wish a reality by educating others

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about the disease, giving those with HIV and AIDS access to care and medicine needed for them to live, and rallying local, state and federal government officials to make sure public policy regarding HIV and AIDS benefits those affected by the disease. I can go on and on about the phenomenal work these two organizations have done since the beginning of the pandemic.” She fervently hoped to raise over $10,000 this year, something that she had never been able to achieve in a single year. As of this writing, the tally is well over $12,000.

Why I Write: HERstory and HIStory write about more than romance for the lesbian culture.

Words Michele Karlsberg Bett Norris presents HERstory: I write because I am compelled to do so. Joan Didion explained the compulsion to write eloquently in her book of essays Slouching Toward Bethlehem: “Keepers of private notebooks are a different breed altogether… anxious malcontents, children afflicted apparently at birth with some presentiment of loss.” I am one of those anxious malcontents. I am deeply intrigued by the role of women in history, large and small. By that I mean the role women played in history, which is vastly under-reported, and the world of women who have inf luenced and inspired me. Jane Rule’s brilliant body of work provided an education for me about writing. Katherine V. Forrest, to whom we all owe much, affirmed that I could

More than any other Southern writer, Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, inspired me. I attended the University of Alabama, as she did. I write about life in a small Southern town, as she did. If anyone who reads Miss McGhee, my first book, says that they see a similarity to Miss Lee’s book, I am flattered, but not surprised. From the time I read her book when I was nine years old, it became my own private confirmation that I could be a writer, and that I could write about what I know. Because of her, I can write about the questions that bothered me then, and the things that intrigue me now. Bett Norris’ most recent book is “What’s Best for Jane.” Catch up with her at http:// bettnorris.wordpress.com Vinton Rafe McCabe presents HIStory: I was the son of a writer, who authored a twice-weekly humor column under the pen name of “Nora Norwin,” a woman who, despite the fact that she out-lived her by some decades, always saw herself as Anne Frank, scribbling away in her attic. From her I inherited the image of myself as a word-grifter: an expert on any subject, ready at a moment’s notice to pitch an idea, type it up, and find it in print three days later. So band, and Phil composes a lot for both…He came up with a fantastic way to combine Nelson Mandela’s favorite poem (Invictus) with Mandela’s own words. I’m very excited to share this piece with our community.”

Brass Tacks Heidi Beeler Title Nelson Mandela and Maurice Sendak To Be Celebrated at This Year’s Pride Concert This weekend, the 36th Annual Pride Concert: Together Strong! celebrates the lives of two very different supporters of the LGBT community with premieres of original music for chorus and wind ensemble. “From Darkness To Light” honors the life of Nelson Mandela in an original composition by Philip Orem written for the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB) and the Lesbian/Gay Chorus of San Francisco (LGCSF) specifically for this concert. “I Am In Love with the World” celebrates the life of “Where the Wild Things Are” author Maurice Sendak in a cantata for baritone soloist, mixed chorus and piano composed by Nathan Hall. An audience Q&A with both composers will follow the concert, which starts at 3 pm this Saturday, June 14, in the newly renovated Kelly Cullen Auditorium, 220 Golden Gate Avenue in San Francisco. The Mandela piece is also a tribute of sorts for SFLGFB Artistic Director Pete Nowlen. An old college friend of Nowlen’s, Orem learned about Nowlen’s appointment as AD of the Freedom Band and contacted him about composing a piece to congratulate him. “I wanted to do a tribute to Nelson Mandela (at the Pride Concert), who founded a nation with Gay Rights enshrined in its constitution in the 1990s!” Nowlen informed me. “There were no suitable pieces for chorus and

Invictus, a poem by 19th century poet William Ernest Henley, was the mantra that got Mandela through his 26 years in prison. Its famous final stanzas, “I am the master of my fate/I am the captain of my soul,” have been interwoven with text from his speeches that underscore his moral courage in triumphing over prejudice with forgiveness and respect: No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite… As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind,

when I graduated college with a degree in English literature and theater from a Bible College in Tulsa, I went into a local newspaper and walked out a film critic, paid five cents a word Over three decades, I’ve reviewed film, theater, television, literature— even restaurants and fashion. I’ve also written ten nonfiction books, all on subjects related to health and healing. I’ve worked in print media, television, radio and, more recently, online. It’s been a rush of gushing verbs, florid adjectives, health tips, and deadlines. On the day I turned fifty-five, I underwent a transformational experience. I decided that, from that day forward, I would write only what I wanted to write, and not what I was expected to write or what would sell. The result has been that, in my fiftyninth year, I have seen the publication of a novel, Death in Venice, California, a work that makes me pleased and proud The greater result has been that writing, which for so long was my breadand-butter, is now my art. And that where once I wrote for money, I now write for joy. V inton Rafe McCabe is the author of “Death in Venice, California,” a modern comic, erotic retelling of the Thomas Mann classic. He is also a literary critic for “The New York Journal of Books” and “Chelsea Station Magazine.” For more information, please visit: http://www.vintonmccabe.com/site/Welcome.html As with every Pride Concert going back to 1979, Nowlen and Sauerland put together a program that also features fun and festive numbers to carry you into Pride weekend. Emcee Joe “Trauma Flintstone” Wicht is featured on the Gershwin standard, “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” A section of the concert pays tribute to LGBT activist and entertainer José Sarria with a sing-along of three of his favorite songs, including a splashy version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” led by LGCSF with the Freedom Band accompanying. That’s the spirit of this concert titled “Together Strong.” “As a community we are stronger when we work together,” Nowlen wrote. “… (This concert) represents the longstanding partnership between our two organizations, which in their genesis brought our community together to make music and create social change. Together and strong.” 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, which you can read about on page 30.

