August 25, 2022 edition of the Bay Area Reporter

Newsom vetoes safe consumption pilot bill

by Cynthia Laird

Governor Gavin Newsom on August 22 vetoed a bill that would have created safe consumption site pilot programs in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles.

Newsom was extensively lobbied to sign Senate Bill 57, authored by gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), by medical groups and newspaper editorial pages around the state, including the Bay Area Reporter.

Speculation immediately turned to Newsom’s potential presidential prospects, though he has said he has “sub-zero” interest in running. But some political observers noted that the bill, which would have allowed facilities in which people could use their own drugs under the supervision of staff, presented challenges to Newsom should he aspire to higher office.

After a similar bill of Wiener’s was vetoed by former governor Jerry Brown in 2018, Newsom himself said he was open to the idea of safe consumption sites. But in his veto message, Newsom said he was concerned about the programs.

“I have long supported the cutting edge of harm reduction strategies,” Newsom stated. “However, I am acutely concerned about the operations of safe injection sites without strong, engaged local leadership and welldocumented, vetted, and thoughtful operational and sustainability plans.

“The unlimited number of safe injection sites that this bill would authorize – facilities which could exist well into the later part of this decade – could induce a world of unintended consequences,” he added. “It is possible that these sites would help improve the safety and health of our urban areas, but if done without a strong plan, they could work against this purpose. These unintended consequences in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland cannot be taken

See page 8 >>

Silicon Valley Pride is ready to roll

by Eric Burkett

After pulling together the only large scale Pride celebration in the COVID-flattened Bay Area in 2021, Silicon Valley Pride is back this month with its weeklong observation that culminates with Pride weekend August 27-28.

Themed “Proudly Authentic,” this year’s event features several days’ worth of activities, from drag bingo to a showing of the campy, big-budget flop movie “Burlesque” starring Cher and Christina Aguilera, on top of the parade and festival itself.

The Pride flag-raising at San Jose City Hall will take place Thursday, August 25, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., at 200 East Santa Clara Street.

The weekend festival will feature a “Hey Girl” area and stage to celebrate queer women and femme-identified community members; live visual art exhibitions; a cocktail lounge; and food trucks, among other vendors.

Extending over two days, the festival, at Plaza de César Chávez Park in downtown San Jose, begins Saturday, August 27, from

6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and will feature headliners Ada Vox, from “American Idol” and “RuPaul’s Queen of the Universe;” another “American Idol” veteran, David Hernandez; and queer pop artist SuperKnova. The festival picks up again right after the parade on Sunday, August 28, from noon to 6 p.m. and will feature singer Willie Gomez; “American Idol” alum Jessica Gomez; as

well as Pussycat Dolls singer Carmit; and lesbian singing duo BriaAndChrissy.

The parade itself begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and wraps up at noon, while running from Julian and Market streets to Plaza de César Chávez Park.

While 2019’s SVP events drew up to 15,000 people, organizers are expecting a smaller turnout this year, said Saldy Suriben, a gay man and chief marketing officer for the organization. On the other hand, turnout could be anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 people, he suggested, adding that the event always draws a lot of folks from Santa Clara County, as well as Santa Cruz and Sacramento.

Admission to the festival is $5.

While there won’t be any monkeypox vaccinations at Pride, there will be opportunities to get on the vaccination list, thanks to the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department, which will have a presence at both the evening and day festivals, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

They’ll be “sharing educational material around MPX and directing people

See page 4 >>

CA releases new guidelines for those with monkeypox

by Cynthia Laird

Atop California public health official on August 19 told reporters that new guidelines for people who contract monkeypox provide more specificity than national guidance, in an effort to be of more practical use. Meanwhile, nonprofit service providers from across the Golden State are seeking an emergency infusion of nearly $40 million from state lawmakers to support their monkeypox response activities.

At the same time, Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health and the state’s public health officer, said that health departments around the state have shifted to intradermal administration of the Jynneos vaccine in an effort to provide immunizations to more people. One vial of the vaccine is now used for five doses. San Francisco announced it was beginning the new vaccine administration August 18.

“This is transition week,” Aragón said on the call. He said that despite some medical professionals who are skeptical of the new dosing regimen, the immunity level is the same. Intradermal vaccinations are given just under the skin, similar to how people have received tuberculosis skin tests.

Going forward, when health officials note the number of vaccines, they will be referring to doses. “The federal government has moved

from counting vials to counting doses,” Aragón said. “We do our calculations on doses.”

As of August 18, California reported 2,660 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox, which Aragón said the state is now referring to as MPX to avoid using the word “monkey.” Those cases were in 36 local health jurisdictions. There have been 62 hospitalizations and no deaths, he said.

Aragón also made it clear that state officials

Courtesy CADPH

of Public Health.

are prioritizing reducing stigma, especially toward the LGBTQ community. The vast majority of monkeypox cases are among men who have sex with men. He discussed recent reports that show Latinos and Blacks are being disproportionately affected but noted that the number of Latinos affected so far, about 38.8%, lines up with their representation in the state.

See page 8 >>

Pastor Jim DeLange dies ‘They/Them’ Series hits home run

Dr. Tomás Aragón is the director of the California Department

Drag artists and more will be part of the crowd at Silicon Valley Pride August 27-28.

Curtesy SVP

Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have allowed safe consumption pilot programs in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles.

SF small biz panel tables resolution on Castro Theatre

by Eric Burkett

The San Francisco Small Business Commission got an earful of Castro Theatre controversy Monday night as it entertained – but ultimately tabled – a resolution in support of the renovation plans for the historic movie palace. A senior executive from Another Planet Entertainment also publicly acknowledged for the first time that the company was not prepared for the community backlash after it took over management of the theater.

Six of the commission’s seven members heard public comment about APE’s renovation plans for the century-old theater. For several commissioners, it was the first they had really heard about the conflicts surrounding the proposed changes since APE took over management of the theater in January.

At issue is APE’s submission to the San Francisco Planning Department that would see the complete removal of the current banked seating on the main floor, designed to allow full line of sight for clear viewing of the theater’s movie screen. That would be replaced with three platforms, upon which temporary seats could be placed when movies were shown. Notably, for concertgoers, the platforms would remain open, allowing patrons to stand and dance as they watch the live performance on stage.

The commission discussed a “Resolution in Support of Another Planet Entertainment.” The company’s plans for renovating the cinema have been dogged by controversy since they became public in March, and commissioners heard much more about it than they might have expected. What they gleaned, however, was enough to convince them to table the resolution, 6-0.

There was a great deal of confusion as to why the commission was even entertaining the resolution, as several members of the panel, as well as the public, stated themselves. There was also criticism from a few speakers who took APE to task

for not mentioning at the August 11 town hall at the Castro Theatre that the Small Business Commission would agendize the resolution for its August 22 meeting. (https:// www.ebar.com/story.php?318094)

“I still don’t understand why this is in front of our commission right now,” said Commissioner William Ortiz-Cartagena, following 90 minutes of comments from the public.

Commission President Sharky Laguana took responsibility for the resolution, explaining to attendees, “I’m going to take ownership of why this is on our agenda. This particular building has a particularly large impact on the small business community in the Castro, which had been suffering even before the pandemic.”

Thirty-seven percent of storefronts in the neighborhood are currently vacant, he said, and sales tax revenue has declined by 50%.

Laguana told fellow commissioners he wanted to have a better un-

derstanding of the debate surrounding APE’s plans. Without a doubt, the commission president and his fellow commissioners certainly learned just how controversial the matter is to some Castro residents, as well film aficionados and warrens of LGBTQ culture.

It also prompted an admission from APE Vice President of Business Affairs Dan Serot – probably for the first time from any APE executive – that the concert promoter was really not prepared for the backlash from the public once it announced its takeover of management of the theater.

“Unfortunately for us, we didn’t look at this as a community center,” Serot told commissioners, but, instead, as a business venture.

Laguana spoke encouragingly to the APE executives, stressing that a lot hinged upon the company’s success.

“We need you to be successful,” he said. “We need it to be here for

hopefully hundreds of years in the future.”

But, Laguana emphasized, “I’d like to see a bridge to the community and some real engagement with the community on these concerns.”

In addition to comments from Mary Conde, senior vice president at APE, about the sheer scope of the renovation, and Assistant General Manager Casey Lowdermilk, commissioners heard from about 20 members of the public, all but one or two of whom was critical of APE, and who urged the commission to vote no on the resolution.

Queer public historian Gerard Koskovich expressed concern about what impact the changes in programming at the movie house might have on the Castro community itself. When he hears APE talking about “a new demographic,” he said, it means straight customers, which will have a huge impact on the local culture.

Gay activist Michael Petrelis

loudly urged the commissioners to vote against the resolution.

Dave Karraker, co-president of the Castro Merchants Association and owner of MX3 Fitness, called in to urge commissioners to “not make this an all or nothing proposition.” Castro business owners, he said, were excited about the possibility of a younger demographic coming into the neighborhood.

“I want you to understand this is not about a single business or building,” Karraker said. ”It’s about all the businesses in the Castro. It will help these businesses survive. The Castro needs the Castro Theatre to be successful.”

Commissioners, too, expressed their concerns, particularly about what they saw as a lack of outreach on the part of APE to the public.

“I would like to see more community support before we make a decision on this today,” said Commissioner Tiffany Carter.

“We really need to work toward a meeting of the minds,” agreed Laguana. “Turn down the toxicity of the rhetoric and commentary and work together to find a solution everyone can get behind.”

Upcoming meetings

Regarding future meetings on APE’s plans, the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission is set to hear the matter Wednesday, October 5, on the issue of appropriateness, actual renovations, and zoning amendments. The panel will also hear gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman’s proposal to expand upon the theater’s landmark designation. The theater is already a city landmark but, earlier this year, Mandelman sought to expand that designation to the interior of the building, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported.

The Planning Commission will hold a hearing Thursday, October 6, on proposed floor-by-floor zoning changes that would allow APE to bring in live entertainment. t

Trans district to plant trees in the Tenderloin

compiled by Cynthia Laird

In recognition of San Francisco’s Transgender History Month, the Transgender District and Friends of the Urban Forest will plant trees in the Tenderloin Saturday, August 27, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The group will meet at Boeddeker Park, located at Jones and Eddy streets.

Aria Sa’id, a trans woman who’s president and chief strategist for the trans district, said the effort was a long time coming.

“We’re excited to share that after four years of advocacy – it’s finally happening!” Sa’id stated in an email. “We’ve partnered with Friends of the Urban Forest and will be planting trees throughout the Tenderloin neighborhood!”

Sa’id said that the project “has been a huge dream for the Transgender District.”

“To create more greenery in the inner city that will support ... wind tunnels, shade when it’s hot, and to beautify the neighborhood for longtime residents of the Tenderloin who have fought for green equity in our neighborhood,” she explained.

Volunteers are welcome. To RSVP, go to https://bit. ly/3dOULme. For questions, contact Belen, development and partnerships associate at belen@ transgenderdistrictsf.com.

Trans THRIVE social Trans THRIVE, a program of the San Francisco Community Health Center, will hold its first community social Thursday, August 25, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Phoenix Hotel, 601 Eddy Street.

Nicky “Tita Aida” Calma, managing director of programs at the health center, stated in an email that the event will promote new trans health programs the center is initiating in the beginning of 2023 and introduce existing and new collaborators for these initiatives.

The gathering will honor community members who have gradu-

ated from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development’s House of Thrive program. “As an added feature, we have invited the models of the Bay Area TransMasc Calendar that was launched during Transgender Day of Visibility last March,” Calma wrote. “They will be present to take photos and sign cal endars.”

The event is free.

To sign up, go to https://bit. ly/3R4WSRc

San Mateo County LGBTQ panel seeks members

The LGBTQ Commission of San Mateo County has announced it has three vacancies and interested community members who reside in the county can now apply.

According to the vacancy notice, the ideal candidate will possess several of the following attributes: have an abiding interest and lived experience that furthers the equality and well-being of LGBTQ individuals;

demonstrate knowledge of LGBTQ issues affecting under-represented communities including communities of color, non-English speakers, older LGBTQ adults, immigrants, physically and mentally disabled individuals and economically disadvantaged LGBTQ residents of San Mateo County; and demonstrated ability to effectively provide outreach to underserved and at-risk LGBTQ populations.

