San Francisco Bay Times - September 4, 2014

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September 4-17, 2014 | www.sfbaytimes.com

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The StartOut Awards Thursday, September 11 San Francisco Marriott Marquis startout.org See story page 13

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Down and Out on the Streets of San Francisco job and on the way up. Since then, I learned he had spiraled out, developed a meth habit, seroconverted, lost his job and his home, and now there he was, living outdoors, waiting in line at a church for a free meal.

A San Francisco Kind of Democrat Rafael Mandelman San Franciscans hate homelessness.

Some of us blame the homeless themselves for their circumstances. Others see, in the disorder in our BART stations and on our sidewalks, the obscene consequences of the increasing economic inequality and fraying of our social safety net that have been accelerating since the eighties. Whatever the explanation, it’s the rare individual who manages to spend any significant time in our City without at least a twinge of unease that so many among us lack a safe warm place to sleep each night. And I think for most of us housed folks, it’s more than a twinge; it’s a recurrent revulsion at how many very sick people are being left to rot and die on our streets.

Of course we become inured to it over time, but every so often something happens to make the human tragedy playing out just outside our doors a little more real. I had one such shock a few years when, volunteering at a Sunday morning breakfast for poor and homeless people, I found myself looking into the eyes of a guy I had gone on a few dates with a decade before. The last time I had seen him, he was a UC Berkeley grad with a good

Just this last month I received a chain of worried emails about an old college friend, so sweet and charming then, now bipolar and likely using drugs, who had found his way from our happy times at Yale twenty years before to the streets of San Francisco today.

This friend has plainly gone completely bonkers, and yet those who have tried to intervene and get him help have found there is nothing that they could do. He’s been repeatedly talked to, and occasionally picked up by the police, but unless he poses an imminent threat to himself or others, the police say, there is no help for him. And besides, they tell us, there aren’t enough psychiatric beds even for those people who are an imminent threat. Our friend is on his own.

Coincidentally, I recently happened upon an article about City cuts to the services provided by the Homeless Outreach Team. As reported by Randy Shaw in Beyond Chron (“SF Cuts Homeless Outreach,” August 28, 2014), through the end of November, the Team will, among other reductions, discontinue transport and outreach services on Saturdays and Sundays, and not accept any new case management clients until further notice. The Team will remain staffed 24 hours a day Monday through Friday; however, reads the Department of Public Health Advisory, “expect delays.”

Now there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for these cuts. And indeed, given the reality of limited

Round About – Oakland Pride -

and insufficient public dollars, it may be more appropriate to spend those resources on the beds and services themselves rather than on outreach to homeless people for whom no beds or services are available.

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Yet I still wonder, how this can possibly be? Here we are a decade after Angela Alioto and Gavin Newsom gave us their Ten Year Plan To End Chronic Homelessness, after a series of opportunistic ballot measures promoted by politicians pandering to San Franciscans’ outrage over the colonization of our public spaces by people who have nowhere else to be, living in one of the wealthiest cities and regions on earth. But the painfully obvious truth is we have no real plan to end chronic homelessness; we haven’t even tried to figure out what that would look like or how much it would cost.

Although we are creatively and continuously converting our City into an ever more efficient platform for the generation of private wealth, we have not shown similar creativity in tapping that wealth to solve our most pressing public problems.

As Newsom used to like to say, “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll get what you got.” What we got is thousands of sick homeless people drifting alone among us, getting sicker and sicker, with little dignity and less hope. San Franciscans are right to be outraged; the fact is we may not be outraged enough.

Rafael Mandelman was elected to the San Francisco Community College Board of Trustees in 2012. He is a partner at Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP.

Photos by Jo-Lynn Ottto

Congratulations to the Oakland Pride Organizing Committee!

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National News Briefs Compiled and with commentary by Dennis McMillan

Salt Lake City, UT - Utah Marriage Equality Plaintiffs Ask U.S. Supreme Court to Review Case - 8.28

Richmond, VA - Christian Group Begins All-You-Can-Eat “Fast” to Protest Same-Sex Marriage - 8.27

The three couples challenging the State of Utah’s ban on marriage for same-sex couples asked the United States Supreme Court to accept the request of Utah state officials to review the case. In the brief filed, the plaintiffs argue that Supreme Court review is required because same-sex couples in Utah and across the country urgently need to have the security of marriage wherever they work or travel to fully protect themselves and their families. The brief argues that only a Supreme Court decision affirming their right to marry and to have their marriages respected nationwide can resolve this fundamental inequality.

The challenge to Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is currently awaiting a ruling in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and will likely head to the Supreme Court.

The plaintiff couples—Kody Partridge and Laurie Wood, Derek Kitchen and Moudi Sbeity, and Kate Call and Karen Archer—argue that state laws banning marriage equality violate the U.S. Constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and due process. The couples, who won favorable decisions from lower federal courts, asked the Supreme Court to review the case because the marriages of same-sex couples will not truly be equal unless they are respected throughout the country.

In the past year, lower courts around the country have correctly recognized that state laws prohibiting same-sex couples from marrying violate the Constitution. Yet because these rulings do not apply nationwide, same-sex couples continue to experience great uncertainty and serious harm.

The couples in the case Kitchen v. Herbert are represented by lead counsel Peggy Tomsic of the Salt Lake City law firm of Magleby & Greenwood, P.C., Shannon Minter of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Mary Bonauto of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal of the law firm of Hogan Lovells.

Kitchen was the first federal district court victory in a marriage equality case after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor, the first such victory in a federal court of appeals, and the first case in which state officials have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court for review.

This is big! Kitchen will put national LGBTQ rights on the kitchen table for all!

Source: nclrights.org

Talk about cheating on your diet: in an effort to influence the U.S. Supreme Court to rule against same-sex marriage when it hears the first of a series of appeals cases in October, a Virginia based conservative Christian group has kicked off a 40-day fast where participants will be allowed to eat.

Huh? “The Family Foundation is asking that you join us for 40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance for Marriage from August 27 until October 5, 2014,” begins a statement released by the Family Foundation of Virginia. “The Supreme Court begins its session on October 6. We fully expect it to take a marriage case sometime in the next year. In the natural, it looks like a David vs. Goliath battle. The federal government, the news media, Hollywood, the public education system, and big business all are arrayed on the side of same-sex ‘marriage.’ Only the church stands in support of God’s design for marriage.” Their 40 Days will culminate on October 5 just before the court begins its session.

They continue: “We don’t know what the Lord will do. We do know that He is sovereign.

Whatever happens, we must adopt the attitude of the three Hebrew children who refused to bow before the golden image in Babylon...”

Except, the group later clarified that participants in the protest don’t actually have to give up food to take part in the “fast.” They wrote: “We are asking the entire Body of Christ to join us for this feast—giving up physical food isn’t necessary—but feeding on the spiritual food provided is vital.”

In a 14-minute diatribe against same-sex marriage, the narrator states: “God…wrote the book on marriage, and He called it holy. And he expects His people to be holy…in marriage as man and wife.” It blathers on to discriminate because not just anyone can walk the sacred ground of marriage (indicating queers can’t tread the marriage ground): “The unclean will not journey on it.” The Foundation calls same-sex marriage “apostasy.”

The all-you-can-eat fast has begun. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bible)!

Source: edgeonthenet.com

Bowie County, TX - Texas Internet Preacher Says Send Gays to Prison with Hard Labor - 8.26

Topeka, KS - Pro-gay Group Counters “God Hates Fags” Church’s Plan to Picket Robin Williams Funeral - 8.27

Tallahassee, FL - Charlie Crist Calls on Rick Scott Not to Defend Florida Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Here’s a great idea: Take a bunch of men who are already attracted to other men and who, according to stereotype, like to work out a lot, and put them all in a place where for ten years they’ll be getting all hot and sweaty in each other’s company.

Then call it a punishment.

A pro-LGBTQ group has raised over $40,000 for one of Robin Williams’ favorite charities, after the Westboro Baptist Church announced plans to protest his funeral. (Editor’s Note: According to multiple sources, Williams was cremated the day after he died, with his ashes scattered in San Francisco Bay.) The Topeka-based anti-gay church, known for their “God Hates Fags” banners, announced they would picket any memorial for the actor, who starred as a gay man in The Birdcage and cross-dressed in Mrs. Doubtfire. The group labeled him a “fag pimp” and a “fag enabler,” and posted pictures on Twitter of “Robin in hell.”

Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist has penned an open letter calling on his successor, Governor Rick Scott, not to defend the recently struck down state ban on same-sex marriage. In the letter, Crist points to his own actions after a district court of appeals struck down the state’s gay and lesbian adoption ban.

All irony aside, a far right-wing Internet preacher, with an audience of about 10 subscribers, is calling on his followers in a new YouTube video to pressure members of Congress to enact a constitutional amendment that will make homosexuality a crime punishable by ten years in prison at hard labor.

Michael Wilson is tired of how American homosexuals are becoming increasingly intolerant of Christian intolerance: “During the last 40 to 50 years, Christians have become increasingly tolerant of homosexuals. While Christians have become increasingly tolerant of homosexuals, homosexuals have become increasingly intolerant of us,” Wilson says. “They’ve agitated for laws giving them special protections.”

Wilson then calls on his legion of followers to take action. “It’s time for Christians to resume obeying God and his word and re-criminalize homosexuality. Outlaw it again,” he says in the clip. “The only way to do this and keep it beyond the reach of activist judges is to create a constitutional amendment such as this:” “Proposed Amendment: 1 - the United States of America is a Christian nation with Judeo-Christian ethics, morals, principles, and values. 2 - The practice of homosexuality in the United States and in all its territories and possessions, and in all its States, Counties, and Cities shall be a felony punishable by ten years in prison at hard labor. 3 - This Amendment shall take effect the first Sunday after ratification.”

Prior to this sermon, Wilson’s blog entries have rarely had an audience over three digits. Videos on his “Preaching Politics” channel have traditionally received roughly 40 views. When news of this sermon was uncovered and subsequently picked up by the Huffington Post and gay news blog sites, traffic to Wilson’s YouTube channel boomed. To date, 9,654 people have watched the video entry “Outlawing Homosexuality.”

When homosexuals are outlawed, only outlaws will be homosexuals?

Source: edgeonthenet.com

However, Planting Peace, a group that last year set up a Pride-themed Equality House opposite the church, is attempting to overshadow the message of hate with one of love, by raising money for one of the actor’s chosen charities. Planting Peace owns the small house in Topeka, Kansas, and painted it rainbow colors to signify gay pride and diversity, with plans to turn it into a drop-in center supporting LGBTQ and anti-bullying initiatives.

“When the WBC announced they were protesting Robin’s funeral, we felt like launching a fundraiser for a charity Robin loved would be the perfect way to honor him and counteract the message of hate and intolerance that the WBC continues to convey,” said the group’s co-founder Aaron Jackson. “Robin Williams played many different roles in so many people’s lives, and giving back to others was at the top of that list.”

“Our neighbors at the Westboro Baptist Church have announced their intention to protest the funeral of Robin Williams. In keeping with our philosophy of addressing acts of hate and intolerance with compassion and love, we are inviting the public to show their respect and support of a man who spent his life making others smile, who was always there for others in their time of need, and who supported the greater good through works of service and charity,” Planting Peace stated. “Please join Planting Peace in counteracting the WBC’s message of hate through a fundraising event benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a cause Mr. Williams passionately and publicly supported.”

Similar fundraising responses to Westboro’s constant homophobic vitriol have proven far more effective than shouting matches at protests.

Source: pinknews.co.uk

In addition to his support for ending the adoption ban in 2006 and 2007, the former Republican governor announced his own support for same-sex marriage back in May of 2013. Crist addressed his “chance” to do right when he declined to defend the adoption ban, and he called on Scott to do the same on marriage equality in his open letter, published by the Tampa Bay Times: “Last Thursday Federal District Judge Robert Hinkle gave you the same chance to speak out for what is right when, in a ruling that would apply statewide, he struck down Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. By declaring the marriage ban finished, you could discourage any future appeals and end the nightmare that loving same-sex couples all across our state endure every single day—ending court battles that could drag on for months or years. This desire for inclusiveness is near and dear to my heart.”

In his book, Crist detailed his recognition of how his calls to include diversity in the Republican Party were repeatedly ignored and rebuffed. In December of 2012, Crist changed his party affiliation to Democrat and filed to take back his gubernatorial seat from Scott.

“Courts throughout Florida are endorsing the principle that government ought not deprive an entire class of citizens the right to marry simply because of whom they love. Florida deserves a governor who will stand up for all of the people of this state,” Crist wrote.

As Governor, Scott has the power to let this ruling go into effect without appealing it or calling for an injunction. Scott can choose to do what is best for the state and for the LGBTQ Floridians who have been unable to access a fundamental basic right under Florida law. Equal protection, Crist says, has been denied.

Your move, Governor.

