/SF Bay Times
/SFBayTimes
See special section pages 3-6
ILLUSTRATION BY DEBRA WALKER
June 25-July 8, 2015 | www.sfbaytimes.com
TRAVEL WITH OLIVIA ON ONE OF THESE GREAT LESBIAN VACATIONS! HARD ROCK HOTEL VALLARTA OCTOBER 10-17, 2015
700 lesbians. All-inclusive accommodations. Rock star living! FREE $1,800 per room At-Resort Credit
MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE NOVEMBER 12-19, 2015
Melissa Etheridge will perform her hits and songs from her new album THIS IS M.E. FREE Oceanview Upgrade
CARIBBEAN ESCAPE CRUISE JANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 6, 2016
Soul singer Patti LaBelle kicks off the cruise with an onboard, in-port concert in Fort Lauderdale! $100 off pp + FREE Payment Plan
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 2, 2016
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS FOR BAY TIMES READERS! Mention “BT15” when you call Olivia is THE travel company for lesbians. We have taken over 200,000 women on vacation. Not just any vacation. Those made just for YOU!
CALL (800) 631-6277 or VISIT OLIVIA.COM 2
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Join us as we stop in some of the most beautiful, LGBT-friendly west coast cities $100 off per person
ILLUSTRATION BY DEBRA WALKER
San Francisco Bay Times to Present Record-Breaking Gathering of Women’s Music Stars at Pride
T
he largest ever assemblage of Women’s Music stars in a Pride Parade contingent will take place at the 2015 San Francisco Pride Parade in honor of the 40th anniversary of both the National Women’s Music Festival and the Michigan Womym’s Music Festival. The genre, supported by countless men as well, consists of music that is by women, for women, and about women. The San Francisco Bay Times, when founded in 1978, became the first LGBT newspaper to be created jointly and equally by gay men and women working together. To this day, women remain underrepresented in San Francisco’s LGBT culture, so we honor our tradition with this year’s historic contingent. The gathering will follow San Francisco Pride 2015 Community Grand Marshal Judy Dlugacz, who is the President and Founder of Olivia. The company began as groundbreaking Olivia Records in 1973, and later became Olivia Travel in 1990. Here are just some of the musicians, performers and other music industry professionals who will be in the San Francisco Bay Times and “Betty’s List” contingent: Linda Tillery- Grammy Award nom i nee Ti l ler y first came to prominence as the lead singer in the San Fra ncisco -based band The L oading Zone in the late 60’s. As a drummer for Santana and a producer at Olivia, she gained further acclaim. She was an original member of Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra and founded the Cultural Heritage Choir. In 2014, Tillery received the Community Leadership Award from the San Francisco Foundation.
She will be leading a women’s drumming circle and sing-along during the Pride event. Leslie Ann Jones- Multiple Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Leslie A nn Jones is Director of Music Recording and S c or i n g at S k ywalker Sound. She is a past Chair of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Board of Trustees. Jones, who has produced many Women’s Music recordings over the years, was the first woman assistant engineer to be hired at ABC Studios in Los Angeles. She was also the first female National Officer of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Mela n ie DeMore - A not her G r a m m y Aw a r d nominee, DeMore was also a founding member of the Cultural Heritage Choir. She has been a formidable presence onstage at such noted venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and international folk music festivals from Europe to Cuba to New Zealand. She has also taught and mentored many aspiring musicians, such as recording artist Goapele. Carolyn Brandy- Over the last 35 years, Carolyn Br a nd y h a s b e come a legendary San Francisco Bay Area percussionist, educator and cultural worker. She has been visionary in her quest to bring women into the world of percussion and drumming, and is one of the foremothers of the current Move-
ment of Women Drummers and the non-profit organization Women Drummers International. Brandy was a co-founder of the Jazz Quintet Alive! She founded Sistah Boom, and is the co-creator of the Born to Drum Women’s Camp for Women Drummers. Barbara “Boo” Price- Producer of one of the f irst Wo m e n’s M u s i c concerts highlighting the work of lesbian artists, Price has helped to launch and promote the careers of countless women musicians. With musician Margie Adam, Price co-founded Pleiades Records and began Women in Production, a production company that trained other women producers and technicians. For two decades, Price ran the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club, where many important Women’s Music concerts and related events were held. Price will be co-leading the sing-along at Pride with Tillery and is helping to produce the event. Mary Watkins- Trailblazer Watk i n s wa s a st a f f member at Olivia Records and has since gone on to win numerous awards and comm issions for her music. From performing jazz to composing operas and film scores, Watkins continues to amaze with her breadth of talent and impressive skill. Jen Foster- Nashville-based recording artist Foster is bot h a producer and musician. Her mu s ic h a s b e e n featured in mult iple wel l-k now n
f ilms and television shows, airing on networks such as MTV, HBO and ABC. She has won numerous awards over the years, such as the 2006 OUT Music Awards Song of the Year, LOGO Channel’s Best of 2008, and the 2012 RightOutTV Best Pop Rock Adult Contemporary Award. Karen Williams- A talented and percept ive standup comic, Williams has been featured on HBO, PBS and other television networks. Williams is also a columnist for the San Francisco Bay Times, and for years has performed on Olivia cruises, often opening for Women’s Music entertainers. The International Institute of Humor and Healing Arts (HaHa Institute) is the brainchild of Williams, who uses laughter and entertainment to help, heal and educate others. Woody Simmons- A music producer for film, television and other artists, Simmons is well known as a musician too, and particularly for her skill as a guitar and banjo player. I n 19 8 8 , F R E TS Magazine named Simmons’ classic album “Oregon Mountains” as one of the 12 landmark banjo albums of all time. If you hear music in a Suze Orman program on television, it likely was produced and played by Simmons. Anna Maria Flechero- Singer/ song writer F lechero is the recipient of the Jazz Group of the Year award from the Bay Area Blues Society, 2007. Her music, popular
around the world, has been featured in compilations that include other well-known artists such as Nina Simone and Norah Jones. A member of the San Francisco Filipino-American Jazz Festival, Flechero continues to support Women’s Music and women in jazz. Ellen Seeling- The f irst woman to earn a degree in Jazz Studies from Indiana University, Seeling has been a groundbreaker ever since. One of the most famous women jazz trumpet players of all time, Seeling has performed with both Women’s Music artists and musicians such as The Temptations, Ben E. King, Patti LaBelle, Sister Sledge and many more. In addition to maintaining an active performing and recording schedule, Seeling teaches music at the University of California, Berkeley, and The Jazzschool in Berkeley. She continues to fight for equality in jazz, such as recently ensuring that blind auditions take place at the maledominated Jazz at Lincoln Square Orchestra. Sharon Washington- Sharon and her identical twin Sandra perform as T he Wa s h i n g t o n Sisters. They have performed hundreds of concerts, including at Women’s Music events, and also other music and cultural festivals in the U.S. and Canada. Their blend of a cappella, jazz swing, blues, gospel, and island rhythms provides a unique basis for their message of peace, women’s rights, pride, and cultural diversity. (continued on page 4) BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
3
A Banner Year for Women’s Music
By Holly Near
By Melanie DeMore
Women’s Music was and is a cultural response to sexism and homophobia, and by extension, all of the other joys and challenges of our lives. In the early days, it was a spectacular invitation to get women out of the dark secrecy of bars and into a community well lit with courage and curiosity. With the songs and the concerts as a primary source of support, women left inappropriate marriages; men were given a non-violent tool to help unlearn sexism that this society so militantly teaches; lesbians were astounded to find that they were not alone in their love and their fear; teachers listened to affirming songs in the car en route to classrooms where they were required to stay in the closet; and children grew up positively acclimated to the idea of a single mom, two moms, two dads, and dressing up as fairies and warriors with equal fascination, dancing to the sounds of Women’s Music.
My first encounter with Women’s Music happened in my senior year in college in 1976. I was dating a woman who was in the military (and, by the way, looked just like Phoebe Snow). She said a friend of hers was playing a little concert in an apartment rec room, and asked if I would like to go. I said, “Sure, why not?” There were about 15 people there, and the music was really good. Oh yeah, the performer was Meg Christian.
Here is to Women’s Music! And Happy Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Trans, Questioning, Ally Pride! Holly Near is a singer-songwriter, actor, teacher and activist. She was one of the first women to create an independent record company. http://www.hollynear. com/index.html
Holly with Ronnie Gilbert
PERFORMERS (continued from page 3) Jean Fineberg- A saxophonist, f lutist and drummer, Fineberg specializes in r&b, soul, funk, jazz, rock, reggae, New Orleans and related styles. She has recorded and toured with David Bowie, Luther Vandross, Laura Nyro, Bo Diddley and numerous others. Fineberg teaches at The Jazzschool and is the recipient of many honors and awards, such as the ASCAP Composers Award. Afia Walking Tree- The founder of Spirit Drumz, Afia Walking Tree is an artist-educator who specializes in traditional West African and AfroCaribbean music. Through music, cultural, environmental awareness and spiritual teachings, she promotes diversity and helps to build stronger, more eco-friendly communities. Afia Walking Tree is also a popular performer at Women’s Music concerts and festivals. Page Hodel- Legendary DJ Page Hodel created San Francisco’s longest-running gay dance par4
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
ties, Club Q (for women) and Box (for all genders). She was the first female mixer on major market radio. Hodel, in collaboration with Linda Tillery and Boo Price, is creating the San Francisco Bay Times Pride Contingent song set list.
My next encounter happened when I moved to Austin in 1979. I lived around the corner from a women’s bookstore, and having never been in one, I was, of course, quite curious. It was there that I first heard “Changer and the Changed,” and “Ode to a Gym Teacher,” and Margie Adam’s “Unicorn.” When I first arrived, I didn’t have a record player (remember those? going round and round…ah, the good old days). On the day I got one, I went to the bookstore and picked up “Somethin’ Moving” by Mary Watkins. It’s the one with Mary sitting on a stool at the counter of the old Brick Hut. This was the album that drew me into the Women’s Music scene. I bought it because there was a Black woman on the cover, and when they played it for me in the store, it was so funky; I had to have it. After that, Cris (Williamson), Margie, Meg, and Alix (Dobkin) all became part of my musical landscape. During that time, I was playing in clubs around Austin, doing theatre and being Head Chef at Mike and Charlie’s Restaurant. I also starting singing with a Black Women’s a cappella group called Scintilla, and we were asked to open for Sweet Honey in the Rock at the University of Texas at Austin. What an amazing experience...some serious Sistah energy all around. Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon told me that if I should find myself in the D.C. area…well, needless to say, I was honored. Scintilla did lots of gig around Austin, and one of my favorites was at the one (and only) Austin Women’s Music Festival. I was living in a great house on Canyon Rim Road, and all the women musicians who came to Austin stayed at our house. That’s where I met (and played flute with) Alive!, Teresa Trull and Julie Homi. But the meeting that was to change my musical life forever was when I met Linda Tillery and Mary Watkins. They were the headliners at the festival, and they were extraordinary. Fast forward: I was fortunate to be a Redwood Recording Artist, (got to do a double bill concert with Laura Nyro produced by Redwood Cultural Work) and record my CD “Share My Song” at IMA, June Millington’s studio in Bodega.
Melanie DeMore at Trinity Church in NYC
I have had the pleasure of making music with some extraordinary women over the years: Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, Casselberry and Dupree, Ronnie Gilbert, Holly Near, Odetta, Cris, Sweet Honey, Ysaye Barnwell, Margie Adam, Erika Luckett, June and Jean Millington, Ani DiFranco, Ferron, Julie Wolf, Toshi Reagon, Gina Breedlove, Mary Watkins…I’ve performed at Mich Fest and conducted the Gospel Choir; National Women’s Music Festival; and many, many others. The festival circuit and the incredible women who produced and made spaces for us to share our music gave us opportunities to play and thrive. This is a banner year for Women’s Music. We say goodbye to Michigan and thank you for making a home for us all these years. All of us are forever in your debt for making a place where we could sing loud and proud and strong. It’s the fortieth anniversary of Mich, National, and Changer and the Changed. We give honor to those who came before us, and hope we’ve laid down a solid foundation for those who are coming today and beyond. I am so glad to be welcomed at the table of Women who have lifted up other Women with a song. Grammy Award nominee Melanie DeMore will be performing in the “San Francisco Bay Times” Pride Parade contingent. http://www.melaniedemore.com/
Joining these and many other well known musicians will be members of at least three renowned women-run dance companies: Krissy Keefer’s Dance Brigade, Sarah Bush Dance Project, and World Latin dance champion Helen Vazquez and dancers. Members of the San Francisco Bay Times team as well as supporters will also be in the contingent. The San Francisco Bay Times is the oldest and largest fully LGBT owned and funded newspaper for the LGBT community in Northern California. Special thanks to singer/songwriters and producers Holly Near, Cris Williamson and Barbara Higbie for their help in creating this historic Pride Parade contingent.
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
I hope that young people someday have the opportunity to discover their lesbian culture and/or feminist cultural foremothers—Mar-
gie Adam, Linda Tillery, Berkeley Women’s Music Collective, Wild Mango, Alive!, BeBe K’Roche, Mary Watkins, Iris Films, Betsy Rose, Robin Flower. Libby McClaren, Pat Parker, Judy Grahn, Lichi Fuentes, Olivia, Wallflower Order/Dance Brigade, Wolfe Film and Video, Amy Bank, Leslie Ann Jones, Boo Price, Adrienne Torf, The Brick Hut, Jackeline Rago, La Peña, Ginny Berson, Barbara Higbie, Gwen Avery, KPFA, Irene Young, Jeanne Rizzo, Vicki Randle, Jill Davey, Montclair Women’s Big Band, and on and on. Apologies to those left out, the danger of lists. And these names are just in the California Bay Area. This was going on all over the U.S., Canada, Australia, Europe, Japan, and I don’t even know where else.
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
The women’s movement, the lesbian movement, the feminist movement and the women of color movement all contributed to changing the consciousness of both the left and the mainstream, with culture as the most important front line. Women’s bookstores, concert producers, record distributors and feminist philanthropists, along with the artists, laid this down, brick by brick. Without this courageous act of stepping out front with song/film/ dance/art, there would have been no room for Oprah or Ellen or Melissa or The L Word. We all walk on a path created by those who went before.
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
An Invitation to Discover, or Re-discover, Lesbian and Feminist Culture
The Journey Is the Goal
By Margie Adam
By Cris Williamson
My initiation into the world of Women’s Music came in l973 at an “open mike” at Kate Millet’s Sacramento Women’s Music Festival. There were maybe 50 women in the room. I sat at a piano not knowing how to use a microphone, and told the audience I wasn’t a performer and didn’t know what I was doing. Their response was: “Just sing your songs. You’ll be f ine.” They were right.
In my youth, a wonderful Irish playwright once told me that all art must have three elements: a foot in the Past, a foot in the Present, and a gesture toward the Future. I’ve never forgotten her advice. It was handed to me by an elder. I stand today, well-footed in the first two, and thinking about the third…that is, the Future.
I was born and raised as a singer/songwriter/ performer and feminist organizer in the Women’s Music movement of the l970s. My life has been forever changed by singing and playing music with other strong women singer/songwriters and musicians. My molecular structure is forever encoded with the feminist vision of Women’s Music. The Future of Women’s Music
We have always operated with another currency of exchange and it is acknowledgment. We share the stage; we share skills/contacts. We are passionate partners. Supporting Women’s Music means supporting artists, producers, distributors, technicians, women’s media and the audience. As an audience, we must continue to see ourselves as agents of change, not passive consumers. There is a continued need for community, an entry point for women seeking a safe space to come out, to experience woman-loving energy. Excerpt printed by permission of singer/songwriter and activist Margie Adam. http://www.margieadam. com/info/index.htm
As that young elder, what can I say to the next ones? I think I would say: be prepared to work hard on your craft, and value the journey upon the road, for, no matter what you think, the journey is, indeed, the goal. I know this: the Future happens minute-by-minute, spun from the thread of the Past and invested in the Present moment, and is truly unknown. But if we stay awake, we can feel our place, our part in the world. We all can ride these moments into the Future. We can all set our intentions to fulfill, to thoroughly provide—which is the original meaning of performance. We can only ever do our very best, but we mustn’t do less. All movements have their own natural life, and Women’s Music is no exception. Some parts of this movement have stayed steady, and some have passed away. In those days gone by, Necessity was indeed the Mother of Invention. When it seemed as though all doors in the music industry were closed to us, we turned elsewhere and created not only an alternative, but also an atmosphere in which there was room for women—and those who loved them—to breathe as they began to define themselves. It was hard work then, and it’s hard work now. Definition is a f luid thing. Atmospheres can suffer pollution of all kinds, and that affects the life of the art that lives there. Support must never fall away. I feel that we stood up high upon the shoulders of the women who went before, and the strong men who always supported their efforts. From that higher plane, we could see the horizon, we could imagine a Future where young women could move forward in confidence, some never
suspecting that there had been ceilings there where now there was only sky. We wanted that for ourselves, and we want it still for all of us. We imagined it into being because it was necessary. We midwived ideas and music and painting and all art of all kinds, catching beauty and sending it forth into the world. We who make this music are like unto plants that when cut back, bloomed more beautifully, keeping some of the thorns for protection. It’s the way we’re made. We set our own intentions, living up to our own expectations. Always there will be more young women who will lift their heads, catch the music, and stride down the road as if it had always been there. In fact, I believe the Road is always there. Many may not know our names, or the work that we did, but the music we made and still make to this day streams into the world, carried still in the hearts of those who care. I know we all made a difference back then in the wild, old days, and we still do. Learned by heart, this music and the music-yet-to-come will live because it will always be necessary, and will, like all art, be invented and reinvented timelessly. The Road beckons… Cris Williamson’s recordings, particularly “The Changer and the Changed,” forged the cornerstone of Women’s Music. She has gone on to record 30+ bestselling albums and continues to perform around the world. http://www.criswilliamson.com/
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
Passion, audacity and activism are still the fuel of this community and its culture. Why do
women who identify with Women’s Music keep doing it? Not for the $$. It’s too hard.