Knowledge of the broad spectrum of LGBTQ community resources in the county is also helpful, as is demonstrated experience promoting programs that foster the well-being and civic participation of queer county residents, the notice stated.

Interested people are encouraged to attend a meeting of the commission to learn more about its work.

The panel meets the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. It is currently meeting virtually. Future in-person meetings will be held at the San Mateo County Pride Center in San Mateo.

The application deadline is Friday, September 16. For more information and to apply, go to https:// www.smcgov.org/bnc/vacancies. More information about the commission is available at its website at https://www.smcgov.org/lgbtq. t

San Francisco’s Transgender District will get a little greener after a tree-planting event this Saturday with Friends of the Urban Forest.

Rick Gerharter

The San Francisco Small Business Commission tabled a resolution in support of Another Planet Entertainment’s renovation plans for the Castro Theater, stating that more community support is needed.

Scott Wazlowski

SF preservation panel approves historic designation for Tenderloin intersection

by Eric Burkett

T

he San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission on August 17 approved the designation of the Tenderloin intersection of Turk and Taylor streets, and 101 Taylor Street, as an official city landmark, commemorating the August 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria riot unleashed by angry drag queens and trans women tired of police harassment.

Moses Corrette, the senior planner who oversaw the project and introduced the proposal to the preservation commission at its Wednesday meeting, called the effort in his address to the body, “a groundbreaking landmark and a highlight of my career.¨

Introduced by former District 6 supervisor Matt Haney, who has since resigned after he was sworn in as a state Assemblymember May 3, the effort was inherited by District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston after the Turk and Taylor streets intersection moved into District 5 as a result of redistricting. Preston’s office then contacted the Transgender District’s leadership to find out which issues were on their agenda, said Preston legislative aide Kyle Smeallie in May. The landmark designation was one, and Preston has since adopted sponsorship of the resolution.

Supervisors voted to support the measure without comment in June, as the Bay Area Reporter previously reported.

Now that the historic preservation panel has OK’d the designation, it moves back to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

“It’s important that the city recognize and lift up the courage of LGBTQ San Franciscans who stood up against police violence and oppression at Compton’s Cafeteria,” Preston stated in a June news release. “I hope that by landmarking the intersection of Turk and Taylor streets, we can help educate future generations on how important this space has been to the LGBTQ community.”

A historical marker denoting the Compton’s Cafeteria riot was installed outside the former diner in 2006. In 2016, the city christened the 100 block of Taylor Street as Gene Compton’s Cafeteria Way to honor the 50th anniversary of the

historic riots that occurred at the long-gone diner. Former District 6 supervisor Jane Kim had authored the honorary street renaming proposal, meaning it did not change the postal addresses of the businesses and residences located on that block of Taylor.

The significance of that space might have been lost, however, were it not for the work of Susan Stryker, Ph.D., a transgender scholar whose academic and historical research focuses on sexuality and gender.

Notably, the marker commemorating the riot doesn’t include a date more specific than August 1966. The event had largely been

forgotten until Stryker, poring over materials at the GLBT Historical Society archives in 1991, ran across an item detailing an August 1966 event: “Drag queens protest police harassment at Compton’s Cafeteria.”

That, according to a 2019 story in The Guardian, launched Stryker on a yearslong venture to uncover the events at the former Gene Compton’s Cafeteria, which took place three years before the better known Stonewall Riots in New York City. After years of research, Stryker released her 2005 documentary, “Screaming Queens,” with interviews with some of the women who were present at the riot that night, along with other trans people. The exact date of the riot has been lost to history, Stryker has previously said.

The corner continues to hold significance for queer and transgender communities. It is currently the site of the Black Trans

<< Silicon Valley Pride

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to where they can find vaccine appointments,” according to a statement from the health agency. “Public Health is also assisting eligible individuals who are having challenges setting up appointments. In addition to MPX, the Public Health booth is sharing resources on free STD testing, tobacco and diabetes prevention, and general public health information.”

For the week leading up to the festival and parade, several events –all free – are planned.

The showing of “Burlesque,” as part of “Out at the Park,” takes place Friday, August 26, from 6 to 10 p.m., Excite Ballpark, 588 E. Alma Street, San Jose.

The Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+

After hearing the presentation by Corrette and Flora Law, a project manager for San Francisco Public Works, commissioners not only voted 6-0 in favor of landmark status, but also suggested ways to enhance the proposed site, so that its significance might be made even more clear to those who would visit.

“There’s so much information about this people would be amazed to learn,” said Commissioner Chris Foley, the father of a teenage lesbian daughter who is Thai American. So much so, he encouraged his fellow commissioners to consider adding QR codes to the site so that visitors could have access to even more information.

If ever there were a city that should honor trans history, it’s San Francisco, said Commissioner Kate Black.

One aspect of the site that particularly appealed to Commissioner Ruchira Nageswaran was that the designation was less about the buildings at the site, but about what had occurred there. Nageswaran said she was attracted to architectural things, but this made her realize that designations like this didn’t have to be about the architecture.

The three commissioners, as well as their other three counterparts on the body, all stated they wanted the site to be more informative, to give visitors a better sense of what happened there.

Stryker, who was not present at the hearing, told the B.A.R. that she was excited her work had played such an important role in the results.

Lives Matter mural, a visual demonstration calling for awareness of violence against trans women.

“It is time the Compton’s Cafeteria riots of 1966 receive the recognition it deserves – it is the first documented uprising of LGBT people in the United States, led by trans people, gender-nonconforming people and queer folks in the Tenderloin, and it warrants the recognition decreed by the Board of Supervisors as a site of historical significance,” said Jupiter Peraza, director of social justice initiatives at the Transgender District, in June. “The Turk and Taylor street intersection is a true transgender and queer landmark, and the center of the Transgender District. This acknowledgment and designation of transgender history is truly historic, as most queer and transgender cultural assets have yet to be legally recognized.”

That significance wasn’t lost on the preservation commissioners.

Community Center will have a strong presence at this year’s event with several booths scattered around various areas of the festival, said Gabrielle Antolovich, president of the board of directors for the center.

Booth activities will include spinthe-wheel-for-prizes, information about the center and its services, as well as a mask-decorating booth for kids, featuring the remaining masks from a shipment of 9,500 plain, white masks the center received, inexplicably, from Ford Motor Company last year, said Antolovich.

Ford had emailed her asking if she wanted the masks, she said, and after replying, “Sure, why not?” she forgot about the offer until UPS dropped off several large boxes filled with the masks. Now, they’re a fun activity for kids, where they’ll decorate them with all kinds of

“I’m thrilled that my research into the 1966 Compton’s Cafeteria riot helped lay the groundwork for recognizing the contributions trans people have made to San Francisco’s history,” Stryker wrote in an email. “The inspiring legacy of resistance to social oppression manifested in the streets of the Tenderloin is something we’d do well to remember and draw upon amidst the current anti-trans backlash.”

The inclusion of references to Compton’s has become more controversial over the years. When the city established the first legally recognized transgender district in the world in 2017, it was called the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District. The district’s leaders dropped Compton’s from the name in 2020 so it is simply known as the Transgender District. t

bling, Antolovich said.

Once all that celebrating, parading, and mask-decorating is done, there will be one more event in the Qmunity District. For those who aren’t ready to stop celebrating, Qmunity is holding its Quench Pride Encore Party, beginning at 10 p.m. Sunday, August 28. Featuring food and drinks from several Qmunity businesses, the party will also include entertainment from myriad performers and DJs, including RuPaul’s DeJa Skye and Mariah Paris Balenciaga; DJs Cla Pessoa, Pumpkin Spice; as well as performers Alpha Andromeda, Julianna Budgett, Sasha Devaroe, and Anthony. Admission is free. t

For more information, visit https://www.svpride.com/

Volunteers put the finishing touches on a Black Trans Lives Matter mural at the corner of Turk and Taylor streets in August 2020.

Rick Gerharter

“It’s important that the city recognize and lift up the courage of LGBTQ San Franciscans who stood up against police violence and oppression at Compton’s Cafeteria.”

–District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston

LGBTQ supporter Rev. Jim DeLange dies

by Cynthia Laird

The Reverend Jim DeLange, a straight ally who advocated for the LGBTQ community in the Lutheran Church, died August 20 at his home in San Francisco. He was 88.

Pastor DeLange had suffered from dementia for many years, his daughter, Lynn Krausse, wrote in an email, and added that she and other family members were at his side. For the last several years, Krausse said that her brother, Brad DeLange, served as his primary caretaker.

In 1981, pastor DeLange accepted the call to St. Francis Lutheran Church, a small inner-city congregation on the eastern edge of San Francisco’s Castro district, the city’s large LGBTQ neighborhood, noted an obituary that pastor DeLange wrote. Through his efforts, the congregation expanded its outreach to the gay community, just as the AIDS crisis was striking.

St. Francis church grew and soon established itself as a voice for gay and lesbian people in the Lutheran Church.

In 1982, the congregation called the Reverend James Lokken, a gay man, as a part-time assistant

pastor. In 1984, the congregation called the Reverend Michael Hiller, another gay man, as a part-time assistant pastor, according to the obituary. Both of these calls were approved by the former American Lutheran Church. In 1990, the congregation called and ordained a lesbian clergy couple, Ruth Frost and Phyllis Zillhart, as assistant pastors and assigned them to work with another recent gay seminary graduate, Jeff Johnson, to develop Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Minis -

try. For this latter action, the St. Francis congregation was charged by the local Evangelical Lutheran Church in America bishop with violating the ELCA constitution, put on trial, suspended from membership for five years and, finally, was expelled from the ELCA in 1995.

In 1994, pastors Frost and Zillhart became part of the pastoral staff of St. Francis Church and, under pastor DeLange’s leadership, LLGM moved to a national

organization, called Lutheran Lesbian and Gay Ministries. The organization is now called Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries and has over 250 ELCA LGBTQ pastors and seminarians on its roster.

With the 2009 change in ELCA policy toward LGBTQ pastors, St. Francis was received back into membership in the ELCA. During the Festival of Reconciliation in 2011, a formal ceremony marking the end of St. Francis’ expulsion from the national Lutheran Church, as the Bay Area Reporter noted at the time.

“Jim and the St. Francis Lutheran faithful in the Castro, along with their allies, changed the church,” Michael Pappas, a gay man who’s executive director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, wrote in an email. “Jim was a passionate leader who challenged, exerted, worked, and prayed for the church to become an open and welcoming place for all of God’s people. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is still a church in transition, but because of Jim’s courage and passion it is infinitely closer today to being, in his words, ‘the church that it oughta be – a church that makes a difference in the lives of

individuals, in the whole church and in the world.’”

Pastor DeLange was also involved in ministering to gay men in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. As gay men moved into the old Victorian homes in Duboce Triangle and Eureka Valley further south on Market Street, many of St. Francis’s longtime straight parishioners had moved to other parts of the city and Bay Area. And not many of the new residents attended the Lutheran services.

“There were some gay men in the congregation when I became pastor. It was a small congregation,” recalled DeLange in a 2011 interview with the B.A.R.

But in 1981 pastor DeLange soon found himself providing pastoral care to many gay men raised Lutheran who had succumbed to a mysterious disease that had only been discovered that summer.

“Mostly what happened is there were people in the congregation who said their friends were sick and asked if I would go visit them,” he said. “The hospitals would also call to say there was a gay man here who is Lutheran and very sick. That got me involved.”

See page 8 >>

by Cynthia Laird

Chuck Colbert, a gay man who was a freelance reporter for the Bay Area Reporter for many years, died June 30. He was 67.

According to a friend’s post on Mr. Colbert’s Facebook page, he experienced a serious medical issue while traveling in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and was admitted to a hospital in Pittsburgh, where he developed complications and passed away.

Mr. Colbert, who lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, frequently wrote about the Catholic Church for the B.A.R., as well as other issues.

In 2012, he wrote about the mixed reaction LGBTQs had to Salvatore Cordileone, the former bishop of Oakland who was named archbishop of San Francisco. He also wrote about Netroots Connect, an LGBTQ group that gathered just prior to the progressive Netroots Nation conference in 2014 in Detroit.