Source: roygbiv.jezebel.com

Local News Briefs Future of Pink Saturday to be Discussed at The Sisters’ Fireside Chat

‘Yes on G’ Campaign Reaches Out to Voters to Protect Affordable Housing

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc., are exploring hosting Pink Saturday for 2015. As part of that process, they invite all in the community—Castro Community MUMC members, Castro residents, and residents of surrounding neighborhoods—to join in the discussion entitled “The Pink Elephant in the Room.” It will be held at the Eureka Valley Rec Center on September 10, 6–8pm. Because the event has evolved dramatically over the years, this meeting will explore issues around cost (to the City, local business, and The Sisters); safety (of residents, event goers, and Sisters); and options for evolution of the event should The Sisters plan to host the event in 2015.

Thirty-six years ago, Supervisor Harvey Milk introduced an anti-speculation measure before the board of supervisors, but was tragically assassinated just two days before it was to be heard. Last November, his idea was resurrected at the annual Harvey Milk/George Moscone Candlelight Memorial and March. And it received more votes than any other proposed legislation by the over 600 attendees at the Citywide Tenants’ convention this past February.

The Sisters have a long and cherished history of making this event a queer community event. All can agree that the atmosphere of the event has changed dramatically over the last several years. The Sisters’ goal is primarily the safety of all in attendance in and around the event footprint, and for this they rely on help from the City, SFPD, and organizations like CCOP (Castro Community On Patrol) and residents in our communities. If Pink Saturday continues as a Sister Event, they want to bring it back to its queer community glory days, “but we can’t do it without your help and input,” says Sister Mora Lee D’Klined, SPI president.

“Be prepared to tell us what worked, what didn’t, but more importantly, what your suggestions might be to improve the event and make this a viable and safe community event.” She adds, “This is not just an opportunity to bring up the bad, but also to discuss the good, and bring positive ideas that will help The Sisters, the City officials, and you as community members, to shape an iconic gay event and the future of queer celebrations.”

Sister Selma, event organizer for the past three years, believes strongly that Pink Saturday can be reclaimed.

“If the Sisters participate in producing the event again, there will be substantial changes,” she notes. “Primary decisions will be made in October after the Order has had a chance to process the feedback from the community meeting.”

It’s big! It’s pink! Let’s pull its trunk and whip it into shape!

Story by Dennis McMillan

San Francisco is in the midst of a deepening housing crisis. Long-time residents are being forced out of the City, and newcomers are being charged rents few can afford. Evictions are up 40% in the last five years.

Last Sunday, the “Stop the Evictions, Yes on G” campaign reached out to voters about how they can protect affordable housing and stop out of control real estate speculation—talking to voters one on one, handing out campaign literature, and answering questions about the City’s current affordability crisis.

In a big win for tenants and the campaign, the San Francisco Democratic Party voted last week to officially endorse Proposition G on the November ballot. This puts the powerful political group on record urging every Democratic voter in San Francisco to vote “yes” on the proposed anti-speculation tax that will stop the evictions and protect rent-controlled housing.

The elected members of the SF Democratic Central Committee voted to officially support Proposition G. “By voting to endorse Proposition G, the Democratic Party is sending a powerful message to voters that enough is enough, and we need to protect our residents from out of control real estate speculation,” said Quintin Mecke, campaign director for “Stop the Evictions.”

Every day the campaign gains new support because people understand that real speculation negatively affects everyone by driving up the cost of housing, evicting long-time tenants, and harming our neighborhoods.

In just the last week, Senator Mark Leno, California Democratic Party Chair John Burton, Supervisor David Chiu, former Supervisor Bevan Dufty, United Educators of San Francisco, the Richmond Democratic Club, the District 5 Democratic Club, and the San Francisco Women’s Political Committee have all endorsed Proposition G. And the list of endorsements continues to grow.

Story by Dennis McMillan

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Healing the Wounded AIDS Warrior: An Interview with Tez Anderson toms but did not address or treat the underlying trauma.

Anderson gave it a name, AIDS Survivor Syndrome, and co-founded Let’s Kick ASS to help people heal. That is just what his organization is doing.

Aging in Community Dr. Marcy Adelman

Most long-term survivors are now at midlife or older. Many are aging with HIV. Anderson’s organization brings survivors together to share their stories, to weave a new or renewed community of friends, and to envision and plan for a healthy vibrant later life.

There are now over 1000 members that participate in weekly groups and attend town hall meetings.

This is not a time for inaction in our fight against HIV/AIDS. As Tez An- Anderson walks the talk. “I seroderson told me during a recent inter- coverted in 1983, but I didn’t know view, “We need to start planning for it until I moved to San Francisco in the next 20 years.” Anderson is the vi- 1986,” he shared. “The doctor said to sionary co-founder of Let’s Kick ASS. me, ‘You will be dead in 18 months.’ I He launched this grassroots organi- thought, ‘I am 26, I will be dead before zation for long-term AIDS survivors I am 30.’ Life meant dying as well as I in 2012. Let’s Kick ASS’s could. I prepared everyone mission is to respect and around me for my death. I acknowledge the individmade it as easy as possible ual and collective experifor my friends.” ence of living in the time of “In the beginning, everythe AIDS epidemic, and to one around me was dybuild a life-affirming coming,” he continued. “It was munity that reconnects a very trying time, but also survivors with each other very purposeful. We had a whi le suppor t ing t heir purpose keeping everyone dreams and desires for a Tez Anderson as alive as possible. I was full and meaningful future. slow coming to grips with In the early days of the epidemic, a the possibility that I might survive. I diagnosis equaled death. There were could talk the talk as a survivor, but I no effective treatments. Friends and never really internalized I would live.” loved ones passed away. Funerals be- As antiretroviral therapies began to came commonplace. Death was ever emerge in the late 80s, the dire situapresent. In the darkest days of the epi- tion began to turn around for the betdemic, and for many years to follow, ter for some, but clearly not for all. In it was hard to envision the future and 1988, for example, Anderson met and even harder still to think about aging fell in love with a man named Gary, at all. It would take a decade and more who passed away from HIV/AIDS before a successful multiple drug in- complications in 1999. “So my realtervention was introduced to delay the ity,” Anderson says, “was that people progress of the disease and increase were still dying.” A divide seemed to life expectancy of HIV patients. be established that continues to this Anderson, a long-term AIDS survivor day. “We hear about the end of AIDS, himself, struggled for more than two which is very well intended. But for decades with depression, anger, anxi- the generation I belong to, we went through a war together. Just because ety, hopelessness and survivors’ guilt. the war is over doesn’t mean it has Then one day he saw a TV program ended for us. We still need to heal and about an Iraqi War vet with Post Trauto optimize our lives.” matic Stress Disorder. The symptoms were all too familiar. Anderson had After Gary’s death, Anderson was denever had a name for it before: trau- pressed, angry and could not sleep. “I ma, a cluster of symptoms that had was in and out of therapy for 20 years,” left him frozen in time. He understood he said, “but not one of my therapists too well that health care professionals ever said the word ‘trauma.’ Depreswere focused on the individual symp- sion, anger, anxiety and isolation are

all symptoms of AIDS Survivor Syndrome.” He continued, “The fact is that many of us early survivors are traumatized, regardless of HIV status.

The mental health community failed survivors by failing to identify this syndrome. I had to piece this together myself. When I discovered how healing this is I started Let’s Kick ASS to help others reclaim their lives.”

Anderson outlined some of the present challenges: Help people reclaim their lives.

We need to help people imagine a future and a life they never thought they would have. We must start planning for the next 20 years. We have the opportunity to heal wounded AIDS warriors and to better the lives of others and ourselves. This is our greatest challenge and greatest opportunity.

Work to combat poverty. Many members of our community are on disability and have restricted incomes.

Identify how HIV/AIDS impacts other health issues and aging.

He explained that it is often difficult to tease out if health problems are due to HIV, aging or something else.

Fight ageism. As he said, “We have a culture that doesn’t respect older people. We are old and should be treated with respect. When you see an older LGBT person on the street, smile at them. Acknowledge us. But this is a two way street. Act like you deserve respect and you will get respect.”

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The good news is that much is already happening to meet these and additional related goals. Anderson supports the work of The LGBT Aging Policy Task Force in identifying housing and services needs. He said, “We are creating a coalition of existing organizations that serve the older LGBT population to work with our community. We are developing our own agenda about what works for us. I hope people will support us. We have a lot to show the world concerning what we know about surviving.”

A way you can help in the effort is by attending the event “One Year Later: Setting A Grassroots Long-Term Survival Agenda,” which will be held on September 25 from 7–9 pm at the San Francisco LGBT Center. For tickets and more information, please go to LetsKickASS.org or go to https://lkasetting-the-agenda.eventbrite.com Dr. Marcy Adelman, a clinical psychologist in private practice, is co-founder of the non-profit organization Openhouse and is a member of the San Francisco LGBT Aging Policy Task Force.

Round About - Honoring Our Hero: Remembering Jose Julio Sarria Photos by Rink Openhouse co-founder Dr. Marcy Adelman welcomed attendees and Empress Donna Sachet moderated the evening’s program held at the SF LGBT Community Center in honor of Jose Julio Sarria on the one-year anniversary of his passing. Organized and hosted by Openhouse, the evening included a panel featuring Juliet Demeter of the GLBT Historical Socity; Galilea, Absolute Empress XLI; LGBTQ historial Gerard Koskovich; and Marlena, Absolute Empress XXV. The result was a lively discussion exploring Jose’s historic role in the fight for LGBT rights.

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Adjusting Your Money Mindset you’re worth, save adequately, spend responsibly or be more philanthropic.

If you see room for improvement, awareness paves the way for change, as needed or desired.

Money Matters Brandon Miller and Joanne Jordan Money is a powerful force in our lives. We’re required to think about money—how much we have, how much we want, how to get more of it— on a regular basis. Undoubtedly, how we think about money influences our emotions and behaviors. For these reasons, if you’re serious about improving your financial life, it can be helpful to examine your money mindset, look for patterns that may interfere with your personal goals, and replace what hinders you with more productive habits.

Acknowledge the inf luence of your personal history. Because our financial lives are inextricably linked to our family of origin and upbringing, we’re all bound to have a complex and layered relationship with money. If you grew up in poverty, you may have an underlying sense of never having “enough.” If you are accustomed to abundance, you may never have learned how to manage money wisely. Of course, neither of these scenarios may be true if you had someone who taught you good money habits. The purpose of looking back is to see if you have any ingrained stumbling blocks that can sabotage your best intentions to earn what

Evaluate your emotional response to money. Is your emotional state tied to your assets? Does your bank account define you? When you allow money to occupy the driver’s seat, normal emotional states can sometimes turn into feelings of anxiety. It’s not that it’s wrong to feel a certain way; it’s just that certain powerful emotions can prevent you from making reasonable choices.

S t o p pl ay i n g m o ne y m i n d games without much possibility of winning. If you find yourself in any of these mental exchanges, you might be setting yourself up with challenges down the road.

I’ll be happy when I make more money. Working toward your f inancial goals is crucial, but it’s also important to enjoy successes you’re experiencing today.

Money is the only thing that matters. Money is important as a means to an end. However, worshipping money at the expense of people, nature, art and ideas is likely to lead to loneliness and disappointment.

Money is meaningless. This kind of thinking can also be harmful, because it can feed reckless spending and de-motivate your work life. Money should be treated with respect and not frittered away.

Let go of the past. Stop beating yourself up for your financial mistakes. It’s better to reframe regrets as opportunities to learn and grow.

Don’t shut the door on your past, but don’t let it convince you that you don’t deserve another chance, or that you can’t change the present or the future.

Plenty of people have turned their

financial lives around after a failed business, job loss, stock tumble, tax trouble or any number of other financial fiascos. Focusing on what you can do now, with an open mind about the future, can free you from a history you’d prefer to forget.

Curtail the time spent thinking about money. There’s an appropriate amount of time to devote to money matters, and then there’s the extreme of continuous, non-productive dwelling on dollars and cents. If you find yourself mulling over financial mistakes or fantasizing at length about winning the lottery, it’s time to switch gears. Try to gain insight into what you really hope to accomplish (or avoid) by allowing money to monopolize your thoughts, and step back to see the futility of your preoccupation. Next, identify actions you can take that will be more successful at helping you reach your goals. Give yourself permission to problem solve or daydream for short bursts of time, but then get back to the business of living.

Enlist a financial ally. A skilled financial advisor will be very familiar with the mental, emotional and behavioral landmines you may be grappling with as you work to establish a strong financial foundation for your life. They can provide you with the tools to plan, save, and invest, within your timeframe and budget, according to your personal goals.

But you can also look to your advisor for guidance and encouragement as you sharpen your mental game with regard to personal money management.

Brandon Miller, CFP and Joanne Jordan, CFP are financial consultants at Jordan Miller & Associates, A Private Wealth Advisory Practice of Ameriprise Financial Inc. in San Francisco, specializing in helping LGBT individuals and families plan and achieve their financial goals.

‘Small Cars’ Made for Size Queens The 500L is based on the teensy Fiat 500 hatchback, which is just under 140 inches in length. The 500L expands that platform by a bit more than two feet in length and six inches in width.

