Oahu: Hawaiian paradise
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
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Vol. 45 • No. 18 • April 30-May 6, 2015
Marriage advocates optimistic of Supreme Court win
Bruce Jenner during the ABC interview last week.
Mixed reaction to Jenner interview
by Lisa Keen
by David-Elijah Nahmod
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here was mixed reaction from trans community leaders to former Olympian Bruce Jenner’s announcement that he is a woman and undergoing a gender transition. Jenner’s news, made during a two-hour prime time interview with veteran journalist Diane Sawyer on ABC’s 20/20, showed him as humorous, somewhat nervous, and candid in his realization that “for all intents and purposes I am a woman.” Much of the interview was conducted at Jenner’s Malibu home. Jenner explained his transition this way: He feels he was created by God who said, “Hey, let’s give him the soul of a female and let’s see how he deals with that.” “So, here I am,” Jenner said, choking up. “Stuck – and I hate the word – a girl stuck in a guy’s body. I hate that terminology. I’m me. I’m a person and this is who I am ... My brain is much more female than it is male. It’s hard for people to understand that, but that’s what my soul is.” Jenner, 65, who won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1976 Olympics, is known by millions for his participation in the hit reality series Keeping Up With the Kardashians. He did not state a new name during the interview, which was seen by an estimated 16.9 million viewers April 24. Sawyer also said during the program that for now, Jenner has not indicated that a new pronoun be used. That fact rankled some who watched the show. Veronika Fimbres, of San Francisco, who is a transgender woman, said that she was “uncomfortable” with Jenner’s continued use of male pronouns. “He is holding onto his straight male white privilege, which he seems reluctant to acquiesce,” Fimbres said. “I can only hope that his good intentions have a good outcome.” Pastor Megan Rohrer, the transgender leader of Grace Lutheran Church in the Sunset district, had no issue with Jenner’s continued use of male pronouns. But Rohrer, who prefers gender-neutral pronouns, acknowledged that pronoun usage could be a slippery slope. See page 9 >>
Katrina Voris and Natasha Gosiaco, left, enjoyed a San Francisco rally to support arguments Tuesday in the marriage equality case at the U.S. Supreme Court.
ame-sex marriage legal advocates who were at Tuesday’s oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court expressed optimism that Justice Anthony Kennedy will once again come through with the majority vote. The first question from the justices was about the rights of states to regulate marriage and, although attorneys for same-sex couples tried numerous times to refocus attention to the dam-
age that bans on same-sex marriage inflict on the rights of LGBT people, the focus stayed largely on states’ rights throughout the argument. The court seemed split on the second question of whether a state can refuse to recognize a marriage license from another state. Bay Area residents who attended a rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall Tuesday evening expressed excitement at the historic court arguments. See page 6 >> Rick Gerharter
‘Pink Party’ new name for pre-Pride festival by Seth Hemmelgarn
Last year, organizers expected to have 50,000 visitors, the study says. rganizers of the Castro street According to the report, 48 percent of party formerly known as Pink the people who attended the event were Saturday have chosen Pink from out of town. Among those, “34.7 Party as the new name, while financpercent stated that Pink Saturday was the ing and other details for the June 27 main reason for visiting San Francisco.” festival continue to be worked out. Analysts focused on the effect last The developments come as a report year’s Pink Saturday had in terms of visifrom San Francisco officials shows the tors to the city and estimated their porannual pre-LGBT Pride parade event tion of the total was $2.7 million. That has brought in millions of dollars for includes “over $600,000 at retail trade the city. Despite that boost, the city has establishments, over $500,000 at restaurepeatedly declined to provide direct rants, and over $215,000 at hotels.” Rick Gerharter funding for the event. In a statement announcing the report’s As the Bay Area Reporter noted on The Market Street entrance was crowded at the 2012 release, Wiener, said, “Whether it’s a large Pink Saturday party. its blog last Thursday, organizer Ruth celebration like Pride or a neighborMcFarlane shared the party’s new hood festival, people come to our city name that morning. and frequent our local businesses. This Pink Saturday. The Sisters, who own rights to McFarlane, the San Francisco LGBT Comthat name, plan to revamp their event for 2016 report puts into hard numbers what we already munity Center’s programs director, said of the know – that our outdoor events are not only a at a different site. Pink Party name, “In a way, it comes up from Regardless of the name, recently released city huge part of our culture, but are essential to the the community. It’s the name everybody uses if health of our economy.” estimates indicate this year’s party will help the they don’t say, ‘Pink Saturday.’” Wiener has been heavily involved in Pink local economy. The center was brought in to plan the event Saturday planning for years, and he’s one of Tuesday, April 21, gay Supervisor Scott Wieafter the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which the officials from whom Sister Selma Soul, who ner, whose District 8 includes the Castro, rehad run the party for more than 20 years, anleased a study from the economic analysis unit coordinated Pink Saturday from 2012 to 2014, nounced in February that they wouldn’t produce of the controller’s office that shows in 2014, had sought help. this year’s festival. The Sisters cited concerns about Pink Saturday attendees generated about $6 The city had waived some fees and provided violence as a primary reason for their backing out. million in spending. other assistance to the Sisters, but for years did The center and other organizers had to not provide direct funding. Wiener has said the The figure is among data included in “The choose a new name for the event, which draws Economic Impact of San Francisco’s Outdoor city doesn’t typically fund such events. thousands of people to the Castro, after the Events” report from the economic analysis ofSee page 10 >> Sisters voted not to let the new planners call it fice, which did a survey of the event.
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