According to an obituary in the Windy City Times, for which Mr. Colbert also reported, he was a former NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists national board member and Boston/New England chapter president. A graduate of the University

Obituaries >> (Margaret) Ann Valliant

August 13, 1945 – August 4, 2022

Ann Valliant departed this world on August 4, 2022 at the age of 76, due to the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, and benefitted by the availability of California’s “End of Life Option.”

Ann was an Arkansas farm girl, an accomplished carpenter in 1970s Massachusetts, a business operations consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area beginning in the 1980s, and throughout her life was an eloquent and outspoken political activist.

Ann registered Black voters in Birmingham, Alabama; marched in Montgomery, Alabama; raised funds to rebuild a burned Black church in Mississippi; and taught Spanish to Black elementary school students in Fayette-

of Notre Dame, he also held advanced degrees in business, psychology, and theology, from Georgetown University, Harvard University and Weston Jesuit School of Theology, now part of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry.

He was a longtime contributor to the National Catholic Reporter, where he covered the child abuse sex scandal in the Boston archdiocese.

In addition to the Windy City Times and the B.A.R., Mr. Colbert was a senior reporter and columnist for the now-defunct In Newsweekly. He was a contributor to Press Pass Q, Keen News Service, and Boston Spirit magazine. Also, he had written for major mainstream daily newspapers

ville, Arkansas, “so they would have some knowledge in middle school that the white students had not yet learned.”

By 1968 Ann had become central in Bloomington, Indiana’s women’s liberation movement, meeting her first woman lover there, Cynthia Hales, who later became a well-respected San Francisco karate instructor. Other lesbian activists Ann met in those years, and who became lifelong friends include photographer Cathy Cade and Modern Times’ Ruth Mahaney.

In 1981, while partnered with Bobbi LaNoue, their son, Loren, was born. Soon after, they separated as partners but committed to continuing to coparent.

In mid-1980 Ann began to develop her business operations consultant career, which gave her great satisfaction and continued until her retirement in 2020.

Ann departed this world with a peaceful spirit.

To contact family please email mariko45@fastmail.fm

and magazines, including the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Dallas Morning News, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, and Harvard Business Review, the obituary noted.

Karen Ocamb, a lesbian former longtime journalist at the Los Angeles Blade,

remembered Mr. Colbert in a Facebook post. “Chuck Colbert had a touch of old Cary Grant in him – dashing and debonair in his tuxedo at swank LGBTQ events,” she wrote. “But he was also deeply humble and bursting with joy from his lifelong devotion to the core beliefs of the Catholic Church.”

Ruth Goran, a friend of Mr. Colbert’s, recalled meeting him.

“I first met Chuck at Temple Israel in Boston at Torah study on Saturday mornings when he was studying to be converted to Judaism,” Goran, a

See page 9 >>

Former B.A.R. reporter Chuck Colbert dies FALLARTS PREVIEW

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SF needs its own safe consumption site

Now that Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed Senate Bill 57, which would have established safe consumption site pilot programs in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles, the city has an opportunity to go its own way and establish such a facility. It should do so as quickly as possible, following the successful model that is up and running in New York City.

Courtesy Governor’s office

Newsom in the past had voiced support for safe consumption sites, where people bring their own drugs to the facility and use them under the supervision of staff, thus reducing the possibility of overdose deaths. However, it seems that politics got the better of him as he raises his national profile in preparation for a possible run for the White House in 2024. Drug users, after all, are not generally sympathetic constituents and he would not risk his political capital on them by taking such a bold step. Unlike when then-mayor Newsom led ahead of political opinion and ordered San Francisco officials to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004, cementing the community’s support and jump-starting the march toward marriage equality and Newsom’s political career in the process.

Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a safe consumption site bill August 22

could have taken his concerns directly to Wiener during the bill’s progression through the Legislature, and he likely would have accommodated the governor’s request for a specific number of programs.

And let’s be clear: overdose deaths in San Francisco have risen sharply since the onset of the COVID pandemic. There were 711 overdose deaths in 2020, and 640 in 2021. The city is on track to meet or exceed those numbers this year, officials have stated. In short, this is unacceptable in the city. A great benefit of supervised consumption sites, which have successfully operated in other countries for years, is that they offer an entry point into treatment if the person wants it. They provide sterile needles, which prevents transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C. Indoor sites also reduce street-based drug use and improper syringe disposal, which is a problem in San Francisco that gets regular attention on outlets such as Fox News, and by the very Republicans Newsom has been trolling on social media.

pointed out. The two New York facilities, located in East Harlem and Washington Heights, were already operating as needle exchange sites and began allowing on-site consumption November 30, 2021, according to an announcement from New York Harm Reduction Educators, one of two nonprofits that merged to form a new organization dubbed OnPoint NYC. In the first three months of operation, staff at these sites were able to halt over 150 overdoses, according to an Associated Press report. New York’s programs were started under the administration of former mayor Bill de Blasio. Current Mayor Eric Adams, who sees the benefit of these programs, now wants them to be open 24 hours a day (they currently close at 8 p.m.), according to a recent article in The City, because the clients tend to go to the subway stations after they close.

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SB 57’s author, gay state Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), has tried for years to get his safe consumption site bill signed into law; former governor Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill in 2018, during his last year in office.

Newsom’s veto message expressed his concerns with the pilot program.

“The unlimited number of safe injection sites that this bill would authorize – facilities which could exist well into the later part of this decade – could induce a world of unintended consequences,” he wrote. “It is possible that these sites would help improve the safety and health of our urban areas, but if done without a strong plan, they could work against this purpose. These unintended consequences in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Oakland cannot be taken lightly. Worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take.” Of course, Newsom

After Newsom’s veto, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu voiced support for seeing a program established in San Francisco. “While I am disappointed SB 57 was vetoed, San Francisco must continue to work to address our opioid overdose crisis,” Chiu stated. “To save lives, I support a nonprofit moving forward now with New York’s model of overdose prevention programs.”

What that might look like is unclear, but when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors returns from its August recess in a couple of weeks, it is clear that it should immediately set about starting a program, enlisting a nonprofit such as the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, which has expressed interest if it has the support of the city attorney and health department

It is uncertain whether the city could utilize a building it purchased last December in the Tenderloin that at the time was described as a potential site for a supervised consumption site. New York’s programs, as we’ve reported, are operated by nonprofits and they do not utilize city space, a city attorney spokesperson

In his veto message, Newsom tried to put a positive spin on the situation, stating he is instructing his health and human services secretary “to convene city and county officials to discuss minimum standards and best practices for safe and sustainable overdose prevention programs.” That seems like a stalling tactic, as harm reduction advocates already know what works. In San Francisco in 2018, Mayor London Breed, a strong supporter of the sites, toured a demonstration project that was open to the public of what a possible safe consumption facility might look like (no people were there using drugs), so city officials already have a good idea what is needed.

“I remain open to this discussion when those local officials come back to the Legislature with recommendations for a truly limited pilot program – with comprehensive plans for siting, operations, community partnerships, and fiscal sustainability that demonstrate how these programs will be run safely and effectively,” the governor added.

Discussion with officials is fine, but we’re past the point where action is needed. San Francisco District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston, who now represents the Tenderloin, tweeted his support for supervised consumption sites, writing that the city should follow the guidance of public health professionals. Wiener told us he’s fully in support of Chiu’s statement that a nonprofit step in. “The governor made a mistake yesterday,” Wiener said.

It’s now up to city officials to move past Newsom’s veto and enlist a qualified nonprofit to get a safe consumption site up and running. t

It’s time to expand Youth Acceptance Project

by Jill Jacobs

All children deserve a family who loves them unconditionally. They deserve a place where they feel they belong and where they receive love and acceptance of who they are. But for many youth in foster care, that is not their reality. In California, there are over 54,000 children in foster care, and 30% of these youth self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, or gender expansive. They often land in foster care because they came out, were found out or were kicked out. Foster care is not a good place for children to grow up.

All children, including LGBTQ+ children, belong with their families. Family acceptance is a protective factor for young people. But family rejection can be lethal. The suicide rate for LGBTQ+ young folks is beyond frightening. A recent report by the West Hollywood-based Trevor Project reported that 50% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth and 53% of transgender and nonbinary youth report having seriously considered attempting suicide in the past 12 months.

Additionally, there are about 1.6 million homeless youth in the United States, half of whom identify as LGBTQ+. They are homeless because they were kicked out of their home, or fled their home or the foster care system because of the trauma they were experiencing.

But it doesn’t have to be this way; here in the Bay Area, we have demonstrated that families can be supported in learning to embrace their LGBTQ+ youth. Family Builders’ Youth Acceptance Project has proven to be successful in doing so. By expanding this model statewide, we can change the heartbreaking outcomes youth experience from rejection to acceptance.

Parents love their children. They are just not always prepared for the crisis that has arisen in their family. They need support, guidance, and information about how to be a supportive parent of an LGBTQ+ youth. They need a professional to meet them where they are at and help them navigate the new world they have entered.

Courtesy Family Builders

Family Builders Executive Director Jill Jacobs

The good news is, families can and do change.

With the Youth Acceptance Project intervention, families are able to become the affirming, loving caregivers their children need them to be. And when they reach the point of becoming affirming and accepting, the impact on children is profound: Youth who perceived they had parental support were 93% less likely to attempt suicide than youth who did not perceive they had parental support.

So how do we get there? How do we ensure all children are raised by loving, affirming parents? We pass Assembly Bill 2663 by Assemblymember James Ramos (DHighland). It’s a pilot program to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Youth Acceptance Project. Once the model is implemented and evaluated, it can be replicated widely.

The program has shown phenomenal success. Ninety percent of caregivers completing the program have shown improvement in their ability to affirm and accept their children. The youth have shown a dramatic reduction in self-harming and suicidal behavior, and they have stayed in school with parental support.

The Youth Acceptance Project reduces the time that children spend in foster care, reunites children with their families and, in many cases, prevents separation in the first place. It’s a tough journey, but perhaps the most important one a family will ever take.

That’s why it’s critical Governor Gavin Newsom sign AB 2663. This bill would transform the Youth Acceptance Project into a five-year pilot program across at least three counties. It would spark additional county and regional collaboration to address the disproportionate number of LGBTQ+ youth who are separated from their families. We are living in a world that seems to become more perilous by the day for the LGBTQ+ population. States across the country are passing discriminatory legislation targeting LGBTQ+ people, especially those who are children. This bill offers California an opportunity to show the nation a better way: to do better for our children and their families by expanding a proven model of intervention to prevent LGBTQ+ youth homelessness, keeping children out of the foster care system, and to support family acceptance and permanency.

Let’s be clear, LGBTQ+ youth don’t face increased risks because of their identities, or because of who they are as people. Instead, they face increased risks because of the stresses society places on them, stresses like prejudice, discrimination, rejection, and mistreatment. These are children, and like all children, they thrive and succeed when their families, schools and communities support and nurture their evolving identities. The Youth Acceptance Project plays a vital role in nurturing that support and development. Families can and do change. And it’s time more youth get the chance to experience a loving family and unconditional acceptance.t

Jill Jacobs, a lesbian, is executive director of Oakland-based Family Builders.

Alice club endorses four out SF supervisor candidates

by Matthew S. Bajko

The Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club has endorsed four of the five out candidates running for three San Francisco supervisor seats this November. It was able to do so because of the city’s ranked-choice voting system.

It allows voters to rank their preferred candidates in a supervisor race. If no candidate receives more than 50% to win during the first round of counting then the candidate with the least amount of votes is eliminated. Their voters’ second choice pick is then tabulated, and if there is no winner again, the process repeats itself until a winner emerges.

In the case of this year’s contest for the District 6 seat on the Board of Supervisors, there are four candidates in the running. Alice members voted to give a first choice endorsement to gay Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who was appointed in the spring by Mayor London Breed to fill a vacancy.

The club gave a second choice endorsement to Honey Mahogany, seeking to be the first queer, transgender, and nonbinary individual elected a supervisor in the city, as well as the first out Black member of the board. She had worked as chief of staff to former District 6 supervisor Matt Haney, whose elec tion to the state Assembly in April prompted Dorsey’s appointment.