I am a young elder now, still working, still performing, and never dreaming for a minute of retiring. I am so glad to have something to do, some way of saying what is on our collective minds and in our tender hearts, some way of surviving, some way of helping others do the same. I love my work in this world. Of course, I still need the support of those who love what I do, and in some ways, even more than I did before.
PHOTO BY IRENE YOUNG
More recently, I found myself backstage at the rally site for the National Gay/Lesbian/ Bi March on Washington preparing to perform for one million people. I was completely unnerved by the mixture of celebrity energy swirling around backstage along with the reality of ‘history in the making.” Then I looked around and had a moment of clarity. I was surrounded by a crew of women I recognized from Women’s Music festivals all over the country—the same women I had been working with for years. These were the people who were producing this incredible event for a million people live and countless millions watching on TV. I was instantly on solid ground.
PHOTO BY DONNA KORONES
Thoughts on Women’s Music
Meg Christian and Cris Williamson, 1981 Olivia Records artists and producers (1970s)
Special thanks to artist Debra Walker for illustrating San Francisco Bay Times “Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Music”
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
5
W E ’ V E G O T. . . MORE FREE ATMs than the other guys. AND if you’re too busy to find one of ours, we’ll pay you back for using theirs.
Special thanks to Barbara Price, Irene Young, Jane Higgins, Judy Werle and Olivia Travel for photo compilation
What’s Next? Watch for a new monthly column, Ready for Her, debuting in the next issue of the SAN FRANCISCO FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Chasing After ATMs
Far-To-Go To Get An ATM
ATMs In Part Of America
P LU S , no minimum balance requirements or monthly maintenance fees with our checking.
SanFranciscoFCU.com | 415.775.5377 Federally Insured by NCUA. 1 to 5 reimbursements of other US ATM operators’ fees per month depending on combined balances.
6
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
San Francisco Bay Times.
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
7
Protecting Education as the Great Equalizer E a rl ier t h i s mont h i n Oakland, an obscure organization met to decide if California’s community and two-year colleges meet education standards. The process sounds simple, but the Accrediting Commission on Community and Junior Colleges meets behind closed doors and routinely throws students under the bus through arbitrary enforcement.
Assemblymember Phil Ting
Ask any student at City College of San Francisco who went to class for the last two years in fear that the commission would shut down their school, or those students whose education recently came to a crashing halt when Heald College campuses closed in San Francisco, Hayward, Milpitas, and Concord. The tale of these two colleges shows that education cannot be the great equalizer in our society if different rules apply to different schools. Reforms recently passed by the State Assembly this month in my AB 1397 will protect students by ensuring a fair, objective, and transparent accreditation process. Accreditation is a stamp of approval demonstrating that colleges provide a quality education. For California’s community colleges, it is required to receive public funds for operations and student financial aid. Every six years, colleges must be evaluated by teams of educators who give their findings to the commission. In 2012, commissioners gave Heald College a passing grade. Then, in 2013, they voted to revoke the accreditation of City College before giving it time to correct deficiencies identified by the evaluation team. This risked the closure of the state’s largest community college and jeopardized the education of 90,000 students. With City College outperforming other schools academically and administrative inefficiencies corrected, the City of San Francisco filed a lawsuit prompting the commission to pursue a more reasonable path.
8
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Last year, the United States Department of Education cited the commission for an inability to demonstrate the use of widely accepted standards, inadequate evaluation mechanisms, and failure to provide colleges with reasonable time to respond. An independent state audit and a California Superior Court echoed these concerns and identified more.
The audit found the commission applies education standards unfairly and inconsistently. Not only does the commission sanction colleges four times more frequently than other accreditors, but it is also the only one to deny appeals for most sanctions. The body also rarely imposes sanctions when an individual affiliated with a college under review is also a presiding commissioner. Prompted by the City of San Francisco’s lawsuit, the court ruled the commission is plagued by conflicts of interest and a lack of due process. It also ruled that the commission is not immune from state law, ending the debate on whether these serious problems have state-based solutions. California needs AB 1397 to make the commission’s meetings public and to give the public a voice before votes are taken on accreditation. The bill also establishes a strict conflict of interest policy and a right for colleges to appeal sanctions. These logical reforms will enable students, teachers, and taxpayers to hold our accreditor accountable for its performance and use of state education funds. We need the State Senate to pass this bill and for Governor Jerry Brown to sign it. This will send a powerful message to our future leaders now in college: fairness and equality must always prevail. Phil Ting represents the 19th Assembly District, which includes the Westside of San Francisco as well as the cities of Broadmoor, Colma and Daly City.
Supporting Bay Marriage O u r L GB T com mu n it y making sure new job sites in the Bay Area can help are put in locations that achieve goals and programs make transportation easy. that more strongly unite Our bridge must be rethe different parts of our paired and transportation region—supporting “Bay funds used in a wise and Marriage.” The Bay region thoughtful way, including shares needs ranging from making sure vital infraair quality to protecting our structure isn’t leaking and bay waters to the regional at risk, and that regional affordable housing crisis— transportation planning is in which displacement from coherent and coordinated, San Francisco and jobssuch as common transit housing imbalance in Silicon passes. Out of the Closet Valley are causing skyrocketing costs and displacement and into City Hall On housing, we have a cr isis centered in San in the East Bay and beyond. Francisco that is causOakland Vice Mayor Our region is intertwined, ing economic hardship Rebecca Kaplan from our economy to our throughout our region. It transportation infrastrucis time to seek regional soture. Therefore, by being better connected regionally, we can help im- lutions, including requiring cities or counties that do not provide adequate housing for the prove quality of life for everyone. workforce to pay into a fund to help support While people of all sexual orientations will ben- jurisdictions that provide more housing. Afefit from a more cohesive region, LGBT lead- fordable housing is becoming a region-wide ers can help show the way, as many of us are crisis, requiring more comprehensive solutions, accustomed to having cross-bay regional re- to ensure that everyone, including the work lationships including in activism, socially and force that keeps our region functioning, can through work. We are at a crossroads in which afford to find housing here. inadequate regional connections will undermine the quality of life for all of us. LGBT lead- The Bay Area is blessed with great weather and ers can pave the road for an adequate regional a creative and diverse population. With good connection including, for example, in two spe- planning, we should be able to provide housing and job access that benefits our communities, cific areas: transportation and housing. and avoid cities taking actions that harm one On transportation, we know that BART is at another. Instead, we should take actions that capacity, often full, and struggling to maintain are based on a goal of mutual benefit. In short, and expand its infrastructure. Our freeways are Bay Marriage. congested, and yet, we need to support vibrancy and a growing population without the harms Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan was elected in 2008 to of hundreds of thousands of more vehicles. Re- serve as Oakland’s citywide councilmember. She was gional solutions will include building on some re-elected in 2012 and serves cu rrently as Vice Mayor. successes, such as the Transbay bus service and She is working for safe neighborhoods, for local jobs the newly-expanding late-night buses to cover and for a fresh start for Oakland. Vice Mayor Kaplan BART routes when BART is closed (see http:// graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Massachusetts Inwww.actransit.org/allnighter/). We should stitute of Technolog y, obtained a Master’s degree from be working to expand carpooling, including Tufts University and a Juris Doctor from Stanford region-wide carpool matching services, and Law School.
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
9
In the News
between 18th and 19th Streets at 6pm. This year’s theme is “Power Through Visibility.” Trans March is SF’s premiere trans pride event, and it’s one of the largest trans events in the entire world. transmarch.org
By Dennis McMillan Nation’s First LGBTQ Shelter Opens in the Mission Jazzie’s Place, the first shelter in the country for the adult LGBTQ community, opened in the Mission District, 1050 South Van Ness Avenue. Operated by Dolores Street Community Services, and funded by both the City and private donations, Jazzie’s Place seeks to be a safe haven from the fear and violence that the City’s LGBTQ homeless population routinely experiences. According to SF’s most recent homeless statistics, 29% of the City’s homeless identify as LGBTQ. camposstaff@sfgov.org Gay Cholo Mural Gets Defaced After Online Threats The latest mural in the Mission at Bryant and 24th Streets, which depicts gay, lesbian, and transgender “cholos,” has the gallery behind the mural fearing for the safety of the artist and his supporters. The mural was officially unveiled last Saturday. So far it has been defaced with spray paint in three different attacks. The murals are supposed to spark discussion, but this one has led to online threats against the artist Manuel Paul—who belongs to a queer DJ and artist group known as the Maricón Collective—as well as supporters of the artist. fusion.net National Park Service Highlights Places, Events Fundamental to LGBT Community As part of its centennial campaign, Find Your Park, The National Park Service is celebrating places and events that are fundamental to the history of the LGBT community. Most people, for example, don’t know that national parks are more than just
the sprawling landscapes of Yosemite and Yellowstone. Places like Waaay off Broadway, a historical venue for cabaret entertainers, drag queens and musicians; the Bisexual Resource Center in Boston, MA; and the famous Stonewall Inn are amongst landmarks the initiative is seeking to preserve. http://www.nps.gov/history/heritageinitiatives/LGBThistory/ GetInvolved2.pdf Weekend Devoted to ACT UP 25th Anniversary of AIDS Conference Last weekend, on the 25th anniversary of the 6th International AIDS Conference held in San Francisco in June 1990, activists gathered at a series of events to commemorate, debate and dissect how activism changed the agenda at the conference and shaped responses to the pandemic. Art, performance and dialogue addressed how queers and activists who struggled through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s are surviving, dealing with or getting by in a present that is haunted by that past. The closing ceremony remembered and honored ACT UP members lost to the epidemic and other causes, with music, poetry, photographs, and personal tributes. Annual Trans March Will Meet on Dolores Street, Not in Dolores Park The 12th annual Trans March is on June 26, meeting on Dolores Street
San Francisco Rally to Follow Supreme Court Decision on Marriage Equality The LGBTQ community and allies are to gather at Castro and 18th Streets at 6pm as part of the nationwide movement by national equality organizations on the day that the U.S. Supreme Court announces their decision on marriage equality. The decision will be announced at approximately 7am Pacific Time. Organizers are a coalition of equality advocacy groups and aligned citizens, in collaboration with national groups advocating for equality, including Marriage Equality USA, GLAAD, Freedom to Marry, Family Equality Council and National LGBTQ Task Force. uniteformarriage.org
Annual Dyke March to Start Earlier This Year The Dyke March is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, at the intersection of 18th and Dolores Streets, but not in Dolores Park. This year, the March will be starting earlier—3:30pm. Please note, Dyke March is a women’s space. While support is appreciated from male allies, they ask that men support the March from the sidelines. thedykemarch.org Judge Deals SFPD Disciplinary Setback over Homophobic, Racist Texts San Francisco officials failed to restart internal disciplinary cases against
police officers accused of exchanging homophobic and racist text messages, with a Superior Court judge setting a hearing on whether the City botched the cases by violating the statute of limitations. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr has called the text messages “reprehensible” and has moved to fire eight of 14 officers implicated in sending and receiving them. The text messages, which came to light during a federal corruption probe, have raised questions about homophobic and racial bias in the City force. sfgate.com United Nations to Celebrate 70th Anniversary in San Francisco On Friday June 26, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Mayor Edwin M. Lee, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, and LGBTQ leaders will join the Bay Area in marking the 70th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter with commemorative events in San Francisco, including City Hall and the Fairmont Hotel. The Harvey Milk Foundation will be presenting a Harvey Milk Medal to Ban Ki-moon for creation of the Free & Equal Campaign for LGBTQ equality. The anniversary commemorates events of June 26, 1945. With World War II still raging in the Pacific, representatives of 50 nations then gathered in San Francisco to sign the United Nations Charter. unfe.org Cheer San Francisco Named SF’s Official Cheerleaders With SF LGBT Pride Weekend just around the corner, Cheer San Francisco was proud to be named the Official Cheerleading Team of the City and County of San Francisco. Dignitaries from SF’s City Hall pre-
sented an official designation to Cheer SF and to its philanthropic Cheer For Life Foundation in its 11th year at the organization’s 35th Anniversary Banquet Gala in Downtown San Francisco. Additionally, the Banquet celebrated the athletic and acrobatic group’s 35 years of charitable giving. cheersf.org Supervisors Wiener & Cohen Introduce Resolution for Increased Police Staffing While San Francisco’s population has grown significantly, as have crime rates, police staffing has gone down, so Supervisors Scott Wiener and Malia Cohen introduced a resolution calling for significantly increased police staffing levels to reflect San Francisco’s significant population growth, including adjusting the definition of “minimum staffing” upward by several hundred officers. The resolution was heard at the Land Use and Transportation Committee, where the Controller’s Office presented a report on San Francisco police staffing that was requested earlier this year by Supervisors Wiener and Cohen. The Police Department was also present on crime trends and staffing needs. sfgov.org Openly Gay Pitcher Sean Conroy Gets Pro Baseball Start Sean Conroy, an openly gay professional baseball pitcher, will get his first start this Thursday, June 25, for the Sonoma Stompers. The Sonoma Stompers are an independent professional baseball team located in Sonoma, California, who play in the Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs. Conroy has been coming out of the bullpen for the (continued on page 23)
S!
R PE FFE RO O EU 2 K SE O O BOCHO D
AN
Our 123go! offer lets you relax and enjoy a luxurious escape to the Caribbean and beyond
*
For a limited time, our popular 123go! offer is still available. Book an ocean view or higher stateroom in the warm, breezy, turquoise Caribbean, or almost anywhere we sail, and choose from three incredible offers—Classic Beverage Packages, Free Tips, or up to $300 to spend on board.* Or book a Europe vacation and choose TWO offers. Wherever you travel, you can relax, be yourself, and return to life completely restored and renewed. Book by July 5, 2015, to take advantage of our 123go! offer on more than 220 exciting sailings departing August 2015 through April 2016. Visit celebritycruises.com/sf, call 1-888-456-7887, or contact your travel agent.
Discover why
at celebritycruises.com/sfGIG
*Cruise must be booked 6/1/15–7/5/15 (“Offer Period”). Offer applies to 3-night and longer cruises departing 8/2015–4/2016 booked at the non-discounted standard rate. Offer excludes Celebrity Xpedition® and certain sailings. Bookings that meet all of these requirements are “Qualifying Bookings.”Offer provides ocean view and veranda stateroom bookings in European sailings with guest’s choice of any two of the following options and one of these options for all other sailings: Classic Beverage Package, Free Gratuities, or a stateroom onboard credit (“OBC”). OBC amounts vary as follows: $100 for 3-5 nights, $200 for 6-9 nights, and $300 for 10-nights and longer. One OBC per stateroom. Third and higher guests booked in a triple or higher Qualifying Booking stateroom each receive one 40-minute Internet Package and one Classic Non-Alcoholic Beverage Package. Free Gratuities provides prepaid stateroom, waiter, assistant waiter, and head waiter gratuities in the amount suggested by Celebrity’s guidelines. OBC is not redeemable for cash and expires on final night of the cruise. Captain’s Club Reduced Deposit Offer: Classic Members and higher are eligible for a 50% reduced deposit on Qualifying Bookings made more than 70 days from departure date. Celebrity’s cancellation policy applies, including but not limited to full cancellation penalty amounts. All Offers are applicable to new individual bookings, non-transferable, applicable only to the Qualifying Booking, not combinable with any other offer. Offers and prices are subject to availability and change without notice, and capacity controlled. **Celebrity features the most verandas based on veranda to total stateroom capacity. ©2015 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.