I’d still be in prison. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. Nathan Hall’s “I Am In Love with the World” is likewise based on Sendak’s own words. The lyrics are taken from a 2011 interview with NPR’s Terri Gross on Fresh Air. Sendak, who’d come out publically in 2008, had just lost his partner of 50 years and gave remarkably open and heartfelt responses, which captivated the composer. The piece was written in June 2012—just one month after Sendak’s death—and premiered in Baltimore. Conducted by Artistic Director William Sauerland, LGCSF’s performance this June will mark the West Coast premiere of the piece. BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

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ne of our favorite Pride events, Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s Pride Brunch, turns sweet 16 this year. Held at the historic Hotel Whitcomb on Market Street, the brunch honors the Grand Marshals of the SF LGBT Pride Parade and benefits Positive Resource Center.

As you’ll soon read in this section, the event has raised significant funds to provide counseling and employment services for people in the Bay Area living with, or at risk for, HIV/AIDS.

versary this year. For 20 years, they have

The Pride Brunch includes other musical

lifted our spirits with their wonderful,

entertainment, complimentary sparkling

toe-tapping music.

wine, mixed drinks, tempting silent auction

If you see Dixieland Dykes (sometimes

items, and a dazzling guest list of SF LGBT

The Dixieland Dykes, who perform at the event, are also celebrating an anni-

+3) on the list of performers, you know

movers and shakers, not to mention the best

you’re in for a good time.

gourmet brunch buffet in town.

Spotlight: Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet are two of Positive Resource Center’s most visible supporters. Both have served on the PRC Board of Directors and currently sit on the Advisory Board. Gary and Donna recently sat down with us to discuss their longstanding relationship with PRC.

could go directly to PRC services. From there, each Pride Brunch has grown in size and profitability, last year raising over $42,000! Gary interjects, “I think it was always more than just a party! As we planned the first brunch, we immediately thought of it as way to support PRC.” But the party aspect remains high, as over 300 people representing a wide spectrum of SF’s LGBT Community come together to celebrate, remember, and look forward.

A Fundraisers’ Genesis Gary Virginia’s dedication to PRC is rooted in his own experience with the organization’s services. Gary first tested positive for HIV in 1989 and by the end of 1995, he found himself too sick to work. Like so many others in our community, Gary came to PRC in need of assistance to obtain disability benefits.

Staying Involved Donna and Gary have remained deeply committed to PRC for more than 15 years. Even after stepping down from the Board of Directors, they still wanted to help. Donna says, “The Advisory Board’s formation was initially our idea. We wanted our passion for the agency to have an outlet.”

”It felt like it was the end of the world,” remembers Gary. “I turned to Positive Resource Center (then known as AIDS Benefits Counselors). I still remember the feeling after meeting with my attorney in their cramped offices, which were on Castro Street back then—like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. He was an angel. I thought, ‘How is this possible that an amazing service like this exists for free?’”

At the same time Gary was serving as Mr. SF Leather 1996, the Imperial Court had elected Donna Sachet as its Empress. They both worked for all the community fundraising events and saw each other a lot. Gary says, “We were both so busy then! My house was basically like Superman’s telephone booth—I’d come home to change clothes and be out the door again. Donna and I earned our stripes during what I hope was the worst of the AIDS crisis. It was truly an emergency.” “There are so many heroes from that time,” Donna adds. “We started our work right at the transition, when AIDS went from meaning certain death to the possibility of survival, and PRC was an important part of helping people cope with that.” Shortly after winning Mr. SF Leather, Gary was asked to join the board of PRC and Donna soon followed. “When Gary asked me to join the

PHOTO BY BILLY GREEN

When Gary’s health stabilized, he started feeling restless. He had been working since he was twelveyears-old, and being unemployed made him feel like he had no sense of purpose. To remedy this, some friends convinced him to run for Mr. Daddy’s Leather and, much to his surprise, he won. With that title under his belt, he started preparing for the competitive Mr. SF Leather title. “To make headway in the competition,” he says, “I threw my first fundraising event, a benefit for PRC and AEF, both of which were critical for my survival.” With this event, he began his amazing journey to becoming one of our community’s great fundraisers.

They say that their continued role with PRC as Advisory Board members remains extremely important. “Organizations like PRC need the grassroots, to stay connected to their constituency, and we’re able to help with that,” says Gary. “As a former client, I’m in a strong position to advocate for PRC. The staff at PRC is passionate about justice for their clients, but they are stretched to the limit and can’t reach everyone in the community. Donna and I can be there to speak on PRC’s behalf.”

Hosts Donna Sachet and Gary Virginia at Pride Brunch 2013, in the Hotel Whitcomb ballroom.

board with him,” she says, “I took a leap of faith and did it, especially knowing how closely our personal values were aligned.” Both have remained stalwart supporters. When asked why she has remained committed to PRC over the years, Donna says, “I support causes that are personal to me, and PRC is just that. The work they do affects my friends, my health, my city. It’s also important to me that an organization keep the overhead low. I care strongly that as much of the money raised goes to the work and the clients.” In 2010, 78% of PRC’s expenses went directly to client services. A Signature Event “PRC’s services were vital to my survival,” Gary says. “I vowed always to give back, so that PRC is there for the next person that needs them.” And give back they have! Each June on Pink Saturday, for the last 15

years, Donna and Gary have hosted Pride Brunch, as a benefit for PRC. PRC Board President, Kent Roger, says of Pride Brunch, “I have been so impressed by Pride Brunch every time I’ve attended. The event is the very definition of a community celebration and speaks so much to Donna and Gary’s commitment to PRC and to the city’s LGBT community as a whole.” Donna recalls, “Just as every organization looks for a signature event, we wanted to create one for ourselves. One night, we were sitting around at the Edge Bar, looking at the calendar for Pride Weekend, and we saw that while there was party after party in the evening, there were no brunch events during the whole weekend.” They enlisted the support of their friends Chef Rusty Gaspard and Catering and Events Director Billy Roberts of the famous Stars restaurant in Civic Center for the first

