LGBTs urged to stay safe
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Tony Yazbeck
Daniel Reichard
The
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Serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities since 1971
Vol. 46 • No. 48 • December 1-7, 2016
Crowdpleasing holiday tree Steven Underhill
Courtesy RWF
Pulse shooting victim Amanda Alvear, left, with her mom, Mayra Alvear
Cleve Jones speaks at Sunday’s 38th annual vigil for Harvey Milk and George Moscone.
by Brian Bromberger
Pulse survivors to light Tree of Hope
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Jones shares his story
t’s not an exaggeration to say that longtime gay activist Cleve Jones has been involved with every major event in San Francisco’s LGBT movement since 1977, when he befriended and worked with Harvey Milk. That year Milk finally won his seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, making history as the first gay man elected to office in the city and California. But Milk would be gunned down a year later, thrusting LGBT people out of the closet and into the streets. This week, Jones’ memoir When We Rise was published, in which he recounts his eventful life. In addition to his work with Milk, Jones, 62, is also widely known for creating the AIDS memorial quilt, which today is a collection of more than 48,000 individual threeby-six foot panels, according to the Names Project Foundation. (Jones is no longer affiliated with the foundation.) In his book, Jones, a long-term HIV survivor, also delves into his early years in 1970s San Francisco with his adventures as a sexual liberationist, featuring passionate relationships with friends and lovers, and coping with prejudice and violence in a city that was not always welcoming to LGBT people. Jones recently met with the Bay Area Reporter to reminisce about gay life then and now. In 2000, Jones had co-authored a book on the quilt with Jeff Dawson entitled Stitching A Revolution. He said he wrote his memoir in part to discuss the changes that have occurred. “When I read Stitching, it didn’t feel like it was my voice and I was annoyed with myself for not having done it alone,” he said. “And so many extraordinary things have happened in the last 16 years. I was taking [director] Rob Reiner and his wife, Michelle, on a tour of the Castro, telling them all my stories and at one point he stopped and said I should write a book.” See page 14 >>
by Seth Hemmelgarn
Steven Underhill
A
crowd gathered at 18th and Castro streets Monday, November 28 for the lighting of the annual holiday tree. Sponsored by the Castro Merchants group, entertainment included members of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, Bay Area
Reporter society columnist Donna Sachet, and gay officials Supervisor and state Senator-elect Scott Wiener and city Treasurer Jose Cisneros. Santa also made an appearance and handed out candy to children.
lka Reyes recalls being at Pulse nightclub June 12 with several friends. At one point, she went to get some water. “While I was standing in the bar, I heard a gunshot. I didn’t know if it was the music or if it was really a gunshot,” Reyes, 29, said. See page 19 >>
Milk, Moscone remembered at vigil by David-Elijah Nahmod
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everal hundred people gathered at Harvey Milk Plaza Sunday night to remember gay former Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, who were assassinated at City Hall on November 27, 1978. Milk was the first out gay person elected to office in San Francisco and California. He was in office less than a year when he and Moscone were killed by disgruntled ex-supervisor Dan White. The mood was somber as an enlarged photograph of Milk was hung in the plaza, surrounded by flowers and candles. Many attendees spoke of what might have been had Milk and Moscone lived, and expressed their concerns regarding the possible rollback of civil rights laws and LGBTfriendly policies in the aftermath of Presidentelect Donald Trump’s victory. During the campaign, Trump promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality and Roe v. Wade, which guarantees women the right to an abortion. He also campaigned on a promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants and called for a ban on Muslims who are not U.S. citizens entering the country. Trump has since backtracked on the marriage equality promise but stands by the others. The Southern Poverty Law Center has documented over 700 hate crimes against LGBTs, Jews, and Muslims since Election Day – a number of the perpetrators reportedly cited Trump as their influence for the behavior.
Steven Underhill
This year’s memorial to slain Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone drew a large crowd to the Castro Sunday, November 27.
“The memorial for Harvey and George takes on a deeper meaning with what’s happened on Election Day,” said gay former Supervisor and state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who was a friend of Milk and Moscone. “We can take a punch and we can give a punch, that’s why we’re here tonight.” The Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club organized the event. “Thirty-eight years ago our city was left in chaos and grief,” Milk club President Peter Gal-
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lotta told the crowd. “There’s still an incredible sense of loss. We are feeling chaos and darkness as a nation and as a city. Tonight we are here with light and hope – we are here with one another in community.” As Gallotta spoke, attendees lit candles. Several people wept. “I’m proud to be part of a club that was started by Harvey,” Gallotta continued. “We keep Harvey’s legacy alive. In the days that follow we’re See page 19 >>
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