Failing to pick up a third or fourth choice endorsement from Alice were the other two candidates in the race: Black transgender advocate

Ms. Billie Cooper and Black labor leader Cherelle Jackson

It was the first major endorsement for Dorsey from an LGBTQ political group as he runs for a full four-year term representing the city’s South of Market, Treasure Island, and Mission Bay neighborhoods.

“The last five or six years I haven’t been as involved in local politics as Honey Mahogany has been, so it meant the world to me that a lot of people remembered the work we have done together over the years,” Dorsey told the Bay Area Reporter. “It is a real honor, and I am excited to take my message to the voters.”

Although she didn’t get Alice’s top endorsement in the race, Mahogany receiving its second-place support nonetheless means a full sweep for her of a trio of endorsements from political groups that are closely watched within LGBTQ political circles. As the Political Notebook column reported last week, Mahogany received sole endorsements from both the San Francisco Democratic Party, which she currently chairs, and the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, which she

formerly led as its co-president.

“I think it is clear there is a consensus around having all three of those groups now endorse me,” said Mahogany, who used to chair Alice’s political action committee. “I take pride in being the only candidate in this race with endorsements from both LGBTQ Democratic clubs and the San Francisco Democratic Party.”

Also securing a sweep of endorsements from the local party and two queer political clubs was gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who received sole endorsements from the trio. Running against him to represent the city’s central neighborhoods such as Cole Valley, the Castro, and Glen Park is political newcomer Kate Stoia, a lawyer who lives in Noe Valley with her husband, their two biological children, and a teenage foster son.

“I am grateful and I am honored with respect to the Milk and Alice club endorsements,” said Mandelman, who also formerly led the Milk club as its president and was an active member of Alice’s board for a decade in the early 2000s. “I have had an opportunity to work closely with both clubs prior to serving on the board and over the last four years during this term. For most of this term I was the only queer person on the board, and we got to do some great things together.”

Mandelman pointed to investments the city has made in the local transgender, queer and HIV-positive communities, as well as its designating the now city-owned property at 1939 Market Street for a third affordable housing project aimed at LGBTQ seniors as just a few examples of those accomplishments.

“We have done a lot and we are proud of it. I am glad to see that work being recognized,” said Mandelman.

In the race for the District 4 Supervisor seat that includes the Sunset District, the Alice club endorsed its former board member Joel Engardio, a gay former journalist who twice before had sought the District 7 seat on the board. Due to redistricting he ended up in a new district and decided to run against incumbent Supervisor Gordon Mar on the November 8 ballot. The local party and the Milk club solely endorsed Mar in the race.

“After serving 10 years on the Alice board, it is such an honor to have the board’s and membership’s support in this run for supervisor. Together, we’re promoting Alice’s values on the Westside,” said Engardio, who would be the first out supervisor elected in a district west of Twin Peaks.

Other races

As for the other local contests on the fall ballot, the Alice club threw its

support behind the reelection bids of District 10 Supervisor and board President Shamann Walton and District 2 Supervisor Catherine Stefani

It also endorsed Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres, a mayoral appointee seeking a full four-year term, and queer District 8 BART Board of Directors member and current Vice President Janice Li, who is running for a second term. Like Stefani, Torres and Li are running unopposed.

Alice backed Public Defender Mano Raju’s reelection bid. Seeking to oust Raju from office is assistant district attorney and former deputy public defender Rebecca Young

It also endorsed District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, whom Breed appointed following the recall in June of former district attorney Chesa Boudin. Running against her are former police commissioner John Hamasaki and attorneys Joe Alioto Veronese, and Maurice Chenier

In the race for three seats on the board that oversees the city’s public schools, Alice is backing two of the three women Breed had appointed following the recall of a trio of school board members in March. The club has called on Breed’s third appointee, Ann Hsu, to resign for making racist comments on a candidate questionnaire that she has since apologized for and been admonished for by the school board.

Alice is supporting the candidacies of appointees Lainie Motamedi and Lisa Weissman-Ward and did not endorse anyone for the third seat.

It was a snub of Alice member Phil Kim, a gay man now vying for a third time to be elected to the school board.

As for the contest for three seats on the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees, Alice endorsed incumbents Thea Selby and Brigitte Davila. It took no position on the third seat.

It did endorse appointed college board member Murrell Green, who is running in a separate race to fill out the remaining two years of the term Breed appointed him to earlier this summer. The vacancy was created when Tom Temprano, a gay man, resigned in order to become the political director of statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality California. t

Web Extra: For more queer political news, be sure to check http:// www.ebar.com Monday mornings for Political Notes, the notebook’s online companion. This week’s column reported on a number of out local candidates for education posts who are running unopposed.

Keep abreast of the latest LGBTQ political news by following the Political Notebook on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/politicalnotes.

Planning Ahead is Simple

Planning Ahead is Simple

The benefits are immense. When

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When you plan your life celebration and lasting remembrance in advance, you can design every detail of your own unique memorial and provide your loved ones with true peace of mind. Planning ahead protects your loved ones from unnecessary stress and financial burden, allowing them to focus on what will matter most at that time—you.

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District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, left, District 4 supervisor candidate Joel Engardio, and District 6 supervisor candidates Matt Dorsey and Honey Mahogany were endorsed by the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club.

Mandelman, Rick Gerharter; others, courtesy the candidates

SF interfaith group

In 1989, the Reverend DeLange was invited to join a steering committee that was forming the San Francisco Interfaith Council. He served on the board of the SFIC for 23 years, eight of those years as chair, 2004-2012. During that time, he and his colleague, Rita Semel, raised the profile of the organization, developed the board, and raised the funds to hire Pappas as the first executive director.

“His many years of leadership solidified the infrastructure and foundation of the SFIC as we know it today,” Pappas stated in an email. “He was a friend and mentor

Newsom

From page 1

lightly. Worsening drug consumption challenges in these areas is not a risk we can take.”

Wiener issued a statement critical of Newsom’s veto.

“Today, California lost a huge opportunity to address one of our most deadly problems: The dramatic escalation in drug overdose deaths,” he stated. “By rejecting a proven and extensively studied strategy to save lives and get people into treatment, this veto sends a powerful negative message that California is not committed to harm reduction.

“SB 57 is not a radical bill by any stretch of the imagination. It simply gives permission to cities – each of which has requested that permission – to pilot safe consumption sites to save lives and get people into treatment. The coalition behind SB 57 is massive, including physicians, health experts, frontline health workers, and local elected officials.”

Monkeypox

From page 1

“I am hearing that in San Francisco there’s a higher proportion of Latinos than in their population,” he added.

In San Francisco, as of August 10, Latinos comprised 28% of monkeypox cases, while they comprise only 15.7% of the city’s population, according to U.S. Census figures from 2021.

The Bay Area Reporter asked Aragón about the progress of using the state’s My Turn vaccination appointment system used for COVID for monkeypox vaccines. Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco’s health officer, told the Board of Supervisors at its special August 8 meeting that the system change should be in place by the end of the month.

“We’re working on that right now,” Aragón said, adding that there were challenges due to the state often not knowing how much of the monkeypox vaccine would be available.

In Long Beach, the city’s health department has transitioned to the My Turn system effective August 19. According to a news release, the change will help manage efficient and equitable vaccine distribution as supply increases.

New guidelines

Regarding the new guidelines issued August 18 about how people should isolate if they contract monkeypox, Aragón said the goal is focused on home isolation. Asked what the difference is between state guidelines and those issued by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he said, “We get a little more specific on what people can do.”

People who have contracted monkeypox should isolate at home until the lesions are com -

whose wise counsel I both trusted and valued.”

Fran Johns served with pastor DeLange on the SFIC in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“Jim’s remarkable work for justice and equity for the LGBTQ community was part of what earned him such high regard,” Johns wrote in an email. “But he was also gifted with an ability to reach out to faith communities of every tradition, and the genuine love and concern he held for all humankind made him unique as a faith leader.”

Marilyn Saner, an Episcopalian who served with pastor DeLange on the interfaith council, wrote in an email that he was friends with José Julio Sarria, a gay man and drag queen who founded the Im-

Jonathan Cook, a gay man who leads the LGBTQ community center in Solano County, the Solano Pride Center, also tweeted out his disappointment in the news about Newsom’s vetoing the bill.

“Disappointing. Gov. Newsom has decided to veto a bill that would improve public health and prevent overdose deaths because he’s running for president,” wrote Cook.

Assemblymember Matt Haney (DSan Francisco) slammed the veto in a tweet, calling it a “brutal, devastating set back.”

Gay District 8 San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman was a supporter of SB 57.

“I think safe consumption sites are a proven intervention that have saved lives,” he told the B.A.R. “We have hundreds of overdose deaths every year and many more people dying from overdoses than COVID. We need to be trying every strategy we can and taking this off the table is not helpful.”

pletely healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed at lesion sites, CDPH stated in the new guidance.

CDPH stated that persons with MPX who live with other people should take several precautions at home until all skin lesions are healed (i.e., scabs have fallen off, a fresh layer of skin has formed at the lesion sites), and other symptoms have been resolved for at least 48 hours.

People should keep skin lesions covered. They should stay in a separate room and use a separate bathroom, if possible. If the same bathroom must be used by others, it should be cleaned and disinfected after use by the person with monkeypox.

When in the same room, both the person with MPX, as well as other household members, should wear a respirator or a well-fitting mask when in close contact (e.g., within six feet) for more than a brief encounter.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched items following CDC guidance. If cleaning and disinfection is done by someone other than the person with MPX, that person should wear, at a minimum, disposable gloves and a respirator. If cleaning and disinfection is done by someone other than the person with monkeypox, that person should wear, at a minimum, disposable gloves and a respirator. Disinfect or launder items that have been worn or handled by the person with MPX, following CDC guidance. Persons with MPX should handle their own laundry, if possible, and shaking of linens should be avoided. If laundry is done by someone other than the person with MPX, that person should not shake laundry, and, at a minimum, should cover arms, and use disposable gloves and a respirator.

perial Court System, and was in the procession for Mr. Sarria’s funeral at Grace Cathedral in 2013.

Early life

Pastor DeLange was born on July 6, 1934, and was a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, the obituary stated. His mother was the youngest daughter of Swedish immigrants who had moved from Ystad in Skåne to St. Paul in 1903. His father was the grandson of Norwegian immigrants from Bergen and English grandparents from Yorkshire. He attended elementary school in St. Paul and graduated from North St. Paul High School in 1951. He entered the University of Minnesota that fall. His college education was interrupted by the Korean War, and

Queer, transgender, and nonbinary District 6 San Francisco supervisor candidate Honey Mahogany told the B.A.R. the veto was “extremely disappointing” and continues to hamper local efforts in the cities included in the bill to provide assistance to injection drug users.

“We are in a crisis here in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and across the state. It would have actually got people off the streets and into care,” said Mahogany, noting that during her time working as a social worker she saw firsthand the benefit of helping people access care, “especially with overdose prevention sites where people can be medically treated and cared for. Part of the problem on our streets is people who are using can be suffering from any other number of issues – different kinds of infections, homelessness, or other things – where once we get them into overdose prevention sites we can treat them for other concurring issues.”

Mahogany supports seeing the city now allow a local nonprofit to open its

How it spreads

While anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is primarily affecting men who have sex with men and their sexual partners.

In its guidelines, CDPH stated that monkeypox can spread person-to-person through: direct skin-to-skin contact with the lesions or scabs, or direct contact with body fluids such as drainage from skin lesions or saliva that was in contact with oral lesions; respiratory secretions, such as saliva, during prolonged, face-toface contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling, or sex; and touching items (such as objects, surfaces, clothing, and linens such as bedding and towels) that previously touched lesions or body fluids from people with monkeypox.

More rarely, handling contaminated linens could release monkeypox virus into the air, potentially enabling inhalation of virus. The virus can survive for varying lengths of time on surfaces or objects (though it is still unknown as to how long the virus remains on different types of surfaces), the CDPH guidelines stated.

State officials stated that they are still learning about how monkeypox is spread in this current outbreak. “However, it is thought that the most common route of transmission during the 2022 global monkeypox outbreak is direct (i.e., skin-to-skin) contact with monkeypox lesions, including but not limited to contact that occurs during sexual activity and close contact within households,” CDPH stated in the guidelines.

