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Serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities since 1971

Courtesy Yes on 16 campaign

A screengrab from Yes on 16’s digital ad.

For gay educator, a school year like no other

CA Props 16, 18 may affect young people

by Matthew S. Bajko

hursday morning Mark Sanchez will welcome a new class of fourth graders back to school in Brisbane where he works as an elementary school teacher. Unlike on the first day of school in years past, he will be the only one in his classroom, as his students will be tuning in online via videoconference. Like school districts across the country, the Brisbane School District has opted to virtually kickoff its 2020-2021 academic school year due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. And it remains unknown when the K-8 public school district on the Peninsula south of San Francisco will reopen its school buildings for inperson instruction. The last time Sanchez was in his classroom in front of his pupils was March 16. For the rest of the spring and summer his school district reverted to distance learning, which he and his colleagues all did from their homes. “It was definitely the most challenging experience I have had as a teacher,” Sanchez, 57, told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview this month. See page 8 >>

by John Ferrannini

here are 12 state propositions on the November ballot this year, and two of the most controversial may have special ramifications for California’s young people. Proposition 16 would repeal California’s 1996 ban on affirmative action in the state, which could change how universities admit students, and Proposition 18 would lower the voting age to allow some 17-year-olds to vote.

Affirmative action

Vol. 50 • No. 34 • August 20-26, 2020

San Francisco school board president Mark Sanchez is seeking reelection this November. Courtesy Mark Sanchez

The practice of considering race, sex, or ethnicity in college admissions and public contracting and employment to ameliorate the effects of discrimination, known as affirmative action, was ruled to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1978 case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, so long as a specific quota system is not used and race is considered among a variety of factors. Nevertheless, California voters passed Proposition 209 in 1996 to ban affirmative action in the state. Its major champion was Ward Connerly, a Black Republican activist and then-UC regent. Prop 16 would repeal Prop 209, amending the California Constitution to once again allow affirmative action. It is supported by Equality California, the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club, and the California Democratic Party. (Neither of California’s major political parties responded to requests for comment for this story.) “Prop 209, which bans equal opportunity, has devastated our state and community, especially communities of color, for decades,” Samuel Garrett-Pate, the communications director for EQCA, said in a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter. “That’s why we support repealing Prop 209 by passing Prop 16. We were proud to work with the LGBTQ caucus, the Black caucus, and the Latino caucus to make sure it reached the ballot this November. Our country is going through a reckoning with racial injustice and this is a big part of addressing racism.” See page 8 >>

Garcia begins first academic year as Berkeley City College president by John Ferrannini

aking on the job of college president would be challenging at any time; but Angélica Garcia has done so in one of the most tumultuous years in recent memory. “I came on board during the pandemic,” Berkeley City College’s new president, who is pansexual and the first Chicana to lead the institution, told the Bay Area Reporter. “I have yet to share personal space with 99.9% of my colleagues.” But COVID-19 presents more to the college than a mere professional adjustment. And it is not the only challenge this year is presenting. “The issues caused by COVID-19 can’t be understated,” Garcia said. “As a public educational institution, we have to be ready with what we see from the public health perspective. I’m learning more about health and safety and harm resources in a way I would have not without it. “During this time of recession we need to be reminded of the fiscal context, because Berkeley City College finds itself as a publiclyfunded institution,” she added. “That public education is featuring so many cuts – that’s definitely a challenge. And the added challenge is amidst all of this we have the racial injustice in our communities and across the state. If we were on campus, we could have the students

Courtesy Berkeley City College

Berkeley City College President Angélica Garcia

navigate Black Lives Matter but right now we are unable to support students in the way they need with the interpersonal, cross-counter interaction.” Garcia, 44, became the president of Berkeley City College, part of the Peralta Community College District, on May 7. It is her first role as a college president. She said one of her

major goals is increasing student completion rates. A resident of Oakland, her previous role was as the vice president of student services at Skyline College in San Bruno on the Peninsula. The Peralta district has had financial problems in recent years. Its most recent chancellor, Regina Standback Stroud, resigned in July after less than a year on the job. She and the district’s trustees had disagreements over various policies. It was while Garcia was at Skyline that she met her colleague Aaron McVean, who is presently the vice chancellor of educational services and planning for the San Mateo County Community College District. “Part of our story is she wasn’t sure what to make of me when she met me,” McVean, a straight ally, told the B.A.R. The two subsequently attended a conference for Hispanic Serving Institutions at UC Davis. “We were trying to understand the world of Hispanic Serving Institutions, and we were at lunch, and we sat at a table together talking about how we saw community college education, what we were hoping to achieve and what we’d focus on if we had our way,” he said. “We talked about being purposeful and intentional about having students complete their degrees. See page 8 >>

<< Community News

2 • Bay Area Reporter • August 20-26, 2020

SOMA developers work with leather district as hearing nears

95 Units of Affordable Housing in AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING for Rent in San Francisco San Francisco’s Mission District!

CASA ADELANTE - 1296 Shotwell Street, San Francisco, CA 94110

8 one-bedroom rental units available at $1444/month 17 studio rental units available from $266 to $1,021 per month 45 two-bedroom rental units available at $1317 – $1606/month 54 one-bedroom rental units available from $300 to $1,162 per month 42 three-bedroom rental units available at $1610 – $1770/month

New Units with Modern Design + On-Site Amenities (laundry facilities, resident services, by John Ferrannini Community room & kitchen, and landscaped outdoor spaces) • Applicant’s household must meet the minimum monthly income he San Francisco Planning • Head of household must be 62 years of age or older of two (2) times the rent and be able to demonstrate their ability Commission will hold a hearing • onHouseholds must have a minimum monthly income of two times the rent. *Section 8 & other to pay rent time. August 27 to determine whether to subsidy vouchers are exempt from this monthly income requirement. require sound proofing for a hous• Households must earn no more than the income levels listed below ing project at 1560 Folsom Street – • Households must earn no more than the income levels listed below, based on number of people based on number of people. Incomes listed are from the 2020 MOHCD adjacent to the LGBTQ-themed bar in your household: 50-60% AMI: and nightclub Oasis. Noise emanating from the long50% of Median Income established LGBTQ2bars and night- 3 Persons Size 1 Person Persons One person -$44,850; 2 persons - $51,250; 3 Household persons - $57,650; clubs into the early hours of the 4 persons - $64,050; 5 persons - $69,200; 6 personsannual - $74,300; Maximum income $43,100 morning in the city’s$49,250 South of Mar- $55,450 7 persons - $79,450 ket neighborhood, in particular, have been issues with some of their 55% of Applications can be downloaded from San Francisco Housing Portal- DAHLIA at http://housing.sfgov.org Median Income neighbors in the past. Rick Gerharter or picked up from one of the housing counseling agencies listed at http://housing.sfgov.org/housingOne person - $49,300; 2 persons - $56,400; 3 persons - $63,400; In an effort to stop such issues beThe 1500 block of Folsom Street, as seen from the parking lot of Accounselors. 4 persons - $70,450; 5 persons - $76,100; 6 persons - $81,750; fore they start at this project, the ention Rentals, left, to the Oasis nightclub. 7 persons - $87,350 tertainment commission made noise Applications must be received by 5PM on Wednesday, September 11, 2019. Postmarks will not be abatement recommendations to the 60% ofconsidered. Apply online to ensure your application is received on time. Median Income icant size, they are required to have the Cultural District,” the petition planning commission on June 30. One person - $53,800; 2 persons - $61,500; 3 persons - $69,200; ground floor retail. If these spaces states. These include windows that will 4 persons - $76,850; 5 persons - $83,000; 6 persons - $89,150; were made available to the commuRobert Goldfarb, president of have more ability to reduce sound Applications must either be submitted online at http://housing.sfgov.org or mailed in with a self7 persons - $95,300 nity at reasonable rents we can fight the cultural district, said that the penetration than standard single addressed stamped envelope to: Casa Adelante-BMR, P.O. Box 420847, San Francisco, CA 94142 the displacing of those places.” developers can help make sure that pane windows, according to a copy 1st, 5PM. Apply online though the APPLICATION DUE SEPTEMBER Goldfarb said in a subsequent the project – located at the site of an of the recommendations reviewed DAHLIA San Francisco Housing Portal - housing.sfgov.org Free Information Session interview that the district has proequipment rental agency and several by the Bay Area Reporter. th Tuesday, August 27 at 3:00pm – 5:00pm posed having tenants at the 1560 auto shops – can help in maintainIn July, the Leather and LGBTQ Lottery: Wednesday, September 16th, 2020 San Francisco Main Library-Koret Auditorium Folsom site sign an acknowledgeing neighborhood character. Cultural District began circulating 100 Larkin St. San Francisco, CA 94102 ment that they are in a place with “Some things the developers can a petition asking the developers of Lotteries are closed to the public. pre-existing cultural activities. do are basic and simple – visuals at housing.sfgov.org. the project, the San Francisco-based View lottery results “One of the things we, as a culto give a sense of the culture of the real estate development company Lottery (Attendance is optional) nd tural district, are doing is asking area, sidewalk plaques, custom bike AGI Avant, to help mitigate the efOctober 2 at 2:00pm For more building information please contact that new projects like this include in racks – things that are small but th fects of gentrification in the area. Chinatown Community Development Center at (415) 810-4036 MOHCD, 1 South Van Ness 5 Floor the purchase agreement something make the neighborhood feel like “The 1560 Folsom Street locaor 2060folsom@chinatowncdc.org. San Francisco, CA 94013 advising residents that they are in a a place,” Goldfarb said in a recent tion is an epicenter of our commu phone interview with the B.A.R. cultural district and that some acnity, and we welcome development All applicants are encouraged to apply. Please see the project For more building information, please contact William Yee at (415) 984-1450 or “There are also more material tivities – like the Folsom Street Fair that will become a good neighbor, posting at housing.sfgov.org for applicable lottery preferences. 1296shotwell@chinatowncdc.org. things they can do as it relates to – are pre-existing,” Goldfarb said. by supporting the cultural district, space. One of the challenges is that “We hope that helps as well.” welcoming the Folsom Street Fair Units are monitored through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office the spaces where groups meet – such Eric Tao, the managing execuand other traditional and cultural All applicants are encouraged to apply. Please see the project posting at http://housing.sfgov.org for applicable of Housing and Community Development and are subject to monitoring as The Stud – are being lost,” he tive of AGI Avant, told the B.A.R. events, and mitigating the effects lottery preferences. Units are monitored through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community and other restrictions. added, referring to the closure of the by phone that the developer has of gentrification that the addition Development and are subject to monitoring and other restrictions. LGBTQ bar’s physical space at Ninth been working with the cultural disof this project’s nearly 700 new and Harrison streets in late May. Reasonable Accommodations upon request residents, in 232 mostly marketSee page 5 >> “When a building comes in of signifrate units, will bring to the heart of •

NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR SALE IN SOMA SLEEK AND MODERN CONDOS AT THE QUINN, 345 8TH STREET, SAN FRANCISCO 94103

6 “Below Market Rate” homes for sale: 4 onebedroom and 2 two-bedroom homes priced from $328,206 - $388,042 without parking

H O W T O A P P LY

1 First, please sign up for a free Program

Orientation at H O M E O W N E R S H I P S F. O R G / H O M E B U Y E R S

2 Complete homebuyer workshops and individual counseling.

3 Get pre-approved for a mortgage loan by a MOHCD-approved lender.

4 Submit a lottery application before application deadline.

APPLICANTS MUST BE A FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER AND EARN NO MORE THAN THE INCOME LEVELS LISTED:

MAXIMUM ANNUAL INCOME

PRICING

BMR UNIT

BEDROOM COUNT

BATH COUNT

SQUARE FEET

1 person

2 person

3 person

4 person

5 person

$89,650

$102,500

$115,300

$128,100

$138,350

FLOOR #

PRICE WITHOUT PARKING

INCOME MAXIMUM

MONTHLY HOA DUES WITHOUT PARKING

102

TWO BEDROOMS

Tw o B a t h s

1,074

$379,344

100% of AMI

$726.87

56 RODGERS

ONE BEDROOM

One Bath

899

$328,206

100% of AMI

$680.90

303

ONE BEDROOM

One Bath

631

$344,796

100% of AMI

$593.22

307

ONE BEDROOM

One Bath

616

$344,796

100% of AMI

$593.22

404

TWO BEDROOMS

Tw o B a t h s

887

$388,042

100% of AMI

$680.90

407

ONE BEDROOM

One Bath

616

$344,796

100% of AMI

$593.22

Complete applications must be received by M O N D AY, S E P T E M B E R 1 4 , 2 0 2 0 AT 5 : 0 0 P M .

Apply online through D A H L I A , the SF Housing Portal at H O U S I N G . S F G O V. O R G . Due to COVID-19, applicants will apply online as we are not accepting paper applications. For more information and assistance with your application, contact HomeownershipSF: (415) 202-5464 or info@homeownershipsf.org. For questions about the building and units, contact The Quinn: (415) 515-5838 or info@thequinnsf.com.

Units are monitored through the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development and are subject to owner occupancy and other restrictions. Visit www.sfmohcd.org for program information.

O P E N H O U S E D AT E S

All open houses are temporarily cancelled due to COVID-19.

Lottery drawing date is T U E S D AY, O C T O B E R 6 , 2 0 2 0 , 1 1 : 3 0 A M .

Due to COVID-19, MOHCD will conduct an electronic lottery with the sales agent via video conference. The lottery will not be open to the public. Lottery results will be posted at H O U S I N G . S F G O V. O R G within one week of the lottery. All adult household members who will be on the title of the BMR unit must complete first-time homebuyer education through one of the City’s 5 approved housing counselling agencies in order to apply. Applicants can visit H O M E O W N E R S H I P S F. O R G / H O M E B U Y E R S for upcoming program orientations and workshops. Please sign up right away, as classes tend to fill up quickly. Applicants for 345 8th Street must obtain a loan pre-approval from one of the approved participating lenders listed at S F M O H C D . O R G / M O H C D - A U T H O R I Z E D - L E N D E R - L I S T to apply. All applicants are encouraged to apply. Lottery preference will be given to: *Certificate of Preference, **Displaced Tenant Housing Preference holders, ***Neighborhood Residents and households that currently live or work in San Francisco.

*Certificate of Preference (COP) holders are primarily households displaced in Redevelopment Project Areas during the 1960’s and 1970’s.** Displaced Tenant Housing Preference (DTHP) holders are tenants who were displaced by an Ellis Act eviction, Owner Move In eviction and tenants displaced by fire. ***Neighborhood Resident Housing Preference (NRHP) are residents living in the same supervisorial district or within ½ mile buffer of the project. The specifications are subject to change at any time and should not be relied on as representations, express or implied. Square footage or floor areas shown in any marketing or other materials is approximate and may be more or less than the actual size.

Community News>>

August 20-26, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 3

Gay artists involved with 2 SF projects compiled by Cynthia Laird

ay artists are part of two projects currently on display in San Francisco. In one, the San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries has unveiled “Heroes: San Francisco Thanks Frontline Healthcare Workers,” a timely poster series that celebrates and thanks those caring for coronavirus patients. According to a news release from the commission, the project has two components. Forty kiosk posters line Market Street from the Embarcadero to the Castro, reminding residents and visitors that every day remarkable people in the community are caring for those sick with the virus. Smaller reproductions of the kiosk posters will be distributed to San Francisco-based hospitals and quarantine sites, to be posted on various communal spaces as well as for health care workers to take home as tokens of gratitude. Cliff Hengst, an artist and gay man of color, made one of the posters. “I was grateful to be a part of this project,” he wrote in an email. “As an older gay, I was in San Francisco through much of the AIDS crisis, so when the shelter-in-place happened it brought back a lot of those same fears,” Hengst, 57, added. “I was honored to be able to express my gratitude toward these brave workers on the front lines. I love my city.” The series also helps engage artists and the arts community in the city’s recovery efforts by placing imagery into public spaces that focuses on healing, while reinforcing critical public health messages that can help stem the spread of the virus. In the fifth month of the virus, San Francisco has experienced a spike in infection rates. “Health care workers on the frontline continue to work tirelessly to care for those infected with the virus,” SFAC Galleries director and

Courtesy SFAC

Cliff Hengst’s poster is part of the San Francisco Arts Commission’s “Heroes: San Francisco Thanks Frontline Healthcare Workers” series along Market Street.

project curator Meg Shiffler stated. “This temporary public art poster series allows our arts community to express deep gratitude and is intended to lift the spirits of our remarkable health care professionals working in local hospitals and quarantine sites.” The kiosk posters went up in late July and will remain on display for the next three months. There are 10 posters in the series and they feature images commissioned for the project by both emerging and established artists. The artwork takes many forms – text-based, figurative, landscape, and abstract – and each artist approached their work from different vantage points. In the other project, gay and visually impaired artist Kurt Schwartzmann recently completed the first public mural commissioned by the Buena Vista Cafe, a San Francisco institution famous for its Irish coffee. It’s located at 2765 Hyde Street. “The installation is called the ‘Love Project,’ because of our col-

lective love for San Francisco, for our world, and for you and me,” he wrote in an email. It also was inspired by the pandemic, as the mural will be the launching point for the cafe’s new outdoor dining space, he explained. Schwartzmann said that he’s collaborating with well-known muralist Deirdre Weinberg. Schwartzmann, who was formerly homeless, may be familiar to B.A.R. readers. His op-art was featured in last year’s Political Notebook and his tribute to Muni workers was explored in the paper’s old Seeing in the Dark column.

Online commemoration for Compton’s riot

The Transgender District will hold a virtual commemoration of the 54th anniversary of Compton’s Cafeteria riot in which trans people fought back against harassment by the San Francisco Police Department. It’s scheduled for Friday, August 28, from 5 to 8 p.m. and will be broadcast on the district’s Facebook page and Zoom. The event will feature entertainment from queer and trans performers such as drag artist Juanita MORE!, illusionist Bionka Simone of Asia SF and Transcendent, and rapper and producer WAZI. It will be hosted by Sister Roma of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and drag artist and Transgender District co-founder Honey Mahogany. Longtime trans academic Susan Stryker, Ph.D., will deliver the keynote address. Stryker, an Emmy Awardwinning filmmaker, will talk about how she discovered transgender and queer resistance of the riot, the exact date of which has been lost to history. Stryker received the Northern

California Emmy Award for her work on “Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria” (2005). The riot occurred in August 1966 at Gene Compton’s Cafeteria in the Tenderloin. According to the Wikipedia entry, the incident began when a transgender woman resisted arrest by throwing coffee at a police officer. It was followed by drag queens pouring into the streets, fighting back with their high heels and heavy bags and marked the beginning of transgender activism in San Francisco. Three years later, the Stonewall riots occurred in New York City. “I think this moment is so needed, with everything happening in the world right now,” Transgender District co-founder and Executive Director Aria Sa’id stated in a news release. “We wanted to produce a really amazing celebration that highlights the brevity of our queer and transgender culture here in San Francisco. We’re excited to curate an evening of escape for transgender folks both here in the Bay Area and across the world – even if just for a couple of hours, and truly put our local performers and icons on center stage.” Sa’id added that they have some “really fun surprises in store.” For more information, visit www. transgenderdistrictsf.com.

Sui Generis consolidates to Castro location

Due to realities of COVID-19, the women’s clothing and consignment store Sui Generis Women’s is closing its 2147 Union Street Location. The collection will move to the company’s men’s store at 2231 Market Street in the Castro next week, according to an email from spokesman Adam Blackman Until Saturday, August 22, the women’s store is on clearance with

up to 60% off consignment prices. Customers could walk out with designer brands at up to 85% off their original retail prices.

Charity Navigator unveils new platform

Charity Navigator, the world’s largest and most-utilized independent nonprofit evaluator, has announced a new rating system called Encompass and has provided input for the first time on over 1,000 San Francisco-based organizations. According to a news release, the rollout comes as Charity Navigator prepares to celebrate two decades in operation. The new Encompass rating system is a comprehensive evaluation tool that analyzes nonprofit performance based on four key indicators of organizational effectiveness: finance and accountability, impact and results, leadership and adaptability, and culture and community. The first is available now, the others will go live in the next 1824 months, the website noted. Since the beginning of shelterin-place orders due to the novel coronavirus, there has been a surge in donations to nonprofits. That was amplified in June with social unrest following the police killing of George Floyd. Charity Navigator has seen a 200% increase in donations to nonprofits through its Giving Basket compared to the same time period last year, amounting to more than $7 million in total contributions. In San Francisco alone, 1,058 organizations received their first-ever rating from Charity Navigator. Of those, 744 received a score of 75 or above, earning them a “Give with Confidence” designation. Another 345 nonprofits received a perfect 100 rating. For more information, go to www.charitynavigator.org/index .cfm?bay=content.view& cpid=8077.t

Metro Service Returning Starting Saturday, August 22 Temporary: Until further notice

Embarcadero Montgomery

Muni Metro service returning with changes

•

Taraval Ingleside combined surface only route, transfer at West Portal for downtown service. Church surface-only route, transfer at Church and Market for downtown service.