Pride Brunch in 1999. From there things developed quickly, and the event became a space for the community to interact with the Pride Parade’s Grand Marshals and to support Positive Resource Center. “My first thought was, ‘Wait, another thing to do during Pride Weekend?’” says Donna. “But like all events, this was an investment. When we first started Pride Brunch, it was more of a fun party, rather than an important fundraiser. Gradually, with sponsorship packages and corporate support from places like Sterling Bank, The Edge, Daddy’s (now 440 Castro), Marlena’s, and Community Thrift Store, Pride Brunch began to provide significant unrestricted income for PRC.” 2011 proved a banner year when Wells Fargo joined Pride Brunch as its Presenting Sponsor, basically covering the fixed expenses of the hotel, so that all additional sponsorships and individual ticket purchases

They both feel that PRC remains extremely relevant to the community, even with the shifts in the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. Donna reminds us, “I don’t think the need for PRC’s services has gone away. There are still people up against the wall, in difficult situations, who need help. Even though things have changed tremendously since those early years, there are still people coming to PRC feeling like it’s the end of the world, like their life is over. And the staff is there to tell them that there are systems out there to support them, that they’re entitled to these benefits.” This year’s 16th annual Pride Brunch on Saturday, June 28, promises to continue the tradition of fun and fundraising at Hotel Whitcomb from 11am–2pm with returning supporters like Dixieland Dykes + 3 providing live music, Barefoot Winery serving bubbly, and Tito’s Handmade Vodka offering cocktails. Come enjoy a fabulous gourmet brunch buffet, hear candid remarks from each attending Grand Marshal, help us raise money for PRC, and celebrate Pride with your friends.

BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

PHOTO BY KAREN T. BORCHERS

PHOTO BY BILL WILSON

PHOTO BY KAREN T. BORCHERS

DESIGN BY KARIN JAFFIE DESIGN BY KARIN JAFFIE

The Pride Brunch’s House Band: Dixieland Dykes +3 Who’d have thought that on a weekend filled with marches and street festivals and a giant rainbow parade trotted around the city streets that one of my favorite Pride events would be inside a century-old hotel? We Dixieland Dykes +3 have been honored to play as the house band for the Pride Brunch since 2002. We love this gig. There’s something a tad mischievous feeling about playing rollicking, gutter bucket jazz in a hotel decked out in Edwardian-style trim. Lucky for us, Gary Virginia, who started the event with Donna Sachet as a fundraiser for Positive Resource Center 16 years ago, is a huge Dixieland fan. We played for his first fundraiser at the Eagle in 1997 back in his Mr. SF Leather

BAY TIMES JUNE 1 2 , 2 0 1 4

days. So when they added live music to the cocktail reception, he asked us. The Pride Brunch is like the “behind the scenes” documentary of Pride... only with mimosas and hash browns. Inside the shoebox ballroom of the Hotel Whitcomb, beneath crystal chandeliers and rainbow balloons, the Pride Grand Marshals sit within spitting distance of your table and tell you about their life’s passion. That thing that drives them to protest in front of the White House or stand up in a court room to demand equal protection or found a non-profit that provides services to our community when the larger society refuses to step up. Hearing those stories told in their own words, often with funny anecdotes and nods of thanks to their heroes and their families, is genuinely

nity activists Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, Pat Norman, Stuart Milk, and Lt. Dan Choi. And it was at the Pride Brunch that José Sarria declared he’d stand up to City Hall one more time and ride up Market Street in a horse-drawn carriage, city ordinances be damned. PHOTO BY KAREN T. BORCHERS

By Heidi Beeler

moving. It gives a personal perspective of our leaders that you don’t get from a blurb on a website or watching their convertible drive by on Market Street. While not every Grand Marshal makes the brunch, we’ve

heard from celebrities like Dustin Lance Blackman, Dot Brown, Cloris Leachman and the cast of Noah’s Arc; and from commu-

This year Sachet and Virginia continue the tradition with Grand Marshals like Judy Grahn, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Tommy Avicolli Mecca, Jewlyes Gutierrez and Melanie Nathan. There’s always a feature number performed by Ms. Sachet herself. And DD+3 will be there with beads on Trumpet player Heidi Beeler is a founding member of Dixieland Dykes +3 and has been a member of the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band since 1991.

The Inspirational, Life-Affirming Pride Brunch and PRC Hold True to Their Vision By Brett Andrews

Ticket Information: positiveresource.org/events.asp

Well, its eleven years later, and I remember my first day at Positive Resource Center like it was yesterday. I was so thrilled to be working for an organization that was so closely tied to the community—my community. Of course, also facing me was the very stark reality of PRC’s most recent and devastating financial crisis. It was clear, there was work to be done, and I needed all the help I could get. I started in February, so the next significant fundraising event for the agency was Pride Brunch, which occurs during the San Francisco Pride Celebration in June. Over the next few months, I tried to learn as much as I could about the event—hearing from the board, staff and people around town. Everyone kept telling me about how Gar y & Donna’s Pride Brunch was a true community event. I kept thinking, of course it’s a community event—aren’t most all fundraisers made up of the community? Only later would I realize the true meaning of a communitysupported event.

When Pride was finally upon us, I, for one, was ready! In fact, I was so eager to attend that I got little sleep the night before. The moment I walked into the Hotel Whitcomb, I could feel the energy. It was like a train sitting at the station, ready to receive passengers, and eager to make its way down the tracks. What came after

My life was aff irmed by the rich, eclectic mosaic of people who came in show of support for the Grand Marshals, and also to support an organization that, in some way, touched their lives. As I moved through the crowd, I found great comfort in seeing people proudly self-expressing, and always being met with welcoming smiles and supportive nods. I saw my journey in their journeys, and it felt right. So, here we are, the 16th Annual Pride Brunch, and my 11th. And, while many of the faces have changed, the fundamental reasons for coming together Saturday, June 28, remain the same—bearing witness to individuals’ courageous and participatory lives, and helping to raise crucial funds for Positive Resource Center. Here is what I know: each day has the potential of presenting its own unique set of challenges and opportunities. Every day when we open our doors, PRC is reminded of this fact. We are proud of our rich history, punctuated by long-standing supporters, our resilience and ability to be dynamic, and most importantly our strident commitment to social and economic justice. In great part because of the longstanding support of Pride Brunch, and many other communitybased fundraisers, PRC has proven over and over that it can hold its vision and navigate the twists and turns in the road as they occur. This is the hallmark of Positive Resource Center. Brett Andrews is the Executive Director of the Positive Resource Center.