10
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
11
Love, Commitment and Family: Why Marriage Matters effectively maintained the inequality. We have clearly come so far since then, thanks to progress, legal developments, and a greater understanding of gay people and why marriage matters. As Evan Wolfson, founder and president of Freedom to Marry,
The marriage equality movement has been decades in the making, beginning with Baker v. Nelson in the early 1970s, which attempted to challenge the denial of marriage to LGBT couples. The U.S. Supreme Court then affirmed a ruling that
Ricardo & Skip
explains, “Marriage says ‘We are family’ in a way that no other word does.” At this historic time, we wish to celebrate the foundations of marriage: love, commitment, and family. All are evident in these photographs
Cheryl & Judy
of devoted, caring couples who are among the many pillars of our community. No relationship is without its challenges but, like the decadeslong fight for the right to marry, they weathered the storms and are stronger than ever now as a result.
Ruth & Alex
2004 2015 2013 2015
2002
Audrey & Gaeta
David & Alfredo
Brendalynn & Nancy
1999 1987
2008 2015 2001
2014
Ayanna & Anna
Abby & Helene 1990 1993
2015
12
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
1989
2015
Fred & Jaime
Jennifer & Yolanda
Jeff & Ed 1990
2005
1981
2014
2015
Jewelle & Diane
2014
LĂŠ & Kate
1984
Ken & Jack
1991
1982 2015
1986 2008 2008
2014
Lamont & Chris
Nanette & Olga
Tom & Jerry 2014
2014 2013
1983
2015
Rebecca & Julia
1988
Frank & Sheldon
2002
2012
1996
2014
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
13
T REAT Y OURSELF TO AN E XCITING C ULINARY A DVENTURE WITH M ICHELIN S TAR C HEF S RIJITH G OPINATHAN
Pride Without Exception 2015
Spice Pot — Chef’s interpretation of traditional Indian street food with vegetables, tamarind chutney, and chickpea crackers.
Journey along India’s Spice Route by way of California at five-time Michelin star winner Campton Place. Chef Srijith’s cuisine masterfully blends the finest local produce with the richness of the region’s seasonal bounty. Enjoy a six-course Spice Route menu or indulge in our ninecourse Degustation menu. For those with lighter appetites we offer a three-course Theatre Menu and Vegetarian Tasting menu.
camptonplacesf.com for reservations | 415.781.5555 340 Stockton San Francisco | Union Square Open Every Night for Dinner | Lunch Wednesday – Sunday
Marriage Equality John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA During LGBTQ Pride Month this year, we f ind ourselves thinking about a book I studied years ago in college: 20th century political philosopher John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice. In that text, Rawls invites readers to consider how they would structure society’s institutions and laws if they did so behind a “veil of ignorance” in which they did not know what place they themselves would occupy in society. For instance, if you didn’t know what natural abilities, skills, or family background you would have, how would you structure an economic system? If you didn’t know what race you would be, what policies would you put in place regarding social, legal and economic justice? Or if you didn’t know whether or not you would be LGBTQ, what laws would you draft pertaining to liberty and equality, and how would LGBTQ people be treated in such a society? I believe the framework Rawls constructs calls powerfully for laws and
institutions that ensure full liberty and equality for LGBTQ people. Under Rawls’ framework, rational people would not design a system where some people face scorn and ridicule and lack emotional and physical safety because of who they are or whom they love. Rational people would create legal protections and opportunities for all citizens. They would not create a system where some people would be forbidden to marry if they thought they might want to marry someday, but didn’t know whether they would be one of the lucky ones who could. They would not create a system that left people vulnerable to job discrimination if they wanted job security themselves. And they would not create a society with constricted gender norms and laws if they did not know what their own gender identities would be. Perhaps Rawls’ scholarly political philosophy boils down to the Golden Rule—do unto others as you would have them do unto you—referenced by President Obama when he announced his support for marriage equality in 2012, or to the adage “put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” Although some might dismiss these age-old directives as cliché, we as individuals and our society collectively still struggle to implement them. Rawls’ framework also points to looking beyond oneself and to recognizing the value of helping others, even when it does not directly benef it oneself. The LGBTQ movement uniquely integrates these arguably distinct notions. As LGBTQ people have come
out individually over the decades to live their lives in personally fulfilling ways, millions of people have benefitted by the resulting increase in understanding that forms the basis for recently attained political and legal advances, which have long been aims of the movement. Finally, this Pride season, we find ourselves asking a question that Rawls’ didn’t quite envision people asking behind the so-called “veil of ignorance.” If we could choose whether to be LGBTQ in this society just as it is now—for better and for worse—would we do so? Our answer is a resounding yes! As Rawls’ framework invites imagination about our lives, we cannot imagine our lives without the blessings that being LGBTQ has brought us: the experiences, the friendships, the joy, the wisdom and empathy born of struggle, the breadth of understanding of human experience, the freedom from constraints of gender conformity, and the pride. As the Oxford Dictionary def ines pride: “the consciousness of one’s own dignity,” “self-esteem,” “self-respect,” and “deep…satisfaction derived from…the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated…” Happy Pride 2015, everyone! John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for 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.
Pride in Marriage
Weddings Howard Steiermann Bay Area civic pride is palpable, from the Golden State Warriors victory celebrations earlier this month to all of the rainbow motifs now in more businesses than ever before. It is hard not to notice Chase and Wells Fargo Banks’ ATMs displaying red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet! As one of this paper’s columnists who focuses on weddings and rituals, it is timely for me to write about
the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS) decision on same sex marriage. We have come so far, and yet I’ve had to wonder these past several months: How is it that government got involved approving which couples could marry and which couldn’t? I am not a historian nor sociologist, but I would guess that it was to ref lect the mores or the comfort level of the majority of the populace at the time. T h a n k f u l ly t hose h ave s i nce changed, with at least 63% of all Americans supporting marriage equality, according to the latest polls. Same sex marriage is important, and not just so that everyone who wishes to marry can legally do so. It is also important because we in the LGBT community, as well as our allies, can now put more of our time, energy, money and creativity into making the world a better place. We can do this, for example, by supporting the It Gets Better campaign
San Francisco Bay Times Wishes You and Yours a Happy and Safe Pride 2015! 14
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
or anti-bullying programs. Additionally, perhaps we will have more resources to help our trans sisters and brothers as the awareness of that community broadens. At each and every wedding I officiate, I get a huge sense of pride when toward the end I proclaim, “So, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of these lands, and in the beloved company of family and friends, it is my honor—and with absolute delight—that I now pronounce you…” Be it wife & wife, husband & husband, or husband & wife, I am thrilled for each couple and proud of the work that I do. I hope that each of us has a brightly colored and fantabulous Pride Season. Howard M. Steiermann is an Ordained Ritual Facilitator based in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www. SFHoward.com
LasVegas.com/gaytravel
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
15
On Being Single when it comes to the belief that sexual love is the one true path to total fulfillment. Popular songs and films about romantic love celebrate it with fervor, and in a language once reserved for religious devotion. (You’re my all and everything; our love is perfect and eternal; etc.)
Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman Co-Founders in 1978 Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011
2261 Market Street, No. 309 SaN FraNciSco ca 94114 PhoNe: 415-601-2113 525 Bellevue aveNue oaklaNd ca 94610 PhoNe: 510-504-9255 e-Mail: editor@sfbaytimes.com www.sfbaytimes.com
The Bay Times was the first newspaper in California, and among the first in the world, to be jointly and equally produced by lesbians and gay men. We honor our history and the paper’s ability to build and strengthen unity in our community. The Bay Times is proud to be the only 100% LGBT funded and owned newspaper for the LGBT community in San Francisco. dr. Betty l. SullivaN JeNNiFer l. viegaS co-PuBliSherS & co-editorS
aBBy ZiMBerg Beth greeNe deSigN & ProductioN
kate lawS BuSiNeSS MaNager
roBert Fuggiti caleNdar editor
kit keNNedy Poet-iN-reSideNce
Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT “I can’t find a relationship,” the dejected man in my office says. In fact, he has solid relationships with many long-standing and valued friends and family members, but they don’t count. Only romantic relationships are “relationships.” It’s all too easy to devalue our platonic relationships when we don’t have a romantic one (that is, if we want one), especially if we believe, as many seem to do, that romantic love is the only road to emotional health and happiness. There is a popular faith in the saving power of romantic love that is almost mystical. Many who doubt that perfect happiness can be found in divine love demonstrate little skepticism
So many of us believe that somewhere out there is my soul mate—the one human being on the planet who was specially created to meet all my needs. He or she will be a great sexual partner, of course, but will also understand me completely, love me unconditionally, forgive all my shortcomings, and always know exactly what I feel and need without my ever having to say anything. The faith in romantic love as salvation is a kind of religion. One of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies on happiness followed 268 Harvard undergraduates for 75 years to see what brought them joy. After nearly a lifetime of tracking, researchers did conclude that fulfillment was overwhelmingly found in one thing: relationships—but not necessarily romantic relationships. “Joy is connection,” George Vaillant, the Harvard psychiatrist who directed the study from 1972 to 2004, said. “The more areas in your life you can make connection, the better.”
This is good news, but it isn’t exactly common knowledge, and single men and women often feel that there must be something wrong with them if they don’t have a partner. In fact, sometimes the reverse is true. I’ve known many people who persist in relationships that are living hells of abuse and destructiveness because they have no capacity for emotional independence and are terrified of being alone. Maybe people in such relationships could stand to learn a thing or two about emotional health from their single friends. Many of the world’s most productive and creative people were single. Here’s a random sample: Henry David Thoreau (who said, “I never found the companion who was so companionable as solitude”), Susan B. Anthony (who said, “Independence is happiness”), Vivaldi, Louisa May Alcott, Beethoven, Harper Lee, Sir Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Voltaire, and on and on. Not everyone finds their fulfillment in romantic partnerships. I think three attitudes are important for anyone who wants to be both single and sane. First, it’s important to let go of any notion that life doesn’t begin, or is incomplete, until the partner shows up. Second, we need to let go of the passivity that characterizes
so many devotees of romanticism, and to think of love in terms of loving rather than being loved. Third, we need to value all forms of love, not just romantic love. Here’s a modern translation of a poem by Haf iz, which expresses a beautiful ideal: Admit something/ Everyone you see, you say to them, “Love me.”/Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise someone would call the cops./Still, though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect./Why not become the one who lives with a full moon in each eye that is always saying,/With that sweet moon language, what every other eye in this world is dying to hear? I wonder how our lives would change if, instead of being so preoccupied with finding a partner, we devoted the same passion to the question, “How can I open my heart and extend my love to others ever more effectively?” Is that just a utopian dream on my part? Maybe. But I have noticed that those who take this ideal seriously do seem to be the ones most likely to find what measure of Utopia is to be found in this life. Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. To learn more, please visit his website at tommoon.net
J.h. herreN techNology director JeNNiFer MulleN weB coordiNator
Mario ordoNeZ JuaN ordoNeZ
Equal Rights! Special Rights!
diStriButioN
CONTRIBUTORS WRITeRS Rink, Sister Dana Van Iquity, Ann Rostow, Kirsten Kruse, Kate Kendell, Heidi Beeler, Gary M. Kramer, Dennis McMillan, Tom Moon, Terry Baum, Gypsy Love, Rafael Mandelman, Kit Kennedy, Phil Ting, Rebecca Kaplan, Leslie Katz, Philip Ruth, Bill Lipsky, Karen Williams, Donna Sachet, Gary Virginia, Zoe Dunning, Marcy Adelman, Stuart Gaffney & John Lewis Brandon Miller, Jamie Leno Zimron Rebecca Kaplan, Thom Watson, Courtney Lake, Michele Karlsberg PhOTOgRaPheRS Rink, Steven Underhill, Phyllis Costa, Cathy Blackstone, Robert Fuggiti, Chloe Jackman, Bill Wilson, Jo-Lynn Otto, Sandy Morris, Abby Zimberg
ADVERTISING Display Advertising Standard Rate Cards are available online at sfbaytimes.com or calling: 415-503-1375. Custom ad sizes are available. Please inquire! The Bay Times reserves the right to reject any advertising at the discretion of the publishers. National Advertising: Contact Bay Times / San Francisco. Also represented by Rivendell Media., Mountainside, NJ 908-232-2021. Circulation is verified by an independent agency CALENDAR Event listings for consideration to be included in the Bay Times online or print Calendar section should be sent by e-mail to: calendar@sfbaytimes.com. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR If you would like to write a letter to the editor with comment on an article or suggestions for the Bay Times, email us at editor@sfbaytimes.com. © 2015 Bay Times Media Company Co-owned by Betty L. Sullivan & Jennifer L. Viegas Reprints by permission only.
16
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
dollar—than their male counterparts doing the same work! And the list of injustices surrounding Equality goes on and on.
Speak Up! Speak Out! Laugh Often! Karen Williams, M.Ed Being a gay activist means that we have to do a lot of “splaining” and talking so that we can get our message of equal rights across to the masses. Some folks still believe that what gay people want are “special rights” rather than equal rights. In one of my early comedy routines, I told audiences that I didn’t want special rights as a gay person, however, I would like discounts. I wanted to walk into my local grocery store and shout: “Hey, I’m a black lesbian mom...Bag em up!” While that riff got a lot of laughs, it was ludicrous to even imagine such an action taking place. Another challenge we continually face is telling people that we want marriage equality, that there is no such thing as “gay marriage,” no matter the gender of the two people tying the knot or jumping the broom. A fter much thought, contemplation, and meditation on the subject, I finally got it! We Americans have a helluva time wrapping our minds around Equality! After all, we have to live with the collective memories of a slave system that rivaled any other such system in our human history. Even our nation’s forefathers had to wrestle with the notion of “equal rights” as it applied to their chattel property—which also included women and children—during the writing of the Constitution. We have yet to pass the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) in this country. Women are still paid less—dollar for
So the notion that LGBTQIC (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, and Curious) people dare to compare and choose equal rights over special rights is mind-boggling, mood-altering, and downright antithetical to the very fabric of American life as we know it. Division, divisiveness, and hatred of difference appear to be the order of the day. However, our movement exists and thrives in love, compassion, acceptance, tolerance, unity, and appreciation of diversity. Do these altruistic and high-minded qualities play out in every one of our encounters? Of course not. However, the space for dialogue exists and continues to be created in our communities; and it is in those interspecific interactions that change—real soul level, life-affirming and life-altering dynamism— takes place. In practice, the trajectory of one’s life expands, and real haters can become true lovers. At least that’s what I pray for! So while I would love to get discounts on my groceries, clothing, cars and homes based on identifying as a black lesbian mom, the truth is that I feel special and unique enough just being me. What I want…what I really, really want is Equality as I journey along my road pursuing happiness, enlightenment, and absolute freedom. Our LGBTQIC movement must be, become and remain a human rights movement based on equal rights for all. There, I said it. Now let’s do it! Let’s create a new story, one that we will all be proud to share with generations to come. Karen Williams believes in equal rights. Do you? To contact her and to learn more, please visit http://hahainstitute.com/
Thank you for another year of serving the LGBT community. BrioFG.com
Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2015 Ameriprise Financial, Inc., All rights reserved.
ACMR0 1
GLBT Fortnight in Review By Ann Rostow I’m Thinking Friday, June 26 As June comes to a close, the Supreme Court has only a few days left to announce its remaining decisions. The Court will release opinions as we go to press on Thursday, June 25, at 10:00am Eastern. It will also announce opinions the next day and the following Monday. And history suggests that the Court could add another announcement day, or maybe two. One way or another, the marriage cases will be released before the July 4 holiday at the latest. Speculation is rife, and thousands of people have been glued to the live feed on Scotusblog whenever opinions loom, only to be disappointed. The addition of Friday, June 26, was interesting, suggesting that the Court might want to wrap things up by Monday the 29th. Personally, I think the Court has a sense of drama and wants to announce the marriage equality decision on the eve of the major Gay Pride weekend, don’t you? June 26 is also the twelfth anniversary of Lawrence v Texas. Just think! Our fate will be sealed when next we meet in these pages. Meanwhile, I think I may have mentioned that Guam legalized marriage recently, as has the Mexican state of Chihuahua. And now I learn that equality has arrived on Pitcairn Island. Yes, this is the same island that was colonized by Fletcher Christian and the other survivors of the mutiny on the Bounty back at the start of the 19th century. Nearly fifty people now reside on Pitcairn, a British territory, and the marriage policy was posted on the veranda of the general store. Everyone seems pleased by the development, although it does not seem as if there are any committed gay couples in residence. Speaking of the Brits, I clicked a side link on the Pitcairn Island story to read about a man who received something like a thousand-pound fine for slow driving in the fast lane, one of my wife Mel’s pet peeves. Well, it’s one of mine too, but Mel goes absolutely ballistic over the self-appointed pace cars who refuse to move over and block the highway like children with their passive aggressive power plays. The story made the news because it is apparently the first time that one of these infuriating road hogs has been ticketed under a fairly recent ordinance.
lessly gay,” perhaps even installing a rainbow roof, or painting the sidewalls. Every time I click on a new version of this story she has raised more money. The latest total I saw was $43,000 but I’m sure it’s risen even higher by now. I like her style and think she should bank any extra funds and use them to support the kids. It’s just one example, but it seems as if every time one member of the antigay cohort makes a buzz, there are hundreds on our side swatting him down. Suppress This! It was nice of the California assembly to pass a resolution condemning the proposed ballot initiative that would make homosexuality a capital crime, but is this really necessary? When the “Sodomite Suppression Act” first came to light, it made me wonder whether or not there was any kind of gate keeping mechanism to prevent absurd proposals from getting approved for signature gathering and so forth. But I guess the system errs on the side of public access to the initiative process. That said, do we really have to take issue with something this ridiculous? You are all probably aware of the fact that the assembly has also tried to increase the fee for filing a ballot measure from $200 (set decades ago) to $2,500, as well as offering a bill that would allow the Attorney General to mark proposals as unconstitutional. But to date, these proposals have failed to advance as lawmakers balance the need for reform with the obligation to preserve California’s expansive democracy. In response to the “Sodomite Suppression Act,” others have paid the fee to propose the “Intolerant Jackass Act,” as well as a ban on shellfish that stems from the restrictions in Leviticus. And yes, the shellfish ban is also a joke, conceived by the same guy who runs the website “God Hates Shrimp.” Attorney General Kamala Harris is trying to abort the sodomite measure, asking a state judge in Sacramento to send the paperwork to a circular file without further ado. I guess if she loses, she’ll have to write a summary and approve an official name. After that, look forward to weirdos on the corner of Castro and Market trying to get you to sign the petition. Maybe they’ll put a sad puppy picture on top and tell you to sign the bottom sheet or else Fluffy dies.