Auto Philip Ruth Size queens rejoice: small cars are getting bigger. Witness the Mini Countryman, with its four doors and chunky, SU V-ish posture. Countrymen seem to be parked on every third block in the Castro, so the immense popularity of the Mini Cooper seems to have translated to its newer bigger brother.

For all its greater girth, the 500L remains highly maneuverable, with a tight turning diameter of 32.3 inches.

The Soul is about five inches shorter than the 500L, which can be a considerable advantage if you’re parking in tight spaces. And the Soul’s turning circle is a decent 34.8 inches.

They’re pretty close in size, but the differences between the Fiat and the Kia are dramatic once you climb in.

Both offer optional panoramic power sunroofs, and those big roof holes are

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BAY TIMES SEPTEMB E R 4 , 2 0 1 4

The Kia, on the other hand, is more fun to drive. The Fiat shares its 1.4-liter turbo engine with the Dodge Dart, and it’s nice to report that this engine is not the disaster it was in a Dart I tested last year, with its annoyingly weak throttle response. The 500L redeems that memory with ample pickup. It’s still possible to catch that little 1.4-liter feeling sleepy with the turbo down, but it quickly hops into action. The Soul, on the other hand, feels more refined and grownup, with an admirably strong and torquey response. In addition, active steering feel and flat cornering make the Soul fun to bomb around in.

Mileage ratings are similar, with an EPA overall rating of 26 for the Soul and 27 for the Fiat. Note that the Fiat’s turbo needs premium gas.

And why not? There’s nothing wrong with blending in some style with a boxy and practical car.

Hot on the Countr yman’s heels are the new-for-2014 Fiat 500L and the Kia Soul, which debuted in 2010 and got a refresh for 2014. Both are available in bold colors and jazzy interiors, and both got a lot of attention as they ran the city rounds. The Kia’s advertising preceded it; more than one of my friends said, “Oh, this is the one with the mice in the ads.” They’re actually hamsters, but close enough.

solid pillars. The Fiat’s rear visibility is therefore much better.

Expensive options abound for both cars. The tested 500L “Trekker” starts at just over $22K and came to just under $27K. The Soul started about a thousand below and just about matched the 500L out the door.

Overall, the 500L and Soul demonstrate what size queens have known all along; bigger really can be better. great at letting in the sunshine. But the Fiat felt much more open, with an extra set of windows being the rear doors, where the Kia has thick and

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

Loving and Living the Questions “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves…Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given to you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.”

– Rainer Maria Rilke, Letter to a Young Poet Recently, a circle of wise elders to which I belong was discussing this quotation in relation to our lives now that daily seem to be made up of questions rather than clear and distinct answers. An 87-year-old member of our group said someone over 60 years ago gave her Rilke’s book from which the above quotation is taken. When he gave the book to her, he said, “You won’t understand this now, but eventually you will.” She said to us that indeed, after six decades, she has finally come to understand about living the questions.

As I officiate weddings for couples of all ages, I hear them say vows that are precise and fairly specific.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

But knowing what I know now, and having been in 2 marriages that both ended in divorce, I know for sure that I didn’t know all the answers back then. Or any of them!

But I thought I knew everything. I thought I had all the answers. Oops!

Nope. To the contrary, the more I was so sure of how everything

courage to live each day at a time in the unknowing and the mystery.

Marriage is the perfect training ground for living questions such as the following: What if one or both of us loses a job?

How do we tell one another secrets we didn’t even know we had?

Weddings Reverend Elizabeth River should be—who should do this or that, and why this would all work— the more confused and lost I and my spouse became. We not only didn’t know the answers, but we were also pretty much clueless. I’m not saying this as a put-down; I’m simply speaking of what I lived and what I have seen of others, trying to live their marriages and their lives on a basis of knowing everything, of having all the answers.

I think in marriage, and in life, Rilke’s wisdom is helpful, but not easy to practice. Our culture teaches us that we must learn every possible thing about everything. And then we are supposedly well prepared.

But now, in my elder years, I can see what it means to live the questions.

It is not running away from things we don’t understand or fear, or that make us feel insecure and humbled.

It is instead about not needing to have a definitive answer for everything all the time. Rather, have the

What happens when there’s a serious illness in the family?

What if one of us wants a child and the other doesn’t?

How can we carve out time to be together, to have fun and to play, for joy?

What will I do if my partner dies before I do? How then shall I live?

Some months ago, my Bay Times colleague Howard Steiermann officiated a wedding for two wonderful men, one of whom was gravely ill.

They had been together 31 years, but when marriage became legal, they didn’t marry because of that illness. They thought they knew the correct answer, but when we asked them if they wanted to get married, they both realized the answer was a heartfelt “yes.” So they did marry, not knowing how long they would have together. It wasn’t long, but it was a magnificent few weeks. It transformed them.

Rev. Elizabeth River is an ordained Interfaith Minister based in the North Bay. For more information, please visit www. marincoastweddings.com

Stunning Day in Court for Marriage Equality Never before has the legal case for nationwide marriage equality seemed stronger than at the recent Federal Court of Appeal’s argument in the Indiana and Wisconsin marriage cases. For nearly two hours, the Seventh Circuit panel of three judges, appointed by Presidents Reagan, Clinton, and Obama, tore gaping holes in every argument the states’ attorneys defending Indiana and Wisconsin’s marriage bans offered.

The states’ attorneys sometimes appeared at a loss for words or f lustered, and the Wisconsin attorney even tried, unsuccessfully, to evade answering one of the Court’s questions by suggesting his time was up when it wasn’t. One judge referred to various arguments the states made as “feeble,” “absurd,” “ridiculous,” and “pathetic.” The states’ attorneys came up with nothing credible to defend the bans. When the Court asked Wisconsin’s attorney how ending the exclusion of LGBT couples from marriage would harm anyone else, he responded: “…[w]e don’t know.”

Perhaps the most important aspect of the argument was the respect all three judges evidenced for the dignity of LGBT Americans and their children. For decades, opponents of equality have slandered LGBT Americans by falsely accusing them of being harmful to children—be it Anita Bryant’s 1970s “Save the Children” campaigns, or the 2008 Proposit ion 8 campa ig n. Last year, the United States Supreme

Marriage Equality John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, Marriage Equality USA Court, in its decision striking down DOMA, held the opposite: antiLGBT laws, in fact, harm children of LGBT parents.

The Supreme Court stated that DOMA “humiliates tens of thousands of children now being raised by same-sex couples…mak[ing] it even more difficult for the children to understand the integrity and closeness of their own family and its concord with other families in their community and in their daily lives…” The Seventh Circuit went further, with one judge referring to many of the harms that the states’ marriage bans have inf licted on children of LGBT parents as “harrowing” and noting America’s history of “savage” discrimination against lesbian and gay people based on “hate.”

Indiana and Michigan’s attorneys argued that their states could con-

tinue to bar same-sex couples from marriage because they claimed the purpose of marriage was to encourage unmarried heterosexuals who engage in sexual activity in which the woman became pregnant to stay together. The Court asked why the states did not criminalize heterosexual “fornication” outside of marriage instead, and it noted that the states’ current laws actually penalize LGBT couples who carefully plan their families.

One judge presented data showing that, in fact, from 1990-2009, years in which the same-sex marriage bans were in place, the proportion of out-of-marriage births increased 68% in Indiana and 53% in Wisconsin, with the out-of marriage birth rate for some demographic profiles over 90%. Noting that the states’ purported policy of banning same-sex marriage to prevent out-of-marriage births was “pretty unsuccessful,” the judge named the states’ argument for what it was, an ”artificial rationale” to exclude same-sex couples from marriage.

On Monday, September 8, the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco hears oral arguments in the Idaho, Nevada, and Hawaii cases. Stay tuned.

John Lewis and Stuart Gaffney, together for nearly three decades, were plaintiffs in the California case for equal marriage rights decided by the California Supreme Court in 2008. They are leaders in the nationwide grassroots organization Marriage Equality USA. BAY T IM ES S EPT EM BER 4, 2014

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Roland Schembari and Bill Hartman Co-Founders in 1978

What’s Wrong with Being ‘Needy’?

Kim Corsaro Publisher 1981-2011

that “mature” relationships are only possible between independent people who aren’t “needy,” but who unite in mutual respect while maintaining “appropriate boundaries.”

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Examined Life Tom Moon, MFT Eric has been single for five years.

He’s a relationship-oriented guy. He longs to connect with someone new, but he won’t let himself do it because he believes he isn’t “ready.” “Until I’m completely secure and whole in myself, and not dependent on anyone else to complete me, I won’t be able to be healthy in a relationship,” he says. He “knows” that real happiness only comes from “within,” and

He “knows” that if your partner behaves in a way that disturbs you, you should be able to avoid being “enmeshed” or “codependent” and “keep the focus on yourself.” He “knows” that if you do become dependent on your partner, or feel that you “need” him or her, then you’re deficient in “self-esteem” and need to do some work on yourself; and that if you actually feel “needy” toward a partner, then you may have an “addiction” to him or her.

I’ve been hearing ideas like these for years; more often from men, because independence is such a cherished male ideal, but many women strive to realize this ideal too. But I’ve never actually met anyone who even comes close to being a living example of this kind of magnificent self-sufficiency.

I’m not surprised, because everything

science has learned about human evolution, personality development, and neuropsychology strongly suggests that such a person cannot exist!

Humans survived as a species because we evolved to be social animals, hardwired to attach emotionally to one another. Our “dependency needs” are neither choices nor pathologies; they’re built into the structure of our brains. Studies show, for instance, that once we become attached to someone, we actually form a single physiological unit. Our partners regulate our blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, and even the level of hormones in our blood. How could we ever maintain clear boundaries between ourselves and our partners when we’re literally not separate entities? Is Eric trying to become something no one can ever be?

Psychologists have observed that infants begin to venture out into their surroundings only when they feel that they have a secure base in the form of a protective parent who makes it possible for them to feel safe in the world.

Adults aren’t that much different. Relationships with loving partners, and/ or supportive connections with family and friends, form the psychological basis for loving ourselves, believing in ourselves, and developing the confidence and resilience we need to go out and pursue our hopes and dreams.

So while it may sound paradoxical, it’s our dependencies that make our (very relative) independence possible.

We become strong and autonomous within the context of ongoing deep, loving, and stable relationships with other people.

My advice to Eric, then, is: Don’t hold out for a mythical ideal of emotional maturity before you let love back into your life. The inner strength that you’re seeking in solitude is much more likely to grow out of your commitments to, and loving connections with, other people.

Tom Moon is a psychotherapist in San Francisco. For more information, please visit tommoon.net

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IN MEMORIAM

Goodbye, Dear Arturo! Heaven Is Now Your Greatest Stage

By Dennis McMillan Arthur Francis Xavier Galster, known to us friends and his loved ones as Arturo, died on Monday, August 25, at Davies Hospital. The circumstances that led to his death are not yet clear, but he received a head injury during an incident of some sort in Dolores Park late on Saturday, August 22. He was hospitalized approximately a day later and died not long thereafter.

Galster was an incredibly talented actor. In San Francisco, Galster’s theater colleagues are working on plans for a public tribute show to honor his memory at the Castro Theatre on Monday, September 22, at 7:30pm. In addition, the Galster family is making plans for a private memorial service that likely will be held in Philadelphia.

Galster grew up in Philadelphia where his interest in musical theater started with roles in school productions that included Godspell. He graduated and attended the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Philadelphia from 1977–1978. He moved to San Francisco in 1978 to enroll at the San Francisco Art Institute, which he attended for four years. Galster appeared in plays, musicals, cabaret shows and films in the United States and several other countries from the early 1980s until his death in 2014. He appeared

PHOTO BY CINDY GOLDFIELD

J.H. Herren

in two cult drag films: as Noodles Nebula in Vegas in Space (1991) and as Patsy Cline in Virtue II (1999).

In addition, he appeared as a drag queen streetwalker named Fabrege in “Javelin Catcher,” a 1996 episode of the television series Nash Bridges.

He was always so excited to inform me of his next great role, reserving me a seat right up front. Onstage in San Francisco, Galster performed in many high-prof ile and often high-camp theatrical productions that epitomized the city’s renowned queer culture from the mid-1980s on. Among his stage turns were roles in Naked Brunch, Bad Seed, Phillip R. Ford’s Dolls, Christmas with the Crawfords, Eve, Dirty Little Showtunes, Naked Boys Singing, Half-a-Dozen Dorothies, Lavender Locker Room, Stale Magnolias, Simply Stunning: The Doris Fish Story, Scalpel! The Musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Pearls Over Shanghai. I attended almost every performance with delight!

From 1982 to 1989, Galster toured every summer as the incarnation of country music superstar Patsy Cline accompanied by a tribute band dubbed the Memphis G-Spots. The act appeared at nightclubs in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and San Francisco, as well as London and Tokyo.

From 1995 to 2012, Galster was a regular performer in shows presented by impresario Marc Huestis at the Castro Theatre that brought

together camp and classic films with appearances by stars of the movies accompanied by drag tribute shows.