Monkeypox lesions are infectious at all stages until lesion scabs separate and a fresh layer of skin has formed at lesion sites, CDPH stated. Lesions may be present in locations that are not externally visible such as the mouth, throat,

he joined the U.S. Navy in January 1953. During his time in the Navy (1955-1958) he resumed his college education at the University of Minnesota. Upon his discharge from the Navy in 1958, he transferred to Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois. He graduated in 1962 and was ordained in his home church, Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Maplewood, by his family’s next-door neighbor and longtime pastor, the Reverend Paul Krause.

In 1957 he married Beverly Hansen (now Beverly Bradley, Ph.D.) in St. Paul, according to the obituary. That marriage gave them two children, Lynn Rene born in 1959; and Jay Bradley in 1963. They divorced in 1970. A second marriage

own safe injection facility somewhere in the city, including in District 6 due to the inaction at the state level.

“It would have been a step in the right direction, as it has proven to be effective, but it is now a delayed opportunity. We certainly have a lack of leadership in this at the state level, so San Francisco will need to continue to lead the way,” she said. “It has always been the case that the city is unafraid in making bold change and leading on our most pressing issues. This should not be an exception but an opportunity for San Francisco to shine and do the right thing.”

Overdose deaths have risen sharply since the onset of the COVID pandemic. There were 711 overdose deaths in San Francisco in 2020, and 640 in 2021. The city is on track to meet or exceed those numbers this year, officials have stated.

In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed is a supporter of safe consumption sites. Last year the Board of Supervisors authorized spending $6.3 million to purchase a site in the Ten-

anus, or vagina. Monkeypox virus may be present in other body fluids, including blood, urine, feces, and semen. However, it is not known if or how transmission can occur via those routes, the guidelines stated.

More help requested

Meanwhile, Los Angeles-based APLA Health this week called for increased state and federal resources to address the monkeypox outbreak.

A news release stated that APLA Health led a group of over 50 organizations in sending a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders. Because the current legislative session ends later this month, APLA Health and the other organizations urged lawmakers to “take immediate action” to halt the course of the current outbreak and prevent monkeypox from “becoming further entrenched in the LGBTQ+ community and other vulnerable communities across California,” the release noted.

The letter asks for $38.5 million to support monkeypox response activities at CDPH and local health departments. This includes scaling up outreach and education efforts, vaccine clinics, emergency staffing, improving data collection, and accelerating access to treatment.

The organizations want the state to provide reimbursement for monkeypox vaccine administration. While vaccines are distributed by the federal government, APLA Health stated that there is no dedicated funding for the “significant costs associated with vaccine administration at community clinics like APLA Health with large numbers of LGBTQ+ patients,” the release stated.

The state should also require paid leave and financial support for those affected by monkeypox,

also ended in divorce. In 1991, at a Synod Assembly in Fresno, pastor DeLange met Diane Nelson. They were married at St. Francis Church a year later. After 20 wonderful years together, Diane died of cancer in 2011.

Reverend DeLange is survived by his sister Rochelle and her husband Floyd Schrodt; his nephew Dean Schrodt and his wife Wendy; his niece Shari Nelson and her husband Chuck; his daughter Lynn Krausse and her husband Jeffrey; son Brad DeLange; two step-children, Matthew Nelson and Adrienne Nelson Brown; and four grandchildren: Ellen Armstrong and her husband Troy, Paul Krausse and his girlfriend Lauren Fenske, Gordon, and Glenn Brown. t

derloin that may be used as a supervised consumption facility.

“Today’s veto is tragic,” Wiener stated. “For eight years, a broad coalition has worked to pass this lifesaving legislation. Each year this legislation is delayed, more people die of drug overdoses – two per day in San Francisco alone. While this veto is a major setback for the effort to save lives and connect people to treatment, we must not – and will not – let it end this movement. We’ll continue to fight for an end to the War on Drugs and a focus on drug use and addiction as the health issues that they are.”

Newsom stated that he remains open to the concept of safe consumption sites.

“I remain open to this discussion when those local officials come back to the Legislature with recommendations for a truly limited pilot program – with comprehensive plans for siting, operations, community partnerships, and fiscal sustainability that demonstrate how these programs will be run safely and effectively,” he stated.t

the letter stated. Similar to COVID-19, California should provide disability and paid leave benefits for those who need to take time off work to be vaccinated, seek testing, isolate due to a positive diagnosis, or care for a family member or loved one affected by the virus.

The organizations also want the state to make publicly available demographic data for those affected by monkeypox. The letter referenced information that shows, as the B.A.R. recently reported, (https://www.ebar.com/ story.php?ch=news&sc=health &id=318217) Black and Latino LGBTQ+ community members in some parts of the country are receiving a fraction of the limited vaccine supply in comparison with their white counterparts.

APLA Health also continues to ramp up pressure on the federal government to improve its response to the monkeypox outbreak, the release stated. On July 20, APLA Health CEO Craig E. Thompson was joined by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (DLos Angeles), Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, and local LGBTQ+ leaders for a news conference to demand stronger leadership from the federal government. APLA Health also endorsed a letter from more than 100 members of Congress urging the Biden administration to dedicate $100 million to support monkeypox response efforts.

Last week, APLA Health strongly supported a letter from Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Los Angeles) and 10 members of the LA County congressional delegation to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra highlighting the urgent need to procure and distribute additional monkeypox vaccine doses – particularly for areas like LA County that have been hardest hit by the current outbreak. t

Fauci to step down in December

by Liz Highleyman

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, will be stepping down from his current positions by the end of the year. It will mark the end of a remarkable, and often contentious, tenure leading the country’s response to various health crises over the last four decades.

Fauci in recent years has become a household name – and vilified by many on the right – as he helped lead the nation’s response to the COVID pandemic. But many in the LGBTQ community have known of Fauci for decades as he led efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.

“I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career. It has been the honor of a lifetime to have led the NIAID, an extraordinary institution, for so many years and through so many scientific and public health challenges,” Fauci said in an August 22 statement. (https://www.nih.gov/ news-events/news-releases/statement-anthony-s-fauci-md) “While I am moving on from my current positions, I am not retiring.”

<< Colbert

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lesbian who moved to Oakland several years ago, wrote in an email. “He was very friendly and warm and was very open about his disillusionment with Catholicism after the pedophil-

Legals>>

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557295

In the matter of the application of ROZAN SOLEIMANI, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ROZAN SOLEIMANI is requesting that the names ROZAN SOLEIMANI AKA ROUZAN SOLEIMANI AKA ROZAN SOLEYMANI be changed to ROZAN WINONA SOLEIL. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 6th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557306

In the matter of the application of LOUIE CHARLIZE EMATA PLANTILLA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner LOUIE CHARLIZE EMATA PLANTILLA is requesting that the name LOUIE CHARLIZE EMATA PLANTILLA be changed to LOUISE CHARLIZE EMATA PLANTILLA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 27th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557318

In the matter of the application of DARIA SHESTAKOVA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner DARIA SHESTAKOVA is requesting that the name DARIA SHESTAKOVA be changed to DARIA SHESTAKOVA MORGAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 13th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557317

In the matter of the application of OMER SAKARYA, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner OMER SAKARYA is requesting that the name OMER SAKARYA be changed to VINCENT OMER SAKARYA. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 13th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557303

In the matter of the application of ARTHUR CHAN & SHUJUAN LIN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioners ARTHUR CHAN & SHUJUAN LIN are requesting that the name HAORUI CHEN be changed to IAN LINDEN CHAN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 6th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

Fauci, 81, joined the National Institutes of Health in 1968, initially working on a cure for vasculitis, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks blood vessels. Appointed head of NIAID in 1984, he has spearheaded the country’s HIV research effort since the early years of the AIDS epidemic, serving under seven presidents.

In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded Fauci the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, after the two worked together to launch the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which has invested over $100 billion in the global HIV/AIDS response.

Along the way, Fauci helmed the

ia scandal in Boston. We remained friends for as long as I lived in Boston and often spent time texting one another after I moved to California in 2014. He was a warm, intelligent, funny and charming person and I will miss him greatly.”

Cathy Renna, a lesbian who’s com-

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397793

The following person(s) is/are doing business as DR. AMOR SANTIAGO, 550 BATTERY ST #1405, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed AMEURPINO SANTIAGO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/10/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/21/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397832

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CHANLER, 1700 VAN NESS AVE #1535, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LEROY CHAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397851

The following person(s) is/are doing business as REAL TRUE LEADERS, 508 WEBSTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RENALDO ROWEL JR. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/28/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/28/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397836

The following person(s) is/are doing business as AJT REALTY; TORRANO PROPERTIES, 2602 CHURCH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94131. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JOSEPH TORRANO. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 04/01/16. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397866

The following person(s) is/are doing business as NEWFIELD CONSTRUCTION, 1512 TARAVAL ST #1, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94116. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RORY FRANZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/01/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397833

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BITCOIN BUYERS CLUB, 331B PAGE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed STRI LAB’S INC. (DE). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/22. AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397779

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CONCENTRA ADVANCED SPECIALISTS, 2 CONNECTICUT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed OCCSPECIALISTS CORP., A MEDICAL CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/02/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/22/22. AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

government’s response to newly emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats including West Nile virus, the post-9/11 anthrax attacks, pandemic influenza and bird flu, Ebola, and Zika virus.

“Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved,” Biden stated.

“Whether you’ve met him personally or not, he has touched all Americans’ lives with his work. I extend my deepest thanks for his public service. The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”

Though Fauci often clashed with members of ACT UP and other activists over the HIV/AIDS epidemic, he ultimately formed enduring partnerships with advocates – including some of his critics – that helped accelerate the development and approval of effective HIV treatment. Unfortunately, though, his long-time dream of an HIV vaccine has not yet come to fruition, despite the investment of billions of dollars and decades of effort.

“Thanks to his influence and support of a rigorous but compassionate scientific process, HIV was trans-

munications director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, knew Mr. Colbert for many years.

“Chuck was a colleague but more than that he was a good friend,” she wrote in an email. “His commitment to helping make sure his work was always the best journalism he could

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397801

The following person(s) is/are doing business as CONCENTRA ADVANCED SPECIALISTS, 26 CALIFORNIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed OCCSPECIALISTS CORP., A MEDICAL CORPORATION (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/02/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/22/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397718

The following person(s) is/are doing business as HIMALAYAN CUISINE, 1412 POLK ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed HIMALAYAN SF GROUP, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/12/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/13/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397842

The following person(s) is/are doing business as SHADE NAIL SPA, 1501 WALLER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed SHADE NAIL SPA, LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/21/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/27/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397865

The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE MOCHI DONUT SHOP, 308 CLEMENT ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CLEMENT SERVICES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/01/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397868

The following person(s) is/are doing business as FEVE ARTISAN CHOCOLATIER, 2222 PALOU AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed FEVE CHOCOLATES LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/01/22.

AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE NO. 590624 Fictitious Business Name(s): OLD STREET CHENGPAN MALATANG, 6080 STEVENSON BLVD, FREMONT, CA 94538 County of ALAMEDA Registrant(s): SOUZL LLC, 45228 TOM BLALOCK ST APT 110, FREMONT, CA 94539 Business conducted by: a limited liability company. The registrant began to transact business using the fictitious business name(s) listed above on N/A. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars

CFO This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Alameda County on 07/22/2022. AUG 04, 11, 18, 25, 2022

formed from a death sentence to a chronic condition, and we now have the tools to end HIV as an epidemic in the U.S. and around the globe,” Dr. Daniel McQuillen, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and Dr. Marwan Haddad, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, said in a statement. “His engagement with advocates and compassion shown to people with lived experience gave voice to those most affected and expanded treatment to many who were previously unable to access it, not only for HIV, but for many diseases that are rife with stigma.”

In 2020, Fauci became a nearconstant presence on television and in news articles as the government’s leading medical adviser on COVID-19, first under former President Donald Trump and then under Biden. Last year, he was the subject of a documentary produced by National Geographic. Thrust into the role of a national celebrity, Fauci at times appeared to struggle with how to clearly communicate complex science to the general public, including how knowledge about COVID evolved over time.