Relentlessly Gay!
The Lesbian Brand
On the eve of marriage equality, and with the arc of history generally bending our way, it feels as if society is breaking out into small skirmishes as our adversaries reluctantly face their defeat. As soon as they start their usual wailing and moaning, they are slapped back by an increasingly bold majority of gay allies.
So, it seems lesbian commercials are in the news this week, beginning with the warm and fuzzy Wells Fargo ad that shows a couple learning sign language before adopting a deaf girl. I’m not sure how much banking they were doing, but Wells Fargo was on their side, and the whole commercial was very touching. Too touching for evangelical blowhard Franklin Graham, who pulled the Billy Graham Evangelical Association Wells Fargo account and accidentally deposited it into another gay friendly bank, BB&T Corp.
Take the woman in suburban Baltimore, 47-year-old Julie Baker, who had some colored solar jars in her yard because she liked rainbows. Not sure what a solar jar is, but it all sounds very festive indeed. Baker, who describes herself as bisexual, is a single mother who was not trying to make a statement. That didn’t stop a “concerned homeowner” from sending her a note that read: “Your yard is becoming Relentlessly Gay! Myself and Others in the neighborhood ask that you Tone it Down. This is a Christian area and there are Children. Keep it up and I will be forced to call the police on You! Your kind need to have Respect for GOD.” Baker posted the note on social media and began a Go Fund Me project to finance a major expansion of her outdoor decor. “Put simply, I am a widow and the mother of four children, my youngest in high school and I WILL NOT Relent to Hatred,” she wrote. “Instead, I will battle it with whimsy and beauty and laughter and love, wrapped around my home, yard and family!!!” Baker was looking for about five grand to make her yard “even more relent-
Reading between the lines, it seemed as if Graham made no effort to find a conservative antigay bank, but simply assumed that all banks shared his views of the world unless they proved otherwise through provocative gay commercials. Faced with the news that BB&T Corp. is a big sponsor of Miami Pride, Franklin said that he had nothing against “gay friendly” banks, but only disapproved of those that displayed advocacy. Doesn’t really make much sense, but what the hell. Oh, and Franklin’s nephew, Billy Graham’s grandson, Tullian Tchividjian, was obliged to step down from his position as pastor of a Florida mega-church after admitting that he had an affair. Pastor Tullian, as he is called, was the man in charge at Ft. Lauderdale’s Coral Ridge Presbyterian for years until his fall from grace last week. According to his own statement, he was so devastated by his wife’s infidelity that he promptly went out and broke his own marital vows. Can you imagine, by the way, if we all used our
Professional Services
first names and professions? Columnist Ann, Teacher Mel, Publisher Betty. I’m sorry, but it sounds dumb. Back on the subject of lesbian ads, if the far right thought the sweet Wells Fargo mothers were outrageous, they were beside themselves with the sexy lesbian who eats a Chobani yogurt in bed before tickling her wife’s foot, grabbing the bedspread and running out the French doors to the beach. (We know they’re married because they have matching rings.) “Chobani should be ashamed of their latest commercial for attempting to normalize sin by featuring two women naked in bed together,” said One Million Moms, an offshoot of the American Family Association. “One Million Moms continues to stand up for Biblical truth, which is very clear in Romans 1:26-27 about this particular type of sexual perversion.” (For those of you with limited knowledge of scripture, Romans 1:26-27 reads: “Women, thou shalt forebear to cleave to one another with the creamy dregs of the ewe. More so shall ye run from the tides and the abominable temptations of the shores of the great seas.”) Yet not all the criticism came from the evangelicals. Writing on Gawker, Hamilton Nolan says Chobani is to Greek yogurt “what fermented urine is to Champagne.” The Chobani hater continues:
We are proud to be nationally recognized by our peers and the media as the first national firm to launch a LGBT practice ‒ we make it our business to understand our clients’ unique needs.
www.marcumllp.com Nanette Lee Miller 415.432.6200 I nanettelee.miller@marcumllp.com International Member of Leading Edge Alliance
ASSURANCE
I
TAX
I
ADVISORY
“It is plain as day to see that Chobani, desperate to align itself with any image other than ‘maker of America’s worst cow-related product,’ has plunged directly to the bottom of the barrel, enlisting hot naked lesbians lounging around in their birthday suits in a lastgasp effort to make you, the easily seduced consumer, believe that bad yogurt is ‘sexy.’” Personally, I’m torn. Like Mr. Nolan, I too dislike Chobani, with its pasty consistency and sickening aftertaste. I also appreciate authentic Greek yogurt and the comparison with the real thing accentuates the deficiencies of the American poseur. But, I’m sorry. I’m also an easily seduced consumer and will look more kindly on the Chobani section next time I wander through the grocery store. I’m not sure if I would buy any. Maybe. Maybe just a couple of containers out of solidarity.
J O H N S T O N, K I N N E Y & Z U L A I C A LLP
Burn Fruitcake, Burn. Or not. I suppose you have already seen that deranged pastor Rick Scarborough had pledged to set himself on fire if the Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality. Which makes you wonder. Does he think there’s a chance the Court will rule otherwise? Does he think his threat will have an impact on the Court’s deliberations? If not, does he have a dignified plan of retreat? Or perhaps it was all hyperbole to begin with. At any rate, he told a host on the “National Emergency Coalition” show (no I have no idea what that is), “We are not going to bow, we are not going to bend, if necessary we will burn.” Somehow I doubt Rick Scarborough has the courage of a Tibetan monk, but it will be interesting to watch his reaction. There’s also a straight married couple in Australia who announced they would divorce rather than accept marriage equality down under (where for the record, the question of marriage rights continues in a seemingly endless debate). You know what? If Rick Scarborough douses himself with gasoline and self immolates, he will not be seen as a martyr. He will be seen as a suicidal lunatic, which I suppose has a certain cachet. Meanwhile, much of the time that I have spent writing this column, Mel has been attempting to put together a plastic rainbow pony palace of some sort. At one point, she began making small murmurs of frustration. Now, several hours later, she has progressed to full (continued on page 23)
With nine attorneys in two locations, we serve the LGBT community with expertise, experience and sensitivity. We offer services in: • LGBT Families
• Tax Planning
• Estate Planning
• Family Law
• Trust & Probate Administration
• Elder Law & Benefits
• Beneficiary Representation
• Entity Formation & Real Estate
SAN FRANCISCO
SANTA ROSA
415.693.0550
707.237.7371
www.jkzllp.com | www.jkzllp.com/español
Read more @www.sfbaytimes.com and check us out on Twitter and Facebook. BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
17
Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun
By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Look for me, the totally rainbowed-out queer nun riding in the “San Francisco Bay Times” contingent in the Pride Parade. And if you see him walking around, for gawd’s sake buy him a cocktail - no one wants to see a sober nun!” SAN FRANCISCO BAY TIMES threw a perfectly fabulous Pride Party for their staff, journalists, photographers, friends and fans at the LGBT Community Center. Special guest legendary singer/songwriter Cris Williamson sang some of her hits. Her music and voice became the soundtrack of an entire movement and were the cornerstone of what would become known as “women’s music.” The incredible DJ Lamont worked the turntable. Poetry was by Kit Kennedy. SF Bay Times columnists Rafael Mandelman & Zoe Dunning did a fantastic job emceeing. The always lovely Donna Sachet riffed and ran the raffle. Displayed throughout was the “Kiss for the Bay Times” photo exhibit of pictures flashed as our volunteers flashed “Kiss for the Bay Times” signs to last year’s Pride Parade onlookers on the sidelines. There is even a colorful photo of Sister Dana in full-tilt rainbow drag. The exhibit will be up for viewing in the Center past Pride Week.
The SF LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER’S Board held their PRIDE PARTY at the Center. Executive Director Rebecca Rolfe spoke of this “banner year for Pride,” but cautioned our work was far from completed. Music was by Ms. Jackson, exquisite entertainment by belly dancer Heaven Mousalem doing splits and twirls, and cartoonist Elizabeth Beier offered caricatures drawn. We mingled with Center board members and supporters, took a tour of the Center, played interactive games, enjoyed an open bar and hors d’oeuvres, and danced like everyone was watching! We took a special LGBT History Quiz adapted from GLSEN (GAY, LESBIAN AND STRAIGHT EDUCATION NETWORK) with 26 questions such as, “When was the word homosexual first coined?” “Which empires were ruled for over two centuries by queer emperors?” and “When was America’s first gay rights group founded?” I scored a miserable eight correct, and am just about to turn in my Gay Card. HARVEY MILK PHOTO CENTER & HARVEY MILK CULTURAL ARTS CENTER presented DON’T DREAM IT… BE IT! a fabulous photography exhibit kicking off Pride and a celebration of drag, theatre, music, and Love of Life! at the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts. Hosted by the one and only Peaches Christ in total rainbow and sequin drag, there was live entertainment, DJ, dancing, and refreshments. Fantastic, full color photography was featured from Mark Christopher, Marques Daniels, Molly DeCoudreaux, Nicole Fraser-Herron, Sara Gobets, Gareth Gooch, Jose A. Guzman Colon, Michael Johnstone, Dwayne Newton, Daniel Nicoletta, and Eric Stein. The photo exhibit runs now through
July 18th. There is talk of making this an annual Pride event. 415-554-9522 Harveymilkphotocenter.org THRILLPEDDLERS is presenting CLUB INFERNO: THE ROAD TO FAME CAN BE HELL, a glam rock musical based on Dante’s Divine Comedy at the Hypnodrome now through August 8th. Concept, book, and lyrics by Kelly Kittell, who wrote the original back in the year 2000; music & lyrics by Peter Fogel (also from them good old days), directed by Russell Blackwood, with clever choreography by Marilynn Fowler. It is one hell of a good time as we watch rock star Danté (played by Peggy L’eggs), die and descend into various deeper and deeper levels of inferno via the “hellevator” (going down?!) operated by Xaron (Birdie-Bob Watt), who gives passage to the dark kingdom, and is lovingly escorted by the poet Virgil (John Flaw). As Dante goes lower and lower into the pit, she encounters all manners of evil characters on their own level, such as lustful Cleopatra (Noah Haydon), a love struck Karen Carpenter (Amber Sommerfeld), Mama Cass (Leigh Crow), Isadora Duncan (David Bicha), and a murderous Lucrezia Borgia (also Leigh Crow). Despite the taunts of disgusting dancing demons, an attack by the threeheaded Dog of Hell, and other nasty stuff, our heroes continue their journey. At the final circle, they encounter Judy Garland (Zelda Koznofski). But will Dante ever escape from horrendous Hades? You have to go to hell with her to find out, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, 8 pm at the Hypnodrome, 575 10th Street. hypnodrome.org OASIS, EssEff ’s hottest new nightclub and cabaret theater, presents the return of the hit show SEX AND THE CITY LIVE! featuring some of the same team behind the sold-out runs inter-
preting the famous TV show by TV’s (transvestites, that is) from the past four years in SF. S&TCL! runs now through July 3rd,Thursdays-Saturdays, 7 pm. Each performance features two popular episodes with scripts from the TV show, each tackling modern social issues including sexuality, pansexuality, tantric sex, sexually transmitted diseases, safer sex, promiscuity, femininity, and of course, shoes – while exploring the complex differences between lasting friendships and true relationships. Directed by D’Arcy Drollinger with costumes by Tria, Sex and the City LIVE! features four of our most prominent drag performers including Sue Casa as Carrie Bradshaw, D’Arcy Drollinger as Samantha Jones, Lady Bear as Miranda Hobbs, and Hannukah Lewinsky as Charlotte York. Rounding out the cast are: Adam Roy, L. Ron Hubby, Jordan Wheeler, and Manuel Canari. The first episode examines the pros and cons of dating a bisexual and/or drag king. The second episode asks: how can you tell if you’re a good lover? Find out at Oasis, 298 Eleventh Street, sfoasis. com THE ROYAL BRITISH THEATRE COMPANY is closing its 9-month run of ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS LIVE that saw all twelve episodes of TV’s Ab Fab Seasons 1 & 2 on-stage. The talented ensemble has included the following wonderful actors: ZsaZsa Lufthansa, Terry McLaughlin, Dene Larson, Raya Light, Annie Larson, Lisa Appleyard, Steven Satyricon, J. Sykes-Inness, Ginorma Desmond, Nick Leonard, Karen Ripley, Randy Blaustein, Michele Jay, Adam Schaaf, Murray Smith, Bird McCargar, LaVale-William Davis, Coco Buttah, Craig Marotzke, Marie Cartier, Jeffrey Taylor, Nick Jones, and Nick
Sister Dana standing in front of a billboard-size image of himself and other Sisters in the photo exhibit by Roger Erickson at San Francisco City Hall. Photo by Rink
Knave. The final shows are Friday, June 26th, and Saturday, June 27th, episodes “Poor” and “Birth” 8pm at the Exit Theatre, 156 Eddy Street. See Edina plunged into poverty by her exhusbands and scheming daughter Saffy; See Patsy explode about her lost opportunities; See 3 live births on-stage! So glam-up and party with Edina & Patsy in the final episodes. These shows are literally absolutely fabulous, sweetiedarling, and if you miss them this time around (boohoo squish squish), catch them on their next round. theexit.org The FRAMELINE 39 SF INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL began with the zany trailer of drag queens in Oz discovering “There’s no place like here” - the festival’s witty slogan. Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace spoke about the world’s largest queer film festival and introduced Director of (continued on page 23)
PRIDE SPECIAL BUY OVER 200 SQUARE FEET AND GET $300 OFF*
Buy Direct From The MANUFACTURER & SAVE! Low Price Guarantee
We’ll Meet or Beat Any Big Box Store Bid
Voted California’s Best Shutter Company 4 Years Running “A” Rating With BBB
Best Shutter Company 2011, 2012, 2013. 2014
Best Shutter Company
Top Shutter Company 2012, 2013, 2014
*On all new June 2015 orders only. On orders over 200 square feet. Offer expires on 6/30/15.
ElizabethShutters.com 18
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Best of TrustLink Award Winner 2011, 2012, 2013. 2014
Made in the USA
No Hidden Charges Lifetime Warranty 100% Whole Basswood & Acrylic Lacquer Construction Shutters For EVERY BUDGET
FREE
INSTALLATION
FREE
ESTIMATE
FREE
DELIVERY
Huge Discounts on Shades & Blinds!
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE IN-HOME CONSULTATION!
1.800.748.8377
SEE OUR PROGRESS
Michael Kaufmann Business Analyst
“
CASTRO RESIDENT
I’m proud to work at a company that demonstrates a deep commitment to equality and to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we proudly serve.
”
At PG&E, our customers are our neighbors. The communities we serve as PG&E employees are where we live and work too. That’s why we’re investing $5 billion this year to enhance pipeline safety and strengthen our gas and electric infrastructure across northern and central California. It’s why we’re helping people and businesses gain energy efficiencies to help reduce their bills. It’s why we’re focused on developing the next generation of clean, renewable energy systems. Together, we are working to enhance pipeline safety and strengthen our gas and electric infrastructure—for your family and ours.