Galster performed in 15 of the productions, singing live in such personas as Conrad Birdie from Bye Bye Birdie, Endora from Bewitched and Tim Gunn from Project Runway.

Galster also performed in a number of San Francisco’s noted queer nightclubs of the 1990s and 2000s, including Klubstitute, Dragstrip at the DNA Lounge and Trannyshack.

He will be sorely missed.

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10

Help Is On the Way 20, the 20th Anniversary Gala & Concert of San Francisco’s REAF (Richmond/ Ermet AIDS Foundation), included a cast of talented entertainers who presented an evening of outstanding performances. Headliners included Florence Henderson, Richard Chamberlain, Carole Cook, Jason Brock and the cast of Motown the Musical in addition to Wesley Alfvin, David

BAY TIMES SEPTEMB E R 4 , 2 0 1 4

Friedman, Roslyn Kind, Meg Mackay, Maureen McGovern, Alex Newell and many more! Needless to say, this was a very special evening for producers Ken Henderson and Joe Seiler as well as for the many supporters, friends and volunteers of the organization.

Fortnight in Review

By Ann Rostow Conference Call Put September 29 on your calendar.

That’s the first meeting of the Supreme Court’s 2014/2015 session.

You know how those meetings go, right? The nine justices sit around a table discussing the various petitions for review. No one else is allowed inside the dark room. I picture it dark anyway, with walls of wood and a pleasant musty smell. The junior justice, Elena Kagan, takes notes and is also responsible for answering the door when an aide knocks with sandwiches or something. The Chief goes around the table in order of seniority, and finally a vote is taken.

Will they accept the Utah marriage case? The Oklahoma case? The Virginia case? A combination of these three petitions? Or will they punt to their next meeting, which I think is in mid-October? The answer is, they will probably punt. But if they don’t, they will likely take Utah, or Utah plus Virginia. The Oklahoma case has various unnecessary complications, so most observers think that one is off the table.

Put me in the camp of those rooting for Utah. It was the first appellate decision to hit the books. And unlike the Virginia case, the marriage amendment was defended by Utah state officials. Finally, Utah couples are represented by a host of our favorite GLBT lawyers, while Virginia’s are championed by the celebrity duo of Olson and Boies, relative newcomers to our legal fight for equality. (Lambda Legal is also involved, but Olson and Boies will certainly insist on center stage, their favorite spot.)

Seventh Heaven Meanwhile, we have excellent news this week out of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, an unfriendly venue where we lucked into three of the most friendly judges on the Republican dominated court.

Led by veteran jurist Richard Posner (a Reagan appointee who, like many of his generation, has evolved to RINO status) the panel heard arguments on August 26 in three cases out of Indiana and Wisconsin. According to press reports, Posner and his two Democratic co-panelists Ann Williams (Clinton) and David Hamilton (Obama) didn’t simply lean towards the same-sex couples, they took turns eviscerating the lawyers on the other side. Although it’s standard operating procedure for the press to avoid speculating on the outcome of a case based on oral arguments, just about every reporter who covered the hearing had no trouble predicting a 3-0 victory for marriage equality.

In short, one of the appellate courts that could easily have handed us a loss is likely to rule in our favor.

Over in the Ninth Circuit, where oral arguments are scheduled for September 8, we were already confident of success. After all, this is the court that recently ruled that discrimination based on sexual orientation is presumptively unconstitutional. But if that weren’t enough, we recently learned that the panel assigned to the three marriage cases pending in the Ninth includes three openly pro-gay jurists, including Stephen Reinhardt who authored both the strategically narrow opinion in the Prop 8 case, as well as the aforementioned opinion on sexual orientation discrimination. Calling the outcome here a “slam dunk” is an understatement.

The basket has been lowered to three feet, and we’re using a tennis ball.

The Ninth is hearing marriage challenges from Nevada, Hawaii (arguably moot since Hawaii legalized gay unions) and Idaho.

Before we leave this topic, the continuing trend makes you wonder whether or not the Sixth Circuit panel will come up with a face saving alternative to an antigay ruling.

The panel, which heard arguments in early August on cases out of Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and Kentucky, seemed to be headed towards a 2-1 vote in favor of states’ rights to define marriage as they see fit. But do they really want to stand, to use the increasingly popular phrase, on the “wrong side of history?” Hell, they probably don’t care.

Hook ‘Em All in all, I’m in a far better mood than I was the last time we met. Plus, college football season has started, although I’m sorry to say my Longhorn quarterback has been taken out of service again for his umpteenth concussion and his replacements look a little green.

Speaking of college football, here’s a weird thing that I’m not sure how to interpret. Mel and I were watching Iowa State when the game cut to commercials that included the standard pitch for the university itself.

You know these ads, or at least you do if you watch college sports. Shots of multiracial students hard at work in the science lab, hands shooting up at the seminar table, someone playing a violin, a long shot of the campus, the cheesy sound bite written by a committee in the marketing department.

“We can go places!” “The future is here!” “Changing tomorrow today!”

So anyway, the Iowa State commercial comes on. Here’s a gay guy (believe me, we know he’s gay) sitting at a table cutting fabric with sewing shears. He tells us he is taking Fashion 101 so he can learn to design his own clothing line. Here at Iowa State, he can do anything (or whatever).

It wasn’t as if the gay guy was one of several students. He was the only one in this commercial. Quite frankly, I thought it was very odd. Yes, I know the gay fashion designer is a stereotype. But there was no attempt to butch up the star of the ad, so the stereotype was all we had to evaluate the context. Was Iowa State emphasizing its gay friendly atmosphere?

Why would any college commercial feature an arcane subject like fashion rather than math or history? Was the use of a stereotype a nice gesture aimed at our community? Or was it a strange misfire? Why deliver this message to the broad audience of college football fans? Honestly, why? In some ways, it was as if they showed an African American jock announcing that he was majoring in physical education. Or perhaps a prim looking girl in a conservative dress telling us about her Home Economics course.

And yet, I’m torn. Because it could also have reflected a policy of inclusion.

Oh, who knows? And for the record, I guess you all saw that Michael Sam got cut by the Rams. There goes our first gay pro football player, but perhaps he’ll get picked up by some other team.

Something Rotten In the Land of Cotton Here’s an ugly little incident from last spring in South Carolina, where gender police over at the Department of Motor Vehicles forced an effeminate teen to take off his makeup before getting his photo. Chase Culpepper wears makeup every day, and

Professional Services dresses in feminine or androgynous outfits. But this was not acceptable to the bureaucrats in Anderson, who ordered the 16-year-old to wash his face before getting his license. Culpepper had no choice in the matter, but he and his mother are now suing the DMV with the help of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund.

I know that sometimes authorities insist that your official ID must match your looks. But Culpepper wasn’t “dressing up” to mess with the DMV. He wears makeup all the time. If anything, his barefaced look probably made him unrecognizable in his photo ID. In their suit, the Culpeppers point out that the Mandarins in Columbia have no right to dictate the personal style or appearance of Palmetto State citizens.

Meanwhile, in other news from below the Mason Dixon Line, a Georgia man who came out to his horrific extended family was physically attacked and berated with obscenityladen rants by Dad, Grandma and Step Mom. Twenty-year-old Daniel Pierce had the presence of mind to video the family meeting, a video that has since been watched by millions of people. Those millions have donated over a hundred grand to Pierce, who was kicked out of the house by his charming relatives. Pierce says he will donate some of that cash to teens in similar predicaments.

It’s chilling to listen to grandma, or whoever it is, screeching on about the Word of God while telling Daniel he’s no longer welcome in the house. At one point, in a nice irony, the father screams at Daniel for airing the family’s dirty laundry on Facebook, an accusation that Daniel denies while Dad continues to use him as a punching bag. Hello, Dad? Facebook was apparently the least of your worries.

And here’s one more vignette before we leave the Deep South. Jeff White, who is now 32, is suing the Bethel Baptist School for sexual abuse that went on for years during his “education” at this Mississippi institution with the motto: “promoting academic excellence.”

In addition to academic excellence, the school allegedly allowed a pedophile teacher to promote heterosexuality by raping White every Wednesday afternoon in an effort to turn the boy straight. White, who was 14 to 17 at the time, is now Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Rainbow Center.

He is taking Bethel Baptist to court with the help of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Sometimes, you almost wish the South had won the Civil War, don’t you? They could have kept their little far right bastion of Godly intolerance, and we could have kept the rest of the country to ourselves. Oh, I’m just kidding. Sort of.

We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re Assimilating

• • • • • • • •

You can’t read as much GLBT news, analysis and commentary as I do without encountering an (often sophomoric) discussion of the pros and cons of assimilation. Interestingly, some of the loudest voices decrying the loss of gay culture and queerness come from a cohort that never even experienced the festive world that bridged the beginning of gay liberation and the beginning of AIDS. I remember the sound of thumping disco music as the Fire Island ferry pulled into Cherry Grove on a balmy Friday late afternoon, seeing the beautiful men lounging shirtless (continued on page 22)

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BAY T IM ES S EPT EM BER 4, 2014

11

Diversity in Tech? Even Apple’s Tim Cook Admits We’re Not There Yet Apple recently published statistics about the race and gender makeup of its workers within the U.S. To its credit, Apple is more transparent than most about such data, but the numbers speak for themselves.

According to the survey, 70% of all Apple employees are male. In terms of race, the survey found that 55% of Apple employees are white, 15% are Asian, 11% are Hispanic and 7% are black, with the rest being multiracial or declining to respond.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he is “not satisfied with the numbers on this page. They’re not new to us, and we’ve been working hard for quite some time to improve them. We are making progress, and we’re committed to being as innovative in advancing diversity as we are in developing our products.” He also said, “Our definition of diversity goes far beyond the traditional categories of race, gender, and ethnicity. It includes personal qualities that usually go unmeasured, like sexual orientation, veteran status, and disabilities. Who we are, where we come from, and what we’ve experienced inf luence the way we perceive issues and solve problems.

We believe in celebrating that diversity and investing in it.”

Speaking of Cook, earlier in the summer, Simon Hobbs at CNBC said during a televised panel discussion: “I think Tim Cook is fairly open about the fact that he’s gay at the head of Apple, isn’t he?” With that, his fellow panelists were stunned into silence. “Oh, dear, was that an error? I thought he was open about it.”

From executives at the highest levels to recent graduates, there often seems to be an unwritten “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, with workers striving for “heteronormalcy” in today’s highly competitive business market so as not to jeopardize their work. Additionally, if the norm is to be a white male, as Apple’s survey data suggests, and if networking remains key to business success, then it is little wonder that many women and people of color have found it all the more challenging to scale corporate ladders.

In this issue, we highlight LGBT organizations and individuals who have met such challenges and are paying it forward while serving as important role models. They stand tall on the shoulders of forebearers like British mathematician Alan Turing (1912–1954), who is widely viewed as the “father of computer science,” and yet who was persecuted for being a homosexual. Turing was only

officially pardoned in the U.K. a few weeks ago.

They also stand on the shoulders of largely unsung groundbreakers such as Karen Wickre (Editorial Director at Twitter) and Tom Rielly (Director of the TED Fellows program) who together co-founded Digital Queers in 1992. The national non-profit was one of the first to bring LGBT tech workers together, helping them to earn online presence and setting the stage for other gains. Digital Queers’ initial goal was to bring the gay rights movement into the digital age. They succeeded.

We now have new goals to meet, however, and achieving true diversity in technology and other business sectors is high on the list. Of his own company, Cook said, “Together, we are committed to diversity…and the advancement of equality and human rights everywhere.” Hopefully we will move closer to meeting those goals, such that issues over things like tech busses and Ellis Act evictions will be a thing of the past. In the meantime, we encourage you to be proactive by supporting organizations such as Out & Equal and StartOut. Key events for these organizations are on the horizon, so we hope to see you there.

Trailblazer Ann Mei Chang Reveals Tech’s Compassionate Side Ann Mei Chang’s remarkable career has taken her from Silicon Valley to the U.S. Department of State. She began as an Engineering Manager for companies such as Apple and SGI before moving on to Intuit, There Corporation and Google, where she served as Senior Engineering Director for 8 years. In 2011, she became Senior Advisor for Women and Technology at the U.S. Department of State. At the end of last year, she accepted the position of Chief Innovation Officer at Mercy Corps, a global aid agency engaged in transitional environments that have experienced some sort of shock due to natural disaster, economic collapse, or conflict.

As you can imagine, the organization has its hands full these days!

Chang recently took time out of her hectic schedule to share her thoughts on everything from the gender gap in tech to ways in which technology itself might help to ease the seemingly ever-growing economic divide.

SF Bay Times: How did your career path, rooted so heavily in local tech industries, lead you to Mercy Corps?

Ann Mei Chang: I’ve had a longtime plan and desire to spend the first half of my career in the private sector and the second half in the public or social sector, originally inspired by Elizabeth Birch when she left Apple to lead HRC. As I approached that 12

SF Bay Times: Here in San Francisco, many people have been displaced because of gentrification following the emergence of tech growth and because of other factors. How can “the other 98%” overcome the increasingly daunting tech divide, and what role might technology itself play?