While his calm leadership earned

be and his desire to make sure our community was covered in a fair and accurate way made him a pleasure to work with.

“I have so many fond memories of spending time with him at conferences and events and in particular working together to expose the Catholic

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557323

In the matter of the application of DERRICK KWOK & PHUONG NGUYEN, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner DERRICK KWOK & PHUONG NGUYEN is requesting that the name DEANNA N KWOK be changed to DEANNA N NGUYEN. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 15th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557332

In the matter of the application of ADEL YACOUB ISSA MASHRAQI-PHILMON, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner ADEL YACOUB ISSA MASHRAQI-PHILMON is requesting that the name ADEL YACOUB ISSA MASHRAQI-PHILMON be changed to ADEL YACOUB ISSA MASHRAQI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 15th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557315

In the matter of the application of NATALIA LOPEZ PEREZ, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner NATALIA LOPEZ PEREZ is requesting that the name NATALIA LOPEZ PEREZ be changed to NATALIA BALISTRERI. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 13th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557319

In the matter of the application of SARAH JANE BAGLEY, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SARAH JANE BAGLEY is requesting that the name SARAH JANE BAGLEY be changed to SARAH JANE PAHR. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 13th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557324

In the matter of the application of RACHEL HELEN HENDRICKS, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner RACHEL HELEN HENDRICKS is requesting that the name RACHEL HELEN HENDRICKS be changed to RACHEL AMBER MILLER. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 15th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

him the admiration of many, Fauci also came under intense political attacks related to debates over the origin of COVID (some accuse him of funding so-called gain-of-function coronavirus research, a form of genetic manipulation), experimentation on beagles, and pandemic restrictions. Some Republican legislators, notably Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky), have vowed to pursue investigations and even criminal charges against him. Fauci is now accompanied by a security detail because of threats to him and his family.

Once out of the public eye, Fauci hopes to mentor the next generation of scientific leaders, travel, and complete his memoir.

“After more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field,” he said. “Thanks to the power of science and investments in research and innovation, the world has been able to fight deadly diseases and help save lives around the globe. I am proud to have been part of this important work and look forward to helping to continue to do so in the future.” t

Church is hypocrisy in scapegoating queer clergy during the abuse scandals of the last several decades,” Renna added. “His unwavering faith was in many ways the motivation for that and made me admire him as someone of great integrity.” t

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-22557340

In the matter of the application of SUSAN LAI LAM, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appears from said application that petitioner SUSAN LAI LAM is requesting that the names SUSAN LAI LAM AKA SUSAN Y L LAM AKA SUSAN LAM AKA SUSAN LAI AKA SUSAN YIN LAI AKA SEU YIN LAI be changed to SUSAN Y L LAM. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103N, Rm. 103N on the 20th of SEPTEMBER 2022 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397893

The following person(s) is/are doing business as ABDI AND ASSOCIATES; ABDI & ASSOCIATES, 128 SUMMIT WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed SHADEE ABDI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/03/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/03/22.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397768

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BAY BRIDGE TOWING ASSISTANCE, 1177 REVERE AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ELMER E LOPEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/19/22.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397918

The following person(s) is/are doing business as BAMBAM JANITORIAL SERVICE, 2888 16TH ST #4, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed IVAN VAZQUEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/07/17. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/22.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397825

The following person(s) is/are doing business as MARKET SUPPLY PARTNERS, 838 IRVING ST #2, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed JERRY SHELFER & PRINCE ONYEBUCHI. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/25/22. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/26/22.

AUG 11, 18, 25, SEPT 01, 2022

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-0397754

Dr. Anthony Fauci will step down from his government positions in December.

Courtesy NBC news

by David-Elijah Nahmod

Hollywood superstar Kevin Bacon, who began his career when he appeared in the classic slasher film “Friday the 13th” (1980), returns to that genre in a film he executive-produced with Scott Turner Schofield, a well known trans actor and activist. As with “Friday the 13th,” the action is set at a summer camp. Although this time it’s a camp that practices “conversion therapy,” the debunked practice which allegedly turns LGBTQ people straight.

Jason Blum, another of the new film’s producers, was inspired to make “They/Them” after he produced “Pray Away,” a documentary about the harm caused by conversion therapy, for Netflix. “They/Them” is currently streaming on Peacock.

The title refers to the pronouns used by many trans and non-binary people. The producers of “They/Them” are to be commended for casting LGBTQ people as LGBTQ characters. Theo Germaine, a non-binary actor, co-stars in the film as Jordan, a non-binary character who isn’t comfortable in either the boys or girls bunk

rooms of Camp Whistler, the conversion therapy camp he has been forced to attend.

Likewise, Quei Tann, a Black trans woman in real life, is playing Alexandra, also a Black trans woman. And handsome Cooper Koch is seen as Stuart, a young gay man who is subjected to cruel electroshock therapy as part of his conversion “cure.” Koch is gay in real life.

From the beginning, the cruelties of the camp are made clear. When Alexandra doesn’t reveal that she is trans, she is forced to sleep in the boys’ bunk room. This is but one of the many cruelties that are seen in the film.

For a while, the film appears to be nothing more than a dramatic exposé of how vicious conversion therapy is, until people who work at the camp begin dying mysteriously and violently. Something more than just fake therapy is going on here.

Bacon, always a fine actor, is superb as the creepy man who runs the camp. His performance is quiet, restrained and chilling. From the beginning, when he tries to present himself as a nice guy friend of the campers, it’s obvious that there’s a lot more going on with him. Bacon is absolutely unnerving in a scene where he orders a camper to shoot his dog as a means of teaching

conversion camp’s a killer

the camper how to “act like a man.”

But the film’s most frightening sequence is the electroshock scene in which Stuart is tied to a chair and gagged. He’s hooked up to a machine and shown pictures of scantily clad women and scantily clad men. Whenever the photos of the men appear, he’s charged with electricity. Bacon has a look of sheer delight on his face as he raises the levels of the juice.

While the murders seen in the film are shocking, they don’t even come close to being as disturbing as the conversion scenes. These terrible things are done to LGBTQ kids every day, and the practice continues today even though it’s been debunked.

Ultimately, “They/Them” is a horror movie not because of its gruesome murders, but because of the conversion practices that it exposes, though some of the murders are quite graphic. These killings turn out to be cathartic for the LGBTQ viewer, considering what the horrible things the murder victims are subjecting the kids in the camp to.

“They/Them” is definitely worth a look.

www.blumhouse.com t

ford Peaches with a whole new and decidedly queer slant. It is, in many respects, what was left out of the film 30 years ago, but which we all knew was there, hovering in the wings. Blackness, queerness, even some transness. It’s all there and we are so here for it.

But not everyone is down with the new storyline created by “Broad City’s” Abbi Jacobson and “Mozart in the Jungle’s” Will Graham. Jacobson and Graham’s takes place three decades after the original (which was turned down by 20th Century Fox when Marshall pitched it; Sony Pictures made the film) and is an historically accurate and highly inclusive story.

Home run for ‘A League of Their Own’

by Victoria A. Brownworth

“ALeague of Their Own” was a 1992 period piece film directed by Penny Marshall. Marshall was inspired to make the film after viewing the 1987 documentary about the AAGPBL titled on television. She had never heard of the league before. Her film, which was a critical and box-office success, is a fictionalized

account of the AAGPBL and the Rockford Peaches team.

The film is full of Oscar-winning heavy hitters and other major stars: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, and Bill Pullman. The screenplay was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel from a story by Kelly Candaele and Kim Wilson.

“A League of Their Own” is the origin of

the iconic and oft-repeated line, “There’s no crying in baseball!” which Tom Hanks as manager Jimmy Dugan shouts at Madonna’s “All the Way” Mae Mordabito. The film was and remains beloved.

So did “A League of Their Own” need a retelling as a series when it was seemingly perfect the first time? Yes, apparently, it did. The Amazon Prime original series makes no attempt to mirror the film. Rather, it is a strong and vital retelling of the story of the Rock-

But as the revived “culture wars” have reminded us, the right hates anything “woke”–and Black and lesbian inclusion is indeed woke. So the listing for the series on Amazon has been spammed with literally hundreds of one-star reviews sneering that “A League of Their Own” is “woke garbage.” Sigh. Our immediate response would have to be redacted.

The series focuses on the formation of a women’s professional baseball team, the Rockford Peaches, right in the middle of WWII in 1943. In addition to featuring players on the Rockford Peaches, it also focuses on a Black woman player who isn’t allowed to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League because of her race. Lesbian relationships are a focal point of the series which also delves into trans life in the 1940s, with a player’s Uncle Bert (Lea Robinson).

See page 15 >>

Abbi Jacobson, Chanté Adams, D’arcy Carden and Gbemisola Ikumelo in ‘A League of Their Own.’

Couture caper: ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’ t

by Brian Bromberger

We are all in need of a fairy tale for adults to lift up our spirits. Fortunately, Hollywood has given us a whimsical, enchanting one in “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” based on the beloved 1958 Paul Gallico novel, a contemporary Cinderella story that also serves as a feel-good fable about pursuing your dreams.

However, instead of marrying a prince (as wonderful as that might be) our resourceful heroine wants to buy a dress. Through her adventures, we are transported for two hours to an elegant, glamorous past as we encounter someone who wants her life to be bigger than it is.

It’s London 1957. Middle-aged Ada Harris (Lesley Manville) cleans wealthy people’s homes for a living. She’s led a lonely, humble life since her husband presumably died in World

War II. Her life is turned upside down when she notices a breathtaking sparkling lavender Christian Dior “Ravishment” gown hanging in the master bedroom of a rich female client. It’s a beautiful work of art and she decides she wants to fly to Paris and purchase a Dior dress for herself despite the astronomical cost (500 pounds).

She takes a gamble at the racetrack to win on a bet as well as assume extra odd-jobs, and cuts down on her expenses. A series of unexpected sources of funds will enable her to make the visit to the prestigious House of Dior. Her close friends, fellow cleaner/best friend Vi (Ellen Thomas) and bookie Archie (Jason Isaacs) support her daffy ambition.

Bonjour, tristesse

Obstacles continue to plague her even in Paris. The formidable, snobbish director of Dior, Madame Col-

bert (Isabelle Huppert) is aghast that a common charwoman would wear haute couture and denies Mrs. Harris entrance. However, her unwavering commitment charms the aristocratic widower Marquis de Chassagne (Lambert Wilson), who invites her to the fashion show as his guest. She falls in love with a shimmery crimson-red concoction called Temptation, but a richer, snooty guest grabs it first. She picks a stunning strapless emeraldgreen gown called Venus as a consolation prize.

In financial trouble, Dior will take her ready cash in hand, but she discovers to her dismay, it will take more than a week to fit and sew her dress.

The idealistic Dior accountant Andre (Lucas Bravo) offers her to stay in his apartment, while Natasha (Alba Baptist), a kind young model, disillusioned with celebrity, will act as tour guide to show Paris to Mrs. Harris. Andre is secretly in love with Natasha and the three of them will spend evenings together.

The dress becomes a catalyst for opening Mrs. Harris’s heart and allowing her to love again after the loss of her husband. She even manages to rescue the House of Dior from potential bankruptcy.

The main reason the film succeeds is Lesley Manville who is perfection in the role. She came to movie prominence five years ago in her Oscarnominated performance in “Phantom Thread,” as the obsessive, controlling, no-nonsense manager of her neurotic brother’s fashion house. Mrs. Harris couldn’t be more different: kind, resilient, resourceful, unselfish, generous, and warm, but a fighter helping other characters discover their true selves.

Columbus music scene’s queer-adjacent kids

The film goes beyond a workingclass woman pining for a fancy gown, because she realizes she can change the trajectory of her supposedly locked-in life, by taking advantage of whatever opportunity comes her way. By projecting winsome gumption Manville makes it all believable.

All the other actors are wonderful, especially Huppert playing a close cousin of Manville’s Cyril Woodcock in “Phantom Thread.”