Powell Civic Center

Van Ness

Church Castro

New Transfer Point Church & Market

Church & Duboce

New Transfer Point West Portal Station S

Forest Hill

West Portal

• Due to construction on Taraval, bus shuttles will operate from SF Zoo to 32nd Ave. Transfer to rail at 32nd Ave for downtown service. Visit SFMTA.com/ LTaravalProject for more details.

SFMTA.com/RailRecovery

<< Open Forum

4 • Bay Area Reporter • August 20-26, 2020

Volume 50, Number 34 August 20-26, 2020 www.ebar.com

PUBLISHER Michael M. Yamashita Thomas E. Horn, Publisher Emeritus (2013) Publisher (2003 – 2013) Bob Ross, Founder (1971 – 2003) NEWS EDITOR Cynthia Laird CULTURE EDITOR Jim Provenzano ASSISTANT EDITORS Matthew S. Bajko • John Ferrannini CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tavo Amador • Roger Brigham Brian Bromberger • Victoria A. Brownworth Philip Campbell • Heather Cassell Michael Flanagan • Jim Gladstone Liz Highleyman • Lisa Keen Matthew Kennedy • David Lamble David-Elijah Nahmod • Paul Parish Tim Pfaff • Jim Piechota • Gregg Shapiro Gwendolyn Smith •Sari Staver • Charlie Wagner Ed Walsh • Cornelius Washington • Sura Wood

ART DIRECTION Max Leger PRODUCTION/DESIGN Ernesto Sopprani PHOTOGRAPHERS Jane Philomen Cleland • FBFE Rick Gerharter • Gareth Gooch Jose Guzman-Colon • Rudy K. Lawidjaja Georg Lester • Rich Stadtmiller • Fred Rowe Steven Underhill • Bill Wilson ILLUSTRATORS & CARTOONISTS Christine Smith

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVERTISING Scott Wazlowski – 415.829.8937

NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Rivendell Media – 212.242.6863

LEGAL COUNSEL Paul H. Melbostad, Esq.

The most consequential vote of our lives

t’s become cliché to characterize each presidential election as “the most important” of our lifetime, or of this generation. But only now, facing the possibility of four more years of unrestrained racism and authoritarianism by an emboldened President Donald Trump, does that phrase ring true. This country can’t survive another term of the most corrupt, unhinged president ever. In contrast, even Richard Nixon appears decent by opting to resign as president when the walls closed in on his illegal Watergate activities. Trump doesn’t care about anyone not named Trump, and even that is debatable. Trump campaigned in 2016 to “drain the swamp,” but the cesspool of greed, illegality, and self-dealing at the expense of American taxpayers and the working class has only grown deeper and murkier. Trump must be stopped, so it is imperative that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are elected overwhelmingly as the next president and vice president. Biden, who will formally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination Thursday in the first-ever virtual convention, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, gave his campaign a boost last week when he selected California’s junior senator as his running mate. Harris is the first Black woman to be on a major party presidential ticket, and the first South Asian American of any gender. She has a compelling life story and, more importantly, her selection as the vice presidential nominee has excited Black voters around the country. LGBTQ voters are energized too. Harris fought for marriage equality in California and also helped get rid of the gay and trans panic defense often used by perpetrators of violence against queers, especially trans murder victims. On a Zoom meeting that the Biden for President campaign organized for LGBTQ+ women last week, several speakers noted how important it was to see someone who looks

Courtesy CBS News

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris wore masks as they arrived to meet the press August 12.

like them on the ticket. “It makes a tremendous difference for young women,” said Andrea Jenkins, a Black transgender woman who sits on the Minneapolis City Council. “I think Kamala would make an amazing vice president and leader for all women.” Biden, too, is a fighter for equality – notably he was ahead of many in the party, including then-President Barack Obama, in publicly embracing same-sex marriage. After decades in the U.S. Senate and eight years a vice president, he knows how Congress operates, which is an advantage for achieving his goals for our country. He said last week that his top priority is growing jobs for the unprecedented number of Americans left suddenly unemployed by the effects of COVID-19. During the opening night of the convention Monday, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), the runner-up in the Democratic primaries, made a forceful pitch for Biden. “At its most basic, this election is about preserving our democracy,” he said. “During this president’s term, the unthinkable has become normal. He has tried to prevent people from voting, undermined the U.S. Postal Service, deployed the military and federal agents against peaceful protesters, threatened to delay the election

News Editor • news@ebar.com Arts Editor • arts@ebar.com Out & About listings • jim@ebar.com Advertising • scott@ebar.com Letters • letters@ebar.com Published weekly. Bay Area Reporter reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement which the publisher believes is in poor taste or which advertises illegal items which might result in legal action against Bay Area Reporter. Ads will not be rejected solely on the basis of politics, philosophy, religion, race, age, or sexual orientation. Advertising rates available upon request. Our list of subscribers and advertisers is confidential and is not sold. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, and writers published herein is neither inferred nor implied. We are not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork.

and suggested that he will not leave office if he loses. This is not normal, and we must never treat it like it is.” “But, let us be clear, if Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress we have made will be in jeopardy,” Sanders said after thanking his supporters. A Biden-Harris administration would immediately get to work restoring myriad policies, rules, and programs the Trump administration has rescinded. Many affect LGBTQ rights, such as changes to the Affordable Care Act, education guidance for trans students, and the trans military ban. The new administration would rejoin the Paris climate accord, and re-engage cooperatively with our international partners. Most significantly, Biden would nominate federal judges, including those to the U.S. Supreme Court, who are qualified and inclined to seek equal rights for everyone. Biden would sign the Equality Act, should it pass Congress and reach his desk. On COVID-19, Biden and Harris have already said that there should be a nationwide mask mandate. A Biden administration would be led by science, not quacks who peddle ineffective “cures” for the virus. The end to this pandemic is not within sight; the damaged economy can’t wait for that far off day and needs immediate federal support, especially for small businesses. Trump’s blatant attempt to suppress the vote by starving the postal service of funding is just the most recent example of his propensity to cheat to win – in this case re-election. He knows that there is little evidence of voter fraud from mail-in ballots – he’s requested one himself – but the truth is that he wants to sow confusion and suppress voting, especially in minority communities and battleground states. This fall, when early voting begins in California and other states, we all need to vote for Biden and Harris. Trump has proved himself unfit for office. As Sanders said Monday, the price of another four years “is just too great to imagine.”t

Marching farther together by Délara Shadfar

Bay Area Reporter

s a teenager starting to discover who I am, I’m also discovering the world and its problems. This past year, I figured out that I identify as gender fluid. It was long and confusing to get there. I wasn’t exposed enough to even know the choices, and it took effort to find the labels that felt comfortable so that I didn’t have to explain everything so much every time. Now that I’ve figured it out, it gives me a level of comfort. It’s easier. I have words to tell the world how I feel on the inside. While discovering a lot about myself over the past few years, I was also learning about racism, civil rights, and the LGBTQ+ rights movements – current and historical. It was during a project at school supported by World Savvy, a nonprofit that works with thousands of teachers across the country to prepare students for complex, real-world challenges, when I began to think about the intersection of the struggle for equality by race, gender, and sexual identity. I realized that people are being oppressed locally and globally for things they cannot change, something that they are born with. Near the beginning of the 2019-20 academic year, I noticed that my school wasn’t having enough conversation on LGBTQ+ topics so I started a club for people in the LGBTQ+ community to talk to others who have had similar experiences. When we started distance learning in March, I continued to lead the club online because I knew many of the people in it were not out at home, or weren’t in supportive environments, and I wanted to continue to give them a space to be themselves. Fostering an inclusive space felt even more important than it already was because we were all stuck at home. Our conversations in the club were usually just normal everyday socializing – we would talk about class, we helped one of the members come out to his parents, we watched LGBTQ+ movies,

Cynthia Laird

A mural was created on Broadway in Oakland after the Black Lives Matter protests earlier this summer.

whatever we wanted to do as long as we were with people who understood. I really tried my best to make the club completely confidential, a safe space to be yourself without judgment. When I started the club online the conversations touched on the coronavirus and, when the Black Lives Matter movement sparked up, we started talking about the protests and racism. One of the members of my club who had gone to an Oakland protest was tear gassed for peacefully protesting. Although I had already heard many things on the news, it felt more real hearing about it from someone I know. The news had portrayed the protesters as violent instigators for looting, rioting, and “destroying the country.” I tried to listen more to what people I know were saying because the media can twist things up, and we often connect more easily with an issue when we hear about it from someone familiar. In that same vein, I hope that being open about my gender fluid identity helps others understand not just me, but gender constructs, a little bit more. By the end of the school year, I started coming to my Zoom classes with a Pride flag on one cheek and BLM on the other, and I signed any petitions I could find. On Friday, April 24, I participated in the “Day of Silence” hosted by GLAAD. Most of all, I tried my best to spread

the message that I support these two movements and their similarities as much as I could by talking to friends and using social media. It was online that I realized how many people of the LGBTQ+ community aren’t supporting the Black Lives Matter movement because “violence isn’t the answer.” There is some truth in that statement; I think that violence is a last resort, but since the first ship of enslaved people arrived in the U.S. in 1619, Black people have been oppressed, and they have a right to be angry, express their outrage, and question the effects of merely protesting peacefully. Furthermore, how can there be peaceful protests while police are escalating violence? Martin Luther King Jr. said in his Letter from Birmingham, “The purpose of ... direct action is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” Protests and boycotts he led resulted in police brutality, the firebombing of his home, police using high-pressure water hoses and dogs on protesters, some of whom were children. His protests also led to the Civil Rights Act. The modern movement for LGBTQ+ rights, inspired by the Black and women’s rights movements, began with the 1969 Stonewall riots, which were led in part by a Black trans woman, Marsha P. Johnson, and a Latinx drag queen, Sylvia Rivera. The riots began after the Stonewall Inn was raided by the police, which triggered the LGBTQ+ community to resist the officers. I personally agree with rioting and looting when peaceful protests aren’t working; Black people have been oppressed for so long and people are sick of just standing with signs while more Black people are getting killed and/or harassed because of the color of their skin. So for all the people in either the Black community or the LGBTQ+ community, I ask you to look at each other and your similarities and struggles and build each other up, not tear each other down. We’ll get farther when we march together.t Délara Shadfar is 13 years old and will be entering eighth grade in the fall at Ecole Bilingue in Berkeley, California.