“PG&E” refers to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. ©2015 Pacific Gas and Electric Company. All rights reserved. Paid for by PG&E shareholders. All facts 2013/2014 unless otherwise noted.
in the Bay Area
SEE THE FACTS IN THE BAY AREA Replaced more than 30 miles of gas transmission pipeline Invested more than $2.1 billion into electrical improvements Connected more than 65,000 rooftop solar installations
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
19
Round About - All Over Town
Andrew Nichols and Eric GoForth at the SF Business Times’ Business of Pride Celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Photos by RINK
Marion Cory, honored guest Roberta Achtenberg and Deborah Schmall at the SF Business Time’s Business of Pride Celebration on June 11 at the Four Seasons Hotel.
Servers Christopher Lopez, Shah Seidz, Chrisly Jimenez and Ryan Mazza staffed the beverages table at the LGBT Center’s Board Pride Party on June 9.
Jessica Sanchez, Pilar Sanchez and board Board co-chair Rafael Mandelman and acmember Kathryn Snyder at The Center’s tivist Kimberly Alvarenga at The Center’s Stephanie Paul, Izabelle Boublin and Lou Fischer enjoyed The Cen- Board Pride Party, June 9. Board Pride Party on June 9. ter’s Board Pride Party on June 9.
BeBe Sweetbriar (left) received the Community Service Partnership Award presented by Cheer Foundation chair Ryan Allen and MC Khmera Rouge at the Cheer SF 35th Anniversary Party at the E & O Asian Kitchen near Union Square on June 14.
SF Bay Times photographer Rink (left) and photographer Michael Johnstone with Rink’s photo of Harvey Milk and his lover Scott Smith at the Harvey Milk Photo Center.
Empress Galilea, reigning Emperor Kevin Lisle and Empress Marlena at the Mr. and Miss Gay Pageant at the Oasis Club on June 21. 20
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Mireya Alinine and Natasha Paris performed at the Aguilas Latin Pride Party at The Center on June 18.
Donna Sachet with Chandilier mingled with attendees at The Center’s Board Pride Party on June 9.
Law partners Deb Kinney and Jean Johnston with husbands Ron Willis and Robert Sokol at the SF Business Times’ Business of Pride event on June 11.
Bill Tinkner and Eric Hubbs at The Center’s Board Pride Party on June 9.
Photographer Roger Erickson led a tour of his work currently on display at City Hall.
Erick Arguello and Aguilas executive director Eduardo Morales enjoyed the Aguilas Latin Pride Party held at the LGBT Center on June 18.
DJ Chirstopher welcomed attendees at the Lookout bar’s Friday kickoff party in the Castro on June 19.
A crowd of Imperial Court royals and supporters, including Empress Khmera Rouge, Donna Sachet, Marlena, China Silk, JP soto, Alexis Miranda, Cher A Little, Michael and Misty Blue, gathered at the Lookout bar for a Celebration of Life remembering former Emperor Fernando Robles on June 19.
Among those featured in photos by Roger Erickson, on display at City Hall, are author Michelle Tea, Sarah Jimenez and Ani Rivera.
Diane Sabin and her wife Jewelle Gomez, who were featured in the show, surround photographer Roger Erickson. Erickson’s show is on display at City Hall.
Get your MOJO back...
Learn about a treatment for erectile dysfunction beyond medication that more than 300,000 men have chosen as a way to return to an active sex life.1 Get the facts on how a treatment for ED may significantly improve your sexual satisfaction.2
Attend a FREE Men’s Health Seminar: Presented by: &EXBSE ,BSQNBO . % 8FEOFTEBZ +VMZ 3FHJTUSBUJPO Q N 4FNJOBS CFHJOT BU Q N 4BO 'SBODJTDP -(#5 $FOUFS 3PPN (BMMFSZ .BSLFU 4U 4BO 'SBODJTDP $" Partners and guests welcome. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited, call to register today. 1. Penile prosthesis. http://www.essm.org/society/esha/malesd/oraltreatments/penileprosthesis.html. European Society for Sexual Medicine (ESSM) Web site. Downloaded May 2013. 2. AMS 700™ Patient Manual. Information and Instructions for Patients Considering an Inflatable Penile Prostheses. American Medical Systems. 2012. American Medical Systems, LLC has sponsored funding for this patient seminar and accompanying educational material.
Š 2015 American Medical Systems, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Minnetonka, MN 55343 AMSUS/MH-00172c/May 2015 www.AmericanMedicalSystems.com 1-800-328-3881 U.S. Use Only
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
21
SF Pride’s Safety Team Really Does Save Lives Each year during the San Francisco Pride Parade, we’ve seen potentially dangerous situations: the person who walks into heavy traffic as the parade is dispersing, the inebriated individual who totters in front of a moving parade float, or the parade goer who dangles perilously off of some ledge to get a closer look. Helping to keep them all safe is SF Pride’s fearless Safety Team, who work countless hours each year—long before Pride Sunday—to make sure the event is as safe and enjoyable as possible. Two of our favorites are Safety Joan and Safety Freddy. Members of our San Francisco Bay Times Pride Contingent Team have taken their training classes for years now, and we still get a kick out of how Joan and Freddy use dry wit to convey the necessary information. When talking about the dangers of drug usage at the parade, for example, Safety Joan pulls a brownie out of her fanny pack, and we all imagine that it is laced with Alice B. Toklas-grade weed. Other props are in the pack too, such as a Frisbee, a whistle and a keychain with a beer logo on it. The presentation is like a show that we actually look forward to each year. Then there is Safety Freddy, who marches around on stage wearing his trademark shorts and cut-off t-shirt. It’s hard not to notice that this guy works out! He also humorously brings in math subjects, which isn’t surprising, since by day he is Mr. Fred Teti, a beloved Instructor of Mathematics at City College.
his partner Woody. Both are incredibly kind and considerate, and have helped out at SF Pride for decades. So where would we be without these dedicated SF Pride workers and volunteers? Probably squashed flat somewhere on Market Street, a victim of a confused driver at the Parade. (In all honesty, Safety Joan saved us from that fate last year.) Thank you to them, and to the many other members of the SF Pride team, who continue to help keep us safe on Pride Sunday. They often work without much public praise, so if you see a member of the Safety Team, please take time to thank them for what they Safety Freddy do—which is a lot! Safety Joan
Safety Too Tall with partner Woody
Happy 45th Annual San Francisco Pride! I am delighted to join San Francisco’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community in celebrating our progress toward "Equality without Exception" for all Americans. Thank you for the opportunity to represent this great city that embraces and thrives on our diversity.
Sincerely,
NANCY PELOSI House Democratic Leader
We also met Safety Too Tall, who is indeed a towering fellow, along with
All Inclusive All Embracing All Loving EQUALITY WITHOUT EXCEPTION Celebrate Your Pride! Senator Mark Leno
22
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
SISTER DANA (continued from page 18) Exhibition & Programming, Desiree Buford and Senior Programmer Peter L. Stein, as well as the board. The festival opened with the highly controversial I AM MICHAEL by Justin Kelly with James Franco in the titular role of a gay activist turned ex-gay and fundamental minister in a true story. Co-starring as his lovers in a gay triad are handsome Zachary Quinto and Charlie Carver. For me, the final scene made me think the reverend just might have had second thoughts - although in real life he is “happily married.” Sister Dana sez, “See this tremendously moving movie when it comes to theaters or in DVD form!” CUMMING UP - PARADE WEEKEND & BEYOND ELTON: THE SING-ALONG will be performed by the SAN FRANCISCO GAY MEN’S CHORUS at the Nourse Theater, 275 Hayes Street, Friday & Saturday June 26th and 27th,
8pm. Celebrate Pride with the 275 handsome men of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus! They wrap up their 37th season with a rollicking, joyous sing-along, featuring the best of Sir Elton John. From the worlds of pop music, film, and Broadway, they’ve got it covered... with your help belting some of Sir Elton’s most iconic melodies! 415-392-4400 sfgmc.org LGBT NIGHT AT AT&T PARK is Friday June 26th, 7:15pm, AT&T Park, 24 Willie Mays Plaza. Special package Includes ticket to the Friday evening game to watch the Giants take on the Rockies; admission to pre-game LGBT Night party in Seals Plaza from 5pm7pm; and special LGBT-themed Giants T-shirt! Partial proceeds from each special event ticket will be donated to nonprofits in the LGBT community. 415972-2298 sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com PINK TRIANGLE: INSTALLATION AND COMMEMORATION CEREMONY is Saturday June 27th,
10:30am at the Top of Twin Peaks, 937 Cole Street. Volunteers are always needed for installation help with over 175 bright pink canvasses and thousands of steel spikes from 7-10am. It can be seen for 20 miles. Commemoration Ceremony at 10:30 am with elected officials and Grand Marshals. THE PINK TRIANGLE, organized every year by Patrick Carney, has been installed for each Pride weekend since 1996 as a visible yet mute reminder of man’s inhumanity to man. This will be the 20th Pink Triangle display. The community has embraced the pink triangle as a symbol of pride, though it was once used in an attempt to label and shame. We must remind people of the hatred of the past to help educate others so that what happened in the Holocaust won’t be forgotten and won’t be repeated. To volunteer: (415) 726-4914 or pat724car@ gmail.com PINK PARTY is Saturday, June 27th, 3-8pm in the Castro District, presented
NEWS (continued from page 10) team since graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute earlier this year. outsports.com San Francisco Queer Marriage & Couples Center Is Open The SF Queer Marriage & Couples Center at 254 Church Street specializes in LGBTQ and many other categories that make up the rainbow of our diverse queer community in the Bay Area. Their clinicians all identify as queer and have expertise and experience working within their community. The queer center was born out of The San Francisco Marriage and
by the LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER. Wear your pinkest finery and come support local nonprofits! DJs and live acts on four stages, food vendors, and a new VIP area. Everyone will be asked to donate at least $10 at the gate, but you can access an express line by pre-registering and donating in advance online. Go to sfcenter.org to learn more. This all-ages event is alcohol and substance free and accessible at street level. ADA compliant bathroom facilities available. No one turned away for inability to donate. REAL BAD presents REACH on Saturday, June 27th, 3pm at Oasis, 298 11th Street. Join the REAL BAD circle of friends as we celebrate the 5-year anniversary of REACH at San Francisco’s hottest new venue, SF Oasis! DJ Amy Alderman will be taking you on a high-energy journey of uplifting anthems and melodic vocal house! BE PROUD... DO GOOD, because 100% of net proceeds benefit local Bay Area nonprofits and the Grass Roots Gay ROSTOW (continued from page 17)
Couples Center because one of the therapists, Brendan Neff-Hall, wanted a division that specialized in couples therapy for the LGBTQIA Community. sanfranciscoqueercouplescenter.com This Pride, NCAVP Stands in Solidarity & Celebration with LGBTQ Communities During Pride season, National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) encourages LGBTQ communities “to celebrate who we are, take care of ourselves and others in our communities, stay connected, and
report any anti-LGBTQ actions to local anti-violence programs.” According to NCAVP’s most recent report, “Hate Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Communities in the United States,” there were 1,359 incidents of anti-LGBTQ violence. Additionally, NCAVP’s 2014 report, “Intimate Partner Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and HIV Communities,” documented 2,697 reports of LGBTQ intimate partner violence in 2013. Reports show an 11% increase in anti-LGBTQ homicides in 2014. ncavp.org
out obscenities, obscenities that I cannot even repeat in this LGBT family newspaper. One scream that began with “F” was so loud that I rushed in from the patio to see what had happened. Something that had been together had come apart I guess. Worse, the project doesn’t look as if it’s advancing and I fear her mood will suffer. Oh, here she is, back on the patio muttering: “there’s not enough booze”…“stupid toy”…and “f--k it.” Those are verbatim quotes and please note that this project must be completed to an eight-year-old’s satisfaction in less than 48 hours. That said, this palace, once constructed, looks as if it will be relentlessly gay.
Rights Foundation. realbad.org FAERIE FREEDOM VILLAGE is Sunday, June 28th, 11 am-7 pm, UN Plaza, Civic Center. Revel in the spectacular, natural and non-commercial oasis that offers heart-connected sanctuary in the midst of a busy street festival while also showcasing and celebrating queer creative spirit. https://www.facebook.com/events/ 406091562908276 MARK ABRAMSON will read from his memoir of San Francisco in the sexy 1970’s, SEX, DRUGS & DISCO: SAN FRANCISCO DIARIES FROM THE PRE-AIDS ERA, Tuesday, June 30th, 8 pm at Magnet, 4122 18th Street in the Castro. Free event, free food and drink. magnetsf.org Sister Dana sez, “Disgraced former NAACP chapter president Racial ... er ... Rachel Dolezal revealed on the ‘Today Show’ that, in addition to identifying as trans-racial, she’s also bisexual. Nope. Sorry, dear, but you cannot march in our Parade!!!”
You’re Invited! San Francisco Bay Times Pride Parade Contingent Sunday June 28th 10 am Line Up #066 Spear Street at Market Celebrating 40 Years of Women’s Music
arostow@aol.com
EQUALITY WITHOUT EXCEPTION We all deserve to be healthy and happy When you embrace equality, it helps lead to a healthier, happier community. We want everyone to feel their best. That’s why we champion things that are good for you — like embracing who you are, staying active, and eating lots of fruits and veggies. Kaiser Permanente is proud to have a long history as a major sponsor of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade. And we’re in the parade lineup on June 28.
kp.org BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
23
presented by
THE SING-ALONG with guest artist BREANNA SINCLAIRÉ
JUNE 26, 8 P.M. JUNE 27, 3 P.M. JUNE 27, 8 P.M. NOURSE THEATER
TICKETS AT SFGMC.ORG OR (415) 392-4400 SEASON 37 SPONSORED BY
THE OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF SFGMC
WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM
#KateClinton
I speak fluent emoji. I spent two years in the Peace Corps in Emojistan.
Arts & Entertainment Welcome to San Francisco Pride 2015! By Gary Virginia Welcome to the 45th Anniversary of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade & Celebration! The entire city is electric with excitement as we roll out the rainbow carpet and line Market Street with 400 Pride flags to welcome more than a million revelers on June 27 and 28. Our LGBT movement has come far since the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria riot in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, and the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, NY. A year after Stonewall, Pride marches were held in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. We’re indebted to those brave pioneers who fought back: drag queens, transgender individuals, effeminate young men, male prostitutes, and homeless youth. Forty-five years after arrests were made at our first “Christopher Street Liberation Day Gay-In” held in Golden Gate Park, we continue our fight with this year’s SF Pride theme, Equality Without Exception. It was chosen by our members to draw attention to the growing “religious exemption” laws negatively impacting the liberties of women, LGBT people, and other communities. Christopher Stoll, National Center for Lesbian Rights Senior Staff Attorney, explained, “This year alone, hundreds of anti-LGBT bills covering a broad range of issues have been introduced in over a dozen state legislatures. Some would allow county clerks and other government officials to refuse to issue marriage licenses or perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. Others would allow adoption agencies to refuse to place children with LGBT people. Still others would allow businesses or religious organizations to refuse to sell goods and services to same-sex couples celebrating a wedding, or even to refuse to recognize such couples as legally married for purposes of spousal employment benefits. For the first time in our nation’s history, these laws would apply to private lawsuits seeking to enforce antidiscrimination laws.” On a brighter note, by June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court will have ruled on four cases—Obergefell v. Hodges, Tanco v. Haslam, DeBoer v. Snyder and Bourke v. Beshear—each of which concerned the constitutionality of one state’s refusal to recognize marriages that are legal under other states’ laws. A long, hardfought struggle could end in a positive ruling, ending the issue of the constitutionality of same-sex marriage bans for all 50 states. One of the many ways SF Pride fulfills its mission is through the annual selection of grand marshals and honorees. The Class of 2015 awardees reflects the diversity and culture of our community, each excelling in a unique way. When you read their accomplishments at sfpride.org or in Inside Pride magazine, you will see the critical roles they
played in the Compton riot, the #BlackLivesMatter movement, PFLAG, the blind and disabled communities, the annual Pink Triangle on Twin Peaks project, the recording industry and more. They are fundraisers, authors, artists, veterans, activists and community builders of the highest caliber. This year, the SF Pride board created a new #MyPride campaign to help drive home our purpose as one of hundreds of Pride organizations around the world. You can view the personal stories as videos uploaded to sfpride.org or on the Internet. During this historic SF Pride season, we encourage you to record your impression of what Pride means to you. Sharing our stories can change minds. Now is the time to build allies and rally votes as the U.S. presidential election nears. You can share our message of Equality Without Exception by picking up a souvenir hat, pin, shirt or cinch bag at the two-day festival, online, or at Hard Rock Cafe at Pier 39. Tickets for the Parade Grandstand and VIP Party at City Hall, and money-saving Pride Pass are available at sfpride.org along with an extensive Community Calendar of Pride events. We’ve come a long way since those 20 “Hair Faeries” marched from Aquatic Park, down Polk Street to City Hall. SF Pride has blossomed into one of the largest parades and festivals in America with 300 exhibitor booths, 23 community-produced stages and venues, and 240 diverse, politically-engaged parade contingents. In addition to being a world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride has granted nearly $2.4 million to local LGBT and charity organizations since 1997. Our event is also a huge economic driver for the Bay Area, with total visitor impact estimated to be $357.1 million. Producing the annual parade and celebration for over a million revelers is a year-long effort, superbly managed by Executive Director George Ridgely and a small group of dedicated staff and expert contractors. The $2 million operating budget is very lean while costs keep rising. In the past year, our office rent increased 29%, our insurance costs rose $70,000, and many vendor contracts increased. I encourage the community of businesses and individuals to donate through our Society of Supporters donor club, and at the entrance gates to the festival, which remains free to all. An investment in Pride reaps individual and collective returns of self esteem, community empowerment, and brings us closer to our goal of Equality Without Exception. Have a safe, fun, and meaningful SF Pride weekend! Gary Virginia is President of the San Francisco Pride Board of Directors. BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
25
By Sister Dana Van Iquity of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Welcome to San Francisco Pride, where every identity, gender, kink and kind are celebrated! Hundreds of thousands of visitors from outside the Bay Area will attend San Francisco Pride this year. The 45th annual San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade takes place June 27 and 28. With over 240 parade contingents, 350 exhibitors, and 20 community-run stages and venues, the two-day SF PC&P is the largest free gathering of LGBTQ people and allies in the nation. For a fun, quick history lesson, check the last two paragraphs of this article. Celebration Location & Times On June 27 and 28, the Civic Center is the location for the Celebration and all the booths and stages. On Saturday, the hours are noon to 6 pm. On Sunday, the hours are 11am to 6pm, when you may be asked to make a donation of $10 at the entry gates in support of more than 60 local nonprofit community partners. With over 350 exhibitors and nonprofit booths at the event, San Francisco Pride offers a wide variety of artists, local and national businesses, nonprofits, artisans, food and beverages. SF Pride makes a special effort to make exhibitor booths affordable to local nonprofits that often use their space to educate, raise much-needed funds and connect with the community. There’s something at Pride for everyone!