The film also boasts a gay pedigree. Director Anthony Fabian is a gay native-born San Franciscan. The character of Christian Dior is gay as is the prissy male temperamental head dressmaker (today’s equivalent of Franklin Pangborn). Mrs. Harris considers herself an invisible woman, yet for a brief time she gets to live inside the world of the wealthy and elite. By being true to herself, Mrs. Harris wins over any opposition she encounters,

by Joshua Polanski

“In the fourteenth century, the great minds of the time gathered in Florence –sharing music, poetry, fashion. Old North is like modern Florence,” says the timid and deadpan Lennon Gates (Sylvie Mix), a perpetual podcaster and recorder of sounds of the music scene in Columbus, Ohio. She believes this with full sincerity– and as the title of the film “Poser” suggests, she so desperately wants to be part of the scene.

Set in the ultra-local indie music in Columbus, directors Ori Segev and Noah Dixon wisely populate their affectionately-shot indie film with real performers from the local scene, most notably Bobbi Kitten (as herself) from Damn the Witch Siren. zThe opening credits give more prominence –in physical space and time on screen– to the names of the musicians in front of and behind the screen than it does to the directors, a gesture that speaks to where the pulse of the movie lies: the gritty venues, neon-lit bars, and often queer spaces where this music is encountered. First-time directors Segev and Dixon appear adorably and infectiously genuine in their love for these obscure artists.

Mix might be the star, but the movie is at its best when it’s with Bobbi. On top of being the most musically talented artist featured, her cool pink hair and Bowie-inspired sexually brazen and traditionally feminine aesthetic automatically make her the film’s most compelling and eclectic character. (Huge Bowie fan, over here.) She also equips herself with a performative purr much like some of Aubrey Plaza’s bolder roles and at times almost appears romantically suggestive to Lennon but not quite. The unattainable object of desire, Bobbi maintains the mys-

tique and threatening allure that makes her all so cool.

Mix’s Lennon is less interesting but nonetheless compelling in her lost-ness. In love with artists more than art, the character calls for a degree of deadpan aloofness, almost camp, that’s hard to deliver but is managed well by Mix, who appears to be the only performer with previous acting credits.

Buckeye states

It’s safe to call “Poser” queeradjacent. Almost everything explicitly queer finds itself packed into the trailer. Of course, queer people are allowed to have lives outside of their sexuality, something that goes too quickly by the wayside with many critics.

And given this is an indie art scene, it seems reasonable to assume a fair amount of artists in front and behind the screen identify as queer in some way or another. Damn the Witch Siren’s music videos, for example, often feature women kissing women, and in one case, according to their website, feature “various members of Columbus’ LGBTQ community singing along to what has become a local summer anthem.”

Beyond explicitly queer material, the production aesthetic of the trailer also promises bisexual lighting variations, punk rock, and “gay glances,” all of which it gleefully delivers. In fact, the lack of an explicitly sexual relationship between Lennon and Bobbi likely saves the film from dissipating most of the merited tension between the two leads. The relationship is built upon the promise of potentiality rather than the deliverance of any earnest emotionality.

In a scene at a performance art show, Bobbi asks the borderline stalkerish Lennon to mimic her moves. As the mimicry continues,

Bobbi mimics Lennon, who was mimicking her to begin with. Physical and intimate, the implicitly erotic scene has the same function as most sex scenes. To move the potential to the actual would have been a grave error, a narrative wall the filmmakers seem well aware of. Unfortunately, Segev and Dixon give a little too much attention to the musicians themselves, resulting in some sub-par filmmaking.

And the way too many close-ups feel like they come from a place of too great admiration for the performers’ musical careers, as if the camera knows this is their fifteen minutes and it wants it to be a glorious one. Moreover, the intimate cinematography at times contradicts the distance at which Lennon finds herself from the music scene that she tries scamming her way into. A more distanced and disciplined

which is a perennial LGBTQ theme. The extravagant frocks are the other star and character of the movie, aided by the great English costume designer Jenny Beavan, known for her artistry on Merchant-Ivory films (“A Room With A View”) and a threetime Oscar winner, including last year for “Cruella.” Also thanks to cinematographer Felix Wiedemann, nostalgic scenes of Paris in the 1950s will leave you swooning.

Finally, the ending is far-fetched, but we don’t care. Built on artifice yet casting a spell over its audience, this entrancing escapist journey into magical realism (not for the cynics among us) will thrill all audacious dreamers, acting as a ray of light in a dark summer. t www.focusfeatures.com

Read the full review on www.ebar.com.

camera might have fixed this, but that would require minimizing that window of fame just a little bit more –a creative choice unacceptable to these filmmakers, who come from the scene themselves.

www.loosefilms.com

www.damnthewitchsiren.com t Read the full review on www.ebar.com.

Lesley Manville (center) in ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’

Lesley Manville in ‘Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris’

Sylvie Mix and Bobbi Kitten and in ‘Poser’

Wolf and Bobbi Kitten and in ‘Poser’

‘Dynasty’ never says die

by Jim Gladstone

L ong, long ago, in a time before Tivo, when on-demand streaming was just a glimmer in some rising corporate overlord’s mind, there was a thing called Appointment Television. And from 1981 to 1989, many queer folks had a standing Wednesday night appointment with the Carringtons and the Colbys of Denver, Colorado. The rival oil families’ doublecrosses, back stabs and slap-happy catfights were chronicled in the ABC network’s high camp hit, “Dynasty,” with a cast led by Joan Collins as the era’s ultimate drag muse, Alexis Carrington Colby.

Now three of the actors who co-starred in that lavishly lathery soap opera –Jack Coleman, John James and Gordon Thomson–have reunited for a rat pack-inspired evening of drollery and dish that they’re calling “Cocktails with the Carringtons.”

The cabaret show –more accurately gab-aret, though there will be two musical numbers along with a slideshow, anecdotes and an audience Q&A session– comes to Feinstein’s at the Nikko for one night only, Wednesday, September 7.

During the series’ original run, many gay men gathered to watch “Dynasty” at cocktail parties of their own. Not only did the show’s frothy plots and filthy lucre offer a brief weekly escape from the stark reality of Reagan and AIDS, but Steven Carrington, the role played by Coleman, was the first gay regular character in a network television drama. (Billy Crystal’s Jodie Dallas on 1977 “Soap” was the first in a long-running sit-com, though he had two predecessors in the 1975 single-season flop “Hot L Baltimore”).

Playing gay

In a recent interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Coleman, 64, who is straight, reflected on winning his breakthrough role after what he described as “a torturous audition process” at the age of 24.

“I grew up in a home that wasn’t racist or homophobic; my parents were very open-minded. And I’d been doing theater since I was a kid. When you come up in the theater world, you end up knowing a lot of gay people. So, I never worried about what my family and friends would think, or that it could hurt my career. The show was becoming white hot.”

Coleman joined the series in its third season, replacing Al Corley, the original Steven, whose face –audience members were told–had been tragically mangled in an oil rig explosion, then brilliantly plastic-surgerized into Coleman’s smooth-skinned mug. (Corley returned as Steven in a 1991 fourhour mini-series, “Dynasty: The Reunion.” Is there such a thing as an oil rig im plosion?)

“Replacing another actor was much more daunting to me than playing a gay role,” Coleman said. “But I wasn’t prepared for the weight of what it meant culturally. Part of my willingness to not think twice about it was not understanding how important it would be to gay men.

“I was a bit naïve back then and there was a learning curve. Now I get it, of course. It’s the kind of representation everyone is fighting for. You see yourself on TV after so long being told you’re invisible.

“I got emails–” Coleman stopped speaking abruptly, then burst into a laugh. “No, I did not get emails! I got letters from people who wrote that seeing Steven on TV changed their lives, helped

them come out to their parents.

So, I was sort of the avatar for a world I didn’t really represent. I was not freaked out by it. But I also wasn’t an expert. Still, as I continued to play this character on the biggest show on television, I was far more interested in making gay people proud than making straight people comfortable.”

Laying low

Ironically, as Coleman’s gay character was celebrated, his fellow new cast member, Gordon Thomson, was closeted.

Thomson, now 77, also joined “Dynasty” in its third season, playing Adam Carrington, Steven’s older brother, resurfacing in his thirties after being kidnapped as an infant and never found by investigators. In addition to being openly homophobic, over the course of several seasons, Adam tried his hand at blackmail, murder and rape.

“Not a nice man,” Thomson tidily summed it up speaking to the Bay Area Reporter. “But for an actor, it was the best part on the show for a man, bar none. It didn’t feel uncomfortable to play. I’m an actor. That’s what we do.

“It probably would have felt very strange if I’d been cast as Steven,” Thomson acknowledges.

“This was the height of ‘The National Enquirer’ and all the other tabloids and they gave enormous attention to the casts of ‘Dynasty’ and ‘Dallas’ and ‘Knots Landing.’

I was blackmailed once by a guy who said, ‘Give me money or I’ll tell The Enquirer. The tabloids would pay a lot of money for that sort of story. It made me even more cautious.

“At that time there was still so much opprobrium in Hollywood about being gay. When you hear people being really vicious, saying that you’re some kind of a freak, you shrivel. I heard a very successful producer who was gay tell another gay man, ‘I’d never cast a gay man in a leading role.’ Coming out was not something I could imagine doing.”

Looking back

Prior to moving to the U.S. in 1981 to play Aristotle Benedict White, an Egyptologist, on the daytime soap “Ryan’s Hope,” Thomson, an Ottawa native, trod the boards exclusively in Canada, winning acclaim for his turns in Shakespeare and Turgenev and for playing Jesus in a production of “Godspell” which also had Victor Garber, Martin Short and Gilda

Radner in its cast, with Paul Schaffer leading the orchestra. He later had a starring role on a Canadian TV series, “High Hopes.”

“Being a TV actor in America is very different than in Canada,” said Thomson. “The most I ever made in a year in Canada was $36,000 dollars. For “Dynasty” I was making six figures. I’d never received a fan letter in my life before “Dynasty,” but plenty of people wrote to me about Adam Carrington.”

It was not until five years ago, when he was 72, that Thomson decided to be publicly open about his sexuality after a Daily Beast Reporter confronted him with “rumors” during a promotional interview for the release of a boxed set of “Dynasty” DVDs.

“I was ambushed,” Thomson says. “He took away my choice. And do you know what he did at the end of the interview? He asked me on a date. Unbelievable.”

Notwithstanding Hollywood’s small-mindedness, Thomson says he thoroughly enjoyed his years on “Dynasty.”

“We all had good experiences making the show. And there’s still an extraordinary global interest in ‘Dynasty.’ They love it in Australia. We’re actually talking about bringing the cabaret show there. John James was just in Serbia playing Joe Biden in a movie, ‘My Son Hunter’ and a local reporter ran up to him, heels clicking, just so excited, and she says, ‘I can’t believe I’m meeting Jeff Colby!’ We’ll all be riding the tail of that comet for the rest of our lives.” t

‘Cocktails with the Carringtons’ with Jack Coleman, John James and Gordon Thomson. September 7, 7:30pm. $65. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. (866) 663-1063. www.feinsteinssf.com

Monday 8am (last seating 9:45pm)

Tuesday 8am (last seating 9:45pm)

Wednesday 8am (last seating 9:45pm)

Thursday 8am Open 24 Hours

Friday Open 24 Hours

Saturday Open 24 Hours

Sunday 7am (last seating 9:45pm)

Gordon Thomson, John James and Jack Coleman in a promo video for their show.

Gordon Thomson, John James and Jack Coleman in the 1980s.

Rasheed Newson’s ‘My Government Means to Kill Me’

by Tim Pfaff

R asheed Newson’s debut novel, “My Government Means to Kill Me” (Flatiron Books) is not the only noteworthy gay novel with footnotes, but still, they do make themselves known. In Jordy Rosenberg’s “Confessions of the Fox,” the footnotes are an actual, if supremely ironic, part of the story; comically, they eventually overwhelm text.

They’re another tell about Newson and his novel: importantly, this book cannot be dismissed as autofiction. The story is about the late-teenage Earl “Trey” Singleton III and his adventures in the Black gay world (and its white satellites) in the New York of the 1980s. Newson would not have been there, but thanks to his riveting book, a reader of any age is.