Politics >>

August 20-26, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 5

School parcel tax among local SF measures

Barry Schneider Attorney at Law

family law specialist* • Divorce w/emphasis on Real Estate & Business Divisions • Domestic Partnerships, Support & Custody • Probate and Wills

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slightly lower school parcel tax than the one passed two years ago is among the dozen local ballot measures San Francisco voters will decide in the November 3 election. In addition to other revenue-related measures are ones aiming to allow 16- and-17-year-olds to vote in local elections and non-citizens to serve on city oversight bodies. The school parcel tax, Measure J, would replace the $320 per parcel tax voters adopted in 2018 with a $288 per parcel tax that would be adjusted for inflation each year. It would net an estimated $48.1 million each year for San Francisco Unified School District to use toward teacher salaries if approved on a two-thirds vote. People age 65 or older would be exempt from the tax, which would sunset on June 30, 2038. The earlier measure passed with more than 61% of the vote but was challenged in court by a city resident who contended it required a twothirds vote of 66% in order to be adopted. The city won in court but the case is still pending on appeal. “I would say it is critical because the reason we had Prop G in the first place was to try to retain our staff. We have the highest cost of living in the country,” noted school board member Mark Sanchez, a gay man who is currently president of the oversight body, about the previous parcel tax measure. “Even with Prop G, we lost hundreds of teachers last year.” Another youth-oriented ballot item is Measure G, which would lower the age limit to vote in local races from 18 to 16. It needs a simple majority to pass and would impact Measure C, which would allow non-citizens of voting age to serve on city advisory bodies and commissions, such as the youth, planning, and health commissions. It too needs a simple majority to pass. With the city’s budget decimated by the novel coronavirus outbreak, there are a number of revenue-related measures on the fall ballot that city leaders hope will pass and help them deal with a projected $1.5 billion budget deficit in the fiscal year that begins October 1. Measure F, for instance, would do away with

SOMA developers

From page 2

trict and that it is close to making a formal agreement regarding the acknowledgement. “We’ve been working with the cultural district for over a year now and are close to a memorandum of collaboration,” Tao said. “I don’t want to get into the weeds but, yes, we want people to acknowledge that they are in a cultural district.” Tao also said that AGI likes some of the cultural visuals Goldfarb suggested, such as sidewalk plaques and other things. “We’d be highly supportive of that,” Tao said. “It’s part of our collaboration that we’re going to try to build something that’s going to fit the neighborhood.” Carissa Hatchel, the programming coordinator for Oasis, stated in an email that the nightclub welcomes its new neighbors. “In terms of the new building coming up next to us, we are hopeful that Oasis will be an amenity to the tenants, and that people moving into the entertainment corridor

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the payroll expense tax businesses pay and replace it with a gross receipts tax. Along with a number of other local tax changes, the measure is projected to bring in $97 million a year. It needs a simple majority vote to pass. Measure I, the real estate transfer tax, would raise the rates paid when property priced at $10 million or more is sold. It is estimated to net $196 million annually and needs a simple majority vote to pass. District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston authored it and is its lead proponent. Measure L would impose a tax on those businesses whose highest-paid managerial employee earns more than 100 times the median compensation paid to their employees in San Francisco. If adopted by a simple majority vote, it is estimated to bring in between $60 to $140 million annually. Measure A would result in the city issuing $487,500,000 in bonds to pay for housing the homeless and offering unhoused individuals mental health services, upgrade public parks and recreation facilities, and pay for road repairs. It needs a twothirds vote to pass. Measure B would split up the city’s public works department in order to create a separate department focused solely on sanitation and streets. It would also create new commissions to oversee public works and the new sanitation and streets department. Like the remaining city measures,

it needs a simple majority to pass. Measure D would create a new oversight board and Office of Inspector General for the sheriff ’s department. Measure E would do away with the requirement in the city’s charter that the San Francisco Police Department maintain a minimum of 1,971 full-duty sworn police officers. Measure H would reduce the restrictions on what businesses can operate in ground floor commercial spaces in neighborhood business districts, so that nonprofits, social service agencies, and store pop-ups would be allowable uses. A similar zoning change was recently instituted for upper Market Street in the LGBTQ Castro District in order to address a glut of vacant spaces along the commercial corridor. Mayor London Breed is the lead sponsor of the measure. It would also do away with neighborhood notification rules for allowed businesses and speed up the permitting process. Measure K would authorize the city by ordinance to own, develop, construct, rehabilitate, or acquire up to 10,000 residential units of low rent housing projects within the city for the purpose of providing affordable rental housing. Voters will also find the regional Measure RR on their ballot, which authorizes a 30-year one-eighth cent sales tax to provide roughly $100 million a year for Caltrain rail service from San Jose through the Peninsula and into San Francisco. Due to the demands of civic leaders in San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, it also restructures the governance of the rail service. It needs a two-thirds vote to pass.t

in SOMA will be excited to have an eclectic bar/nightclub at their immediate disposal,” Hatchel wrote. Tao and another project sponsor, Daniel Belknap, spoke before the entertainment commission in late June. Tao said at that time that due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the real estate market, the earliest they anticipate getting started on the project is the end of 2021. The earliest residents are slated to move in is 2024. All of the commissioners present at that time voted in favor of the recommendations that have been sent to the planning commission.

about the potential for noise and wafting cigarette smoke. At the time, one SOMA resident said she opposed the move because “this neighborhood has been moving away from its sexual outlaw DMZ rep,” apparently using the initials for demilitarized zone. Goldfarb said that the Lone Star Saloon, Calle 11, and 1015 Folsom have all received complaints from people living nearby regarding noise. None of those establishments responded to the B.A.R.’s requests for comment by press time. As the B.A.R. reported in 2018 many queer SOMA residents spoke out against a Starbucks popping up near Wicked Grounds, a queer independently-owned coffee shop. Following a community meeting, Starbucks did not move there. Goldfarb said that hopefully the leather district will be able to use ground floor space for a new community center. “One of our long term goals is to create a community center and hopefully landlords can assist in that effort to help the community in the leather district,” Goldfarb said.t

Previous flashpoints

Negotiating space in SOMA – who gets it and what they can do with it – has been a flashpoint between the leather and LGBTQ communities and others in the past. As the B.A.R. previously reported in 2007 and 2008, Hole in the Wall was delayed from relocating for months because people living near the proposed new site of the bar, at 1369 Folsom Street where it is currently located, were concerned

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t Castro Merchants encourages new Pride symbols 6 • Bay Area Reporter • August 20-26, 2020

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Plaza flag history

he Black Lives Matter movement has brought forward what could be considered one of the most important social discussions in a generation. And with its deep history in civil rights, the Castro understands all too well that it takes loud voices and strong actions to generate meaningful change. In the past two months, there have been many strong voices, including the Bay Area Reporter in a recent editorial [“Raise an inclusive Castro flag,” August 6], and two separate online petitions, suggesting the iconic rainbow flag in Harvey Milk Plaza be changed to one of the newer flags, including the Philadelphia Pride Flag and the Progress Pride Flag. In each instance, those important voices are calling upon Castro Merchants, the district’s business association, to replace the existing rainbow flag.

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To fully understand the issue, you have to first travel back to when the original rainbow flag was created by Gilbert Baker in 1978. Baker’s friend, Harvey Milk, having just joined the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, challenged the artist to come up with a symbol of Pride for the gay community – a positive alternative to the pink triangle. Baker’s answer was the rainbow flag. Speaking in 2012, Baker explained, “What I liked about the symbolism of the rainbow is that it fits us. It’s all the colors. It represents all the genders. It represents all the races. It’s the rainbow of humanity.” In a statement, the Gilbert Baker Foundation recently wrote: “The rainbow flag was meant to represent all colors, creeds, races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations. It was meant to be everybody’s flag.” The foundation also had a similar letter published in the B.A.R. Today’s rainbow flag, along with the flagpole at Castro and Market (intentionally aligned with the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street), was conceived and designed by Baker and approved by the city as a work of art. The installation was overseen by Baker in 1997 and completed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the election of Harvey Milk. According to his friends, Baker was quite emphatic about this being a work of art, his one perma-

Castro Merchants’ role

Shortly after it was erected, recognizing no one was taking care of the flagpole and the humongous flag that rips in San Francisco’s fierce summer winds, Castro Merchants assumed stewardship of the art installation. We have no authority to change the flag and our sole responsibility is maintenance, including replacing the tattered flag and maintaining the flagpole at the cost of near $5,000 annually. However, we want to be a part of any movement to add to this symbol of diversity and inclusion that stands proud at the entrance of the Castro. While we do not ultimately control the content of this San Francisco art installation, we hear these recent voices for change loud and clear. When they arose in June, the Castro Merchants board scrambled to see what could be done. In addition to understanding how Baker viewed his work as not just a flag and a flagpole but as an art installation, we learned quickly that

the existing flagpole does not have the structural integrity or proper safety clearance to hold more than one flag. We then sought out other prominent flagpoles in the district to fly alternative flags – there were none. Bank of America graciously offered the side of its building on Castro and 18th streets, but that would require any alternative flag be made into a very large vinyl banner to secure it properly. We also recognized the availability of the light pole banners on Castro Street to honor the Black Lives Matter movement and other future causes important to our community. Of course, all of these opportunities require funding and community support. Unfortunately, given the impact of the coronavirus on our local businesses and our organization, funding for any solution is in short supply.

Encouraging other Pride symbols in the Castro

In our role as stewards of Baker’s original art installation, the Castro Merchants can’t recommend changing it, but can absolutely encourage the display of other symbols of Pride in the Castro. We would support any community effort to erect an additional flagpole or some other installation in a significant location in the neighborhood to fly flags that symbolize the diversity of our LGBTQ+ residents and visitors, and would use any influence we have with the city to push this through. Were we to assume stewardship of any additional art installations, we would honor the original guiding intent of that instal-

Rick Gerharter

The rainbow flag flies at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro.

lation, the same as we have done for Baker’s art, unless directed differently by those responsible for its development and installation. To this end, we will host an online community discussion on this matter soon, including gay District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District, the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, and other community organizations, to establish a concrete way forward with a defined timeline. Those interested in helping to lead this effort can email us at info@castromerchants.com. It’s time to turn everyone’s loud voices into definitive action. We are determined to support the Castro as the world’s most inclusive and welcoming place; where individuality, creativity, and self-expression are encouraged and celebrated.t Masood Samereie is the board president of Castro Merchants.