Ann Mei Chang

point a few years ago, I began exploring issues that were important to me and where I could potentially make a contribution, and decided to focus on global poverty as the root of many of our world’s challenges.

I recognized that the proliferation of mobile technologies, which I led at Google, held the potential to drive more scalable interventions and new innovations, and saw that as a good entry point. My first step was to gain a bigger picture view by joining the U.S. Department of State through the Franklin Fellowship program where I worked as the Senior Advisor for Women and Technology. After my fellowship ended, I joined Mercy Corps to get more directly involved in deploying solutions on the ground.

BAY TIMES SEPTEMB E R 4 , 2 0 1 4

Ann Mei Chang: My feeling is that it’s not surprising to have such frictions develop with all the changes, both good and bad, that come with any dramatic boom. It is something which will require attention to manage as smoothly as possible to allow for the growth while managing it to be as constructive and broad-based as possible. Certainly the Ellis Act evictions are worth looking at.

On the broader question of the tech divide…the growth of technology has certainly contributed to the economic divide as professional, and particularly technical, skills become more highly valued, are increasingly scarce, and thus are rewarded disproportionately. At the same time, many less skilled jobs are being replaced through automation. The resulting macro-economic shift will take a while to shake out and will be painful along the way, but it is inevitable. What will be important is to evolve our education system and opportunities to train more people in these highly prized skills to give them

better opportunities and to balance the supply and demand of talent so that wages become more equitable again.

SF Bay Times: Thinking on your earlier work at companies like Google, what advice do you have for young professionals in the LGBT community who are interested in furthering their careers in the high tech field?

Ann Mei Chang: Most importantly, be yourself. Without authenticity, it is difficult to build strong relationships that are key to both doing your current job more effectively and finding new opportunities in the future.

Also, take advantage of being part of the LGBT community to meet others at your company and in your industry. It’s a unique way to build a broader network both for support and camaraderie, as well as to get to know people across a broad swath of the industry.

SF Bay Times: How are leading tech companies including LGBT matters in the culture of their businesses?

Ann Mei Chang: Most tech companies these days have LGBT employee groups and same-sex health and other benef its. This has now become standard business practice.

As a talent-driven industry, the more progressive companies do more to reach out to the LGBT community,

often by sponsoring events or organizations.

SF Bay Times: Given your former State Department position, do you think that the gender gap is at last starting to close in technology fields?

Ann Mei Chang: Unfortunately, the gender gap in technology has not been closing on its own, whether it is access to mobile phones and the Internet in developing countries or the percentages of women studying and working in the technology sector in developed countries. In Silicon Valley, the percentage of women in engineering continues to hover between 10–15% at most companies, with no noticeable change since I first started 25 years ago.

SF Bay Times: What is the mission of Mercy Corp and how can our readers get involved or be of help to the organization in reaching its goals?

Ann Mei Chang: Mercy Corps’ mission is to save and improve lives in the world’s toughest places. We work in 42 countries to provide humanitarian relief, promote sustainable long-term development and poverty alleviation, and seek innovations that can help create lasting change. As a non-profit, we of course welcome donations to support our work. You can learn more at www.mercycorps.org

StartOut Empowers LGBT Entrepreneurs to Greatness in Business and in the Community

By Jonathan D. Lovitz Success for the LGBT community nationwide is constantly being redefined. For decades, the thought of being out at work, let alone starting your own national business, seemed impossible. Today, an openly LGBT person has myriad options for success from politician, to journalist, to movie star, to NFL draft pick.

But where are the role models for the LGBT youth who hopes to be a thriving CEO? Certainly not on the Fortune 500 list. Yet. The glass closet is showing signs of cracking any day now, and one of the organizations helping to ensure that every LGBT business leader has a hand in shattering that glass for good is StartOut. Since 2009, StartOut has been a champion for America’s LGBT entrepreneurs by offering nearly sixty programs a year to a nationwide network of over 12,000 in areas including networking, education, and access to capital. Business thrives on competition, and StartOut is working for a climate where no one gets to win because a community has one hand tied behind its back. Entrepreneurs should never have to choose between the closet and their careers.

In making the case for the LGBT community in business, especially for entrepreneurs, StartOut’s Bay Area based CEO Gene Falk hopes to get more people thinking about a sense of community equity. Entrepreneurs and small business owners will create more than half of all new jobs in the coming decades, and the LGBT community will make up a powerful subset of those job creators.

“Why do gay people need a business

Jonathan D. Lovitz

“Today, an openly LGBT person has myriad options for success from politician, to journalist, to movie star, to NFL draft pick. But where are the role models for the LGBT youth who hopes to be a thriving CEO? Certainly not on the Fortune 500 list. Yet.” network?” is probably the most common question Falk is asked. And the answers can be as wide-ranging and impassioned as our community itself is, but he begins with, “Because anything we can do to level the playing field in business is good for society, no matter who you are.”

The sheer number of affinity groups and diversity initiatives at major corporations show that the playing field is anything but level. Knowing that a community takes care of its mem-

bers, StartOut works to inclusively connect the LGBT entrepreneurial community to one another and those interested in doing business with entrepreneurs within the LGBT community. Of particular importance to StartOut is the notion of mentorship and the sharing of knowledge about the entrepreneurial journey.

Through one-on-one mentor pairings and offerings like the Lesbian Entrepreneur Mentoring Program, StartOut connects emerging business leaders with experienced veterans who offer guidance, support, and potentially investment in their new ventures.

With chapters running in San Francisco, New York, Boston, Austin, Chicago, and Los A ngeles, and several more in development, Start Out thrives on the wide diversity of America’s LGBT business leaders from a variety of sectors. Chris Sinton, Board Chair of StartOut and long-time Silicon Valley/San Francisco executive and philanthropist, said of the role tech entrepreneurs play in inspiring others nationally: “Tech entrepreneurs tend to break established systems and new ground.

StartOut itself grew from tech oriented co-founders and now reaches beyond tech, spreading ideas of equality in entrepreneurship across industries.”

The Bay Area will soon play host to one of the highlights of StartOut’s ca lendar, t he annua l Star tOut

Awards. This year’s honorees include legendary advocate George Takei; CEO and world-renowned investor Dave McClure; trailblazing socialmission visionary and CEO Amy Errett; and inspiring emerging tech CEO Li Han Chan. The awards are being held at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis and celebrate the best of America’s entrepreneurial spirit with a cocktail party, gala dinner, and a full evening of entertainment.

One can expect StartOut to show the same kind of exponential scaling that most startups dream of in the coming years. With a swell of membership and community support, including a recent $50,000 grant from the Arcus Foundations, StartOut will continue to support the next generation

of LGBT business leaders through engagement on key issues: helping aspiring entrepreneurs start new companies, helping current entrepreneurs to grow and expand their businesses, and engaging successful entrepreneurs to support and mentor others throughout the community.

Learn more and become a member at StartOut.org and by connecting on Twitter at @StartOut. Jonathan Lovitz is an LGBT community advocacy and communications advisor for StartOut, as well as for The Trevor Project, GLAAD, the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and many other organizations.

Tech Savvy: Out & Equal to Explore LGBT Equality in Technology Sectors at 16th Annual Workplace Summit

By Andrea Shorter Since the creation of the first silicon transistor in the South Bay over five decades ago, all sectors of commerce, education, medicine, and social life have been forever impacted, defined and redefined by the countless innovations emitting from the Bay Area.

Amidst these transformative impacts, as recent reports suggest, tech companies are striving to achieve greater gender equity and racially diverse workforces. Simultaneously, new century information technology workforces are often perceived as more LGBT-accepting than traditional workplaces. These phenomena in tech workplaces are gaining national attention.

Are existing and start-up technology companies really exceptionally LGBT inclusive? What are the drivers of the inclusive nature emerging in tech companies and other more traditional work environments? What is the role for LGBT employee resource and affinity groups, such as the famous Google Gayglers, in these work environments?

While long, hard fought gains continue to be won for LGBT equality, regardless of how progressive any job

criminatory workplace rights in one American state, but not in another U.S. state or country, presents a series of particular challenges.

Andrea Shorter

sector is thought to be, it remains legal in 29 states for employers to discharge (f ire) employees for simply being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In 76 countries, draconian laws exist or are being promoted to outlaw the very existence of LGBT people altogether.

For U.S. based companies, especially globally connected technology companies, advancing equal treatment and protections of LGBT employees and contractors who have non-dis-

These complex challenges to advance workplace protections and global mobility also present opportunities for companies and LGBT employee resource groups to act as key change agents.

For nearly two decades, San Francisco-based Out & Equal Workplace Advocates has been the premier leader in partnership with over 250 companies to advance inclusion and equality for LGBT employees. This includes working closely with name brand Bay Area-based and other technology companies around the world.

In addition to its year round work of providing best practice trainings on achieving workplace equality, and working daily with an international network of leaders, Out &

Equal presents a hallmark event.

This year, the 16th Annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit will be held in San Francisco, November 3– 6. Over 3,000 LGBT employees, CEOs, senior executives, non-profit leaders, human resource professionals, diversity and inclusion experts, and allies from around the world will attend the Summit to participate in 100+ workshops, featured panels, social events, and plenary sessions.

One of the highlights of the Summit will be “Tech Savvy: How Technology Companies Are Working to Advance LGBT Workplace Equality,” a featured panel discussion among technology professionals about the challenges, lessons learned and best practices for creating and maintaining LGBT inclusive workplaces within the high-tech sector. Panelists will include out professionals from LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Apple.

In addition to exploring the challenges and best practices of creating LGBT inclusive technology workplaces, the Summit also intensively explores ways in which to better engage diversity with transgender, bisexual and LGBT people of color. Out & Equal presents the popular Community Engagement Series on the Tuesday and Wednesday of the Summit. The Community Engagement Series provides an opportunity to participate in workshops, panels, and roundtable discussions designed to specifically elevate Summit partners’ efforts to create fully inclusive workplaces. For a special rate of $75 per day, participants representing, or interested in learning more about, the experiences of these specific communities can attend the Summit for that day.

For more information and to register for the 16th Annual Out & Equal Workplace Summit, please go to outandequal.org/summit Andrea Shorter is the Associate Director of Community Relations at Out & Equal Workplace Advocates. Her panel “Tech Savvy Thursday,” will be held at the Out&Equal Workplace Summit on November 6 from 10–11:30am.

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Sister Dana Sez: Words of Wisdumb from a Fun Nun

A PERFECTLY SUITED EVENING Please join us

horizons foundation’s

GALA DINNER & CASINO PARTY September 27, 2014 The Fairmont San Francisco

Honoring

Donna Sachet

AT&T

Leadership Award

Visionary Award

To purchase tickets: http://horizonsfoundation.org/page/events/annualgala For more information: contact Jenna Heath at 415.398.2333 x115 jheath@horizonsfoundation.org

By Sister Dana Van Iquity Sister Dana sez, “Did everybuddy survive the earthquake last week? And have you prepared your survival kit for The Big One? At least throw a flashlight, some batteries, canned food, can opener, and gallons of bottled water into your cupboards. Don’t quake with the next shake!”

THE RICHMOND/ERMET AIDS FOUNDATION hosted HELP IS ON THE WAY 20, the glorious 20th Anniversary Gala & Concert, Northern California’s largest annual,star-studded AIDS benefit concert and gala, at the Palace of Fine Arts. The gala benefited four Bay Area AIDS Service Organizations: Abzyme Research Foundation, Aguilas, AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP), and Positive Resource Center (PRC).

Stars from stage, screen, and the recording industry all gathered for an evening of outstanding entertainment.

The celebrity performers included Florence Henderson, Carole Cook, Richard Chamberlain, Alex Newell, Paula West, Jason Brock, Maureen McGovern, Roslyn Kind, Meg Mackay, Lisa Vroman, Jon Maher, Jake Simpson, Wesley Alfin, David Friedman, Valarie Pettiford, Jeffrey Scott Parsons, Craig Shoemaker, John Navarez & Andrew Cervantes, and cast members from Motown: The Musical.

All gave their talent and their all for a very worthy charity!

GAYCITIES and STOLICHNAYA PREMIUM VODKA presented the return of the annual STOLI GUY CONTEST at Beatbox. Celebrity judges included Donna Sachet, Pat N Leather, Eve Volution, Brian Kent, and international menswear and undergarment superstar Andrew Christian. There were special performances by singer Anita Cocktail and current America’s Got Talent live show finalists, same-sex salsa dancers Andrew Cervantes and John Navarez. But in the spotlight were six of the most authentic, original, and inspired guys in EssEff who showcased their original talent - with one winner, Spencer B, crowned Stoli Guy SF 2014 and receiving an all-expense paid trip to New York for the Finale in latter September, where he will face off against finalists from 11 other cities across the USA. The national champion receives $10,000, and the “Fan Favorite” winner based on online voting receives an all-expense paid fournight vacation at five star men’s resort Island House Key West. With their celebrity, hopefully they will go on to host fabulous fundraisers in the future.

CUMMING UP!