DESIGN BY KARIN JAFFIE

For sixteen years the Pride Brunch, held annually on the Saturday before the Pride Parade on the final Sunday in June, has featured celebrities, elected officials, activists, community leaders and a host of friends and colleagues having a good time while supporting an important cause.

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY KAREN T. BORCHERS

PHOTO BY BILLY GREEN

PHOTO BY KAREN T. BORCHERS

PHOTO BY R INK

In late spring, I had my first meeting with Donna Sachet & Gary Virginia, and boy did we cover a great deal of ground. We talked about their PRC board service, PRC’s most recent financial challenges, how the community banded together and fundraised to save the agency, my ideas for the future of PRC, and, of course, Pride Brunch. Donna said, “Oh, you’ve never experienced anything like this—just wait!”

was nothing short of inspirational and life-affirming. The inspiration came from the host of Grand Marshals— from community leaders to notable celebrities to unlikely individuals who found themselves doing extraordinary things—who, through their own life journeys, often met with challenge and controversy, succeeded and achieved against the odds.

BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

History Happens

News from the GLBT Historical Society & The GLBT History Museum Queer History at LGBT Film Festival Film is a powerful way to share the stories of GLBT history, so it’s always rewarding to see historic documentaries in Frameline’s San Francisco I nter nat iona l LGBT Film Festival. This June, we›re proud to co-present four documentaries at the festival:

Begun as a makeshift memorial in San Francisco, the AIDS Memorial Quilt quickly grew into a national symbol. Featuring interviews with the project›s founder Cleve Jones, T he L ast One asks the question: How are we still diagnosing people at alarming rates? In 1975, Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan became one of the f irst same-sex couples to legally marry, and the first to be denied legal immigration status. Limited Partnership tells the story of a pioneering bi-national couple who paved the way to defeat DOMA. The politics, passion and personal toll of coming out in East Berlin are captured in Out in East Berlin—Lesbians & Gays in the GDR, a powerful, illuminating documentary about thirteen East Berliners who came to terms with their sexuality in an authoritarian state. Several f ilms in the festival use footage from our archives, including T he Last One (described above), Folsom Forever, and Regarding Susan Sontag. GLBT History Museum Free for Students California students will be admitted FREE (with student ID) to the GL BT Histor y Museum during the entire run of the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, June 19 to 29, courtesy of Wells Fa r go. C elebr ate queer pr ide month with a visit to queer history! Volunteers Needed For queer pride month and the summer tourist season, the GLBT Histor y Museum is now open 7 days a week, and will remain so until this fall. At other times of year, we’re closed on Tuesdays.

P HOTO BY DAN IEL N IC OL ETTA

Seamlessly combining a thriller narrative with a documentary love story, The Circle is the astounding t r u e t a l e o f S w i t z e r l a n d ’s 194 0 s -19 6 0 s maga zi ne of t hat name-and the network of friends and lovers that formed around it, becoming one of the world’s f irst homophile societies. We need volunteers to staf f the museum. Are you a people person? Do you care about sharing GLBT h i stor y w it h t he publ ic? C a n you com m it to t wo volu nteer shifts per month? If so, please s ig n up at : w w w.k i nter a .or g/ AutoG en/C ont act/C ont actUs. asp?ievent=277813 In the Archives Vicki Marlane (1934-2011) was a female impersonator, transsexual woman and trans performer who beca me a beloved com mu n it y icon through her charit y work, involvement w it h t he Imper ia l Court, and Hot Boxx Girls Revue at Aunt Charlie›s Lounge in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. The 100 block of Turk Street is designated as Vicki Mar Lane, thanks to a resolution by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in April. The street sign will be unveiled on June 27 during the annual Trans March. Earlier this year, we processed a collection of papers and artifacts from her life into our archives. The collection includes personal correspondence, photos, legal documents, a memorial album, dresses, shoes, a wig, jewelry, and a DVD copy of the 2008 documentary film about Marlane directed by Michelle Lawler, Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight. Out on 18th Street Come see “Biconic Flashpoints: 4 Decades of Bay Area Bisexual Politics,” now on view in our Community Gallery. This multimedia exhibition tells the story of local bisexual activism in four flashpoints: In 1976, activists founded the Bisexual Center, a beacon of visibility and support. In 1984, the recently formed BiPOL reg istered and ran a Vice Presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention. In 1990, BiPOL convened the first National Bisexual Conference. In 2008, bisexuals facing erasure in the “gay marriage” debate engaged in “unVEILing injustice,” which moved LGBT organizational and media language toward greater inclusivity and accuracy.

The Circle 32

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Upcoming Events Check out Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay at San Francisco’s de Young Museum, opening June 14 and running through January 11 (see page 24). This photographic series chronicles the gay communities of Los A ngeles and San Francisco from 1969 to 1973. Materials on loan from the GLBT Historical Society will provide context and insight into the work. On Sunday, June 22, from 5 to 7pm the GLBT History Museum will present “30: The Early Years of HIV/AIDS in New Zealand,” a screening of historical footage from New Zealand that marks the 30th anniversary of the first AIDS-related death there, with discussion by curator Gareth Watkins. On Sunday, June 29, admission to the GLBT History Museum will be free all day in honor of San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride, courtesy of Wells Fargo. The GLBT Historical Society’s 2014 Unmasked Gala will happen at the elegant Contemporary Jewish Museum in Yerba Buena/SOMA on Wednesday, October 29. T he GL BT History Museum: 4127 18th Street, San Francisco; 415-6211107; www.glbthistorymuseum.org GLBT Historical Society: 657 Mission Street, Suite 300, San Francisco; 415777-5455, ext. 3#; www.glbthistory.org

a gay mecca. Greenwich Village was already a gay neighborhood a n d t he s p e a k e a s ie s o f T i m e s S qu a r e wer e “ not or iou s h a n gouts” for men who wished to f ind each other. He simply may have wanted, a fter t wo recent, fa i led relat ionships w it h men he loved in Spain, to explore his sexual self with an openness not available to him in his native land. I n New York , García L orca entered the world of the gay avantgarde a nd bega n ex pressing h is