Supervisors reject trans SFMTA nominee by Cynthia Laird

ane Natoli, a trans woman who was nominated by Mayor London Breed for a seat on the powerful San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s board of directors, was rejected by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday. The August 18 vote was 4-6, after discussion by some supervisors who

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nent piece of public art. An apt analogy would be Cupid’s bow along the Embarcadero. Before his death in 2017, Baker and other community leaders sought to have the rainbow flag art installation registered as a historic landmark through the San Francisco Historic Preservation Commission. It won’t be eligible for landmark status for another two years.

were concerned over opposition that materialized since Natoli was recommended 3-0 by the board’s rules committee August 10. District 4 Supervisor Gordon Mar, who voted for Natoli in the rules committee hearing, changed his vote Tuesday, saying he could not ignore community concerns. Several organizations sent letters of opposition to the board, including the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, United To Save The Mission, the Housing Rights Committee, and the Rose Pak Democratic Club. While stating that he had “great respect” for Natoli, a former board member of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Mar said he needed to take into account equity issues surrounding the city’s public transportation system. District 9 Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who also voted for Natoli at rules but did not commit to supporting her at Tuesday’s full board meeting, said she was “going out quite on a limb” in supporting Natoli. But Ronen’s affirmative vote was not enough, as most of the board’s progressive members: Supervisors Aaron Peskin, Norman Yee, Sandra Lee Fewer, Dean Preston, and Shamann Walton voted against Natoli,

Courtesy Jane Natoli

Jane Natoli

in addition to Mar. Supervisors Matt Haney, Rafael Mandelman, and Catherine Stefani voted for Natoli, in addition to Ronen. Supervisor Ahsha Safai was absent. Natoli said she was “disappointed in the outcome.” “I was looking forward to contributing as a board member but the work continues regardless, irrelevant of one vote,” she wrote in an email to the Bay Area Reporter. Breed blasted the supervisors’ vote. “The Board of Supervisors’ de-

cision to reject the nomination of Jane Natoli for the SFMTA Board is a deeply cynical move that represents what is wrong with San Francisco politics,” Breed said in a statement. “And let’s be clear, this is simply about politics.” Breed criticized the fact that Natoli waited over 100 days for her hearing. “During this time, the SFMTA board could barely make a quorum while the SFMTA is having to make countless difficult decisions as a result of COVID-19,” the mayor stated. “When Jane finally received a hearing, the board did not question her qualifications, in fact she received a unanimously positive recommendation in her committee hearing. “Jane is a transit rider, a bicycle rider, and a transportation advocate who is well-respected for her advocacy,” Breed added. “She would have been the first trans director in the history of the SFMTA board, bringing a unique perspective that the SFMTA board has never had before. But the supervisors decided that their political differences with her are more important than having qualified directors on the SFMTA board.” t A longer version of this story is online at www.ebar.com.

Obituaries >> Daniel P. Barber 1950 – 2020

Dan Barber, 70, died August 5, 2020 in Palm Springs, California from complications of COVID-19. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up near Frederick, Maryland. He moved to San Francisco in 1978, where he met his husband, Keith Rasmussen, in 1981. The couple lived in

San Francisco until Dan’s retirement after 27 years at PG&E, then moved to Palm Springs. Together, the couple enjoyed 40 years filled with adventures and travel. In 1986, Dan co-founded PrideNetwork, PG&E’s LGBTQ employee resource group, and was often the group’s president. Under his tenure, PG&E received the Human Rights Campaign’s Out & Equal Award. In 1989, Dan helped to start the eQuality Scholarship Collaborative, a multi-industry organization which to date has awarded over $1.5 million to youth who have worked

in their schools to assure equality for LGBTQ people. In retirement he served on the board and as president of the Palm Springs – Los Compadres Neighborhood Organization. In addition to his husband, Dan is survived by his sisters, Joey and Becki, and numerous relatives. A celebration of Dan’s life will be scheduled when it becomes safe for people to gather in groups. For information, contact KeithNDan@aol.com. Donations: eQuality Scholarship Collaborative at www.equalityscholarship.org/donate.html in memory of Dan Barber.

Community News>>

August 20-26, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 7

11 vie for 4 SF college board seats by Matthew S. Bajko

ith a pair of out City College of San Francisco trustees likely to be reelected, the real electoral battle on the November 3 ballot is for the two open seats on the community college board. Because incumbents Alex Randolph, a gay man, and straight ally Ivy Lee both opted not to seek reelection, the deadline for candidates to enter the race was extended to August 12. While 12 people qualified for the ballot, Dawson Cooper informed the Bay Area Reporter they had decided to suspend their campaign. That leaves nine newcomers vying to join the board along with

trustees Shanell Williams, who is bisexual and currently president of the community college’s board, and Tom Temprano, a gay man who is board vice president, seeking reelection. The out leaders have garnered broad support, with both of the city’s two LGBTQ political clubs endorsing them. Last week, the Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club also endorsed Aliya Chisti, who touts on her website she would be the first Muslim woman elected in San Francisco. Chisti, who was endorsed by Randolph, is a former educator who oversees the Free City College Program at the city’s Department of Children Youth and Their Families.

The Alice club also endorsed Alan Wong, an administrative aide to Supervisor Gordon Mar who has the endorsements of all of the current trustees except for Lee. His immigrant father took English classes at City College, while Wong took free classes at the community college during high school and used the credits at UC San Diego so he could graduate at the age of 19. The more progressive Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club voted Tuesday to endorse the two incumbents, Wong, and Han Zou, a Chinese immigrant who is an administrative aide to Supervisor Matt Haney and formerly was executive director of the local Democratic Party.

Others seeking a college board seat are Geramye Teeter, a Black queer man who is an energy efficiency project manager; former City College dean of students and union leader Anita Martinez; former Georgetown University Board of Regents member Marie Hurabiell; and Victor Olivieri, a political science professor at Santa Clara University who is president of the city’s Veterans Affairs Commission and who previously ran in 2018. Also running are lawyer Jeanette Quick and Dominic Ashe. The San Francisco Democratic Party will be interviewing candidates Saturday, August 22, and will vote on endorsing in the race Wednesday, August 26.t

Courtesy Facebook

Geramye Teeter is running for a seat on the City College of San Francisco board.

Gay SF aging services pioneer Hadley Hall dies by Cynthia Laird

adley Dale Hall, a pioneer in aging services in San Francisco and a leader in the LGBTQ+ community, died August 10, following a brief illness. He was 87. Mr. Hall, a gay man, founded San Francisco Home Health Services, a nonprofit organization, where he developed the groundbreaking 30th Street Senior Center in 1976. He formed comprehensive programs for the elderly such as home-delivered meals, congregate meals, adult day health, and home care, all while advocating for living wages and better working conditions for home health aides and homemakers. He also created Coming Home Hospice, the first residential AIDS hospice in the country, according to his obituary. The program provided care and support for both people with AIDS and those with other terminal illnesses. And he’s the retired CEO of the Visiting Nurses and Hospice program in San Francisco. “He was an extraordinary human being,” former San Francisco mayor Art Agnos told the Bay Area Reporter in a phone interview. “When I first came to San Francisco as a social worker for low-income public housing residents, he became my role model.” Agnos, who served in the California Assembly before becoming mayor, and later worked as regional director for the U.S. Department of

Saul Bromberger

Hadley Hall attended a reception at Openhouse in 2019.

Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton, said he often turned to Mr. Hall for advice on policy matters. Linda Edelstein, a lesbian who worked in the aging field for many years, started out as an employee of Mr. Hall’s at SF Home Health Services. She later served as manager of Coming Home Hospice for 10 years. The two kept in touch and she served as his power of attorney for health matters, she told the B.A.R. in a phone interview. “His focus was always for health care workers,” Edelstein said. “They didn’t have good benefits or stability in their work schedules.” She explained that Mr. Hall got the first In-Home Support Services contract with the city and “really

pushed” for benefits for the workers. “He didn’t just talk it – he did it,” she said. LGBTQ seniors were always a key group for Mr. Hall, Edelstein added, but “he never stopped working for home health aides.” Mr. Hall, who retired in 1986, was also involved with Openhouse, the San Francisco nonprofit that provides housing and services for LGBTQ seniors, where he was a longtime board member. Marcy Adelman, Ph.D., and her late spouse, Jeanette Gurevitch, founded Openhouse in 1998. Mr. Hall served on the board from 2004 through 2017 and remained active as a key adviser as a board alumnus. “Hadley was an extraordinary advocate for seniors. He was a mentor, teacher, and friend not only to me,

but to all Openhouse board members and staff,” Adelman stated. “As a leader, he was both generous and fierce – generous with his time, praise, and compassion and fierce in his advocacy and drive to see that seniors receive the best care possible and then some. We loved him.” Karyn Skultety, Ph.D., a bi woman who is executive director of Openhouse, said that Mr. Hall’s legacy lives on at the agency. “Hadley was a beloved figure in the LGBTQ+ senior community in San Francisco,” she stated. “He selflessly contributed his experience, grit, and determination to help LGBTQ+ seniors age comfortably at home rather than go back into the closet at oftenunwelcoming nursing homes.” Openhouse board co-Presidents Tim Sweeney and Nanette Miller praised Mr. Hall and his work. “Our organization and services reflect Hadley’s strength and spirit, and we pay tribute to his many hours of effort and selfless contributions toward the mission and success of Openhouse,” they stated. Mr. Hall also served as an adviser and volunteer for On Lok, a senior agency that took over management of the 30th Street Senior Center in 1995. Last year the center celebrated 40 years of service.

Early life

Mr. Hall was born on July 8, 1933 in North Dakota. Edelstein said that at age 9, he moved to Washington state, where he attended college for his undergraduate degree. He

moved to San Francisco around 1960 and earned a master’s of social work from UC Berkeley. Mr. Hall’s husband, Warde Laidman, who survives him, was the executive director of Family Service Agency. Agnos recalled that “the two of them made a magnificent couple,” professionally and personally. Edelstein said that the men had been together for about 60 years. The couple lived in San Francisco for many years, moved for a time to Marin County, then returned to the city, most recently at Rhoda Goldman Plaza, an assisted living facility. Edelstein said that at Rhoda Goldman, Mr. Hall continued his advocacy, and even managed to get a few rules changed. For one, dogs weren’t allowed and Laidman had a dog; that rule was modified. Mr. Hall also managed to get the facility to allow residents to bring their own wine to dinner. “He’d say, ‘I’m here, I’m gay,’” Edelstein recalled. “He was such a likeable person.” In addition to his husband, Mr. Hall is survived by a sister, Carmela Sanders, of Beaverton, Oregon, as well as many nieces and nephews. On Lok and Openhouse will observe a celebration of Mr. Hall’s life at the new Openhouse Community Center in 2021 after it is safe to gather socially. A bronze tribute already cast in Mr. Hall’s honor and planned for the community center will now become a memorial, and will be unveiled at the celebration of his life, Skultety said.t

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<< From the Cover

8 • Bay Area Reporter • August 20-26, 2020

Gay educator

From page 1

At the same time the gay educator was helping to chart a course for the San Francisco Unified School District, as he is an elected member of the school board and took over the gavel as president of the oversight body at the beginning of the year. It too suspended in-class instruction amid the pandemic and opted to begin its new school year on August 17 remotely, providing its students online “crisis distance learning” from the confines of their homes. While the smaller district where Sanchez works opted to let teachers back into their classrooms for the new school year, San Francisco’s far larger school district is keeping its staff at home for now. “We know that nothing will ever fully replace in-person instruction, but educators are excited to welcome our students and families back remotely for now and continue to work together on plans to get us safely back to our classrooms and schools,” stated United Educators of San Francisco President Susan Solomon. The school district is now negotiating with its teachers union on what a hybrid educational system would look like once they are confident they can safely return educators and students to the classroom. Under consideration is having half the class attend school on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the other half in the classroom Thursdays and Fridays. Everyone would stay home for remote learning on Wednesdays.