FINAL WEEKS! CLOSES OCTOBER 12

H E R B ST E X H I B I T I O N G A L L E R I E S

This exhibition is organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Presenting Sponsors: Penny and James George Coulter. Director’s Circle: Estate of Dr. Charles L. Dibble. President’s Circle: Bernard Osher Foundation. Curator’s Circle: Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund. Conservator’s Circle: National Endowment for the Arts and the S. Grace Williams Trust.

Benefactor’s Circle: Nion T. McEvoy. Patron’s Circle: Carol and Shelby Bonnie, Richard and Peggy Greenfield, the Ednah Root Foundation, Dorothy Saxe, and Sotheby’s. The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Photo © FAMSF

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BAY TIMES SEPTEMB E R 4 , 2 0 1 4

BEA DAZZLER presents (in association with the KLUBSTiTUTE KOLLECTiVE) FAUX QUEEN PAGEANT 2014: Fashion Fauxward! that is the original Pageant for Drag Queens Trapped in Women’s Bodies, Saturday, September 6th, doors & bar open 9pm, pageant, 10pm at SOMArts, 934 Brannan Street, between 8th & 9th Streets. Tix $20 in advance (cash only) at Retrofit, 910 Valencia at 20th Street, $25 at the Door (cash only), $35 VIP with reserved upfront seating, raffle ticket, and Pageant poster. Celebrity femcees are the illustrious and First Faux Queen titleholder, the indomitable Laurie Bushman aka Coca Dietetica (FQ 1995), and original faux queen and stylish entrepreneur behind

the Glama-Rama Hair Salon, Deena Davenport. Celebrity judges include last year’s title winner Cara Couture (FQ2013); Trannyshack’s own Heklina; Miss Diva USofA Brandi Amara Skyy; Therese Wonnacott; and pageant founder Ruby Toosday! fauxqueenpageant.blogspot.com The 17TH CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL is September 11th-14th. The festival will be coming to the Castro Theatre for the first time this year, and in addition to playing classic favorites like Sixteen Candles and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (incidentally, Julie Newmar will be in attendance and will be honored with an award), they will be playing two movies that will be making their San Francisco premiere: John Apple Jack and The 10 Year Plan.

In the cult classic, To Wong Foo, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, and the late Patrick Swayze star as three drag queens traveling cross-country.

Things take an interesting turn when their car breaks down and they are stranded in a small town. The film also features Stockard Channing, Blythe Danner, and a cameo from Julie Newmar. VIP reception at 7pm, followed by the screening at 9pm on Friday, September 12th.

CAIFF celebrates the 30th anniversary of one of John Hughes’s most celebrated teen comedies, Sixteen Candles, with a special screening of the movie that gave a new perspective on a teenager’s “Sweet 16” and made Molly Ringwald an ‘80s icon. The screening will also feature special guest appearances by cast members including Justin Henry who played Molly Ringwald’s little brother as well as Debbie Pollak and Gedde Watanabe who played the memorable couple, Marlene “Lumberjack” and Long Duk Dong. Reunion and movie at 6:15pm on Friday, September 12th.

In 10 Year Plan, Myles and Brody are best friends that made a pact to become a couple if neither of them have found the right guy in 10 years.

As the deadline to find Mr. Right quickly approaches, each of them tries everything he can to avoid being each other’s last resort. VIP reception with cast at 5pm, followed by the screening at 6pm on Saturday, September 13th.

In John Apple Jack, John, a rich playboy and heir to a restaurant empire, finds out that his sister is marrying his childhood crush, Jack. Of course, he must try his best to stop the wedding. As a result, his world turns upside down in this food-centric queer romantic comedy. VIP reception with cast at 8pm, followed by the screening at 9pm on Saturday, September 13th.

Additional programming at the Castro Theatre includes a screening of Mobiliize, Waiting In The Wings: The Musical as well as a special showcase of shorts starring and directed by some of Hollywood’s finest actors including Sarah Drew, Missy Pyle, Sharon Lawrence, Doug Jones, and Taylor Kitsch. For more information about the festival visit caiff.org LEATHERWALK 2014 is the official kick-off for SAN FRANCISCO’S LEATHER PRIDE WEEK, which culminates one week later at the Folsom Street Events Street Fair.

LeatherWalk is a benefit for AIDS EMERGENCY FUND and BREAST CANCER EMERGENCY FUND on Sunday, September 14th from noon to 3pm. We walk together to celebrate leather, kink and community - all while raising funds for two great agencies. Each year, hundreds of LeatherWalkers take over Market Street and march from the Castro to

SoMa, beginning at the Harvey Milk Plaza with a short rally and entertainment, including stops at some of EssEff ’s favorite watering holes, ending with a beer bust dance party at the SF Eagle, hosted by the Bare Chest Calendar Men. LeatherWalk raises awareness, visibility, and community.

There are no registration fees but fundraising IS encouraged! Register at eve n t b r i t e. c o m / e / l e at h e r w a l k 2014-the-official-kick-off-for-san-franc i s c o s - l e at h e r- p r i d e - we e k - t i c k ets-12297294539. leatherwalk.org The upcoming 2014 GLAAD GALA San Francisco is entitled GAME CHANGERS! Join GLAAD for this special occasion highlighting distinguished honorees and the Ric Weiland Award, a new honor for innovators who advance LGBTQ equality through tech and new media. Your support of GLAAD Gala SF will help GLAAD extend its long history and successful track record of advocating for queer equality into a safe and inclusive digital world. Proposition 8 plaintiffs Kris Perry & Sandy Stier will be honored at the event, receiving the Presidential Local Hero Award.

The gala will be hosted by Orange Is the New Black star Taryn Manning and will feature a special performance by Glee star Alex Newell. Other special guests include TV host and political pundit Meghan McCain and actor/ director Peter Paige, as well as YouTube LGBTQ advocates Tyler Oakley & Hannah Hart. For tickets, visit glaad.org/SFgala or contact ticketing office at tickets@glaad.org Saturday, September 13th, Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Doors open 5:30pm.

For 32 years, AIDS EMERGENCY FUND (AEF) has been a financial lifeline, providing more than $32,000,000 to help tens of thousands of San Franciscans disabled by HIV/ AIDS avoid eviction or utility shut-off and live stably and independently in our community. LEATHER AND FEATHERS is AEF’s annual gala, paying tribute to our supporters in the kink and drag communities. They are pleased to introduce for the first time their Fantasy Runway, in which community members show their finest in leather gear, fetish wear, and drag on Thursday, September 18th, 7pm at Temple Nightclub, 540 Howard. Join them for cocktails, passed food, and special performances, as well as awards commemorating the work of community members to make San Francisco a better place.

They are honoring Beach Blanket Babylon, Joanie Juster, and Dana Van Gorder as award recipients for their fine work in the community.

Donna Sachet & Sister Roma will once again MC the event. They have sexy and stylish AEF supporters lined up for the Fantasy Runway: on the Leather Runway: Beth Bicoastal, Michael Brandon, Andy Cross, Philippe Gosselin, Lance Holman, Dalton Huckaby, Jr., Julian Marshburn, Demetri Moshoyannis, Noodles and Beef, TitanMen exclusive Nick Prescott, Al Saadia, and Emperor JP Soto; and working the Feathers Runway: Tita Aida, Mahlae Balenciaga, Cockatielia, Leo Forte, Kitty Glamour, Honey Mahogany, Holy McGrail, Mercedez Munro, Mr. Pam, and BeBe Sweetbriar. aef-sf.org Sister Dana sez, “ Congress has introduced a new bill known as the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act. If passed, this would allow religiously affiliated adoption or foster care agencies to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or religious affiliation. We must tell Congress that protecting discrimination is NOT religious freedom!”

Round About – Rainbow Honor Walk Installation Project founder David Perry’s good idea became real on Tuesday, September 2, with the unveiling of 20 bronze plaques installed in the new concrete sidewalks of the Castro District. In a ceremony held at Harvey Milk Plaza, Perry spoke of the contributions by those honored as well as the efforts of those who have worked long and hard to ensure the Rainbow Honor Walk project’s success.

Among community business owners acknowledging the project, as reported by NBC Bay Area News, Geoff Dryvynsyde of Castro Village Wine Company said, “The folks who moved here in the 70s were really another generation of pioneers who took this neighborhood to a new place. Celebrating them and their achievements in a physical way is truly special.”

YOURS, MINES & OURS

How to keep, grow, and divide your assets

Installed on the walk outside of Castro Village Wine is a plaque honoring feminist leader Del Martin, whose life partner and wife Phyllis Lyon was on hand for the unveiling.

Debra Schoenberg, Esq., Schoenberg Family Law Group, P.C. Nanette Lee Miller, CPA, CITP, Marcum LLP Accountants and Advisors together with Sarah Heegaard Rush, CFP®, ADPASM, Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC

SOURCE: ARMISTEAD MAUPIN

Phyllis Lyon with Armistead Maupin

An overview of California Family Law, Tax, & Planning September 23rd @ 4:30PM @ Well Fargo Advisors 420 Montgomery, San Francisco, CA 94104 September 26th @ 8AM @ Well Fargo Advisors 420 Montgomery, San Francisco, CA 94104

PHOTO BY RINK

PHOTO BY RINK

Please RSVP to aleffkich@sflg.com at least 48 hours in advance.

www.marcumllp.com Nanette Lee Miller I 415.432.6200 I nanettelee.miller@marcumllp.com PHOTO BY RINK

David Perry

PHOTO BY ALFREDO CARUSO

Present

International Member of Leading Edge Alliance

ASSURANCE

I

TAX

I

ADVISORY BAY T IM ES S EPT EM BER 4, 2014

15

Use the F Word Often ARIES (March 21–April 19) What’s your pleasure, Aries?

Planetary pressures compel you to reexamine the root of your happiness. Cheap thrills are disenchanting now. Probe past the surface for what truly turns you on.

Astrology Gypsy Love After al-Qaeda murdered her husband in 2002, Mariane Pearl sought to better understand forgiveness, or as she calls it, “The F Word.” Pearl founded The Forgiveness Project, a charity that uses storytelling to heal aftermaths of violent crimes. By sharing real-life testimonies from victims and perpetrators, TFP empowers people to transform pain into peace. Cosmically, we’re each called to absolve our offenders now. Feel free to use “The F Word” as frequently as possible.

TAURUS (April 20–May 20) It takes two to Tango, Taurus.

Current relationships (romantic or otherwise) call for a reality check. Is each party practicing the art of compromise? Qualify your commitments.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) As the zodiac’s consummate communicator, you’re a wizard at wielding words. Be sure to back your statements with authentic action, Gemini. To talk the talk, you must walk the walk.

CANCER ( June 21–July 22) Confidence is key, Cancer. Striving to satisfy others won’t serve your soul now. Meanwhile, staying loyal to what you love will pacify pangs of insecurity. Keep cool...you’ve got this.

LIBRA (September 23– October 22) Astrologically, Libra, your financial future can be characterized by the ‘law of karma.’ What you put forth today will have profound impacts upon tomorrow.

Behave accordingly. You’re worth it.

CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19) Get in where you fit in, Capricorn. The stars are sending clear signals about your style of social service. Meaningful causes call your name. Recognize what resonates, and run with it.

LEO (July 23–August 22) Frustrating family matters find their way to the forefront now. Consider this a cosmic courtesy, Leo. Build a stronger sense of self by taking more responsibility for your own domestic bliss.

SCORPIO (October 23– November 21) Stand up for yourself, Scorpio. Seeking strength from the outside-in is unsustainable. If you intend to leave your sacred stamp on the world, you must motivate from within.

AQUARIUS ( January 20– February 18) You’re due for a promotion, doll. Celestial awakenings stimulate your state of mind.

Contemplate your next career move, and be willing to work for it.

Explore the unexpected.

VIRGO (August 23– September 22) Give your vision a voice, Virgo. Everything you’ve learned has helped prepare you.

Everyone you’ve met has paved your path. Activate important ideas now. Surrender your attachment to the outcome.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) Get unstuck, Sagittarius. The Universe supports every effort to dislodge stubborn skeletons still lingering in your subconscious closet. Clearing clutter will make space for the miracles that await you.

PISCES (February 19–March 20) Expand your horizons, Pisces.

Stellar circumstances inspire your sense of adventure. You’re likely to encounter opportunities that dare you to discover a deeper dimension of yourself. Proceed with passion.

Gypsy Love Productions is dedicated to inspiring love and unity with music, dance, and astrology. www.GypsyLoveProductions.com

As Heard on the Street . . .

compiled by Rink

What song title best describes your summer of 2014?

Raoul Thomas

Jenny2blocksaway

Chuck Bierwirth

John Daniel

“Freedom Of Choice”

by DEVO

“Come What May” from Moulin Rouge

“I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket” from the film Follow the Fleet

“I’m Putting All My Eggs In One Basket” from the film Follow the Fleet (Editor’s Note: Partners Chuck and John often agree!)