Stay Hydrated! Stay Standing! Stay Proud! Throughout the site you’ll find booths selling water, soda, juice and other nonalcoholic beverages. If you choose to purchase alcohol at the event, please drink responsibly and remember to stay hydrated. Civic Center Plaza and UN Plaza are designated as official smoke-free spaces.
Parade Route & Times The Pride Parade is along Market Street with kickoff at 10:30 am, starting at Beale Street and ending at 8th Street. This year’s theme is “Equality Without Exception!” The social mission is “to educate the world, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people.” We have the obligation to vote and be vigilant.
Facilities & Accessibility Free child-care facilities and a range of services for people with disabilities are available. With special parade-viewing areas and sign language interpretation at all performance stages, the aim is to make the event accessible to everyone. For details about accessibility, log on to the website: sfpride.org/access
Recycling and Composting In an effort to be environmentally responsible as people continue to pioneer green event practices, San Francisco Pride provides disposal areas for recycling, composting, and trash. All cups, plates, and utensils used at the event are 100% compostable and are made from natural derivatives; please toss these into the compost bins.
Parade Grandstand Tickets and VIP Party Grandstand seating is available for the Parade, and SF Pride will host its annual VIP Party at City Hall on Sunday from 2-5pm. Tickets and info for both are available at sfpride.org
Safety & Wellness The Parade’s volunteer Safety Monitors work hard to provide a safer Pride Celebration and Parade. Please make sure that your valuables and effects are secure by not leaving bags or personal items unattended. Report suspicious activity or unattended packages to the nearest member of the Safety Team or at the nearest Information Booth. You are also encouraged to protect yourself and your sexual partners by employing safer sex practices during the weekend and always. Together we can help stop the virus.
26
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Getting to Pride
SF Pride is one of the largest outdoor events in the nation in the heart of a major metropolitan area. Please do not try to park your car anywhere near the Parade and Celebration site during Parade weekend. San Francisco has an excellent (usually) transportation system! Both the BART and Muni transit systems serve Civic Center station near both the Celebration and Parade, making access to the event easy. Bicycle parking is available. Check out the comprehensive transportation guide at sfpride.org
Entertainers & Special Guests
Main Stage, Sunday: MC: Liam Mayclem. Shiny Toy Guns, Big Freedia, Steve Grand, Kat Robichaud, Siya, Lady Bunny, Mike Munich, Mystic Bill and Noel Leon, ESG, Krystle Warren, Cheer SF, Well-Strung, Glide Ensemble & Change Band, The Glamz, Morning Gloryville, Sexitude, and Bay Area Ameri-can Indians Two-Spirits. Community Stages, Sunday: The Club Papi Latin Stage will feature headline act Los Horóscopos de Durango. The Soul of Pride Stage will feature performances by D. Woods and Julian Walker, as well as a performance by Big Freedia. Main Stage, Saturday: MC: Carnie Asada. The Ladies of AsiaSF, Moonlighting SF, The Monster Show, Go BANG!, Switch SF, and Lord Price. A complete list of activities, entertainment, and event information can be found at sfpride.org
Speakers
Annually, SF Pride features speakers on topics relevant to the LGBTQ community. The 2015 series begins at 12:50pm on the Main Stage and will feature the following speakers and topics: Matthew Vines - Religious Exemptions and Public Policy; Alicia Garza - The #BlackLivesMatter Movement; Kate Kendell - Marriage Equality.
Celebrity Grand Marshals
Rick Welts, President and Chief Operating Officer of the 2015 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors. In 2011, Welts became the highestranking executive in men’s professional team sports to publicly acknowledge he is gay; Jim Obergefell is the named plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court that is central to bringing marriage equality to all 50 states. Anthony Wayne stars in Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical celebrating the life of Sylvester as the first “Queen of Disco.” Wayne will be performing on the SF Pride Theme Float, as well as at the Official SF Pride VIP Party at City Hall.
Community Grand Marshals, Awardees, Pink Brick
Judy Dlugacz, Olivia Co-founder; Alicia Garza, #BlackLivesMatter Co-founder; Brian Basinger, AIDS Housing Alliance/SF; Belo Cipriani, award-winning author and disabilities advocate. Lifetime Achievement Grand Marshal - Felicia Elizondo, Screaming Queen, pioneer, legend, icon, diva Organizational Grand Marshal - Transgender Law Center The Gilbert Baker Pride Founder’s Award - Patrick Carney, Pink Triangle Organizer and Co-founder
The José Julio Sarria History Maker Award - Julia and Sam Thoron, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) The Audrey Joseph Entertainment Award - Audrey Joseph, SF Entertainment Commissioner, activist, record executive The Teddy Witherington Award - Tita Aida, Transgender, Asian Pacific Islander, LGBTQI community leader Heritage of Pride, 10 Years of Service Award - Tom Taylor and Jerome “Jerry” Goldstein, community advocates and fundraisers Heritage of Pride, Pride Freedom Award - Mary Midgett, community leader, author Heritage of Pride, Pride Creativity Award - Monica Helms, creator of the Transgender Pride Flag
Pink Brick - American Family Association, U.S. nonprofit organization championing Christian activism. A symbol of the first brick hurled at the Stonewall Riots in 1969, the Pink Brick is an opportunity to highlight an individual or organization that has done harm to the LGBTQ community. It is also an opportunity to educate the community and the Pink Brick recipient about relevant issues. The Pink Brick recipient is chosen by public vote.
And Now For A Little History Lesson
Every year I read an editorial asking for the “freaks and drag queens” to please step aside and not ruin it for LGBTQ rights. And I need to remind those naysayers that it was drag queens and transgenders, way back at the end of June 1969 in New York City, hanging out at their local gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, who decided they would no longer put up with daily police harassment and arrests that were part of “normal” homosexual life for these people. At that time it was illegal to be gay, so there was no openly gay pride, no openly gay politics, and most certainly no gay parade. On that particular night, the Stonewall patrons initiated local action that was to eventually lead to national gay liberation. They fought back. For several days and nights the Stonewall Rebellion raged on, and the so-called sissies beat the men-inblue in a rather violent uprising (and I don’t mean just with purses). So you see, it was a very abnormal group of “freaky people wearing funny clothes” back then who made it possible for us today to cocktail and cruise undisturbed in the queer bar of our choice. And walk down Market Street holding hands. And for that matter, those nelly fellas paved the way for every one of our civil rights marches. So when you see a drag queen or “freaky person,” give ‘em the thumbs-up and thank ‘em for the legacy that continues. Flame ON, freaky people!!!
www.GarethGoochPhotography.com
Heritage of Pride, Pride Community Award - Harry Lit, community organizer and fundraiser
JUNE 27, 2015 3 TO 8 PM CASTRO DISTRICT, SAN FRANCISCO Come to the Castro and support LOCAL BUSINESS! Castro District merchants will be OPEN for business before and during the Pink Party and throughout Pride weekend.
www.sfcenter.org BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
27
Part of the Holy Whole has suffered at the hands of tribalism is potentially equipped with the necessary empathy that will continue to grow humanity’s capacity to maintain our beautifully unique and varied colors, while holding a larger truth that recognizes we are part of the Holy Whole.
Astrology Linda Amburgey Raising f lags of national and tribal distinction often ruff les my Aquarian sensibilities regarding our collective humanity. Tribalism can refer to a group attitude of undeserved pride and superiority based solely on identification with a group. Dr. Seuss’s Starbellied Sneetches learned this lesson well, “...until neither the plain nor the Star-Bellies knew whether this one was that one...or that one was this one... or which one was what one...or what one was who.” As we raise our rainbow flag rightfully coloring and claiming our place within the world, and gather with our community in celebration, heed the Sneectches’ wisdom by understanding that we are all in this together. Any group or sub group that
ARIES (March 21–April 19) Your efforts to create a happy home require plenty of negotiations with the rest of the clan right now, making it very important that you learn the distinction between a healthy disagreement and bullying. Your desire to be recognized as the queen of the castle will be readily granted when you are gentle and empathetic, rather than tyrannical. TAURUS (April 20–May 20) You will be called upon from within to courageously express your most tender and vulnerable feelings. This gushing geyser will leave you feeling empowered and strong, and those around you will benefit from your emotional authenticity, and fierce determination to demonstrate it. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Gather with small circles of like-minded people reaching
for altered states of consciousness. These congregations can be adventurous and fun, as well as deep and profound. You will return Home with a pocketful of treasured values that are both deeply personal and Universal. CANCER ( June 21–July 22) Put on your courage cloak and step unapologetically into the lead role. You will benefit financially from this burst of selfconf idence, as those around you will easily feel your self-assured fearlessness. This is not a time to shrink, procrastinate, or withhold your gifts. Get on out! LEO ( July 23–August 22) Avoid all temptat ions to check into la la land with the addiction of your choice. You have a rare opportunity to attune to your ancestral lineage, pulling in critical information previously veiled from your awareness. It is imperative that your channels are clear enough to receive the wisdom. VIRGO (August 23–September 22) You may find that family and community are merging together and becoming one. Don’t worry about having matching silverware when you invite them all
to dinner, as the overall vibe will bring your awareness out of the details and into the broad and indefinable. Seeing yourself in everyone is the gift from this perspective. LIBRA (September 23– October 22) No matter how much you would like to settle at night into a comfy movie and popcorn at home, the phone keeps ringing and calling you into various social outings and work gigs. Play hard and work hard. Home and rest will find you after the job is done and the party is over. SCORPIO (October 23– November 21) Book your travel plans immediately if you have not done so already. Your journey may take you to far away lands, however, you are questing for a deepening sense of home. Be sure to pack a symbolic stone, or a picture or piece of home in your luggage that will serve as a reminder of your intention. SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) The shadows of your family and your past are competing with your desire to run care free. Both have a place on your calendar this month, but resist the temptation to seek only
pleasure while avoiding pain. Let each moment and feeling arise as it will, as if you were not in control. CAPRICORN (December 22– January 19) Have a sense of humor when you f ind yourself shaking hands with your shadow self who might be packaged as a family member. You will need that light perspective as you enter disagreements with loved ones. Stop playing a role, and move into a more vulnerable dialogue with yourself. AQUAR IUS ( Januar y 20 – February 18) Now that work and relationships are burning bright and easy, you must turn your attention to your body. True presence lives in our embodiment of consciousness. Tune into your body, and make a home for yourself within it. Start by being acutely aware of physical sensation and feelings without going into analysis paralysis. PISCES (February 19–March 20) Take a little more subjective and personalized view of existence while you navigate the realms of the sacred “I”. You must have a distinct self that can express a distinct skill or passion if you want to be seen, felt, and experienced by others. Make this month about you.
Linda Amburgey has owned Crystal Way Metaphysical Center for 11 years, and has been an Intuitive Reader for 20 years. To book readings, on-going counseling for couples or individuals, events and parties, please e-mail her at ConsciousCounsel@gmail.com or call 415-218-5096.
As Heard on the Street . . . What are you most proud of at this time of the year?
compiled by Rink
Sharon Tanenbaum
Aja Monet
Bill Hirsh
Thompson Chambers
Matty Person
“I am so proud of the community work and bravery that made it possible for me to be an honest woman - legally married!”
“How the LGBT community comes together and there are no big me’s and little you’s”
“The many folks who are brave enough to live their lives authentically”
“That I got legally married this time last year, to my nowhusband of 18 years”
“I am proud first of being gay and being married to a woman”
Steven Underhill
PHOTOGRAPHY
415 370 7152
WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS
stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com 28
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
City Hall Centennial Celebration - Photos by Rink Mayor Ed Lee hosted the 100th anniversary of San Francisco’s City Hall on Friday, June 19, in Civic Center Plaza. Held in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 83rd Annual Meeting, the celebration included both day and night events for the public. a new multi-media projection system were popular. Many attending the daytime celebration wore period costumes from a century ago. celebrate our venerable, yet oh so gay, City Hall.
With over a dozen extraordinary vets working in a state-of-the-art facility, our hospital provides the very best in animal care — from wellness exams to urgent care, surgeries and more. And all proceeds go to help local animals in need.
OUR HOSPITAL IS JUST FOR PETS.
SAN FRANCISCO SPCA VETERINARY HOSPITAL | SFSPCA.ORG/VET
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
29
Victory and More and mental distress, chronic illness, isolation and lack of access to supportive aging and health services than heterosexual seniors. Health disparities in the LGBT senior community need to be vigorously challenged and reduced.
Aging in Community Marcy Adelman We have much to celebrate, given all of the recent marriage equality gains both here and around the world. At last our beautiful loving relationships are being acknowledged and respected! I am bursting with joy and gratitude. Gratitude for the courage of our elders who pioneered a path for us and on whose shoulders we stand. Grateful for the advocates, allies and supporters who tirelessly worked on our behalf. And proud, joyously proud, of continuing to win the fight to live authentic lives and to love whom we choose. But after the celebrating is over, there will be much talk in the days and months ahead about the work left to be done. Let us take the momentum from these victories and renew our commitment to making change happen. We will need to continue to protect, as well as to expand, the rights we have won. But many pernicious and troubling challenges remain and need to be tackled. LGBT seniors experience unacceptably high rates of suicide. LGBT older adults and seniors, especially LGBT seniors of color and transgender seniors, experience higher rates of physical
The LGBT community has a small, dynamic, infrastructure of national and local aging/senior advocacy organizations and agencies and a relatively new, but growing, infrastructure of health and wellness services and LGBT cultural competency training programs. If the Older American Act (which targets billions of dollars in funding to programs and services for vulnerable elders challenged by economic insecurity, health disparities and social isolation) were to be revised to appropriately include LGBT seniors, HIV-positive adults and people living with Alzheimer’s/dementia, the staggering disparities in LGBT health and well-being could be significantly reduced. Our national advocacy organizations need to prioritize LGBT inclusion in the OAA. In the meantime, we must continue to grow and expand the LGBT aging health and wellness infrastructure to ensure that LGBT seniors can remain in their homes as they age and to continue to thrive, grow and contribute to their communities. You can do this by supporting/donating/volunteering at anyone of a number of LGBT senior advocacy or senior serving organizations in your community. One of the LGBT community’s most vulnerable populations consists of LGBT seniors living with Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia. LGBT seniors are more likely than their
heterosexual peers to live alone, without a partner, without children and estranged from their biological families. People with dementia who live alone and who have limited informal support networks are more at risk for neglect and early institutionalization. Nationally, LGBT older adults and seniors living with Alzheimer’s/ dementia remain largely invisible to policy makers and care providers. Few LGBT serving organization are dementia knowledgeable, and tragically, the majority of health and dementia service providers are not sensitive to and/or knowledgeable about the unique needs and strengths of LGBT seniors. At the next Whitehouse Conference on Aging, the issue of LGBT senior Alzheimer’s/dementia care needs to be addressed. Of the country’s five leading causes of death, Alzheimer’s is the only one for which there is no cure. The world is facing a health care crisis of epidemic proportions. Age is the single most important predictor of dementia: As we are living longer, more of us will be at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. There are 5.3 million Americans living with dementia and that is expected to increase to over 7 million by 2030. In San Francisco alone, there are over three thousand LGBT people living with Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia, most of whom live alone and experience barriers to care. San Francisco, the city with one of the world’s largest populations of LGBT people, has responded to this crisis in care by recently targeting funding in the upcoming city budget for an education and awareness campaign, the Dementia Care Project (DCP). The DCP is based on the
LGBT Resources for Seniors • 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/
Dr. Marcy Adelman, co-founder of Openhouse and SF Bay Times columnist, joins Alex Rutherford in welcoming guests to the Pride Party & Exhibit Reception at the SF LGBT Community Center. Photo by Rink
recommendation of the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force to improve care and access to care for LGBT people living with dementia. Going forward, there is now hope and opportunity to help thousands of LGBT people living with Alzheimer’s/ dementia to live as well as possible and as long as possible in their homes and communities. This is just one important step. National advocacy groups need to prioritize LGBT senior Alzheimer’s/dementia care. So let us celebrate today, tomorrow and the next day all of our victories and champions. Then, let’s roll up our sleeves to create an even healthier, brighter and more secure future. Together we can do just about anything. Dr. Marcy Adelman, a clinical psychologist in private practice, is co-founder of the nonprofit organization Openhouse and was a leading member of the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force.