Angélica Garcia

From page 1

I know it sounds basic and simple, but we really talked about how we’d do it.” As the two moved up the hierarchy of the school, they began to implement some of these ideas and Garcia saw that McVean was committed to changes. “It wasn’t until we’d had that moment where she thought ‘maybe he will put in the effort and be there for students of color, for LGBTQ+ students, as he should be,’” McVean said.

CA Props

From page 1

Edward Wright, chair of the Milk club PAC, said that Prop 209 is “a racist relic of the 1990s.” “A lot of problems our communities are facing are rooted in racial injustice and we can’t have race-neutral solutions to those problems,” Wright said in a phone interview with the B.A.R. “The state needs to allocate resources to address those disparities.”Catie Arbona, a queer woman who is the co-chair of the Alice club, said that endorsing Prop 16 was “a fairly easy decision for the club.” “Three years ago we put a position in the policy platform calling for 209’s repeal,” she said. “Prop 16 allows for greater representation in hiring and education.” Also supporting Prop 16 is Assemblyman David Chiu (D), whose district covers about 60% of San Francisco, mostly in the eastern half. “This is one I’ve been extremely interested in,” Chiu said. “I support it because after 24 years it’s clear the ban on affirmative action instituted by Prop 209 has done our state damage. The conversation about structural racism showcases how important it is to take into account racial inequities and to establish real opportunity for all.” Wenyuan Wu, the executive director of Californians for Equal Rights – No on 16, told the B.A.R. that Connerly is active in opposing the proposition. Wu said that Prop

earlier stint as board president, until stepping down in early 2009. Due to his being back on the board, Sanchez resigned as the principal of the district’s Cleveland Elementary School in the Excelsior neighborhood, where he had been for nearly six years. It forced him to seek work outside the school district. He had already decided to seek another four-year term prior to the COVID outbreak. While he acknowledged he asks himself “all the time” why run again, Sanchez told the B.A.R. the health crisis has only furthered his resolve for wanting to remain on the school board. “Once it hit, I was president and thrust into more of a leadership role. I felt it was important to have continuity there,” said Sanchez.

Other candidates

Running for reelection

The interruption to the normal classroom routines comes as Sanchez is seeking reelection to the San Francisco Board of Education, on which he is the lone member from the city’s LGBTQ community. His election four years ago marked a return for Sanchez to the oversight body on which he had previously served for eight years, including an

While fellow school board member Jenny Lam is also running for another term, Rachel Norton and Stevon Cook both decided not to seek reelection. The only LGBTQ non-incumbent candidate who had pulled papers for the school board race, Njon Sanders, announced last week that he had decided not to run. There are eight non-incumbents who qualified for the ballot. Like Sanchez, parent advocate Alida Fisher, who chairs the district’s special education advisory panel, has the endorsements of the city’s two main LGBTQ political clubs. The progressive Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club is also supporting Kevine Boggess, a married father who is the education policy director at Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth.

The Alice B. Toklas LGBTQ Democratic Club has also endorsed Lam, Mayor London Breed’s education adviser, and parent advocate Michelle Parker, who has served on numerous school-related oversight bodies. Parker and Fisher both ran unsuccessfully for the school board two years ago, as did Paul Kangas, who is running again this fall. Also on the ballot are Matt Alexander, a former teacher and school principal in the district who is now the lead organizer for Faith in Action Bay Area; Nick Rothman, a department chair at City College of San Francisco whose two daughters attend high school in the district; and educators Genevieve Lawrence and Andrew Alston. Sanchez, who has endorsed Lam, Boggess, and Alexander, told the B.A.R. that he is feeling confident of his chances in the race. “I have been fortunate to get all the endorsements I have gone through the process to get,” he noted. Rawlings-Fein, who ran two years ago for a school board seat, told the B.A.R. it is important for the oversight body to include educators, parents, and people from the LGBTQ community. A member of the Alice club board who was personally supporting the quartet of candidates that received its endorsement, Rawlings-Fein said it would be a real loss were Sanchez not to be reelected. “The LGBTQ community, especially, really needs representation on the board,” he noted, and without Sanchez, “there will be nobody on the board at all who is LGBTQ; that is scary.”t

To further her goal of college completion, Garcia designed and led the Promise Scholars program at Skyline, which McVean said serves 2,000 students a year and provides them with a dedicated counselor, among other support. “We never lost our focus on this and it took us [on professional trips] to New York, to Arizona State, always around this commitment to designing a college where all students can complete,” McVean said. Garcia lives with her wife, Maria Capitelli, and their two children. She said it has provided her

an opportunity to bond with her colleagues who are facing the challenges of both working from home and raising a family in the midst of the global pandemic. “Because I have two small children, what I’m appreciating is I try to be authentically myself and we – many of my colleagues – wonder how to provide a loving environment for my children while I’m at work,” Garcia said. “People share that it’s humanizing when I share my struggles, too. We’re all doing what we can at this time. This is unlike any time we have ever experienced but the uncertainty is an-

other element.” Ramona F. Butler, the extended opportunity program and services (EOPS) and CARE coordinator at Berkeley City College, said, “I have nothing but good things to say so far.” Butler was on the hiring committee that selected Garcia. “Berkeley City College gives away meals to the community each Friday between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and so I’ve worked closely with her in those circumstances,” Butler said. “She giving out meals means lots, and it’s been an opportunity for us to bond and

all of that.” Butler said that Garcia is “really student-focused” and “can’t wait to have the opportunity to sit down, face-to-face, without social distancing and just being together.” Garcia is a Bay Area native who has a doctorate from San Francisco State University in educational leadership. Berkeley City College has around 6,000 students and is joined in the Peralta district by three other community colleges: College of Alameda in the city of Alameda, and Merritt College and Laney College in Oakland.t

16 is a “bandage” on deeper structural problems in the state. “Prop 16 harms everyone by eroding the principle of equal protection for all and rejecting meritbased principles,” Wu said. “Prop 16 legalizes discrimination in the name of diversity and equity. ... The authors want to increase the percentage of so-called underrepresented minorities in education, public employment, and contracting. The general goal is to have the demographics of education, public employment, and contracting mirror the demographics of California. It’s a bandage that doesn’t solve deeper problems such as a lack of access in K-12 education.” Wu said that many in the Asian community are concerned that if Prop 16 is passed there will be less Asian representation in the University of California system. Chiu has heard those concerns too, he said. “As chair of the API [Asian and Pacific Islander] Legislative Caucus, our caucus took a hard look at 209 and what it would look like to overturn it,” Chiu said. “In public employment there are so many areas no one can dispute where greater diversity can help: greater African American involvement in law enforcement, more Asian American teachers, more Latinx people in medicine and health care.” Chiu said that some people mistakenly believe Prop 16 would reinstate racial quotas, which were ruled unconstitutional in the Bakke decision.

“The Asian American community has clamored for more bilingual offerings in education, more positions in higher education and in high schools,” he said. “Those are necessary and would only benefit California.”

support for Prop 16, saying that “I feel they’re both matters of justice and representation.” “Prop 18 allows for young voters who are going to be able to vote in the general election to have a say on who they will be voting for,” Arbona said. “We supported letting 16-yearolds vote when it came up on the local ballot.” She was referring to 2016’s San Francisco Proposition F, which would have allowed 16-year-olds to vote. It was not passed by voters. A local measure similar to Prop 18 is on the ballot this November. Wright of the Milk club said he it’d be his preference for Prop 18 to be closer to the San Francisco measure. “I wish it went further,” Wright said. “Prop 18 is not groundbreaking. It’s not a radical idea. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the time of the general election to vote in the primaries.” Chiu said more young people would vote if they could get into the habit before 18, a tumultuous age for many young adults amid graduating high school and starting work, college, or military or foreign service. “I have been a strong supporter of the Vote 16 effort in San Francisco; they’re obviously related,” Chiu said. “We know if a person starts voting at a young age he or she establishes it as a habit. We need to engage our younger people in political discussions and it’s far better to get people registered

and in the habit before 18 because people who are 18 often leave their parents house and are doing other things for the first time and are less likely to vote.” Prop 18 is opposed by the Election Integrity Project California, which gave a written statement to the B.A.R. The project stated that 17-yearolds should not be voting because they are “captive audiences in school” and thus susceptible to their teachers’ and counselors’ opinions, because they are not legal adults who can enter into contracts and because they may “provide the margin to approve new debt and taxes that will greatly burden their parents and all taxpayers.” “Both the federal and California governments have set the age of legal responsibility at 18,” the statement reads, in part. “Everyone has the right to express an opinion, advocate on issues, organize likeminded people and volunteer on campaigns. The right to vote, however, is reserved for citizens who are state residents, who are not felons in prison, and who are at least 18 years of age on Election Day. “Voting is a serious responsibility. In California elections, voters decide who will hold the power to make and enforce laws, whether to approve new debt that taxpayers will have to pay, whether to raise taxes, and many other complex issues,” the statement reads. “Important decisions must be made by voters who are legally adults, not by high school minors.”t

Another proposal would be for one group of students to attend school in the mornings and the other in the afternoons. In addition to figuring out the scheduling logistics San Francisco education leaders are grappling with myriad issues, like a lack of school nurses, bus service interruptions, and ventilation problems in school buildings, that need to be addressed in order for students and staff to be back on campus. “We have not determined yet when to go back to school. We are hoping mid-October but the way things are going it is looking it may not happen,” said Sanchez, though he added, “we are eternal optimists.”

Safety first

No matter what system the school district lands on to resume in-school instruction, Sanchez stressed that multiple safety precautions will be followed. All school staff will be tested for COVID every two months, he noted, while students would be tested if they are showing symptoms of the illness. “If we have the students come in, they will be at least six feet apart from each other and the instructor. They will all be wearing protective masks, and the teachers will be wearing masks and shields,” said Sanchez. The rollout of the remote learning “could have been smoother,” said Martin Rawlings-Fein, a bisexual transgender married father of two students who attend the city’s public schools. Nonetheless, Rawlings-Fein told the B.A.R. he supports the decision to keep the students out of the classroom for the time being.