W here t he Good Gray Poet saw a nat ion of lovers and comrades in “cohesive” relationships, Garc ía L orca fou nd a n A mer ica of heartless cities that created dehumanizing isolation and emotional disorientation. With intense lyric i s m , he e x pr e s s e d h i s d i s m ay at t he “mount a i ns of coa l, bi l lboards, and railroads,” the “mire and death.” Agony, agony, dream, ferment, and dream. T his is the world, my friend, agony, agony. Bodies dissolve beneath city clocks… And life is neither noble, nor sacred, nor good. Ret u r n i ng home i n 193 0, Ga rcía L orca cont i nued h is success with plays such as Bodas de Sangre/ Blood Wedding, poetry collections, and other major works. When the Spanish Civil War began in 1936, he was arrested by Fascist soldiers loya l to Fr a ncisco Fr a nco, who took him into the countryside and assassinated him. There had been no trial or even a formal accusation of wrongdoing. The details of his death are unknown, although biographer Ian Gibson wrote that a mon g h i s mu r d er er s w a s one “ who boa sted l ater t h at mor ning in Granada that he had just helped to shoot Lorca, f iring, for good measure, two bullets into his arse for being a queer.” He was 38 years old.

is ever more isolating and depersonalized. The great Cervantes published Don Quixote when he was fifty-eight years old. García Lorca’s first book, Impresiones y Viajes/Impressions and Landscapes, appeared in 1918 when he was just 19. El Maleficio de la mariposa/ The Butterfly’s Evil Spell, was staged in 1920. He published Libro de poemas/Book of Poems the next year. In 1928, his poems based upon Spanish folklore, Romancero gitano/Gypsy Ballads, made him famous throughout the Hispanic world. Saturated with mythic and sexual allusions, the work combined modern poetic imagery with traditional literary forms to startling, new effect. He was 30 years old. In June 1929, when the decade’s avantgarde writers and painters dreamed of living and working in Paris or Berlin, García Lorca went instead to New York, spend ing nine months w a nder i ng i n t he “m a dden i ng, boisterous Babel.” He gave dif ferent reasons for his choice. To one friend he wrote that he was going because he cou ld not t h in k of a worse place to visit. To another he said it was to study with a former professor and friend, then at Columbia Un iversit y. A t h ird pos sibi l it y: t he cit y’s reput at ion as

homosexuality in his writing. He made fr iend s, at tended pa r t ies, and entered into a love af fair with a n A mer ic a n st udent l iv i n g i n Vermont whom he had met in Madrid. Harlem became his favorite pa r t of t he c it y. He d i scovered A f r ic a n - A mer ic a n s pi r it u a l s — wh ich rem i nded h i m of Spa i n’s “ de e p s on g s”— went t o c hu r c h services, black music revues, jazz clubs, and events at the Rockland Pa lace, Ha rlem’s biggest da nce hall, which hosted huge and lavish drag balls. The result of his stay was Poeta en Nueva York/Poet in New York, c o m p l e t e d i n 19 3 0 , pu b l i s he d p o s t hu mo u s l y t e n y e a r s l a t e r,

His last words and f inal thoughts are unknown, but he once stated, “As I have not worried to be born, I do not worry to die,” so perhaps h is closi ng moment s were emo tionally and spiritually peaceful. A f t er h i s d e a t h , C h i le a n p o et and Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda w rote a penet rat ing descr ipt ion of García Lorca’s tragic loss and enduring appeal:

More has been written about Andalusian poet, musician, playwright and artist Federico García Lorca than any Spanish author except Miguel de Cervantes, who had the advantage of a 300-year head start. Lorca remains the most translated Spanish writer of all time, the author of Don Quixote included. His lyricism, clarity of language, and his genius to create visual, surreal images all allow us to experience the psychology of our surroundings and, at the same time, understand ourselves in a world that

Federico Garcia Lorca

g for Chang e zin i n

LESBIAN ACTIVISM CHANGING THE WORLD

esbians Org

Dr. Bill Lipsky

2014 OLOC National Gathering

Rainbow Honor Walk

which showed how the city had altered his vision of poetry, the theater, and the social role of the artist. Its surrealism, imager y, free verse, and themes of urban decay a nd s o c i a l i nju s t ic e i nvoke d a place very dif ferent from the New York of Walt Whitman, whom he descr ibed i n h i s t h ic k ly homo erotic “Ode to Walt Whitman.” A departure from his earlier works, it became a pathbreaking, def ining work of modern literature that changed t he d irect ion of poetr y on three continents.

P HOTOS C OURT ESY OF RAIN BO W H O N O R WAL K

Federico García Lorca: Deep Songs of the Soul

OLOC CELEBRATES 25 YEARS! Join us in the San Francisco Bay Area City of Oakland, California Oakland Marriott Hotel & Convention Center (in downtown Oakland)

Wednesday, July 23rd - Sunday, July 27th, 2014 Featuring: Dorothy Allison

Chrystos

Cherríe Moraga

• Dance with the Bay Area Lesbian Legends Boogie Band • The Lesbian Tent Revival with Sister Carolyn Gage • Pre-Gathering intensive on the Roots of Our Feminisms • Workshops • Caucuses • Intergenerational Panel • Writers' Night • Live auction with Alix Dobkin & MORE

Old Lesbians Organizing for Change PO Box 5853 • Athens, Ohio 45701 Phone: 888-706-7506 Email: info@oloc.org www.oloc.org

OLOC commits to women's liberation, racial and class equality, and providing mobility, hearing, vision, and scent-free accessibility.