• 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,
Dr. Marcy Adelman oversees the Aging in Community column. For her summary of current LGBT senior challenges and opportunities, please go to: sf baytimes.com/challenges-andopportunties
Truly
WONDERFUL People. Meet remarkable people who know San Francisco Towers is the city’s most appealing senior living community. People like Maylene Wong. It’s the life you and your partner want—right in the heart of The City. To learn more, or for your personal visit, please call 415.447.5527.
Maylene Wong, joined in 2005 A not-for-profit community owned and operated by Episcopal Senior Communities. License No. 380540292 COA #177 EPSF723-01HJ 041615
30
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
1661 Pine Street San Francisco, CA 94109 sanfranciscotowers-esc.org
Cindy Brown & Sharon McMahon Caring for Mom since 2009 Married in 2012
This placement made possible by
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
31
Harry Hay: The Founder of Us All
Rainbow Honor Walk Dr. Bill Lipsky It was some time during the 1930s, Harry Hay remembered, when he turned to his then lover Will Geer to share an idea he had. Hay wanted to start a club or organization where men like “us” could meet to discuss issues important to them as homosexuals. “But honey,” Geer asked, “what would we talk about?” That was the question. Hay struggled to reply for more than a decade. When he did, he changed the world. The answer came to him in 1948. Working for Henry Wallace’s thirdparty candidacy that year, Hay began to wonder about an “international… fraternal order” or “a service and welfare organization devoted to the protection and improvement of Society’s Androgynous Minority.” He dropped the term “androgynous” almost immediately, but his view that homosexuals were a “social minority” or “cultural minority” never changed. What that meant was exactly what gays would talk about. Understanding that gays were a minority group, and the implications of that realization, changed everything that followed. At the time, gay men
32
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
did not see themselves as a community. “The Queers,” Hay said later, “were the one group of disenfranchised people who did not even know they were a group because they had never formed as a group.” They had no acknowledged cultural traditions, no history, no political recognition, no legal protections. They knew that they were sexually attracted to other men— although some denied it—but there was little or no other sense of shared identity.
“Strange Sex Cult”—lasted less than a year. It took Hay until 1950 to establish his organization. The first to join him was Rudi Gernreich, his lover at the time, who introduced Hay to gay men who not only were willing, but eager, to become involved. Even though, at the height of the federal government’s “homosexual witch hunt,” they were unsure that they could meet legally,
Many men told Hay that an organization for them was impossible. Homosexual affection, even between consenting adults, was illegal in every state and territory. Gays who associated with each other risked harassment, and even arrest. Those convicted of homosexuality were forced to register as “sex offenders.” Repeat “offenders” could be sent to a state mental hospital for treatment, which often included electroshock therapy and castration; since the individuals were under a physician’s care, and not a court’s authority, a patient’s consent was not required and was seldom requested. Previous attempts to create gay organizations in the United States had been unsuccessful. As early as 1924, Henry Gerber suggested forming such a group for men who love men, “to combat the public prejudices against them,” but few were interested in joining him. “The average homosexual,” he remembered, “was ignorant concerning himself. Others were fearful. Still others were frantic or depraved. Some were blasé…They rejected our aims. We wondered how we could accomplish anything with such resistance from our own people.” His Society for Human Rights, which one newspaper described as a
the group, which included Chuck Rowland, Bob Hull, Dale Jennings, Konrad Stevens, and John Gruber, joined together for the first time on November 11, 1950, at Hay’s home in Los Angeles. What Hay proposed to them was nothing less than a major paradigm shift in thinking about gays. Before the 20th century, homosexuality was believed to be a sin, an aberrant behavior, and not a sexual orientation or even an identification. That changed with the Freudians, who eventually argued it was a pathological abnor-
mality or a mental disorder. In fact, Hay told the group, gay men were a distinct minority group, “a separate people,” not simply individuals who sought each other only for sex. Everything f lowed from Hay’s certainty. He and his friends had long discussions about what actually made them a minority group: their mutual sense of collective identity, the attributes that set them apart, their shared values and beliefs, their common history, the discrimin at ion t hey a l l faced, and the ways in which they could help each other. These are simple sounding, obvious ideas today, but they were totally new then, when homosexuality was seen as a mental illness. The group called itself the “Mattachine Society,” from the French “Société Mattachine,” well known for its medieval dancers who always wore masks when they appeared in public. “We took the name,” Hay explained, “because we felt that we 1950s Gays were also a masked people, unknown and anonymous, who might become engaged in morale building and helping ourselves and others, through struggle, to move toward total redress and change.”
Hay left the Mattachine Society in 1953, but remained an activist for the rest of his life. “We must,” he believed,” work collectively for the full first-class citizenship participation of minorities everywhere, including ourselves.” Because he understood that gays were a cultural minority, he opposed assimilation, which became a popular idea among gay rights advocates in the next decade. Some of his other opinions also became controversial, but his founding ideas, from which everything that followed emanated, are as vital today as when he first shared them: A separate people, We bring a gift to celebrate each other, ‘Tis a gift to be gay! Feel the pride of it! Bill Lipsky, Ph.D., author of “Gay and Lesbian San Francisco” (2006), is a member of the Rainbow Honor Walk board of directors. David Perry oversees the Rainbow Honor Walk series. He is co-founder and coR a inbow Honor Walk, which has created a landmark memorial in the Castro to heroes and heroines of the LGBT community. He is also the CEO and Founder of Dav id Perr y & A ssociates, http://www.davidperry.com/
Restaurateur Rachel Herbert’s Brilliant Mix: Cafés, Parks, Music, Art and LGBT Good Vibes What is the value of relaxing at a beautiful neighborhood park in San Francisco and then enjoying a leisurely delicious meal with friends or family afterward at a sunny café? Priceless, we’d say, given that such moments are some of the best times that anyone can have in the Bay Area. Rachel Herbert is the creative visionary force behind Dolores Park Café, Duboce Park Café and Precita Park Café, so we have her and her life partner, Dana Oppenheim, to thank for many well-spent days and evenings that add to the quality of life in San Francisco and help to build and strengthen our community. Herbert, along with Oppenheim and other members of their team, operate the enterprises under the umbrella of the Park Café Group. What a brilliant idea it was to connect local parks to cafés. Herbert and Oppenheim also add incredible music nights and art to the masterful mix, which kicks into even higher gear during Pride. Have you seen Dolores Park Café before the Dyke March, for example? It’s little wonder that many people say this café is the best spot to people watch in all of San Francisco. Herbert is also famous for her support of countless LGBT efforts. Google her name plus words like “benefit” or “fundraiser” and you’ll see what we mean. The Trans March, Art for AIDS and “Betty’s List” are just a handful of the groups, projects, organizations and more that have benefitted from Herbert’s work. We were delighted when she agreed to an interview. San Francisco Bay Times: We’ve read that by the age of 9, you had already explored and tasted the cuisines of India, Pakistan and Brazil! Please tell us about these and other early travel adventures, and how they influenced you. Rachel Herbert: I think my love of food came from growing up outside of the U.S. When I was six months old, my family moved to Calcutta, and to this day, my favorite food is Indian cui-
sine. In El Salvador, I learned how to make pupusas, and I remember being introduced to tropical fruits like tamarind and papaya. Every new flavor was an adventure and no matter where we lived, as kids we were encouraged to eat anything and everything that was put in front of us. To refuse a dish when we were guests in someone’s home was considered rude, so we ate everything, and as a result, developed an appreciation for a wide variety of food from other cultures. San Francisco Bay Times: Who were some of your early mentors, and how did they affect your life and work? Rachel Herbert: Mrs. Meader was a family friend and neighbor and she was a gourmet cook. She had a very slight refined New England accent and had a husky voice from smoking too much. At the same time, she always wore pearls and Lauren Bacall hair. She would take me out to lunch to talk to me about the virtues of getting a good education and would tell me how special she thought I was. At Thanksgiving, I would sit on a stool in her kitchen before dinner and would watch her fly around the kitchen in a black dress and her pearls with a cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth. There would always be a soiled copy of the Joy of Cooking spread open on the counter, and gravy spattered on the walls, which become a casualty of her furious cooking style. Mrs. Meader made everything from scratch, and it was always delicious. She taught me how to make bourbon cakes and gravy, stuff-
ing and béchamel sauce, and the importance of using fresh ingredients in every dish. But most of all, she taught me confidence and how to move boldly through the world. Mrs. Meader was unapologetic about the choices she made. She used to say to me, “Kid, when you make a mistake, and you will…make it big. You can always clean it up later.” San Francisco Bay Times: How did you get your start in the restaurant business? Rachel Herbert: I worked in restaurants for 15 years before I opened Dolores. I supported myself through school, and after that, through every artistic endeavor I ever tried until I woke up one day and said to myself, “I should open a restaurant. That’s where I have the most experience, and I love hospitality.” I was lucky enough to open Dolores Park Café with my previous boss. He showed me the ropes, and I bought him out three years after we opened. San Francisco Bay Times: The concept behind your restaurant group, Park Café Group, is absolutely brilliant. Please tell us about that, and how you and/or your business partners came up with the idea. Rachel Herbert: The park concept started with Dolores Park Café. I lived (continued on page 38)
Proud to represent our LGBT community as Community College Board Trustee. These LGBT leaders support me for my campaign this November, I hope you will too. Endorsed by: Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins • State Senator Mark Leno • Supervisor Scott Wiener • Former Supervisor Bevan Dufty • Former City College Trustees Lawrence Wong, Leslie Katz, and Andrea Shorter • Democratic County Central Committee Members Zoe Dunning*, Rebecca Prozan*, and Francis Tsang* • Human Rights Commission Executive Director Theresa Sparks*
Vote for Alex Randolph on November 3, 2015! www.AlexRandolph.com
PAID FOR BY ALEX RANDOLPH FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD 2015 FPPC #1377608 BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
33
Round About Frameline39 Photos by Rink The annual Frameline Festival began on June 18 with the screening of the controversial film I Am Michael at the Castro Theatre. Gallery. Among those on hand were filmmakers Jenni Olson, Travis Mathews, Tina Takemoto, and Celeste Chin; producers Bill Parker and Felicia Faulkner; director Joseph Graham; and artist Rudy Lemcke; and many more! Frameline39 continues with screenings daily through Sunday, June 28, when the Closing Night will feature Bare, followed by the Closing Night Gala Party at Oasis Nightclub & Cabaret. For information and tickets, visit frameline.org
Janet Delaney: South of Market relates the complex history of a changing San Francisco neighborhood through an exhibition of more than 40 photographs from the 1970s and 1980s.
This exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Janet Delaney, Second at Market Street, 1986. Archival pigment print. Janet Delaney, 10th at Folsom Street, 1982. Inkjet print. Images courtesy of the artist. Š 2015 Janet Delaney
34
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Sports Pride in 2015
The KiAi Way Jamie Leno Zimron June has become Pride Month in locales around the globe, celebrating who we are as LGBTQ people, and the diversity of our lives and loves and choices as equal human beings on the planet. This is also a time to reflect on our past struggles, both individually and collectively; on our accomplishments to date and where we now; and where we’re going in our efforts to achieve full civil rights. Recently I was visiting my alma mater, Stanford University, where as an undergraduate I came out in the early days of Gay Liberation. It was amazing to walk openly into the ‘Old Firehouse’ where, years ago, I had squeamishly tiptoed by what was the brand new GPU building/Gay People’s Union. I remembered the shocking pain when one of the early GPU members, a man who had befriended me in my coming out process, was lost one terrible night to suicide. Homosexuality was still a very taboo topic to talk about, much less embrace, and it was hard to find more than a dozen or so people on campus who were out, much less proud. In those 1970s days, San Francisco Pride parades were in their infancy. People were first coming out of shadows and closets. Precious few LGBT support organizations or advocates existed. With each year and decade, agencies and projects have grown up to address every aspect of our lives and lifestyle. Today, stopping war and saving the environment seem more elusive now than then—yet I am amazed at the almost unimaginable strides forward that our prideful LGBTQ march to dignity and equality is making! In the realm of athletics, Nike just held its 4th annual June LGBT Sports Summit in Portland. The Summit was created to strengthen all of those who are working to end homophobic and transphobic bashing, bullying and bias in the sports world. Inclusion, safety and opportunity are gradually replacing the harassment and discrimination that LGBT athletes have faced across the board, since childhood. Athletics—from grade school PE, through high school and college, to recreational and profes-
sional sports—remains one of the last bastions where slurs and threats occur daily, and where it’s hardest to come out. Even the military has come to terms with our presence, in ways that sports teammates, scouts, coaches and the media have yet to reach. Says Tim Hershey, Vice President of Global Merchandising for Nike and Executive Advisor to Nike’s LGBT Employee Network: “Nike is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion and unleashing the potential of all athletes.” In addition to holding this annual Sports Summit during Pride Month, Nike has just released their 2015 #BETRUE Collection of LGBT-inspired athletic gear. Alongside the famous swoosh logo, rainbowcolored city names and linings adorn sneakers, t-shirts and sports equipment. The message is clear: Just Do It and Be True to who you are! I’m thinking I might have to go Nike shopping, because the gear looks really good and is designed as a “callto-action for all athletes to be their most authentic selves in June and all year long.” It’s pretty incredible to see this corporate sports giant, along with ESPN and the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), reach out to partner with major players in the LGBTQ community: Outsports, You Can Play project, Federation of Gay Games, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), It Gets Better project, National Center for Lesbian Rights
(NCLR), StandUp Foundation, and others. Another Pride shopportunity in support of revolutionizing the sports world for our com-munity can be found at www. fearlessbookstore.com I can’t wait to get my copy of the newly released phoentitled Fearless: Portraits of LGBT Student Athletes. Sheng shares his story of being a closeted varsity tennis player in high school, who quit playing because: “I believed that being openly gay and being a competitive athlete were incompatible with each other. There were no visible role models to show me otherwise.” He turned to photographic sociology, and has been producing epic work chronicling the courageous people literally changing the faces of our world. Even in 2015, it is groundbreaking to have a book that features 202 portraits of out LGBT student athletes, across a wide span of sports, ethnicities, sexuality and gender identities. The Fearless project is a brave and heartfelt work:
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY - BAY AREA DISABILITY ATTORNEY HAMILTON TATUM HOLT IV PRACTICE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE (SSDI) AND SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) (AND RELATED CLAIMS)
QUALIFIED TO PRACTICE NATIONWIDE BEFORE THE US SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEMBER OF THE FLORIDA BAR DISABILITY ACCOMMODATIONS: HOUSE CALLS
FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION NO FEE OR COSTS UNLESS YOU WIN
(415) 465-3970
IN SAN RAFAEL SFBAYAREADISABILITY.COM
“All proceeds from the Fearless Bookstore will go directly back…to help pay for more Fearless Project photo shoots, done entirely free by artist Jeff Sheng for athletes who volunteer to be in them. We hope that the sales of products here can help make possible…the continuation of the Fearless Project. Athletes who wish to be (continued on page 38)
Fitness SF Trainer Tip of the Month “The DeadLift is a full body compound movement primarily targeting glutes and hamstrings. Always keep your spine neutral throughout the lift.” Stephanie Foley - Fitness SF SOMA
Troy Macfarland of Fitness SF will be providing monthly tips he’s learned from his colleagues who are professional trainers at local gyms. He can be reached at BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
35
See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com
compiled by Robert Fuggiti
www.sfcenter.org
! 25 : THURSDAY
Lesbians of Color Discussion Group – Pacific Center. Free. 7 pm to 9 pm. (2712 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley) Network and socialize with women discussing a range of various topics. www.pacificcenter.org
(Re)Presenting Wilma Rudolph - Laurel Book Store. Free. 7 pm. (1423 Broadway, Oakland) Join us at Laurel Bookstore in welcoming writers Rita Liberti and Maureen M. Smith for the launch party of their new book (Re)Presenting Wilma Rudolph. www.laurelbookstore.com
EndGames – Stage Werx. $5. 10:30 pm. (446 Valencia St.) A night of LGBT improve theater hosted by Sarah Cohan. www.endgamesimprov.com
Pride Kick Off Party – Virgil’s. $5. 9 pm to 2 am. (3152 Mission St.) After a successful fundraiser for the Dyke March as ‘Lexington Presents,’ their bartenders and DJs will take over Virgil’s Sea Room for the first ever Lexington Presents: Pride Kick off Party at Virgil’s! www.lexingtonclub.com
! 26 : FRIDAY
Trans March 2015 – Dolores Park. Free. 12 pm. (18th St. and Dolores) The San Francisco Trans March is San Francisco’s largest transgender Pride event and one of the largest trans events in the world. www.transmarch.org LGBT Game Night – AT&T Park. Check Prices. 5 pm. (24 Willie Mays Plaza) Kick off Pride weekend with the Giants vs Colorado Rockies game. www.sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com Poets Ashe Vernon & Jordan Hamilton – Laurel Bookstore. Free. 7 pm. (1423 Broadway, Oakland) Come out for a night of poetry and literature! www.laurelbookstore.com
! 3 : FRIDAY
Ella, The Musical – Center Reperotry Company. $37-$65. $8 pm. (1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek) Broadway veteran and accomplished jazz vocalist Yvette Cason* will star as the legendary music icon in Center REP’s production of Ella, the Musical. Through July 6. www.centerrep.org The Marriage of Figaro will be at the War Memorial Opera House on June 29.