“We are in a crisis mode. We are trying to make things happen that we normally wouldn’t do and make people working fulltime also take on the teacher role with their children,” said Rawlings-Fein, who like his wife has mostly been working from home since the shelter-in-place orders were issued. “I am happy they are home and am happy we are staying at home and staying safe. I think all students need to be safe and happy and healthy. For no reason would I put students back into the schools at this time.” Sanchez acknowledged that the decision-making process about the new school year had frustrated many parents. He is working with his colleagues to improve their communication with families, and he noted the school district would be checking in with families three times during the school year to see how they are doing. “We are going to be doing what we did last spring with wellness checks for families,” he said. “We want to get a better understanding of how families are doing emotionally and what needs they have.” As for the first day of the school year in San Francisco, Sanchez called it a success.

Lowered voting age

Prop 18 would lower the voting age in California such that if an individual otherwise eligible to vote can cast a ballot in a November general election, they can vote in the primary election as well. This means some, though not all, 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote. The ballot measure was sent to the voters by the state Legislature after longtime attempts by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin (D-South San Francisco) and his father, former Assemblyman Gene Mullin (DSouth San Francisco). Prop 18 was endorsed by EQCA, the Alice and Milk clubs, and the California Democratic Party. “Voting is a habit-forming behavior,” EQCA’s Garrett-Pate said. “We have to have engaged young people who are educated about the importance of voting and civic participation, particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, and to build political power for our community. If someone can vote in the general election, there’s no reason not to allow people to vote in the primary, which is a huge part of figuring out who is going to be elected in the general.” Arbona of the Alice club tied support for Prop 18 in with the club’s

Legals & Classifieds>>

August 20-26, 2020 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 9

Legals>> ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555803 In the matter of the application of MARIA DELIA ELIZABETH NUNEZ GUTIERREZ, 1770 SAN JOSE AVE #5, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112 for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner MARIA DELIA ELIZABETH NUNEZ GUTIERREZ is requesting that the name MARIA DELIA ELIZABETH NUNEZ GUTIERREZ AKA DELIA E. NUNEZ AKA ELIZABETH NUNEZ be changed to ELIZABETH NUNEZ. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Rm. 103 on the 17th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555802 In the matter of the application of YANAI HUANG & AICHAO LIU, 849 JAMESTOWN AVE #201, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124 for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner YANAI HUANG & AICHAO LIU is requesting that the name QINGPING LIU AKA QING PING LIU be changed to BENSON LIU. 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 10th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039106800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as AMIA LUXE, 1315 QUESADA AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LADAVID ANDERSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/09/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/17/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039096900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as FRISCO’S FAMILY DELI, 28 LELAND AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94134. This business is conducted by a general partnership, and is signed ISSA NAFE & OMAR HANNA. 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 06/30/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039107500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as DISC ALIGN, 644 11TH AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed BACK-A-LINE INC. (CA). 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 07/17/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039107200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as GRACE DENTAL GROUP, 1426 FILLMORE ST #215, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed WOO YOUNG LEE DDS, INC. (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 05/10/07. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/17/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039111800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as KITCHEN ALOHA, 752 VAN NESS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed KITCHEN ALOHA (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039106300 The following person(s) is/are doing business as CURRENT SF, 810 GONZALEZ DR #4F, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94132. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed CURRENT SF LCC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/10/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/16/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-039051600 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as SIMPLY NAILS, 5933 MISSION ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business was conducted by an individual and signed by WENDY DANG. The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 04/22/20. JUL 30, AUG 06, 13, 20, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555810 In the matter of the application of KAREN BETH HANDLEMAN & KAREN LEE MILLER, 648 GATES ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioners KAREN BETH HANDLEMAN & KAREN LEE MILLER are requesting that the name BEN HANDLEMAN be changed to BEN MILLER HANDLEMAN. 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 10th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555817 In the matter of the application of DANNY STEVE GONZALEZ & JI-HYUN JENNIFER LEE, 563 BELVEDERE ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner DANNY STEVE GONZALEZ & JI-HYUN JENNIFER LEE is requesting that the name AE SOLEDAD LEE GONZALEZ be changed to ELODI SOLEDAD EUN-JI GONZALEZ LEE. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103 on the 15th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039110900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE FRAME & EYE OPTICAL, 319 JUDAH ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed RICHARD L. NELSON. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/13/80. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20. AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039109000 The following person(s) is/are doing business as HONEYCOMB BEHAVIORAL HEALTH GROUP, 2211 POST ST #300, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed HONEYCOMB THERAPY, A MARRIAGE & FAMILY THERAPY CORP (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 06/29/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/21/20. AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039112600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as UNSHIPPERS, 1251 ARMISTEAD RD #B, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94129. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed WATKINS COMPANY LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 11/01/19. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20. AUG 06, 13, 20, 27, 2020 NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF HUSAM MOUSA QANA AKA HUSAM M. QANA AKA HUSAM QANA IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO: FILE PES20-303794 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of HUSAM MOUSA QANA AKA HUSAM M. QANA AKA HUSAM QANA. A Petition for Probate has been filed by KAREN L. FISHER, CLPF #675 in

the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The Petition for Probate requests that KAREN L. FISHER, CLPF #675 be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. The petition requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A hearing on the petition will be held in this court as follows: September 02, 2020, 9:00 am, Dept 204, Rm 204, Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102. If you object to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. If you are a creditor or contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the latter of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined by section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. You may examine the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: LEE L. KASTER (SBN #208743), LAW OFFICES OF LEE KASTER, PC, 1806 BONANZA ST, WALNUT CREEK, CA 94596; Ph. (925) 280-6701. AUG 13, 20, 27, 2020

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555823 In the matter of the application of YIRONG ZHEN, 542 MASON ST #60, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner YIRONG ZHEN is requesting that the name YIRONG ZHEN be changed to JOHN Z MARTINEZ. 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 17th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555821 In the matter of the application of SOPHIA DIANE PETRUCCI, 1514 PERSHING DR C, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94129, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner SOPHIA DIANE PETRUCCI is requesting that the name SOPHIA DIANE PETRUCCI AKA SOPHIA DIANE TRUMBAUER AKA SOPHIA DIANE TRUMBAUER PETRUCCI AKA SOPHIA D. PETRUCCI be changed to SOPHIA ARTEMIS LENNOX. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 514 on the 15th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039120900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as CAMITH, 36 FORD ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94114. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed JEFFREY SMITH. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/05/20. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039116600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as PHILTRE; HEROIC; 121 BANKS ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed PHILTRE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on PHILTRE 07/16/15; HEROIC N/A. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/30/20. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2020 STATEMENT OF ABANDONMENT OF USE OF FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME FILE A-036514800 The following persons have abandoned the use of the fictitious business name known as SAGEKAT; THE SAGE REVIEW; 121 BANKS ST, SAN FRACISCO, CA 94110. This business was conducted by a limited liability company and signed by PHILTRE LLC (CA). The fictitious name was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 06/02/15. AUG 13, 20, 27, SEP 03, 2020 STATEMENT OF DAMAGES (PERSONAL INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH) IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CGC18-570359 To Defendant: MATINA ELAINE MCDANIEL AKA TINA MCDANIEL, Plaintiff: JANET TAPIA seeks damages in the above-entitled action, in Superior Court of California, 400 McAllister St., San Francisco, CA 94102, as follows: 1. General Damages: a. Pain, suffering, and inconvenience $300,000; b. Emotional distress $300,000. 2. Special Damages: a. Medical expenses (to date) $200,000; b. Future medical expenses (present value) $100,000; i. Other, Wrongful eviction

$600,000; j. Other, Loss of normal use of my legs physical and emotional scaring $900,000. 3. Punitive damages: Plaintiff reserves the right to seek punitive damages in the amount of $150,000 when pursuing a judgment in the suit filed against you. August 17, 2020, signed Janet Tapia (Party without Attorney), 237 Kearny St. #237, San Francisco, CA 94108 AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555832 In the matter of the application of JOHN RICHARD DANIEL, 1547 SHAFTER AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner JOHN RICHARD DANIEL is requesting that the name JOHN RICHARD DANIEL be changed to JOHN RICHARD BAIRD. Now therefore, it is hereby ordered, that all persons interested in said matter do appear before this Court in Dept. 103 on the 24th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555836 In the matter of the application of WILLIAM ERIK BLAKEMAN, 1077 MCALLISTER ST #E, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner WILLIAM ERIK BLAKEMAN is requesting that the name WILLIAM ERIK BLAKEMAN AKA ERIK WILLIAM BLAKEMAN be changed to ERIK WILLIAM BLAKEMAN. 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 29th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME IN SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO FILE CNC-20-555838 In the matter of the application of DOROTHY ELIZABETH PAUTZ, 237 GRATTAN ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94117, for change of name having been filed in Superior Court, and it appearing from said application that petitioner DOROTHY ELIZABETH PAUTZ is requesting that the name DOROTHY ELIZABETH PAUTZ AKA DOROTHY E. PAUTZ AKA DOROTHY PAUTZ AKA DORTHY ELIZBETH PAUTZ AKA DORTHY E. PAUTZ AKA DORTHY PAUTZ be changed to DORTHY ELIZABETH PAUTZ. 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 29th of September 2020 at 9:00am of said day to show cause why the application for change of name should not be granted. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039124500 The following person(s) is/are doing business as HENRY TRUCKING, 207 PERU AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94112. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed LEONARDO RODRIGUEZ. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 08/01/06. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039126900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as LEGENDS MAMA BOUTIQUE, 70 BAYVIEW ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed MAGGIE PASIGAN.

