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Serving the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities since 1971
Vol. 51 • No. 33 • August 19-25, 2021
Plans unveiled for SF gay former strip club by John Ferrannini
T Rick Gerharter
Former ambassador James C. Hormel sits at his desk in this 2011 photo.
US’s first gay ambassador James C. Hormel dies by Cynthia Laird
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ames Catherwood Hormel, a fervent philanthropist and the first openly LGBT person to represent the United States as an ambassador, died in a San Francisco hospital Friday, August 13, with his husband at his side and his favorite Beethoven concerto playing. He was 88. Mr. Hormel’s family said that he died of natural causes. Mr. Hormel served as ambassador to Luxembourg from 1999 to 2001. In a 2016 interview with the Bay Area Reporter, he recalled the long and tortuous route to the diplomatic posting. It all began at a 1992 dinner with then-President Bill Clinton’s campaign treasurer, Bob Farmer. Over dinner, Farmer suggested to Mr. Hormel that he seek a presidential appointment as an ambassador. “I was quite surprised when he brought up the idea,” said Mr. Hormel, noting that over 60% of such positions are held by career employees who have come up through the ranks in the Foreign Service. The appointment did not happen easily, Mr. Hormel recalled. In fact, it wasn’t until five years after that dinner that Clinton nominated Mr. Hormel for the job. During that period, recalled Mr. Hormel, he made “dozens of visits and hundreds of phone calls” to keep his name in consideration. Mr. Hormel said he was persistent because, if appointed, “I would break a ceiling and make it easier for gay people to serve at the highest levels of government.” Senate Republicans and conservative Christians opposed Mr. Hormel’s nomination, and Clinton ultimately employed a recess appointment in May 1999, with Hormel being sworn in a month later. Since his appointment, there have been a number of gay men appointed as ambassadors. In July, President Joe Biden nominated Chantale Wong, a lesbian, to be the United States director to the Asian Development Bank, a post with the rank of ambassador. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ambassador Jim Hormel,” stated former President Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. “Jim devoted his life to advancing the rights and dignity of all people, and in his trailblazing service in the diplomatic corps, he represented the United States with honor and brought us closer to living out the meaning of a more perfect union. We will always be grateful for his courageous and principled example, as well as See page 2 >>
he old Nob Hill Theatre sign will stay, but the “touch our junk” tagline is no more. That news was delivered during a public Zoom meeting August 17 as the new owner of the gay former strip club and adult theater unveiled his plans for a medical center and new housing. Representatives of the new owner of the former Nob Hill Theatre at 729 Bush Street also discussed efforts to appropriately honor the theater’s history. The Nob Hill closed in 2018. It had been owned by Larry Hoover and his husband, Gary Luce, who retired. The 30-minute meeting had about four attendees who were not members of the development team, according to Eliot Dobris, a gay man who is the communications consultant for Dr. James Chen, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Francis Hospital who now owns the site, situated between Union Square and Nob Hill. Chen, a straight ally, stated that he plans to “be a good steward of the history of the site.” According to his website, Chen works with the athletic departments of several local schools and is the team physician for the San Francisco City Football Club, an amateur soccer organization. Dobris’ presentation began by discussing the site’s storied history. “This theater was a legendary spot for gay men from 1968 to 2018 and prior to that it was a famous
Cornelius Washington
The Nob Hill Theatre marquee with its famous signage just before it closed in 2018.
location for jazz,” Dobris said. “The last owners of the theater sought a new owner to continue operating the theater. After a long search, they were unable to find one. Eventually they sold the theater to Dr. Chen, who is seeking to build a surgical center and medical center, plus new housing, including a residence for his family.” Dobris said that the city’s planning department designated the theater a historical resource after an evaluation written by Tim Kelley, the former president of the San Francisco Landmarks Commission, that was finished in 2018. “They are seeking to ensure that this piece of
LGBTQ+ history is appropriately remembered and preserved,” Dobris said, referring to the planning department. “The development team – that’s all of us – are working with [the] planning [department] to make this happen and we’re calling these efforts the Nob Hill Theater History Project.” In the renovations, therefore, the facade, the red portions of the signage, and the theater auditorium will be maintained, Dobris said, adding that all public input will be considered. Feedback can be given at the website of the Nob Hill Theater History Project at https://www.729bush.com/. See page 7 >>
Queer SF districts to honor trans history by John Ferrannini
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wo San Francisco LGBTQ cultural districts are planning programs to commemorate a historic riot and pioneering trans activists at two events in August, which city officials say Mayor London Breed will declare as Transgender History Month. The Transgender District is planning on holding a block party commemorating the 55th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot at the intersection of Turk and Taylor streets. That riot in 1966 was one of the first queer uprisings against police harassment and violence in American history, predating by three years the Stonewall riots in New York City that kickstarted the modern day LGBTQ liberation movement. The 1966 riot took place at what was at the time an all-night diner at the Turk and Taylor intersection frequented by LGBTQs. “The 55th anniversary of Compton’s Cafeteria riots is such a huge milestone, and with the recent passing of transgender pioneer Felicia Flames, I think we at the Transgender District wanted to truly cultivate a celebration, and a focus on transgender joy,” stated Aria Sa’id, co-founder and president of the Transgender District, referring to Felicia “Flames” Elizondo, who died May 15. “It’s been a crazy two years with the pandemic, and the disparities we’ve seen as Black trans folks and it was important for us to center the ‘riot’ in a way that also promoted us reclaiming our joy,” Sa’id added. The block party will occur one week after the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will be provid-
Rick Gerharter
The Transgender District in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood will mark the 55th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria riots August 29.
ing COVID-19 testing and vaccinations Sunday, August 22, at the intersection of Noe and Market streets as part of the Noe Art Mart, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Through the event the LGBTQ district will also be honoring Marsha P. Johnson, one of the figures from the Stonewall riots. Breed will declare Transgender History Month on August 24 at City Hall, according to a news release from the Transgender District. “We are grateful to partner with the Transgender District and Mayor London Breed to declare August as Transgender History Month in San Francisco,” stated Clair Farley, a trans woman who is the executive director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives. “San Francisco has long
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been a leader in fighting for trans rights and making critical investments to support our residents. This historic announcement is an important way to honor those that have paved the way for our movement and address the important work we have ahead to address the ongoing discrimination and violence facing trans and gender nonconforming communities.” Breed’s office did not respond to a request for comment. “Despite the existence of a national LGBT History Month, Transgender Day of Visibility, and Transgender Week of Remembrance, none fully capture the magnitude of how much trans See page 8 >>