I have never seen grace and genius, a winged heart and a crystalline waterfall , come together in anyone else a s they did in him…His was a magnetic joy f ul n ess t h at ge n e rat e d a zest for life in his heart and radiated it like a planet. N o o n e e x p r e s s e d hu m a n i t y ’s misfortune, however, better than García Lorca himself. Mourning t he deat h of h i s dea r f r iend i n Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías/ L ament for Ignacio Sánchez Mejías, he wrote what easily could be his own epitaph: It w ill be a l on g t i m e , if e ve r, before there is bor n an Andalus i a n so t r u e , so r i ch i n a d ve nt u re . I sing of his elegance with words that groan, and I remember a sad breath through the olive trees. Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors. BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

Bridging Communities in the West and East Bay

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2014 Fresh Meat Festival Brings AwardWinning LGBT Performers to the Stage

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such talented performers from such a wide array of genres. And every year, everyone brings it at Fresh Meat!” Gender-bending ballroom, a gay vogue-off, transgender hip-hop, gravity-defying trapeze, thundering taiko and queer Bomba?

America Foy | 510.473.7775 Realtor, CalBRE # 01360255

Taylor Sublett | 510. 301.9569 Realtor, CalBRE # 01776075

It must be the Fresh Meat Festival of transgender and queer performance—the only event of its kind in the US, and a sold-out success 13 years running. Fresh? Very. Even after 13 years, the Fresh Meat Festival continues to be the most innovative and celebrated LGBT performance festival in the nation. Each year, the Festival reinvents itself with fresh talent, new genres and award-winning artists. And tickets? Get them NOW, because these tickets will sell out fast. This year, the outrageously popular Festival—already celebrated for its world-class artistry and sold-out crowds—literally provides the stage for Lana and Andy Wachowski’s new Netflix series, Sense8. The famed Matrix trilogy directors are filming a scene for their new TV series at this year’s Fresh Meat Festival. Festival audiences will get to be a part of television history as out transwoman Lana Wachowski pairs up with out transman Festival director Sean Dorsey to bring San Francisco’s transgender and queer talent and community to the screen. Director Lana Wachowski says, “I am thrilled to film at this year’s Fresh Meat Festival — and to show the world the electric energy and talent of San Francisco’s transgender and queer community.” Dorsey adds, “Dress to see and be seen! Our audiences have a lot of fun…and this year, they will be a part of an international television event!”

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This year’s Fresh Meat Festival is highlighted by national stars including hip hop artist/rapper Katastrophe (Brooklyn), stunning trapeze artist Cohdi Harrell (New Mexico) and International Same-Sex Ballroom Champions Ernesto Palma and Robbie Tristan (New York). “You don’t get this caliber of talent and diversity of genres anywhere else,” says Festival director Sean Dorsey, “The Fresh Meat Festival is the only festival of its kind in the US.” Katastrophe, originally from the Bay Area, returns to Fresh Meat for his last public performance. The internationally-acclaimed transman rapper describes his songs for Fresh Meat as “high energy, funny and sexy. I›m so thrilled to be performing at Fresh Meat again! It›s such an inspiring and eclectic group of artists.” The 2014 line-up also features Annie Danger, Las Bomberas de la Bahia, Sean Dorsey Dance, Shawna Virago, Jocquese Whitfield/Vogue & Tone, Star Amerasu, Saturn Rising, and Maikaze Daiko (with special guests Rachel Ebora and Kristy Oshiro). San Francisco audiences know Shawna Virago well: she is a singer-songwriter whose songs are pieces of powerful, astute, sexy genius. Virago says, “The Fresh Meat Festival is like the LGBT community’s Opera or Ballet. This is the event we look forward to all year long. This is the event we get dressed up for. This is the event that inspires us and makes us proud.” The female-power continues: Las Bomberas de la Bahia is one of the world’s only all-female Bomba ensembles. Bomba, one of the traditional music and dance styles of Puerto Rico, originated amongst the slaves who worked the sugar cane fields. Longtime member Vanessa Camarena says, “It’s incredible to share the stage with

International Same-Sex Latin Ballroom Champions Ernesto Palma and Robbie Tristan fly in from New York to premiere two works, including a piece set to Eurovision Song Contest winner, Conchita Wurst. “Ernesto and Robbie are FIERCE,” says Dorsey. “They are so graceful and clean and sensual. It’s powerful to see two men dancing Latin ballroom.” Sean Dorsey Dance will perform a highly-anticipated excerpt from their upcoming show “The Missing Generation,” which explores the impact of the loss of part of an entire generation of gay and transgender people to AIDS in the 1980s and 1990s. “The Missing Generation” is a poignant, necessary work full of heart, beauty, pain and wisdom. While the Festival has attracted national acclaim for what happens onstage, what happens afterwards is also a big draw. “We have after-parties in the lobby every night,” explains Production Coordinator Eric Garcia, “DJ Miz Rowdy, go-go dancers, drinks, our legendary photo booth—it’s a big celebration!” With hip-hop, taiko, modern dance, ballroom, bomba, voguing, live music…there is something for everyone at this year’s Fresh Meat Festival. “Everyone is welcome!” says Dorsey, adding that ASL interpretation will be provided at the June 20 performance. Everybody may be welcome, but only those with tickets will be let in! Get those tickets in advance: this event always sells out. Fresh Meat Festival will happen June 1921, 8pm @ Z Space (450 Florida, SF). For tickets and more information, please visit: www.freshmeatproductions.org

Round About - Beach Blanket Babylon 40th Anniversary

Photos by Steven Underhill stevenunderhill.com

Producer Jo Schuman Silver joined Mayor Ed Lee and a multitude of dignitaries in welcoming the public on Friday, June 6, to a special celebration of Beach Blanket Babylon’s 40th Anniversary in the Rotunda at San Francisco City Hall. Truly an only in San Francisco event, the program featured Mayor Lee, Chief of Protocol Charlotte Shultz and former Secretary of State Charles Shultz, Ann Getty, Dede Wilsey, SF Symphony Director Michael Tilson Thomas and the SF Gay Men’s Chorus. Accompanied by the dignitaries, cast members of the show presented performance segments and an array of special hats. Photographer Steven Underhill represented the Bay Times and captured images from before, during and after show at City Hall. The celebration was also streamed live on the Internet and can be found in the Video On Demand section of sfgovtv.org

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See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

compiled by Robert Fuggiti

The hit Broadway play, “Seminar,” will be at the SF Playhouse through June 14.