Steven Underhill

PHOTOGRAPHY

415 370 7152

WEDDINGS, HEADSHOTS, PORTRAITS

stevenunderhill.com · stevenunderhillphotos@gmail.com 16

BAY TIMES SEPTEMB E R 4 , 2 0 1 4

#KateClinton2014 “Theory: cool northeast weather caused by all the ice-bucket challenges. Hope Pres. Obama doesn’t take the ISIS bucket challenge.”

Arts & Entertainment Sarandon Channels Joan Crawford in Disappointing The Last of Robin Hood

Film Gary Kramer The Last of Robin Hood, written and directed by the queer f ilmmaking couple Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, is a curious misfire about Errol Flynn’s (Kevin Kline) last and illicit relationship with the underage starlet Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning). This uneven film is never quite as juicy as it could have been, especially considering the provocative source material.

Part of the film’s problem is its inconsistent tone. There is something oddly artif icial about this period drama. For starters, the performers seem to be acting in different films.

Kevin Kline hams it up rather nicely as the lovesick Flynn in a biopic. Fanning is all innocence and then suddenly becomes jaded in a coming of age story. And, in the film’s pivotal role, Susan Sarandon plays Beverly’s mother Florence—a clueless stage mother who is also culpable and an alcoholic—as if she were appearing in a docudrama. The characterizations may be based on reality, but the film never rings true. Heck, even the period cars and costumes all seems to be trying too hard to impress viewers.

The Last of Robin Hood (an exceedingly poor title) opens with the announcement of Flynn’s death and the question of who is the young girl he loved when he died. The narrative soon f lashes back two years to show how Orry Kelly (out actor Bryan Batt in one of his two brief scenes) introduced Flynn to Beverly Aadland. Flynn invites the young actress/singer/dancer to “audition” for him in his home, and it is immediately clear she lacks talent. But her beauty prompts the smitten Flynn to treat her to dinner, ply her with alcohol, and then take her virginity on his couch. He soon tells the teenage starlet that he is “endlessly curious” about her. He later finds out that while Florence passes her daughter off as 18, Beverly is actually only 15.

While Flynn is smitten by the ingénue’s cheekiness, Beverly quickly falls under Flynn’s spell. Oddly, her character becomes less interesting as the film progresses. This means that the burden of The Last of Robin Hood falls on the pivotal character of Florence, who allows her young daughter to be seduced by the Hollywood star she too wants to befriend. Florence recounts the relationship between Beverly and Flynn to Tedd Thomey ( Jason Davis), who promises to write a book that tells the truth. However, Florence is bitter, drunk, and broken, and her version of the events probably cannot be entirely trusted.

The film might have had some life if it played up Florence’s flights of fancy in the re-enactments. Instead, The Last of Robin Hood lumbers along as Beverly claims to be in love while her mother refuses to see things for what they are. Audiences, however, can see right through the characters and the situations, which zaps the film of its dramatic tension.

Although the storytelling is ham-fisted, the acting somewhat compensates.

Kline injects Flynn with a considerable verve, playing his insidious seducer to the hilt. But, like his turn as Cole Porter in “De-Lovely,” the material is not as strong as his performance.

Kline puts the right spin on a “Lolita” reference he parries to Beverly, but he can’t quite save a f lat scene in which Flynn tries to convince Stanley Kubrick (Max Casella) that he should play Humbert Humbert—with Beverly as the title character in the film version, of course.

In contrast, Fanning is not terribly convincing when she is supposed to be conniving, trying to persuade her mother to let her go to

Africa where Flynn is making a movie so she can be with her lover. Fanning is the film’s weakest link because her character, the real victim in the story, never engenders any real sympathy.

A fight she has with her mother after getting engaged to Flynn should be a big emotional moment, but it hardly registers. The only strength of the young actress’ performance is her ability to act, sing, and dance badly.

The Last of Robin Hood is best when it focuses on Florence’s story. She is the most pathetic character (no mean feat), and Sarandon plays her as a sacrificial mama, right out of a 1950s “woman’s picture.” In fact, in the film’s final scene, Florence is so willing to absorb her daughter’s sins at any price that Sarandon is practically channeling Joan Crawford as Mildred Pierce. Her performance is both showy and blowsy, but it holds viewers’ interest.

Glatzer and Westmoreland’s f ilm could have been a fascinating depiction of mother/daughter love, the quest for celebrity and the ill-fated nature of fame, and a striking exposé of a sordid affair. Unfortunately, The Last of Robin Hood is all and none of those things.

It is simply a lackluster treatment of Flynn’s wicked, wicked ways. © 2014 Gary M. Kramer Gary M. Kramer is the author of “Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews,” and the co-editor of “Directory of World Cinema: Argentina.” You can follow him on Twitter @garymkramer BAY T IM ES S EPT EM BER 4, 2014

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What’s Hue Got to Do With It… throughout the bedroom to create a warm and inviting space perfectly suited for relaxing and lounging.

In choosing a color palette, I tend to work with the following formula: a light to mid-tone for the walls + a dark tone on the floor and small accents + midtone for furniture + healthy dose of white = color perfection…well, not perfection, but an almost fool-proof plan for executing color like a professional.

on the perfect shade of grey on top of your existing blue walls, you are changing the undertone of the paint and impacting the new color. Second, it takes several coats to see a paint’s true color creating build up on the swatches edges, which can cause the samples to appear as reliefs under the final paint coat. Instead, use a piece of white foam core to test your colors; you avoid tainting your color and the

Style Courtney Lake To most interior designers, 50 Shades of Grey is less erotic thriller than a primer for choosing the perfect shade of grey. Color is deeply embedded into the human psyche and elicits a visceral response that I think connects to some of our base memories.

While scientists hold that smell is the most powerful elicitor of memory, I would venture to say that color ranks a close second. Yet the question remains, why do so many people shy away from using color in their home?

What is it about color that makes it the dirty little word of design?

Don’t let fear stop you from including color in your home. The first step to conquering fear is to look it in the eye. So grab a pair of comfortable shoes and head for a walk because Mother Nature is the best color theorist around. When in doubt, take your color cues from the outdoors. In the accompanying picture, we pulled inspiration from the client’s stunning Oakland Hills view—a palette of orange, brown and green was used

Always be sure to test out your colors in the room and look at them during different times of the day. What may seem like the perfect shade of red may appear ashy or orange in the indirect afternoon sun. I like to test wall colors in at least three different areas of a room to ensure the room will look cohesive from all angles. And here is a tip I learned from my painters: never paint your swatches directly to the wall.

First, paint is perceived in context, not isolation. So when you layer

pesky touch-up job in one swoop.

So be brazen with color. Go shocking!

Be bold. After all, it’s only paint!

Courtney Lake is the interior designer and lifestyle expert behind Monogram Décor (www.monogramdecor.com) and his celebrated blog, Courtney Out Loud. He and his work have been featured both in print and on television, including coverage by “The Wall Street Journal,” “The Nate Berkus Show,” the “San Francisco Chronicle,” “Life & Style Magazine,” “RUE Magazine” and “7x7 Magazine.”

Authors Owen Keehnen and Rizi Xavier Timane Share How Writing Helps Us Heal learns to become comfortable in his own skin. Writing this book prompted me to ref lect upon my own life as a gay kid/outsider and exorcise some of those grade school and adolescent demons through humor.

Words Michele Karlsberg Michele K arlsberg: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Owen Keehnen: Young Digby Swank is a novel about a gay Catholic kid coming of age in a small town who, after numerous missteps, eventually

Making the novel funny was extremely liberating and reaffirmed my belief in the healing power of laughter.

Early on in the writing, it became apparent to me who the real crazies were in that fictional environment, and it sure wasn’t Digby. The church, for example, can be terribly wounding to the self-esteem of a gay kid. Exposing the lunacy of many Catholic teachings and much of the dogma was great fun. And having the church as the butt of so many jokes felt wonderfully karmic.

Upon finishing the book, several people have remarked that they really connected to the feeling of being an outsider and the pressure to belong.

I love that Young Digby Swank is allowing people to be able see the humor in all that. If I can get folks to have a good snicker over the church or the Cub Scouts or gender roles or small town values or the crazed need to fit in, I’ve done my job.

I was always different, but writing this novel confirmed for me the benefits of being unique and how the quest for conformity hurts everyone. Hopefully readers will arrive at a similar conclusion and, most importantly, have a few chortles along the way.

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gry and elated all at once. When you’re writing a memoir, it comes with a whole other set of emotions too—ones I did not foresee when I started writing my story in 2013.

In my memoir, An Unspoken Compromise, I share my journey as a transgender individual. I candidly explore the most traumatic experiences of my life, including the passing of my cousin, Adam, who at one time was the only person in the world who supported me; the sexual abuse I went through as a young child; and the exorcisms my family’s religious community subjected me to in an effort to rid me of the demons they believed caused my gender and sexuality confusion.

In writing about these events, I relived them in vivid memories and flashbacks. But where this might have been painful for me, I instead found that by delving into them, I was able to process them in ways I never had before. I could see others’ motives and my own more clearly, and hindsight afforded me the space and time to work through them—to forgive others and myself and, most importantly, to move on. Through writing I learned that wherever there is pain, there is possibility for healing, and in writing down our stories for others to read, we free ourselves of the chains that hold us to our painful pasts.

Author Owen Keehnen’s latest book is “Young Digby Swank” (Wilde City Press).

Rizi Xavier Timane is the founder of The Happy Transgender Center, http://www. thehappytransgendercenter.com/

Rizi Xavier Timane: Writing can be an emotional experience; putting words down on a page has the power to make us happy and sad and an-

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

Final Recap on the Gay Games, Upcoming Events

By Tony Jasinski

SF’s soccer team took the Gold Medal in Division 2 with twelve teams in that bracket. Team member (and board member) Trey Allen shared some of his experiences. He said that he was impressed with LGBT flags in so many places around the city. Their terminal tower (like NY’s Empire State Building) was draped in glowing rainbow colors during the games.

Like other athletes, he commented that local people were very welcoming and friendly.

His special moment was getting to know a police lieutenant from Akron who happened to be a lesbian. Trey said, “Lt. Cynthia Christman made the biggest impression on me because she is a trailblazer for the community.” She told him that she spent two years preparing her force for the Gay Games, and she made it a point to visit the athletic venues to spend time with many athletes and spectators and to welcome them to the upper Ohio region.

Marco Rodriguez attended the finals in basketball, and the Rockdogs (formerly an SF team still with several SF teammembers) fielded two squads.

The over-35 division team took a silver medal, which Marco said was motivating to the “A” division team since both teams had targeted the

PHOTO BY TREY ALLEN

The Gay Games is the biggest event in gay sports, with possibly the Gay Softball World Series being second.

Here are a handful of moments that came in too late to include last time:

San Francisco Spikes Soccer Team

gold medal. Though the “A” division championship game against Washington DC was close, the Rockdogs did persevere and won the gold. The players said they could hear Marco in the stands cheering for them, and that it made a difference. Marco admitted, though, that the closing ceremonies weren’t as impressive as the other activities of the week.

Coming Events On Folsom Street Fair weekend, there will be a national soccer tournament hosted by SF’s Spikes. People can individually enroll for the tournament, and they will be placed on a team.

Women and men are both welcome!

The games take place at the well-regarded Bladium facility in Alameda.

The organization also hosts regular local indoor leagues and ‘free play.’ http://www.sfspikes.com/

The SFGBA’s (San Francisco Gay Basketball Association) fall season will start September 10. “A” teams will play on Wednesday nights (the more competitive players), and “B” teams will play on Thursday nights at the Castro gymnasium (dedicated to Mark Bingham) behind Mollie Stones. Games are at 7pm and 8pm, and spectators are encouraged to attend. Newly installed president of the SFGBA, Marco Rodriguez, is shaking up the league with surprise events, free t-shirts, increased sponsorship, changed schedules, greater visibility, and more. Marco said, “My goal this season is to fully integrate the new players into the program by making them feel included and welcome.” He wants the program to show a ‘new energy’ to gain momentum and to do more. http://www.sfgba.com/home Tony Jasinski is the former president of the San Francisco Gay Basketball League.

Round About - Meet Candidate Clay Aiken Photos by Steven Underhill stevenunderhill.com American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken included a stop at Catch Restaurant on his busy schedule of fundraising in San Francisco on Tuesday, August 26. Aiken is a candidate for the 2nd Congressional District seat of North Carolina against Tea Party candidate Renee Ellmers. Hosted by local power couples David

Perry & Alfredo Casuso and Armistead Maupin & Chris Turner, the reception included one on one conversation time with Aiken as well as a talk by the candidate followed by a pitch for support delivered by Maupin.

Candidate Clay Aiken

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See many more Calendar items @ www.sfbaytimes.com

compiled by Robert Fuggiti

“Broadway Under the Stars” comes to Jack London State Historic Park on September 5.

Beach Blanket Babylon – Club Fugazi. $25-$130. 8 pm. (678 Green St.) www.beachblanketbabylon.com.

Enjoy Steve Silver’s famous musical revue packed with hilarious pop culture and political antics.

Shiny Toy Guns – Great American Music Hall. $17. 8 pm.