! 27 : SATURDAY
Maud’s Reunion – Finnegan’s Wake. Free. 12 pm to 6 pm. (937 Cole St.) Maud’s Reunion is celebrating its 49th birthday year 1966–2015! Be sure to stop by Finnegan’s Wake for this always great event, which is a favorite of many “Betty’s List” members. Pride Triangle Commemoration – Twin Peaks Overlook. Free. 10:30 am. (501 Twin Peaks Blvd.) The Pink Triangle commemorates gay victims who were killed in concentration camps in Nazi Germany. www.sfpride.org Pink Party – SF Castro. Free. 3 pm. (Castro St. at Market St.)
Celebrate Pride weekend at the annual Pink Party, with five blocks of DJs, drag and live acts on four stages. www.mycastro.org 17th Annual Pride Brunch – Hotel Whitcomb. $75+. 11 am. (1231 Market St.) Gary Virginia and Donna Sachet’s 17th Annual Pride Brunch honors the Grand Marshals of the SF LGBT Pride Parade and benefits Positive Resource Center. www.positiveresource.org
! 28 : SUNDAY
SF Pride Parade – San Francisco Pride. Free. 10 am. (Market St. at Beale) Don’t miss out on all the colorful and outrageous fun that makes Pride a must-attend event every year. www.sfpride.org Official VIP Pride Party – City Hall Rotunda. $50. 2 pm to 5 pm. (1 Dr Carlton B Goodlett Pl.) Featuring Extra Action Marching Band “Beautility” with performance by Monique Jenkinson (Fauxnique). www.sfpride.org Mighty Real Pool Party – Phoenix Hotel. $30+. 12 pm. (601 Eddy St.) Mighty Real presents the third Annual Pool Side Pride weekend party at the iconic Phoenix hotel in San Francisco. www.mightrealpride2015.eventbrite.com
! 29 : MONDAY
Married/Once Married Gay Men’s Support Group – SF LGBT Center. Free. 7:30 pm. (1800 Market St.) A support group for men who have or have had heterosexual relationships and are also attracted to men. www.sfcenter.org Queer Youth in Focus Book Event – The Green Arcade. Free. 7 pm. (1680 Market St.) Rachelle Lee Smith author of award winning photo essay, Speaking Out: Queer Youth in Focus, comes to San Francisco as part of her Bay Area tour. www.thegreenarcade.com The Marriage of Figaro – War Memorial Opera House. $80-$114. 7:30 pm. (301 Van Ness Ave.) Mozart’s warmest, wisest opera is one of the composer’s most grace36
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
ful creations—a tender comedy in which a countess and her servant join forces to punish her aristocrat husband for his philandering. www.sfballet.org
! 30 : TUESDAY
Fabulous! – SF LGBT Center. Free. 7 pm. (1800 Market St.) The Center and HIFY host a support group for LGBT youth ages 24 and under. www.sfcenter.org Love and Information – American Conservatory Theater. $40-$100. 7:30 pm. (415 Geary St.) An acclaimed new play that features 57 scenes that make up a world where data inspires obsession, and FaceTime conversations threaten to replace human contact. Through August 9. www.act-sf.org The Book of Mormon – San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. $45-$178. 7:30 pm. (255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose) The ninetime Tony Award winning Best Musical from the creators of South Park. Through July 12. www.sanjosetheaters.org
! 1 : WEDNESDAY
The Trojans – San Francisco Opera. $96+. 1 pm. (301 Van Ness Ave.) One of the largest, most magnificent pieces in the entire repertory, this rarely staged epic is presented for the first time in 47 years. Through July 1. www.sfopera.com Castro Farmers’ Market – Noe St. Free. 4 pm to 8 pm. (Noe St. at Market) Enjoy fresh produce and locally made foods and delicacies. www.pcfma.com. Beach Blanket Babylon – Club Fugazi. $25+. 8 pm. Steve Silver’s musical revue highlights the best in pop cultural and current events. www.beachblanketbabylon.com
! 2 : THURSDAY
Switch Tango – SF LGBT Center. Free. 7 pm. (1800 Market St.) A queer-led/all-welcome free class and practice session in Argentine Tango with a hint of Fusion Social Dance.
Oakland East Bay Symphony – Craneway Pavilion. Free. 6 pm. (1414 Harbour Way South, Oakland) Celebrate Independence Day with a free concert from the Oakland East Bay Symphony. www.craneway.com Friday Nights at the De Young – De Young Museum. $11. 6 pm to 8:45 pm. (50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr.) Enjoy the museum in a fun, festive and dynamic atmosphere with live music and cocktails. www.deyoung.famsf.org
! 4 : SATURDAY
4th of July Celebration – Pier 39. Free. 12 pm to 9:30 pm. (Pier 39, San Francisco) Celebrate Independence Day with fun for the whole family, live musical entertainment and activities and a fireworks display. www.pier39.com San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band – Yerba Bueno Gardens. Free. 1 pm. (760 Howard St.) Join the SF Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band for an Independence Day celebration. www.ybgfestival.org Jalwa – Club OMG. Free. 10 pm to 2 am. (43 6th St.) Enjoy a night of dancing at this Bollywood themed gay bar. www.clubomgsf.com
! 5 : SUNDAY
Sunday’s a Drag Brunch – The Starlight Room. $60. 12 pm to 2:30 pm. (450 Powell St.) Donna Sachet hosts an elegant brunch with modern dance numbers, classic singing, and comedy. www.starlightroomsf.com Jock Fundraising Event – Lookout. $2. 3 pm to 9 pm. (3600 16th St.) A fundraising support party for Bay Area LGBT sports groups. www.lookoutsf.com Best Showtunes Singer Contest – Martuni’s. Free. 7 pm. (4 Valencia St.) A cash prize contest for the best showtunes singer in town. 415-241-0205.
! 6 : MONDAY
LGBTQ Support Group – Petaluma Health Center. Free. 5:30
pm to 6:30 pm. (1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma) An LGBT support group meeting every Monday. www.phealthcenter.org Monday Night Sketch – Stage Werx. $5. 8 pm. (446 Valencia St.) Enjoy a spotlight of Bay LGBT sketch theater. www.stagewerx.org
! 7 : TUESDAY
Hola Cuba! – A Woman’s Eye Gallery. Free. 12 pm to 5 pm. (678 Portola Dr.) The magic of Cuba through the diverse perspectives of three women photographers. Through July 26. 415-826-3451. BEN, Castro Group – Castro Community Room. Free for GGBA members. 11 am. (501 Castro St.) www.ggba.com Detroit – Aurora Theatre Company. $32-$50. 7 pm. (2081
A program of The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation
Addison St., Berkeley) Lisa D’Amour’s Detroit, a finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, is a satire about our uncertain economic times. Through July 19. www.auroratheatre.org
! 8 : WEDNESDAY
Summer in the City 2015 – Chambers Eat + Drink. $10-$30. 6 pm. (601 Eddy St.) Celebrate the 2015 Summer in the City Honorees: The Women of City College. www.sfwpc.org Top Girls – Shotgun Players. $20. 8 pm. (1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley) Caryl Churchill’s timeless masterpiece Top Girls asks all the right questions about the struggle to “have it all.” Through August 2. www.shotgunplayers.org
Resource Guide to over 250 SF LGBT nonprofits, arts and athletic groups and their events
This Month at The Market! ARATA FARMS: Arata returns to the Castro for the summer months with stonefruit like nectarines, peaches and pluots, and.....can you believe figs are here already? The weather and drought have made for many crops ripening early and we're the benefactors of these awesome fat figs. Arata also has early watermelons to enjoy at your 4th of July picnics.
NUCHA EMPANADAS: Awesome empanadas in a wide array of flavors. Come down and try some onioncheese or smoked pork varieties. Nilda, nicknamed “Nucha” by her family, grew up making delicious Argentine empanadas traditionally baked and stuffed with simple ingredients. Now she and her family share these delicious treats with you.
pcfma.com/castro
1.800.949.FARM F
fb.com/castrofarmersmarket
DESIGN : LOGOMAN : logomantotherescue.com
G&S FARMS: Corn is at its peak right now. Throughout the season you’ll see sweet local corn from Brentwood in white, yellow, and the special variegated “Peaches & Cream” variety. It's total perfection on the grill.
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
37
RACHEL HERBERT (continued from page 33) up the street from 18th and Dolores just off of Dolores Park, and noticed there was nowhere in the neighborhood for the people who lived in the neighborhood to have a sandwich or a decent cup of coffee. I was at the park every day with my dog, or would go there to hang out with friends and people watch. It was a big beautiful space, and it was free. Anyone from any background could hang out at the park and enjoy the green space. The park brought people together. I wanted the café to be an extension of the park in that way, and to create the same feeling of belonging for the people who came through the doors at Dolores Park Café. The idea of more than one café on the park just sort of fell into place when the space on the corner of Duboce Park became available. In 2012, when I opened Precita Park Café with the help of my life partner Dana Oppenheim, I was like, “OK. I think we’ve got a theme going on here.” San Francisco Bay Times: Please briefly describe each of your restaurants, and what makes each of them unique. Rachel Herbert: First of all we make everything from scratch at all three places, and we use only organic ingredients. We even make our own mozzarella and we use mostly local purveyors. Dolores Park Café is the first of the Park Cafés opened in 1997. We have rotating art exhibits every month there where we highlight the work of local artists. We also have music on Friday nights, and that’s mostly local too. At Precita Park Café we have full on dinner service and an extensive dinner menu after 5pm. We make our own burrata, mozzarella, handcrafted pizzas, made-from-scratch pastas and
practice whole animal butchery. We also have an extensive collection of local beers on tap. It’s much more than a café, and we are really proud of our dinners there. Duboce is the most intimate of the three restaurants. It definitely has a strong neighborhood vibe. We have an amazing brunch on the weekends at Duboce as well as pizzas after 5pm, all made from scratch, and local beer on tap too. And we will be carrying Mitchells ice cream there soon. Stay tuned! San Francisco Bay Times: Your restaurants are so tied to the community. Not only do they connect dining experiences to parks, but also—you always give back to SF, and particularly to the LGBT community here. What drives you to do so much? Rachel Herbert: I believe that as a small business owner I have a responsibility to give back to the community and the neighborhood. Owning a small business is all about being a part of your community and improving the lives of the people around you. If you don’t give back, then what are you doing there? Small businesses also have the ability to change the neighborhoods around them and to make urban life better by bringing people together. So far, I haven’t ever opened a business in a neighborhood that I didn’t want to live in. San Francisco Bay Times: You are a great role model, particularly for women who want to be entrepreneurs and own their own business. Any advice that you could share? Rachel Herbert: As women, we are taught to admit it when right away we don’t know something. And we need to
remember to go for it and act “as if ” until we figure things out. Men do that all the time. I would also say that when you want something, don’t take “no” for an answer. As women, we are taught that “no” means “no” while men are taught that “no” means “not now, maybe later.” We can learn from men in that respect. San Francisco Bay Times: What are your future plans for the Park Café Group and, if not already mentioned, how will the rest of Pride Month be celebrated at your restaurants? Rachel Herbert: We may open at other locations. We are just looking for the right spot at the moment. We are always celebrating Pride. Really, it’s all about giving back to the community. I feel so privileged to live in a city where a person can be out and proud every day, and where gay people have a voice politically. In San Francisco it often feels as though we are paving the way for the rest of the country. I think that’s why I live here, apart from the fact that I own and operate businesses here. The Park Cafés are a big supporter of the LGBTQ film festival Frameline. We donate our catering services to Frameline throughout the festival. The Trans March and Dyke March happen right outside our doors at Dolores Park, and we make a point of contributing to each of them as well. We also give to organizations throughout the year like Fresh Meat, Project Open Hand, Art for AIDS and Dine Out for Life, to name a few. And every year on Pride Sunday, we donate our goods and services to SF Pride by providing hospitality backstage at the Main Stage for the performers and staff. It’s so much fun.
ZIMRON (continued from page 35) for more information.” Another very cool development is Campus Pride, a non-profit founded in 2001 to create safer and more LGBTQfriendly learning environments at colleges and universities. Their vision is “campuses and a society free of antiLGBTQ prejudice, bigotry and hate” and their work is “to develop student leaders, campus networks, and future actions to create such positive change.” The new Campus Pride Sports Index
QUIT SMOKING WITH GROUP SUPPORT NEXT CLASS BEGINS ON July 15th! FREE!
helps potential students assess how LGBT-friendly the practices and policies are at specific college campuses. Campus Pride offers change-making ‘Camp Pride’ leadership training every July, and the Sports Index is available free online. Thinking back to my own student days, I was a nationally ranked junior golf champion who didn’t play college golf because athletic scholarships didn’t yet exist for women. Title IX soon came in, mandating com-
Wednesdays: what’s for dinner?
mensurate financial support for female as well as male student-athletes to pursue their sports talents and dreams. But I had already lost interest and lost out on all the fabulous experiences that go along with collegiate competition. And while women have gained support in sports, lesbian women to this day still have not. Despite our longstanding, obvious prevalence on every team and playing field, it remains rare and unsafe for lesbian athletes to disclose their true sexual preference or gender orientation. These are the barriers that remain to be broken, dismantled and dissolved. Pride is in the air everywhere. Have fun this week in San Francisco, and wherever you’re celebrating. Let’s breathe it all in and go out and play, wherever we choose, every day of the year! Jamie Leno Zimron is an LPGA Pro, Aikido 5th Degree Black Belt, and Corporate Speaker-Trainer. Please check out her website: http://www.thekiaiway.com
“Like” us on Facebook SF Bay Times
Fo more listings, go to sfbaytimes.com
38
BAY TIMES JUNE 2 5 , 2 0 1 5
Round About - SF Bay Times Pride Party & Exhibit Reception
Kiss for the Bay Times
Photos by Rink
photography exhibit
featuring images by San Francisco Bay Times photographers
A standing room only crowd at the SF LGBT Community Center was on hand for the San Francisco Bay Times Pride Party and Exhibit Reception on June 13. Welcomed to the stage by emcees Rafael Mandelman and Zoe Dunning were co-sponsors Wendy Mogg and Michael Colter of Sweet Inspiration, poet Kit Kennedy, artist Debra Walker, designer Abby Zimberg and Donna Sachet. Featured guest Cris Williamson, the legendary singer/songwriter who helped to launch the Women’s Music genre, performed. Introducing Williamson was Grammy-nominated musician Melanie DeMore, who acknowledged the 40th Anniversary of Williamson’s The Changer and the Changed album. Sponsors included Extreme Pizza, Dolores Park Café, Destino, Sweet Inspiration and NAPA Cellars Wines.
BAY T IM ES JUNE 25, 2015
39
WE FOCUS ON HIV TO HELP YOU FOCUS ON
TODAY
Ask your doctor if a medicine made by Gilead is right for you.
onepillchoices.com
Š 2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC1848 03/15
UNBC1848_KC1_BayTimes_10.25x16.indd 1
3/25/15 3:44 PM