2014 Pride Business Expo – Hotel Whitcomb. $5-$10 suggested donation. 5 pm to 8 pm. (1231

Market St.) www.ggba.com. Golden Gate Business Association’s annual exposition to network with other LGBT business professionals. Tubesteak Connection – Aunt

THE RICHMOND/ERMET AIDS FOUNDATION PRESENTS

featuring company members from the Broadway touring cast of

Plus special guests

DAVID BURNHAM (Wicked) SHARON McNIGHT & SPENCER DAY Benefiting The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

M O N D AY, J U N E 3 0 • 7 : 3 0 P M

CLUB FUGAZI

HOME OF BEACH BLANKET BABYLON

Tickets: Call Beach Blanket Babylon Box Office

415.421.4222 SPONSORED BY:

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Charlie’s. $4. 10 pm. (133 Turk St.) www.auntcharlieslounge.com. Dance the night away to great music and a fun crowd at one of the best gay dive bars in town. Nightlife – California Academy of Sciences. $12. 6 pm to 10 pm. (55 Music Concourse Dr.) www.noisepop.com. Enjoy a fun evening of science, cocktails and live music.

Queer Past Becomes Present Exhibit – GLBT History Museum. $5. 11 am to 7 pm. (4127 18th St.) www.glbthistory.org. A history of queer activism and its current day presence. Seminar – SF Playhouse. $20$100. 8 pm. (450 Post St.) www. sfplayhouse.org. A smorgasbord of vicious, and very funny, wordplay, as innocence collides with experience in this biting Broadway comedy about power, sex, and art. Through June 14.

Pride Celebration – Downtown San Mateo. Free. 4 pm to 6 pm. (Central Park in Downtown San Mateo) www. cityofsanmateo.org. Enjoy a special Pride Celebration in San Mateo with drumming performance by “Pavlov’s Kats.” Third Annual Howard Grayson Life Conference – LGBT Center. Free. 10 am. (1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter.org. A forum to provide housing and health care for all, sponsored by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club.

Opera Goes to the Movies – San Francisco Conservatory of Music. $10-$20. 7 pm. (50 Oak St.) www.godlessperverts.com. Join Dawn Harms, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony’s new Music Director, as she conducts the final concert of

their season themed Opera Goes to the Movies. Daytime Realness – El Rio. $6. 3 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.facebook.com/daytimerealness. Heklina, Stanley Frank & DJ Carnita present an afternoon of drag, dancing and disorder every third Sunday. BIG! – The Stud Bar. Free. 6 pm to 1 pm. (399 9th St.) www.phattestevents.com. A monthly bear dance party with drink specials, go-go dancers and hot Djs. Happening every third Sunday.

Chicks with Shticks Exhibit – San Francisco Main Library. Free. 10 am to 6 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www. sfpl.org. Now for the first time, Kinsey Sicks artifacts— scripts, sheet music, costumes, photos and other memorabilia—are gathered in one place.

Friday Live – El Rio. Free. 10 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf.com. Friday Live is a queer dance party with hip hop and house music.

Godless Perverts Story Hour – Center for Sex and Culture. Free. 8 pm to 10 pm. (1349 Market St.) www.bars-sf.org. Sexy, serious, passionate, funny performances by Jon Ginoli, Annalee Newitz, Juba Kalamka and more.

“Madame Butterfly” will be at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House June 24.

Wanted – Q Bar. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (456 Castro St.) www.sfwanted.com. Enjoy a night of dance and electronic music along with $2 drink specials. Karaoke Mondays – Lookout. Free. 8 pm to 1 am. (2600 16th St.) www.lookoutsf.com. KJ Paul hosts a weekly karaoke night.

Pride Skate: LGBT Roller Disco – Church 8. $10. 7 pm to 10 pm. (554 Fillmore St.) 415-7521967. An LGBT roller skating disco happening every Tuesday. Beach Blanket Babylon – Club Fugazi. $25-$130. 8 pm. (678 Green St.) www.beachblanketbabylon.com. Enjoy Steve Silver’s famous musical revue packed with hilarious pop culture and political antics. Meow Mix – The Stud. Free. 9 pm. (399 9th St.) www.studsf.com. A weekly cabaret variety show with drink specials.

Lesbian Marriage: A Sex Survival Kit – Hormel LGBT Reading Room, Main Library. Free. 6 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.lesbiansexsurvival.com. A groundbreaking, taboo-smashing book for every lesbian couple who has already tied the knot or is getting ready to walk down the aisle. Smack Dab Open Mic Night – Magnet. Free. 8 pm. (4122 18th St.) www.magnetsf.org. An open mic night for all with host Larrybob Roberts. Trivia with Miss Kitty – Wild Side West. Free. 7 pm (424 Cortland Ave.) www.wildsidewest. com. A weekly trivia with fun prices and free to play.

Triassic Parq – Eureka Theatre. $25-$36. 8 pm. (215 Jackson St.) www.rayoflightthreatre.com. Dinosaurs, showtunes and sex changes come together in this inventive new musical that will leave you laughing and crying all the way back to the prehistoric era. Through June 28. Gym Class – Hi Tops. Free. 10 pm. (2247 Market St.) www. hitopssf.com. Enjoy a night of fun at

Castro’s only gay sports bar. Monster Show – The Edge SF. Free. 10 pm. (4149 18th St.) www. qbarsf.com/edge. Cookie Dough hosts an a wild show.

Bisexual Discussion Group – LGBT Community Center. Free. (1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter. org. A peer-led support group for bisexual individuals. UHaul – Beatbox. $10. 10 pm. (314 11th St.) www.uhaulsf.com. A lesbian dance party with special guest DJs and go-go dancers. Trannyshack: Beyoncé Tribute – DNA Lounge. $15. 9 pm. (375 11th St.) www.trannyshack.com. A tribute night with all your favorite hits and appearances by With Latrice Royale, Heklina, Roxy-Cotten Candy, D’Arcy Drollinger, Mahlae Balenciaga, Anjie Myma, Fruitbomb, Chaka Corn, and Effervescence Jackson.