Tempting as it is to call “My Government Means To Kill Me” a Netflix novel, in the mold of John Adams’ “Nixon in China” being a “CNN opera,” a designation that lasted for a decade or more and still names a burgeoning operatic genre, it isn’t. A highly regarded TV writer, producer, and showrunner –the forthcoming, eagerly awaited “Ben-Air” series is his– Newson notes in his bio that “he has an ID badge from every [LA] studio lot.”

But in the same way television is now neck-and-neck with movies, artistically, if not gaining on them, Newson’s work transcends professionalism and polish to create fiction that matters and is likely to endure.

author Rasheed Newson Christopher

The funny bone

It may need saying that “My Government Means to Kill Me” is, in keeping with its title, a fundamentally serious book. That Trey becomes a passionate if initially reluctant member of ACT UP speaks plainly to that.

But there’s a subcutaneous humor that runs the length of the book that not infrequently breaks the surface in ways that bring smiles of recognition. It’s grounded in Trey’s enormous likeableness –even when he’s trying to portray himself as bad. The novel is told in his first person, and his gay sass is an essential element. That he’s also a keenly observant, uniquely articulate MoFo is frosting on the cake.

Given the time lag inherent in publishing fiction, Newson would still have been writing at

least portions of his novel during the Trump administration. So when several early chapters of this fundamentally picaresque tale are devoted to a rent strike Trey and his roommate Gregory wage against real-estate mogul Fred Trump, hilarity reigns from the first invocation of the Trump name. Not to belabor this footnote thing, it’s hard not to discern hidden humor in Newson’s giving us a backgrounder on Prince while not explaining the Dewey decimal system; Sylvester maybe, and the hanky code and the Mineshaft – but Ronald Reagan? That said, there’s an important retelling of a great deal of 20th-

Q-Music: Diva country

by Gregg Shapiro

Ten years before she released her celebrated 1981 album “Physical” (Primary Wave), newly reissued in an expanded triple disc (double CD + DVD) 40th anniversary edition, the late Olivia Newton-John had established herself as a force in country music, and then pop. Her 1971 debut album yielded her first stateside hit (a cover of Bob Dylan’s “If Not For You”) and shortly thereafter she began pumping out a non-stop string of charting singles and LPs, even earning herself Grammy Awards along the way.

What could she possibly do next? Co-star with John Travolta in cocaine-fueled producer Alan Carr and gay director Randal Kleiser’s movie version of “Grease,” which was followed by the camp classic “Xanadu.” To many ONJ fans’ delight, she returned to her own music with “Physical,” which not only allowed her to again dabble in the visual (the music video for the title cut remains a classic) but also expand her musical palette.

In addition to the titular number and “Make A Move On Me” as massive singles, the album includes pleasant ballads (“Falling,” “Carried Away”) and synth workouts (“Landslide” and “Love Make Me Strong”). Reissue bonus tracks on the first disc include “Heart Attack” and “Twist of Fate,” to name a couple. The second disc consists of “additional recordings” including a live version of “Jolene,” while the DVD contains the “Physical” video album and a 1982 concert filmed in Ogden, Utah. www.olivianewton-john.com

Just a few years before we heard from ONJ, the sultry, yet gritty, Bobbie Gentry was stirring things up in the country music scene of 1967. Gentry, whose debut album

“Ode To Billy Joe,” featuring the Grammy-winning title track, was released the same year as Dolly Parton’s debut album “Hello, I’m Dolly.”

But something about the Gentry tune permitted it to have the kind of crossover success that would elude Dolly for a little while. The double LP 180-gram vinyl set “The Girl from Chickasaw County” (Capitol/UMC) culls 32 tracks from the similarly named, expansive eight-disc box set. In addition to the previously mentioned massive hit single, you’ll find Gentry originals “Fancy” and “Mississippi Delta, covers (including “God Bless the Child” and “This Girl’s In Love With You”), selections from four albums, and numerous cuts from the box set. If a “RuPaul’s Drag Race” queen hasn’t done Gentry yet, now would be the time. www.bobbiegentry.org.uk

At 88, Mimi Roman (aka Bronxborn, Brooklyn-raised Miriam Lapolito Rothman) is the elder statesperson here. During the 1950s, from age 20 to 28, Roman so convincingly embodied the spirit of country/rockabilly music (and nailed the accent, too), that she won a series of talent competitions, and even earned herself places on Nashville stages. The double disc, 35-track compilation “First of the Brooklyn Cowgirls” (Sundaze/Modern Harmonic) features Roman’s singular renditions of country tunes, consisting of rare and previously unreleased acetates from her own private collection. Roman both dressed and sounded the part, and this nostalgic journey is one worth taking. Additionally, Roman had a pop-music side to her musical personality, which she presented under the stage name Kitty Ford in the early 1960s. The 19-track album

“Pussycat” (Sundaze) represents the work Roman did as her alter-ego. www.roughtrade.com

Madonna (Louise Ciccone), parts of whom turned 64 in August 2022, has never released a country music album, but don’t count her out yet. Madonna does, however, have an insane number of officially sanctioned compilations to her name, including 1987’s “You Can

century gay history in those notes, all of it authoritative, much of it tantalizing, and, in the case of some closeted public figures, eyebrowraising.

“My Government Means to Kill Me” also comes like a corrective to a prevailing trend of AIDS fiction, which focused on adorable and successful if tragic white guys, for whom public sympathy was more reflexive than it was for their brothers of color. At the same time, there’s not a trace of self-pity in Trey’s self-depiction.

That here there remains a surviving, if endangered, gay bathhouse in Harlem –Mount Morris, not that there is any signage– gives Newson the opportunity to return the reader to basic, raw bathhouse culture. Trey is such a devoted customer he gets his own room and free admission. It’s at Mount Morris that the accident of race seems to matter least, a fact readers may find recognizable.

Trey is also open about the advantages of being young, gifted, and Black –and, over time, buff– in snaring avid if sometimes closeted sexu-

al partners. He draws a convincing line between his insatiable desire for sex and the degree to which it is non-commercial. Newson uses Gregory to portray the precipitously aging young Black man’s pursuit of senior sugar-daddies in a furious attempt to outlive them.

Countervailing the conventions of the AIDS novel, HIV does not stalk the tale. The fun phase of the sexually liberated Manhattan is ribald and, yes, fun.

Trey’s transition from addictive sex to activism is narratively wellpaced and compelling. Perhaps necessarily, the writing gets expository when ACT UP first becomes the focus of Trey’s life. But we hear Larry Kramer, no less, saying that Trey’s primary value to ACT UP is his being “naturally likable.” Trey attains “celebrity status” in the movement.

Newson does not go light on the moral conundrums that come with activism at this level, and the plot thickens realistically, right up to a stunner of an ending. Few first novelists –novelists of any vintage– know how to end a book. Newson nails it.

The novel appears just a little too late to qualify as a beach book (God willing and the seas don’t rise), but word of it should spread like wildfire –after a manner of speaking. t

‘My Government Means to Kill Me’ by Rasheed Newson, Flatiron Press, 320 pp., $14.99. www.us.macmillan.com www.rasheednewson.com

Dance,” 1990’s “The Immaculate Collection,” 1995’s “Something to Remember,” 2008’s “GHV2,” and 2009’s “Celebration.”

You’ll notice there’s not a collection devoted to her regrettable and misguided Interscope years, and for that we are grateful. Some of that is remedied with the tripledisc, 50-track compilation “50 Number Ones: Finally Enough Love” (Rhino/Warner), which spans

from 1983’s “Holiday” (from her eponymous 1983 Sire debut) to 2020’s “I Don’t Search I Find” (from 2020’s “Madame X” album). The varied assortment features remixes aplenty, multiple 7” versions, edits galore, soundtrack selections, and then some. The single disc “Finally Enough Love #1’s Remixed” (Rhino/ Warner), a companion of sorts, includes 16 remixes. www.madonna.comt

Marrs

New collections from Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, and more

“A League of Their Own” has many standout characters and the writing and acting are powerful. We were hooked in the first episode and really hope there’s a second season.

Abbi Jacobson, an out lesbian, didn’t just co-create the series, she’s a main character, Carson Shaw. Carson is a catcher from Idaho. The show’s other signature character is Max Chapman (Chanté Adams), a Black pitcher who wants to play, but is barred due to her race. Also in the toptier are Greta Gill (D’arcy Carden) as the femme de la femme player and Max’s bestie Clance (Gbemisola Ikumelo), who is also a comic artist.

There are also Latina players, and what women’s baseball team doesn’t have a few butches? Lupe Garcia (Roberta Colindrez), Jess McCready (Kelly McCormack), Esti González (Priscilla Delgado) and Jo Deluca (Melanie Field) round out the cast. And in a tribute to the film, Rosie O’Donnell plays Vi, the owner of a gay bar.

“A League of Their Own” is really funny. Dale Dickey’s chaperone character, Beverly, asks the Peaches to walk into mandatory etiquette classes “like ladies, please, not livestock.” But the series also veers toward gutting pathos at times. Max exemplifies this dichotomy in what is overwhelmingly a feelgood show. At one point Max asks her mother why God is depriving her of what she should be doing; being the star athlete we know she is, better than anyone else on the field.

“Why would He give me this gift if it wasn’t my path?” Max asks her churchgoing mom.

It takes your breath away to think about all the Maxes of her Jim Crow era. It’s also a question that hangs in the air of Max’s life, because she’s also a lesbian. In 1943, history is standing in her way at every turn.

There’s so much to say about “A League of Their Own,” but we are loathe to spoil this delightful, superlatively gay and diverse and oh-sofabulous series by revealing too much. This is one of the best and queerest series this year.

Some of the performances are breathtakingly good; Jacobson is so nuanced as Carson. Carson’s husband is away at war and she is playing the field in a myriad of ways. Adams manages to make Max hyper-real and not just a symbol of the weight of racism in the 1940s. Hers is an Emmy-worthy performance. D’arcy Carden, who we loved in “The Good Place,” is just fabulous here as the Peaches’ high-femme heartbreaker. And BAFTA-winning British actress and comedian Ikumelo is understated genius as Clance.

There are some pitfalls in “A League of Their Own.” Anachronisms creep into language and tone in places. But this series is, overall, a home run; watch.

Girl in Room 13

After Anne Heche’s tragic death in a fiery, drug-fueled car crash, Lifetime will be releasing her final film, “Girl in Room 13,” in September, as scheduled.

At a TCA panel last week, Lifetime’s executive vice president and head of programming, Amy Winter, said of “Girl in Room 13,” that the film was a passion for Heche.

“This project is important to each and every one of us,” said Winter. “We all started to make a film that would bring attention to the appalling issue of human sex trafficking. We hope that this film moves you and that you are just as inspired as Anne was to help us with our with our mission to stop violence against women.”

The film’s director, Elizabeth Rohm, told People, “Every single morning, Anne would come to set and she said, ‘We will not stand for abuse!’ And she would pump her fist and have this just beautiful, bright smile. She was so committed to making an incredibly deep, profound, important performance.”

Rohm said, “Anne was very open about the abuse she sustained in her childhood. And I believe that she was committed her whole life to making an impact and protecting women and being a voice against abuse.”

Rohm, told Entertainment Tonight that the entire cast is “devastated” by Heche’s sudden death.

She said, “We’re all so dedicated to the cause, stopping violence against women and I again thank Lifetime so much for creating this platform. All of us, especially Larissa [Dias] who played this victim, are committed to that cause.”

Rohm added, “We talked about it

–every single one of us– that this was our mission. And although [Anne] is deeply missed, right now, I will say the film is finished and she did a phenomenal performance – a tour de force much like Larissa.”

Heche was pronounced legally dead on August 12 and was taken off life support on August 14 after she was matched with organ recipients. Heche had been hospitalized in a coma for about a week following the crash. She was 53. t

Read more TV coverage on www.ebar.com.

Seen with Care

“The doctor will see you now” can mean so much more than “it’s time for your checkup.”

At Stanford Health Care, we know that for many patients feeling understood, accepted, and seen for everything that makes them who they are forms the basis of patient trust. That’s why we are proud of our unique dedication to providing a full range of care services specifically for the LGBTQ+ community. A healthy and lifelong connection with your doctors is built on trust, and trust comes from being seen with care.

Learn more about our LGBTQ+ Health Program at stanfordhealthcare.org/lgbtq