The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/28/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/10/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039123800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as THE BLUE BUDDHA, 1122A SUTTER ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed ERIK EVERTS. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/14/11. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039128900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as BUILDNG GREEN PROJECTS, 605 ARGUELLO BLVD, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94118. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DANIEL MARTINEZ MEDELLIN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/12/09. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/12/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039132100 The following person(s) is/are doing business as PLYWOOD PROS, 1770 ARMSTRONG AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94124. This business is conducted by an individual, and is signed DONALD DARRELL JORDAN. The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 01/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/14/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039124900 The following person(s) is/are doing business as FRESH VICTOR, 1935 LAWTON ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94122. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed NINE COUNTY BRANDS, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 12/01/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039112200 The following person(s) is/are doing business as KIRBY ARCHITECTURE, 311 POTRERO AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103. This business is conducted by a corporation, and is signed KIRBY LEE ARCHITECTS, INC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on NA. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 07/24/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039120800 The following person(s) is/are doing business as AL’S PLACE, 1499 VALENCIA ST, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed TATR LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 10/22/14. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/07/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020 FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT FILE A-039124600 The following person(s) is/are doing business as ENTELLA HOTEL, 905 COLUMBUS AVE, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133. This business is conducted by a limited liability company, and is signed 905 COLUMBUS AVENUE LLC (CA). The registrant(s) commenced to transact business under the above listed fictitious business name or names on 07/01/20. The statement was filed with the City and County of San Francisco, CA on 08/08/20. AUG 20, 27, SEP 03, 10, 2020

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by Gregg Shapiro

et’s face it, we’re not going to be going anywhere for a while. With most of the country facing a devastating number of COVID-19 infections, and the rate showing no signs of declining, people are looking for sources of safe indoor entertainment, such as watching movies. The following are a few titles worth checking out on VOD, streaming, virtual cinema or good old-fashioned Blu-ray or DVD. Based on the homonymous novel by Mario Cruz, The Prince/El Principe (Artsploitation Films), set in a Chilean prison during the reign of Salvador Allende, has a gritty, retro feel. In a drunken jealous rage, young Jaime (Juan Carlos Maldonado) slits the throat of Gitano (Cesare Serra) and is sent to prison. Relegated to a shared cell with Stud aka Ricardo (Alfredo Castro), three other inmates and Stud’s cat Plato, Jaime has to learn on the

Home movies

Late summer cinema selections fly. He gets an alias – The Prince – and finally has a chance to act on the same sex attraction with which he’d been struggling. There are flashbacks, shower sex scenes, acts of prison

Holy Trinity

The Prince/El Principe

guard brutality, and enough homoeroticism to please even Jean Genet. Occasionally undone by the stagey direction by Sebastián Muñoz, as men-behind-bars movies go, The Prince is no Kiss of the Spiderwoman, but it sure has its moments. Rating: BA psychedelic candy colored acid trip of a movie, Holy Trinity (Full Spectrum), the feature-length directorial debut of writer/actress Molly Hewitt, isn’t like anything else you’ve ever seen. Executive-produced by mumblecore mastermind Joe Swanberg, Holy Trinity certainly contains some of that genre’s chattier aspects. Where it diverts is in the level of the queer content. Trinity (Hewitt), a dominatrix with carrot orange hair, and her trans sub lover Baby (Theo Germaine of The Politician fame), share an apartment in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood with control freak Carol (Heather Lynn) and drag diva Imp Queen

Q-Music

Caroline Rose

The present is female (and queer) by Gregg Shapiro

s horrible as 2020 has been on so many fronts, at least we’ve had amazing music by queer female artists to help us get through it all. Where would we be without Becca Mancari’s The Greatest Part, Jamie Wyatt’s Neon Cross, Indigo Girls’ Look Long, Gordi’s Our Two Skins, Katie Pruitt’s Expectations, and the 35th anniversary deluxe reissue of Whitney Houston’s eponymous debut album (somebody had to say it!)? Singer/songwriter Caroline Rose’s 2018 album Loner was one of the best albums of that year, and any year, for that matter. The concept LP follow-up Superstar (New West) delivers on the promise of its predecessor and then

some. On Loner, Rose hinted at some of the subject matter she explores more fully on Superstar. Maintaining her humor and musical inventiveness throughout, these 11 songs are witty and woke observations of ambition, independence, abandon, identity and affection. Thankfully, the songs, including catchy opener “Nothing’s Impossible,” the retro disco-oriented “Do You Think We’ll Last Forever?” (a song that wouldn’t be out of Soko place on the new Jessie Ware album), the funky

fresh “Feel The Way I Want,” the freaky “Freak Like Me” and the hallucinatory “I Took A Ride” and “Pipe Dreams,” stand on their own, whether or not you are sticking with the concept. L.A.-based quartet Girl Friday wins for best album title Androgynous Mary Girl Friday (Hardly Art), for an album whose cover photo depicts what can be best described as an old school butch. As for the music within, Girl Friday has been doing its homework, successfully merging Riot Grrrl sensibilities with those of groundbreaking acts such as The Raincoats and Kleenex/LiliPUT on the ten songs, including Xoe Wise the standouts “Amber’s Knees: A Matter of Concern,” “What We Do It For,” “Gold Stars,” “I Hope Jason Is Happy” and “Clotting.” How can you go wrong with lyrics such as “I just wanna feel like and earthquake/Everything is boring for fuck’s sake” (from the song “Earthquake”)? Feel Feelings (Babycat/Because), the new LP by French actress and singer/songwriter Soko

Fay Wildhagen

(playing herself). Trinity has taken to huffing Orisha OKO room cleansing spray and as a result is experiencing surreal nightmares. Worse yet, she can hear the inner thoughts of her paying sub clients, as well as hear and see dead people. There’s a lot of religious and psychic mumbo jumbo, including hilarious scenes with a Madonna-obsessed priest (Alex Grelle) and an energy reader named Fortune (Efrén Arcoiris), who gets to utter Whoopi Goldberg’s famous line from Ghost. Before you know it, the #HolyTrinity goes viral and Trinity is internet famous. But her personal relationships begin to suffer. As the movie goes on, Trinity gets better at controlling the voices than Hewitt does at maintaining one accent (which becomes a distraction), and the movie ends with a surprise twist. Rating: B-t

Read the full review on www.ebar.com (an ex of Kristen Stewart’s!) effortlessly crosses modern pop (“Are You A Magician?,” “Let Me Adore,” “Now What?”) with retro French pop (“Blasphémie,” “Looking For Love,” “Replaceable Heads”) giving the whole record a timeless quality. “Oh, To Be A Rainbow!” is the most delicate of sexy queer songs. Soko, who lands somewhere between Becca Mancari and Cate LeBon, has crafted an emotional and personal set of songs, hence the title, but we never feel like voyeurs. Instead, Soko wants us to listen, to connect, and, if possible, to relate. Chicago-based singer/ songwriter and activist Xoe Wise puts her money where her mouth is. Sales from her new album Air (xoewisemusic. com) benefits the Brave Space Alliance, Chicago’s first Black-led and trans-led LGBTQ center. Wise, who has a pleasant and powerful voice, works in a more traditional singer/songwriter mode, as you can hear on the songs “Park Too Close,” “Blanking” and “Madison.” Just as things threaten to become a little monotonous, we get the percolating “Bad Idea,” as well as “Holiday.” Borders, the 2018 LP by Norwegian singer/songwriter Fay Wildhagen, was nominated for a couple of Spellemannprisens (aka Norway’s version of a Grammy). It’s a gorgeous record, buoyed by Wildhagen’s distinctive vocal delivery, that deserves to be heard. Wildhagen’s 2020 follow-up is the seven-song vinyl EP Leave Me to the Moon (Live in Oslo) (Warner Music Norway). Of the seven songs, four: “When I Let Go,” “Life of Pi,” “Awake,” and the title cut are from Borders.t

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August 13-19, 2020 • Bay Area Reporter • 11

Morris Kight’s life & times

Stephen Stewart

Morris Kight at the 1983 Christopher Street West parade

by Jason Victor Serinus

n her new book, Morris Kight: Humanist, Liberationist, Fantabulist (Process Media), Mary Ann Cherry shines the spotlight on Morris Kight (1919-2003), the LAbased gay rights leader who did everything possible to ensure that the spotlight shone as much on the movement as on himself. If Cherry’s biography is not without its faults, she nonetheless performs an invaluable service by recounting aspects of the modern LGBTQ movement that are too often ignored in an era when competing mythologies about the movement’s origins threaten to drown out the voices of those still alive to tell the tales. A media queen in every sense of the word, Kight first rose to national prominence as a major activist when he founded the Dow Action Committee, the organization that spearheaded the boycott of Dow Chemical, whose napalm incinerated the flesh of countless innocent people during the Vietnam War.

At the same time, Kight served as a one-person social service agency of sorts who aided homeless and anchorless young gay men. As Cherry points out several times in her 405-page biography, there is no documented evidence of him taking sexual advantage of the young men who came to him seeking help, support and counseling. As the decades progressed, Kight worked with Don Kilhefner and others to organize the Los Angeles Gay Liberation Front. In one of his great triumphs, he organized Christopher Street West, LA’s first Gay Pride Parade, which took place on June 28, 1970, exactly one year after the Stonewall Rebellion began—the same day as NYC’s Christopher Street Liberation Day.

A man who constantly challenged politicians in public around gay issues, especially when those acts would make him the center of attention, Kight helped create the template for gay community services in Los Angeles. Along with Kilhefner, who organized GLF’s Gay Survival Committee in the spring of 1970, and others—accounts differ—Kight co-founded LA’s Gay Community Services Center (GCSC) in 1971. He was also active in LA’s Coors Boycott Committee, an active member of the coalition to defeat the Briggs Initiative, and so much more. Some of the publicity-hounding schemes he helped promote, including one to transform California’s Alpine County into a lavender haven, are beyond delicious. Cherry frequently points out Kight’s penchant for self-aggrandizement that she undercuts his accomplishments. Because she interweaves Kight’s own accounts of his achievements with those of others in ways that are often indistinguishable, time and again, I couldn’t help but wonder how much I was reading was true. After all, we’re talking about a man who, in his early closeted, marriedwith-children days, dealt in forged antiques and, according to the FBI, was arrested and charged in Albuquerque for fraud, theft, “obtaining money under false pretenses,” and burglary. Ultimately, Morris Kight: Humanist, Liberationist, Fantabulist is an essential, albeit flawed biography

Anna Shields and Rachel Finninger in Monstrous.

‘Humanist, Liberationist, Fantabulist’ gives gay rights activist his due that, together with the late Stuart Timmons’ The Trouble with Harry Hay, illuminates the all-important history of Southern California’s gay movement. There is far more to be said—Timmons, for example, had planned to say more about Hay after he died, but a stroke made him unable to complete a follow-up—but when more books are written, Cherry’s will certainly remain an invaluable resource. It’s a must-read.t

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Monstrous: scary but offensive

Wear a mask Maintain social distancing

by David-Elijah Nahmod Monstrous, the new chiller available on DVD and on-demand August 11, is a film which claims to be a Bigfoot movie. Actually, the legendary monster makes but a few brief cameos in the film. The real monster in Monstrous is Alex (Rachel Finninger), a lesbian serial killer. Finninger is quite good in the role. First she’s quiet and low key, but once the truth is revealed about her, she’s psychotic and terrifying. The only problem for LGBT audiences is that the image of a lesbian serial killer isn’t exactly a positive role model, and certainly not how we want to see queer women portrayed. Read the full review on www.ebar.com.t

Family affair In this dynamic debut memoir, Determined To Be Dad: A Journey of Faith, Resilience, and Love, Steve Disselhorst passionately recounts his journey to co-parenthood and all the joys and pains involved in the process. Read Jim Piechota’s full review on www.ebar.com.

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