The Show – The Endup. $20. 10 pm. (401 6th St.) www.sensesf.com. SENSE SF and the Endup present a special event showcasing an ensemble of artists who are pushing the sound of the underground. Beatpig – Powerhouse. $5. 9 pm to 2 am. (1347 Folsom St.) www. beatbigsf.com. A themed party happening third Saturdays. Jalwa – Club OMG. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (43 6th St.) www.clubomgsf.com. Enjoy a night of dancing at this unique, Bollywood themed gay bar.

Film Screening: The Ski Trip – Koret Auditorium. Free. 1 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.lesbiansexsurvival.com. The Black LGBT Historical Society will honor director Maurice Jamal with an award as well as show his film The Ski Trip. Salsa Sundays – El Rio. $10. 3 pm to 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf.com. Enjoy live music and dancing every second and fourth Sunday.

Sunday’s a Drag Brunch – The Starlight Room. 12 pm to 2:30 pm. (450 Powell St.) www.starlightroomsf.com. Donna Sachet host an elegant brunch with modern dance numbers, classic singing, and hilarious comedy.

San Francisco Pride Mass – Beaux. Free. 7 pm to 9 pm. (2344 Market St.) www.beauxsf.com. Pride Mass with Episcopal Bishop Marc Handley Andrus at Beaux! “I am delighted that we can begin Pride Week with a celebrations of God’s love for all people...!” LOL Mondays – OMG Bar. Free. 8 pm. (43 6th St.) www.facebook. com/LolAtOmg.

Film Screening: Violette Leduc: In Pursuit of Love – Castro Theatre. $10. 11 am. (429 Castro St.) www.castrotheatre. com. An in depth look with archival footage and interviews at the impact of Violette Leduc’s 1964 memoir, The Bastard. Madame Butterfly – San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. $63+. 8 pm. (401 Van Ness Ave.) www.sfwmpac.org. The great tragic love story returns in a classic new-to-San Francisco production by Broadway legend Harold Prince.

StartOut Pride Happy Hour – Local Edition. Free. 6 pm to 8 pm. (691 Market St.) www.startout.org. Join LGBT entrepreneurs in the startup scene. Kick off Pride with great networking and cocktails. Dazzle – Nourse Theatre. $20$60. 8 pm. (275 Hayes St.) www. sfgmc.org. Join the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus and Tony Award winner Laura Benanti in the most fabulous Broadway revue ever! Researching Hick: A Love Story – Koret Auditorium. $10. 6 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.lesbiansexsurvival.com. Pioneer lesbian playwright Terry Baum will share her experience researching and writing her new solo play, Hick: A Love Story.

BAY T IM ES JUNE 12, 2014

MATISSE from SFMOMA NOV 9, 2013–SEP 7, 2014

Legion of Honor Lincoln Park • legionofhonor.org

Exhibition jointly organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Major Support

Henri Matisse, The Girl with Green Eyes (La ﬁlle aux yeux verts), 1908. Oil on canvas. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, bequest of Harriet Lane Levy. Photograph by Ben Blackwell. Art © Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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Voices Lesbian A Cappella for Justice, an all-women’s choir based in Oakland, performed at the San Leandro Public Library on June 1 to commemorate the start of Pride Month.

Frameline38 volunteer Simon Kong distributed the festival’s programs outside the box office located at the HRC store on Castro Street.

Frameline38 staffers Lindsay Roden and Will Gardener sold tickets and t-shirts to festival members at the HRC store in the Castro.

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY SANDY MORRIS

BODY Clothing, at 450 Castro Street, is featuring a rainbow-themed window display for Pride Month.

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY STEVEN UNDERHHILL

Richmond/ Ermet AIDS Foundation leaders Ken Henderson (center) and Joe Seiler (right) welcomed guests (left to right) Positive Resources Center’s Brett Andrews, AIDS Legal Referral Panel’s Bill Hirsh, and researcher Cesar Zepeda to REAF’s kickoff party for the 20th Annual Gala Help Is On the Way 20 to be held on August 24 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater.

Therese Stewart of the SF City Attorney’s office and NCLR’s Amy Whelan at the Marriage Equality USA Awards Reception.

Maxwell Cameron of AID Walk SF and Mary Ladd of Project Inform displayed the bright red t-shirts for AIDS Walk 2014

PHOTO BY RINK

Authors Renate Stendhal (left) and Kim Chernin presented a conversation evening discussing their new book, Lesbian Marriage: A Sex Survival Kit, at The Mesa Refuge in Point Reyes Station.

PHOTO BY RINK

Bay Times columnist Thom Watson, at the podium, and his husband Jeff Tobaco were on stage at the Marriage Equality USA Awards Reception.

Above right: Lauren Cona and Eliko Bridgewater at the Westside Community Services information table at the AIDS Survivors Summit held on June 5. Right: Jasmine Marshal and Maria Stokes staffed the Project Open Hand table at the AIDS Survivors Summit conducted by the Lets KickAss AIDS Survivors Syndrome group on June 5.

Miss GAPA Khmera Rouge and Mr. GAPA Nguyen “Win” Pham arriving at The Metreon for Bloom, the benefit for API Wellness Center.

PHOTO BY RINK

A gathering of celebrants at the Silent Film Festival’s Opening Night Party, held at McRoskey Mattress Store, displayed their personal interpretations of the tango theme, based on Rudolph Valentino’s epic film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

PHOTO BY RINK

Supervisor David Chiu, honoree Juanita More and Supervisor Jane Kim at the API Wellness Center benefit entitled Bloom at The Metreon.

PHOTO BY RINK

Magnet’s opening for the Todd Trexler poster show featured performances channeling Sylvester as presented by singer Amoray.

Harvey Milk friend and political ally, former supervisor Carol Ruth Silver, at City Hall for the ceremony introducing the new stamp.

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