(859 O’Farrell St.) www.shinytoysguns.com. The Los Angeles based quartet delivers a high energy per-

formance with a unique, alternative rock sound.

Tubesteak Connection – Aunt Charlie’s. $4. 10 pm. (133 Turk St.) www.auntcharlieslounge.com.

Dance the night away to great music and a fun crowd at one of the best gay dive bars in town.

Broadway Under the Stars – Jack London State Historic Park.

$37-$49. 7:30 pm. (2400 London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen) www.transcendencetheatre.org. A little bit of the best from the summer season and some new sure-to-be classics rolled into one spectacular evening.

Boy Bar – The Café. $5. 9 pm to 2 am. (2369 Market St.) www.guspresents.com. The Castro’s hottest weekly party with go-go dancers and early drink specials.

Friday Live – El Rio. Free. 10 pm.

(3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf.com.

Friday Live is a queer dance party with hip hop and house music

Azucar Con Ache – Rhythmix Cultural Works. $15. 8 pm. (2513 Blanding Ave.) www.rhythmix.org.

Enjoy a lively women’s Latin Jazz and Salsa septet.

Confide in Me – Mission Cultural Center. $10. 7:30 pm.

(2868 Mission St.) www.missionculturalcenter.org. A play that inspires audiences to find personal identity, trust and sympathy with the many members in our community who share an untold story.

The Big Gay 10k – Golden Gate Park. $50. 8 am. (55 Music Concourse, Golden Gate Park) www.biggay10k.com. Walk, run and frolic for the Big Gay 10K, an annual event to support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Dita Von Teese Burlesque – The Fillmore. $58. 7:30 pm. (1805 Geary St.) www.thefillmore.com.

The 90-minute spectacle “Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray!” treats audiences to four of Von Teese’s most impressive performances.

Naked Boys Reading – Shelton Theater. $30. 7:30 pm. (533 Sutter St.) www.sheltontheater.org. 5 hot 20

BAY TIMES SEPTEMB E R 4 , 2 0 1 4

guys read literature to raise money for the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Immune Enhancement Project.

Glamazone – The Café. Free. 9 pm to 2 am. (2369 Market St.) www.cafesf.com. Enjoy drink specials during the day and drag performances through the evening.

Comedy Returns to El Rio – El Rio. $7. 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf.com. Now in its 5th year, this monthly comedy show features the best of Bay Area comedians and beyond.

LOL Mondays – OMG Bar. Free.

8 pm. (43 Sixth St.) www.facebook. com/LolAtOmg. Enjoy a special Pride Month night of gay laughs hosted by Valerie Branch.

LGBTQ Support Group – Petaluma Health Center. Free. 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. (1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma) www.phealthcenter.org. A positive support group for the LGBTQ community in Petaluma. Meetings happen every Monday.

September Make Contact – AMSI Real Estate Services. Free for members of GGBA. 6 pm. (2800 Van Ness Ave.) www.ggba.com.

Make contact and connect with LGBT & Allied business professionals at this month’s GGBA Make Contact event.

Queer Youth Meal Night – SF LGBT Center. Free. 5 pm. (1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter.org.

Queer Youth Meal Night is a safe space to meet with your trans/ queer/ally friends every Tuesday.

Trivia Night – Hi Tops. Free.

10 pm. (2247 Market St.) www. hitopssf.com. Test your trivia knowledge at this popular sports bar.

8th Anniversary Dream Queens Revue – Aunt Charlie’s Lounge. Free. 9:30 pm. (133 Turk St.) www.dreamqueensrevue.com.

San Francisco’s most fabulous drag show celebrates its eighth anniversary this month.

Queer Salsa Dancing – Beatbox. Free. 8 pm. (314 11th St.) www.beatboxsf.com. Latin City Nights presents a queer salsa dance happening every Wednesday night.

Smack Dab Open Mic Night – Magnet. Free. 8 pm. (4122 18th St.) www.magnetsf.org. An open mic night for all with host Larrybob Roberts.

The G Spot – The GLBT History Museum. Free. 7 pm. (4127 18th St.) www.glbthistory.org. A special program series addressing how the history of GLBT belonging and marginalization has been intertwined with San Francisco’s processes of urban renovation.

The 2014 StartOut Awards – San Francisco Marriott Marquis. $275. 6 pm. (780 Mission St.) www. startout.org. Enjoy the third Annual StartOut Awards, highlighting and celebrating exceptional and innovative entrepreneurs in the LGBT Community.

Nightlife – California Academy of Sciences. $12. 6 pm to 10 pm. (55 Music Concourse Dr.) www.noisepop.com. Enjoy a fun evening of science, cocktails and live music.

Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama “Fashion Rocks” – Golden Gate Theatre. $89-$1000. 8 pm. (One Taylor St.) www.macys. com/glamtickets. Enjoy an unforgettable night of fashion and music,

9 pm. (4 Valencia St.) www.dragatmartunis.com. Sing along to your favorite songs with friends and patrons.

Singing Class for LGBT – First Congressional Church of Oakland. $300. 7 pm to 9 pm. (2501 Harrison St.) www.eliconley.com.

A nine week course to explore singing in harmony and learn how to hear and sing major triad chords, in a fun group setting. Through October 28.

Shiny Toy Guns perform on the 4th at the American Music Hall with a special performance by Jason Derulo. Proceeds benefit the AIDS Emergency Fund.

Offerings – Oakland Peace Center. $125. September 12-14.

(111 Fairmont) www.sirenfestival. org. A three day feminist festival of transformative arts.

Porter Robinson – Bill Graham. $42+. 8 pm. (99 Grove St.) www. porterrobinson.com. The 22-yearold international DJ sensation delivers a pulsating electronic performance.

19th Annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival – Ghiradelli Square. $20. 12 pm. (900 N. Point St.) www.ghiradelli.com. A two-day celebration of chocolate with proceeds benefitting Project Open Hand.

Women’s Weekend 2.0 – The Russian River. $132+. September 12-14. (The Russian River) www. womensweekend2.com. Women’s Weekend 2.0 is the reinvention of the classic lesbian music and comedy festival that has been happening annually on the Russian River since 1986.

skills for self defense. Open for all people in the LGBTQ community.

LGBT History – Oakland Museum of California. $15. 12 pm.

(1000 Oak St., Oakland) www. museumca.org. Explore the legacy of early LGBT leaders in San Francisco such as José Sarria and contemporary Californian issues such as Proposition 8.

Jock – Lookout. $2. 3 pm to 9 pm.

(3600 16th St.) www.lookoutsf. com. A weekly fundraising party for Bay Area LGBT sports groups.

Motown Monday – Madrone Art Bar. Free. 6 pm. (500 Divisadero St.) www.madroneartbar.com.

Dance the night away to favorite Motown songs and remixes.

Radical Vinyl – El Rio. Free. 8 pm. (3158 Mission St.) www.elriosf. com. A revolving cast of well known record collectors spin the most eclectic mix of vinyl you’ll find in San Francisco.

Piano Bar 101 – Martuni’s. Free.

Transwomen Support Group – SF LGBT Center. Free. 7 pm.

(1800 Market St.) www.sfcenter. org. Monthly support group meeting on the 3rd Tuseday of each month.

Easy – The Edge SF. Free. 7 pm to 2 am. (4149 18th St.) www.edgesf. com. Enjoy $2 well drink specials and a fun-loving crowd.

Absol utely Fabulous Tours

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LGBT Owned 100% customizable Group/Private Tours

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

Trivia with Miss Kitty – Wild Side West. Free. 7 pm (424 Cortland Ave.) www.wildsidewest. com. A weekly trivia with fun prizes and free to play.

Castro Farmers Market – Noe St. at Market. Free. 4 pm to 8 pm. (Noe St. at Market) www. pcfma.com. Enjoy fresh produce and local made foods and delicacies.

Happening every Wednesday.

Meditation Group – San Francisco Public Library. Free. 12 pm to 12:45 pm. (100 Larkin St.) www.sfpl.org. A weekly meditation group to find inner calmness and peace.

Visit Us Online at sfbaytimes.com

Hella Gay Dance Party – The Uptown. $5. 9:30 pm. (1928 Telegraph Ave.) www.uptownnightclub.com. The East Bay’s best queer dance party.

LGBT Basics of Self Defense – Linden Street Dance Studio. $695.

10 am. (130 Linden St.) www. impactbayarea.org. Learn effective

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(ROSTOW continued from page 11) on the decks, drinks in hand, waving to the newcomers. Diving off those decks into the pool below. Washing off the sand in an outdoor shower at six before getting dressed for a Saturday evening of debauchery. I remember going out with the boys to the massive men’s bars of 1970s New York. Drinking giant colorful drinks and waking up in my friend Dan’s apartment with my cheek in an ashtray.

I remember the pride parades back in the day when it was all about politics. I remember the mafia guys who ran the door at the Duchess and I remember the strange, exhilarating sense of relief when you walked into a bar where everyone was like you and no one thought of you as a shameful deviant.

And what about that? Yes, it was exhilarating. But only because the rest of the world was a God damned minefield of unrelenting disgust and discrimination. Oh, did I mention?

A few years later, half the people we knew were dead.

So, to all those thirty-somethings out there who bemoan the end of a queer culture that relied on external hatred for its very existence, yes it was fun. But no one who went through it would want to go back. And it’s not there anymore, because the pervasive hatred is gone. Yes, we still have homophobia. We still have the South Carolina DMV and lunatic grandmothers in Georgia. But it’s isolated.

The generalized hostility that held the GLBT community together back

Round About - Oakland Pride’s REVOLVE 2014 “Giving Voice

in the day is gone, and we are better off as a result.

As for marriage and assimilation, people will do what they want. There’s no central authority forcing marriage down anyone’s throat. So those of us who want to get married, have children, work for an insurance company and live in the suburbs are free to do exactly that. But don’t worry. We will always be different. And if it makes anyone feel better, we will still face discrimination, poverty and violence for the foreseeable future, whether or not we win marriage rights or get to serve in the military. arostow@aol.com

Photos by Sandy Morris

Oakland Pride included a week-long celebration of artists, entitled REVOLVE. The title is presented in a distinctive logo incorporating rainbow colors, the Oak Tree symbol of Oakland and the slogan: I am an ARTIVIST = ACTIVIST = ARTIST. Bay Times photographer Sandy Morris captured images from a performance evening featuring Melanie DeMore, Kin Folkz, Monica McIntyre, Valerie Troutt, Mona Webb, Gina Breedlove, Blackberri and more.

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Round About – All Over Town

Officer Chris Kohrs, known as “The Hot Cop of the Castro,” has been a good sport about attention coming his way and has also become successful in raising funds at benefits and representing SFPD in the community.

Gio Adame joined Empress Marlena at the High Tea at Twin Peaks Bar honoring Empress I Jose Sarria held on the one year anniversary of his passing.

Photos by Rink

Event coordinator Troy Brunet (right) with friends at the welcoming table for the annual Leatherwalk benefit at the Eagle Tavern benefitting the AIDS Emergency Fund and the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund.

Deborah Curry of Prather Meat Company, staffing their booth at the Castro Farmers Market, displays an item from their meat selection.

SF Pride Committee president Gary Virginia is all smiles as the showcase check is unveiled spotlighting the composite total of $165,608.33 presented to Pride’s partnering non-profit organizations.

Featured artist Monica McIntyre - who is a cellist, singer, composer, wellness advocagte and healer - performs at Magnet, the Castro’s cultural and medical center sponsored by the SF AIDS Foundation.

Wilbur the dog joins co-hosts Dana Hopkins and Larrybob Roberts at the microphone to welcome guests and begin the program at Magnet’s popular Smack Dab open mic evening.

Last year’s Faux Queen Contest winner Lady Satan (left), with this year’s winner Cara Coutre, at the spectacular Faux Queen Pageant at Slim’s where women dress and perform emulating drag queens.

Comic Sampson McCormick’s performance touched on a broad spectrum of topics ranging from hilarious social references to insightful commentary at Magnet’s Smack Dab event.

Beat Box was the location of the 2014 Pride Check Granting Party where the SF Pride Committee makes presentations to beneficiaries of funds raised annually through Pride events and activities.

Edward Mycue, well-known and muchloved poet, greeted the audience before reading from his published works during Magnet’s Smack Dab program.

Hostess Kegel Kater (left), contest winner Cara Coutre, the monumental trophy, and event coordinator Bedazzler on stage at Slim’s annual Faux Queen Pageant

Project Inform executive director Dana Van Gorder and the AIDS Housing Alliance executive director Brian Basinger with checks at the Pride Check Granting Party

George Ridgely, executive director of SF Pride, with Silicon Valley Pride’s Thaddeus Bell and the party’s swag bag at the annual Check Granting Party

Sister Soami, Sister in Training Kristine and Sister Mary Peter at the Pride Check Granting Party where the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence were thanked for serving as contingent judges for the annual Pride Parade.

Lisa Williams, Michelle Horne and Shaun Haines with the check for the Bayard Rustin Coalition at the Pride Check Granting Party

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